Secular News

Hong Kong authorities have proposed new offences with tougher punishments for fire installation contractors who fail to obtain prior approval before deactivating firefighting systems or do not report malfunctions within 24 hours, in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, the South China Morning Post has learned. Other proposed changes included drastically increasing the maximum penalty for existing offences related to the unauthorised handling of fire equipment and the issuance of...

China’s electric vehicle (EV) makers could introduce a lidar sensor-based intelligent driving system in models priced as low as 60,000 yuan (US$8,795) this year, reflecting intensifying competition and falling costs, according to AI-driven tech firm Robosense. This price point is the lowest for models on sale in China’s market, excluding mini vehicles sold for less than 50,000 yuan, indicating fierce competition among Chinese carmakers amid the phasing out of policy incentives. Notably, light...

The Iran crisis loomed large in discussions when Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu ‌Dhabi, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met President Xi Jinping on separate visits to Beijing last week. Both meetings focused on the need for a comprehensive and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East. This week, on a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi reiterated China’s support for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and...

Germany has learned that Russia plans to halt the flow of Kazakh oil through the Druzhba pipeline to a refinery in eastern Germany starting May 1, the energy ministry in Berlin told AFP on Wednesday.

Spain's government has approved a major plan to tackle the country's housing crisis

Two doctoral students at the University of South Florida are missing, the school's police department said in a statement Tuesday.

Soil helps monkeys' stomachs settle after calorie-rich snacks from tourists, research suggests.

Soil helps monkeys' stomachs settle after calorie-rich snacks from tourists, research suggests.

Avraham Zarbiv called on the military to ‘flatten’ Gaza as Israel draws widespread condemnation for its actions in the strip

PLA warships transited sensitive international waterways off southwestern Japan twice this week, a rare move seen as a clear warning to Tokyo over its recent actions relating to Taiwan. The transits marked the start and end of exercises in the western Pacific, outbound through the Yokoate Channel on Sunday and back via the Yonaguni-Iriomote Waterway on Wednesday. In a statement on Wednesday, the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said: “[We] have organised the 133rd Fleet to...

Air traffic control systems to get a major upgrade

The modern car has gone from a simple and easy “turn the key and hit the gas” experience to something far more complex. In our digital, smartphone-first era, cars are their own kind of computers, nowadays. In fact, the computer has transformed the role of the mechanic into a high-tech diagnostician.  Few experts know this […]