The China Mail - Technology

French astronaut Pesquet calls for European space independence

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Tuesday urged Europe to seize the momentum created by its newfound diplomatic unity and "start moving now" to develop its own human spaceflight capacity.

Global crises must not delay action on climate, UN talks told

A barrage of global crises must not deflect attention from urgent climate action, the UN's climate chief warned Monday, as negotiators from nearly 200 nations began talks in Germany against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Climate talks test global resolve on warming

Negotiators from almost 200 countries will meet in Bonn Monday for climate talks tasked with reigniting momentum on tackling global warming, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine overshadows the threat from rising emissions.

Three Chinese astronauts arrive at space station

Three Chinese astronauts arrived at the country's space station on Sunday, the Chinese space agency for human flights said, the latest stride in Beijing's aim to become a major space power.

Three Chinese astronauts dock at space station

Three Chinese astronauts docked at the country's space station on Sunday, the state broadcaster said, marking a new milestone in Beijing's drive to become a major space power.

China sends three astronauts to complete space station

China on Sunday launched a rocket carrying three astronauts on a mission to complete construction on its new space station, the latest milestone in Beijing's drive to become a major space power.

South Asian fest melds with Platinum Jubilee in northern England

From Bollywood-style danceto henna tattoo workshops, celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking 70-year reign in the northwestern English city of Preston had a multicultural flavour on Saturday.

Hong Kong police make multiple arrests as Tiananmen gatherings banned

Hong Kong authorities on Saturday detained multiple people as they pounced on any attempt at public commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, as China vies to remove all reminders of the deadly event.

Floods kill at least three in Cuba

Heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Agatha flooded much of western Cuba on Friday, killing at least three people in Havana.

Blessing at former Franco gravesite sparks Spanish army probe

The Spanish military has suspended an army officer for taking his troops for a blessing at the former burial site of dictator Francisco Franco, military sources said Thursday.

Fear of landslides haunts Brazil survivors

While firefighters search for missing people under thick mud, residents in the Brazilian city of Recife can barely sleep: they fear landslides like the ones that claimed 120 lives in recent days.

Shanghai euphoria tempered by deep wound to China's economy

Orders have evaporated at Zhou's textile company based just outside Shanghai, a city now stumbling free from a two-month lockdown that has left small businesses on life support.

Ukraine war boosts Africa's humanitarian emergency: UN official

The war in Ukraine is heaping further pressure on Africa's fast-growing population of vulnerable people, a UN refugee official says.

Graveyard sheds light on Kim Jong Un's South Korean heritage

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has threatened Seoul with fiery destruction, but as a remote graveyard on a resort island shows, he has closer links to the South than he might like to admit.

High-tech race to map Ukraine's damaged historic buildings

Many of Ukraine's historic monuments have been destroyed in the three months since Russia invaded, but cultural experts are working to conserve their memory using cutting-edge technology and 3D scans.

How women have managed periods throughout history

Women have been managing their periods for millennia, but the way they do so has changed as menstruation has become more and less stigmatised over time.

Australia bidding to host UN climate summit, set new emissions target

Australia will present a more ambitious UN emissions target "very soon" and is bidding to co-host a COP summit with Pacific island neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday, signalling a ground shift in climate policy.

Boeing Starliner completes key test mission to ISS, with some hiccups

Boeing's Starliner capsule returned to Earth Wednesday in the final step of a key uncrewed test flight to prove itself worthy of providing rides for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Earthbound Boeing Starliner faces final challenge in key test mission

Boeing's Starliner capsule headed back to Earth Wednesday in the final step of a key test flight to prove itself worthy of providing rides for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Kerry tells Davos climate coalition swelling

US climate envoy John Kerry said Wednesday more countries and companies are swinging behind a bid to combat climate change by jump-starting markets for technologies with massive investments.

Boeing's Starliner faces one more challenge as it returns to Earth

Boeing's Starliner capsule is readying to return to Earth on Wednesday in the final step of a key test flight to prove itself worthy of providing rides for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

From drones to sensors, Malaysian durian grower goes high-tech

Drones spraying pesticide, sensors taking soil readings, sprinklers that squirt fertiliser at the touch of a button -- a Malaysian plantation is using high-tech methods to boost its crop of pungent durians.

New CEO aims to make Bundesliga world's 'most digital league'

Donata Hopfen, the new CEO of the German Football League (DFL), has outlined her vision to make the Bundesliga "the most digital football league in the world".

Iconic Iran river threatened by droughts, diversions

The famed river bridges of the Iranian city of Isfahan are a beloved tourist draw -- but much of the time their stone arches span just sand and rocks, not water.

UK fines US AI firm £7.5m over mass image collection

Britain announced Monday it had fined US facial recognition company Clearview AI Inc more than £7.5 million ($9.4 million, 8.8 million euros) for amassing online images of people without their knowledge.

Fly me to the Moon: US, Japan aim for lunar landing

Japan and the United States said Monday they want to put the first Japanese astronaut on the Moon as the allies deepen cooperation on space projects.

Manufacturers getting to grips with airless tyres

Airless tyres that never go flat or need to be inflated: It's a decades-long dream that manufacturers hope to turn into a reality soon, but for truck drivers first.

Cannes film-makers urge France to face up to colonial past

Film-makers are holding up a mirror to France over its colonial past at the Cannes festival, helped by star power and a growing French readiness to face up to injustices committed notably in Africa.

Boeing's Starliner spaceship docks with ISS in high-stakes test mission

Boeing's Starliner capsule docked with the International Space Station Friday, a major milestone in a high-stakes uncrewed test flight as the US aerospace giant seeks to restore its reputation following past failures.

Boeing's Starliner approaches ISS in high-stakes test mission

Boeing's Starliner capsule was preparing to dock with the International Space Station Friday, in a high-stakes uncrewed test flight key to reviving the US aerospace giant's reputation after a series of failures.

Race relations expert is France's surprise new education minister

Pap Ndiaye, a historian specialising in race relations, emerged as the surprise choice for French education minister on Friday and came under immediate attack from the far-right.

Boeing's Starliner approaching ISS in high-stakes test mission