Noted scientists leave US for China, America turns 250: 5 weekend reads you missed

From scientists leaving the US for China to Asian-Americans on Independence Day, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend

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Neurobiologist Chih-Ying Su has left her position at UC San Diego to take up a role at the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences (SMART). Photo: Handout

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing .

Celebrated neurobiologist Chih-Ying Su, who specialises in research on the sense of


Outgunned Philippine Air Force takes on South China Sea defence

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr looks at miniature models of military aircraft presented to him by air force chief Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura (right) during an event at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on July 1 marking the Philippine Air Force’s 79th founding anniversary. Photo: EPA

For decades, the Philippine Air Force hunted communist rebels and Islamist militants in the country’s forests and southern islands.

Now, amid seemingly intractable tensions in the South China Sea , it is being reshaped into an armed service meant to defend one of Asia’s most contested maritime frontiers – even as analysts rank it the weakest air arm among Southeast Asia’s
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China’s Biren seeks US$900m to fund GPU push and challenge Nvidia amid AI boom

The company says 60 per cent of the fresh capital will be for commercialisation and mass production of next generation general-purpose GPUs

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Biren Technology chairman and CEO Zhang Wen at the company’s listing ceremony in Hong Kong, January 2, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Chinese artificial intelligence chipmaking champion Shanghai Biren Technology is raising HK$7 billion (US$892.5 million) to boost production of its graphics processing units (GPUs), joining a fierce domestic battle to capture Nvidia’s market share in the country amid a

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Russia strikes Kyiv with deadly barrage on eve of Nato summit

Russia struck Ukraine’s Kyiv region with ballistic missiles on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, authorities said, on the eve of a Nato summit in Turkey.

The assault was the second on the capital and its surroundings in less than a week and came as both sides increased long-range attacks, underlining the growing reach of the war more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to discuss the war on the


Malaysia’s Anwar to lean on ‘good friend’ Li Qiang to rescue durian farmers as prices fall

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has promised durian growers in Johor that he will raise their falling prices with his “good friend” Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to Beijing next month, as a nationwide glut leaves farmers struggling to sell the famously pungent fruit at sustainable prices.

Speaking during a political campaign stop in Johor, where a state election will be held on Saturday, Anwar said growers had complained to him during his two-day swing through the southern state that they were being forced to sell durians too cheaply after

China’s Premier Li Qiang (right) walks with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to attend the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 27, 2025. Photo: AP

‘I didn’t want to miss it’: Hongkongers see off PLA warships after 5-day port call

Chief Secretary Eric Chan says it was a precious opportunity for residents to appreciate the country’s achievements in defence and the military

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Guided-missile destroyer Nanning departs Hong Kong. Photo: Robert Ng
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24-year-old killed by lightning on clear day in Singapore

Seven others were hospitalised after lightning reportedly hit a group of kayakers and paddle-boarders off Pasir Ris Beach on Sunday

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Rescuers rush a person to an ambulance at Pasir Ris Beach on Sunday. Photo: TikTok/singaporeincidents.sg

A 24-year-old man has died after he was reportedly struck by lightning in Singapore .

The man was among a group of eight people, aged between 13 and 54, who were taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon, the police said on Monday.

The police said

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Australia, Fiji sign mutual defence pact to boost Pacific security

Australia has greatly upped its diplomatic efforts in the region following China’s secretive security deal with the Solomon Islands in 2022

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Prime ministers of Australia, Anthony Albanese (left), and Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, shake hands after signing a treaty in Suva on Monday. Photo: EPA

Australia signed a new defence alliance with Fiji on Monday, bolstering ties with its South Pacific island neighbour as it seeks to outmanoeuvre China in the region.
The Ocean of Peace alliance elevates Fiji to one of Australia’s few treaty allies and binds each nation to come to
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55 Hong Kong students from 13 schools score perfect IB marks

At least 55 students from 13 Hong Kong schools have achieved top marks in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, with one private independent institution reporting nine perfect scorers, its best result on record.

With results released on Monday, Victoria Shanghai Academy said nine students attained the maximum 45 points, while another eight scored 44. The school’s average score was 39.

Among the top scorers are Billy Chan, 18, and Genevieve Cheuk, 18, who both plan to study medicine


How a Japanese prefecture is managing rising bear population with microchips

Hyogo prefecture has set a population target of around 800 bears, a level at which it considers they are not at risk of extinction

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A participant checks for signs of life in a stuffed bear representing a real animal while a hunter stands ready during an emergency response drill in Isehara, Kanagawa prefecture, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

A prefecture in western Japan is drawing attention for a unique bear management programme that uses microchips implanted in captured animals to estimate population levels and guide culling decisions, as rising sightings across the country fuel calls for more effective countermeasures.

Hyogo prefecture says it is the first in

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