Bondi shooting hero Ahmed al-Ahmed has assault charges dropped
The Guardian •

Bondi shooting hero Ahmed al-Ahmed has assault charges dropped

Al-Ahmed, who maintains his innocence, was accused of putting his father in a headlock in March Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe man who disarmed one of the gunmen allegedly responsible for the Bondi beach terror attack has had an assault case against him tossed out.Ahmed al-Ahmed, 44, had been accused of putting h...

Snooker star Jimmy White becomes Hong Kong resident through talent scheme
SCMP •

Snooker star Jimmy White becomes Hong Kong resident through talent scheme

Snooker star Jimmy White, known as “The Whirlwind”, has become a Hong Kong resident through an official talent scheme, and has revealed plans to establish a snooker academy in the city to nurture local talent. The Hong Kong Immigration Department announced on Wednesday that the English player recently obtained his identity card and took up residency through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, jo...

After China’s missile test, US and allies demand 24-hour warning next time
SCMP •

After China’s missile test, US and allies demand 24-hour warning next time

The United States and 40 other nations have called for at least 24 hours’ notice before long-range ballistic missile launches, following a rare Chinese missile test in the Pacific last month that they said raised concerns over accidents and military miscalculation. In a joint statement released by the US State Department on Tuesday, the governments called on countries – particularly nuclear-weapon...

China’s EV sales slide again amid fading incentives, weak demand and persistent price war

China’s EV sales slide again amid fading incentives, weak demand and persistent price war

SCMP •

Deliveries of electric vehicles (EVs) in China fell 3.9 per cent in July from a year earlier, extending their decline to a seventh consecutive month as fading government incentives and weaker consumer demand weighed on the market. Domestic sales of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles last month also fell 5.8 per cent from June, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA...

Ex-Chinese pyramid scheme boss rebrands as culture guru, charges US$18,000 to ‘discipline’ kids

Ex-Chinese pyramid scheme boss rebrands as culture guru, charges US$18,000 to ‘discipline’ kids

SCMP •

A pyramid scheme mastermind has been uncovered, having transformed himself into a traditional Chinese culture guru who “educates” students through corporal punishment. In July, a pre-recorded video by a 16-year-old Chinese girl named Lin went viral among her friends. In the video, Lin pleads for help: “I don’t want to be sent to an internet addiction treatment school or a behaviour boot camp. If y...

Ex Chinese pyramid scheme boss rebrands as culture guru, charges US$18,000 to ‘discipline’ kids

Ex Chinese pyramid scheme boss rebrands as culture guru, charges US$18,000 to ‘discipline’ kids

SCMP •

A pyramid scheme mastermind has been uncovered, having transformed himself into a traditional Chinese culture guru who “educates” students through corporal punishment. In July, a pre-recorded video by a 16-year-old Chinese girl named Lin went viral among her friends. In the video, Lin pleads for help: “I don’t want to be sent to an internet addiction treatment school or a behaviour boot camp. If y...

Total solar eclipse 2026: Here’s where Americans will see today’s eclipse

Total solar eclipse 2026: Here’s where Americans will see today’s eclipse

Times of India •

Today brings a spectacular total solar eclipse as the Moon neatly aligns between Earth and the Sun. This extraordinary event will unveil its shadow over the Northern Hemisphere, with totality observable in regions like Greenland, Iceland, and certain areas of Spain and Portugal. A partial eclipse will also captivate viewers in various European countries and parts of North America.

Hong Kong student avoids jail for seditious graffiti in commercial complex toilet

Hong Kong student avoids jail for seditious graffiti in commercial complex toilet

SCMP •

A Hong Kong student has been spared jail for seditious acts in breach of the domestic national security law, after a court ruled that his good background, young age and the limited impact of his offences constituted “exceptional circumstances”. Leung Kai-lok, 19, is potentially the first person to avoid a custodial sentence for violating the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, although he wa...

Mexico cleaned 100K+ tons of sargassum in 2026, but the seaweed crisis is now threatening its tourism

Mexico cleaned 100K+ tons of sargassum in 2026, but the seaweed crisis is now threatening its tourism

Times of India •

In 2026, a massive expanse of Sargassum seaweed has taken over the Atlantic Ocean, wreaking havoc on coastal areas. Mexico is facing an unprecedented surge in seaweed accumulation, which is damaging its tourism sector. The foul odor has led to a notable decline in visitors, leaving local businesses in distress. Though scientists predict improvement by late autumn, a permanent solution is still unk...

