Asia East Timor Timor-Leste University Students held a demonstration in the National Parliament compound to demand that deputies give up government vehicles and use the money for the needs of the country
Asia United Arab Emirates The UAE has joined a group of 14 smaller member of WTO in an international initiative aimed at promoting “open and free” trade as "vital to our stability and prosperity" amid growing risks of rising tariffs and economic fragmentation
Asia Kuwait French retailer Carrefour said it had ceased operations and all of its stores in Kuwait, the latest Gulf market in a growing list in which the company is ceasing operations; the announced was made on 16 September on Instagram, with no further details
Asia China Golden Panda Film Festival concluded in Chengdu, Sichuan; 5.343 works were presented, of which 3.910 from 126 foreign countries; 27 prizes in 4 categories will be awarded: films, documentaries, animation, tv and series
Asia Israel A military official said the Israeli Defence Forces had begun their ground operation into Gaza City, the main urban centre in the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of residents were ordered to flee, saying “Gaza is burning”
Asia Georgia Elene Khoshtaria, head of the opposition party Droa, has been detained by law enforcement officers, the party confirmed on social media making video footage circulate online; authorities allege that Khoshtaria was involved in damaging election banners
Asia Israel Simon Leviev, infamously known as the ‘Tinder Swindler,’ was detained upon his arrival at Batumi International Airport; the information was released by Leviev’s lawyer who adds that the reasons for his arrest in Georgia remain unclear
Asia Cyprus About 21.000 children up to the age of four will have their preschool fees and lunches paid by the state for the 2025–2026 school year, the finance ministry announced, saying it will budget €73 million, with €43.8 million funded by the EU
Asia Nepal Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal's interim prime minister, the first woman in the role, following anti-graft protests that forced K.P. Sharma Oli to resign; the oath of office ceremony was broadcast live
Asia Iran Since the 12-day war with Israel in June, Iranian athletes have been performing military-style salutes to the flag at international competitions and face conflicting pressures: the state demands public displays of loyalty, opponents expect defiance
Asia China Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge has undergone a five-day load test ahead of the opening later this month: 96 trucks drove onto designated points to test the bridge's structure; 625m above a river, it will be the world's highest and longest mountain bridge
Asia Philippines A fire broke out among buildings in the Tondo district of Manila, displacing 700 families, according to local media and the Manila Public Information Office, which said the fire is under control, only three people are injured; cause are being investigated
Asia Lebanon Record cocaine seizures, elimination of a drug lord, destruction of cannabis fields, dismantling of captagon factories: authorities are announcing operations against drugs every day after they made it clear that combating narcotics is a priority