Talking points

China is for the first time joining the US-led Rim of the Pacific international naval exercises near Hawaii, sending four ships to participate in the drills that include 55 vessels from 23 countries. The drills start today in Pearl Harbour and go through August 1. The Chinese ships, including a frigate, a destroyer, an oiler and a hospital ship, were to have sailed to Hawaii with vessels from Singapore, Brunei and the United States.

A research team led by Professor Yizhou Yu of Hong Kong University's Department of Computer Science plans to unveil new software it says can recreate a crime scene in 3D, using surveillance camera footage. According to the university, the software "should let investigators have a global situational understanding of a complex scenario without the need to loop through individual cameras". It's designed to help identify and track suspects "based on features including body gestures, colour and texture of clothing and belongings", the university has said.