2-MIN READ2-MINSCMPPublished: 12:12pm, 13 Mar 2026We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. Why have China’s arms imports plummeted 72% over the past 5 years?Beijing’s arms imports have nose-dived by nearly three-quarters over the past five years, as it has replaced overseas weapons purchases with domestic technology, according to a Swedish think tank report.
As hundreds of Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East scramble for air tickets home with the US-Israel war on Iran entering its 10th day, a local couple spent nearly HK$50,000 (US$6,395) on a direct flight back after repeated failed booking attempts and a cancellation blunder caused by mental exhaustion.
A private company in China providing intelligence-gathering services to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) claims to have intercepted radio signals from American stealth bombers that struck Iran on March 1 as part of the US-Israel military action.
