6 h. ago Nvidia CEO says Huawei has everyone ‘covered’ if US chip ban on China stays

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said his company’s technology remained a generation ahead of those developed by China, but warned that Huawei Technologies was in a position to expand its semiconductor business should US chip export curbs stay in place. In an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Thursday, Huang appeared to echo recent published remarks made by Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, who said the Chinese company’s Ascend artificial intelligence (AI) processors lagged behind...

Politics

6 h. ago Beijing hoping for closer ties with Vatican as pope names first Chinese bishop

China said it was willing to promote better relations with the Vatican after the appointment of the first Chinese bishop under the new pope. On Wednesday, the Vatican said Pope Leo had named Joseph Lin Yuntuan, 73, as an auxiliary bishop in Fuzhou, capital of the southwestern province of Fujian, on June 5. The appointment continues an agreement reached under Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, that bishops must be approved by both sides. The announcement was made on the same day that Beijing...

Economics

6 h. ago Hongkongers may have to pay higher tolls at Aberdeen Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels

Hongkongers may have to pay more to use the Aberdeen Tunnel and the Shing Mun Tunnels under a government proposal to raise tolls from HK$5 (64 US cents) to HK$8 to help recoup some of their hefty annual losses, the Post has learned. The tunnels’ current flat fee of HK$5 for all vehicles has remained unchanged for 34 years. A source said on Thursday that authorities were planning to raise the toll to HK$8. The Shing Mun Tunnels recorded a deficit of HK$52 million in the 2023-24 financial year,...

Politics

7 h. ago Xpeng and Chinese EV peers aim to win over Hongkongers amid global push

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng aims to start offering Hong Kong consumers smart cars featuring semi-autonomous driving systems next year as it gears up to take on Tesla’s FSD (Full Self-Driving) feature outside mainland China. He Xiaopeng, co-founder and CEO of the Guangzhou-based carmaker, said in Hong Kong on Thursday that testing of its Xpeng Navigation Guided Pilot (X NGP) driver-assistance system in the city would take only two months before sales could begin. However, he added...

Politics

8 h. ago China’s PLA Daily slams US Golden Dome plan, warns of space arms race

China’s military newspaper has condemned America’s planned “Golden Dome” space-based missile defence system, warning that it may threaten global strategic stability and trigger an arms race in space. “The development of the Golden Dome system and the US Space Force’s rapid expansion have further militarised outer space,” a commentary in the PLA Daily warned on Thursday, adding that such moves could potentially intensify great power rivalry and challenge international arms control norms. The...

Events

9 h. ago Hong Kong passes bill to launch electronic driving licences in September

Hong Kong will introduce electronic driving licences in mid-September following the passage of a bill by the legislature, but lawmakers have questioned the need to spend HK$12.5 million (US$1.59 million) to fund a related mobile application. Some legislators also urged authorities to take a flexible approach to enforcement, especially in cases in which drivers had trouble displaying their documents on smartphones, thereby giving them time to adapt to the new system. The legislative amendment,...

Politics

10 h. ago Pentagon chief warns China preparing for war, calls Beijing top US threat

Pentagon chief warns China preparing for war, calls Beijing top US threat  Business Standard

Events

14 h. ago Chinese premier says officials must adapt to ‘complex and severe’ situation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged the nation’s officials to improve their ability to anticipate challenges and accurately implement policies amid a turbulent geopolitical environment. “At present, the task to comprehensively promote the Chinese path to modernisation with high-quality development is heavy and difficult, with the external situation remaining complex and severe,” he said on Wednesday, as reported by state-run news agency Xinhua. During this difficult period, officials needed to...

Politics

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

20 h. ago Mainland China scientists build electronic war game for Taiwan and nearby waters

A PLA mobile electronic warfare platform deployed southeast of Taiwan activates its emitter, shattering the electromagnetic silence with powerful pulses, which are initially blocked by the island’s towering central mountain range. But while the key eastern military bases are unaffected at first, gradually the signals navigate the complex terrain, reflecting like mirrors off slopes and scattering across rough surfaces. Eventually, they cross the peaks to blanket the entire island and its...

Events

29 h. ago Rice imports, policy inertia put ‘future of Filipino farming’ at risk: report

The Philippines’ rice industry is in danger of being “drowned out by cheap imports”, according to a new report, with experts also warning that prolonged policy inertia could affect the country’s food security. The report, produced by the Integrated Rural Development Foundation, said policy failures and under-investment had pushed the country’s farming industry into its “most vulnerable position in decades”, according to The Manila Times. The Philippines became the world’s top rice importer in...

Events

33 h. ago China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality’ as CK Hutchison ports deal looms

China’s foreign ministry has said it respects Panama’s sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality. Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that the US$23 billion deal between CK Hutchison Holdings and a consortium led by BlackRock and MSC could result in a concentration of operators that would be...

Politics

33 h. ago China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality’ amid warning over CK Hutchison deal

China’s foreign ministry has said it respects Panama’s sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality. Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that CK Hutchison Holdings’ US$23 billion deal to sell its overseas ports to a consortium led by US investment giant BlackRock and shipping firm MSC could...

Events

36 h. ago China working to add C919 certification to agenda for July EU summit

China will push for civil aviation to be a topic of discussion at a summit with European Union leaders in July, with particular focus on the certification of the domestically produced C919 aircraft, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. High-level negotiations on the safety evaluation process would be likely to fast-track ratification of the airliner, the source said, and a rumoured order of hundreds of Airbus aircraft from Beijing would only help speed things along. Next month’s...

Politics

38 h. ago Game on for Hong Kong economy as Kai Tak Stadium proves to be a roaring success

Hong Kong should capitalise on the success of the Asian Cup qualifier at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday night by maximising the potential of the venue and engagement with business sectors to boost the economy, according to analysts. A total of 42,570 football fans witnessed Hong Kong’s 1-0 victory over India, packing the stands with a sea of red and roaring chants as the team hosted an international match for the first time at the new stadium. Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, vice-chairman of the major...

Sport

40 h. ago Mobile game advocating Hong Kong independence disappears from Apple’s App Store

A mobile game application banned for advocating Hong Kong and Taiwan independence can no longer be found on Apple’s App Store, according to checks by the Post, following its earlier removal from the Google Play Store. Reversed Front: Bonfire, a war-themed game developed by ESC Taiwan and launched in April, did not appear in search results on Wednesday, despite being available for download on the store the previous day. On Tuesday evening, Hong Kong police warned residents against downloading the...

Events

42 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