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South China Morning Post

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Chinese AI lets everyday users command quantum computing with natural language

Quantum computing has long carried an aura of exclusivity, cloaked in dense academic papers and ultra-cold laboratory systems understood by only a small circle of physicists and mathematicians. However, a Chinese start-up has changed quantum computing into something closer to an AI chatbot. On May 15, Shanghai-based Youshu Quantum Technology unveiled what it described as the world’s first agent-driven quantum computing platform. UnitaryLab 2.0 is designed to allow users to operate quantum...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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School principal embroiled in Singapore spat dismissed

A secondary school principal who is suspected of verbally abusing a security guard in Singapore has been relieved of his duties, after the school he worked for on Wednesday said they did not accept his resignation. The managers of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School said Lee Cheuk-hing's vulgar behaviour violated the Education Bureau's Guidelines on Teachers' Professional Conduct, and tarnished the school's reputation. In a statement, the school's incorporated management committee said it did not accept Lee's resignation on May 28, six days after the alleged incident took place during a school trip. If Lee's resignation was accepted, he would have stayed until the end of August. "If he were to stay on as principal until August 31, the school's normal operation would be severely impacted, hindering teachers and students from moving on as quickly as possible," it read. "The incorporated management committee therefore acted on the instruction of the [school's] sponsoring body ... by immediately dismissing Lee Cheuk-hing and relieving him of all his duties." Lee's position will be taken up by his deputy, while a search for his replacement will commence later. Moving forward, the committee will set up a task force of education veterans to review the school's administrative and personnel matters, and provide relevant suggestions. The committee also apologised to everyone in Hong Kong and Singapore, saying they would ensure that teachers uphold their professional conduct and be role models. Edited by Aaron Tam

South China Morning Post

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정치

How Japan and the Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

Japan and the Philippines are deepening defence and maritime cooperation over shared concerns about China, with broad implications that analysts said reached beyond the South China Sea. Following Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s state visit to Tokyo last week, the two sides agreed to launch formal talks on military intelligence sharing and maritime boundary delimitation, while elevating ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Beijing responded strongly, denouncing the boundary...

South China Morning Post

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Malaysia taps Hong Kong battery expertise to power ambitions for electricity grid

A Malaysian power systems specialist has struck a deal with a Hong Kong battery storage firm to pursue large-scale projects aimed at helping the country prepare its electricity grid for more renewable energy. The two-year agreement between Mikro MSC Berhad and Hong Kong Cospower Technology Co Ltd (HKCT) makes the company HKCT’s exclusive strategic partner in Malaysia for utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. Such battery systems are meant to address one of solar power’s...

South China Morning Post

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기타

What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North Korea

South Korea has made peaceful coexistence the central objective of its North Korea policy. As outlined in a recent white paper, Seoul has not formally abandoned reunification but has chosen to prioritise the more immediate and achievable objective of establishing a stable framework for coexistence. The document articulates three guiding principles: respect for North Korea’s political system, rejection of unification by absorption, and avoidance of hostile actions. Underscoring the urgency of...

South China Morning Post

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Alleged luxury car race crash that killed 5 renews Malaysia’s road safety concerns

Two siblings allegedly racing against each other in luxury cars, causing a multivehicle crash in Johor state that killed five people – including four members of a family – have once again put the spotlight on the “serious public health challenge” facing Malaysia’s roads. Police arrested a 19-year-old driver of a Mercedes-Benz, identified by local media as a Singapore university student, over Monday’s accident which occurred on a highway linking Kluang to Simpang Renggam in Johor. Police said a...

South China Morning Post

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More red tape, less progress: China’s cadres struggle to adopt ‘error tolerance’

Despite repeated directives to ease the burden on local officials and curb formalism, many of China’s cadres still find themselves trapped in a frustrating cycle of working harder yet achieving fewer tangible results, according to state-linked media. Banyuetan, an influential biweekly magazine affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, outlined five symptoms of this “busier-but-emptier” phenomenon in a report published on its website on Tuesday. Beijing has long called for easing the burden of...

