2 h. ago US vaccine sceptics are now in charge. That’s bad news for the world

When US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr removed the vaccine advisory panel of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he framed it as a move for the “restoration of public trust”. But the implications stretch far beyond domestic politics. In dismantling one of the world’s most respected sources of vaccine expertise, the United States is not just undermining its public health, it is ceding global scientific authority to China. Trump’s elevation of figures like Pete Hegseth,...

Politics

2 h. ago China’s extreme heat shield breaks thermal limit on hypersonic flight

Chinese scientists have created a carbide ceramic capable of withstanding temperatures up to 3,600 degrees Celsius (6,512 degrees Fahrenheit) in an oxidising environment, exceeding current thermal limits on hypersonic flight. The development holds significant potential for applications in aerospace, energy and other extreme high-temperature fields. Modern hypersonic aircraft and advanced engines demand materials that can maintain structural integrity under extreme thermal conditions. However,...

Politics

4 h. ago China's Military Conducts Patrols in South China Sea, Warns Philippines

China's Military Conducts Patrols in South China Sea, Warns Philippines  U.S. News & World Report

Events

7 h. ago Is Indonesia ready to roll the dice on casinos at the risk of social costs?

The potential legalisation of gambling in Indonesia has resurfaced as a means for higher state revenue, but opponents argue the activity risks fraying the cultural fabric of the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. Lawmaker Galih Kartasasmita floated the idea during a meeting with the finance ministry on May 8, where he said Indonesia should follow the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates, which legalised gambling last year. “The UAE is ready to run a casino, [an] Arab country [finally] runs...

Events

9 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee marks Father’s Day by sharing picture of grandson

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu marked Father’s Day this year by sharing a photo on social media of himself with his grandson. Lee’s photo shows the city leader wearing a cap and a polo shirt as he warmly greets his grandson and has the caption: “From father to father’s father, paying tribute to fathers all over the world”. He said on Sunday that he enjoyed spending time with his grandson, especially cherishing talking to and playing with him. Lee spoke about reading fables to his...

Politics

13 h. ago Meet Goku, the Chinese quant fund with AI ambitions beyond finance

Goku Technologies, a Shanghai-based quantitative trading fund, is expanding its ambitions beyond finance, looking to artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to overcome challenges faced by humanity, according to CEO Wang Xiao. In an interview with the Post, Wang said the firm’s AI initiatives were driven by a vision that transcended short-term commercial interests. “What I believe is [AI exists] to solve issues for humanity – this is the only thing that matters,” he said. Last month, Goku...

Politics

24 h. ago What next for He Jiankui, the human gene editor locked in limbo?

He Jiankui looked a little tired and worn as he contemplated his future. With no home and no institution to host his research, the 41-year-old biophysicist and self-proclaimed “pioneer of gene editing” was weighing up what to do next while staying at an upmarket hotel in Beijing late last month. He, who caused a global uproar in 2018 with his announcement of the world’s first gene-edited babies, planned to move to the United States to continue his research into gene-editing embryos to combat...

Politics

25 h. ago Chinese brain implant reaches landmark clinical trial with operation on amputee

China has become the second country in the world to advance invasive brain-computer interface technology to a human trial, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. The trial is on a 37-year-old man who had to have all of his limbs amputated after a high-voltage electrical accident more than a decade ago. In March, researchers implanted a device roughly the size of a coin and a series of electrodes into the man’s brain. A few weeks later, he was able to control a cursor on an electronic...

Politics

30 h. ago How the obsession with risky assets is putting global finance in peril

Fashionable, frivolous or downright foolish? Which of these words best describes the trend in markets toward derivatives, cryptocurrencies, digital assets and tokens as supplements or alternatives to traditional finance? Where is this great “paper chase” leading? For one thing, it is likely to be causing a flight into gold. But unless gold is remonetised and mining output is stepped up sharply, that trend could lead to deflation and limited economic growth. So a retreat to sustainable safety...

Events

30 h. ago China scenic site seeks dancing ‘savages’ for US$70 daily, requires eating raw food

A top natural scenic spot in central China has come under the spotlight for hiring people to pose as savages for tourists, and paying them 500 yuan (US$70) a day to do so. Since Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei province began recruiting on June 7 about 10,000 people have applied for the job, the scenic zone’s management company told the Beijing News on June 9. Included in the Unesco World Heritage List, the Shennongjia tour zone features primeval ecology, rich biodiversity and...

Politics

31 h. ago Hong Kong homebuyers snap up Deep Water Pavilia flats amid discounts

The first batch of flats on offer at the Deep Water Pavilia project on the south side of Hong Kong island are expected to sell out, according to property agents, as homebuyers rushed to snap up available units this weekend on the back of discounted pricing and low interest rates. As of 1pm on Saturday, 75 of the 138 flats on offer at the New World Development (NWD)-led luxury residential project in Wong Chuk Hang were snapped up, about four hours after sales started, property agents said. All...

Politics

31 h. ago Hong Kong homebuyers snap up all Deep Water Pavilia flats on offer this weekend

The first batch of flats on offer at the Deep Water Pavilia project on the south side of Hong Kong island sold out on Saturday, according to property agents, as homebuyers rushed to snap up available units on the back of discounted pricing and low interest rates. As of 4 pm, all 138 flats on offer at the New World Development (NWD)-led luxury residential project in Wong Chuk Hang were sold for a grand total of HK$1.53 billion (US$196 million), just seven hours after sales started, property...

Politics

32 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over island’s ‘will to fight’

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Sport

32 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over its ‘will to fight’ if PLA attacks

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Events

33 h. ago Chinese scientists find first evidence that AI could think like a human

Chinese researchers have confirmed for the first time that artificial intelligence large language models can spontaneously create a humanlike system to comprehend and sort natural objects, a process considered a pillar of human cognition. It provides new evidence in a debate over the cognitive capacity of AI models, suggesting that artificial systems that reflect key aspects of human thinking may be possible. “Understanding how humans conceptualise and categorise natural objects offers critical...

Politics

36 h. ago Hong Kong plans new AI supercomputing centre to boost tech hub status

The Hong Kong government is set to enhance its computing power support for start-ups as part of its ambition to become a leading technology hub, according to the city’s innovation chief, as local start-ups seek global clients at one of Europe’s largest technology shows. Hong Kong planned to establish a new supercomputing centre at Sandy Ridge in the Northern Metropolis – part of a government blueprint that aims to transform a large swathe of land in the New Territories into an economic hub,...

Politics

37 h. ago How US$11 can get you a day trip for 2 plus lunch in pricey Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive cities, 79 yuan (US$11) will get you a set lunch for one. But, to the surprise of many, it will buy a day tour for two people, with lunch and a visit to several attractions thrown in. With such budget tours becoming increasingly popular among mainland Chinese visitors, especially those from the nearby cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou, the Post joined one on a weekday to see how they operated. At 8.30am, a coach packed with about 60...

Economics

38 h. ago China and India Agree to Resume Direct Flights and Resolve Trade Issues, Surging Bilateral Relations and Travel Between Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing, and Shanghai

China and India Agree to Resume Direct Flights and Resolve Trade Issues, Surging Bilateral Relations and Travel Between Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing, and Shanghai  Travel And Tour World

Transport

41 h. ago Former Dem VP pick Tim Walz claims China may have world's 'moral authority' after Israel attacks Iran

Former Dem VP pick Tim Walz claims China may have world's 'moral authority' after Israel attacks Iran  New York Post

Politics

44 h. ago From dancing robots to DeepSeek, the university helping China to win tech race

From dancing robots to DeepSeek, the university helping China to win tech race  The Times

Culture