Twelve killed in residential fire in southern China, Xinhua reports

BEIJING, Dec 10 - Twelve people have been killed in a residential fire in the southern Chinese city of Shantou, state ‍news ​agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

Bruce Dern Bhutanese-Nepali-American Drama ‘The World’s Happiest Man’ Acquired by Buffalo 8, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

Buffalo 8 has secured worldwide rights to “The World’s Happiest Man,” the Bhutanese-Nepali-American drama starring Oscar and Emmy nominee Bruce Dern. A trailer has been unveiled. Dern (“Nebraska,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) stars alongside Nepali stalwarts Haribansha

Online sharing can push us apart, but when it's authentic it can bring us together

We spend a huge part of our social lives online. Over five billion people scroll, post and comment on social media every day, using these platforms to keep in touch, share experiences and express themselves. Yet social media is often blamed for making us lonelier, more anxious

‘Hamnet’ Could Score Ensemble Nod at SAG Awards, but Young Star Jacobi Jupe Would Be Left Out

If Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” lands an outstanding cast nomination at the Actors Awards — the newly renamed Screen Actors Guild Awards — one of the film’s most essential performers will not be recognized alongside his colleagues. The official ensemble submission lists Jessie

Taekwondo pair give Singapore its first gold of 2025 SEA Games

Africa: 111 Journalists Killed This Year, According to the IFJ

[IFJ] Since 1990 and the launch of its annual Killed list, the IFJ has recorded 3,156 deaths worldwide, an average of 91 deaths per year, and 859 in the last ten years

'This is the end': Australian teens mourn loss of social media as ban begins

SYDNEY, Dec 10 - Australian teenagers have taken to social media for the last time to farewell their followers and mourn the loss of the platforms that shaped much of their lives before a world-first ban took effect on ‍Wednesday.

Why has the price of silver hit a record high?

The price of the precious metal has topped $60 an ounce for the first time ever.

Sperm from donor with cancer-causing gene was used to conceive almost 200 children

Some children have already died and only a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes.

Kids locked out of social media apps after Australia's world-first ban

The new law requires tech platforms to ensure that Australians aged under 16 don't hold accounts.

Over half a million evacuated in Cambodia, Thailand during border clashes

More than 400,000 people have been evacuated in Thailand, with another 100,000 displaced in Cambodia.

'Never take human rights for granted in any part of the world,' UN's Volker Türk says

On International Human Rights Day, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasised the need to "reclaim" these fundamental values, which he says have been undermined in Europe.

The horrors of El Fasher echo Sudan’s genocidal past

The civil war in Sudan has spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The region is still grappling with past traumas.

Australia’s social media ban for kids is here. Experts warn it could have ‘a lot of mistakes'

Experts say Australia’s new social media ban might not change children’s online lives as much as regulators hope.

Rage bait: The psychology behind social media's angriest posts

"Rage bait" has been named the word of the year by the Oxford University Press. It means social media content that is designed to create a strong and negative reaction.

Scientists reveal a tiny brain chip that streams thoughts in real time

BISC is an ultra-thin neural implant that creates a high-bandwidth wireless link between the brain and computers. Its tiny single-chip design packs tens of thousands of electrodes and supports advanced AI models for decoding movement, perception, and intent. Initial clinical

Africa: China's Critical Mineral Strategy in Africa

[ACSS] China has gained a dominant position in Africa's critical minerals sector through long-term investments in mining and refining capacity--factors that make it challenging for African countries to advance up the value chain.

JioHotstar Executives Detail $445 Million South India Strategy as Viewership Surges 160%

Indian streaming giant JioHotstar is scaling its South India operations following dramatic audience growth over the past 10 months, with executives detailing the strategic rationale behind the platform’s INR4,000 crore ($445 million) content investment unveiled on Tuesday in

Agency chief of South Korea’s college entrance exam resigns over too-difficult English exam

Mr Oh expressed regret that the difficulty level of the English section had turned out to be out of line with the purpose of absolute grading.

China courts target child abuse carried out under guise of ‘strict parenting’

China's top court said courts must prioritise the well-being of children in their handling of cases.

Africa: UN Seeks $1 Billion for 'First-Responder Fund' in Emergencies

[UN News] Countries rallied at UN Headquarters on Tuesday to shore up a key humanitarian fund that provides timely assistance for millions worldwide when conflict and climate-related disasters strike.

Africa: Coups in Africa - How Democratic Failings Help Shape Military Takeovers - Study

[The Conversation Africa] Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and Gabon have all suffered regime change in the last five years, led by men in military uniform.

