Corruption Critique Catalyzes Cyberbullying

And Universiti Malaya student representative Ummi Umairah Bakhit faces intense cyberbullying, online backlash, and alleged disciplinary pressure after criticizing the public fundraising efforts for former Prime Minister Najib Razak. [As per my post yesterday]. 

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan played their Denmark Open semi-final match yesterday, where they defeated China's Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan 2–0 (21–16, 21–14) to advance to the final – leaving them just one win away from crowning themselves champions.

GO FINISH THE JOB!!

Speaking Truth to Power: The Najib Fund Backlash

At the International Future Youth Leadership Summit (iFUTURE) 2026 leadership forum on October 15, Universiti Malaya student representative Ummi Umairah Bakhit made headlines by openly criticizing public donations to the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, calling the crowdfunding effort "the stupidest thing" she had ever witnessed. 

Addressing a high-profile panel that included political leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, she questioned how Malaysia could foster future leadership when society actively raises money to help a figure convicted in the global 1MDB scandal pay off his court-mandated fines. 

Video of her blunt confrontation went viral overnight, sparking fierce national debate over political feudalism and earning her public backing from Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli, who defended her right to critique authority without fear of university backlash. 

At the Denmark Open women's doubles quarter-finals yesterday, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan vowed to go all the way after reaching their first Denmark Open semi-final. 

The Malaysian world No. 5 fought back to beat India's Treesa Jolly–Gayatri Gopichand 14–21, 21–17, 21–11 in Friday's quarter-finals. 

Their breakthrough ended Malaysia's 18-year wait for a women's doubles semi-finalist at the tournament, following Wong Pei Tty–Chin Eei Hui's title-winning run in 2008.

Indonesia’s Eco-Strategy: Package the Smoke, Invoice the Oxygen

An Indonesian official has been mocked online after claiming the country's forests supply oxygen to Malaysia and Singapore despite recurring haze from its own forest and land fires.

"We do not just send smoke, but when there is no smoke, we send oxygen", Indonesian Government Communications Agency chief Syahganda Nainggolan (right) said in a now-viral video.

"The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia also comes from our forests", he maintained in the video published on Saturday. 

The remarks drew plenty of scorn from social media users, with one sarcastically asking whether Syahganda thought Malaysia was on Mars.

Another, Johari Johar, questioned whether he thought Malaysia was a desert. 

"Supply oxygen? Seriously? Ever since the haze started, I've constantly been hit by the flu, fever and cough. It's not just me — everyone in the house has fallen sick", said Sheeren Ren. 

Azhar Za Lacabusier added: "What does oxygen have to do with the haze? The real question is how to resolve the haze problem, which has never been solved". 

On Monday, Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen said Syahganda's remarks trivialised the health concerns of Malaysians affected by the haze. He described the remarks as "a joke" and "unacceptable". 

Haze from forest and land fires in Indonesia has blanketed parts of Malaysia and Singapore, causing unhealthy air quality and school closures in several states.

True to form, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, who received a first-round bye as the second seeds, advanced to the Denmark Open women's doubles quarter-finals on Thursday. 

The Malaysians overcame Hong Kong's world No. 19 Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam 21-12, 21-19 in 44 minutes to reach the last eight of the Super 750 tournament for the first time since 2024.

Najib Fund Reaches RM9.25M of RM50M Target

The Najib Razak Solidarity Fund has raised RM9.25 million as of 10:00 AM Sunday, but remains short of its RM50M target, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed.

He emphasized that continuous efforts are being made to grow the fund. 

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Bar announced on Friday they are filing a new challenge against the second pardon alongside their existing appeal regarding Najib's first pardon reduction, with a Court of Appeal ruling set for January 07, 2027. 👏👏👏

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan's bid to become the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to reach an Asian Games badminton final ended in the semi-finals today. 

The world No. 5 Malaysians won the first game 21-16 but unfortunately dropped the next two games (20-22, 12-21) to the world No. 1 Chinese pair, Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning. This is their 11th defeat to the Chinese in 14 meetings. 😭😭😭

Pearly-Thinaah will have to be satisfied with the bronze, Malaysia's first women's doubles medal at the Asian Games since Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei in 2014.

