newsmart – Latest News

thehindu.com | 1 min. ago NEW

Indian shipyards double delivery pipeline, but still hold only 0.5% of global orders

India’s shipbuilding push faces uphill battle as China dominates global orders.

rferl.org | 1 hrs. 29 min. ago

What Now For Serbia After Vucic's Stunning Election Defeat?

Who will lead the next government of Serbia, after Aleksandar Vucic lost parliamentary elections, can the protest movement turn electoral success into stable rule, and what the result could mean for Serbia’s balancing relations with the European Union, Russia, and China?

livemint.com | 1 hrs. 32 min. ago

Why Siang project matters for India as China builds mega Brahmaputra dam, and why Arunachal locals are up in arms

India’s proposed 11,200-MW Siang dam in Arunachal Pradesh aims to boost water storage and manage flood risks amid China’s upstream mega-dam plans. But protests highlight local fears over displacement, ancestral land, environmental damage and inadequate consultation.

scmp.com | 2 hrs. 8 min. ago

Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post shines at Asian Media Awards with 6 prizes

The South China Morning Post has won six prizes at the World Association of News Publishers’ (Wan-Ifra) prestigious Asian Media Awards 2026 in Singapore, including a clean sweep for best news photography. The SCMP emerged as a big winner on Wednesday with five gold and one silver for its photojournalism, infographics, design and offerings for young readers.

In the best news photography category, senior photographer Sam Tsang’s image of a man whose wife was trapped in last November’s Tai Po fire...

scmp.com | 2 hrs. 54 min. ago

Abby Choi’s ex-husband used socialite’s money to live lavishly on mainland: court

Slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband lived an affluent lifestyle in mainland China allegedly funded by the model’s money and borrowed a car used to move equipment involved in her killing, a court has heard. The High Court heard on Monday that Alex Kwong Kong-chi used his former partner’s digital wallets to cover his expenses in Guangzhou while evading justice for his role in a HK$6.3 million theft case in 2015. The 31-year-old is standing trial alongside his father, Kwong...

koreatimes.co.kr | 2 hrs. 59 min. ago

What to know about China's plenum as Xi seeks stronger Communist Party discipline

HONG KONG — China's political leaders and elites began a four-day meeting Monday to discuss strengthening the ruling Communist Party's discipline, as Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for greater loyalty and reliability from officials while deepening his yearslong campaign against corruption. This week’s closed-door gathering, known as the fifth plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, comes roughly a year before Xi is widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party's leader and personnel changes to key leadership bodies.

Xi began the meeting by delivering a work report and speaking about a draft policy decision on advancing “full and rigorous party self-governance,” according to China's official Xinhua News Agency. The policy aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt. While Xi has consolidated his grip on power, analysts say the plenum will offer him an opportunity to further align what Chinese officials do with what Beijing wants.

“The plenum is a chance to ensure the new generations rising the ranks share Xi’

scmp.com | 3 hrs. 38 min. ago

Why China’s new estimate on Greenland ice loss speed is 55% lower than America’s

Chinese researchers have created a new model to convert satellite surface elevation data for the Greenland Ice Sheet into a detailed estimate of how much ice it has lost in recent decades. Using satellite altimetry data covering 2002 to 2023, they found that the ice sheet lost an average of about 120 gigatonnes (264.5 trillion lbs) of mass per year.

This figure is considerably lower than the widely cited figure reached by Nasa, which previously estimated Greenland’s annual loss to be nearly 270...

iol.co.za | 3 hrs. 44 min. ago

China's zero-tariff policy opens new trade and investment opportunities for South African businesses

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau says bilateral trade with China and its zero-tariff preference scheme could give South African exporters greater certainty beyond 2028. Seated next to him is Wu Peng, Chinese ambassador to South Africa.

iol.co.za | 3 hrs. 44 min. ago

China leads the world in innovation clusters

A talent cooperation and exchange conference for the Yangtze River Delta G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor is held in Jinhua, east China's Zhejiang province, April 28, 2026.

iol.co.za | 3 hrs. 45 min. ago

Bumper avocado harvest in Yunnan's Menglian expected to replace 15 percent of imports

