Xi-Trump summit plans, Nepal disaster, SCO summit
SCMP

Xi-Trump summit plans, Nepal disaster, SCO summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping may take a business delegation to Washington next month, when he is also likely to sign a trade-war truce extension with US President Donald Trump. The potential business delegation is under negotiation ahead of the September 24 summit, the South China Morning Post reported, citing four people with knowledge of the matter. US executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook and ...

Bangladesh confirms Chinese J-10CE jet deal, citing Rafale kill in India-Pakistan clash
SCMP

Bangladesh confirms Chinese J-10CE jet deal, citing Rafale kill in India-Pakistan clash

Bangladesh has for the first time confirmed a long-expected deal to purchase China’s 4.5-generation J-10CE fighters, pointing to the jet’s combat performance against Rafale fighters in last year’s India-Pakistan conflict. One military expert said it was a sign that the global perception of Chinese weapons was shifting and the market would gradually open. Zahed Ur Rahman, information and broadcasti...

Philippine Roblox ban call sparks wider debate over children’s online safety
SCMP

Philippine Roblox ban call sparks wider debate over children’s online safety

Roblox has become a flashpoint in Southeast Asia’s debate over child safety online, as officials scrutinise whether young users are being exposed to harmful subcultures on the gaming platform. But analysts warn that it might just be a convenient scapegoat for wider failures in how children are protected online and offline. Most recently, Roblox has been linked to the August 18 school shooting in t...

Israel's 'retrospective incrimination: First we shoot, we kill & then find a reason why it happened'

Israel's 'retrospective incrimination: First we shoot, we kill & then find a reason why it happened'

France 24

Liza Kaminov is pleased to welcome Nadav Weiman, Executive Director of Breaking the Silence. He says there is a troubling gap between how Israeli military operations in Gaza are publicly explained and what soldiers experience on the ground. Testimonies collected by Breaking the Silence suggest that this gap is not simply about individual incidents, but about the policies, assumptions and rules of ...

'Retrospective incrimination: First we shoot, we kill, and then we find a reason why it happened'

'Retrospective incrimination: First we shoot, we kill, and then we find a reason why it happened'

France 24

Liza Kaminov is pleased to welcome Nadav Weiman, Executive Director of Breaking the Silence. He says there is a troubling gap between how Israeli military operations in Gaza are publicly explained and what soldiers experience on the ground. Testimonies collected by Breaking the Silence suggest that this gap is not simply about individual incidents, but about the policies, assumptions and rules of ...

Malaysian man kills wife, 2 children and self over love scam

Malaysian man kills wife, 2 children and self over love scam

SCMP

A 48-year-old Malaysian man is believed to have killed his wife and their two young children before taking his life at a Kuala Lumpur flat, in a case police said might have been linked to losses from an alleged online love scam purportedly involving the woman. Initial police investigations found a note left by the man, blaming his actions on the scam, which had left the family with US$61,000 in lo...

King Harald's death puts focus on Norway's future king

King Harald's death puts focus on Norway's future king

France 24

Following King Harald's death, attention is turning to Crown Prince Haakon, who is set to become Norway's next king after a turbulent year for the royal family. His wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, underwent a lung transplant in June and has faced scrutiny over reported past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, while her son was sentenced to four years in prison for rape.

Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic to be buried with 'state honours'

Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic to be buried with 'state honours'

France 24

Former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia" for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, will be given a funeral with “military and state honours”, Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic said Friday. Mladic died Thursday in The Hague where he was serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Nepal-Tibet flash flood: rescue operations resume after halting over lake overflow; death toll rises to 469 – latest updates

Nepal-Tibet flash flood: rescue operations resume after halting over lake overflow; death toll rises to 469 – latest updates

The Guardian

Operations were suspended amid fears of further destruction; 1,500 people still missing amid race to find survivorsFlood risk forces halt to rescues in Tibet, as Nepal death toll rises to 469Visual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?More now on the Nepali army’s rescue operation to save about 100 people trapped in a tunnel at a hydropower pro...

