China on Wednesday sent a new communication test satellite into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China’s Hainan Province.

Launched at 00:16 (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-7A carrier rocket, the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication validation tests. The launch marks the 645th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing waste management in China, transforming tedious manual processes into highly efficient tech-driven operations. By integrating advanced algorithms, AI technology optimizes everything from consumer sorting and facility recycling to waste-to-energy conversion.

Large-scale recycling centers, such as those in Guangzhou and Xiamen, use AI combined with hyperspectral and near-infrared sensors to scan and separate different materials with over 95% accuracy and speeds up to 10 times faster than human workers. According to authorities, China aims to raise its urban household waste recycling utilization rate to above 76 percent by the end of 2030.

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Pope Leo XIV on Monday signed Magnifica Humanitas, a long-awaited encyclical focused on the ethical and social impact of artificial intelligence, warning that rapidly advancing AI technology must remain under human control.

The pope personally attended the presentation of the document at the Vatican — a rare move and believed to be a first for a papal encyclical presentation. The document calls for stronger international regulation of AI, cautioning against threats including disinformation, surveillance, autonomous weapons, and job losses caused by automation.

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The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-23 spaceship have entered the Tiangong space station and met with another astronaut trio on Monday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard Tiangong opened the hatch at 5:13 a.m. (Beijing Time) and welcomed the new arrivals, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The two crews then took group pictures for the eighth space get-together in China's aerospace history. They will conduct handover work aboard the space station, the CMSA said.

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Bangladesh has launched its first AI-powered traffic enforcement cameras in Dhaka to tackle chronic gridlock and road traffic.

The automated system replaces manual policing by detecting violations like jumping red lights, wrong-way driving, and lane violations, instantly issuing digital fines to vehicle owners to force behavioral change. Moreover, the cameras capture high-resolution images of license plates and cross-reference them with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority database.

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China's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to launch on Sunday, May 24. The launch will take place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, utilizing a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

The spacecraft will perform a fast-automated rendezvous and dock with the radial port of the Tianhe core module, joining the orbiting space station combination. The spacecraft will include commander, spacecraft pilot and payload specialist Li, who is the first astronaut selected from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

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General Secretary and State President To Lam on Thursday received David Zapolsky, Vice President of Amazon.

The Vietnamese leader said economic and investment ties remain key drivers of Viet Nam-US relations, while science and technology cooperation is becoming a new breakthrough area. He praised Amazon’s operations in Viet Nam and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to improving the legal framework and protecting intellectual property rights to support high-tech investment.

The Party leader also called for stronger cooperation in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, innovation and workforce training. Amazon’s Vice President said Viet Nam has strong potential to become a regional technology hub and reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to investment and digital development in the country.

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SpaceX successfully launched the debut test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 megarocket on Friday, blasting off from the company's Starbase facility in South Texas. The mega rocket completed most of its major test objectives, including in-space payload deployment, before performing a fiery, controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

This test marked the 12th Starship mission overall and the very first for the upgraded Version 3 mega rocket. Despite additional engine malfunctions, the spacecraft successfully flipped upright and performed a soft splashdown in the pre-planned zone in the Indian Ocean.

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China put its massive global drone dominance on full display at the Drone World Congress in the tech hub of Shenzhen. The event featured over 1,220 exhibitors from 17 countries, highlighting Chinese firms that currently command an estimated 74% of the global consumer drone market.

Tens of thousands of UAVs were on display, ranging from commercial quadcopters to heavy-lift drones and passenger eVTOL aircraft. Beyond consumer models, the expo showcased multi-purpose drones built for agriculture, heavy payload lifting, industrial cleaning, and disaster rescue missions.

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On Thursday, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) hosted the highly successful “AI with HKPC” Smart Solutions Showcase Series featuring nearly 100 ready-to-deploy AI solutions designed to help enterprises.

Nearly 50 cutting-edge AI and humanoid robotics solutions were showcased, focusing on real-world scenarios including operations management, customer interaction, building maintenance, and school administration. Moreover, the event provided expert-led, hands-on workshops and master courses designed to teach professionals how to harness cutting-edge AI tools effectively.

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