From Taylor Swift to Messi: looking back at Hong Kong’s 2024 mega-event flops
By Harvey Kong
Hong Kong held more than 110 mega-events in the first half of 2024 as part of government efforts to bolster the local economy, with some activities struggling to get off the ground and a few even attracting controversy.
From football fiascos, drone show failures to multimillion-dollar balloons, the Post looks back on some of Hong Kong’s mega-event misses over the past year.
As global superstar Taylor Swift made her way around the world for her Eras Tour, Hong Kong could only look on as nearby Singapore welcomed tens of thousands of Swifties to the city state in March for six sold-out shows.
Some estimates suggested that the resulting surge in tourists coming to Singapore could increase its gross domestic product in the first quarter by 0.2 per cent.
Global news outlets at the time also reported that Swift’s concert promoter and the Singaporean government were believed to have signed an exclusive deal, quoting Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who said he was informed of a proposed arrangement worth up to US$3 million.
Over in Hong Kong, lawmakers grilled authorities on their efforts to attract top pop stars to the city, with then tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung saying it was ultimately up to the market regarding which stars came to the city.
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By Harvey Kong
Hong Kong held more than 110 mega-events in the first half of 2024 as part of government efforts to bolster the local economy, with some activities struggling to get off the ground and a few even attracting controversy.
From football fiascos, drone show failures to multimillion-dollar balloons, the Post looks back on some of Hong Kong’s mega-event misses over the past year.
As global superstar Taylor Swift made her way around the world for her Eras Tour, Hong Kong could only look on as nearby Singapore welcomed tens of thousands of Swifties to the city state in March for six sold-out shows.
Some estimates suggested that the resulting surge in tourists coming to Singapore could increase its gross domestic product in the first quarter by 0.2 per cent.
Global news outlets at the time also reported that Swift’s concert promoter and the Singaporean government were believed to have signed an exclusive deal, quoting Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who said he was informed of a proposed arrangement worth up to US$3 million.
Over in Hong Kong, lawmakers grilled authorities on their efforts to attract top pop stars to the city, with then tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung saying it was ultimately up to the market regarding which stars came to the city.
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It was East Asia: Chinese scientist challenges ‘out of Africa’ theory of human evolution
By Dannie Peng
The long-held theory of human evolution says that modern humans originated in Africa and then migrated to other parts of the world.
However, that “out of Africa” model is being challenged by a Chinese evolutionary biologist – who argues instead that East Asia was the most likely origin.
Huang Shi is a recently retired professor of epigenetics – the study of how behaviour and environment can cause changes and affect gene activity – and evolution at Central South University (CSU) in Changsha, Hunan province.
According to Huang’s new molecular evolution theory, East Asian populations, which have the least genetic diversity, are likely to have been the real ancestors of modern humans.
Huang has focused on his theory since 2009, when he returned to China after nearly three decades in the United States as a researcher and teacher.
“Multiple lines of tests, including ancient DNA analyses, lend robust support to the ‘out of East Asia’ model as the more accurate representation of modern human origins,” he said in an article published last month in the Chinese-language journal Prehistoric Archaeology.
For decades, the dominant hypothesis on human origin has been the “out of Africa” theory, which holds that modern humans first appeared in southern Africa around 50,000 years ago and then migrated to Eurasia, largely replacing indigenous populations.
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By Dannie Peng
The long-held theory of human evolution says that modern humans originated in Africa and then migrated to other parts of the world.
However, that “out of Africa” model is being challenged by a Chinese evolutionary biologist – who argues instead that East Asia was the most likely origin.
Huang Shi is a recently retired professor of epigenetics – the study of how behaviour and environment can cause changes and affect gene activity – and evolution at Central South University (CSU) in Changsha, Hunan province.
According to Huang’s new molecular evolution theory, East Asian populations, which have the least genetic diversity, are likely to have been the real ancestors of modern humans.
Huang has focused on his theory since 2009, when he returned to China after nearly three decades in the United States as a researcher and teacher.
