push_pin Krystal News Krystal Institute Founder Raymond D. Neoh to Address World Industrialisation Congress at University of Cambridge
push_pin Partners Krystal Institute Affiliate Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Future Design School of Harbin Institute of Technology, Driving Innovation in China's Digital Creativity Foundational Technologies
push_pin Partners China-Africa Development Fund collaborates with Krystal Institute Affiliate to implement a digital innovation technology education project
Uncategorized CG Global Entertainment (CGGE) and Jilin Animation Institute Launch a Strategic Partnership for Creative AI and Industry–Education Collaboration
Krystal News Future Creators AI × Blender International Creative Summer Camp Concludes Successfully │ Young Creators from Multiple Countries Gather in Hong Kong to Explore AI and 3D Creation
Krystal News Eastern Light and Shadow Shining in the Alps — A Chronicle of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Krystal News Krystal Institute's affiliate company, CGGE Hosts China's First Penpot Community Meetup at Shenzhen University, Spotlighting Penpot Certification & AI-Empowered Open-Source Design
Krystal News 11-Year-Old’s Wonderful Blender Journey! The Oscar-Winning Flow Team Personally Gives Him an Autographed Gift
Partners Shenzhen University Partners with Krystal Institute Affiliate: Jointly Building a Collaborative Platform for Creative Intelligence Industries, Partnering to Create a New Future Ecosystem
Krystal News China's AI Summit Concludes: IAICC & BCON 2025, Shenzhen Dual Conferences Successfully Completed, Gathering Over 1,500 Attendees to Chart New Blueprints for Creative Intelligence
Curfew and alcohol ban for US troops on Okinawa US forces on Okinawa were on Wednesday barred from drinking alcohol for 48 hours and also face a 30-day curfew after the murder of a woman allegedly committed by an American Marine. The case has triggered outrage in Japan, where any crimes involving US forces have long inflamed criticism of the troops' presence. Benjamin T. Watson, Okinawa area coordinator and commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, announced a "complete prohibition of alcohol consumption on or off base" starting Wednesday. He also announced a 30-day "period of reflection" beginning Friday, where "we will implement a curfew in which liberty will expire at 2400 for all hands". Watson said that the 48-hour period — described as "an operational pause" would give commanders the time to lead training with all service members on "standards, discipline, and our responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community". During this period, operations will cease and "we will not allow off-base liberty", said Watson, the most senior military figure on Okinawa. Police said Sunday that a US Marine stationed on Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the city of Naha and stealing her wallet. Local media reported she was choked to death and that the Marine is denying the allegations. (AFP) Edited by Tony Sabine
India's central bank hikes interest rate to 5.5pc The Indian central bank raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 percent on Wednesday, marking the first rise in nearly four years amid mounting inflation and strong economic growth. India has joined major central banks in raising rates as higher oil prices triggered by the Iran war fuel inflation, squeeze purchasing power and weigh on currencies. Weak monsoon rains linked to El Niño have compounded price pressures in Asia's third-largest economy. The six-member rate panel voted unanimously in favour of the rate hike. The monetary policy stance was changed to "calibrated tightening" from "neutral". It is clear that the outlook for inflation is no longer benign, Governor Sanjay Malhotra said in his policy address. Nearly 60 percent of economists in a Reuters poll expected a 25 bps increase in the repo rate. Consumer inflation accelerated in August to 4.82 percent from a year earlier, above the Reserve Bank of India's four percent medium-term target for a third consecutive month. Higher prices of fuel and food are now rippling through the economy with nearly half of the consumer basket seeing inflation above four percent. At the same time, economic growth remains strong, giving the central bank greater leeway to raise the cost of borrowing for consumers and businesses. GDP growth for the April-June quarter stood at 7.8 percent, well above the central bank's forecast of seven percent. (Reuters) Edited by Tony Sabine
