4 h. ago Is China’s new Type 076 assault ship being put through its paces?

Speculation has grown that China’s latest Type 076 amphibious warship, which will serve as a drone carrier and is capable of launching fixed-wing fighters, has begun testing its advanced electromagnetic catapult. The Sichuan, which is currently being fitted out at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, was pictured on Chinese social media with its state-of-the-art launch system pointing towards the open waters of the Yangtze River, rather than facing inward towards the dock. The photo, claimed to...

Events

14 h. ago US safety agency investigators to assist Hong Kong with fatal plane crash probe

A United States’ transport safety agency is deploying five investigators to Hong Kong to assist with the city’s probe into the cargo plane crash that killed two security workers, while the four aircrew involved have met with local authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent US government agency responsible for investigating civil transport accidents, said on social media that it would send its team to Hong Kong to assist with the probe into the plane crash. “The...

Events

14 h. ago US investigators, Turkish experts to help Hong Kong with fatal plane crash probe

A US transport safety agency is sending five investigators to Hong Kong to help with a local probe into a cargo plane crash that killed two security workers, while experts from the Turkish civil aviation authority will also provide assistance. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent US government agency responsible for investigating civil transport accidents, said on social media on Wednesday that it would send five people to the city. “The NTSB is sending a team of five...

Events

15 h. ago Singapore hospital counters woman’s illegal restraint, forced injection claims

Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore on Tuesday defended the actions of a clinical team that attended to one of its patients after the woman claimed that she was mistreated at the hospital. “We are aware of recent online posts by a patient alleging that her treatment at our hospital was insensitive and inappropriate. We take the allegations seriously,” the hospital said in a social media post. “Our clinical team’s actions were guided by our foremost duty to ensure the safety and well-being of the...

Events

18 h. ago New Chinese drone spotted flying for the first time. Is it a next

A new Chinese stealth flying-wing drone, possibly a next-generation bomber, has been spotted flying for the first time. A video of the large stealth “cranked kite” drone, unofficially dubbed the GJ-X, has circulated on Chinese social media since October 19. It appeared to be the same aircraft – or one with a very similar design – captured in satellite imagery taken in August at China’s Malan airbase in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to a report by The War Zone earlier this week. The...

Events

19 h. ago Doing ‘fantastic job’: Australian PM defends envoy Rudd amid Trump’s dislike

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsed Australia’s ambassador in Washington as doing a “fantastic job”, describing comments by US President Donald Trump that he does not like Kevin Rudd as “lighthearted”. Australia’s main conservative opposition party has called for Rudd, a former Labor prime minister, to be sacked after Trump made the comments at a press briefing in Washington on Monday. Asked by an Australian reporter about Rudd’s past criticism of the president on social media, and told...

Politics

21 h. ago Naked China boy running on all fours raises concerns over child welfare and safety

A Chinese boy was spotted running on all fours naked and behaving like a dog, while his parents dismissed government inquiries, claiming it was a form of “natural parenting.” On October 15, a video was posted online showing a naked boy running on all fours in a highway service area in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. Social media users were shocked to see the boy acting like a dog, picking up food from the ground with his mouth and sniffing it before eating. His parents were nearby,...

Politics

33 h. ago China’s Unitree builds course for students to learn how to train robot dogs

Unitree Robotics has launched an education platform for students to train robot dogs and understand how they operate based on the start-up’s Go2 system, as adoption of these quadruped machines expands from enthusiasts to mainstream consumers. According to its social media post on Tuesday, Unitree has developed an in-person training course with ready-to-use tools that would enable students to learn the operation, maintenance and applications of a quadruped robot – specifically, the company’s...

Politics

37 h. ago ‘Light in our darkest days’: mum of slain Malaysian schoolgirl moved by support

Wong Lee Ping, the grieving mother of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, whose brutal murder on October 14 shocked Malaysia, has expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of community support, describing it as a beacon of light in our darkest hour. “We are truly touched and humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and presence from all of you during this painful period. Your care has been a light in our darkest days,” Wong expressed in a touching message shared on social media following her...