South China Morning Post

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China woman uses 60kg chocolate to craft mini 3D replica of ancient painting, earns 1 million likes

A woman in China with no formal training in the arts has used 60kg of chocolate to make a 3D miniature copy of the famous painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival. A video showing the chocolate version of ancient Bianjing city released by the blogger, who uses the alias Fan Sumu, in late May has garnered about one million likes, Jimu News reported. The masterpiece was painted by Zhang Zeduan of Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), is among the best known artworks in Chinese...

South China Morning Post

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US government appeals against judge’s order for Trump tariff refunds

The Trump administration on Tuesday formally appealed against a judge’s order for refunds of the US president’s global tariffs after they were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. At stake is some US$166 billion in revenue. A refunds system handled by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already begun to process repayments. Last month, the CBP said in a court filing that it was on track to process about US$85 billion in repayments, with US$20.6 billion approved for...

South China Morning Post

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Can China fill funding and leadership gaps after America quit the WHO?

Vanuatu had a clear goal at last month’s annual assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva – securing new international aid for the Pacific island nation. “I’m here to lobby for support,” said Jenny Stephens, Vanuatu’s director of public health. “We are experiencing the global funding cuts – it’s affecting our programmes like malaria, TB and HIV. We’re already struggling.” Vanuatu’s health programmes are among thousands in the Global South that have been halted or cancelled since the...

South China Morning Post

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사회

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

The measles outbreak in Bangladesh is one of its deadliest health crises in decades, as experts warned that the lack of measures to increase vaccinations and enhance immunisation across the country could lead to a further spike in cases. There were over 60,000 suspected cases of measles, and nearly 600 people have died from the disease since mid-March, according to media reports. The outbreak has been particularly severe among malnourished children and communities with limited access to health...

South China Morning Post

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Can China’s caesium-from-brine tech cut reliance on Canadian, Australian ores?

Chinese researchers have developed an environmentally friendly method to extract caesium from brine, a process they say could boost China’s supply of the strategic resource. Caesium, a rare metal, is a critical strategic resource used in satellite atomic clocks, missile thermal imaging sensors and advanced speciality glass. China and the United States are the top consumers of caesium, yet both rely heavily on imports. It is primarily found in the Earth’s crustal ores as well as salt lake brines...

South China Morning Post

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Malaysia’s Umno banks on Johor state election to lure Malay votes in stronghold

For decades, Umno was the party that defined power in Malaysia. Now, after years of scandal, defeat and uneasy coalition politics, it is turning to its birthplace of Johor to prove it can still win on its own terms. The southern state’s snap election will test whether the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) can still attract Malay voters, defend its strongest remaining state government and hold off both Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s allies and the Malay-Muslim opposition, analysts...

South China Morning Post

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Malaysia tells Norway to hasten scrapped missile deal refund

Malaysia has urged Norway to help expedite a refund for the cancelled missile procurement deal, with Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin insisting that Oslo cannot absolve itself of responsibility. Khaled said he had recently met Norway’s defence minister and conveyed Malaysia’s position that the Norwegian government’s refusal to approve an export licence was the cause of the issue. “The source of everything is Norway’s decision not to approve the export licence to Malaysia. Therefore, Norway...

South China Morning Post

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Why have Japan and the Philippines’ maritime boundary talks angered China?

The waters off eastern Taiwan have become a new flashpoint after Tokyo and Manila announced formal negotiations to delimit the maritime boundary of the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf between Japan and the Philippines. On Monday, China’s coastguard carried out enforcement patrols in the region, exercising Beijing’s claimed right to maintain its own EEZ and continental shelf rights under both domestic and international law. The Taiwanese coastguard said it shadowed and...

