In other news

A recent study on the stability of gender identities in younger children found that one in five children who switch their gender later change their minds. The research, led by Kristina Olson, examined children who had socially transitioned, or lived as a different gender without medical intervention. The study's findings challenge the notion that trans children have a fixed understanding of their gender identity. The article discusses the implications of the study's results and the ongoing debate surrounding the social transition of minors.

The article discusses the challenges faced by exceptionally talented individuals, like Ervin Macic, a 19-year-old Bosnian prodigy who won medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad but couldn't afford to attend the University of Oxford due to high fees. Instead, he attended the University of Sarajevo. The article highlights the importance of nurturing human talent in an age of artificial intelligence.

Rail travel in the United States is experiencing a surge in popularity, with Amtrak, the national railway firm, playing a significant role. The introduction of new, high-quality trains like the 'next-gen' Acela service between Boston and Washington, DC, has contributed to this growth. Amtrak's effective use of social media platforms like TikTok has also helped attract more riders. The article highlights how Amtrak's modern trains and engaging online presence are changing the perception of rail travel in America, making it more appealing and comparable to European standards.

The Trump administration has reached an agreement with Columbia University to treat all students equally on campus, regardless of characteristics such as race. The agreement prohibits the university from providing benefits or advantages to individuals based on protected characteristics. This move is seen as a significant development in the ongoing debate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on college campuses.

The article discusses how former President Donald Trump is wrong about the painkiller Tylenol (acetaminophen) being linked to autism and ADHD in children. Scientists have found no conclusive evidence to support this claim, and Trump's assertion that the drug is dangerous for children and has few real benefits is incorrect. The article highlights that the scientific community has not reached a firm conclusion on the link between Tylenol and autism/ADHD, and that Trump's statement is not supported by evidence.

The article discusses the 2025 Ryder Cup, a golf tournament between Europe and America, and what it reveals about golf in America. The event is expected to draw large crowds and highlights the changing demographics of golfers and the increasing ownership of golf courses by local governments. The article touches on the sport's growing popularity and its cultural significance.

The article discusses the potential consequences of a trade war and the role of the next U.S. president in shaping the global trading system after Donald Trump's term ends. It highlights the possibility of reversing the tariff increases imposed during Trump's presidency and returning to a lower tariff rate. The article questions whether an all-out trade war would be beneficial and notes that Trump's successor will have a significant impact on the global trading system.

Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp in Texas, plans to partially reopen next summer, a year after a devastating flood killed 27 campers and counselors. The camp's owners announced that the area along the Guadalupe River that was destroyed by the floodwaters will not reopen, but another part of the camp that wasn't damaged will resume welcoming campers. The flood, which occurred on the Fourth of July, killed at least 136 people and raised questions about the camp's safety measures and preparedness. In response to the tragedy, Texas lawmakers have passed tougher camp safety laws, including requirements for emergency plans, worker training, and warning systems. The camp's owners have also announced plans to build a memorial to those killed in the flooding.

The US Semiquincentennial Commission, responsible for planning the United States' 250th birthday celebrations, has fired its executive director Ari Abergel due to 'breaches of authority and trust.' Abergel, appointed by the Trump administration, is accused of initiating a security breach of a Commission social media account and engaging in unauthorized actions. Abergel disputes the reason for his firing, claiming it was due to a post on America250's Instagram account. The firing occurs amid concerns about the lack of resources for state and local events and the Trump administration's own plans for the 250th anniversary.

French President Emmanuel Macron was stranded on a sidewalk in New York due to President Donald Trump's motorcade blocking the street, prompting Macron to call Trump. The article reports on this incident and provides additional information on various news stories involving Trump, including his speech at the United Nations where he called climate change a 'scam', and his recent appearance at Charlie Kirk's memorial service with Elon Musk. Other news stories mentioned include Typhoon Ragasa hitting Hong Kong, Britain and other countries recognizing Palestine as a state, and protests in the Philippines.

