New shopping mall Scramble Hill in Kwun Tong set to open with focus on families and youths
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
25 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Is Japan's Osaka Expo failing? Visitor numbers disappoint at halfway mark
Halfway through its six-month run on an artificial island built atop a former landfill off the coast of Japan 's second city, the Osaka World Expo is falling short of organisers' expectations. More than 10 million people have visited the expo since its April opening – a symbolic milestone, but short of the pace required to reach the break-even threshold. Organisers estimate that 22 million visitors will be needed by the time the event closes in October for the expo to cover its costs. While the latest figures were touted as a sign of 'stable operations' by the top official overseeing the event, it's a far cry from the 28 million visitors that were projected in the lead-up to the opening. 'Every day recently we have welcomed more than 100,000 people to the expo,' Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, told reporters on Monday. Mascots and expo staff pose for a photo in front of the Japan Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka on July 3. Photo: Kyodo Despite acknowledging the shortfall, Ishige was still upbeat, highlighting the 'attractive contents' of the expo's pavilions, which represent 158 countries and regions, as well as exhibitions from seven international organisations.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Tech war: China approves Synopsys' acquisition of Ansys after US lifts EDA ban
China's antitrust regulator on Monday approved American chip design software giant Synopsys ' US$35 billion acquisition of Ansys, weeks after the administration of US President Donald Trump lifted export controls on electronic design automation (EDA) products to the mainland. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement that it gave the green light to Synopsys' deal for Ansys, a computer-aided engineering software vendor, under the condition that the two firms honour their contractual obligations to Chinese clients. Synopsys and Ansys were also required not to terminate existing agreements or reject any Chinese customer's request to renew their contracts. The conditions set by SAMR reflect the importance of EDA technology to China's semiconductor industry, while sending a sign of easing bilateral tensions after Washington lifted export curbs on the software. The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security lifted export controls on electronic design automation software sales to China earlier this month. Photo: Shutterstock
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Thailand pivots from China to Southeast Asia, Middle East tourists amid arrival decline
Advertisement 'The Middle East market is a supporting factor helping to boost tourism revenue as it currently has a growth of about 17 per cent to 18 per cent,' Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Khiatpaibool said on Monday. 'We need to increase the volume of arrivals from the Middle East and airlines.' The Tourism Authority lowered its 2025 foreign arrival forecast to 35 million, down from 40 million, due to weaker-than-expected Chinese tourism. Total revenue is projected at about 2.8 trillion baht (US$86 billion), consisting of 1.6 trillion baht from foreign visitors and the rest coming from domestic travellers. China sent 2.3 million visitors to Thailand in the first half of 2025, down from 3.4 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The decline is linked to safety concerns. News of Chinese actor Wang Xing's kidnapping to Myanmar through Thailand and his subsequent rescue prompted a wave of Lunar New Year trip cancellations by mainland travellers. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lowered its 2025 foreign arrival forecast to 35 million, down from 40 million, due to weaker-than-expected Chinese tourism. Photo: EPA-EFE Attracting Chinese tourists remains a priority, but the agency is also targeting other markets, Thapanee said. Oceania and Southeast Asia are seen as pivotal for boosting demand and offsetting the drop in Chinese visitors.