'Rural development a vast opportunity for HK business' The chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Jonathan Choi, says placing rural modernisation at the centre of national development offers immense opportunities for Hong Kong businesses. Priorities on revitalising rural areas are outlined in the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan for the 2026-2030 period, which maps out initiatives to accelerate rural modernisation, develop countryside leisure tourism, and provide incentives for rural entrepreneurship. In 2023, Choi began participating in poverty alleviation work in Malipo County in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province, where he invested in a modern tea factory to standardise local production. The tea products have since been presented as national gifts during state visits and showcased at the United Nations. Speaking on RTHK’s “Vision 15: Hong Kong's Chapter” programme, Choi, also a Standing Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stressed that Hong Kong merchants should seize the opportunity to expand or relocate their operations to rural areas on the mainland. “You can set up a tea factory, you can set up a coffee factory. You can set up many food factories. If you're in manufacturing, you can bring Hong Kong's light industry there. Because land over there is cheap, labour is cheap, and other resources are also quite cheap,” he said. “It’s really industrial relocation: they can be relocated from the Pearl River Delta to more remote places. So the urbanisation of rural areas benefits the local area, and for Hong Kong businesses, it is also a development opportunity.” Choi added that Hong Kong businesses can also play a vital role in helping mainland talent and products go global. Edited by Tony Sabine
'Rural development a vast opportunity for HK business' The chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Jonathan Choi, says placing rural modernisation at the centre of national development offers immense opportunities for Hong Kong businesses. Priorities on revitalising rural areas are outlined in the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan for the 2026-2030 period, which maps out initiatives to accelerate rural modernisation, develop countryside leisure tourism, and provide incentives for rural entrepreneurship. In 2023, Choi began participating in poverty alleviation work in Malipo County in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province, where he invested in a modern tea factory to standardise local production. The tea products have since been presented as national gifts during state visits and showcased at the United Nations. Speaking on RTHK’s “Vision 15: Hong Kong's Chapter” programme, Choi, also a Standing Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stressed that Hong Kong merchants should seize the opportunity to expand or relocate their operations to rural areas on the mainland. “You can set up a tea factory, you can set up a coffee factory. You can set up many food factories. If you're in manufacturing, you can bring Hong Kong's light industry there. Because land over there is cheap, labour is cheap, and other resources are also quite cheap,” he said. “It’s really industrial relocation: they can be relocated from the Pearl River Delta to more remote places. So the urbanisation of rural areas benefits the local area, and for Hong Kong businesses, it is also a development opportunity.” Choi added that Hong Kong businesses can also play a vital role in helping mainland talent and products go global. Edited by Tony Sabine
Victoria Park fast-food stall fetches $280k at auction Bidding for stalls at the Victoria Park Chinese New Year Fair began on Wednesday, with a fast-food stall near the Tin Hau entrance fetching the highest price of HK$280,000. The fair will feature about 400 stalls, including four fast-food units. The remaining three fast-food stalls were sold for between HK$150,000 and HK$260,000. The reserve price for fast-food stalls was set at around HK$120,000. A total of 14 Chinese New Year fairs will be held across the territory, running from January 31 to February 6 next year. More than 1,500 stalls will be available, with bidding taking place in phases from Wednesday until October 29. Edited by Tony Sabine
Legco debate on policy blueprints begins A three-day debate on motions involving Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address began in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. In his opening remarks, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said implementing the five-year plan is a complex undertaking, promising that the government would take the initiative and act proactively to deliver tangible results. “Implementing Hong Kong's five-year plan is a massive and complex project. Only with a robust implementation framework can this grand blueprint be turned into real results. The government will take the lead, be proactive, and work alongside every sector of society to fully drive the plan forward,” he said. “At the same time, we will use the Policy Address as our annual agenda for implementing the five-year plan, translating the macro direction, strategic goals, and development framework into actionable policy measures that deliver visible progress.” Chan added that when the chief executive delivers his annual duty visit report to the central government, he would also outline progress on the five-year plan, review performance, and put forward recommendations for improvement. The Budget, Chan noted, would provide the necessary financial resources to execute the plan while adhering to the principle of maintaining fiscal sustainability. The three-day debate is split into six sessions, each focusing on a distinct policy theme. Wednesday's discussion centred on strengthening the city’s traditional four centres, developing Hong Kong into an international home for top-tier talent, and consolidating its global competitive edges. Lawmakers have each been allocated a total of 20 minutes across the sessions to share their views on the two policy blueprints. Edited by Tony Sabine