The article discusses a technical issue that occurred during President Trump's visit to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where an escalator stalled as he was getting on it. The incident was attributed to a 'built-in safety mechanism' being triggered, possibly by someone brushing against it. The article also includes various other news snippets and videos unrelated to the main incident.

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel delivered a passionate monologue on his show, defending free speech against what he termed "anti-American" attacks, referencing Charlie Kirk in the process. The monologue was reported by CNN Entertainment among various other news and entertainment updates.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with a bipartisan US House delegation led by Adam Smith, describing their visit as an 'ice-breaking journey' that could improve bilateral relations. Wang emphasized that China and the US are 'partners' rather than 'rivals' or 'enemies' and urged Washington to uphold its commitments regarding Taiwan. The meeting was seen as a positive step in US-China diplomacy after a period of tension.

A massive 50 metre-deep sinkhole opened in front of the Vajira Hospital in Bangkok's historic old town, swallowing cars and electricity poles. The collapse was linked to the construction of a nearby underground railway station and prompted evacuations and road closures. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt assessed the situation and stated that the road subsidence occurred above the joint between the tunnel for the dual-track train line and a planned new station. Authorities are working to plug the hole and assess the damage, with concerns that further collapse could occur.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has proposed a 'realistic' peace plan for the Korean peninsula, suggesting that exchanges and trust-building should take precedence over immediate denuclearization. This approach differs from the traditional stance held by Seoul and Washington, which requires North Korea to denuclearize before engaging in diplomatic exchanges. Lee's proposal comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to meet US President Donald Trump again, provided the US drops its denuclearization demands. Analysts see Lee's initiative as a departure from the long-standing position on denuclearization.

Malaysian-born chemist Tiow-Gan Ong has left Taiwan to join the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen after nearly two decades of research and teaching in Taiwan. Ong was a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica and held joint appointments at National Taiwan University, the University of Malaya, and the University of Central Florida. He had previously expressed concern about talent outflow in Taiwan, hoping that talent would stay. The move comes as a significant development in the academic career of a renowned chemist.

US fund manager Cathie Wood's Ark Investment Management has bought US$16.3 million worth of Alibaba Group Holding's shares, marking its first investment in the Chinese e-commerce giant in four years. The investment is seen as a vote of confidence in Alibaba's focus on artificial intelligence and on-demand services. Alibaba's shares gained 6.4% in Hong Kong and are trading near a four-year high in New York. The company's CEO, Eddie Wu Yongming, announced plans to boost capital expenditures on AI infrastructure and build its cloud unit into a leading AI service provider.

The Eswatini government has repatriated Orville Isaac Etoria, a 62-year-old Jamaican man deported from the US, to Jamaica. Etoria was among five individuals expelled to Eswatini under President Donald Trump's immigration rules in July and held in solitary confinement. The Legal Aid Society of New York condemned his treatment, stating that Etoria had lawful permanent resident status in the US for decades and had 'transformed his life' after serving a 25-year prison sentence. The Eswatini government has said it is working to repatriate the remaining four deportees. The deportation was criticized by activists and rights groups, who argued that it was 'unconstitutional' and that the government had acted without parliamentary approval.

More than 80 buffaloes have died in Namibia after falling off a cliff into the Chobe River while being chased by lions from neighbouring Botswana. The incident occurred when a herd of buffaloes, fleeing from lions in Chobe National Park, crossed into Namibia and stampeded into the river, resulting in a large number of deaths. The carcasses are to be distributed to local communities. This is not an isolated incident, as hundreds of buffaloes have died in similar circumstances in the past, including around 400 in 2018.

The US Secret Service has disrupted a network of telecommunications devices that could have shut down cellular systems in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly. The agency found over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards that could have been used for telecom attacks. The scheme was described as 'well-organised and well-funded' and involved nation-state threat actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement. The devices were seized from SIM farms at abandoned apartment buildings across multiple sites. The discovery followed an investigation into anonymous 'telephonic threats' directed at three US government officials.

