IRAN
Dozens of activists arrested for protesting last January are still held in a maximum-security prison in northwestern Iran, half of them awaiting trial or sentencing. The Hrana movement reports that 54 are held in Ardabil prison, near the border with Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Iran’s hardliners are increasing pressure to enforce the mandatory hijab on women.
TAIWAN – PACIFIC
Taiwan will participate in the annual gathering of Pacific Island leaders in Palau later this month, overcoming protests from China that led to its exclusion from last year's summit. China and Taiwan are important partners in the region, said Baron Waqa, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, after ministers from 18 member states met in Fiji to prepare the event.
YEMEN – SAUDI ARABIA
Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones yesterday at displacement camps and residential neighbourhoods in the city of Marib, killing two people and wounding 14. Yemen’s army responded with attacks against the rebels. On Thursday, at least 30 soldiers were killed in raids on army bases in the provinces of Marib and Hadramaut. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg called the latest attacks, including those on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a dangerous escalation that risks spiraling into a full-scale conflict.
THAILAND
In the aftermath of the shooting on the outskirts of Bangkok that left at least eight people dead, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday promised to introduce a new gun control law in Southeast Asia's most gun-owning country. Anutin, who previously tightened gun laws when he was interior minister, plans to table a bill to limit the public’s right to carry firearms.
INDIA
Nearly a hundred people have died in floods in northeastern India, according to an official update released this morning, with some villages buried in mud after one of the worst downpours in Assam’s recent history. At least 170,000 people have been affected, with thousands forced into temporary shelters as swollen rivers swamped homes and farmland. The emergency has now hit the capital, with authorities in New Delhi issuing a red alert due to heavy rains.
RUSSIA – CHINA
The Russian market remains an important destination for Chinese cars. In money terms, exports have jumped 2.3-fold, with Chinese cars accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all car imports to Russia. According to the China Automobile Dealers Association, China exported 5.31 million vehicles in the first half of the year, a 53 per cent increase over the same period the previous year. In the first six months of 2026, China supplied Russia with 448,200 vehicles, up by 267,400 units.
KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyzstan has introduced a permit system for access to the almost 7,500-metre Pik Pobedy, or Victory Peak, the world's northernmost peak above 7,000 metres. The requirements were introduced following the death of Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina last year. Permits to climb the peak will be issued only to people who have insurance with helicopter support, who have undergone physical training, and have significant mountaineering experience.
