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China EVs

BYD beats Tesla again as sales top US$100 billion in record 2024 results

Chinese EV maker is forecast to widen its lead over Tesla in 2025 and 2026 global sales, according to consensus compiled by Bloomberg.

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The BYD logo is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2024. Photo: AFP

World Opinion

Opinion | Why Germany can’t afford not to spend billions on defence

For decades, Germans took Russia’s energy, China’s market and the US’ security guarantee for granted. They can’t be so complacent any more.

An honour guard of the German armed forces Bundeswehr marches during a ceremony in honour of soldiers deployed to Mali, in front of the German Ministry of Defence in Berlin in 2024. Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to oversee a spending surge to boost German infrastructure and its armed forces. Photo: AFP

Opinion

Opinion | As Trump shocks rock the world, can China, Japan, South Korea shape its future?

East Asian neighbours seek to put historical and geopolitical grievances aside in joint bid to withstand ‘America first’ shock waves.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second left) with (from left) foreign ministers Cho Tae-yul of South Korea, Wang Yi of China and Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, ahead of their meeting at the prime minister’s official residence, in Tokyo on March 21. Photo: AFP

Economics

From soju to noodles, South Korean food brands are targeted by copycats

If counterfeit products are left unchecked, South Korean food companies could suffer damage to their reputation, analysts say.

A fake version of the Buldak spicy chicken ramen. Photo: Facebook/Seo Kyoung-duk

Science

Why a young AI expert left a promising US academic career for China

Fu Tianfan leaves tenure-track assistant professor position in New York state for new research opportunities, and Nanjing University’s ‘fertile ground’.

Fu Tianfan, an expert in AI-powered scientific research, will pursue drug discovery and materials development at Nanjing University after spending several years on the United States. Photo: Handout
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Politics

Hong Kong devoted to bolstering foreign ties, John Lee says at Boao Forum

Chief executive touts international connections following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s call for city to expand global ties.

Chief Executive John Lee has highlighted that Hong Kong had retained third place globally and first in Asia in the latest Global Financial Centres Index. Photo: Handout

Europe

Denmark PM vows to ‘resist’ US ‘pressure’ on Greenland

‘This is clearly not a visit that is about what Greenland needs or wants,’ Frederiksen said ahead of a US delegation’s trip to the territory.

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Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: AFP

Transport

Explainer | Power banks on flights: which airlines and regions have tightened rules?

Hong Kong is restricting the use of power banks on flights. Here’s how other jurisdictions and carriers are dealing with the devices following recent incidents.

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Starting on April 7, passengers using Hong Kong airlines will no longer be allowed to store power banks in overhead compartments. Photo: Getty Images

Tech War

Ant Group’s use of local GPUs, not Nvidia, cuts AI model training costs by 20%

The fintech affiliate of Alibaba said its Ling-Plus-Base model can be ‘effectively trained on lower-performance devices’.

Ant Group’s latest research into AI development places it among domestic firms such as DeepSeek and ByteDance in the search for more efficient ways to train and run models. Photo: Shutterstock

Southeast Asia

Indonesia’s currency takes a severe beating as US tariff deadline nears

The central bank said the slump is due to global uncertainties including Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

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The Indonesian rupiah has slumped more than 3 per cent this year. Photo: Reuters
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Education

Footage of students fighting at elite Hong Kong boys’ school goes viral

One video shows youngster rushing over to punch classmate in the head and another clip features student on the floor getting kicked in the stomach.

The videos were uploaded on March 4 and Sunday of this week, and became widely discussed on the Reddit-like site LIHKG. Photo: Handout

Politics

‘Eternal peace’: Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border deal opens path to visa-free zone

The agreement, which settled territorial disputes related to nearly 500km of the border, also included mutual access to water and energy.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov (right) shakes hands with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon at Bishkek on March 13. Photo: Reuters/Kyrgyz Presidential Press Service

Chinese culture

50 years of growth and cultural change in London’s Chinatown

Early Chinatown was a place of restaurants, underground gambling dens and brothels, but it has grown more affluent and diverse over time.

Wardour Street, Chinatown, London. The area, which dates back to the 1970s, has evolved over time to become the multicultural enclave it is now. Photo: Getty Images

Global Economy

Unaffected by EU’s tariffs on EVs, China’s hybrid-vehicle exports surge to bloc

With Brussels’ tariffs not a problem, China’s plug-in hybrid EVs have become the fastest-growing Chinese export item to the 27-nation bloc.

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BYD’s Denza N9 luxury SUV is available in a plug-in hybrid version advertised in London. Photo: Handout

Entertainment

Who is Brett Gardner’s wife, Jessica Clendenin, and what happened to their son?

The 41-year-old MLB outfielder and his wife Jessica are in shock after losing their 14-year-old son Miller Gardner while on holiday together in Costa Rica this weekend.

