DeepSeek V4 Lags US Models, While Huawei Ascend Powers Its Inference — Korea's Inference Accelerator Supply Chain in Focus

DeepSeek V4 scored 52 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, while OpenAI's GPT-5.5 scored 60 and Anthropic Claude Opus and Google Gemini 3.1 Pro each scored 57. V4 also trailed Moonshot AI's Kimi K2.6, released the same week, at 54. (Source: Interesting Engineering)

Caocao, the ride-hailing arm of Geely, announced plans to deploy 100,000 driverless robotaxis worldwide by 2030. Alphabet's Waymo is currently running 3,000 vehicles across 10 US cities as of March 2026, handling 500,000 weekly rides. (Source: Nikkei Asia)

Roughly 500 undersea cables totaling 1.5 million kilometers are deployed worldwide, primarily across the Pacific and Atlantic. Japan and the EU established a cooperation framework to jointly respond to cable cuts and intentional damage. (Source: Nikkei Asia)

A team led by Xie Heping, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences with Shenzhen University, announced the world's first zero-carbon-emission direct coal fuel cell (ZC-DCFC). (Source: South China Morning Post)

Personal data of approximately 100,000 customers leaked from Lee & Lee Country Club in Gapyeong, with the Korean National Police Agency investigating suspected North Korean hacking group involvement. (Source: Yonhap News)

According to OECD data, South Korea's potential growth rate is projected at 1.52% for Q4 2027, down from 1.92% last year and an estimated 1.71% this year. From 3.63% in 2012, the potential growth rate has been on a sustained downtrend. (Source: Yonhap News)

Ammonium paratungstate (APT), the benchmark price for tungsten, traded at ,100 per 10 kg on European spot markets. China, which accounts for 80% of global production, imposed export restrictions on tungsten and three other rare metals in February — APT exports from China to Japan in January-March were zero. (Source: Nikkei Asia)

Hong Kong's IPO market raised HKD 140 billion (approximately .9 billion) through April, holding the global top spot. According to LSEG, 37 firms raised approximately .26 billion on Hong Kong's main board in Q1, up 453% year-on-year. (Source: South China Morning Post)

In Q1 2026, Hong Kong recorded 64 home transactions above HKD 100 million (approximately .8 million), up 156% from 25 transactions in the same period last year. (Source: South China Morning Post)

India and New Zealand will sign a free trade agreement on April 27, 2026, eliminating tariffs on 100% of India's exports to New Zealand and substantially reducing or eliminating tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's imports. (Source: The Hindu)

The US dollar accounts for roughly 57% of disclosed global official foreign exchange reserves, while the yuan holds less than 2%. The shift underway is more subtle than a clean transition to a petroyuan order. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Honda announced in March 2026 the cancellation of three North American EV models and pushed back its self-driving target to 2028. The toll of the North American EV retreat is mounting. (Source: Nikkei Asia)

The Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and State Council on April 26, 2026 issued comprehensive labor rules covering more than 200 million food delivery workers, drivers, and livestreamers. The rules mandate algorithm transparency and set a 2027 compliance deadline. (Source: The Next Web)

The EU on April 23, 2026 announced its 20th Russia sanctions package related to the Ukraine war, with 27 entities based in mainland China and Hong Kong included. China demanded the immediate removal of its companies and citizens from the sanctions list. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Russia reportedly approved the export of approximately 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles to India, valued at approximately .2 billion. The deal is read as part of India's effort to counter Chinese-made weapons. (Source: South China Morning Post)

US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday afternoon introduced a new bill to extend Section 702 of FISA by three years. Concerns about expanded government surveillance through AI have been raised among some lawmakers. (Source: NBC News)

91,000 registered voters — including Buddhist monks in the Himalayan plateau, political exiles in South Asian megacities, and refugees in Australia, Europe, and North America — participated in elections for the Tibetan government-in-exile, preparing for a future after the Dalai Lama. China condemned the vote. (Source: France 24)

Solar's share of Cuba's national power generation rose from 6% to over 20% in the 12 months through February 2026. Once all 92 China-funded solar plants come online by 2028, the nation of more than 10 million people will hold roughly 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity — comparable to its fossil fuel-based output. (Source: South China Morning Post)

India's wind power installed capacity exceeded 56GW, ranking fourth globally in wind energy capacity. Wind capacity additions in FY 2025-26 grew approximately 46% over the previous fiscal year, contributing to the 2030 target of 500GW non-fossil fuel energy capacity. (Source: Economic Times India)

Adani Green Energy plans to invest approximately INR 1.5 trillion this fiscal year to add more than 10GWh of battery energy storage capacity, in response to India's accelerating energy transition. (Source: The Hindu)

More than 12 million university graduates are expected to enter China's labor market in 2026, with many projected to find their first jobs on platforms. (Source: The Next Web)

More than 30 million people in Sudan need humanitarian aid and 12 million remain internally displaced. Approximately 4 million Sudanese are choosing to return to areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), while Sudan also hosts more than 1 million refugees fleeing conflicts in South Sudan and Eritrea. (Source: The Hill)