DeepSeek mystery: who is speaking for start-up as CEO Liang Wenfeng remains out of sight?
The potential emergence of a new DeepSeek spokesman has sparked intrigue as speculation over the whereabouts of founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng continues, more than a year after his last public appearance.
While the Hangzhou start-up’s latest V4 model did not make the same waves as its breakout moment a year earlier, the much-anticipated release still grabbed headlines through a collaboration with domestic tech giant Huawei Technologies and its remarkably low prices.
For the traditionally...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000
[Vincent Chow, Minxiao Chang] https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Hong Kong’s ICAC charges police superintendent over HK$1 million bribe, misconduct
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has charged a police superintendent with allegedly accepting a HK$1 million (US$127,599) bribe from a businessman, disclosing internal information, and arranging for his younger brother to act as a scapegoat in speeding cases.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday revealed the charges against Leung Ka-man, 52, as well as his girlfriend and younger brother.
According to the commission, Leung faces four charges: conspiracy for a public...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:09:07 +0000
[Fiona Sun] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351723/hong-kongs-icac-charges-police-superintendent-over-hk1-million-bribe-misconduct?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Austrian Islamic State man admits plot on Taylor Swift concert in Vienna
A man accused of pledging allegiance to Islamic State group and plotting to attack one of superstar singer Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna nearly two years ago pleaded guilty as his trial began on Tuesday, Austrian media reported.
The plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still cancelled Swift’s three performances in August 2024.
The singer’s fans, known as Swifties, who had flown to Austria from across the globe to attend a performance of her record-setting Eras Tour were devastated,...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:50:00 +0000
[Associated Press] https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351728/austrian-islamic-state-man-admits-plot-taylor-swift-concert-vienna?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Hong Kong urged to shift focus from tourist numbers to increasing spending
Researchers have urged Hong Kong to shift its focus from boosting visitor numbers to increasing tourist spending, as mainland Chinese arrivals rebound but adopt more selective consumption habits.
Preliminary findings from a joint study by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and consultancy Think China, released on Tuesday, show mainland visitor arrivals have recovered to about 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2018.
However, high-income travellers are spending less and becoming more...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:58:52 +0000
[Wynna Wong] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351731/hong-kong-urged-shift-focus-tourist-numbers-increasing-spending?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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China’s upgrades maritime rescue range and depth as ambitions on high seas expand
China’s maritime rescue authorities have expanded their ability to carry out deep sea search and rescue operations beyond 4,000 metres (13,100 feet), according to state media.
People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, credited the development of hi-tech equipment for the shift, which it described as “marking the formal transition of China’s transport rescue and salvage forces” to being able to carry out practical operations at such depths.
The Nanhai Rescue Bureau, the body responsible for...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000
[Meredith Chen] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351689/chinas-upgrades-maritime-rescue-range-and-depth-ambitions-high-seas-expand?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Foreign forces promote ‘lying flat’ messages to undermine China’s economy: MSS
Foreign forces are using social media to spread the notion that Chinese young people should be “lying flat” and not working hard as they seek to undermine China’s development, the country’s top anti-espionage agency warned.
In recent years, anti-China forces have been trying to magnify social anxiety by continuously “promoting negative notions” that effort is futile and hard work makes no gain, the Ministry of State Security said in a WeChat post on Tuesday.
The intention was to “erode the...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:00:08 +0000
[Phoebe Zhang] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351681/foreign-forces-promote-lying-flat-messages-undermine-chinas-economy-mss?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Survivors describe chaos, blood and twisted metal after Indonesia train crash kills 15
Herman Susanto and Dwi Aksan were heading from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to the satellite city of Cikarang after a long day at work on Monday when disaster struck.
Susanto, the head of the Indonesian Workers’ Federation, and his colleague, Aksan, were in the third carriage of a commuter train crammed with workers going home at around 9pm when it stopped to let passengers alight at Bekasi Timur station.
The two men had hoped to rest before they reached their final stop, but instead, they found...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:33:12 +0000
[Aisyah Llewellyn] https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351713/survivors-describe-chaos-blood-and-twisted-metal-after-indonesia-train-crash-kills-15?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Chinese man supports 6 siblings while parents want more kids, say it boosts chance of success
A 21-year-old man from central China, whose greatest wish is for his parents to stop having more children, sells pork to support his six younger siblings.
In April, Sun Pan, from Shaoyang in Hunan province, captured national attention for shouldering family responsibilities as the eldest son.
According to the mainland media outlet Jimu News, his 18-year-old second sister suffered a childhood fall that disabled her right arm and his youngest brother, born this year, was diagnosed with Down...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:11 +0000
[Zoey Zhang] https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351112/chinese-man-supports-6-siblings-while-parents-want-more-kids-say-it-boosts-chance-success?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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Need for speed: China’s EV, battery makers race to cut charging times to under 10 minutes
Battery makers and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers have seized on the Beijing Auto Show to showcase technologies promising shorter charging times in a race triggered by BYD and Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL).
Fast-charging technology has dominated the floor at the 10-day event which runs until May 3. Second-tier Chinese battery suppliers including CALB Group, EVE Energy and Sunwoda unveiled products capable of boosting power to 70 per cent, from a starting point of 10 per cent,...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:16 +0000
[Themis Qi] https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3351662/need-speed-chinas-ev-battery-makers-race-cut-charging-times-under-10-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月28日 17:56
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India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact
A free-trade agreement signed between India and New Zealand has marked yet another regional push towards diversification and away from overdependence on major powers.
