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· N GLOBE
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Korean Peninsula · Security
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles about three hours apart
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on September 20, about three hours apart. The missiles flew roughly 450 kilometres and more than 600 kilometres before landing in eastern waters. No casualties were reported.
Why it matters
The second projectile is now confirmed as a short-range ballistic missile and travelled farther than the first, clarifying the scale of the event. South Korea has reported both launch locations and ranges; exact models, payloads and purpose remain undisclosed.
Singapore groups its 2026 National Day Rally plans into four themes
Singapore's government updated its National Day Rally hub on September 12, organising announcements around family support, technology with safeguards, a measured open population policy and long-term planning for the outer islands.
Childcare leave, housing support and dialect-media rules do not all start at once. Residents should use the linked agency releases for eligibility and timing rather than treating a speech summary as an immediate entitlement notice.
Coalition talks likely after Bangsamoro's first parliamentary election
Partial unofficial results from the autonomous Philippine region's first parliamentary election show no camp close to controlling the 80-seat chamber. The two leading blocs had about 35.2% and 32.4% of the party vote, making coalition talks central to choosing the first elected chief minister.
The vote is a major transition from interim rule to elected autonomy under the 2014 peace agreement. Results remain unofficial, so no bloc should yet be described as governing.
Indonesia ferry update: nine dead, 126 missing as divers enter wreck
Indonesian rescuers recovered three bodies from the sunken Virgo Transport 8 on September 18, raising the confirmed death toll to nine. Of 243 people aboard, 108 were rescued and 126 remain missing; the mission is still being treated as a rescue operation.
This remains a major developing maritime disaster. Strong currents, near-zero visibility and the vessel's structure are limiting access, while rescuers say survivors could still be inside sealed compartments.
Update: Pakistan police-compound standoff ends after 20 hours; death counts differ
Pakistani police said the 20-hour standoff following the attack on a police compound in Kohat had ended and eight attackers' bodies were recovered. AP reported 21 dead and 103 wounded; AFP separately cited a police official saying 31 people died. The counts have not been reconciled.
The end of the security operation is a material development, but casualty figures still differ sharply. N Globe attributes the 21-dead, 103-wounded figure and the 31-dead figure to the police sources cited by AP and AFP respectively and does not present either as a consolidated final count.
Hong Kong's dog-friendly dining list nears 1,000 venues
Hong Kong relaxed a decades-old restaurant rule in July, allowing customers to bring dogs into an initial group of more than 900 licensed premises. The current FEHD list is near 1,000, but only specifically permitted venues are covered.
Owners should check the FEHD list and the venue's own arrangements, keep dogs on short leashes and off tables, and avoid reusable human utensils. Ordinary restaurants do not automatically become dog-friendly.
Bank of Japan raises policy rate to 1.25%, a 31-year high
The Bank of Japan voted 7–2 on September 18 to raise its policy rate from 1% to 1.25%, the highest level since 1995. Two board members dissented, arguing for a pause in further tightening.
The decision is another step away from Japan's long era of ultra-low rates and may affect the yen, global funding costs and Asian markets. The increase was widely expected, but the yen weakened after the announcement.
Mumbai Coastal Road BMW plunges about 75 feet, killing 3 students and critically injuring 1
Mumbai police said a BMW carrying four students struck the outer barrier of the Coastal Road near Lotus Jetty early September 20 and fell about 75 feet into a construction area. Three were declared dead at hospital and one remained in critical condition.
The crash occurred on the high-speed urban route linking Marine Drive with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Police suspect excessive speed, but the full cause remains under investigation; alcohol, road design and other possible factors are not confirmed.
Indian police probe bomb-hoax email network and plan to question Google over 500,000 accounts
Gujarat police say they arrested two people while investigating hoax bomb-threat emails to government offices and recovered credentials for 513,847 email accounts. Police plan to ask Google how safeguards were bypassed; Google has not publicly responded.
Police say they recovered a credential list; it is not yet established that every account sent threats or remains usable. Anyone receiving a suspicious threat should not reply, forward it or open attachments, and should preserve the original for police or cybercrime investigators.
Two students killed in southern Philippines school shooting; gunman dies by suicide
A shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on September 18 left two 14-year-old students dead. Police said a 16-year-old student wounded at least eight others before taking his own life.
School shootings have historically been rare in the Philippines, but this was the country's third fatal campus shooting since June. The case has renewed attention to minors' access to firearms, school warnings and violent online content.
Indonesia's president seeks tougher penalties as wildfire and haze crisis continues
President Prabowo Subianto has called for stronger laws and sanctions against people and companies that clear land by fire. Indonesia is enduring one of its worst wildfire seasons in more than a decade, with haze affecting Borneo, Sumatra and neighbouring countries.
The fires are damaging forests and peatlands while raising respiratory risks, disrupting flights and polluting air across borders. The proposed tougher penalties still require legislative and administrative action and are not yet a complete new law in force.
Xi pushes ‘Greater BRICS’ cooperation on trade, finance and AI
China proposed closer BRICS cooperation in trade, finance, artificial intelligence and special economic zones. Much of the plan remains a set of initiatives rather than implemented common policy.
The expanded group spans Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, potentially changing the competitive landscape for Canadian minerals, energy, agriculture and technology.
Singapore · Policy & daily life