8:00 am, 1 Krypton｜Hema responds to the incident of using salt instead of sugar in strawberry cake production; Wanda Group has a resumed enforcement case worth 1.7 billion yuan; The State Taxation Administration: Platforms are strictly prohibited from shifting tax-related obligations to delivery workers.

Today's Hot News Guide

• Oil prices will be lowered on the evening of December 8th. You can save $2 when filling up a tank of gas.
• Luoyonghao said he is willing to make the world's best AI mobile phones.
• X was fined $140 million, and Musk responded.
• The prices of the iPhone 17 Pro series have been reduced.
• Due to order issues caused by panic buying, Fat Donglai stopped selling the small sugar - cube rings.

Top 3 Big News

HEMA Responds to Issues with Strawberry Cake: Approximately 60 Servings Sold

On December 8th, the topic "HEMA Admits to Issues in Producing Strawberry Cake" trended on social media. Some consumers reported that the strawberry cake had a salty taste. In response, HEMA's customer service stated that after verification, the taste of the product was affected by an operational deviation in individual ingredients. Approximately 60 servings of the affected product were sold in 7 stores. HEMA sincerely apologized for this incident, completed the investigation and adjustment at the first time, and is currently conducting customer follow - ups and providing compensation for the products already sold in the local area. (Yicai Global)

Dalian Wanda Group Restored to Enforcement with 1.7 Billion Yuan

Recently, Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd., Wanda Real Estate Group Co., Ltd. and other companies have added one piece of information about restored enforcement. The enforcement target is more than 1.7 billion yuan, and the enforcement court is the People's Court of Gansu Mining Area.

Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. was established in September 1992. Its legal representative is Wang Jianlin, and its registered capital is 1 billion yuan. Its business scope includes investment and operation of commercial real estate, investment and operation of hotel construction, investment and operation of chain department stores, investment and operation of cultural industries such as cinema chains, etc. Shareholder information shows that the company is jointly held by Dalian Hexing Investment Co., Ltd. and Wang Jianlin. Risk information shows that currently, the company has more than 10 pieces of information about being an enforced person, and the total amount of enforcement exceeds 6.9 billion yuan. (Cover News)

State Tax Administration: Platform enterprises are strictly prohibited from shifting tax-related obligations to various "delivery guys" and other personnel and increasing their burdens

On December 8th, at a regular press conference held by the State Taxation Administration, Lian Qifeng, the director of the Administration and Technology Development Department of the State Taxation Administration, stated that in June this year, the State Council announced the "Regulations on the Submission of Tax-related Information by Internet Platform Enterprises". Currently, more than 7,000 domestic and foreign platform enterprises have actively fulfilled their obligations to submit tax-related information.

Lian Qifeng said that after the implementation of the regulations, individuals engaged in convenient labor activities such as delivery, transportation, and housekeeping services within the platform do not need to submit their income information. Platforms must not deduct additional fees in disguise during the process of withholding and paying taxes, or use this opportunity to shift tax-related obligations and increase their burdens. The tax authorities will further strengthen supervision in the follow - up. (The Paper)

Large Companies/ Major Events

Fat Donglai Stops Selling Sugar Cube Rings Due to Order Issues Caused by Rush Purchases

On December 7th, many netizens posted a notice from Fat Donglai Jewelry regarding the suspension of sales of sugar cube rings: Thank you all customers for your continuous love and support for the sugar cube rings. Currently, all the inventory of this product has been sold out. Moreover, recently, the on - site order issues caused by rush purchases have posed potential risks to shopping safety. To effectively safeguard the rights and safety of customers and create a good shopping environment, the sales of sugar cube rings will be suspended from now on. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this adjustment. (Cover News)

Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Hits Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially determined that a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred at 22:15 on December 8th in the sea area near the east of Honshu, Japan (41.00°N, 142.35°E), with a focal depth of 50 kilometers.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning, predicting that tsunamis up to 3 meters high may hit some sea areas, and calling on residents along the coast to be highly vigilant. Japan's NHK TV interrupted regular programs and switched to emergency live broadcasts, repeatedly reminding local residents to evacuate to safe areas as soon as possible. (Dahe Daily)

