Latest news with #GlobalTimes
India.com
10 hours ago
- Climate
- India.com
Chinese Paragliders Terrifying Ordeal: Sucked 5 Miles Into Sky By Vortex, Stranded In -40°C Freeze...
A Chinese paraglider narrowly escaped death after being sucked nearly five miles into the sky by a powerful cloud vortex while flying above the Qilian Shan mountains in northern China. The dramatic incident, which occurred on Saturday, has prompted an official investigation. Liu Ge, the paraglider involved, recounted being abruptly lifted into the atmosphere to an altitude of approximately 26,400 feet — nearly double the height legally permitted under Chinese aviation regulations. The incident, known as "cloud suction," occurred shortly after he launched from a mountain 9,850 feet above sea level. Trapped in extreme conditions, Liu said he was exposed to temperatures as low as -40°F and experienced severe oxygen deprivation. "I had trouble breathing, my hands were freezing, and I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he told local media. Without an oxygen mask, Liu said he clung to his harness, enduring intense frostbite until he managed a safe landing. On May 24th, Chinese paragliding enthusiast Peng Yujiang took off from a launch point at approximately 3,000 meters in the Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province. He was then sucked into a cumulonimbus cloud, which carried him to an altitude of 8,589 meters. At this height, the… — China in Pictures (@tongbingxue) May 27, 2025 Footage of the incident, now circulating widely on social media, shows Liu's face and clothing coated in ice. Experts said survival at such altitudes is rare. "Even at 6,500 feet, cold-weather gear is essential. At over 26,000 feet, it's life-threatening," said Ou, an experienced paraglider, speaking to the Global Times. Authorities have launched a probe into the incident, noting that Liu did not have air traffic control clearance for his flight — a violation of China's national aviation sports regulations. Under current rules, paragliding is prohibited above 16,405 feet, even with a valid license. Officials are now reviewing whether Liu's unsanctioned flight breached safety protocols and endangered restricted airspace.
Argaam
17 hours ago
- Business
- Argaam
China exempts all GCC nationals from visa starting June
China has now achieved visa-free coverage for all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, in a move aimed at boosting economic and cultural exchanges, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. "China has decided to expand its visa-free policy to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges. From June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026, holders of ordinary passports from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain can enter China visa-free for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, visits or transit for up to 30 days. Together with the UAE and Qatar, which have had full mutual visa exemptions with China since 2018, China has now achieved visa-free coverage for all GCC member states," Mao said, according to statements published by the Global Times. "We welcome more friends from GCC countries to embark on a spontaneous trip to China," she added.
NDTV
18 hours ago
- Climate
- NDTV
Chinese Paraglider's Narrow Escape From Cloud Vortex At 26,400 Feet
New Delhi: A Chinese paraglider narrowly escaped death after being sucked into a cloud vortex. He was pulled high into the sky and ended up stuck about 26,400 ft above the ground. Describing the incident, Liu Ge said he was trapped in freezing temperatures of around -40 degrees Fahrenheit when he was flying above the Qilian Shan mountains in northern China on Saturday. He claimed he was pulled upward into the sky, known as cloud suction, shortly after he jumped off a mountain, which was about 9,850 ft above sea level, The NY Post reported. NEW: Chinese paraglider nearly froze to de*th after being pulled 5 miles up into an icy cloud vortex Liu Ge was paragliding over the Qilian Mountains in northern China when he lost control "I felt oxygen deficiency and my hands were freezing... But I kept communicating via the… — Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) May 27, 2025 Due to oxygen deficiency, Liu said he had trouble breathing and his hands were freezing cold. "I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he added. Liu told that he didn't have an oxygen mask and his face and clothes were covered in ice. Reports said he was sucked to high altitudes and hung on tightly to his harness. He also claimed that due to the freezing temperatures, he got severe frostbite. Liu further said he stayed conscious all the time and managed to land safely. An experienced paraglider, surnamed Ou, told Global Times that not many can survive such high altitude. He said people bring cold-weather gear even when they go paragliding at about 6,500 ft high. So, at 28,000 ft, the temperature gets really cold, which makes it difficult to breathe. According to the news outlet, authorities have launched an investigation because air traffic authorities hadn't approved his flight plan after he failed to file the necessary paperwork. Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that even if a paraglider has a valid license, they are supposed to obtain prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding flights are banned above 16,405 ft under Chinese regulations.
