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Chinese dad sues online gaming companies for US$1.5 to force strict anti-addiction rules
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Chinese dad sues online gaming companies for US$1.5 to force strict anti-addiction rules

Case attracts widespread attention, rallying support for Qin in his quest to urge these companies to strengthen regulations that protect minors A father in central China, whose gaming-addicted son swallowed 18 fever pills in one go, has sued four mainland gaming companies, seeking a symbolic compensation of 10 yuan (US$1.5). However, his primary hope is that the court will supervise these companies to ensure they fulfil their obligation to prevent minors from overindulging in gaming. The father, whose surname is Qin, filed the lawsuit against domestic game companies – Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment – in a court located in Tanghe County, Henan province, where he lives, as reported by Shandian News. The lawsuit was initiated roughly one month after Qin’s son, who turned 18 at the beginning of this year, ingested 18 fever pills on the evening of May 23. Hours later, the young man vomited profusely and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with drug poisoning. After receiving medical treatment, the boy returned home to recover. He has been unwilling to disclose to his family the reasons behind his excessive medication intake, particularly as he exhibited no symptoms of fever.

10 missing after avalanche hits Broad Peak expedition in Pakistan
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10 missing after avalanche hits Broad Peak expedition in Pakistan

The group, led by ‘14 Peaks’ star Nirmal Purja, is made up of climbers from Nepal, the US, China, Pakistan and Oman The Alpine Club of Pakistan received initial reports that the avalanche struck the team led by Nirmal Purja and the climbers had been out of communication since then, club vice-president Karrar Haidri said in a statement late on Thursday. The expedition included five Nepalese climbers, Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi of Hunza, Omani climber Nathira, American climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese climber identified as Wang, and another foreign climber, Haidri said. The club’s president, Major General Irfan Arshad, and its senior leaders were in contact with government officials to facilitate an immediate search-and-rescue operation. The club said every effort was being made to mobilise helicopters and other rescue resources quickly, subject to weather and operational conditions.

Chinese surgical robots break into Vietnam market as Beijing takes aim at US dominance
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Chinese surgical robots break into Vietnam market as Beijing takes aim at US dominance

Shipments to Asean have surged 246% this year as cross-border healthcare platforms pave way for manufacturers to challenge US giants like Intuitive Surgical China has won approval for domestically developed surgical robots to be used in Vietnamese hospitals, marking a major step forward as the country’s high-end medical equipment makers push to challenge Western dominance overseas. The Chinese-made surgical robots had been registered and installed at several leading medical facilities in the Southeast Asian nation, according to China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA). The two countries would also deepen cooperation in robotic surgery training, clinical applications, academic exchanges and talent development, the administration said on Wednesday. The device entered Vietnam through the China-Asean regional medical products trading platform, a cross-border healthcare channel established by the NHSA and Guangxi authorities to help Chinese pharmaceuticals, medical devices and medical consumables reach Southeast Asian markets.

How Hong Kong’s five-year plan could get ball rolling on Olympic bid
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How Hong Kong’s five-year plan could get ball rolling on Olympic bid

The government has started public consultation on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. The accompanying consultation document sets out principles which will be applied and includes a section on “Integrated Development of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Green Living and Other Areas”. The city’s five-year plan will be aligned with the national 15th five-year blueprint and provide a medium-term vision for planning and implementation. Elements included in the plan are likely to have a strong chance of...

Malaysian police probe vote-buying claims ahead of Negeri Sembilan state poll
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Malaysian police probe vote-buying claims ahead of Negeri Sembilan state poll

One man told police a group of men handed him US$74 in cash to vote for a particular candidate in Saturday’s election Negeri Sembilan police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Alzafny Ahmad said on Friday two reports had been lodged in Seremban and one in Port Dickson. The first involved a 69-year-old man from Sikamat, who claimed a group of men handed him 300 ringgit (US$74) in cash to vote for a particular candidate. “The men, who arrived in a car, allegedly gave him the money in an envelope before taking a photograph of his identity card. He was then instructed to vote for a particular candidate.” Alzafny said the second report was lodged by a 40-year-old man after he saw a video showing people queuing at a programme in Bukit Pelanduk, where they were allegedly given envelopes containing cash. The third report was made by a 72-year-old man after he saw a WhatsApp video allegedly showing a candidate for the Labu seat distributing cash. All three cases are being investigated under Section 11 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

Will the global testosterone decline accelerate the shift to robot warfare?
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Will the global testosterone decline accelerate the shift to robot warfare?

