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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceXiaomi: Electric car buyers told they face six-month waitPublished52 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Mariko OiBusiness reporterJust days after Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi launched its first electric vehicle (EV), buyers have been told they may have to wait up to six months for their car to be delivered.Screen grabs on Chinese social media show the firm advising buyers it could take 27 weeks to deliver the SU7 Max.The company previously said pre-orders had hit 88,898 within 24 hours of it starting to take orders on Thursday.Xiaomi did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.The technology giant, which is the third-largest seller of smartphones in the world with a market share of about 12%, is taking on EV rivals including Tesla and BYD in the world’s biggest market for cars.The standard SU7 model is priced at 215,900 yuan ($29,872; £23,663) and the Max version costs 299,900 yuan.The starting price in China for Tesla’s Model 3 is 245,900 yuan. The SU7, which has drawn comparisons with Porsche’s Taycan and Panamera models, has a minimum range of 700km (435 miles), beating the Tesla Model 3’s 567km.As part of its campaign to promote the SU7, Xiaomi also released special versions of the car called the Founder’s Edition, that come with free gifts, such as fridges.On Sunday, the technology giant’s chief executive Lei Jun said in a Weibo post that it would open a second round of sales for the Founder’s Edition.The firm is hoping that the SU7’s shared operating system with its phones, laptops and other devices will appeal to existing customers.Xiaomi’s EVs are made by a unit of state-owned car manufacturer BAIC Group at a plant in Beijing that can produce as many as 200,000 vehicles a year.But the move comes as sales growth of EVs has slowed globally, triggering a price war.Tesla, which is headed by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, has cut the cost of its cars in China by thousands of dollars in recent months as local rivals like the world’s top-selling EV maker BYD have slashed prices.In an indication of the challenges facing technology firms who want to make electric cars, iPhone maker Apple last month reportedly cancelled its plans to build an EV.Last week, BYD posted record annual profits but said growth had slowed towards the end of last year.Shanghai-based electric car maker Nio also lowered its forecast for first quarter deliveries as consumers tightened spending as China’s economic growth weakens.American EV giant Tesla is due to announce its delivery numbers for the first three months of 2024 this week. Shares in Tesla fell by almost 30% in the first quarter.Xiaomi has said it will invest $10bn (£7.9bn) in its vehicles business over the next 10 years.Related TopicsInternational BusinessXiaomiChinaElectric carsChina economyTop StoriesAnti-Netanyahu protesters bring political splits back on showPublished6 hours agoTurkish opposition stuns Erdogan with local elections winPublished16 minutes ago’Facebook scammer tricked his way into our home’Published5 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘King’s strength’ and ‘agonising A&E waits’Scotland’s new hate crime law… in 90 seconds. VideoScotland’s new hate crime law… in 90 secondsWhy morning light is so crucial to your health. VideoWhy morning light is so crucial to your healthFree childcare hours expands to two-year-olds’Finding out I was autistic saved my life’A baby gorilla’s journey in search of a mum. 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[ad_1] The firm previously said SU7 pre-orders had hit 88,898 within 24 hours of it starting to take orders.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael Gaza: Large number of gunshot wounds among those injured in aid convoy rush – UNPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Palestinians wounded in the rush on the aid convoy resting at al-Shifa HospitalBy Christy CooneyBBC NewsMany of the people treated for injuries following a rush on an aid convoy in Gaza on Thursday suffered gunshot wounds, the UN has said.UN observers visited Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital and saw some of the roughly 200 people still being treated.Hamas, which governs Gaza, has accused Israel of firing at civilians, but Israel said most died in a stampede after its troops fired warning shots.Leaders around the world have called for a full investigation.The incident unfolded after hundreds of people descended on an aid convoy as it moved along a coastal road, accompanied by the Israeli military, in the early hours of Thursday morning. The World Food Programme has warned that a famine is imminent in northern Gaza, which has received very little aid in recent weeks, and where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water.What video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid dropBiden treads carefully through Middle East minefieldBiden hopes for Gaza ceasefire by start of RamadanIn footage from the scene, volleys of gunfire can be heard and people are seen scrambling over lorries and ducking behind the vehicles.