Sivasangari Subramaniam Wins Asian Games Gold & Qualifies for LA28 Olympics!

Sivasangari Subramaniam is the very first female squash player to qualify for the Olympics after successfully defending her women's singles title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today. 💖💖💖

The Malaysian put on a dominant, flawless performance to defeat India's world No. 17 Anahat Singh, in straight games 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in a time of twenty-four minutes.

In badminton, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan have secured at least a bronze by beating India's Gayatri Gopichand–Treesa Jolly 21-18, 21-9 in 42 minutes in the quarter-finals. 

They are the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to step onto an Asian Games podium since Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei claimed bronze at the 2014 Incheon Games in South Korea. 

A tougher test awaits Pearly–Thinaah in tomorrow's semi-finals against China's world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu–Tan Ning, but the Malaysian pair has proven time and again that they can pull off thrilling upsets when they are in sync.

80% of New DRC Ebola Cases Untracked

Health authorities battling the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo have identified only about 30,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus, a fraction of the more ‌than 400,000 expected through contact tracing. 

Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the shortfall showed the outbreak remained entrenched in communities despite signs of progress. More than 80% of new confirmed cases were being detected among people who were not already on contact lists, suggesting transmission is still occurring beyond the reach of surveillance efforts. 

For every confirmed Ebola case, health authorities would expect to identify about 60 people who had direct or indirect ⁠contact with the infected person, Kaseya told Reuters on Friday.  With roughly 7,000 confirmed cases, that would translate into about 420,000 contacts. 

"But currently, we have just 30,000 people in the contact list", Kaseya said. 

"When the outbreak is at community level, we cannot talk about control", he added. 

The Ebola outbreak was detected in May and is already the second largest on record, behind one in West Africa from 2014 to 2016.

Sivasangari Subramaniam is one match away from defending her Asian Games gold medal and earning a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after advancing to the women's final in Nagoya, Japan yesterday. 

The world No. 5 had defeated Hong Kong's world No. 21 Chan Sin Yuk 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7) in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, in badminton, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan made an assured start to their Asian Games individual campaign with straight-games victories on Friday. The World No. 5 Malaysian pair overcame Indonesia's ninth-ranked Febi Setianingrum-Rachel Allessya Rose 21-13, 21-11 to reach the women's doubles second round.

On Saturday, they booked their spot in the quarter-finals when they prevailed over Thailand's Napapakorn Tungkasatan and Hathaithip Mijad 21-8, 21-12 in just 29 minutes.

Malaysian Tourism is Making Waves

Malaysia’s travel sector is riding an unprecedented wave of global popularity, drawing a record-breaking 21.12 million international visitors in the first half of 2026 alone. 

This massive influx of travelers has transformed the nation's airports into bustling global gateways. 

According to Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), passenger traffic jumped 3.4% year-on-year to 36.7 million in the first seven months of the year, fueled by a powerful surge in summer travel demand from Europe, the Middle East, and across Asia.

[I had followed the Asian Games badminton news only for updates on Pearly-Thinaah. And for sure, from today, I'll be following women's singles squash too].

Malaysia's women's badminton team kicked off their 2026 Asian Games campaign on Sunday with a dominant 3-0 sweep against Hong Kong. 

In that opening tie, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan earned the second point with a comfortable 21-11, 21-17 win over world No. 22 Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam. 

However, the team's run came to an end on Tuesday during the quarter-finals, where Malaysia bowed out with a 3-1 defeat to defending champions South Korea. 

Despite the team's elimination, Pearly and Thinaah provided a massive highlight by securing a brilliant 22-20, 21-17 victory over world No. 2 South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee. 

While the overall exit stung, the top pair's defiant victory had sent a clear message that they are rediscovering their peak form at just the right time. And that's great news, methinks!

Penang Gazettes Hungry Ghost Festival as State Heritage

In Malaysia, Penang has officially recognized the Teong Guan Phor Thor, or Hungry Ghost Festival, as an intangible cultural heritage item under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011. 

