Apple Restores Telegram to App Store After Content Policy Violation 
Asian Stocks Slip as AI Rally Fades, Oil Holds Steady on Iran Peace Deal Hopes 
Sinopec Boosts Russian ESPO Oil Purchases as Middle East Supply Tightens 
BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise Ahead of September Meeting 
SpaceX Earnings Preview: Bernstein Says 4 Key Factors Will Drive Long-Term Valuation 
Oil Prices Set for Steep Weekly Losses as Hormuz Deal Stalls 
Nvidia to Invest Up to $3 Billion in Blackstone-Backed Lancium 
SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns 
Moderna Wins FDA Approval for mFLUSIVA mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50+ 
Nvidia Seen Beating Q2 Targets as Vera Rubin Cycle Begins 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Iran Hormuz Deal and Earnings Shape Market Sentiment 
Oil Prices Slip as Hormuz Shipping Progress and Rising U.S. Crude Stocks Weigh on Market 
SanDisk Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as Q1 Revenue Outlook Meets Expectations 
Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as FY2027 Outlook Tops Expectations 
US Stock Futures Rise as Markets Await July Payrolls Data 
Asian Stocks Slide as Semiconductor Selloff Weighs on South Korea and Japan 
Asian Stocks Cautious Ahead of US Jobs Data as Oil Rises 
China's Baidu has obtained Hong Kong's first autonomous vehicle testing license, allowing its Apollo robotaxi to operate on designated roads, signaling its ambitions to expand robotaxi services globally.
Baidu Expands Apollo Robotaxi Testing to Hong Kong
Baidu is expanding its reach beyond China's mainland, has secured a permit to conduct autonomous vehicle testing in Hong Kong via its Apollo robotaxi service, Reuters reports.
The Transport Department of Hong Kong said on Friday that Baidu Apollo International Ltd has been given the green light to test out ten autonomous vehicles in North Lantau.
In the first stage, the statement states that only one self-driving car may operate on certain road sections at a time, and that the license will be valid from December 9, 2024, to December 8, 2029.
It further stated that in the event that the primary operator is unable to continue operating the vehicle, a backup operator will be present during the experiment.
Hong Kong Pushes Autonomous Vehicle Trials
Although the government of Hong Kong has been pushing for autonomous vehicles since at least 2017, it wasn't until March of this year that they authorized more extensive experiments, including on public roads, according to new regulatory regulations.
The Hong Kong government has issued its first pilot license following the implementation of the new regulatory framework.
Baidu Secures First International Testing Permit
Additionally, this was the first authorization for Baidu to test autonomous vehicles outside of mainland China that is known to exist, Yahoo Finance points out
Among the many Chinese locations where the company's robotaxi service Apollo Go is available, Wuhan in central China boasts the biggest fleet of almost 400 cars.
Plans for Global Expansion as Competition Heats Up
In response to the intensifying rivalry to commercialize autonomous vehicles, Baidu is reportedly planning to expand the reach of its robotaxi service beyond mainland China, targeting markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East, as reported last month by the Wall Street Journal.