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said that at least 112 people were killed in the incident and that another 760 were injured. In a statement on social media, Danial Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said, “Dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling.”Lt Col Peter Lerner also told Channel 4 News that a “mob stormed the convoy” and that Israeli troops “cautiously [tried] to disperse the mob with a few warning shots”.Mark Regev, special adviser to the Israeli prime minister, had earlier told CNN that Israel had not been involved directly in any way and that the gunfire had come from “Palestinian armed groups”, though he did not provide evidence. On Friday, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for UN chief António Guterres, said a UN team had visited al-Shifa Hospital earlier the same day and seen “a large number of gunshot wounds” among the survivors.He said he was not aware of the team having examined the bodies of any of the people who were killed. Dr Mohamed Salha, interim hospital manager at al-Awda hospital, previously told the BBC that al-Awda had received 176 of the injured, of whom 142 had bullet wounds. He added that the others had suffered broken limbs in the stampede. Responding to the incident, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron called the deaths “horrific” and said there “must be an urgent investigation and accountability”.”This must not happen again,” he said.He added that the incident could not be separated from the “inadequate aid supplies” entering Gaza and called the current levels “simply unacceptable”.US President Joe Biden announced that the US would begin dropping aid into Gaza by air, saying: “Innocent people got caught in a terrible war, unable to feed their families. We need to do more, and the United States will do more.”Israel military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and others – after its gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 30,000 people, including 21,000 children and women, have been killed in Gaza since then with some 7,000 missing and at least 70,450 injured.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Devastation after dozens killed at Gaza aid dropRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warUnited NationsHumanitarian aidMore on this storyMore than 100 killed in crowd near Gaza aid convoyPublished1 day agoBiden hopes for Gaza ceasefire by start of RamadanPublished7 hours agoTop StoriesUN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injuredPublished3 hours agoBiden treads carefully through Middle East minefieldPublished8 hours agoRents soar in commuter towns as tenants priced out of citiesPublished10 hours agoFeaturesWhat video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid dropBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesThe Papers: ‘Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’Black country singers: ‘We’re tolerated, not celebrated’The two faces of Robert F Kennedy JrJools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally number oneHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Listen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street Speech. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, The Singapore leg of the Eras tour has Swifties flying in from around the regionBy Frances Maoin SingaporeIn the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the sequins are out, limousines polished and hotel pillows plumped.The city’s hosting Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this week – an honour, but one that has come at a cost.That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.Culture minister Edwin Tong has since told Singapore’s CNA the figure was “nowhere as high” – although he still refused to be drawn on the exact figure. The broadcaster, however, suggested it may have been just $2m for all six.But the fact any money had been spent only came to light after an outburst from the prime minister of Thailand, who accused Singapore of paying concert organisers US$2-3m per night.That triggered criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticised the move, saying “this isn’t what good neighbours do” – and called for a formal protest against the grant.But while governments are seeing red – it’s the fans who are paying the price, literally.Swift is heard everywhere across South East Asia, home to roughly 700 million people – from alleyways in Ho Chi Minh to taxi cabs in Bangkok. So for many it was a punch in the guts to learn all six shows would be held in the region’s most expensive city.Singapore’s currency – one of the strongest in Asia – has long been a deterrent for visitors. But for a chance to see their idol, many of her fans are willing to grin and bear it.Look what you made me doFlight-loads of fans have been touching down at Singapore’s Changi Airport all week, many coming from China and its territories.Swift isn’t playing in China so Singapore is the next best thing for many.One woman flying in from Shenzhen told the BBC she and her friend had spent S$1,200 each on tickets alone. They’ve resorted to camping at a friend’s house after hotel rates across the city surged.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Taylor Swift in Sao PauloOn the luxe end of things, the city’s landmark hotel Marina Bay Sands has sold out of its S$50,000 Swift packages which included four VIP tickets and a three-night stay in a suite.Then there’s 22-year-old Allen Dungca in the Philippines, who scraped together his wages to take him and his mother to Singapore.This Thursday, they’ll take a four-hour bus ride to Manila, stay at an airport motel for the night, then grab their dawn flight the next day.The enterprising student snapped up the travel package back in July. He eventually tracked down the tickets on a resale night, after weeks of desperate hunting.”I am very lucky,” he says of the S$400 outlay for seats in the nosebleed section. “The seller was kind and not a scalper.” Resales now are going for thousands. And he had almost fallen for a scam, a shady character named Pat Steve, later exposed online. He estimates the whole endeavour is costing him S$2,000 – the monthly income of an upper-middle class family in the Philippines, a country where