The gazettement actually took effect on June 25, 2026, following approval by the state government to safeguard local traditions. 

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow noted that the move highlights the diverse religious traditions practiced by the Chinese community. 

Celebrated during the seventh lunar month, the festival features large "Tai Su Yeah" (King of Hades) effigies, getai stage shows, and traditional Chinese opera.

Despite its association with ghosts, the Hungry Ghost Festival serves a deeper purpose. The event is more about teaching the younger generation the importance of filial piety, doing good deeds, and respecting their ancestors. These values are integral to the festival’s enduring relevance and significance.

In the second round of the China Masters 2026 today, Malaysia’s world No. 5 women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan suffered an agonising defeat against Thailand's up-and-coming Benyapa-Nuntakarn Aimsaard. 

The Thai sister duo, ranked world No. 43, took the match in three hard-fought games in 67 minutes: 21-16, 17-21, 21-19. 

Pearly and Thinaah were originally drawn to face China's Luo Yi and Wang Tingge in the round of 32. However, following a wave of late withdrawals from top-seeded pairs, a Seed Withdrawal Movement (SWM) reshuffled the draw, giving the Malaysians a direct first-round bye straight into the round of 16.

I am really disappointed. It's unforgivable. Another tournament, another self-inflicted disaster from Pearly and Thinaah. As the world No. 5 pair, how are they still handing over the opening game like charity? 

This toxic habit of losing the first game is a ticking time bomb, and it again blew up in their faces against a pair ranked No. 43 in the world! They were handed fresh legs and a massive physical advantage on a silver platter. 

What did they do with it? They wasted it by playing catch-up yet again, turning what should have been a straightforward win into an exhausting three-game torture.

Tracking DR Congo's Deadliest Ebola Outbreak on Record

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has reached 5,000 cases, government data showed Wednesday, as responders warn it is spreading at an unprecedented speed outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country's remotest regions. 

Data from the country's Ministry of Health showed the outbreak had so far recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths as of Sunday, as it rages in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable fueled by insecurity, displacement and intense population movements.

And it has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with the number of fatalities surpassing the toll recorded during the last major epidemic in eastern DR Congo.

That outbreak, declared on August 01, 2018 and brought to an end in June 2020, resulted in 3,323 confirmed cases and 2,299 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was the world’s second-largest Ebola contagion on record. 

The current outbreak has reached that grim milestone far more quickly. The DR Congo declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, marking the country’s 17th recorded outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. 

A recent genetic study published in Nature Medicine also found that the Bundibugyo virus behind the illness is genetically distinct from variants detected during previous Bundibugyo outbreaks in the region, suggesting it likely emerged through a new animal-to-human transmission. The animal source has not yet been identified. 

The latest government figures show the virus has now spread across 55 health zones in six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele, and Tshopo. Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak, remains by far the hardest-hit province. 

Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan's hopes of defending their 2026 World Championships silver medal came to an abrupt end after they were knocked out by Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari in New Delhi on Thursday. 

The fifth seeds fell 20-22, 21-18, 21-12 to the 13th seeds in their women's doubles last-16 clash. 

It was only Pearly-Thinaah's second defeat in seven meetings against the Indonesians, having entered the contest with a dominant 5-1 head-to-head record. Their most recent encounter had gone firmly Malaysia's way, with Pearly-Thinaah winning 21-9, 21-18 in the All England quarter-finals in March. 

The result brought a premature end to their attempt to reproduce last year's historic campaign, when they became the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to reach a World Championships final.

A massive letdown! 😖😖😖

Philippines on the Brakes

The Philippine economy grew just 2.3% in the second quarter of 2026, its weakest quarterly expansion since 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 

In the first half of the year, its economy experienced a weak 2.6% growth rate. This slowdown happened because overall investments dipped by 9.2%, total construction projects slumped by 14.8%, and everyday consumer spending barely grew at 2.8%.

The deceleration marks a sharp drop from the 7.6% growth recorded in 2022, with annual growth easing to 5.5% in 2023, 5.7% in 2024 and 4.4% in 2025. 

