World News Hub

‘Nothing is left’: deadly floods slam Thai economy and strain Bangkok ahead of IMF meeting

Monsoon floods in Thailand have killed 60 people since mid-September, officials said, as surging waters exact an increasing economic toll – destroying homes and crops, killing livestock and flooding factories. Bangkok buckled at the end of September as 300mm (11.8 inches) of rain – around one month’s worth – hit its creaking drainage system over just three days. The floodwaters have largely retrea...

Hong Kong tech index to harness fast-growth companies in bid for better performance

Hong Kong’s stock index compiler will add 10 fast-growing companies with at least HK$500 million (US$64 million) in annual sales into the city’s technology-focused benchmark in a bid to revitalise an index that has missed out on artificial intelligence-driven gains. The threshold is among a set of new measures Hang Seng Indexes Company will use to reform the Hang Seng Tech Index, which is referred...

Finland orders pause on Google AI data centres over environmental concerns

Google had called the data centres its biggest investment in Europe.

Husband of Norfolk GP found dead at home appears in court charged with her murder

Mark Cain, 45, charged on Tuesday after Hannah Cain was found dead in Fern Hill, Dersingham, on Sunday nightThe husband of a GP has appeared in court charged with her murder.Dr Hannah Cain, 45, was found dead at her home in Fern Hill, Dersingham, near the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, on Sunday 4 October. Continue reading...

Tokyo sleep competition offers 2 million yen prize to best sleeper

A Tokyo sleep competition organised by Koala offered ¥2 million to the best sleeper, highlighting Japan’s long-hours work culture and sleep deprivation.

DNA test detects elusive eastern pine snake without finding the animal

In 1876, a New York artist sculpted Cleopatra’s death; 100 years later, it was found as a horse’s gravestone

Edmonia Lewis, a trailblazing artist of mixed heritage, crafted the striking sculpture The Death of Cleopatra in 1876, which initially garnered accolades. However, the piece disappeared for many years, only to be found in an unsuspecting salvage yard. Faced with systemic discrimination, Lewis relocated to Rome for greater artistic prospects.

Trump to talk plague with Putin as Russia plays down fears of outbreak

The Kremlin welcomed the offer while Russia's health watchdog shot back that Moscow was "ready to assist the US in tackling infectious disease outbreaks" as the WHO asked Russia for additional information.

Reopening Brexit debate a ‘terrible idea’, says Badenoch as she criticises rivals and mocks Starmer – UK politics live

Conservative leader takes aim at Andy Burnham, Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer in conference speechChris Philp, the shadow home secretary, is speaking now at the conference. He described Nick Timothy as the “Bob the Builder” of the next parliament on the basis of the Tory pledge to build 50,000 prison places.“Can he fix it? Yes he can,” Philp said. He went on:I know we didn’t get everything right in...

Russia glosses over Stalin-era repression in reinvented museum

In a Moscow museum that once housed evidence of Stalin-era repression, serene family scenes flickered on a screen as a narrator hailed the tranquillity of pre-World War II life in the Soviet Union. The museum – set up to commemorate the “genocide of the Soviet people” – has elbowed out the award-winning Gulag History Museum, a harrowing collection that had for years cast a light on the killings an...

US military aid to Israel continues three years into Gaza genocide

US military aid and arms transfer continue unchanged, as US public sentiment shifts.

‘Russia pursuing deliberate strategy of terror’: EU sends €1.24 billion to Ukraine

A Russian strike destroyed an apartment block in Pryluky, in the northern Chernihiv region, killing 13 people, including four children, and injuring about 50, Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi said. Deaths were also reported in Kyiv and three other Ukrainian cities. In Kremenchuk, in the Poltava region, two people were killed and seven injured, according to regional officials, while rescue operatio...

Vance appears to soften U.S. demands on Iranian nuclear enrichment

Vance says Iran must do "something meaningful on enrichment capacity" to end the war, as Rubio claims Tehran has "lost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz.

Hungary set to lift veto on Ukraine's EU membership talks

Hungary dropped its veto on two clusters of Ukraine's EU accession talks on Wednesday. The next phase depends on Kyiv's parliament passing a minority-rights law.

Doha Debates: Should We Trust the News?

Is today’s news built to serve the truth?

Freddie Jackson, romantic US singer with 10 R&B chart-toppers, dies aged 70

Celebrated for his earnest, dextrous voice, Jackson crossed into the pop charts with the hits Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) and You Are My LadyFreddie Jackson, the US singer whose smooth and romantic take on R&B found a huge audience in the 1980s, has died aged 70.A statement from his family on social media reads: “Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul wh...

Ukraine says Russia bombed apartment block as birthday gift for Putin

Building in Pryluky destroyed, killing nine people including three children, officials say, night before Russian president’s 74th birthdayVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Wednesday.Ukraine’s president described Russia’s overnight drone and m...

Ukraine accuses Russia of bombing apartment block as birthday gift for Putin

Building in Pryluky destroyed killing nine people including three children night before Russian president’s 74th birthdayVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Wednesday.Ukraine’s president described Russia’s overnight drone and missiles strikes, ...

Israeli attacks across Gaza kill at least four Palestinians

Israeli air strike kills Palestinian Civil Defence rescue volunteer in northern Gaza.

Hong Kong’s Wine and Dine Festival to feature extended hours, 10% more booths

The annual Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival in late October will extend its opening hours until 1am on two nights and feature 10 per cent more booths, with the Tourism Board rolling out a gourmet month throughout November to boost visitor spending and encourage longer stays. Organised by the board under the theme “Taste the World’s Best”, the festival will be held from October 29 to November 1 at ...

Zelensky condemns 'vile' large-scale Russian attacks that killed 15

Rescue workers are continuing a search for residents after an apartment building in Pryluky was destroyed.

October 7: Israelis mark three years since Hamas attacks

Israel is marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Wednesday with memorials across the country. At the site of the Nova music festival, where more than 300 people were killed, families gathered at dawn for a moment of silence and paid tribute in front of portraits both of festival-goers and security forces who died on October 7.

EU releases €1.24 billion for Ukrainian-made drones and munitions

The European Union has released €1.24 billion for Ukraine to buy drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and munitions manufactured domestically in a bid to push back against Russia's ongoing and escalated air attacks.

60% of Hong Kong’s suspected student suicides involved children aged 15 or below

Hong Kong education authorities have revealed that at least 60 per cent of suspected student suicide cases in the last three academic years involved children aged 15 or below, urging schools to avoid giving excessive homework so pupils can lead a balanced lifestyle. The Education Bureau also told lawmakers on Wednesday that school principals had directly referred 547 students at high risk of suici...

How will new longer-range aircraft boost Manila’s South China Sea surveillance?

The Philippine Coast Guard will receive three longer-range aircraft from the US, two of them modified for improved surveillance, giving Manila greater reach and endurance to monitor Chinese coastguard, naval and research vessels across the South China Sea. Under a US$39.6 million contract awarded by the United States Navy on September 28, the three second-hand, extended-range King Air 350-series a...