“Multiple lines of tests, including ancient DNA analyses, lend robust support to the ‘out of East Asia’ model as the more accurate representation of modern human origins,” he said in an article published last month in the Chinese-language journal Prehistoric Archaeology.
For decades, the dominant hypothesis on human origin has been the “out of Africa” theory, which holds that modern humans first appeared in southern Africa around 50,000 years ago and then migrated to Eurasia, largely replacing indigenous populations.
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Hong Kong online-only retailers log another month of growth amid wider slump
By Jiang Chuqin
Sales from Hong Kong stores without a physical shopfront have grown for 16 straight months, measured year on year, reaching HK$1.35 billion (US$174 million) in October, despite an overall retail decline.
Sales from online-only stores increased from HK$777 million in September 2020 to HK$1.2 billion in September 2024, according to monthly data released by the Census and Statistics Department.
“This was probably due to the changing consumption patterns, as well as the continuous development of e-commerce businesses by adopting ready-to-use digital technology solutions,” the department said.
Candy Chan, who launched her online shop the Lara Jewellery Studio in 2019, has no plans to rent a physical location even after five years of operation.
“Our prices will not be competitive if we factor in rent and hiring sales staff, especially since it is now very easy to order from online platforms in mainland China,” she said.
She said the cost of renting a physical space in the city remained high and could force her to raise prices. She relies on social media advertisements and recommendations from existing clients to sell her products.
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By Jiang Chuqin
Sales from Hong Kong stores without a physical shopfront have grown for 16 straight months, measured year on year, reaching HK$1.35 billion (US$174 million) in October, despite an overall retail decline.
Sales from online-only stores increased from HK$777 million in September 2020 to HK$1.2 billion in September 2024, according to monthly data released by the Census and Statistics Department.
“This was probably due to the changing consumption patterns, as well as the continuous development of e-commerce businesses by adopting ready-to-use digital technology solutions,” the department said.
Candy Chan, who launched her online shop the Lara Jewellery Studio in 2019, has no plans to rent a physical location even after five years of operation.
“Our prices will not be competitive if we factor in rent and hiring sales staff, especially since it is now very easy to order from online platforms in mainland China,” she said.
She said the cost of renting a physical space in the city remained high and could force her to raise prices. She relies on social media advertisements and recommendations from existing clients to sell her products.
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Slovakia threatens Ukraine with power cuts if Russian gas flows stop as tensions deepen
By Bloomberg
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to cut off back up power supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv stops transporting Russian gas to central Europe.
“After January 1, we will assess the situation and potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine,” Fico said in a video posted on Facebook on Friday evening. “If necessary, we will stop supplying electricity that Ukraine urgently needs during network outages.”
Russian gas that flows through Ukraine to Europe will halt at the end of the year when the current deal expires if an alternative cannot be found. Slovakia is one of the biggest remaining buyers and has been cranking up the pressure on Ukraine to find a solution.
Fico threatened to retaliate if Volodymyr Zelensky does not give him what he wants and the comments on Friday are his strongest warning yet.
Russia stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March, destroying half of power generating capacities and causing blackouts across the country. Ukraine heavily relies on imports, including from Slovakia.
Slovakia still receives Russian oil that transits Ukraine through the Druzhba pipeline. Halting supplies could be a possible countermove for Kyiv if Slovakia stops electricity exports, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing politically sensitive matters.
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By Bloomberg
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to cut off back up power supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv stops transporting Russian gas to central Europe.
“After January 1, we will assess the situation and potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine,” Fico said in a video posted on Facebook on Friday evening. “If necessary, we will stop supplying electricity that Ukraine urgently needs during network outages.”
Russian gas that flows through Ukraine to Europe will halt at the end of the year when the current deal expires if an alternative cannot be found. Slovakia is one of the biggest remaining buyers and has been cranking up the pressure on Ukraine to find a solution.
Fico threatened to retaliate if Volodymyr Zelensky does not give him what he wants and the comments on Friday are his strongest warning yet.
