HONG KONG
Joshua Wong, a leading figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for collusion with foreign forces for organising primary elections within the now-dissolved pro-democracy party Demosisto. Wong is already serving a sentence for subversion and was due to be released in January 2027. “Today’s verdict is not just about Joshua. It is part of a wider political crackdown aimed at rewriting a chapter in Hong Kong’s history and erasing the contribution of an entire generation who believed they could shape the future of their city,” commented Frances Hui, a friend and fellow activist of Wong’s, who now lives in the United States.
JAPAN
According to the latest government figures, between January and June 2026, the number of children born in Japan to Japanese citizens rose by 0.4 per cent compared with the previous year, reaching 320,458. This is the first year-on-year increase in 11 years for the first half of the year and, according to commentators, may have been driven by the rise in marriages between 2024 and 2025.
SINGAPORE
Since bottle and can recycling machines – which pay out 10 cents for each item recycled – became operational in Singapore, a heated online debate has erupted following the circulation of videos showing migrant cleaning workers using the machines. The city council defended the workers, explaining that these were personal items being recycled outside working hours: “Our workers are not permitted to rummage through rubbish bins or recycling bins to retrieve such items. We have reiterated this requirement to all cleaning staff since the start of the project”.
INDIA
Despite the measures introduced by the New Delhi administration, smog levels in the capital remain alarming, particularly in the run-up to the Diwali festival, which will be celebrated on 8 November. Under the plan presented by the authorities in recent days, which will run until February, petrol stations will not be allowed to refuel vehicles that do not meet emissions standards; activity on building sites will have to be restricted; car park charges have been doubled; 50 per cent of office workers are required to work from home; and the burning of rubbish is prohibited. Drones will be used to monitor violations.
SYRIA
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday oversaw the signing of several bilateral agreements, including a defence cooperation agreement. Riyadh has also pledged to provide over 403 million dollars for the reconstruction of Syria’s energy, housing, healthcare and infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, in the north-eastern regions, protests continue, demanding that school curricula include more teaching hours dedicated to the Kurdish language. In Hasakeh, demonstrators stormed the headquarters of the Education Directorate.
RUSSIA
The Russian Ministry of Finance has announced the abolition of the current compulsory pension savings scheme: under the new plan, the entire funded component currently in force will be transferred to the category of voluntary long-term savings. This initiative entails a complete overhaul of the mechanism for managing citizens’ pension reserves; in effect, this decision formalises the state’s abandonment of the previous model for calculating future pensions, imposing a moratorium on the accumulation of the funded component of pensions.
KYRGYZSTAN
A group of Kyrgyz parliamentarians has proposed a ban on providing occult-mystical or psychological services without adequate professional training. If the receipt of money is accompanied by deception or a breach of trust, the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to fraud may be applied, provided all the constituent elements of the offence are present. The MPs also believe that the offering and provision of a ‘magical’ or ‘psychological’ service for a fee may continue until specific harm is caused to the victim, or demonstrable damage to property or health occurs.
