Anita Perrottet rejected an allegation at a New South Wales Icac hearing that she lied under oath to protect her husband, Charles Perrottet. She said hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to her were for strategic and marketing advice. Icac is examining alleged prohibited political donations linked to property developer Jean Nassif and Toplace.
New South Walescorruption inquirypolitical donations
U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to oust Federal Reserve officials and make room for his own appointees have so far been blocked by the courts and Senate political resistance. He may nonetheless have as many as four opportunities to increase his influence over the central bank’s policy committee.
Israeli forces took control on Tuesday of a vocational training centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in a suburb of east Jerusalem. The move was condemned by UN chief Antonio Guterres and followed UNRWA warnings that Israeli authorities were threatening the Qalandia centre.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is ongoing, with at least 5,514 cases and 2,462 deaths recorded. As concerns rise that the virus could reach the capital, Kinshasa, authorities have increased patrols along the Congo River.
Human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova said another 10 Russian servicemen will return from Ukrainian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange in Belarus. She said the process is being finalized under a ten-for-ten formula.
A recent gold discovery in the remote Kenyan village of Cheporor has drawn thousands of amateur prospectors in just weeks. The settlement has taken on the appearance of a busy small town, but lacks the infrastructure to accommodate the newcomers, creating security challenges.
Country music icon Dolly Parton has died in Nashville at 80. Her soaring vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes helped carry her from a log cabin in Tennessee to stardom, while her wit and distinctive image made her one of music’s most beloved personalities across generations, places and politics.
U.S. authorities are investigating a data breach at a small Kansas maker of water-utility technology. The company apparently was not part of a suspected Iranian-affiliated campaign that began targeting water plants in Minnesota and other states in July, but the incident underscores cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure.
A major flash flood in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district killed at least eight people and damaged villages, roads, bridges and power projects. Authorities warned casualties and property losses could be higher. Across the border, Tibet reported major casualties and missing people after a mudslide disrupted roads, communications and power at Gyirong port.
At least 17 people were killed when a major flash flood and mudslide in Nepal’s Rasuwa district washed away villages and damaged roads and infrastructure. Search efforts are under way on both sides of the border, with 12 people rescued, while police officers and others remain uncontactable. Roads, communications and power have been disrupted.
A major flash flood struck the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and adjoining Tibet on Wednesday, killing at least nine people. Villages were swept away and roads, bridges and power projects damaged, while authorities warned that the toll could rise.
Flash floods in Nepal’s Himalayan Rasuwa region swept away villages and damaged bridges, killing at least eight people. Chinese authorities said a mudslide in Tibet caused “major casualties.” Rescue helicopters could not land because of high water, while Nepal and China ordered all-out rescue efforts.
A massive flash flood in Nepal swept away villages and project sites near the Tibet border, authorities said on Wednesday. They warned that casualties could be heavy and urged people living along riverbanks to move to higher ground.
Panama has declared an emergency over El Niño, following Honduras and El Salvador, as the weather pattern forces reduced shipping through the Panama Canal. By altering winds and rainfall worldwide, it is producing erratic conditions and pushing global temperatures higher in a year expected to be the hottest on record.
Could artificial intelligence be reinforcing racist stereotypes? Internet users noticed that Google’s AI assistant Gemini gives sharply different advice when told someone is alone with another person, depending on that person’s nationality. A France 2 report examines the issue.
Is AI encouraging racist stereotypes? Three out of five chatbots tested promote bias
FlashBREAKINGTranslated by Minutes
Massive flooding has killed several people in Nepal with "major casualties" in neighbouring Tibet. Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river, wiping out buildings in its path, while AFP images depicted the roof of one house sticking out from the mud. 📸 Prakash Mathema
Massive flooding has killed several people in Nepal with "major casualties" in neighbouring Tibet. Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river, wiping out buildings in its path, while AFP images depicted the roof of one house sticking out from the mud. 📸 Prakash Mathema
Klaus-Michael Kuehne’s business empire was worth $49 billion when he died this week. As he had no offspring, the wealth is bound for a discreet foundation in Switzerland.
Klaus-Michael Kuehnewealth successionSwiss foundation
At least three Indian oil refiners and a global energy major plan to stop using vessels newly placed on Iran’s blacklist, including for ship-to-ship transfers, because of security concerns, four sources with direct knowledge said this week.
Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec says the Malva howitzer can fire several shells along different trajectories and at different speeds so they reach a target simultaneously. It is designed to strike command posts, fortifications, artillery and missile batteries, air defenses and armored convoys, while automated deployment and drone-linked reconnaissance enable a deploy-fire-withdraw cycle lasting minutes.
The breakdown of US-Canada trade talks has brought a wider tariff conflict, with Canada planning 25% to 50% duties on nearly 900 US goods from 8 September, including toilet-paper and tissue stock. Because US paper products rely heavily on Canadian raw materials, the measures could raise consumer prices. The dispute also covers liquor, dairy, seafood, cars and auto parts.
Trade talks between the United States and Canada have collapsed, prompting Ottawa to impose dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on about US$20 billion in US imports from September 8. The dispute has intensified after Washington imposed comparable tariffs on Canadian goods, with both sides warning of broader economic costs and further escalation.
The Iranian rial has fallen past 2 million to the dollar on the free market, a new all-time low, as sanctions and the US-Israel war deepen economic hardship. In Tehran, tomatoes, chicken and cooking oil have risen by 71%, 74% and 177%, while insulin prices have surged 642%.
Ikea and Microsoft are launching the nine-piece Yxstaby collection of gaming-inspired furniture and home accessories for the first Xbox’s 25th anniversary. It includes storage furniture, a lounge chair, a toolbox, and Xbox-themed items such as a thumbstick-inspired stool and controller-motif cushion. The range is due in stores and online this autumn, with pricing varying by market.
Russian newspapers highlight Vatican efforts to help settle the Ukrainian conflict, the Middle East crisis’ pressure on global oil markets, and Slovakia’s refusal to end contracts for Russian energy despite possible US sanctions. Experts say Paul Richard Gallagher’s Moscow visit signals the Holy See’s willingness to mediate, but doubt it can bring the sides to an acceptable peace.
Russia could narrow its gap with India, the world’s third-largest economy by GDP at purchasing power parity, if it resolves the problem of attracting capital, said Anton Sviridenko of the Stolypin Institute of Growth Economics. He called for broader business credit access, conversion of household savings into investment and a stronger stock-market role.
India’s stock market is expected to be lower by the middle of next year than at the start of 2026, a Reuters poll of equity analysts found. Analysts have cut their outlook for a third consecutive quarter as foreign investors shift toward other Asian markets.
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court has ordered the in-absentia pretrial detention of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung correspondent Michael Martens in a criminal case over remarks about killing Russians. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called his alleged calls for Russians’ murder unacceptable and criminal.
Ukraine’s armed forces frequently disguise improvised explosive devices as wallets, cash, smartphones and even children’s toys before dropping them from drones, Russia’s National Guard press service said, citing a combat engineer. It urged particular warnings for children.
Guidelines prepared for Hungary’s delegation to next month’s UN General Assembly condemn Russian military aggression and fully back Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The document calls Russia a threat to Hungary, Europe and the global order, reflecting the new government’s more pro-European stance as Budapest and Kyiv take steps to improve ties.
Paused plans for two potential data centers in the small Nebraska village of Murdock have triggered debates seen in communities across the country, often bringing left- and right-wing residents together in opposition to the projects.
artificial intelligencedata centersUnited States politics
In a divided America, the left and right unite to oppose artificial intelligencedata centers
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇩🇪 Bavaria hosts German finger wrestling championships
Spectators cheer as grimacing competitors, using just their middle finger, heave a small leather loop with all their might at the German finger wrestling championships in the southern village of Pflugdorf-Stadl.
🇩🇪 Bavaria hosts German finger wrestling championships
Spectators cheer as grimacing competitors, using just their middle finger, heave a small leather loop with all their might at the German finger wrestling championships in the southern village of Pflugdorf-Stadl.
President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan must show its resolve to defend itself and approve a six-year, T$210 billion ($6.6 billion) special budget for military drones. He spoke on Wednesday ahead of a crucial vote in the opposition-controlled parliament.
Separate Ukrainian drone strikes across Russia killed at least three people and triggered a major fire at Wildberries’ logistics centre in Kotovsk, Tambov region. Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said the facility was completely destroyed and one person was injured. Russia’s Defence Ministry said 426 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed overnight.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 426 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over several Russian regions overnight. The strikes sparked a fire at a Wildberries logistics center in Kotovsk, Tambov Region, while a drone crash caused a house fire in the Lipetsk Region that killed a man and a 14-year-old child. Others were injured or hospitalized.
