‘We just want them to return’: relatives of Australians missing in Nepal floods wait anxiously for news of loved ones
The Guardian

‘We just want them to return’: relatives of Australians missing in Nepal floods wait anxiously for news of loved ones

Family of two Sydney boys and their parents, who are among 39 Australians identified as missing after flash flooding, ‘worried, but hopeful’The family of two Sydney boys who went missing with their parents in flash flooding in Nepal say they remain hopeful they will be found safe.Shylaja Muralitharan, 42, her husband, Chandrasekaran Muralitharan, 47, and their two sons Ashwin, 14 and Aarush, 11, w...

Canadian prime minister and New York lawmaker denounce Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America – as it happened

Canadian prime minister and New York lawmaker denounce Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America – as it happened

The Guardian

This live blog is now closed.Sign up for the Breaking News US emailOn Wednesday, Trump officially signed a proclamation on Wednesday that suspends higher tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports for 90 days. This comes after backlash to the proposal – designed to lower grocery costs for Americans in the run-up to the November midterms. Several Republicans – in states with sizable ca...

Why Filipino migrants are rethinking their futures in Japan

Why Filipino migrants are rethinking their futures in Japan

SCMP

When Japan’s embassy in the Philippines extended applications for healthcare jobs on April 15, the pitch was straightforward: 50 positions for nurses and 300 for care workers in Japan, a three- to four-year placement, free Japanese-language lessons in both countries and a daily allowance during training. On social media, the post’s attractive terms drew widespread interest from Filipinos – a remin...

Xi’s crusade against corruption has gone well beyond economic crime

Xi’s crusade against corruption has gone well beyond economic crime

SCMP

The South China Morning Post has launched a major data project diving into President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-graft campaign. In the fourth part of an accompanying series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng delve into the broader reach of the campaign. While economic crimes are often seen as the target of President Xi Jinping’s crusade against corruption, the campaign has become much wider. Thirtee...

Thirty years of advancing equal opportunity

Thirty years of advancing equal opportunity

SCMP

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Thirty years after Hong Kong established a statutory body to combat discrimination, equal opportunity has become increasingly embedded in laws, workplaces and community.  As the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) marks its 30th anniversary this year, its record offers much to reflect on, but the work is far from finished...

White House construction cited in Trump helicopter close call with airliner

White House construction cited in Trump helicopter close call with airliner

SCMP

Construction work at the White House was a factor in the US presidential helicopter passing too close to a passenger plane in the skies over Washington earlier this month, investigators said Thursday. The close pass happened on August 4 after President Donald Trump took off on Marine One from a temporary site on the Ellipse, outside the grounds of the White House, during the construction of a perm...

A Chinese cook in the Middle East serves up a very different anti-war film

A Chinese cook in the Middle East serves up a very different anti-war film

SCMP

This summer, Chinese anti-war film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has dominated the mainland box office. The film implicitly answers the question: what happens when a story about international conflict is told, not through the sights of an assault rifle, but through a gentler lens? It offers a fundamental restructuring of cinematic narrative paradigms, one that challenges decades of Hollywood...

FDA approves updated Covid-19 vaccines for dominant XFG variant

FDA approves updated Covid-19 vaccines for dominant XFG variant

The Guardian

Decision allows manufacturers to begin shipping doses, but confusion remains about insurance coverageThe US Food and Drug Administration approved updated Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday, allowing manufacturers to begin shipping doses to pharmacies and doctors’ offices across the country.The FDA approved Moderna, Novavax-Sanofi and Pfizer-BioNTech’s updated Covid vaccines, the companies ⁠said on Thur...

OpenAI, Anthropic join global call to strengthen cyber defences

OpenAI, Anthropic join global call to strengthen cyber defences

France 24

More than 100 organisations, including OpenAI and Anthropic, called Thursday for governments and technology companies to strengthen cyber defences against increasingly sophisticated AI-powered attacks. The open letter warned that these could become far more widespread in the coming months as artificial intelligence models grow more capable.

Expanded Mid-Autumn Festival lantern show to light up Hong Kong. Here’s what to see

Expanded Mid-Autumn Festival lantern show to light up Hong Kong. Here’s what to see

SCMP

A more international and upgraded lantern show is set to light up Hong Kong’s Victoria Park during the Mid-Autumn Festival next month, as part of the city’s efforts to entice locals and tourists alike. The International Lantern Spectacular, organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, will be held at the Causeway Bay park between September 17 and 27, complementing other festive activities such as the...

Chinese cinema offers noon nap service with flat seats to boost lunchtime business

Chinese cinema offers noon nap service with flat seats to boost lunchtime business

SCMP

A cinema in northwestern China has gained attention on social media for its unique noon nap service, offering adjustable seats for workers to relax during their lunch breaks. This popular initiative at Lumiai Cinema in Xian, Shaanxi province, has been operational since April last year, according to Jimu News. Priced at 39.9 yuan (US$6) for a single membership and 59.9 yuan for a double pass, the m...

The path to America is narrowing. Here’s what that means for legal immigrants

The path to America is narrowing. Here’s what that means for legal immigrants

SCMP

US green card interviews are on hold worldwide, student and work visas are subject to new restrictions, and citizenship is under fresh scrutiny. Here’s what the latest US immigration crackdown means for people planning to study, work or settle in America. Why did the US cancel immigrant visa interviews? US embassies and consulates around the world have postponed immigrant visa interviews so that o...

Spotting Alzheimer’s Early: Proactive Care Prevent Up to 40% of Dementia Cases

Spotting Alzheimer’s Early: Proactive Care Prevent Up to 40% of Dementia Cases

SCMP

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] As populations age and social stressors increase worldwide, cognitive health has become a pressing public-health concern — especially for older adults. 75% of people living with dementia globally receive no formal diagnosis at all1; the minority who do are then faced with an obstacle course of health system access barriers...

ASEAN Film Festival promotes cinematic diversity and fosters cultural exchange

ASEAN Film Festival promotes cinematic diversity and fosters cultural exchange

SCMP

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The ASEAN Film Festival (AFF) officially opened on August 20 at an event attended by government officials, Consuls-General, cultural partners, and filmmakers from across the region. Running until September 27, this year’s festival serves as a vibrant crossroads where stories from Southeast Asia and beyond converge to bridg...

AI use on 1823 platform will cut frustration but data safeguards needed: experts

AI use on 1823 platform will cut frustration but data safeguards needed: experts

SCMP

Deploying artificial intelligence on Hong Kong’s 1823 complaint platform will reduce public frustration and strengthen governance, but authorities must also guard against privacy leaks, lawmakers and an expert have said. They described the AI measures announced on Thursday as a step in the right direction, saying the technology could reduce residents’ waiting times and help direct cases to the app...

Australia news live: Greens say Labor immigration policy has ‘no principle’; gambling company calls PM’s ad reforms a ‘missed opportunity’

Australia news live: Greens say Labor immigration policy has ‘no principle’; gambling company calls PM’s ad reforms a ‘missed opportunity’

The Guardian

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGreens say Australia needs to ‘step up and really commit’ to aiding rebuilding in NepalDavid Shoebridge, the Greens’ spokesperson on foreign affairs, told RN Breakfast earlier the Australian commitment of $5m for affected communities in Nepal “won’t come close to touching the sides” of the calamity.I think Australia...