Asia United Arab Emirates The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre launched a major initiative giving readers access to over 30.000 digital libraries worldwide to promote reading and expand Arabic publications; OverDrive platform for e-book and audiobook is the technology partner
Asia Myanmar A military airstrike on the gem-mining town Mogok killed at least 21 civilians, in a monastery and nearby homes; The Ta’ang National Liberation Army reported more casualties as the civil war intensifies under threats of an upcoming election
Asia Pakistan Punjab province suffered its worst floods ever in late August, as monsoon rains and upstream dam releases inundated towns and fields; Two million people were affected, with widespread evacuations and damage to homes and infrastructure
Asia Afghanistan A 6,0 magnitude earthquake killed at least 800 people, injured over 2.500 in eastern province of Kunar, according to figures provided yesterday by the Taliban government; locals reportedly called for global help, feeling abandoned to themselves
Asia Malaysia The Gig Workers Bill 2025 was passed, extending labor protections to about 1,2 million gig economy workers; the law mandates written contracts and basic benefits, like insurance and leave, for drivers, freelancers and platform workers
Asia Maldives President Muizzu called for more inclusion of small developing countries in international decision-making at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State meeting SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin, China
Asia Kazakhstan Artificial intelligence has become a mandatory discipline across all universities in Kazakhstan; 93 universities have already integrated AI into their academic programs, while 20 institutions have launched 25 new educational tracks
Asia Cyprus School bus fees and subsidies for the new academic year have been announced: monthly student fare is set at 5 euros with a subsidy of €17, annual fare at €30 with €190 subsidy, all children from large families in sec and tech education will be exempt
Asia Indonesia Protests erupted after police killed a motorcycle ride-hailing driver; The demonstrations turned violent, with some parliament buildings set ablaze and by yesterday government agreed to cut lawmakers’ extra pay and housing allowances to calm the unrest
Asia Nepal Climbing fees have been waived for nearly 100 Himalayan peaks in the remote northwest for the next two years, aiming to attract mountaineers to these less-developed regions
Asia Singapore Bulan Bahasa, Malay Language Month, has been launched; PM Wong, who attended, underlined it ‘holds a special place in Singapore as a bridge to our shared history and culture’ and will continue to ensure that all mother tongue languages continue to thrive
Asia Thailand Lack of government’s head won’t affect border security with Cambodia, defence said, as Thailand hurries to fill the vacuum after dismissal of PM by Constitutional Court, as she allegedly didn’t upheld the ethical code of conduct in handling the border row
Asia Philippines 34 barangays - the smallest unit of territorial government - in Negros Island Region have been declared free from illegal drugs by the Drug Enforcement Agency; to be considered drug-free, a barangay must meet criteria set by the Dangerous Drugs Board