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News - South China Morning Post

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Trump faces a dilemma in the aftermath of failed...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

The failure of the weekend US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan has left US President Donald Trump with a tough choice on resuming strikes, according to Chinese analysts. With midterm elections looming, further conflict would be unpopular in the United States but no military action would mean a continued stalemate over access to the Strait of Hormuz. The strait and Iran’s nuclear issues were among the main points debated during 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, according to Iranian officials. Those...

380 Wang Fuk Court households seek second visit to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

About 380 households from Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged housing estate in Tai Po have expressed a desire for a second visit to their homes to retrieve belongings, ahead of the first session starting from April 20, an official has said. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing said on Sunday that dedicated social workers had notified more than 1,730 families from seven of the eight Wang Fuk Court towers about retrieving items between April 20 and May 4. Authorities expected 98 per cent of

Helper, 35, arrested in Hong Kong after allegedly...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Hong Kong police have arrested a 35-year-old domestic helper on suspicion of child abuse after she allegedly pulled a baby girl’s hair in a village house on Lantau Island. Officers said they received a report at noon on Sunday from the infant’s mother, who suspected the helper of mistreating the child at their home off Shek Mun Kap Road in Tung Chung. The baby had reddening on her head and was taken to North Lantau Hospital for treatment. Police said the 35-year-old Indonesian helper was...

‘You cannot lose if you do not have a goal’: the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

For millennia, the wisdom of Chinese strategist Sun Tzu has guided leaders. His sayings, most famously collected in The Art of War, emphasise deception, careful preparation and understanding both your enemy and yourself. “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” Today, a new master strategist has arisen, though his aphorisms emphasise careless blundering. “If you do not know what...

Sumud aid flotilla departs Spain for Gaza to break...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade. About 30 boats planned ‌to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine. The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organisation in October last year as they

Why Cantopop star Hins Cheung’s new mentor role has...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Hong Kong singer Hins Cheung’s new role as a mentor and volunteer for the Security Bureau’s youth rehabilitation programme has sent shock waves through his fan base. For years, the singer was celebrated not just for his vocal skills but also for his perceived alignment with backers of the city’s social movements. The South China Morning Post unpacks how the controversy exploded. 1. Who is Hins Cheung? Born in 1981 in Guangzhou, Cheung moved to Hong Kong in 2002 to launch his Cantopop career

War of words: China and the US battle it out for the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

The world’s two superpowers are waging an information war to influence the minds of Africa’s young and media-savvy demographic, with articles pitched by the United States and China designed to show each other in an unflattering light. On March 31, Africa Defence Forum magazine, a publication of the US Army’s Africa Command, ran an article called: “China’s floating fish factories plunder Guinea Bissau’s resources”. It detailed illegal operations by Chinese fishing trawlers in the West African...

Celestial craftsmanship: discoveries from China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

The archaeological site of Sanxingdui in southwest China’s Sichuan province has yielded remarkable discoveries, including insights recently revealed by Chinese researchers about how the inhabitants forged an axelike tool from a meteorite. While meteorite artefacts are not entirely unheard of – China boasts 13 known meteorite objects – this discovery underscores that the people of Sanxingdui were part of a distinct regional culture, separate from their contemporaries further north. “The

Fire breaks out at Hong Kong columbarium, injuring 2...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Heavy use of a joss paper burner led to a fire at a Hong Kong columbarium that sent ashes flying, injuring at least two people on Sunday. Police said that they received a report at 11.37am that a fire had broken out at Diamond Hill Columbarium. A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by an overheated exhaust fan connected to a joss paper burner, the force said. Firefighters arrived and put out the flames, which were classified as a No 1 alarm fire, the lowest in Hong Kong’s...

Benin election favours continuity amid al-Qaeda...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Benin was voting for a new president on Sunday, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni a shoo-in after overseeing a decade of economic growth in the West African country despite jihadist attacks in the north. Nearly eight million voters are eligible to cast ballots to choose a successor to Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after two five-year terms and has endorsed Wadagni as his successor. Turnout will be a crucial factor after a lacklustre campaign hit by voter apathy. “We must vote to

Colleague Skill: AI job fears in China set off viral...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

An open-source artificial intelligence project aimed at harvesting human capabilities into reusable AI “skills” has gone viral in China, gaining traction as a meme among the country’s uneasy young workers as they face growing job insecurity amid rapid AI advances. Supposedly, certain skills of luminaries such as Steve Jobs, spiritual figures like Gautama Buddha and ordinary office workers have been extracted into digital form and uploaded online, making these skills – such as Jobs’ product...