Glenn Gary Cameron, a 61-year-old man known as Sydney's 'Night Stalker' and 'Moore Park Rapist', has pleaded guilty to multiple sexual assaults on women in Sydney during the early 1990s. Cameron was arrested at Sydney International Airport last February after detectives reviewed the unsolved cases using modern DNA and fingerprint technologies. He admitted to more than a dozen charges, including 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault using a weapon as a threat, for attacks on eight women between 1991 and 1993. Cameron is due to be sentenced next month. The victims were mainly Asian women, aged 17 to 45, who were targeted near train stations and tricked with fake job offers before being attacked at knifepoint.

An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed four members of a Lebanese family, including three children and their father, a car dealer with U.S. ties. The family was driving home after lunch when the strike occurred. The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike, claiming it was targeting a Hezbollah militant. The family had no affiliation with Hezbollah and thought they were safe. The strike was condemned by the European Union, and the incident has raised concerns about the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pardoned Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a prominent British-Egyptian activist who has been imprisoned for most of the past decade. Abdel-Fattah was involved in the 2011 uprising and has been a prominent political prisoner in Egypt. The pardon comes after repeated calls for his release from the United Nations and the British government. Abdel-Fattah had been on hunger strike since September, and his mother had recently ended a 10-month hunger strike demanding his release. The pardon is seen as a significant development in Abdel-Fattah's case, and comes after a Cairo criminal court removed him from Egypt's terrorism list.

Scientists have discovered a new dinosaur species, Joaquinraptor casali, in Argentina, which belongs to the mysterious group of megaraptorans. The dinosaur was approximately 23 feet long and had powerful claws, with evidence suggesting it was feeding on an ancient crocodile bone. The discovery provides significant insights into the evolutionary timeline and hunting habits of megaraptorans, showing that they developed different adaptations to be top predators during the Cretaceous period.

A young male moose named Emil was captured in Austria after roaming across central Europe and was released near the Czech Sumava national park. Emil gained international attention on social media, but his capture and release sparked criticism from animal welfare organizations, who argued that the government's actions lacked transparency and highlighted the need for better wildlife protection. The moose was tranquilized, fitted with a GPS tag, and released, but his fate remains uncertain. The incident has reignited the debate on the treatment of wild animals in Austria and led to a petition to improve wildlife protection in the region.

A German shop owner in Flensburg posted a sign banning Jews from his store, sparking widespread outrage among state officials in Schleswig-Holstein. The owner, Hans-Velten Reisch, defended his actions, citing Israel's actions in Gaza. State officials, including Minister of Culture Dorit Stenke and antisemitism commissioner Gerhard Ulrich, condemned Reisch's sign as antisemitic and launched an investigation. Reisch faces multiple criminal complaints for incitement of hatred. The incident highlights the growing antisemitism in Schleswig-Holstein, with 588 antisemitic incidents documented in 2024, a 390% increase from 2023.

An elderly British couple, Barbie and Peter Reynolds, were released by the Taliban after eight months in captivity and arrived in Qatar on Friday. The couple, who had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and ran an education charity, were met by relatives, including their daughter, upon their arrival. The release followed months of negotiations between Qatar, the Taliban, and Britain. The couple's family expressed gratitude to the Qatari and British governments for their role in securing their release. The Taliban claimed that the couple had broken Afghan laws, but did not provide details. The release was seen as a positive outcome of international cooperation and diplomacy.

The UK, Canada, and Australia have recognized Palestine as a state, despite opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an effort to revive the hope of peace for Palestinians and Israelis through a two-state solution. The move is seen as a coordinated international effort to build momentum for peace, with the three countries emphasizing that the recognition is not a reward for Hamas. Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution, stating that a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.

