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Beijing's top diplomat in Hong Kong, Cui Jianchun, met with the new US Consul General, Julie Eadeh, and urged her to play a 'constructive role' in developing bilateral ties while not interfering in China's internal affairs. Cui also called for the US to lift sanctions on Hong Kong. Eadeh responded by stating she would lead the consulate to 'advance a positive agenda and promote exchanges and cooperation' between the US and Hong Kong. The meeting was described as 'frank and productive' by the US consulate.

Celebrated mathematician Yuan Yuan has returned to China after more than 20 years in the US to join Hangzhou's Westlake University as a maths professor. Yuan is one of four mathematicians recruited by Westlake this summer after long careers in the US. He expressed his enthusiasm for the university's 'first-class' campus and lively atmosphere, stating that he had long hoped to return to China. Yuan joined Westlake's Institute for Theoretical Sciences in May, shortly after being promoted to full professor at Syracuse University in New York.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Gansu province in northwestern China on Saturday, injuring at least 7 people and damaging over 110 dwellings. The earthquake occurred at 5:49 am local time in Longxi county, southeastern Gansu, at a depth of 10km. Local rescue teams conducted an initial inspection and reported no fatalities, but eight houses had collapsed. The Chinese central authorities activated a level-four national earthquake contingency response and deployed a working group to the quake zone. The disaster situation is still being assessed, and the emergency management minister urged rapid verification of the earthquake conditions and damage.

A Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Beijing to Hong Kong landed safely on Friday night after a 'suspected abnormal system indication' on its Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Firefighters were on standby as a precaution, and all passengers and crew members disembarked safely. Subsequent troubleshooting identified a 'defective component' that was fixed according to standard aircraft maintenance procedures. The incident is the latest in a series of technical issues with the Airbus A330-300 model, which has experienced problems in recent years.

China is relaxing its visa requirements to attract more tourists and boost its economy. The country has introduced various visa-free entry rules, allowing travelers from certain countries to stay for up to 30 days without a visa. There are currently five options available for travelers to enter mainland China without a visa, including transiting through Chinese cities for up to 10 days and staying for up to 30 days under specific circumstances. The latest update allows Russian citizens to stay without a visa for up to 30 days, effective September 15. These changes are part of China's efforts to revitalize its tourism sector and make it easier for foreign visitors to enter the country.

The article discusses how Chinese companies Huawei and DeepSeek are leading the country's drive to reduce its reliance on US-made chips, particularly those produced by Nvidia. DeepSeek, an AI start-up, has shifted towards supporting domestically produced chips, causing concerns among Nvidia investors. Huawei has also unveiled its latest Ascend chip series and hardware designed to deliver world-class computing power without using Nvidia's processors. The move is seen as a significant step in China's tech self-sufficiency drive, with Beijing urging tech giants to cease buying Nvidia chips tailored for China. The US trade curbs have sparked innovation in China's domestic AI industry, allowing Beijing to gain ground in its tech rivalry with Washington.

In the conservative Philippines, Quezon City has become a trailblazer in providing trans healthcare services. Despite the country's LGBTQ protection bill languishing in Congress, a local clinic in Quezon City is now offering free gender-affirming health consultations due to a landmark city ordinance. This development is a significant step forward for the transgender community, who have been vulnerable and often lacked access to tailored healthcare services. A trans woman, Queen Sweetie Acidre, shared her positive experience with the clinic, highlighting the importance of this initiative in addressing the health concerns of transgender individuals.

The Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal opened on September 27, 1985, marking a significant achievement for Hong Kong's entrepreneurs and experts. The terminal, built at a cost of HK$1.5 billion, is the largest structural steel building in Southeast Asia and can handle 90,000 passengers daily. It features a complex design with on-land shopping and restaurant areas and seaborne artificial islands with advanced docking equipment. The terminal took 4.5 years to complete and overcame several technical challenges.

A 70-year-old US financier, Howard Rubin, has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing dozens of women, including former Playboy models, in his Central Park penthouse over a 10-year period. Rubin allegedly lured the women to his 'dungeon', a soundproofed room, where they were subjected to sadomasochistic sex acts in exchange for money. His former personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, was also arrested for her role in helping Rubin abuse the women. Rubin was ordered to remain detained on a $25 million bond, and both he and Powers have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At least 19 people have died in Russia's Leningrad region due to suspected alcohol poisoning, with eight cases confirmed as methanol poisoning. The incident is not uncommon in Russia, where high levels of alcoholism are prevalent. A man and a woman have been detained in connection with the poisoning, and a criminal case has been opened. This incident is part of a larger pattern of tainted alcohol causing deaths in Russia and other countries, including India, Turkey, and Laos. Russia has toughened its legislation on alcohol production and sale after previous incidents, but cheap homemade spirits remain widely available, particularly in rural areas.

