Pakistan carried out air strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan on Thursday, saying they were retaliation for a drone attack by Afghan Taliban forces on a border post. A Taliban government spokesman denied the allegation and said the strikes killed four civilians in Afghanistan’s southern and eastern provinces.
A large wave of AI-generated TikTok videos depicting protests across Europe has appeared online. Experts say the content appears intended to “amplify societal polarisation.”
The US has warned southern European states that Moscow could launch drones with a 600-kilometre range from commercial ships against Spain, France and Italy. The report examines what is known and how the threat is growing.
Alexander Yevtushenko of Kuban State University says international drug cartels are trying to establish a foothold in Russia and use it as a major transit route for cocaine moving from Latin America to the European Union. The FSB previously seized 311 kilograms in the Moscow Region, while other recent seizures included 1.5 tons and 500 kilograms. Yevtushenko said the trafficking is reaching an industrial scale.
Greenland’s delegation received a hero’s welcome in Nuuk after signing a new pact with the United States and Denmark. The agreement expands military access to the island, strengthens security and preserves Greenland’s sovereignty.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong and his team, opened to the public in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Its large white structure draws on traditional Chinese gardens and the idea of harmony among people, nature and culture. The museum spans about 28,000 square meters and holds more than 40,000 artworks and artifacts.
Lucas MuseumMa YansongChinese architectureLos Angeles
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development lowered its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 to 0.5%, down 0.3 percentage points from its June projection. Its 2027 forecast was also cut by 0.3 points to 0.7%. The bank said higher oil prices had supported a robust external position, while defense spending was rising.
A federal judge temporarily halted U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds, ordering the outlets' access to be restored early Thursday.
A US judge has issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The judge said the outlets were likely to succeed in arguing that their credentials were removed without due process and ordered their access restored immediately.
District Judge Tim Kelly ruled that CNN, MS NOW and Politico should immediately regain access to the White House. President Trump had announced the ban on the three outlets on Sept. 18.
A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s move to bar three news outlets from the White House grounds and ordered access restored for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to lift his ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists entering the White House. The ban, issued on September 18, was challenged in court, with the judge saying it was likely unconstitutional and ordering the measure to remain in force for 14 days.
A judge ordered Trump to restore CNN, Politico and MS NOW’s access to the White House. Trump defended the ban in a Friday social media post, accusing the outlets of publishing “fake news” and warning that other news organisations could face similar treatment.
A federal judge’s order provides temporary relief for CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists by requiring the Trump administration to remove the White House exclusion.
A federal judge ordered the White House early Thursday to immediately restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, finding that President Donald Trump’s directive last week barring the three outlets was most likely unconstitutional.
Federal Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration to reinstate CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s access to the White House after President Donald Trump barred the outlets from the premises.
A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the ban was likely unconstitutional. The decision marks a major setback for Trump in his dispute with the media, after Justice Department lawyers defended the restrictions on national-security grounds.
A federal judge is considering whether CNN, MS NOW and Politico should regain access to the White House. The question followed a 45-minute hearing Wednesday in their lawsuit challenging a ban President Donald Trump announced late last week.
A federal judge appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s claim that the president had legitimate national-security grounds to bar three news outlets from the White House. The judge did not immediately decide whether to restore their access.
The 30th National Invention Exhibition opened Wednesday in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, featuring more than 1,200 innovation projects through Friday. A new section highlights award-winning inventions in areas including aerospace, new energy and brain-computer interfaces, while related competitions promote cross-border cooperation in digital technology and smart manufacturing and help connect research with industry.
A satellite-based digital farming demonstration in Heilongjiang reduced agricultural inputs by about 18%, raised operational efficiency by more than 20% and increased rice yields by roughly 750 kilograms per hectare. The system uses integrated space-air-ground remote sensing to manage farming digitally from planting through harvest.
Provisional results put Morocco’s center-right Authenticity and Modernity Party first in Wednesday’s parliamentary election with 97 of 395 seats. The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party rose from 13 seats in 2021 to 54, while turnout fell to 38%, its lowest level since 2007.
Morocco’s monarchy-aligned Authenticity and Modernity Party won 97 of parliament’s 395 seats in provisional results, ahead of coalition partner RNI. Turnout fell to 38.02 percent. PAM is positioned to lead the next government but will need coalition partners because no party is expected to win a majority.
