Ishiba’s gift scandal sparks ‘volcanic’ public outrage, plunging Japan’s LDP into crisis | 石破丑闻引爆舆论怒火，日本自民党深陷危机
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Ex-Hong Kong lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting appeals against conviction over Yuen Long riot | 香港前立法会议员林卓廷就元朗暴动罪名提出上诉
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Hong Kong anti-corruption agency arrests 22 people over HK$2 million mortgage fee fraud | 香港廉政公署逮捕22人，涉嫌200万港元按揭费用诈骗案
By Danny Mok
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has arrested 22 individuals, including 18 bank employees who had allegedly accepted HK$2 million (US$257,372) in bribes from an intermediary to defraud referral fees in mortgage loan applications.
The 13 men and nine women, aged between 31 and 56, were arrested across more than 30 locations earlier this month.
Aside from the 18 frontline local bank staff, the remaining four people were spouses of the staff and an associates of them.
They faced allegations of accepting or offering bribes, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud, according to principal investigator Grace Yee Hin-lai, of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
To apply for a property mortgage loan, applicants would either go directly through a bank or via a referral intermediary. In the latter case, the bank is required to pay a referral fee to the intermediary, chief investigator Murphy Chan Tak-fai said.
In this case, the arrested bank employees had allegedly colluded with an intermediary to include referral application forms in documents prepared for mortgage loan applicants for their signing, in which some were discovered to contain suspected forged signatures, Chan added.
“The intermediary had allegedly offered HK$2 million in bribes to frontline bank employees to mislead 10 banks in more than 200 property mortgage loan applications. ICAC investigations revealed that the applicants had no knowledge of the mortgage referrals,” an ICAC statement said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Danny Mok)
By Danny Mok
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has arrested 22 individuals, including 18 bank employees who had allegedly accepted HK$2 million (US$257,372) in bribes from an intermediary to defraud referral fees in mortgage loan applications.
The 13 men and nine women, aged between 31 and 56, were arrested across more than 30 locations earlier this month.
Aside from the 18 frontline local bank staff, the remaining four people were spouses of the staff and an associates of them.
They faced allegations of accepting or offering bribes, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud, according to principal investigator Grace Yee Hin-lai, of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
To apply for a property mortgage loan, applicants would either go directly through a bank or via a referral intermediary. In the latter case, the bank is required to pay a referral fee to the intermediary, chief investigator Murphy Chan Tak-fai said.
In this case, the arrested bank employees had allegedly colluded with an intermediary to include referral application forms in documents prepared for mortgage loan applicants for their signing, in which some were discovered to contain suspected forged signatures, Chan added.
“The intermediary had allegedly offered HK$2 million in bribes to frontline bank employees to mislead 10 banks in more than 200 property mortgage loan applications. ICAC investigations revealed that the applicants had no knowledge of the mortgage referrals,” an ICAC statement said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Danny Mok)
Duterte’s ICC arrest justified under obscure Philippine law, legal experts say | 法律专家称：依据鲜为人知的菲律宾法律，逮捕杜特尔特合情合理
By Raissa Robles
The dramatic arrest and swift transfer of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has been slammed by his allies as an illegal abduction even though legal experts argue an obscure Philippine law provides cover for Manila to bypass extradition norms.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 by Philippine police and Interpol agents before he was transferred to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity related to his bloody war on drugs during his time in office.
The Philippine government’s decision to carry out the extradition at the ICC’s request has triggered a firestorm of outrage from his allies and supporters.
Salvador Medialdea, Duterte’s lawyer, protested during a pre-trial hearing to Iulia Motoc, the ICC’s presiding judge, that the former president’s transfer to The Hague was an act of “extrajudicial rendition”.
“For less legal minds, it’s pure and simple kidnapping,” he added.
