2026/08/28 Daily Edition

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi as a presidential adviser, state media said on Friday, days after Abdi announced the dissolution of his Kurdish forces under an integration deal with Damascus.

Sir Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic epic explores the feeling of hope in a pandemic-riddled world.

New rules are aimed at protecting people in debt in England and Wales and stopping homeowners being ripped off A clampdown on “rogue bailiffs” has been launched by Andy Burnham amid concerns that vulnerable people are being overcharged and face aggressive behaviour. In the latest in a series of “everyday fixes” to ease the cost of living and “make Britain fairer”, the prime minister said he was strengthening the rules that apply to bailiffs in England and Wales to better protect people in debt...

Congressman Jamie Raskin asks president’s son to detail firm’s recent success after he joined 1789 Capital as partner Democrats on a powerful US congressional committee have launched an investigation into a venture capital firm which has thrived since recruiting Donald Trump’s son. Donald Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital as a partner just days after his father won a second term in office in November 2024. Congressman Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the US House of Representatives judiciary committee, has asked the president’s son to detail the firm’s recent success...

Andrew and Tristan Tate's legal team argued in a Miami court that the two were not a flight risk.

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 Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria ends its autonomous rule following its full integration into Syria.

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.

President Hakainde Hichilema wins the Zambian general election for a second consecutive term.

The Anand theatre in Mount Road was the one to stake its claim as “the first 70mm theatre of South India”

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

Anti-migrant protests have escalated in Spain’s Ceuta, with demonstrators dismantling and burning migrant shelters.

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...

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 Fire Dragon Dance in the nearby Tai Hang neighbourhood. To help readers get into the spirit of the...

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 permanent helipad inside the grounds. The White House and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...

[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 considering the challenges brought by changing social needs. Following the enactment of the Sex...

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. Thirteen years since it began, it is now increasingly about how officials use their power, whether they toe...

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 reminder that Japan is still urgently recruiting foreign labour even as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s...

Preliminary evidence suggests a large volume of ice and rock may have plunged into the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River. Researchers said the collapse could have displaced water and picked up loose sediment and boulders, producing a powerful surge downstream

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 inertia. For nearly a century, mainstream international anti-war cinema has been heavily anchored...

A lawyer has accused Judge Roy Altman, who calls the keffiyeh a 'terror scarf', of anti-Palestinian bias in his remarks.

Costs are spiralling out of control as unregulated private providers capitalise on demand, say managers.

The weather will remain unsettled across the next few days with showers, longer spells of rain and thunderstorms all likely at times across the weekend.

The government retaliated against the A.I. start-up “for constitutionally protected expressive activities,” a federal judge in California wrote.

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.

A former US diplomat says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees ‘political value’ in Turkiye as Israel’s latest enemy.

An air strike on a fuel market near Chad's border with Sudan killed 12 and injured seven, according to officials.

A glacier collapse in Tibet caused catastrophic flash flooding in a border area of China and Nepal

The Red Cross launched an emergency appeal for $31 million to respond to the devastating flash floods and landslides

Decision allows manufacturers to begin shipping doses, but confusion remains about insurance coverage The 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 Thursday, ⁠after ​an advisory panel recommended that the shots should target ⁠the dominant XFG variant...

After weeks of settler siege, three new Israeli gates around Palestinian homes in Qusra raise fears in West Bank.

First phase of Malaysia's repatriation plan will involve Myanmar nationals who are 'willing to return voluntarily'.

Iran to issue terms for reopening Strait of Hormuz as mediating countries send delegations to Tehran to revive talks.

A second consignment of 37.5 tonnes of relief material has been handed over to Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that additional support would be extended

Okinawa’s governor election next month is set to be a major test of whether Japan’s ruling party can win over voters from a prefecture that has long opposed its security agenda and the heavy US military presence on its islands. A victory by Genta Koja, the Liberal Democratic Party-backed candidate, would likely help smooth ties between Okinawa and Tokyo and weaken resistance against the planned relocation of the US Marine Corps’ Futenma base within the prefecture, according to analysts. Such an...

Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices fell 0.46 per cent in July, halting a 13-month upswing, according to the latest official data. The index tracking second-hand homes slipped to 321.5 in July from 323 in June, Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) data showed on Thursday. It was the first decline in 16 months – since April last year. Prices were flat in May last year before climbing steadily for 13 months from June. “As residential property prices have increased by 7.3 per cent year to date,...

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 appropriate departments. “In the past, residents often complained that their cases were assigned to the...

In arguably his most important foreign trip, Elbridge Colby, US undersecretary for defence policy, visited key Southeast Asian capitals this month. In a speech in Manila, the Pentagon policy chief extolled America’s “flexible realism”, which he said serves “the practical, concrete interests of regular Americans” and echoes Southeast Asian nations’ commitment to “pragmatism, an openness to dialogue, respect for counterparts, proud nationalism, and a focus on economic prosperity”. Amid the United...

The United States should take a leaf out of Beijing’s industrial playbook and strategically open up specific sectors to Chinese investment while ensuring that technology transfers occur, US industrial policy and supply chain experts said at an event on Thursday. The assessment comes as Washington mulls new broad restrictions on Chinese technology, including a proposed prohibition on the sale of cars with connected-vehicle technology linked to China and a ban on imports of Chinese humanoid robots...

[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 bridge cultures, spark conversation, and deepen mutual understanding. With free screenings across Hong...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday hinted at sanctioning Chinese banks over their commercial links with Iran, just weeks before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit Washington for a bilateral summit. “Who said I’m not?” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about why the US had not sanctioned Chinese banks for their dealings with Iranian entities. “Well, I don’t have to announce everything, do I?” Trump’s remarks come days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced...

Ghana faces a $78.2m health funding shortfall as aid cuts put immunisation gains at risk.

The contracted players have been divided into three grades, with Grade A players receiving ₹12 lakh annually, Grade B ₹8 lakh and Grade C ₹6 lakh

In Manjari village, on the outskirts of Pune, tribal students have been protesting for over two weeks with a hunger strike against the Maharashtra government, which they say has not heard them for years. They hope this time their need for better quality education and hostel infrastructure will be seen, and the Supreme Court-mandated employment assured nine years ago will be given. Vinaya Deshpande Pandit speaks with the students, many of whom are first-generation college-goers

The arrests are part of a federal task force initiative targeting criminal gangs and transnational organisations.

Iran says it is preparing to draft conditions to open the Strait of Hormuz following mediator requests.

The police said that they received confidential information about a call centre called ‘Insta Transfer Biz Pvt. Ltd.’ at Evershine Mall in Malad West and raided it on August 24, 2026

As of July 31, India had 300.50 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity, accounting for more than 54% of its overall installed electricity generation capacity

He distributed more than ₹3.42 crore in incentives to 107 startups and ₹1.79 crore to nine incubators under the Startup Policy

Jo Potter’s side charged to promotion and have brought in striker Bethany England as they bid to stay up Guardian writers’ predicted position: 13th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 2nd (WSL2)..

‘Mind-numbing that people end up in these positions’ Brydon Carse incident is the latest in a long line Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have criticised the “extreme and tiresome” flood of negative stories around the England cricket team’s drinking and socialising habits, with Anderson – England’s all-time leading wicket-taker – saying it is “just mind-numbing that people can still be putting themselves in these positions”. The latest scandal involving members of the Test squad involved the bowler Brydon Carse, who was pictured being led away from a Derby bar in handcuffs in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 31-year-old was briefly arrested by police on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly before being “de-arrested”, though they continue to investigate an allegation of assault in connection with the incident. Carse was dropped from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan that started at Lord’s on Thursday, but took two wickets for Durham on the first day of their County Championship game against Gloucestershire...

Venue's board of directors, stacked with supporters of the president, voted to add his name again despite past ruling.