92 m. ago Banksy mural of judge beating protester to be removed from outside London court

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts, authorities said on Monday. The mural appeared on Monday and depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned...

Events

1 hour ago French PM Bayrou loses confidence vote, toppling his government

France’s parliament voted on Monday to bring down the government over its plans to tame the ballooning national debt, deepening a political crisis and handing President Emmanuel Macron the task of finding a fifth prime minister in less than two years. Francois Bayrou, 74, took office as prime minister only nine months ago. He will tender his resignation on Tuesday, his office said, leaving Macron to face a narrowing set of options, with financial markets signalling worry at France’s political...

Politics

2 h. ago Trump loses appeal, must pay E. Jean Carroll US$83.3 million in defamation case

A federal appeal court on Monday upheld a civil jury’s finding that US President Donald Trump must pay US $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for his repeated social media attacks against the long-time agony aunt after she accused him of sexual assault. A three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s appeal of the defamation award, finding that the “jury’s damages awards are fair and reasonable”. Trump had argued the damages were unreasonably excessive and pushed for a...

Economics

4 h. ago Hong Kong officials ‘could have provided better guidance to failed balloon event’

Hong Kong authorities could have provided better guidance to the organiser of a HK$30 million (US$3.85 million) botched hot-air balloon festival, lawmakers have said, even as the government stressed it had already offered professional advice. Lawmakers Doreen Kong Yuk-foon and Michael Tien Puk-sun said on Monday that the government should be more proactive when dealing with high-risk or special events and could conduct reviews for activities held in public venues. “I hope the government can...

Politics

4 h. ago China and Russia increasingly working ‘in tandem’ to undermine faith in governance, top Finnish official claims

China and Russia increasingly working ‘in tandem’ to undermine faith in governance, top Finnish official claims  The Guardian

Politics

5 h. ago Spain, Israel ties hit new low after Madrid moves ‘to stop Gaza genocide’

Israel on Monday accused Spain of antisemitism and barred two government ministers from entry after Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez announced measures aimed at stopping what he called “the genocide in Gaza”. The spat marks a new low in relations over the devastating Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory, launched after an unprecedented Hamas attack in Israel in 2023. Sanchez, one of the most virulent critics of Israel’s military campaign, said the nine measures aimed to “stop the genocide...

Politics

7 h. ago Hong Kong schools required to give reasons for opting out of flu jab scheme

Hong Kong authorities aim to boost the flu vaccine coverage rate for the coming year by requiring schools to provide reasons for formally opting out of an outreach programme and procure jabs for some family doctors to ensure a steady supply. The Department of Health on Monday unveiled the government’s plan to encourage more people to get flu jabs, with the latest seasonal vaccination programme to start on September 25. Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, noted...

Politics

7 h. ago EU lobby groups warn of “serious damage” from China’s pork duties

EU lobby groups warn of “serious damage” from China’s pork duties  Global Food Industry News

Events

7 h. ago UN human rights chief slams Israel’s ‘mass killing’ of Palestinians in Gaza

The United Nations human rights chief condemned Israel on Monday for its “mass killing” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and “hindering of sufficient life-saving aid”, saying the country had a case to answer before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Volker Turk, who heads the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stopped short of describing the Gaza war as an unfolding genocide, as hundreds of UN staff had urged him to do. But in his opening address to...

Politics

10 h. ago Korean mother accused of suitcase murders stands trial in New Zealand

A woman accused of killing her two young children and hiding their bodies in suitcases stood trial in New Zealand on Monday, in a case that has transfixed the country since the remains were discovered in 2022. Lee Hak-yung, 44, appeared at the Auckland High Court. A Korean-born New Zealander, she is accused of killing her children – six-year-old Minu-jo and eight-year-old Yuna-jo – in 2018, shortly after the death of her husband from cancer. The children’s remains lay undiscovered for years...

