5 d. ago China unveils world’s first timekeeping software for the moon, where clocks ticks faster

Chinese researchers have released the world’s first software for lunar timekeeping, a tool designed to support precise navigation and landings as a new global race to the moon gathers pace. Clocks tick faster on the moon than on Earth due to weaker gravity – by about 56 millionths of a second per day. The effect, predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, is tiny but accumulates over time, making Earth time increasingly unreliable for lunar operations. To address this, a team...

Events

1 week ago India ‘spreads its bets’ to beat Trump’s 50% tariff as exports rise

When India reached a free-trade agreement with New Zealand in a record time of nine months towards the end of last year, the speedy conclusion signalled New Delhi’s intention to diversify away from the United States – an approach that is only expected to gather pace. Ever since US President Donald Trump imposed import tariffs of 50 per cent on India last year, among the highest levied by Washington, the South Asian nation has maintained a resolute approach to the punitive levies, even as it has...

Politics

2 w. ago India’s military upgrade to counter regional threats gathers pace

India’s defence modernisation is on track even as it faces the challenges of ensuring that weapon systems are deployed quickly and boosting its military’s capabilities to counter external threats, according to analysts. Last year, the Indian government approved three major defence packages totalling US$30 billion out of the country’s total defence budget of US$78.7 billion for the current financial year, which was ratified by parliament in February. The three packages were cleared in the second...

Events

2 w. ago Why talk of a Japanese nuclear option is resurfacing – and why it alarms critics

An editorial in the Sankei Shimbun has reopened a long-taboo debate in Japan over whether the country should even discuss acquiring nuclear weapons, after off-the-record remarks by a senior security official arguing the country should have them sparked domestic and regional backlash. The conservative daily argued that growing threats from Japan’s neighbours mean no option for protecting the public should be beyond discussion, a stance that has drawn praise from some on the right and alarm from...

Events

3 w. ago A year after near total blackout, China builds world’s largest smart transformer

Just over a year after an incident that nearly triggered a cascading failure across China’s national power grid, engineers have developed the most powerful smart direct current (DC) transformer on the planet – an innovation poised to neutralise renewable energy shocks to the system. The technology addresses an urgent need following a near total blackout in August last year, when low-frequency swings triggered by poorly integrated wind energy in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region threatened to...

Politics

3 w. ago China's UN envoy warns US military actions near Venezuela threaten regional peace

China's UN envoy warns US military actions near Venezuela threaten regional peace  Anadolu Ajansı

Events

3 w. ago China’s AgiBot targets US$142 million revenue as march of humanoid robots gathers pace

AgiBot, one of the fastest-growing robotics start-ups in China, has set its sights on exceeding 1 billion yuan (US$142 million) in revenue for 2025, as the industry accelerates the commercialisation and large-scale deployment of humanoid robots. AgiBot was expected to ship a total of 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, chairman and CEO Deng Taihua said in a company event on Monday. AgiBot’s output and sales targets, which the start-up confirmed on Tuesday, were expected to maintain “multi-fold”...

Economics

last month Holiday rush: Hong Kong IPO market sparkles with busiest December in years

Hong Kong’s initial public offering (IPO) market is heading for its busiest month in four years, as a late rush of listings gathers pace despite the traditional slowdown around the Christmas and New Year holidays. At least 15 companies were set to go public by the end of December, with drug-discovery firm Insilico Medicine planning one of the largest deals in the final stretch of the year, according to data compiled by the Post. A total of 12 companies had already made their market debuts...

Economics

last month Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

Dhaka’s already strained relationship with New Delhi has come under fresh pressure after a Bangladeshi opposition leader threatened to shelter separatists targeting India’s sensitive northeast region in retaliation for what he claimed to be election interference. Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), warned at a rally in Dhaka on Monday that he would carry out the move if Bangladesh believed India was trying to influence its election in February. “If...

Events