Wu Yiquan: the Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball court

Representational image A pet groomer in North Carolina has been arrested after disturbing videos surfaced showing her punching and slamming dogs during grooming sessions. Kirsten Rhea Taylor, 28, was taken into custody on Thursday in Mooresville and charged with four counts of felony animal cruelty, reported New York Post. Authorities identified her as the employee seen in videos recorded at Classy Critters, a local pet grooming business. The footage was captured by a co-worker and posted to Facebook, sparking public outrage and prompting an immediate investigation by Iredell County Animal Services. The videos reportedly show Taylor hitting dogs multiple times and roughly handling them, including slamming one frightened dog against a wall. At least four client-owned dogs were seen being treated aggressively, police said. Due to the serious nature of the allegations, the case was handed over to the sheriff’s office, which later issued arrest warrants. The owner of Classy Critters confir..

An Indian-origin employee working in the Illinois department of transportation was stopped and questioned about his immigration status while working on a Park Ridge construction project on Friday, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The employee was also asked about incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to Governor JB Pritzker’s office, which said the incident raised concerns over racial profiling.The employee was a US citizen working on the Busse Highway resurfacing project when three masked agents reportedly approached him. They questioned him about his immigration status, whether he had travelled to New York, and if he was aware of Mamdani’s mayoral election, before leaving the site.Governor Pritzker condemned the federal action, calling it an example of authorities questioning US citizens “apparently based on the colour of their skin.”“I am appalled they would stop and question a state employee working hard on the job to help improve our state’s roads and infrastru..

AdvertisementClimate changeOpinionWorld OpinionKalinga SeneviratneOpinion | World Court’s ruling opens the door wider for climate justiceThe court’s decision could result in legal action against countries that fail to honour their climate commitments
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPKalinga SeneviratnePublished: 5:30am, 29 Jul 2025In a unanimous decision, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from climate change could amount to breaches of international law. The court’s non-binding ruling, which says that countries must comply with climate treaties, has been hailed as a great victory for youth activism from small island nations facing the brunt of the climate crisis.AdvertisementThe triumph at the ICJ is the culmination of a unique university project started by a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific’s law s..