As criticism of Israel intensifies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is addressing the UN General Assembly at a pivotal point in his career and ahead of crucial Israeli elections later this year. Analysts say he may use the speech to strengthen his image as Israel’s leading international voice and a close US ally, while highlighting the threat from Iran.
Benjamin NetanyahuIsraelUN General AssemblyIsraeli election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to speak at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, with international scrutiny of Israel’s war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territory dominating the third day of the annual debate. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is also scheduled to address world leaders by video after being denied a US visa.
UN General AssemblyIsraelGazaPalestinian territories
United Russia won more than 58% of valid overseas votes in last weekend’s State Duma election, according to preliminary data reviewed by TASS. About 270,000 people voted at 333 polling stations across 152 countries. The Central Election Commission plans to announce final results on September 25.
The US has acknowledged that there were eight suicide attempts aboard a US aircraft carrier during a record Middle East deployment. In August, military families and lawmakers warned about reported attempts and other serious mental-health problems, as well as food shortages and poor hygiene.
US militaryaircraft carriermental healthMiddle East deployment
Victoria’s anti-corruption commission has charged a former senior National Gallery of Victoria employee with seven theft counts and one count of misconduct in public office. He allegedly used a gallery account to buy about $8m in mobile phones between September 2019 and September 2025, then sold them for personal gain. He is due in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 20 October.
National Gallery of Victoriatheft chargesanti-corruption investigation
Volkswagen began presales in China on Thursday for its second model jointly developed with electric vehicle maker Xpeng, expanding its electric vehicle push as it seeks to catch up with Chinese rivals.
Grassy Narrows First Nation and Wabaseemoong Independent Nations are still seeking justice from Ontario and the federal government over mercury poisoning linked to contamination dating to the 1960s and ’70s. About 9,000 people joined their River Run Rally in downtown Toronto on Wednesday to press for action.
Sales of Chinese-made hybrid cars in the EU have surged since Brussels imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on fully electric vehicles from China. The increase is alarming the European car industry and EU officials, who have asked China to voluntarily curb hybrid exports or face possible safeguards such as quotas.
Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation has delivered a batch of new Su-57 multirole fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces. The aircraft completed factory testing and trials by Defense Ministry pilots before flying to their assigned airfield. UAC said the type has been substantially modernized using combat-operation experience and can undertake a broader range of missions with new aerial weapons.
Brent crude futures for November 2026 delivery rose above $106 per barrel on London’s ICE for the first time since September 17. By 11:14 a.m. Moscow time, Brent was up 2.96% at $106.13, while WTI futures gained 2.43% to $94.4.
Autumn has arrived in Portugal, yet summer-like heat persists. Temperatures reached 36°C in Lisbon, surprising tourists who had not expected such unseasonably hot weather at this time of year.
Mark Carney warned fellow “middle powers” earlier this year that those absent from the table would end up on the menu. This week’s US-China summit shows the European Union exactly what the Canadian leader meant.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a highly anticipated summit with US President Donald Trump, China appears to have emerged stronger from the tariff shock. Its exports rose 25% last month on an annualised basis, lifting the trade surplus to $119 billion and putting it on course to surpass last year’s record $1.2 trillion. The surplus with the US climbed 44% to $29 billion, its widest gap since Trump returned to office.
US-China relationsfinancial marketstrade surplus
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★★★☆2026-09-24 08:30
Who has the upper hand in financial markets, the US or China?
An Ontario woman says a proposed financial lifeline, offered after she was duped by a controversial HVAC company, instead pushed her deeper into debt. The convicted businessman, who is out on bail pending an appeal, is accused of a new $17,500 scam.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. He criticised Kim Jong Un for using soldiers as “currency” to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. South Korea did not deny the claim but declined to confirm operational details, citing safety and family protection.
The Bundestag is set to consider two cross-party proposals aimed at increasing organ donations. One would retain Germany’s opt-in system, while the other would allow postmortem donation unless a person had explicitly refused. Lawmakers will also examine reforms to expand intelligence agencies’ powers.
China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration has announced findings from joint archaeological work in Egypt, Tunisia and Kyrgyzstan. Teams found a previously unknown sacred lake at an ancient Egyptian temple, remains from the Punic to Roman periods in Tunisia, and 24 ancient city sites in Kyrgyzstan’s Chuy River Basin.
