59 m. ago China Manchu ethnic group childbirth tradition hangs bow and arrow for boys, red strip for girls

China’s Manchu people have quirky child-rearing traditions known as Luocao and Caisheng which include hanging a wooden bow outside the front door when a boy is born, or a red cloth strip for a girl. The Manchu ethnic group, historically known for founding the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), now lives across various regions of China. According to the China Statistical Yearbook 2021, their population exceeds 10 million. In Manchu tradition, the birth of a baby is referred to as luocao, which literally...

Politics

96 m. ago Indonesia finds 1 body, wreckage from missing surveillance plane

Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province on the slope of a fog-covered mountain, and had recovered the body of one of the 10 people on board. The ATR 42-500 turboprop owned by aviation group Indonesia Air Transport lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday at about 1.30pm local time around the Maros region in South Sulawesi. There were seven crew members and three passengers on...

Events

3 h. ago How can China help Uruguay battle beetles threatening to invade South America?

A tiny but destructive invader is threatening South America, and Uruguay’s iconic palm trees are on the front line. Since 2022, the National Emergency System in coordination with agricultural agencies and with operational support from the air force, has struggled to contain the red palm weevil outbreak, prompting them to call scientists to help. Experts from the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) stepped in with an innovative detection strategy using drones and aerial imaging, but...

Events

19 h. ago Indonesian plane with 11 people missing, search and rescue under way

A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with ground control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials said. A search and rescue operation is under way. The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was...

Events

41 h. ago NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet

NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet  Live Science

Events

42 h. ago Canada and China slash tariffs on EVs and canola in trade reset

Canada and China slash tariffs on EVs and canola in trade reset  Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Politics

46 h. ago Canada and China reach tariff deal on EVs sparking fears it will derail trade talks with U.S.

Canada and China reach tariff deal on EVs sparking fears it will derail trade talks with U.S.  Toronto Star

Economics

54 h. ago China’s quantum warfare weapons; ‘rising star’ quits US: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese military says it is developing over 10 quantum warfare weapons The People’s Liberation Army said more than 10 experimental quantum cyber warfare tools were “under development”, many of which were being “tested in front-line...

Events

54 h. ago Chinese ‘rising star’ leaves MIT, woman prays to Shrek for 4 years: 7 highlights

Chinese ‘rising star’ leaves MIT, woman prays to Shrek for 4 years: 7 highlights  South China Morning Post

Politics

60 h. ago Carney set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday morning in Beijing

Carney set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday morning in Beijing  Toronto Star

Politics

66 h. ago Rising Star Zhang carries China’s hammer tradition into a new era

Rising Star Zhang carries China’s hammer tradition into a new era  worldathletics.org

Politics

2 d. ago Trump draws red line on Iran as China buys billions in sanctioned oil

Trump draws red line on Iran as China buys billions in sanctioned oil  Fox Business

Politics

3 d. ago Mark Carney lands in China hoping to ease years of distrust while boosting trade

Mark Carney lands in China hoping to ease years of distrust while boosting trade  Toronto Star

Politics

3 d. ago BTS fans in Malaysia ecstatic over comeback concerts but fear scalpers

The announcement that BTS will return to Malaysia after more than a decade has sent K-pop fans into a frenzy, with many calling it a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The South Korean supergroup will stage two concerts in Kuala Lumpur on December 12 and 13, marking its first appearance in the country since 2015, when it performed its Red Bullet Tour at Mega Star Arena. This will also be BTS’ first-ever concert in Kuala Lumpur as its previous Malaysia performance was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. For...

Politics

3 d. ago China midwife accidentally severs baby’s middle finger, results in reattachment surgery

Social media in China has been shocked and outraged by a midwife who cut off a newborn baby’s finger when severing his umbilical cord during a caesarean section. The infant boy was born on the morning of December 25, at Xuyi County People’s Hospital in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Two hours later, his father was told by doctors that the child’s left middle finger had been snipped by accident during the surgery, the Red Star News reported. The baby then faced two hospital transfers before...

Politics

3 d. ago Zheng Yu ‘rising star’ in chemical engineering from MIT, quits US for China

A leading young Chinese chemical engineer has left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to return home to Peking University. Zheng Yu recently completed her postdoctoral training in bioelectronics in the US but has now joined the Chinese university’s college of chemistry and molecular engineering as an assistant professor. According to her Peking University webpage, Zheng is working on wearable and implantable electronic devices, such as smart bandages that are used to monitor health. Her...

Science

4 d. ago Indonesian comic hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

A police complaint against one of Indonesia’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30. Pandji’s routine pokes fun at Indonesia’s political elite, taking aim...

Events

4 d. ago Burning mugwort linked to flat fire that killed elderly Hong Kong man

A 78-year-old man has died in a fire suspected to have started from burning mugwort, a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, in a flat at a public housing estate in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung district. Police said they received a report at 12.41pm on Wednesday that a fire had broken out at Cho Yiu Chuen estate’s Kai Him Lau block. Li Kai-chung, assistant divisional officer of the Fire Services Department, said the blaze started in a bedroom of about 60 sq ft in a fifth-floor flat. Thirteen fire...

Events

4 d. ago Beijing Won Its War for Blue Skies, but Villagers Are Paying the Price

Beijing Won Its War for Blue Skies, but Villagers Are Paying the Price  The New York Times

Economics

4 d. ago Singapore urged to expand Johor SEZ to Indonesia to deepen Asean integration

A special economic zone between Singapore and the Malaysian state of Johor (JS-SEZ) should include Indonesia’s Riau Islands to ramp up the region’s allure to global investors, an apex business chamber and leading accounting firm have said, ahead of the city state’s budget address next month. As part of its 18 top recommendations, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), which has more than 32,000 members, and PwC Singapore on Monday said expanding the zone to include the Indonesian islands of...

Politics