Transatlantic trade war nears as Trump and EU clash over metals tariffs and digital laws
By Finbarr Bermingham
Europe and the United States are on the brink of a trade war after Brussels vowed to retaliate against steel and aluminium tariffs pledged by US President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance threatened action against the EU’s stringent digital rules.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order expanding 25 per cent steel and aluminium tariffs to cover all US imports in a move overriding interim agreements that gave the EU and Britain exemptions from previous metals duties levied in 2018.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminium exports,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered. They will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”
Trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the bloc “will always protect our interests from unjustified measures, in line with our values”.
“This time has come. We are currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight and will be responding in a firm and proportionate way by countermeasures,” the Slovakian official said.
“We will act to safeguard our economic interests, we will protect our workers, businesses and consumers.”
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By Finbarr Bermingham
Europe and the United States are on the brink of a trade war after Brussels vowed to retaliate against steel and aluminium tariffs pledged by US President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance threatened action against the EU’s stringent digital rules.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order expanding 25 per cent steel and aluminium tariffs to cover all US imports in a move overriding interim agreements that gave the EU and Britain exemptions from previous metals duties levied in 2018.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminium exports,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered. They will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”
Trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the bloc “will always protect our interests from unjustified measures, in line with our values”.
“This time has come. We are currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight and will be responding in a firm and proportionate way by countermeasures,” the Slovakian official said.
“We will act to safeguard our economic interests, we will protect our workers, businesses and consumers.”
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Trump ally Steve Bannon pleads guilty and avoids jail time in border wall fraud case
By Associated Press
Steve Bannon pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a fraud charge related to duping donors who gave money to a private effort to build a wall along the US southern border – a case the conservative strategist has decried as a “political persecution”.
Bannon, a long-time ally of US President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to one scheme to defraud count as part of a plea agreement that spares him from jail time in the “We Build the Wall” scheme. He received a three-year conditional discharge, which requires that he stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment.
Asked how he was feeling as he left the courtroom, Bannon said: “Like a million bucks.”
Bannon spoke to reporters afterward and called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin an immediate criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Defence lawyer Arthur Aidala called the case against Bannon flimsy, saying it was never about his client.
“Mr Bannon deserves credit. He wants to fight. Everyone knows Steve Bannon, he always wants to put up a fight,” Aidala said.
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By Associated Press
Steve Bannon pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a fraud charge related to duping donors who gave money to a private effort to build a wall along the US southern border – a case the conservative strategist has decried as a “political persecution”.
Bannon, a long-time ally of US President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to one scheme to defraud count as part of a plea agreement that spares him from jail time in the “We Build the Wall” scheme. He received a three-year conditional discharge, which requires that he stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment.
Asked how he was feeling as he left the courtroom, Bannon said: “Like a million bucks.”
Bannon spoke to reporters afterward and called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin an immediate criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Defence lawyer Arthur Aidala called the case against Bannon flimsy, saying it was never about his client.
“Mr Bannon deserves credit. He wants to fight. Everyone knows Steve Bannon, he always wants to put up a fight,” Aidala said.
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US declines to sign international declaration on artificial intelligence
By Mark Magnier
The US refused to sign an “inclusive” and “sustainable” artificial intelligence declaration on Tuesday, as Washington criticised Europe for excessive AI regulation and warned China not to use the cutting-edge technology to tighten its grip on power.
The message, conveyed by US Vice-President J.D. Vance at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, was delivered at the first global meeting the Donald Trump administration has joined – with the characteristic disruption that has defined the new US government.
At the two-day summit, attended by some 1,500 participants from around 100 countries, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that AI’s immense power is concentrated in a few hands, without mentioning the US.
“While some companies and countries are entering a race for speed with unprecedented investments, most developing nations are falling by the wayside,” he said, adding that the concentration of AI know-how “threatens to exacerbate geopolitical divisions”.
Tuesday’s gathering laid bare significant divisions over the promise and regulation of AI, particularly given its potential to cure diseases and advance scholarship even as it takes humans out of the loop and further divides societies with inflammatory content and deep fakes.
Vance told the assembled national and tech industry leaders that excessive regulation “could kill a transformative sector just as it’s taking off”, calling on Europe to show “optimism rather than trepidation”.
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By Mark Magnier
The US refused to sign an “inclusive” and “sustainable” artificial intelligence declaration on Tuesday, as Washington criticised Europe for excessive AI regulation and warned China not to use the cutting-edge technology to tighten its grip on power.