Ultimately, reversing this sharp macroeconomic downturn requires looking beyond domestic interest rate cuts and infrastructure backlogs. To prevent sinking into a deeper malaise, the Philippines must urgently resolve its public investment crisis while simultaneously building structural resilience against imported energy shocks, climate-driven agricultural risks, and cooling overseas remittances. For strategic investors and business leaders, navigating this prolonged slowdown demands a defensive pivot toward energy-resilient sectors and high-yield fixed income until consumer purchasing power and broader structural growth stabilize. 

Moreover, this economic drag is heavily compounded by the Marcos Jr. administration’s severe underspending and bureaucratic bottlenecks, which triggered a 32.4% collapse in public construction due to disruptive project reviews and corruption probes. 

At the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, India, fifth-seeded Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan – who received a first-round bye – faced Türkiye's Bengisu Erçetin and Nazlıcan İnci yesterday, beating their second-round opponents 21–16, 21–13 in 34 minutes.

While pleased to clear their opening hurdle, Thinaah accepted that there was still plenty of room for improvement. 

"Definitely happy that we won our first match, but there are still things that we need to work on and improve", she said. 

More encouragingly, Pearly declared herself injury-free after enduring a difficult few months which disrupted the pair's training and combination. The 26-year-old said they had only two weeks after the Taipei Open to work seriously on rebuilding their partnership ahead of the world meet. 

I expect they will do better in their next match.

China’s $19 Trillion Surge

According to a Facebook post on Thursday by fridayeveryday, "in just 25 years, the Chinese raised their GDP roughly 14-fold, from $1.36 trillion to $19.50 trillion – the largest accumulation of absolute economic output in human history". 

He's right, of course. For nearly three decades, China sustained near-double-digit growth, transforming from an agrarian backwater into the world's factory and, subsequently, an unrivalled technological powerhouse.

Understanding China's Growth Profile

Scale of Transformation: China moved from a low-income country to an upper-middle-income economy, lifting over 800 million people out of absolute poverty.

Percentage Velocity: A 14-fold multiplication of an entire economy within a 25-year window is unprecedented among major global economies.

Manufacturing Expansion: The nation grew to produce over 30% of global manufacturing output, becoming the world's primary goods exporter.

And yet, the West never stops to systematically devalue China's achievements, dripping with malicious envy, savage derision, and unforgiving hostility.

Women's pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan's quest for a second World Tour title this year was ruined by Japan's Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi at the Taipei Open final on Sunday. 

The top seeds were unable to stop world No. 71 Nakade-Takahashi from winning 21-16, 21-18 in the Super 300 tournament. 

😞😞😞😞😞😞

Pearly-Thinaah will have to do better! No two ways about it!

By the way, the Japanese duo are no pushovers. The Taipei Open was their fourth title in five tournaments, having won the Orleans Masters, China Super 100 and Canada Open this year.

The Flagship America Can't Have

It’s been quite a while since Huawei were driven out of most global markets by losing out on Google’s services and apps, with market share plummeting in numerous regions as a result. 

However, as the company continue to innovate and dominate sales back home in China, it turns out that Americans wish they could still purchase and use Huawei phones as well. 

Despite a strict US government ban preventing their devices from being sold through official channels, Huawei recently emerged as the top choice for American tech enthusiasts. In a major industry poll conducted by the mobile technology publication ⁠PhoneArena, asking which Chinese smartphone brand consumers would most like to see properly enter the United States with full carrier support, Huawei led the vote with nearly 31 percent of the total selection. 

This strong showing highlights a deep, ongoing demand among premium Android users for the brand's hardware innovation, even as the broader landscape of international smartphone options shrinks. 

This suggests that Americans not only still miss the company but would be willing to give up Google’s services and accept Huawei’s HarmonyOS as well. Huawei have been pushing out some crazy powerful devices with very unique designs and gimmicks, and you want to get your hands on them. 

