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• Rakuten Viki launched its fourth annual K-Drama Day to celebrate the global popularity of Korean entertainment across Southeast Asia. • Fans are invited to vote for their favorite K-Drama, with the winning show being featured on digital billboards in select international markets. • This campaign allows viewers to directly influence the physical marketing and visibility of their favorite Asian series on a global scale.

• The Japanese drama 'Vivant' became the first Japanese series to top Asia's streaming chart in August. • The show reached 15.6 million viewers, with 10.2 million of those watching via the free broadcast platform TVer. • This performance places 'Vivant' among only three titles to ever draw 10 million viewers on a single platform in one market within a month.

Banker, 44, was arrested in connection with incident on bridge but family say ‘no credible evidence’ he was involvedThe family of Nicholas Brandram have denied he was the so-called “Putney pusher” and said he “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan police investigation”.Brandram, 44, was found unresponsive inside a property in Chiswick, west London, believed to be his home, on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

• The Japanese drama 'Vivant' became the first Japanese series to top Asia's streaming chart in August. • The show reached 15.6 million total viewers, with 10.2 million of those watching via the free broadcast platform TVer. • This performance places the series among only three titles to ever pull 10 million viewers on a single platform in one market within a month.

Guardian Australia analysis adds to concerns over the federal scheme, which is to be the subject of a Senate inquiryFederal Labor seats have received over 90% of funds already awarded in the first five months of a controversial multi-million dollar grants program, adding to concerns over the scheme’s selection process.The $568m community grants scheme will be the subject of a Senate inquiry after a report by the Centre for Public Integrity last week revealed the scheme favoured projects in notionally Labor-held electorates, including a $6m grant for a golf club in Anthony Albanese’s electorate. Continue reading...

• Us captured several unaired moments from the 2026 Emmy Awards, including behind-the-scenes interactions and reunions. • The coverage featured a deep conversation between Aaron Rodgers’ former partners, Shailene Woodley and Olivia Munn. • These exclusive clips provide celebrity followers with personal interactions that were omitted from the televised broadcast.

• The Chinese drama film Dear You captured global audiences and grossed $300 million after expanding from China into Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and North America. • The plot follows a protagonist who travels to Thailand to locate his grandfather and resolve personal financial problems. • The film's success highlights the international commercial appeal of stories centered on the Teochew community from southeastern China.

• India will host Pakistan and four other nations for the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament from October 27 to November 5, 2026. • Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed the event will feature six competing teams, including China, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea. • The tournament provides a rare competitive venue for India and Pakistan to face each other in a high-stakes international sports setting.

• Rakuten Viki announced its fourth annual K-Drama Day celebration running from September 25 through October 1. • The event offers the global fandom of Korean entertainment free content, talent exclusives, and a variety of prizes. • This initiative allows viewers to access premium Asian entertainment for free during the designated celebration window.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged institutions to prioritize the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence rather than avoiding the technology. • The Minister stated that faster AI integration requires strict safety, accountability, and the continued use of human oversight to manage risks. • Financial institutions and regulators must now oversee AI deployment to prevent potential harms and reduce reliance on outdated legacy systems.

• Rakuten Viki announced the launch of its fourth annual K-Drama Day on September 10, 2026, to celebrate the global popularity of Korean entertainment. • The event features a variety of offerings for fans, including free shows, special prizes, and exclusive content from talent. • This initiative aims to engage the growing international fandom of Asian entertainment and increase viewership on the Rakuten Viki platform.

Proceeds are in a UK account amid a dispute about how the money should be used and a separate criminal investigationFunds from Roman Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea FC have earned at least £175m in interest while locked in a UK bank account, new accounts show, leading one analyst to describe the company housing the frozen cash as “the most profitable football business in the world”.Accounts for Fordstam, the company through which the billionaire Russian oligarch owned Chelsea, show that the proceeds of the sale have risen from £2.3bn to nearly £2.5bn. Continue reading...

• A 20-year-old university student, Le Minh Anh, became hooked on a Chinese microdrama despite not knowing the main character's name or the show's title. • Telecommunications giant AIS reported that 9 million customers in Thailand use vertical series apps monthly, and it partnered with ReelShort to launch a 5G package starting at 39 baht ($1.19) per month. • The popularity of Chinese microdramas in Southeast Asia means that telecommunications companies can attract millions of customers with affordable packages, potentially increasing their revenue.

• China's microdrama industry is experiencing a significant shift due to the increasing use of artificial intelligence, leading to a substantial impact on human workers. • The AI technology is being used to generate scripts, act out scenes, and even direct microdramas, resulting in many actors and filmmakers losing their jobs. • This upheaval has a very real human cost, affecting the livelihoods of people who were previously employed in the industry, with many facing uncertainty about their future careers.

Adam Mosseri says platform’s algorithm ‘feels like a black box’ but company trying to give users more control after Labor announces opt-out planInstagram’s chief executive has said users will have a worse experience in an algorithm-free world, seeing more brand-related content, and spend less time on the app.The comments come as the Australian government plans to give users the option to opt out of algorithms, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announcing plans on Tuesday to require social media platforms to prompt users to choose between a feed of algorithm-recommended content or a reverse chronological feed of the pages users follow. Labor also plans to introduce a range of measures designed to address online harm on the sites. Continue reading...

