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South China Morning Post

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Will Xi’s North Korea visit show Kim that China remains Pyongyang’s most vital ally?

President Xi Jinping is heading to North Korea on Monday with the aim of proving that China remains the best prospect for reviving his host country’s economy. The visit, Xi’s first in seven years, will focus on reinforcing ties with Pyongyang at a time when the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula appears increasingly out of reach, according to analysts. The carefully timed sequence of diplomatic meetings also reflects Beijing’s growing confidence on the world stage and its ability to engage...

South China Morning Post

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‘Sky breaks’: in some China regions, lying flat can avoid bad luck; use ‘mending pancakes’

While many Chinese people joke that they “work like a dog” because they are anxious about dropping out of the rat race, there is a tradition in some areas that people can legitimately “lie flat” once a year to ward off bad luck. The day is called tian chuan, or the day when the sky breaks. It usually falls on the 20th day of the first lunar month, and marks the day when the sky that Nuwa mended breaks once in a year. Nuwa is a mythological figure, a mother goddess who is said to have moulded the...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese medical team arrives in DR Congo to help fight Ebola, filling US void

A Chinese team of medical experts has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-month frontline mission to contain an expanding Ebola outbreak across a mining region dense with Beijing-backed mineral investments. The five-member team of specialists in epidemiology, clinical medicine, research and traditional Chinese medicine arrived in the capital Kinshasa on Tuesday. According to China’s National Health Commission, the experts will work with local authorities to strengthen Ebola...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Committee formed to drive AI boost: FS

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said a committee dedicated to artificial intelligence development in Hong Kong would hold its first meeting this month. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan said the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy consists of experts, academics and business representatives. It will study the use of AI in life and health science, embodied AI as well as AI application strategies in various aspects such as transport, culture and sustainable development, he said. Chan also said the government had allocated HK$50 million to launch AI training for all, including courses on AI application, lectures and competitions. He said over 200 events were expected to be hosted in two years, benefiting some 50,000 people. Chan went on to say that the form of AI training would be diversified to meet the needs of different groups. “For example, training for students can place more emphasis on encouraging practical application,” he said. “To help the elderly gain a basic understanding of AI so that they can better use the tool and avoid being scammed, we will first offer training for the community and students and let them become ambassadors for seniors’ AI learning.” The FS also said a mainland firm working on embodied AI would launch a robot retail store at the Hung Hom harbourfront soon, with a robot store manager serving customers in multiple languages around the clock. “A person-in-charge told us they chose Hong Kong as the first stop for their retail stores to go global because of the city’s international platform, open atmosphere for new technologies and visibility of innovation and technology projects,” Chan said. “International capital continues to pay attention to and be optimistic about our country’s leading advantages in several emerging industries. The Hong Kong market, as an important international financing centre for these companies, also enhances the city’s attractiveness to start-ups and technology companies.” Chan added that the SAR has been promoting AI development at full speed over the past few years. Edited by Tony Sabine

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Airport chief welcomes direct flights to Central Asia

Airport Authority chairman Fred Lam on Sunday said Hong Kong's expansion into Central Asia would open up new passenger markets and provide an alternative route for cargo coming to and from Europe, with direct flights between the SAR and the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan set to launch in the first quarter of next year. Lam's comments on Commercial Radio came just days after Chief Executive John Lee wrapped up his visit to Central Asia during which he signed multiple agreements in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He pointed out that 13 percent of Hong Kong's cargo flows to and from Europe currently pass through the Middle East, but the ongoing war against Iran and US tariffs have disrupted supply chains. Additional routes via Central Asia could strengthen Hong Kong's position as a key aviation hub linking Asia and Europe, he said. Lam also noted that Hong Kong International Airport handled 61 million passengers last year while traffic in the first four months of this year rose by 13 percent. He was confident the airport could reach 70 million passengers for the full year. Lam added the airport aimed to attract more travellers from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and increase transit traffic while creating a "frictionless border" for GBA passengers. This, he said, could encourage transfer passengers to come back to Hong Kong as tourists. Lam also said operations at the newly reopened Terminal 2 have been smooth. "We commissioned the T2 departure facility last week and so far and it has processed 40,000 passengers with 300 flights. We're very happy with the whole process, it's turned out to be very smooth." "The process will complete by Wednesday this week. By then, every day we would have about 110 flights per day with around 20,000 passengers. "We'll continue to monitor that. We believe that this new facility would help to provide an even better service to our passengers," he said. Regarding the 11 Skies Mall development, Lam said it is scheduled for full completion in 2028. While discussions with the developer are ongoing, he said the project is part of the airport city's development blueprint and was confident in its long-term potential. Edited by Tony Sabine

