News from October 30, 2025

BYD’s Racco electric K-Car interior leaked: ample room and bench seating

BYD officially debuted its new all-electric K-Car, the Racco, at the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday. Designed exclusively for the Japanese market, the compact EV is slated for release next summer. While BYD did not officially reveal the interior of the Racco, attending media managed to capture detailed images of its design. The vehicle features a right-hand drive configuration, a standard for the Japanese market. The cabin is equipped with two floating screens, serving as the instrument cluster and central infotainment display. Air vents are integrated seamlessly into the dashboard with a rounded, elongated design. The seating appears to be upholstered in leather, though it is currently unknown whether it is genuine or synthetic. Both front and rear seats adopt a continuous, bench-style design, a practical feature for navigating narrow Japanese streets. This allows occupants to easily enter and exit the vehicle, even if the driver’s side is close to a wall. Despite its compact dimensions of 3395mm in length, 1475mm in width, and 1800mm in height, from the interior photos leaked, the car seems to provide ample interior room, particularly in terms of vertical space. Under the hood, the Racco features a front-wheel-drive layout and is powered by a 20 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack. It offers a WLTC range of 180km and supports fast charging at up to 100kW. The Racco is expected to be priced at approximately 2.6 million JPY (around 17,000 USD) in Japan. Upon its launch, it will directly compete with the Nissan Sakura, Japan’s best-selling electric K-Car, which is priced at 2.5366 million JPY (16,700 USD). Editor’s comment BYD Auto’s naming conventions are primarily divided into two categories: ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Ocean’. ‘Qin’, ‘Han’, ‘Song’, ‘Yuan’, and ‘Tang’ are names of ancient Chinese dynasties, while ‘Seal’, ‘Sea Lion’, ‘Dolphin’, and ‘Seagull’ are names of marine creatures. ‘Racco’, meaning ‘sea otter’ (海獺) in Japanese, can be seen as a new addition to BYD’s ‘Ocean’ series.

Cayman Grants Use of Airport for Aid to Jamaica

On the request of the Government of Jamaica, Her Excellency the Governor Mrs Jane Owen has granted permission for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to use the Owen Roberts International Airport as its forward operating base, following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica. This arrangement will help the JDF to map the damages as well as in the coordination and delivery of critical relief supplies for the emergency response to Jamaica. It will allow the JDF to overfly, land and refuel in Grand Cayman, starting today. In keeping with this, permission has also been granted for the United States to also use Cayman as a forward operating base for four chinooks and six black hawk helicopters to support the Jamaica humanitarian relief efforts. By granting access to the Airport for humanitarian operations, Cayman is reaffirming its commitment to regional cooperation and shared resilience. Hazard Management Cayman Islands in partnership with relevant agencies are coordinating the national relief response.

National guard deployment in Washington DC extended until February

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth gives approval for troops to remain in US capital past November end, CNN reports

‘The town is devastated’: the mayor picking up the pieces at Hurricane Melissa’s ‘ground zero’

Richard Solomon, mayor of Black River, describes terror of 16ft storm surges and hours of fierce winds when storm hit, as focus now moves to aid and rescue efforts

Alexander Zharovsky: better than the 17th prospect in the 2025 draft, according to the Snake

Boisvert mentions that he thought he had the best hands in the draft, but that his lack of physical play made him hesitate. I really like what I see of Zharovsky. He definitely has the profile of a player who could help the Habs in the future. However, I think it’s far too early to say exactly what kind of player he’ll become, and that we need to give him time to develop in Russia. He’s had a good start to the season, that’s true, but before comparing him too much with Demidov, you have to understand that he’s in a more favorable condition. He doesn’t have the same pressure Demidov had last year, and he has a coach who has a good relationship with the Habs and who sees to a healthier development. This time last year, we wanted to get Demidov out of Russia, but that’s not the case with Zharovsky. He’s still under contract until 2027, and I don’t think the Habs are going to want to speed things up. – Rocket ahead tonight.

Sudan's paramilitary forces killed hundreds at a hospital in Darfur, residents and aid workers say - AP News