The article discusses the potential candidates to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler, a long-time Democratic representative from New York, and argues that the pool of candidates reflects the party's decline. The likely candidates, including Jack Schlossberg, Micah Lasher, Chelsea Clinton, Cynthia Nixon, and Liam Elkind, are characterized as 'hard-lefties, nepo babies, cranks and/or hacks.' The author criticizes these individuals for their lack of authenticity, opportunism, and extreme liberal views, suggesting that they embody the problems facing the Democratic Party in New York City.

The daughter of Ryan Routh, a 59-year-old man convicted of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, stormed out of the courtroom after the guilty verdict, cursing at the press and making threats. Routh was found guilty of five criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. During the courtroom drama, Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen before being restrained by US Marshals. His daughter, Sara Routh, was emotional and defiant, shouting at the media and making threats. She was eventually ushered into a car by her brother, Adam Routh, and they drove off.

The article discusses Zohran Mamdani, a 2025 NYC Mayoral candidate, and his stance on legalizing prostitution. Mamdani has been accused of trying to hide his support for decriminalizing prostitution, which is part of a larger agenda that includes ending cash bail, defunding the NYPD, and closing Rikers jail. The article argues that decriminalizing prostitution will lead to an increase in the sex trade and that most prostitutes are coerced or trafficked into the industry. Mamdani's campaign is accused of avoiding questions on the topic and trying to distract voters from his true stance.

The article discusses the last generation of people who experienced the India-Pakistan Partition in 1947 and their memories of their ancestral homes. The Partition resulted in one of the largest mass migrations in human history, with over 15 million people displaced and at least one million killed. The article highlights the stories of two individuals, Vikram Kalra and Reena Varma, who were forced to flee their homes in Lahore and Rawalpindi, respectively, and have been unable to return. The article also touches on the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly over Kashmir, and how it has affected the lives of people who were displaced during the Partition.

The article discusses the resurgence of train travel in Malaysia, particularly with the Komuter Utara service launched in 2015. The service has benefited many Malaysians, including workers like Nuhairi Ismail who commute to Penang’s industrial parks from rural areas. The article highlights the scenic routes, such as the Jungle Railway, and the importance of train travel for both commuters and leisure travellers. It also mentions the upcoming developments in Malaysia’s rail infrastructure, including the East Coast Rail Link and the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link.

Japanese equities continue to break records, driven by foreign investor inflows and governance reforms. Despite risks such as political instability and potential yen spikes, analysts believe the momentum is supported by solid foundations and has further room to run. The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes have reached fresh highs, fueled by a US-Japan trade deal and improving domestic consumption. Analysts see opportunities for further growth, particularly in smaller and medium-sized firms, and expect a new wave of activism targeting conglomerates with loss-making units.

Acclaimed Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, known for her roles in films such as The Pink Panther and Once Upon A Time In The West, has died at the age of 87. Cardinale, who starred in over 100 films and TV productions, passed away in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children. Born in Tunisia to Sicilian parents, Cardinale's acting career was launched after winning a beauty contest at 17. She gained international fame with roles in Federico Fellini's 8-1/2 and The Leopard in 1963. Cardinale considered her 1966 film The Professionals as the best of her Hollywood roles. Throughout her career, she worked with renowned directors and was named a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for women's rights in 2000.

During President Trump's visit to the United Nations, an escalator malfunctioned when he stepped on it, prompting false claims of sabotage on social media. The U.N. explained that a safety mechanism was likely triggered, possibly by a White House videographer. The incident was met with amusement by many online, but the Trump administration called for an investigation and potential retribution.

A new generation of young musicians is revitalizing Cuba's music scene, filling a void left by established performers who have emigrated or stayed abroad due to the island's dire economic crisis. The rise of these young musicians is fueled by the opening of small, private venues and the spread of internet access, which they use for promotion. The Abreu brothers, aged 19 and 17, are among the talented young musicians who are confidently performing traditional jazz in concert halls in downtown Havana.