UAE – SAUDI ARABIA – YEMEN
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates appear intent on mending relations and bringing an end to a prolonged period of tension between the two Gulf powers (allies and rivals), with the aim of presenting a united front against the advance of the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen.
This escalation threatens the export of goods and oil via the Red Sea – the only real alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for trade – and has triggered a wave of attacks that have even reached Riyadh. Yesterday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received the UAE’s Vice-President, Mansour bin Zayed, in the capital, in what analysts have described as “the most significant meeting” since conflicting interests emerged on various issues such as Sudan, Yemen itself and Somaliland. According to reports from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Sheikh Mansour and Prince MBS “reviewed the fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries and the latest developments in the region”. Middle East Eye (MEE) adds that following Mansour’s visit, the UAE sent two aircraft carrying officials to Riyadh to coordinate a joint response in Yemen.
MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur is strengthening its regulatory frameworks and establishing dedicated oversight bodies to balance the rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including the spread of smart glasses.
This was stated by the Malaysian Minister for Digital Affairs, Gobind Singh Deo, who, in addressing the challenges posed by new technologies, spoke of government management “with a proactive and structured approach” that goes beyond the analysis of individual cases. His remarks come in response to growing concerns, both globally and locally, regarding ‘smart glasses’, particularly those equipped with artificial intelligence-related features. Among the causes for concern are data privacy, structural cyber security and the possibility that someone might record people or upload content without their explicit consent.
ISRAEL – PALESTINE
Over 100 Israeli settlers attacked a village in the West Bank, preventing a Palestinian family from returning home and clashing with troops. Two homes belonging to the Tubasi family, in the village of Jalud, had been occupied by settlers weeks earlier, during a wave of violence and land seizures by settlers that drew condemnation from the international community.
The family had been staying elsewhere in the village, north of the city of Ramallah, until the Israeli army agreed to escort them late in the evening of 28 September and protect them from their attackers. The incident highlights once again the Israeli army’s inability to rein in the settlers, who are encouraged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, under whose leadership there has been a record expansion of settlements and outposts.
CHINA – LAOS
China has inaugurated a new military training and support centre in Laos, a rare move in terms of overseas expansion. This was announced yesterday by the Ministry of National Defence in Beijing, which stated that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Centre and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now operational at an airport in Ban Keun. “The two institutions, jointly managed and administered by both sides, aim to help Laos,” the statement explains, “to enhance the training of its air force pilots.” However, the ministry did not provide details on which personnel, equipment or facilities have been deployed at the airport.
PAKISTAN – AFGHANISTAN
The Sindh High Court has ordered Jinnah Sindh Medical University to allow Afghan students to resume their studies and has extended interim relief for those who had challenged the order to expel them from Pakistan, at a time of tension and armed clashes between the two countries. The court had already suspended the order for those who had lodged an appeal on 14 September. The Afghan students’ lawyer, Iftikhar Shah, reported that JSM University had prevented the students from attending classes, deactivated their biometric access and initiated procedures to remove them from the university halls of residence. The judges ordered that access be restored and ruled that their studies must not be interrupted until the next hearing. Previously, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the body regulating medical training, had ordered the repatriation of enrolled Afghan students and banned new admissions or enrolments of Afghan nationals for the current academic year. Finally, a court in Islamabad granted protection to an Afghan doctor undertaking postgraduate training.
THAILAND
The death toll from rain and flooding has risen to 23, whilst the waters are gradually receding from Bangkok, which has been severely affected in recent days: chaos continues at the main airport and the government has already approved a multi-million aid package. Last week, the capital – one of the 42 affected provinces – was hit by around 320 mm of rain in the space of three days, an amount it usually receives throughout the entire month of September, with total estimated damage across the country amounting to around 367 million dollars and bringing the tourism sector to a standstill. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul added that the go-ahead has also been given for a further long-term drainage project, costing 4.8 billion dollars.
RUSSIA
Despite promises to the contrary, the Russian government is planning to raise taxes: the Ministry of Finance has proposed increasing taxes on income from deposits and other passive income.
This includes interest on bank deposits, dividends and proceeds from the sale of securities and property, due to the war and rising costs. According to calculations, the budget deficit for the period 2027–2029 will amount to around 2 per cent of annual GDP, and businesses and citizens will have to foot the bill for the Kremlin’s military spending.
AZERBAIJAN – KAZAKHSTAN – UZBEKISTAN
In over 30 years of operations in Azerbaijan, British Petroleum has built up significant experience, and the company now plans to capitalise on this experience in new projects in Central Asia. In 2026, it took two steps in this direction by entering Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. At the Caspian Business Forum held in New York on 22 September, Kimberly Harrington, head of international relations at BP America, stated that the new projects are based precisely on the experience and expertise developed in Azerbaijan.