Duterte’s supporters on social media have tried to stoke outrage by highlighting Section 59 of the Rome Statute of the ICC, which outlines the rights of an arrested person. They argue that Duterte was denied his right under the statute to seek interim release from a Philippine judge before his transfer to the ICC.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Raissa Robles)
By Raissa Robles
The dramatic arrest and swift transfer of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has been slammed by his allies as an illegal abduction even though legal experts argue an obscure Philippine law provides cover for Manila to bypass extradition norms.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 by Philippine police and Interpol agents before he was transferred to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity related to his bloody war on drugs during his time in office.
The Philippine government’s decision to carry out the extradition at the ICC’s request has triggered a firestorm of outrage from his allies and supporters.
Salvador Medialdea, Duterte’s lawyer, protested during a pre-trial hearing to Iulia Motoc, the ICC’s presiding judge, that the former president’s transfer to The Hague was an act of “extrajudicial rendition”.
“For less legal minds, it’s pure and simple kidnapping,” he added.
Duterte’s supporters on social media have tried to stoke outrage by highlighting Section 59 of the Rome Statute of the ICC, which outlines the rights of an arrested person. They argue that Duterte was denied his right under the statute to seek interim release from a Philippine judge before his transfer to the ICC.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Raissa Robles)
Open AI 开放访问：曾经的专属工具赋能所有人
By Syed Munir Khasru
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made quite the splash this year. Despite the many benefits its advancement can bring, a world where AI remains in the hands of a few elite corporations and nations will pose significant risks.
Without democratisation, only a limited number of players will be able to afford AI-driven solutions. This could lead to increased economic inequality, with wealthy organisations gaining disproportionate advantages in productivity and efficiency while smaller businesses and underprivileged communities fall further behind.
In such a world, AI’s potential to address global challenges, such as climate change, healthcare and education, would also be severely constrained, with solutions driven primarily by profit rather than societal good.
A centralised AI landscape could also exacerbate ethical concerns, with unchecked monopolies controlling vast amounts of data and decision-making power.
Ensuring AI’s accessibility is not just an economic necessity but a safeguard against deepening technological divides and global inequalities. Thus, that AI development is increasingly affordable and accessible represents a pivotal shift. With significantly reduced costs, AI is no longer an exclusive tool of major corporations but potentially a catalyst for global innovation, economic growth and problem-solving.
One of the most striking recent developments in AI democratisation is DeepSeek’s open-source R1 large-language model. While companies like OpenAI reportedly spent between US$80 million and US$100 million training their advanced GPT-4 model, DeepSeek managed to achieve impressive results with just US$6 million and 2,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs).
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Syed Munir Khasru)
By Syed Munir Khasru
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made quite the splash this year. Despite the many benefits its advancement can bring, a world where AI remains in the hands of a few elite corporations and nations will pose significant risks.
Without democratisation, only a limited number of players will be able to afford AI-driven solutions. This could lead to increased economic inequality, with wealthy organisations gaining disproportionate advantages in productivity and efficiency while smaller businesses and underprivileged communities fall further behind.
In such a world, AI’s potential to address global challenges, such as climate change, healthcare and education, would also be severely constrained, with solutions driven primarily by profit rather than societal good.
A centralised AI landscape could also exacerbate ethical concerns, with unchecked monopolies controlling vast amounts of data and decision-making power.
Ensuring AI’s accessibility is not just an economic necessity but a safeguard against deepening technological divides and global inequalities. Thus, that AI development is increasingly affordable and accessible represents a pivotal shift. With significantly reduced costs, AI is no longer an exclusive tool of major corporations but potentially a catalyst for global innovation, economic growth and problem-solving.
One of the most striking recent developments in AI democratisation is DeepSeek’s open-source R1 large-language model. While companies like OpenAI reportedly spent between US$80 million and US$100 million training their advanced GPT-4 model, DeepSeek managed to achieve impressive results with just US$6 million and 2,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs).