Jessica Clendenin and her former New York Yankees outfielder husband, Brett Gardner. Photo: Getty Images
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China

Wu Yanni wants Asian 100m hurdles record, but admits Olympics a step too far

Chinese athlete says she can’t compete with Western counterparts, targets top eight finish at LA Games in 2028.

Wu Yanni celebrates after breaking the national record in women’s 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

As China, Japan set past aside to counter Trump chaos, how far will Tokyo go?

Both China and Japan see stable ties as a bulwark against Trump risks, but Tokyo unlikely to be drawn away from US orbit, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second left) with foreign ministers (from left) Cho Tae-yul of South Korea, Wang Yi of China and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan, at Ishiba’s office in Tokyo on March 21. Photo: Kyodo

Transport

Uber Hong Kong calls on government to give drivers flexibility under new framework

Ride-hailing platform chief meets with transport authorities, says excessive restrictions could also diminish consumers’ experience.

Uber Hong Kong’s general manager has called for the government to prioritise user needs under a new framework to regulate the ride-hailing industry. Photo: Shutterstock

Arts

Art Week Shenzhen 2025 best exhibitions and events to visit

Those attending Art Basel Hong Kong have many reasons to squeeze in Art Week Shenzhen 2025, from a Jaffa Lam show to the opening of K11 HACC.

Doku The Flow, a video installation by Chinese artist Lu Yang, is a highlight of the opening of K11 HACC at K11 Ecoast in Shenzhen, and the video’s first screening in mainland China.

Politics

Malaysia’s PM says ‘no way’ to US$10 million ransom after airport cyberattack

Officials said the weekend cyberattack had affected certain computer systems at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he refused to provide a ransom to hackers over a cyberattack at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Photo: Reuters
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Politics

Delivery of dead rats to Indonesian reporters sparks fears over freedom curbs

The incident allegedly targeting Tempo happened three days after a severed pig’s head was sent to a reporter from the magazine.

A box of headless, dead rats that was sent to Tempo’s journalists in Jakarta is the latest incident of press intimidation in Indonesia. Photo: Shutterstock

Southeast Asia

Video | Protests against new military law in Indonesia

Around 1,000 demonstrators took part in the latest protest against a law expanding the military’s role in government

Indonesian demonstrators and police clash during Surabaya protest against new military law
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K-drama

Review | Newtopia, zombie romcom with Blackpink’s Jisoo, misses the mark

The Korean zombie subgenre has rules, and creators break them at their peril. Newtopia is stylish, but its tone is off and it lacks tension.

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Jisoo of Blackpink as Kang Young-soo in a still from Korean zombie romcom Newtopia.

Leisure

15 art accounts to follow on Instagram, sharing quirky facts, memes and more

Check out the social media version of Art for Dummies, get tips from ‘your next door art girlie’, influencer @thatsprettyneeat, and discover stunning works by Yayoi Kusama or Louise Bourgeois.

Brush up on your art expertise with Insta experts such as @greatwomenartists, here focusing on Self Portrait in the Green Bugatti by Polish-American artist Tamara de Lempicka, who was known as the queen of avant garde. Photo: @greatwomenartists/Instagram

Food & Drink

Cantonese meets Catalan: Spanish cuisine in Hong Kong

To the untrained eye, Cantonese and Catalan cuisines might seem a world apart, but with their focus on the freshest ingredients cooked simply and for sharing, they are more alike than they are unalike.

A cured sardine dish from La Rambla. Photo: La Rambla
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People

Sinkhole in Seoul claims motorcyclist’s life after he plunges into collapsing road

Subway construction work near the site is under scrutiny as officials probe the cause of the disaster.

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Dashcam footage capturing the moment when the sinkhole suddenly opened up in front of the motorcyclist. Photo: X / @Tedchangsigi

China Business

Hong Kong set to fund Chinese start-ups’ ‘jaw-dropping’ innovations

China is at the beginning of a long innovation story, according to speakers at the HSBC Global Investment Summit.

Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, speaks during a panel discussion at the HSBC Global Investment Summit on March 25, 2025, in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Big Tech

DeepSeek wows coders with more powerful open-source V3 model

The new version and DeepSeek V3 are both foundation models trained on vast data sets that can be applied in different use cases.

The DeepSeek logo is seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Entertainment

Who is actress Christina Applegate’s Dutch musician husband Martyn LeNoble?

The couple share a child together, daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble; both were present when Applegate received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2022.

Christina Applegate and her husband, Martyn LeNoble, have been through a lot together. Photo: Getty Images

Entertainment

Meet controversial Gen Z influencer and accused sex pest, Harry Sisson

The social media star has not responded to the allegations from at least 11 women, who claim Sisson persuaded them to send the explicit photographs over Snapchat.

Meet controversial Gen Z influencer and accused sex pest, Harry Sisson, photographed here with Joe Biden. Photo: @harryjsisson/Instagram