The message, conveyed by US Vice-President J.D. Vance at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, was delivered at the first global meeting the Donald Trump administration has joined – with the characteristic disruption that has defined the new US government.
At the two-day summit, attended by some 1,500 participants from around 100 countries, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that AI’s immense power is concentrated in a few hands, without mentioning the US.
“While some companies and countries are entering a race for speed with unprecedented investments, most developing nations are falling by the wayside,” he said, adding that the concentration of AI know-how “threatens to exacerbate geopolitical divisions”.
Tuesday’s gathering laid bare significant divisions over the promise and regulation of AI, particularly given its potential to cure diseases and advance scholarship even as it takes humans out of the loop and further divides societies with inflammatory content and deep fakes.
Vance told the assembled national and tech industry leaders that excessive regulation “could kill a transformative sector just as it’s taking off”, calling on Europe to show “optimism rather than trepidation”.
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Expert at CUHK's Business School: optimal integration of AI and robots into personalised services enhances the human touch in hospitality
By Advertising partner
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
AI and robotics are transforming workplaces across the globe. In China, following DeepSeek AI’s announcement of the DeepSeek R1, which rattled tech sector worldwide, UBTech, a Chinese robotics manufacturer, aims to mass-produce AI-enabled industrial humanoid robots capable of assisting with domestic chores by the end of 2025. In the US, robotics startup Skild AI could achieve a valuation of US$4 billion if SoftBank leads its $500 million funding round. Skild AI is developing a scalable foundation model for robotics, allowing machines to interact with humans safely and dexterously.
These tech developments lead to increased concerns about job displacement. Some argue that while technology enhances roles for certain workers, it may displace others.
For example, a PwC study predicts that 21 percent of existing jobs in China’s service sector could be displaced by 2038.
In the hospitality sector, another study estimates that robots could replace up to 25 percent of the global workforce by 2030.
Despite these concerns, the hospitality industry appears to welcome new technologies. AI and robotics are seen as viable solutions for the sector’s prolonged manpower shortage, especially having demonstrated their effectiveness during the global pandemic.
A harmonious partnership between technology, integrated through a customer and human-centric approach, and employees will streamline operations without sacrificing the personal touch essential for exceptional hospitality services, believes Professor Sungwoo Choi, Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School.
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By Advertising partner
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
AI and robotics are transforming workplaces across the globe. In China, following DeepSeek AI’s announcement of the DeepSeek R1, which rattled tech sector worldwide, UBTech, a Chinese robotics manufacturer, aims to mass-produce AI-enabled industrial humanoid robots capable of assisting with domestic chores by the end of 2025. In the US, robotics startup Skild AI could achieve a valuation of US$4 billion if SoftBank leads its $500 million funding round. Skild AI is developing a scalable foundation model for robotics, allowing machines to interact with humans safely and dexterously.
These tech developments lead to increased concerns about job displacement. Some argue that while technology enhances roles for certain workers, it may displace others.
For example, a PwC study predicts that 21 percent of existing jobs in China’s service sector could be displaced by 2038.
In the hospitality sector, another study estimates that robots could replace up to 25 percent of the global workforce by 2030.
Despite these concerns, the hospitality industry appears to welcome new technologies. AI and robotics are seen as viable solutions for the sector’s prolonged manpower shortage, especially having demonstrated their effectiveness during the global pandemic.
A harmonious partnership between technology, integrated through a customer and human-centric approach, and employees will streamline operations without sacrificing the personal touch essential for exceptional hospitality services, believes Professor Sungwoo Choi, Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School.
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Alibaba pairs with Apple to develop AI features for China iPhones: sources
By Zhou Xin
China’s Alibaba Group Holding has entered a partnership with US consumer electronics giant Apple to develop AI features for iPhones in China in a sign of the growing recognition of Alibaba’s capabilities on the fast-moving AI front, sources familiar with the matter said.
According to people close to the deal, Apple has decided to work with Alibaba as it sees the strength of the Chinese company’s Qwen AI model and its “cutting edge” capabilities.
The news was first reported by US tech industry publication The Information. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
The deal comes as Apple is seeking to secure a local AI partner to boost sales of iPhones on the mainland, where the US company is facing a challenge in the world’s largest smartphone market because its Apple Intelligence capability is unavailable to iPhone users.
Apple is scheduled to host its China developer conference in Shanghai on March 25, which has fanned speculation that the Apple Intelligence could go online by then.
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By Zhou Xin
China’s Alibaba Group Holding has entered a partnership with US consumer electronics giant Apple to develop AI features for iPhones in China in a sign of the growing recognition of Alibaba’s capabilities on the fast-moving AI front, sources familiar with the matter said.
