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How China Is Building Its Next Outpost at Sea
Tag: China
Taiwan president blames China for forced cancellation of Eswatini trip
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has cancelled his trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after his government said several countries had revoked overflight permits because of “intense pressure” from China. Lai was to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession. The secretary general of Taiwan’s presidential office, Pan Meng-an, said Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unilaterally and without warning revoked flight permits for the presidential aircraft to cross their countries. “The actual reason was intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic…
Student allegedly jailed in China for six years after taking part in pro-democracy protests in Australia
The Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect Chinese international students from political repression by authorities on their return after a Chinese student was allegedly sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for joining pro-democracy protests in Australia. The student, who the Guardian has chosen not to name, lost contact with his friends in Sydney after returning to China in December 2024. He was known to have plans to stay in Australia after graduation. Two employers also confirmed with Guardian Australia that they have lost contact with the…
Japan to Sell More Weapons Abroad, Breaking With Postwar Pacifism
The Japanese government moved on Tuesday to allow the sale of more weapons abroad, in the latest shift away from pacifist policies imposed after World War II, as it grapples with rising security threats from China and a rapidly changing global order. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her top officials, at a meeting in Tokyo, reversed longstanding limits on the sale of Japan-made weapons overseas. The move comes days after Japan welcomed more than 30 NATO envoys for a visit meant to show stronger ties, and after Tokyo sealed a…
Clean energy generation exceeded rise in global electricity demand in 2025
Output from solar farms rose by a third while electricity from fossil fuels fell, research from thinktank reveals UK shifts older wind and solar farms to fixed-price deals to reduce price shocks All of last year’s growth in global electricity demand was met from renewable sources, while fossil fuel power generation remained flat, research has found, marking what many hope could become a turning point in the drive to phase out planet-heating fossil fuels. Solar power generation rose by nearly a third in 2025, marking a new record and faster…
Humanoid robots race past humans in Beijing half-marathon – video
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism as they whizzed past human runners in a half-marathon race in Beijing on Sunday. The robots and humans ran in parallel tracks to avoid collisions. The winning robot, developed by Honor, a well-known Chinese smartphone maker, finished the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, several minutes faster than the world record set by Jacob Kiplimo last month in Lisbon, though the humanoid had to be helped back up just metres from the finish line after crashing into the railing…
Humanoid robots show rapid advances as they race past humans in Beijing half-marathon
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism as they whizzed past human runners in a half-marathon race in Beijing on Sunday, having lagged far behind a year earlier. The race’s inaugural edition last year was riddled with mishaps, as many robots struggled to get off the starting line, and most were unable to finish. The champion robot recorded a time of 2 hours 40 minutes, comfortably ahead of its machine rivals, but more than double the time of the human winner of the conventional race. The contrast…
The Painting Movements Everyone Should Know
How to Be Cultured Menu Art More in Art American Land Art Essential Museum Works Is It Surreal? Masks Innovations in Painting Postwar Art Conceptual Art Explained Essential Pottery Intangible Art What Is Performance Art? Notorious Controversies See the rest of the issueNYT
Blades of the Guardians review – swords to the fore in martial arts master Yuen Woo-ping’s wuxia heaven
Recently becoming the most successful wuxia film of all time at the Chinese box office, Blades of the Guardians offers a duly impressive spectacle, chock-full of epic set-pieces that lean more on physical effects than CGI, and of course lashings of exquisitely choreographed fight scenes mostly using – as the title suggests – swords. One wouldn’t expect anything else, given it is directed by veteran fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, best known to western audiences for his contributions to films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Matrix movies and Kill…
Ant smuggler sentenced to a year in jail by Kenyan court
A Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year. The insects are mostly destined for China, the US and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each. Ant smuggling made headlines last year when two Belgian teenagers were arrested in possession of nearly 5,000 ants, mostly stored in small test tubes. They were fined about $7,700. Zhang…