Global · South Asia · Nepal climate

Nepal-Tibet Floods Kill over 750, Thousands Still Missing

A devastating flash flood triggered by a glacial lake outburst swept down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river valleys on Wednesday, destroying villages, hydropower infrastructure, and roads across Nepal's northern districts bordering Tibet. The death toll has climbed to at least 752, with Nepali authorities reporting 2,498 people unaccounted for, including 589 foreign nationals. Chinese state media confirmed 16 dead and 546 missing on the Tibetan side of the border, where 104 Nepalis are among 261 foreign nationals listed as missing.

Rescue efforts are being hampered by continued heavy rainfall, rising river levels, and collapsed roads — including the Prithvi Highway's key Muglin–Kathmandu section at Krishnabhir. Nepal's army has deployed more than 8,300 troops, and specialist tunnel rescue teams from India and China are working to reach dozens of hydropower workers believed trapped inside flooded tunnels at under-construction dam sites. Only 20 of 669 recovered bodies have been identified, forcing authorities to begin mass burials after taking DNA samples. China has airlifted 50 tonnes of emergency relief supplies, and international search teams from India, China, and South Korea are on the ground.

Preliminary damage estimates suggest reconstruction of hydropower projects and infrastructure alone could cost up to $5 billion, and Nepal's government is preparing to seek international financial support. Authorities have issued fresh flood warnings as water levels in the Bhotekoshi River continued to rise on Sunday. The disaster has drawn mourning vigils across Australia and Singapore, where citizens remain among the missing, underscoring the event's wide cross-border human toll.

Middle East · Iran conflict

Iran Blocks Ships at Hormuz as US-Iran War Pressure Mounts

Iranian armed forces have prevented 30 vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian sources, in a significant escalation of tensions in one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. The move comes amid an active state of conflict between the United States and Iran, with the Washington Post reporting that there is growing frustration within the US military over the prolonged war and the absence of a defined end date.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass, has become the central flashpoint of the US-Iran confrontation. Iran's navy commander Shahram Irani separately asserted that the naval force remains "alive and well" and continues its mission, directly contradicting US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that Iranian naval vessels had been destroyed. Military analysts are pointing to what they describe as a developing "grey zone" dynamic around Hormuz — a situation in which neither side fully controls the strait but both assert authority — suggesting this ambiguity could paradoxically create conditions for diplomatic negotiation.

For people across the Middle East, the stakes are enormous. The blockage of vessels at Hormuz threatens regional oil exports, shipping costs, and supply chains stretching from the Gulf states to South Asia. Israel's minister Eli Cohen has meanwhile warned that Israel will strike Iran again if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear or ballistic missile programmes, regardless of any deal Washington may reach with Tehran. The situation at Hormuz, and the broader US-Iran war, remain the most consequential ongoing crisis shaping the region's political and economic landscape.

Europe · Serbia politics

Serbia Grants State Funeral to Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladic

Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for atrocities including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, died while serving a life sentence at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. His death has immediately reignited the unresolved tensions that have defined the Western Balkans since the 1990s wars. The Serbian government announced it would arrange the transport of his body from The Hague to Belgrade and organise a funeral with full state honours — a decision that has drawn international condemnation and stunned Bosniak survivors of the crimes for which he was convicted.

In Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, tribute gatherings drew large crowds across multiple towns, with hundreds marching through Zvornik chanting Mladic's name. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, rather than distancing his government from the convicted war criminal, accused the UN tribunal of "uncivilised" and "unjustifiable" behaviour for not releasing Mladic before his death — a statement that critics say further normalises the rehabilitation of genocide perpetrators in official Serbian discourse. Bosniak survivors, meanwhile, expressed bitter grief: Mladic died an elderly man in custody, while his victims never had the chance to grow old. In Sarajevo, the reaction was one of anguish that justice, though delivered in verdict, had not been fully felt.

The affair carries acute implications for regional stability and Serbia's trajectory. Belgrade is formally an EU candidate, yet the state funeral and the president's rhetoric move it further from the reconciliation the bloc demands as a precondition for accession. For Bosnia-Herzegovina, where ethnic divisions remain institutionally entrenched, the glorification of Mladic in Republika Srpska risks inflaming tensions at a moment when the entity's leadership is already pushing separatist boundaries. The Montenegro security council has separately been convened over alleged destabilisation threats from neighbouring states, underscoring how fragile the post-war regional order remains. How Serbia ultimately conducts the funeral — and whether EU partners respond with concrete diplomatic consequences — will be the key thing to watch in the days ahead.

Sub-Saharan Africa · Niger politics

Niger Junta Survives Mutiny Attempt amid Ongoing Tensions in Niamey

Niger's ruling military junta has survived what appears to have been an attempted coup or internal mutiny, with national security forces — operating alongside personnel from Russia-linked Africa Corps — moving to suppress the challenge. Gunfire and explosions were reported overnight from Friday to Saturday in multiple parts of the capital Niamey, including areas around the military base adjacent to the international airport, alarming residents and drawing immediate international attention.

The junta, which came to power following the July 2023 coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum, has faced mounting internal pressures since taking control. The involvement of Africa Corps — the rebranded successor to the Wagner Group — in suppressing the mutiny underscores how deeply embedded Russian security actors have become in Niger's governance and military structure, a trend that has reshaped the security landscape across the Sahel. The identities and motivations of those behind the mutiny have not been fully confirmed, and the situation remains fluid.

For the West African region, the instability in Niger carries significant implications. The country sits at the heart of the Sahel's jihadist insurgency belt, and any prolonged political chaos risks creating further openings for armed groups. Neighbouring states, ECOWAS, and international partners will be watching closely to see whether the junta can consolidate control, and whether this attempted mutiny signals deeper fractures within Niger's security forces that could destabilise the country further.

East Asia · Malaysia politics

Malaysia PM Unveils Measures to Tackle Rising Living Costs

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has unveiled a package of measures aimed at easing the burden of rising living costs on ordinary Malaysians while also supporting local businesses. A central element of the announcement is the restoration of a quota allowing citizens to purchase RON95 petrol at subsidised prices, capped at 300 litres per month. The move signals a recalibration of Malaysia's fuel subsidy rationalisation policy, which has been one of the most politically sensitive economic issues the government has navigated since taking office.

Fuel subsidies have long been a cornerstone of Malaysian household economics, and the government's earlier efforts to reform them — partly to reduce fiscal pressure and partly to redirect benefits away from wealthier consumers — drew considerable public debate. By reinstating a citizens' quota, the administration is attempting to balance fiscal prudence with political responsiveness, ensuring that lower- and middle-income households retain meaningful relief at the pump while curbing access for those who do not need it.

The broader package also targets support for local businesses, though full details of those measures were still being outlined. The announcement comes at a time when cost-of-living pressures remain a top concern across Southeast Asia, and how Malaysia structures its subsidy and business support policies will be closely watched by regional peers grappling with similar trade-offs between fiscal sustainability and public welfare.