In October, China gave the green light to 128 game titles, among which was the popular Korean game, Goddess of Victory: Nikke. Both Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Supercell's Squad Busters, which are circulated in China through Tencent, received approval from the game regulatory authority.

On Friday, the National Press and Publication Administration, the body in charge of video game licensing, gave the green light for the launch of 113 locally created games and 15 foreign ones. This information was disclosed through two lists published on their official website.

The most significant endorsed overseas game is Goddess of Victory: New Hope, the local adaptation of Goddess of Victory: Nikke. This anime-inspired role-playing shooter game was created by Shift Up, a South Korean game development company. Tencent, according to its stock exchange report in July, holds a 35% share in the company.

The global edition of Victory Goddess: Nikke, released by Tencent's gaming division Level Infinite, has enjoyed worldwide success since its debut in November 2022.

The local championship will be co-published by Tencent and Migu Fun, a gaming platform that is part of China's largest telecommunications firm, China Mobile.

Tencent, a company based in Shenzhen, seems to be the main beneficiary in the most recent round of approvals. This is because it also handles the local distribution of another endorsed game, Squad Busters, a mobile action game created by Supercell, a Finnish video game developer.

In October, China granted approval to 128 games, among them the popular Korean game, Goddess of Victory: Nikke. Both Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Supercell's Squad Busters, which are distributed in China through Tencent, received the green light from the country's gaming authority.

The agency in charge of issuing video game licenses, The National Press and Publication Administration, gave the green light for the launch of 113 locally developed games and 15 foreign games. This information was revealed in two lists posted on its official website last Friday.

The most prominent approved international game is "Goddess of Victory: New Hope". This is the local edition of "Goddess of Victory: Nikke", an anime-inspired role-playing shooter game created by the South Korean game developer, Shift Up. Tencent, according to their July stock exchange filing, holds a 35% interest in this company.

The global edition of "Goddess of Victory: Nikke," released by Tencent's gaming publishing sector Level Infinite, has achieved worldwide success since its launch in November 2022.

The local title is set to be co-published by Tencent and Migu Fun, a gaming platform owned by China's largest telecom company, China Mobile.

It seems that Tencent, a company based in Shenzhen, emerged victorious in the most recent round of approvals. This is due to the fact that they're not just the local distributor of another sanctioned game, Squad Busters, but they're also a mobile action game that was created by Supercell, a Finnish video game developer.

The focus is on smart lighting at the fall lighting exhibitions in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Fall Lighting Fair and Outdoor Tech Light Expo are ready to display worldwide advancements in eco-friendly lighting for intelligent urban areas.

[The material in this article was created by our promotional collaborator.]

This year's Autumn Lighting Fair and Outdoor Tech Light Expo in Hong Kong, under the banner 'Light & Life', assures a bright fusion of creativity, environmental responsibility and intelligent solutions in the worldwide lighting sector.

Around 3,000 exhibitors from 22 different nations are presenting a broad spectrum of lighting products and systems at the event. These are intended to beautify residential areas, boost energy savings, and demonstrate the increasing fusion of intelligent technologies in the lighting sector.

The gatherings, taking place at two primary locations, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and AsiaWorld-Expo, are anticipated to attract several tens of thousands of attendees, encompassing industry specialists, purchasers, and interested parties.

The highlight of this year's exhibition is the Hall of Connected Lighting, an advancement from the previous year's Connected Lighting Zone. This change mirrors the growing market need for top-notch, integrated smart lighting systems.

The Corridor of Integrated Illumination: the upcoming era of intelligent solutions.

The researcher dedicated to fostering AI skills in Hong Kong for academic interaction

Ma Yi details why Hong Kong is the perfect location to draw international expertise and the way he's leveraging his new position at the University of Hong Kong to encourage scholarly dialogue.

Ma Yi recalls the numerous notable Chinese scholars who were educated at Microsoft Research Asia, the American technology behemoth's lab. Now, as the newly appointed leader of the University of Hong Kong (HKU)'s computer science department, the AI scientist born in China says he's endeavoring to recreate this supportive atmosphere, which fosters opportunities for gifted individuals to excel.

During a discussion with the Post on Thursday, the head of the newly united School of Computing and Data Science shared that he forfeited his permanent position at the University of California, Berkeley to accept his role in Hong Kong. He believes he can contribute more significantly in this region, including mentoring researchers.

