2 h. ago Chinese brain implant reaches landmark clinical trial with operation on amputee

China has become the second country in the world to advance invasive brain-computer interface technology to a human trial, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. The trial is on a 37-year-old man who had to have all of his limbs amputated after a high-voltage electrical accident more than a decade ago. In March, researchers implanted a device roughly the size of a coin and a series of electrodes into the man’s brain. A few weeks later, he was able to control a cursor on an electronic...

Politics

8 h. ago Chinese aircraft carriers’ Pacific presence sparks warnings for Philippines

The crossing of a US-designated island chain in the Western Pacific by a Chinese carrier group marks an increase in Beijing’s “operational tempo” that the Philippines should pay heed to, observers say. They warn, however, that a “delicate balance” should still be maintained to avoid any escalation amid calls for vigilance. Regional governments such as Japan and Taiwan have advised increased caution, and a former official in the Joe Biden administration has suggested formalising the so-called...

Events

9 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over island’s ‘will to fight’

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Sport

9 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over its ‘will to fight’ if PLA attacks

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Events

11 h. ago Chinese envoy urges Israel to halt ‘risky’ Iran attacks, warns of consequences

A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Israel to halt its military actions against Iran as tensions between the two Middle Eastern rivals mount, warning the escalating conflict could have “serious consequences”. Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the surging tensions in the region did not serve the interests of any party. “China urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions to avoid further escalation of...

Events

13 h. ago End of political chaos in South Korea sparks pickup in Chinese visitors

Chinese tourism to South Korea is picking up with the end of political instability in Seoul and the two nations pledging closer relations shortly before visa exemptions take effect, travel industry sources said this week. Bookings from China – South Korea’s largest source of foreign visitors – for the three months from April to June have been about 24 per cent higher than for the three months ending in February, according to data compiled by the travel marketing and technology company China...

Politics

13 h. ago Is North Korea’s Kim shoring up navy in strategic bid with allies China, Russia?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to build a blue-water navy to counter what he described as growing threats from the United States, an ambition that observers say appears to be linked to broader strategic coordination with key Pyongyang allies China and Russia. Kim made the announcement during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Rajin for a newly repaired warship, following an earlier failed launch at the same location, state media reported on Friday. The vessel, “Kang Kon”,...

Politics

14 h. ago Aukus pact up in the air but US to stay focused on China: analysts

The United States may be rethinking its Indo-Pacific strategy with its review of the Aukus security agreement, but its focus on countering China is unlikely to change, according to analysts. The pact with Australia and the United Kingdom has been thrown into doubt with the Pentagon’s announcement this week that it is reviewing the US’ role in the Biden-era agreement to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Some observers suggested that this could be cause for celebration in Beijing,...

Politics

14 h. ago Aukus pact up in the air but US to stay focused on countering China: analysts

The United States may be rethinking its Indo-Pacific strategy with its review of the Aukus security agreement, but its focus on countering China is unlikely to change, according to analysts. The pact with Australia and the United Kingdom has been thrown into doubt with the Pentagon’s announcement this week that it is reviewing the US’ role in the Biden-era agreement to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Some observers suggested that this could be cause for celebration in Beijing,...

Politics

15 h. ago After the ceasefire, leaders of India, Pakistan seek cover under their flags

Pulled back from the brink by a ceasefire, nuclear-armed India and Pakistan avoided a potentially catastrophic collision, but the tides of nationalism unleashed by the four-day clash are still rising on either side of the border. Now, leaders of the two nations are seeking to cement a political dividend from the May conflict, with competing claims of victory relayed to domestic audiences attuned to triumphalism whenever the two nations clash. “The conflict has created a national fervour on both...

Politics

15 h. ago After the ceasefire, leaders of India and Pakistan seek cover under their flags

Pulled back from the brink by a ceasefire, nuclear-armed India and Pakistan avoided a potentially catastrophic collision, but the tides of nationalism unleashed by the four-day clash are still rising on either side of the border. Now, leaders of the two nations are seeking to cement a political dividend from the May conflict, with competing claims of victory relayed to domestic audiences attuned to triumphalism whenever the two nations clash. “The conflict has created a national fervour on both...

