Japan imperial rules tweaked but still no woman emperor

BTS Invite Fans to Look Beyond the Spotlight in ‘Normal’ Video

The song features on the band's massive hit album, Arirang

Gracie Abrams’ ‘Daughter From Hell’ Has Arrived

The singer-songwriter's third studio album has arrived, featuring hit singles "Hit the Wall" and "Look at My Life"

Bones reveal ancient Egyptian princesses born 4,000 years ago used weapons

For decades, scientists have disputed the meaning of the weapons found in the burial chambers of some ancient Egyptian princesses. Were they symbolic or practical tools? Now, a reassessment of five royal women's mummies from the Middle Kingdom has shown that some princesses

Ancient Egyptian princesses knew their way around weapons of war

Analysis of six mummies from ancient Egypt challenges the idea that the bows and daggers buried with some royal women were merely ceremonial.

China’s desert mock-up rehearses a US warship’s death at sea

This month, multiple media outlets reported that satellite imagery showed a detailed, full-scale replica of a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in China’s remote Taklamakan Desert. Construction of the 155-meter mock-up began around October 2025 at the

Chinese police arrest Uyghur sisters and mother in Urumqi for sending goods to Turkey

Their eldest sister, who had been receiving the goods, said they were arrested for “supporting terrorists.”

‘God of War’ Shocker: Kratos Actor Ryan Hurst Recast After On-Set Injury

Prime Video will recast the lead role on its upcoming adaptation of “God of War” after star Ryan Hurst was injured on set, Variety has confirmed. Hurst had been set to play Kratos, the titular god of war, and Prime Video even released a first look at Hurst in the role this past

Explainer: What are the changes to Japan’s imperial family law?

The revised law aims to address issue of the shrinking royal family.

Iran launches fresh attacks after sixth day of US strikes

DUBAI, July 17 - Iran said it launched fresh attacks on U.S. facilities in the Gulf on Friday after a sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities, as last month's truce descended into daily attacks and counterattacks.

Trump revives claims of election interference during address to nation

The US president said he would declassify intelligence data that revealed China had illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files. Trump's claim contradicts investigations that have found no evidence of interference in past elections.

China’s Xi says AI should not be dominated by one country

AI has become a strategic pillar of China’s industrial policy, driven by state investment.

Five takeaways from Trump’s big elections speech

President Trump delivered an address to the nation on Thursday evening in which he sought to paint the state of U.S. election security as indefensible. In the process, Trump hoped to push for the passage of contentious legislation he favors — and to persuade more Americans to

North Korea calls Seoul a 'puppet' for its role in US maritime exercise

SEOUL, July 17 - North Korean state media on Friday called South Korea a \"puppet\" following its participation in a maritime exercise led by the U.S., saying Seoul and Washington would need to bear responsibility for any \"unpredictable escalation\" in the region.

Japan revises law on imperial succession, but woman emperor still barred

The latest legal revision makes no mention of female or maternal-line emperors.

EU's AI 'guardrails' cannot absorb rapid changes in technology, study warns

"Guardrails" built by the EU to govern AI fall short in both ambition and execution and have become too heavy to absorb rapid changes in technology, a new study in Big Data & Society warns.

Taiwan lawmakers to remove legal hurdles for Starlink to operate

However, it is unclear if Starlink will be interested in making its satellite service available to the island.

China's Xi says AI should not be dominated by one country

"We should jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others," said China's President Xi Jinping.

China disapproves of British Steel nationalisation decision by UK

The ministry said the move “severely undermined” Chinese companies’ confidence in investing in Britain.

More than 500 Rohingya vanished at sea - what happened?

Two boats carrying an estimated 530 Rohingyas have disappeared since leaving Myanmar on 29 June.

A chip of one’s own

“Custom chip” is the new buzzword. Everyone is getting into it. The big and the small. The public and the private. Companies that never built anything but software and companies that never built anything but gadgets. From one corner of the world to every other. The word is now

Chinese start-up Moonshot unveils ‘world’s largest’ open AI model Kimi K3, closing in on US rivals

Beijing had made AI leadership a national priority, targeting global dominance.

Democrats call 'bull----' on Trump's election interference claims

Democrats raised alarm after President Trump’s revived his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election during a Thursday evening address. “You have to be a special kind of stupid to believe this bull----,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the

Australia 'deeply frustrated' over Laos methanol poisoning charges

Media reports say Laos will press charges of up to one year in jail against those allegedly responsible.

