South China Morning Post
April 2026
From apps to autos: China’s data reach sparks US espionage and sabotage concerns
China is not merely stealing data. It is doing so to build an AI-enabled intelligence and targeting architecture for economic competition, political coercion and wartime advantage,
See you in Beijing: the big shift in Xi’s travel plans and what it means for China
Data analysis by the SCMP reveals a changing dynamic in Beijing towards high-level diplomatic meetings
Trump says he’s lifting some tariffs on Scotch whisky after King Charles visit
The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!”
I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon,
Brazil MPs slash Bolsonaro prison term in blow to Lula
The left-wing Lula had attempted to block a subsequent push by the conservative-majority Congress to reduce Bolsonaro’s term to a little over two years
US Congress votes to end record government shutdown
The measure does not include new money for immigration and border enforcement, leaving the dispute that triggered the shutdown unresolved
US telecoms agency votes to expand tech crackdown on China
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest
… the remaining portion of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence has been commuted to be served at a designated residence,
I still do not know where my mother is. I do not know how she is. I remain deeply concerned about whether she is still alive,
Man charged with trying to kill Trump agrees to remain in custody
Cole Allen, 31, did not immediately contest prosecutors’ arguments that he was a danger to the community
First direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years heads to Caracas
The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the US capture of then-president Nicolas Maduro in a stunning night-time raid on his residence in Caracas in early January
I’m very excited to go and see the family and I’m looking forward to see the country,
Is China’s Manus block a warning for other AI firms with global ambitions?
State media has cast the deal as a security concern, while stressing Beijing remains open to foreign investment
What stands out from Meta’s Manus deal is that the AI industry is transcending simple commercial logic,
Uganda kindergarten murderer sentenced to death
Christopher Okello Onyum was arrested on April 2 as he tried to flee the day care centre in Kampala where he murdered the children aged 15 months to two-and-a-half years
I hereby sentence him to such a death,
Chinese firms face pressure on AI investments as US peers’ spending keeps soaring
The largest US tech companies are on track for more than US$700 billion in AI capital expenditures this year, driven in part by rising memory costs and continuously growing demand for AI applications
China’s AI investment scale can’t be directly compared to that of US hyperscalers as proof that it’s not investing enough in computing power, and it certainly doesn’t mean the ‘good enough’ cost-effective Chinese models are not generating comparable business returns on the market,
France probes teenage suspect in massive ID data breach
The 15-year-old had put on sale on hacker forums between 12 million and 18 million lines of stolen data
China voices ‘serious concern’ over US trade curbs in talks with Bessent, Greer
Vice-Premier He Lifeng presses US counterparts on restrictions as both sides pledge dialogue and steady economic ties
Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?
China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and will assume the monthly rotating presidency of the body in May
Japan has long produced and stockpiled plutonium materials far exceeding the actual needs of its civilian nuclear energy programme, giving it the capability to achieve a ‘nuclear breakout’ within a short period,
Formula 1 returns in Miami after forced break with rule tweaks, Antonelli hat-trick bid
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in Formula 1 history, will seek to complete a hat-trick of early season victories this weekend as F1 returns after a month’s enforced absence due to the Middle East war
After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track,
US economy grows 2% in January–March; Iran war clouds outlook
Tai Po fire: tendering system can’t stop firms manipulating market, inquiry hears
Gaming platform Roblox to require facial scans for users under 16 in Indonesia
This is in line with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country
Any user in Indonesia who has not used that tool, who has no facial age estimated, will be automatically placed in a Roblox Kids account and will not have access to chat,
Xi-Trump summit unlikely to revive Chinese investment in US, report warns
A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong
Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as US-Iran mediation stalls
With peace efforts stalled after a temporary ceasefire earlier in April, one potential source of relief has faded, leaving Islamabad facing a rising import bill, tighter external financing and more conditional support from Gulf partners at a time when domestic energy curbs could weigh on growth
Wang Fuk Court resident finds charred HK$100,000 inheritance after opening safe
Xi Jinping urges ‘disruptive innovation’ to boost China amid high-stakes US tech race
Basic research is the source of the entire scientific system and the main switch for all technical challenges,
Former CSRC chairman Yi Huiman to face trial for taking bribes, abusing power
He shirked responsibility and engaged in ‘superstitious activities’,