PepsiCo: To Reduce Product Varieties in the U.S. Market by 20% Before Early Next Year

On December 8 local time, PepsiCo announced a series of business adjustment measures. It mentioned that the company will cut operating costs and improve operational efficiency, and use the savings generated to increase investment in areas such as advertising and marketing. PepsiCo said that it has closed three manufacturing plants and several production lines this year, and plans to reduce the product varieties in the U.S. market by nearly 20% before early next year. (Jiemian News)

Luo Yonghao Says He's Willing to Develop the World's Best AI Phone

On the stage of GeekPark IF 2026, Luo Yonghao was interviewed. He said that he was always happy to see changes in the tech industry: "After Jobs passed away, it seems that there are hardly any innovative companies left. Even Jobs' company has stopped innovating."

Luo Yonghao said, "So I'd be happy if any company could develop an AI phone as soon as possible to benefit humanity. In fact, I'd even be willing to use my own money to develop the world's best AI phone, and let others copy it. I'd be okay with going bankrupt. That's the truth." (Sina Tech)

Oil prices will be lowered on the evening of December 8. You can save $2 when filling up a tank of gas.

According to the National Development and Reform Commission, a new round of refined oil price adjustment window will open at 24:00 on December 8. During the price adjustment cycle, international oil prices fluctuated within a narrow range, and the average level decreased compared with the previous price adjustment cycle. Starting from 24:00 on December 8, the retail prices of domestic gasoline and diesel will be lowered by 55 yuan per ton. In terms of liters, the prices of No. 92 gasoline, No. 95 gasoline, and No. 0 diesel will be lowered by 0.04 yuan, 0.05 yuan, and 0.05 yuan respectively. After the implementation of this price cut, consumers' fuel costs will continue to decrease. Taking a small private car with a fuel tank capacity of 50 liters as an example, you can save about $2 when filling up a tank of No. 92 gasoline. (CCTV Finance)

Price Cut for iPhone 17 Pro Series

On December 8th, the official Apple Store flagship store on the e-commerce platform launched an end-of-year price cut promotion. The prices of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models were reduced by 300 yuan. After the price cut, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at 8,699 yuan, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at 9,699 yuan. (Caixin Press)

X Fined $140 Million, Musk Responds

The European Union announced last week that it had fined the US social media platform X $140 million. This move has sparked great dissatisfaction in the United States. Both Elon Musk, the owner of X, and US government officials have expressed their opposition to this. Musk lashed out in a tweet last Saturday, saying that the European Union should be abolished and sovereignty should be returned to each EU country so that European national governments can better represent their people.

Musk also said that the United States should not only respond to the EU but also punish the European politicians who made the decision to impose the fine. He loves Europe but not the EU, this bureaucratic monster. (Cailian Press)

All three major U.S. stock indexes closed lower, with most large technology stocks declining

36Kr learned that at the close on December 8, all three major U.S. stock indexes fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.45%, the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.14%, and the S&P 500 Index fell 0.35%. Most large technology stocks declined. Tesla and Netflix dropped more than 3%, Google fell more than 2%, Amazon and Arm declined more than 1%, and Apple dipped slightly. Microsoft and NVIDIA rose more than 1%. Popular Chinese concept stocks had a mixed performance. Baidu rose more than 3%, XPeng Motors climbed more than 2%, NIO increased more than 1%, and Li Auto and Bilibili edged up slightly. NetEase dropped more than 2%, and iQiyi and Alibaba dipped slightly.

