Hong Kong’s Cathay calls for tapping transit passengers to create tourism dollars
By Cannix Yau
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has suggested the government tap transit passengers as part of a strategy to generate more tourism dollars for the cash-strapped city.
The company’s spokesman told the Post that in a budget consultation session with the government last month, the carrier’s management suggested authorities roll out targeted measures to cash in on the city’s largely untapped transit passengers to cater to the airport’s expansion, boosted by the launch of its three-runway system in November.
“One of our suggestions is for authorities to attract more transit passengers to travel to Hong Kong during the break between flights,” he said. “Given the launch of the three-runway system of the airport, the move could help boost its development with more tourists being lured to transit via the city.”
The three-runway system marked the beginning of the airport’s push to expand passenger capacity in stages by 50 per cent to 120 million passengers annually.
The carrier also advised the government to break into newly emerging markets such as the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia by attracting their leisure and business visitors to the city through large-scale events such as financial summits, the spokesman added.
“Through these mega-events, we aim to invite their entrepreneurs and industry leaders to visit the city … This will further enhance Hong Kong’s status as an aviation hub,” he said.
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By Cannix Yau
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has suggested the government tap transit passengers as part of a strategy to generate more tourism dollars for the cash-strapped city.
The company’s spokesman told the Post that in a budget consultation session with the government last month, the carrier’s management suggested authorities roll out targeted measures to cash in on the city’s largely untapped transit passengers to cater to the airport’s expansion, boosted by the launch of its three-runway system in November.
“One of our suggestions is for authorities to attract more transit passengers to travel to Hong Kong during the break between flights,” he said. “Given the launch of the three-runway system of the airport, the move could help boost its development with more tourists being lured to transit via the city.”
The three-runway system marked the beginning of the airport’s push to expand passenger capacity in stages by 50 per cent to 120 million passengers annually.
The carrier also advised the government to break into newly emerging markets such as the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia by attracting their leisure and business visitors to the city through large-scale events such as financial summits, the spokesman added.
“Through these mega-events, we aim to invite their entrepreneurs and industry leaders to visit the city … This will further enhance Hong Kong’s status as an aviation hub,” he said.
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Heating up down under: Chinese buyers are buying more expensive properties in Australia
By Cheryl Arcibal
Mainland Chinese demand for Australian real estate is surging and investors are buying more expensive properties, according to agents.
If the first five days of the Lunar New Year were any indication, more mainland Chinese investors would complete home purchases this year than they did a year earlier, said Peter Li, the general manager of Plus Agency in Sydney.
“Inquiries from mainland Chinese buyers increased by 20 per cent during the holiday period,” he said. “In the past five days, we have secured 12 deposits for properties in the Sydney suburbs and they were for bigger homes.”
Li’s agency has an overseas office in Shanghai. He said mainland Chinese buyers were looking at homes priced above A$1 million (US$627,000), higher than what they had budgeted previously.
One of his clients is “a wealthy family in mainland China that bought a A$5 million home with five bedrooms in Chatswood”, a suburb that is about 15 minutes away from Sydney’s central business district.
“Their initial budget was A$3.5 million for a duplex house, but they changed their mind and bought a more expensive home,” Li said.
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By Cheryl Arcibal
Mainland Chinese demand for Australian real estate is surging and investors are buying more expensive properties, according to agents.
If the first five days of the Lunar New Year were any indication, more mainland Chinese investors would complete home purchases this year than they did a year earlier, said Peter Li, the general manager of Plus Agency in Sydney.
“Inquiries from mainland Chinese buyers increased by 20 per cent during the holiday period,” he said. “In the past five days, we have secured 12 deposits for properties in the Sydney suburbs and they were for bigger homes.”
Li’s agency has an overseas office in Shanghai. He said mainland Chinese buyers were looking at homes priced above A$1 million (US$627,000), higher than what they had budgeted previously.
One of his clients is “a wealthy family in mainland China that bought a A$5 million home with five bedrooms in Chatswood”, a suburb that is about 15 minutes away from Sydney’s central business district.
“Their initial budget was A$3.5 million for a duplex house, but they changed their mind and bought a more expensive home,” Li said.
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Philippines in Brics – would joining mend ties with China?
By Sam Beltran
“Host talks, not bases.” With those words, a senator in the Philippines made the case for joining Brics, a move he said would boost the country’s neutrality and position it as an advocate for a multipolar world.
But the proposal has ignited fierce debate, with critics cautioning that closer ties with a bloc in which China is a leading member could weaken Manila’s hand in its long-standing territorial row over the South China Sea.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, the Senate minority leader and a former chair of the foreign relations committee, made the case last week, saying that Brics offers a “viable alternative” to the current Western-dominated global order.
“Let the Philippines apply to join Brics,” Pimentel said in a Senate speech, arguing that membership could help the country embrace a balanced foreign policy. “The march to a multipolar world is inevitable as such is consistent with human nature. We should support the idea of a multipolar world.”
Brics, which started with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Iran, and most recently Indonesia – making the proposal more urgent in the senator’s view. He said he envisioned the Philippines as “a friend to all nations” and saw its potential as a “neutral venue for talks, especially those involving the settling of disputes”.
