MYANMAR – MALAYSIA
Min Aung Hlaing, a general in the Burmese military junta and now President of Myanmar, will arrive in Malaysia today to discuss with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the repatriation of thousands of Burmese citizens, an operation already launched by Kuala Lumpur in recent weeks despite recommendations to the contrary from the United Nations and human rights organisations. “The visit offers the Prime Minister the opportunity to maintain his direct engagement with Myanmar,” the Malaysian government said yesterday in a statement.
SOUTH KOREA
Two South Korean churches, the Yoido Full Gospel Church and the Sarang Church in Seoul, are investigating alleged cyber-attacks that may have exposed the personal data of hundreds of thousands of worshippers. The attacks are believed to have been carried out using artificial intelligence. In recent days, cyber-attacks have also targeted several major South Korean banks.
JAPAN
The US military in Okinawa will impose a curfew from midnight to 5 am for one month starting on Friday, following the arrest of a 20-year-old Marine accused of robbing and killing a local woman – an incident that has once again sparked protests among the local population. All US military personnel stationed in Okinawa will also observe a 48-hour operational pause starting at midday on Wednesday, during which no one will be permitted to leave the base, including a strict ban on the consumption of alcohol both on and off base.
CHINA
China intends to put forward a last-minute candidate to lead the World Health Organisation, offering Beijing the opportunity to expand its influence following the United States’ withdrawal from the international body. China intends to nominate Song Li, a public health official with 20 years’ experience in maternal and child health policies and international cooperation.
INDIA – MIDDLE EAST
A further 11 Indians were injured yesterday in an attack on a merchant ship as it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs reported. The vessel struck was the MT On Peace, flying the Panamanian flag, with 19 crew members on board, 17 of whom were Indian. On 23 September, another Indian seafarer was killed, bringing the total number of Indians killed since the start of the war against Iran in late February to 11.
RUSSIA
In 2026, Russia’s wealthiest individuals contributed 471 billion roubles – equivalent to more than 5.6 billion dollars – to the state budget through so-called ‘non-repayable contributions’ made during the war. This sum accounted for over 1 per cent of total public expenditure. These contributions had been discussed in March at a closed-door meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and leading Russian business figures – most of whom are subject to Western sanctions – and the head of Rosneft proposed the idea of collecting “donations” to Putin.
KYRGYZSTAN
Bloggers and influencers in Kyrgyzstan who promote religious topics are required to obtain a ‘religious preacher’ certificate, whilst individual posts or comments on religious topics will not require registration, Nurgazy Kirgyzbaev, a specialist at the National Agency for Religious Affairs and Inter-Ethnic Relations under the President’s Office, told Kaktus.Media. The country’s law on freedom of religion and religious association recently introduced the very concept of a “religious preacher”.
