China defence experts vanish online, Thai coconut cartel crisis: 5 weekend reads you missed

SCMP | March 16, 2026, 12:12 a.m. | Original

From Hongkongers embracing OpenClaw to Thailand’s coconut cartel, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend

1 -MIN READ 1 -MIN

Thai coconut farmer Lamduan Haochareon. Photo: Aidan Jones

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .
The profiles of (from left) Wu Manqing, Zhao Xiangeng, and Wei Yiyin have disappeared from the website of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Photo: Handout
The profiles of (from left) Wu Manqing, Zhao Xiangeng, and Wei Yiyin have disappeared from the website of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Photo: Handout
A THAAD interceptor launching from the Marshall Islands in 2019. The US is reportedly moving parts of its THAAD system from South Korea to the Middle East. Photo: Handout
A THAAD interceptor launching from the Marshall Islands in 2019. The US is reportedly moving parts of its THAAD system from South Korea to the Middle East. Photo: Handout
A man holds a placard featuring OpenClaw in Beijing. OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that performs real-world tasks for users, much like a supercharged digital assistant. Photo: AFP
A man holds a placard featuring OpenClaw in Beijing. OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that performs real-world tasks for users, much like a supercharged digital assistant. Photo: AFP

Things ‘I do not like’ drove me to quit US for Hong Kong: top mathematician Ngo Bao Chau Malaysia’s government accused of using law to silence critics