“It is my dream that the Philippines should host talks, not bases,” Pimentel added, referring to the military sites in the country that had hosted American troops under the bilateral Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement.
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By Sam Beltran
“Host talks, not bases.” With those words, a senator in the Philippines made the case for joining Brics, a move he said would boost the country’s neutrality and position it as an advocate for a multipolar world.
But the proposal has ignited fierce debate, with critics cautioning that closer ties with a bloc in which China is a leading member could weaken Manila’s hand in its long-standing territorial row over the South China Sea.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, the Senate minority leader and a former chair of the foreign relations committee, made the case last week, saying that Brics offers a “viable alternative” to the current Western-dominated global order.
“Let the Philippines apply to join Brics,” Pimentel said in a Senate speech, arguing that membership could help the country embrace a balanced foreign policy. “The march to a multipolar world is inevitable as such is consistent with human nature. We should support the idea of a multipolar world.”
Brics, which started with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Iran, and most recently Indonesia – making the proposal more urgent in the senator’s view. He said he envisioned the Philippines as “a friend to all nations” and saw its potential as a “neutral venue for talks, especially those involving the settling of disputes”.
“It is my dream that the Philippines should host talks, not bases,” Pimentel added, referring to the military sites in the country that had hosted American troops under the bilateral Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement.
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Hangzhou emerges as new tech hub with ‘Little Dragons’ like DeepSeek, Unitree
By Wency ChenAnn Cao
Hangzhou, the capital of China’s southeastern Zhejiang province, is rapidly gaining recognition as a leading technology hub in the country with the rise of local start-ups known as the “Six Little Dragons”.
Among the hottest of the start-ups right now is DeepSeek, which captured global attention this year for its cost-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) models. The others include robotics firms Unitree and Deep Robotics, video game studio Game Science, brain-machine interface innovator BrainCo, and 3D interior design software developer Manycore.
Authorities in Hangzhou, perhaps best known as the home of tech giant and Post parent company Alibaba Group Holding, acknowledged the group of start-ups in a New Year’s message to the local business community last month.
“It’s an honour to be dubbed as one of the ‘Six Little Dragons’,” Deep Robotics product manager Zheng Dongxin said in an interview on Thursday.
Last December, Deep Robotics’ quadruped robot was adopted by Singapore Power Group for power tunnel inspections, making it the first Chinese four-legged robot deployed overseas for industrial use. The company has also ramped up efforts to develop humanoid robots, with a new product launch expected in the second and third quarters this year, Zheng told the Post.
He credited his company’s success to Hangzhou’s “atmosphere of innovation”, fostered through favourable government policies such as tax incentives, industrial park development, and financial backing.
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By Wency ChenAnn Cao
Hangzhou, the capital of China’s southeastern Zhejiang province, is rapidly gaining recognition as a leading technology hub in the country with the rise of local start-ups known as the “Six Little Dragons”.
Among the hottest of the start-ups right now is DeepSeek, which captured global attention this year for its cost-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) models. The others include robotics firms Unitree and Deep Robotics, video game studio Game Science, brain-machine interface innovator BrainCo, and 3D interior design software developer Manycore.
Authorities in Hangzhou, perhaps best known as the home of tech giant and Post parent company Alibaba Group Holding, acknowledged the group of start-ups in a New Year’s message to the local business community last month.
“It’s an honour to be dubbed as one of the ‘Six Little Dragons’,” Deep Robotics product manager Zheng Dongxin said in an interview on Thursday.
Last December, Deep Robotics’ quadruped robot was adopted by Singapore Power Group for power tunnel inspections, making it the first Chinese four-legged robot deployed overseas for industrial use. The company has also ramped up efforts to develop humanoid robots, with a new product launch expected in the second and third quarters this year, Zheng told the Post.
He credited his company’s success to Hangzhou’s “atmosphere of innovation”, fostered through favourable government policies such as tax incentives, industrial park development, and financial backing.
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Reform UK membership tops 200,000; Nigel Farage aims to ‘overtake’ Labour
By dpa
Reform UK has more than 200,000 members, leader Nigel Farage announced on Sunday, as he set out the party’s next goal to overtake the membership of the Labour Party.
Farage called his right-wing party’s growth “truly extraordinary” at a Reform UK regional conference event in Wiltshire, England.
He held up a placard saying “200,000 members”.
He then pointed to a screen displaying the party’s live membership ticker on their website and said the message would change when he came offstage.
“That message will say, as I leave this stage, it’ll change, and it will say that the Labour Party have 309,000 members, and when we overtake them, we will be the biggest political party in this country.
“That’s our goal. That’s our aim. That’s our target,” he said.
Reform UK unveiled the membership counter late last year.
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By dpa
Reform UK has more than 200,000 members, leader Nigel Farage announced on Sunday, as he set out the party’s next goal to overtake the membership of the Labour Party.
Farage called his right-wing party’s growth “truly extraordinary” at a Reform UK regional conference event in Wiltshire, England.
He held up a placard saying “200,000 members”.
He then pointed to a screen displaying the party’s live membership ticker on their website and said the message would change when he came offstage.
“That message will say, as I leave this stage, it’ll change, and it will say that the Labour Party have 309,000 members, and when we overtake them, we will be the biggest political party in this country.