Getting a Chinese smartphone in the US is a gargantuan hassle, and no channels exist to purchase one like you would a Samsung, Google Pixel, or Apple phone. Most people who do use Chinese phones in the US get an unlocked model and have to use workarounds to have an almost normal experience. 

But from the said reader poll, we now know how much Americans want access to other Chinese brands after Huawei. In second place is Oppo, with a little over 23 percent of respondents wishing that it would be sold stateside. 

Xiaomi followed with 22 percent of the votes, as the company have been pumping out some excellent smartphones in the last few years with spectacular specs and great ideas like a second display on the rear. 

Meanwhile, a little under 12 percent want Vivo to take on Samsung, Google, and Apple in the US. iQOO got over seven percent of the votes and Realme came last with a little under five percent of you wanting it to operate normally in the States. 

Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan secured their first semi-final appearance since the All England in March with a hard-earned victory at the Taipei Open yesterday. 

The world No. 5 had to work hard for their 21-14, 21-17 win over Taiwan's world No. 39 Lin Chih Chun-Yang Chu Yun in the quarter-finals.

The important thing is they won! 💪💪💪

But young women's doubles pair Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan's brave run came to an end. The world No. 67 suffered a 21-11, 20-22, 22-24 heartbreak to Thailand's world No. 36 Hathaithip Mijad-Napapakorn Tungkasatan after a titanic battle. 😞😞😞

C919's High-altitude and Stretched Variants

The high-altitude variant of COMAC’s C919 narrowbody has completed its first test flight at Shanghai’s Pudong international airport. 

The maiden sortie lasted one hour 59 minutes, and the test aircraft (registered B-002U) completed all “scheduled test items”. 

COMAC say the test flight marks “an important step” in the certification of the high-altitude variant, but do not disclose when they expect that to happen. 

Xizang Airlines (formerly Tibet Airlines) are the type’s launch customer, after signing for 40 aircraft at the 2024 Singapore air show. 

In fact, according to FlightGlobal on Wednesday, the airline are working closely with COMAC to jointly develop the high-altitude C919 variant. The high-altitude variant, officially named the C919-600, seats about 140 passengers, compared to the baseline model’s standard layout of 164 seats. 

[Note: China's Tibet Airlines have changed their English-language name to Xizang Airlines. "Xizang" is how the Mandarin Chinese name for the region is spelled using the Latin alphabet. The change took effect in February, when the former designation "Tibet Airlines" was replaced in official international registries]. 

Not resting on their laurels, COMAC are also developing a stretched variant of the C919, which can seat around 210 passengers. 

The C919’s stretched and high-altitude variants were first revealed at the 2023 Shanghai International Airshow, and COMAC also brought models of the variants to the Singapore and Farnborough air shows in 2024. 👏👏👏

Entering the BWF Super 300 tournament as the top seeds, Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan prevailed over Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yan-fei and Sun Liang-ching yesterday, recovering after dropping the first game to win 11-21, 21-12, 21-15 in 43 minutes. 

They carry Malaysia's primary hopes of breaking the country's title drought in this category.

Earlier, Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan booked their place in the quarter-finals after upsetting third seeds Hsu Yin-hui-Lin Jhih-yun 20-22, 21-13, 21-11 in 56 minutes. 

Ranked 67th in the world – 56 places below their experienced opponents – the Malaysian teenagers showed incredible composure! After letting a game point slip away in the opener, the unseeded young pair took complete control of the next two games to secure a massive upset win! 🇲🇾🏸

Malaysian Pride! A magnificent and heroic charge by our women’s doubles duos at the Taipei Open Badminton Championships!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Later, today:

Ukraine Warns About The New Threat Triad

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, on Monday, issued a stark warning about what he described as three growing threats facing Ukraine as the war with Russia continues, namely, North Korea, Iran, and China. 

He explained that North Korea has supplied munitions and thousands of troops, Iran has provided drones and ballistic missiles, and China is assisting Russia with satellite and targeting technology. 

Even if it is true, what's the big deal? The West has been standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine providing money, weapons and even combatants (labelled as independent volunteers) to Ukraine all this while. 

Zelensky fears that this four-power axis gravely threatens Ukraine.

