Meta knowingly hooked children and misled public, prosecutors tell court
France 24 •

Meta knowingly hooked children and misled public, prosecutors tell court

Meta knowingly hooked and exploited children, a US federal court heard Tuesday in a trial against the social media giant on charges that it deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive to young users. In what many experts have called social media's "big tobacco moment," a coalition of states is asking that Meta be penalised by around $200 billion for designing products addictive to children.

ISS hosts first spacewalk by a Frenchwoman
France 24 •

ISS hosts first spacewalk by a Frenchwoman

Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station (ISS) for a spacewalk on Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon. During the nearly six-and-a-half hour mission, the two astronauts attempted to replace an antenna that allows the ISS to communicate with mission control in Houston, according to NASA.

Ousted Ukraine defence minister challenges Zelensky's leadership
France 24 •

Ousted Ukraine defence minister challenges Zelensky's leadership

Ukraine’s ousted Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called Tuesday for elections to be held even as the war against Russia continues, saying the country was gripped by a crisis of governance. The move by one of President Volodymyr Zelensky's most loyal and longstanding team members until recently could become the most significant internal challenge Zelensky has faced since Russia’s full-scale invas...

Iran parliament speaker Ghalibaf in Iraq for talks

Iran parliament speaker Ghalibaf in Iraq for talks

France 24 •

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led negotiations with the United States to end the Middle East war, arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday for talks. Ghalibaf will head "a high-level parliamentary delegation to discuss regional developments" and "strengthen strategic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad," Iran's Fars news agency said. The visit comes as Iraq faces pressure from ...

Hong Kong Cyclothon returns with new extended ‘five tunnels, three bridges’ route

Hong Kong Cyclothon returns with new extended ‘five tunnels, three bridges’ route

SCMP •

Public registration for Hong Kong’s flagship annual cycling event will open on Thursday, with more than 6,500 places available across two non-competitive rides scheduled for October 11. This year’s Hong Kong Cyclothon, hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, will feature a new extended 56km (34.8 miles) non-competitive ride on a “Five Tunnels, Three Bridges” route. The new route will take participa...

UN atomic watchdog says found tons of nuclear material at Syria site

UN atomic watchdog says found tons of nuclear material at Syria site

France 24 •

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said Tuesday its inspectors had found several tons of nuclear material in Syria, at a site Damascus reported to the agency last month. Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, praised Damascus's "courageous decision" to report the undisclosed site, which dates back to the rule of ousted forme...

Ethiopia’s digital IDs scheme offers refugees a way out of limbo

Ethiopia’s digital IDs scheme offers refugees a way out of limbo

France 24 •

The Ethiopian government, partnered with UNHCR, is integrating refugees via mass issuance of digital IDs. Labelled the Fayda system, Amharic for “value”, it allows refugees the freedom to move throughout the country, access to education, and to get a job. In the Somali region, the initiative is giving hope to thousands who have fled Al-Shabaab, and have been living in camps for years in limbo in s...

China joins Musk’s SpaceX with reusable rocket breakthroughs

China joins Musk’s SpaceX with reusable rocket breakthroughs

SCMP •

China-based LandSpace successfully launched a Zhuque-3 rocket and recovered its first stage, a breakthrough in the nation’s efforts to develop reusable boosters that can slash the cost of space launches. The first stage of the 66-metre (217-foot) rocket touched down in Minqin County, Gansu province, northwest China, on Wednesday after an eight-minute flight that delivered a Honghu-3 internet satel...

Thailand seeks new path to end deadly southern insurgency: top negotiator

Thailand seeks new path to end deadly southern insurgency: top negotiator

SCMP •

Thailand is ready to shift its approach to a slow-burn insurgency in its Muslim-majority deep south and revitalise a peace process, Bangkok’s chief negotiator has said, as violence simmers in one of Southeast Asia’s longest-running conflicts. Any such move could mark a return to addressing the political roots of a conflict that has killed more than 7,800 people since 2004, when the latest round of...

Activist forced out of US after criticising Trump-aligned Colombian politician

Activist forced out of US after criticising Trump-aligned Colombian politician

The Guardian •

Beto Coral held up banners in Florida warning fellow Colombians to not vote for Abelardo de la EspriellaIn the week before Colombia’s presidential election, Beto Coral, a well-known activist living in the United States, travelled to Florida to persuade fellow Colombians not to vote for the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.Coral held banners outside polling stations in Miami warning tha...

Goldman Sachs upbeat on wealth outlook despite worries over China’s tax scrutiny

Goldman Sachs upbeat on wealth outlook despite worries over China’s tax scrutiny

SCMP •

Goldman Sachs has remained upbeat about offshore wealth management despite concerns over Beijing’s tighter scrutiny of cross-border money flows. The Wall Street investment bank forecast wealth fee income at Standard Chartered and HSBC to grow 30 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, in 2026, while projecting 16 to 25 per cent growth for Singapore banks. “We continue to believe offshore wealth al...

Goldman Sachs upbeat on wealth outlook amid market worries over China’s tighter scrutiny

Goldman Sachs upbeat on wealth outlook amid market worries over China’s tighter scrutiny

SCMP •

Goldman Sachs has remained upbeat about offshore wealth management despite concerns over Beijing’s tighter scrutiny of cross-border money flows. The Wall Street investment bank forecast wealth fee income at Standard Chartered and HSBC to grow 30 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, in 2026, while projecting 16 to 25 per cent growth for Singapore banks. “We continue to believe offshore wealth al...

Between 1969 and 1972, US released a weevil to fight musk thistle; it later attacked native thistles

Between 1969 and 1972, US released a weevil to fight musk thistle; it later attacked native thistles

Times of India •

A biological control initiative aimed at managing invasive thistles integrated a weevil specifically targeting musk thistle. Unfortunately, this insect extended its reach to native plant species, leading to detrimental effects on local thistles, including an endangered variety that experienced a decline in seed production. This situation underscores the critical importance of careful evaluation in...

Reforestation and sustainable land & water management can help combat desertification

Reforestation and sustainable land & water management can help combat desertification

France 24 •

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Serena Ferrari, Economist and Researcher at CIRAD. Desertification is driven by climate change, explains Ferrari, but economic and political choices, including intensive water use, chemical-dependent agriculture and the pursuit of ever-higher productivity, can intensify pressure on already fragile ecosystems. Mongolia makes this particularly visible: as a pastora...