• Police detained BRS leader KT Rama Rao outside the Telangana Assembly during a protest against the state government. • The far-right Alternative for Germany party won a regional election on Sunday but failed to secure a majority. • The German election result marks a push to form the country's first far-right state government since World War II.

• Mohsin Naqvi will serve as the chief guest for the closing ceremony of the Women's Asia Cup. • India entered the final stages of the eight-team tournament after defeating Thailand, Hong Kong, and Pakistan during the group stage. • The event highlights the dominance of the Indian team and the individual achievement of Smriti Mandhana, who became the leading run-scorer in women's internationals.

• AI development is draining the global supply of memory chips, leading to price hikes for consumer electronics like phones, laptops, and gaming consoles. • Retailers are forecasting further price increases as the demand for high-capacity RAM for AI workloads outpaces production. • Consumers face higher costs for personal hardware as manufacturers prioritize the more lucrative AI chip market over standard consumer devices.

District attorney must decide whether to retry case after jury’s failure to reach verdict despite hours of deliberationLindsay Clancy, prosecutors, defense lawyers, the judge and millions watching on are back where they started after her five-week trial over the murder of her three children ended in a mistrial.America’s saddest case has ceased for the moment, but the legal wrangling is not over, and a second trial could now be on the horizon, prolonging and repeating an agonizing spectacle that has gripped America and the world. Continue reading...

• U.S. Men's National Team players failed to secure high-profile transfers to major European clubs during the summer window following the World Cup. • Christian Pulisic missed a chance to prove he is a top-25 global player, which could have led to a move away from AC Milan. • The lack of movement suggests that the team lacks the individual star power necessary to attract the world's elite clubs.

Mississippi-born Wilson, who worked across folk, pop, R&B and country, was once dubbed America’s best singerCassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer has died. She was 70.Dubbed America’s best singer by Time magazine in 2001, Wilson was best known for her genre-bending voice, which expanded the boundaries of traditional blues-based jazz and worked effortlessly across folk, pop, R&B, country and beyond. At the heart of all her work was her idiosyncratic contralto, a soulful sound distinctly tied to her roots. Continue reading...

• France, serving as the President of the Security Council for September, announced a work programme focused on addressing critical issues in Haiti, Iran, and Sudan. • The agenda was detailed by the French representative during a press conference held at the UN Headquarters. • This scheduling is significant as it coincides with the upcoming gathering of world leaders for the General Assembly.

US defense secretary faced backlash for attempting to mock Canada’s armed forces amid trade warA social media post by Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, body-shaming female members of a Canadian youth development program remained online on Wednesday despite a furious backlash on both sides of the border.On Monday night Hegseth posted on X a photograph of two people in uniform with a Canadian flag and the caption “this is real”, an apparent attempt at mocking the country’s armed forces amid the Trump administration’s trade spat with its northern neighbor. Continue reading...

• Billie Eilish is facing criticism on X after hosting her brother Finneas O'Connell's wedding in Montecito, California. • Critics argue the event took place on "stolen land," noting that the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians claims the area as part of their ancestral territory. • The backlash follows Eilish's statement at the February Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where she asserted that "no one is illegal on stolen land."

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif gathered for a group photo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. • During the event, PM Modi was observed briefly exchanging words with President Xi Jinping, marking a notable interaction between the two leaders. • The gathering is significant as it brings together the leaders of four major powers amidst complex geopolitical tensions and diplomatic challenges.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is launching a floor vote on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown before the November midterm elections. • The short-term measure aims to keep the government fully funded through early December, avoiding a lapse in services. • To secure Democratic support, the Senate modified the bill to delay an Office of Management and Budget rule that would have increased political appointees' control over federal grants.

Inquiry come after conservative thinktanks claim unions are using member dues to support Democratic causesHouse Republicans are investigating several US labor unions based on claims from far-right nonprofits alleging union dues are being used for illegal political funding.Republicans on the House’s education and workforce committee opened the investigation this summer after multiple reports from the conservative thinktanks targeted unions and their spending, claiming that unions are using member dues to support Democratic causes. Continue reading...

Speaker Mike Johnson to launch a floor vote designed to prevent any federal shutdown before the November midtermsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.House speaker Mike Johnson will launch a floor vote to pass the stopgap funding bill designed to keep the federal government fully funded through early December, removing the possibility of a shutdown before the midterm elections.The Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump to continue building his $400m White House ballroom project. In a 5-4 decision along political lines, the justices found that a group issuing a legal challenge against the ballroom did not have standing to bring their case. Trump celebrated with a post on his Truth Social platform while Democrats criticized the decision.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down from his role after 18 months on the job, leaving another top military position vacant. Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had reportedly butted heads for some time.Trump vowed further strikes on Iran and called it a “failed nation”. The remarks came as Washington and Tehran exchanged their first military strikes in a month.JD Vance gave a speech in Michigan that included an attacked against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. “There’s something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil,” Vance told the crowd.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of turning their trade dispute into a “political shouting match”. Carney had rejected the Trump administration’s terms that would have given the US government extensive power over Canada’s trade policy.California Governor Gavin Newsom vowed to block the appointment of election denier Tina Peters, who was convicted in 2024 in relation to a plot to chase pro-Trump election conspiracies. Newsom announced he would take measures to prevent Peters from working as an election consultant for Northern California’s Shasta county. Continue reading...