To be sure, Russia is more than capable of handling Ukraine by themselves. My only misgiving is that Russia is taking their sweet time to vanquish, destroy, and annihilate Ukraine once and for all!

Top seeds Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan got their Taipei Open campaign off to a solid start after easing past Japan's Mao Hitasue-Kanano Muroya 21-15, 21-17 to advance to the next round on Wednesday. The Malaysians cleared the opening hurdle in only 38 minutes.

What Everyone Gets Wrong About "Money Can't Buy Happiness"

American actor and film producer Samuel L Jackson’s most famous quote about money is: "Those who say that money can't buy happiness never had any". 

Whether you agree or not, it reflects the reality that money eliminates fundamental stressors like penury, debt, and chronic insecurity. Without these burdens, people have the freedom and agency to pursue a higher quality of life. 

Jackson's truism challenges the age-old "wisdom" by pointing out that financial stability provides practical comfort and freedom. It’s a popular sentiment that reminds us that having your basic needs met makes life significantly easier. 

While some may want to insist that money can't buy happiness, the fact remains that it buys the freedom to choose a far better class of problems. Meaning you can finally afford to be absolutely miserable in style. 😝😝😝

Or another way of putting it:

😀😀😀

At the quarter-finals (Round of 8) of the China Open yesterday, Pearly Tan-Thinaah Murlaitharan were eliminated after losing to Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto. 

The Malaysian duo lost in straight games with a score of 16-21, 16-21.

Pearly-Thinaah's head-to-head record against the world's No. 3 pair is now tied at 5-5. Meanwhile, the China Open marked their fourth consecutive defeat to the Japanese duo. 

The Malaysian duo admitted they lost out to Fukushima-Matsumoto in fitness. 

Pearly, whose recurring back injury kept her off the World Tour earlier this year, said she is still lacking in terms of fitness, although there were positives to take from their defeat.

"...One thing I've learned is that even in a difficult situation, we still managed to find a way to compete and put up a fight despite the defeat. We communicated well on court and knew the game we wanted to play".

Thinaah felt that the quarter-final defeat was an indication of the hard work that they need to put in to get back to their best. 

"Overall, there are definitely a lot of things we still need to work on because it's been some time since both of us were back on court", said Thinaah.

Let's see how they fare at the Taiwan Open next week.

PhDs for the Real World

In most countries, earning a PhD means writing a dissertation. Hundreds of pages of theory, research, and citations that very few people will ever read. 

China decided to try something different. Under a law passed in 2024, select universities can now award engineering doctorates based on physical prototypes, new techniques, or major installations instead of traditional papers. 

The rule is straightforward: build something that works in real life and at scale, and you can graduate. 

The first cohort has already finished. Zheng Hehui earned his doctorate by designing reinforced steel blocks that snap together like LEGO to form massive bridge pylons. His invention is already in use on the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, the world's longest cable-stayed bridge. 

Wei Lianfeng became the first practical PhD graduate at Harbin Institute of Technology by developing vacuum laser welding processes for the Nuclear Power Institute of China. 

Another candidate built a fire-fighting system for large seaplanes. 

At least 11 engineers have now earned their doctorates through this route. Since 2022, more than 60 universities and 100 companies have collaborated, selecting over 20,000 students for practical doctorate programmes. 

The goal is to close the gap between academic theory and industrial application, particularly in fields like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. One student built a bridge. Another welded nuclear components. And they got the same three letters as everyone else.

Yesterday, Malaysia's top women's doubles pair, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, successfully defeated Ukraine's Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr in the Round of 16 at the China Open. 

They took just a swift thirty minutes to wrap up a straight-games victory, winning 21-19, 21-12. 

They're in the last eight and today, they will play Japanese nemeses Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto, whom they hold a 5-4 head-to-head advantage.

National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky believes the Japanese world No. 3 pair will have an edge as the Malaysians are still finding their footing on the World Tour.

"Against the Japanese pair, they will start as the underdogs. However, Pearly and Thinaah have beaten them before, so I hope they will fight all the way and regain their momentum", added Rexy. 

