World News Hub

Iran targets Jordan after first US attack in a month

The US has launched its first strikes on Iran in a month, hitting sites on Larak Island. Iran hit back targeting bases h

Will fixing Hong Kong’s childcare bottleneck help lift the city’s birth rate?

Shortly after Erica Lam found out she was pregnant with her second child, submitting a day care application for her unborn daughter became a top priority, as places at Hong Kong childcare centres were insufficient to meet demand. Even though Lam, a nurse in her early forties, tried to secure a place early, her daughter Ho-yan only managed to enrol in day care services operated by the Sheng Kung Hu...

Nepal floods: could foreign rescue teams have been brought in earlier?

The Nepalese government has appealed for rescue aid from other countries just two days after it reportedly refused help, as several hundred people are still believed to be trapped in hydropower tunnels and thousands remain missing following the catastrophic flash flooding at the border with China last week. Kathmandu’s apparent reversal reflects caution born from its chaotic experience with foreig...

NATO's Arctic activity poses 'direct threat' to Russia, Lavrov warns

Russia views NATO’s growing activity in the Arctic as a direct security threat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. NATO launched its Arctic Sentry mission in February to strengthen its presence in the region amid tensions with Moscow and US President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland.

Australia news live: new regulations planned for smartglasses will include ‘right to erasure’, Rowland says

Australians ‘increasingly concerned about how their data is being collected, used, and shared,’ attorney general says. Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government is working with Russian officials in a bid to secure the release of Australian Oscar Jenkins, Matt Thistlethwaite says. Speaking to ABC news breakfast, the assistant min...

'Gambling lives': Low flypast over packed stadium divides opinion

A low-level flypast over the roof of a packed stadium has divided opinion - with some calling it a dangerous stunt and others praising the skill of the pilots.

Niger mutiny puts Russia’s expanding role in the Sahel to the test

Failed uprising in Niamey exposed tensions in Niger’s military, and the role of the Africa Corps in suppressing unrest.

Tunisia swelters as power cuts disrupt water supplies

Near 50C temperatures are driving record electricity demand, disrupting water supplies and straining health services.

US plans to sanction another bank to keep economic pressure on Iran

Washington has recently stepped up efforts to economically pressure Tehran amid the deadlocked truce talks.

Chief of Japan’s biggest lower house opposition party confirms alliance’s split

The chief of Japan’s largest opposition party in the powerful House of Representatives effectively confirmed on Monday that it would split, following the failure of merger talks with other forces. The break-up of the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) comes around seven months after it was established in January by lower house lawmakers from the left-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (C...

Japan opposition alliance on brink of collapse after merger talks stall

Japan’s centrist opposition alliance stood on the brink of falling apart on Monday, with sources saying members who joined from the Komeito party just months ago could leave the group. The development follows the collapse of talks on the incorporation by the Centrist Reform Alliance of members of Komeito and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) in a three-way merger to counter the r...

Singapore firms keen to tap Northern Metropolis’ ‘massive potential’, envoy says

Singaporean businesses are keen to explore the “massive potential” emerging in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis megaproject after the country’s prime minister visited the site earlier this year, its top envoy to the city has said. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Singapore’s consul general to Hong Kong, Eric Teo Boon Hee, said the country’s business chambers were conside...

Chinese team maps South China Sea floor with ‘twice the resolution’ of Western models

China has mapped the seabed of its claimed waters including the South China Sea, with twice the resolution and up to five times the accuracy of methods used by other countries after more than two decades of effort, according to scientists involved in the project. The importance of such work was underscored in October 2021, when the US Navy’s Seawolf-class nuclear submarine USS Connecticut struck a...

Venezuela’s Maduro shares first photos from US detention

Abducted Venezuelan leader's post appears to show him in US detention, published two days after US-Venezuela oil deal.

One dead and around 15 missing as flash flood strikes Grand Canyon National Park

At least one person is dead and more than 15 people may be missing after flash floods struck Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the National Park Service said on Sunday. Flooding hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, prompting authorities to evacuate visitors and search for people who remain unaccounted for.

Flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park leaves about 15 missing

More than 15 people may be missing after flash floods struck Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the National Park Service said on Sunday. Flooding hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, prompting authorities to evacuate visitors and search for people who remain unaccounted for.

Don’t leave Hong Kong parents to their own devices on child social media use

Hong Kong, a city of overachievers, especially when it comes to the young, is also filled with children who take to social media early. Almost 35 per cent of kindergarten pupils log at least one hour of recreational screen time daily. By the junior forms, 60 per cent exceed the international two-hour daily limit. The time children spend on screens creates friction at home, accounting for 85.5 per ...

Huawei and Apple bend to a tougher market with foldable phones as memory crunch bites

Highly anticipated foldable launches from Apple and Huawei Technologies next week are expected to offer a much-needed lifeline to a subdued global smartphone market, which is bracing for an estimated 17 per cent decline in 2026. Apple’s September 9 event has the industry watching closely, with expectations building for its first foldable iPhone to take centre stage alongside standard model refresh...

Meet the students who built DiveGuard, a low-cost underwater messaging system

A group of Chinese students has created DiveGuard, an affordable system designed for underwater communication. By utilizing acoustic signals, this innovative technology allows divers to send concise text messages, thereby enhancing safety and teamwork in aquatic environments. DiveGuard was recognized as a finalist in the prestigious 2026 Conrad Challenge and offers a reliable communication alterna...

Victorian prisoners to be sent out to repair roads under Labor’s pothole plan

Inmates would take over ‘basic’ road maintenance duties, allowing skilled crews to focus on fixing 500,000 potholesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian prisoners will be put to work on road maintenance as part of Labor’s plan to fix the state’s potholes if re-elected.The state’s premier, Ben Carroll, outlined the...

Australia news live: PM urged to restrict violent pornography after teen’s death; Labor working on release of Oscar Jenkins

Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government is working with Russian officials in a bid to secure the release of Australian Oscar Jenkins, Matt Thistlethwaite says. Speaking to ABC news breakfast, the assistant minister for foreign affairs declined to answer whether a prisoner swap was on the table.Obviously, we try and negotiate a...

China teen with zero programming skills earns US$2,600 in 3 days selling AI study app

A 13-year-old girl in China has earned 18,000 yuan (US$2,600) in just three days from an artificial intelligence (AI) product she developed to assist parents in supervising their children’s study habits. Zhu Shuhan, a Grade Two student at a junior secondary school in Shanghai, has no programming background. She began using AI only last year, as reported by the Shanghai Morning Post. At a national ...

Golden hour: why Hong Kong may finally succeed in becoming precious metal’s trading hub

For decades, Hong Kong has been a hub for gold jewellery. Brands such as Chow Tai Fook and Chow Sang Sang have drawn buyers from the world over, aided by the city’s duty-free status and its proximity to one of the world’s largest gold-consuming markets. Two years ago, when officials set the goal of making Hong Kong a global gold trading hub comparable to New York and London, it was met with scepti...

Israeli settlers attack NBC News crew, Palestinian woman in West Bank

An NBC News crew was in a Palestinian village in the West Bank when they were attacked by Israeli settlers over the weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident. Leigh Kiniry reports.

Nepal survivors return to ruins to salvage memories