China’s drone arms race, Hong Kong’s 5 types of ‘finance bro’, Malaysia Covid inquest: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

Hong Kong travellers will have to accept higher air fares for the foreseeable future with ticket prices unlikely to fall to pre-pandemic levels as the industry’s costs have risen exponentially, a top Cathay Pacific Airways executive has said.

3. Chinese scientists create ‘faster, more energy efficient’ AI chip

Chinese scientists have produced a chip that is significantly faster and more energy efficient than current high-performance AI chips when it comes to performing some tasks such as image recognition and autonomous driving, according to a new study.

4. The 5 types of ‘finance bro’ — a visual guide to help you identify them

As an international finance hub, Hong Kong has an abundance of “finance bros” – a slang term for men who work in the highly competitive banking and finance industries. Take a look at the five types.

5. Malaysia faces heat over faulty ventilators bought ‘on WhatsApp’ during Covid

Malaysia’s government is facing calls to investigate why tens of millions of dollars were squandered on faulty ventilators and vaccines which were never used during the Covid-19 pandemic, after a parliamentary report catalogued “chaotic” state spending, including purchases made without contracts over WhatsApp.

6. Is South Korea ‘deliberately avoiding’ Thai tourists by sending them back?

Many Thais who head to South Korea have come under scrutiny in recent months despite holding valid documents, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.

7. Not a fake: delight online as viral China meme, Jiafei, revealed as real person

People online in China who assumed the hugely popular 2021 TikTok meme, Jiafei, was an artificial intelligence fake have been astonished to learn the iconic profile belongs to a real person.