According to people close to the deal, Apple has decided to work with Alibaba as it sees the strength of the Chinese company’s Qwen AI model and its “cutting edge” capabilities.
The news was first reported by US tech industry publication The Information. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
The deal comes as Apple is seeking to secure a local AI partner to boost sales of iPhones on the mainland, where the US company is facing a challenge in the world’s largest smartphone market because its Apple Intelligence capability is unavailable to iPhone users.
Apple is scheduled to host its China developer conference in Shanghai on March 25, which has fanned speculation that the Apple Intelligence could go online by then.
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Hong Kong logs 11.7% uptick in scams amid rise in fake customer service tactics
By Jess Ma
The number of scams reported in Hong Kong has increased by 11.7 per cent year on year, including more than 5,500 cases featuring a new type of deception involving fake customer service messages.
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee said on Tuesday that the force had recorded 94,727 criminal cases in 2024, a 5 per cent increase from the year before. Among them, scams accounted for 46.9 per cent.
But the police figures show the rate of the rise in scam cases was less than in previous years, with Hong Kong recording a 42.6 per cent increase in such reports from 2022 to 2023.
The force logged 44,480 scam cases in 2024, with Siu attributing the rise to a new deception tactic involving bogus customer service messages.
“The rise was mainly due to the new method of sham customer service phone scams, which arose early last year. In 2024, this new type of scam accounted for 5,575 cases,” he said.
Police also arrested more than 10,000 people in connection with scams and money laundering activities in 2024, a 13.6 per cent increase from the year before. The tally included people suspected of holding stooge accounts to process crime proceeds.
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By Jess Ma
The number of scams reported in Hong Kong has increased by 11.7 per cent year on year, including more than 5,500 cases featuring a new type of deception involving fake customer service messages.
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee said on Tuesday that the force had recorded 94,727 criminal cases in 2024, a 5 per cent increase from the year before. Among them, scams accounted for 46.9 per cent.
But the police figures show the rate of the rise in scam cases was less than in previous years, with Hong Kong recording a 42.6 per cent increase in such reports from 2022 to 2023.
The force logged 44,480 scam cases in 2024, with Siu attributing the rise to a new deception tactic involving bogus customer service messages.
“The rise was mainly due to the new method of sham customer service phone scams, which arose early last year. In 2024, this new type of scam accounted for 5,575 cases,” he said.
Police also arrested more than 10,000 people in connection with scams and money laundering activities in 2024, a 13.6 per cent increase from the year before. The tally included people suspected of holding stooge accounts to process crime proceeds.
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Billionaire couple win refund after buying US$40 million moth-infested UK mansion
By Business Insider
A judge has ordered a refund for a billionaire couple who paid £32.5 million (US$40 million) for a mansion with a “severe moth infestation”.
A UK High Court judge ruled that Iya Patarkatsishvili, daughter of the Georgian billionaire tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, and her husband Yevhen Hunyak, can hand the home back to the seller, the property developer William Woodward-Fisher.
Patarkatsishvili and Hunyak bought Horbury Villa in Notting Hill, west London, in May 2019. However, the judgment states that within days of moving in, they started noticing moths flying around and landing on their cutlery.
The couple found moths in clothes, wine glasses, and toothbrushes and swatted away hundreds a day, the judgment stated.
Pest control companies found that insulation in the ceiling was the source of the issue. The works to replace the insulation cost £270,000, the hearing heard.
The claimants accused Woodward-Fisher of knowingly selling the house with the moth infestation. He was found to have known about the issue since early 2018 but failed to tell Patarkatsishvili and Hunyak.
Woodward-Fisher told the court he had been informed that moths were not vermin and “therefore not relevant to this inquiry”.
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By Business Insider
A judge has ordered a refund for a billionaire couple who paid £32.5 million (US$40 million) for a mansion with a “severe moth infestation”.
A UK High Court judge ruled that Iya Patarkatsishvili, daughter of the Georgian billionaire tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, and her husband Yevhen Hunyak, can hand the home back to the seller, the property developer William Woodward-Fisher.
Patarkatsishvili and Hunyak bought Horbury Villa in Notting Hill, west London, in May 2019. However, the judgment states that within days of moving in, they started noticing moths flying around and landing on their cutlery.
The couple found moths in clothes, wine glasses, and toothbrushes and swatted away hundreds a day, the judgment stated.
Pest control companies found that insulation in the ceiling was the source of the issue. The works to replace the insulation cost £270,000, the hearing heard.
