US visa interviews on hold; China slams fresh sanctions over Iran: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. The path to America is narrowing. Here’s what that means for legal immigrantsUS green card interviews are on hold worldwide, student and work visas are subject to new restrictions, and citizenship is under fresh scrutiny. The SCMP breaks down what the latest US Immigration crackdown means for people planning to study, work or settle in America.2. China vows to safeguard interests after ‘Economic D-Day’ Sanctions over Iran tiesChina has condemned fresh US “Economic D-Day” Sanctions imposed on Chinese entities over their ties to Iran, pledging “all necessary measures” to protect its interests.3. China-Nepal flash flood: death toll rises to 392, over 1,000 missingThe landslide struck Gyirong county on Wednesday morning, causing major casualties and leaving a number of people missing, according to state media. Photo: HandoutRescue teams struggled to reach the site of a massive Himalayan mudslide and flash flood on the China-Nepal border as the toll from the disaster rose to 392 dead, with more than 1,000 missing.4. Islamic university sacks professor who claimed Malays could flyA Malaysian Islamic university has formally distanced itself from an academic whose viral claims about ancient Malay civilisation – including that Malays could fly and taught the Chinese “flying kung fu” – have drawn ridicule from historians.5. China sends archaeologists to South America to trace ancestral linksThe team will explore sites such as the Sacred City of Caral in the Supe Valley. Photo: ShutterstockChinese archaeologists are heading to South America for the first field project on the continent in search of ancestral bonds between ancient Chinese and native American civilisations.6. Jack Ma buys HK$600 million of Alibaba shares, signalling AI confidence: sourcesAlibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma has bought more than HK$600 million worth of the company’s Hong Kong-listed shares on consecutive days, according to people familiar with the matter, a show of confidence in the firm’s long-term prospects for Artificial Intelligence.7. 2 arrested in Hong Kong fight over elderly woman slapping girlViral footage shows an older woman shoving a girl and then slapping her, causing the child to fall to the ground. Photo: Threads/one_mushroooomHong Kong police have arrested two women on suspicion of assault at a shopping centre in Kwun Tong, with a viral clip showing a fight breaking out after a five-year-old girl was shoved and then knocked to the ground.Further Reading