Russia stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March, destroying half of power generating capacities and causing blackouts across the country. Ukraine heavily relies on imports, including from Slovakia.
Slovakia still receives Russian oil that transits Ukraine through the Druzhba pipeline. Halting supplies could be a possible countermove for Kyiv if Slovakia stops electricity exports, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing politically sensitive matters.
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China makes room for younger faces on middle rungs of Communist Party promotions ladder
By William Zheng
A slew of cadres in their early 50s clinched significant administrative positions with full ministerial rank this year, as China’s ruling Communist Party moves younger faces into mid-tier leadership positions.
The latest to be promoted was Liu Jie, 54, who was made acting governor of Zhejiang in eastern China on December 18. Zhejiang is well-known as a power base of President Xi Jinping, who governed the province in the early 2000s.
Liu’s appointment makes him China’s youngest provincial governor. He is also the third “post-70s” cadre – a term used to describe officials born between 1970 and 1979 – to achieve full ministerial rank.
After graduating from University of Science and Technology Beijing with a degree in metallurgy, Liu started his career in 1992 as a technician with Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group in central Hunan province.
He spent nearly 15 years with the state-owned firm, rising to general manager before being appointed director of the Hunan Department of Commerce in 2008.
After a decade-long rotation to Jiangxi province in the southeast and Guizhou in the southwest, Liu’s career took a decisive leap in 2021 when he was picked to replace a scandal-hit party boss in Zhejiang.
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By William Zheng
A slew of cadres in their early 50s clinched significant administrative positions with full ministerial rank this year, as China’s ruling Communist Party moves younger faces into mid-tier leadership positions.
The latest to be promoted was Liu Jie, 54, who was made acting governor of Zhejiang in eastern China on December 18. Zhejiang is well-known as a power base of President Xi Jinping, who governed the province in the early 2000s.
Liu’s appointment makes him China’s youngest provincial governor. He is also the third “post-70s” cadre – a term used to describe officials born between 1970 and 1979 – to achieve full ministerial rank.
After graduating from University of Science and Technology Beijing with a degree in metallurgy, Liu started his career in 1992 as a technician with Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group in central Hunan province.
He spent nearly 15 years with the state-owned firm, rising to general manager before being appointed director of the Hunan Department of Commerce in 2008.
After a decade-long rotation to Jiangxi province in the southeast and Guizhou in the southwest, Liu’s career took a decisive leap in 2021 when he was picked to replace a scandal-hit party boss in Zhejiang.
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Elon Musk clashes with Trump’s Maga allies over H-1B visas, immigration
By Agence France-Presse
Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley “tech bros” and his hardcore Republican backers.
At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump’s central election issue – immigration – and the H1-B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the United States.
The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk – who himself came to the US from South Africa on an H1-B – is a fervent advocate.
The world’s richest man, who bankrolled Trump’s election campaign and has become a close adviser, posted on X on Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was “essential for America to keep winning”.
Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk’s co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an “American culture,” which he said venerates mediocrity.
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, “we’ll have our asses handed to us by China”.
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By Agence France-Presse
Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley “tech bros” and his hardcore Republican backers.
At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump’s central election issue – immigration – and the H1-B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the United States.
The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk – who himself came to the US from South Africa on an H1-B – is a fervent advocate.
The world’s richest man, who bankrolled Trump’s election campaign and has become a close adviser, posted on X on Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was “essential for America to keep winning”.
Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk’s co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an “American culture,” which he said venerates mediocrity.
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, “we’ll have our asses handed to us by China”.
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No stereotypes please, overseas Chinese students are a wonderful mix
By Shzr Ee Tan
In the late 1990s, I came to the United Kingdom as one of those overseas Chinese students with delusions of grandeur, thinking I would become a concert pianist with a career in Europe.
I was one of four young women with “yellow skin” in the class – two from Singapore, one from Hong Kong, a fourth from Taiwan holding an Australian passport. The Hongkonger was called Cindy, and for some of my classmates who could not figure out our names, we were all “The Cindys”. I found this funny – even laughed along and considered starting a band – before I was socialised into reckoning with the racist undertones of such behaviour.
