A man from southeastern China, dubbed the “Wind-Breaking Rider,” has mastered his wheelchair and stunned the internet with his skateboarding skills. Xie Junwu, 55, lives in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. At 19, he fell from a tree, injuring his thoracic spinal cord and leaving him paralysed from the waist down. For the first eight years after his injury, Xie depended entirely on his mother. Confined to his home, he struggled with the loss of his independence. “The pain was secondary,” Xie recalled...

Tesla’s “flying” Roadster stunt has set social media alight worldwide, turning a car launch into a debate about technological innovation and China-US rivalry. At an event in Texas on October 15, Tesla unveiled its redesigned sports car, the Roadster, with stunts including a takeoff from a steep, curved ramp and a leap over parked cars. Pre-orders are open in China with a deposit of 332,000 yuan (US$50,000) for the street-legal, two-seat “Performance” package. The flying-car reveal quickly turned...