Why the lonely in China are hiring ‘temporary children’
In China’s cities, despite the huge crowds, or maybe because of them, residents can feel very isolated. Now, a new industry being dubbed the «loneliness economy» has emerged, with people hiring themselves out as companions to help the elderly. The…
South East Asia haze: What’s choking Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia?
It remains to be seen how effective governments can be in sanctioning offending companies. In 2014, Singapore passed the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act which allows the government to take action against local and foreign firms found to be contributing…
Watch: What we know about Russia’s overnight strikes on Ukraine
A key energy facility and a residential building in the outskirts of Kyiv have been hit by overnight Russian missile and drone strikes. In the capital, at least three people were killed and 21 injured, Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS said.…
Russian strikes leave 600,000 without power in Ukraine, Zelensky says
At least 600,000 people across Ukraine are now without electricity after deadly overnight Russian missile and drone strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He said «critical» energy infrastructure had been hit in Kyiv and the capital region and…
Paid companionship grows as loneliness rises in China
He gave an example of a young woman he once accompanied who felt ostracised at work. «She felt useless and wanted to prove something to herself,» he said. «We started climbing but it was a tough trek as the weather was really hot and we were sweating a…
Turkey police raid opposition TV, halting live broadcasts
Turkish police have raided the headquarters of a pro-opposition TV channel, halting its live broadcasts. Halk TV said its employees were unable to enter the building in Istanbul on Wednesday morning, and that a new manager had been appointed to run the…
Lena Dunham’s Girls returning for limited run at HBO
«I’ve missed these characters, but for a long time I couldn’t quite picture them in the present day,» she said. «Then, right around my 40th birthday, they started talking to me in the shower. And, as you may remember, once this fivesome…
Russia arrests Japanese journalist on alleged espionage
Russian authorities have charged a Japanese journalist for espionage, accusing him of gathering information related to Moscow’s defence capabilities for Tokyo. The journalist, identified as Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun, was detained in…
Pakistan has locked down Imran Khan’s stronghold – but it could backfire
But Pakistan has plenty to contend with. Militancy is rising. The country was ranked number one in the Global Terrorism Index 2026 as the country which had been affected most. The country is at loggerheads with two neighbours; it has repeatedly hit…
Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza denies using AI to write Caine Prize-winning story
Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his short story, which won this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing. His statement comes a week after he scooped the £10,000 ($13,000) award and a…