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On the 14th, Queen Suthida of Thailand (Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana) personally piloted a royal aircraft to Japan for a nine-day visit to attend the 2027 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Asia Championship.

Although designated as the 2027 tournament, the event will actually take place from October 15 to 18, 2026. According to reports from TV Asahi and VnExpress, Queen Suthida is an active promoter of ice hockey in Thailand; she is both an athlete and a dedicated advocate for the sport, having previously participated in ice hockey events in Thailand and Italy. She is visiting Japan in her capacity as the first-ever female Global Ambassador for the IIHF, at the invitation of the federation’s president.

Thailand’s Public Relations Department stated that on the 14th, Queen Suthida personally piloted a royal Boeing 737-800 aircraft, departing from Don Mueang Military Airport in Bangkok. She landed at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido at 10:05 a.m. local time and subsequently drove herself to a hotel in Sapporo. She is scheduled to present medals and trophies to the participating athletes.

Before marrying the King in 2019, Queen Suthida worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways. She began flight training in 2010, receiving instruction at aviation schools—including those affiliated with the Royal Thai Air Force—and earning her pilot’s license. To date, she has accumulated nearly 1,190 flight hours.

On the 8th, in the presence of King Vajiralongkorn—who is also highly experienced in aviation—Queen Suthida completed a solo flight in a JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet, becoming the first reigning queen in the world to pilot a combat aircraft.

Jensen Huang, CEO of artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia, announced today that the company will acquire a minority stake in Doctolib, a French healthcare platform that aims to leverage AI to improve medical services.

According to reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters, Doctolib is a private platform that allows patients to book appointments with doctors; it has recently expanded to enable patients to store and share their medical records.

In August of this year, Doctolib launched a research initiative focused on using AI to analyze data from its 50 million users, with the goal of enhancing the user experience within the healthcare system.

While the specific value of the proposed investment has not been disclosed, Jensen Huang noted at a press conference in Paris that Nvidia invested at least $8 billion in Europe last year.

Stanislas Niox-Chateau, CEO of Doctolib, told AFP that the funding will help the company accelerate talent recruitment and the development of its own internal AI models. These models will power personal assistants for patients and physicians, while also assisting with administrative tasks.

He added that the company intends to use Nvidia chips to run these AI models, ensuring it retains autonomous control over both the models and patient data—opting against the use of proprietary AI models provided by companies like OpenAI or Anthropic.

Earlier this year, Doctolib completed a new round of financing, bringing its valuation to €3.6 billion.

The French newspaper Les Echos reported today that Nvidia has agreed to acquire stakes in four French tech startups: Doctolib, Genesis AI, Pigment, and Entalpic.

According to the South China Morning Post, two Chinese ceramic artifacts at the British Museum were accidentally damaged while on display and are currently undergoing restoration by a team of specialists. This incident has reignited discussions regarding the museum’s artifact preservation measures, focusing attention on the safe display of fragile cultural treasures.

The British Museum confirmed on Friday that an incident involving damage to artifacts occurred on October 4; a porcelain bowl fell from a display shelf and struck a small porcelain box on a lower shelf, damaging both items.

The museum stated, “Both artifacts have now been handed over to our specialist conservation team for full restoration.”

The museum noted that post-incident inspections revealed no signs of damage to the display shelving or the mounting bases, though the museum will continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

Photos circulating on social media show ceramic fragments scattered inside a four-tiered display cabinet. The items in the cabinet belong to the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. Specifically, a porcelain bowl (catalog number B629), originally placed in the center of the top shelf, appears to have fallen to the bottom shelf, shattering another artifact (catalog number 634).

According to the British Museum’s website, both damaged ceramic pieces date back to the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722) and originated in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China. The museum’s website has currently marked both artifacts as “not on display.”

The bowl cataloged as B629 is titled “Bowl with Ladies Engaged in the Four Accomplishments.” It measures 216 millimeters (approximately 8.5 inches) in diameter and 80 millimeters in height. This blue-and-white porcelain piece features underglaze blue designs depicting ladies in a garden setting engaged in various cultural activities—such as appreciating paintings, playing traditional stringed instruments, and playing board games—surrounded by attendants, trees, and mountains, creating an elegant garden scene. The British Museum described the porcelain bowl as “an exquisite piece imitating a 15th-century Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl.”

The other damaged artifact, cataloged as item 634, is a round porcelain box with a low, domed lid; it measures 66 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters in height. The center of the lid features a finely painted underglaze cobalt blue design of a Buddha’s hand citron, surrounded by peach branches and camellias, while the lower body of the box is decorated with peach branches and floral motifs.

Both artifacts were originally on display in Gallery 95 of the British Museum. Following the incident, the museum temporarily closed the gallery, reopening it the next day after staff had cleared the ceramic fragments from the display case.

Gallery 95 houses nearly 1,700 artifacts spanning the 3rd to the 20th centuries, comprising one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese ceramics. This collection was donated to the British Museum by the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art.

The incident sparked heated discussion on Chinese social media, drawing attention to how museums should better protect fragile cultural heritage.

Pan Jinyu, a Chinese-speaking tour guide based in London, posted on social media on Thursday: “More than the accident itself, I am concerned about why it happened, how the artifacts will be restored, and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.”

Pan noted that the British Museum has previously attracted attention due to damaged or lost artifacts. She added, “What is even more disappointing than the damage to the artifacts themselves is that the mainstream British media has yet to report on this incident.”

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency, warned today that the current El Niño phenomenon will intensify further and peak in December, potentially ranking among the strongest events recorded since at least 1950.