“That’s our goal. That’s our aim. That’s our target,” he said.
Reform UK unveiled the membership counter late last year.
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Polls close with incumbent President Daniel Noboa tipped to win violence-hit Ecuador vote
By Agence France-Presse
Polls closed and counting got under way in violence-hit Ecuador’s presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent leader Daniel Noboa tipped to win another term as president.
Early exit polls predicted Noboa would get a little over 50 per cent of the vote, just enough to avoid a second-round run-off against leftist challenger Luisa González, who was on 42 per cent.
But it will be some hours before the actual tally is known.
Almost 14 million Ecuadorans voted under tight security, choosing who will lead their violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century.
The campaigns have been dominated by concerns about the moribund economy and cartel turf wars that have transformed Ecuador from one of the safest countries in the world into one of the most dangerous.
“The country is collapsing. The only thing I ask the new president is that they fix this mess,” said 28-year-old businessman Luis Jaime Torres as he prepared to vote in capital city Quito.
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By Agence France-Presse
Polls closed and counting got under way in violence-hit Ecuador’s presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent leader Daniel Noboa tipped to win another term as president.
Early exit polls predicted Noboa would get a little over 50 per cent of the vote, just enough to avoid a second-round run-off against leftist challenger Luisa González, who was on 42 per cent.
But it will be some hours before the actual tally is known.
Almost 14 million Ecuadorans voted under tight security, choosing who will lead their violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century.
The campaigns have been dominated by concerns about the moribund economy and cartel turf wars that have transformed Ecuador from one of the safest countries in the world into one of the most dangerous.
“The country is collapsing. The only thing I ask the new president is that they fix this mess,” said 28-year-old businessman Luis Jaime Torres as he prepared to vote in capital city Quito.
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Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Monday
By Reuters
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will announce on Monday that the United States will impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week.
“Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25 per cent tariff,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl. When asked about aluminium, he responded, “aluminium, too” will be subject to the trade penalties.
Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” - “probably on Tuesday or Wednesday” – meaning that the US would impose import duties on products in cases where another country has levied duties on US goods.
“If they are charging us 130 per cent and we’re charging them nothing, it’s not going to stay that way,” he told reporters.
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By Reuters
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will announce on Monday that the United States will impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week.
“Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25 per cent tariff,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl. When asked about aluminium, he responded, “aluminium, too” will be subject to the trade penalties.
Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” - “probably on Tuesday or Wednesday” – meaning that the US would impose import duties on products in cases where another country has levied duties on US goods.
“If they are charging us 130 per cent and we’re charging them nothing, it’s not going to stay that way,” he told reporters.
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Scholar Jing Qian on right sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump and DeepSeek
By Ji Siqi
Jing Qian is a co-founder and managing director of the Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and a co-founder of Cure4Cancer and the Bloomberg International Cancer Coalition. He also served as a senior adviser to Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia, for almost a decade. His research focuses on China’s elite politics and its impact on domestic and foreign policy, particularly US-China relations.
In this interview, Qian explores the structural challenges constraining China’s economic growth, examines the state of US-China trade and technological competition and identifies potential areas for collaboration. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
What should we be watching for in 2025 to determine the course of the world’s second-largest economy?
China’s economic trajectory in 2025 will be shaped by its ability to navigate the delicate balance between structural reforms and immediate economic pressures. The most pressing factors to watch will be Beijing’s domestic economic policies, private sector confidence, fiscal strategies, and its execution of long-term structural reform plans.
The Chinese government faces a crucial decision: will it introduce meaningful policies to support private businesses and restore business confidence, or will statist approaches remain dominant? The response will determine whether the country can revive its entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourage investment.
Another key question is how Beijing addresses local government debt, a growing burden that threatens fiscal stability. Without significant restructuring, many local governments will struggle to sustain infrastructure spending and social services. Additionally, the extent of fiscal stimulus Beijing is willing to implement – whether in the form of direct support for households or increased local government spending – will be crucial in determining the strength of the recovery.
At the core of these efforts lies consumer confidence, which remains weak due to economic uncertainty, sluggish wage growth and a struggling property market. Whether home prices stabilise or continue their decline will shape household spending behaviour, influencing broader economic momentum.
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By Ji Siqi
Jing Qian is a co-founder and managing director of the Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and a co-founder of Cure4Cancer and the Bloomberg International Cancer Coalition. He also served as a senior adviser to Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia, for almost a decade. His research focuses on China’s elite politics and its impact on domestic and foreign policy, particularly US-China relations.
In this interview, Qian explores the structural challenges constraining China’s economic growth, examines the state of US-China trade and technological competition and identifies potential areas for collaboration. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
What should we be watching for in 2025 to determine the course of the world’s second-largest economy?
China’s economic trajectory in 2025 will be shaped by its ability to navigate the delicate balance between structural reforms and immediate economic pressures. The most pressing factors to watch will be Beijing’s domestic economic policies, private sector confidence, fiscal strategies, and its execution of long-term structural reform plans.
The Chinese government faces a crucial decision: will it introduce meaningful policies to support private businesses and restore business confidence, or will statist approaches remain dominant? The response will determine whether the country can revive its entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourage investment.
