China-led team develops AI system to track radar-disrupting space hurricanes

Recently discovered space weather event ‘appears as a massive, spinning aurora near Earth’s magnetic poles’, say researchers

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Detection of space hurricanes has so far been a manual process. Photo: Reuters

A China-led team has developed an AI system to detect space hurricanes, a phenomenon in the Earth’s upper atmosphere that can disrupt satellite signals, radar and radio communications.

While the hurricane-like atmospheric phenomenon can have major space weather effects, detection has so far relied


Cross-border biotech deals grow more complex as US targets China investment links

In focus: Chinese biotech firms such as Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical are navigating growing geopolitical scrutiny as cross-border licensing deals continue to expand. Photo: Shutterstoc

Cross-border biotech deals between China and the United States are becoming more complicated and could face a modest slowdown as Washington steps up efforts to restrict investment and technology transfers, according to industry analysts.

“There will be more geopolitical scrutiny going forward. This scrutiny may lead to slightly fewer deals than without it,” said Diederik Stadig, senior healthcare economist at ING Research.
Despite the growing regulatory hurdles, Stadig said the broader trend of Western

To lead in global education, Hong Kong must go beyond narrow metrics

Hong Kong’s universities are often celebrated for their global rankings , research output and international reputation. Yet behind these achievements lies a quieter, more fundamental question: how do we define academic excellence and are we measuring the right things?

Academic life is driven by intrinsic motivations. Scholars are guided by curiosity, a pursuit of excellence and a commitment to professionalism: integrity, responsibility and accountability. Many see their work as part of a larger purpose: contributing knowledge to society and shaping generations through teaching.

But these motivations exist


Concerns raised as Hong Kong stops compiling voter turnout data by age and sex

While authorities cite lack of operational need, politician and analysts say data important for electoral transparency and good governance

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A polling station at Kowloon Park Sports Centre during last December’s Legislative Council election. Photo: Jelly Tse
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‘Only death can stop me’: terminally ill Chinese tycoon works 12 hours daily to cure ALS

A former Chinese e-commerce executive in the final stages of a rare disease is still working 12-hour days, devoting what time he has left to accelerating the search for a cure.

Cai Lei, 48, a former vice-president of JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce companies, has spent seven years battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable disease that progressively attacks motor neurons.

His condition has recently deteriorated to an advanced stage. Unable to move or

Cai Lei, above, pictured attached to medical equipment in a hospital bed. Photo: Yitiao

Japan confronts the dark side of its teenagers’ AI addiction

A Japanese high school student checks her smartphone. A Cabinet Office study released on May 1 reveals that more than half of teenage girls in Japan had used AI asked for advice on personal problems. Photo: Shutterstock

She was among five girls in Japan believed to have beaten a boy so severely that he required hospital treatment. Yet her most pressing concern was how much money the group should demand from him. To find an answer, she turned to artificial intelligence .

The alleged assault took place in January in Hachioji, a city in western Greater Tokyo.

For experts, the case has exposed a disturbing pattern: Japanese adolescents instinctively turning to AI to guide their

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How Singapore’s most notorious mall found God

Orchard Towers in Singapore pictured on Friday. Cornerstone Community Church officially opened weekly services at the Orchard Road landmark in January. Photo: Jean Iau
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Report says UK PM Starmer ready to quit, but source says he is still focused on the job

⁠Britain’s Observer newspaper said ⁠UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to resign on Monday and set out a timetable for his departure, though a government source ‌said the leader remained focused on getting on with the job of governing.

The threat to Starmer’s position, which has been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when his rival Andy Burnham won a ⁠seat in parliament that would allow him to launch a ‌formal leadership challenge.

The Observer report said Starmer was discussing the matter with his


How ‘lying flat’ went from a niche subculture to mainstream phenomenon

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

In late April, China’s top intelligence agency claimed that foreign forces were weaponising the concept of “lying flat” to dispel young people’s “belief in striving” and undermine social values.

Once a niche subculture, “lying flat” has evolved into a mainstream phenomenon over the past five years.

“Lying flat” became a buzzword on Chinese social

Zelensky says Ukraine drones hit oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen, now have 3,000km range

⁠Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said ⁠on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen Region in western Siberia, more than 2,000km (1,200 miles) from Ukraine.

He also said Ukraine had ‌developed new long-range drones capable of operating over more than 3,000 km.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelensky offered thanks to the Ukrainian military’s special operations which “have reached Tyumen Region in Russia, including an

Smoke billows behind an Orthodox church following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow on Thursday. Photo: EPA