The claimants accused Woodward-Fisher of knowingly selling the house with the moth infestation. He was found to have known about the issue since early 2018 but failed to tell Patarkatsishvili and Hunyak.
Woodward-Fisher told the court he had been informed that moths were not vermin and “therefore not relevant to this inquiry”.
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Donald Trump says China runs the Panama Canal. Is he right?
By Luna SunCarol Yang
While US President Donald Trump has claimed China “operates” the Panama Canal – an allegation that has stirred controversy, as the president has proposed putting the canal back under US control – the reality is far more complicated than the highly charged rhetoric would suggest.
To help understand why the canal has become a point of geopolitical contention, we examine China’s investments and involvement with the waterway – and the country in which it resides.
The Panama Canal is one of the most critical waterways on the planet, providing a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Every year, about 5 per cent of global trade is estimated to flow through the canal’s locks.
For China, it serves as an essential link to Latin America, shortening shipment time and easing the movement of goods to and from markets in the Western Hemisphere.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, the Panama Canal Authority generated US$3.38 billion in revenue, with China accounting for 21.4 per cent of the cargo volume transiting the route. This made it the country with the second-highest proportion of trade moving through the waterway.
That second place spot is a distant one, however. As a short cut linking the east and west coasts of the United States, the Panama Canal holds strategic importance for the country, and is the preferred route for many of its energy shipments. Nearly 75 per cent of the canal’s cargo traffic originates from or is destined for the United States.
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By Luna SunCarol Yang
While US President Donald Trump has claimed China “operates” the Panama Canal – an allegation that has stirred controversy, as the president has proposed putting the canal back under US control – the reality is far more complicated than the highly charged rhetoric would suggest.
To help understand why the canal has become a point of geopolitical contention, we examine China’s investments and involvement with the waterway – and the country in which it resides.
The Panama Canal is one of the most critical waterways on the planet, providing a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Every year, about 5 per cent of global trade is estimated to flow through the canal’s locks.
For China, it serves as an essential link to Latin America, shortening shipment time and easing the movement of goods to and from markets in the Western Hemisphere.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, the Panama Canal Authority generated US$3.38 billion in revenue, with China accounting for 21.4 per cent of the cargo volume transiting the route. This made it the country with the second-highest proportion of trade moving through the waterway.
That second place spot is a distant one, however. As a short cut linking the east and west coasts of the United States, the Panama Canal holds strategic importance for the country, and is the preferred route for many of its energy shipments. Nearly 75 per cent of the canal’s cargo traffic originates from or is destined for the United States.
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China and the US should team up to rein in the risks of runaway AI, former diplomat says
By Zhao Ziwen
A former senior Chinese diplomat has called for China and the US to work together to head off the risks of rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
But the prospect of cooperation was bleak as geopolitical tensions rippled out through the technological landscape, former Chinese foreign vice-minister Fu Ying told a closed-door AI governing panel in Paris on Monday.
“Realistically, many are not optimistic about US-China AI collaboration, and the tech world is increasingly subject to geopolitical distractions,” Fu said.
“As long as China and the US can cooperate and work together, they can always find a way to control the machine. [Nevertheless], if the countries are incompatible with each other ... I am afraid that the probability of the machine winning will be high.”
The panel discussion is part of a two-day global AI Action Summit that started in Paris on Monday.
Other panel members included Yoshua Bengio, the Canadian computer scientist recognised as a pioneer in the field, and Alondra Nelson, a central AI policy adviser to former US president Joe Biden’s administration and the United Nations.
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By Zhao Ziwen
A former senior Chinese diplomat has called for China and the US to work together to head off the risks of rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
But the prospect of cooperation was bleak as geopolitical tensions rippled out through the technological landscape, former Chinese foreign vice-minister Fu Ying told a closed-door AI governing panel in Paris on Monday.
“Realistically, many are not optimistic about US-China AI collaboration, and the tech world is increasingly subject to geopolitical distractions,” Fu said.
“As long as China and the US can cooperate and work together, they can always find a way to control the machine. [Nevertheless], if the countries are incompatible with each other ... I am afraid that the probability of the machine winning will be high.”
The panel discussion is part of a two-day global AI Action Summit that started in Paris on Monday.
Other panel members included Yoshua Bengio, the Canadian computer scientist recognised as a pioneer in the field, and Alondra Nelson, a central AI policy adviser to former US president Joe Biden’s administration and the United Nations.
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Suspect in escape bid by slain Hong Kong model Abby Choi’s ex ‘only a messenger’
By Ambrose Li
One of the two defendants accused of assisting slain model Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband in a failed attempt to flee Hong Kong has said she only acted as a messenger to help connect several of the parties together, including a yacht rental agent.