Politics

42 h. ago Singer Soyou denies intoxication after US flight ‘racial prejudice’ row

South Korean singer Soyou, 34, formerly of girl group Sistar, has denied online claims that she was drunk on a US flight where she said she experienced racial discrimination, clarifying that the incident stemmed from a language misunderstanding rather than alcohol consumption. In a social media post on Monday, Soyou said she only had “a small amount of alcohol served with a meal” at the airport lounge before boarding. “I was not intoxicated, and I boarded without any issue or restriction,” she...

Events

43 h. ago What is ‘winology’, the new theory about unfair Western views of China?

China’s economic and technological advances are being unfairly dismissed in the United States and other parts of the West as a result of hierarchical thinking, according to a theory dubbed “winology” that is taking hold among some online commentators. The term winology was coined by Chinese academics and refers to ways in which countries can both become a global leader in certain areas and be recognised as such. However, the theory argues that the West relegates China to the lowest tier of a...

Politics

55 h. ago Hong Kong woman, 81, loses HK$5 million to romance scammer posing as PLA officer

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong has lost more than HK$5 million after falling victim to an elaborate online romance scam involving a fraudster who posed as a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer from mainland China. In a post on its CyberDefender social media page on Monday, police said the woman received a WhatsApp message from a man who claimed to be a PLA officer and invited her to visit a military camp. They quickly built an online romantic relationship through frequent affectionate...

Economics

58 h. ago China’s Unitree Robotics unveils latest humanoid ahead of US$7 billion IPO

Unitree Robotics has teased a new humanoid model in a short video on its social media channels, its most humanlike model to date. In the video, the H2 model performed a series of dexterous dance moves – including perfectly executed pirouettes and arabesques – and sported a strikingly human face modelled in silver with well-defined eyes, lips and nose. Standing at 180cm – the tallest humanoid robot the company has yet developed – and weighing 70kg, the H2 featured the tagline: “Destiny Awakening...

Economics

3 d. ago Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug dealer’, says he will slash US aid

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would slash US funding to Colombia because the country’s leader “does nothing to stop” drug production, in what is the latest sign of friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as “an illegal drug dealer” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. He warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for...

Events

3 d. ago Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug leader’, says he will slash US aid

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would slash US funding to Colombia because the country’s leader “does nothing to stop” drug production, in what is the latest sign of friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. He warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump threatens Colombia with tariffs and slashes aid, calls Petro a ‘drug leader’

The United States will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country’s leader, Gustavo Petro, “does nothing to stop” drug production, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular”. The Republican president warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or...

Politics

3 d. ago Thieves steal crown jewels from France’s Louvre in daring minutes

Thieves raided Paris’ Louvre museum in broad daylight Sunday, taking just seven minutes to grab some of France’s priceless crown jewels, but dropping a gem-encrusted crown as they fled, officials and sources said. The spectacular heist, one of several to target French museums in recent months, forced the closure of the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and home to the Mona Lisa. President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media that “everything is being done” to catch the perpetrators and...

Events

3 d. ago Nexperia China tells employees to ignore orders from Dutch head office

Nexperia China, the local unit of the Dutch chipmaker, has told its employees to follow orders from local management and ignore instructions from the Dutch head office, according to a letter issued to employees over the weekend. In open revolt against the headquarters in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Nexperia China said in a Chinese-language statement on its official social media channel on Saturday that it was an “independent” Chinese entity and that Nexperia employees in China “should continue to...

Society

3 d. ago Japanese man pays US$4,000 for date with idol, discovers bodyguard is her husband

A man in Japan paid 600,000 yen (US$4,000) for a dream date with his favourite idol, only to discover that a bodyguard she had in tow was her husband. Touka Toozuki, an underground idol from Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, is known for her petite frame and sweet looks. Unlike mainstream pop stars, underground idols perform in small local venues and manage themselves without big talent agencies. Toozuki has built a following of more than 80,000 on social media, where she describes herself as...

Economics

3 d. ago China accuses US of carrying out cyberattacks on national time centre

China’s top counter-espionage agency has accused the United States of conducting cyberattacks against the country’s national time centre, which it said could have had a severe impact on the orderly functioning of society. In a social media post on Sunday, the Ministry of State Security said the US National Security Agency was behind a number of cyberattacks against China’s National Time Service Centre. The centre – affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and based in Xian, Shaanxi...

Events