• Experian released a study showing that more than half of consumers are comfortable letting AI agents apply for credit on their behalf.
• The research, titled AI in Risk: The Rise of Agentic Commerce, surveyed 6,247 credit-active consumers across 13 markets in EMEA and Asia Pacific.
• This shift toward agentic commerce, where AI autonomously handles transactions, suggests financial services must adapt their risk models to handle non-human applicants.
The militant group in Yemen captured the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish, near the chokepoint of the Bab al-Mandab straitYemen’s Houthi rebels have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group’s ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.The seizure of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the militant group’s swift advance across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, after the capture of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Continue reading...
• Researchers dredging off the coast of Iceland in 2006 collected and froze an ocean quahog clam that had lived for over 500 years.
• A count of 507 annual shell rings determined the clam, nicknamed Ming, was born around 1499.
• Studying the clam's resistance to oxidative stress and protein maintenance provides scientists with hypotheses about exceptional longevity in non-colonial animals.
Craig Berg was hypothermic but alert when located on Isle Royale by Michigan police and officials during solo hikeA 70-year-old hiker who had been missing for a week on a Michigan island was rescued on Saturday, according to the US Coast Guard.Craig Berg was located on Isle Royale with the help of backpackers, Michigan state police troopers and local officials. Even though Berg was found injured and hypothermic, he is “alive and alert”, according to a statement posted to the Isle Royale national park’s Facebook page. Continue reading...
South Australian authorities say case discovered on Kangaroo Island is first for species of which less than 12,000 animals remainGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australia has recorded the first death of an endangered Australian sea lion from H5 bird flu.Experts say about 12,000 Australian sea lions remain – though a more recent estimate put the figure at less than 10,000. Most of the population are found in South Australia, with the remainder in Western Australia. Continue reading...
Global struggle for control of Bab al-Mandab strait threatens to turn Yemen’s on-off conflict into a forever warViolence erupts in Yemen again: why it matters globally and how it is linked to the US-Iran warNearly 50,000 people have fled a sudden advance by Houthi forces in western Yemen, with entire villages emptied and families trapped near frontline fighting with depleting food supplies, according to aid workers.Civilians in the Middle East’s poorest country have found themselves victims of a global struggle for control over one of the most important shipping routes in the world, which threatens to turn Yemen’s on-off conflict into a forever war. Continue reading...
• Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured the city of Mokha, a key location overlooking tanker routes in the Red Sea.
• The seizure allows rebels to more easily target ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical corridor for Saudi Arabian oil exports.
• Diesel prices have hit a record $6 a gallon as the move threatens to drive up global oil and gas prices to pressure the United States.
• US President Donald Trump expects the war with Iran to end "immediately after the election" on November 3, claiming Iran "can't hold out any longer".
• Iran has declared a wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping, amid a unclear chain of command in the country's leadership.
• The conflict's outcome has significant stakes for the US, with President Trump under pressure to end the war as the midterm elections approach.
Iran and its proxies move closer to full control of two shipping chokepoints as regional conflict widensYemen’s Houthi rebels are making a concerted drive to take full control of the country’s Red Sea coast, claiming control of the key port of Mocha, in the most serious wave of fighting with the Saudi-backed government in years.Seizure of the coast would be a strategic disaster for Saudi Arabia and the US, taking Iran and its proxies closer to full control of two chokepoints for western shipping on opposite sides of the Arabian peninsular: the Bab al-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea and the strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. Continue reading...
The man, also accused of homophobic slurs on American Airlines flight, faces assault and disorderly conduct chargesAn Arizona realty company says it is “no longer associated” with an agent who was recently arrested after alleged unruly behavior – including racist and homophobic slurs – on an airline flight led to his being zip-tied, duct-taped to his seat and arrested.Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, faces counts of disorderly conduct and second-degree assault in the case, according to Maryland court records filed after he was taken into custody at Baltimore’s airport on 3 September. Continue reading...
• NASA and the European Space Agency have launched uncrewed probes, including the Europa Clipper and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, to search for life-sustaining conditions on Jupiter's moons.
• Researchers are combining data from these probes with findings from the James Webb Space Telescope and future missions to Saturn's moon Enceladus to identify microbial life.
