Hong Kong has delivered its toughest verdict yet under the national security law. It’s landed on one of the city’s most recognisable faces. Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old media tycoon and outspoken pro-democracy figure, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. For “colluding with foreign forces.” For critics, it feels less like justice and more
What happens when a country barely has time to dry out before the next downpour arrives? Portugal is finding out the hard way. Days after Storm Kristin tore through the country, killing five people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. Authorities are bracing for yet another round of heavy rain. Around 200,000 homes
Japan has just restarted operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant — a first since the 2011 Fukushima disaster shut down all reactors. But does this move signal a new era of energy independence, or a risky leap back into the unknown? Reactor No. 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, northwest of Tokyo, was brought back online
How does a pile of garbage turn deadly? In Cebu City, central Philippines, a landslide at the Binaliw landfill last week has claimed 11 lives and left more than 20 people missing. Over 100 workers were on site when the disaster struck, and rescuers have pulled 12 injured from the rubble so far. Cebu City
What’s a new year in Tokyo without a little jaw-dropping drama — and a very expensive fish? At dawn on Monday, a massive bluefin tuna stole the spotlight at Toyosu fish market. Selling for a record-smashing 510.3 million yen (about $3.2 million), yes, for a single tuna. The 243-kilogram giant was snapped up by Kiyomura
What began as a quiet hike in Colorado’s backcountry may have ended in a rare and chilling tragedy. Wildlife officials say a woman is believed to have been killed by at least one mountain lion on a remote trail north of Denver. If confirmed, the incident would mark the state’s first fatal mountain lion attack
Talk about a Christmas miracle. Somewhere in Arkansas, one ticket just turned into a $1.8 billion surprise. And yes, it’s one of the biggest lottery wins the US has ever seen. After Monday’s Powerball draw produced no winner, the jackpot ballooned fast. By Wednesday night, fueled by last-minute hopefuls, it hit a staggering $1.817 billion.
Is the US finally turning the page on cannabis? President Donald Trump thinks so — and he’s just taken a big step to prove it. With a stroke of a pen, Trump signed an executive order directing the justice department to downgrade cannabis from a Schedule I drug — alongside heroin. It was moved to
More than a decade later, the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is set to resume on 30 December. Can we finally get answers about what happened to the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people on board in 2014? The renewed 55-day hunt was initially launched in March but had to be paused due
So, Donald Trump just threw his weight behind Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race — or did he? The president took to Truth Social, urging voters, “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. He is capable of it. Mamdani is not!” Cuomo, running as an Independent
How do you fund a weapons program when the world’s watching your every move? If you’re North Korea, the answer seems to be: go digital. A new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) reveals Pyongyang has turned cryptocurrency into a lifeline. It has also turned covert IT work into one. These have become
What happens when a political standoff turns into a pink-slip parade? The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal employees. Critics say it is weaponizing the government shutdown to pressure Democrats. “The RIFs have begun,” declared White House budget chief Russell Vought on X, using the bureaucratic term for “reductions in force.” His