India’s Election Commission is facing another credibility crisis after allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar made decisions without adequately involving fellow commissioners. Opposition parties are demanding his resignation as the poll monitor conducts a controversial nationwide voter-roll revision that has removed 130 million names and prompted complaints from voters who say their registrations are missing.
India politicsElection Commissionvoter rollselection controversy
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces carried out a massive overnight strike with precision-guided weapons and drones on Ukrainian defense-industry facilities, communications and logistics centers in Kyiv and the Odesa Region, as well as vessels at sea. It said targets included drone and ground-robot production sites, storage facilities and a tanker bound for Chornomorsk. Ukraine reported that warehouses in Kyiv were damaged and caught fire.
IN BRIEF: Russia launches massive strike on defense facilities, logistics centers in Kyiv, Odesa
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇧🇹 Bhutan's solar push to help power new economic zone
Bhutan has long relied on hydroelectric power to meet its electricity needs but the Kingdom is looking to solar energy to help power its development, including a new special economic zone known as the Gelephu Mindfulness City.
🇧🇹 Bhutan's solar push to help power new economic zone
Bhutan has long relied on hydroelectric power to meet its electricity needs but the Kingdom is looking to solar energy to help power its development, including a new special economic zone known as the Gelephu Mindfulness City.
Microsoft has severed ties with the International Criminal Court because of US sanctions, forcing it to shift to alternative digital services, ICC lead counsel Geert-Jan Alexander Knoops told TASS. He said the move has made lawyers’ work more difficult and warned that the sanctions could disrupt the Court’s banking, investigations, proceedings and staff operations.
Alexander Safronov, secretary of the Communist Party’s Krasnodar regional committee, said widespread fraud affected the September 18–20 State Duma election and cost the party about half a million votes in Krasnodar Krai. He said camera footage allegedly showed ballots being swapped overnight at one polling station; those ballots were annulled. The Central Election Commission and regional authorities had previously reported no serious violations.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said at the opening ceremony of the Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou that accelerating digitization will advance economic globalization. He called for greater North-South cooperation and said China would deepen trade ties, support foreign-invested firms and welcome stronger long-term investment in its market.
Amanolu, Aman’s first hotel in the Maldives, is planned for Vaavu Atoll with just 52 keys. It will also include 16 private residences, each with its own island, alongside an entire island dedicated to wellness.
The article questions whether the European Union is weakening its sanctions against Russia. It features a 2019 photograph of Russian-Israeli businessman Mikhail Fridman attending an Israeli Keren Hayesod foundation conference in Moscow.
Diesel prices are reaching record highs as the Middle East conflict intensifies, putting pressure on American farmers and rural residents and unsettling Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to produce credible, time-bound roadmaps for moving away from fossil fuels. Global renewable capacity grew by a record 693 gigawatts in 2025, but the UN says current commitments remain insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal. Climate policies are diverging, while China continues expanding renewables, its carbon market and clean-energy trade.
climate actionenergy transitionrenewable energyChina clean energy
Bulgaria’s rapid expansion of battery storage is proving valuable as summer drought affects power plants. Experts point to low administrative hurdles, a receptive clean-energy market and EU funding as factors behind the country’s leading role in the region’s green-energy sector.
Meta has introduced a new line of audio-only AI glasses as it faces a backlash over privacy. CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented the smart glasses at Meta Connect in Menlo Park, California, on September 23, 2026.
Meta has launched Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a camera-free version of its smart glasses that retains phone calls and music playback through open speakers. The company’s camera-equipped glasses have faced accusations of enabling non-consensual filming and a privacy backlash. Meta denies the new model was rushed out in response to public anger.
Meta is launching Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses with Meta AI but no camera to record other people, even as backlash against wearable surveillance technology grows. The audio-only models are lighter, start at $349, last an estimated 12 hours, and support Meta AI, calls, music, and podcasts. The article says privacy controls addressing the “perv glasses” backlash are still missing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the world cares more about Japan’s actions than its words. He urged Tokyo to repent for its history of aggression, break with militarism and stop advancing remilitarization, warning that such moves threaten regional peace and the postwar international order.
China-Japan relationsJapanese remilitarizationwar history
SoftBank has raised $11bn through a record junk bond offering to fund its bet on OpenAI. Yields as high as 9.75% are being seen as a sign that investors remain willing to finance the artificial intelligence boom.
