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News - South China Morning Post

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Why Japanese firm’s tie-up with Ukrainian drone maker...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Russia’s protest over a proposed investment by a Japanese company in a Ukrainian drone maker signals its concern that Tokyo may be supporting closer cooperation with Kyiv’s defence sector and planning to lift a long-standing ban on weapon exports, according to an international relations expert. On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko registered Moscow’s protest in a meeting with Akira Muto, the Japanese ambassador to Russia. Muto “rebutted” the protest, according to a

Israel plans talks with Lebanon as violence imperils...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later stressed that there was no ceasefire between them. In a video statement, he said Israel will keep...

Tai Po probe: fire department to propose law changes,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. An independent committee examining the causes of Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades held its 10th day of evidential hearings on Friday. The Fire Services Department’s handling of shutdown notices for the fire safety systems of the devastated Tai Po housing estate where 168 people lost their lives in November is expected to be the focus of the...

Asian economies face ‘formidable test’ as Middle East...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Economic growth across Asia is likely to slow even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, as the impact of war in the Middle East ripples through industries from manufacturing to tourism, according to the Asian Development Bank. The US and Israeli war on Iran is projected to halt developing Asia’s economic upswing, with the region’s gross domestic product expansion seen moderating to 5.1 per cent this year from 5.4 per cent in 2025, the ADB said in its outlook report on...

‘No offensive role’ for Australia as clock ticks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

US Vice-President J.D. Vance will travel to Islamabad for the first round of talks on Saturday morning local time with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, according to the White House. The US Secret Service has already arrived in the Pakistani capital to make security arrangements ahead of his visit, which marks the most significant face-to-face, high-level US–Iran contact since 1979. The American delegation is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday local time, with negotiations likely

Alibaba’s Qwen family captures over 50% of global...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Alibaba Cloud captured more than 50 per cent of global open-source model downloads as of March following the release of its Qwen 3.5 model series, a new report has found. The finding underscores the dominance of Chinese models in the global open-source artificial intelligence landscape, though some US companies including OpenAI and Nvidia are also making early gains. Qwen reached nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads by March, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek,...

Solid-state battery firms in China and US line up...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Three solid-state battery developers across China and the US are moving towards initial public offerings (IPOs), as geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices fuel demand for more energy-efficient technologies. Qingtao (Kunshan) Energy Development Group became the latest to join the queue, filing for a Hong Kong listing on April 8. Earlier, Beijing WeLion New Energy began the pre-listing tutoring process ahead of a planned application to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, while US-based

Why Trump’s Hormuz rebuke won’t derail South Korea’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

US President Donald Trump’s public rebuke of South Korea for refusing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz is an uncomfortable moment for a 70-year alliance, piling fresh pressure on a Seoul government already uneasy about Washington’s appetite for confrontation in the Middle East. But analysts believe the relationship can withstand the strain, pointing to deep institutional ties between the two militaries, broad elite and public support in both capitals, and the reluctance of other US...

Can a ‘community with a shared future’ prevail over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

With the coming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump back on schedule for May, the two leaders present two starkly different paths for the world: one defined by a “community with a shared future” and the other driven by unpredictable impulses of rivalry and division. While Trump postponed the April summit to engage Xi without the distractions of the war he launched on Iran, a swift resolution before their meeting does not seem likely – despite the newly...

Thailand snatches US$260 million from cross-border...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Thai authorities have seized assets worth 8.3 billion baht (US$260 million) belonging to people behind an alleged money-laundering network linked to transnational cyber scam operations in Cambodia. The latest seizure by the Anti-Money Laundering Office included cash, cars, bank deposits and other securities, bringing the total value of assets confiscated in the widening probe to more than 20 billion baht, officials said at a briefing in Bangkok on Thursday. The network of offenders included...