Another key question is how Beijing addresses local government debt, a growing burden that threatens fiscal stability. Without significant restructuring, many local governments will struggle to sustain infrastructure spending and social services. Additionally, the extent of fiscal stimulus Beijing is willing to implement – whether in the form of direct support for households or increased local government spending – will be crucial in determining the strength of the recovery.
At the core of these efforts lies consumer confidence, which remains weak due to economic uncertainty, sluggish wage growth and a struggling property market. Whether home prices stabilise or continue their decline will shape household spending behaviour, influencing broader economic momentum.
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DeepSeek raises fear of a cold war powered by accessible AI
By Stanley Chao
Chinese hi-tech start-up DeepSeek recently shocked the world by releasing a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) model that, it claims, rivals US company OpenAI’s ChatGPT in performance while blowing it away in cost efficiency. The announcement was a boon to China’s confidence in its technological self-reliance and a blow to Washington’s conviction that it could contain China’s emergence as a superpower.
Talk of a “Sputnik moment” resounded in the US media. Yet the Cold War analogy missed a key point: Sputnik came during the early years of a protracted, high-stakes conflict that the world managed to survive. The timeline for an AI-powered Cold War 2.0 would not be nearly so forgiving.
Regardless of whether the fanfare about DeepSeek is true – and that’s still a big if – Washington must reconsider its failed, heavy-handed sanctioning of China and seek a more constructive approach to dealing with what is already the world’s second superpower. Put more simply, it’s time for the United States and China to talk.
Industry experts contest DeepSeek’s assertions that its AI model was built on relatively few lower-grade Nvidia chips for a mere US$6 million, in contrast to the hundreds of millions spent by Western companies. Testing has reportedly shown that the Chinese model may potentially be a copy of ChatGPT. Still, DeepSeek exists, and it is already changing how we use, deploy and apply AI models.
The notion that Washington could effectively curb China’s AI prowess was always wishful thinking. China has a decades-long track record of making cheaper technology. It has even done so quite recently. Now, it also can design such technology. As a result, China dominates the global electric vehicle, solar and robotics markets. And while China does not have Nvidia’s leading-edge chips, it does have an abundance of the rare earth minerals needed to produce them.
China has something else critical for AI success: size. Its 1.4 billion people, integrated into a finely tuned state surveillance system, supply all the data points its three largest AI players – Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent – need to train and run large language models. Those sources include an estimated 700 million cameras installed throughout the country, mobile apps linked to government servers and millions of daily financial transactions.
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By Stanley Chao
Chinese hi-tech start-up DeepSeek recently shocked the world by releasing a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) model that, it claims, rivals US company OpenAI’s ChatGPT in performance while blowing it away in cost efficiency. The announcement was a boon to China’s confidence in its technological self-reliance and a blow to Washington’s conviction that it could contain China’s emergence as a superpower.
Talk of a “Sputnik moment” resounded in the US media. Yet the Cold War analogy missed a key point: Sputnik came during the early years of a protracted, high-stakes conflict that the world managed to survive. The timeline for an AI-powered Cold War 2.0 would not be nearly so forgiving.
Regardless of whether the fanfare about DeepSeek is true – and that’s still a big if – Washington must reconsider its failed, heavy-handed sanctioning of China and seek a more constructive approach to dealing with what is already the world’s second superpower. Put more simply, it’s time for the United States and China to talk.
Industry experts contest DeepSeek’s assertions that its AI model was built on relatively few lower-grade Nvidia chips for a mere US$6 million, in contrast to the hundreds of millions spent by Western companies. Testing has reportedly shown that the Chinese model may potentially be a copy of ChatGPT. Still, DeepSeek exists, and it is already changing how we use, deploy and apply AI models.
The notion that Washington could effectively curb China’s AI prowess was always wishful thinking. China has a decades-long track record of making cheaper technology. It has even done so quite recently. Now, it also can design such technology. As a result, China dominates the global electric vehicle, solar and robotics markets. And while China does not have Nvidia’s leading-edge chips, it does have an abundance of the rare earth minerals needed to produce them.
China has something else critical for AI success: size. Its 1.4 billion people, integrated into a finely tuned state surveillance system, supply all the data points its three largest AI players – Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent – need to train and run large language models. Those sources include an estimated 700 million cameras installed throughout the country, mobile apps linked to government servers and millions of daily financial transactions.
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High approval rating for Trump in first month as US president, CBS poll shows
By Bloomberg
More than half of American adults say they approve of the job US President Donald Trump is doing in his first month in office, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll published on Sunday.
The poll, conducted from Wednesday to Friday last week, showed Trump had a 53 per cent approval rating. The poll of 2,175 adults had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
But despite enjoying a typical post-election honeymoon, many of those surveyed expressed concern that Trump was not doing enough to lower consumer prices, and solid majorities oppose his plans to place tariffs on Mexico, Canada and Europe.
Two-thirds, or 66 per cent, of people in the US say his administration has not focused enough on lowering prices, according to the poll. That includes almost half of Republicans surveyed.
While a majority, 56 per cent, favour 10 per cent tariffs on China that Trump imposed, similar majorities oppose his plans to place 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and so-far unspecified future tariffs on European nations, the poll said.