Specialists at Russia’s Bryansk Automobile Plant have developed an armored tractor truck with a machine gun turret, a patent reviewed by TASS says. The 4x4 vehicle has a fully armored cabin for protection against air and ground attacks, along with heat shields and fittings for vegetation or camouflage nets.
Veteran Chinese actor and National Theatre of China first-class artist You Benchang died of an illness in Beijing on Wednesday morning at age 93. He was widely known for playing the Buddhist monk Ji Gong in the 1985 television series and had worked in the performing arts for more than 70 years.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the G20 summit in Miami, scheduled for December, could enable a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia. He said Ukraine would support the format if an agreement is reached, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would invite Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin said it would consider the invitation through diplomatic channels.
A three-vehicle crash on the Melba Highway in Glenburn, Victoria’s Yarra Ranges, killed the driver of one car and injured several others. The bus was carrying 18 people; four occupants were taken to hospital, including a teenage boy and a man in his 50s with serious injuries. The scheduled service operator said it was assisting investigators.
Global debt has surpassed $365 trillion. Advanced economies are paying more in debt interest than the entire world spends on artificial intelligence, defense or clean technology, prompting economists to warn of a potentially vicious cycle.
The Bank of Russia bought 1.9 billion rubles ($22.41 million) worth of yuan on the domestic market, with settlement on September 23, according to regulator data. Purchases settled on September 22 also totaled 1.9 billion rubles. The transactions use the yuan-ruble instrument on the Moscow Exchange.
China beat Japan 3-0 in the women’s team badminton final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, ending a 12-year wait for the title. China had previously won five straight editions from 1998 to 2014 before Japan and South Korea took the subsequent Jakarta and Hangzhou crowns.
S+Consulting senior consultant Pavel Petrov says a persistent global copper shortage is emerging and could total 10 million metric tons over the next decade, lasting at least until 2030. He describes copper as strategically comparable to oil and gas and urges Russia to use its importance to strengthen technological sovereignty.
DBS Bank says investors are moving away from treating China as a single investment bet and are instead picking individual winners. Technology is replacing property as the growth engine, with artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and innovative drugs seen as sectors that could benefit.
China economytechnology investmentpropertyartificial intelligence
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-09-24 08:00
DBS: Investors turn to selective China tech bets as property growth fades
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to give a defiant speech at the UN, portraying Israel’s achievements while facing protests in New York, mounting international condemnation and growing political isolation. He is confronting the toughest re-election challenge of his career amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran and escalating settler violence in the West Bank.
The long-anticipated reckoning for the US office market has arrived. The item also highlights costly upgrades to college sports venues, Florida’s latest development boom and a preview of the makeover of a New York icon.
US office marketcommercial real estateproperty development
Experts say Vietnam and Canada could deepen ties in trade, energy and academia, while some warn that the Southeast Asian country’s human rights record should not be overlooked.
As provinces look for ways to cut surgical wait times, Alberta is introducing a system that lets doctors work in public hospitals while also providing private care. Data from Canada and other jurisdictions suggests the model can instead lengthen waits in the public system.
Albertasurgery wait timesprivate carepublic health care
Experts say the U.S.-China summit highlights what they call the “hypocrisy” of American trade policy. U.S. officials have scolded Canada for making a deal with China, even though the figures show that the United States does vastly more business with China than Canada could possibly imagine.
Premiers and prime ministers have generally benefited from taking similar gambles in the past. For others, however, testing voters ahead of schedule led to a major backlash. The examples include both outcomes.
With Quebec voters due to cast ballots on Oct. 5 in less than two weeks, the leaders of the province’s five main parties confronted one another over health care, the trade war and the prospect of a third referendum. Here are the main points from their final debate.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says international payments can be used as leverage against countries and has told the EU he wants “deep co-operation” in this area. As concerns grow over U.S. influence on other countries’ financial systems, what would Canada need to do to shield itself from American “rogue behaviour”?
As Canada deepens ties with Europe, could it leave U.S. banks and dollars behind?
FlashTranslated by Minutes
Messages call on Xi to release Chinese prisoners as he visits Washington
The Human Rights Foundation projects images and messages on the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to release political prisoners
Messages call on Xi to release Chinese prisoners as he visits Washington
The Human Rights Foundation projects images and messages on the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to release political prisoners
Foreign reporters visiting Donbass met children of different ages being treated at the Donetsk republican trauma center after Ukrainian attacks, including recent drone strikes. They spoke with the children and their parents before visiting the Alley of Angels memorial, where flowers and toys were laid for children killed in Ukrainian army shelling.