Events

10 h. ago China's top court reiterates importance of fair market competition

China's top court reiterates importance of fair market competition  chinadailyasia.com

Events

13 h. ago Tokyo maps out new disaster plan for an ‘inevitable’ Mount Fuji eruption

As Mount Fuji looms tranquilly over Tokyo’s skyline, city officials are racing to prepare for a disaster that has not struck in more than three centuries – but could happen “at any time”. For the first time, authorities in Japan’s capital have mapped out exactly how they would evacuate millions if the dormant volcano awakens, in an overhaul of the city’s disaster playbook. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s new volcano disaster prevention plan outlines which roads will be cleared first and...

Events

13 h. ago Armless Chinese man delivers food on unicycle, uses lips on phone to call customers

A man in central China without arms delivers food on a unicycle and uses his lips to navigate his phone to call customers. What is more, after work at night he sets up a stall to sell calligraphy written with his feet to support his family. Inspirational Li Xiangyang, 30, from Hunan province, was born into a poor rural family and now lives with his wife and their two children. He lost both his arms when he was accidentally electrocuted at the age of four, a tragedy that also plunged his family...

Society

14 h. ago Thailand’s Thaksin in Singapore in preparation to return to Bangkok

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is scheduled to return to Bangkok on Monday, days after his abrupt departure for Dubai stoked speculation about him fleeing the country ahead of a court ruling that could see him jailed. Thaksin, 76, arrived in Singapore in his private jet early on Monday and will travel to the Thai capital later in the day, according to a person familiar with his plans who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Several Thai media outlets...

Politics

14 h. ago ‘Drowning in money’: Filipinos seethe over ‘stolen’ flood control funds

Mud splattered across gates. Walls daubed with “thief” and “corrupt”. In the Philippines, anger over the misuse of funds set aside for flood control projects has found its target: the properties of contractors accused of siphoning off billions and the offices of government agencies. After rallying outside the Department of Public Works and Highways and pelting it with waste water-filled balloons and rotten fruit on Thursday, protesters descended on the House of Representatives the day afterwards...

Events

18 h. ago Australia’s mushroom murderer sentenced to life in jail, no parole for 33 years

An Australian woman convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal containing poisonous mushrooms was sentenced to a minimum of 33 years in prison on Monday. The presiding judge said Erin Patterson’s use of individual portions of beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to poison her in-laws over lunch had a “devastating” impact on the relatives of the deceased. Patterson was found guilty in July of killing her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson,...

Events

20 h. ago Israel is not giving Palestinian prisoners enough food, Supreme Court rules

Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday ruled that the government has failed to provide Palestinian security prisoners with adequate food for basic subsistence and ordered authorities to improve their nutrition. The decision was a rare case in which the country’s highest court ruled against the government’s conduct during the nearly two-year war. Since the war began, Israel has seized thousands of people in Gaza that it suspects of links to Hamas. Thousands have also been released without charge, often...

Events

20 h. ago Israeli court says government not giving Palestinian prisoners enough food

In a highly rare exercise of wartime legal restraint, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Sunday that the Israeli government has deprived Palestinian detainees of even a minimum subsistence diet and ordered authorities to increase the amount and improve the quality of food served to deprived Palestinian inmates. Although it is the job of the Supreme Court to advise the government of the legality of its policies, the Israeli judiciary has seldom taken issue with its actions in the 23-month war...

Events

26 h. ago US investigating malware email targeting trade talks with China: reports

US authorities are investigating a bogus email from a Republican lawmaker that contained malware apparently aimed at giving China insights into the Trump administration’s trade talks with Beijing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The malware in the email purportedly sent by congressman John Moolenaar in July to US trade groups, law firms and government agencies was traced by cyber analysts to a hacker group - APT41 - believed to be working for Chinese intelligence, the newspaper...

Events

26 h. ago US investigating malware email targeting trade talks with China: report

US authorities are investigating a bogus email from a Republican lawmaker that contained malware apparently aimed at giving China insights into the Trump administration’s trade talks with Beijing, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The malware in the email purportedly sent by congressman John Moolenaar in July to US trade groups, law firms and government agencies was traced by cyber analysts to a hacker group – APT41 – believed to be working for Chinese intelligence, the newspaper...

Events