Asia Bahrain 128 competitors, 59 male and 69 female, took part in this year's Mutun competition; the event awards the three best in seven categories, each focusing on the memorization and comprehension of foundation texts related to Quranic sciences
Asia South Korea South Korea has welcomed US President Trump on his Asia tour, meeting President Lee Jae‑Myung and signalling imminent finalisation of a massive US-Korea investment-trade deal; His visit also sets the stage for a summit with China’s Xi Jinping in Busan
Asia India 50.000 people have been moved to relief camps as India began evacuations before the expected impact of Cyclone Montha, intensifying over the Bay of Bengal and set to bring strong winds and heavy rains to its east coast; schools remain closed along coasts
America Barbados The government is preparing a new public education drive to address lingering doubts about the country’s digital ID cards and build wider trust in its technology‑based national projects
Oceania Micronesia Ms. Yolanda Joab Mori has been appointed Chief of Staff to President Simina; she has been serving in an acting capacity since 2024 while simultaneously holding the role of Special Assistant to the President for Public Relations and Information since 2023
Asia Japan Lawmakers in Japan elected hard-line conservative Sanae Takaichi as prime minister, making her the first woman in modern times to lead the country; she said she formed her cabinet on equal opportunity, equal chances, participation from all walks of life
Oceania New Zealand "Alarming" gaps in measles immunization, specially among Maori and Pacific communities, should be urgently closed, the WHO advises, revealing that vaccination rates are lower than those of 2012 and another outbreak could occur with current active cases
America Dominica A large proportion of children and teenagers across the Caribbean are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, as reported in the 2025 Caribbean Child and Youth Mental Health Research Study Report, a collaborative effort of CARICOM and UNICEF
Europe Estonia Work has started on a €14 million iron foundry in Kohila; operated by shipbuilders BLRT Grupp, it is due to open next year, will employ 70 people and will be one of the largest investments in the foundry industry in the Baltic
America Cuba Bracing for the impact of hurricane Melissa, Cuba has asked motorcyclists with megaphones to alert every corner of the island and dedicated teams are checking no person unable to move remains at home; churches are open as shelters
America Nicaragua The European Union has extended its sanctions against Nicaragua until October 2026 due to ongoing political repression and human rights abuses, maintaining asset freezes and travel bans on 21 individuals and three entities tied to the Ortega regime
Africa Lesotho Butchery operators have decried the continued ban on red meat imports from South Africa, saying the restriction imposed in August has crippled their business as they are struggling to source quality red meat locally
Africa Tunisia Several thousand residents demonstrated in Gabes to demand the closure of a chemical complex, after numerous cases of intoxication in recent weeks and as dozens of people living near the plant, including schoolchildren, suffered fainting fits
Europe Monaco The Monaco Pavilionat the World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has officially closed its doors after welcoming 1,5 million visitors