Paramount Proposes to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $30 per Share in Cash, with an Enterprise Value of $108.4 Billion

Paramount Skydance announced on December 8 that it has launched a all - cash takeover offer, proposing to acquire all the outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery at a cash price of $30 per share, with an enterprise value reaching $108.4 billion. Paramount said that the proposed transaction covers all the businesses of Warner Bros. Discovery. (Jiemian News)

Whisper Liquid Sanitary Pads Exposed for Workmanship Issues

Recently, some consumers have reported that Whisper liquid sanitary pads have workmanship issues with the absorbent core being skewed, which easily leads to side leakage during use. Reporters found on social platforms and e - commerce review sections that many netizens posted pictures showing that the absorbent core of the product was clearly off - center. At the same time, some consumers also pointed out that there were quality control problems such as stains and odors in some products. It is understood that each piece of this sanitary pad, which uses FlexFoam polymer material, is sold at nearly 2 yuan, higher than similar products in the market. Its absorbent core is imported from Europe and the United States, and the finished products are assembled in many countries such as China and Canada. The official said that products from different origins will be randomly shipped.

At present, there are no clear regulations in the national standards regarding workmanship details such as the position of the absorbent core of sanitary pads. Legal professionals pointed out that if consumers encounter obvious workmanship problems, they can request returns and exchanges in accordance with the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law. For disputes that cannot be resolved through negotiation, they can file a complaint with the market supervision department or initiate a lawsuit. (Oriental Finance)

The price of trivalent influenza vaccines has dropped to $5.5, and there are multiple reasons behind the price plunge

The vaccine market is experiencing a sharp price shock: the price of a trivalent influenza vaccine has dropped as low as $5.5, cheaper than a cup of milk tea; while the price of the bivalent HPV vaccine has plummeted by about 90% from the high point of over $300 per dose a few years ago, almost leaving only a "fraction"...

There are multiple reasons behind the involution - style competition in the vaccine industry. On the one hand, with more and more similar vaccines being launched on the market, the problems of intense homogeneous competition among vaccine products and over - capacity have become increasingly prominent. On the other hand, affected by factors such as "vaccine hesitancy" and the decline in the number of newborns, the growth of demand is sluggish, and the imbalance between supply and demand has further intensified the price war. (Caixin)

State Taxation Administration Investigates 1,818 High - Income and High - Profile Individuals, Including Celebrities and Internet Influencers

On December 8th, at a regular press conference held by the State Taxation Administration, Dai Shiyou, the director of the Policy and Regulation Department of the State Taxation Administration, introduced that in the first 11 months of this year, tax authorities investigated 3,904 high - risk gas stations and recovered 4.163 billion yuan in taxes. They also investigated 1,818 high - income and high - profile individuals, including celebrities and internet influencers, and recovered 1.523 billion yuan in taxes.

In addition, tax authorities actively support and guide taxpayers to proactively correct their dishonest behaviors. Since the beginning of this year, 1,168 major tax - related illegal and dishonest entities have achieved credit restoration and been removed from the "blacklist" in advance after taking self - corrective measures, a year - on - year increase of 40%. More than 1,300 cases were verified, and no tax - related issues reported by whistle - blowers were found. Tax authorities across the country have legally issued tax audit conclusions indicating no problems. (The Paper)

First-instance verdict of the compensation claim cases by some families of MH370 passengers: Each case awarded 2.9 million yuan

According to the notice issued by the Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court, on December 5, 2025, the Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court delivered the first-instance verdict in the compensation claim cases filed by some families of the passengers who went missing on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

The notice stated that since 2016, the families of 75 missing passengers have successively filed lawsuits, demanding compensation for losses from defendants such as Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Airlines International, and the establishment of a search and rescue fund, resulting in a total of 78 cases. During the trial of the cases, after multiple rounds of mediation presided over by the Chaoyang District People's Court, the families of passengers in 47 cases reached an agreement with the defendants through negotiation and withdrew their lawsuits after reaching a settlement. A total of 8 cases were pronounced in this verdict, involving 8 passengers who have all been declared dead in accordance with legal procedures. In accordance with the provisions of the Montreal Convention and relevant Chinese laws, the court ordered Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Airlines International to compensate the families of the passengers for death compensation, funeral expenses, mental damage compensation, and other losses and related expenses, totaling more than 2.9 million yuan per case. (Jiupai News)

