PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

All Episodes

My love-hate relationship with Apple as an Android user

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Last week, on April 1 to be exact, Apple reached the grand old age of 50 (almost exactly a year younger than Microsoft), one of a tiny proportion of S&P-listed companies that have stayed the course for half a century. It is a company with which I have had a special connection and a love-hate relationship for most of my adult life. Not that I have ever owned an Apple product (I have always been a loyal Android man) nor any Apple shares; heavens, I wish I had. No. My special connection is more...

Takeaways from Cheng Li-wun’s press conference about...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, the Kuomintang, highlighted the need for peace as she spoke to the media in Beijing on Friday afternoon after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It is the first time the leaders of the KMT and the Communist Party have met in nine years and comes at a time of heightened cross-strait military tensions. Here are the main takeaways from the press conference. A ‘choice of war or peace’ In a clear reference to

Is China about to launch a rocket from South China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

China plans to launch its first rocket from open waters in the South China Sea, in a display of a more flexible, long-range maritime launch capability. The 31-metre (102-foot) tall, solid-fuelled Jielong-3 is expected to lift off at 7.30pm on Saturday from the Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang, a converted barge operating in international waters, according to a leaked schedule circulating on Chinese social media. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all the islands and rock features in the South

Malaysian business lobby says working from home will...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

A Malaysian association has come under fire after warning that wider work-from-home arrangements would hurt urban businesses, with critics accusing it of prioritising city-centre takings over the government’s effort to cut fuel use across the country and rein in soaring subsidy costs. The backlash comes days before Malaysia begins a phased work-from-home roll-out for eligible civil servants on April 15, part of a wider effort to cut fuel use and manage rising costs tied to disruptions caused

China healthcare stocks outgain Hong Kong market as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

China’s healthcare sector has been drawing offshore capital to Hong Kong-listed stocks as investors look for safe havens amid global volatility in commodities. The Hang Seng Healthcare Index, tracking some of China’s most innovative pharmaceutical companies including Akeso and Innovent Biologics, has surged about 13 per cent since March 23, outpacing the benchmark Hang Seng Index’s about 6 per cent gain over the same period. “Although the Middle East conflict has created a lot of uncertainty

Japan’s Sanae Takaichi tickled pink to meet UK band...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Legendary British rock band Deep Purple made ⁠Japanese Prime Minister ⁠Sanae Takaichi’s day with a brief ⁠visit to their high-profile superfan on Friday as they returned to the country they first toured more than half a century ago. Takaichi’s reputation as an amateur drummer and fan of hard rock and heavy metal has been ‌well documented, and she has referred to Deep Purple as one of her favourite bands along with the likes of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. “You are my god,” a giddy Takaichi...

Hong Kong authorities spend HK$34 million on Tai Po...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Hong Kong housing authorities have spent HK$34 million (US$4.3 million) on recovery efforts following the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court, including removing damaged scaffolding, conducting structural assessments and strengthening works. The Housing Bureau said on Thursday evening that the expenditure was the main reason for the 22.1 per cent increase in the revised building control expense estimate for the 2025-26 financial year. “This is mainly due to the expenditure on follow-up works...

Indonesia’s richest man loosens grip on Petrindo,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Indonesia’s richest man has begun selling small stakes in his listed companies as tighter ownership rules push firms to increase shares available to public investors. Billionaire Prajogo Pangestu sold a 0.56 per cent stake in coal and mining holding Petrindo Jaya Kreasi to boost the company’s free float, according to a stock exchange filing late Thursday. Prajogo-affiliated Green Era Energy this week also sold a fraction of its stake in his Barito Renewables Energy. Regulators are

151 Hong Kong civil servants dismissed for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

More than 150 Hong Kong civil servants were dismissed for serious misconduct or criminal convictions over the past three financial years, with police accounting for the largest number of cases. In a written reply to a lawmaker’s inquiry on Thursday, the Civil Service Bureau said 151 civil servants were dismissed for serious misconduct or criminal offences between 2022 and 2025, with the number of dismissals dropping steadily from 60 in 2022–23 to 51 in 2023–24 and 40 in 2024–25. Of the total,

Cheng hopeful to invite Xi Jinping to Taiwan if the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), spoke to the press in Beijing at 2.22pm on Friday, hours after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It was the first meeting between leaders of the two parties in nine years after then-KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu visited the mainland in November 2016. During the meeting on Friday morning, both Xi and Cheng highlighted a message of peace across the strait. “Compatriots on both sides are...