A farmer picks avocados at a plantation in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

scmp.com | 4 hrs. 17 min. ago

China’s next-generation KJ-3000 radar planes may have quietly entered production

China may have begun limited production of its next-generation KJ-3000 airborne early warning aircraft, with satellite imagery suggesting that three possible production examples were already parked at a factory as early as April, according to an imagery analyst. If brought into service, the aircraft could help the People’s Liberation Army to detect threats, track targets and coordinate air operations across the western Pacific, including during a potential conflict over Taiwan involving US and...

scmp.com | 4 hrs. 55 min. ago

Apple iPhone Duo price premiums evaporate in China’s scalper market

Scalpers in mainland China are slashing prices on Apple’s newly released iPhone Duo after the US tech giant’s first foldable smartphone drew mixed early consumer reviews over durability and software glitches. In Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics market, a vendor surnamed Shen on Monday cut the premium on a black iPhone Duo with 1 terabyte of memory – one of the most popular models – by 2,800 yuan (US$420), bringing the asking price down to 24,300 yuan from more than 25,000 yuan when the device...

defence-blog.com | 5 hrs. 57 min. ago

China’s H-6 bomber spotted with a new large jamming pod

A Chinese H-6KG bomber has been seen carrying what appears to be a new large electronic jamming pod that closely resembles the pods carried by the J-16D, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s dedicated electronic warfare jet, military aviation analyst Andreas Rupprecht reported on Oct.

25. Rupprecht, who closely tracks Chinese military aircraft, said the […]

abcnews.com | 5 hrs. 58 min. ago

Japan's former PM Takeo Fukuda, proponent of ties with China, dies at 90

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who was an active proponent of better ties with China, has died

theguardian.com | 6 hrs. 14 min. ago

‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults

Faced with a stagnant jobs market, many are spurning children or pets in favour of ‘raising bricks’Young adults in China looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets have found an answer: raising bricks.Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as human offspring, but they also cost next to nothing.

“No cats, no dating, I started raising a brick,” wrote one brick parent on social media. Continue reading...

scmp.com | 6 hrs. 16 min. ago

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, known for seeking China ties, dies at 90

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who used ⁠his brief period ⁠in office to seek ⁠closer ties with Asian neighbours, particularly China, has died at the age of 90, according to the Nikkei business daily on Monday. The Japanese politician, the first son of a prime minister to become one ‌himself, died on Thursday from heart failure, the Nikkei reported.

Following news of his death, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed “deep sorrow” when speaking to reporters in Tokyo, praising him as...

iol.co.za | 6 hrs. 21 min. ago

The future is here

Unlock smart book borrowing at Shenzhen Library in Guangdong, South China | The North Hall of Shenzhen Library in south China's Guangdong Province stands as a vivid example of China's digital practices in urban public cultural services.

iol.co.za | 6 hrs. 21 min. ago

China launches new internet satellite group from Hainan

China launched a Long March-8A carrier rocket from the southern island province of Hainan on Sunday, sending a batch of internet satellites into space.

livemint.com | 6 hrs. 56 min. ago

When humanoid robot fell during Kung Fu China demo, losing part of leg - What went wrong? Chinese social media reactions

Unitree’s newly unveiled H2-X humanoid robot lost part of its leg after a failed side flip during a kung fu demonstration in Hangzhou, China. The mishap drew mixed reactions online, with users debating mechanical design, product safety and the challenges of moving robots

bbc.co.uk | 7 hrs. 10 min. ago

China's big political meeting could see Xi 'tighten discipline' in Party

The highly secretive four-day Plenum starts Monday in Beijing.

scmp.com | 8 hrs. 4 min. ago

Could new US investment curbs complicate China’s biotech licensing surge?

Chinese biotech firms face fresh headwinds in their global expansion as Washington’s proposed outbound investment restrictions threaten to disrupt deal structures, even though drug licensing agreements remain untouched for now, analysts say. The US Treasury Department’s draft rules released last week would “make it much harder for Chinese biotech firms to attract direct US investment or enter joint ventures”, according to David Zhang, an analyst at policy research firm Trivium China.

US Treasury...

scmp.com | 8 hrs. 4 min. ago

Lula secures surprise win to retain Brazil presidency

Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva staged a surprise comeback to secure a fourth term in office, extending a presidency that has overseen deepening ties with China and sporadic clashes with the United States. With almost all of the ballots in Sunday’s presidential run-off counted, Lula led with 51.8 per cent of the votes to 48.2 per cent for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

The 80-year-old left-winger is the first person to win the presidency after losing the first round of voting since Brazil...

scmp.com | 8 hrs. 36 min. ago

AI chip surge lifts South Korea to record surplus, behind only China

South Korea earned US$116.63 billion more from the world than it spent in the second quarter of this year – exceeding the combined current account surpluses of Germany and Japan for the first time on record. The current account measures a country’s trade and income with the world.

