China Is Poised to Reap Rewards as Energy Shock Heats up the Race for Renewables
China’s renewable‑energy footprint is expanding as the global oil crisis accelerates demand for clean power. In Cuba, Chinese‑made solar panels lifted solar’s share of generation from 6% to over 20% within a year, and the country expects 2 GW of Chinese‑financed solar capacity by 2028. Across Asia, Africa and Europe, China backs more than 500 renewable projects, with a 1,000 MW solar plant now operating in Laos. The surge in renewables is also driving faster electric‑vehicle adoption, especially in markets that import affordable Chinese EVs.
Syria Begins Long-Awaited First Trial of Assad-Era Officials
Syria opened its first public trial of officials tied to the Assad regime in Damascus, featuring former army brigadier general Atef Najib, a cousin of the ousted president. Najib faces charges of crimes against the Syrian people for his role...
China Warns EU to Remove Firms and Citizens From Russian Sanctions List
China’s Ministry of Commerce demanded the EU drop 27 Chinese firms and individuals from its latest sanctions list tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning that the bloc would bear the consequences of non‑compliance. The EU justified the measures, accusing...
China’s Li Auto Targets BMW and Mercedes with Premium SUVs in Middle East, Asia-Pacific
Li Auto, the Chinese EV maker known for its extended‑range premium SUVs, announced distribution deals in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as part of a broader push into the Middle East and Asia‑Pacific. President Ma Donghui said the...
New Israeli Strikes Reported in Lebanon After Netanyahu Orders Attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a forceful campaign against Hezbollah after accusing the group of breaching a recently extended ceasefire. Israeli strikes hit the Lebanese towns of Yohmor al‑Shaqeef and Safad al‑Battikh, killing six civilians and injuring dozens. Hezbollah...
Germany’s Merz Says No ‘Immediate’ Ukraine EU Membership, Floats Kyiv Joining Meetings
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told an EU summit that Ukraine cannot join the bloc immediately, but could attend European Council meetings without voting rights. The statement comes as Hungary’s nationalist opposition eases after Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat, reviving hopes for faster progress....
Changes to Fire Services Law with Tougher Penalties Set for Public Consultation
Hong Kong's Security Bureau announced a public consultation on sweeping amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance, prompted by the deadliest fire in decades. The proposals would make six‑month fire‑alarm testing mandatory, require prior approval before deactivating firefighting systems, and impose...
US Crackdown Threat Could Shake Out China’s ‘Distillation’ AI Copycats: Analysts
The White House warned that Chinese firms are using AI model distillation to replicate U.S. capabilities, prompting a potential crackdown. Analysts say the threat could force weaker Chinese start‑ups that rely on distilled models out of the market within six...
Disciplinary Inquiry Resumes Into Doctor’s Alleged Baby Blunder 16 Years Ago
The Hong Kong Medical Council resumed a disciplinary inquiry into Dr. Sit Sou‑chi for allegedly failing to promptly investigate newborn Li Yuanjian’s seizures in December 2009, a lapse that left the child with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia. After a public...
Huawei, DeepSeek Strengthen China’s AI Self-Reliance with Collaboration on V4 Model
Huawei announced that its new Ascend 950PR and 950DT chips were ready for day‑zero inference on DeepSeek’s V4 model, with the entire Ascend SuperNode line fully adapted. The partnership was highlighted in a livestream where engineers detailed integration with Huawei’s...
China Ramps up Hunt for Tax Evaders, Frames Consumption Levies as Fiscal Lifelines
Beijing’s State Taxation Administration disclosed eight tax‑evasion cases across gold jewellery, alcohol and refined oil, levying fines up to ¥40 million ($5.85 million). The crackdown targets under‑reported sales and shell‑company schemes that shift revenue away from the tax base. Consumption tax, which...
China’s Canton Fair Defies Global Trends as Overseas Customers Flock to Buy Robots, Drones
The Canton Fair’s spring session saw unprecedented crowds in the robotics, drone and new‑energy pavilions, with overseas buyers lingering at booths to livestream, test and even purchase high‑tech samples. China’s push toward higher‑value smart hardware is evident as 23% of...
