World News Hub

Chinese yeast factory boosts cancer drug production speed 1,000 times

A research team at Zhejiang University has cracked a molecular puzzle, turning ordinary yeast into a powerful factory for an expensive cancer drug and boosting its production by a thousand times. The anticancer drug vinblastine has long been sourced exclusively from the Madagascar periwinkle plant. But it takes 2 tonnes of dried leaves to yield just 1 gram of vinblastine, making it more expensive ...

Britain to swelter again as it looks poised for a record hot summer

Large parts of Europe will be sweltering once again, with Britain poised for its fifth heat wave of an exceptional summer that is expected to be the hottest on record

Australian family turns remote sheep farm island into $4.8m wildlife haven

UK economic growth slows down as Iran war pushes up energy prices

GDP expanded by 0.4% in three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, says ONSEconomic growth slowed in the second quarter of the year, as the disruption unleashed by the Iran war began to take its toll, official figures show.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, in line with City economists...

UK economic growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices

GDP expanded by 0.4% in three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, says ONSEconomic growth slowed in the second quarter of the year, as the disruption unleashed by the Iran war began to take its toll, official figures show.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, in line with City economists...

Rare eclipse plunges parts of Europe into darkness

Skywatchers across Europe gathered to watch a rare solar eclipse, using protective glasses as the Moon passed in front of the Sun.

Nearly 4 million Afghan children ‘acutely malnourished’

One in 10 children in Afghanistan are suffering as healthcare funding plummets, Save the Children says.

How clinic closures left 3.7 million Afghan children acutely malnourished

One in 10 children in Afghanistan are suffering as healthcare funding plummets, Save the Children says.

Clacton byelection polls open with Farage up against slew of fringe candidates

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in a...

Clacton polls open with Farage up against slew of fringe candidates

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in a...

Yvette Cooper says Labour ‘did not do government very well’ under Starmer

Health secretary praises more collegiate style under Andy Burnham and says previous No 10 sidelined her from key policy launchYvette Cooper admits Labour has “not done government very well” in the last couple of years, and accused Keir Starmer’s No 10 of sidelining her during the launch of a key immigration policy when she was home secretary.Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with the form...

Chinese ‘pre-made children’ term reflects trend of parents prioritising study over summer fun

A new term, “pre-made children,” has recently gone viral on Chinese social media, highlighting the trend of parents prioritising their children’s studies over rest and enjoyment during summer holidays. This term, which gained traction this summer, is inspired by the concept of “pre-made meals,” describing factory-processed frozen foods that are easy to prepare. With many restaurants opting for thi...

Biology remarking makes DSE student one of Hong Kong’s 25 top scorers

A Form Six student has become one of Hong Kong’s top scorers in this year’s university entrance examinations after her biology grade was upgraded following a remarking request, bringing the record-breaking total to 25 students from 16 schools who achieved perfect scores. Sunny Sun Wat-ching, an 18-year-old student at N.T. Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long district Secondary School who sat the Diploma of Sec...

Earthquake response strains Colombia's new government and rescuers as they race against the clock

The search for life in the rubble of Colombia’s powerful earthquake is growing more desperate as search teams push up against a key time threshold to locate survivors before it's too late

Nigel Farage faces off against Count Binface in special election that's been denounced as a stunt

A special election is taking place Thursday in the seaside town of Clacton, just east of London

Zambians cast ballots in a presidential election that tests incumbent's economic reforms

Zambians have begun casting their votes in a presidential election that will test whether President Hakainde Hichilema’s economic reforms were enough to overcome widespread frustration over the cost of living

Alpine resorts' snowmaking equipment may be put to work fighting summer forest fires

Alpine resorts may have a new way to put their snowmaking equipment to work as Europe bakes through hot summers: helping douse forest fires

Thursday briefing: What happens after an asylum hotel closes?

In today’s newsletter: With more sites closed and more lives upended, a look at the rhetoric and reality of where asylum seekers should be housedGood morning. This week, immigration minister Anna Turley announced, with minor fanfare, the government will stop using a further 13 hotels to house asylum seekers across the country.It brings the total shut this year to 44, in pursuit of Labour’s manifes...

280,000 trees transform New Zealand island into conservation sanctuary

Why Putin’s first Kuril Islands visit matters as Russia-Japan ties hit new low

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time. This visit occurred amid deeply strained relations between Russia and Japan. Japan strongly protests the visit, reiterating its territorial claims over the islands. The long-standing dispute has intensified since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This territorial disagreement prevents a formal World War II peac...

Russian strike sparks fire at Ukraine port; Zelenskyy seeks interceptors

Ukraine has reported an acute shortage of Patriot interceptors since the US went to war with Iran in February.

Alan Jones’ lawyers accused by defence of ‘intimidating’ witness in indecent assault case

Judge rejects intimidation claim as high profile trial continues with complainant J’s ex-girlfriend cross-examined by shock jock’s defence teamThe prosecutor in the Alan Jones trial has accused the defence team in court of “intimidating” an alleged victim’s former girlfriend after she asserted she wasn’t financially motivated to provide evidence supporting her ex’s allegations.On Thursday, compla...

Russia’s Putin makes first visit to Kuril Islands claimed by Japan

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting a “strong” protest by Japan which also claims the territory. Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by tensions over the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized by the Soviet Union in 1945. The Kremlin posted a video of Putin in the Kuril Islan...

Leavitt to leave White House podium to become MAGA warrior mom

Reformers associate may have ‘lied’ about a $15,000 commitment from Angus Taylor, Icac hears

Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney tells inquiry a message claiming opposition leader’s support could have been a ‘boast’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA factional ally of Angus Taylor has denied ever asking the federal opposition leader for money for a group of Christian Liberal power brokers who ...