"China isn't short on skill… what it truly needs is a method to cultivate and develop them," stated Ma, who has experience working in both academia and industry across the Pacific. "We possess premier and unrefined skill, but it requires the appropriate surroundings and system to flourish."

Ma is part of an increasing number of Chinese scientists who, after working in US institutions, are coming back to contribute in Hong Kong and mainland China. This trend significantly bolsters China's escalating tech competition with the United States.

Viewpoint | The potential of Hong Kong to pioneer eco-friendly transportation in the region

The city is progressing towards its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, with initiatives such as eco-friendly MTR stations and emission-free buses on the horizon.

The shift towards renewable energy appears to be underway in the ferry industry. It was announced last year that Sun Ferry, a company running routes between Central piers and Cheung Chau, had placed an order for two diesel-electric hybrid ferries. These vessels are anticipated to transport more than 4 million passengers annually.

Two minutes past two

An Overview of Hong Kong's MTR: A Numerical Perspective

Chinese smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi and Huawei, have evolved into significant players in the electric vehicle market. Leveraging a sophisticated supply chain, these firms, despite not having a background in car manufacturing, are now vying for dominance in China's electric vehicle sector.

Weng's mindset reflects not just the popularity of the SU7, but also a change in the competitive landscape of the aggressive electric vehicle sector in mainland China. Given a strong supply chain that produces high-tech parts, even companies lacking a history in the auto industry can create and distribute advanced vehicles, provided they have ample resources. Thus, success is now more dependent on marketing than ever before – a strength that made Weng confident that the SU7 would not only serve as a reliable mode of transportation, but also boost his personal brand.

In the end, Weng came to terms with the fact that there was no way to expedite the delivery of his car and concluded that it was worth the wait.

"Xiaomi gets our vote as they've established themselves as a recognized brand in the consumer tech industry and have enough financial backing to stay afloat in the fiercely competitive market," stated Nick Lai, an analyst at JPMorgan. "Such benefits are uncommon amongst electric car manufacturers in China."

CATL, the leading EV battery producer in China, has introduced a new product for hybrid vehicles in response to increasing demand. The Freevoy battery is boasted to provide a driving distance of 400km before needing to switch to the fuel tank, which is double the typical range, according to CATL.

The company CATL anticipates that the Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery will boost its international market presence and transform the plug-in hybrid vehicle sector. This comes as an increasing number of customers in mainland China are choosing cars that utilize both battery packs and combustion engines to alleviate concerns about travel distance.

"Freevoy is more than simply a battery, it's also an asset that can potentially produce financial gains for vehicle owners," stated Gao Huan, the Chief Technology Officer of EV operations at CATL, during the product's unveiling in Beijing on Thursday. "We anticipate Freevoy will usher the hybrid car market into a new phase of elevated standards."

The Freevoy battery has a range of 400km, making it competitive with batteries found in fully electric vehicles. It can deliver up to 280km of driving distance with just a quick 10-minute charge. By contrast, batteries in plug-in hybrid cars typically only cover less than 200km, while high-end, fully electric vehicles can travel up to 500km on one charge.

Macroscope | Regardless of whether Harris or Trump triumphs, the US faces turbulence post Election Day.

The more chaotic the results and the longer the disagreement regarding the victor, the greater the danger posed to the US economy and worldwide markets.

Four weeks back, Harris was ahead of Trump by a mere two points according to the average national polls collated by RealClearPolitics. The competition was also equally fierce in the vital battleground states. Nevertheless, in the prediction markets, which are platforms where individuals wager on the results of specific events, Harris was leading the race to the presidency. The betting website, PredictIt, estimated Harris's chances of winning at 57 per cent.

As of now, both contenders are almost neck and neck in the battleground states. However, in gambling markets, Trump's probability of winning has significantly surged. The average odds on betting websites, as per RealClearPolitics, indicate that Trump's likelihood of winning has risen from 46% to 63% in the past month.

Earlier this week, BlackRock's Chief Executive, Larry Fink, expressed his view that the outcome of the election wouldn't significantly impact the markets. While his statement may be overly simplified, it seems pointless to guess the winner of such a closely contested election. Despite often facing criticism for neglecting or underestimating political risks, investors may actually be correct in adopting a nonchalant attitude this time around.

ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to competition from other online retailers and geopolitical challenges. Media outlets have reported that ByteDance's revenue growth has notably reduced this year as the company finds it difficult to make TikTok Shop successful.

The income increase noticeably decelerated for the initial three quarters of the year, and profit margins narrowed for the first time since 2022, as revealed by an anonymous source to Chinese tech news outlet 36Kr on Thursday.

ByteDance has been actively promoting TikTok Shop in various global markets such as the US, UK, and Southeast Asian nations. This is part of their strategy to find revenue streams aside from advertising on their extremely popular yet not financially successful video platform.

The growth of ByteDance's ad revenue in China declined to less than 17% in the third quarter, a significant drop from the 40% growth in the first quarter, as reported by online news source LatePost on Monday. The report also stated that the company's advertising division failed to meet its objectives for the previous two quarters.

Employees of Huawei have begun operations at their enormous new campus, which is at the heart of China's technological advancement. This vast research and development center is expected to be a significant contributor to the country's pursuit of self-sufficiency.

The campus at Lianqiu Lake, which has a floor space over 10 times the size of Googleplex, Alphabet's headquarter in Mountain View, California, is expected to accommodate approximately 35,000 researchers, as stated by Huawei.

The initial group of employees made their appearance on October 14, but during a recent visit by the Post, it was observed that merely two sections of the expansive complex were in use, leaving the majority of it vacant.

Around Lunar New Year in February, it is anticipated that about 20,000 workers will join, and the workforce is projected to expand to 30,000 by the close of 2026, as per a Chinese media source, The Paper, quoting a district representative.

Huawei did not provide an answer to the question regarding when the new centre will be completely operational.

The research and development center, spanning over 2 million square meters (21.5 million square feet), is anticipated to have a significant impact for Huawei. The tech giant already has facilities in Dongguan and Shenzhen, located in the southern Guangdong province. Notably, the center will also be essential for China, as the country is striving for advancements in chip technology and other sectors.

Huawei employees have started working at the brand-new, enormous campus, which is the heart of China's technological efforts. This widespread research and development center is expected to be crucial in the country's pursuit of autonomy.

The Lianqiu Lake campus, with a square footage over ten times greater than Alphabet's Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, California, is expected to accommodate approximately 35,000 researchers, as stated by Huawei.

The initial group of workers showed up on October 14, however, during this week's visit by the Post, only two sections of the large facility were in use, leaving the majority of the expansive compound vacant.

Around Lunar New Year in February, approximately 20,000 workers are anticipated to report for duty, as per a district official's statement. Chinese media source, The Paper, predicts the employee count to escalate to 30,000 by the conclusion of 2026.

Huawei has yet to reply to a question regarding when the new facility will be completely operational with staff.

The research and development hub, which spans over 2 million square meters (or 21.5 million square feet), is anticipated to be significant for Huawei. The tech giant already has facilities in Dongguan and Shenzhen located in the southern Guangdong province. Moreover, this center is crucial for China as the country is striving to make significant advancements in chip technology and other sectors.

Why are Hong Kong's brokers leaning towards physical branches despite the digital era?

Futu Securities, an online brokerage, launched its fourth outlet in Causeway Bay just last week, while Phillip Securities is contemplating opening new branches.

Futu Securities International from Hong Kong has reversed its previous strategy of only having apps and no physical branches. It opened a new location in the busy Causeway Bay area last week, joining its existing network in Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui, and its larger main office in Admiralty.

Phillip Securities is actively seeking new sites as it upgrades its three current branches in Admiralty, Kwun Tong, and Sheung Shui. The company, which was established in Singapore in 1975, had to reduce its network from seven locations due to the recent market downturn.

"Physical locations do indeed offer the benefit of drawing in new clients," stated Louis Wong, the executive director of Phillip Capital Management (Hong Kong), a segment of the brokerage conglomerate. "We're selecting fresh sites that have the potential to increase account registrations and we're planning to enhance our investment in customer services and technology to improve our service to them."

The pattern shows that certain brokers are attempting to differentiate themselves from the faceless online competitors, with free trading and automated advising services gaining popularity among individual investors. In Hong Kong, the count of brokers has dropped to 545 from 606 in 2019, and down from over 1,000 in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the market value of the city has expanded to US$5.6 trillion, and the daily trading volume has soared to a record high of US$79 billion.