Prosecutors on Tuesday played in court a 44-minute video of Irene Pun Hau-yin being questioned by a female police officer following her arrest, who said that she had known the other defendant, Lam Shun, and another suspect, only identified as Ivy, since the 2010s.
Unemployed Pun and Lam, a yacht rental agent at the time, earlier pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The duo are accused of helping Alex Kwong Kong-chi in an unsuccessful escape attempt on February 25, 2023, the day after Choi’s dismembered remains were discovered in a three-storey village house in Tai Po’s Lung Mei Tsuen.
Ivy, a Macau resident, was also named in the trial but was not listed as a defendant. She is accused of conspiring with the other two to help Kwong.
The video played in court included voice messages between Ivy and Pun on the social media platform WeChat.
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By Ambrose Li
One of the two defendants accused of assisting slain model Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband in a failed attempt to flee Hong Kong has said she only acted as a messenger to help connect several of the parties together, including a yacht rental agent.
Prosecutors on Tuesday played in court a 44-minute video of Irene Pun Hau-yin being questioned by a female police officer following her arrest, who said that she had known the other defendant, Lam Shun, and another suspect, only identified as Ivy, since the 2010s.
Unemployed Pun and Lam, a yacht rental agent at the time, earlier pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The duo are accused of helping Alex Kwong Kong-chi in an unsuccessful escape attempt on February 25, 2023, the day after Choi’s dismembered remains were discovered in a three-storey village house in Tai Po’s Lung Mei Tsuen.
Ivy, a Macau resident, was also named in the trial but was not listed as a defendant. She is accused of conspiring with the other two to help Kwong.
The video played in court included voice messages between Ivy and Pun on the social media platform WeChat.
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Chipmaker SMIC posts 45% profit slump in 2024 amid US-China trade tensions
By Agence France-Presse
China’s top chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), on Tuesday said its 2024 profit had plunged significantly from the previous year, against a backdrop of surging trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.
“Unaudited profit attributable to owners of the company was US$492.7 million in 2024,” SMIC reported in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
That figure represented a 45.4 per cent decrease from US$902.5 million in 2023, according to the Shanghai-based firm, which added that the fall was “mainly due to the decrease of investment income and financial income”.
Profit in the final quarter of 2024 also slumped, the filing showed, dropping 38.4 per cent year on year to US$107.6 million.
SMIC’s fourth-quarter revenue, meanwhile, grew 31.5 per cent to reach a total of US$2.2 billion, the company added.
Unaudited revenue for the whole of last year reached US$8 billion, up from US$6.3 billion in 2023.
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By Agence France-Presse
China’s top chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), on Tuesday said its 2024 profit had plunged significantly from the previous year, against a backdrop of surging trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.
“Unaudited profit attributable to owners of the company was US$492.7 million in 2024,” SMIC reported in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
That figure represented a 45.4 per cent decrease from US$902.5 million in 2023, according to the Shanghai-based firm, which added that the fall was “mainly due to the decrease of investment income and financial income”.
Profit in the final quarter of 2024 also slumped, the filing showed, dropping 38.4 per cent year on year to US$107.6 million.
SMIC’s fourth-quarter revenue, meanwhile, grew 31.5 per cent to reach a total of US$2.2 billion, the company added.
Unaudited revenue for the whole of last year reached US$8 billion, up from US$6.3 billion in 2023.
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‘I was insensitive,’ says Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai about videos advocating sanctions
By Fiona Chow
Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has acknowledged being “insensitive” for failing to vet two videos published on Apple Daily fronted by a now-fugitive calling for US sanctions against Hong Kong and Beijing before the imposition of the national security law.
Judges on Tuesday grilled Lai over his position that he was initially unaware of the video content by fugitive Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, who had held a strong stance against the mainland Chinese government.
Both videos were aired on the now-defunct Apple Daily’s digital platform and social media respectively in May and June 2020.
Yuan had made two videos addressing the then US president Donald Trump and former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which he asked for foreign troops to be stationed in the city while calling for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials.
Lai insisted that he merely allowed Yuan to use the digital platforms, but the West Kowloon Court heard evidence suggesting that the ex-media boss not only encouraged his senior staff to give the businessman more airtime but also provided Yuan with the studio to film the second video, after the first attracted much public attention.
Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The prosecution argued that Lai had endorsed the content of Yuan’s videos because it aligned with his objective to gain international attention after he launched the “One Hongkonger One Letter to Save Hong Kong” initiative in May that year, which aimed to get readers to petition Trump to block the national security law.