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Syed Munir Khasru)
Yellow Sea stand-off over ‘steel structure’ raises China-South Korea tensions: reports
By Seong Hyeon Choi
Details have emerged about an apparent two-hour stand-off between South Korean and Chinese coastguard vessels last month, which began when South Korea attempted to investigate a steel structure in the Yellow Sea, media in Seoul reported on Tuesday.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing South Korean diplomatic sources, the confrontation played out on the afternoon of February 26 in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) near Socotra Rock, southwest of South Korea’s Jeju Island.
The incident erupted when Chinese coastguard ships along with three smaller civilian boats blocked the South Korean research ship Onnuri, which had been dispatched to survey a structure built by the Chinese without Seoul’s authorisation.
In response, a South Korean coastguard vessel was dispatched to the scene leading to a stand-off that lasted for more than two hours, Yonhap reported. South Korea said its inspection was legitimate, while the Chinese side claimed that the structure was an aquafarm and asked the Korean vessel to leave, according to the report.
Some of the Chinese civilians reportedly carried knives, but there was no physical struggle.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was working with related government agencies to ensure the country’s legitimate maritime rights and interests in the Yellow Sea.
“We have also delivered our firm position to China regarding the reported incident,” ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said on Tuesday.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Seong Hyeon Choi)
By Seong Hyeon Choi
Details have emerged about an apparent two-hour stand-off between South Korean and Chinese coastguard vessels last month, which began when South Korea attempted to investigate a steel structure in the Yellow Sea, media in Seoul reported on Tuesday.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing South Korean diplomatic sources, the confrontation played out on the afternoon of February 26 in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) near Socotra Rock, southwest of South Korea’s Jeju Island.
The incident erupted when Chinese coastguard ships along with three smaller civilian boats blocked the South Korean research ship Onnuri, which had been dispatched to survey a structure built by the Chinese without Seoul’s authorisation.
In response, a South Korean coastguard vessel was dispatched to the scene leading to a stand-off that lasted for more than two hours, Yonhap reported. South Korea said its inspection was legitimate, while the Chinese side claimed that the structure was an aquafarm and asked the Korean vessel to leave, according to the report.
Some of the Chinese civilians reportedly carried knives, but there was no physical struggle.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was working with related government agencies to ensure the country’s legitimate maritime rights and interests in the Yellow Sea.
“We have also delivered our firm position to China regarding the reported incident,” ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said on Tuesday.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Seong Hyeon Choi)
Cryptography prodigy returns home to become one of China’s youngest professors | 密码学天才回国任教，成中国最年轻教授之一
By Dannie Peng
When the newest professor at China’s prestigious Wuhan University was born, the country had just taken its first steps to extend the internet nationwide, a service that was better known at the time as the World Wide Web.
So it was remarkable earlier this month when Zhao Mang became the youngest professor at the university in central China’s Hubei province. Zhao, who has spent eight years training overseas in cryptography and impressing the cyber academic community, is 29.
Zhao is now a full professor at the university’s School of Cyber Science and Engineering, according to an article posted to the university’s social media account on Saturday.
“Given the realistic needs and the international situation, Zhao hopes to cultivate cryptographic talent and promote the profession in China,” the university said in the article, adding that the field was seeing more demand, but also more challenges.
Zhao’s research has focused on applied cryptography, with a particular interest in cryptographic analysis of protocols, as well as key exchange and secure messaging.
Wuhan University has described cryptography as a “core discipline” that is critical to protecting information and even national security, but also has widespread implications for everyday life, ranging from chat encryption in social networking software to secure transactions in online banking.
Zhao earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science in Germany 2018. He completed his PhD last year at Germany’s CISPA Helmholtz Centre for Information Security and then worked on postdoctoral research.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Dannie Peng)
By Dannie Peng
When the newest professor at China’s prestigious Wuhan University was born, the country had just taken its first steps to extend the internet nationwide, a service that was better known at the time as the World Wide Web.
So it was remarkable earlier this month when Zhao Mang became the youngest professor at the university in central China’s Hubei province. Zhao, who has spent eight years training overseas in cryptography and impressing the cyber academic community, is 29.