Russian attacks killed at least four people and injured at least 95 across Ukraine over the past day. In Kramatorsk, Russian forces carried out a reported double-tap attack on rescue workers handling the aftermath of an earlier strike; an FPV drone hit an armored ambulance, but no personnel were injured.
Ukrainian drones hit a private home in Russia’s Lipetsk region, killing a man and a 14-year-old teenager and injuring two women, according to the regional governor. A Wildberries warehouse in Tambov region was also struck and burned across more than 100,000 square meters; employees were evacuated and one person was injured. Claims that an oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod region caught fire remain unconfirmed by local authorities.
SpaceX has persuaded investors that placing up to 1 million microprocessor-equipped satellites in low Earth orbit to form AI data centers could generate trillions of dollars in future revenue, the Financial Times reports. The company could begin launches next year, but faces major challenges involving launch costs and frequency, cooling computers in vacuum and upgrading chips.
SpaceXorbital data centersartificial intelligenceStarship
Preliminary shipping data showed that five commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, little changed from the previous day but well below the 10-day average of 15 vessels a day.
The $30 trillion US Treasury market has shown its power by resisting the Treasury Department’s recent intervention while drawing Wall Street’s attention. Investors are now wondering whether rising global bond yields could create greater risks for stocks.
Bitcoin’s September options expiry has 130,670 BTC in open interest, but DWF Labs says the headline jump from August mostly reflects routine quarterly positioning rather than a direct Federal Reserve bet. Calls have turned stronger as spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted about $1.92 billion last week, while the $78,000–$82,000 range appears to be the market’s most relevant near-spot upside zone.
A mudslide struck near Gyirong Port in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Wednesday, with people reported missing, local authorities said. Roads to the port on the Chinese side, along with communications and power, were cut off. A first group of 200 experts and rescuers has been sent to the area, while another 100 remain on standby.
A mudslide struck a major China-Nepal border crossing in Tibet’s Gyirong county on Wednesday, with many people feared dead or missing, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported.
A mudslide in Nepal caused casualties at Gyirong border port in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Wednesday morning. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search and rescue effort for people still missing, along with relief operations.
Two US Air Force refuelling planes have left Bulgaria’s Bezmer airbase, easing weeks of anxiety among nearby residents. Villagers feared that hosting aircraft supporting Washington’s war on Iran could make their area an Iranian target. Despite the departure, geopolitical tensions and worries about being drawn into the conflict persist.
Twenty-three passengers were stranded about 25 meters above the ground when a swing carousel malfunctioned at Hamburg’s Hamburger Dom carnival. Firefighters rescued them individually over roughly 90 minutes. No one needed medical attention, but the ride will stay closed through Sunday.
The United Engine Corporation displayed a full-scale mockup of the NK-3 liquid-fuel engine for Russia’s Voronezh ultralight launch vehicle at Technoprom 2026 in Novosibirsk. The 4.5-ton-thrust engine is intended to expand launch options for small spacecraft and reduce costs. Design documentation is planned for next year before preparations for mass production.
Voronezh rocketNK-3 engineultralight launch vehicleRussian space
Japan is targeting the early 2030s to launch a blockchain-based system for settling stocks and bonds. Regulators are rushing to modernize national settlement infrastructure to keep institutional investors and foreign capital from moving to overseas markets.
Japan plans to work on a blockchain-based stock settlement system, with details expected in early 2027, Nikkei reported. If approved, the agencies could launch it within a few years and make it fully operational in the early 2030s.
China has formulated nearly 200 key artificial intelligence standards to guide the sector’s sound and orderly development. An MIIT official said AI is now largely integrated across the country’s entire industrial chain, while work on core 6G technologies will accelerate during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
Russia’s Foreign Ministry will summon Romania’s chargé d’affaires, Liliana Burda, on Thursday. The move follows Bucharest’s announcement that it was expelling a Russian diplomat after Romanian forces shot down three drones in its airspace over three days, which Romania believes were Russian. Moscow said it would respond appropriately but would not recall its ambassador.
