Trump’s new spokeswoman is a ‘devoted fan’ who lived in Beijing and speaks Chinese
SCMP •

Trump’s new spokeswoman is a ‘devoted fan’ who lived in Beijing and speaks Chinese

Before she addresses the world from behind the White House briefing room podium this week, 42-year-old Katie Zacharia has a story that stretches far beyond Washington’s power corridors. Years before US President Donald Trump appointed her as his new press secretary, she lived in Beijing, worked at one of China’s leading law firms, and learned enough Chinese to occasionally surprise people. Her rep...

A 100-kg green anaconda can disappear beneath Amazonian vegetation

A 100-kg green anaconda can disappear beneath Amazonian vegetation

Times of India •

Green Anacondas in Peru's Amazon rainforest were challenging to locate due to their hidden behavior. Researchers recorded observations across various habitats, mostly in floodplain forests. The snakes were often concealed among logs, submerged vegetation, and other natural cover. Basking conditions were primarily found in rivers and vegetation mats of oxbow lakes. The findings highlight the diffic...

Ben Roberts-Smith attends Canberra event honouring Australian troops who served in Afghanistan

Ben Roberts-Smith attends Canberra event honouring Australian troops who served in Afghanistan

The Guardian •

Anthony Albanese speaks at Australian War Memorial event commemorating 25th anniversary of country’s involvement in the conflictAnthony Albanese has honoured Australian troops who served in Afghanistan, using the 25th anniversary of the country’s involvement in the conflict to describe their heroism as a fight for “who we are as a people”.The prime minister joined hundreds of veterans, family memb...

India’s cockroach party leaders freed as election chief protests mount

India’s cockroach party leaders freed as election chief protests mount

SCMP •

A New Delhi court ordered on Sunday the release of three leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including its founder Abhijeet Dipke, their lawyer said, a day after they were detained. “Executive Magistrate court releases Abhijeet, Saurav (Das) and Ashutosh (Ranka),” lawyer Ratna Singh said in a social media post. The trio were detained on Saturday ahead of a major protest against the country...

Huanggang Port a ‘milestone’ for connecting Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area: John Lee

Huanggang Port a ‘milestone’ for connecting Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area: John Lee

SCMP •

The revamped Huanggang checkpoint is a “critical milestone” for the connectivity of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong’s leader has said, as the city and Shenzhen count down to its launch on Monday. Speaking at a ceremony on Sunday, Chief Executive John Lee-Ka Chiu said the Huanggang control point was a “landmark project” built and shared through the joint efforts of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. “Hong Kon...

Huanggang Port a ‘milestone’ for integrating Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area: John Lee

Huanggang Port a ‘milestone’ for integrating Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area: John Lee

SCMP •

The revamped Huanggang checkpoint is a “critical milestone” for the connectivity of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong’s leader has said, as the city and Shenzhen count down to its launch on Monday. Speaking at a ceremony on Sunday, Chief Executive John Lee-Ka Chiu said the Huanggang control point was a “landmark project” built and shared through the joint efforts of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. “Hong Kon...

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after off-season night out

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after off-season night out

The Guardian •

Club issues brief statement about Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, saying latter suffered minor cut to head after a fallAn off-season night out for Carlton football club teammates ended with two players admitted to hospital for treatment on Sunday morning, in what the club says are “separate circumstances”.The club released a statement on Sunday confirming that players Lachie Cowan, 21, and Will Hay...

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after offseason night out

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after offseason night out

The Guardian •

Club issues brief statement about Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, saying latter suffered minor cut to head after a fallAn offseason night out for Carlton football club teammates ended with two players admitted to hospital for treatment on Sunday morning, in what the club says are “separate circumstances”.The club released a statement on Sunday confirming that players Lachie Cowan, 21, and Will Hayw...

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after needing care for ‘separate circumstances’

Two Carlton players treated in hospital after needing care for ‘separate circumstances’

The Guardian •

Club issues brief statement about Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, saying latter suffered minor cut to head after a fallCarlton football club has said two of its players, Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, required treatment in hospital on Sunday morning in “separate circumstances”.The club released a statement on Sunday after reports in several media outlets that unnamed players had been taken to hospi...

Middle East live: Riyadh airport attack 'not acceptable', Trump says

Middle East live: Riyadh airport attack 'not acceptable', Trump says

France 24 •

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deadly strike on Riyadh's international airport was "not acceptable". Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate against Yemen's Houthi rebels after the attack killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

Middle East live: Riyadh airport attack 'not acceptable,' Trump says

Middle East live: Riyadh airport attack 'not acceptable,' Trump says

France 24 •

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deadly strike on Riyadh's international airport was "not acceptable". Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate against Yemen's Houthi rebels after the attack killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

‘Restore the authority’: the challenge for the BBC’s new director of news

‘Restore the authority’: the challenge for the BBC’s new director of news

The Guardian •

Rachel Jupp takes role as corporation grapples with digital transformation, a cash crisis and its public service roleWith looming job cuts and an ongoing pay dispute, there has not been much to smile about for BBC journalists working in “the pit” – their pet name for the newsroom deep in the belly of New Broadcasting House.On Monday afternoon, however, they were greeted by a grinning figure conduc...

Christian nationalism in Britain driven by people who seldom go to church, says report

Christian nationalism in Britain driven by people who seldom go to church, says report

The Guardian •

Research challenges the notion that the growing visibility of crosses and other symbols reflects a revival of Christianity Christian nationalism in Britain is being driven largely by people who rarely attend church and are more concerned with defending the country’s Christian heritage, according to research.The report, by the thinktank Theos, identified five different groups within the UK in a sur...

Retrofit schools and consider moving exams to beat extreme heat, says teaching union leader

Retrofit schools and consider moving exams to beat extreme heat, says teaching union leader

The Guardian •

NEU’s Daniel Kebede says earlier start times and longer summer breaks may be needed to help pupils and teachersSchools should consider changing start and finish times, reordering holidays and moving exams from the summer months in an effort to adapt to the UK’s increasingly severe heatwaves, according to the leader of the country’s biggest education union.Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of th...

Capital punishment is surging in the US – but after Christa Pike’s botched execution, what is its future?

Capital punishment is surging in the US – but after Christa Pike’s botched execution, what is its future?

The Guardian •

Trump has used the full might of the presidency to supercharge executions, but an avalanche of mishaps has put the system’s flaws in the spotlightIt took more than an hour to establish the two intravenous lines through which Christa Pike would be injected with a giant and normally lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital, and in that time she did everything she could to assist those who were atte...