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7850 articles · page 106 of 164 · The World front page

Australia

Public transport etiquette: are we losing our manners on trains and buses?

A new how-to column in Good Weekend magazine tackles the challenge of asking fellow passengers to be quiet on public transport, as etiquette experts warn that manners are declining in an age of personal devices. The column, published in the Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times, quotes Zarife Hardy, founder of the Australian School of Etiquette, who says people are treating public spaces as an extension of their own lounge rooms.

· 2 sources
Australia

Darwin’s wet season rebranded as ‘best-kept season’ as Litchfield lures brave travellers

Darwin, Australia’s smallest and wildest capital city, is promoting its wet season as the “best-kept season” – a time of short, refreshing downpours, rainbows and far fewer tourists. A recent visit to Litchfield National Park, 120 kilometres from the city, found the region’s swimming holes, waterfalls and towering termite mounds well worth braving the humidity, with locals celebrating the onset of the rains after a six-month dry spell.

· 2 sources
Australia

Victoria to spend $27.8 million on assertive outreach to reduce street homelessness

Victoria is rolling out a $27.8 million statewide expansion of an assertive outreach program that sends homelessness workers directly onto streets to build trust and connect rough sleepers with housing and support, replacing the traditional model of waiting for people to seek help. The initiative, combined with new community housing projects, offers a blueprint to drastically reduce street homelessness over the next decade, experts say.

· 2 sources
US Politics

Trump administration finalizes rule weakening fuel efficiency standards

The US Department of Transportation has finalized a plan to significantly weaken fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, replacing Biden-era requirements that would have reached 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031 with a target of 34.9 miles per gallon. The Trump administration touted the move as one of the largest deregulatory actions of his second term, claiming it will lower vehicle costs, while consumer and environmental groups condemned the rollback.

· 2 sources
World

Turkish comedian convicted of insulting President Erdogan but released due to time served

An Istanbul court has convicted stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and sentenced him to almost 19 months in prison, but ordered his immediate release because he has already served 88 days in custody. The court also imposed a travel ban, preventing Göktaş from leaving Turkey, and the case now moves to the court of appeals for a final decision.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

Pakistan declares 'open war' on Afghan Taliban after cross-border strikes

Pakistan launched air and missile strikes on three Afghan border provinces on February 21, 2026, targeting camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State of Khorasan Province, triggering a retaliatory attack on Pakistani border posts and a declaration of 'open war' by Pakistan's defense minister. Months of strikes and counter-strikes have followed, straining a 30-year alliance between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban.

Geopolitics

China Conducts Military Exercise Near Scarborough Shoal After Philippine Resupply Confrontation

China’s military conducted a joint air and naval exercise around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on September 28, two days after the Philippines accused Chinese coast guard vessels of obstructing a resupply mission to troops at Second Thomas Shoal. The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said the drill was a necessary response to actions by “certain countries” that it said had undermined regional peace and stability.

Geopolitics

South Korea's Lee Asks Trump to Help Restart North Korea Talks During UN Meeting

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asked US President Donald Trump to help revive stalled talks between the United States and North Korea during an unannounced meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, according to the Blue House, South Korea’s presidential office. The Blue House reported that Trump reaffirmed his willingness to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the 30-minute encounter.

US Politics

New York governor appoints special prosecutor in Cornell gang-rape case as unsealed documents detail university investigation

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation into allegations that a Cornell University student was drugged and gang-raped at a fraternity house in 2024. The appointment came Thursday evening as unsealed court documents revealed the university conducted an extensive internal disciplinary inquiry involving more than 50 interviews with 32 witnesses after the student reported the assault. The case, which had drawn intense public criticism after no criminal charges were initially filed, is now being presented to a grand jury.

· 7 sources
World

Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn each of goods

The United States and China have released reciprocal lists of goods worth about $30bn each on which they plan to cut tariffs, ranging from consumer electronics and agricultural products to artificial flowers and live dolphins. The announcements mark the latest step away from the intense trade war that dominated much of last year, though major strategic products are excluded and no timeline has yet been given for the reductions.

· 2 sources
US Politics

Experts Warn Trump Administration Could Disrupt Midterm Vote Counting Process

Election experts have warned that Donald Trump’s administration could use the crucial hours and days after polls close in November’s midterm elections to disrupt the results, after suffering a series of court defeats in its attempts to restrict voting access. Former deputy homeland security adviser Caitlin Durkovich said the administration may turn to claims of foreign interference to justify seizing voting equipment or ballots, regardless of legal authority.