South China Morning Post

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Trump AI policy adviser Sriram Krishnan to leave position

A top White House artificial intelligence policy adviser on Saturday said he will leave his position at the end of June, marking the exit of a leading ‌figure helping craft policies for frontier technologies. “This journey has been the privilege of a lifetime,” the adviser, Sriram Krishnan, posted on social media. Krishnan did not give a reason for leaving, but wrote in the post he intends to help “tackle some of the large challenges facing America” related to AI. Krishnan has been involved in...

South China Morning Post

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South Korean protesters demand ‘election re-run’ after ballot shortage

Protesters outside a ballot-counting site in ⁠South Korea on ⁠Saturday rallied for a second ⁠day, demanding a re-run of local elections held earlier this week. Around 10,000 citizens were estimated to have gathered at the SK Olympic Handball Stadium as of 5.30pm local time, where votes were counted from Wednesday’s elections to pick mayors and local government officials and assembly members, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an unofficial police estimate. Representatives at Seoul Metropolitan...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Typhoons tipped to be fewer this year but stronger

A former assistant director at the Observatory said the El Nino effect will bring fewer but stronger typhoons to Hong Kong this summer. He was speaking after the Observatory predicted that Hong Kong would see four to seven typhoons near the territory this year. Speaking after attending a radio programme on Saturday, Leung Wing-mo, a spokesman for the Meteorological Society, said El Nino increases sea surface temperatures in the eastern part of the equatorial Pacific while Hong Kong is located in the west. "When the pool of warm water shifts to the east, most of the tropical cyclones will develop in the east, which is further away from Hong Kong," he said. "So since the distance of the origin of the typhoons in Hong Kong increases, the chances of the typhoons coming very close to Hong Kong decrease as a result. "But if a typhoon comes close to Hong Kong, then it has a longer time and longer sea track for development. "There is a chance that the typhoons which eventually come close to Hong Kong would be a very strong typhoon, maybe a super typhoon." Leung also said El Nino would bring hot weather to Hong Kong, as well as the entire planet, due to the close interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean. He called on people to pay attention to their health condition, as extreme hot weather can trigger pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Edited by Robert Kemp

South China Morning Post

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Flu cases on the rise in Hong Kong as immunity wanes, expert warns

Hong Kong is experiencing a rise in seasonal influenza cases, particularly among children and the elderly, as waning vaccine protection weakens community immunity, a leading infectious disease expert has warned. Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, chair professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, issued the warning on Saturday and urged high-risk groups who have not received a seasonal flu jab to get vaccinated. The remarks came a day after health authorities said an influenza B...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese memory makers step up challenge to Korea’s chip champions

This article was first published by The Korea Times in a partnership with the South China Morning Post. Two of China’s leading memory-chip makers are moving closer to public listings, posing a significant long-term challenge to South Korean giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, despite a limited immediate threat, according to analysts. ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China’s leading dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) producer, won approval last week for its nearly 30-billion-yuan...

South China Morning Post

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China bans 11 online activities under tighter rules to curb rumours, cyberbullies

China’s top internet watchdog has banned 11 specific online activities under strict new rules for multiplatform content creators taking effect later this year. Rolling out the new regulations last week, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said they aimed to prevent the spread of rumours and posts that could incite public anger, antagonism or social discrimination. The prohibited content includes posts fabricating topics to confuse the public, spreading fake or speculative information,...

