Cryptography prodigy returns home to become one of China’s youngest professors | 密码学天才回国任教，成为中国最年轻教授之一
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
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
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Chinese robotics firm Shenzhen Dobot excites investors with US$27,500 humanoid | 中国机器人公司深圳越疆人形机器人亮相，2.75万美元引投资者关注
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Hong Kong drivers will have to pay to use CLP Power’s EV charging stations | 香港电动车主未来使用中电充电站需付费
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
China’s AI revolution should promote equality, not just innovation | 中国人工智能革命应促进平等，而非仅限于创新
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun sees progress as firm lifts 2025 EV deliveries target by 16% | 小米CEO雷军信心满满，公司上调2025年电动车交付目标16%
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Japan to deploy long-range missiles near East China Sea as fears over Taiwan grow: Kyodo | 日本拟在东海部署远程导弹，台湾局势引发担忧（共同社）
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
India’s Modi signals thaw in China ties, reaffirms ‘strong bond’ with Trump | 印度总理莫迪释放对华关系缓和信号，重申与特朗普的“牢固友谊”
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
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
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
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调整，预示AI竞争白热化
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
Chinese basin may have been a refuge during largest mass extinction. Do we need another? | 中国盆地或曾是最大规模物种灭绝期间的避难所，我们是否需要另一个？
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
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
via SCMP 中文摘要
via SCMP 中文摘要
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)
