Month: August 2025

China’s Tiangong space station has set a new record in space-based materials research after a tungsten alloy was heated to temperatures exceeding 3,100 degrees Celsius (5,612 degrees Fahrenheit). Advertisement On the ISS’s Japanese module, Kibo, scientists used a similar method – known as electrostatic levitation – to suspend tiny metal samples in mid-air and heat them with lasers, reaching around 3,000 degrees. The technique eliminates the need for a physical container that could contaminate or interfere with the sample at extreme temperatures. The experiments were conducted to study heat-resistant materials…

Scientists in the US and China say they have developed a one-step method to safely turn toxic mixed plastic waste into petrol, with more than 95 per cent efficiency at room temperature. Advertisement Compared to conventional ways of turning plastic into fuel, their process requires less energy, less equipment and fewer steps, making it scalable for industrial applications. At the end of this conversion process are the main components of petrol or gasoline, chemical raw materials, and hydrochloric acid. That means the end product could be used for water treatment,…

Julie Eadeh, the new US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau, is set to arrive in the city at the end of this month, having received Beijing’s approval for the much-watched appointment, according to sources. Advertisement The Post reported in July that Eadeh, a career diplomat who served as the political section chief at the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macau during the 2019 protests, would take the role, subject to Beijing’s approval. “Her agrément was granted recently, so she is set to come to Hong Kong,” said…

China is on a mission to turn its military into a modern fighting force. In the final article in this four-part series, we look at President Xi Jinping’s military goals and obstacles facing the People’s Liberation Army. Advertisement The 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II is intended to display both the strength and solidarity of the People’s Liberation Army. But just two weeks before it is set to take place, Beijing announced that former navy chief of staff Li Hanjun – a veteran who took…

It seems clear that US President Donald Trump achieved little more than a photo opportunity from the bilateral summit in Anchorage, Alaska, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his subsequent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders. Now, a ceasefire seems more out of reach than ever. Advertisement For a negotiated peace agreement, Putin has insisted on his demands that Ukraine give up ambitions to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, as well as land occupied by Russian forces. However, with the backing of top European leaders,…