Day: June 30, 2025

Market optimism for the Chinese currency continues to rise, with analysts projecting the yuan to appreciate further against the US dollar amid a stronger-than-expected domestic economy and growing concerns over US debt sustainability. Advertisement On Tuesday, the People’s Bank of China set its daily reference rate at 7.1534 per US dollar – strengthening from Monday’s 7.1656, and the strongest level since early November. In June, the onshore yuan appreciated by 0.41 per cent against the greenback, bringing its cumulative gains to 1.2 per cent for the second quarter and 1.86…

China has announced sanctions on former Philippine Senate leader Francis Tolentino, a key ally of the Southeast Asian country’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on South China Sea issues. Advertisement Beijing accused Tolentino of “egregious conduct on China-related issues” and will bar the former Philippine lawmaker – whose term ended yesterday – from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. “For some time now, individual anti-China politicians in the Philippines have adopted a series of malicious words and deeds on China-related issues for their own…

Advertisement By looking at the key molecular pathways that help to reshape the physiology of the human body and delay ageing through exercise, they revealed that betaine acts as a core messenger in this process. It prevents inflammation and the ageing of multiple organs by targeting and inhibiting an enzyme called TBK1. The findings not only shed light on the mechanism behind the anti-ageing effects of exercise, but also suggest possible anti-ageing strategies by simulating exercise, according to the joint team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Zoology…

She seldom visits the same suburban cafe twice. Asa Jin has her cuppa, takes in the view, snaps her share of pictures for social, and then considers which among the rising number of coffee shops she will visit next. Advertisement “Most rural cafes are leaning into a trendy, influencer-driven vibe, but it’s not sustainable,” said the 37-year-old freelancer from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, explaining that many shops try to lure customers with “unique natural settings” – perfect for coffee-sipping social media users like herself. “But after one visit, the sense of…

America’s view of China as a “pacing threat” has shaped its defence priorities as the military seeks to maintain an edge over a rapidly modernising PLA. In the first of a three-part series on how US budget tensions will affect efforts to deter China, we look at the Golden Dome missile defence system. Advertisement China’s expanding military footprint in the Indo-Pacific is now a focus of America’s defence strategy, with a renewed emphasis on space-based capabilities since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Central to this is Trump’s ambitious…