Thai Hotels Woo Asian Guests with Curated Stays as Iran War Keeps Europeans Away
Centara Hotels & Resorts, which operates over 50 properties in Thailand, reported a 6% revenue dip since the Iran war began as European long‑haul visitors dwindled. Asian travelers, especially from China and India, are now making up roughly half of...
China’s Dark Compute Power Could Be 6,000 Times Higher than Current Estimates
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced a domestic AI compute capacity of 1,882 exaflops, a figure roughly 6,000 times higher than its representation on the Top500 supercomputer list. The metric uses an AI‑focused counting method, which when converted...
Iran Latest: Trump Has ‘No Time Frame’ to End War as World Waits for Peace Talks
President Donald Trump told Fox News there is no defined timeline for ending the war with Iran, leaving the recently announced ceasefire extension in doubt. The United States continues its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, directing 31 vessels...
Travel Scheme Could Allow Hong Kong, Macau Yachts to Sail to 6 Greater Bay Area Ports
Hong Kong and Macau yacht owners will soon be able to sail solo to six designated Greater Bay Area ports, with the cross‑border travel scheme expected to be finalised by this summer. The draft permits licensed vessels to obtain a temporary...
Trump’s Military Push Confronts US Lawmakers and China’s Shipbuilding Edge
President Trump’s FY 2027 budget proposes a $65.8 billion allocation for 34 new warships, including a namesake battleship, as part of a $1.5 trillion defence request – the largest in U.S. history. The plan hinges on congressional approval, but analysts expect a scaled‑back...
Hong Kong Aiming to Curb Illicit Fuel Trade with Tougher Penalties: Source
Hong Kong is set to tighten penalties for illegal fuel trading, proposing up to HK$1 million (≈US$127,700) fine and one year jail for buyers, and a HK$3 million (≈US$383,000) fine with up to three years imprisonment for sellers. The changes amend the...
Taiwanese Leader Lai Postpones Africa Trip After 3 Nations Revoke Overflight Permission
Taiwanese President William Lai postponed his scheduled five‑day visit to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar abruptly withdrew overflight permission for his aircraft. Taipei blames Beijing’s economic pressure for the sudden bans, marking the first time a Taiwanese leader has...
Economist Justin Lin Urges West to Adopt ‘Eastern Wisdom’ as China Moves up Value Chain
Former World Bank chief economist Justin Lin challenged the Western claim that China’s auto‑export boom signals overcapacity, noting China ships about 7 million cars—20 percent of its output—versus Germany’s 4 million, which represent 80 percent of production. By comparing export‑to‑production ratios, he argues China...
US Forces Intercepted ‘Gift From China’ to Iran, Donald Trump Says
President Donald Trump told CNBC that U.S. forces intercepted a container ship he described as a “gift from China” bound for Iran, suggesting Beijing was supplying Tehran with prohibited goods. The allegation originated from former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who...
First AI Driverless Trucks Deployed to Tackle Hong Kong Port Labour Shortage
Hutchison Port Holdings Trust has introduced Hong Kong’s first AI‑powered driverless trucks, deploying six electric autonomous vehicles at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal 4. Since their January launch, the fleet has moved over 8,000 containers, helping alleviate a chronic shortage of commercial‑vehicle drivers. The...
Woman Charged in US with Trafficking Arms to Sudan for Iranian Government
Iranian national Shamim Mafi, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of brokering the sale of Iranian‑made drones, bombs, fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan. Prosecutors allege the weapons were...
‘Saying You’re a Geopolitical Actor Doesn’t Make It so’: Sven Biscop on Europe
Sven Biscop warns that Europe’s marginal role in the Iran‑Israel‑US conflict exposes a chronic lack of military capacity and a fragmented diplomatic response. He argues the EU must move beyond rhetoric, develop a unified diplomatic push, and create an autonomous...
Why Hong Kong Is Hitting Pause on Basketball Betting
Hong Kong’s government has put the launch of basketball betting on hold, even though the Legislative Council passed the enabling bill and the Hong Kong Jockey Club was ready to roll out the product. The pause reflects growing alarm over...
