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Pan Jianwei becomes first Chinese scientist to win the top UN basic science prize

Father of quantum recognised for ‘seminal contributions to large-scale secure quantum communications and scalable quantum computation’ Pan is a laureate of the third Unesco-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences, an award commemorating Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table. The annual award, which is funded by the Russian government, honours two scientists for discoveries and innovations in basic sciences that drive global or regional transformation. “[Pan] is recognised for his seminal contributions to large-scale secure quantum communications and scalable quantum computation,” Unesco said in a statement on July 10. “His team developed the Micius satellite, enabling quantum key distribution and quantum teleportation over thousands of kilometres, and has demonstrated quantum computational advantage, bringing the prospect of a global quantum network from theory to reality.” Pan, a professor of physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), shares this year’s honour with Sergei Sheiko, a chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who is recognised for his polymer physics research which transformed the rational design of soft materials.

July 13, 2026

Business

Northern Metropolis fast-track laws will ‘run parallel’ with environmental rules

Contractors must comply with noise and environmental standards of both regulations, official says Dedicated laws designed to fast-track Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis project will not override the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, the authorities have said. The remarks on Monday followed a meeting of the government-appointed Advisory Council on the Environment, where the main agenda was streamlining procedures and requirements for construction noise permits within the development near the border with mainland China. “The Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and the dedicated legislation for the Northern Metropolis will operate in parallel, requiring contractors to comply with the noise and environmental standards of both regulations simultaneously,” said Gary Tam Cheuk-wai, the Environmental Protection Department’s assistant director. Tam was responding to a question after the meeting about whether the new rules would override the ordinance. The laws include establishing statutory firms, measures to speed up land resumption payments, and adopting new building technologies.

July 13, 2026

Business

Why a Chinese academic claim over Batanes has unsettled the Philippines

A symposium in Guangzhou has claimed Batanes ‘constitutes a natural geographical extension of Taiwan’ and therefore belongs to China The claim, made at a June 30 symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou, has been rejected by Philippine historians and officials, who dispute the scholars’ reading of geography, dynastic administration, cultural links and post-war treaties. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons. Beijing has not formally adopted the scholars’ position on Batanes, but the discussion has fuelled concern in Manila that an apparently academic argument could be used to test or shape a wider narrative around the islands, which sit near one of the most important waterways between the South China Sea and the Pacific.

July 13, 2026

Business

China works on AI safety benchmark as regulators target large model risks

State-led initiative addresses AI concerns such as data leaks and hallucinations, as Beijing joins global efforts to enhance oversight of generative models China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has started building a safety benchmark to evaluate artificial intelligence models, as regulators in the United States and Europe strengthen oversight of AI security. The MIIT-led National Industrial Information Security Development Research Centre is now recruiting companies and experts to co-build the benchmark, with applications due on Tuesday, according to a notice published on Monday. The institute said that current frameworks fail to meet complex safety-governance needs, requiring a standardised testing platform to support industrial compliance. The new benchmark will evaluate generative AI across six core dimensions: content safety, value alignment, robustness, fairness, privacy protection and trustworthiness, according to the notice. A hybrid benchmarking methodology will be designed to explicitly cover 31 specific safety risks across five major categories. This state-led technical approach comes as global regulators have been putting extra emphasis on AI safety as the technology advances.

July 13, 2026

Business

Authorities slam online claims about Wang Fuk Court acquisition company

Housing Bureau says ‘individuals with ulterior motives’ may be trying to confuse the public by claiming company is an ‘empty shell’ The Housing Bureau said on Monday that claims concerning “Wang Fuk Court Property Rights Acquisition Limited” were “entirely unfounded”. “It cannot be ruled out that the allegations are made by individuals with ulterior motives to confuse the public. The government must set the record straight,” a bureau spokesman said, adding that funding for the acquisition programme would not fall short. About HK$2.8 billion (US$357 million) will come from the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, while this year’s budget earmarked HK$4 billion in public funds for the acquisition of flats across all seven blocks affected by the deadly fire in November last year. The government estimated that buying all flats in the unaffected Wang Chi House would cost an additional HK$1 billion, and would seek further funding from the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee on Friday, the spokesman added. Authorities are signing formal sale and purchase agreements with owners who have returned letters accepting the government’s offers.

July 13, 2026

Business

Taiwan’s new military outsourcing plan: a pragmatic fix or security risk?

The island hopes contractors at military academies will free up personnel for combat missions, but critics raise infiltration concerns Under the two-stage programme, private guards will take over routine duties at nine military academy sites, including identity and vehicle checks, visitor registration and general access control, according to the island’s defence ministry on Monday. The first phase will begin on September 1 at five sites – the National Defence University’s three campuses, the army’s military academy and the naval academy. Four more sites – the Army Academy, two Air Force Institute of Technology campuses and Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School – will join the programme from January 1 next year. The ministry said the scheme was intended to ease the military’s manpower burden and allow troops to return to their units to focus on combat training and core missions.