According to AFP, the WMO stated in its latest global seasonal climate update: “El Niño is expected to strengthen further and peak in December. This is likely to result in above-average temperatures across much of the globe and alter precipitation patterns, increasing the risk of droughts and floods in various regions.”

El Niño causes sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific to rise, thereby triggering changes in global wind, air pressure, and rainfall patterns.

Based on a consensus among 13 major national and international meteorological centers, the WMO forecasts that sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific will reach record highs between now and the end of December, indicating an intensifying El Niño.

The WMO noted that this will influence weather patterns and impact economies, ecosystems, and communities worldwide.

Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), appeared at the London premiere of the film Digger—starring Tom Cruise—on the 22nd. She stepped onto the red carpet in a bespoke purple long-sleeved gown, accessorized with a piece of royal jewelry rarely seen in public, instantly becoming the center of attention.

The 44-year-old Princess wore a custom-made gown featuring sheer puffed sleeves that added depth to the ensemble; she styled her hair in an elegant half-updo, showcasing a pair of pearl drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

However, the most striking accessory was the late Queen Mother’s “Amethyst Sautoir Necklace.” Crafted from pearls, diamonds, and amethysts, and featuring a heart-shaped gemstone pendant at its center, this piece of royal jewelry is rarely displayed in public.

The necklace was originally a wedding gift presented in 1923 by Queen Alexandra to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who would later become the Queen Mother—and mother to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Because it is seldom worn publicly, the necklace is considered one of the lesser-seen treasures within the royal collection.

The last royal to wear this necklace in public was the current Queen Camilla. She paired the same amethyst necklace with a long-sleeved purple velvet gown at the 2012 premiere of the James Bond film Skyfall, creating a harmonious match between the color of her outfit and the jewelry.

Presley Gerber, a model and the son of American supermodel Cindy Crawford, has passed away at the age of 27. A spokesperson for Cindy Crawford confirmed the news, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Gerber died on the 20th at a rehabilitation center; the cause of death has not yet been released. The family has asked for privacy during this difficult and painful time.

According to CNN, Presley Gerber was born in California in 1999 and was one of two children born to Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber. He and his younger sister, Kaia Gerber, entered the fashion industry as models at a young age; Presley began his modeling career at 16 by walking the runway for the Italian brand Moschino.

Gerber subsequently walked for brands such as Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren, and appeared in advertisements for Calvin Klein, Celine, Pepsi, and Omega.

In recent years, Presley Gerber had spoken openly about his struggles with mental health and substance use. In 2023, he expressed a desire to use his influence to raise public awareness about mental health, describing the issue as “a very important part of my life.”

Last December, Presley Gerber posted a video on Instagram discussing his use of prescription medications, including antidepressants and Xanax (used to treat panic disorders). In the video—which was later deleted—he stated: “Unfortunately, I’ve experienced a lot of loss recently in many different forms. This isn’t an excuse, but it is the reason I am in this state right now.”

This commission brought Ralph Rucci unprecedented attention, but it came at a steep price.

“I received death threats for designing that outfit. People called me a ‘gay Nazi.’ For a time, I even had to hire security.”

In today’s highly politicized America, designing for the First Lady has become far more than just a fashion assignment.

Rucci had designed outfits for Melania four times and for Jill Biden twenty-two times. Yet, simply because he designed Melania’s inauguration outfit, he says the public seems to have pegged him as “some kind of crazy MAGA Republican supporter.”

Rucci, however, sees it differently. “Generally speaking, I try to keep politics out of my work as much as possible.”

To him, the issue is simple. “I just felt that on the day her husband was sworn in, the First Lady should wear the work of an American designer. The idea of ​​her wearing a European brand seemed unthinkable to me.”

That was precisely how Rucci viewed the collaboration: less a political statement than an act of support for American fashion.

His description of Melania herself also differs from the political interpretations surrounding the collaboration.

“She has always been wonderful to my staff; she sends incredible gifts, handwritten notes, and Christmas cards. Truly, among all the First Ladies I’ve worked with, she has been the most generous in this regard.”

The outfit Melania wore went on to become one of Rucci’s most high-profile creations.

Interestingly, this wasn’t Rucci’s first time designing for a First Lady; he had created far more pieces for Jill Biden prior to Melania. Yet, he now finds it difficult to completely separate politics from his work.

Nevertheless, the controversy does not appear to have harmed his business.

On the day he presented his collection at New York Fashion Week, a long line of reporters waited to get in, and the media response was enthusiastic. Lippes still appears composed; with his fine-framed metal glasses and neatly groomed hair, he looks more like an optimistic professor than a designer mired in political controversy.

In fact, his business is growing rapidly.

The topic of the $5,000 “Trump dividend” continues to generate buzz; as for where the money would come from, President Trump has said he does not know, though he insists it would not be an issue provided the Republicans win the midterm elections. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson—a fellow Republican—has stated that Congress would find a way, though he stopped short of guaranteeing that he would help Trump fulfill the pledge.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated today, according to a report by the Russian news agency TASS, that Russia has not ruled out the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, the United States, and China.

However, Ryabkov also pointed out that the agenda for the talks must be clarified before any actual preparations can begin. He mentioned, “The main issue is how to determine the substantive content of the talks and what outcomes we can expect.”

As the ongoing conflict in the Middle East pushes up energy costs, Americans will face record gasoline prices during the Labor Day holiday, coinciding with the start of the US midterm elections in November.

Reuters reports that Patrick De Haan, an analyst at the oil price tracking website GasBuddy, said the average price of gasoline in the US during the Labor Day holiday is estimated to reach $4.03 per gallon (about 3.785 liters), breaking the record of $3.83 set during the same period in 2012.