9 h. ago Chinese design firm converts swimming pool into office, triggers safety probe

A Chinese decoration company has sparked online controversy and amusement after it converted a drained swimming pool into a temporary office. Staff get down to business in the “deep end” before exiting the office using the original poolside ladders. The quirky set-up came to light after an employee from Luban Decoration Group, based in Chengdu, Sichuan province, southwestern China, posted a video online entitled “Swimming Pool Transformed into Office Space”. The clip quickly went...

Politics

8 d. ago Chinese sculptor’s giant Buddha Ultraman sparks official probe

A giant stone statue called “Ultraman Grotto” which was crafted by a man in China has captivated social media and triggered an official investigation. The 2.8 metre-high sculpture has a head like the Japanese superhero Ultraman and a body that adopts a sitting Buddha gesture. It is located on a cliff face in Anyue County of Sichuan province, in southwestern China, the news outlet Shangyou News reported. In early June, a blogger surnamed Zhou released a video introducing the sculpture which he...

Politics

1 week ago Chinese courier SF to raise US$752 million via Hong Kong shares, bonds

SF Holding, China’s largest courier, announced plans on Thursday to raise more than HK$5.9 billion (US$752 million) through a new share placement on the Hong Kong exchange and the issuance of convertible bonds. Proceeds from the HK$2.9505 billion equity placement and HK$2.95 billion in zero-coupon convertible bonds would be used for the firm’s international and cross-border logistics capabilities, research and development of advanced technologies and digital solutions, capital structure, and...

Economics

2 w. ago Korean swimming venue criticised for claiming ‘lower income equals a dirtier body’

A swimming stadium in South Korea has ignited controversy due to its rules, which appear to disregard the low-income group. A photo of a notice from a privately run swimming facility in the country’s Gyeonggi province has circulated widely on social media since it was posted on June 12, as reported by Chosun Ilbo. The notice outlines four rules for using the swimming pool, as depicted in the photo. “Swimming pool is not a place for body scrubbing,” “Take a bath before you swim,” and “You must...

Politics

2 w. ago Olympic swimmer Cheng to bring IOC mental health mission back to Hong Kong

Hong Kong swimmer Camille Cheng Lily-mei’s work outside the pool was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this month, when she was named one of the body’s first mental health ambassadors. Cheng, who has represented Hong Kong at three Olympic Games, travelled to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health for Elite Athletes in early June after being invited to serve as the female representative for Asia. The IOC’s mental health ambassador...

Sport

3 w. ago Chinese academy launches automated system to speed up chip design

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the nation’s premier science institution, has unveiled a chip design system driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that has the potential to significantly accelerate semiconductor development and replace human programmers. Developed by the State Key Laboratory of Processor and the Intelligent Software Research Centre, both under CAS, and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the fully automated integrated circuit design system is called QiMeng,...

Politics