Kenya confirms first case of ebola as patient dies Kenya confirmed its first ebola case after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo died in Nairobi. Kenya is the fourth country to record a case linked to the ebola epidemic in eastern Congo, the second largest on record with more than 8,000 cases. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier in the year but was declared ebola-free in August. A doctor who returned to France in June from Congo tested positive but there was no further spread of the virus. The Kenyan patient, who had lived in Congo for seven years, had been ill for about a month before travelling by road from Congo to Uganda's capital, Kampala, and then flying to Nairobi on Saturday, Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale told a news conference. After arriving at Nairobi's international airport, he passed through health screening and was later taken by a relative to Nairobi Hospital. He was admitted with fever, chills and bleeding beneath the skin and was quickly placed in isolation, Duale said. He died late on Monday. Eight of his family members and 21 healthcare workers who attended to him have been quarantined and are being monitored, Kenyan President William Ruto's office said. The patient was buried under protocols designed to prevent further spread of the virus, Ruto's office said. Health authorities are trying to trace 23 passengers and four crew members who were on his Jambojet flight, Duale said. The health minister said Kenya had trained nearly 5,000 health workers across the country on prevention and management and the UN's senior ebola coordinator, Julien Harneis, told Reuters he expected a "solid health response" from Kenya to manage the disease. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in a statement that it was immediately sending a high-level team to Kenya to provide support, adding that the case "underscores the importance of sustained preparedness across the region". World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that the WHO was supporting the Kenyan and Ugandan governments and recommended against any travel restrictions on countries affected by the outbreak. Nevertheless, the incident raised questions about measures meant to prevent the spread of the virus across borders. The outbreak in Congo was declared in mid-May but may have started months earlier. Caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, it has been blamed for more than 4,000 deaths. (Reuters) Edited by Altis Wong
Veteran US prosecutor to review Cornell gang rape case Cornell University on Tuesday named a former top US prosecutor to assess the elite college's handling of an alleged 2024 gang rape of a student that has provoked national outrage. The incident, as alleged in a graphic lawsuit filed last month, has drawn accusations that the Ivy League institution in New York state failed to properly punish the men involved. Cornell said that Sally Yates, who served as deputy US attorney general from 2015 to 2017 and briefly led the Justice Department, would conduct a "detailed review" of the university's response to the rape allegations. The accuser, referred to as Jane Doe, has claimed she was "pressured... into snorting" ketamine, assaulted and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, a social club for male students. Following her initial allegations in 2024, Cornell shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the accused male students, two of whom were later expelled. But critics have said the university's response was too lenient, prompting it to launch an independent review. "It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigour we expect of others," Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the university's board of trustees, said in a statement. "We want to understand not just what happened in 2024, but how Cornell can become a leader in preventing sexual violence, supporting those who come forward and responding to allegations rigorously, fairly and compassionately," she said. Thousands of students and faculty members rallied on Monday at Cornell to demand justice for the accuser, displaying signs reading "Hold them accountable" and "Protect survivors." Meanwhile, social media users have shown support by sharing the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe on TikTok, X and Instagram. A criminal investigation into the alleged gang rape was reopened last week, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointing the state's top prosecutor, Attorney General Letitia James, to lead the case. That came after local authorities said they declined to prosecute in 2024 because the complainant's testimony did not establish a lack of consent. In the United States, one in four female undergraduates reported forced sexual contact or sexual contact for which they could not consent, according to a 2020 study of 33 institutions by the Association of American Universities. (AFP) Edited by Cecil Wong