'Love Is Blind's Megan Walerius Addresses Dating & Baby Rumors

Megan Walerius is finally revealing what’s going on in her personal life about a year and a half after she ended things with ex-fiancé Jordan Keltner on Love Is Blind Season 9. After the tough breakup aired, in which Megan realized her lifestyle couldn’t coexist with Jordan’s responsibilities as a single father, speculation sprung up that not only had Megan moved on with a new man — she may have also had a baby herself. She didn’t address the rumors at first, but at the Love Is Blind reunion, Megan was forced to explain everything. Throughout Season 9, Megan struggled to break her old habits of dating wealthier, older men and try to go the distance with Jordan, a working father who didn’t share her desire for a large expensive home. Although the bond seemed strong for a while, Megan ultimately broke up with Jordan right before their planned wedding. What’s really caught fans’ attention, though, is Megan’s life after the show. A few days before the Oct. 29 reunion, Megan was photographed with an unidentified man outside her house, who was holding a baby. Eyewitnesses reportedly claimed the man seemed to be living with Megan. The pics caused people to wonder if Megan was in a new relationship, and if she had also become a mother since filming. Megan didn’t clarify the photos immediately, instead posting a message asking for fans to “be kind or be quiet” once they began going viral. It wasn’t until the reunion that Megan revealed her current relationship status... as well as her maternity status. “I am a mom now,” Megan confirmed in the reunion. “I had a baby boy two and a half months ago.” She went on to reveal that her son is named Brooks, and that she had him with her boyfriend Paul, whom she met a couple months after filming Love Is Blind through a mutual friend. The relationship moved quickly, with Megan saying that she got pregnant three months into her relationship with Paul.

'I don’t think Oliver Kapanen Will Finish The Season In Montreal,' says Jack Han

To understand more about where Han is coming from, it should be noted that the majority of the work that he has done as a hockey coach has revolved around analytics and video work. With that being said, Han brought up the data that shows while Kapanen has been producing well, it is mainly due to an unsustainable individual shooting percentage. As much as I originally thought of criticizing Han at first, his arguments make a lot of sense. To start, not only does Kapanen have a high individual shooting percentage of 23% after 11 games, but the Habs only have 39.79% of shots when he is on the ice at 5-on-5, which is the 2nd lowest on the team besides the injured Patrik Laine. According to Han, Kapanen is the player who is holding his line of Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov back the most with his play. He reasons that Kapanen capitalizes on playing with a skilled player like Ivan Demidov, who nobody can deny is the line’s offensive catalyst. Han mentions that for a rookie to make the NHL, the player needs to have both luck and be good. In Kapanen’s case, he has more of the former, as his linemates and usage are very favourable for him to be able to produce his 7 points in 11 games. It’s also true that the mix of Demidov’s skills and Newhook’s speed has been something that has helped Kapanen get prime chances for him to bury, but nobody can continue to score on 26.7% of their shots on goal.

Trump news at a glance: president’s effort to sue his own DoJ is ‘absurd’ and ‘frivolous’, expert says

The two justice department officials with power to sign off on the claims are Trump appointees and allies

Boris Johnson tells Tories to stop ‘bashing green agenda’ or risk losing next election

Former PM says he has not seen party ‘soaring in the polls as a result of saying what rubbish net zero is’

‘Why do we have to wait?’: Tony Popovic puts no limits on what Socceroos can achieve | Joey Lynch

The Australia head coach insists the time is now for the emerging side to rise above expectations and ‘go very far’ at a men’s World Cup

Egypt, Poland FMs Talk Issues of Shared Concern, Bilateral Ties

Cairo, October 30 (QNA) - Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski reviewed issues of shared interest and discussed ways to boost bilateral relations in a phone conversation on Wednesday. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Abdelatty outlined the outcomes of the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit and the agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip under the plan introduced by US President Donald Trump. He emphasised the importance of fully implementing the deal to secure a permanent cease-fire, facilitate humanitarian aid access to Gaza and pave the way for early reconstruction and recovery.He also pointed out the upcoming preparations for the international conference on early recovery, reconstruction and development in Gaza, scheduled to be held in Cairo in November. Abdelatty stressed the need for strong participation by the international community to mobilise financial and technical support and to reinforce regional stability. (QNA)

Lachlan Murdoch’s top adviser Siobhan McKenna resigns from News Corp

Company’s Australian broadcast chief, who was involved in negotiations over Murdoch family’s succession plans, to depart media giant

Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical review – pacy tale has wit, humour and enormous heart

This irreverent love letter to a national treasure is big on horse jokes, dad jokes and dad joke-style horse jokes, while taking gentle aim at racing culture

Two more satellite casinos to close by the end of this week

Two of Macao’s remaining satellite casinos – Casino Emperor Palace and Waldo Casino – will shut down by the end of this week, GGR Asia reports. Their respective gaming license holders, SJM and Galaxy Entertainment, confirmed the closures on Monday. Located within downtown Macao’s Grand Emperor Hotel, Casino Emperor Palace will cease operating just before midnight on Thursday. The hotel itself will continue to operate, while its gaming tables and machines will be redeployed to other SJM properties. “The company will ensure that all customer entitlements are duly honoured,” SJM said in a statement – noting that anyone with unredeemed chips, deposits, or cash rebates from Casino Emperor Palace should visit any other SJM casino for “follow-up arrangements.” The Outer Harbour’s Waldo Casino, which has already wound down most of its gaming operations, will officially close Friday. Its gaming tables are also expected to be reallocated, to Galaxy’s self-run properties. [See more: Some casinos are lowering table limits to attract former satellite players: Citi] Both companies said local employees would be reassigned to other positions, or supported in finding new roles. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials DICJ) said it would oversee the closures and ensure commitments on staff relocation and benefits were honoured. “Regarding the 71 workers at the Casino Emperor Palace and 111 workers at the Waldo Casino, the DICJ will continue to maintain close communication with the Labour Affairs Bureau,” a statement read. The shutdowns leave seven satellite casinos remaining in Macao, out of an original 11. Each of these is under SJM’s license. SJM has said it aims to bring operations at Ponte 16 and L’Arc Macau under its direct management, with the other five closing by the year’s end in accordance with the SAR’s revised gaming law.