Goal of Tiananmen vigil group an ‘empty slogan’, not actual plan: defence lawyer

Goal of Tiananmen vigil group an ‘empty slogan’, not actual plan: defence lawyer

SCMP

Leaders of the now-disbanded group behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigil have said ending one-party rule was an “empty slogan” and that they had never incited anyone to overthrow the Chinese government during their three-decade campaign. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, its former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, former vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun Yan and f...

Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang-rape, court hears

Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang-rape, court hears

The Guardian

Two 17-year-olds accused of subjecting teenage girl to hours-long sexual assault granted bailGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo boys allegedly invited to join a “degrading” and “humiliating” gang-rape in Sydney have been granted bail.The pair are among three-17-year-olds accused of subjecting a teenage girl to an hours-long sexual assault on the night of 16 August. Cont...

Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang rape, court hears

Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang rape, court hears

The Guardian

Two 17-year-olds accused of subjecting teenage girl to hours-long sexual assault granted bailTwo boys allegedly invited to join a “degrading” and “humiliating” gang rape in Sydney have been granted bail.The pair are among three-17-year-olds accused of subjecting a teenage girl to an hours-long sexual assault on the night of 16 August. Continue reading...

Norway’s King Harald dies aged 89

Norway’s King Harald dies aged 89

The Guardian

Death comes at turbulent time for royal family over association of crown princess with Jeffrey Epstein King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, has died at the age of 89, the royal palace in Oslo has announced. He will be succeeded by his son King Haakon VIII.“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peaceful...

Chinese rescuers reach checkpoint destroyed by deadly flash floods along Nepal border

Chinese rescuers reach checkpoint destroyed by deadly flash floods along Nepal border

SCMP

Beijing promised to send emergency aid to Nepal on Friday as Chinese rescuers battled through hazardous conditions to reach the border checkpoint hit by deadly flash floods this week. The disaster left five dead and 558 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while Nepal reported 469 dead and nearly 1,000 missing as of noon Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to his Nepale...

China pledges to send urgent emergency aid to Nepal after deadly landslide

China pledges to send urgent emergency aid to Nepal after deadly landslide

SCMP

China’s top leadership has promised to send emergency aid to Nepal as rescue efforts continued in the wake of the devastating flash flood and landslide on the border between the two countries. The disaster has left five dead and 558 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while Nepal reported 469 dead and nearly 1,000 missing. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolence to his Nepales...

Scientists turn wood waste into foam that replaces plastic and decomposes in soil within months

Scientists turn wood waste into foam that replaces plastic and decomposes in soil within months

Times of India

Canada is piloting a new process to convert wood waste into biodegradable foam. This innovative material is designed to replace plastic foam packaging and construction insulation. The pilot plant in Vancouver currently produces a limited amount of this eco-friendly wood foam. Future plans include expanding production significantly within Indigenous territories and on Vancouver Island. This initiat...

Overflowing lake halts rescue efforts as Nepal-Tibet flood death toll hits 469

Overflowing lake halts rescue efforts as Nepal-Tibet flood death toll hits 469

The Guardian

Risk of lake bursting forces rescue teams to withdraw as residents rush up hills to escape any river surgeNepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updatesVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?A ⁠lake formed by a landslide on the Nepal-Tibet border has started to overflow, endangering areas devastated by a flash flood two days ago and forcing a te...

Who is King Haakon? What to know about Norway’s new monarch

Who is King Haakon? What to know about Norway’s new monarch

SCMP

Crown Prince Haakon became Norway’s king on Friday after the death of his father Harald. Here are some ⁠facts about the new 53-year-old monarch. Early years The new king was born Haakon Magnus on July ⁠20, 1973, and went to a state primary school, as is expected of royals in the egalitarian Scandinavian nation – though his secondary school was private. He joined the navy before studying politics a...

‘We praise God’: Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flooding makes contact with family

‘We praise God’: Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flooding makes contact with family

The Guardian

Cara Severino calls parents – but still faces trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on foot An Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal.At least 469 people have been killed and more than 1,500 are missing after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Cara Severino, 25, is the fir...