MONTH IN BRIEF – Aug & Sept 2025
MONTH IN BRIEF
Beijing’s military message
China has sent a strong and far-reaching message of deterrence with its largest ever military parade on Sept 3, displaying weapons ranging from an upgraded nuclear-armed missile with near-global reach, to air defence lasers, hypersonic weaponsand sea drones. Military analysts and diplomats say Chinese President Xi Jinping was serving multiple constituencies as he oversaw the parade – the US and its allies, China’s neighbours, plus regional powers India and Russia, and countries potentially eyeing purchases of Chinese technology.
Blast in Quetta
A September 2 bomb blast at a public rally in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, has killed at least 11 people and injured 30 othersThe rallywas held to commemorate the death anniversary of nationalist leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal; his son Sardar Akhtar Mengal was present but was not harmed.Officials are investigating the origins of the blast, which is suspected to be a suicide bombing in the parking area as people left. However, no group has claimed responsibility.
UN: Myanmar situation worsening
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating, according to the UN, which hascondemned scenes that recall atrocities committed against the Rohingya minority in 2027. Rakhine State has been blockaded by Myanmar’s military as it battles ethnic fighters in a many-sided civil war that has ravaged the country since the junta ousted the democratic government in a 2021 coup.UN rights chief Volker Turk warned that both the military and local ethnic fighters from the Arakan Army ‘have acted with near complete impunity, enabling the recurrence of violations in an endless cycle of suffering for the civilian population’.
Deadly Afghan quake
Amagnitude 6 earthquake– one of Afghanistan’s worst ever – has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800 in the beleaguered country.Rescuers have been struggling to reach remote areas due to rough mountainous terrain and harsh weather.The disaster will further stretch the resources of the Taliban administration, which is already grappling with crises ranging from a steep drop in foreign aid to deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans by neighbouring countries.Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Health Ministry in Kabul, called for international aid to tackle the devastation.
2k NK troops lost in Russia’s war
Around 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to aid Russia’s fight against Ukraine are thought to have been killed, said Seoul’s spy agency the National Intelligence Service (NIS). While in April the NIS estimated the number of war dead as‘at least 600’, based on updated assessmentsit now puts the figure at around 2,000.South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have said thatthe North sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia in 2024 – primarily to the Kursk region – along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems.
India as ‘global chip hub’
India is to start commercial semiconductor production by the end of 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, callinghis country a future ‘global hub’ for chip innovation.Speaking in New Delhi at the launch of the annual Semicon India conference on September 2, PM Modi said test chips from Micron and Tata were already being produced, adding that this commercial chip production ‘reflects how rapidly India is advancing in the semiconductor sector’.Its market has surged from US$38 billion in 2023, to between US$45 and US$50 billion in 2024 and 2025, with targets of US$100 to US$110 billion by 2030.
Oz, Naura sign immigration MoU
Australia has announced an agreement with the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru, which will enable Canberra to send hundreds of immigrants to the barren island.The deal will affect more than 220 immigrants in Australia, including some convicted of serious crimes.
The Australian government said in an Aug. 29 statement that, on a visit to Nauru, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed the Memorandum of Understanding, which contains undertakings for the fair treatment and long-term residence of people who have no legal right to stay in Australia.
Japan records record deer numbers
A deer preservation group in western Japan has said that the deer population in Nara Park, a tourist site, has been increasing for four consecutive years, reaching a record-high of 1,465.
Injuries caused by the deer have also increased at the park, where visitors are allowed to feed the animals sugar-free crackers sold in nearby shops.In a visual survey conducted by the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation in July, employing the same method used since 1953, staff counted the deer in the park, the count was 315 adult males, 816 does and 334 fawns, with the total exceeding the previous year by 140 and the previous record of 1,388 in 2019.