A court in Spain has convicted an 18-year-old man of killing a puppy in front of his partner, applying a gender violence law for the first time to a case of animal abuse. The man threw the 4-month-old puppy off a cliff while threatening to take his own life, causing psychological distress to his partner. The court handed him a suspended sentence of one year and one day in prison and barred him from approaching or contacting the woman for two years and one day. The ruling was described as 'groundbreaking' by Spain's legal watchdog, the CGPJ, as it recognized 'vicarious violence against a companion animal' and applied stronger punitive measures.

Denmark's defense minister has labeled recent drone incursions near airports and military installations a 'hybrid attack' carried out by a 'professional actor.' The incidents, which caused temporary shutdowns of two airports, have raised concerns among European nations following Russian drone and fighter jet incursions into neighboring countries. Norway's police seized a drone near Oslo's airport, but there's no immediate evidence linking it to the Danish incidents. Russia has denied any involvement, calling accusations 'unfounded' and suggesting the incidents are a 'staged provocation.' Denmark is considering requesting NATO consultations under Article 4 and plans to discuss the matter with the EU.

The French navy seized 9.6 tons of cocaine worth over $600 million from a fishing vessel off the coast of West Africa on Monday. The operation was part of France's Corymbe naval mission, which has been deployed in the Gulf of Guinea since 1990 to combat piracy and drug trafficking. The seizure followed a tip-off from anti-drug and maritime intelligence authorities and British police. The vessel was not registered in any country. This is not the first major drug bust by the French navy this year, as they had already seized nearly six tons of cocaine off the coast of West Africa by the end of August. The French navy has intercepted a total of 54.1 tons of drugs at sea since the beginning of 2025. The incident is part of a larger trend of cocaine being found on fishing vessels around the globe.

Microsoft has stopped providing some of its cloud and AI services to Israel's Ministry of Defense following a report alleging that Israel used these services to conduct mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The Guardian reported that Israel's military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, used Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to store recordings of millions of cellphone calls made by Palestinians, which were used to shape military operations and prepare airstrikes. Microsoft confirmed that it found evidence supporting elements of The Guardian's reporting and has halted the Israeli Ministry of Defense's use of some specific subscriptions and services to ensure compliance with its terms of service.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to his 2007 presidential campaign, which was allegedly financed with Libyan funds. The court found Sarkozy guilty of allowing his associates to seek Libyan funding in exchange for diplomatic favors, but cleared him of other charges. Sarkozy has denied wrongdoing and plans to appeal the verdict. The case dates back to 2011 when Libya's former dictator Muammar Qaddafi claimed to have secretly funded Sarkozy's campaign. The trial revealed a complex web of back-channel talks between France and Libya during the 2000s. Sarkozy remains an influential figure in French politics despite multiple legal scandals.

Assata Shakur, a prominent black liberation activist, has died in Cuba at the age of 78. Shakur was exiled in Cuba for over four decades after escaping from a New Jersey prison where she was serving a life sentence for murder. She was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the Black Panther Party, and was known for her radical resistance to racism in the United States. Shakur maintained her innocence throughout her life, claiming that she was unfairly tried and that she escaped from prison due to fear for her life. She was the first woman to be added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, and her exile in Cuba was a contentious issue between the US and Cuba.

Canada Post workers have gone on a nationwide strike in response to the federal government's proposed reforms aimed at addressing the corporation's financial woes. The strike, involving 55,000 workers, has brought mail deliveries to a halt across the country. The proposed changes include closing some post offices, ending certain types of deliveries, and potentially stopping home deliveries in favor of community mailboxes. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) views the proposals as an 'attack on our postal service and workers.' Canada Post is facing significant financial losses, having lost C$1bn last year and expected to lose C$1.5bn this year. The strike is expected to have a substantial impact on small businesses, particularly during the holiday retail shipping season. Government social security cheques will continue to be delivered during the strike, but other mail and parcels will be undelivered.

The Namibian authorities have warned people against holding parties at cemeteries after a recent event at Gammams cemetery in Windhoek sparked outrage. The gathering featured alcohol, seating arrangements, and litter, which was described as 'disgraceful' by a witness. The City of Windhoek condemned the event, stating that it disrespected the deceased and disturbed grieving families. The authorities reminded residents that cemeteries are sacred spaces reserved for burials and remembrance, and that social gatherings and littering are strictly prohibited. This incident is not the first of its kind at Gammams cemetery, which has made headlines in the past for similar events.