These are things we’d really like to see on Macao’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Macao recently made 12 new additions to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, including the thrilling dragon boat races and the utterly delicious almond cookies. But let’s be real: what are the truly quirky, hilariously unique, and undeniably Macao items that we’d really love to see on that list? What wonderfully weird, baffling or fantastically fun thing perfectly encapsulates the spirit of “the real Macao” and absolutely deserves to be preserved for all eternity? We asked around the Macao News office, and these are some of the answers we got. 1. Taxis without rear seatbelts You climb into the backseat of a taxi to find that, yes, there is a seatbelt, but the thing that you clip it into has been yanked out of the upholstery – meaning that even if you want to protect yourself from the cabbie’s erratic driving, you can’t. Macao is all about taking a gamble. 2. Green bollards They are the unsung heroes of the Historic Centre’s streetscape, outshone by the gorgeously pastel-coloured heritage buildings and the city’s distinctive Portuguese style calçada paving. But in their own sweet and subtle way, Macao’s distinctive green bollards impart a distinctively European touch. 3. Macao Cantonese Although the Cantonese used in Macao is largely the same as other Cantonese-speaking regions, there are certain words that are only heard in these 33 square kilometres, including 廢水 (fai seoi, literally “waste water”), 暗 (lift, and distinct from Hong Kong Cantonese’s 撳) and 督課中心 (tutorial centre, as opposed to Hong Kong Cantonese’s 補習社). Incidentally, there are also Portuguese words unique to Macao. 4. Schoolkid snacks Proust may have had his madeleine, but everyone who grew up in Macao can rhapsodise about the favourite treats of childhood: Dream animals crackers (愉快動物餅), Edo biscuits, Mamee noodles, Haw Flakes (山楂餅), White Rabbit milk candy (大白兔奶糖), and waffles made with peanut butter, condensed milk and sugar. Oh and did we mention oxtail macaroni? 5. Absurdly long street names Do you live on Estrada da Baía de Nossa Senhora da Esperança? How about Largo do Presidente António Ramalho Eanes? Or at the Rotunda Dr. Carlos A. Correa Pães d’Assumpção? What about Avenida do Governador Jaime Silvério Marques? Good luck trying to find enough space for your address on a standard form. 6. Trash compactor art In an effort to beautify the city, the SAR government has been decorating the trash compactors with an array of cheery images, some of which make use of Macao’s iconic historic structures and landmarks. Talk about making funk from junk. 7. Hotel rooms that you can smoke in We’ve twice checked into a downtown hotel that shall remain nameless, and been offered an upgrade by well-meaning staff, who neglected to inform us that the bigger, “better” room was actually on a smoking floor – something we’ve only come across in vintage movies. Cue a sleepless night, choking on the toxic fumes from our chainsmoking neighbour, drifting under the interconnecting door. 8. Using casino buses to get around With the LRT’s network being so limited, and taxis hard to find, at some time or another we’ve all taken advantage of the city’s numerous free casino shuttles to get around. Once you’ve taken note of the major routes, you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is – and not to mention free – to ride between Macao’s main locations. 9. Dalgona coffee Macao’s culinary culture isn’t just found in fancy hotels. Pay a visit to Hon Kee Café – an unassuming hole-in-the-wall nestled amid the shipyards of Coloane – and you’ll be at ground zero of the global trend for “beaten” or whipped coffee. It’s a unique beverage made by blending instant coffee granules with plenty of sugar, and it was pioneered here in the late 1990s, becoming an early precursor to the viral Dalgona coffee fad of 2020.

Grieving daughter of cruise ship passenger left behind on remote Australian island says ‘there was a failure of care’

Suzanne Rees, 80, was found dead on Lizard Island a day after her cruise ship the Coral Adventurer left without her

The Line of Beauty review – Hollinghurst’s Gatsby-esque social satire is a class act

Jack Holden has elegantly adapted Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker winner about class envy, gay culture and political scandal in 80s Britain

Only full abolition of two-child benefit cap will substantially cut poverty, thinktank says

Resolution Foundation says half-measures would have little or no meaningful impact on child poverty rates

Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds

Male Allies UK worries rise in chatbot ‘girlfriends’ will leave boys unable to socialise and respect boundaries