标签： Asia

The devastating impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 26 people dead in the central Philippines, according to the country’s civil defence office. The storm, which caused widespread flooding, has particularly affected Cebu province, where 21 of the fatalities were reported. Rafaelito Alejandro, the deputy administrator of civil defence, confirmed that most of the victims succumbed to drowning. ‘Based on the information we have, most of them died from drowning,’ Alejandro stated in a phone interview with AFP. The typhoon has inundated multiple towns, leaving communities grappling with the aftermath. Rescue and relief operations are underway as authorities work to assist those affected by the disaster. The incident underscores the vulnerability of the Philippines to extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe due to climate change.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has displaced approximately 14 million people out of Sudan’s 51 million population, with unofficial death toll estimates surpassing 200,000. The RSF, once part of the SAF, has received significant support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which supplies the paramilitary group through routes in Somalia, Libya, and Chad. The SAF is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Hemedti, a former Janjaweed commander, rose to prominence under the regime of Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan from 1989 to 2019. The Janjaweed, notorious for war crimes in Darfur, was transformed into the RSF in 2013. The RSF has since expanded its influence into civilian affairs, including border control and tax collection. The conflict escalated in 2023 when negotiations to integrate or dissolve the RSF failed. The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, and genocide, particularly in Darfur. Despite UAE denials, evidence suggests continued and intensified support for the RSF. The fall of el-Fasher in October 2025 marked another grim chapter in the war, with reports of 2,000 civilians killed in the first two days. The international community, including the US and Saudi Arabia, has struggled to mediate a resolution, leaving Sudan’s future uncertain.

In a significant crackdown on workplace theft, Oman’s Oil and Gas Installations Security Police Headquarters has apprehended nine individuals accused of attempting to steal gas extraction tools and equipment. The suspects, all of Asian nationality, were allegedly targeting their employer’s facility within a petroleum concession area. The arrest underscores Oman’s stringent measures to safeguard its critical energy infrastructure and combat illicit activities in the sector. Legal proceedings are now underway against the accused. This incident follows a recent major drug bust by Oman’s Royal Police, where five members of an international drug gang were arrested, highlighting the country’s broader efforts to tackle organized crime. The arrests were part of a coordinated operation by the General Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, demonstrating Oman’s commitment to maintaining security and order.

In a significant development marking a thaw in strained relations, over 2,100 Indian Sikh pilgrims crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday, the first major border crossing since deadly clashes in May. The pilgrims were granted visas to attend a 10-day festival celebrating the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The Wagah-Attari border, the only active land crossing between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, had been closed to general traffic following the May conflict, which saw over 70 casualties in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges. AFP journalists observed pilgrims queuing on the Indian side, some carrying luggage on their heads, before being welcomed by Pakistani officials with flowers and rose petals. The pilgrims will visit sacred sites, including Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace, and Kartarpur, where he is buried. Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi emphasized that the visa issuance aligns with efforts to promote inter-religious harmony. However, the Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free route opened in 2019, remains closed since the conflict. The May clashes erupted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack on tourists in Kashmir, a claim Pakistan denied. Sikhism, a monotheistic religion originating in the 15th century in Punjab, has its most revered shrines in Pakistan, a legacy of the 1947 partition that divided British India into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.