Hong Kong Free Press

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Australian dine-and-dash lawyer gets suspended sentence and fine, plans to fly home

Australian lawyer Samuel Monkivitch has received a fine and suspended 18-month jail term after pleading guilty to charges relating to a dine-and-dash spree across the territory. Monkivitch appeared on Friday at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts after dining at five-star hotels in Hong Kong without paying. He was previously fined HK$3,000 over similar charges. In the […]

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Public urged to get jabs as flu cases spike

An expert on infectious diseases called on the public on Saturday to get vaccinated against influenza before the current batch of available jabs expires at the end of this month, as cases are on the rise. A recent serious case involved a 17-year-old who was left in a critical condition yesterday after developing complications, including severe pneumonia and shock from catching influenza B. He was not inoculated against the flu. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Professor Ivan Hung, head of the infectious diseases division at the University of Hong Kong and an honorary consultant at Queen Mary Hospital , said the hospital has also logged more flu cases among children and the elderly. “Right now we're seeing a rise in the number of cases in both flu A, which is [subtype] H3, and also flu B, with quite a number of older adults being admitted to hospitals with severe flu cases, and also for children as well. Recently, we have had a 17-year-old with a severe flu B infection,” he said after the show. “But whether it's peaking – it's not yet the so-called summer peak – I think we really have to wait for a few more weeks to see how the trend plays out. "I do recommend anyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated before the end of June because the vaccine is going to expire by the end of June.” Hung urged the elderly, particularly those with chronic diseases, to wear masks in crowded places and use hand sanitisers. People do not have to be too worried over Covid-19, he said, adding that it has become endemic in the city. “I think the coronavirus itself is relatively benign. If you look at the variant, the latest is NB.1.8.1, it’s actually quite close to the LP.8.1, which is the vaccine candidate," Hung said. "Basically, I think it’s not a major concern in terms of coronavirus. “Overall, we have very, very few severe cases being hospitalised. For the last year or so, we didn’t really have a surge in Covid cases. In general, it’s very mild, even for the older adults.” However, those who are immunodeficient and suffer from chronic illnesses should get vaccinated regularly, Hung said, urging those who have not been inoculated against flu to take the jab without delay, as vaccines won’t be available for a short period until the next batch arrives in the fourth quarter. Edited by Robert Kemp

South China Morning Post

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How Malaysia’s Langkawi became a paradise for smugglers

Waves break along Cenang Beach as the sun drops over the Andaman Sea, washing Langkawi’s white sand in gold. Tourists sip fresh coconuts beneath rows of bright umbrellas, gazing out at the “Jewel of Kedah”: a duty-free archipelago long sold as one of Malaysia’s premier tropical escapes. Out on the water, meanwhile, small boats traverse the 8km (five miles) of open water that separates Langkawi from Thailand’s Koh Tarutao. On fast boats, the crossing takes a matter of minutes. No navigation...

South China Morning Post

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Putin says no reason to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky, calls his letter ‘rude’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year. In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace. He also suggested that continuing the war...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese military team inspects Russian bases as Putin hails ‘natural allies’

A PLA inspection team visited several facilities in Russia’s Eastern Military District this week, including an air defence missile unit in the far-eastern Jewish Autonomous Region, Russian media reported. The visit, conducted under a decades-old confidence-building mechanism, came as President Vladimir Putin described China and Russia as “natural allies and partners”, while emphasising that their deepening military cooperation was not directed against any third party. The June 2-3 inspection...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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TIA to work with Shenzhen to combat coercive shopping

The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) said it had exchanged views with relevant officials from Shenzhen to ramp up supervision on industry misconduct such as tours that involve coercive shopping. In a statement released on Friday, the authority noted its chairperson, Kevin Lam, led a team last month to meet with Ding Zhongyuan, deputy director-general of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio & Television on May 18. The team also met with representatives from Shenzhen's tourism, cybersecurity, market supervision and enforcement departments, as well as travel associations and certain key online platforms. Together, they discussed how to strengthen collaboration to combat illegal tours as well as tours that involve coercive shopping. Speaking at their meeting, Lam noted Hong Kong has been cracking down on unlicensed tour activities, citing a recent case in which authorities arrested a mainland worker for the offence of breaching conditions of stay and offering hiking tour guide services at High Island Reservoir in early May. The man was later convicted and sentenced to six weeks in prison, according to the TIA. Meanwhile, the two sides also touched on issues in which mainland visitors were forced to buy items while on their packaged tours in the SAR. Authorities revoked a tour guide's licence in one case, following an investigation in April. The revocation took effect today. The TIA reiterated that it has "zero tolerance over actions that damage the reputation of Hong Kong's tourism industry", adding it would work with its peers in Shenzhen to enhance education and publicity. It also called on tourists to check if their travel agencies have obtained proper legal certificates before joining their tour groups. Edited by Tony Sabine

South China Morning Post

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Tencent’s chief AI scientist dismisses lag concerns, says race a ‘long-term game’

Yao Shunyu, the former OpenAI researcher now leading Tencent Holdings’ artificial intelligence model development, pushed back against concerns that the tech giant is slow in AI, arguing that the race is just beginning with massive untapped opportunities in coding agents and embodied intelligence. “AI is a long-term game, with the second half of the race just starting,” said Yao, chief AI scientist at Tencent, comparing the current state to the development of personal computers in the 1970s. Yao...

