China

China’s Zhurong rover makes history with Mars landing
12Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments

China’s Zhurong rover makes history with Mars landing

China's Zhurong rover makes history with Mars landing Graphic on China's Mars rover Zhurong. BEIJING: China's Zhurong rover touched down on Mars early Saturday, state media reported, a triumph for Beijing's increasingly bold space ambitions and a history-making feat for a nation on its first-ever Martian mission. The lander carrying Zhurong completed the treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute to navigate the "seven minutes of terror" as it is known, aiming for a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia. The mission "successfully landed in the pre-selected area", state broadcaster CCTV said, while the official Xinhua news agency cited the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in confirming the touchdown. It makes China the first country t...
Read More
Mass jab hopes a crucial test for Prayut
12Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments

Mass jab hopes a crucial test for Prayut

Mass jab hopes a crucial test for Prayut A vial of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine with Gen Prayut's name on it. Chanat Katanyu Despite reassurances from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that the mass Covid-19 vaccinations for people over 60 and those suffering from seven non-communicable underlying diseases across the country will proceed as scheduled on June 7, scepticism remains strong among many about whether this administration can still be trusted after repeated blunders in the handling of the pandemic. From the failure to postpone the Songkran long holidays and reluctance to impose travel restrictions which caused the Thong Lor cluster to spread nationwide, to putting all the eggs in one basket by betting on just the locally produced ...
Read More
Police and soldiers killed in eastern Myanmar amid heavy fighting
11Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments

Police and soldiers killed in eastern Myanmar amid heavy fighting

Police and soldiers killed in eastern Myanmar amid heavy fighting Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the February putsch. YANGON: Dozens of Myanmar security force members were killed Sunday, rebel fighters said, after heavy fighting in the coup-hit country's eastern fringe. Myanmar has been in chaos since the February putsch, as the military uses lethal force to crack down on dissent. The civilian death toll has climbed to at least 815 people, according to a local monitoring group. The violence has pushed some in the anti-junta movement to form a so-called "People's Defence Force" (PDF) in their own townships -- made up of civilians who fight back against security forces with homemade weapons. There were clashes in eastern Myanmar over the weekend, particularly...
Read More
Emerging from a year of illness and isolation
11Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments

Emerging from a year of illness and isolation

In An Uncertain Situation. (Photos: Kalwit Studio & Gallery) In a quiet and gloomy world, a girl walks alone on empty and winding roads. The girl is a character in the paintings Alone1 and Alone2 from the Covid-19 pandemic-inspired collection "Linetopia" by Apiwat Bunler. Periods of stay-at-home and self-isolation had a strong impact on independent artist Apiwat, who also bartends in his own bar, Barley, where he meets many people. "The atmosphere during the pandemic is depressing. I feel lonely staying home by myself. The girl in Alone1 and Alone2 represents a lonesome state of mind with dark colours. The painting In An Uncertain Situation portrays my own character dragged by a chariot, which was inspired by a scene in the movie Troy, when Achilles tied and dragged Hector's corpse with ...
Read More
China again slammed by US Secretary over lack of transparency over COVID-19 origins
11Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China again slammed by US Secretary over lack of transparency over COVID-19 origins

Washington, China: Once again China is slammed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday for the lack of transparency on the origins of the coronavirus, as global pressure mounts for a fresh probe in Wuhan. “What we’ve seen, more than unfortunately, from the PRC (People’s Republic of China) since the beginning of this crisis is a failure to meet its basic responsibilities in terms of sharing information and providing access,” Blinken told the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported Voice of America (VOA).In his opening remarks to the Committee, the Secretary of State said that China and others are working hard to “bend international organizations to their worldview” and stressed that organisations should remain grounded in the values, principles, and rules of road and r
Read More
‘Blue Dot’ an alternative to China’s BRI
11Jun By Yusara AskariNo Comments

‘Blue Dot’ an alternative to China’s BRI

New York, US: In order to have an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, US President Joe Biden, along with the Japanese and Australian governments, are reviving the ‘Blue Dot Network’ infrastructure initiative. The Blue Dot Network was first announced during former President Donald Trump’s administration, and kicked off talks among stakeholders in Paris on Monday after a prolonged period of inactivity, reported Nikkei Asia. The initiative, which would certify projects meeting such standards as transparency and sustainability, is meant to galvanise the private sector to invest in infrastructure development in emerging markets. “The Blue Dot Network will be a globally recognized symbol of market-driven, transparent and sustainable infrastructure projects,” the Blue Dot N
Read More
Two bills to prevent stealing of intellectual property signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs
11Jun By Nectar GanNo Comments

Two bills to prevent stealing of intellectual property signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs

Florida, US: The Florida governor has signed two bills to tackle the espionage and prevent foreign adversaries from stealing intellectual property after he accused China of waging a campaign and steal Florida secrets. “All we are doing today is saying enough is enough,” DeSantis said. “We have to start fighting back. Florida is doing that.” The first bill toughens penalties for stealing a trade secret to benefit a foreign government. The second bill requires universities and colleges to disclose grants and donations of more than USD 50,000 from foreign governments, Sun Sentinal reported. The legislation highlights seven countries of concern: Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela. At a news conference in Miami, DeSantis attacked China for stealing state se
Read More
Surveillance to increase the productivity of tech employees, forced to work long hours
10Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Surveillance to increase the productivity of tech employees, forced to work long hours

Beijing, China: In order to bring productivity-enhancing tools into everyday office life of techies in China, a software driven surveillance management and monitoring into their professional lives.Nikki Sun for Nikkei Asia writes that rapid technological development in China's tech industry is accompanied by poor labour regulations, which has created a potential for labour abuse. The big tech companies themselves, locked in cutthroat competition for new business opportunities, are pioneering these technologies and tools in their own operations.Andy Wang, an IT engineer at a Shanghai-based gaming company, said that a surveillance software called DiSanZhiYan, or "Third Eye" was installed on the laptop of every employee to track their screens in real time, recording their chats, browsing act...
Read More
China’s ambition now includes influence beyond immediate neighbourhood
10Jun By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

China’s ambition now includes influence beyond immediate neighbourhood

Beijing, China: A Chinese navy unit has recently its training exercise in Pacific Ocean. This is giving birth to speculation that China is now aiming to expand its border ambition focus away from its immediate neighbourhood.According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Southern Theatre Command of the PLA said on Saturday that a fleet under its command had travelled over 6,700 nautical miles over the past month, passing between Indonesia and the Philippines and through the western Pacific."The complicated military situation presents a great challenge to the will and perseverance of the officers and soldiers… The use of weapons in the far seas not only helps assess equipment performance under continuous sailing conditions, it also tests the ability of officers and soldiers to command an
Read More
Chinese activist who reviled human rights condition in country, put behind the bars.
9Jun By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Chinese activist who reviled human rights condition in country, put behind the bars.

Beijing, China: Wang Aizhong, a Chinese veteran activist was arrested last month for writing his mind out on twitter. He wrote about the condition of human rights in the country. Whereas he was accused under charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. The veteran activist helped found the Southern Street Movement in Guangzhou 10 years ago, calling for an end to one-party rule, reported South China Morning Post. He has been active on social media, commenting on human rights abuses in China. His online activities brought him attention from the police, who warned him to stay home early last month when he was invited to attend a dinner with a group of private businesspeople in the neighbouring city of Zhongshan. Despite complying with the order, the police raided the dinner
Read More
×