5 h. ago China’s AI race heats up as SenseTime, ByteDance unveil model updates

China’s artificial intelligence (AI) market sees heightened competition, as various model providers – from SenseTime to ByteDance – step up efforts to enhance their services. Hong Kong-listed SenseTime has upgraded its Cantonese-speaking chatbot, Sensechat, with a comprehensive set of new features that include real-time audio and video-interaction capabilities, according to the company’s announcement on Thursday. Other enhancements include visual reasoning capabilities, which allow Sensechat to...

Culture

7 h. ago WeChat Pay records fourfold rise in mainland tourist taxi payments in Hong Kong

WeChat Pay Hong Kong has recorded a fourfold increase in mainland Chinese tourist payments for taxi services in the city from last year and growing usage among locals and visitors alike, according to parent company Tencent. Vice-President of Tencent Financial Technology Daniel Hong Danyi said on Thursday that the number of transactions from mainland tourists paying for taxi fares through WeChat Pay had seen a fourfold increase year on year. “We saw that previously, many mainland tourists coming...

Economics

9 h. ago Hong Kong tobacco tycoon Charles Ho dies at 75 after lung cancer diagnosis

Hong Kong tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, formerly the chairman of the Sing Tao News Corporation, has died at the age of 75. He revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer last year. Two sources confirmed his death on Thursday, but it was unclear when he died. Ho previously served as a standing committee member of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and controlled the Sing Tao News Corp before he sold his...

Events

11 h. ago Fire erupts in Hong Kong shopping district, with smoke billowing into streets

A fire erupted in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon, with smoke billowing into the streets of the shopping district. A Post reporter observed smoke coming from what appeared to be the ground floor entrance of the Apartment O service flats near Eton Tower, with emergency personnel arriving at the scene to extinguish the blaze. At least nine fire trucks were spotted in the area. Police and firefighters also blocked off road access along Hoi Ping Road. The smoke could be smelt from...

Economics

11 h. ago Firefighters put out blaze in busy Hong Kong shopping district

Hong Kong firefighters have extinguished a blaze that erupted in Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon and caused smoke to billow into the streets of the busy shopping district. The Information Services Department said the fire was put out at around 4.48pm, nearly an hour and a half after the blaze was first reported. The Fire Services Department said that no injuries were reported, adding that the cause of the blaze was still under investigation. A Post reporter earlier observed smoke coming from...

Economics

18 h. ago China women pay US$14 to relax with charming men who take them on luxury car rides

Young women in southern China are spending 99 yuan (US$14) to relax with fit, handsome men who treat them to luxury car rides after work. According to the mainland media outlet Vista Hydrogen Business, a new trend called “city ride” is gaining traction in cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Xiamen. This service features so-called “man bodhisattvas,” who provide companionship rides in expensive vehicles. These men are often affluent university students who use their families’ luxury cars during...

Economics

19 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect most of day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will stay in force for most of Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the signal at 12.40am on Wednesday...

Events

19 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect for most of the day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will stay in force for most of Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the signal at 12.40am on Wednesday...

Events

19 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect throughout the day

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force throughout Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Observatory said that Tropical Storm Wutip, which is named...

Events

19 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect until at least Friday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force until Friday afternoon or possibly Saturday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong province continue to affect the city. The Observatory said Tropical Storm...

Events

29 h. ago ‘Sara has momentum’: how Philippine VP won round 1 of impeachment row

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has won round one of her impeachment battle after her allies in the Senate tossed back the bid to the Lower House on claims it was “defective” and “unconstitutional”. The unprecedented move on Tuesday, which was settled by a vote of 18-5, has triggered an intense debate online about the senators’ actions and Duterte-Carpio’s political future. “I think, for now, Sara has momentum even if the president still has three years left in his term of office,”...

Politics

29 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee seeks closer ties in meeting with EU officials

Hong Kong’s leader has sought to deepen ties with the EU in a meeting with the bloc’s representatives, saying the city will remain a free port despite growing protectionism globally. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Wednesday that he had hosted a lunch attended by Harvey Rouse, head of the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as 15 consuls general from the bloc’s member countries. The gathering served as a platform for direct dialogue and an exchange of views,...

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong Red Cross tightens blood donor rules for recent inmates

The Hong Kong Red Cross has banned anyone who has been locked up for 72 hours or more in the past 12 months from donating blood for a year, citing the risk of infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service said on Wednesday the guidelines had been revised based on suggestions made by the internationally recognised certification bodies that conducted a review of the centre last year. A spokeswoman for the service, which is operated by the Hospital...

Events

34 h. ago Hong Kong policeman gets community service order for defrauding credit union

A Hong Kong policeman has been sentenced to 220 hours of community service for defrauding the force’s credit union to secure HK$280,000 (US$35,675) in loans. Traffic officer Shum Sze-long, 45, returned to Fanling Court on Wednesday to receive sentencing for one count of fraud and another of attempted fraud for providing inaccurate and incomplete information to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union during two loan applications. The now-suspended officer, who pleaded guilty last month, understated his...

Events

39 h. ago Fans of Malaysia’s Rafizi face police probes as internal party feud intensifies

A feud within Malaysia’s ruling party has intensified after supporters of former People’s Justice Party (PKR) deputy president Rafizi Ramli alleged they were targeted by the police over social media posts about last month’s party elections. Rafizi, who served as deputy to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim within the party, lost his post in the May 23 internal election to Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah. Her elevation fuelled accusations of growing nepotism in the party, which is helmed by her...

Events

39 h. ago Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy

The top US diplomat in Hong Kong is likely to be heading north to take up a leading role in the United States’ Beijing embassy, the South China Morning Post has learned. Gregory May, who arrived to serve as the US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau in September 2022, is tipped to be a top candidate for a ministerial role in the US embassy in Beijing, according to sources. It is a critical time in the relationship as Beijing and Washington engage in a series of high-stakes talks to manage...

Politics

39 h. ago Hong Kong girl, 17, rescued from fire likely caused by power bank

A 17-year-old Hong Kong girl was rescued on Wednesday after a fire, believed to have been caused by a power bank, broke out in a flat in Tsuen Wan. Fire Services received a report at 7.59am that smoke had been seen coming out from the flat at Hoi Kwai Mansion of Riviera Gardens. Firefighters then broke into the flat and saved the girl, who was sent to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan for smoke inhalation. The Fire Services Department said the fire, suspected to have been triggered by a power bank,...

Events

41 h. ago T1 warning to remain in force as tropical depression brings rain to Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The No 1 typhoon warning signal issued in the early hours of Wednesday will remain in effect throughout the day, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as showers hit the city. The weather forecaster issued the standby signal at 12.40am and said it would assess whether to raise it to No 3 in the...

Events

41 h. ago T1 signal to remain in force as Tropical Depression Wutip brings rain to Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The No 1 typhoon warning signal issued in the early hours of Wednesday will remain in effect throughout the day, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as showers hit the city. The weather forecaster issued the standby signal at 12.40am and said it would assess whether to raise it to No 3 in the...

Politics

41 h. ago Hong Kong T1 signal to remain in force on Thursday morning as Wutip brings rain

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The No 1 typhoon warning signal issued early on Wednesday will remain in force overnight and on Thursday morning, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as showers hit the city. The weather forecaster issued the signal at 12.40am and said it would assess whether to raise it to No 3 on Friday. It...

Politics