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And Finally

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A new headmaster

A school in Zhejiang tests ‘brainwave’ monitors
Nov 15, 2019 (WiC 474)

Focus 1 is a wireless headband that claims to offer “real-time brain wave visualisation”. According to its website, the brand employs an “optimised, NASA-inspired” algorithm. Whether it is actually capable of monitoring ...

Too much transparency

Government orders safety review after building binge of glass bridges
Nov 8, 2019 (WiC 473)

There are 2,300 of them across China: they’re transparent, rather terrifying and, if the reports are to be believed, not totally safe. Glass-bottomed bridges – many of them suspended across scenic ravines – were supposed to be a terrific ...

(Sub)contract killing

Five hitmen sent to jail, following outsourcing farce
Nov 1, 2019 (WiC 472)

Shrewd but ruthless, the hitman is typically an anti-hero in the cinematic world, spawning movies such as 1994’s Léon: The Professional and 2007’s No Country for Old Men. But hired killers in the real world don’t ...

A little less love for Dior

French fashion house the latest to apologise for a faux pas in China
Oct 25, 2019 (WiC 471)

In 1947 French fashion designer Christian Dior unveiled his first collection. It was noticeably different to the boxy, functional outfits worn by women at the time. The aesthetic was dubbed the ‘new look’ and such was its popularity that the ...

Time to disband

Why iQiyi’s popular boy band broke up after barely a year together
Oct 18, 2019 (WiC 470)

When British boy band One Direction announced that it would go on an indefinite hiatus, die-hard fans were heartbroken, even when the four members insisted that they weren’t breaking up. “Literally retching at the fact 1D are splitting up, ...

Heroes of the hour

China’s delivery drivers make an unexpected appearance on National Day
Oct 4, 2019 (WiC 469)

Food delivery people are a feature of modern life in China. Few street scenes are complete without a courier whizzing past on an electric bike. At lunchtime – the busiest period – it’s not uncommon to see them sprinting up flights of stairs ...

Too much of a bear market

Panda fatigue as Beijing introduces its latest Olympic mascot
Sep 27, 2019 (WiC 468)

He’s an ice-encrusted astronaut panda, and his sidekick is a small child, made of traditional Chinese lanterns. Together they are Bing DwenDwen and Shuey RhonRhon – the mascots for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in ...

Garlic: the genuine copycat

A cloning firm is giving animal lovers the chance to recreate their pets
Sep 20, 2019 (WiC 467)

Thirty years ago owning a pet dog or cat was a rarity in China. A ban on pet pooches was only relaxed in 1993, although there are still restrictions on owning dogs more than 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder. Beijing is also in the middle of a ...

A breath of fresh air

CCTV’s news anchors allowed to get witty in social media push
Sep 13, 2019 (WiC 466)

In one form or another, China’s nightly TV news simulcast has been around since 1958 – the year its state-run broadcaster CCTV began beaming its own television content inside Beijing. CCTV went nationwide in 1978 – and even today all the ...

More space for debate

Beijing’s new airport runs into a row over its ‘female friendly’ car park
Sep 6, 2019 (WiC 465)

When Beijing’s new airport opens in Daxing on September 30 it will be a temple to modernity. The $12 billion hub – located to the south of the capital – will source solar and geothermal power to meet some of its energy needs; there are ...

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