Ghana’s grassroots Ghana Food Movement promotes nutritious, homegrown and climate-resilient produce instead of western imports. Abiro Wisdom joined after finding his catering course focused on French, Italian and Mexican cuisine, and now helps develop dishes using ingredients such as moringa and tigernuts, while the group runs pop-ups, school programmes and events to build pride in Ghanaian food.
Bodo/Glimt reached the Champions League main phase for a second straight season after beating NEC Nijmegen in qualifying. Azerbaijan’s Sabah defeated Israeli champions Hapoel Beer-Sheva in extra time, while LASK completed a 5-4 aggregate comeback against Celtic, sending the Scottish champions into the Europa League.
Champions Leaguequalifying playoffsBodo/GlimtSabah
A parliamentary report says New Zealand needs an urgent debate over whether it is on course to cut greenhouse gas pollution and whether its main policy instrument, the Emissions Trading Scheme, remains fit for purpose.
New Zealandgreenhouse gasesEmissions Trading Scheme
China’s largest hotpot chain, Haidilao International Holding, said takeaway was its fastest-growing segment in the first half as demand for single-serving meals surged. Takeaway revenue reached 2.05 billion yuan, up 121.2 per cent year on year, lifting its share of total revenue to 9.2 per cent from 4.5 per cent.
Results pointed to brisk gains in delivery and momentum in newer dining concepts, sending Haidilao stock higher despite falling sales at its main hotpot outlets.
⛵ Slow boat to Amsterdam ships Caribbean cargo using sail power
Gliding into the port of Amsterdam under full sail, a twin-masted sailboat delivers 40 tonnes of Caribbean rum, coffee and cocoa to the Netherlands, on a mission to raise awareness about emissions from shipping.
⛵ Slow boat to Amsterdam ships Caribbean cargo using sail power
Gliding into the port of Amsterdam under full sail, a twin-masted sailboat delivers 40 tonnes of Caribbean rum, coffee and cocoa to the Netherlands, on a mission to raise awareness about emissions from shipping.
France is temporarily loosening production requirements for several renowned cheeses as drought and record heat severely deplete pastures. Producers of abondance, beaufort and comté may use more imported fodder and grain, while other traditional cheeses will receive temporary exemptions.
China launched a Long March-6C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province at 11:21 a.m. Beijing time on Aug. 25, 2026. It successfully placed seven satellites into their planned orbit, marking the 665th flight of the Long March series.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 49,571 people in July, the highest monthly total since Donald Trump began his second term. The figure was about 15 percent higher than June’s and 70 percent above February’s, with nearly 20,000 arrests in Texas and Florida.
At least 47 people were killed, more than 50 kidnapped and 22 injured in a gang raid in Kenscoff near Port-au-Prince, the UN says. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and said it highlighted Haiti’s alarming security situation. Local officials blamed the Viv Ansanm alliance for setting homes ablaze and killing residents.
Zcash’s spot ETF began trading on the NYSE Tuesday, helping fuel the privacy coin’s rise to an eight-year high. Traders are now selling the news, while leverage remains heavily concentrated in the move.
Trade talks between Canada and the US collapsed after Prime Minister Mark Carney ended negotiations, triggering another round of tariffs. The dispute, reportedly worsened by JD Vance’s private remarks, illustrates the Trump administration’s use of American power—and the ability of pressured counterparts to retaliate.
While sharing advice on finding good towels and affordable alternatives to high-end clothes, Bryce Gruber recently turned to the US-Canada trade war. She warned her social-media followers that some of their favorite makeup products are about to become more expensive.
After US-Canada trade talks collapsed last week, Washington announced 50% tariffs on hundreds of products. Canada vowed to retaliate dollar for dollar, while the White House threatened further escalation. The article argues that one of the world’s closest trading relationships is nearing a costly breakdown for no intelligible reason. The cause of the failed talks is disputed; Prime Minister Mark Carney said the US made unacceptable demands.
The 6th Asian Herpetological Conference and an editorial board meeting for Asian Herpetological Research took place in Chengdu from Aug. 22 to 25. More than 120 experts from several countries discussed amphibian and reptile diversity, evolution and conservation, calling for genomics and artificial intelligence to support biodiversity protection.
President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Liberty on Aug. 26, citing his contributions to protecting human life and freedom and to Ukraine-U.S. relations. Kyiv is seeking Musk’s approval to use Starlink-enabled drones inside Russia against ballistic missile launchers, while Musk remains reluctant, viewing the move as an escalation of the war.