Hong Kong police on the hunt for man who robbed bank...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Hong Kong police are searching for a man who robbed a bank in Wan Chai, with the force’s preliminary investigations revealing HK$36,000 was stolen.Police received a report at 12.26pm after a man robbed a branch of Bank of East Asia in Harbour View Centre before fleeing the scene on a bicycle. Preliminary investigations showed HK$36,000 was stolen but police said they were still calculating the losses. A number of officers were seen searching for evidence at Gloucester Road, near the scene of...

US travellers mistakenly think China ‘happy funeral’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Two Americans travelling in China who mistook a “happy funeral” banquet in rural China for a trendy restaurant were unexpectedly given a warm welcome by the locals. Well-known American YouTuber Ludwig Anders Ahgren, who is widely known as Ludwig, has amassed over 6.8 million followers. Recently, he set off on a motorcycle journey across China with his friend, travelling from Guangdong province in southern China to Inner Mongolia in the north. On the fifth day of their trip, while passing...

Fisherman catches Chinese drone; Iran war’s lessons...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

We 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. Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone A Chinese underwater drone was caught by an Indonesian fisherman near a key waterway leading to Australia, local media reported. 2. What is the war on Iran

South Korean youth hooked on easy access to drugs online

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Buying illegal drugs has become as easy as ordering a pizza in South Korea – especially for teens and young adults who have grown up in the digital age – as drug trafficking has increasingly moved online. On platforms like Telegram and the dark web, users familiar with drug-related slang can easily locate dealers. Consumers simply place an order, pay with bitcoin, and, once the transaction is complete, receive a message with instructions on where to collect their purchase. Pickup locations

Hong Kong government must guard against exploitation...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

The Hong Kong government must ensure its massive HK$1.8 billion (US$229.8 million) subsidy for diesel to mitigate record-high oil prices for the transport sector is not exploited by fuel companies through discount manipulations, an industry leader and a lawmaker have cautioned. Their warnings came shortly after authorities announced a two-month, HK$3-per-litre (38 US cents) diesel relief measure on Thursday to cushion the impact on transport companies amid the ongoing Middle East conflict,

Pentagon plays down rift with Vatican despite Pope...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

The Pentagon and the Vatican denied allegations of a rift following Pope Leo’s criticism of the Trump administration and a news report of a contentious meeting between a papal envoy and a top US defence official. In separate statements, the two sides both professed an eagerness to get along, saying the meeting that occurred in January was frank but polite. The Defence Department issued a statement that said “we have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy...

2 years on: China proves its ‘desert wheat farms’ are...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Growing wheat in sand may be regarded as impossible in most countries. But China’s “desert wheat farms” have survived repeated sandstorms and continue to grow following an initial trial in the country’s largest desert, as part of an ongoing effort to combat desertification and unlock the land’s potential for strengthening national food security. Two years ago, on the fringes of the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China launched an unprecedented project to plant

Jardine Matheson to exit Swire’s Taikoo Place,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Jardine Matheson is giving up its remaining office space in FWD Tower at Taikoo Place and plans to relocate staff back to Jardine House in Central as part of operational consolidation, sources said. The move reflects a wider trend of companies consolidating into the core district, where demand for premium office space has been strengthening. The group’s primary office at Jardine House, part of its own property portfolio, “is now undergoing renovations to create a modern workspace that will...

Sara Duterte leads early 2028 Philippine presidential...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Her father is in custody at The Hague, her alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has collapsed into bitter rivalry and she is fighting to halt impeachment proceedings before the Supreme Court. Despite all of that, Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is still, by a distance, the early favourite to be the country’s next president. A new survey by Manila-based pollster WR Numero found 36 per cent of Filipinos would vote for Duterte-Carpio if the 2028 election were held today – a...

Peace is a common wish, Xi Jinping tells Taiwan’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party both highlighted the message of peace across the strait on Friday, in the first meeting of the sitting leaders of the two parties in nine years. “Compatriots on both sides are both Chinese, and we need peace, we need development, we need communication, and we need cooperation. This is a common wish,” Xi has told Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomintang (KMT). In the meeting, Xi expressed full confidence that

21,543 results