Government Should Probe Department Heads ‘Cautiously’ Under New System: Regina Ip
Hong Kong’s government plans to roll out a new accountability system that would allow the chief executive, top ministers and bureau chiefs to trigger investigations of roughly 60 department heads for systemic, repetitive problems. Regina Ip, convenor of the Executive Council,...
Quirky China: Doctor Removes Worm From Woman’s Brain, Under-Fire Gamer Dyes Her Skin Black
Surgeons in Guangdong, China, successfully removed an 8 cm-long parasitic worm from the brain of a 61‑year‑old woman who had endured years of numbness and unexplained symptoms. The woman traced the infection to a childhood folk remedy where a frog’s leg...
‘No Mood for Work’: Veteran Ship Mechanic’s Future Clouded by Aberdeen Marina Project
Veteran ship‑machinery mechanic David Chan, who has worked in Aberdeen since the 1960s, faces an uncertain future as Hong Kong’s government moves to redevelop the Po Chong Wan industrial site into a 250‑home residential complex and a 200‑berth marina. The plan, part...
China Steps up Aid to Africa but Huge Funding Gap Left by Trump’s Cuts Remains
During Vice‑President Han Zheng’s March visit to Nairobi, China announced a cash grant for drought relief and delivered food aid to several African nations, assisting over 217,000 people in Zambia and providing 5,000 tonnes of rice to Zimbabwe. Beijing also pledged...
14 Hurt After Minibus Slams Into Back of Goods Vehicle in Hong Kong
Fourteen passengers were injured when a minibus collided with a heavy goods vehicle in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, at about 9:30 pm on Saturday. The crash occurred near Ching Chung House at Cheung Ching Estate. Emergency responders treated the injured on site, and two...
The Rupture: How Europe Fell Out of Love with America
Europe’s once‑rock‑solid transatlantic bond is fraying as policy rifts with Washington deepen. Trade tariffs, divergent climate commitments, and disputes over digital regulation have eroded trust that was briefly restored by President Biden’s 2021 pledge. NATO funding debates and differing approaches...
Hong Kong Watchdog Monitoring Potential Merger of City’s Top 2 Supermarket Chains
Hong Kong’s competition regulator is scrutinising talks between Jardine Matheson and CK Hutchison to combine the city’s two biggest grocery retailers, Wellcome and ParknShop. The potential megadeal comes as overall supermarket sales have fallen each year since 2020, pressuring margins....
Closed? Open? Closed? Why Is Iran Changing Course on the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran abruptly re‑imposed shipping restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz just hours after announcing it was fully open to commercial vessels. Chinese analysts interpret the move as a leverage tactic ahead of a looming cease‑fire deadline and potential talks with...
ByteDance, Tencent Step up AI Talent Battle Amid Reported Departure of DeepSeek Researcher
China’s AI talent war intensified as ByteDance’s Seed team reportedly courted DeepSeek lead researcher Guo Daya with a compensation package rumored at ¥100 million (≈US$14.7 million). ByteDance denied the exact figure but highlighted a mix of cash, equity and long‑term stock options....
Hong Kong Tourism Board Invited 1,730 Influencers with 1.6 Billion Followers in 2 Years
The Hong Kong Tourism Board invited 1,730 global influencers between 2023 and 2025, collectively boasting over 1.6 billion followers. High‑profile creators such as TikTok star Khaby Lame, K‑pop idols Mingyu and Vernon, and the Stokes Twins were given tailored itineraries covering culture,...
Why China Is Urgently Looking to North Africa as the Energy Crisis Rolls On
China is accelerating its North African investments as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, turning long‑term Belt and Road projects into urgent energy‑security measures. Beijing is committing billions to infrastructure, including a $4.7 bn El Hamdania megaport in Algeria, a $6.5 bn...
7 Arrested in Crackdown on Party Rooms Offering Copyright-Infringing Karaoke Sets
Hong Kong customs arrested seven individuals in a citywide operation, code‑named Magpie, targeting party rooms that offered pre‑loaded karaoke sets violating copyright. The crackdown, conducted from March 16 to April 15, seized 28 illegal karaoke devices and four gaming consoles...
