China shows off mechanical canine with an automatic rifle on its back at joint military drills with CambodiaThe Chinese army has debuted its latest weapon – a gun-toting robotic dog.The mechanical canine, which has an automatic rifle on its back, was front and centre of recent joint military drills with Cambodia, according to footage from state broadcaster...

Fourteen people have been found guilty of 'conspiracy to subvert state power' by holding unofficial election primaries in 2020, in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial.Two defendants, the former district councillor Lawrence Lau Wai-chung and the former social worker Lee Yue-shun, were acquitted. The 16 people were the only ones to plead not guilty...

Sixteen of the 47 pro-democracy campaigners had denied charges of subversion for organising pre-election primaries in landmark national security caseFourteen people have been found guilty in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial, the prosecution of the so-called “Hong Kong 47” pro-democracy campaigners, in a ruling that was immediately condemned...

Murray Watt says Beijing has removed sanctions for five abattoirs that lost export licences in 2020 amid diplomatic spatFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastChina has lifted suspensions from Australian beef exporters, removing almost all of the $20bn worth of trade...

Bao Li and Qing Bao will be the first pandas to reside at the Smithsonian zoo in Washington DC since last fallTwo new giant pandas will arrive at the Smithsonian’s National zoo in Washington DC later this year, marking a very welcome return after the zoo’s remaining pandas returned to China last fall.The Smithsonian announced on Wednesday that the pandas,...

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2021: During the second world war, Chinese merchant seamen helped keep Britain fed, fuelled and safe – and many gave their lives doing so. But from late 1945, hundreds of them who had settled in Liverpool...