Decades on – after a few wake-up calls and a detour into journalism – I am an academic myself, teaching people from all over the world at an elite UK university, and especially working with students who might rally to the label of “yellow” with both pride and nonchalance.
Some things haven’t changed. A year ago I called out a piano teacher at a posh UK school for quipping on social media about the single-syllable names of her students from East Asia. She bragged that she wouldn’t bother to distinguish between individuals, and would call everyone “darling” instead.
Yet, things have moved on in other directions. Today, East Asian students are subject to aggressive recruitment campaigns by universities in the UK, Europe and the United States looking to expand their revenue source – high fee-paying international students. In fact, I’ve been sent by my institution on trips for this purpose.
Do I feel ambivalent about this? Yes, not least as a member of the Chinese diaspora who wonders about the neoliberal politics of prioritising any kind of growth in precariously underfunded higher education – or relying on Chinese students who face challenges writing essays in English as a second language, with or without help from artificial intelligence.
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By Shzr Ee Tan
In the late 1990s, I came to the United Kingdom as one of those overseas Chinese students with delusions of grandeur, thinking I would become a concert pianist with a career in Europe.
I was one of four young women with “yellow skin” in the class – two from Singapore, one from Hong Kong, a fourth from Taiwan holding an Australian passport. The Hongkonger was called Cindy, and for some of my classmates who could not figure out our names, we were all “The Cindys”. I found this funny – even laughed along and considered starting a band – before I was socialised into reckoning with the racist undertones of such behaviour.
Decades on – after a few wake-up calls and a detour into journalism – I am an academic myself, teaching people from all over the world at an elite UK university, and especially working with students who might rally to the label of “yellow” with both pride and nonchalance.
Some things haven’t changed. A year ago I called out a piano teacher at a posh UK school for quipping on social media about the single-syllable names of her students from East Asia. She bragged that she wouldn’t bother to distinguish between individuals, and would call everyone “darling” instead.
Yet, things have moved on in other directions. Today, East Asian students are subject to aggressive recruitment campaigns by universities in the UK, Europe and the United States looking to expand their revenue source – high fee-paying international students. In fact, I’ve been sent by my institution on trips for this purpose.
Do I feel ambivalent about this? Yes, not least as a member of the Chinese diaspora who wonders about the neoliberal politics of prioritising any kind of growth in precariously underfunded higher education – or relying on Chinese students who face challenges writing essays in English as a second language, with or without help from artificial intelligence.
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Survivors recall moment of Azerbaijani jet crash: ‘I thought the plane was going to fall apart’
By Reuters
Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan said that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
“After the bang … I thought the plane was going to fall apart,” Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, said from hospital.
He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.
“It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way,” he said. “It was as if it was drunk – not the same plane any more.”
Another passenger on the plane said that she also heard a loud bang.
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By Reuters
Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan said that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
“After the bang … I thought the plane was going to fall apart,” Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, said from hospital.
He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.
“It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way,” he said. “It was as if it was drunk – not the same plane any more.”
Another passenger on the plane said that she also heard a loud bang.
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China’s growing appetite for durian spurs market innovations
By He HuifengRalph Jennings
China’s middle class consumers have been tightening their purse strings, but their appetite for durian – pungent, spiky fruit mostly imported from Southeast Asia – continues to grow.
In Chinese cities, durians have transcended their status as a fruit to become a fashionable choice for young consumers. The catering sector has responded with “everything can be + durian” promotions that have spawned a proliferation of durian-themed restaurants with offerings ranging from drinks and desserts to hotpots and buffets.
On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, topics such as “durian barbecue” and “durian buffet” have amassed more than 1.24 billion views.
One brand in Guangdong province that specialises in durian chicken hotpots has sold more than 2.22 million of them, and its durian burger has gained widespread attention on social media.
