16 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Taikoo Shing flat
SCMP •

16 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Taikoo Shing flat

A fire has broken out at a flat in a Hong Kong housing estate, resulting in 16 people feeling unwell from the effects of smoke and residents fleeing to the rooftop for safety. The blaze erupted at Begonia Mansion in Taikoo Shing’s Harbour View Gardens on Sunday afternoon, with smoke pouring from a flat. Police received multiple emergency calls at 2.50pm, with some reporting that the fire might hav...

At least 12 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Taikoo Shing flat
SCMP •

At least 12 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Taikoo Shing flat

A fire has broken out at a flat in a Hong Kong housing estate, resulting in at least 12 people feeling unwell from the effects of smoke and residents fleeing to the rooftop for safety. The blaze erupted at Begonia Mansion in Taikoo Shing’s Harbour View Gardens on Sunday afternoon, with smoke pouring from a flat. Police received multiple emergency calls at 2.50pm, with some reporting that the fire ...

ABC News •

Wildfire in Indonesian national park grows

Indonesia is battling a growing wildfire threat during an unusually dry season, with authorities warning that drought, strong winds and the El Niño weather pattern have increased fire risks across the country

Sharks fitted with sensors could help scientists improve hurricane forecasts

Sharks fitted with sensors could help scientists improve hurricane forecasts

Times of India •

Sharks are being used as mobile ocean sensors by University of Delaware researchers in a new study that could help improve hurricane forecasts. Electronic tags attached to sharks collect water temperature, salinity and depth data as the animals move through the Atlantic. Scientists hope the information will improve understanding of ocean conditions that influence hurricane intensity.

How China’s ‘magic’ rice seeds are transforming the fortunes of Nigerian farmers

How China’s ‘magic’ rice seeds are transforming the fortunes of Nigerian farmers

SCMP •

Just outside the Nigerian capital Abuja, where Green Agriculture West Africa Limited (Gawal) is based, locals do not refer to the company by name, instead as the place where the Chinese supply “magic” rice seeds. Ahmed Yusuf, 42, credits the seeds with turning around his rice business for good. Before Gawal, Yusuf’s yields averaged just 2 tonnes per hectare, putting him on the verge of forsaking f...

Iconic 1991 photo of Chinese girl symbolises thirst for knowledge, changing lives

Iconic 1991 photo of Chinese girl symbolises thirst for knowledge, changing lives

SCMP •

A 1991 black-and-white portrait photograph has become an iconic symbol of impoverished Chinese students’ yearning for knowledge, profoundly altering the life of its subject. The photograph, titled “I Want to Go to School,” captures a poignant moment of an eight-year-old Primary One girl studying at a rural school in central China’s Anhui province. Her bright eyes gaze ahead, radiating an insatiabl...

How Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

How Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

SCMP •

A defence pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan appears to be aimed at deterring Iran and Israel from tearing up the Middle East with their conflict amid Washington’s inability to guarantee regional security, observers say. Under the terms of the deal signed on Friday in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Sheh...

How are Hong Kong restaurants faring 1 month into the dog-friendly scheme?

How are Hong Kong restaurants faring 1 month into the dog-friendly scheme?

SCMP •

Restaurateur Ken Chu Ka-chun recorded a 20 per cent boost in business at one of his restaurants at Kai Tak Sports Park over the past month, thanks to pet owners dining in under a government scheme allowing dogs into nearly 1,000 Hong Kong establishments since July 9. “We saw more dog owners coming in because people frequently walk their dogs around here,” said Chu, owner of Asura group, which has ...

Eclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4)

Eclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4)

France 24 •

Total solar eclipse (1/4). A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. For Singaporean family Janet Tay, Koh Joo Beng and their son Jared, it will be the latest stop in a journey that has taken them around the world in pursuit of the Moon's shadow.

Punch thrives after virality: Once-orphaned macaque turns 1

Punch thrives after virality: Once-orphaned macaque turns 1

Times of India •

Punch, the orphaned Japanese macaque, joyously celebrated his first birthday, receiving heartfelt greetings from around the world. Now a part of a vibrant troop, he enjoys playful interactions and grooming sessions with fellow macaques. Generous donations funded significant upgrades to his enclosure, including plush toys from IKEA, and millions in contributions are set to enhance all macaque habit...

Many of Iran’s demands ‘already agreed to’ by the US in June MoU

Many of Iran’s demands ‘already agreed to’ by the US in June MoU

France 24 •

Iran on Saturday issued a list of demands for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which have been characterised as “new” preconditions. Reporting from Washington, FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson notes that many of the demands were “already agreed to by the US in the [Islamabad] Memorandum of Understanding that was signed back in June” between Iran and the US. “The difficulty was that the language th...

Many of Iran’s demands ‘already agreed to’ by US in June MoU

Many of Iran’s demands ‘already agreed to’ by US in June MoU

France 24 •

Iran on Saturday issued a list of demands for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which have been characterised as “new” preconditions. Reporting from Washington, FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson notes that many of the demands were “already agreed to by the US in the [Islamabad] Memorandum of Understanding that was signed back in June” between Iran and the US. “The difficulty was that the language th...

‘Watch The Odyssey for free online’: scam targets film fans with fake streaming sites

‘Watch The Odyssey for free online’: scam targets film fans with fake streaming sites

The Guardian •

Those tempted to access fake websites run risk of phishing scams and having computer infected with malwareThe Odyssey is the hottest release this summer and you have been looking forward to seeing the much-acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem. But you have been unable to go to the cinema, so when you spot an ad to watch online, you jump at the chance.There are positive reviews p...

Sweet, soft and strong: TikTok turns Japanese milk bread into latest UK food craze

Sweet, soft and strong: TikTok turns Japanese milk bread into latest UK food craze

The Guardian •

Natto toast, fresh fruit sandwiches and soufflé pancakes all part of growing interest in east Asian cuisineGolden brown and glistening with melted butter, a tray of freshly baked bread fills the screen in a TikTok video. The camera lingers on the glossy tops before one bun is gently pulled apart, revealing a cloud-soft interior.The clip is one of countless videos of Japanese milk buns that have ra...

Russian family denied asylum in Finland fear reprisals for pro-Ukraine activism

Russian family denied asylum in Finland fear reprisals for pro-Ukraine activism

The Guardian •

Nikita and Olga Belov say they will be persecuted on return to Moscow but are yet to convince Finnish authoritiesA Russian family faces deportation from Finland after repeatedly being denied asylum – despite the threat of arrest, imprisonment and potential torture for their pro-Ukrainian activism.Nikita and Olga Belov fled their homeland in 2022 after attracting the attention of Russian authoritie...