NEPAL
Two people were rescued alive today from a tunnel connected to a hydroelectric power station on the Trishuli River, nine days after a landslide of ice, rock and mud swept through a valley, killing more than 1,200 people and displacing tens of thousands.
The two workers rescued from the Upper Trishuli 3A power station tunnel are Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor. Meanwhile, the head of Nepal’s Civil Defence Agency states that the destruction to property, homes and infrastructure caused by the floods is estimated at 2.56 billion dollars. Finally, Kathmandu has launched the #NepalCalling campaign to reassure international tourists that the country remains open despite the Bhotekoshi floods, which triggered a wave of cancellations ahead of the peak tourist season.
YEMEN
The situation in Yemen has flared up again: the clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces have killed 81 fighters since yesterday. A military official on the Red Sea coast reports that 24 of his men have been killed, whilst a second official in the inland area of Taiz speaks of 15 deaths. At the same time, there are said to be at least 42 deaths among the pro-Iranian rebel militias as well.
AFGHANISTAN – TURKEY
Over 25,000 Afghan migrants residing illegally in Turkey were arrested during the first eight months of this year. According to official statistics, Afghans constitute the largest group among foreign nationals detained in the country’s prisons. The Turkish authorities have stated that the Afghan nationals arrested were not in possession of legally valid residence documents. According to the United Nations, over 13,000 Afghans were deported from Ankara in the first five months of 2026.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia launched a three-day operation yesterday aimed at cloud seeding, in an attempt to alleviate the blanket of haze suffocating the state of Sarawak, exacerbated by smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia, which has pushed air quality to dangerous levels. At the same time, it aims to bolster water reserves in anticipation of the dry season, supplying three hydroelectric dams and 13 reservoirs. Residents of Borneo have been living with a thick haze for days, whilst smoke from Kalimantan is blanketing the area, exacerbating respiratory problems.
SYRIA
Syria has announced the start of operations to destroy the chemical materials found in the country under the supervision of experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Addressing the UN Security Council, Syria’s Permanent Representative Ibrahim Olabi described this as a historic milestone and the first destruction effort of its kind since the fall of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of having used such weapons during his time in power. The aim is to protect the population and prevent chemical weapons from falling into the wrong hands, whilst also safeguarding regional and international security. Last month, the OPCW sent a team to Syria to verify the destruction of Category 3 chemical weapons, referring to unfilled munitions and other equipment used in production.
TAIWAN
The government yesterday proposed a further $4.59 billion to be allocated to defence spending in 2026 for the purchase of systems including drones and anti-ballistic missiles. Taipei has made defence modernisation and increased military spending a key policy priority in the face of growing pressure from China, which regards the ‘rebel’ island as part of its own territory. In May, the opposition-controlled Parliament approved an extra $25 billion in spending, around two-thirds of the amount the government had requested in a special budget.
RUSSIA – MALDIVES
Russians are the second-largest group of tourists in the Maldives after the Chinese, but since Vladimir Putin launched the war in Ukraine, this holiday paradise has taken on another important role: Russia has in fact begun exporting goods subject to Western sanctions, including dual-use items. American, European and Chinese goods are now transiting through the Maldives, including microchips that can be used in missile guidance systems, optical instruments for satellite surveillance and aircraft components.
INDIA – UZBEKISTAN
India anticipates “significant progress” in cooperation with Uzbekistan in the mining sector in the coming months. The parties discussed commercial projects, critical minerals, the processing of raw materials and the participation of Indian companies in the development of promising deposits. This was followed by the signing of a memorandum of cooperation in the mining and geological resources sector, and they intend to proceed with its practical implementation, as announced by Sibi George, Special Secretary at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