Indian Government Launches Probe into Operational Crisis of IndiGo, the Country's Largest Airline

On December 8, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the Indian federal government is investigating the crisis triggered by IndiGo's operational disruptions and flight cancellations. "The government will take strict action to set an example for the aviation industry," he said. Previously, due to new regulations issued by the Indian government, which led to difficulties in pilot scheduling and other issues, IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights for several consecutive days, leaving a large number of passengers stranded at airports. (Jiemian News)

On the first day of sales, the new Moutai product priced at 11,000 yuan per bottle was sold out in seconds

On December 8th, the new product of 53% ABV, 1.1L Guizhou Moutai (commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Gold Award at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition) was officially launched for sale on the iMoutai App, priced at 11,000 yuan per bottle. The new product was sold out in seconds on the first day of its launch. (Jiemian News)

IMF Officially Launches the Operation of Its Shanghai Regional Center

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on the 8th that it officially launched the operation of its Shanghai Regional Center today. The IMF stated that the Shanghai Regional Center will play an important role in strengthening the cooperation between the IMF and the Asia - Pacific region. The regional center will serve as a hub to promote research and knowledge sharing, provide information for policy - making in relevant fields in emerging markets and middle - income countries, and is also committed to deepening dialogue and exchanges with member countries, regional institutions, etc. Johannes Wiegand will serve as the first director of the Shanghai Regional Center. (Yicai Global)

Country Garden Services: Huang Peng Resigns as Chief Financial Officer, Will Continue to Serve as Executive President

36Kr learned that on the evening of December 7th, Country Garden Services announced in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that Huang Peng has resigned as the Chief Financial Officer of the company, effective December 5, 2025, as he needs to devote more energy and time to managing the Group's incubation business. Huang Peng will continue to serve as the Executive President of the company and will continue to be responsible for the daily management of the incubation business segment, including new businesses such as environmental services, commercial management services, the "Three Supplies and One Industry" program, real - estate brokerage business, asset management, etc., and develop other innovative businesses. The board of directors further announced that Tian Tian has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the company, fully responsible for the company's financial management and capital market work, effective December 5, 2025.

FF Board of Directors Approves Five - Year Business Plan for Producing and Selling 400,000 - 500,000 Vehicles

36Kr learned that Faraday Future announced that the offline ceremony for the first batch of FX Super One vehicles will be held at the Hanford plant on December 21st, US time. By now, all the parts required for the pre - production Super One vehicles in the first batch have arrived. Each vehicle contains nearly 3,000 components, and production will officially start on December 9th. The company's board of directors has officially approved the five - year business plan for FF and FX this week, including producing and selling 400,000 - 500,000 vehicles, subject to the smooth progress of financing, the support of strategic partners, and the signing of more agreements.

The United States to Provide $12 Billion in Aid to Farmers Affected by Tariff Policies

U.S. President Donald Trump announced at the White House on the afternoon of the 8th that the federal government will provide $12 billion in aid to American farmers to cope with the "backlash" of U.S. tariff policies on the country's agriculture. The Trump administration introduced a wide - ranging tariff increase policy earlier this year, which disrupted the global trade order. As a result, U.S. export markets have been blocked. The prices of agricultural products such as soybeans and corn in the United States are low, and the costs of fertilizers and agricultural machinery have increased. American farms are having difficulty making a profit, and many farmers are in trouble. (Xinhua News Agency)

Elon Musk Discusses Launching 1 Million Tons of AI Satellites Annually

Over the weekend, Elon Musk discussed on social platform X the possibility of launching 1 million tons of AI satellites into space each year to achieve his previously mentioned goal of deploying 100 gigawatts of artificial intelligence in space annually. Musk wrote, "It's already difficult to find simple power sources on Earth. One million tons of satellites per year, with each satellite having 100 kilowatts, would add 100 gigawatts of artificial intelligence annually, with no operating or maintenance costs, and be connected to the Starlink constellation via high - bandwidth lasers." A netizen commented, "One million tons means launching more than 25 Starship rockets per day!" Another netizen dug out a post from Musk in August this year: "In about six to seven years, the Starship will be launched more than 24 times within 24 hours." (Sina Finance)

