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Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng Motors showcased its humanoid robot in front of hundreds of onlookers at a mall in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen over the weekend, but a backwards flop became headlines, reflecting the bumpy journey ahead for such machines. After completing a smooth catwalk to the centre of the audience on…
Some 500 guests are expected to attend an Apec finance ministers’ meeting in Hong Kong in October, the first to be held in the city, with authorities set to appoint a team led by two senior officials to oversee planning for the event. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu told a…
Alibaba Group Holding has joined rivals including Tencent Holdings and Baidu in rolling out Spring Festival red-packet giveaways to drive mass-market adoption of its artificial intelligence apps, committing 3 billion yuan (US$432 million) to spur spending across its ecosystem as it seeks to extend its edge in foundational models to consumer-facing products. The Hangzhou-based e-commerce…
In recent months, sections of the media and strategic commentary have been abuzz with claims that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are moving toward the creation of an “Islamic NATO.” This narrative suggests that amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape in West Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and South Asia, Muslim-majority states are…
Major Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers got off to a bumpy start in 2026 as they reported falling deliveries in January due to softening government support. Shares of Hong Kong-listed BYD, Xpeng, Li Auto and Nio plummeted on Monday, battered by a bearish delivery outlook in the cutthroat mainland EV market. “Lacklustre [sales] data in…
A mainland Chinese student has been jailed for three months for paying an impostor to take an English proficiency test in Cambodia on her behalf and submitting the results to a university in Hong Kong to meet graduation requirements. Tuen Mun Court on Monday ruled that a community service order would not help Huang Xinyi…
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have returned to their home in a Minneapolis suburb after being detained by US immigration officers and held at a detention facility in Texas, a lawmaker said on Sunday. A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, whom immigration officers detained…
The United States’ official departure from the World Health Organization in January 2026 creates a profound vacuum in global health governance. While news cycles focus on the immediate financial crisis—a US$260 million funding gap and management teams cut in half—the deeper shift is structural. As Washington retreats, Beijing is not merely filling a seat; it…
A week ago I wrote about the possibility that the world would pull its money out of the United States of America. I noted the rise in the price of gold as a sign that the world might be entering a time of international financial anarchy: [G]old’s volatility and limited supply might not stop it…
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he believes he has the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown within days and that the chamber will debate Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms for two weeks after that. “I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of…