Half of Americans in the survey also said Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) teams should have “a lot” or “some” influence over government operations and spending. That figure rises to 74 per cent among Republicans.
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By Bloomberg
More than half of American adults say they approve of the job US President Donald Trump is doing in his first month in office, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll published on Sunday.
The poll, conducted from Wednesday to Friday last week, showed Trump had a 53 per cent approval rating. The poll of 2,175 adults had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
But despite enjoying a typical post-election honeymoon, many of those surveyed expressed concern that Trump was not doing enough to lower consumer prices, and solid majorities oppose his plans to place tariffs on Mexico, Canada and Europe.
Two-thirds, or 66 per cent, of people in the US say his administration has not focused enough on lowering prices, according to the poll. That includes almost half of Republicans surveyed.
While a majority, 56 per cent, favour 10 per cent tariffs on China that Trump imposed, similar majorities oppose his plans to place 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and so-far unspecified future tariffs on European nations, the poll said.
Half of Americans in the survey also said Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) teams should have “a lot” or “some” influence over government operations and spending. That figure rises to 74 per cent among Republicans.
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Trump’s AI ambition and China’s DeepSeek overshadow major AI summit in Paris
By Associated Press
The geopolitics of artificial intelligence will be in focus at a major summit in France where world leaders, executives and experts will hammer out pledges on guiding the development of the rapidly advancing technology.
It is the latest in a series of global dialogues around AI governance, but one that comes at a fresh inflection point as China’s buzzy and budget-friendly DeepSeek chatbot shakes up the industry.
US Vice-President J.D. Vance – making his first trip abroad since taking office – will attend the Paris AI Action Summit starting on Monday, while China’s President Xi Jinping will be sending his special envoy, signalling high stakes for the meeting.
Heads of state and top government officials, tech bosses and researchers are gathering in Paris for the two-day summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event aims to address how to harness artificial intelligence’s potential so that it benefits everyone, while containing the technology’s myriad risks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is attending, along with company officials from 80 countries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Tesla chief Elon Musk, who attended the inaugural 2023 summit at former code breaking base Bletchley Park in England, and DeepSeek founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng have been invited, but it is unclear whether either will attend.
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By Associated Press
The geopolitics of artificial intelligence will be in focus at a major summit in France where world leaders, executives and experts will hammer out pledges on guiding the development of the rapidly advancing technology.
It is the latest in a series of global dialogues around AI governance, but one that comes at a fresh inflection point as China’s buzzy and budget-friendly DeepSeek chatbot shakes up the industry.
US Vice-President J.D. Vance – making his first trip abroad since taking office – will attend the Paris AI Action Summit starting on Monday, while China’s President Xi Jinping will be sending his special envoy, signalling high stakes for the meeting.
Heads of state and top government officials, tech bosses and researchers are gathering in Paris for the two-day summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event aims to address how to harness artificial intelligence’s potential so that it benefits everyone, while containing the technology’s myriad risks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is attending, along with company officials from 80 countries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Tesla chief Elon Musk, who attended the inaugural 2023 summit at former code breaking base Bletchley Park in England, and DeepSeek founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng have been invited, but it is unclear whether either will attend.
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Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, laid to rest in Egypt during private burial ceremony
By Associated Press
The Aga Khan IV was laid to rest on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt.
The death of Prince Karim – the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims – was announced on Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community. His son, 53-year-old Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been named as the Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims, in according with his father’s will.
On Saturday, a private funeral service took place at the Ismaili community centre in Lisbon attended by Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Spain’s King Emeritus Juan Carlos.
The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed and is treated as a head of state.
The governor of Aswan welcomed Prince Karim’s family at the southern Egyptian’s provinces airport on Saturday.
“When his will was opened, it was found that he had requested to be buried in Aswan near his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah, and his grandmother, Om Habiba,” said Major General Ismail Kamal.
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By Associated Press
The Aga Khan IV was laid to rest on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt.
The death of Prince Karim – the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims – was announced on Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community. His son, 53-year-old Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been named as the Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims, in according with his father’s will.
On Saturday, a private funeral service took place at the Ismaili community centre in Lisbon attended by Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Spain’s King Emeritus Juan Carlos.
The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed and is treated as a head of state.
The governor of Aswan welcomed Prince Karim’s family at the southern Egyptian’s provinces airport on Saturday.
“When his will was opened, it was found that he had requested to be buried in Aswan near his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah, and his grandmother, Om Habiba,” said Major General Ismail Kamal.
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Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s fiery freedom fighter and first president, dies at 95
By Associated Press
Sam Nujoma, the fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation, has died. He was 95.
Nujoma’s death was announced on Sunday by current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, who said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek.
“The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” Mbumba said in a statement. “Over the past three weeks, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian Nation was hospitalised for medical treatment and medical observation due to ill health.”
“Unfortunately, this time, the most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness,” Mbumba added. He said Nujoma “marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle.”
Nujoma was the last of a generation of African leaders who brought their countries out of colonial or white minority rule that included South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.
Nujoma built ties with China, North Korea, Cuba and Russia, some of which had supported Namibia’s liberation movement by providing arms and training.
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By Associated Press
Sam Nujoma, the fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation, has died. He was 95.
