Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3) Finnish schools have introduced controversial new rules. Students returning from summer break will need to be mindful of their electronic devices. Finland had long been known for its high-quality schooling. But the Nordic country’s rating recently fell in a ranking that measured how well 15-year-olds knew mathematics, reading and writing, and…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong education authorities suspended all morning and whole-day classes on Monday due to squally thunderstorms, but the weather forecaster cancelled all…
On August 1, China’s state planner announced a crackdown on “herd behaviour” in emerging industries, targeting the surge of capital into hot sectors such as electric vehicles (EVs), batteries and solar. Officials warned against “blind imitation” where firms large and small pile into the same space, sparking price wars and overcapacity. This frenzy, often dubbed…
The first World Humanoid Robot Games began Friday in Beijing. More than 500 humanoid robots in 280 teams from 16 countries, including the U.S., Germany and Japan, competing in sports including soccer, running and boxing, at the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. (AP video by Wayne Zhang and Olivia…
Amid expectations of a thaw in ties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to China for his first visit there in seven years, people with knowledge of the matter pointed out that Beijing hasn’t been in a hurry to clear partnership deals between companies in the two countries, especially when it comes to transferring critical…
You might have heard of an “AI race” heating up between the US and China, a bitter rivalry between two global adversaries that could shape the direction of world history. At least, that’s how some in the US feel. While China has repeatedly tried to establish a geopolitical friendship with the richest nation in the…
Dozens of activists are on the run from authorities in the China-ruled city after a crackdown on civil liberties. A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and a former parliamentarian wanted by the city’s Chinese authorities have been granted asylum in Britain and Australia, more than four years after facing criminal charges over the 2019 antigovernment protests….
Trade negotiations continue to be an important and complex issue for agriculture with recent weeks bringing new agreements and ongoing negotiations between the United States and China. The United States has announced several new trade agreements, including a deal with Japan July 22 and a deal with the European Union July 27. Cornell University ag…
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has issued an apology for a “slant eye” promotional image that has triggered strong criticism on Chinese social media, with the gesture widely considered offensive to Asians. In statements posted to Instagram and China’s Weibo on Saturday, the Swatch Group sought to “sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have…
Aug 17, 2025 China’s stock market, valued at $11 trillion, has failed to incentivize consumer spending due to poor equity returns over the past decade, according to a Bloomberg report. A $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 Index a decade ago would now have more than tripled, while the same amount in China’s CSI 300…