Hong Kong to recruit AI chief by mid-2027, with confidence in local talent pool
SCMP •

Hong Kong to recruit AI chief by mid-2027, with confidence in local talent pool

Hong Kong will begin recruitment for an artificial intelligence (AI) commissioner in the second quarter of next year to assist in drafting policies for the technology and risk governance, with authorities confident the city does not lack suitable talent. Tech authorities on Friday revealed details of the new post under the Digital Policy Office, which will pay between HK$262,125 and HK$278,200 (US...

"Coolest thing any streamer does": Jynxzi steps outside gaming to support Maya Higa’s wildlife mission with $100,000 donation
Times of India •

"Coolest thing any streamer does": Jynxzi steps outside gaming to support Maya Higa’s wildlife mission with $100,000 donation

Renowned streamer Jynxzi has generously contributed $100,000 to Alveus Sanctuary, a nonprofit aimed at wildlife conservation led by Maya Higa. This remarkable donation will aid in providing homes for various animals and enhancing educational outreach about wildlife. Jynxzi expressed deep respect for Higa's commitment to conservation, demonstrating a powerful impact that online influencers can make...

Prized Aztec codex returns to Mexico on loan

Prized Aztec codex returns to Mexico on loan

France 24 •

A cherished 16th-century Mexican manuscript that tells the history of the Aztecs in pictograms went on display Thursday in Mexico City, nearly two centuries after it was whisked off to France. France's National Library, which has maintained possession of it for over a century, loaned it to Mexico to commemorate 200 years of relations between the two countries, although Mexico is pushing for its pe...

France’s Yellow Vests to return as fuel prices soar?

France’s Yellow Vests to return as fuel prices soar?

France 24 •

Eight years after fuel taxes helped spark the Yellow Vest movement, calls for a return to the streets are gathering momentum in France amid soaring energy prices. Recent days have seen fishermen blockading ports and oil terminals in protest at price hikes, but they are far from the only group feeling the squeeze.

Singapore minister Chan Chun Sing’s Mandarin diplomacy strikes China chord

Singapore minister Chan Chun Sing’s Mandarin diplomacy strikes China chord

SCMP •

Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing’s use of Mandarin and Chinese philosophy in his speech at a major security forum in Beijing has won him praise on Chinese social media, while shedding light on how cultural familiarity and language can be diplomatic tools for the city state. Videos of Chan at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum quoting ancient philosopher Mencius, or Mengzi in Mandarin, have gone ...

California approves $42M to protect Wild Cherry Canyon

California approves $42M to protect Wild Cherry Canyon

Times of India •

California has taken a major step in environmental conservation by approving a new grant for the Wild Cherry Canyon project. Spanning 2,060 acres, this coastal area will be safeguarded from any development and transformed into a nature preserve. With a focus on habitat restoration and community engagement, tribal communities will partner in maintaining this valuable ecological site, welcoming visi...

What Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting mean for the midterms

What Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting mean for the midterms

The Guardian •

The extraordinary danger is that a president who believes he is the law, and the law is him, remains intent on disrupting the electoral processThis was originally published in The Stakes 2026, a newsletter about the midterm elections. Sign up to get it in your inbox For the millions of Americans who vote by mail – almost a third of the country – the week began with significant uncertainty that the...

Thailand makes weight-loss pens prescription-only to counter glut of illegal medicines

Thailand makes weight-loss pens prescription-only to counter glut of illegal medicines

SCMP •

Thailand has moved to make weight-loss pens prescription-only, as a glut of the GLP-1 medicines – which mimic the hormones released once someone is full – floods the black market and influencers swarm TikTok to extol the quick wins of the simple injections. The Southeast Asian nation, which is never far behind wellness or aesthetic trends and has a notorious black market in counterfeit drugs, has ...

British woman who was kidnapped in Malawi rescued by police after shootout

British woman who was kidnapped in Malawi rescued by police after shootout

The Guardian •

Four of Nurat Osman’s alleged abductors were killed during rescue after she was taken from outside her home last weekA British woman kidnapped in Malawi last week has been rescued by police after a shootout in which four of her alleged abductors were killed.Nusrat Osman was abducted outside her home in the southern city of Blantyre on 11 September at about 12.30pm. Police had offered a reward of 3...

OpenAI ‘ethically hacked’ with help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot

OpenAI ‘ethically hacked’ with help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot

The Guardian •

US cybersecurity researchers who conducted hack say ‘scope of what we could theoretically access was huge’Cybersecurity researchers have hacked into OpenAI with the help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, in the latest example of security issues at the company.A team at a US-based startup compromised a number of OpenAI employees’ ChatGPT accounts, starting a process that enabled them to access their t...

A new wave of listings: Tashkent prepares companies for global markets

Euronews •

Uzbekistan’s investment fund (UzNIF) is preparing major companies in telecoms, aviation, banking and energy for potential listings. Uztelecom is currently the most advanced candidate as governance reforms advance and efforts to attract new capital gather pace.

How will rise of AI impact Africa?

How will rise of AI impact Africa?

France 24 •

The threat of catastrophic danger as artificial intelligence develops at high speed has sparked a global debate on how it should be regulated. And Africa is no exception. As governments and businesses look to harness the technology, concerns are growing over jobs, misinformation and the need for safeguards.

3 Jellycat, Labubu plushie thieves jailed for up to 2 years and 2 months

3 Jellycat, Labubu plushie thieves jailed for up to 2 years and 2 months

SCMP •

Three repeat offenders have been sentenced to up to two years and two months behind bars for stealing 83 Jellycat and Labubu plushies worth a total of HK$115,200 (US$14,770) from a Hong Kong shopping centre last year. The District Court heard on Friday that the three men had stolen the popular merchandise from two claw machine shops at Kwai Chung Plaza on the instructions of other suspects who rem...

Hong Kong’s metal storage hits 30,000 tonnes in push to become global commodity hub

Hong Kong’s metal storage hits 30,000 tonnes in push to become global commodity hub

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s push to develop into a premier gold and commodity trading hub has gained momentum, with local metal storage surpassing 30,000 tonnes, a minister has said, as the administration positions the city as the destination of choice for global capital. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu also said on Friday the government would expand renminbi settlement ...

‘Clear retribution’: dismay as key Alzheimer’s study cancelled amid Trump attacks on science

‘Clear retribution’: dismay as key Alzheimer’s study cancelled amid Trump attacks on science

The Guardian •

Participants in Pittsburgh may never learn the results of their cognitive tests – and funding cuts that target ‘DEI’ have the potential to delay vital diagnosesRoderick Blair was surprised when scientific researchers appeared on his doorstep in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Here, on a recent summer day, police cars, an ambulance and a TV reporter crowded into a driveway on ...

Disabled people need right to travel abroad, say UK MPs amid ‘ridiculous’ restrictions row

Disabled people need right to travel abroad, say UK MPs amid ‘ridiculous’ restrictions row

The Guardian •

Outcry over ‘brazenly discriminatory’ funding practices among NHS care boards and local councils, with wide variations in rulesOpinion: An effective ban on disabled people leaving Britain? We will not settle for itDisabled people must have a guaranteed right to travel abroad, MPs and peers have said, as further cases emerged of individuals barred from taking holidays as a result of “ridiculous” ru...