JAPAN
The latest confirmed death toll stands at 13 following the violent earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in south-western Japan yesterday afternoon. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi explained that nearly 10,000 people are being housed in evacuation centres, whilst Shinkansen high-speed trains remain suspended.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi reported that around 4,600 Self-Defence Forces personnel have been mobilised, with 170 involved in rescue operations at the collapsed shopping centre. Takaichi emphasised that many people are still waiting to be rescued and that the government will deploy all available resources to speed up the rescue efforts.
MIDDLE EAST
In the Middle East, tensions have risen again in recent hours following the joint attacks by the United States and Saudi Arabia against the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, carried out in response to attempts by these pro-Iranian militias to strike Saudi oil facilities and US targets in Jordan. Tehran has rejected the allegations of involvement, describing them as unfounded. According to PMF sources, at least 10 fighters were killed and several others wounded in the raids. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected Oman’s proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, deeming it unrealistic and arguing that it is driven by US and Saudi pressure.
PHILIPPINES-CHINA
The Philippines have formally submitted to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf a request to extend their continental shelf in the area known as the Western Palawan Region, within the area also claimed by China in the South China Sea. The application, based on Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), aims to define the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, up to a maximum of 350. According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the initiative is intended to reaffirm the country’s commitment to international law, promote stability in the South China Sea and protect marine resources, trade and the livelihoods of coastal communities. Back in 2016, an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, ruling on the basis of UNCLOS, ruled against Beijing’s claims, but China does not recognise this verdict.
SOUTH KOREA
In 2025, the proportion of foreign residents in South Korea exceeded 4 per cent of the population for the first time, according to figures released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. There were 2.11 million foreign residents in November, an increase of 66,000 people (+3.2 per cent) compared with the previous year.
This growth offset the decline in the number of South Korean citizens, preventing a fall in the total population, which stood at 51.82 million. The proportion of foreign residents has continued to rise steadily in recent years: from 3.2 per cent in 2021 to 4.1 per cent in 2025.
ARABIAN PENINSULA
The Church of the two vicariates on the Arabian Peninsula has welcomed with joy the approval of its own liturgical texts for the memorial of Saint Areta and her Companions, the 6th-century Martyrs of Najran, celebrated on 24 October. The go-ahead was communicated on 16 July 2026 to the Apostolic Vicars of Northern and Southern Arabia by the Dicastery for Divine Worship. The new texts, which follow the approval of the particular calendar in 2025, include the Collect for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. The prayer recalls the witness of the martyrs and invokes God as “almighty and merciful”, a title deeply rooted in the region’s religious tradition.
RUSSIA-NEW ZEALAND
The Russian FSB has announced the arrest of a 55-year-old local resident in Khabarovsk, suspected of treason for passing information to a foreign state. According to the intelligence agency, the arrested man is alleged to have contacted New Zealand’s security intelligence service, which is said to have been interested in information regarding Russia’s technical-military cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This is the first known case of a Russian citizen being accused of collaborating with New Zealand.
ARMENIA
Yerevan is among the top five most popular international destinations for Russians travelling in groups of four or more in the summer of 2026, according to a study by the travel planning service OneTwoTrip. The Armenian capital accounted for 3.2 per cent of international hotel bookings made by large groups. Istanbul took first place with a share of 7.9 per cent, followed by Minsk (3.5 per cent), whilst Shanghai rounded off the top five with 2.6 per cent.
