Singapore fines French teen $465 for viral straw-licking stunt

A Singapore court has fined a French student S$600 ($465; £348) for licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back into its dispenser.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance.

Maximilien, who is studying in Singapore, posted the video of himself licking the straw on Instagram with the caption "city is not safe".

Many online reacted with disgust to his video, which was reposted on


Trump considering AI controls after OpenAI hacking incidents

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration is considering asserting more power over artificial intelligence (AI) tools after recent cybersecurity incidents.

Asked about OpenAI's tools being responsible for improperly breaching the private technology of other companies, Trump said: "We're looking at AI, we're looking at controls, we're also making sure that we lead."

It marks a change of tone for his administration, which has taken a more hands-off approach to the technology.

Trump's


Watch: Japanese mall explodes after magnitude 6.8 earthquake

Search teams are still looking for survivors in the partially collapsed Aeon shopping mall, which the operator told AFP had exploded after staff and customers had already evacuated.

A witness reported seeing an explosion and smoke at the shopping mall after the quake and said the second floor of the building collapsed.

The earthquake hit Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday.

Read more on this story here .


India's CJP protests: Why tech alone won't stop exam paper leaks

The leaks occurred at opposite ends of the exam process.

In 2024, the paper was allegedly leaked after printing, when sealed trunks were opened during transit to exam centres. Investigators said the breach was limited, involving about 40-50 people, and the Supreme Court ruled the exam's overall integrity remained intact, rejecting calls for a re-test.

In 2026, the leak allegedly happened before the paper left the NTA, with teachers accused of leaking it from within the


Worth $5m? Visitors react to renovated Washington horse statues

The Trump Administration has regilded the Arts of War statues near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC with 23.75-karat gold. The project cost $5.1m according to federal records.

The BBC asked people in Washington what they think of the renovation.

Video by Meiying Wu


Salman Rushdie attacker convicted of terror offenses

A US man who is already serving 25 years in prison for attempting to kill Sir Salman Rushdie has been convicted of additional charges, including providing material support to a terrorist group.

Hadi Matar was convicted in a New York federal court on Wednesday of providing assistance to Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed faction which is designated as a terrorist group by the US, UK and many other countries.

Prosecutors argued that Matar was motivated by a fatwa, a religious edict, issued by Iran's religious leader in 1989


The Chinese robot army transforming the UK's retail industry

The UK has struggled with weak productivity growth for more than a decade, and economists say wider adoption of robotics will be essential if businesses are to become more efficient.

In its 2026 report SME Technology Adoption in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said technologies like robotics would be key to improving productivity.

According to the OECD, Britain's low adoption of robotics is "surprising" given its manufacturing heritage, noting that while UK firms have embraced mature digital


Zendaya on working with Tom Holland in Spider-Man: ‘When you’re best friends it’s easy’

Hollywood power couple Tom Holland and Zendaya have been dominating red carpets all summer.

And the pair were back at it on Wednesday evening at the London premiere of their latest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with scores of fans turning out for a glimpse of two of the biggest young stars on the planet.

It's been a busy year for the couple, who recently got married and are also starring in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, The Odyssey .

But when asked by BBC News if she has


Saudi Arabia's dilemma as it tries to stay out of US-Iran war

In response, the Saudis pumped as much oil as they could – around five million barrels per day - through their east-west pipeline to their export terminal on the Red Sea, on their opposite coast, at Yanbu.

From there it was loaded onto tankers that headed south, out into the Arabian Sea and off to markets in Asia.

So far so good.

But on 13 July, the Saudis bombed Sanaa airport just outside the Yemeni capital. The strike was claimed by Yemen's Saudi-supported government


Fifa opens disciplinary proceedings against Argentina

Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Argentina over their behaviour after their World Cup final loss to Spain and throughout the tournament.

Last week , the world governing body appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened after the final whistle at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with multiple Argentina players and backroom staff involved in altercations with Spain players following their 1-0 loss in July.

On the recommendation of the prosecutor, Fifa will investigate Argentina players Nahuel Molina (two counts) and Leandro Paredes (three counts),