Despite extreme climate, China’s 2,000-year-old rock art owes survival to post-partum blood

Despite extreme climate, China’s 2,000-year-old rock art owes survival to post-partum blood

SCMP •

On the southern edge of China, near the border with Vietnam, a breathtaking array of wall art stretches 260km and is over 2,000 years old. This extraordinary collection, known as Huashan rock art after its most notable site, is celebrated for its vivid imagery depicting humans, animals, boats, weapons, and musical instruments. Located in Guangxi autonomous region, the site was designated as China’...

Consumer confidence at near two-year high as World Cup and UK holidaying lift summer spending

Consumer confidence at near two-year high as World Cup and UK holidaying lift summer spending

The Guardian •

Barclays says survey shows people feel more secure in jobs and have more leeway to spend on non-essentialsBusiness live – latest updatesConsumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending.A truce in the Middle East conflict in June a...

Australia news live: Bullock warns more hikes possible after RBA holds cash rate at 4.35%; PM faces Coalition questions on ‘classless’ melon comment

Australia news live: Bullock warns more hikes possible after RBA holds cash rate at 4.35%; PM faces Coalition questions on ‘classless’ melon comment

The Guardian •

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTed O’Brien says that just because the Japanese government has downplayed melon-gate, doesn’t mean Anthony Albanese’s gaffe isn’t a “national embarrassment”.We’ve seen reports Japan sent a memo to the government last month suggesting they did not believe the prime minister’s comments about the pair of crown melons h...

Coalition divided over tougher gambling laws – with MPs warning Angus Taylor against overreach

Coalition divided over tougher gambling laws – with MPs warning Angus Taylor against overreach

The Guardian •

Some Liberal and National MPs warned against over-regulation in party room discussion, while others argued for more stringent rulesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition MPs have warned the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, not to overreach in talks with Anthony Albanese on Labor’s gambling advertising crackdown, in...

Coalition divided over tougher gambling laws - with MPs warning Angus Taylor against overreach

Coalition divided over tougher gambling laws - with MPs warning Angus Taylor against overreach

The Guardian •

Some Liberal and National MPs warned against over-regulation in party room discussion, while others argued for more stringent rulesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition MPs have warned the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, not to overreach in talks with Anthony Albanese on Labor’s gambling advertising crackdown, in...

Tuesday briefing: To drill or not to drill – Burnham’s first big climate test

Tuesday briefing: To drill or not to drill – Burnham’s first big climate test

The Guardian •

In today’s newsletter: As we enter our fifth summer heatwave, Andy Burnham’s government is looking at what the UK should do with its remaining North Sea oil and gasGood morning. What a difference a new job can make. “To have a shot at staying within 1.5C global warming, we can’t have any new oil or gasfields … It’s irresponsible and shortsighted to be funding new #fossilfuels when we need to be ge...

Brics’ ‘stiffest test’: can India, China rally bloc to resolve Strait of Hormuz crisis?

Brics’ ‘stiffest test’: can India, China rally bloc to resolve Strait of Hormuz crisis?

SCMP •

A summit next month by the Brics grouping of nations has raised hopes that major players India and China will align to rally member states to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with the United States making little headway. Analysts say the forum from September 12 to 13 amid the global energy crisis wrought by the Middle East conflict could see parallel diplomacy, given the 11-member grouping’s e...

Lobbying firm linked to Reformers created fake administrative assistant named ‘Jessica’, Icac hears

Lobbying firm linked to Reformers created fake administrative assistant named ‘Jessica’, Icac hears

The Guardian •

Consultant Jeremy Greenwood gives evidence to Independent Commission Against Corruption as it investigates allegations linked to Christian Liberal groupFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA former lobbying firm which allegedly accepted illegal donations to fund factional Liberal party work created a fake administrative as...

Nasa's New Horizons reached Arrokoth in 2019, revealing the early solar system

Nasa's New Horizons reached Arrokoth in 2019, revealing the early solar system

Times of India •

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made an astonishing visit to Arrokoth, a remote Kuiper Belt object, uncovering vital clues about the solar system's early formation. This ancient body exhibits a fascinating two-lobed structure, hinting at a gentle collision between two distinct entities. Furthermore, its strikingly red surface is indicative of complex organic materials, giving scientists a rare wind...

Colombia quake leaves more than 110 dead – as it happened

Colombia quake leaves more than 110 dead – as it happened

The Guardian •

This blog is now closed – a full report is herePeople remain trapped in Cali, one of Colombia’s largest cities, ​after more than two dozen structures ‌collapsed, mayor Alejandro Eder said. ‌He added that the city had asked authorities in Bogota and Medellin to send disaster teams ‌to support rescue efforts. Continue reading...

Mystery solved: story of Wehrmacht motorbike found in the Danube

Euronews •

Record low water on the Danube has revealed in Budapest a perfectly preserved Wehrmacht DKW NZ 350-1 motorbike from WWII. Euronews investigates its role, its factory origins, when it may have sunk, and whether the dead nearby were its riders.

Low water: the story behind the Wehrmacht motorbike from the Danube

Euronews •

Record low water levels have revealed a perfectly preserved Wehrmacht motorbike in the Danube in Budapest: a DKW NZ 350-1 from the Second World War. Where was this model used, and are the dead its riders? Euronews investigates the story of the Danube motorbike.