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News - South China Morning Post

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China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

In the face of a prolonged US energy blockade of Cuba, solar panels from China have come to the rescue and provided a model of independence from fossil fuels that is resonating globally amid what is being called the worst energy crisis in history. Within the 12 months through February, solar’s share of national power generation in Cuba increased from 6 per cent to more than 20 per cent, according to Microgrid Media, a California-based publication that tracks global renewable energy

Syria begins long-awaited first trial of Assad-era...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

The first public trial in Syria of officials linked to the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad opened in Damascus on Sunday. Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad, and who is also a cousin of the former president, appeared in the courtroom to face charges related to “crimes against the Syrian people,” the state-run news agency SANA reported. Najib was in that position in 2011 when...

China warns EU to remove firms and citizens from...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

China has demanded that the European Union remove Chinese businesses and individuals from its latest sanctions list related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing also warned the bloc that it would take whatever measures were necessary to protect the rights and interests of its citizens and companies. “[We should] find a way to resolve our respective concerns through dialogue and consultation,” the ministry said, adding that the consequences of not lifting the

China’s Li Auto targets BMW and Mercedes with premium...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Li Auto, one of Tesla’s major rivals in mainland China, has set its sights on the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, with its premium intelligent models poised to take on petrol car brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Beijing-based electric vehicle (EV) maker, which is actively building a sales network abroad, expected overseas deliveries to account for 30 per cent of its total by 2030, according to president Ma Donghui. “It is inevitable that we will compete against BMW, Benz and Audi,

Ukrainians gather to remember Chernobyl disaster...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

People streamed into the central square of Slavutych in the early hours of Sunday, placing candles on a large radiation hazard symbol laid out on the ground as a midnight commemoration began for those killed in the Chernobyl disaster 40 years ago and the thousands who risked deadly radiation exposure to contain its aftermath. Residents show up for the vigil each year despite wartime curfews and official warnings against large gatherings during Russia’s war on Ukraine. The April 26, 1986

China backs Myanmar’s push to ease diplomatic...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

China has pledged to help Myanmar’s new government to engage more with multilateral platforms and eradicate telecoms scam operations. Capping a five-day trip to Southeast Asia on the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-president, on Saturday that China “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”. “This year marks the first year of Myanmar’s new government. Both sides should

China unveils world’s first coal fuel cell that can...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Chinese scientists have developed a way to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning methods, while producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, by placing coal inside a “battery”. “Coal-fired power” conjures images of heavy pollution, steep carbon footprints and modest efficiency. But a novel, direct coal power technology challenges that stereotype by eliminating combustion entirely and sidestepping the carbon dioxide emissions that have long defined

China Gen Z snipers nicknamed ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Gun...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Two female Gen Z snipers in China have drawn attention on the training ground, defying gender stereotypes with their marksmanship and grit. Liu Jiangtao, 26, from Chongqing in southwestern China, serves as a sniper in a mobile unit of the Sichuan corps of the People’s Armed Police (PAP). She began as a scout, but later broke the women’s record in a sniper selection test, firing three rounds through a single hole on a coin-sized target hundreds of metres away. Her rise, however, was met with...

First section of Fanling Bypass to open soon. So how...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

The eastern section of Hong Kong’s new Fanling Bypass will be commissioned on May 3, marking the first major transport infrastructure project to be completed under the Northern Metropolis mega development. The new bypass promises to cut travel times by 10 minutes and will serve as a vital roadway for the Fanling North New Development Area. The South China Morning Post unpacks what the new bypass is and its significance. 1. What is the new bypass? The Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) is a new

Woman rescued after falling into sea while taking...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

A 46-year-old mainland Chinese woman was rescued on Sunday morning after slipping into the sea while taking photos at a lighthouse in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung. Police received a report at 10.54am that a woman had fallen into the water at Fat Tong Mun, a sea channel between the southern tip of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula and the northern tip of Tung Lung Chau. A source said the woman was taking photos with friends at Fat Tong Mun Lighthouse when she lost her footing and fell three metres (9.8