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By Fiona Chow
Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has acknowledged being “insensitive” for failing to vet two videos published on Apple Daily fronted by a now-fugitive calling for US sanctions against Hong Kong and Beijing before the imposition of the national security law.
Judges on Tuesday grilled Lai over his position that he was initially unaware of the video content by fugitive Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, who had held a strong stance against the mainland Chinese government.
Both videos were aired on the now-defunct Apple Daily’s digital platform and social media respectively in May and June 2020.
Yuan had made two videos addressing the then US president Donald Trump and former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which he asked for foreign troops to be stationed in the city while calling for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials.
Lai insisted that he merely allowed Yuan to use the digital platforms, but the West Kowloon Court heard evidence suggesting that the ex-media boss not only encouraged his senior staff to give the businessman more airtime but also provided Yuan with the studio to film the second video, after the first attracted much public attention.
Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The prosecution argued that Lai had endorsed the content of Yuan’s videos because it aligned with his objective to gain international attention after he launched the “One Hongkonger One Letter to Save Hong Kong” initiative in May that year, which aimed to get readers to petition Trump to block the national security law.
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Pope Francis assails Trump, says US migrant deportations ‘will end badly’
By Agence France-Presse
Pope Francis launched a stinging critique on Tuesday of US President Donald Trump’s deportations of undocumented migrants, describing it as a “major crisis” that “damages the dignity of men and women”.
In a letter to US bishops, he urged Catholics and others “not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters”.
The Argentine pontiff, 88, has repeatedly defended the rights of migrants during his 10 years leading the Catholic Church, urging world leaders to be more welcoming to those fleeing poverty or violence.
“I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a programme of mass deportations,” he wrote on Tuesday.
He acknowledged “the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival”.
But he wrote that “the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families”.
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By Agence France-Presse
Pope Francis launched a stinging critique on Tuesday of US President Donald Trump’s deportations of undocumented migrants, describing it as a “major crisis” that “damages the dignity of men and women”.
In a letter to US bishops, he urged Catholics and others “not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters”.
The Argentine pontiff, 88, has repeatedly defended the rights of migrants during his 10 years leading the Catholic Church, urging world leaders to be more welcoming to those fleeing poverty or violence.
“I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a programme of mass deportations,” he wrote on Tuesday.
He acknowledged “the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival”.
But he wrote that “the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families”.
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Taiwan signs US$761 million deal for US NASAMS defence package
By Lawrence Chung
Taiwan has signed a new missile deal with Washington to bolster the defence of Taipei and key infrastructure against a potential attack by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to details of the contract released via the island’s government procurement platform on Monday, Taiwan will pay NT$24.98 billion (US$761 million) for three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) from the United States.
The agreement was approved in October by then-president Joe Biden but is technically the first signed under Trump’s presidency, with full delivery expected by the end of 2030.
Taiwan’s defence mission in Washington signed the deal with the American Institute in Taiwan, which represents US interests in the absence of formal ties with the island.
The contract indicates that the air defence systems will be deployed by Taiwan’s air force in Taipei’s Songshan district and New Taipei City’s Tamsui district – key strategic locations in safeguarding government administration centres and essential infrastructure.
A military source confirmed the missile purchases, saying that the systems were first discussed as a potential arms sale during the 2022 Monterey Talks, one of the annual closed-door military dialogues between Washington and the island.
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By Lawrence Chung
Taiwan has signed a new missile deal with Washington to bolster the defence of Taipei and key infrastructure against a potential attack by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to details of the contract released via the island’s government procurement platform on Monday, Taiwan will pay NT$24.98 billion (US$761 million) for three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) from the United States.
The agreement was approved in October by then-president Joe Biden but is technically the first signed under Trump’s presidency, with full delivery expected by the end of 2030.
Taiwan’s defence mission in Washington signed the deal with the American Institute in Taiwan, which represents US interests in the absence of formal ties with the island.
The contract indicates that the air defence systems will be deployed by Taiwan’s air force in Taipei’s Songshan district and New Taipei City’s Tamsui district – key strategic locations in safeguarding government administration centres and essential infrastructure.
A military source confirmed the missile purchases, saying that the systems were first discussed as a potential arms sale during the 2022 Monterey Talks, one of the annual closed-door military dialogues between Washington and the island.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Alibaba’s Qwen powers top 10 open-source models as China AI know-how goes beyond DeepSeek
By Ann Cao
Alibaba Group Holding’s Qwen artificial intelligence (AI) model is powering the world’s top 10 open-source large language models (LLMs), according to collaborative machine-learning platform and community Hugging Face.