The New York City medical examiner's office has found that Shane Tamura, the gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan office building in July, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often linked to high-contact sports. Tamura, 27, drove from Las Vegas to New York City with an assault-style rifle and targeted the offices of the National Football League (NFL) but ended up in the wrong part of the building. The medical examiner confirmed that Tamura had 'low-stage CTE' and the diagnosis was 'unambiguous'. CTE is associated with symptoms including memory loss, depression, and progressive dementia. Tamura, a former high school football player, had left notes at the scene blaming the NFL for concealing the effects of CTE and asking for his brain to be studied.

Slovakia's parliament has passed a constitutional amendment recognizing only two sexes, male and female, and restricting adoption to married heterosexual couples. The move, backed by Prime Minister Robert Fico's government, has been criticized by Amnesty International and other human rights groups, who warn it will make life more difficult for LGBT people. The amendment passed with 12 opposition MPs voting with the government, despite initial doubts about its passage. Critics argue that the move is a challenge to EU law and a distraction from the government's unpopular policies. Fico hailed the result as a 'great dam against progressivism.'

The article discusses the convergence of Democratic mayors and the President on drugs policy, specifically the harm reduction approach. It highlights the work of Prevention Point, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that provides clean needles to intravenous drug users. The organization's efforts have been impacted by the city's mayor, Cherelle Parker, who has pledged not to spend city dollars on the program. The article suggests that despite harm reduction falling out of favor, it will not disappear. It also touches on the changing landscape of drug policy in the US, with the arrival of fentanyl and the shifting attitudes towards addiction.

The article discusses the security risks associated with Large Language Models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence. LLMs have an inherent security problem as they cannot differentiate between code and data, making them vulnerable to prompt injection attacks. These attacks can trick LLMs into following unauthorized commands, sometimes with damaging consequences. The article suggests that coders need to adopt a more robust approach, similar to mechanical engineers, to mitigate these risks.

The article discusses how New York City's rental sector has undergone significant changes, making it harder for landlords to evict tenants. The issue is particularly relevant ahead of the city's mayoral election on November 5th, where housing is a dominant topic. The Democratic frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, has campaigned on a promise to 'freeze the rent' on 50% of rent-stabilized flats. Despite the focus on housing in the election, the article notes that the rental sector has already changed dramatically, with tenants benefiting at the expense of potential tenants.

The article reports on a sting operation involving Tom Homan, the president's border czar, who was caught accepting a $50,000 bribe to influence government decisions. The operation was conducted by a detective who posed as a local businessman and offered Homan the bribe in exchange for steering public funds his way. The incident has raised questions about Homan's integrity and the administration's response to the situation.

The article discusses the growing popularity of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), specifically highlighting the sold-out last regular-season home game for the New York Liberty at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn. The event is described as a spectacle with fans dressed in seafoam green and a glamorous performance. A long-time fan praises the atmosphere, and the article notes the increasing popularity of the WNBA.

The article discusses Jim Cramer's 'Lightning Round' segment on his show 'Mad Money', where he provides rapid-fire stock advice to callers. Cramer recommends buying ONEOK stock, expressing surprise at its low price. He also comments on D-Wave Quantum and American Electric Power, advising viewers to hold onto their investments in American Electric Power and to reevaluate their cost basis for D-Wave Quantum. The article includes links to related content, such as Cramer's guide to investing and the CNBC Investing Club.

Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato expressed optimism about the future of pharmaceutical innovation in the U.S. despite the Trump administration's tariffs on imported drugs and cuts in research funding. Duato highlighted the company's $55 billion investment to build four plants in the U.S., creating manufacturing jobs and developing new medicines. He emphasized the strength of the U.S. life science industry and its leadership in healthcare innovation.

The article discusses how startup founders can bounce back from failure, citing examples of entrepreneurs who have experienced setbacks but went on to achieve success. It highlights the emotional challenges of failing, including disappointment to investors and employees, and the struggle to regain identity after exiting a failed business. The article also touches on the stigma attached to transitioning from being a founder to an employee and how some founders have successfully made this transition. Experts share their insights on how to reframe success and failure, emphasizing the importance of having a clear sense of purpose and mission.

The Department of Justice is likely to bring additional charges against former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted on two counts for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing justice. Experts claim the case against him is weak and a conviction will be difficult to secure. The indictment is based on a statement by Comey's former deputy, Andrew McCabe, who told the Justice Department inspector general's office that Comey approved of leaking information to The Wall Street Journal. Legal skeptics point out issues with the case, including the possibility of vindictive prosecution and the fact that McCabe was fired by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2018. Former federal prosecutors predict that the case will be difficult to prove and may be dismissed.

