Why ever fewer young Chinese study abroad
(Economist) -- Partly as a consequence, the number of students going abroad has fallen. In 2025 some 570,000 young Chinese went to study overseas, down from a peak of 700,000 in 2019 (see chart); that was the lowest level since 2016.
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Rubbish years: how to boost lab group morale when world events crash in
(Nature) - Award-winning mentors share best practice to keep your team going amid political upheavals, economic downturns and other events.
In June 2016, neurobiologist Catherina Becker witnessed at first hand how a contentious national issue could affect the members of her laboratory group. The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union, triggering the process known as Brexit, was divisive. Becker, then director of the Centre for Neuroregeneration at the University of Edinburgh, UK, found herself navigating the fine line between acknowledging her group’s distress at the vote’s possible implications for their careers and families, and keeping the lab’s day-to-day research on track.
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Girding for hot
(China Daily) And the heat is only the first wave. The second is already arriving: artificial intelligence. Data centers consumed roughly 485 terawatt-hours globally in 2025 and are on track to approach 950 by 2030. Electricity demand from AI-focused facilities alone grew 50 percent last year. The two pressures now land on the same wires,
Carmakers and Yen
(Japan Times) Toyota, Nissan and others based their profit and sales outlooks on the view that the currency will remain at ¥150 to ¥160 against the dollar for the fiscal year through March 2027, according to their latest round of results. The yen is currently trading within that range, at around ¥157.7 as of Thursday.
Calibration
(GT) The lesson of World War II is not simply that militarism leads to catastrophe. It is that the conditions enabling militarism - strategic anxiety, short-term opportunism and historical revisionism - can accumulate gradually, often beneath the surface of immediate policy choices. Australia would do well to remember that lesson.
What A.I. Kant Do
(NYT) After decades of dismissing liberal arts and humanities studies as useless and insisting that the mastery of science, engineering, math and tech is essential to future success, the tech world is coming around to the idea that learning about human nature could be a valuable asset in the coming A.I. revolution.
Sword Drawing
(Global Times) China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday announced countermeasures against Seki Hei, a member of the House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan. The countermeasures include freezing of movable and immovable properties and other types of assets within the territory of China; prohibition of organizations and individuals within the territory of China from engaging in transactions, cooperation, and other activities with him; denial of visa issuance and entry into China ...
Ubiquitous 7-ELEVEN
(NYT) In Japan, 7-Eleven and its competitors are more than a place to buy a six-pack or pick up a pint of milk. Every day, millions of residents shop for food, send packages and pay their bills at over 55,000 convenience stores in the country. Japan is a magnet for tourists, and convenience stores are often a highlight of a trip. Thousands of people have posted TikTok videos showing off their Japanese convenience store purchases. One of those videos, by the singer Sabrina Carpenter when she visited Japan on tour in 2023, has received over 600,000 likes.
Clear Message
(Global Times) On September 3, in the name of the nation, we hold a grand military parade marking the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, commemorating that arduous and monumental triumph. This is not only a look back at those years of fire and blood, but also, on the coordinates of a new era, a message to the world - an Eastern oath for peace and a solemn commitment to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Enigma of Alcaraz
(ESPN) Now, more than a week later, Alcaraz's hair has already started to grow back, and he has since booked his ticket to the semifinals following a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 20 seed Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday. And while the questions about his cut have seemed to fade, the incident remains a fascinating reminder of just how beloved he is. While some players are always more popular or approachable than others in the locker room, very few players of Alcaraz's caliber, at this stage in his career, typically hold that distinction.
Why the French want fewer children
(France24) Long Europe’s baby-making champions, the French are increasingly aiming to have smaller families or no children at all, a trend driven by changing social norms, economic constraints and the concerns and aspirations of a younger generation.Last year, 12.2 percent of French people said they didn’t want to have children, more than twice the number from 2005, according to a study released on Wednesday by national demography institute INED.
Sihang warehouse remembered
(ChinaDaily)
Standing alongside Suzhou Creek in central Shanghai, the Sihang Warehouse Memorial Hall has weathered nearly a century of history.
"The battle took place in the heart of Shanghai, adjacent to the international settlement, and was witnessed by both Chinese citizens and foreigners. Coming at a time when Chinese forces had suffered many setbacks, this display of determined resistance greatly boosted public morale,"
World in Word
May 16 2026
magazine: munitions inventory
Magazine depletion, supply chain bottlenecks and the challenges of sustaining prolonged high-intensity conflict raise questions about whether Washington retains either the capability or the political will to underwrite regional security in the same way it once did.
flux: current, continuing changes
Australia would do well to remember that lesson. In a region already marked by flux, prudence is called for. Now is a good time to reflect more deeply.