Gulf Insider
21 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Humanoid AI Robots In China Fight Club
Four artificial intelligence-enhanced robots have been put through their paces in a Chinese robot fighting competition, duking it out in kickboxing matches until one was declared the champion. The World Robot Competition Mecha Fighting Series had four human-controlled robots built by China-based firm Unitree compete in three, two-minute rounds with winners crowned through a points system, according to a May 26 report from the China state-owned outlet the Global Times. Chen Xiyun, a Unitree team member, said the 'robots fight in a human-machine collaborative way,' with the machines pre-taught moves, but ultimately, a person controls the bot's movements. The robots reportedly weighed 35 kilograms and stood 132 centimeters tall. Ahead of the boxing rounds, the pint-sized robots were put through tests to demonstrate a variety of kicks and punches and assist the organizers in refining the rules. The team with the highest points across the three rounds moves on to fight another opponent. A punch to the head was worth one point, and a kick to the head was worth three. Teams lost five points if their robot fell and 10 points if their robot was down for over eight seconds. During a livestream of the event on the state broadcaster CCTV, Unitree director Wang Qixin said the robotics company used 'AI technology to let robots learn.' 🤖 China hosted the world's first #humanoid robot fighting competition, the CMG World #Robot Competition. Four teams and their #UnitreeG1 robots duked it out in a globally live-streamed event! 🥊 — Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) May 26, 2025 'First of all, the motion capture will be based on some professional fighting athletes. Based on their motion capture data, the robot will learn these movements in the virtual world,' he said. In one of the first matches, a robot in pink headgear fought a robot in black headgear. After a flurry of sometimes misplaced punches and kicks, the black-donned bot was the first to be knocked down after throwing a kick and falling over. However, the black-clad android came back strong and scored a knockdown on pink in round three with a front kick. A second knockdown saw the black bot jump on the pink one to hold it down and claim the win. The pink-wearing bot and another wearing red were both eliminated, leaving the black-donned bot and one wearing green to go toe to toe in the finals. Ultimately, the black bot was declared the champion after outscoring its opponent. Another event with full-sized robots is reportedly locked in for December in South China's Guangdong Province. Also read: Watch: Humanoid Robot Goes Full Skynet After 'Imperfect Coding'
CNA
a day ago
- General
- CNA
China authorities investigating paraglider who was sucked into the clouds
Chinese authorities are investigating an incident in which a paraglider was sucked into the clourds and carried more than 8,500m above sea level. He survived the chilling ordeal but authorities are looking into potential regulatory violations, Chinese media outlet Global Times reported on Wednesday (May 28). The man, known as Liu Ge, was paragliding in the Qilian Mountain region of Northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces on Saturday when he was caught in a 'cloud suck' - a phenomenon where paragliders experience a significant lift. The moment was captured on camera, showing his face and clothes covered in frost. He remained conscious throughout the video while controlling the parachute. Liu was not wearing an oxygen mask and was seen to suffer from extensive frostbite. He managed to control the parachute and landed safely in what local media reports are calling a miraculous survival. 'I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he told local media. An experienced paraglider surnamed Ou told local media that participants typically prepare cold-weather gear as temperatures at 2,000m are already frigid. At 8,000m, temperatures drop to around -40 degrees Celsius with critically low oxygen levels. While there are global cases of cloud suction incidents reaching 6,000 to 7,000m, few people survive such extreme altitudes, Ou said. 'This is truly miraculous. His mental resilience was extraordinary,' Ou added.
