English actor Tim Curry, who became a hugely popular cult figure through performances in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Clue” and the television miniseries “It,” has died at age 80.

Tim Curryfilmtelevision

French astronaut Sophie Adenot began her second spacewalk at the International Space Station on Tuesday. Working with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, she was due to help retrieve and install a spare space-to-ground communications antenna and connect its electrical and data systems to restore high-speed links with mission control.

spacewalkInternational Space Stationcommunications antenna

Apple will hold its next launch event on September 9 at 1PM ET under the tagline “Surprise and shine.” The company may unveil its long-rumored foldable iPhone and refresh the Pro and Pro Max models. It will also be the first such event with John Ternus as CEO.

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Nepal’s army and police have joined rescue teams searching for hundreds of people still missing after powerful flash floods devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region.

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Nepali labourer Bibek Kumal was digging a toilet pit outside a newly built house on Wednesday when a torrent of water, mud and rock surged down, sweeping him and everything nearby away. He survived after being saved by a mango tree.

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Nepal’s infrastructure minister, Sunil Lamsal, said devastating floods that killed at least 95 people caused about 200 billion Nepalese rupees ($1.3 billion) in infrastructure damage. At least 22 concrete bridges and five Bailey bridges were washed away, with major damage in the Bhotekoshi River valley. Authorities report nearly 300 foreign tourists missing.

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Local police say the devastating flood in northern Nepal has killed 95 people. At least 384 tourists, including 291 foreigners and 105 Indian citizens, are missing. Preliminary reports link the flooding to a snow-and-rock avalanche near the Nepal-China border, while search and rescue operations continue.

Nepalfloodingmissing touristssearch and rescue

Democratic-controlled states have launched another lawsuit seeking to stop President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting mail voting in this year’s midterm elections.

U.S. politicsDonald Trumpmail votinglawsuit

The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow, marking the first known visit by a US spy chief to the capital since 2021. The agenda was not disclosed, as the war in Ukraine escalates and efforts to secure lasting peace between the US and Iran have stalled.

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The Kremlin says CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the talks a “positive development”, while cautioning that it is too early to assess their effect on efforts to ease the severe crisis in bilateral relations.

US-Russia relationsCIAMoscow talks

The Kremlin confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held high-level talks with Russian security counterparts in Moscow, while denying that he met President Vladimir Putin. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was promptly briefed on the discussions but did not attend, and questioned whether they could ease the countries’ “profound crisis.”

US-Russia relationsJohn RatcliffeMoscow talks

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no contacts with US representatives are currently planned through Kremlin channels. He added that Russia’s contacts with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow were conducted through special services.

RussiaUnited StatesKremlindiplomatic contacts

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian intelligence agencies had contacts with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, but Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin. No presidential-level Moscow-Washington contacts are currently planned. Peskov said Ukraine is unequivocally losing the conflict and that turmoil inside the Kyiv regime is intensifying, while Russia hopes Armenia’s political processes follow the law and respect participants’ rights.

US-Russia relationsJohn RatcliffeUkraine conflictArmenia

CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to determine whether contacts between the two countries’ intelligence agencies could improve US-Russia relations.

US-Russia relationsintelligence talksMoscow

Reports from Britain say the pair has reached the United Kingdom.

Prince HarryMeghanUnited Kingdom

Prince Harry and his family were expected to return to Britain on Wednesday, the BBC reported. The trip followed reports that the couple planned to move back to the UK six years after stepping away from royal duties and relocating to the United States.

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Meta Platforms agreed to make major changes to Facebook and Instagram and pay up to $18 billion to resolve claims brought by most U.S. states. The states alleged that Meta designed the platforms to addict children and misled consumers about their safety.

Metasocial mediachildren’s safetylegal settlement

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $17 billion to settle claims brought by 47 US states. State attorneys general accused the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to deliberately addict teenagers while misleading the public. The agreement also requires added child-safety measures.

Metasocial mediateen safetyUS lawsuit

Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.68bn to settle claims from 29 US states that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict children, mislead consumers and collect children’s data. It will introduce two-hour daily limits and nighttime blocks for under-18s, and remove users under 13. Meta denies wrongdoing, and the settlement still requires court approval.

Metayouth safetysocial mediaUS lawsuit

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and introduce child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram. The deal would end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims brought by 47 states.

Metasocial media addictionchild safetylawsuit

Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion and introduce new limits on teenagers’ use of Facebook and Instagram under a California lawsuit brought by several US states over addiction and excessive use. The settlement still needs court approval.

Metateen addictionsocial medialawsuit

Meta has reached a settlement with US states in a landmark case alleging that it intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed young people’s mental health.

Metasocial mediayouth mental healthlegal settlement

Dolly Parton, the irrepressible country singer, songwriter and actress whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and business acumen captivated the public for nearly six decades, died Tuesday at 80, her family said. She wrote her first song, “Little Tiny Tasseltop,” at about six, about a corncob doll her mother kept in a shoebox.

Dolly Partoncountry musicmusicobituary

Dolly Parton was a beloved icon whose influence extended across music, film and philanthropy. She died Tuesday and was known for her rhinestone-covered style and quick wit, captivating fans from all walks of life.

Dolly Partonmusicfilmphilanthropy

Kristy High, who manages the Imagination Library program in Cincinnati, says Dolly Parton taught her to find something she deeply cares about, work out how to help and keep showing up.

Dolly PartonImagination Librarysuccess

Dolly Parton, the country music legend and actress who was among the rare US celebrities able to transcend the country’s divides, died on August 25 at the age of 80.

Dolly Partoncountry musicUnited Statesobituary

BBC music correspondent Mark Savage reflects on Dolly Parton’s enduring legacy, from creating the “9 to 5” anthem with her fingernails to confronting sexism in the music industry. Her disputes over “I Will Always Love You” also showed a determined artist who could remain generous without surrendering her rights.

Dolly Partonmusical legacy9 to 5I Will Always Love You

The world mourns country music legend Dolly Parton after her death. Paul McCartney wrote that it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly.

Dolly Partoncountry musicobituary

The United States said Wednesday it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that broke into the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Senate and other sensitive government agencies.

United StatesChinacyberattackgovernment agencies

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.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that it was time to teach Canada it could not continue acting this way, days after trade talks between the neighboring countries broke down.

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