Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait
SCMP •

Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Friday reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, potentially tightening their grip on one of the world’s vital shipping routes. Earlier, two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government said its forces had withdrawn from Perim and that the Houthis had also taken the ...

Look back: 9/11, Osama bin Laden, and a safe haven in Afghanistan

CBS News •

After terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, America's attention turned fully to the group's leader, Osama bin Laden, and his Al Qaeda network, which had found protection in Afghanistan. Correspondent Allen Pizzey reports on a country already devastated by more than 20 years of continuous warfare, which was anticipating further retaliation by Washington, in a story that originall...

Why Marcos’ Brics trip is ‘low-risk opportunity’ for Philippines to make new friends

Why Marcos’ Brics trip is ‘low-risk opportunity’ for Philippines to make new friends

SCMP •

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is set to be the first Philippine leader to join the Brics Summit in New Delhi this weekend – presenting him with the perfect “low-risk opportunity” to engage the grouping as Manila continues to diversify its ties, analysts say. “The president seeks to ensure that our modern partnerships remain open, resilient and capable of delivering prosperity to our people,” Phil...

Scientist finds 10,000-year-old mastodon molar while surveying California creek for threatened frogs

Scientist finds 10,000-year-old mastodon molar while surveying California creek for threatened frogs

Times of India •

While investigating a creek for frogs, a scientist stumbled upon a remarkable ancient mastodon tooth, estimated to be over ten thousand years old. Paleontologists have confirmed its belonging to a long-extinct species of Pacific mastodon. The fossil will soon be analyzed at Stanford University to determine its precise age, establishing a fascinating connection between today's conservation initiati...

Wigs, makeup let fraudsters pose as NFL players, scoring $20M in fake loans

Wigs, makeup let fraudsters pose as NFL players, scoring $20M in fake loans

Times of India •

In a stunning twist, two individuals from Georgia devised a sophisticated scheme to impersonate professional football players for financial gain. They established fake companies and produced counterfeit documentation, even going as far as using disguises during video calls. Altogether, they amassed an astonishing $19.845 million through twelve fraudulent loans from various lenders before their plo...

Nation pauses to remember September 11 on 25th anniversary | First Thing

Nation pauses to remember September 11 on 25th anniversary | First Thing

The Guardian •

Commemoration ceremonies to be held around the world for the nearly 3,000 killed in 2001 terror attack on US. Plus, JD Vance sets out his stall as heir to Donald TrumpGood morning. It is a sombre day for the nation as people gather to mourn and remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks on September 11 2001, when 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four airliners, slamming two of the pla...

Yoon Suk-yeol acquitted in case linked to South Korean marine’s death

Yoon Suk-yeol acquitted in case linked to South Korean marine’s death

SCMP •

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was acquitted on Friday in a case related to a marine’s drowning death in a rare reprieve in one of the criminal cases brought against him following his ousting for imposing martial law. The independent counsel’s indictment had alleged Yoon deliberately appointed former defence minister Lee Jong-Sup as his ambassador to Australia to help him leave the co...

Canada pledges air defense support for Ukraine as Zelensky visits

Canada pledges air defense support for Ukraine as Zelensky visits

France 24 •

Canada offered support Thursday to boost Ukraine's air defenses and help replenish its drone stocks, as the countries pledged to deepen their alliance during a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Canada will always be with you," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Zelensky.

China’s young investors embrace risk. Why are their portfolios so safe?

China’s young investors embrace risk. Why are their portfolios so safe?

SCMP •

Young Chinese investors may be just as willing to take risks as their global peers, but their portfolios remain more conservative against a backdrop of years of relative underperformance in China’s stock market, a prolonged property downturn and deflation, according to a senior researcher at the CFA Institute Research and Policy Centre. The disconnect between their willingness to take risks and th...

'Massive' security operation in place for 9/11 anniversary

'Massive' security operation in place for 9/11 anniversary

France 24 •

As New York gets set to commemorate 25 years since the 9/11 attacks that changed the United States and the world forever, a “massive” security operation is underway, say city officials, with former US presidents and dignitaries set to gather at Ground Zero.

I’ll write romance novels if AI solves all maths problems, Chinese Fields winner jokes

I’ll write romance novels if AI solves all maths problems, Chinese Fields winner jokes

SCMP •

Deng Yu, the 37-year-old Chinese mathematician who won the 2026 Fields Medal, has a backup plan if artificial intelligence puts him out of a job. On Tuesday, he wrote on social media that “if AI can solve all maths problems, I’ll go home and write my yuri novel”. Deng is known to be a big fan of yuri, a genre of Japanese novels and comics that depicts intimate friendships and romantic relationship...

I’ll write romance novels if AI solves all maths, Chinese Fields winner jokes

I’ll write romance novels if AI solves all maths, Chinese Fields winner jokes

SCMP •

Deng Yu, the 37-year-old Chinese mathematician who won the 2026 Fields Medal, has a backup plan if artificial intelligence puts him out of a job. On Tuesday, he wrote on social media that “if AI can solve all maths problems, I’ll go home and write my yuri novel”. Deng is known to be a big fan of yuri, a genre of Japanese novels and comics that depicts intimate friendships and romantic relationship...

Chinese milk tea chain sparks heated debate over ‘military-style’ onboarding programme

Chinese milk tea chain sparks heated debate over ‘military-style’ onboarding programme

SCMP •

A Chinese milk tea chain has ignited a debate about workplace culture and employee autonomy after reports of its military-style onboarding training garnered public criticism. Frontline employees at Chayanyuese, also known as Modern China Tea Shop, recently voiced their concerns on mainland social media, alleging that the company’s “Cornerstone” induction programme infringes on personal boundaries....

Pupils missed 15m hours of school time during UK’s June heatwave, study finds

Pupils missed 15m hours of school time during UK’s June heatwave, study finds

The Guardian •

At least 760,000 children in England and Wales missed lessons as more than 1,700 schools closed or finished earlyThe gruelling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to ...