The latest Open LLM Leaderboard by Hugging Face showed that all of the top-ranked models were trained and developed on the updated open-source versions of Qwen, part of the Tongyi Qianwen LLM family built by Alibaba’s cloud computing services and AI arm. Hangzhou-based Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
At least seven of the top 10 open-source LLMs were based on the Qwen2.5-72b series from Alibaba Cloud. The top-ranked LLM, calme-3.2-instruct-78b, described itself as “an advanced iteration of Qwen2.5-72b”, which was fine-tuned on custom data sets to enhance its capabilities in generic domains.
LLM is the technology underpinning generative AI (GenAI) services like ChatGPT. GenAI refers to the algorithms that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos.
Open source gives public access to a software program’s source code, allowing third-party developers to modify or share its design, fix broken links or scale up its capabilities. Open-source technologies have been a huge contributor to China’s flourishing tech industry over the past few decades.
Qwen’s sway on the development of LLMs in the latest Hugging Face open-source rankings reflects the increasing depth of China’s AI capabilities beyond DeepSeek’s recent breakthrough.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Ann Cao
Alibaba Group Holding’s Qwen artificial intelligence (AI) model is powering the world’s top 10 open-source large language models (LLMs), according to collaborative machine-learning platform and community Hugging Face.
The latest Open LLM Leaderboard by Hugging Face showed that all of the top-ranked models were trained and developed on the updated open-source versions of Qwen, part of the Tongyi Qianwen LLM family built by Alibaba’s cloud computing services and AI arm. Hangzhou-based Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
At least seven of the top 10 open-source LLMs were based on the Qwen2.5-72b series from Alibaba Cloud. The top-ranked LLM, calme-3.2-instruct-78b, described itself as “an advanced iteration of Qwen2.5-72b”, which was fine-tuned on custom data sets to enhance its capabilities in generic domains.
LLM is the technology underpinning generative AI (GenAI) services like ChatGPT. GenAI refers to the algorithms that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos.
Open source gives public access to a software program’s source code, allowing third-party developers to modify or share its design, fix broken links or scale up its capabilities. Open-source technologies have been a huge contributor to China’s flourishing tech industry over the past few decades.
Qwen’s sway on the development of LLMs in the latest Hugging Face open-source rankings reflects the increasing depth of China’s AI capabilities beyond DeepSeek’s recent breakthrough.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong’s NWD raises prices for State Pavilia flat sale amid ‘enthusiastic’ interest
By Cheryl Arcibal
New World Development (NWD) raised prices for a new batch of units in a sought-after residential project on Hong Kong Island, as prospective buyers outnumber the project’s supply of flats by more than 28 times.
The developer said the response to the 388-unit State Pavilia project on King’s Road in North Point has been “enthusiastic”, as more than 4,800 buyers had written cheques for a chance to buy one of 168 listed units as of Tuesday night.
The 39 units in the third price list, unveiled on Tuesday, are priced between HK$6.35 million (US$815,000) and HK$20.39 million after discounts, or HK$16,888 to HK$28,088 per square foot. The list comprises 15 one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom homes and a single three-bedroom unit, ranging from 321 sq ft to 726 sq ft.
“It is an increase from the previous price list,” NWD said. The cheapest flat in the latest batch is priced about 0.5 per cent higher than the HK$6.32 million price of the cheapest unit among the 55 homes on the development’s second price list, which was unveiled on Monday.
More than 2,850 prospective buyers wrote cheques for a chance to buy the 88 units that were put up for sale in the project’s first price list, which was released on Thursday.
The developer will launch the sale on Saturday. The project is the first phase of NWD’s redevelopment of the site of the former State Theatre.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Cheryl Arcibal
New World Development (NWD) raised prices for a new batch of units in a sought-after residential project on Hong Kong Island, as prospective buyers outnumber the project’s supply of flats by more than 28 times.
The developer said the response to the 388-unit State Pavilia project on King’s Road in North Point has been “enthusiastic”, as more than 4,800 buyers had written cheques for a chance to buy one of 168 listed units as of Tuesday night.
The 39 units in the third price list, unveiled on Tuesday, are priced between HK$6.35 million (US$815,000) and HK$20.39 million after discounts, or HK$16,888 to HK$28,088 per square foot. The list comprises 15 one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom homes and a single three-bedroom unit, ranging from 321 sq ft to 726 sq ft.
“It is an increase from the previous price list,” NWD said. The cheapest flat in the latest batch is priced about 0.5 per cent higher than the HK$6.32 million price of the cheapest unit among the 55 homes on the development’s second price list, which was unveiled on Monday.
