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AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyElderly woman allegedly pressured into spending HK$100,000 on beauty productsCustoms launches investigation after woman claims 88-year-old mum left exhausted and confused with huge bill from company already under scrutiny
3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenConnor MycroftPublished: 10:34pm, 22 Aug 2026Updated: 10:42pm, 22 Aug 2026Hong Kong customs is investigating whether an 88-year-old was pressured into spending HK$100,000 (US$12,750) on beauty products at an outlet linked to a company already accused of aggressive sales tactics.
In a social media post on Saturday, a woman surnamed Ng wrote that her mother was targeted during a three-hour ordeal in April at the Avinichi booth in the Wing On department store in Sheung Wan.
The allegations are the latest in a string of complaints over Hong Kong’s beauty product sector following a crackdown on the local operations of Opatra London.
In the post, Ng said that her mother visited the store in April. After th..

Caden Terence Pohlkamp (7th Grade, Brookside Intermediate School, Friendswood, TX) A Texas seventh-grader has built a remote-controlled underwater robot to test water quality in 12 suburban neighbourhood ponds, finding that artificial fountains can help create healthier aquatic ecosystems. Caden Terence Pohlkamp, a student at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Texas, designed and used the submersible device to measure environmental conditions at different depths. His research earned him a place among the national finalists in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, according to candidate profiles published by the Society for Science.Building an underwater probePohlkamp became interested in the project after noticing differences in water clarity and algae growth in suburban retention ponds near his home. He wanted to collect data below the water without using expensive commercial equipment. He built an underwater remotely operated vehicle with a waterproof body, moto..

Alamgir visited the graves of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former PM Khaleda Zia before the ceremony. He has been a close political ally of Khaleda Zia, the former BNP chief. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 23rd President on Friday, taking charge as the country’s head of state after defeating his lone rival in the first contested presidential election in 35 years.The 78-year-old veteran politician and longtime secretary general of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took the oath at Bangabhaban, the official office-cum-residence of the President, where Jatiya Sangsad Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal administered the oath at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Cabinet ministers, senior military officials and other dignitaries.Alamgir’s swearing-in came a day after he secured 255 votes against 88 for Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-..

Southeast Asian leaders have long insisted they will not be forced to pick sides in the great-power rivalry between the US and China. But their posture is about to be further tested.
This time, the battleground is AI. While Washington wants the region locked into Pax Silica – its bid to build a China-free artificial intelligence supply chain – Beijing wants its neighbours to join China’s own World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico).
Sources told the South China Morning Post…

AdvertisementCrimeWorldEuropeMan armed with sword injures several at Swedish high schoolThe incident comes a year after Sweden’s worst mass shooting, in which a gunman killed 10 before turning the ‌weapon on himself
1-MIN READ1-MIN ListenReutersPublished: 10:49pm, 21 Aug 2026Updated: 10:52pm, 21 Aug 2026A man armed ⁠with a sword injured several people at a Swedish high school on Friday and one person was later detained, local authorities said.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at the ‌Brinell high school, which has some 450 students aged 16 to 20, in the town of Fagersta in central Sweden.
“A call was received regarding a case of ongoing deadly violence at a school in Fagersta,” police said in a statement, adding that one ⁠person at the scene was later taken into custody. A police spokesperson said there was no longer any danger to the public.
Several other schools and public buildings in Fagersta had ‌been placed in lockdown after the sword attack took place. Citing ⁠unnamed s..