Australian police charge man accused of attempting to share Ukrainian military intel with Russian agents
The Guardian

Australian police charge man accused of attempting to share Ukrainian military intel with Russian agents

Vladmir Teslov, 27, charged after allegedly seeking to provide information about Ukrainian forces to ‘Russian intelligence services’Australian police have charged a man who allegedly joined the Ukrainian military and sought to provide information about its activities to people he suspected were Russian agents.Vladimir Teslov, a dual Russian-Australian citizen, appeared in court on Friday after the...

Japan’s Aeon exits Thai retail to chase Vietnam’s booming middle class

Japan’s Aeon exits Thai retail to chase Vietnam’s booming middle class

SCMP

The decision by Japanese retailer Aeon to sell its MaxValu minimart chain in Thailand is the latest example of the tight grip domestic conglomerates hold over Thai consumers, retail experts say. Yet the move also hints at the shifting economic fortunes of neighbouring Vietnam, where major Asian retailers including Aeon are competing aggressively for market share among a rapidly expanding middle cl...

Ex-Deloitte IT manager jailed for 22 months over HK$1.2 million laptop theft

Ex-Deloitte IT manager jailed for 22 months over HK$1.2 million laptop theft

SCMP

A former Deloitte information technology manager has been jailed for 22 months for stealing 423 laptops worth HK$1.2 million (US$153,000) from the accounting firm’s Hong Kong office to fund his stock trading addiction. The District Court sentenced Ho Man-kit, 40, on Friday after he pleaded guilty earlier this month to a count of theft for misappropriating Lenovo computers and selling them to an el...

We’ll never be royals: the California town where Prince Harry and Meghan lived says goodbye

We’ll never be royals: the California town where Prince Harry and Meghan lived says goodbye

The Guardian

As the couple plans their return to the UK, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an endThe bucolic coastal California town of Montecito was thrust into the limelight six years ago as the backdrop for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s second act following an acrimonious split from Buckingham Palace.But as the couple plans their return to the United Kingdom, Montecito’s wh...

US scientists are building a $12 million 'digital brain' for drones inspired by insects

US scientists are building a $12 million 'digital brain' for drones inspired by insects

Times of India

At Penn State, a research team is pioneering advanced drone decision-making systems modeled after insect neural mechanisms. Utilizing analogue computing alongside graphene materials, this initiative focuses on onboard data processing that replicates the natural filtering and coincidence detection seen in biology. With annual demonstrations of evolving prototypes, the goal is to enable fully autono...

As Harry plans UK return, can he patch up royal rift with Prince William?

As Harry plans UK return, can he patch up royal rift with Prince William?

SCMP

William and Harry were united in grief as children by the tragic death of their mother, Princess Diana, but their relationship as adults has been ripped apart by anger and hurt. The pair – dubbed “the heir and the spare” from an early age – have failed to put aside their differences, despite their father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. And as Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, prepares to return to...

International students account for most HIV cases detected at Wuhan port: study

International students account for most HIV cases detected at Wuhan port: study

SCMP

International students accounted for more than half of the HIV infections identified among individuals entering China through the city of Wuhan over the past few years, although the number of cases remained low, according to customs data. Public health officials analysed HIV cases detected among inbound long-term visa holders and “others” at the city’s ports of entry from 2018 to 2025. In that per...

International students comprise majority of HIV cases detected at Wuhan port

International students comprise majority of HIV cases detected at Wuhan port

SCMP

International students accounted for more than half of the HIV infections identified among individuals entering China through the city of Wuhan over the past few years, although the number of cases remained low, according to customs data. Public health officials analysed HIV cases detected among inbound long-term visa holders and “others” at the city’s ports of entry from 2018 to 2025. In that per...

UK reports unexpected deficit of £1.8bn as John Healey prepares for first budget

UK reports unexpected deficit of £1.8bn as John Healey prepares for first budget

The Guardian

July data shows total public debt was £2.98tn, or 94% of GDP – up £96bn on a year earlierThe UK government ran a larger than expected £1.8bn deficit in July, underlining the challenges facing the chancellor, John Healey, as he draws up his first budget.City economists had expected a shortfall of zero for July, a month when Treasury receipts tend to be swollen by self-assessment income tax payments...

In 1944, 29 reindeer were left on a remote island in Alaska, decades later, they had eaten themselves

In 1944, 29 reindeer were left on a remote island in Alaska, decades later, they had eaten themselves

Times of India

Twenty-nine reindeer introduced to St. Matthew Island in 1944 grew to over 6,000 animals. This population boom led to severe overgrazing of the island's lichen food sources. An extreme winter in 1963-1964 brought devastating blizzards and deep snow. These harsh conditions prevented reindeer from accessing their depleted food supplies. Ultimately, the entire reindeer herd perished, leaving the ...

Asia faces scam ‘epidemic’ threat as gangs exploit agentic AI, cybercrime expert warns

Asia faces scam ‘epidemic’ threat as gangs exploit agentic AI, cybercrime expert warns

SCMP

Online scam syndicates that rely on trafficked workers, guarded compounds and vast call-centre-style operations could soon become more threatening by exploiting agentic AI to run some fraud operations autonomously, a cybercrime expert has warned. Unlike earlier uses of artificial intelligence to write scripts, translate messages or produce deepfakes, agentic AI systems can carry out multi-step tas...

Chinese court accepts Evergrande liquidation petition 1 day after founder’s life sentence

Chinese court accepts Evergrande liquidation petition 1 day after founder’s life sentence

SCMP

A court in southern China’s Guangdong province formally accepted a bankruptcy liquidation petition against China Evergrande Group’s main onshore unit, closing the final chapter in the unravelling of what was once the country’s largest property developer. The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court said on Friday that Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank’s Huaxia branch met the legal criteria under the na...

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan returned to jail after hospital checks

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan returned to jail after hospital checks

France 24

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was transfered back to prison after being examined at the public PIMS hospital in Islamabad early Friday, not the private clinic ordered by the court. Sentenced to 17 years in prison alongside his wife Bushra Bibi, Khan remains held at Adiala Jail ahead of his next Supreme Court hearing, set for September 16.

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan returned to jail after hospital transfer

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan returned to jail after hospital transfer

France 24

Imran Khan was transfered back to prison after being examined at the public PIMS hospital in Islamabad early Friday, not the private clinic ordered by the court. Sentenced to 17 years in prison alongside his wife Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan remains held at Adiala Jail ahead of his next Supreme Court hearing, set for September 16.