Germany’s planned sugar tax is drawing mounting opposition, with critics claiming it is aimed more at raising revenue than improving health. The Greens and conservative Christian Democrats have joined the criticism. Cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are meeting for a second day, while exporters report renewed optimism.
Cross-border tourism, business trips and family visits have remained strong over the summer, driving steady growth in passenger traffic at Beijing’s ports. The city’s exit and entry inspection authorities have handled more than 15 million travelers this year, up 9% year on year. On Aug. 9, daily traffic exceeded 82,000, the highest in nearly six years.
South Korea’s Shinhan will use Visa’s stablecoin platform for initiatives focused on “future finance.” The two companies will also test stablecoins in card payments, AI-based future payment models, and B2B and B2C payment businesses.
The late US Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, has been selected as the Republican nominee for his former South Carolina Senate seat in November’s midterm elections. She defeated Ralph Norman after receiving support from President Trump.
After securing the Republican nomination, Darline Graham is set to appear on South Carolina’s general-election ballot in place of her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
U.S. politicsSouth CarolinaRepublican Partyelection
Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican runoff, securing the party’s nomination for South Carolina’s general-election ballot to succeed her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
U.S. politicsSouth CarolinaRepublican PartySenate election
Senator Darline Graham is projected by DDHQ to win the Republican runoff and become the GOP candidate in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, replacing her late brother, Lindsey Graham. Her victory was helped by strong backing from President Donald Trump.
U.S. politicsSouth CarolinaRepublican PartySenate election
The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa applications worldwide for “in-depth training” of consular officers, the Financial Times reported, citing a State Department spokesperson. Appointments will be adjusted, with the training intended to help screen applicants considered likely to rely on US public benefits. The move comes amid a broader immigration crackdown.
Trump administrationimmigrant visasState Department
Trump administration pauses immigrant visa applications worldwide: FT
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇯🇵 Japan's cosmetic tattoo artists push back against medical licensing rules
In Japan, scalp micropigmentation (SMP)— a cosmetic tattooing technique that mimics hair follicles — has become a life-changing solution for people suffering from alopecia.
🇯🇵 Japan's cosmetic tattoo artists push back against medical licensing rules
In Japan, scalp micropigmentation (SMP)— a cosmetic tattooing technique that mimics hair follicles — has become a life-changing solution for people suffering from alopecia.
Six months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, governments across Europe and Asia are rushing to expand renewable energy in an effort to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, giving the global energy transition fresh momentum.
Russia’s Federal Treasury transferred 747 billion rubles—$6.9 billion to the federal budget and $2 billion to regional budgets—in the first half of 2026, Treasury head Roman Artyukhin said. Budget execution reached 54.1% during the period.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said negotiations to end the Iran-US conflict had reached an impasse, describing the situation as neither peace nor war. Egypt remains in contact with Tehran and supports a swift settlement covering Iran’s nuclear program, lifting US sanctions, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called new sanctions on digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping an “economic D-Day” and threatened broader secondary sanctions. An Iranian minister dismissed them as recycled measures. Sanctions have worsened Iran’s export, import and currency problems, but their impact depends on whether channels involving China and neighboring states are cut off.
US sanctionsIraneconomic pressuresecondary sanctions
Six months into the U.S.-Iran war, Qatar is among the conflict’s biggest economic casualties. Data shows its liquefied natural gas exports have fallen 96%, while U.S. sales rise and European stocks plunge.
Throughout her life, Dolly Parton sought to make the world better while becoming inseparable from the American imagination. Fans across gender, race and class embraced her, and her example of using what you have to help others stands among her greatest legacies.
GalaxySpace has completed the development, launch and on-orbit delivery of a satellite for Thailand’s GISTDA, marking the first complete satellite exported by a Chinese commercial space company to Southeast Asia. Its Lingzhi-09 Thailand CubeSat was among seven satellites launched by a Long March-6C rocket from Shanxi.
Donald Trump ordered the US-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise cut from 11 days to five, presenting the move as goodwill toward Kim Jong Un and linking it to Seoul’s refusal to join the US war effort in Iran. The decision startled South Korea, drew a measured response from North Korea and prompted China to urge Seoul to pursue “genuine strategic autonomy”, highlighting growing uncertainty over US commitments and a broader regional recalculation.
Donald TrumpUS-South Korea drillsKorean PeninsulaEast Asian security
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