• The increased likelihood of discovering extraterrestrial life forces experts to plan for the social and political fallout of such a discovery.
• Infectious disease specialists and Democratic lawmakers are opposing a Trump administration plan to eliminate a clinical research unit at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association cited an August 28 notice from the National Institutes of Health that provided few details and a five-day comment period.
• Congressional Democrats claim the proposal aims to redirect medical research funds toward Pentagon defense spending.
• Experts are evaluating global preparedness for the potential discovery of extraterrestrial life as numerous space missions actively search for biological signatures.
• The analysis emphasizes using historical lessons regarding international collaboration and competition in space to create a framework for managing such a discovery.
• This preparation is critical because the societal, political, and scientific fallout of finding alien life could trigger global instability or conflict if not handled transparently.
At least 160 people have died, while officials believe 340 foreign nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia, Malaysia and Ukraine among those missing. Follow the latest newsFlash floods on Nepal-Tibet border leave scores dead and hundreds missingTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?Authorities in Nepal and Tibet have said they fear the death toll from catastrophic flooding could be much higher than 160 people already killed, as search and rescue efforts to locate the hundreds missing continue.A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, triggering the flash flood which washed away houses, roads and border crossings.Rescue teams are rushing on Thursday to find hundreds of people missing after the flood and landslides killed at least 160 people. Many of the missing were foreign tourists, officials said.Nepali police said they had recovered 157 bodies after “devastating floods”, with officers working to move families in flood-risk areas to safety. Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, reporting three dead and another 265 missing. The overall death toll appears likely to rise.Tibet government officials mobilised nearly 800 emergency workers and 150 vehicles as well as sniffer dogs and speed boats to help the rescue efforts, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.At least 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck on Wednesday morning, according to Nepal’s tourism ministry. The missing foreigners included 142 Indians, 33 from the UK, 47 from the US, 34 from Australia and 24 from Canada as well as others from South Korea, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Portugal and South Africa, the tourism board said. Nine South Koreans were missing, the country’s foreign ministry said.At least 28 Nepal police officials were missing, a police spokesperson said.Entire villages and markets were “wiped out”, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. It was dispatching emergency supplies including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags.United Nations chief António Guterres said UN teams and partners were mobilising supplies and personnel in Nepal to support affected communities.Surveillance video from the Chinese side of the border showed a raging wall of mud and debris crashing over a building several storeys high, engulfing it as dozens of people flee for their lives below. The surge sweeps away buses and cars.Experts warned that a lingering blockage upstream on the Nepal-China border river could produce a second flood.The cause of the flooding was not immediately clear. Nepalese foreign minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide, which in turn blocked a river, sending water gushing downstream. Nepal’s disaster authority said satellite data indicated a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.Chinese leader Xi Jinping said “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.The US Geological Survey first reported a magnitude-4.4 earthquake early on Wednesday, about 66km (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border. It later updated to call the shaking a 5.2-magnitude landslide. Continue reading...
• On August 5, 2026, public service leaders from ASEAN and ASEAN+3 met with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet in Phnom Penh.
• The leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to developing public services across the region that are more responsive, efficient, and people-centered.
• This initiative matters as it aims to modernize governance and improve the delivery of essential services to citizens throughout the member states.
• Prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket are now allowing users to wager money on the outcomes of drug approvals.
• Kalshi is further expanding these offerings by planning to enable betting on the specific results of clinical trials.
• Experts and reporters, including Rebecca Robbins, warn that financial speculation on medical data could undermine public trust in clinical research.
• The Houthi threat to Saudi oil exports is worsening the energy crisis in Asia.
• Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines are already reeling from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, exacerbating the issue.
• The blockade is causing a significant shortage of oil, with Asia "scraping the bottom of the barrel" for energy sources.
The Houthi threat to Saudi oil exports comes as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are still reeling from the closure of the strait of HormuzGovernments in Asia are scrambling to avoid their second major energy crisis in six months, as another maritime chokepoint in the Middle East faces a violent blockade, leaving only the Suez canal completely open for the free movement of gulf oil.Countries like Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea – which rely on Middle East oil for up to 90% of their imports – are working to secure supplies after Yemen’s Houthis launched a blockade of Saudi Arabian shipping passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait, which forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Continue reading...