Public outrage as Chinese man takes part in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

A Chinese man who joined a matchmaking event while his wife had briefly gone to the bathroom, then claimed he was single, has sparked outrage online. On April 1, during “Auntie Wang’s Matchmaking” event in Bengbu, Anhui province, central China, a man who claimed to be single went on stage to find a partner was exposed on the spot. The event, which originally took place in Kaifeng, Henan province, also in central China, has attracted much attention on mainland social media. Those taking part

Filmmaker accuses school of ‘blatantly lying’ in row...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Clashes over the screening of a controversial, award-winning Hong Kong coming-of-age documentary at an Italian film festival have escalated, with the director accusing the secondary school at the centre of the dispute of “blatantly lying” about the arrangement for the showing. Acclaimed filmmaker Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting slammed Ying Wa Girls’ School over the documentary’s screening in Italy, expressing shock and “intolerable” disappointment after her alma mater distanced itself from the...

Is oil crisis just the start of economic pain for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Hong Kong bus company boss Martin Lau feels overwhelmed as he attempts every option possible to minimise mounting losses wrought by runaway fuel prices. He has done everything he can think of, from trying to reduce services to doing his own repairs on his fleet of more than 20 coaches. Lau, managing director of ABC Touring Car Company, told the South China Morning Post that he and his team had no choice for now but to absorb the losses as there was no help he could access. “The reality is

Can Japan regain shipbuilding might with US$6.3...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/10

Japan is forging ahead with an investment plan that could see as much as 1 trillion yen (US$6.3 billion) pumped into its shipbuilding sector as it tries to wrest back greater control of a key strategic industry. However, analysts said money alone would not be enough to restore Japan’s former standing in a sector now dominated by China, with higher costs, labour shortages and years of lost capacity all standing in the way. The effort has taken on greater urgency as turmoil in the Middle East

Chinese business ‘hired lobbying firm with ties to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

A lobbying firm led by one of Donald Trump Jnr’s hunting buddies helped a Chinese company ⁠make its case to a US national security watchdog, public filings show.The case involved a US ⁠start-up that was seeking to have the Chinese firm removed as one of its investors. The watchdog rejected the US firm’s request for ⁠a national security review of the Chinese firm’s investment, according to a document seen by Reuters, handing a rare win to a Chinese company in Washington. The decision has not...

Hong Kong developers roll out 1,300 homes as prices...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

Hong Kong developers are preparing to launch nearly 1,300 units in the coming days and weeks, with some edging up prices amid improving homebuying sentiment. On Sunday, 261 units at La Mirabelle I will be released, with average prices ranging from HK$15,335 (US$1,958) to HK$19,613 per square foot after discounts of up to 15 per cent, according to Sino Land, one of the project’s developers. The pricing marks a 1 per cent increase on the previous batch, which Sino said reflected the quality of

US judge orders Pentagon to restore press access to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

A US judge in Washington ruled ⁠on Thursday that the Pentagon is ⁠hampering journalists in defiance of a court order that required it to restore access to credentialed reporters covering the seat of US military power. US District Judge Paul Friedman said the Defence Department must comply with his earlier order that sided with The New York Times newspaper and other news organisations ‌challenging restrictions imposed on them last year. “The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful

Will Trump’s Iran war ‘loyalty test’ spell the end of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

The US-Israel war on Iran could push Nato closer to becoming a “nominal” alliance, although it was unlikely to disband any time soon, a Chinese observer said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the transatlantic defence alliance since returning to the White House last year, accusing allies of “free‑riding” on US security and demanding greater military and financial contributions. That rhetoric has only intensified in recent weeks, with accusations that Nato was failing to...

Middle East crisis is pushing China to deepen Latin...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

The Iran war has been framed as a Middle East crisis with global energy consequences. That is true, but incomplete. It is also reshaping China’s strategic map. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the jump in oil prices and the shock to shipping and energy markets have reinforced a lesson for Beijing: vulnerability begins with concentration. When one region becomes more unstable, the value of diversified suppliers, routes and external partners rises. That is why Latin America matters more

Netanyahu corruption trial to resume on Sunday after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/09

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will resume on Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court confirmed, after emergency restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran were lifted. A court statement on Thursday said that “the return to work of the judicial system” means Netanyahu’s trial is cleared to continue, beginning with a hearing on Sunday set to include testimony from a defence witness. Court business in Israel had been interrupted by the conflict but the

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