Claw machine arcades have proliferated across Hong Kong, surpassing 2,500 shops and filling post-pandemic vacancies. While popular for stress relief and collectibles, rising consumer complaints and government concerns over addiction have led to proposed regulations.
India's traditional middle-class ambition focused on engineering and medicine is evolving. A new generation seeks meaningful work aligned with personal interests, driven by AI, digital businesses, and startups. While traditional fields remain respected, skills, adaptability, and impact are increasingly valued over degrees.
As MiCA rules take effect July 1, EU-approved crypto exchanges like Coinbase and OKX are offering incentives to attract users from companies like Binance and Bybit Global, which are restricting services in the EEA due to license issues. Bybit is simultaneously expanding its business in the Middle East and North Africa.
The 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes celebrated innovative journalism, with Matilda Boseley winning the young journalist award for her Parliament-Tea series. Riley Walter was named Young Australian Journalist of the Year, also winning for short-form and specialist reporting on a $150m NAB fraud investigation. Other winners included ABC teams for reporting on women's leadership, violence against women, and science.
Pauline Hanson addresses her new MP's comments on immigration and Indigenous flags. The Albanese government offers concessions on capital gains tax changes. Iran plans maritime fees in the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine drones strike Moscow, and Lionel Messi's family requests "humanity" amid health reports.
Guardian Australia's Matilda Boseley won for innovative storytelling, while The Sydney Morning Herald's Riley Walter was named Young Australian Journalist of the Year at the 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes. Other winners included ABC teams for women's leadership and reporting on violence against women.
TikTok's 'Surprise Sets' feature, where users bid on items in live auctions, is facing backlash for allegedly misleading customers with high-value item lures that often result in winning cheap plushies or chargers. Following viewer complaints and WIRED's inquiry, TikTok updated its policies to ban high-value items like iPhones and gift cards from these auctions.
Hong Kong consumer watchdog reports a 760% surge in complaints against claw machine operators over three years due to misleading displays, rigged settings, and low-quality prizes. One case involved a complainant spending HK$200 on a machine where empty boxes were presented as containing toys.
Lotofácil contest 3700 did not accumulate, with 3 winning bets of 15 correct numbers each receiving R$ 2,629,360.29. Prizes were also awarded for 11, 12, 13, and 14 correct numbers. The next draw is on Tuesday.
Arsenal's penalty shootout loss in Budapest is analyzed as a failure of strategy and mindset, not just luck. The article questions if this is the peak of the Arteta era, highlighting the fine margins in football and the resource advantages of rivals.
South Korea's Yeoju Ceramic Festival apologizes for giving 'Made in China' miniature moon jars as prizes, contradicting its mission to promote local artisans.
Tulsi Gabbard's controversial tenure as Director of National Intelligence under President Trump, marked by her integrity and fact-based approach, concluded with her resignation. Her confirmation faced scrutiny over her past statements on Russia and Ukraine, but she was ultimately sworn in. As DNI, she initiated transparency efforts and investigations into biological labs abroad, but clashed with Trump over his views on Iran, leading to her departure.
A critic reviews the Cannes Film Festival's top prizes, expressing skepticism about the Palme d'Or winner 'Fjord' and mixed feelings about other selections, while highlighting "Minotaur" and "Fatherland" as standouts.
WADA expresses concern that the upcoming Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, which allows banned drug use, could tempt young people into using performance-enhancing drugs. Organizers claim safety under medical supervision, but WADA warns of serious health risks.
The Enhanced Games, starting May 24 in Las Vegas, allow athletes to use FDA-approved pharmaceuticals ordinarily banned in sports. Critics call it a dangerous "circus," while organizers claim transparency and safety. The event offers substantial cash prizes for performance and record-breaking.
Arsenal's Women's Super League title drought continues as Manchester City claim the 2025-26 championship, with Arsenal's slow start, fixture congestion, and squad fatigue cited as key factors.
Arsenal's failure to win the WSL title despite only one league loss is attributed to a slow start, fixture congestion from multiple competitions, and Manchester City's superior performance throughout the season.
The lure of luxury prizes is leading people to addiction, gambling support organisations warn.
Self-custody wallet by Chainwith opens two-week user activation across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Aptos, with prizes starting at $100.
700 riders will be in initial testing pool for weekly raceTesting is part of wider programme of integrity measuresFirst came the boom in virtual cycling, with thousands of people from across the globe competing against each other. Then came cash prizes. Now one major online platform has taken the next logical step by launching anti-doping testing for e-racers.MyWhoosh, which hosts the UCI Esports World Championships, has told the Guardian that the top riders in its weekly Sunday Race Club competition will now face random drug tests after they compete. Continue reading...
The operation of claw and pinball machines could be regulated by capping fees and prize values as a first step to curb addiction to automated games, lawmakers have said, while also warning of “deceptive” designs that make winning impossible. While calling for a balance between user protection and industry development, two legislators said the caps could follow the existing Gambling Ordinance, under which premises with an Amusements with Prizes Licence cannot charge more than HK$5 per game and...
Coverage of the Trump administration dominated the Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday as the prize committee unleashed a searing attack on US President Donald Trump’s attempts to limit freedom of reporting. “We stand for civil discourse and against censorship,” said Pulitzer Administrator Marjorie Miller ahead of the announcements, which honoured coverage of Trump’s immigration crackdown and his enrichment of his allies. “Unfortunately, this bears repeating now, as media access to the White...
Chinese filmmaker Chloe Zhao, whose films from Nomadland to Hamnet have become awards-season favourites, will join the jury for the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off next week, organisers announced on Monday. The film extravaganza on the French Riviera, one of the world’s most important annual cinema events, hands out a host of prizes, including the prestigious Palme d’Or for best film, decided by a nine-person jury. American actress Demi Moore, still riding high from the late-career boost...
Hong Kong's Home and Youth Affairs Bureau has proposed amending gambling laws to require individual licences for each claw machine and amusement game with prizes, aiming to prevent addiction. The bureau also called for a mandatory licensing regime for internet cafes, replacing the current voluntary code of practice. The proposal follows a surge in claw and pinball machines across the city, sparking public concern over gambling-linked addiction risks.