Cinema Day attracted 201,000 film-goers. How does it...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Hong Kong’s Cinema Day has drawn a record-breaking 201,000 film-goers, despite a marginal decline in occupancy rates compared with last year. The Hong Kong Theatres Association, which organises the annual event, revealed the figures on Sunday, a day after 52 cinemas offered HK$30 (US$3.83) movie tickets for 1,694 screenings. “It marks a new high for the event, with 201,000 admissions and an average occupancy rate of 81 per cent,” a post on the promotion’s social media page said. “Families,

For the US dollar, a subtler shift than a ‘petroyuan’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

In the span of a few days earlier this month, developments that usually sit in separate policy compartments began to converge. Abu Dhabi’s crown prince arrived in Beijing as President Xi Jinping used the visit to set out China’s four-point position on the Iran war. Pakistan, now central to keeping US-Iran diplomacy alive, said no date was fixed for the next round of talks. Washington escalated pressure on buyers of Iranian oil and the banks handling related funds. Reports circulated of yuan

Southwestern China’s busiest airport hit by massive...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Southwestern China’s busiest airport was mopping up and struggling to resume operations on Sunday after a massive hailstorm grounded flights, damaged aircraft and stranded passengers. Hailstones, some as big as fists, battered Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, Yunnan province, when the storm struck early on Saturday. The storm lashed runways, terminal roofs and some of the more than 110 aircraft at the facility on Saturday morning, with water seen seeping down into terminal...

Over 5,000 Guangdong motorists sign up for Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

More than 5,000 Guangdong motorists have been approved to drive into Hong Kong’s urban areas under a southbound travel scheme as of March, while 90 per cent of the 3,500 travellers who booked to visit have stayed for one or two days. The Transport Department said on Sunday that the urban access portion of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles arrangement was operating smoothly and had become increasingly popular since its launch near the end of 2025. The scheme currently grants access

US press dinner shooting casts fresh spotlight on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

The shooting on Saturday night of a Secret Service agent at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner raises questions yet again about the protection afforded to America’s political leaders at a time of increased political violence. Hundreds of agents from several law enforcement agencies were tasked with protecting the annual bash, which US President Donald Trump headlined this year. Yet a suspect with a shotgun and other weapons ‌managed to get just a floor above the Washington...

Hong Kong plans new trial of infecting male...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Hong Kong will try out a “mosquito-to-control-mosquito” strategy next year, under which the insect males are infected with bacteria to prevent their offspring from reaching maturity, following the city’s first local dengue fever case in over a year. Announcing the strategy on Sunday, Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Donald Ng Man-kit said the government would consider stepping up mosquito control measures with a lower threshold, as the population of the insects had risen more

Hong Kong boosts e-cigarette ban awareness in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Hong Kong authorities have stepped up publicity with mainland Chinese media ahead of a ban on possessing alternative smoking products, including e-cigarettes, in public places, which will take effect before the Labour Day “golden week” holiday. Director of Health Ronald Lam Man-kin said on Sunday that the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office had conducted more than 11,000 inspections and issued about 2,200 HK$3,000 (US$383) fixed penalty notices so far this year. Of these, 23 were related to

Who is Cole Tomas Allen, suspect in White House press...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

The California man arrested in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer opposed to the policies of President Donald Trump. Authorities say Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was taken into custody at the dinner Saturday night in Washington that was attended by Trump and top members of his administration. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the...

Frenzy for Hong Kong luxury homes set to continue...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

Hong Kong’s sales of luxury homes more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier, helped by a buoyant stock market and attractively priced assets that drew the attention of wealthy investors including mainland Chinese buyers, according to analysts. The segment was likely to record another increase in the second quarter, they added. “With the wealth effect from accumulated gains in the stock market over the past two years, both local and mainland Chinese capital have seized the...

Japan underground idol sparks outrage for offering...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/26

A Japanese underground idol has stirred an online debate by offering fans the unusual perk of sniffing her armpits. Hari Matsumoto, from Wakayama, Honshu island, has attracted over 400,000 followers on social media thanks to her bubbly personality and approachable charm. In Japan, underground idols usually perform in intimate venues such as small theatre, livehouses or shopping centres and rarely appear on mainstream media. Unlike top-tier idols featured on television, in magazines, and in...

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