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• A Microsoft survey reveals that users in South-east Asia view AI as a tool for boosting capabilities rather than a threat to their roles. • The study focused on the Asean-6 economies, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. • Key findings indicate that AI users in this region report a higher ability to produce work they could not complete a year ago compared to their global peers.

Local council described incident as ‘worst act of environmental vandalism in Lane Cove history’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt began with a gardener being hired to trim grass at a harbourside mansion in Sydney – and escalated to payments being left in a shoe for the unlawful felling of hundreds of native trees in protected bushland.Now a court has fined Yi Wang $187,500 for his role in organising and carrying out the destruction of 287 trees from a council-owned foreshore bushland at Woodford Bay in Longueville in late 2023. Continue reading...

When, where and how to get the optimal view of the first solar eclipse to be visible across the country this centuryFor the first time this century, people across the UK will be able to see an almost total solar eclipse in the evening sky on Wednesday.A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partially or fully. This year, people in the UK and Ireland will see 90-96% of the sun covered by the moon for the first time since 1999 – and it’s their last chance until 2081. Continue reading...

• Pakistan has introduced sweeping new regulations requiring mandatory registration and accreditation for all journalists working with international news organizations. • The government has also imposed strict restrictions on the specific geographic areas where foreign media are permitted to report. • These measures follow international coverage of ongoing protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the current election cycle, which triggered a sharp government response.

TUC will urge John Healey to order ‘root and branch’ assessment of watchdog amid claims its forecasts downplay investment benefitsThe TUC is urging the new chancellor, John Healey, to order a “root and branch” review of the Office for Budget Responsibility, claiming the forecaster’s approach holds back investment.With Andy Burnham promising “good growth in every postcode”, the union umbrella body is calling on Healey to use his first budget on 28 October to re-examine the assessments of the watchdog. Continue reading...

• Brussels is preparing for a series of high-level debates for the remainder of the year focusing on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and online child safety. • Over a dozen European nations, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Greece, are currently advancing national initiatives to restrict children's social media use. • These measures aim to strengthen age-based protections and build upon existing laws regarding privacy, consumer protection, and platform governance.

• Gulf monarchies are shifting their strategy toward Iran from direct confrontation to "strategic containment," aiming to limit Tehran's regional influence without triggering a total state collapse. • This shift follows over 40 years of zero-sum rivalry characterized by Iran's nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile development, and support for non-state armed actors. • The strategy matters because the Gulf states now view the potential collapse of the Iranian state as a greater security risk than the current status quo of managed tension.