China says desert moss suited to Mars as it tests hi-tech tools for space and astronauts

Latest in-orbit results from prototype Qingzhou cargo spacecraft show China is testing cameras, refrigeration and bio-support capsule

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China’s prototype Qingzhou experimental cargo spacecraft and two small satellites were launched on March 30. Photo: CAS Innovation Academy for Microsatellites

China has hopes for a desert moss that it says could colonise Mars following a revival experiment inside a mini space laboratory that showed it was remarkably resilient, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday.

The plant, a highly drought-resistant species called Syntrichia caninervis , was revived after it was subjected to

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Is the Chinese dream replacing the American dream?

Tourists pose for a group photo at Shanghai Disneyland on June 16. Photo: Xinhua

Dr Ken Ip is an assistant professor specialising in business innovation and entrepreneurship at Saint Francis University, Hong Kong.

For much of the 20th century, the “American dream” was perhaps the most successful export in human history. It reached far beyond American borders. Millions of people around the world, including generations of Chinese families , believed in its promise. Study hard. Work hard. Build a career. Buy a home. Raise

78 arrested as Hong Kong police bust HK$5 million online shopping scams

Police urge the public to shop with reputable online sellers. Photo: Getty Images
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Heatwave grips Eastern Europe after Germany weather breaks records

The intense and unusually early heat event underscores how climate change is transforming summers in the world’s fastest-warming continent

A pigeon drinks water amid a heatwave in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Xinhua

The deadly heatwave that’s set temperature records across western Europe for more than a week has shifted east to scorch Hungary, Romania and the Balkans.

Hungary’s Budapest is expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on Tuesday, according to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather

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2 PLA navy ships to visit Hong Kong for 5-day port call

The guided missile destroyer Nanning is one of two ships that will visit Hong Kong. Photo: Xinhua
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China conducts ground test of hypersonic ramjet that can change shape in flight

The graphite seal used in the Chinese breakthrough is the same one the US defence industry desperately needs

A Northwestern Polytechnical University hypersonic vehicle lifts off in northwestern China last year. The university’s researchers have reported a new breakthrough in graphite-sealed engine technology with implications for the US-China hypersonic race. Photo: Handout

At a test facility in China, a hypersonic engine that reshapes its internal airflow channel – much like a throat tightening and relaxing – has operated continuously from a relatively modest Mach 1.8 (nearly twice the speed of sound) all the way to Mach 6 without failing.

And the material that kept superheated gases from escaping? Essentially the same black


UK’s Andy Burnham, nation’s likely next leader, promises ‘number 10 north’

Andy Burnham meets Labour party members before delivering a speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, England, on Monday. Photo: AP

Andy Burnham, Britain’s presumptive next prime minister, has set out details giving more powers to local government as part of a plan to spread wealth and economic growth.

Saying Westminster “is not working” and is “broken”, he set out a sweeping economic vision in a key speech from Manchester – where he was mayor for nine years – to bring

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‘Queuing gangs’ exploited Hong Kong driving licence ticketing system: ombudsman

The Hong Kong government watchdog has slammed the Transport Department over systemic deficiencies that allowed “queuing gangs” to abuse public resources, along with digital shortcomings that left overseas and mainland Chinese applicants with a negative impression.

An investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman, released on Monday, revealed that a group of seven agents exploited the ticketing system to submit 135 applications for the direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licences in a single day, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the daily quota.

The Transport Department


South Korea’s World Cup early exit sparks fury, death threats, restaurant bans

South Korean fans react after their team lost the 2026 World Cup football match against South Africa at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul last week. Photo: AFP

South Korea ’s World Cup squad is set to be greeted on arrival by heightened police security rather than the usual airport welcome ceremony, as fury over head coach Hong Myung-bo’s failed campaign spills into online death threats, viral restaurant bans and renewed calls for sweeping changes inside the country’s football establishment.
Hong and eight players, including Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Lee Kang

‘Deficiencies’ in maintenance, repairs at Hong Kong parks mar visitor experience

Inadequate monitoring, lengthy repairs and poor information for hikers are among the “deficiencies” that have undermined public safety and visitors’ experience at Hong Kong’s country parks, according to the city’s ombudsman, which urged relevant authorities to overhaul how they manage and maintain facilities.

In a report released on Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it made 42 recommendations to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), all of which had been accepted by the country parks manager.

“Hong Kong’