Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s declaration that artificial general intelligence (AGI) has arrived following the release of OpenAI’s latest model, Astra, has ignited debate over whether AI’s holy grail is now reality. As China races to close the gap with the US, leading Chinese AI companies are declaring their ambitions to pursue AGI, even as Beijing appears to maintain a cautious stance towards the concept. Here is a primer on what AGI means, where top Chinese AI developers stand, and how Chinese...

US President Donald Trump lands in Ireland under tight security on Saturday for two days of diplomacy and golf, on a trip that again blurs the lines between his presidency and personal business interests. At least 4,000 police and other personnel, including snipers, have been mobilised for the visit, in what has been dubbed one of the biggest security operations ever mounted in Ireland. Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the tarmac ahead of his flight to Dublin saying “we’re having a lot of...

The death of Tung Chee-hwa at age 89 has prompted a necessary reckoning with the legacy of Hong Kong’s first chief executive. Two decades after his resignation, the question endures: was Tung a hapless administrator overwhelmed by crisis, or a prescient leader constrained by circumstance and an unforgiving political environment? The contrasting assessments of political scientist Sonny Lo Shiu-hing and former Central Policy Unit head Lau Siu-kai frame this debate sharply. Their divergent analyses...

A senior Hong Kong government official who oversaw faulty lift installation work that stalled the launch of a new block at Queen Mary Hospital was asked to resign and left her post last month to take responsibility for the defects and delays on other projects, the South China Morning Post has learned. But experts criticised the authorities’ handling of civil service management missteps, which bypassed the established disciplinary mechanism, saying it lacked transparency. Multiple sources said...

Yu Zidi made history last year aged 12 when she became the youngest-ever medallist at the swimming world championships. Now a teenager, she headlines China’s bid for Asian Games domination and has Olympic glory in her sights. China’s swimmer Yu Zidi prepares for the final of the women’s 200m butterfly swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 31, 2025. Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP. The 13-year-old school girl with a pixie hair cut stunned the sporting world last year with a series of eye-popping times. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore she helped China reach the 4x200m women’s freestyle relay final. She did not swim in the final but China came third, earning Yu a historic bronze for swimming in the heats. Yu just missed out on medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley events and the 200m butterfly, coming fourth in all three races. In November at China’s National Games, having just turned 13, she clocked a blistering 2:07.41 in the women’s 200m medley for what was then an Asian record. While training with the China team in Beijing, she told local media this month she was “excited” for her Asian Games debut. “Train well, don’t slack off. Demonstrate the level of your training and work hard to break past yourself,” she said, according to state news agency Xinhua. The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan open on September 19. Pressure ‘like a stone’ A coach, Ha Sinan, once described Yu with a Chinese saying that translates as “a newborn calf fearless of tigers”. But the teenager has spoken of struggling to deal with the heavy load placed on her. Yu grew up in the city of Baoding, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Beijing. She started swimming aged six and since then has juggled schoolwork with training. “Being in class all day and still having to train was really tiring,” she said in January. “Sometimes I was so tired I could fall asleep even while eating,” she said at an event celebrating Hebei province’s National Games wins. Yu said she “never considered quitting” and always dreamed of being a national champion. But during the tune-up to last year’s National Games she said the pressure of wanting to win the 400m medley nearly became too much. “It was like a big stone that weighed on me and made it hard to breathe,” she said. Yu eventually told her coach she wanted to do anything other than train. Her coach told her to persevere and “believe in yourself”, she said. Yu went on to win four medals at the National Games. Some in the swimming world have questioned the mental and physical impact of high-level training and competing on Yu at such a young age. Under World Aquatics rules, the minimum age for international championships is 14 but exceptions can be made for younger swimmers if — like Yu — they are fast enough. Olympic dreams It seems certain that Yu will compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, when she will be 15, and on current trajectory will be a major medal threat. Embed from Getty Images She is aware that her success for someone so young has made international headlines. But she knows hard work outweighs innate talent. In June she won the women’s 400m medley in 4:30.79 at China’s national championships, a time which would easily have earned her silver at the Paris Games in 2024. “Although talent determines where you start, going further and standing taller is dependent on perseverance and effort day after day,” Yu said at the January event. “There is still a long road ahead,” she added. “I will keep holding fast to my original dream, drawing strength from my team, to stand on the Olympic podium.”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia (PETA) has urged Hongkongers to shun a live equestrian theatrical show at the Kai Tak Arena, citing animal cruelty allegations. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Photo: Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld debuted on Tuesday and runs until Sunday, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club as the main host and event partner. The immersive show from Europe involves 54 horses, stunts, dancing and large sets. In a statement on Thursday, a PETA Asia spokesperson said: “Horses are sensitive, intelligent animals who feel fear and pain—not entertainment props to be trotted out under blinding lights and fireworks for a paying crowd.” Underprivileged, youth and elderly groups attend the Cavalluna dress rehearsal with assistance from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. “A PETA Germany investigation into Cavalluna documented horses being forced into the painful, welfare-violating ‘rollkur’ head-and-neck position and driven with whip-cracks into frightening tricks involving fire and light effects,” they added. The NGO called on the public to reject “spectacles that exploit animals and to choose only animal-free entertainment.” PETA Germany footage appearing to show a Cavalluna horse adopting the “rollkur” head-and-neck position. Photo: PETA Germany. PETA Germany released video clips last year appearing to show Cavalluna horses repeatedly enduring painful overstretching of the neck, restrictions in sight and breathing, and involvement in tricks involving fire and light. The whistle-blower footage was submitted to the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of a criminal complaint alleging animal welfare violations. Horses ‘part of the family’ Cavalluna previously responded to PETA Germany on its website, saying animal welfare is its highest priority: “You cannot force a horse to perform gracefully and willingly — not with coercion, food deprivation, or any other methods that violate animal welfare. It is simply impossible to present a horse in liberty work or any other riding discipline if the animal is not willing to cooperate… If a horse were scared or suffering, even a layperson could easily see it in its body language and expression.” Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. They said that animal welfare representatives and independent official veterinarians examine all animals, tents, transport vehicles and riding gear worldwide, adding that Cavalluna horses are stallions which “enjoy presenting themselves.” In a response on Friday to HKFP, Cavalluna said “Short video clips or photographs can never reflect the full picture of a situation, as the context is missing. Without a professionally trained eye and knowledge of the specific characteristics of a particular lesson or horse breed, no one can make a professional assessment. Consequently, moments are sometimes shown out of context in which a horse, whilst in motion, fails to maintain correct contact for a brief moment.” The organisers said that horses are trained to become familiar with bright lights, music and applause, dismissing PETA’s claims as “sensationalist.” It condemned rollkur, saying that baroque horse breeds like Lusitanos or Friesians naturally arch their necks high. “Production is regularly inspected by the relevant veterinary authority – a completely independent, critical and professionally trained body. This includes the horses themselves, the equipment, the stables and the transport vehicles,” they said. At an opening ceremony this week, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law hailed the show as underlining “Hong Kong’s standing as a premier host of world-class events.” Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld opening night ceremony. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. Cavalluna enjoyed support from the government’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund. Large-scale events are eligible for a maximum funding amount of HK$15 million. HKFP has reached out to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Access to the burnt-out boat has been slowed by toxic fumes and lingering heat, the country's coast guard says.

Mountaineer Mingma G tells the BBC about the climb to bring home the bodies of his closest friends.

South Korea said it was closely exchanging information on the launches with the US and Japan.

The presidents of Iran and Russia have criticised US dollar dominance ahead of the BRICS summit in India.