The deal, which comes after 15 years of on-and-off negotiations, gained urgency in recent weeks as Indian exporters contend with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and steep American tariffs that have rattled supply chains.
New Zealand for its part has been pursuing a strategy to reduce dependence on China, its largest trading...
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:28 +0000
[Biman Mukherji] https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Can Iran’s small, fast-attack boats challenge US Navy in Strait of Hormuz?
Iran’s small vessels may be able to challenge US blockade operations, Chinese analysts suggest, despite the heavy losses suffered by the Iranian navy during the opening weeks of the US-Israeli offensive.
The United States launched a naval blockade on Monday targeting Iranian maritime trade, after peace talks in Pakistan failed over the weekend.
US Central Command issued a formal notice on Sunday announcing that its forces would block “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” from...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:01:22 +0000
[Alcott Wei] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350198/can-irans-small-fast-attack-boats-challenge-us-navy-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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EU unveils age-check app amid efforts to better protect children online
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that an EU-developed age-verification app was ready to go, as the bloc pushes to better protect children from online harm.
Brussels has been under pressure to come up with more stringent measures to safeguard children online as several EU capitals move ahead with plans to ban social media under a certain age.
To that end, five EU countries including France and Italy last year started testing an age-check app that von der Leyen said on...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:15:08 +0000
[Agence France-Presse] https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350202/eu-unveils-age-check-app-amid-efforts-better-protect-children-online?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Given history of ceasefires, it’s no surprise US-Iran truce is fraying
The fraying of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran reflects grim patterns of history. Truces are often doomed because they focus on stopping battle-related violence and rarely begin to address the underlying struggles that ignited hostilities. A pause without a shared common endgame often resets the battlefield as reasons harden for prolonging warfare. Viable political solutions seldom follow and take hold for peace to endure.
Over the past decade, we’ve seen the perils. The Minsk...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000
[James David Spellman] https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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EU budget chief pitches collaboration and bonds on Hong Kong leg of Asia tour
The European Union will remain open to capital from mainland China and Hong Kong even as the bloc pursues a “de-risking” strategy in certain key sectors, its budget chief has said on his first visit to the city.
Piotr Serafin, the European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, also said that the EU was keen to explore opportunities for financial collaboration with Hong Kong in areas such as green bonds, describing the city as a “bridge” to Asia.
It is understood...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:17 +0000
[Connor Mycroft] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350173/eu-budget-chief-pitches-collaboration-and-bonds-hong-kong-leg-asia-tour?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Sudan enters 4th year of war as ‘abandoned crisis’ grows
Famine. Massacres. And now badly needed food and other supplies are under strain. Sudan on Wednesday enters a fourth year of war that is being called an “abandoned crisis” as a new conflict in the Middle East throws into shadow the fighting that has forced 13 million people to flee their homes.
Sudan has been described as the world’s largest humanitarian challenge, notably in terms of displacement and hunger. There is no end in sight to the fighting between the military and the paramilitary...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:45:07 +0000
[Associated Press] https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350197/sudan-enters-4th-year-war-abandoned-crisis-grows?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Why Southeast Asian nations are hesitant to join major US-Philippine Balikatan drills
Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach.
Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
“To...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000
[Raissa Robles] https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Hong Kong official defends decision to decline mainland firefighters’ help in Tai Po fire
A Hong Kong fire services official has defended a decision to decline mainland Chinese firefighters’ help to combat the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, citing concerns they might be unable to immediately adapt to the new environment and effectively communicate with their local counterparts.
On the 12th day of a public evidential hearing on Wednesday, deputy chief fire officer Sunny Wong Sze-lut also justified the firefighting strategies during the blaze that raged for 43 hours and destroyed...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:16 +0000
[Brian Wong, Leopold Chen] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350191/hong-kong-official-defends-decision-decline-mainland-firefighters-help-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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China’s Xi Jinping tells Vietnamese counterpart they should ‘jointly oppose unilateralism’
China and Vietnam should stand together against unilateralism and protectionism and jointly counter global challenges, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam’s top leader on Wednesday, as energy concerns intensify amid the Iran conflict.
“Both sides should uphold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard the global free trade system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded,” Xi said,...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:09:33 +0000
[Meredith Chen] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Jockey Club invested HK$1 billion into basketball betting, will use it for football now
Hong Kong’s sole legal betting operator had earmarked HK$1 billion (US$127.7 million) and hired 180 people to develop a basketball wagering system, but will now take a financial hit after the government announced this week it was halting plans for its roll-out, a source has said.
The source close to the Hong Kong Jockey Club told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that it had already invested HK$400 million for preparatory work, including setting up a dedicated basketball betting system,...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:22:12 +0000
[Edith Lin] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350187/jockey-club-invested-hk1-billion-basketball-betting-will-use-it-football-now?utm_source=rss_feed
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South China Morning Post SCMP 南華早報
2026年4月15日 20:13
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Malaysia’s content creators battle AI abuse as deepfakes, scam ads spread online
In Malaysia, artificial intelligence is already causing harm to content creators through deepfake nudes, cloned voices, scam advertisements and stolen likenesses, experts have warned.
They shared the view at the Freedom Film Network’s second International Conference on Film & Society in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, where creators, researchers and advocates from across Southeast Asia gathered under the theme “Cultivating Artistic Freedom in a Volatile World”.
Melissa Lim Shi Hui, a lawyer and legal...
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:30:10 +0000
[Iman Muttaqin Yusof] https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350193/malaysias-content-creators-battle-ai-abuse-deepfakes-scam-ads-spread-online?utm_source=rss_feed
