ISRAEL
Polling stations have opened for the general election in Israel, the first round of voting since 7 October 2023 – the ‘black day’ of the Hamas attack and the start of the war in Gaza, which has dragged the country into an ongoing conflict extending to Iran, Lebanon and Syria, as well as the domestic front in the West Bank. Voters must choose between two blocs which, according to the polls, fall short of the 61 seats needed to form a government in the Knesset (Parliament). On one side is the coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aged 77 and in power for twenty years – Israel’s longest-serving leader – allied with the far-right figures Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Challenging him is a centre-right opposition – a broad and shifting coalition – led by 66-year-old Gadi Eisenkot, the former Chief of the General Staff. The Arab parties, the United List and Ra’am (which are banking on a high turnout), hold the balance of power: they may prove decisive in terms of numbers, but are viewed with suspicion by the leaders of the main Jewish parties.
RUSSIA – UKRAINE
A limited ceasefire in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky, under Russian occupation, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, came into effect in the early hours of today with the aim of evacuating civilians and delivering aid. The operation also provides for the delivery of essential supplies and the voluntary departure of civilians, as well as the reconnaissance of routes to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian convoys. Meanwhile, a barrage of Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv, damaging a strategic bridge and healthcare facilities. The limited ceasefire that began today forms part of the preparations for a new round of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, mediated by Washington and scheduled for next month, which aim to bring an end to the conflict that has now lasted for over four and a half years.
JAPAN
Social media is changing the face of youth crime in Japan, enabling teenagers to form groups outside the school environment and organise provocative actions against the police, sometimes even filming their exploits to share them online. This trend has raised concerns amongst law enforcement agencies and educators; experts warn that adults do not fully understand how young people use the internet and social media, just as figures on youth crime are rising again after decades of decline.
PAKISTAN – MIDDLE EAST
Senior officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, signatories to the ‘Mecca Pact’, met yesterday in Tehran and agreed to continue talks to strengthen cooperation aimed at promoting peace and security in the region. The meeting, the first of its kind and one of the last diplomatic efforts to avert military escalation in the Gulf, was hosted by the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei. Meanwhile, thousands of lorries are stranded on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border, despite the resumption of limited land-based trade. Officials in Gwadar, on Pakistan’s coast of the Arabian Sea, state that the border with the Islamic Republic is only partially open, with a massive build-up of vehicles at the border. There are between 3,000 and 4,000 lorries on the Iranian side and between 2,000 and 3,000 on the Pakistani side.
CHINA – UNITED STATES
Beijing opposes the “defamation and stigmatisation” of the Confucius Institutes by the United States, in response to the US Department of Defence’s decision to classify the Chinese-funded cultural centres located on university campuses as a “threat” to national security. The Chinese Foreign Ministry states that cultural and educational exchanges are ‘mutually beneficial’ and help to ‘deepen mutual understanding’. In recent days, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that the institutes operate under false pretences within American universities, with the Pentagon having added them to its list of organisations posing a threat to national security. Washington has long regarded them as “Chinese propaganda tools” and has taken measures to “curb them”.
THAILAND
Bangkok has announced subsidies worth up to 1.5 billion dollars to support households in installing solar panels, as part of a plan to boost renewable energy and reduce dependence on costly imports. The government has allocated a grant of nearly $1,500 to cover installation costs for up to one million households, with low-interest loans and tax breaks for those who choose to install solar panels on their homes or land. The initiative will be funded through an emergency loan package of nearly $12 billion announced this year to cushion the economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
NEPAL
The Centre for Research on Hydrology and Water Resources has published its White Paper for the 2026–2027 period, outlining plans to strengthen early-warning systems for floods, improve scientific research and promote sustainable management. The centre, established in July under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, has set out priorities relating to sustainable water use, climate-resilient infrastructure, aviation safety and disaster risk reduction. The document emphasises the use of modern technologies, open-data systems and scientific research, with the aim of protecting lives and property.
According to its long-term strategy, it aims to become the leading scientific institution in South Asia by 2031. Rising temperatures in the Himalayas are accelerating the melting of glaciers, increasing the risk of avalanches and floods.
GEORGIA – CENTRAL ASIA
The first-ever joint meeting between the foreign ministers of Georgia and the Central Asian countries took place in Batumi, Georgia. The event addressed the development of the partnership between Georgia and the countries of the region, the revitalisation of political dialogue and the advancement of cooperation based on shared interests, with a view to ‘strengthening the ties between Europe and Asia’. Particular emphasis was placed on the prospects for the development of the Middle Corridor and the full realisation of its potential; other topics discussed included deepening cooperation in the fields of the economy, trade, transport and tourism.
