Chinese woman sues son for US$54,000 in childcare fees after 15 years, sparking debate
SCMP •

Chinese woman sues son for US$54,000 in childcare fees after 15 years, sparking debate

A woman in eastern China took legal action against her son, seeking more than 360,000 yuan (US$54,000) in compensation for her role in caring for his daughter. This dramatic case has ignited a nationwide debate concerning evolving perspectives on grandparental childcare responsibilities. In April, a Shanghai court disclosed details of a case from last year involving Xu, a woman in her 60s, who sue...

Should Chinese schools demote English as a core subject?
SCMP •

Should Chinese schools demote English as a core subject?

Calls to reduce English’s status as a core subject in China’s education system have resurfaced after an internet-famous maths teacher urged the country to end “worshipping foreign things”. The controversy has revived a long-running debate over the role of English in Chinese schools. The argument came to life again after Tang Jiafeng, a maths teacher known for coaching students through the national...

Should Chinese schools demote English as a core subject? Discuss
SCMP •

Should Chinese schools demote English as a core subject? Discuss

Calls to reduce English’s status as a core subject in China’s education system have resurfaced after an internet-famous maths teacher urged the country to end “worshipping foreign things”. The controversy has revived a long-running debate over the role of English in Chinese schools. The argument came to life again after Tang Jiafeng, a maths teacher known for coaching students through the national...

Canada released 26 bison into Banff in 2017; 9 years later, the herd has grown rapidly
Times of India •

Canada released 26 bison into Banff in 2017; 9 years later, the herd has grown rapidly

Parks Canada successfully reintroduced plains bison into Banff National Park starting in 2017. The population grew from sixteen animals to about eighty by autumn 2022. Monitoring showed bison adapted to mountain habitat, preferring higher elevations for forage. Natural mortality remained low, with only two deaths recorded during the pilot. The five-year program achieved a 33% average annual pop...

Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster

Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster

The Guardian •

Foreign minister Shisir Khanal tells the Guardian the world’s biggest economies need to help Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions Nepal is demanding $20m in climate compensation for the recent devastating floods, as a senior minister called on the world’s most polluting countries to “wake up” and accept shared responsibility for a disaster that led to the deat...

Australia politics live: Hastie threatens One Nation with ‘costly exercise’ and says he won’t take any more ‘slander’ for Ben Roberts-Smith evidence

Australia politics live: Hastie threatens One Nation with ‘costly exercise’ and says he won’t take any more ‘slander’ for Ben Roberts-Smith evidence

The Guardian •

Follow the day’s news liveOne Nation policy will leave people $25k worse off at retirement, Mulino saysSuperannuation is kicking off again today with One Nation pushing to allow people to divert 3% of their superannuation to their rent or mortgage.It took us decades to get to 12% superannuation guarantee and that’s a level that will provide people with a high level of dignity and security in retir...

AI, chip firms among bidders for flagship Northern Metropolis tech hub at border

AI, chip firms among bidders for flagship Northern Metropolis tech hub at border

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s flagship tech hub at the border with mainland China received bids from firms specialising in cutting-edge fields such as chips, artificial intelligence and quantum technology, the South China Morning Post has learned. The government last week said that it received an “enthusiastic response” to the tender for four land parcels in the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HS...

Streamers Debate Emotions And Pain: IShowSpeed insists on nerve signals; Jasontheween says he feels pain daily

Streamers Debate Emotions And Pain: IShowSpeed insists on nerve signals; Jasontheween says he feels pain daily

Times of India •

IShowSpeed and Jasontheween went viral after a surprising debate about emotions and pain during Jasontheween’s 72-hour collaboration video. Speed argued that emotions involve nerve signals and later suggested that pain is the brain processing physical signals at the atomic level. Jasontheween strongly disagreed with his unusual explanation. Their playful yet heated exchange quickly spread across s...

In Singapore, malls for shopping only are going out of style

In Singapore, malls for shopping only are going out of style

SCMP •

While the announcement last week of the closure of a 40-year-old mall in Singapore’s Marina Bay district for redevelopment has caused an outpouring of sentiment among shoppers and tenants, experts say the prime real estate has to be updated into a mixed-use site to survive in the city state. Last Monday, property developer Singapore Land Group (SingLand) said in a statement that Marina Square, whi...

Foreign, mainland students flock to Hong Kong, sparking property demand in education sector

Foreign, mainland students flock to Hong Kong, sparking property demand in education sector

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s bid to become a global education hub is likely to transform the sector as a sustainable source of property demand, with the city tipped to see around 200,000 non-local students by 2035, according to CBRE. The city’s international schools are estimated to require enormous additional real estate to accommodate nearly 30,000 to 40,000 non-local students, as the institutions would need to ...

Foreign, mainland students flock to Hong Kong sparking property demand in education sector

Foreign, mainland students flock to Hong Kong sparking property demand in education sector

SCMP •

Hong Kong’s bid to become a global education hub is likely to transform the sector as a sustainable source of property demand, with the city tipped to see around 200,000 non-local students by 2035, according to CBRE. The city’s international schools are estimated to require enormous additional real estate to accommodate nearly 30,000 to 40,000 non-local students, as the institutions would need to ...

Taliban using U.S. weapons 5 years after withdrawal

CBS News •

The 9/11 terror attacks, 25 years ago this week, were planned from inside the Taliban-controlled country of Afghanistan; a country that tonight is not only back under Taliban control, but with Taliban fighters carrying American weapons and driving around in American vehicles. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab reports from Kabul.

Politics live: Chalmers accuses Liberals of ‘photocopying’ One Nation policy; Australians ‘fed up’ by alleged pork barrelling, Haines says

Politics live: Chalmers accuses Liberals of ‘photocopying’ One Nation policy; Australians ‘fed up’ by alleged pork barrelling, Haines says

The Guardian •

Follow the day’s news liveOne Nation policy will leave people $25k worse off at retirement, Mulino saysSuperannuation is kicking off again today with One Nation pushing to allow people to divert 3% of their superannuation to their rent or mortgage.It took us decades to get to 12% superannuation guarantee and that’s a level that will provide people with a high level of dignity and security in retir...

US woman charged with killing son ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy trial, prosecutors say

US woman charged with killing son ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy trial, prosecutors say

The Guardian •

Corie Walsh charged with murder after two-year-old Barrett found dead in basement of Illinois family home last weekAn Illinois woman charged with killing her two-year-old son had been closely following the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy and was texting friends about the case just hours before her son was found dead, prosecutors said.Corie Walsh, 40, was charged with three coun...

Trump posts US Space Force uniforms based on movie’s Nazi-inspired outfits

Trump posts US Space Force uniforms based on movie’s Nazi-inspired outfits

SCMP •

US President Donald Trump posted an image of dark “next generation” US Space Force uniforms on Sunday that the text claims were “inspired by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform” – a design the director of the 1997 film Starship Troopers said was directly meant to evoke Nazis. Trump also posted an AI-generated image titled “Space Force” of himself in a spaceship as two ...

Trump posts US Space Force uniforms based on Nazi-inspired movie outfits

Trump posts US Space Force uniforms based on Nazi-inspired movie outfits

SCMP •

US President Donald Trump posted an image of dark “next generation” US Space Force uniforms on Sunday that the text claims were “inspired by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform” – a design the director of the 1997 film Starship Troopers said was directly meant to evoke Nazis. Trump also posted an AI-generated image titled “Space Force” of himself in a spaceship as two ...