The Japanese MMX mission is designed to bring samples from one of Mars’ moons back to Earth by 2031, the same year that materials collected on the moon by China’s Tianwen-3 mission are also expected to return. India and South Korea are investing in new technologies, infrastructure, and satellites. The commercial importance of space is growing.
In China's Shandong province, controversy surrounds fencing installed to stop "wild hiking" on the sacred mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The authorities claim it is a safety measure, but protesting residents and environmentalists argue that it distorts the spiritual significance and habitat of the place.
Some 16 new products tied to the performance of Samsung and SK Hynix shares are raising concerns. Launched at the end of May to capitalise on the demand for artificial intelligence, in just a few weeks they are dangerously amplifying price volatility on the local stock exchange, with risks for small investors.
The airport on the peninsula hit by the 2024 earthquake has been renamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport” in an attempt to boost tourism. The new name will remain in place for three years. Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people still live in temporary housing, as the resident population continues to decline. Two thirds of the displaced believe reconstruction has made little or no progress.
During a meeting with Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the mayor of the coastal town invited Pope Leo XIV to the Solmoe Shrine in the “cradle of Korean Catholicism”. St Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions are among the patron saints of the event. An agreement has been reached between the Seoul 2027 WYD Foundation and the South Korean public broadcaster KBS for the international broadcast of the event.
His release on 4 July follows talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, during which Jimmy Lai was also mentioned, although the latter’s situation remains unchanged. Meanwhile, the crackdown on house churches continues in China: eight other pastors remain in prison.
Today, Washington and Beijing clash over tariffs, Taiwan, and technology. Yet Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and other leading figures of the American Revolution also found inspiration in the thoughts of Confucius and the meritocratic system of the Chinese empire. This forgotten story speaks to a different beginning in relations between the two powers.
Under new rules, Beijing cracks down on regional branches of organisations, while limiting the use of titles for local officials because they fuel the proliferation of positions and corruption. In reality, this is another step to control organised civil society. Meanwhile, Xi promoted two senior generals after purging the military.
According to official licence statistics, as many as 30,000 are aged between 70 and 79. This reflects not only the ageing population but also the financial difficulties faced by those who lost their jobs during the Covid pandemic. And with pensions insufficient to cover their expenses, many make ends meet by working as taxi drivers.
The government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has approved a bill to address the declining membership of the Imperial Household, allowing the adoption of male descendants from ancient dynastic branches and letting princesses to retain their titles after marriage. However, the possibility of Princess Aiko becoming empress is still ruled out, despite the approval of 83 per cent of Japanese people.
With Japan’s elimination in the round of 16 – the only team to have progressed beyond the group stage – the continent now has no teams left in the competition. The stark contrast with Africa and the wave of resignations, from South Korea to Saudi Arabia. The case of Iran, which remained unbeaten but was eliminated on goal difference (and due to hostile politics). The players’ message: “May peace and friendship prevail”.
On 26 June, a small, single-engine plane carrying only the pilot crashed into the CITIC Tower, the Chinese capital’s tallest skyscraper, injuring 13 people. But within hours, information on social media disappeared, something that usually happens with accidents of this kind in China, giving rises to speculation that is not likely to find an answer.
June in China is the month of the Gaokao (the university entrance exam) and the Zhongkao (the secondary school entrance exam), with the usual mobilisation of families anxious about their children’s future. But the structural limitations of China’s current economic system, with 320 million ‘flexible’ workers, are turning yesterday’s dreams into a mere struggle for survival.
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