Beijing: A Chinese influencer, operating under the handle @qianyibaobei on Douyin, has been arrested for fabricating a heart-wrenching story about being a single father delivering food with his young daughter. The influencer, who amassed over 400,000 followers, claimed that the child's mother had abandoned them, using this narrative to garner sympathy and profit through live-stream sales.

Deir Al-Balah: An Israeli strike on a home sheltering displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip killed at least 19, Palestinian medical officials said Wednesday.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has suspended Prahlad Iyengar, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, until January 2026 following the publication of a pro-Palestine essay in a student magazine. This decision effectively terminates his five-year NSF fellowship and bars him from entering the campus.

Bangladesh has confirmed 88 incidents of communal violence targeting minorities, primarily Hindus, between August 5 and October 22, 2024. The disclosure came a day after India raised concerns over the safety of minorities during a meeting between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Bangladeshi leadership.

A father and son from Wuppertal, Germany, admitted guilt in court on Tuesday for attempting to blackmail the family of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher. The men, identified as Yilmaz T. and Daniel L., confessed to threatening the release of private images and videos of Schumacher and demanding €15 million from his family.

Sanjay Bhandari, a consultant in the defence sector wanted in India on alleged tax evasion and money laundering charges, began an appeal in the High Court in London on Tuesday against his extradition order.

South Korea's previous defence minister was stopped from attempting suicide while in detention over last week's martial law, officials said, as police were reported to be raiding President Yoon Suk Yeol's office Wednesday in their intensifying investigation.

Iran announced Tuesday that all governmental offices, universities, and schools in the province of Tehran will be closed for two days because of poor air quality, state TV reported.