Zhao is now a full professor at the university’s School of Cyber Science and Engineering, according to an article posted to the university’s social media account on Saturday.
“Given the realistic needs and the international situation, Zhao hopes to cultivate cryptographic talent and promote the profession in China,” the university said in the article, adding that the field was seeing more demand, but also more challenges.
Zhao’s research has focused on applied cryptography, with a particular interest in cryptographic analysis of protocols, as well as key exchange and secure messaging.
Wuhan University has described cryptography as a “core discipline” that is critical to protecting information and even national security, but also has widespread implications for everyday life, ranging from chat encryption in social networking software to secure transactions in online banking.
Zhao earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science in Germany 2018. He completed his PhD last year at Germany’s CISPA Helmholtz Centre for Information Security and then worked on postdoctoral research.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Dannie Peng)
Police evict migrants from Paris theatre after months-long occupation | 警方驱逐占据巴黎剧院数月的移民
By Agence France-Presse
Police on Tuesday evacuated hundreds of young migrants from a central Paris theatre they had occupied for months, arresting 46 people, police and Agence France-Presse journalists said.
The evacuation came as French authorities are seeking to tighten immigration policies, in a move reflecting the rightward shift in French politics.
Police with batons charged the migrants, who had found shelter in the historic Gaite Lyrique venue, as many people gathered outside to protest against the eviction, they said.
Shortly before 6am, members of the anti-riot CRS police forced their way through cordons that activists had formed to prevent them from entering the venue.
They pushed into the 19th-century theatre, which is famous for performances of opera, operetta and ballet and which had cancelled all performances during the three-month occupation by migrants demanding food and shelter.
Many are underage and asked to be treated as such in their immigration process.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Agence France-Presse)
By Agence France-Presse
Police on Tuesday evacuated hundreds of young migrants from a central Paris theatre they had occupied for months, arresting 46 people, police and Agence France-Presse journalists said.
The evacuation came as French authorities are seeking to tighten immigration policies, in a move reflecting the rightward shift in French politics.
Police with batons charged the migrants, who had found shelter in the historic Gaite Lyrique venue, as many people gathered outside to protest against the eviction, they said.
Shortly before 6am, members of the anti-riot CRS police forced their way through cordons that activists had formed to prevent them from entering the venue.
They pushed into the 19th-century theatre, which is famous for performances of opera, operetta and ballet and which had cancelled all performances during the three-month occupation by migrants demanding food and shelter.
Many are underage and asked to be treated as such in their immigration process.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Agence France-Presse)
China’s AI revolution should promote equality, not just innovation | 中国人工智能革命应促进平等，而非仅仅创新
By Josephine Ma
The ripples from DeepSeek continue to spread in China, where the government has embraced the tech start-up’s unexpected success by speeding up the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The rise of DeepSeek, developed by home-grown tech talent, is evidence that Beijing’s strategy of pouring resources into training the next generation of innovators over the past decade has worked out.
Apparently encouraged by the AI company’s swift ascent, President Xi Jinping said on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress earlier this month that the country’s education system needed changes to better foster science and innovation talent.
Late last year, the State Council, China’s cabinet, said it would create more world-class doctoral programmes in key areas such as medicine, engineering and emerging fields.
But in addition to training experts at universities, the government wants to nurture an AI-savvy generation from the earliest years of school.
The Beijing municipal government announced a week ago that it would introduce AI courses to primary and secondary school pupils starting in September.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Josephine Ma)
By Josephine Ma
The ripples from DeepSeek continue to spread in China, where the government has embraced the tech start-up’s unexpected success by speeding up the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The rise of DeepSeek, developed by home-grown tech talent, is evidence that Beijing’s strategy of pouring resources into training the next generation of innovators over the past decade has worked out.
Apparently encouraged by the AI company’s swift ascent, President Xi Jinping said on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress earlier this month that the country’s education system needed changes to better foster science and innovation talent.
