Could Nvidia scandal put Malaysia’s AI boom in US crosshairs?

Tech titan Jensen Huang, dressed in his signature leather jacket, has always carried the charisma of a rock star during his public appearances around the world. That allure runs deep in South Korea, where he has had viral dinners at local fried chicken joints as onlookers jostled for a glimpse of the AI chip visionary. But that admiration turned to dejection for some fans in the East Asian nation after Nvidia announced on Thursday that Huang had resigned as CEO amid reports of three extramarital...

The two court-appointed administrators overseeing Nexperia said on Thursday they would sound out investors on a majority or minority stake in the Dutch chipmaker, a week after its Chinese owner Wingtech rejected their proposal to hand control of its operations outside China to foreign investors. “We have decided to assess market interest in possible long-term solutions for Nexperia,” Guido Dierick and Arnold Croiset van Uchelen said in a statement. “No decision has currently been taken to reduce...

US ambassador to Singapore Anjani Sinha was among dozens of individuals who allegedly “reaped immense benefits” after helping to fund President Donald Trump’s political operations and pet projects, according to an American think tank. Sinha donated US$1 million to Trump’s political action committee, Maga Inc, in February last year and was nominated as ambassador to Singapore the following month, according to the Centre for American Progress (CAP), citing the Campaign Legal Centre, a non-profit...

Jensen Huang’s abrupt resignation stunned some Nvidia staff in China and raised questions about the future of the US chipmaker’s operations in a market its co-founder had spent years cultivating, according to company sources. “It’s the end of an era. I really don’t understand why Huang was asked to resign – no one benefits from him stepping down,” one Nvidia employee in China said, declining to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media. A second employee said colleagues looked...

Seven Chinese tourists, a dozen villagers and a couple of journalists forded streams and bushwhacked to the downed plane of Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese admiral. Machetes proved handy.

Drones could save Thai farmers fortunes in fertiliser and water management as a “super El Nino” withers harvests – while also mapping flood risks and safely scouring vast industrial sites, from oil rigs to solar farms, for damage. Yet across Southeast Asia, Thailand is still heavily reliant on Chinese hardware to bring the technology into its economy, creating a price gap that prevents the benefits of drone technology from being shared equally. Thailand is pushing hard on tech adoption to help...

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in China, Jessica Zhang chose to look for work in Japan. She is now studying Japanese at a language school in Kyoto on a student visa while working as a supermarket cashier. She plans to improve her Japanese to an upper-intermediate level, which many employers expect, before applying for a full-time job and switching to a work visa. “I’m working by the hour now, and the pay is quite good by Chinese standards, though prices for daily necessities in Japan...

China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is betting that a relentless data centre buildout will keep artificial intelligence computing power in short supply for the next two years. The bullish forecast comes as scrutiny over former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang threatens to intensify Washington’s curbs on Chinese access to advanced American processors – a shift that could accelerate China’s reliance on domestic foundries. “By the middle to the second half of 2028 …...

The woman who conspired to abuse four-year-old Megan Khung, then later helped dispose of the child’s corpse, was sentenced to 13 years’ jail on Friday. Passing the sentence on Nouvelle Chua Ruoshi at the High Court, Justice S Mohan said the case arose from “a series of heinous and inhumane acts” committed against Megan Khung. The High Court judge said that it was “imperative that court sent the strongest signal” to the public that any person involved in cases where children suffer abuse will be...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO amid affairs scandal Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive officer and board member of the AI chip giant Nvidia with immediate effect, the firm announced on Thursday, amid media...

Air India’s new CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, is drawing on his experience revitalising Ethiopian Airlines to turn around the unprofitable Indian carrier, as aviation analysts say replicating his success with a far more complex airline would be difficult. Barely a month into the job, the Ethiopian has set about cutting costs and rebalancing the airline’s international network, seeking to restore profitability while pursuing an ambitious expansion strategy. His plans include shifting more flights to...