Nujoma’s death was announced on Sunday by current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, who said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek.
“The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” Mbumba said in a statement. “Over the past three weeks, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian Nation was hospitalised for medical treatment and medical observation due to ill health.”
“Unfortunately, this time, the most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness,” Mbumba added. He said Nujoma “marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle.”
Nujoma was the last of a generation of African leaders who brought their countries out of colonial or white minority rule that included South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.
Nujoma built ties with China, North Korea, Cuba and Russia, some of which had supported Namibia’s liberation movement by providing arms and training.
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Russia’s Sakhalin island region on high alert after Chinese cargo ship runs aground
By Associated Press
The governor of Russia’s Pacific island region of Sakhalin has declared an emergency after a Chinese cargo ship ran aground off its southwest coast.
There was no danger to the crew of the An Yang 2, which is carrying coal and heavy fuel oil, Governor Valery Limarenko said in a post on Telegram on Sunday. Russia’s emergencies ministry said 20 crew were aboard.
Limarenko said that no fuel spillage was recorded, but local authorities had to be prepared for any situation. Bad weather has prevented access by rescue teams to the bulk carrier, which is stranded in shallow waters off Sakhalin’s Nevelsky district, he added.
Regional authorities said they were preparing to pump fuel out of the damaged vessel, marooned some 200 metres (650 ft) offshore.
Earlier this year, hundreds of volunteers in southwestern Russia spent weeks trying to contain a massive fuel oil spill from two storm-stricken tankers in the Kerch Strait near Crimea.
The Sakhalin region, which is located in Russia’s Far East, comprises a large island of the same name and the four Kuril Islands, the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute between Russia and Japan that has prevented them from signing a peace treaty at the end of World War 2.
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By Associated Press
The governor of Russia’s Pacific island region of Sakhalin has declared an emergency after a Chinese cargo ship ran aground off its southwest coast.
There was no danger to the crew of the An Yang 2, which is carrying coal and heavy fuel oil, Governor Valery Limarenko said in a post on Telegram on Sunday. Russia’s emergencies ministry said 20 crew were aboard.
Limarenko said that no fuel spillage was recorded, but local authorities had to be prepared for any situation. Bad weather has prevented access by rescue teams to the bulk carrier, which is stranded in shallow waters off Sakhalin’s Nevelsky district, he added.
Regional authorities said they were preparing to pump fuel out of the damaged vessel, marooned some 200 metres (650 ft) offshore.
Earlier this year, hundreds of volunteers in southwestern Russia spent weeks trying to contain a massive fuel oil spill from two storm-stricken tankers in the Kerch Strait near Crimea.
The Sakhalin region, which is located in Russia’s Far East, comprises a large island of the same name and the four Kuril Islands, the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute between Russia and Japan that has prevented them from signing a peace treaty at the end of World War 2.
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US House speaker to pursue ‘one big bill’ on Trump’s tax agenda
By Reuters
The US House of Representatives speaker said on Sunday he would stick with a “one big bill” strategy to pass US President Donald Trump’s tax-cut agenda and fund border and military priorities, despite a limited US$340 billion budget plan unveiled on Friday by Senate Republicans.
Mike Johnson told the Fox News Sunday television programme that it will take some time to secure a Republican consensus because of the party’s thin House majority. But they would find savings to offset the cost of extending 2017 tax cuts that are expected to expire at the end of the year and other priorities such as eliminating taxes on tips.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham unveiled a plan on Friday that would boost funding by US$85.5 billion for four years for border security, deportations of migrants and for the military, leaving the extension of tax cuts to another bill later this year.
“Well, I talk with the president and his team about this almost constantly, reminding them that we will get the job done, but it has to be the one big bill strategy,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the House Budget Committee had previously planned to consider the Republican budget resolution next week, but “we might push it a little bit further because the details really matter”.
He said he needs to secure agreement among all House Republicans, who hold a razor-thin 218-215 majority in the chamber. The party plans to use a budget procedure that would allow them to pass financial legislation with only a simple Senate majority without any Democratic votes, so he cannot afford to lose more than one Republican vote.
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By Reuters
The US House of Representatives speaker said on Sunday he would stick with a “one big bill” strategy to pass US President Donald Trump’s tax-cut agenda and fund border and military priorities, despite a limited US$340 billion budget plan unveiled on Friday by Senate Republicans.
Mike Johnson told the Fox News Sunday television programme that it will take some time to secure a Republican consensus because of the party’s thin House majority. But they would find savings to offset the cost of extending 2017 tax cuts that are expected to expire at the end of the year and other priorities such as eliminating taxes on tips.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham unveiled a plan on Friday that would boost funding by US$85.5 billion for four years for border security, deportations of migrants and for the military, leaving the extension of tax cuts to another bill later this year.
“Well, I talk with the president and his team about this almost constantly, reminding them that we will get the job done, but it has to be the one big bill strategy,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the House Budget Committee had previously planned to consider the Republican budget resolution next week, but “we might push it a little bit further because the details really matter”.
He said he needs to secure agreement among all House Republicans, who hold a razor-thin 218-215 majority in the chamber. The party plans to use a budget procedure that would allow them to pass financial legislation with only a simple Senate majority without any Democratic votes, so he cannot afford to lose more than one Republican vote.