It counts goods and services sold abroad, money earned on overseas investments and payments flowing the other way. A surplus means more foreign currency is coming in than going out. Surging demand for semiconductors...

scmp.com | 9 hrs. 10 min. ago

China may well be the next big competitor for Asian migrant labour

For decades, China was one of the world’s largest sources of migrant labour. Its workers staffed factories at home and built infrastructure abroad. But demographic decline may eventually force China to contemplate a striking reversal: importing workers on a meaningful scale. That change is not imminent.

China still has a vast labour force and substantial youth unemployment. It is investing heavily in industrial automation, extending working lives through a gradual increase in the retirement age,...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com | 10 hrs. 20 min. ago

Former Japan PM Yasuo Fukuda, the country’s first second-generation leader, dies at 90

Yasuo Fukuda, who served as Japan's Prime Minister from 2007 to 2008, has died at the age of 90. He aimed to improve diplomatic relations with China during his short tenure in office. Fukuda hosted Chinese President Hu Jintao in a landmark visit to Japan.

He faced significant domestic political challenges that led to his resignation in 2008.

defence-blog.com | 10 hrs. 24 min. ago

Fresh Il-78 tanker photo revives talk of Russian sale to China

A photo of what is said to be a brand-new Il-78 aerial refueling tanker, freshly painted dark gray, has appeared online, and a marking on its tail that resembles part of the Chinese air force insignia has revived speculation that Russia is building the tankers for China.

The image was shared on the Sino Defence […]

scmp.com | 10 hrs. 41 min. ago

South Korea urged to guard chip profitability as China’s CXMT and YMTC gain market share

China’s expanding semiconductor industry is fuelling mounting anxiety in South Korea, where a new consultancy report has warned local chipmakers to defend profitability as Chinese rivals scale up production and strengthen market share. Samil PwC, the South Korean member firm of the global consultancy, said in a report made public on Monday that Chinese competition would likely heat up first in the areas of conventional memory, mature-node manufacturing, and packaging and testing.

To stay ahead,...

koreatimes.co.kr | 10 hrs. 44 min. ago

Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's first second-generation prime minister, dies at 90, Nikkei reports

TOKYO — Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who used his brief period in office to seek closer ties with Asian neighbors, particularly China, has died at the age of 90, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday. The Japanese politician, the first son of a prime minister to become premier himself, died on Thursday from heart failure, the Nikkei said.

Becoming prime minister on the sudden resignation of Shinzo Abe in 2007, Fukuda lasted less than a year — a tenure even shorter than his father Takeo's two-year stint. A graduate in economics from Tokyo's prestigious Waseda University, Fukuda spent nearly two decades working his way up the ranks of an oil company — including a two-year posting in the United States — before resigning to become a political secretary when his father became premier in 1976. Elected to Japan's more powerful lower house of parliament in 1990, Fukuda was chief cabinet secretary from 2000 to 2004, resigning as one of several cabinet ministers to admit not paying into the pension system.

Known for his testy manner, the bespectacled Fukuda drew critic

scmp.com | 11 hrs. 13 min. ago

China’s bearish stock market faces more pressure from weak earnings growth forecast

Corporate earnings are becoming another factor holding back Chinese stocks, with industries ranging from consumer goods to real estate and green energy under pressure because of weak demand or excessive capacity. Profit growth through the first nine months for mainland Chinese listed companies slowed compared with the pace in the first half, according to Shenwan Hongyuan Group.

The Shanghai-based brokerage based its forecast on government data on industrial profits, which it said had a high...

scmp.com | 11 hrs. 14 min. ago

100 million views: why China’s viral AI rap track has struck a chord

An AI-generated Chinese rap song featuring some of the country’s most well-known historical figures has taken social media by storm. Titled “The One Who’s Been There” (Guo Lai Ren), the track crossed 100 million views across platforms in less than two weeks as it tapped into the anxieties of modern life.