AI pessimism is a luxury the Global South cannot afford

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

No Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian or other serious policymaker believes artificial intelligence will solve corruption or improve governance overnight. National policies such as Digital Ethiopia 2030, Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 or other initiatives in Chile, Argentina and Colombia consider AI as a means to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, taxation and disaster management, rather than as institutional reform. These are practical applications....

Forget Hong Kong and Singapore, Philippines housing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Hong Kong and Singapore routinely top global rankings of unaffordable cities. Yet it is the residents of Manila, Colombo and Yangon who are far more likely to tell pollsters they cannot afford shelter. The Philippines recorded the world’s highest share of people reporting difficulty affording housing in a new survey from US-based firm Gallup, with 55 per cent saying they had struggled to pay for shelter in the past 12 months. Sri Lanka followed at 54 per cent, Myanmar at 49 per cent and

Semiconductor leap: China looks to next-gen ‘2D chip’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Chinese scientists say they have developed a wafer-scale 2D semiconductor growth method with 1,000 times faster growth, paving the way for industry advances. The surging demand for high‑performance, low‑power chips driven by AI and large-language models has intensified the search for next‑generation semiconductor technologies. Moore’s Law predicted a doubling of semiconductor capacity every two years but as chip dimensions continue to shrink, physical limitations make further performance

How China’s fake Titanic sank like a stone – and...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

When Su Shaojun launched an audacious plan to build a life-size replica of the Titanic, he felt he was on to a sure-fire winner. After all, James Cameron’s iconic 1997 film had been a worldwide hit – including in China, where it had grossed over US$200 million. At a press event to unveil the project in 2014, Su invited the actor Bernard Hill – who played the captain of the Titanic in the film – to appear alongside him as he told the assembled reporters in Hong Kong that his company aimed to...

Hong Kong balancing financial security, innovation as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Hong Kong has struck a balance between financial security and innovation in its strategic roles as a “testing ground” and “firewall” for the nation’s reform and opening up, the city’s finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday that security was core to the goal of achieving high-quality development as geopolitical tensions created risks in global financial markets and energy supplies. As Hong Kong rolled out the first batch of stablecoin licences last week, the...

Trump’s 80th birthday bash to feature UFC fight at...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that there would be an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight in the White House grounds to mark his 80th birthday on June 14. Trump, a UFC fan, made the announcement on social media. This year marks the 250th anniversary of US independence and the initial plans were for the fight to take place on July 4, US Independence Day. On Saturday, Trump was attending a UFC fight in Miami with several family members and Secretary of State Marco Rubio,

Citybus driver dies after collapsing, losing control...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

A Hong Kong bus driver died on Saturday night after collapsing while steering his vehicle, causing it to mount a pavement. Police said on Sunday that the 42-year-old man collapsed while driving his empty vehicle along Chung Yan Road in the direction of Tung Chung Road at 10.55pm the previous day. After he collapsed, the bus mounted the pavement. Public transport firm Citybus confirmed the driver was an employee and said no one else was injured. The force said the driver was unconscious and...

Beijing pledges better Taiwan air and travel links...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Beijing has promised to restore direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan following a visit by the leader of the main opposition party. The 10-point measures, which also include a pledge to ease restrictions on individuals travelling to the island, were announced on Sunday as Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun concluded her visit to the mainland. Her trip, which began on Tuesday, included a meeting with Xi Jinping – the first between the leaders of the Communist Party and KMT in...

Minister warns Malaysia will enter ‘critical period’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/12

Malaysia is expected to experience a critical moment with regards to fuel supply by June, according to Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir. He said the government is implementing measures to address the global fuel shortage amid the Middle East conflict, including exploring alternative raw materials. “June and July will be a very critical period in ensuring fuel supplies are available,” Akmal Nasrullah said after attending an event in Johor Bahru. “It will be equally important to

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