A Chinese artist known for provocative sculptures of Mao Zedong has been sentenced to three years in prison. This has sparked fresh concerns over artistic freedom in China. Gao Zhen, 70, was convicted by a court in Hebei of “slandering China’s heroes” after authorities ruled that his artwork damaged Mao’s reputation and harmed the public
Japan is battling an extraordinary rainfall emergency after record-breaking downpours. The rains killed at least four people and injured five others in Chiba, just east of Tokyo. How extreme was it? Authorities recorded more than 100mm of rain in an hour roughly three times the region’s average August rainfall. Japan’s Meteorological Agency called the conditions
What’s better than spotting a lion at the zoo? Seeing three tiny new cubs—if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Blackpool Zoo is celebrating the birth of three African lion cubs, the first born there in more than a decade. The cubs arrived on Sunday, with their mother, Hira, doing something keepers describe as
What started as a fight between inmates quickly spiralled into one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest prison riots in years. How did a dispute inside a prison end with dozens dead and more than 100 injured? The two-day violence at Negombo Prison, just north of Colombo, claimed 26 lives, including seven prison guards. Scores of inmates
China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has sailed through the Taiwan Strait. Marking its first reported passage through the sensitive waterway since April. Taiwan’s defence ministry said it monitored the carrier using intelligence and surveillance systems, releasing an image of the vessel during the journey. The move comes as Beijing continues increasing
What happens when intelligence gathering goes digital — and starts targeting hearts and minds instead of just state secrets? That’s the question hanging over a new move by Taiwan, which has launched an online platform encouraging Chinese nationals to share intelligence tips. The government says it’s creating a “secure channel” for people who are increasingly
Could science be racing against time to stop the next major Ebola crisis? With a fast-growing outbreak already claiming nearly 250 lives. Researchers are urgently developing three new vaccines aimed at a rare and particularly challenging strain of the deadly virus. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has infected more than 1,000
After more than a week trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos, the first glimmer of hope has finally emerged. One of five men found alive deep underground has been rescued. Marking a major breakthrough in a race against time that has gripped rescuers and communities alike. The group had entered the remote cave in
SpaceX is finally stepping into the public markets — and it’s doing it at a scale that feels almost unreal. Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company has unveiled plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX. Targeting a valuation of around $1.75 trillion and aiming to raise up to $80 billion in its
What happens when a city is hit by more rain in an hour than it can handle in a week? That’s exactly the nightmare unfolding in Wellington, where flash floods have forced officials to declare a state of emergency. In just under an hour, a staggering 77mm of rain drenched the city—turning streets into rivers,
Can a painting truly rewrite history? In India, it just did. Raja Ravi Varma’s 19th-century masterpiece Yashoda and Krishna has smashed auction records. It sold for a staggering 1.67 billion rupees ($17.9m) at a Saffronart event in Delhi. It overtakes last year’s $13.8m record set by MF Husain. Varma, born in 1848 in Kerala, is
Imagine spotting a 15-ton whale stranded in shallow water—what would you do? That’s exactly the scene unfolding off the Baltic Sea coast in Lübeck Bay, northern Germany. Rescuers are racing against the clock to save a massive humpback whale. The animal, around 12–15 meters long, was first seen Monday near Niendorf in Timmendorfer Strand. Authorities
