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A lithium battery pioneer and a trailblazer in military radar technology are this year’s winners of China’s most prestigious annual science prize. Chen Liquan received his 2025 State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award for developing the country’s first lithium battery and helping to launch the industrialisation of the technology in China. And Ben De, who led the development of China’s first ...
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday modestly downgraded its outlook for the world economy this year, citing the energy shock caused by the Iran war. But the fallout from the conflict is being partially offset by booming investment in artificial intelligence and other technologies. The IMF now expects the global economy to expand by a sluggish 3 per cent in 2026, down from 3.5 per cent las...
At least two girls have been seriously wounded and a 16-year-old suspect arrested after an attack at a secondary school in the southern German state of Bavaria on Wednesday. The perpetrator appeared to have deliberately targeted the Welfen grammar school in the town of Schongau in a suspected “rampage”, a police spokeswoman said. She was unable to confirm press reports according to which the assai...
At least two girls have been seriously wounded and a 16-year-old suspect arrested after an attack at a secondary school in the southern German state of Bavaria on Wednesday. The perpetrator appeared to have deliberately targeted the Welfen grammar school in the town of Schongau in a suspected “rampage”, a police spokeswoman said. She was unable to confirm press reports according to which the assai...
Hong Kong’s annual anime fair will return with its biggest edition yet, boosting capacity by 20 per cent and featuring a record 201 exhibitors, alongside live sketches by local comic masters and a vintage toy collectibles exhibition. The organiser of Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong (ACGHK) on Wednesday announced that its 27th edition would be able to accommodate 38,000 participants, 7,000 more than last...
A German palliative care doctor was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for murdering 15 people with lethal doses of sedatives, and he remains under investigation for dozens more killings. The court in Berlin convicted the 41-year-old of killing 12 women and three men during home visits between September 2021 and July 2024. But presiding judge Sylvia Busch said the conviction for 15 murders m...
Beijing has urged the Netherlands to ensure fair treatment for Chinese companies and maintain stable chip supply chains during a visit by the Dutch trade minister, as the two sides navigate tech tensions with Washington while seeking a “clean break” from friction over Nexperia. “We hope the Dutch government will create a fair, impartial and predictable business environment for Chinese companies in...
Shares of Alibaba Group Holding surged to a high of 13.8 per cent in Hong Kong on Wednesday as equity analysts expect revenue to reaccelerate in the June quarter, driven by growing demand for artificial intelligence and narrowing losses in food delivery. The gain, the strongest this year, came before the company closed up 12.2 per cent at HK$107.5 (US$13.71). Rivals Tencent Holdings and Meituan sa...
In the animated Soviet film The Golden Antelope, inspired by Indian folklore, a magical antelope tries to save a boy from a greedy raja by promising him as much gold as he wants. When she asks whether there can be too much, the raja laughs: “You can never give me too much gold.” But when the gold begins to bury him, he cries “enough” – and loses everything. Today’s financial system risks repeating...
A 49-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly sewing together the lips of a woman she was living with, according to local police. Masae Sakurai, a part-time worker living in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of injuring the 42-year-old woman by sewing her lips together with a needle and thread at Sakurai’s house on June 29. The 42-year-old, who had b...
Beijing has issued a lengthy critique of the Philippines’ territorial claims in the South China Sea, condemning its actions as “unlawful” expansions that posed a “grave threat” to the post-war global order. Wednesday’s report by a Ministry of Natural Resources think tank – its third within days – marks the latest move in China’s campaign to reinforce its position in the disputed waters. It also re...
China and Russia launched joint naval exercises focused on submarine rescue, a matter in which Beijing said it hoped to learn operational experience from its strategic partner amid intensified competition beneath the seas. The Joint Sea-2026 exercise between the two navies began in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Monday, underscoring deepening military cooperation between Beijing and M...
China and Russia launched joint naval exercises focused on submarine rescue, a matter in which Beijing said it hoped to learn operational experience from its strategic partner amid intensified competition beneath the seas. The Joint Sea-2026 exercise between the two navies began in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Monday, underscoring deepening military cooperation between Beijing and M...
Hong Kong women’s rights advocates and sexual assault survivors have urged authorities to close a loophole that allows defendants to claim an honest but mistaken belief in consent before a sexual act, warning that it could undermine proposed reforms. The Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women and survivor group We Are X on Wednesday said the government’s updated stricter definitions ...