Europe Tests ‘Third Way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will It Work?
A European-led coalition of more than 30 nations is convening in Paris to craft a "credible proposal" for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which roughly 34% of global oil trade passed last year. The effort deliberately excludes...
Yellen Says ‘No Alternative’ to Dollar, Urges US-China Cooperation for Sake of the World
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the HSBC Global Investment Summit in Hong Kong that a U.S.-China decoupling would erode the benefits of global trade and division of labour. She emphasized the dollar’s unrivaled reserve‑currency advantages, citing deep capital markets...
UK PM Starmer Says ‘Not Going to Yield’ to Trump’s Mideast War Threats
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament he will not be dragged into the Iran war, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to dismantle the UK‑US trade pact that caps U.S. tariffs at 10 percent. The dispute follows Starmer’s refusal to let...
Trump Says the Iran War Is ‘Close to over’. Is He Just Out of Options?
President Donald Trump told Fox News the six‑week Iran war is "very close to being over" as the cease‑fire enters its second week. The United States has halted all maritime trade with Iran, deploying roughly 10,000 troops and the carrier...
China’s CATL to Invest US$4.4 Billion in Mining Arm to Secure EV Battery Supply Chain
China’s battery leader CATL is earmarking 30 bn yuan (≈$4.4 bn) to launch a mining subsidiary that will consolidate existing assets and chase new mineral projects worldwide, securing raw‑material supply for its EV batteries and energy‑storage systems. The move follows a Q1...
US Officials Claim China Is ‘Hoarding’ Oil. What Does the Data Say?
U.S. Treasury officials accused China of hoarding oil amid the US‑Israeli‑Iran conflict, but customs data shows China’s crude imports actually slipped 2.8% in March 2026 after an 8.9% year‑on‑year rise in the first quarter. Port inventory indices fell in early...
UN Watchdog Warns North Korea Is Boosting Nuclear Weapons Capacity
The IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned that North Korea has made "very serious" strides in nuclear weapons production, likely adding a new uranium‑enrichment facility at Yongbyon. Satellite imagery from April supports the agency's assessment of a weapons‑grade enrichment plant, expanding the...
Singapore’s Hormuz Stance, Manila-Hong Kong Housing Gap: 7 Asia Highlights
The South China Morning Post’s weekly roundup highlighted seven divergent Asian stories. Singapore’s firm refusal to negotiate over the Strait of Hormuz provoked a sharp response from Malaysia, while the United Arab Emirates demanded the return of a $3.5 billion deposit...
China Quietly Profits From US AI Boom Despite Washington’s Tech Curbs: Research
The United States is embarking on a $2 trillion data‑centre build‑out to fuel its artificial‑intelligence surge, with three‑quarters of the cost tied to hardware such as semiconductors and servers. While Taiwan and South Korea dominate advanced chip exports, China is quietly...
Hong Kong Tram Operator Launches Real-Time App, Pledges No Fare Rise This Year
Hong Kong Tramways unveiled a new mobile app that delivers real‑time arrival information for the next three trams at any stop, leveraging more than 400 RFID sensors across its 30‑km network. The app also pushes service alerts and will later...
Why Indonesia’s Prabowo Is in Russia – and What He Needs From Putin
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto flew to Moscow seeking cheap Russian crude as global oil prices surge following the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran and a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 25% of seaborne oil....
Chinese Team Shows Quantum Tech Can Disrupt AI in a Real World Task
Chinese researchers demonstrated a nine‑qubit nuclear magnetic resonance quantum reservoir that matched or exceeded a classical 10,000‑node network in multi‑step weather prediction. The experiment achieved comparable accuracy at less than 1 % of the $100 million cost of typical AI weather‑forecasting supercomputers....
Hong Kong Lawyer Faces New Charges After Second Victim Accuses Him of Indecent Assault
Hong Kong barrister Simon So Shun‑yan, admitted to the bar in 2018, now faces additional criminal charges after a second victim alleged indecent assault. The new indictment adds two counts of common assault and one count of indecent assault to...