2026/08/28 Daily Edition

King Harald of Norway has died aged 89, after more than three decades on the throne.

The AP Bhavan control room can be contacted at 011-23384016 and 011-23387089; Indian citizens requiring assistance can contact the designated 24/7 helpline at +977-9851316807.

Nathan Murdoch is offered a job painting one of the Dragon's offices in London.

The State government has proposed a series of measures to simplify regulations, strengthen cultivation and processing, and facilitate exports

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Even one of her own bugs takes the mic as the wild card comedian delivers these disconnected bits There’s an excellent joke about art school in Marty Gleeson’s show, but even without it, we might guess that the Irish comic comes from an art school background. In Dog Ear, convention is for the birds, with one leftfield idea following the next in a disorienting array. A visit to the future accompanied by fluttering beats on the bodhrán? A standup set performed by one of the thousands of bugs on Gleeson’s body? A funeral for her 187-year-old alter ego, at which she must solemnly shake the hand of every single audience member? Throughout her fringe debut, Gleeson delights in ensuring we’ve never the slightest idea what’s about to happen next. That makes it an offbeat delight to encounter, and at its best, this Limerick exile’s material is captivatingly unexpected. Even before its droll punchline, her routine about asking Santa, increasingly ardently, for a “big juicy booty” is quite the gambit. Another, extending the closing credits of a news bulletin ad absurdum, is similarly strange – and, like much of her material, tests the limits of how long something uneasy can happen before a punchline arrives to redeem it...

Why do the Texan innovator’s records take so long to make? ‘It’s important to gather the data,’ she says: the death, dating and dopamine behind her exquisite comeback alongside the Alchemist Erykah Badu needs the lights down low. The singer, producer, actor and registered doula shuffles into a private room at London’s Soho hotel and quietly asks for some changes to the atmosphere: lights dimmed, soft seat. A green juice would be great. As it turns out, Badu was out last night with Dave Chappelle, sitting with the comedian at a grand piano and playing songs into the wee hours. She looks mischievous when she thinks about the impromptu party, but declines to go into detail about what, exactly, went on. Instead, the 55-year-old smiles at me, eyes wide, her gold teeth glinting in the low light: “Oh yes,” she says slowly and quietly, like some kind of mysterious warlock. “It was a late one …”..

Edinburgh TV Festival moves to Manchester next year, so what will a new event look like?

Energy minister says states can apply to use coal and gas supply to power datacentres but must prove it is cheaper than renewables Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Chris Bowen insists federal Labor’s new national laws on datacentre power supply will not include carve-outs for Queensland and the Northern Territory, with states that are eager to use coal and gas required to make their case to the national regulator. The energy minister told Guardian Australia on Friday the only concession agreed at Wednesday’s meeting of national cabinet was that existing coal and gas supply could be used on the condition it could be shown to be cheaper than renewables...

The evidence now points to a large collapse of ice and rock high in the Himalayas near Langtang Lirung, rather than heavy rainfall.

With the number of UK data centres set to rise, some communities are concerned about their impact.

From the first US and Israeli strikes six months ago to the battle for Hormuz, this timeline plots how Trump’s war on Iran quickly became a regional conflict with global economic consequences On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel began large-scale strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by attacking Israeli and US allies across the Gulf. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of strikes, and the strait of Hormuz – a crucial waterway for transporting oil – was effectively closed soon after. The conflict quickly became a regional war with global economic consequences. Donald Trump: EPA/Trump Vance transition team US CENTCOM: AP Abbas Araghchi: AP Esmail Baqaei: Getty/Anadolu Masoud Pezeshkian: AP Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: Getty/NurPhoto Iran flag: Alamy..

Over 1,500 people remain missing as rescue paused near the Nepal-China border amid fears of further flooding.

Drought and extreme heat are drying up rivers and farmland across Europe.

Lake has formed at epicentre of flood, forcing rescue teams to withdraw, Chinese state media report Nepal flash flood – latest updates Nearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killed Visual guide: how the deadly flooding unfolded Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods? China has paused rescue work at the epicentre of the catastrophic flooding in Tibet this week amid fears that a lake ⁠formed at the ⁠site ⁠was ⁠at risk ​of ‌bursting, as the overall death toll in Nepal rose to 469 people, with more than 1,300 missing. A lake formed by immense piles of debris has begun overflowing towards the area where rescue teams were headed, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday...

