TOP NEWS

* Chinese authorities approved 80 online video games for release Dec. 29 after indicating an end to the freeze earlier this month, Reuters reported. However, Tencent Holdings Ltd. did not own any of the approved titles.

* The rotating chairman of embattled telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said the company is prepared to prove itself by producing industry-leading products in the face of backlash from western countries concerned about the security of Chinese-made equipment. "Huawei has never and will never present a security threat," Chairman Guo Ping wrote. He pledged to make cybersecurity and privacy protection among the company's highest priorities for its hardware, software and services.

JAPAN

* Sony Corp. will increase its output of next-generation 3D sensors in response to a positive feedback from clients including Apple Inc., Bloomberg News reports.

* LINE Corp. will license its artificial intelligence text recognition software to third-party developers and will begin offering the technology from early 2019, The Nikkei reports.

SOUTH KOREA

* KT Corp. will compensate business owners who suffered network disturbance due to a fire-induced communications breakdown in November, ZDNet Korea reports. The plan to compensate will be rolled out in mid-January 2019.

* In other KT news, the telecom operator joined mobile healthcare solution provider Noom Inc. to launch the GiGA Genie Home Training Service on Jan. 1, 2019, Newsis reports. The AI-powered television service will help users to exercise at home.

* Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will launch the Galaxy A7 Juventus special edition smartphone Jan. 7, 2019, via the official online store of Italian soccer club Juventus Football Club SpA, ET News reports. The smartphone will retail for €349.99.

* The South Korean government pledged to expand the share of IT projects, which include AI, big data and cloud computing technologies, Yonhap News Agency reports. As part of the plan, the government will nurture 20,000 talents to lead advanced technology innovation by 2022.

CHINA, HONG KONG AND TAIWAN

* China will monitor social media accounts of government departments to promote the "orderly and healthy development" of new media domains and to establish a better connection with the public. The country's State Council said Dec. 27 that new guidelines have been formulated through which a responsive new media system will be set up by 2022.

* The Czech National Security Council reversed a warning issued by the country's cybersecurity regulator against the use of equipment made by Huawei Technologies, Telecompaper reports. Following a discussion on the matter, the council ruled that the warning had no basis from a technological perspective.

* Huawei Technologies and Changsha-based TV station mgtv.com Corp. signed an agreement to allow the Chinese smartphone manufacturer to stream MGTV's content on Huawei smartphones, Sina reports. The partnership will also see Huawei supplying the TV station with technologies including AI and targeted content distribution.

* ABC Technology, a Beijing-based AI startup, raised US$30 million in its series B funding round, 36Kr reports. ABC Technology's clients include Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. and Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China Ltd.

* Beijing is ramping up efforts to improve security and crack down on illegal subletting in public housing by putting more facial recognition-enabled smart locks in place, the South China Morning Post reports. All public housing projects in Beijing are expected to adopt the new face-scanning system by June 2019, which will involve collecting the facial information of 120,000 tenants.

INDIA AND SOUTH ASIA

* Indian multiplex chain operator PVR Cinemas is planning to raise up to 7.5 billion Indian rupees through the issue of securities to qualified institutional buyers. The proposal is subject to the approval of the shareholders.

* Vodafone Idea Ltd. appointed Krishnan Ramachandran as an additional director, qualifying as an independent director on the company's board for three years. The company said that the new director has "experience across wide range of assignments cutting across functions and industries."

SOUTHEAST ASIA

* MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of a Malaysian media and entertainment company ASTRO Holdings Sdn. Bhd., received a term loan of 300 million ringgit from AmBank (M) Bhd., The Edge Markets reports. The capital will be used for MEASAT's production, vendor financing and capital expenditure.

* Indonesian telco tower company PT Solusi Tunas Pratama Tbk, through its subsidiary PT Bit Teknologi Nusantara, partnered with Hitachi Vantara Corp. to offer cloud infrastructure, Kontan reports. The solution is targeted for enterprises that want to start their own cloud computing business.

* Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society urged state telco TOT Public Co. Ltd. to accelerate preparations for the country's fixed-line telephone number switchover from nine digits to 10 digits, Prachachat reports. The ministry warned that if TOT is not ready for the switchover by the Jan. 1, 2021, deadline, 3 million customers will be affected.

* Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency agreed on a list of 23 types of businesses which will be given investment incentives in the country's Eastern Economic Corridor for a period of five years, Manager reports. The list includes manufacturing businesses such as those producing automation technology and robot assembly systems.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

* Atomos Ltd., a Melbourne-based company that makes video camera add-ons, has begun trading on the Australian Securities Exchange, The Australian Financial Review reports. The company's trading debut follows a A$6 million IPO in which 14.6 million shares were sold.

The Daily Dose will not appear tomorrow due to the first day of January holiday in Hong Kong. The next Dose will be sent out Jan. 2. Please visit our website for the latest news updates, or check us out at https://twitter.com/SPGMarketIntel.

FEATURED NEWS

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FEATURED RESEARCH

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Joji Sakurai, Myungran Ha, Frances Wang, Kevin Osmond and Patrick Tibke contributed to this report. The Daily Dose has an editorial deadline of 7 a.m. Hong Kong time. Some external links may require a subscription. Links are current as of publication time, and we are not responsible if those links are unavailable later.