SINGAPORE
‘Star Wars’ lesbian kiss cut
A scene showing a lesbian kiss has been cut from the country’s version of the Star Wars film The Rise of Skywalker. Disney removed the clip to avoid the film being given a higher age rating, an Infocomm Media Development Authority spokesperson said. It is PG13, which means that parental guidance is advised for children under 13. Sex between men in the country is a crime that carries a penalty of up to two years in prison. The scene is the first same-sex kiss in the franchise’s history and was hailed as historic by some, but the fleeting moment was criticized as tokenism by those hoping for greater LGBT representation.
RUSSIA
‘Sovereign’ Internet tested
The government on Monday carried out tests to ensure the “security” of its Internet infrastructure in case of a foreign cyberattack, as part of measures that rights activists worry could also tighten censorship and lead to online isolation. A law that allows Internet traffic from international servers to be cut off came into force last month, but the government has denied that it aims to isolate the country’s segment of the Internet and said that ordinary users would not notice the tests. Authorities also tried to ensure the safety of mobile users, and whether it was possible to intercept traffic and text messages, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Alexei Sokolov said.
SPAIN
British dad, two kids drown
Three members of the same British family — the father and two children — were on Tuesday found dead in a swimming pool of a Costa del Sol resort where they were staying, local authorities said. Police arrived at the scene in Mijas in the early afternoon after receiving a telephone call and found the bodies of a 53-year-old man, a nine-year-old and a 16-year-old floating in the pool, they said on Twitter. Local media cited witnesses as saying that the father and the 16-year-old son had jumped in the water to save the daughter, who was drowning, but that they all ended up dead.
CHILE
Dozens of homes burned
The government on Tuesday declared an alert over a wildfire that had damaged dozens of homes on the outskirts of Valparaiso. News video showed large tongues of flames along the hills overlooking the city. People walked through smoke carrying bags and even pets. The National Forestry Commission said on Twitter that at least 100 hectares were burned by afternoon and people had been evacuated from the area. Firefighters from Valparaiso and Vina del Mar were being aided by helicopters and airplanes in battling the blaze.
UNITED STATES
Candidate used prison labor
Billionaire US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday said that his campaign had unknowingly used prison workers to make telephone calls on his behalf. Bloomberg, who last month entered the Democratic Party presidential primary to face President Donald Trump in next year’s election, said that the campaign had ended its relationship with a company that used prison labor for making telephone calls. “We are making sure our vendors more properly vet their subcontractors,” Bloomberg said. Ranked by Forbes as the eighth-richest American, Bloomberg has spent more on campaign ads in the last few weeks than his main Democratic rivals have all year.
An endangered baby pygmy hippopotamus that shot to social media stardom in Thailand has become a lucrative source of income for her home zoo, quadrupling its ticket sales, the institution said Thursday. Moo Deng, whose name in Thai means “bouncy pork,” has drawn tens of thousands of visitors to Khao Kheow Open Zoo this month. The two-month-old pygmy hippo went viral on TikTok and Instagram for her cheeky antics, inspiring merchandise, memes and even craft tutorials on how to make crocheted or cake-based Moo Dengs at home. A zoo spokesperson said that ticket sales from the start of September to Wednesday reached almost
TIGHTENING: Zhu Hengpeng, who worked for an influential think tank, has reportedly not been seen in public since making disparaging remarks on WeChat A leading Chinese economist at a government think tank has reportedly disappeared after being disciplined for criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in a private chat group. Zhu Hengpeng (朱恆鵬), 55, is believed to have made disparaging remarks about China’s economy, and potentially about the Chinese leader specifically, in a private WeChat group. Zhu was subsequently detained in April and put under investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported. Zhu worked for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) for more than 20 years, most recently as the Institute of Economics deputy director and director of the Public Policy Research Center. He
CHINESE ICBM: The missile landed near the EEZ of French Polynesia, much to the surprise and concern of the president, who sent a letter of protest to Beijing Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere called for “respect for our region” and a stop to missile tests in the Pacific Ocean, after China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Katonivere recalled the Pacific Ocean’s history as a nuclear weapons testing ground, and noted Wednesday’s rare launch by China of an ICBM. “There was a unilateral test firing of a ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. We urge respect for our region and call for cessation of such action,” he said. The ICBM, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched by the
As violence between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, Iran is walking a tightrope by supporting Hezbollah without being dragged into a full-blown conflict and playing into its enemy’s hands. With a focus on easing its isolation and reviving its battered economy, Iran is aware that war could complicate efforts to secure relief from crippling sanctions. Cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year, has intensified, especially after last week’s sabotage on Hezbollah’s communications that killed 39 people. Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon followed, killing hundreds. Hezbollah retaliated with rocket barrages. Despite the surge in
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