The Iran war is settling into attrition, with no regime collapse and Gulf economies facing growing uncertainty.

The graduating batch comprises 1,162 B.Tech, 575 M.Tech, 130 PhD, 102 M.Sc, 76 MBA, 65 B.Arch, and 18 M.Plan students

Railway officials say the minimum fine for travelling without a ticket has been doubled from ₹250 to ₹500, with the revised penalty coming into effect in June 2026

Almost 90% of the staff working in Mangaluru Central, Mangaluru Junction and Panambur stations are from Keralam, say functionaries of the Southern Railway Employees’ Sangh

Earlier, the CID arrested key accused Abhay Tiwari, his wife Sushama Kumari and brother Akshay Tiwari in connection with alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination

The announcement that the three countries will go ahead with a trilateral military drill comes a day after North Korea vowed to retaliate against what it called U.S. hostilities.

China says a lake formed after a recent landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border may burst in the coming days.

During a recent event at an educational institution, Kapikad allegedly used sexually derogatory language while referring to Lord Ayyappa and Malikappurathamma

The government said the interests of the country and its people would be given the highest priority in joining any defence agreement or alliance

It is polite to reposition a guest’s shoes when they arrive, but the emergency services in one city advise just skipping that part Etiquette, manners and consideration for others are integral pillars of Japanese society but there are times when they might go a step too far, according to one city’s emergency services. The fire department in the central city of Kanazawa has urged people not to tidy up the shoes that paramedic crews have taken off when entering a house, warning it could hinder their ability to get in or out quickly, particularly when carrying someone on a stretcher...

Colombian military announced Thursday that a French-Colombian soldier from the French Foreign Legion was kidnapped in early August while travelling in the department of Narino. The kidnappers are believed to be members of the Estado Mayor Central, dissidents from the far-left FARC guerrilla group.

Residents of Algeria’s northeastern Jijel province are inspecting the aftermath of wildfires.

The performers are asking the government to give every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice.

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. The path to America is narrowing. Here’s what that means for legal immigrants US green card interviews are on hold worldwide, student and work visas are subject to new restrictions, and citizenship is under fresh scrutiny. The SCMP...

The death toll from catastrophic flash floods and mudslides at the Gyirong Port border crossing between China and Nepal continued to rise on Friday, as satellite images revealed the full scale of the destruction. As of Friday morning, three people were confirmed dead and 558 missing on the Chinese side of the border, with 469 dead and at least 644 missing in Nepal. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday morning when a massive Himalayan landslide triggered a fast-moving debris flow that swept down...

South Korea supports US President Donald Trump’s efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, ‌but aims to ensure its security posture is not weakened and that Seoul is not sidelined, according to South Korea’s national security adviser. Seoul believed the resumption of talks between the US and North Korea should focus on progress on the North Korean nuclear weapons issue and must not undermine the country’s security readiness, Wi Sung-lac told reporters on Friday. “One point to keep in mind is...

A diplomatic push by Oman, Pakistan and Qatar is widely expected to yield another pause in the Iran conflict, but there remains little prospect of a stop to what analysts fear has already become a “forever war”. On Monday, Iran and Oman agreed in principle to a temporary maritime route for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. This could lead to the easing of the tit-for-tat blockades imposed by Iran and the US if President Donald Trump’s administration accepts it. Regional mediators...

There are howls of protest from the right about plans for Birmingham to be a 20mph city. But it will be a good thing, and others will follow If it can happen in Birmingham, it can happen anywhere. Moves by Birmingham city council to impose a 20mph speed limit on all roads, apart from a few major thoroughfares, marks a turning point in transport policy that could and should attract imitators. Remember that in the 60s Birmingham was the city that had a racetrack ​style networks of roads at its heart, ​and a tangle of elevated ro​utes and roundabouts that pushed pedestrians underground and ensured no one would be mad enough to try to cycle. Moreover, it was the headquarters of the UK’s car industry, and its roads were designed more as a test track for new models than a way for people to get to the shops. The emphasis on roads above all else was a deliberate strategy by a city that saw its future inextricably bound up with motoring manufacturers...

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 95.54 against the greenback before slipping further to 95.55, down 10 paise from its previous close.