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Trump’s Gaza plan derails Saudi-Israel ties, researchers say
By Agence France-Presse
US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza will imperil attempts to forge landmark ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel and fuel anti-American sentiment in the oil-rich kingdom, according to researchers that study the Middle East.
Trump’s proposal to redevelop Gaza and oust the more than two million Palestinians living in the territory prompted a global backlash and enraged the Arab world, making it difficult for the Saudis to consider normalisation.
“If this is going to be his policy, he shut the door on Saudi recognition of Israel,” James Dorsey, researcher at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, told reporters.
Recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, is seen as a grand prize of Middle East diplomacy intended to calm chronic tensions in the region.
But Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter and the Middle East’s largest economy, now faces the spectre of instability on its borders if neighbouring Jordan and Egypt suddenly house large numbers of Gaza exiles.
At the same time, Riyadh must maintain cordial relations with Washington, its long-time security guarantor and bulwark against key regional player Iran.
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By Agence France-Presse
US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza will imperil attempts to forge landmark ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel and fuel anti-American sentiment in the oil-rich kingdom, according to researchers that study the Middle East.
Trump’s proposal to redevelop Gaza and oust the more than two million Palestinians living in the territory prompted a global backlash and enraged the Arab world, making it difficult for the Saudis to consider normalisation.
“If this is going to be his policy, he shut the door on Saudi recognition of Israel,” James Dorsey, researcher at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, told reporters.
Recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, is seen as a grand prize of Middle East diplomacy intended to calm chronic tensions in the region.
But Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter and the Middle East’s largest economy, now faces the spectre of instability on its borders if neighbouring Jordan and Egypt suddenly house large numbers of Gaza exiles.
At the same time, Riyadh must maintain cordial relations with Washington, its long-time security guarantor and bulwark against key regional player Iran.
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Hongkong Post seeking more information from US about changes to ban
By Emily Hung
Hongkong Post is seeking clarifications from its US counterpart over Washington’s latest decision to pause tariffs on small-value packages, as the city has not received any notification about the way forward but was handling more than 1,000 parcels bound for the country.
US President Donald Trump on Friday paused tariffs on packages worth less than US$800 arriving from China, temporarily allowing small parcels to enter the country under a duty-free exemption.
Under the revision to his executive order, the tariff-free arrangement would remain in place until “adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue”.
In a reply to the Post, Hongkong Post said on Sunday it was seeking clarification from the US postal administration as it has not yet been notified of the latest order.
“We noted that the US government has made several changes to its tariff and postal arrangements within a short span of one week, and that the erratic policy changes have caused great inconvenience to the people of Hong Kong,” Hongkong Post said.
“We are urgently seeking clarifications from the US postal administration to avoid further confusion to the public and will notify the public of the resumption of services as soon as possible after receiving a confirmation.”
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By Emily Hung
Hongkong Post is seeking clarifications from its US counterpart over Washington’s latest decision to pause tariffs on small-value packages, as the city has not received any notification about the way forward but was handling more than 1,000 parcels bound for the country.
US President Donald Trump on Friday paused tariffs on packages worth less than US$800 arriving from China, temporarily allowing small parcels to enter the country under a duty-free exemption.
Under the revision to his executive order, the tariff-free arrangement would remain in place until “adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue”.
In a reply to the Post, Hongkong Post said on Sunday it was seeking clarification from the US postal administration as it has not yet been notified of the latest order.
“We noted that the US government has made several changes to its tariff and postal arrangements within a short span of one week, and that the erratic policy changes have caused great inconvenience to the people of Hong Kong,” Hongkong Post said.
“We are urgently seeking clarifications from the US postal administration to avoid further confusion to the public and will notify the public of the resumption of services as soon as possible after receiving a confirmation.”
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Why US cuts to African aid may not be an easy win for China
By Jevans Nyabiage
US President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid is likely to create a vacuum in Africa that China can exploit, but diplomatic analysts say it may not be an easy win for Beijing.
The United States has provided billions of dollars in foreign aid to life-saving programmes in Africa for decades – and in the process bought itself strong influence. But that was before Trump’s decision to overhaul the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and suspend foreign aid.
Across Africa, thousands of workers in the US-funded healthcare programmes are now being placed on unpaid leave.
In Kenya, more than 30,000 healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses that work under US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) – a programme credited with saving more than 25 million lives – are facing job losses.
Pepfar aims to reduce the spread of HIV and Aids in more than 50 countries by providing millions of dollars for prevention, treatment and research.
Charlie Robertson, an emerging markets economist and author of The Time-Travelling Economist, said Trump’s suspension of foreign aid was a “huge gift to China”.
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By Jevans Nyabiage
US President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid is likely to create a vacuum in Africa that China can exploit, but diplomatic analysts say it may not be an easy win for Beijing.
The United States has provided billions of dollars in foreign aid to life-saving programmes in Africa for decades – and in the process bought itself strong influence. But that was before Trump’s decision to overhaul the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and suspend foreign aid.
Across Africa, thousands of workers in the US-funded healthcare programmes are now being placed on unpaid leave.