The song brings together 10 iconic figures from Chinese history and mythology – from revered poets and statesmen to the legendary Monkey King. Rather than reciting classical verses or lecturing...

scmp.com | 11 hrs. 14 min. ago

China’s Communist Party opens fifth plenum with focus on discipline and loyalty to Xi

The Communist Party has started a key four-day conclave focused on party discipline and fighting corruption, as official media outlets say adherence to the party’s leadership under President Xi Jinping is key to the country’s success. The meeting – the fifth plenum of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee – began in Beijing on Monday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

It said the main agenda for the plenum included a work report by the Politburo to the Central Committee and the...

ft.com | 12 hrs. 14 min. ago

[$] Chinese wind turbine maker builds European firewall from Beijing

Ming Yang says Octopus joint venture and separate legal entities will convince customers that China cannot access data

thehindu.com | 13 hrs. ago

China’s Communist Party elite hold key talks on governance

Few details from the closed-door gathering, held under tight security, will be made known until it concludes on October 29, 2026, but the timing of the meeting is crucial

iol.co.za | 13 hrs. 31 min. ago

US and China’s health diplomacy in Africa must put public welfare before geopolitics

Gideon H Chitanga, PhD. is a Political and International Relations Analyst.

scmp.com | 13 hrs. 53 min. ago

Global gold trading hub status attracts industry leaders to set up operations in Hong Kong

Investment in gold – long considered a traditional safe-haven during uncertain times – is taking on renewed importance amid the current global geopolitical uncertainty, market volatility and shifting confidence. For Hong Kong, this surge in interest comes as it is increasing its effort to become an international gold trading centre – a role that builds on its strengths as an international centre for finance, legal services, logistics and its connection with mainland China.

The city’s government...

scmp.com | 15 hrs. 8 min. ago

Alibaba Cloud founder on how AI can unlock human potential

Long before artificial intelligence became the next big thing in the tech industry, Wang Jian was crafting the foundational infrastructure that would eventually power it. In 2008, he joined Alibaba Group Holding – owner of the South China Morning Post – as chief architect and founded Alibaba Cloud in 2009, convincing the company’s leadership to invest heavily in building a cloud computing infrastructure from scratch.

Today, Wang’s purview has expanded considerably. As an academician at the...

scmp.com | 15 hrs. 35 min. ago

Weapon or armour? The contentious debate over China’s open-weight AI

Are China’s increasingly powerful open-weight AI models a cybersecurity threat, or could restricting them ultimately make the internet less secure? The dilemma has become a growing concern as Chinese developers including DeepSeek, Z.ai and Alibaba Group Holding – owner of the South China Morning Post – continue to challenge their American rivals by releasing models that anyone can download, modify and deploy.

The growing impact of advanced AI on global cybersecurity has also forced governments...

scmp.com | 15 hrs. 58 min. ago

Head of Hong Kong’s new drug regulator pledges to build trust, push innovation

The head of Hong Kong’s new drug regulatory body has pledged to build a fully capable and globally trusted agency that will become a catalyst for medical innovation rather than merely acting as a “miniature version” of existing overseas models. Dr Li Zili, controller of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR), said that while many other places in Asia, such as mainland China, Singapore and Japan, had established regulatory agencies long ago, Hong Kong had a distinctive...

theguardian.com | 16 hrs. 20 min. ago

Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown in the spotlight as China prepares for meeting of top leaders

The fifth plenum comes against a backdrop of years of purges that have had some analysts wondering if the issue is corruption or a lack of loyaltyWhen Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he pledged to stamp out corruption all through the ranks of the Communist party.

More than a decade later, the pace of investigations has not slowed. Last year, China’s disciplinary authorities opened investigations into more than 1 million people, including more than 100 officials at or above ministerial or provincial level.As Chinese Communist party (CCP) officials prepare for an important meeting this week discipline – and party loyalty – is high on the agenda.

For those who try to read the tea leaves of elite Chinese politics, concern about the apparent lack of discipline is dominating CCP discussions. Continue reading...

scmp.com | 16 hrs. 48 min. ago

Brazil’s election left hanging as judge extends vote after polls close, sparking chaos

A Supreme Court justice in Brazil ordered polls in the presidential run-off to stay open for two more hours on Sunday, minutes after voting had officially ended at 5pm Brasilia time (4am on Monday in Hong Kong). The order left election officials across China’s biggest trading partner in Latin America unsure whether to reopen polling stations or send their machines to be counted.

Justice Cristiano Zanin, who was President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s lawyer before joining the court in 2023, acted...