Nepali and Chinese authorities warned that a lake created by a deadly landslide could burst open soon. Another deluge would pose the most risk to rescuers, an expert said.

Trials for a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain are ongoing as DRC authorities try to control the Ebola outbreak.

China has dispatched hundreds of military personnel to the border town of Gyirong in Tibet, after a deadly mudslide.

Thousands of Indonesians demand harsher penalties for corruption during protests outside parliament in Jakarta.

Candidates who do not select Choice-1 but wish to participate in the third round must first cancel the seat allotted to them in the second round

Reports have surfaced claiming that Kurup is alive and living in Brunei under a different name and using another passport. He is wanted in connection with 1984 murder of Chacko in Mavelikara, allegedly as part of a plan to fake his own death and claim a life insurance payout

Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the Netherlands In October 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father, a professor of chemistry in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar, was shot at close range and died outside his family home. This was in the middle of the country’s civil war. For weeks, Facebook’s algorithm had actively promoted posts calling for the academic to be murdered, according to Meareg and Foxglove, a nonprofit organisation supporting Meareg’s lawsuit against the company in Kenya. These posts included photos of his father and his home address...

U.S. President Trump has targeted universities with probes and funding threats over issues like pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, diversity initiatives, climate programs and transgender policies.

Prosecutors will seek to prove that members of Palestine Action who they say painted “Gaza is not 4 sale” on the Scottish golf course last year committed acts connected to terrorism.

Nigella on Bake Off! Attenborough in Blue Planet III! Blade Runner 2099! Plus Adrian Mole, Harry Potter and a certain Celebrity Traitors … here are all the must-see shows of the season • Rising star Lara Ricote on the real heartache behind her new breakup comedy Wayward and chaotic, in the grand tradition of The Word and TFI Friday, Late Night Lycett proved that Joe Lycett had fully inherited Friday nights on Channel 4. Its follow-up sounds even more TFI-esque. The Lycett Arms is a real east London pub, open for just one hour a week, which required Lycett to train to be accredited with a level 2 award for personal licence holders. The show promises “top-drawer comedy entertainment from Joe and a pub full of celebrity guests”. What could possibly go wrong? • Channel 4, 4 September..

This summer has been a tipping point. But it’s not too late to save what makes this place unique When I first started visiting Marseille more than 20 years ago, few could have predicted that France’s then beleaguered second city would become one of the most popular destinations in the most-visited country in the world. Tarnished by stereotypes and home to some of Europe’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, the port city seemed down on its luck, unloved and, in the eyes of many, somewhere to avoid. Tourists stopping at the city’s Saint-Charles station would clutch their bags while waiting for their connecting train to rural Provence, or the beaches of the Côte d’Azur. Two decades on, poverty and drug gang violence still affect parts of Marseille, but this rough diamond has been reinvented as a modish holiday destination. Last month, I saw a local TV channel asking whether Marseille had become France’s capital of tourism, after Booking.com revealed it had surpassed Paris and Nice as the most searched-for destination for French users of the site. Breathless foreign media coverage – the New York Times published a “36 hours in Marseille” guide in 2019 and another one in 2025 – has driven the number of overseas visitors. From seaside petanque to vocoder rap and pizza served on aluminium plates, influencers revel in the golden-hued aesthetic of the urban riviera and promote the city’s most Instagram-friendly corners. Tourist numbers are expected to reach almost 7 million this year...

South Korea said on Friday it would hold joint military exercises with the United States and Japan in September, after Washington scaled back annual drills with Seoul in an apparent bid to encourage dialogue with North Korea. The three countries would conduct the North Korea-focused Freedom Edge exercise from September 7 to 11 in international waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. “This exercise is a defensive drill conducted annually by...

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has awarded a US$16.7 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks, saying officers would use them to control detainees and protesters who resist. ICE moved forward with the purchase despite opposition from civil rights advocates and Democratic members of Congress, who said ICE officers cannot be trusted to use them appropriately. A notice published in a federal database Thursday said ICE entered into a no-bid...

The military did not give the precise ‌location of the strikes nor make clear whether it took place over U.S. or Mexican territory

Japan plans to provide defence equipment and other supplies to the armed forces of at least 12 like-minded countries under its Official Security Assistance programme this financial year, up from eight countries the previous year, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The military of Kenya, which sits on the western Indian Ocean, is expected to be a first-time recipient under the programme, with the Japanese government seeking to strengthen maritime security cooperation, particularly...