• A White House report authored by Kratsios proposes reducing research funding for universities in favor of allocating grants directly to individual scientists.
• The shift aims to support high-risk breakthroughs that often fail traditional peer review, though critics warn it could increase political influence over grant awards.
• The report specifically recommends de-emphasizing life sciences to prioritize investments in robotics, nuclear energy, semiconductors, space research, quantum sciences, and physical sciences.
At least four people taken to hospital with one reported to be in a critical condition after gunfire at Seattle Center near Space NeedleAt least four people including a child were wounded in a shooting on Sunday night at an events complex close to the Space Needle in Seattle, a hospital spokesperson said.The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend. After the shooting, police urged people to avoid the area. Continue reading...
Preliminary study shows older people who avoided food four hours before bed did better in problem solving testsConfining mealtimes and snacks to a nine-hour window and avoiding food for four hours before bed may help stave off cognitive decline in older age, researchers say.A pilot study of older women living with overweight or obesity found hints of improvement in mental skills among those who ate within the restricted period compared with those who spread their meals over a longer time. Continue reading...
• The United States and Iran have entered an apparent pause in their direct military strikes, though tensions remain high.
• A new front has emerged in the Red Sea as Houthi rebels threaten a campaign against Saudi shipping unless a long-standing blockade is lifted.
• This escalation risks expanding the scope of Middle East conflicts by introducing maritime instability and threatening critical trade routes.
• Houthi rebels, supported by Iran and Hezbollah, have launched missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• These attacks target the nations for their support of the UN-recognized government that the Houthis previously ousted from Sanaa.
• The situation is critical as Red Sea strikes threaten to open a new front in the broader Middle East conflict, though the US and Iran avoided new strikes overnight.
• Crude oil prices have surged as the Red Sea joins the Strait of Hormuz as a critical maritime choke point amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
• The U.S. military has conducted 13 consecutive nights of attacks on Iran in response to Houthi rocket strikes targeting Saudi Arabian vessels in the Red Sea.
• These hostilities follow reports that Iranian hardliners provided weapons and training to Yemeni Houthi forces to destabilize regional shipping lanes.
No end to fighting in sight as Revolutionary Guards launch drones at targets in Bahrain, Jordan and KuwaitThe US struck targets across Iran on Friday, reaching as far as the Caspian Sea, as Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the war to a second major shipping chokepoint at the entrance to the Red Sea.As Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire against US bases and allies across the region, the New York Times reported that Tehran had rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by the Iraq prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi. This despite the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, claiming a day earlier that Iran was begging for a ceasefire. Iraq later disputed the report. Continue reading...
• Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have attacked tankers in the Red Sea, asserting that the vessels violated their established blockade.
• The US military has launched its 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian-linked targets to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
• In a significant diplomatic shift, the US has signed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia to stabilize regional security.
• The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying additional refueling planes and potentially heavy bombers amid escalating hostilities with Iran.
• Jordan's National Center for Security & Crises Management reported that the Jordanian army detected and engaged six missiles launched from Iran that entered its airspace.
• These developments coincide with ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, further destabilizing the region.
US military says it is degradimg Tehran’s ability to threaten ships in strait of Hormuz; Houthis say tankers violated their blockade; US signs nuclear deal with Saudi ArabiaWelcome to our live coverage of the continuing crisis in the Middle East.The US military announced on Thursday evening it had began a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets at the direction of Donald Trump. Continue reading...
As measles, hantavirus and cyclospora spread, experts say lost staff and expertise are slowing the responseA series of health challenges – hantavirus, screwworm, Ebola, cyclospora, measles, whooping cough, bird flu – are exposing the widening gaps in America’s ability to prevent, identify and halt infectious disease outbreaks.The rapid dismantling of the US public health system at all levels means the US is in worse shape than it was before the Covid pandemic, former top CDC officials say. Continue reading...
• Diplomatic consultations were recently held in Cairo to address the strategic stability and security of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
• The meetings focused on the region's growing geopolitical importance, specifically regarding maritime security and international trade routes.
• These discussions matter as the area faces increasing volatility, requiring coordinated diplomatic efforts to prevent conflict and ensure economic flow.
