7 h. ago Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan fall in December

Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan fall in December  Reuters

Politics

7 h. ago DeepSeek technique to improve AI’s ability to ‘read’ long texts questioned by new research

A group of researchers from China and Japan has challenged a method unveiled several months ago by Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek that was designed to improve AI’s ability to handle long blocks of text, marking a rare case of the company’s research being publicly questioned. The DeepSeek-OCR (optical character recognition) method, designed to compress text by using visual representations, potentially revolutionising how AI models handle long texts, was flawed due to...

Science

9 h. ago China's Foreign Ministry Weighs In on Philippine Coast Guard's Spokesman

China's Foreign Ministry Weighs In on Philippine Coast Guard's Spokesman  The Maritime Executive

Politics

9 h. ago Record snow in Russia’s far east blocks building entrances, buries cars

The biggest snowfall in 60 years on Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula created vast drifts several metres tall that blocked building entrances and buried cars, according to Reuters visuals and weather monitoring stations. In some areas more than 2 metres (6.5 feet) of snow has fallen in the first half of January after 3.7 metres in December, according to weather monitoring stations. Heavy snow is not uncommon in Kamchatka - a peninsula which stretches down towards Japan. Reuters...

Politics

9 h. ago Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong charity to help minority youth become sports coaches

A charity founded in 1979 to support Vietnamese war refugee children in Hong Kong will this year launch a programme to train ethnic minority youth as sports coaches for mainstream youngsters. Treats’ “EM-SPARK” project will train 30 ethnic minority youngsters aged 15 to 18 to coach 3,504 mainstream primary school students and community members in kin-ball, a team game where players work together to keep a giant ball in the air, and taspony, a tennis-like sport played with a larger softball and...

Sport

9 h. ago Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong charity to train ethnic minority teens as coaches

A charity founded in 1979 to support Vietnamese war refugee children in Hong Kong will launch a programme this year to train teenagers from ethnic minority groups as sports coaches for mainstream youngsters. Treats’ “EM-SPARK” project will train 30 ethnic minority youngsters aged 15 to 18 to coach 3,504 mainstream primary school students and community members in kin-ball, a team game where players work together to keep a giant ball in the air, and taspony, a tennis-like sport played with a...

Politics

10 h. ago China keeps benchmark lending rates unchanged despite slowing economic growth

China keeps benchmark lending rates unchanged despite slowing economic growth  CNBCReal Estate Crash Weighs on China’s Economic Growth  The New York TimesHow America Can Stop Getting Played by China  Foreign Affairs

Economics

11 h. ago Japan’s Tsushima Maru sinking: will recovery of artefacts end silence on WWII tragedy?

More than 80 years after her mother narrowly survived the sinking of the steamer Tsushima Maru, Tsugiko Taira says the wreck still carries profound meaning and believes artefacts recovered from the seabed could give new voice to one of the worst civilian maritime tragedies of World War II. Her comments come as the Japanese government weighs whether to retrieve items from the deep-sea site for possible public display, following a recent seabed survey and remarks by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru...

Events

11 h. ago Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to salvage Tsushima Maru

More than eight decades after her mother narrowly survived the sinking of the steamer Tsushima Maru, Tsugiko Taira says the wreck still speaks to her. She believes artefacts lying on the seabed could give new voice to one of the worst civilian maritime tragedies of World War II. Taira’s reflections come as Japan’s government considers whether to retrieve items from the wreck for public display. Officials have conducted a survey and, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, will...

Politics

11 h. ago Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover Tsushima Maru relics

More than eight decades after her mother narrowly survived the sinking of the steamer Tsushima Maru, Tsugiko Taira says the wreck still speaks to her. She believes artefacts lying on the seabed could give new voice to one of the worst civilian maritime tragedies of World War II. Taira’s reflections come as Japan’s government considers whether to retrieve items from the wreck for public display. Officials have conducted a survey and, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, will...

Politics

22 h. ago 13 children killed in South Africa as minibus collides with truck near Johannesburg

South Africa mourned the deaths on Monday of 13 schoolchildren who died when their minibus collided with a truck, local officials said in a statement, in an incident that put the spotlight on the country’s dismal road safety record. Three other children were in hospital being treated for injuries following the incident near the industrial Vanderbijlpark city south of Johannesburg, officials said in an earlier statement. A dangerous overtaking manoeuvre could have caused the incident, a...

Events

22 h. ago Punch back or punching bag? EU weighs response to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat

After a weekend of Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. To keep Trump engaged in Ukraine’s war...

Politics

22 h. ago EU weighs response to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat: punch back or punching bag?

After a weekend of Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. To keep Trump engaged in Ukraine’s war...

Politics

25 h. ago PLA urged to find a way to operate effectively under the gaze of US and Japan

People’s Liberation Army activities in the Taiwan Strait are being closely watched by the United States and Japan and it needs to find a way to operate effectively while being surveilled, according to analysts. A report by Beijing-based defence think tank Lande said the PLA’s most recent large-scale drills around Taiwan – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were launched with no warning yet the response from the US and Japan was immediate. It said that highlighted the constant presence in the region...

Politics

25 h. ago Japan’s first female PM Takaichi calls snap election for February 8

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday for a snap general election, the opening day of this year’s ordinary parliamentary session. At a press conference on Monday, Takaichi said she will put her post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on whether she should remain Japan’s prime minister. Voting will be held on February 8, with official campaigning to start January 27. The election would be the first since Takaichi became...

Politics

25 h. ago Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap election, betting her popularity can save scandal

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has staked her political survival on a high-risk snap general election, wagering that her personal approval ratings can overcome the legacy of her scandal-plagued party. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Takaichi confirmed she would dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday – the opening day of the parliamentary session – paving the way for a nationwide vote on February 8. “I will put my post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on...

Politics

34 h. ago Japan struggles to weed out plant threatening agriculture, ecosystems

The verdant green leaves and dainty white flowers of the alligator weed are becoming a common sight in waterways across Japan. But while the plant, whose scientific name is Alternanthera philoxeroides, may look innocuous, it is an absolute menace according to Koichi Goka, head of the Invasive Species Research Team at Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). “We first had reports of alligator weed in Japan in Hyogo prefecture in 1989 and it quickly spread from there across...

Events

52 h. ago Beijing row highlights need for Japan to reduce cleantech dependence on China

Beijing row highlights need for Japan to reduce cleantech dependence on China  The Japan Times

Politics

53 h. ago Tencent seeks collaboration with other major AI developers to improve tech for vulnerable users

Researchers at Tencent Holdings are looking to collaborate with other major artificial intelligence developers to improve how most generative AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the elderly, left-behind children and other vulnerable users in society. Specialised data sets can make AI services more helpful to vulnerable users who have become progressively reliant on them for emotional support and health assistance, according to Lu Shiyu, a senior researcher at Tencent Research Institute...

Politics

54 h. ago As Trump’s threat grows, Greenlanders plot exit plan: ‘I’m thinking about where to hide’

Ulrikke Andersen has already made a plan. If the United States invades Greenland, she will flee her home with her daughter. “Before, I was ready to die for my country but when I had a kid that changed everything,” she said. The 40-year-old is one of many residents of the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, now weighing up options they would never have considered just a few months ago. But US President Donald Trump has been clear about his desire to seize the vast, self-governing Danish island, rich in...

Politics