As we wind up the month of August, here are the top headlines in the world today.
China’s military is moving new troops to the Hong Kong garrison, but says there’s no reason for alarm
The rotation of fresh Chinese military troops to the Hong Kong garrison sparked widespread concern Thursday, demonstrating how on edge the city is ahead of a thirteenth consecutive weekend of anti-government protests.
Italy’s Giuseppe Conte returns to patch together a new Salvini-free government
Nine days after he resigned when Italy’s government collapsed, Giuseppe Conte has returned as Prime Minister to form a new one that will exclude hardline leader Matteo Salvini from power.
Homophobic banners stop top-flight soccer match in France
A top-flight soccer match in France was temporarily suspended on Wednesday after fans unfurled what appeared to be homophobic banners in the stands.
Spectacular Stromboli eruption sends people fleeing for cover
A spectacular explosion from an Italian (CNN) – volcano Wednesday sent locals and tourists running for cover to avoid a shower of rocks and ash. The eruption of Stromboli, on a small island off the coast of Sicily, sent a gigantic plume of smoke billowing into the sky.
Marriott, the world’s largest hotel chain, is eliminating travel-sized toiletries
Another leading hotel company is eliminating tiny toiletries from its rooms.
An Arctic shipwreck ‘frozen in time’ is revealing new details of a tragic 1845 expedition
(CNN) – Researchers in Canada have released new images of a remarkably well-preserved shipwreck that will shed new light on the ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition in which famed British explorer John Franklin died.
Race car driver Jessi Combs, known as the ‘fastest woman on four wheels,’ dies while trying to beat record
Race car driver Jessi Combs, who earned the title of the “fastest woman on four wheels” after she set a record with a jet-powered car, has died. She crashed the vehicle, officials said, while trying to beat a land speed record.
‘Shark Tank’ judge Kevin O’Leary on boat in collision that killed two
Entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, who is best known for his appearance in the hit TV show “Shark Tank,” was involved in a night time boating accident that left two people dead, his agent told CNN.
US sails warship near contested islands in South China Sea amid tensions with China
The US Navy sailed a warship within 12 nautical miles of two contested islands in the South China Sea Wednesday, part of what it calls a “freedom of navigation operation” (FONOP)
Here Are All The Ways Democrats Are Trying To Get Trump’s Tax Returns
Deutsche Bank revealed to a federal court this week that it may have copies of President Donald Trump’s tax returns that it could hand over to congressional Democrats in response to their subpoena. Whether the bank obeys the subpoena will be up to the U.S.
Matthew McConaughey Is Teaching At Texas, And People Are Suddenly Very Keen To Learn
Students at the University of Texas at Austin are no doubt eager to learn this fall semester, with Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey joining the faculty to teach a film course. Professor McConaughey will teach a Script to Screen film production class at the Moody College of Communication, a class he previously co-taught as a guest with filmmaker and faculty member Scott Rice.
Director Joel Schumacher Says He’s Had Sex With Up To 20,000 Partners
Director Joel Schumacher wasn’t just busy making movies. The man behind such films as “Batman Forever” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” told Vulture he’s had sex with up to 20,000 partners. The article’s author, Andrew Goldman, remarked that the figure ― which Schumacher eventually put between 10,000 and 20,000 ― is “really amazing.”
WATCH: Frenzied Rhino Flips Car Containing Keeper At German Safari Park
A keeper at a German safari park is lucky to be alive after a powerful rhinoceros flipped her car numerous times while she was trapped inside. In a video taken by an onlooker from inside a nearby safari vehicle, the enormous animal can be seen charging at the zebra-printed hatchback and repeatedly flipping it with its horn.
Airlines are banning MacBooks from checked baggage, even non-recalled models
Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Two Australian airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, are cracking down on Apple MacBook Pro computers – even models that haven’t been recalled. The ban comes after the U.S.
Leaked Google Pixel 4 photos confirm questionable design choices
Google’s not even trying to hide the Pixel 4 anymore. Following a summer of teasing images and pre-announcing new features for the Pixel 4, which is expected to launch in October, alleged photos of the Android phone in the wild have now surfaced.
YouTube Kids is branching off with a separate website
YouTube is bringing the children’s version of its video streaming platform, currently available only as a mobile app, to the web. In a post on the YouTube community support forums, the company announced it will be launching YouTube Kids for the web by the end of this week.
10 viral videos that turned out to be fake
We’re now living in the era of deepfakes, where anyone with enough skill in audiovisual manipulation can impersonate world leaders and put words in other peoples’ mouths. But sometimes, people just wanna Photoshop some shit for the clout. Viral hoaxes are an unfortunate consequence of the rise of the “viral video” in the past 20 years.
Researchers once again hack a Tesla Model S key fob
Owners of certain Tesla models should maybe stop relying on just their key fob to unlock their car. Researchers at Belgium university KU Leuven have reported that they’ve successfully hacked Tesla’s keyless system yet again. The team first announced their ability to unlock a Model S with a cloned key fob last September.
