40 h. ago China dominates global humanoid robot market with over 80% of installations

China accounted for more than four out of five humanoid robot installations globally in 2025, driven by domestic start-ups AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, as mass production and commercialisation accelerated, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. A total of 16,000 humanoid robots were installed globally in 2025, mainly for data collection and research, as well as in the logistics, manufacturing, and automotive sectors, according to Counterpoint data released on Wednesday. The market was...

Politics

4 d. ago China teen makes fraudulent returns on cosmetics platform, profiting US$570,000 from resale

A Chinese teenager has been sentenced to six years in prison after he exploited a loophole in an online shopping platform’s refund policy to make thousands of fraudulent claims. The 17-year-old made 11,900 bogus refund applications without returning the goods and made four million yuan (US$570,000) from doing so. It was recently reported that a court in Shanghai issued a verdict in his case in July 2025. In March 2024, a cosmetics shopping platform reported to the police that it had become a...

Economics

8 d. ago China ‘instant reply providers’ offer solace by promptly responding to client ventings online

A new profession known as “instant reply providers”, or miao hui shi in Chinese, has trended on mainland social media. For a price, people who do the job offer quick and soothing replies for those who are angry, upset or in need of an emotional outlet. Not only do they respond very quickly, so-called instant reply providers are good listeners and offer emotional support. They can earn as much as 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month, according to a report by Guangming Daily. The charges for their...

Politics

9 d. ago China expected to approve H200 imports in early 2026, report claims — tech giants Alibaba and ByteDance reportedly ready to order over 200,000 Nvidia chips each if green

China expected to approve H200 imports in early 2026, report claims — tech giants Alibaba and ByteDance reportedly ready to order over 200,000 Nvidia chips each if green-lit by Beijing  Tom's Hardware

Politics

1 week ago China’s CATL, Nio deepen partnership to develop EV batteries with longer lifespans

Contemporary Amperex Technol­ogy Ltd (CATL), the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, has intensified efforts to develop batteries with longer lifespans after deepening its partnership with carmaker Nio. The two companies said they were committed to finding solutions to an issue that could cost millions of EV users trillions of yuan to replace expired batteries. Under a five-year agreement, CATL and Nio would pursue new technologies aimed at extending the life cycle of EV...

Politics

1 week ago China: CATL reports 1,000 battery swap stations for passenger cars

China: CATL reports 1,000 battery swap stations for passenger cars  electrive.com

Politics

1 week ago Loot taken from German bank in elaborate vault heist could exceed US$117 million

The loot from the spectacular break-in at a German bank may have exceeded €100 million (US$117.24 million), security sources said on Sunday, as new questions were raised over the origin of some of the money stored inside. The sources said that individual customers reported that they each had more than €500,000 in their safe deposit boxes at the Sparkasse branch in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, confirming earlier reports by the German mass-circulation daily Bild. Bild reported that the...

Economics

2 w. ago Nio Says China’s New Purchase Tax Policy Favors Battery Swap Models

Nio Says China’s New Purchase Tax Policy Favors Battery Swap Models  eletric-vehicles.com

Events

2 w. ago China woman undertaker criticised for disrespecting the dead by wearing make

A woman undertaker in China has trended on social media thanks to the stark contrast between her good looks and her job of dealing with the dead. Pan Meili, in her 30s, has been embalming bodies for 15 years since she graduated from the Changsha Social Work College. She majored in funeral services. Pan works at a funeral service franchise in Qingdao, eastern Shandong province, and has served 15,000 families so far, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. She attracted public attention after she...

Events

2 w. ago China 2025 hydrogen vehicle report: fleet around 30,000, core components 70 percent localized

China 2025 hydrogen vehicle report: fleet around 30,000, core components 70 percent localized  CarNewsChina.com

Politics

3 w. ago ‘I am dead’: Japan man posts posthumous social media message; many admire strength

A 22-year-old Japanese man who died from a tumour has continued to move many people online with an optimistic post he scheduled for publication after his death. On October 12, Kanaru Nakayama died peacefully after battling a tumour on his back, a rare aggressive soft tissue cancer, for two years. Two days later, Nakayama’s social media account @nkym7856 posted a short lighthearted message which read: “I am dead.” The post has attracted one million likes and 86,000 reposts. It was reportedly...

Events

3 w. ago CATL poised to bring Yichun lithium output back online after licence lapse

Contemporary Amperex Technol­ogy Ltd (CATL), the world’s biggest maker of electric-vehicle batteries, is set to restart a major lithium mine in eastern China, in a move that could ease raw material costs for the EV supply chain. Jiemian News, a Shanghai-based financial outlet, reported that the Yichun mine in Jiangxi province was expected to receive regulatory approval to resume operations shortly before or after the nine-day Lunar New Year break, which begins on February 15. CATL declined to...

Politics

3 w. ago The shifting global univeristy landscape: Western decline, Asia rising

The British university system is facing a steep decline, a crisis in the making for over a decade. In the last year, universities have announced over 12,000 job cuts. A report by the Office for Students warns that 40 per cent of England’s universities are facing budget deficits this year, with courses and departments at risk of closure. A great deal of uncertainty has now gripped the university sector. Several factors account for this degradation. Historically, the university sector was funded...

Politics

3 w. ago The shifting global university landscape: Western decline, Asia rising

The British university system is facing a steep decline, a crisis in the making for over a decade. In the last year, universities have announced over 12,000 job cuts. A report by the Office for Students warns that 40 per cent of England’s universities are facing budget deficits this year, with courses and departments at risk of closure. A great deal of uncertainty has now gripped the university sector. Several factors account for this degradation. Historically, the university sector was funded...

Politics

3 w. ago Elysee Palace silver steward arrested for stealing silverware worth up to US$47,000

Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. The Elysee Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between €15,000 and €40,000 (US$17,500-US$47,000). The Sevres Manufactory – which supplied most of the furnishings – identified several of the...

Events

3 w. ago France presidential palace insider arrested for stealing exclusive silverware

Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested last week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. The Elysee Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between €15,000 and €40,000 (US$17,500-US$47,000). The Sevres Manufactory – which supplied most of the furnishings – identified several of the...

Events