Late last year, the State Council, China’s cabinet, said it would create more world-class doctoral programmes in key areas such as medicine, engineering and emerging fields.
But in addition to training experts at universities, the government wants to nurture an AI-savvy generation from the earliest years of school.
The Beijing municipal government announced a week ago that it would introduce AI courses to primary and secondary school pupils starting in September.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Josephine Ma)
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun sees progress as firm lifts 2025 EV deliveries target by 16% | 小米CEO雷军信心满满，上调2025年电动车交付目标16%
By Yujie Xue
Xiaomi has raised its full-year target for electric vehicle (EV) deliveries by 16 per cent on the back of strong demand after reporting solid financial results for last year, underpinning confidence among market bulls who drove its stock to an all-time high this week.
The EV maker on Tuesday lifted its target to 350,000 from 300,000 units for this year, after stepping up production to compete in the luxury end of the EV market in rivalry with BYD, Geely Auto and other makers.
“Xiaomi has been making full efforts to increase its production capacity and has made some progress,” CEO Lei Jun said in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Tuesday, referring to the new EV target. Xiaomi has just produced its “strongest annual report in history”, he added.
Xiaomi has delivered 200,000 EVs since it started making them last year, Lei added in his post. The company said it would continue to ramp up production and ensure delivery, striving to achieve the target, according to its filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Xiaomi reported stronger-than-expected growth in earnings and sales last year as strong deliveries of its SU7 model helped the world’s third-biggest smartphone maker beat analysts’ forecasts.
Net profit rose 41 per cent to 27.2 billion yuan (US$3.76 billion), beating the 13 per cent consensus forecasts among analysts tracked by Bloomberg, despite a loss in its car-manufacturing venture. Sales jumped 35 per cent to an all-time high of 365.9 billion yuan, which topped the market consensus of 358 billion yuan.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Yujie Xue)
By Yujie Xue
Xiaomi has raised its full-year target for electric vehicle (EV) deliveries by 16 per cent on the back of strong demand after reporting solid financial results for last year, underpinning confidence among market bulls who drove its stock to an all-time high this week.
The EV maker on Tuesday lifted its target to 350,000 from 300,000 units for this year, after stepping up production to compete in the luxury end of the EV market in rivalry with BYD, Geely Auto and other makers.
“Xiaomi has been making full efforts to increase its production capacity and has made some progress,” CEO Lei Jun said in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Tuesday, referring to the new EV target. Xiaomi has just produced its “strongest annual report in history”, he added.
Xiaomi has delivered 200,000 EVs since it started making them last year, Lei added in his post. The company said it would continue to ramp up production and ensure delivery, striving to achieve the target, according to its filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Xiaomi reported stronger-than-expected growth in earnings and sales last year as strong deliveries of its SU7 model helped the world’s third-biggest smartphone maker beat analysts’ forecasts.
Net profit rose 41 per cent to 27.2 billion yuan (US$3.76 billion), beating the 13 per cent consensus forecasts among analysts tracked by Bloomberg, despite a loss in its car-manufacturing venture. Sales jumped 35 per cent to an all-time high of 365.9 billion yuan, which topped the market consensus of 358 billion yuan.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Yujie Xue)
India’s Modi signals thaw in China ties, reaffirms ‘strong bond’ with Trump | 印度总理莫迪释出缓和中印关系信号，重申与特朗普的“牢固关系”
By Amy Sood
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shed light on New Delhi’s delicate balancing act between China and the United States during a rare interview, indicating a thaw in relations with Beijing while reaffirming his strong personal ties with US President Donald Trump.
Modi acknowledged that ongoing border disputes between India and China had caused tensions, but expressed optimism that the relationship was improving following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October.
“It is true that there have been ongoing border disputes between us. And in 2020, the incidents along the border created significant tensions,” Modi said during an episode of the Lex Fridman podcast released over the weekend.
“However, after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020,” he added.