Chinese investors pulled a record US$2.91 billion out of domestic gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in June, taking profits as a stock-market surge and a strong yuan dimmed the appeal of the safe-heaven metal, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). Mainland Chinese funds were the biggest drag on Asia’s gold ETFs in June, “as local investor risk appetite continued to improve”, prompting them to...
A year since the dust settled on the Singapore general election, leadership resignations in two small opposition parties signal a period of post-poll recalibration after disappointing results. The once-promising Progress Singapore Party (PSP), led by ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) defector Tan Cheng Bock, was dealt an “existential blow” on Monday, analysts say, following the resignations of tw...
Norwegian police said on Wednesday that 28 men across seven countries had been arrested in an operation targeting buyers of material depicting sexual abuse of children. Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos), said the men had used the cryptocurrency Monero to pay for access to several forums on the dark web. “We have worked closely with six countries to coordinate the arrests of...
Videos of flash-flooded rivers and overflowing pavements went viral on social media on Wednesday as residents in parts of Hong Kong grappled with more than 70 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. The intensity of the floods prompted some users online to claim a picture of the extreme was outdated or even AI-generated, only to be proved wrong when a clip was shared by another person. “I actually live in the...
Hong Kong welcomed 13 per cent more visitors in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2025, as it hosted more mega-events and the Airport Authority stepped up efforts to add destinations to boost tourism. Tourism minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui revealed on Wednesday that visitor arrivals reached about 26.71 million in the first six months of 2026, representing an annual increas...
The number of disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors at Hong Kong’s public hospitals has nearly tripled over four years, the health chief has revealed, as lawmakers called for stronger safeguards to uphold professional standards. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that the Hospital Authority recorded 35 disciplinary cases involving i...
The number of disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors in Hong Kong’s public hospitals has nearly tripled over four years, with lawmakers calling for stronger safeguards to uphold professional standards. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed on Wednesday that the Hospital Authority recorded 35 disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors for poor performance or bre...
Nato and its Indo-Pacific partners have pledged to expand cooperation in defence industry and advanced technology as the transatlantic security alliance boosts its military build-up in the face of deepening Russia-China ties. Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday met with top officials from the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) partner nations – Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea – on the sidel...
After a Chinese milk tea brand was ordered by a Suzhou court to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) for trademark infringement, many internet users expressed their support for the mainland company, with some claiming they have lost their positive impression of the luxury brand following the case. The news of the verdict, announced in early July, has been viewed 400 million times o...
Russian forces are trying to counter Ukrainian “mid-strike” drone attacks by camouflaging cargoes and installing powerful jamming systems to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots have said. Kyiv’s development of “mid-strike” drones that can hit targets dozens of kilometres behind front lines accurately and cheaply, and are often flown via St...
Apple lost its challenge on Wednesday against landmark EU rules that designate its app stores and operating system iOS as gatekeepers subject to obligations aimed at giving rivals more room to compete. The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which sets out a list of dos and don’ts for Big Tech with the threat of fines of as much as 10 per cent of a company’s global annual turnover, has triggered legal ...
A Singapore minister’s quip in parliament that top officials had no time to go to the cinema has drawn heated public discussion, with some in the local arts scene saying the comment risked downplaying the importance of the cultural sector. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo was responding to questions in parliament on Tuesday about the administration’s stance on Chinese dia...
Days before Johor state heads to the polls, gamblers on the crypto-powered betting exchange that emerged as a barometer of political sentiment during the last US election have already called it. On Polymarket, bettors have priced Barisan Nasional (BN) as an overwhelming favourite to retain control of Malaysia’s southern gateway to Singapore. As of Wednesday afternoon, the coalition stood at a 92.8...
Indonesia has become the third Southeast Asian nation – after Vietnam and the Philippines – to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system jointly developed by India and Russia. Analysts say the missiles will play a vital role in protecting Indonesia’s strategic waterways from becoming collateral damage in the event of a future great-power conflict. The deal was signed on Tuesday during India...
Members of Hong Kong’s Generation Z tend to underestimate the negative impact of social media on their mental health and those who frequently use the online platforms are lonelier than those who do not, a survey has found. The Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) polled 572 young people aged 11 to 24 between September to December last year to better understanding the relationship between their use o...
A rare mix-up involving embryo biopsy specimens at Heal Fertility, a privately-run reproduction clinic in Hong Kong linked to former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, has prompted investigations by health authorities and police The South China Morning Post looks into fertility treatments in the city and how they are regulated. 1. What is in vitro fertilisation? In vitro fertilisation (IV...
