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White House and Anthropic CEO discuss working...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

The Trump administration and Anthropic’s CEO on Friday discussed working together for the first time since a dispute earlier this year between the Pentagon and the artificial intelligence firm over how that company’s models should be used. The meeting between CEO Dario Amodei and White House staff, which took place amid growing ‌fears the AI start-up’s latest model will supercharge cyberattacks, suggests the two sides might be on a path to rebuilding trust. The Trump administration, central...

In wake of Iran war, Chinese manufacturers...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter.When Lawrence Wong decided to set up a toy factory in Vietnam last year, he had a clear plan: 600 square metres (6,458 sq ft) of floor space at the start of 2026,

Hong Kong is ageing, but the real question is where...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

In recent years, warnings about Hong Kong’s rapidly ageing population have become increasingly urgent. Long hospital waits, chronic shortages in long-term care and a shrinking working-age population have led many policymakers and researchers to portray ageing as an approaching demographic crisis that a small, densely populated city might be unable to absorb. In some quarters, this has fuelled dire predictions about the sustainability of Hong Kong’s healthcare and social care systems. This...

Spain signs deals with Brazil as Sanchez builds...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Spain and Brazil signed a flurry of agreements at Pedro Sanchez and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s first bilateral summit, as the Spanish leader seeks to build an alliance to counter US President Donald Trump. “The relationship between Spain and Brazil goes far beyond the strictly bilateral,” Sanchez told reporters after signing 15 deals covering areas including critical minerals, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. “Peace and the values that sustain it are being attacked by a...

US Congress extends controversial surveillance law by...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Congress passed a short extension to a high-profile surveillance law on Friday after failing to secure the long-term reauthorisation pushed by US President Donald Trump. The brief pause comes after a late-night attempt to reauthorise the law for ‌five years failed in the House. It sets up another round of wrangling over whether and how to reform what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the National Security Agency to surveil foreigners using data...

Iran war: France and UK to lead ‘defensive’ force for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

France and Britain said on Friday that they would lead a multinational mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasising the force would be entirely defensive and only deployed once lasting peace in the region was agreed. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the force was being set up as they co-chaired international talks in Paris focused on ensuring free-flowing trade through the critical shipping corridor. The...

Pope urges Cameroon to reject violence at mass that...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Pope Leo called on Cameroonians on Friday to reject violence and be generous with their neighbours during an event billed as the biggest of his four-nation Africa tour, with roughly 120,000 people flocking to a mass he led in the port city of Douala. Amid heavy security, some believers had made their way on Thursday to the city’s Japoma ‌Stadium, venue of the mass, and slept overnight outside on mats to hear Friday’s address from the pontiff, who has become outspoken on war and inequality and...

Scores of Chinese women smuggled into Germany for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Scores of Chinese women were brought to Germany without valid residency permits for sex work across the country, prosecutors in Frankfurt alleged on Friday. Five suspects are accused of organised smuggling of foreigners for their roles in operating the prostitution ring over the past three years, according to prosecutors. Prostitution is legal in Germany but is strictly regulated. A 43-year-old Chinese man and a 35-year-old Chinese woman allegedly ran the illegal business, using a network of...

Turkey’s Erdogan urges Iran, US to use ceasefire to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged the United States and Iran to guard against any provocations by Israel and use their current ceasefire to push for lasting peace. “We must not allow weapons to again replace words,” he told the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. “Let it not be forgotten, the shortest path to peace is dialogue and diplomacy. Peace is not a one-winged bird.” His remarks came as Washington and Tehran weighed the next steps after a temporary halt in fighting,...

Chinese LED chipmaker’s purchase of Dutch firm...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

China’s leading LED chipmaker and its Malaysian partner have abandoned their US$239 million cash offer to purchase Dutch technology company Lumileds Holding after opposition from US authorities, marking the latest setback for Chinese tech investment overseas following the high-profile Nexperia saga. Sanan Optoelectronics, listed in Shanghai, said in a disclosure announcement on Friday that despite multiple rounds of discussions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)...