Politics

26 h. ago Air India crash witnesses recount horrific scenes of corpses and dead dogs

It was just another long and languorous summer afternoon for Chirag Patel at his mobile phone retail shop near Ahmedabad’s airport on the outskirts of the western city when he was greeted by a shocking sight in the sky – a massive Air India plane was plunging towards a building. “We are used to seeing planes taking off or landing at the airport, but I was horrified to see one heading right at us. The plane’s tail struck a building that houses a student hostel and got stuck. The front portion...

Events

27 h. ago ‘Any time, any place’: Philippine army to be deployed to South China Sea islands

A senior Philippine military official has revealed a soon-to-be-deployed strategy that would involve an army contingent to support law enforcement units on occupied islands in the South China Sea. Observers said the strategy would align with Manila’s policy shift from an internal to external defence posture aimed at protecting the country’s territorial waters. One expert, however, warned that it could lead to more aggressive moves by the Chinese navy and coastguard if Beijing were to view...

Politics

28 h. ago Israel’s attacks risk pushing Iran towards nuclear weapon development

Israel’s attacks against Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities and assassinations of several of the regime’s leadership figures could pile pressure on Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei to drop his long-standing ideological opposition to Tehran’s construction of nuclear weapons. To arrive at that seminal moment, Tehran must first decide whether to carefully calibrate its response to the hundreds of Israeli attacks conducted overnight so as to avoid direct military intervention by the United States,...

Events

28 h. ago Huawei’s AI chip output limited to 200,000 in 2025, US commerce official says

Huawei Technologies is expected to ship no more than 200,000 of its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors this year, according to a senior Trump administration official overseeing US export controls, who estimated that “most or all of” those chips would be supplied to enterprises within China. That figure would pale in comparison to the more than 1 million China-specific H20 graphics processing units (GPUs) produced by Nvidia in the last nine months of 2024, according to a January...

Politics

30 h. ago Huawei’s HarmonyOS gains traction in China with 103 million smartphones shipped

Huawei Technologies has shipped more than 103 million smartphones and 21 million tablets running its proprietary HarmonyOS operating system, with nearly half delivered in 2024, according to consultancy Canalys. The Shenzhen-based technology giant shipped 46 million smartphones and 10.5 million tablets last year, signalling an accelerating pivot to its in-house operating system, serving as an alternative to Google’s Android amid US sanctions. Huawei has been transitioning its devices to its own...

Economics

30 h. ago ‘Watershed moment’: how Huawei’s HarmonyOS flourished in China amid US sanctions

Huawei Technologies has shipped more than 103 million smartphones and 21 million tablets running its proprietary HarmonyOS operating system, with nearly half delivered in 2024, according to consultancy Canalys. The Shenzhen-based technology giant shipped 46 million smartphones and 10.5 million tablets last year, signalling an accelerating pivot to its in-house operating system, serving as an alternative to Google’s Android amid US sanctions. Huawei has been transitioning its devices to its own...

Politics

30 h. ago China warns of ‘serious consequences’ after Israeli strikes on Iran, urges de

China warns of ‘serious consequences’ after Israeli strikes on Iran, urges de-escalation  Anadolu Ajansı

Events

33 h. ago ‘Important step’: fatal crashes prompt Malaysia to curb speeding lorries, buses

Malaysia will require owners of lorries and buses to install a device that prevents vehicles from going faster than 90km/h, after a spate of fatal road accidents, including a bus crash on Monday that killed 15 university students. Malaysia’s roads are among some of the world’s most dangerous, with one person dying every two hours according to government statistics between March 2024 and March 2025. Lorries and buses routinely flout the speed limit of 90km/h, and high-speed collisions are common...

Events

34 h. ago Hong Kong police launch first known joint operation with Beijing’s national security office

Hong Kong police launch first known joint operation with Beijing’s national security office  Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

Events