VGTRK correspondent Valentin Bogdanov pursued Volodymyr Zelensky in New York during the UN General Assembly and repeatedly asked when the Ukrainian president would visit Moscow. Zelensky initially ignored him, then replied over his shoulder: “On a rocket,” apparently adding an obscenity that is unclear in the video.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would take adequate retaliatory measures if the United States or other parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty carried out full-scale nuclear tests. She said Russia would continue to follow this approach consistently.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said US President Donald Trump’s order to prepare for nuclear tests directly threatens the moratorium that has kept the world from falling into another nuclear arms race. She argued that Washington’s accusations over alleged CTBT-incompatible activity are unsubstantiated and signal another attempt to abandon US international commitments.
A religious service at the historic Gandzasar monastery has provided a rare glimpse of Karabakh’s Christian heritage, while long-running religious disputes persist as Azerbaijan and Armenia work toward lasting peace.
The US leads China by a wide margin in AI spending and computing capacity, holding nearly three-quarters of global AI computing power. China is ahead in research, its models are closing in on US systems, and Chinese companies dominate OpenRouter’s usage-based rankings, partly because their models are cheaper and often open-weight.
As world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly, refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar—the world’s largest refugee settlement—are bearing the impact of severe cuts in UN funding.
Socialists and Democrats MEP Chloé Ridel called US President Donald Trump’s attacks on the International Criminal Court unacceptable. She accused him of trying to “erase the court” because it is beyond his control.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Volodymyr Zelensky in New York to discuss Black Sea security. He said measures were needed to protect shipping and that attacks on merchant vessels could not be justified, while pledging continued efforts to revive direct talks on the Ukrainian conflict.
Neutron voters approved proposal No. 9 on Sept. 22, with the chain explorer listing 11 “Update Admin” actions. SlowMist estimated same-day losses of $4.9 million at Astroport and $4.4 million at Drop. The final loss and recoverable amount remain unresolved, with network halts reportedly containing most initially affected assets.
Swedish fashion retailer H&M reported better-than-expected third-quarter operating profit on Thursday. CEO Daniel Erver said efforts to rein in costs and improve sourcing efficiency were starting to pay off, while sales remained sluggish.
H&Moperating profit improves but sales remain sluggish
FlashTranslated by Minutes
AI models: the race between China and the US
AFP Infographic with a chart showing the overall performance of major artificial intelligence models since 2023 according to the Epoch Capabilities Index composite score, by the research institute Epoch AI
AI models: the race between China and the US
AFP Infographic with a chart showing the overall performance of major artificial intelligence models since 2023 according to the Epoch Capabilities Index composite score, by the research institute Epoch AI
Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi met on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on September 24, seeking to contain tensions.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he discussed preventing further escalation between Ukraine and Iran with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sept. 23 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The two agreed to keep communication channels open and exchanged views on regional conditions and peace efforts.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he discussed ways to keep tensions in check with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi at a meeting on Wednesday.
Ukrainian drones attacked Rostov region overnight, according to Governor Yuri Slyusar. Air defenses reportedly downed drones over Taganrog and two districts, while falling debris damaged administrative buildings at an oil depot. In Krasnodar Krai, debris sparked a fire at an industrial facility. No injuries were reported. Russia’s Defense Ministry said 40 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over several regions overnight. Falling debris damaged administrative buildings at an oil depot in Rostov Region and started a fire at an industrial facility in Krasnodar Region. The fire was extinguished and there were no casualties.
The Swiss National Bank kept its policy rate at 0%, supported by low inflation and a strong franc that allow it to diverge from other central banks. Markets nevertheless expect rate hikes ahead.
The alignment of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays will give many students and office workers up to a record 13-day break. Bookings are surging for activities including skydiving and whale watching, potentially sending tourist traffic to new highs.
China tourismpublic holidaysMid-Autumn FestivalNational Day
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-09-24 07:33
Skydiving, whale watching and a booking surge as China’s holidays stretch to 13 days
China has abandoned two-thirds of its planned overseas coal projects since President Xi Jinping pledged five years ago to stop building plants abroad, according to CREA. At the same time, it has accelerated green-energy development in the Global South.
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