Modi’s meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Kazan last year marked their first in-person talks since the 2020 deadly border clash, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
The talks followed an agreement between China and India to enhance patrols along their shared Himalayan border, effectively de-escalating a four-year military stand-off.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Amy Sood)
By Amy Sood
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shed light on New Delhi’s delicate balancing act between China and the United States during a rare interview, indicating a thaw in relations with Beijing while reaffirming his strong personal ties with US President Donald Trump.
Modi acknowledged that ongoing border disputes between India and China had caused tensions, but expressed optimism that the relationship was improving following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October.
“It is true that there have been ongoing border disputes between us. And in 2020, the incidents along the border created significant tensions,” Modi said during an episode of the Lex Fridman podcast released over the weekend.
“However, after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020,” he added.
Modi’s meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Kazan last year marked their first in-person talks since the 2020 deadly border clash, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
The talks followed an agreement between China and India to enhance patrols along their shared Himalayan border, effectively de-escalating a four-year military stand-off.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Amy Sood)
Chinese EV maker Nio and battery king CATL to join forces on swapping stations, technology | 中国电动汽车制造商蔚来与电池巨头宁德时代将在换电站和技术领域展开合作
By Fan Chen
Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio and the world’s top EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) will join forces to expand the availability of battery-swap stations, which allow compatible cars to quickly trade spent batteries for charged ones rather than recharging.
CATL, which is planning a US$5 billion Hong Kong share listing, will invest up to 2.5 billion yuan (US$345.6 million) in Shanghai-based Nio under the partnership, which was signed on Monday at CATL’s headquarters in Ningde, in China’s southeastern Fujian province.
A statement said Nio would incorporate CATL’s Choco-swap technology into future car models sold under its Firefly brand, which targets middle-income consumers on the mainland. In addition, the companies’ networks of swap stations would operate together to deliver a smoother experience for users and further enhance the convenience of EVs, they said.
Nio, the primary advocate of swapping, has a network of 3,172 stations and has committed to fully covering 27 provincial-level administrative regions by the end of this year. CATL said last year it planned to build 1,000 of its Choco-swap stations by the end of this year. The swapping concept, under which users subscribe to battery service, can reduce the initial price of an EV, but it faces pressure as EV prices fall and battery technologies evolve to allow faster charging.
Nio and CATL’s partnership would also involve promoting national standards for swapping technology to enable cross-brand and cross-model compatibility, they said.
The two companies also said they will establish a comprehensive life-cycle loop that encompasses battery research and development, battery swap services, asset management, reuse, and material recycling, with an eye toward reducing costs and raising efficiency across the entire industry.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Fan Chen)
By Fan Chen
Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio and the world’s top EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) will join forces to expand the availability of battery-swap stations, which allow compatible cars to quickly trade spent batteries for charged ones rather than recharging.
CATL, which is planning a US$5 billion Hong Kong share listing, will invest up to 2.5 billion yuan (US$345.6 million) in Shanghai-based Nio under the partnership, which was signed on Monday at CATL’s headquarters in Ningde, in China’s southeastern Fujian province.
A statement said Nio would incorporate CATL’s Choco-swap technology into future car models sold under its Firefly brand, which targets middle-income consumers on the mainland. In addition, the companies’ networks of swap stations would operate together to deliver a smoother experience for users and further enhance the convenience of EVs, they said.
Nio, the primary advocate of swapping, has a network of 3,172 stations and has committed to fully covering 27 provincial-level administrative regions by the end of this year. CATL said last year it planned to build 1,000 of its Choco-swap stations by the end of this year. The swapping concept, under which users subscribe to battery service, can reduce the initial price of an EV, but it faces pressure as EV prices fall and battery technologies evolve to allow faster charging.
Nio and CATL’s partnership would also involve promoting national standards for swapping technology to enable cross-brand and cross-model compatibility, they said.
