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Shanmugam visits China, discusses law enforcement cooperation with counterparts: MHA

SINGAPORE – Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam visited China from Jan 31 to Feb 3, where he met his counterparts and reaffirmed the good working relationship between the agencies of both countries. In a statement on Feb 5, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Mr Shanmugam met Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chen Wenqing, as well as Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong while in Beijing. Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs, discussed with Mr Wang how Singapore and China could grow their cooperation in law enforcement, specifically in combating scams and drug traffick ing. They also agreed to step up regular exchanges to further strengthen relations. With Mr Chen, Mr Shanmugam also discussed ways for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, as well as in the legal and judicial fields. Mr Shanmugam also looked forward to the successful convening of the fif...

How a factory error in China created a viral "crying horse" Lunar New Year trend

Do not turn that frown upside down. A horse plush toy has gone viral in China thanks to a serendipitous mistake by a factory worker.  The mouths on a batch of the toys were mistakenly sewn on the wrong way around, creating a small army of sad-faced "crying" toys that have captured hearts as a mascot for the Lunar New Year.  The horses were designed as happy-faced toys to mark the upcoming holiday on February 17, the start of the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. A customer who received the defective product decided to keep it, posted about it online, and from there, the "crying horse" found fame. A buyer uses their hand to estimate the size of a "crying horse" plush toy, Jan. 11, 2026, in Yiwu, Zhejiang, China. Dong Yixin/China News Service/VCG via Getty ...

Philippines aims to wrap up talks on South China Sea code this year

SINGAPORE: The Philippines said on Friday (Feb 6) it will seek to accelerate long-running talks on a South China Sea code of conduct to a conclusion this year as chair of the ASEAN regional bloc. Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro told a forum in Singapore that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China will increase the pace of working group meetings to monthly gatherings from the current three-month intervals. The proposed code aims to guide conduct and prevent clashes over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. It has been under discussion for years, but the talks have stalled repeatedly over disagreements on its scope, enforcement and legal status. Four ASEAN members - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - have laid partial claims to the South China Sea. China claims the crucial waterway almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. Beijing and Manila have had a series of confrontations in the sea in recent y...

China probes mental hospitals over reports patients are being locked up in insurance scam

At the same time, the patients faced strict controls from the hospitals that required them to follow a daily schedule and move within designated areas, the report said, and failure to comply with rules led to physical abuse. The reporter said they had witnessed staff at multiple hospitals slapping the patients, hitting them with a water pipe and tying them to the bed. Some were kept in hospital for years, while contact with the outside world was cut off. One patient at a hospital in Yichang told the reporter they "felt like they were in prison". The report triggered a public backlash, with many questioning whether this was a common phenomenon across China and raised fears that hospitals were failing to treat those who needed it, while others were needlessly kept in hospital. Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily called for an investigation, saying: "The hospitals treat the healthcare insurance fund as a cake to be taken and used as they plea se, converting p...

China prosecutes 11,000 people repatriated from northern Myanmar over telecom fraud

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China’s Xi and Russia’s Putin discuss their growing links, ties with US and global crises

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a video call Wednesday to discuss the burgeoning economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing and their relations with the United States. The Kremlin leader accepted an invitation to visit China twice this year. The call came amid a series of meetings between Xi and Western leaders who have sought to boost ties with China despite differences over the conflict in Ukraine. European leaders have pressed China for years to end its support for Russia even as Beijing has become the No. 1 trading partner for Moscow, which seeks relief from Western economic sanctions. "I would like to once again assure you of firm support for our shared efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our countries, our socio-economic welfare and the right to choose our own development path," Putin said in opening remarks that were broadcast by Russian state televisio...

Why China is building so many coal plants despite its solar and wind boom

BEIJING (AP) — Even as China's expansion of solar and wind power raced ahead in 2025, the Asian giant opened many more coal power plants than it had in recent years — raising concern about whether the world's largest emitter will reduce carbon emissions enough to limit climate change. More than 50 large coal units — individual boiler and turbine sets with generating capacity of 1 gigawatt or more — were commissioned in 2025, up from fewer than 20 a year over the previous decade, a research report released Tuesday said. Depending on energy use, 1 gigawatt can power from several hundred thousand to more than 2 million homes. Overall, China brought 78 gigawatts of new coal power capacity online, a sharp uptick from previous years, according to the joint report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which studies air pollution and its impacts, and Global Energy Monitor, which develops databases tracking energy trends. "The scale of the buildout is staggering,...

A Chinese humanoid robot flopped face-first onto the ground during a public showcase. Its CEO says it's all part of 'learning to walk.'

A humanoid robot from XPeng fell face-first during its first public appearance in China. XPeng's CEO said the mishap was part of "learning to walk." Clips of the fall quickly spread across Chinese social media, drawing jokes and criticism. After drawing cheers from a crowd at its debut in China, a humanoid robot dressed in a black suit and pants fell face-first onto the stage. The robot, called IRON, was developed by XPeng Motors and made its first public appearance at a shopping mall in southern China on Saturday. It had previously attracted attention online for its unusually ligh t, catwalk-like gait, according to Chinese media reports. In videos circulating on social media, IRON can be seen walking human-like to the center of the stage before turning to face the crowd. As it lifted its arm, the robot appeared to lose balance. Staff rushed forward to intervene, but the robot fell face-first onto the ground. The fall drew audible gasps from the audience. The event...

China girl, 7, cares for dad alone as he fights heart disease, inspires online donations

A seven-year-old girl in northeastern China who single-handedly took care of her sick father in hospital has melted the hearts of millions of internet users. San Mengru attracted considerable attention online after a man, surnamed Pei, who was caring for his own father in the bed next to the girl's father, released a video about her on January 18, the local news outlet Kanqi News reported. The girl's father, who is in his 40s, was admitted to the Qiqihaer No 1 People's Hospital in Heilongjiang province with heart disease. San told Pei that her parents were divorced and her grandmother is over 70 years old and cannot make it to the hosp ital every day. San Mengru stands beside her sick father while he receives treatment in hospital. Photo: Douyin The youngster's other relatives are migrant workers in other cities.