A durian buffet restaurant in Shenzhen, Guangdong, went viral online recently when it offered diners their choice of more than 200 dishes featuring Malaysian durian – including porridge, pancakes and cakes – for 199 yuan (US$27.39) a head.
The Chinese market consumes over 90 per cent of the world’s durian supply, with imports surging from 430,000 tonnes, worth US$1.1 billion, in 2018 to 1.38 million tonnes, valued at US$6.2 billion, from January to September this year, according to official data.
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By He HuifengRalph Jennings
China’s middle class consumers have been tightening their purse strings, but their appetite for durian – pungent, spiky fruit mostly imported from Southeast Asia – continues to grow.
In Chinese cities, durians have transcended their status as a fruit to become a fashionable choice for young consumers. The catering sector has responded with “everything can be + durian” promotions that have spawned a proliferation of durian-themed restaurants with offerings ranging from drinks and desserts to hotpots and buffets.
On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, topics such as “durian barbecue” and “durian buffet” have amassed more than 1.24 billion views.
One brand in Guangdong province that specialises in durian chicken hotpots has sold more than 2.22 million of them, and its durian burger has gained widespread attention on social media.
A durian buffet restaurant in Shenzhen, Guangdong, went viral online recently when it offered diners their choice of more than 200 dishes featuring Malaysian durian – including porridge, pancakes and cakes – for 199 yuan (US$27.39) a head.
The Chinese market consumes over 90 per cent of the world’s durian supply, with imports surging from 430,000 tonnes, worth US$1.1 billion, in 2018 to 1.38 million tonnes, valued at US$6.2 billion, from January to September this year, according to official data.
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Famed China hotel mocked for charging US$40 for coffee and cake, says price includes tour
By Alice Yan
Complaints regarding the steep prices for tea sets at a luxury hotel in Shanghai have sparked a lively debate about the historic establishment.
A video clip shared by a female tourist at the Peace Hotel highlighted a cup of coffee and a small piece of cake priced at 298 yuan (US$40), with customers required to take their orders away rather than enjoying them on site.
This footage quickly gained traction on mainland social media, as reported by Shanghai Radio Station.
“They only gave me a brief tour of the hotel and handed me the takeaway coffee and cake. Did I really spend money to buy something inferior?” the woman expressed in the video.
Situated in the iconic Bund area, the Peace Hotel is renowned as the “Number One Mansion in the Far East” due to its rich history and opulent art deco architecture.
The hotel opened in 1929 under the name Cathay Hotel, or Sassoon House, named after its owner, Jewish tycoon Elias Victor Sassoon. It was renamed the Peace Hotel in 1956 and is currently operated by a state-owned tourism group.
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By Alice Yan
Complaints regarding the steep prices for tea sets at a luxury hotel in Shanghai have sparked a lively debate about the historic establishment.
A video clip shared by a female tourist at the Peace Hotel highlighted a cup of coffee and a small piece of cake priced at 298 yuan (US$40), with customers required to take their orders away rather than enjoying them on site.
This footage quickly gained traction on mainland social media, as reported by Shanghai Radio Station.
“They only gave me a brief tour of the hotel and handed me the takeaway coffee and cake. Did I really spend money to buy something inferior?” the woman expressed in the video.
Situated in the iconic Bund area, the Peace Hotel is renowned as the “Number One Mansion in the Far East” due to its rich history and opulent art deco architecture.
The hotel opened in 1929 under the name Cathay Hotel, or Sassoon House, named after its owner, Jewish tycoon Elias Victor Sassoon. It was renamed the Peace Hotel in 1956 and is currently operated by a state-owned tourism group.
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The economic legacy of India’s Manmohan Singh: transformative reforms, but hurdles remain
By Biman Mukherji
Manmohan Singh, the soft-spoken economist who rescued India from near-bankruptcy to make it one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, has died, leaving behind what analysts call an unfinished blueprint for reform.
Singh, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 92, spent five years as finance minister between 1991 and 1995 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s minority government, guiding the economy during a critical time when India was on the brink of a sovereign default, with barely enough foreign exchange reserves to cover a month’s worth of imports.