July 13, 2026

Business

Iran war is no longer a contest over just the Strait of Hormuz

The Aq Taqeh Khan bridge attack shows the war has expanded to the infrastructure that lets Iran function when the strait is contested On July 9, US cruise missiles hit the Aq Taqeh Khan bridge in Aq Qala, in the northern province of Golestan, an attack confirmed by the Revolutionary Guard’s provincial command. It was not a coastal military site but a node on the overland corridor linking Iran to Central Asia, Russia and China. The second layer is logistical. When the sea is closed, trade moves overland. Iran’s rail links north and east are the arteries of that alternative, and they connect directly to the Chinese and Russian networks that have grown more active as maritime access narrowed. This is why the Golestan strike matters beyond Iran.

July 13, 2026

Business

UK counterterrorism police probe ex-minister’s death

A suspect has been rearrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism British counterterrorism police officers ⁠are now leading the ⁠investigation into the suspected murder of former British government minister Ann Widdecombe, interior minister Shabana Mahmood said on Monday. Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in ‌rural southwest England on Thursday with what police described as “serious injuries”. Police arrested a white British man in Rotherham, northern England, late ⁠on Saturday on suspicion of her murder, and initially said there was not thought to be a terrorism ‌link. “Following new information and evidence, they (counterterrorism police) are now leading on the investigation into the horrific murder of ⁠Ann Widdecombe,” Mahmood said on social media. “The police are ‌pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack,” she said, adding that she would ‌update lawmakers in parliament later in the day. The suspect ⁠has now ⁠been rearrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, the BBC ‌reported, citing counterterrorism police.

July 13, 2026

Business

Football expert: AI will never replace referees or players

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role at the 2026 World Cup. However, Chris Van Puyvelde, Chinese Football Association Technical Director, said that AI as a tool will never replace players or referees, as the human brain is the ultimate decision-maker in football, in a Bizpodcast show with CGTN.

July 13, 2026

Business

How Philippines is reshaping South China Sea defence, 10 years after Hague ruling

Officials and analysts say Manila’s deterrence strategies can now make China ‘at least hesitate’, even though there is still much to be done The tribunal ruled that China’s nine-dash line had no legal basis and that it had violated Manila’s sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, though it did not decide which country owned the disputed reefs and features. China rejected the proceedings and the ruling, saying the tribunal had no jurisdiction and insisting it had sovereignty over the disputed features. It has since built and militarised artificial islands on reefs also claimed by the Philippines, a development critics cite as proof that the award did little to restrain Beijing. Speakers at a forum on Friday said the past decade had seen Manila strengthen its ability to raise the cost of what they described as Beijing’s “creeping invasion” into waters the Philippines considers its territory.

July 13, 2026

Business

Hong Kong police officer gets nearly 2 years for upskirt filming, gun grab

Constable Ko Chun-chung, 40, admitted thrill of breaking the law drove him to commit offence against the woman on January 15, 2025 A Hong Kong police officer has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail for filming upskirt footage of a woman and attempting to grab a colleague’s handgun to kill himself after his arrest last year. A deputy district judge handed down the sentence at West Kowloon Court on Monday after Constable Ko Chun-chung, 40, admitted the thrill of breaking the law drove him to commit the offence against the woman on January 15, 2025. Ko, a married father of two with 15 years of service, had been under immense pressure since joining the force’s national security department, the court heard. The officer had hoped that the temporary excitement of crime could help relieve stress, but felt ashamed and unable to face the consequences after being caught for the illegal act. According to the prosecution Ko was off duty when he followed a woman onto an escalator at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station at about 11.50am, after making a U-turn on the platform. He used a Xiaomi smartphone to film between her legs, but was discovered when he accidentally struck the woman’s leg with the device.

July 13, 2026

Business

Xi Jinping to attend World AI Conference for first time as China elevates tech push

Chinese leader will deliver a keynote address at the Shanghai conference, underscoring Beijing’s focus on AI development The Chinese leader’s attendance will mark his first in-person appearance at the annual event since it was launched in 2018, signalling the growing priority Beijing places on AI to drive economic growth, technological competitiveness and global rule-setting. The four-day conference, held alongside a high-level meeting on global AI governance, is scheduled to begin on Friday. Organisers said this year’s edition would feature more than 140 forums, 1,400 guests and 1,100 exhibitors, with more than 300 products set to make their global debuts. During a visit to a Shanghai start-up incubator in 2025, Xi said AI was entering a period of “explosive development” and urged the city to take the lead in both its development and governance.

July 13, 2026