South China Morning Post

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French billionaire pleads for law change to disinherit children

French billionaire Pierre-Edouard Sterin, who has stirred controversy over his right-wing politics, is pleading with lawmakers to modify rules so he can disinherit his five children, saying he prefers to give his fortune to charity. “I would like to give my entire estate to philanthropic causes,” the businessman told senators on Thursday during a public hearing, noting that under French law three quarters of his assets would have to be passed down to his offspring. “I’m in favour of being able...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Roberto Losada to lead HK, China football squad

Spaniard Roberto Losada has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the SAR football team, the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) announced on Friday. The 49-year-old took charge of the SAR squad as interim boss in December, following the departure of former head coach Ashley Westwood. Over the past six months, Losada led the team through their final AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against India, as well as the annual Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. Losada's official appointment comes as the SAR squad take on Mongolia in a friendly at Hong Kong Stadium on Friday. HKFA’s chairman Eric Fok said the association had high hopes for Losada. “We hope the new head coach will bring a clear direction to the team, including establishing a clear style of play, strengthening tactical organisation and improving in-game stability and discipline. We also hope that under the coach's guidance, team cohesion will be strengthened and our players will achieve a higher level of performance,” he said. Losada, who has lived in Hong Kong for 16 years and won three Coach of the Year awards while managing local Premier League club Eastern, said he would give more chances to local young players. “We are going to try to make our squad a little bit more dynamic, a little bit more young. We are not going to have too many naturalised players in the coming three, four years coming in for the squad, so we have to start to trust our young boys,” he said. “Our players that have been working hard to get into the squad, and they deserve the chance. We're going to do it a little bit steady and smooth, try to put some young boys coming up, integrate them in the team with the seniors that we have, and try in a couple of years to have a very competitive squad." A former professional player himself, Losada scored 27 goals in 113 appearances in Spain’s La Liga and won a Hong Kong Footballer of the Year award while playing with local Premier League club Kitchee. Meanwhile, the HKFA also announced that Hong Kong is set to host Division 2 of the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup across the months of September and October. The new tournament features a two-tier format, with Indonesia hosting the top-flight Division 1, and Hong Kong staging the second division, which will see six participating teams. Fok pointed out that the event would be the first time Hong Kong hosted a Fifa-sanctioned international football tournament, saying this is of great significance to football development in the SAR. “They are not just ordinary international friendly matches as the teams will need to compete continuously in a short period of time, facing different opponents under pressure and goals to achieve,” he said. Fok added that since the event is scheduled during the Fifa International Match Calendar, he believes the participating teams would send more complete lineups, further raising the level of competition. Edited by Tony Sabine

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타임라인 키워드

Will Xi’s North Korea visit show Kim that China remains Pyongyang’s most vital ally?

‘Sky breaks’: in some China regions, lying flat can avoid bad luck; use ‘mending pancakes’

Chinese medical team arrives in DR Congo to help fight Ebola, filling US void

Committee formed to drive AI boost: FS

Airport chief welcomes direct flights to Central Asia

Trump AI policy adviser Sriram Krishnan to leave position

South Korean protesters demand ‘election re-run’ after ballot shortage

Typhoons tipped to be fewer this year but stronger

Flu cases on the rise in Hong Kong as immunity wanes, expert warns

Chinese memory makers step up challenge to Korea’s chip champions

China bans 11 online activities under tighter rules to curb rumours, cyberbullies

Australian dine-and-dash lawyer gets suspended sentence and fine, plans to fly home

Public urged to get jabs as flu cases spike

How Malaysia’s Langkawi became a paradise for smugglers

Putin says no reason to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky, calls his letter ‘rude’

Chinese military team inspects Russian bases as Putin hails ‘natural allies’

TIA to work with Shenzhen to combat coercive shopping

Tencent’s chief AI scientist dismisses lag concerns, says race a ‘long-term game’

French billionaire pleads for law change to disinherit children

Roberto Losada to lead HK, China football squad