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Seoul resolves recent speculation over sending military to strait of Hormuz, saying ‘there won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war’South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, has said he will ⁠not deploy the military to the ⁠Middle East in a way ​that could draw the country into conflict, resisting calls from Donald Trump to support his war in Iran.“There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly,” Lee said at a ⁠news conference on Friday. “We won’t deploy military assets in any form to that end.” Continue reading...

• Indian teqball players Declan Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Beg lost back-to-back men's doubles matches against Vietnam and South Korea during the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. • The sport combines football and table tennis on a curved table, requiring players to score 12 points to win a set. • The duo remains in the competition through the repechage route, which is a second-chance bracket for athletes who lost early matches.

• Southeast Asian nations are prioritizing local access and relevance over achieving global AI supremacy. • Regional value depends on whether models perform well in local languages like Vietnamese or Bahasa Indonesia and remain affordable. • Market stability for local businesses depends on avoiding disruptions caused by export restrictions, cloud outages, or commercial decisions.

• Verve Research published a report titled "Voices From the Region: Reimagining Global Cooperation From Southeast Asia" detailing the region's push for a larger role in global governance. • The report highlights a regional demand for international institutions that provide tangible results while maintaining the strategic autonomy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). • This shift indicates that Southeast Asian nations are prioritizing their own leadership and decision-making power over traditional global power structures.

• Several countries, including Nepal, Singapore, Israel, Romania, South Korea, and Chile, have submitted their official entries for the 2027 Academy Award for best international feature film. • Turkey selected the social drama "Like a Limbless Tree," directed by Tunç Davut, as its official representative for the competition. • These submissions determine which global films will compete for one of cinema's most prestigious awards, impacting international distribution and visibility for the filmmakers.

• A South Korean court ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won, or approximately $32.5 million, for destroying a joint liaison office in 2020. • The ruling follows the North's decision to blow up the shared facility during a period of heightened tension between the two nations. • This legal decision reinforces the financial accountability of North Korea for its aggressive actions against South Korean diplomatic infrastructure.

• Candidates from two rival parties linked to a former rebel group led the first elections held in a predominantly Muslim region of the southern Philippines. • The region has seen approximately 150,000 combatants and civilians die since the 1970s due to ongoing conflict. • These elections mark a transition toward political governance in the country's poorest region, where development was previously stunted by war.

• Southeast Asia is rapidly expanding its data center infrastructure to support an artificial intelligence boom. • The Asia-Pacific data center pipeline reached a record 26.5 GW in the first half of 2026, with Malaysia leading Southeast Asia at 1,039 MW. • This growth creates a regional division of labor where Singapore handles high-value activity while Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam absorb large-scale physical growth.

• Southeast Asia is experiencing a regional arms race characterized by military expansion and increased securitization across Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia. • Intensified military operations and foreign defense cooperation in the Philippines and Indonesia have exacerbated local conflicts and humanitarian crises. • This shift toward military-led approaches risks increasing human suffering and failing to reduce armed or non-armed opposition in the region.

Announcement of visa restrictions follows Trump’s false claims of ‘white genocide’ taking place in South AfricaThe US has announced visa restrictions on some South Africans as Donald Trump’s administration continues to claim that South Africa’s government racially discriminates against white minority Afrikaners.The announcement did not specify individuals who were barred from the US. Trump has spent his second term falsely claiming there is a “white genocide” in South Africa and railing against its affirmative action policies. Continue reading...

String of female murder victims found near Johannesburg’s international airport, including five in the past weekThe discovery of the bodies of seven women around Johannesburg’s international airport, including five in the past week, has prompted an outpouring of fear, grief and anger over a lack of progress in tackling femicide.When Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo did not return after going for a run on 9 September, her eight-year-old daughter alerted relatives, who contacted police. The 38-year-old’s body was found on Saturday and identified by relatives on Monday. The news of her disappearance had gone viral. Continue reading...

• A predominantly Muslim region in the southern Philippines held its first elections for a regional parliament to move closer to self-rule. • The vote follows decades of insurgency and violence that resulted in the deaths of approximately 150,000 combatants and civilians since the 1970s. • This political transition aims to bring stability and growth to the country's poorest region where development has been stunted for years.

Drive to save thousands of Afrikaners from false claims of ‘white genocide’ appears to show signs of slowingWhen Donald Trump announced in February 2025 that the US would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, many white South Africans who believed that they were victims of racism in their country thought that their prayers had been answered.However, in the past few months, dozens of applicants to the refugee programme have been rejected, with many left dismayed and confused as to why they would be left to face what Trump has falsely claimed is a “white genocide” in South Africa. Continue reading...