Singapore wins first ever Olympic gold in 2016 – SCMP archive

Singapore wins first ever Olympic gold in 2016 – SCMP archive

SCMP •

This article was first published on August 14, 2016. Lion City celebrates first golden hero by James Porteous Singapore exploded into celebration as it feted a new sporting hero yesterday (August 13, 2016) after swimmer Joseph Schooling did the improbable – beat his one-time idol Michael Phelps – to win the Lion City’s first ever gold medal. Schooling completed a wire-to-wire victory to deny Ameri...

Fruit fusion: how will the market react to Chinese scientists’ lychee-longan creation?

Fruit fusion: how will the market react to Chinese scientists’ lychee-longan creation?

SCMP •

Chinese scientists who crossed a lychee with a longan are preparing to test its market release after the first substantial harvest of the high-yield, cold-resistant fruit is expected to ripen next month. The new variety, named “Cuimi”, was bred using the Shixia longan – a popular cultivar in Guangdong province – as its maternal parent and a lychee as its paternal parent, according to the research ...

Victorian microparty MPs including Georgie Purcell to face re-election struggle after group voting tickets abolished

Victorian microparty MPs including Georgie Purcell to face re-election struggle after group voting tickets abolished

The Guardian •

Voters will be required to number at least five parties above the line in order of preference after bill passed upper house 33 votes to fourFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProminent MPs such as Georgie Purcell and other microparty members will face an uphill battle to retain their seats in Victoria’s upper house after...

North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia for Ukraine war

North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia for Ukraine war

SCMP •

North Korea’s recent missile launch may be a test of upgraded exports to Russia, observers say, as the war in Ukraine gives Pyongyang opportunities to improve its weapons. At about 6am on Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected a missile launched from the North’s southeastern port city of Wonsan. It flew roughly 700km (435 miles) eastward before falling into the Sea of Japan....

Australia politics live: Japan’s ambassador to Australia downplays Albanese’s melon comments; witness paid for Reformer’s trip to Fiji to avoid inquiry, Icac told

Australia politics live: Japan’s ambassador to Australia downplays Albanese’s melon comments; witness paid for Reformer’s trip to Fiji to avoid inquiry, Icac told

The Guardian •

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEducation minister says funding agreement with Victoria ‘very close’The education minister, Jason Clare, says a funding deal with Victoria to get public schools funded to Gonski levels over the next decade is “very close”.We’re very close, mate. I know [Victorian premier] Ben Carroll gets this, and I’m optimistic th...

Paid police paternity leave to double after fathers reported being ‘ostracised’

Paid police paternity leave to double after fathers reported being ‘ostracised’

The Guardian •

Exclusive: Pay increases to two weeks in England and Wales after Guardian revealed officers ‘mocked’ for taking time offPaid paternity leave for police in England and Wales is to double, after the Guardian revealed last year that officers were “mocked and ostracised” for taking time off to spend with their babies.The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has increased the amount of paid parental and ad...

Eerie silence and ‘still surviving’: what happened next after steel town’s last blast furnace shut down

Eerie silence and ‘still surviving’: what happened next after steel town’s last blast furnace shut down

The Guardian •

Exhibition in Port Talbot is part of project exploring how communities experience endings and transitionsMargaret Heggett, 95, does not remember a time when Port Talbot was ever quiet. Born and raised in the shadow of the steelworks, with a father, brother and husband who worked there, she never imagined what the town could look or sound like without its blast furnaces.“I’m not saying it was beaut...

Doctor and friend jailed for taking drugs at Singapore villa party

Doctor and friend jailed for taking drugs at Singapore villa party

SCMP •

A doctor and his friend who were arrested during a raid at a villa on Singapore’s Sentosa Island were sentenced on Wednesday to one year’s jail each for taking drugs. Dr Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 36, and 29-year-old Tan Li Ming both intend to appeal against their convictions. The pair had contested their respective charges of taking MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, claiming their drinks had been spiked. H...