China hits out at British Steel nationalisation

The UK government said taking the firm into public hands would safeguard "a vital national capability".

US military says it completed latest strikes on Iran, marking 6th consecutive night of attacks

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said late on Thursday it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran that were carried out at President Donald Trump's direction and marked a sixth consecutive night of American strikes. Here are details:

Modi adviser urges India to seek more Chinese investment, trade

India tightened scrutiny of Chinese investment following deadly border clashes in 2020.

Philippines condemns Chinese media depicting it as monkey in AI video

China Daily posted a video of a monkey being forced to sing its claims to the South China Sea.

Berlinale Title ‘Members of the Problematic Family’ to Open Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (EXCLUSIVE)

Tamil-language drama “Members of the Problematic Family” will have its Australian premiere as the opening night film of the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), following the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. IFFM, billed as the

Golf generates nearly €630 million in societal benefits in Finland

A new study published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living shows that Finnish golf players spend approximately €330 million on golf annually and that this generates an estimated benefit to society almost twice as high.

Investor Srinivasan seeks meeting with Anwar’s office after raid

Malaysia recently launched an immigration probe into people associated with Srinivasan's start-up school.

Trump rails against China in new 2020 election claims disputed by critics

President Trump launched a series of new accusations regarding the 2020 election, declassifying a handful of documents as he argued U.S. elections remain insecure – claims that were swiftly disputed by Democrats. In his primetime address, Trump this time said the intelligence

After Tillis' demands, Todd Blanche meets with Jeffrey Epstein's victims

At least one survivor of the late convicted sex offender, however, called the meeting "insufficient."

Australia summons Laos ambassador, calls for serious charges in backpacker methanol deaths

SYDNEY, July 17 - Australia summoned Laos' ambassador to Canberra on Friday, saying it was \"deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed\" that Laos was not pursuing the most serious charges over the deaths of two Australians who drank methanol-contaminated alcohol.

Bangkok bar fire: Victims died of cyanide poisoning within minutes, autopsies show

The police will also investigate whether district officials failed to inspect the building properly.

UN report offers roadmap for sustainable blue economies

A new United Nations report co-authored by researchers at the University of Portsmouth provides governments with a practical roadmap for building sustainable blue economies, as pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss place growing pressure on the marine and freshwater

Crowded field to replace Platner in Maine struggle to standout in first Senate debate: 4 takeaways

A slew of Maine Democrats vying to replace Graham Platner as the party’s Senate nominee struggled to stand out on the debate stage Thursday night, with just days before the deadline to pick a new candidate. The crowded field is jockeying to replace Platner to take on

India court voids visa services tenders in Australia, Singapore

This affects a system that processes millions of passport, visa and consular applications each year.

Trump alleges China committed interference in 2020 election

WASHINGTON, July 16 - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that China carried out what is believed to be \"the largest compromise of election data in history\" by China starting during the 2020 election cycle.

Annie Leibovitz Sues Observer Over Justin and Hailey Bieber Photo: ‘Exploitation’

The famed photographer is suing the media outlet for up to $150,000 per "unauthorized" use

NBC, ABC, CNN don't carry Trump speech on networks

Several major news broadcasters will not carry President Trump’s speech on Thursday evening, spokespeople for these networks confirmed. ABC News, NBC News and CNN will carry the president’s remarks on separate streaming platforms or editorial live updates. Trump has teased

PathSay Project uses AI to cross language barriers

Thousands of the world's languages remain largely invisible to modern translation technology, but researchers and students at Brigham Young University are working to change that. Through a project called Pathsay, students in the BYU MATRIX lab are partnering with international

Taco Bell removing lettuce from some stores amid cyclosporiasis scare

Taco Bell announced on Thursday that it would remove lettuce from some of its stores following reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opened an investigation into iceberg lettuce supplied to the fast-food chain as a possible source of the cyclosporiasis

Wildfire Smoke Forces the Black Keys, Creed, and More to Postpone Concerts

War and Treaty, John Mellencamp, and Mavis Staples were also among the growing list of artists either cancelling or postponing shows as the air quality hits dangerous levels

For older women, water offers more than just physical health benefits

Austria suggests that water plays a much more complex and profound role in older women's lives than previously recognized.

Paramount+ Subscribers Fail to Block Warner Bros. Merger as States Will Try Again Friday

A handful of Paramount+ subscribers failed to win an order blocking the merger with Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday, but a coalition of states will give it another try on Friday. The plaintiffs sued in April, alleging that they had faced price hikes and risked losing viewing