76 m. ago China turns to robots for elderly care with national pilot programme

China has launched a pilot programme aimed at accelerating the deployment of robots to alleviate the pressure of elderly care, as the nation grapples with a rapidly ageing population and a labour shortage. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, issued a notice on Monday inviting organisations to participate in pilot projects. The initiative aims to enhance the integration of robotics into smart elderly care. The programme...

Politics

2 h. ago Chinese teen’s suicide puts crushing academic pressure in the spotlight

A heart-wrenching suicide note left by an 18-year-old girl who killed herself in April has reignited discussion online about the heavy academic burden placed on children in China. In the letter, the girl – who was in her final year at a top high school in Bengbu, a city in the central province of Anhui – wrote about the pressure she felt to do well and said she had been broken by relentless exams, particularly maths and physics. “I cannot bear how you meticulously checked the scores of all the...

Events

2 h. ago Hongkongers warned to be vigilant when travelling to US amid protests in country

Hong Kong authorities have called on residents to be vigilant and prioritise safety when travelling to the United States amid protests in the country. Los Angeles has been rocked by ongoing immigration-related protests, which escalated after 300 California National Guard troops were deployed on Sunday as part of a larger force mobilised to support federal law enforcement amid escalating clashes between protesters and immigration agents. “The government reminds Hong Kong residents who are...

Events

2 h. ago Hongkongers warned to be vigilant in US as protests rock Los Angeles

Hong Kong authorities have called on residents to be vigilant and prioritise safety when travelling to the United States amid ongoing immigration-related protests in Los Angeles. Some Hongkongers based in California’s largest city on Monday slammed US President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in the city, saying it would only further heighten the situation. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operation against illegal immigrants in Los Angeles on Friday triggered...

Events

2 h. ago Philippine senators split over legality of delaying Duterte’s impeachment trial

Mounting calls from legal scholars, civil society and protest groups are putting the Philippine Senate under pressure to launch an impeachment trial against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – even as her allies move to have the case dismissed. Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5 on a wide range of serious charges that include large-scale corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, his wife and the speaker of the house –...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘China is the enemy’: Leaked Russian intel document sparks fury, Beijing fumes over shocking charge

‘China is the enemy’: Leaked Russian intel document sparks fury, Beijing fumes over shocking charge  The Economic Times

Events

3 h. ago Malaysia faces searing heatwave as temperatures hit high of 37 degrees

Malaysia is bracing for another heatwave with temperatures topping 37 degrees Celsius in certain areas as experts warn of the serious health threats faced by residents due to the adverse weather conditions. Last week, MetMalaysia issued a Level 1 advisory after six areas in Peninsular Malaysia experienced maximum daily temperatures of between 35 and 37 degrees for three consecutive days. The alert by the meteorological department came amid the southwest monsoon season, which began in May and is...

Events

4 h. ago India’s landmark production of Rafale fuselages a ‘welcome’ boost for defence

France’s Dassault Aviation will manufacture the main body section of its Rafale multirole fighter jets in India – the first time production has taken place outside France – in a move analysts say marks a strategic milestone in New Delhi’s push for defence self-reliance amid growing pressure to modernise its ageing air force. The fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft will be produced through a partnership with India’s Tata group, as part of a broader effort to expand domestic manufacturing of...

Politics

12 h. ago Hongkongers to swelter in coming days as mercury to hit 34 degrees Celsius

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong will experience very hot weather over the next few days under the influence of a high-pressure area, with temperatures expected to hit 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to the forecaster. “An anticyclone aloft [area of high pressure] is bringing generally...

Events

12 h. ago Hong Kong to issue No 1 typhoon warning signal as early as Tuesday night

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal as early as Tuesday night, as an area of low pressure is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone and move towards the city amid sweltering heat. The Observatory said on Monday the tropical cyclone was expected to...

Events

12 h. ago China’s consumer prices fall for fourth month amid weak demand, trade tensions

China’s consumer prices declined for a fourth straight month in May, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures driven by sluggish demand and trade tensions with the United States, which are compounding inventory strains for manufacturers. The national consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, fell 0.1 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The figure beat market expectations after a poll by financial provider...

Events

16 h. ago Kenneth Rogoff and Yu Yongding on Trump, the dollar and the rise of the yuan

Welcome to Open Dialogue, a new series from the Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this inaugural edition, we invited prominent economists from both sides of the Pacific to reflect on the recent turmoil in global trade, the diminishing role of the US dollar and whether China’s yuan could – or should – take its place. Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University has repeatedly warned the US dollar is approaching...

Politics

16 h. ago Is the US dollar’s decline inevitable? Kenneth Rogoff and Yu Yongding weigh in

Welcome to Open Dialogue, a new series from the Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this inaugural edition, we invited prominent economists from both sides of the Pacific to reflect on the recent turmoil in global trade, the diminishing role of the US dollar and whether China’s yuan could – or should – take its place. Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University has repeatedly warned the US dollar is approaching...

Politics

20 h. ago 'Sever relations': Bioterror arrests spark alarm; US CCP expert warns China planning ‘something worse tha

'Sever relations': Bioterror arrests spark alarm; US CCP expert warns China planning ‘something worse tha  Times of India

Events

22 h. ago Philippine Embassy in Beijing celebrates 127th Independence Day and 50 years of diplomatic relations with China

Philippine Embassy in Beijing celebrates 127th Independence Day and 50 years of diplomatic relations with China  BusinessMirror

Politics

25 h. ago ‘Vicious circle’ for Hong Kong restaurants: how many more on chopping block?

Hong Kong’s restaurant industry faces a bleak second half of the year as both low-cost and high-end operators succumb to the economic slowdown, sector leaders have warned, putting part of the blame on the trend of residents heading across the border to spend. Industry representatives gave their grim assessment on Sunday, just days after King Parrot Group announced it would close nine of its eateries, ending a 33-year run. The move has reportedly left over 100 staff out of pocket to the tune of...

Politics

25 h. ago Thanks to Trump, US threat of a ‘peaceful evolution’ recedes for China

As someone born in the 1960s in China, one of the earliest lessons our generation learned in school was to be vigilant about the perceived dangers of American conspiracies and attempts aimed at subverting and overthrowing the Communist Party through peaceful means. Through classroom teachings, propaganda films and slogans plastered prominently along the streets, we were repeatedly exposed to Chairman Mao Zedong’s warnings about the threat of “peaceful evolution”, encapsulated in his assertion...

Politics

30 h. ago Minister dismisses US fears about China's London 'super embassy' as White House warns against letting Beijing

Minister dismisses US fears about China's London 'super embassy' as White House warns against letting Beijing  Daily Mail

Events

30 h. ago Hong Kong’s retail sector is struggling but people will have to adapt: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has conceded that the city has a problem with its sluggish retail scene amid a trend of locals spending their holidays across the border, but warned against using it as the sole yardstick in assessing the economy. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also called on businesses to “work harder” in light of the market changes and to reform to retain if not grow their slice of the cake. Hong Kong’s retail sales dropped for a 14th consecutive month in April, falling by 2.3 per cent,...

Politics

31 h. ago China Expert Warns Of "Something Worse" Than Covid After US Fungus Smuggling Case

China Expert Warns Of "Something Worse" Than Covid After US Fungus Smuggling Case  NDTV

Events