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that has blocked hundreds of ships and sent energy prices soaring worldwide.“IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!,” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian...

HKEX proposes halving share settlement cycle in bid...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has proposed halving the cash settlement cycle for share trading as part of efforts to enhance market efficiency and liquidity. The city’s bourse operator said in a consultation paper on Friday that it aimed to implement a “T+1” system – under which trades are settled one day after the transaction – in the fourth quarter of 2027, replacing the existing “T+2” cycle. If adopted, the shortened cycle would apply to equities, exchange-traded products,...

Israeli attacks killed over 38,000 women, girls in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed more than 38,000 women and girls between October 2023 and the end of 2025, a UN report published on Friday showed. Palestinian health authorities put the estimated total death toll by the end of 2025 at just over 71,000, rising to more than 72,000 by mid-April as Israel continued sporadic attacks despite a ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas. According to the analysis by UN Women, this means over half of all the victims in Gaza by the end of 2025

Iran war energy shock threatens Southeast Asia’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Some exporters at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou report a modest return of orders to China from Southeast Asia, as energy-market volatility linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran prompts some Western buyers to prioritise supply chain stability. The shift is visible in buyer patterns on the exhibition floor, where the number from Europe and the United States appears to have recovered from last year’s levels, according to Chinese exporters, with more inquiries for home appliances, new energy

Why US threats to tighten economic vice on Iran might...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

The US appears to be intensifying its war efforts with an economic squeeze to force Iran to cave in before further talks, but Chinese observers say the strategy could risk prolonging the conflict and backfire on the US economy. With a two-week ceasefire to expire on April 22, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has renewed his threat against Iran, saying that the US will attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure if diplomatic efforts fail. “Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat...

Gloomy weather can’t take shine off Hong Kong Sevens...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

An amber rainstorm warning and a leaky roof failed to dampen the mood of fans as the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament kicked off its 50th anniversary edition on Friday. First-time visitors to the city’s signature annual sporting event expressed amazement at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, while a food shortage fiasco that plagued last year’s tournament appeared to have been addressed. Costumed revellers gearing up for three days of rugby could already be seen entering the South Stand –...

Chinese trucks could go 100% electric, halving road...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

Industry estimates suggest that heavy-duty cargo traffic in China is on track to become nearly 100 per cent electric, a transition that could halve the country’s road transport oil consumption. Speaking at a forum on intelligent electric vehicle development in Beijing on April 11, Liang Linhe, chairman of Sany Truck – a subsidiary of the Changsha-headquartered multinational Sany Group – said China’s heavy truck sector could eventually be almost entirely electrified, although he did not put a...

Lebanon becomes key to Iran-US peace talks amid fears...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Thursday was the final turn in the diplomatic maze leading to a breakthrough in Pakistan-mediated peace talks between Washington and Tehran, analysts say. Arranged by Pakistan with help from Saudi Arabia, the 10-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was a key Iranian condition for a second and potentially conclusive round of talks in Islamabad on a date yet to be set. Marathon talks between

Kremlin denies Putin’s isolation from Russia’s woes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

The Kremlin on Friday denied that ⁠President Vladimir ⁠Putin was insulated from ⁠bad news after a celebrity blogger accused unidentified top officials of not telling Russia’s paramount leader the truth about the country’s problems. Viktoria Bonya, a social media influencer who ‌is well known inside Russia for her appearances on reality TV shows, said this week that she supported Putin and listed five problems which she said officials were not briefing him on honestly. Her video was watched

Arrest of Philippine ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co ‘missing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/17

The arrest of fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co has revived a long-stalled Philippine corruption investigation and sharpened political pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, whom the wanted lawmaker has accused of personally benefiting from a multibillion-peso kickback scheme tied to flood control projects. Observers called Co’s arrest a “notable step towards accountability” in a case that had stalled after the collapse of the commission set up to investigate it. Co resigned from the...

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