The two companies also said they will establish a comprehensive life-cycle loop that encompasses battery research and development, battery swap services, asset management, reuse, and material recycling, with an eye toward reducing costs and raising efficiency across the entire industry.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Fan Chen)
Huawei’s leadership shuffle at research arm Noah’s Ark Lab signals heated AI competition | 华为诺亚方舟实验室领导层变动，预示人工智能竞争白热化
By Ann Cao
Huawei Technologies has named a new head at its artificial intelligence (AI) research arm, according to a Chinese media report, as domestic competition among Big Tech firms and start-ups in this field intensifies.
Shenzhen-based Huawei promoted Noah’s Ark Lab senior researcher Wang Yunhe as leader of the AI research unit, replacing previous head Yao Jun, according to a report on Monday by Chinese tech media Leiphone, citing people familiar with the matter.
The leadership change might lead to further personnel adjustments at the unit, the report said.
Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The move reflects how US-sanctioned Huawei is bolstering its AI capabilities with a young engineer like Wang – who works on areas such as deep learning, model compression and computer vision at Noah’s Ark Lab – amid a heightened search for talent in the nascent domestic AI sector.
Wang’s appointment comes weeks after TikTok owner ByteDance restructured its AI department, Seed, and successfully signed up new recruit Wu Yonghui, a former Google Fellow who worked at the US tech giant for 17 years.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Ann Cao)
By Ann Cao
Huawei Technologies has named a new head at its artificial intelligence (AI) research arm, according to a Chinese media report, as domestic competition among Big Tech firms and start-ups in this field intensifies.
Shenzhen-based Huawei promoted Noah’s Ark Lab senior researcher Wang Yunhe as leader of the AI research unit, replacing previous head Yao Jun, according to a report on Monday by Chinese tech media Leiphone, citing people familiar with the matter.
The leadership change might lead to further personnel adjustments at the unit, the report said.
Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The move reflects how US-sanctioned Huawei is bolstering its AI capabilities with a young engineer like Wang – who works on areas such as deep learning, model compression and computer vision at Noah’s Ark Lab – amid a heightened search for talent in the nascent domestic AI sector.
Wang’s appointment comes weeks after TikTok owner ByteDance restructured its AI department, Seed, and successfully signed up new recruit Wu Yonghui, a former Google Fellow who worked at the US tech giant for 17 years.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Ann Cao)
Chinese woman seeks US$6,800 for chores, divorce court awards 5 times that, sparks delight | 中国女子索要家务补偿6800美元，离婚判决获赔五倍，引发欢呼
By Alice Yan
A court in central China has gained overwhelming applause online after it awarded a 250,000-yuan (US$35,000) divorce settlement to a woman who had sought an initial amount of just 50,000 yuan (US$6,800).
Her financial claim was based on the amount of household chores she had to do during her time with her husband.
The woman, surnamed Hu, married the man, surnamed Wang, in 2011. They had a daughter in the same year.
However, in the following years, they argued a lot, especially over what type of education their child should receive, Jimu News reported.
Since October, 2022 when Hu moved out of their house in Zhengzhou, Henan province after a fierce row with Wang, the couple has lived separately.
Hu filed a lawsuit for divorce to Zhongyuan District Court at the end of last year.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Alice Yan)
By Alice Yan
A court in central China has gained overwhelming applause online after it awarded a 250,000-yuan (US$35,000) divorce settlement to a woman who had sought an initial amount of just 50,000 yuan (US$6,800).
Her financial claim was based on the amount of household chores she had to do during her time with her husband.
The woman, surnamed Hu, married the man, surnamed Wang, in 2011. They had a daughter in the same year.
However, in the following years, they argued a lot, especially over what type of education their child should receive, Jimu News reported.
Since October, 2022 when Hu moved out of their house in Zhengzhou, Henan province after a fierce row with Wang, the couple has lived separately.
Hu filed a lawsuit for divorce to Zhongyuan District Court at the end of last year.
via SCMP Full Text Feed (author: Alice Yan)