Trump Expresses Antitrust Concerns Over Netflix's Acquisition of Warner Bros., Says Market Share Could Be an Issue

US President Donald Trump has raised potential antitrust concerns about Netflix's planned acquisition of Warner Bros., noting that the market share of the combined entity could pose problems. "It has to go through a process, and we'll see how it goes," Trump said when asked about the deal upon arriving at the Kennedy Center for an event. He also confirmed that he met with Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos last week and praised the streaming company. "But it has a large market share. That could be an issue." The $72 billion deal has caught the attention of antitrust regulators. (Sina Finance)

Over 200,000 power banks sold on Amazon are recalled in the US due to fire risk

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on December 7 (local time) that approximately 210,000 power banks sold on Amazon will be recalled because the lithium-ion batteries in the power banks may overheat and catch fire, posing a fire and burn risk to consumers. This recall involves the INIU 10,000mAh portable power bank, model BI - B41. (Jiemian News)

Orient Securities: Chairman Gong Dexiong Resigns Early Due to Job Transfer

36Kr learned that Orient Securities announced that it recently received a resignation letter from Gong Dexiong. Due to his job transfer, he applied to resign from positions such as the chairman. He will leave his post on December 8, 2025. His original term was scheduled to end on November 21, 2027, and he will not take on any positions after leaving. His departure will not cause the number of board members to fall below the legal requirement, and the resignation letter will take effect upon delivery. During Gong Dexiong's tenure, he promoted the company's development, and the company's performance and status have been improved. Before the new chairman takes office, Vice Chairman Lu Weiming will act on behalf of the chairman and perform other duties.

Yang Jibin, former Public Relations Director of ByteDance, officially announced: He has joined Li Auto

On December 8th, Yang Jibin, the former Public Relations Director of ByteDance, officially announced on his WeChat Moments that he had joined Li Auto this month. Previously, Li Auto had signaled externally its "return to the startup model", aiming to shorten the decision - making chain and improve organizational efficiency. It is reported that he left the Public Relations Department of ByteDance in September 2024 and switched to an advisor role. After that, he had contacts with several technology companies.

As of the time of publication, Li Auto has not responded yet. (Red Star News)

The forefront of AI

Meituan Announces the Open - Source of LongCat - Image Image Generation Model

36Kr learned that Meituan's LongCat team has officially released and open - sourced the LongCat - Image model with a parameter scale of 6B.

Warby Parker and Google to Launch AI Smart Glasses in 2026

Warby Parker said on December 8 that the company is collaborating with Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, to develop lightweight AI glasses. The first product is expected to be launched in 2026. (Sina Finance)

The 5,000th humanoid robot of Zhiyuan rolls off the production line in mass production

On December 8, Peng Zhihui, co-founder, president, and CTO of Zhiyuan, announced at Zhiyuan's mass production factory that the 5,000th general embodied robot, Lingxi X2, officially rolled off the production line in mass production. (Securities Times)

Investment and Financing

"Beidou Zhilian" Completes Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Series B Strategic Financing

36Kr learned that "Beidou Zhilian" recently completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B strategic financing. This round of financing was led by GAC Capital (jointly with Yufu Fund), and co - invested by a number of industrial investment institutions such as Chendao Capital, Shangqi Capital, Ningde Wanhe Investment, FAW Industrial Fund, and Anhui State - owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. This round of financing will be used for research and development investment in innovative product fields such as Beidou communication and navigation, AI +, embodied intelligence, and low - altitude economy, and at the same time accelerate the company's process of going global.