More than 2,850 prospective buyers wrote cheques for a chance to buy the 88 units that were put up for sale in the project’s first price list, which was released on Thursday.
The developer will launch the sale on Saturday. The project is the first phase of NWD’s redevelopment of the site of the former State Theatre.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Trump’s new Gilded Age a reminder of America’s painful past
By Zhang Chi (張馳)
US President Donald Trump concluded his inaugural address with the boast “our golden age has just begun”. However, as some observers have noted, he could be more likely to start a new Gilded Age if he keeps obsessing over late 19th-century US domestic and foreign policies.
Who better than Mark Twain, the creator of the term, to shed light on the future implied by this phrase? When there are shadows of inequality, oligarchy, imperialism and reckless competition hanging over us again, revisiting the classics can help foster vigilance and reflection.
Echoing Twain’s recurring themes, the current US economy displays signs of progress with technological advancements, yet daunting challenges persist. Inequality, inflation and a much-speculated stock market bubble have fuelled voter dissatisfaction, one of many reasons for their choice of Trump over Kamala Harris.
Notably, the income gap has made a U-turn since the 1970s and now reached late 19th-century levels. Despite Trump’s re-election disappointing many, his victory mirrors a desire for change among the middle and working class.
Meanwhile, despotism, economic disparity and corruption are on the rise. Five days after outgoing US president Joe Biden warned about these in his farewell speech, billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg witnessed another billionaire’s swearing-in.
Moreover, speculators seem to have found a new promised land. Two days later, when asked about his newly launched cryptocurrency at the first press conference, Trump replied, “several billion – that’s peanuts for these guys”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Zhang Chi (張馳)
US President Donald Trump concluded his inaugural address with the boast “our golden age has just begun”. However, as some observers have noted, he could be more likely to start a new Gilded Age if he keeps obsessing over late 19th-century US domestic and foreign policies.
Who better than Mark Twain, the creator of the term, to shed light on the future implied by this phrase? When there are shadows of inequality, oligarchy, imperialism and reckless competition hanging over us again, revisiting the classics can help foster vigilance and reflection.
Echoing Twain’s recurring themes, the current US economy displays signs of progress with technological advancements, yet daunting challenges persist. Inequality, inflation and a much-speculated stock market bubble have fuelled voter dissatisfaction, one of many reasons for their choice of Trump over Kamala Harris.
Notably, the income gap has made a U-turn since the 1970s and now reached late 19th-century levels. Despite Trump’s re-election disappointing many, his victory mirrors a desire for change among the middle and working class.
Meanwhile, despotism, economic disparity and corruption are on the rise. Five days after outgoing US president Joe Biden warned about these in his farewell speech, billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg witnessed another billionaire’s swearing-in.
Moreover, speculators seem to have found a new promised land. Two days later, when asked about his newly launched cryptocurrency at the first press conference, Trump replied, “several billion – that’s peanuts for these guys”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
US tariffs? China’s steel industry has far bigger problems than that
By Luna Sun
Chinese steelmakers are facing a major demand challenge – but it has little to do with the new 25 per cent tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.
In reality, Washington’s latest trade move will barely affect China’s steel industry, as shipments to the US account for only a small fraction of its total exports, analysts said.
However, Chinese steel producers are becoming more dependent on exports to other markets due to sluggish domestic demand and persistent industry overcapacity.
On Monday, Trump announced a blanket 25 per cent tariff on all imports of steel and aluminium into the United States, with “no exceptions”.
The US gets most of its imported steel from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. China, despite being the world’s largest steel producer and exporter, accounted for less than 2 per cent of US steel imports in 2024, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
The US tariffs will have little direct impact on China, though some second-order effects may occur, said Xu Tianchen, a senior China economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Luna Sun
Chinese steelmakers are facing a major demand challenge – but it has little to do with the new 25 per cent tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.
In reality, Washington’s latest trade move will barely affect China’s steel industry, as shipments to the US account for only a small fraction of its total exports, analysts said.
However, Chinese steel producers are becoming more dependent on exports to other markets due to sluggish domestic demand and persistent industry overcapacity.
On Monday, Trump announced a blanket 25 per cent tariff on all imports of steel and aluminium into the United States, with “no exceptions”.
The US gets most of its imported steel from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. China, despite being the world’s largest steel producer and exporter, accounted for less than 2 per cent of US steel imports in 2024, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
The US tariffs will have little direct impact on China, though some second-order effects may occur, said Xu Tianchen, a senior China economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
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