World News Hub

Burning the bard: 'Macbeth' defies fiery curse as Lisbon's Teatro D. Maria II reopens

The D. Maria II theatre reopens with "Macbeth", the Shakespearean tragedy being performed when a 1964 fire destroyed the building. Now the Bard of Avon's "cursed play" is being revived by Pedro Penim, this time with real flames on stage.

"Macbeth" defies curse as Lisbon's Teatro D. Maria II reopens

The D. Maria II theatre reopens with "Macbeth", the tragedy on stage when a 1964 fire destroyed it. Pedro Penim's staging revives the "cursed play", now with real flames on stage.

Oman oil escape route: How ship-to-ship transfers work — despite big risks

Oman’s Sohar port is becoming a popular spot for ship-to-ship oil transfers amid continued Hormuz blockade.

Europe Today: Canada welcomes EU's 'associate member' offer, but what next?

Europe Today digests what Canada's new EU associate member status actually means, as EU finance ministers meet in Dublin over spiralling energy costs. Also on the show: Fresh reactions to the EU's new Kids Act, which aims to restrict social media and AI chatbots for children under 15.

Could Chinese explorers have settled New Zealand before the Maori?

For generations, the narrative of New Zealand’s human settlement has held that Polynesian voyagers – the ancestors of the Maori – arrived and settled the islands in the 13th century, followed by European explorers in the 17th century. This timeline underpins New Zealand’s history and its political model. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between the British Crown and about 540 Maori chiefs, s...

Revealed: how Russia uses mobile ‘super-app’ Max to spy on its citizens

Research shows tens of millions of people are being forced to use platform that amounts to ‘backdoor’ on their deviceOver the past 18 months, tens of millions of Russians have been forced to install a new app on their phones – a violet-blue button designed for messaging and payments, called Max.Authorities have touted it as a patriotic alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp; Russian glitterati have ...

Revealed: How Russia use mobile ‘super-app’ Max to spy on its citizens

Research shows tens of millions of people are being forced to use platform that amounts to ‘backdoor’ on their deviceOver the past 18 months, tens of millions of Russians have been forced to install a new app on their phones – a violet-blue button designed for messaging and payments, called Max.Authorities have touted it as a patriotic alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp; Russian glitterati have ...

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joins Palantir

Peer takes full-time position at the controversial company as it fends off pressure from both Andy Burnham’s government and Sadiq KhanAnother former government minister has been hired by a controversial US AI company, this time Palantir, which has appointed Andy Burnham’s former ministerial colleague Tom Watson.The Labour peer and former deputy leader will operate alongside Palantir’s UK and Europ...

South Korea will not send military to support US war on Iran, defying Trump pressure

Seoul resolves recent speculation over sending military to strait of Hormuz, saying ‘there won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war’South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, has said he will ⁠not deploy the military to the ⁠Middle East in a way ​that could draw the country into conflict, resisting calls from Donald Trump to support his war in Iran.“There won’t be deployment that would inv...

European stocks edge lower as oil prices and bond yields retreat

Oil prices retreated while European stock markets opened lower on Friday after the Bank of Japan became the third major central bank in a month to raise interest rates.

Asian stocks track Wall Street rally as oil prices decline

Asian shares mostly rose in early Friday trading, getting a lift from a rally on Wall Street as well as declining oil prices.

‘We have something that will kill Elliott’: Icac questions former Labor councillor over message

Sharangan Maheswaran denies message he received about NSW minister David Elliot was related to work for fugitive property developerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA former Labor councillor says he had a “common interest” with a conservative Liberal operative, but denied that a message he received about damaging the re...

Whale Post-Mortem Behaviour: Study details mother’s vigil; scientists urge further observations

Off the Gold Coast of Australia, researchers captured a remarkable sight: a mother humpback whale exhibiting attentive behavior towards her stillborn calf resting on the ocean floor. This poignant spectacle lasted for several hours and marks the inaugural scientific documentation of such a phenomenon among humpback whales, shedding light on the profound maternal connections and possible expression...

John Lee keeps Hong Kong talent target unchanged despite 300,000 arrivals

Hong Kong’s leader has said he does not plan to change the government’s annual target for attracting talent despite the city admitting more than 300,000 people since expanding its drive four years ago. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday that about 20 per cent of overall arrivals came from places outside mainland China. “We have met our targets better than we set,” Lee told a phone-in ...

Hong Kong talent schemes could add 1.2% to GDP annually, John Lee says

Talent attracted to Hong Kong under various admission schemes could add about 1.2 per cent to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year, the city leader has said, adding that more than half of those reaching the three-year mark are willing to stay. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday the government had attracted more than 300,000 people through its talent measures, with about 2...

Hong Kong talent schemes could add 1.2% to GDP annually: John Lee

Talent attracted to Hong Kong under various admission schemes could add about 1.2 per cent to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year, according to the city leader, who said more than half of those reaching the three-year mark were willing to stay. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday the government had attracted more than 300,000 people through its talent measures, with aroun...

Torrential rain in Vietnam leaves 3 dead, 16,000 homes flooded

Heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides across northern Vietnam, killing three people and damaging thousands of homes as well as more than 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of crops. The northern region has experienced downpours since Monday, with some areas receiving as much as 653mm (26 inches) of rain, according to a statement on the government’s website. More than 16,000 houses have been in...

Russians begin voting in parliamentary election in shadow of war

Polling stations opened Friday in Russia’s Far East, kicking off a three-day election that President Vladimir Putin’s party is all but guaranteed to win in the fifth year of war with Ukraine. It will be Russia’s first parliamentary election since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022. The conflict has since killed hundreds of thousands. Only parties that support Putin and the Kremlin’s dr...

Russia votes in parliamentary election as war in Ukraine drags on

Polls opened in Russia's Far East on Friday as the country began three days of voting for its parliamentary election, the first since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin's main party, United Russia, is poised to keep its grip on power alongside other parties aligned with President Vladimir Putin, as the only party that criticised the war was removed from the ballot. 

Russia’s parliamentary election: Who’s on the ballot, and why it matters

United Russia won more than two-thirds of the Duma's seats in the 2021 election and is poised to dominate the body again

California homeowner’s $5,000 pool faces removal 53 years later in sewer easement dispute

In Huntington Beach, 29 homeowners are in a legal dispute with the Orange County Sanitation District over a 30-foot sewer easement running through their backyards. Some residents had built pools and other structures with city permits. OC San says the space is needed to maintain an ageing wastewater pipeline, while a court has allowed the homeowners’ case to proceed to trial.

Venomous sea snake returns to California beach after 8 years

UN mission alleges crimes against humanity in Iranian protest crackdown

A UN fact-finding mission has concluded Iranian forces committed crimes against humanity.

South Korea says US-North Korea talks possible, rules out Hormuz deployment

South Korean president will facilitate US-North Korea talks but will not deploy troops in US war on Iran.

Thailand’s Muslim separatists vow to fight for independence ‘until the end of time’

Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, a leader of the main Malay–Muslim separatist group has vowed to keep fighting until it achieves its goals. “This struggle will continue until the end of time,” Nikmatullah Seri, the spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, said in a rare interview. “As long as our objectives remain...