India's dowry curse: Outlawed practice remains deeply entrenched
France 24 •

India's dowry curse: Outlawed practice remains deeply entrenched

India recorded 5,737 dowry-linked deaths in 2024, an average of around 16 women a day. Despite being outlawed more than six decades ago, the practice of dowry – the transfer or money or valuables from a bride's family when she gets married – remains deeply entrenched across Indian society. Our correspondents report.

Elon Musk’s Starlink row in India exposes Asia’s deeper battle over satellite power

Elon Musk’s Starlink row in India exposes Asia’s deeper battle over satellite power

SCMP •

Elon Musk’s accusation that powerful Indian business interests are blocking Starlink’s entry into India has sparked a political row, but analysts say the dispute also highlights security concerns, regulatory hurdles and strategic calculations shaping the satellite service’s expansion across Asia. In a post on social media, Musk said Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent fi...

‘You’re not ugly’: Chinese driver’s kindness to blind passenger wins millions of hearts online

‘You’re not ugly’: Chinese driver’s kindness to blind passenger wins millions of hearts online

SCMP •

A video of a ride-hailing driver in southwestern China reassuring a blind passenger about his appearance has gone viral, touching hearts across mainland social media. The driver, surnamed Wang, recently picked up a visually impaired passenger in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and helped him into the car after the platform flagged the booking as requiring accessible service. Wang later clarified that p...

Renoir paintings stolen from French Riviera museum recovered, six suspects arrested

Renoir paintings stolen from French Riviera museum recovered, six suspects arrested

France 24 •

Two ⁠Renoir paintings worth millions ​of dollars that were stolen from a ​museum on the French Riviera a month ago have been recovered and six suspects have been arrested, the ​local ‌mayor said on Friday. The thieves sliced through a fence, climbed through a window and initally stole four paintings by the French master, but abandoned two of the artworks as they fled.

Couple builds a DIY roller coaster at home for $700

Couple builds a DIY roller coaster at home for $700

Times of India •

An Ohio couple named Jon and Natasha Cain built a roller coaster for their children in 2009. They used local materials and spent approximately $700 on the project, which took three weeks to complete. The roller coaster reached a height of 12 feet and included various twists and turns. Local officials supported their DIY project, allowing it to proceed without issues.

Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year

Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year

The Guardian •

New report on economic cost of anti-immigration campaign projects 8.6% reduction in retirement payments by 2034Elderly Americans can expect to lose an average of $2,152 in annual social security benefits each, a projected 8.6% reduction in their retirement payments, by 2034 and every year after as a direct consequence of the economic fallout from the Trump administration’s anti-immigration campaig...

Cop31 host urges wealthy countries to spend ‘much more’ on climate than defence

Cop31 host urges wealthy countries to spend ‘much more’ on climate than defence

The Guardian •

‘The climate issue is the security issue,’ says Turkish minister at Pacific pre-Cop summit in FijiWealthy countries should spend far more on dealing with the climate crisis than the 5% of GDP promised by Nato members for defence because “the climate issue is the security issue”, the host of the next UN summit has said.But, in comments that are likely to prove contentious, the Cop31 president-desig...

Chinese researchers make Arctic-to-Antarctic call using rival to Musk’s Starlink

Chinese researchers make Arctic-to-Antarctic call using rival to Musk’s Starlink

SCMP •

Polar researchers have used a would-be Chinese rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink to make a satellite video call between the Arctic and Antarctic – the first publicly reported test of the Guowang constellation. The call highlights the growing capabilities of the country’s satellite constellations, according to state media. Beijing has been accelerating the development of its low-Earth-orbit constellati...

China agrees to slash EU hybrid car exports in half, putting brake on trade war

China agrees to slash EU hybrid car exports in half, putting brake on trade war

SCMP •

The European Union and China have “reached an understanding” that will cut Chinese hybrid car shipments to the bloc by “more than a half”, in a temporary salve to trade tensions that have threatened to boil over into a full-blown trade war. Speaking after marathon trade talks in Beijing, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the deal would see China slash its hybrid car exports “by several million ca...

China and EU reach ‘understanding’ on hybrid vehicles after crunch trade talks

China and EU reach ‘understanding’ on hybrid vehicles after crunch trade talks

SCMP •

The European Union and China “reached an understanding” on trade in hybrid electric vehicles during marathon negotiations in Beijing on Friday, China’s commerce ministry said in a statement. Beijing is “willing to continue” fast-tracking licenses for rare earth mineral exports to Europe, while the sides will continue negotiations on reducing tariffs and creating minimum price deals that would allo...

17 key takeaways from Malaysia’s 2027 budget - ‘live with dignity’

17 key takeaways from Malaysia’s 2027 budget - ‘live with dignity’

SCMP •

Malaysia plans to spend 460 billion ringgit (US$112.6 billion) under its 2027 budget, expanding welfare assistance and tax relief while retaining fuel subsidies as households contend with higher living costs. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, presented the spending plan in parliament on Friday as his government faces pressure for an early election following a series of st...

Thieves make off with €5m haul from prestigious Italian winery

Thieves make off with €5m haul from prestigious Italian winery

The Guardian •

Gang broke into cellar of Marchesi Antinori in Cortona and loaded two trucks with 30,000 bottles before getawayThousands of bottles of wine worth €5m (£4.2m) have been stolen from a prestigious winery in Tuscany in what is thought to be the biggest heist of its kind in Italy.A gang of at least seven masked individuals broke into the cellar of Marchesi Antinori, a family-owned winery dating back to...

UN says Pentagon plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter would amount to torture – US politics live

UN says Pentagon plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter would amount to torture – US politics live

The Guardian •

Condemnation comes amid fierce backlash from US lawmakers who branded the move ‘grotesque’ and compared it to actions of some terror groups and oppressive governmentsPentagon says execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamedAccording to rights group Amnesty International, at least 17 public executions are known to have been carried out in 2025 – six in Afghanistan and 11 in Iran.The Death P...

Pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk arrested in Montenegro

Pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk arrested in Montenegro

The Guardian •

Founder of influential Rybar blog detained after warnings of attempts to destabilise Balkan country, officials sayA leading pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger with reported ties to Russia’s intelligence services has been arrested in Montenegro, after warnings of attempts to destabilise the Balkan country, officials have said.Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the influential Rybar war blog, was de...

Residents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify

Residents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify

France 24 •

The city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, is increasingly coming under Russian attack. For those who have stayed behind, the threat from drones and shelling has become a daily reality. Many have resisted leaving their homes, despite the growing danger – but now, more and more residents are being forced to flee. Our colleagues at France 2 followed an evacuation from the city and witnessed first-h...

Shein outsells British rival Asos as UK revenue hits £2.58bn

Shein outsells British rival Asos as UK revenue hits £2.58bn

The Guardian •

Online retailer’s 26% jump sharpens focus on exemption letting cheap parcels into the country duty-free Shein, the online fast-fashion retailer founded in China, increased sales in the UK by just over a quarter last year, overtaking British rival Asos.The company, whose global parent group listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and valued at just over $26bn (£19.6bn) last month, increased sales at...

Girl filmed carrying beer bags to be placed in temporary care with siblings

Girl filmed carrying beer bags to be placed in temporary care with siblings

SCMP •

A 10-year-old Hong Kong girl filmed carrying heavy bags of beer will be placed in temporary care with her two siblings after welfare assessments found it would “not be suitable” for them to return home following the arrest of their parents on suspicion of ill-treating a child. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Friday that the three children were still in hospital for healt...