China moving ‘breathtakingly fast' in space military tech: US general
USSF Commander General Stephen Whiting voiced concern about Beijing's growing capabilities in three areas, echoing previous American warnings about a Chinese space-based 'kill chain'.
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The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
China twins score 666 points in crucial exam, astonish many with coincidence
Twin brothers in southeastern China have captivated social media after scoring 666 points in the crucial national college entrance examination and being admitted to the same programme at the same university. People online have described the twins, Zeng Zichong and Zeng Ziyi, from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, as having achieved 'god-level synchronicity'. The pair have never been separated since kindergarten. The older brother, Zichong, said that his name symbolises 'a bird soaring into the sky', while his younger brother's name means 'to assist and help'. It reflects the hope of their parents that the brothers would always support each other. In junior high school, their academic performance was nearly the same, and both were admitted to Hangzhou Xuejun High School. When the results of the Chinese national college entrance examination, or gaokao , were released, the twins were out taking driving lessons. It was their father who first saw the score notifications on his phone. Their mother quickly shared the coincidence in the family group chat, leaving even the brothers themselves astonished. 'At first, we could not believe it. It was not until we checked it several times that we realised we had actually got the same score!' the pair said. The twins are also known for their shared interests as they both enjoy playing video games, watching television, and often visiting the library together. Zichong excels in Chinese and English, while Ziyi shines in mathematics and physics. They often support each other by explaining complex concepts. Their shared passion for computer science and artificial intelligence also led them to apply for, and ultimately be admitted to, the same university programme. That course is the Engineering Experimental Class (Computer Science and Technology) at the famous Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province, northern China. Zichong said he chose the university because of its rich legacy and strong academic reputation, while Ziyi added that he was also drawn to the university because Xi'an is a city full of cultural charm. On July 25, the university's official social media account congratulated the brothers. 'This incredible synchronicity is not only fate but a testament to their strength. We look forward to seeing the brothers chase their dreams side by side and shine even brighter,' the university's post said. The brothers plan to continue walking the same path. 'We hope to study and work in the same city in the future,' the brothers told Zhejiang Daily Press Group. The story sparked a lively discussion on mainland social media. One person said: 'This is god-level synchronicity, twins really do have telepathy.' Another expressed admiration: 'Having one child like this would already be a blessing, but their parents have two!' - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
China racing to become world No. 1 AI player
Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the WAIC that ended on Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge on shaping its global governance, too. China, the US and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula One speed", said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the US dominate the AI sector — only 10 to 15 per cent of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industryl e a d i n g , t h e i n s t i t u t e labelled 78 per cent of Chinese models "state- of-the-art" co mpared with 70 per cent of models built with American participation. B eijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "in novation centre" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inwards, the question is will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology ismost broadly adopted in the rest of the world". China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at the WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan, are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparative low cost of Chinese technology — s oftware but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei — will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model — also open-source — would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted that it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "ri fe" smuggling and circumvention. Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese Internet, and "g eneral issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech", Trivium's Nunlist said. At the WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible p ower. Premier Li Qiang emphasised the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald T ru mp's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launche d just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at the WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organisation for international AI cooperation.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Woman's rare blood type baffles doctors
Compiled by DIVYA THERESA RAVI, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN A WOMAN, who was admitted to a hospital for a cardiac procedure, discovered that she had a very rare blood type, Malaysia Nanban reported. Doctors at a private hospital in the Indian city of Kolar in Karnataka state found that her blood was incompatible with all 'O' blood group despite it being classified as 'O Rh+' (commonly called O-positive). Her blood was eventually referred to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory in Bristol, England. It led to 10 months of research and molecular testing, which confirmed the unique nature of her blood. The newly identified blood group had been given the name CRIB, which refers to Cromer-India-Bengaluru, named after the state where the blood was discovered. Doctors at the Karnataka hospital eventually managed to complete the woman's cardiac surgery without any transfusion done. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