"Ningkang Ruizhu" Completes Series A Financing Exceeding 100 Million Yuan

36Kr learned that according to Zhoudu Capital, "Ningkang Ruizhu" announced the completion of a Series A financing round exceeding 100 million yuan. This round of financing was led by Longpan Investment, followed by Fengrui Capital and Yangguang Ronghui Capital. Zhoudu Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor. This round of financing will significantly accelerate the expansion of the company's technology platform, promote clinical research, and layout differentiated advantage pipelines.

"Dream Chasing Aerospace Technology" Completes Nearly 200 Million Yuan Series A Financing

36Kr learned that "Dream Chasing Aerospace Technology" officially announced the completion of nearly 200 million yuan in Series A financing. This round of financing was led by Aviation Investment Fund, followed by Deqing Industrial Investment. The old shareholders, Junshan Capital and Haibang Fenghua, participated in the follow - on investment with an over - subscription. This is the company's third round of financing at the 100 - million - yuan level completed within 2025. The funds from this financing will be used to accelerate the airworthiness certification and mass - production preparation of the DF600, as well as the engineering development of the DF3000. At the same time, the company will continue to strengthen its core team.

"Lingsheng Technology" Completes Two Rounds of Hundred - Million - Yuan Financing in Pre - A and PreA+

36Kr learned that recently, "Lingsheng Technology" announced the successful completion of two rounds of hundred - million - yuan financing in Pre - A and PreA+. The financing was led by a listed company, with industrial groups and financial institutions participating as follow - on investors. The raised funds will be mainly used for the large - scale mass production and delivery of its core product, the L - series humanoid robots, the continuous iteration of the real - world data collection and governance platform (LDP) and the embodied world model (LWM), as well as the accelerated expansion of the industrial ecosystem.

“Yanshengchao” Completes Hundreds of Millions in Series A Financing

36Kr learned that “Yanshengchao” has successfully completed hundreds of millions of RMB in Series A financing. This round of financing was exclusively led by Cathay Capital, with follow - on investments from investment institutions such as SDIC Venture Capital, and the old shareholder Qiming Venture Partners has provided continuous support for four rounds. The funds raised in this round will be mainly used to support the clinical development of the core pipeline YSC001, the pre - clinical development of YSC002, and the early verification work of YSC003/YSC004. It will also further expand the company's international strategic layout and deepen business development cooperation with top multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Cool Products

The price of the Voyah Zhiguang L is expected to be around 350,000 yuan, and it will be officially launched on December 10th

36Kr learned from internal sources at Voyah that the Voyah Zhiguang L is likely to be priced at around 350,000 yuan. It is understood that the Voyah Zhiguang L will be officially launched on December 10th. In terms of intelligence, the entire series is standard - equipped with Huawei Kunpeng Intelligent Driving ADS 4 and Hongmeng Cockpit 5.0. In terms of the three - electric system, the CLTC pure - electric range reaches 410 km, and the comprehensive range reaches 1,400 km. It also features an 800V high - voltage platform and 5C super - charging technology, taking only 12 minutes to charge from 20% to 80% of the SOC.

iPhone 18 series confirmed to be testing under - display Face ID: iPhone 18 Pro to debut the small - sized Dynamic Island

Since the iPhone 14 Pro introduced the Dynamic Island screen, this form has been carried over for four generations of products. According to tech blogger @SmartPickup, the material side of the iPhone 18 series has confirmed that it is testing under - display 3D facial recognition, finally achieving the hiding of the Face ID components. Thanks to the under - display Face ID, the size of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 series will be greatly reduced, making it the iPhone with the highest screen - to - body ratio in history, and its impact during gaming and movie - watching will be greatly reduced.

It should be noted that the standard version of the iPhone 17 this year has had a significant upgrade. It is expected that the standard version of the iPhone 18 next year will have a relatively small upgrade and will miss out on this new technology. The iPhone 18 Pro series will exclusively feature under - display Face ID and debut the small - sized Dynamic Island screen, which will become a major upgrade point for the Pro models and is expected to drive a lot of demand for phone upgrades. (Sina Tech)

Compiled | Chenxi