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

1. US green card interviews are currently on hold globally, with student and work visas facing new restrictions, and citizenship facing increased scrutiny. The SCMP provides an analysis of the impact of the latest US immigration crackdown on individuals planning to study, work, or settle in America.

2. In response to "Economic D-Day" sanctions imposed on Chinese entities over their ties to Iran, China has vowed to protect its interests and pledged to take "all necessary measures" in retaliation.

3. Rescue efforts are underway following a massive Himalayan mudslide and flash flood along the China-Nepal border, which has left a death toll of 392 and over 1,000 people missing.

4. A Malaysian Islamic university has officially distanced itself from a professor who claimed ancient Malay civilization included Malays being able to fly and teaching the Chinese "flying kung fu." The outrageous claims have drawn widespread ridicule from historians.

5. Chinese archaeologists are embarking on their first field project in South America in search of ancestral links between ancient Chinese and native American civilizations.

6. Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma has purchased over HK$600 million worth of the company's Hong Kong-listed shares on multiple occasions, signaling his confidence in the firm's long-term prospects for artificial intelligence.

7. Hong Kong police have arrested two women in connection with a fight at a shopping center in Kwun Tong, after a viral clip showed a five-year-old girl being shoved and knocked to the ground.