Nintendo to hike price of Switch 2 console due to memory chip prices
Economy

Nintendo to hike price of Switch 2 console due to memory chip prices

Market pressure to improve profitability prompts the company's decision The price hikes will take effect in Japan on May 25, and in North America and Europe on Sept. 1. (Photo by Yo Inoue) TOKYO -- Nintendo announced Friday that it will raise prices for the Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan, North America and Europe, citing deteriorating profits due to soaring prices for semiconductor memory and the company's lackluster stock performance.

Honda slips into first operating loss as it reevaluates EV strategy
Economy

Honda slips into first operating loss as it reevaluates EV strategy

Red ink is among the largest recorded by Japanese automakers Honda Motor has been forced to revise its electric vehicle strategy, including canceling three EV model launches planned for North America. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumida) TOKYO -- Honda Motor recorded an operating loss of approximately 400 billion yen ($2.55 billion) for the fiscal year that ended in March, Nikkei has learned, heavily impacted by problems related to its electric vehicle business.

XPeng Launches GX Kunlun Super Extended-Range AWD System, Targeting Family Adventure Market
Technology

XPeng Launches GX Kunlun Super Extended-Range AWD System, Targeting Family Adventure Market

XPeng has officially launched its GX Kunlun Super All-Wheel Drive extended-range powertrain, designed for families who demand both electric performance and unlimited range for long-distance travel. The system brings intelligent AWD capabilities to XPeng's expanding portfolio beyond pure EVs.

Xiaomi Smartphone Shipments Plunge 35% in Q1 2026 as Company Shifts to Profit Protection Mode
Technology

Xiaomi Smartphone Shipments Plunge 35% in Q1 2026 as Company Shifts to Profit Protection Mode

Xiaomi's Chinese smartphone shipments fell 35% year-over-year in Q1 2026 to 8.7 million units, the steepest decline among the top five global vendors, as the company begins to prioritize margins over market share after delaying price increases until April.

BYD Raises DiPilot Assisted Driving Package by 2,100 RMB — Buyers Show No Sign of Resistance
Technology

BYD Raises DiPilot Assisted Driving Package by 2,100 RMB — Buyers Show No Sign of Resistance

BYD raised the price of its "God's Eye B" assisted driving laser radar package by 2,100 RMB (~21%) starting May 1, yet sales staff at multiple dealerships report that customer demand remains largely unaffected, signaling strong pricing power in China's intelligent driving market.

Unitree Robotics Enters South Korea with “Ordination” at Seoul’s Largest Buddhist Temple
Technology

Unitree Robotics Enters South Korea with “Ordination” at Seoul’s Largest Buddhist Temple

Unitree Robotics, China's leading humanoid robot company, has officially expanded into South Korea, with its G1 robot becoming the first humanoid robot to participate in a Buddhist ordination ceremony at Jogye Temple in Seoul, receiving the dharma name "Gabi."

Unitree Launches UniStore — the World’s First Humanoid Robot App Store, 24 Motion Apps Available at Launch
Technology

Unitree Launches UniStore — the World’s First Humanoid Robot App Store, 24 Motion Apps Available at Launch

Unitree Robotics has officially opened UniStore, a robot task-motion app store allowing users to download and install complex motion packages — including Jackson dance moves, Leeter Kune Do, and Charleston — onto their Unitree G1/H1/B2/Go2 robots with one tap from a phone app.

Vidu Claw Launches “100 RMB for Million-Dollar Commercials” Era: Prompt a Video in WeChat, Get a Theater-Grade Ad
Technology

Vidu Claw Launches “100 RMB for Million-Dollar Commercials” Era: Prompt a Video in WeChat, Get a Theater-Grade Ad

Vidu Claw, developed by Shengshu Technology, has introduced a Creator Plan that enables anyone to produce cinema-quality 30-second ads for roughly 100 RMB — a potential seismic disruption to the traditional advertising production industry that has historically required weeks and millions of dollars.

CUHK hospital to repay HK$4 billion public loan early, drawing on growing reserves
Business

CUHK hospital to repay HK$4 billion public loan early, drawing on growing reserves

University’s council chairman says Health Bureau informed of early repayment proposal for 2016 loan to non-profit-making private teaching hospital The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will dip into its reserves to repay a HK$4 billion (US$510.9 million) government loan owed by its debt-ridden private hospital, the institution’s council chairman has said. The finances of CUHK Medical Centre were on the agenda of Friday’s Legislative Council health panel meeting, but the discussion was rescheduled because the time was used up for other matters. Speaking to media after the meeting, council chairman John Chai Yat-chiu said his institution raised the early loan repayment proposal with the Health Bureau last month. “The extension of the repayment period approved last year has granted us the necessary breathing room to optimise our governance and operations, and I’m pleased to report that we have seen a turnaround,” he said. “At the same time, the returns from the university reserve fund have performed well over the past two years and led to an increase in our reserves.

Can India’s rice farmers reap from US$30 million Amazon carbon credit deal?
Business

Can India’s rice farmers reap from US$30 million Amazon carbon credit deal?

The pact promises green farming and methane emission cuts, but raises questions over payouts and corporate climate accountability The organisation, primarily backed by Bayer and in collaboration with GenZero and Shell, is designed to transform emissions-heavy rice cultivation in India through scientific advances. It helps thousands of smallholder farmers adopt climate-smart growing techniques that reduce water use and methane emissions from the vast rice crop. Studies have shown that improved water management and better nutrient practices can cut methane emissions from rice fields by 30 to 50 percent. With around 42 to 44 million hectares (108 million acres) under cultivation, India is the world’s top rice exporter and a major contributor to agricultural methane. The agreement is expected to secure around 685,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to local media.

Cathay Pacific to lower fuel surcharges for passenger flights by up to 14%
Business

Cathay Pacific to lower fuel surcharges for passenger flights by up to 14%

Decrease to take effect on May 16 and comes after airline raised surcharges due to higher fuel prices as Middle East war disrupted supplies Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will lower its fuel surcharge fees for passenger flights by as much as about 14 per cent from May 16, after a series of increases that began in March. For long-haul flights, the surcharge will fall from HK$1,560 (US$199) to HK$1,362 per leg of the trip. For shorter journeys, such as those between Hong Kong and South Asia, the rate will drop to HK$633, down from HK$725. For flights from mainland China to Hong Kong, the surcharge will remain at HK$135, while those going in the opposite direction will also stay at HK$165. In a statement on Friday, Cathay said: “To enable a more agile response to the volatile jet fuel prices due to the Middle East situation, we continue to review the fuel surcharge every two weeks to better capture jet fuel price movements in either upwards or downward direction. “This increased frequency is intended as a temporary measure and will be revisited when the Middle East situation stabilises.

Are China and Russia flexing their maritime muscle near Japan?
Business

Are China and Russia flexing their maritime muscle near Japan?

Tokyo’s recent tracking of three PLA Navy warships transiting Tsushima Strait comes amid heightened regional tensions The ministry said the Japanese force’s JS Ootaka conducted “alert surveillance and intelligence gathering” on the Chinese formation. The transit marked the return of part of a PLAN task group that had earlier entered the Sea of Japan, which in South Korea is known as the East Sea, via the Tsushima Strait at the end of last month. The Type 055 destroyer, designated “Renhai-class” by Nato, is a cruiser-sized vessel with robust air-defence, anti-submarine and surface-warfare capabilities. The Type 052D was designed to match the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. It is equipped with advanced radars and electronics comparable to the US Aegis system, as well as a 64-cell vertical-missile launcher.