In Kenya, more than 30,000 healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses that work under US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) – a programme credited with saving more than 25 million lives – are facing job losses.
Pepfar aims to reduce the spread of HIV and Aids in more than 50 countries by providing millions of dollars for prevention, treatment and research.
Charlie Robertson, an emerging markets economist and author of The Time-Travelling Economist, said Trump’s suspension of foreign aid was a “huge gift to China”.
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Hong Kong Marathon: disqualified runners may face more action over bib swaps, officials say
By Wynna WongLars HamerMike Chan
Three mainland Chinese runners were disqualified for wearing the wrong bibs during Sunday’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, with officials warning that they did not rule out taking further action once an investigation had been completed.
The decision to strip He Yingbing and Sun Xiaoyang of their first and second places in the half-marathon and to scratch an athlete in the 10km race overshadowed a relatively comfortable win for Kenya’s Bethwell Kipkemboi in the main event.
It also handed the half-marathon title to local runner Vincent Lam and led to all-Hong Kong podiums in both the men’s and women’s races over the 13.1-mile distance.
Record holder Volha Mazuronak won the women’s marathon for a second time, and despite suggestions that low temperatures and dry conditions could put her mark in danger, the Belarusian’s time of two hours, 27 minutes was some way short of the 2:26:13 she posted in 2019.
But on a day when organisers said 90 per cent of the 74,000 runners who entered across the four different races – marathon, half-marathon, 10km and wheelchair – took to the streets, it was the disqualification that made headlines.
He and Sun finished comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, coming home in 1:05:36 and 1:06:11, respectively. Lam was originally third in 1:07:38.
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By Wynna WongLars HamerMike Chan
Three mainland Chinese runners were disqualified for wearing the wrong bibs during Sunday’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, with officials warning that they did not rule out taking further action once an investigation had been completed.
The decision to strip He Yingbing and Sun Xiaoyang of their first and second places in the half-marathon and to scratch an athlete in the 10km race overshadowed a relatively comfortable win for Kenya’s Bethwell Kipkemboi in the main event.
It also handed the half-marathon title to local runner Vincent Lam and led to all-Hong Kong podiums in both the men’s and women’s races over the 13.1-mile distance.
Record holder Volha Mazuronak won the women’s marathon for a second time, and despite suggestions that low temperatures and dry conditions could put her mark in danger, the Belarusian’s time of two hours, 27 minutes was some way short of the 2:26:13 she posted in 2019.
But on a day when organisers said 90 per cent of the 74,000 runners who entered across the four different races – marathon, half-marathon, 10km and wheelchair – took to the streets, it was the disqualification that made headlines.
He and Sun finished comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, coming home in 1:05:36 and 1:06:11, respectively. Lam was originally third in 1:07:38.
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Modi adds India’s capital Delhi to recent electoral victories
By Bloomberg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally won control of the national capital for his party after more than two decades, a resounding victory that underlines a recovery in support since an unexpectedly poor showing in last year’s national elections.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party routed the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party, whose leader, Arvind Kejriwal, lost his own seat. The promise of a wide range of freebies, together with allegations of corruption within the opposition party and the recent arrests of its leaders, helped the BJP to flip Delhi, which had overwhelmingly voted for Kejriwal in the past.
“It is our guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned in developing Delhi, improving the overall quality of life for the people,” Modi said in a post on X.
The victory in Delhi is the third major success for the BJP in four months after winning the states of Haryana and Maharashtra, a sign that Modi’s policies such as the record tax cuts doled out in last week’s budget have helped rebuild his party’s support. For Delhi, having the same political party at federal and city level could help smooth administrative tasks.
“One would expect more coordination between the centre and the state,” said Rahul Verma, a political analyst and fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. Though the government in Delhi is drawn from an elected assembly, its powers are restricted and shared with the federal government.
The BJP won 48 seats in the 70-seat legislature, a meteoric rise from the eight it won in 2020. It campaigned aggressively on the alleged corruption scandals that have dogged Kejriwal and his party for years.
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By Bloomberg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally won control of the national capital for his party after more than two decades, a resounding victory that underlines a recovery in support since an unexpectedly poor showing in last year’s national elections.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party routed the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party, whose leader, Arvind Kejriwal, lost his own seat. The promise of a wide range of freebies, together with allegations of corruption within the opposition party and the recent arrests of its leaders, helped the BJP to flip Delhi, which had overwhelmingly voted for Kejriwal in the past.
“It is our guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned in developing Delhi, improving the overall quality of life for the people,” Modi said in a post on X.
The victory in Delhi is the third major success for the BJP in four months after winning the states of Haryana and Maharashtra, a sign that Modi’s policies such as the record tax cuts doled out in last week’s budget have helped rebuild his party’s support. For Delhi, having the same political party at federal and city level could help smooth administrative tasks.
“One would expect more coordination between the centre and the state,” said Rahul Verma, a political analyst and fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. Though the government in Delhi is drawn from an elected assembly, its powers are restricted and shared with the federal government.
The BJP won 48 seats in the 70-seat legislature, a meteoric rise from the eight it won in 2020. It campaigned aggressively on the alleged corruption scandals that have dogged Kejriwal and his party for years.
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