The former central bank governor, who studied economics at Oxford and Cambridge, took advantage of his free rein to dismantle Soviet-style economic controls, reduce a maze of permits and attract foreign investment into a market that had long been regarded as off-limits.
Since then, India’s economy has grown sevenfold, becoming Asia’s third-largest. Singh later served two terms as Prime Minister after Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, picked him for the job after the Congress party’s 2004 election victory.
During Singh’s premiership from 2004 to 2010, India achieved an impressive average economic growth rate of 8.3 per cent. However, the technocrat struggled to extend his market-opening policies of the 1990s, due to resistance within the Congress party, which was also battling corruption accusations. This contributed to the party’s loss to current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
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By Biman Mukherji
Manmohan Singh, the soft-spoken economist who rescued India from near-bankruptcy to make it one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, has died, leaving behind what analysts call an unfinished blueprint for reform.
Singh, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 92, spent five years as finance minister between 1991 and 1995 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s minority government, guiding the economy during a critical time when India was on the brink of a sovereign default, with barely enough foreign exchange reserves to cover a month’s worth of imports.
The former central bank governor, who studied economics at Oxford and Cambridge, took advantage of his free rein to dismantle Soviet-style economic controls, reduce a maze of permits and attract foreign investment into a market that had long been regarded as off-limits.
Since then, India’s economy has grown sevenfold, becoming Asia’s third-largest. Singh later served two terms as Prime Minister after Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, picked him for the job after the Congress party’s 2004 election victory.
During Singh’s premiership from 2004 to 2010, India achieved an impressive average economic growth rate of 8.3 per cent. However, the technocrat struggled to extend his market-opening policies of the 1990s, due to resistance within the Congress party, which was also battling corruption accusations. This contributed to the party’s loss to current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
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For Hong Kong special effects make-up artist, ‘gross’ is a compliment
By Ambrose Li
One of the most memorable scenes from The Last Dance, the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong, unfolds with funeral director played by Dayo Wong Tze-wah injecting a pocket of air into the eyelid of a dead woman, causing her half-opened eye to finally close.
The sunken face with its darkened lips is not the visage of an actress, but an expertly crafted prosthetic head with movable eyelids, created with 3D scanning and printing technology by special effects make-up artist Wilfred Wan Chi-kit.
“The character died of cancer, leaving her a bit gaunt. I manipulated the data from the 3D scan of the actress to create a thinner version of her,” the 39-year-old told the Post.
“I then designed the scaffolding and mechanism for the 3D-printed head, which is made from resin.”
Wan concealed himself beneath the faux corpse during the filming of the scene, deftly activating a trigger attached to the back of the prosthetic head while the actor performed the scene.
Wan is one of the top practitioners among a small handful of special effects make-up artists in the Hong Kong film industry.
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By Ambrose Li
One of the most memorable scenes from The Last Dance, the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong, unfolds with funeral director played by Dayo Wong Tze-wah injecting a pocket of air into the eyelid of a dead woman, causing her half-opened eye to finally close.
The sunken face with its darkened lips is not the visage of an actress, but an expertly crafted prosthetic head with movable eyelids, created with 3D scanning and printing technology by special effects make-up artist Wilfred Wan Chi-kit.
“The character died of cancer, leaving her a bit gaunt. I manipulated the data from the 3D scan of the actress to create a thinner version of her,” the 39-year-old told the Post.
“I then designed the scaffolding and mechanism for the 3D-printed head, which is made from resin.”
Wan concealed himself beneath the faux corpse during the filming of the scene, deftly activating a trigger attached to the back of the prosthetic head while the actor performed the scene.
Wan is one of the top practitioners among a small handful of special effects make-up artists in the Hong Kong film industry.
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Azerbaijani and US officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire
By Associated Press
Russian air defence systems may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner this week, a US official said on Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts.
Friday’s assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House National Security spokesman John Kirby echoed those made by outside aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defence systems responding to a Ukrainian attack.