The Pentagon’s push for mandatory hormone testing raises questions about the future of humans on the battlefield Announcing the programme earlier this month, Hegseth said it would help ensure troops remained “strong, resilient and capable”. He argued that the demands of modern warfare required “maximum psychological and mental readiness”. He also stressed that the initiative had “nothing to do with artificial enhancement”. Male hormone decline is a global issue that has raised concerns in many other countries including China, where some experts argue a long-term shift in hormone levels could affect the future of military strategy.

Revamped Huanggang checkpoint needs Hong Kong airport bus link, experts say
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Revamped Huanggang checkpoint needs Hong Kong airport bus link, experts say

Bus service from border crossing to Hong Kong airport would greatly benefit tourists, lawmaker says “The revamped Huanggang Port will need an airport bus, as the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway is connected to Shenzhen airport,” said Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association. The intercity railway will include a station at Huanggang, which will be completed at a later stage. Chui, who also runs a cross-border bus company, said Hongkongers could use the revamped Huanggang crossing and then take a direct train to Shenzhen airport, while mainland visitors wishing to fly via Hong Kong could also take the same route.

US-led drills edge Japan and South Korea closer on defence
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US-led drills edge Japan and South Korea closer on defence

Command roles at Rimpac show Tokyo and Seoul can work together militarily, but history caps how far ties can go Held in waters off Hawaii, this year’s Rimpac is the world’s largest maritime exercise involving 30 nations, more than 30,000 troops, various aircraft and an armada of surface ships and submarines. Rimpac, which runs from June 24 to July 31, saw South Korean Rear Admiral In-ho Kim serve as the commander of the combined forces maritime component and Japanese Rear Admiral Takuo Kobayashi as the vice-commander of the combined task force. “For Rimpac 2026, what stood out is how quickly this multinational force integrated,” US Vice Admiral Jeffrey Jablon, commander of the combined task force, said at a virtual press briefing on Wednesday. He added that a leadership structure that included Chile, South Korea, Canada and Japan in key command roles had allowed the force to operate as a “cohesive, capable team from day one”. The involvement of South Korea and Japan in Rimpac comes as the two traditional US allies still disagree and occasionally clash over their difficult history from 1910 to 1945 when Tokyo ruled over the Korean peninsula.

Trump nominee vows to sharpen US media challenge to China
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Trump nominee vows to sharpen US media challenge to China

Sarah Rogers says Asia would remain a priority for US-funded broadcasters, despite continuing turmoil and reduced operations at the agency “China is rapacious and it is expanding all of its propaganda efforts,” Rogers said. “Chinese adversarial propaganda is a problem, and combating it has been a cornerstone of my public diplomacy strategy.” But Rogers would inherit an agency weakened by the Trump administration’s own efforts to dismantle much of its operations last year. Around 1,000 VOA employees were placed on paid administrative leave, while VOA and Radio Free Asia continue to publish Chinese-language coverage at reduced levels. At the hearing, Rogers claimed that Chinese propaganda increasingly promotes leftist anti-colonial narratives and antisemitism through automated or semi-automated social media accounts that coordinate to spread disinformation.

PLA 99th Anniversary
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PLA 99th Anniversary

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The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force
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The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

As the People’s Liberation Army marks its 99th anniversary on August 1, one year from the deadline for its centenary goals, its evolution highlights the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the first part of a series, Liu Zhen examines how the PLA’s strategies have developed from guerrilla warfare to hi-tech conflict. In April 1932, Xi Zhongxun, 18, led the newly formed Fifth Detachment of the Red Army’s Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Force marching in the mountains in Yongshou...

Transport authorities order probe after crash paralyses traffic on airport link
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Transport authorities order probe after crash paralyses traffic on airport link

Operator of Tsing Ma Control Area told to submit report after truck collision leads to hours of gridlock during evening rush hour Hong Kong transport authorities have ordered the operator of a major road link feeding the airport to explain its handling of an accident that paralysed traffic during evening rush hour, leaving commuters fuming. Traffic between Lantau Island and Kowloon was snarled for more than three hours after a medium goods vehicle overturned following a collision with another vehicle on the Cheung Tsing Highway in Tsing Yi on Wednesday. Police said they were alerted at 7.36pm and the drivers of the two vehicles were sent to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung for treatment of injuries. The Transport Department said on Thursday that it had instructed the operator of the Tsing Ma Control Area, a major corridor connecting urban Hong Kong to the airport on Lantau Island, to investigate the incident and submit a detailed report along with recommendations for improvement. The department noted that police officers arriving at the scene initially towed the overturned vehicle to the middle and fast lanes to ease congestion before later removing it.