Georgia man deported from Fiji to face $165m crypto Ponzi scheme charges
The Guardian

Georgia man deported from Fiji to face $165m crypto Ponzi scheme charges

Edward Zimbardi, 59, who had fled US, will appear in court in Los Angeles on wire fraud and money-laundering chargesA man from Flowery Branch, Georgia, has been deported from Fiji to face charges in his home state accusing him of defrauding more than 6,000 investors and causing more than $165m of losses in ⁠a cryptocurrency Ponzi ⁠scheme, the ​US attorney in Atlanta said on Monday.Edward Zimbardi,...

Wang Yi heads to Seoul as Trump cuts South Korea drills, opening door for China
SCMP

Wang Yi heads to Seoul as Trump cuts South Korea drills, opening door for China

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Seoul days after Donald Trump called for the US to scale back military exercises with South Korea, sending ripples of unease through US allies in Asia. On Sunday, the United States president posted his decision to social media, raising questions about the durability of Washington’s security commitments in a region increasingly defined by competition...

Alibaba’s lightweight Qwen model takes on larger AI systems from OpenAI, DeepSeek, Zhipu

Alibaba’s lightweight Qwen model takes on larger AI systems from OpenAI, DeepSeek, Zhipu

SCMP

Alibaba Group Holding’s new lightweight AI model Qwen3.8-27B has matched much larger near-frontier rivals while being able to run on everyday hardware, impressing developers as local AI gains momentum. The Qwen3.8-27B, a small model with 27 billion parameters, performed on par with OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Luna, which was billed as the most cost-efficient model in the US lab’s latest flagship series, benc...

Syrian court sentences detained Assad cousin to death for crimes against humanity

Syrian court sentences detained Assad cousin to death for crimes against humanity

SCMP

A Syrian court on Tuesday handed a death sentence to Wassim al-Assad who appeared in the dock, a cousin of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia last week. The 46-year-old relative of Assad was convicted over atrocities committed under the autocrat’s rule during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Assad’s cousin was conv...

UK retailers too slow to pass on fuel price falls, watchdog says

UK retailers too slow to pass on fuel price falls, watchdog says

The Guardian

Competition and Markets Authority raises concerns about ‘passive pricing strategies’ used by some petrol stationsBusiness live – latest updatesSome petrol stations are still not passing on changes in wholesale prices quickly enough and more than 1,000 warning letters have been sent to retailers failing to give prices to the Fuel Finder service, the UK competition watchdog has said.The Competition...

‘Our task is to laugh at these enemies’: the Ukrainian unit posting drone videos of Russian soldiers’ last moments

‘Our task is to laugh at these enemies’: the Ukrainian unit posting drone videos of Russian soldiers’ last moments

The Guardian

Creators of chase compilations reject any moral qualms and say they show ‘death is waiting’ for those who join warTo many observers they will appear dehumanising and offensive. To many Ukrainians, however, they are a brutal reminder of the fate that awaits Russian soldiers who take part in Vladimir Putin’s invasion, as well as a potent propaganda weapon.Over the past year and a half, videos of kam...

First Thing: Meta’s treatment of children on social media in spotlight as landmark trial set to begin

First Thing: Meta’s treatment of children on social media in spotlight as landmark trial set to begin

The Guardian

Several US states have accused Instagram and Facebook’s parent company of deliberately causing young people harm with its products. Plus: the Italian nuns fighting to keep control of their spot in the sunGood morning. More than half of the states in the US have joined together in an unprecedented lawsuit against Meta that goes to trial on Tuesday, accusing the parent company of Instagram and Faceb...

Who was Sonia Bellina? French TikToker‘s burned body found in Saint-Gilles vineyard

Who was Sonia Bellina? French TikToker‘s burned body found in Saint-Gilles vineyard

Times of India

French TikToker Sonia Bellina's burned body was recently discovered in a Saint-Gilles vineyard on August 12, 2026. DNA testing reportedly confirmed her identity as French authorities opened an assassination investigation. Investigators are examining the scene and searching for evidence, while unverified online claims about a possible meeting before her disappearance continue circulating. No suspec...

Scientists tested two Argentine ant baits; one sent them roaming, other drove them near water

Scientists tested two Argentine ant baits; one sent them roaming, other drove them near water

Times of India

The study from the University of California, Riverside, found that two common ant-bait insecticides can cause very different changes in Argentine ant behaviour before the ants die. Thiamethoxam made affected ants unusually active and sent them roaming outside the nest, while boric acid caused ants to stop foraging and gather inside. The findings show that unusual ant activity after treatment does ...

Indian-origin mom's $1.7 billion school transportation startup is transforming the lives of American students

Indian-origin mom's $1.7 billion school transportation startup is transforming the lives of American students

Times of India

Ritu Narayan established Zum to address the challenges parents face in student transportation. The company leverages technology to enhance the school bus experience for children. Zum has now achieved unicorn status with a valuation exceeding one billion dollars and is expanding into the energy market by introducing electric buses. This revolutionary approach is reshaping the way students commute t...

Burnham confirms West Midlands to take public control of local bus network – UK politics live

Burnham confirms West Midlands to take public control of local bus network – UK politics live

The Guardian

The prime minister says the ‘absolutely massive’ move would protect thousands of jobsThe prime minister, Andy Burnham, has confirmed a new partnership between the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to take local control of bus services in the region.Burnham said the “absolutely massive” move would protect thousands of jobs, which were threatened after the parent company be...

Sydney Swans will sanction players for ‘serious breach’ over incident that led to sexual assault allegations

Sydney Swans will sanction players for ‘serious breach’ over incident that led to sexual assault allegations

The Guardian

AFL club’s board meets on Tuesday night to decide penalties after league boss calls reports ‘deeply concerning’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Sydney Swans AFL club will decide on sanctions for players for “serious breach” of standards over an incident that led to a report of sexual assault.Victorian police on Tue...