These statements raised pressure on Russia, where officials said a drone attack was under way in the region where the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was heading for a landing. They did not address statements blaming air defences.
Kirby told reporters on Friday that the US has “seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defence systems”, but refused to elaborate, citing a continuing investigation.
Pressed on whether the US has intelligence that helped lead to that conclusion, or was simply relying on informed speculation from experts based on visual assessments of the crash, Kirby characterised the short answer as “yes” but said he would “leave it at that”, without providing further details.
The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, on Wednesday when it turned towards Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land. The crash killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.
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By Associated Press
Russian air defence systems may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner this week, a US official said on Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts.
Friday’s assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House National Security spokesman John Kirby echoed those made by outside aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defence systems responding to a Ukrainian attack.
These statements raised pressure on Russia, where officials said a drone attack was under way in the region where the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was heading for a landing. They did not address statements blaming air defences.
Kirby told reporters on Friday that the US has “seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defence systems”, but refused to elaborate, citing a continuing investigation.
Pressed on whether the US has intelligence that helped lead to that conclusion, or was simply relying on informed speculation from experts based on visual assessments of the crash, Kirby characterised the short answer as “yes” but said he would “leave it at that”, without providing further details.
The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, on Wednesday when it turned towards Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land. The crash killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.
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TikTok filing to US Supreme Court seeks law requiring its sale declared unconstitutional
By Khushboo Razdan
In a brief filed with the US Supreme Court on Friday, TikTok reiterated its position that a law requiring the Chinese-owned short video app to be banned by January 19, 2025, unless sold to a non-Chinese buyer, was unconstitutional and should be blocked.
The argument by the platform was unexpectedly supported in its effort to pause the ban by US president-elect Donald Trump, who filed an amicus brief asking the court for a halt on the ban so he could officially take office and “resolve” the dispute through “political means”.
“Shuttering the platform will silence the speech of petitioners and the more than 170 million monthly American users that communicate there about politics, arts, commerce, and other matters of public concern – as illustrated by the massive interest expressed during the recent presidential election,” TikTok argued in its filing.
It contended that “Congress targeted TikTok based on disagreement with the substance of the content posted by TikTok’s users and TikTok Inc’s alleged editorial choices in disseminating that content”.
In the filing, TikTok described itself as a US company, though it is owned by ByteDance, which was started in Beijing in 2012. According to TikTok, ByteDance was “founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, but today, roughly 60 per cent of the company is beneficially owned by global institutional investors”.
“Congress has no legitimate interest in disrupting the US operator of a US speech platform to alter editorial choices about the mix of content to disseminate – whether or not Congress deems some aspect of that content mix foreign propaganda,” the brief said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Khushboo Razdan
In a brief filed with the US Supreme Court on Friday, TikTok reiterated its position that a law requiring the Chinese-owned short video app to be banned by January 19, 2025, unless sold to a non-Chinese buyer, was unconstitutional and should be blocked.
The argument by the platform was unexpectedly supported in its effort to pause the ban by US president-elect Donald Trump, who filed an amicus brief asking the court for a halt on the ban so he could officially take office and “resolve” the dispute through “political means”.
“Shuttering the platform will silence the speech of petitioners and the more than 170 million monthly American users that communicate there about politics, arts, commerce, and other matters of public concern – as illustrated by the massive interest expressed during the recent presidential election,” TikTok argued in its filing.
It contended that “Congress targeted TikTok based on disagreement with the substance of the content posted by TikTok’s users and TikTok Inc’s alleged editorial choices in disseminating that content”.
In the filing, TikTok described itself as a US company, though it is owned by ByteDance, which was started in Beijing in 2012. According to TikTok, ByteDance was “founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, but today, roughly 60 per cent of the company is beneficially owned by global institutional investors”.
“Congress has no legitimate interest in disrupting the US operator of a US speech platform to alter editorial choices about the mix of content to disseminate – whether or not Congress deems some aspect of that content mix foreign propaganda,” the brief said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