• The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised India's leadership as the group's chair. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed 10 specific measures intended to serve as a reform roadmap for the organization. • The summit's final declaration seeks to establish a common diplomatic approach to peaceful dispute resolution among members currently affected by geopolitical tensions.

• A Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines is holding its first parliamentary elections to establish local governance. • The Philippine government deployed more than 20,000 soldiers and police forces to secure the voting process and patrol roadsides. • These elections aim to stabilize a region where approximately 150,000 combatants and civilians have died since the 1970s due to insurgency and conflict.

• Voters in the Muslim-majority south of the Philippines began casting ballots under heightened security following an outbreak of election violence. • Three people were killed and 15 others were wounded during the voting process. • These elections finalize a transition toward greater political and economic self-rule for the region under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

• Music is driving economic and social growth across Southeast Asia, as highlighted in a recent report on the region's cultural influence. • Spotify data from 2025 shows Indonesia generated 23.2 billion streams on the Top 200 chart, nearly double the 14.2 billion streams from the Philippines. • This high volume of consumption indicates a massive market opportunity for artists and investors targeting the region's digital entertainment sector.

• Voting began on Monday in the Muslim-majority south of the Philippines under heightened security following election-eve violence. • Three people were killed and 15 others were wounded in attacks leading up to the historic vote. • The election completes a transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which grants the region greater political and economic powers.

• Singapore has captured the vast majority of robotics equity funding in Southeast Asia, which totals $1.1 billion across 51 funded companies. • Singapore accounts for 91.7 percent of the region's total funding, with $986 million raised across 58 rounds for 37 funded companies. • This concentration of capital means Singapore's top firms, such as Sharpa with $670 million, hold a massive financial advantage over competitors in Malaysia and Vietnam.

• India defeated South Korea 4-1 to win its sixth Junior Hockey Asia Cup title. • This victory puts India level with China and South Korea as the most successful teams in the history of the women's tournament. • The win secures India's qualification for the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup.

• The Muslim-majority Bangsamoro autonomous region in the southern Philippines will hold its first parliamentary election this Monday. • This event marks the maiden vote for the region's parliamentary system. • The outcome will determine the leadership and governance structure for the autonomous region.

• The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the southern Philippines held its first parliamentary elections on Monday. • This vote follows a 2014 peace deal designed to establish self-rule after decades of insurgency and violence in the predominantly Muslim region. • The transition to a parliamentary system provides a formal political mechanism for local governance and stability in a historically volatile area.

• India will face South Korea in the final of the men’s AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 this Sunday at the Moqi Training Base in China. • India reached the final after defeating Malaysia 3-1 in the semifinals and finishing top of their group with three wins and one draw. • The outcome determines whether India can successfully defend its title as the reigning champion of the tournament.

• India defeated South Korea 5-1 on Saturday to advance to the final of the AHF Junior Women's Asia Cup 2026. • Drag-flick specialist Supriya scored a hat-trick, netting three goals from penalty corners to lead the victory. • This win allows the defending champions to continue their attempt to retain the tournament title.

• French President Emmanuel Macron hosted global film and television leaders, including representatives from Hollywood and streaming platforms, at the Lumière Summit. • The gathering served as the first event of its scale in a century to address the impact of AI, YouTube, and culture policy on the future of cinema. • The summit focused on the belief that culture is an economic force and a source of soft power that requires active protection to drive growth.

The Brookwood Church in Simpsonville only just disqualified Jerry Sidell from serving there in any capacityA registered sex offender who was sentenced to prison in the 1980s after he told authorities that he had molested several boys whom he met through his religious work with Christian youth in Georgia was later allowed to participate for decades in ministry at a South Carolina church.The Brookwood church, a southern Baptist institution in the South Carolina city of Simpsonville, only just disqualified Jerry Sidell from serving there in any capacity, after he joined it in 1999 and fulfilled various ministerial roles. Continue reading...

• India advanced to the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2026 final after defeating South Korea 4-1. • The victory was led by a hat-trick from player Supriya and follows a 19-0 quarterfinal win over Pakistan. • India is now competing to win its third consecutive title after winning the tournament in 2023 and 2024.

• India's junior women's hockey team advanced to the Asia Cup final after defeating South Korea 5-1 on September 12, 2026, in Moqi, China. • Player Supriya secured the victory by scoring a hat-trick, which is three goals in a single game. • This win guarantees India a spot in the championship match for the regional tournament.