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• Several Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cambodia, have submitted films for the Best International Feature category at the 2027 Oscars. • ScreenDaily reports that submissions are still missing from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. • This diverse lineup demonstrates the breadth of Asian cinema and its ability to move beyond traditional stereotypes for global audiences.

• The Miss Universe organization declared contestants from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Singapore ineligible for the 75th pageant on September 18. • This decision follows a dispute involving national franchises and directly affects Thailand's representative, Tharina Botes. • The exclusion prevents representatives from six Southeast Asian nations from competing in the upcoming international competition.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the Semicon India 2026 opening that India's semiconductor mission has transitioned from pilot lines to commercial production. • The government has increased funding for the mission's second phase to US$13.5 billion, up from approximately US$8 billion in the first phase. • This shift signals to global equipment, materials, and chemicals suppliers that India is now a viable market for shipping commercial hardware rather than just planning factories.

• The United States warned its allies that deliveries of key missiles and weapons could be delayed by up to five years. • These delays affect Germany's orders for Tomahawk and Typhon missiles as well as shipments to several Eastern European countries. • The Pentagon is prioritizing its own inventories to rebuild stocks depleted by the Iran war, which complicates Ukraine's efforts to acquire more Patriot interceptors.

• Armin Papperger, head of the German defense company Rheinmetall, recently stated that Germany's missile stocks remain at alarmingly low levels. • Papperger noted that the current shortage persists because it is simply impossible to produce missiles fast enough to meet demand. • Low missile reserves create a security vulnerability for Germany and its allies during a period of heightened regional instability.

56-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder following discovery of woman reported missing in 2020A body found in an area of London shrubland that was partially cleared of foliage by a wildfire in August is that of a woman who disappeared from Hampshire nearly seven years ago, police have said.A man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the remains were identified as mother-of-three Joanne Sheen. She was reported missing in February 2020 – having last been seen the previous December. Continue reading...

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a proposal to ban children under 13 from accessing social networks and restrict access for teenagers under 15. • The proposal explicitly states that there should be no social media access before the age of 13. • This policy would force social media platforms to implement stricter age verification and access controls for millions of young users across the European Union.

• Several countries, including Nepal, Singapore, Israel, Romania, South Korea, and Chile, have submitted their official entries for the 2027 Academy Award for best international feature film. • Turkey selected the social drama "Like a Limbless Tree," directed by Tunç Davut, as its official representative for the competition. • These submissions determine which global films will compete for one of cinema's most prestigious awards, impacting international distribution and visibility for the filmmakers.

• The European Commission will publish a legislative proposal this Thursday to bar children under 15 from using social media without parental consent. • The plan includes safety-by-design rules for risky online services, specifically targeting AI chatbots and video games. • This EU-wide measure aims to prevent legal fragmentation across the bloc, as ten countries including France, Germany, and Italy are already advancing their own national bans.

• A new industry-commissioned study suggests that implementing a federal film tax credit could increase U.S. production spending by $125 billion. • The report estimates that this tax incentive would create more than 143,000 new jobs across the film and television sectors. • This policy would likely increase the competitiveness of the U.S. market against other regions that offer similar production incentives.