Blog Band – Page 54 – Fridayeveryday

New ‘quantum phone’ puts East Asia ahead in unhackable comms

SCIENTISTS IN CHINA have created a quantum smartphone that cannot be hacked. The phone comes with a built-in module and a special SIM card that can encrypt and decipher voice calls using “quantum key distribution”, Science Daily reported on Tuesday. A number of countries have been working on similar devices, but China's looks like being…

May 19, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Features

The governance numbers: A comparative U.S. and China list

There are a huge number of good things you can say about the United States—and of course there are bad things too. Exactly the same is true about China. Yet the world’s most populous country is harshly and relentlessly criticized by the U.S. for shortcomings that are actually more prevalent in America. Jerry Grey reports.…

May 18, 20220Comments ByJerry Grey

News

Vaccine patent shock as Biden demands China exclusion

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION says it will veto a global plan to allow countries to ignore patents and make their own Covid-19 vaccines unless the Chinese are specifically excluded, Bloomberg reported. The sudden move has jolted top health workers who were hoping that the long-promised patent waiver would enable them to make vaccines available to everyone,…

May 17, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Features

Shenzhen races to set up pandemic pet care facilities

SHENZHEN HEALTH OFFICIALS are going out of their way to give a first class service to pets of people in quarantine, avoiding the negative stories that have been seen in some other parts of China on this subject. Many Chinese people, some of them being the post-'90s generation, have embraced parenthood – but of pets,…

May 17, 20220Comments ByFriday Writers

Culture

How poverty alleviation became a hit TV show

Attempts are being made to tell what is arguably the most important story of the modern era: how a huge proportion of humanity has recently been raised from starvation level poverty to health and dignity. And, finally, someone has told the story really well – and in a suitably modern way, as an exciting, episodic…

May 17, 20220Comments ByEmily Zhou

Features

John Lee: A man for extraordinary times

A quiet but intense battle for power in this region is already long advanced. Dramatic recent moves in South Korea and Taiwan are the most recent plays by the United States. Hong Kong needs strong leadership, says academic and commentator CK Yeung. IN ORDINARY TIMES, Hong Kong does not need John Lee. In extraordinary times,…

May 11, 20220Comments ByC. K. Yeung

Opinion

Hong Kong can grow fast, and keep to zero carbon goals

Greater Bay Area cities are growing at high speed, and Hong Kong must develop too Yet it’s vital we do so in a sustainable way that meets our 2050 climate target New nuclear plants planned for Shenzhen can provide zero-carbon energy The way forward is clear, writes S.H. Chan, Legislative Councillor, in the essay below…

May 11, 20220Comments ByChan Siu-hung

News

UK steps away from pledge to protect human rights

THE UK IS ABOUT TO withdraw partially or entirely from a key European convention that protects human rights. The move is being pushed by Conservative minister Dominic Raab, a passionate critic of human rights protection in Hong Kong and mainland China. His bill will remove the requirement for British courts to take account of judgments…

May 7, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

News

US solar industry in sudden crisis, as China accusations fly

THE US SOLAR POWER industry's activities have ground to a sudden halt as the US Commerce Department started looking for possible China links. More than 300 large scale solar panel implementations across America have been frozen—and this includes some forest-sized projects. “Tens of billions of dollars, and tens of thousands of jobs are at risk,”…

May 6, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Culture

Historians find toothbrush, eleven centuries old

SMILE PLEASE! Archeologists have found toothbrushes more than a thousand years old – and they are remarkably similar to modern ones. They had the same shape, although were made of bone, not plastic. And instead of the nylon brushes of today’s equivalents, the ancient ones had hog bristles. There were different varieties, just like today.…

May 4, 20220Comments ByEmily Zhou

New ‘quantum phone’ puts East Asia ahead in unhackable comms

The governance numbers: A comparative U.S. and China list

Vaccine patent shock as Biden demands China exclusion

Shenzhen races to set up pandemic pet care facilities

How poverty alleviation became a hit TV show

John Lee: A man for extraordinary times

Hong Kong can grow fast, and keep to zero carbon goals

UK steps away from pledge to protect human rights

US solar industry in sudden crisis, as China accusations fly

Historians find toothbrush, eleven centuries old

In Xinjiang, I stepped into a different world

City of the future: Hong Kong is just about to go through a transformation

Art and science of Chinese calligraphy