a fifth of the population lives under the poverty line.”Right now, I’m a student with a part-time job and I can afford my wants and needs. But it’s sad, other Swifties don’t have any means or budget to watch her overseas and I know most Filipino Swifties love her so much.”The Philippines arguably has the most ardent Swift fan base – Spotify data showed Quezon City in Manila had played the most streams of the singer last year.The Filipino Swiftie drag queen dazzling AsiaThe pop star has toured in the Philippines before – but the bag of money from Singapore undoubtedly sweetened the deal, say analysts.Clean, modern Singapore has long been seen as a base in the region for big events. It has the infrastructure, the transport links and a high-earning, expat-heavy population. Image source, EPAImage caption, Swift-themed water and light shows on the bay are among the city’s Swiftie attractions this weekIt’s also seen as reliably stable in a region which has experienced political chaos. A decade ago Swift cancelled her shows in Thailand because of the military coup and resulting protests.Still, while it’s common for governments around the world to give out subsidies and tax breaks to bring in events, the reported spend goes beyond anything else publicly known in Singapore.Samer Hajjar, a marketing lecturer at the National University of Singapore, says it’s “above average” even for the city-state.And fans are quite blunt. “It’s kinda greedy,” says Mr Dunga. “But it’s wise… because their economic response will be way more than that.”But will it be though?Show me the moneyIn Australia, the leg of the tour preceding Singapore, officials suggested the tour had provided a A$145m “uplift” in consumer spending. More than 570,000 tickets were sold across seven nights in Sydney and Melbourne, nearly double the number sold for Singapore’s six shows.But not all of that money counts, says economists.More than 90% of show-goers were probably local, estimates KPMG’s chief economist Dr Brendan Rynne, so their dollars would be “just a transfer from one category of spending (or saving) to another”.Only foreign visitors would have been adding to the books – and they accounted for just 2% of visitors, he estimated. After doing the maths he projected Swift had added only A$10m (£5.1m; $6.5m) to GDP.Still, Australia didn’t use public funds to have Swift play in the country, state government officials confirmed to the BBC. Neither did Japan, the only other Asian stop on the tour.What does Taylor mania mean for the globe? Singapore has said Swift’s tour will bring certain economic benefits to the country.But just how much net gain will be generated is unclear. The BBC has reached out to Singapore’s tourism board but they have refused to reveal foreign visitor estimates or other modelling. A local bank, Maybank, has suggested that consumer spending may top S$350m – but that’s based on the very optimistic prediction of 70% of attendees being from out of town.Even Singapore’s Formula One Grand Prix only saw 49% of spectators from overseas in 2022, with a record 300,000 crowd.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Singapore’s F1 Grand Prix brings thousands of overseas visitors each yearWhen pressed on the numbers, Maybank’s economist Erica Tay could not provide specifics, saying the 70% rate was based on Singapore’s “potential catchment” and the bank was not interested in estimating net profit.”Six concerts may not move a nation’s economic growth materially, but the strategic value of Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Singapore as a tourism destination outweighs that one-off boost,” she said.But business professor Julien Cayla from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University points out that public spend should be scrutinised – especially when it’s only revealed to citizens by another country’s government.And in a country where welfare benefits are relatively limited – it could be seen as a fraught spend.”To justify spending [reportedly] S$24 million on something that on the surface might not seem that critical to the economic health of the country over spending on people and public services… there’s a tension there,” Prof Cayla said.Nonetheless he and others say that when it comes to planning tourism, governments have mandate to throw around money and Singapore isn’t an exception. “They don’t necessarily like to advertise it. But the minute the government sees something that fits into a long-term strategy, it will sink government money in to support that,” he says.In a way, Singapore has just brought in Swift the same way it currently attracts huge multinational corporations.”What’s different here is that Taylor Swift as a business, is a very emotional business,” he said.”It’s dealing with the emotions of 10-18 year olds, who are very sad to not see the concert happening in Bangkok or Jakarta.”And in the words of the songstress herself, that’s caused a lot of bad blood.Related TopicsSingaporeTaylor SwiftAsiaPop musicUnited StatesMore on this storyWhat does Taylor mania mean for the globe?Published12 FebruaryThe Taylor Swift drag tribute dazzling AsiaPublished22 FebruaryWhat’s next for Taylor Swift in 2024?Published27 December 2023Super Bowl most watched US show since Moon landingPublished13 FebruaryDisney boss bets on Taylor Swift and FortnitePublished8 FebruaryTop StoriesHow more than 100 Gazans were killed at a food aid dropPublished5 hours agoSeven hostages killed in Gaza, Hamas saysPublished3 hours agoHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Published8 hours agoFeaturesHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Listen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street Speech. 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