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Taiwan must be allowed full and equal participation when China hosts Apec in 2026, the US State Department said on Nov 5, after Taipei complained that Beijing had "added a lot of conditions" to its attendance, Reuters reported.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) is one of the only international bodies Chinese-claimed Taiwan is a member of, and next November's summit in Shenzhen will come as relations between Taipei and Beijing have plummeted amid a stepped-up Chinese military pressure campaign against the island.

China's foreign ministry said this week that Taiwan's participation in Apec activities must comply with the "one China" principle, which Beijing views as meaning both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, something Taipei's government rejects, according to Reuters.

President Donald Trump's administration has revoked around 80,000 non-immigrant visas since its inauguration on January 20 for offenses ranging from driving under the influence to assault and theft, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The extent of the revocations, first reported by Washington Examiner, reflects a broad immigration crackdown initiated when Trump came into office, deporting an unprecedented number of migrants including some who held valid visas.

The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening, according to Reuters.

US Supreme Court justices raised doubts on Wednesday over the legality of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a case with implications for the global economy that marks a major test of Trump’s powers.

Conservative and liberal justices alike sharply questioned the lawyer representing Trump’s administration about whether a 1977 law meant for use during national emergencies gave Trump the power he claimed to impose tariffs or whether the Republican president had intruded on the powers of Congress.

But some of the conservative justices also stressed the inherent authority of presidents in dealing with foreign countries, suggesting the court could be sharply divided in the outcome of the case.

The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The arguments, lasting more than 2-1/2 hours, came in appeals by the administration after lower courts ruled that Trump’s unprecedented use of the law at issue to impose the tariffs exceeded his authority.

Businesses affected by the tariffs and 12 US states, most of them Democratic-led, challenged the tariffs.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned there will be a 10% reduction in air travel capacity at 40 major airports in the US starting Friday morning, if the government shutdown continues, BBC reported.

The decision was made because air traffic controllers have been reporting issues with fatigue, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said at a briefing with Duffy on Wednesday.

"It is unusual, just as the shutdown is unusual, just as the fact that our controllers haven't been paid for a month is unusual," said FAA chief Bryan Bedford, according to BBC.

Ten leftist parties, including the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN (Unified Socialist), announced unification on Wednesday.

Leftist parties including the Maoist Center, Unified Socialist, Nepal Socialist Party, Janasamajbadi Party Nepal, Nepal Communist Party, CPN (Maoist Socialist) and CPN (Communist) announced unification at a special ceremony held at local Bhrikutimandap.

After the declaration of unification, the unified party has been christened as 'Nepali Communist Party'.

Party top leaders and workers, including Pushpa Kamal Dahal, coordinator of the Maoist Center, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman of the Unified Socialist, senior Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, senior leader of the Unified Socialist Bamdev Gautam, Mahendra Ray Yadav, Chairman of the Nepal Socialist Party, and Chiran Pun, General Secretary of the Nepal Communist Party, among other leaders and party activists, attended the unity declaration gathering.

It was announced on the occasion that the guiding principle of the unified party is 'Marxism–Leninism' and the program is 'scientific socialism with Nepali characteristics'.

The election symbol of the party, the 'Five-pointed Star', was also unveiled at the party declaration program.

On the occasion, senior leader of the Unified Socialist and member of the Unity Coordination Committee, Pramesh Hamal, said that there is unity among various leftist factions because the integration of a broad communist movement is necessary today to achieve the goals of the socialist revolution through good governance, social justice, and economic transformation.

According to him, the party's immediate strategy was to protect the achievements of the capitalist people's democratic revolution, safeguard national sovereignty, promote good governance, social justice, socio-economic prosperity, and transformation, while laying the foundation for socialism.

The united parties have agreed to hold a national unity convention within the next six months.

The Central Committee will be formed on the basis of mutual agreement by adjusting the former central committees of the parties that participated in the unification process. There will be positions of coordinator and joint-coordinator in the central committee. All committees at the provincial, district, municipality and ward levels will also have a coordinator and a joint-coordinator.

It has been agreed among the nine parties that participation of representatives in the National Unity Congress and the Unity Convention, their organisation, and the formation of the organisational structure of the party will be done through mutual consensus and understanding. It is mentioned that the operation of party committees will be in accordance with the principle of democratic centralism based on the collective leadership system.

The 3rd Trans-Himalaya Communication Conference on Communication and Social Development, jointly organized by the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (CDJMC), Tribhuvan University (TU), and the School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China will be held on November 7–8 at the Camera Building CDJMC TU. 

The two-day conference will bring together scholars and researchers from the United States, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Nepal to present their research on various aspects of communication.

Prof. Deepak Aryal, PhD, Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, will deliver the inaugural address, while Prof. Khadga KC, PhD, Rector of TU, will speak on “Changing Geopolitical Dynamics and the Rationale of Global Communication.”

“The conference will serve as a platform for cross-border dialogue and collaboration, fostering knowledge exchange on communication, social development, and emerging challenges in the Trans-Himalaya region,” said Dr Kundan Aryal, Head of the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Prominent scholars will include Prof. Arvind Singhal from The University of Texas at El Paso, who will discuss “The Potential of Transcultural Characters and Transmedia Narratives: Implications for Trans-Himalaya Cooperation,” and Prof. Chen Changfeng of Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication, who will present “People vs. the Algorithm: From GEO to Everyday Algorithmic Imaginaries.”

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China. On this occasion, organizing such a conference is an effort to honor the traditional friendship between Nepal and China and the Trans-Himalaya region,” said Hanhong, Professor at UESTC.

Scholars and participants will engage in presentations, discussions, and workshops over the course of the event, highlighting innovative research and exploring pathways for international cooperation.

EU climate ministers agreed a 2040 climate change target in the early hours of Wednesday after watering down the goal in last-minute negotiations, as they raced to clinch the deal before the UN COP30 summit in Brazil, Reuters reported.

After negotiating late into Tuesday night, climate ministers from European Union countries approved in a public vote a compromise to cut emissions 90% by 2040, from 1990 levels, but with flexibilities to weaken this aim.

The weakened target would let countries buy foreign carbon credits to cover up to 5% of the 90% emissions-cutting goal. That would effectively weaken to 85% the emissions cuts required from European industries, and pay foreign countries to cut emissions on Europe's behalf to make up the rest, according to Reuters.

Two different US courts have stayed the deportation of an Indian-origin man who spent more than 40 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, BBC reported.

Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, 64, who was convicted of murdering his former roommate in 1983, was exonerated in October after new evidence surfaced in the case.

But immediately after his release from prison, he was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who want to deport him to India, according to BBC.