'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions
Times of India •

'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions

China's new regulations took effect Wednesday, curbing emotional dependency on AI companions. Major AI providers suspended custom agent and companion features ahead of the deadline. Users expressed deep grief on social media, archiving chat histories and sharing last conversations. These rules target AI tools with anthropomorphic traits, prohibiting virtual partners for minors. Services not involv...

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys face rocky road to go electric
SCMP •

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys face rocky road to go electric

For generations, jeepneys – brightly painted minibuses that are among the Philippines’ cheapest and most used forms of public transport – have run on diesel, but recent fuel shocks are forcing thousands of small operators and drivers to weigh volatile prices against the debt needed to go electric. Diesel prices spiked anew by nearly 5 pesos this week, as renewed tensions in the Gulf threatened to ...

Why the West has an uphill task challenging China in pharmaceutical ingredients
SCMP •

Why the West has an uphill task challenging China in pharmaceutical ingredients

From rare earth elements to commercial drones, Washington has become all too familiar with the strongest weapons in Beijing’s manufacturing arsenal – the materials and products where China holds a strategic advantage in production, extraction or any other link in the supply chain. After those near-monopolies provided Chinese policymakers considerable leverage in last year’s trade dispute, US think...

Australia news live: police release images of children’s clothing in plea for help investigating alleged abuse at childcare centres

Australia news live: police release images of children’s clothing in plea for help investigating alleged abuse at childcare centres

The Guardian •

A former Sydney childcare worker, 35, has been charged with 329 child abuse offences allegedly committed between 2009 and 2025. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMichelle Rowland says mandatory minimum standards for datacentres don’t apply to existing developmentsThe attorney general, Michelle Rowland, told ABC News that mandatory minimum standards ...

Over 100 House Democrats vote to end military aid to Israel in significant rebuke to US ally – as it happened

Over 100 House Democrats vote to end military aid to Israel in significant rebuke to US ally – as it happened

The Guardian •

This live blog is now closed.Sign up for the Breaking News US emailIn his opening statement before senators today, Todd Blanche, said that he is “pleased to testify again today to tell everybody here that we are doing just that-we are keeping America safe”.The nominee for attorney general, who has been leading the justice department in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi was fired in April. Continu...

Oil prices extend gain for fourth day, stay beyond $85 amid Middle East chaos

Oil prices extend gain for fourth day, stay beyond $85 amid Middle East chaos

Times of India •

Crude oil prices climbed for a fourth day, exceeding eighty-five dollars per barrel. Investors reacted to escalating United States and Iran conflict and shipping route security. United States strikes on Iran's missile sites and coastal defense positions occurred. This intensified worries over oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts suggest prices could rise further depending on conflict ...

Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

SCMP •

Every four years, billions of football fans spend a month arguing about offside decisions, whether Ronaldo or Messi is a grass-grazing horned mammal, and whether football is finally “coming home”. For nations, however, the Fifa World Cup is far more than football. Beyond the national pride that comes with simply qualifying, the tournament offers an unparalleled opportunity to capture the world’s a...

China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists

China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists

SCMP •

In the first half of this year, leisure travel within China exploded. As the summer travel season builds towards the Mid-Autumn Festival and the “golden week” that follows National Day on October 1, domestic travel has emerged as one of China’s most important, if underappreciated, drivers of consumption and growth. During the extended Chinese New Year holiday, travel and consumer spending boomed. ...

'It is crazy': Argentina's Messi adds third final to his career after inspiring win against England

'It is crazy': Argentina's Messi adds third final to his career after inspiring win against England

France 24 •

Lionel Messi edged Argentina closer to back-to-back World Cup titles with two late assists in a dramatic 2 to1 semi-final against England on Wednesday. The 39-year-old captain inspired the defending champions to overturn a one-goal deficit in the closing minutes, setting up Enzo Fernandez's equaliser before providing the cross for Lautaro Martínez's winner to book Argentina's place in Sunday's fin...

W杯 アルゼンチン 2大会連続決勝へ メッシ2アシスト【詳しく】

NHK World •

サッカーワールドカップ北中米大会の準決勝、イングランド対アルゼンチンはアルゼンチンが2対1で逆転勝ちし、2大会連続で決勝に進みました。イングランドは60年ぶりの決勝進出はなりませんでした。決勝はスペイン対アルゼンチンで、日本時間20日(月)午前4時から行われる予定です。NHKでは総合やBSプレミアム4Kで中継します。NHK ONEでも配信します。最新情報をお伝えしています。

Middle East live: US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Hormuz remains paralysed

Middle East live: US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Hormuz remains paralysed

France 24 •

The United States launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting military capabilities linked to threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump warned he could widen the campaign unless Tehran returned to negotiations. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Middle East live: US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Hormuz remains paralyzed

Middle East live: US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Hormuz remains paralyzed

France 24 •

The United States launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting military capabilities linked to threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump warned he could widen the campaign unless Tehran returned to negotiations. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

HKIC reports double-digit investment return as ‘patient capital’ strategy bears fruit

HKIC reports double-digit investment return as ‘patient capital’ strategy bears fruit

SCMP •

The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) recorded a major jump in investment income during its second year of operation, as it expanded its role as the city’s “patient capital” engine driving local economic development. The wholly state-owned investment firm generated about HK$6.46 billion (US$824 million) in investment income in 2025, a stunning 175 per cent year-on-year increase, according to...

Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home

Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home

SCMP •

After vanishing from a market near her home 35 years ago, a woman in southern China has finally been reunited with her birth family. However, injuries found on her face and the failure of nearby broadcast appeals to reach her parents fuelled online speculation about how she disappeared. Zhong Fenglin, 37, once lived near a market in Nanning, Guangxi, where her parents sold ginger and garlic. In 19...

After floods kill dozens, local Chinese official uses AI to build evacuation app

After floods kill dozens, local Chinese official uses AI to build evacuation app

SCMP •

Every year, summer rains cause flooding in China. They also bring high-stakes work for officials. Once an evacuation order goes out, local governments have long checked on families by calling them on the phone. Xie Yunshi, an official in the suburbs of the Chinese capital, told Beijing Daily that when waters rose in the past, his department would organise a dozen people to call every single family...

US military says it disabled tanker trying to breach blockade amid new wave of strikes on Iran – Middle East crisis live

US military says it disabled tanker trying to breach blockade amid new wave of strikes on Iran – Middle East crisis live

The Guardian •

Central Command says US aircraft fired missiles into oil tanker’s smokestack in strait of Hormuz as US strikes Iran for fourth consecutive dayTrump again threatens to strike Iran’s power plants amid impasse over strait of HormuzFor a second day in a row, US strikes targeted Iran’s southern port city of Bushehr, home to the country’s only civilian nuclear plant, according to the state news agency I...

Senate bill seeks to curb US reliance on China in drug industry

Senate bill seeks to curb US reliance on China in drug industry

SCMP •

US lawmakers are pushing for more scrutiny of Chinese investment in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, as Washington’s strategic competition with Beijing expands beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence into the healthcare sector. Bipartisan US senators on Wednesday unveiled legislation aimed at increasing transparency around foreign influence in the pharmaceutical industry, amid growing ...