MIDDLE EAST
The United Arab Emirates have accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the country, in the first such incident since May. According to Abu Dhabi, both missiles were reportedly aimed at maritime shipping. Tehran has denied any responsibility. In response, the UAE have announced the suspension, until further notice, of trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran.
The escalation between the two countries comes as the path to negotiations between the United States and Iran remains blocked, with Trump provocatively even posting an image on social media yesterday asserting American sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, yesterday there were also Israeli air strikes on an air base near Aleppo in Syria, which, according to the Israeli government, were aimed at “preventing the deployment of Turkish troops”. Ankara has denied the claims, describing them as “baseless accusations aimed solely at legitimising attacks that threaten Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
JAPAN–UNITED STATES
The United States has imposed sanctions on two senior officials of the International Criminal Court, escalating its clash with the body. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sanctioned the President, the Japanese judge Tomoko Akane, and the Senegalese Prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye, accusing the Court of being politically biased and of abusing its authority. The decision places Japan in a particularly difficult position, as it is a major contributor to the International Criminal Court but also a close ally of the United States. Tokyo supports the Court’s independence but must balance this commitment with its relations with Washington. The sanctions form part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to reduce US involvement in international organisations.
PAKISTAN
The Pakistani Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been in custody since 2023, from Adiala Prison to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours, due to growing concerns over his health. The Court has ordered the formation of a medical team, which will include specialists, Khan’s sister and his personal doctor. It has also authorised weekly family visits and telephone contact with his children living abroad. Khan is expected to remain in hospital at least until a further hearing scheduled for 16 September. The PTI – Khan’s party – has consistently cited the possibility of contact with the leader as a necessary condition for resuming talks with the government. Meanwhile, the PTI leadership has announced a nationwide protest for 27 September.
VIETNAM
A wave of social media posts has prompted the Vietnamese authorities to respond to the controversy surrounding the failure to charge former MP Nguyen Sy Cuong – husband of the current Minister of Culture – who was involved in a road accident on 30 May 2025 that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old girl in central Hanoi. The controversy arose after the Ministry of Culture banned dozens of songs by the singer MCK, accusing them of containing vulgar language. In a state television broadcast, the police explained that Cuong was driving the wrong way down a one-way street, but that he held a valid driving licence, had not been drinking, and that the victim’s family had decided not to pursue criminal proceedings.
The programme also showed the girl’s father, who was injured in the accident, as he confirmed this account and urged people not to fuel the criticism. On social media, however, many users continue to contest the decision and accuse the authorities of trying to cover up the case.
CHINA
The share price of Unitree, a pioneering Chinese robotics company, rose more than sixfold on its debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, following an initial public offering worth over $900 million. The share price reached 1,100 yuan, compared with an offer price of 150.8 yuan, before settling at around 900 yuan. Unitree, one of Hangzhou’s ‘six little tech tigers’, is the world’s leading manufacturer of humanoid sales robots and symbolises China’s ambition in robotics. It has unveiled a new humanoid robot called ‘Superman’, claiming it is capable of jumping up to two metres high and running at a maximum speed of 12.66 metres per second. Beijing regards robotics and ‘embodied AI’ as strategic sectors in its technological competition with the United States.
SRI LANKA
In Sri Lanka, a surgical team removed a 3.1 kg stone from the bladder of a 55-year-old man, which may be the largest ever recorded. The operation was carried out at a hospital in Trincomalee after the man, who had been admitted following a stroke, began experiencing difficulty urinating. The stone, the size of an ostrich’s egg, is believed to have been in his bladder for between 5 and 10 years. The patient is in good condition and is continuing treatment for his other conditions.
RUSSIA
The Moscow-based publishing house Alpina Publishers has published a censored version of Pope Francis’s autobiography. Black bars obscure paragraphs and entire pages of the book in which Francis discusses same-sex couples and how the Catholic Church should treat them. The Primus Versus bookshop, which counts Francis’s autobiography, *Hope*, amongst its new releases, has posted photos of the pages with the black bars on Telegram, but the accompanying text makes no mention of the censorship.
TAJIKISTAN
On 15 August, Tajikistan celebrated Archaeologist’s Day, revealing a discovery that astonished even the most experienced researchers: a few months ago, archaeologists unearthed a unique water supply system built 1,500 years ago at the mountainous site of Mugtepa, in Istaravshan. The rulers of Uratyube built fortresses there over the centuries, but in recent decades the site has gone through a difficult period: no excavations have been carried out for almost 30 years, and many believed that Mugtepa had lost its secrets forever.