Watch Australian teens test out social media on first day of ban

Teenagers affected by Australia's under-16 social media ban showed the BBC what happened when they tried to access their accounts.

’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’: First Reactions

Nia DaCosta's sequel to Danny Boyle's '28 Years Later' opens in theaters on Jan. 16.

Aryan Khan’s Netflix Series ‘The Ba*ds of Bollywood’ Tops IMDb’s 2025 Most Popular Indian Shows (EXCLUSIVE)

IMDb has unveiled its annual ranking of the most popular Indian series of 2025, with Aryan Khan’s “The Ba***ds of Bollywood” claiming the top spot among global viewers. The rankings are determined by page views from IMDb’s more than 250 million monthly visitors worldwide and

English kindergartens in South Korea face ban on entrance exams

This public backlash against private English academies that administered entrance assessments to children below school age.

South Korea’s President calls for probe into links between religious group and politics

Some politicians have said that his comments appeared to be directed at the Unification Church.

South Korea's Lee calls for probe into links between religious group and politics

SEOUL, Dec 10 - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for an investigation into the suspected illegal links between a religious group and politicians, Lee's office said on ‍Wednesday.

Australian mum of late teen says social media ban ‘bittersweet’

Her son took his life after being bullied online and seeing posts that fuelled an eating disorder.

‘Even the animals seem confused’: a retreating Kashmir glacier is creating an entire new world in its wake

Kolahoi is one of many glaciers whose decline is disrupting whole ecosystems – water, wildlife and human life that it has supported for centuries From the slopes above Pahalgam, the Kolahoi glacier is visible as a thinning, rumpled ribbon of ice stretching across the western

Sanders concerned ACA subsidies will not be extended before New Year: 'It's a tragedy'

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed concern that Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies will not be extended before the end of this year. “It’s a tragedy,” Sanders told host Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s “The Source.” The Vermont progressive added that Americans “are not prepared”

US National Retreat Strategy leaves Asia to manage consequences

The Donald Trump administration’s much-awaited National Security Strategy (NSS) landed last week with an audible thud. The somewhat truncated document is an odd combination of social media-style triumphalism and an effort to lay a strategic veneer on the administration’s often

Cambodia orders withdrawal of athletes from SEA Games in Thailand over safety fears

The 137-member Cambodian sports delegation had attended the Games' opening ceremony a day ago.

Strong tremors, tsunami warnings remind residents of 2011 East Japan earthquake

Nearly 20,000 people died in the 2011 disaster, when a 9-magnitude tremor struck under the ocean.

Cambodia pulls out of 33rd SEA Games amid border conflict with Thailand, citing safety reasons

"This decision was not made lightly," says the secretary-general of the committee of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, pioneering elephant conservationist, dies aged 83

His groundbreaking field research was instrumental in banning the international ivory trade and protecting elephants from poachers.

Chaos in Brazil Congress during push to cut Bolsonaro's sentence

Scuffles broke out during a vote linked to attempts to reduce the former president's jail term.

Oil-rich UAE turns to AI to grease economy

Deep in the Abu Dhabi desert, a vast AI campus a quarter the size of Paris is starting to emerge, the oil-rich UAE's boldest bet yet on technology it hopes will help transform its economy. Towering cranes clank as long, low buildings take shape below, the eventual home of data

‘The Elysian Field,’ ‘If on a Winter’s Night’ Among Kerala Festival’s International Competition Lineup

The International Film Festival of Kerala has unveiled a 14-title international competition lineup that stretches from India’s Khasi Hills to Latin America, East Asia and the Middle East, anchoring the 30th edition of the festival in Thiruvananthapuram from Dec. 12–19.

US backs Japan in dispute with China over radar incident

Australia has banned social media for kids under 16. How does it work?

Companies that breach the law face fines of up to A$49.5 million.

Trump says he will call Thailand, Cambodia to stop renewed conflict

US has called on both sides to immediately end hostilities.

Democrat flips Georgia state House seat in district Trump won

Democrats on Tuesday flipped a state House seat in a red-leaning district in Georgia, delivering the party another notable win heading into next year's midterms. Democrat Eric Gisler was projected to defeat Republican Mack Guest IV in the special election in Georgia's House

World watches first teen social media ban start in Australia

Policymakers in Indonesia, Denmark, Brazil and other nations are moving to rein in Big Tech.

Trump touts upbeat message on economy as Americans feel the pinch

The president says he is focused on "making America affordable again", as cost of living becomes a campaign issue.