Makena White, the 28-year-old girlfriend of PGA Tour winner Jake Knapp, died earlier this week. Before her death, White posted a heartfelt message on Instagram for Knapp, celebrating their two-year relationship. The cause of her death is still unknown. Friends and colleagues have shared their condolences and memories of White, describing her as a kind and lively person who brought joy to those around her.

The University of Virginia Cavaliers pulled off a stunning upset against No. 8 Florida State, winning 46-38 in double overtime. The game was a back-and-forth thriller that ended with an interception by Virginia defensive back Ja'Son Prevard. The Cavaliers' fans stormed the field in celebration, with some even climbing goalposts and flipping off Florida State's quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris had a standout performance with five touchdowns, including a game-winning four-yard touchdown run in the second overtime. The win puts Virginia at 4-1 on the season, just one win away from matching their total from 2024. Florida State, on the other hand, drops to 3-1 and is expected to fall out of the top 10 rankings.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg is leading a flotilla of boats from 44 countries to deliver aid to Gaza, despite being targeted by hijackers who bombarded their radios with Abba music. The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) claimed that Israeli military drones damaged their communication equipment and masts. Thunberg framed the mission as an act of survival, alleging that Israel was violating international law by intercepting boats in international waters and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians. The flotilla is days away from reaching Gaza's coast, amid a war that has killed over 63,000 people.

Polish mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has become the first person to ski down Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Bargiel, 37, achieved this feat on September 22, spending nearly 16 hours in the 'death zone' above 8,000 meters. He skied from the summit to Camp II, spent the night, and then continued through the Khumbu Icefall the next morning. This achievement is considered a landmark moment in extreme endurance sports. Bargiel has a history of high-altitude firsts, including being the first to ski down Pakistan's K2 in 2018. His accomplishment was celebrated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who praised Bargiel's achievement on social media.

The latest release of Jeffrey Epstein's files by the US House Oversight Committee has named Elon Musk and Prince Andrew in connection with the convicted sex offender. Musk is mentioned as a potential visitor to Epstein's island, Little St James, on December 6, 2014, while Prince Andrew is listed as a passenger on Epstein's private jet on May 12, 2000. Both individuals have denied any wrongdoing. The release also shows Epstein's contacts with other notable figures, including Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon. The documents are part of a larger cache that will be released once redacted.

The King and Queen are set to visit the Vatican City in late October to meet with Pope Leo XIV and celebrate the 2025 jubilee year. The state visit has both diplomatic and spiritual significance, symbolizing a shared desire to overcome denominational divisions. The King, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has a deep respect for religious diversity and has been reflecting on the meaning of his title 'Defender of the Faith' in a modern, multi-faith society. The visit is expected to celebrate the ecumenical work between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.

The healthcare system in Gaza City is on the verge of collapse as Israeli forces continue their ground offensive. Two clinics have been destroyed by airstrikes, and two hospitals have shut down due to damage. Other hospitals are struggling to function with severe shortages of medicine, equipment, food, and fuel. The situation is dire, with the healthcare infrastructure being pushed to its limits.

Moldovans are voting in a critical parliamentary election that could decide the country's geopolitical future, with the outcome determining whether it continues on its westward path towards the EU or is pulled back into Moscow's orbit. The election is fraught with claims of Russian interference. Moldova, landlocked between Ukraine and EU member Romania, has been moving towards the EU in recent years. The new 101-seat parliament will be elected, and the result will have significant implications for the country's future. The election is seen as a stark choice between East and West, with the country's 2.5 million people having a say in its future direction.

The US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has announced that she will deploy Justice Department agents to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and personnel following a recent shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas. The shooting, which killed one detainee and injured two others, was the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting federal immigration officials. Bondi stated that she would instruct anti-terrorism task forces to investigate and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in domestic terrorism, including those targeting federal agents. The deployment of Justice Department personnel aims to safeguard federal agents and property, and to immediately arrest individuals engaged in federal crimes.

Malaysia is experiencing a resurgence in train travel, with improved rail services and infrastructure developments. The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train operator has upgraded its services, including the Komuter Utara and Electric Train Service (ETS), making train travel more reliable and efficient. The ETS is set to be extended to Johor Bahru by end-2025, reducing travel time between Johor and Kuala Lumpur. The Jungle Railway, a scenic route through Malaysia's interior, is popular with tourists and locals alike. The improved rail services have benefited commuters, students, and leisure travellers, and are expected to boost economic growth and regional mobility.