5 h. 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

6 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

6 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

6 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

8 h. ago Malaysia assures users their privacy is protected in mobile data grab

Malaysia’s communications regulator has assured the public that their privacy remains intact, despite a government move to hoover up data on mobile phone and internet usage as part of widening controls over online activity. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that the data being compiled under the government’s Mobile Phone Data project was all anonymous. There were no markers to indicate the identity of users, such as names or mobile numbers. “At the point of...

Politics

11 h. ago Malaysian cartoonist vows to sue authorities over his ‘travel ban’

A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms. Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at...

Transport

33 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

36 h. ago China signals readiness on rare earth talks, approves more exports

China has approved some qualified rare earth export applications and is ready to deepen dialogue with nations over export controls, the Ministry of Commerce said as the strategic resource continued to take centre stage in Beijing’s trade negotiations with the United States. “We’ve observed growing global demand for medium and heavy rare earths in civilian sectors such as robotics and new energy vehicles, as these industries continue to expand,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its...

Politics

56 h. ago Hong Kong’s mediation centre could help solve territorial, sovereignty disputes

Hong Kong’s new global mediation centre can help resolve territorial or sovereignty disputes if participants are willing to come to the table, the city’s justice minister has said. Last month, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi presided over a landmark signing ceremony for the establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) in the city. Thirty-three countries signed the agreement, with most coming from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. In a televised interview...

Politics

56 h. ago Trump’s China Gambit Belies Rocky Road Ahead on Tariff Deals

Trump’s China Gambit Belies Rocky Road Ahead on Tariff Deals  Bloomberg.com

Politics

57 h. ago Hong Kong’s top judge urges new senior counsels to defend rule of law

Hong Kong’s top judge has called for newly minted senior counsels to defend the rule of law when it is under threat and ensure “unimpeded” access to the city’s courts for every individual to safeguard public trust in the legal system. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who spoke separately at the senior counsel admission ceremony on Saturday, urged the new silks to tackle three challenges facing the profession: the use of artificial intelligence, synergy with mainland China’s legal system...

Events

57 h. ago Hong Kong’s top judge urges new senior counsel to defend rule of law

Hong Kong’s top judge has called for newly minted senior counsel to defend the rule of law when it is under threat and ensure “unimpeded” access to the city’s courts for every individual to safeguard public trust in the legal system. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who spoke separately at the senior counsel admission ceremony on Saturday, urged the new silks to tackle three challenges facing the profession: the use of artificial intelligence, synergy with mainland China’s legal system...

Events

59 h. ago Hong Kong’s easier redomiciling policy ‘attracts 150 inquiries from companies’

Authorities have received about 150 inquiries from companies about transferring their legal domicile status to Hong Kong after the recent passage of a law making it easier for businesses to establish themselves in the city, the treasury minister has said. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu also said on Saturday that about 180 family offices had been set up or expanded their operations in Hong Kong this year, putting the city on track to surpass its...

Events

3 d. ago China hoping for ‘healthy and stable’ relations with Canada after Li

China and Canada have agreed to work to “reset relations” in a phone call between Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday. After years of “unnecessary disruption” and “serious difficulties” in the relationship, China would now like to see it developing in a “healthy and stable” way, Li said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Both leaders acknowledged the importance of engagement and agreed to regularise channels of communication, according to the Canadians. The Chinese...

Politics

3 d. ago Tesla’s India entry appears in doubt after minister questions intent

Tesla’s long-anticipated push to manufacture cars in India appears to be stalling, after a senior minister cast doubt on the company’s intent – raising fresh questions about whether the electric vehicle giant is ready to commit to one of the world’s fastest-growing car markets. The remarks have highlighted a mismatch between India’s policy efforts to attract global carmakers and Tesla’s hesitant approach to committing new manufacturing investment – even as analysts believe the firm is still...

Politics

3 d. ago Alarm over Hong Kong student suicides, but minister rejects calls for counsellors

Hong Kong’s education minister has dismissed suggestions to introduce counsellors at schools to address students’ mental health concerns, arguing that the issue should be tackled through concerted efforts across campus, rather than relying on a single individual. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin told lawmakers on Friday that primary and secondary schools in the city had reported 11 suspected student suicide cases between January and April this year. This follows 28 such cases in...

Events

3 d. ago China scientists put direct quantum communications tech to test in space flight

China has tested how the core components of a quantum-based network might withstand the rigours of space travel, in what is believed to be the start of efforts to build an integrated space-ground system for ultra-secure communications that do not need encryption keys. A laser module and a phase encoding device, developed at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, were on board a Yuanxingzhe-1 rocket that reached 2.5km (1.55 miles) during a two-minute vertical flight testing its...

Science

3 d. ago Indonesian villagers urge China to stop funding mine project after permit loss

An Indonesian community in North Sumatra is calling on Beijing to withdraw financial backing for a China-linked zinc and lead mine in the earthquake-prone region after the project lost its environmental permit. On May 23, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry formally revoked the approval it had granted in 2022 to Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM), an Indonesian joint venture seeking to build an underground mine in the Dairi regency. The move was in line with a Supreme Court ruling ordering...

Politics

4 d. ago EU to China: your ‘impressive rise’ must not crush our industries

The European Union’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic has warned China that its “impressive rise must not come at the expense of the European economy” as the bloc continues to push for Beijing to loosen export controls on rare earths and act on trade diversion. Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, two days after meeting Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, Sefcovic stated that “China has a responsibility to match its support for multilateralism with full respect for the rules meant to ensure fairness...

Politics

4 d. ago Japan faces ‘critical’ demographic crisis as birth rate hits historic low

Japan is facing a severe demographic crisis, marked by a historic low in its birth rate alongside a rapidly ageing population. In 2024, the number of babies born in the country fell to 686,061, marking the first time this figure has dropped below 700,000 since record-keeping began in 1899, according to a health ministry announcement on Wednesday. Births dropped by 41,227, or 5.7 per cent, from the previous year. It was only two years ago, in 2022, that the figure fell below the 800,000 birth...

Events