Current form suggests Fukushima-Matsumoto will start as favourites, but the China Open also presents Pearly-Thinaah with an opportunity to rediscover the form that once took them to world No. 2.

US Explosive Diarrhoea Outbreak

Mexico’s Ministry of Health and the National Committee for Epidemiological Surveillance (CONAVE) issued an official preventive travel advisory. 

The advisory warns of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic stomach illness, that has infected at least 1,645 people across 34 US states. No deaths have been reported from Cyclospora infection, but at least 94 people have been hospitalised. 

Newsweek was first to report on this alert in English, and highlighting that US health agencies detected a sharp spike in infections since May. 

The parasite (Cyclospora cayetanensis) causes severe intestinal issues and is typically spread by consuming fresh produce or water contaminated with infected feces. 

As at Monday, US investigators had not confirmed a source, though the FDA were examining shredded iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) supplied by Taylor Farms. 

Taco Bell, known for meticulous supply chain management, were among the first to identify themselves as using Taylor Farms produce and warn recent diners they may be about to enter the launch cycle. 

Health officials in Mexico are urging citizens traveling north for the summer to carefully monitor their health for up to two weeks upon their return.

Malaysian women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan bounced back from last week’s first-round exit at the Japan Open by advancing to the second round of the China Open yesterday. 

The world No 5 pair were in complete control as they defeated the 29th-ranked Japanese pair Ririna Hiramoto-Kokona Ishikawa 21-16, 21-12 in just 31 minutes. 

Pearly-Thinaah will face Ukraine's Polina Buhrova-Yevheniia Kantemyr, for a place in the quarter-finals today.

In Kenya, No Human, No Copyright

Kenya’s Copyright Tribunal, on July 09, 2026, delivered a landmark ruling determining that works generated solely by AI cannot receive copyright protection. 

The decision establishes that sufficient human effort, judgment, and original expression are strictly required to qualify for copyright, as only humans can be legally recognized as authors. 

The dispute involved author Cynthia Beldina Akoth and her contracting company, Aryeh Movement Ltd. Beldina had written a collection of Bible scripture stories using AI tools. Following a fallout, she discovered the company had registered the AI-assisted literary works in their own name. 

The Tribunal ruled against the company's copyright claim, stating that while AI is an acceptable creative tool, it cannot replace human authorship. To claim copyright over AI-assisted works, the creator must provide proof of substantial human intervention and creative control. 

Note that the Kenyan ruling itself does not legally apply outside of the country, because copyright laws are strictly territorial and governed by each country's national courts. 

However, the legal logic used by the Kenyan Tribunal matches the approach taken by most major global powers. As of 2026, there is no unified international treaty governing AI copyright, leading to a highly fractured legal landscape. 

In the US, content generated entirely by AI goes directly into the public domain. Copyright is strictly reserved for human beings. E g., In March 2026, the US Supreme Court officially denied certiorari in Thaler v. Perlmutter, upholding lower court rulings that AI cannot be an "author". 

The same goes for the European Union. Under the EU AI Act and established case law, works must reflect the "author's own intellectual creation" through human choices. Pure AI output cannot be copyrighted. 

UK law, though, has a legacy provision protecting "computer-generated works" without a human author, awarding copyright to the person who arranged the generation. 

In China, the courts have taken a drastically different, pro-innovation stance, granting copyright to AI-assisted images if the human prompter shows significant effort. Landmark rulings, including a major decision reported by the Changshu People’s Court, confirmed that a user's prompt sequence and parameter adjustments can meet the "originality threshold". 

Global framework treaties like the ⁠Berne Convention allow authors to protect their books and art across borders, explicitly requiring human intellectual effort to qualify. Because international frameworks do not recognize AI systems as legal persons, pure AI content cannot be protected globally.

World No. 5 Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan crashed out of the Japan Open in a major first-round upset after squandering a one-game advantage to lose 9-21, 21-17, 21-17 to Taiwan's Hsu Yin-Hui-Lin Jhih Yun on Tuesday.

I'm distressed.