South China Morning Post

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Japan’s Russia concern, businesses choose Malaysia over Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war Japan’s call to maintain “impeccable” defences on its northern frontier reflects Tokyo’s deepening concern over growing Russian military activity in the region, analysts say. 2. Rising costs in Singapore spur...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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기타

ID-limbo baby concern rises over 'Save Lily' couple

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said the government is highly concerned about the controversial case involving a couple who refused DNA testing required for their baby's birth certificate following a home birth in Hong Kong. Speaking after an event on Tuesday, Sun said he hoped a health check and assessment of the baby boy, as well as a meeting with the parents, could be arranged as soon as possible. He said relevant departments have been following up on the case. "From last Thursday, we have been using different methods to get in touch with the parents and family involved," Sun said. "Our social workers had waited outside their home at various times of the day. They waited until late on one occasion. "We had also left different contact methods for the parents to reach us. "It wasn't until yesterday that our social workers were finally able to get in touch with the parents through email." The incident sparked concern over the internet after the couple opened a social media page called "Save Lily" in the hope of taking back their second daughter – who was born at home in Finland in 2021 and did not have a birth certificate – after she was put under a formal care order when the family was in Sweden in 2023. The couple then returned to Hong Kong and gave birth to their third son, Danny, at home. Speaking on a radio programme on Tuesday, the father, Tsang, said he and his partner have submitted a statement of self-delivery of birth at home. But the couple have not registered Danny's birth within 42 days of delivery – as required under the law – and refused DNA testing to verify their biological relationship with the infant, citing religious reasons. Tsang said he and his partner are unwilling to undergo such testing, saying that DNA information is highly sensitive, and hope to know the reasons for the required procedures. Sun said the Immigration Department would follow up on the issue regarding Danny's birth certificate and that it had also reached out to the Chinese embassy in Sweden through the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong to follow up on Lily's case. He also said the administration has a comprehensive mechanism for handling matters when it comes to child welfare and will take steps to address the situation as quickly as possible while taking into account all relevant factors. Sun added that appropriate support would be forthcoming should the family express any need for it. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

South China Morning Post

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기타

China boy with 97% burns dreams of becoming top badminton player, practises daily despite pain

A boy in eastern China who survived catastrophic burns is battling daily pain on the badminton court, determined to become a champion like his idol Lin Dan. Xuanxuan, 12, from Jinan in Shandong province, was asleep with his family when a fire tore through his parents’ small noodle shop six years ago, Qilu Evening News reported. He suffered the worst injuries, with burns covering 97 per cent of his body, while his parents and younger sister were also injured. His mother told the mainland media...

South China Morning Post

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Uber investigating after woman says driver went off route and locked doors

Uber is investigating a complaint involving three female passengers who said they felt threatened during an early morning ride home in Hong Kong, after the driver allegedly told vulgar jokes, deviated from the original route and locked the vehicle doors when asked to drop them off. The ride-hailing company said on Monday that it was aware of the allegations one of the passengers made online and had reached out to the driver as part of its investigation. “We absolutely do not condone this type of...

South China Morning Post

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Snap polls in Malaysia’s Johor test Umno comeback bid and Anwar’s ruling alliance

Malaysia’s southern state of Johor dissolved its legislature on Monday, setting up an election within 60 days that analysts said would test whether the once-dominant Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition can turn its state stronghold into a launch pad for a wider political comeback. The vote will also put Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) reformist alliance in an awkward contest against its federal partner BN, with both coalitions set to run against each other in Johor...

뉴스

타임라인 키워드

Chinese AI lets everyday users command quantum computing with natural language

School principal embroiled in Singapore spat dismissed

How Japan and the Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

Malaysia taps Hong Kong battery expertise to power ambitions for electricity grid

What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North Korea

Alleged luxury car race crash that killed 5 renews Malaysia’s road safety concerns

More red tape, less progress: China’s cadres struggle to adopt ‘error tolerance’

China woman uses 60kg chocolate to craft mini 3D replica of ancient painting, earns 1 million likes

US government appeals against judge’s order for Trump tariff refunds

Can China fill funding and leadership gaps after America quit the WHO?

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

Can China’s caesium-from-brine tech cut reliance on Canadian, Australian ores?

Malaysia’s Umno banks on Johor state election to lure Malay votes in stronghold

Malaysia tells Norway to hasten scrapped missile deal refund

Why have Japan and the Philippines’ maritime boundary talks angered China?

Japan’s Russia concern, businesses choose Malaysia over Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

ID-limbo baby concern rises over 'Save Lily' couple

China boy with 97% burns dreams of becoming top badminton player, practises daily despite pain

Uber investigating after woman says driver went off route and locked doors

Snap polls in Malaysia’s Johor test Umno comeback bid and Anwar’s ruling alliance