Trita Parsi is co-founder and executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has written four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Born in Iran, Parsi moved to Sweden with his family as a child and then to the United States as an adult. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions...

Chinese surgeons last month completed the world’s first commercial surgery to implant an invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) device in a patient with a spinal cord injury, a milestone in the neurotechnology development race with US companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. This month a Chinese company, state-owned PICC Property and Casualty, launched the world’s first commercial insurance policy covering BCI implantation surgery. September will see the first undergraduates in China to major in...

A US federal judge on Thursday blocked the US Postal Service from implementing core parts of a new rule it adopted at President Donald Trump’s direction that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections. US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a temporary restraining order ‌at the behest of Democratic-led states and voting rights groups after the US Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that led to the lifting of earlier injunctions blocking...

The tribe argued that the wall would cause “significant devastation” on the reservation, including the destruction of mountain peaks sacred to the tribe, and would alter the boundaries of their nation.

Renewed scrutiny comes after police officer accused of falsifying records in order to close the cases of people who were later found dead South Korean police will re-examine about 310,000 missing persons cases closed over the past three years, prompted by a scandal in which an officer was arrested on suspicion of falsifying records to close files on two people who were later found dead. The case has drawn national attention, with President Lee Jae Myung ordering an investigation into the police handling of it and telling the force to draw up a reform plan...

Chinese authorities warned Friday that a lake formed by a mudslide on the China-Nepal border could breach and send floodwaters downstream, threatening further damage. Water levels are expected to rise over the next three days, with 499 residents and 555 tourists already evacuated from the disaster zone. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

From parched drylands in Bapatla to diesel-powered pumps in the Krishna Delta and rotting paddy fields in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh’s farmers are confronting different faces of the same climate crisis, writes GVR Subba Rao

After decades of being caught between Maoists and the police, the seven families still living in Telangana’s Karreguttalu Hills are discovering life beyond fear. Once a formidable Maoist stronghold on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, the hills are now opening up with roads, security infrastructure and the promise of electricity and development. But return of the State’s writ also raises questions about the future of the forests and the communities that have lived here for decades. Abhinay Deshpande reports

Pact with Caracas would bolster US oil supplies for years to come, but may face legal challenges.

Staff at the military newspaper allege US government sought to violate First Amendment rights to free speech.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is launching an Ebola vaccination campaign to tackle the deadliest outbreak.

The catastrophic flash flood has killed at least 389 people and left more than 1,300 missing, with hundreds of tourists unaccounted for Nearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killed Visual guide: how the deadly flooding unfolded Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods? Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday faces a “high risk of breaching and sending flood waters downstream”, according to state media. “According to forecasts, inflows into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic meters over the next three days amid continued rainfall, increasing the risk of a breach that could send flood waters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port and elsewhere downstream”, state news agency Xinhua reported late Thursday. Rescue teams and military helicopters are searching for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-Tibet border after a huge torrent of water and mud swept through communities following a glacier collapse on Wednesday. More than 390 people were killed, authorities in Nepal and China said, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreign citizens and pilgrims. More than 500 foreign citizens were among 826 people missing in Nepal, police and tourism ⁠officials said. Among those unaccounted for were 177 from India, 90 from the US, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada. Chinese state media said at least 558 were missing on the Tibet side of the border, of whom at least 260 were foreign nationals. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said he ordered the release of $2m from the UN’s central emergency response fund to help with medical care, shelter and water. US president Donald Trump said the flooding was terrible to see, describing how “strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks”. Nepalese officials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40km of roads damaged, complicating search efforts. The Nepalese army had rescued more than 100 people by helicopter, an army spokesperson said. Army teams also evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the Trishuli hydropower project, he said. Dozens of injured people were transported to Kathmandu for medical care. Rescuers found bodies in Nepal’s Chitwan district, hundreds of kilometres downstream from the hardest-hit areas. The Nepal Red Cross Society said the agency has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the flood-hit districts. China’s premier, Li Qiang, arrived on Thursday in Gyirong to direct rescue efforts, alongside 500 military and paramilitary personnel...