6 min read
October 12: India beat West Indies in Indore last night to lead their T20I series 2-1, and in Delhi the INDIA bloc marches to the Supreme Court today after the Chief Justice declined to meet its leaders. Tim Cook is back in China for the first time as Apple’s executive chairman, and Japan’s push to delete the UN Charter’s “enemy state” clauses is straining ties with Beijing. The IMF and World Bank open their annual meetings in Bangkok, haze has returned to 22 areas of Malaysia, and a flash flood has swept away homes and bridges in Nepal. Here is what matters in Asia this morning.
Key highlights
- Cricket: India made 223 and held West Indies to 209 for 7 in the third T20I, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 69 off 30 balls and Arshdeep Singh taking 3 for 44. The fourth match is in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Full story.
- India: The INDIA bloc wants the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the special intensive revision of voter rolls. Six central Delhi metro stations are closed until 4 pm. Full story in Hindi.
- Indian seafarers: All 22 Indian crew of the tanker MT Gem No. 2 were rescued off Ras Al Khaimah on Sunday, India’s consulate in Dubai said, at the end of a week of ship attacks near Hormuz. Full story.
- China: Cook told Guangdong’s governor that Apple is willing to expand in the province, as India’s share of iPhone production rose to 23% in 2025. Full story.
- Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants the UN’s World War II “enemy state” clauses deleted; China says they still matter, and any deletion needs its ratification. Explainer.
South Asia
- Nepal: A flash flood on the Budhi Gandaki river in Gorkha on Sunday swept away about 35 to 40 houses and several bridges, including the Aarughat bridge linking Gorkha and Dhading, and damaged a construction camp at the 341 MW Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, The Kathmandu Post reported. Four people are missing and four to five herders are out of contact; the army rescued six people by helicopter. A landslide that blocked a tributary may have caused the flood, but this is not confirmed. Authorities have warned of a very high flood risk downstream along the Trishuli as far as Benighat.
- India: The Supreme Court ordered on Sunday that peaceful protesters must not be detained except under the procedure set by law, and that metro, rail and internet services run normally, LiveLaw reported. Officials’ replies in the contempt case are due on Tuesday.
Southeast Asia
- Thailand: The IMF and World Bank annual meetings open in Bangkok today and run until October 18, the first time Thailand has hosted them since 1991, with more than 15,000 delegates from 191 countries expected, the Chiang Rai Times reported. The IMF is due to publish its World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report during the week. Floods are still affecting millions in Thailand: our report.
- Malaysia: 22 of 68 monitoring stations recorded unhealthy air at 8.46 am today, a rebound after readings eased over the weekend, with the highest reading at Kota Tinggi in Johor (170), according to Department of Environment data reported by Malay Mail. Schools reopen today in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Putrajaya and parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
East Asia
- China: Apple’s second China Clean Energy Fund has grown to $212 million, and Cook is due to chair the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management advisory board in Beijing on October 13 and 14, China Daily reported.
- Japan: Takaichi told parliament on October 7 that no country can invoke the enemy state clauses any longer, Kyodo reported. Separately, prosecutors in Okinawa are reviewing the case of a US Marine, Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who was arrested on October 3 on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman in a hotel in Naha; they are expected to decide on charges in the coming weeks, CBS News reported.
- South Korea: About 80% of Samsung Electronics’ 2027 memory chip capacity is locked into long-term deals with customers including Nvidia, Google and Microsoft, City News Service reported.
West Asia
- Strait of Hormuz: A tanker leaving the strait was hit by an unknown projectile late on Saturday and caught fire, with its crew safe, and a US fighter jet struck a ship trying to breach the US blockade of Iranian ports, The National reported. India’s Directorate General of Shipping has told recruiters since July not to place Indian crew on ships crossing the strait.
Asia at a glance
| Country | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| India | Won the 3rd T20I by 14 runs; INDIA bloc marches to the Supreme Court | Series lead 2-1; opposition protest moves from the streets to the courts |
| UAE / India | 22 Indian crew of MT Gem No. 2 rescued | About a dozen Indian seafarers have been killed near Hormuz since February, The Wire says |
| China | Tim Cook pledges expansion in Guangdong | China still made 74% of iPhones in 2025; India 23% |
| Japan | Takaichi presses to delete UN “enemy state” clauses | China can block any amendment; ties are already strained before APEC |
| Thailand | IMF and World Bank meetings open in Bangkok | Global forecasts due this week; Thailand still dealing with floods |
| Malaysia | 22 areas with unhealthy air this morning | Haze is rebounding just as schools reopen |
| Nepal | Flash flood in Gorkha sweeps away houses and bridges | Four missing; downstream flood warning for the Trishuli corridor |
What to watch today
- The INDIA bloc’s march in Delhi, and how police apply the Supreme Court’s order on detentions.
- Opening sessions of the IMF–World Bank meetings in Bangkok.
- Malaysia’s 2 pm air-quality readings, which decide school closures for Tuesday.
- Nepal’s flood alert downstream of the Budhi Gandaki, and the search for the missing.
- The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, announced this afternoon India time.
Sources
- NewsX: Arshdeep Singh’s decisive strike and Abhishek Sharma’s fifty power India past West Indies in Indore
- ETV Bharat: INDIA bloc protest live updates, October 12
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court directs no illegal detention of peaceful protesters
- Siasat: 22 Indian crew members rescued off UAE coast
- The National: US warplane knocks out ship breaching Iran blockade as tankers burn in Hormuz
- South China Morning Post: Apple’s Tim Cook kicks off China visit
- China Daily: Tim Cook makes first China visit since stepping down as Apple CEO
- Japan Today (Kyodo): Japan PM’s call at U.N. for cutting WWII enemy clause may roil China ties
- CBS News: A U.S. Marine is accused of killing a woman in Japan. Here’s what to know
- City News Service: Daily Buzz, 12 October 2026
- Chiang Rai Times: 2026 IMF–World Bank meetings commence in Bangkok
- Malay Mail: Haze rebounds across 22 areas in Malaysia even as schools set to reopen
- The Kathmandu Post: Five things to know about the Budhi Gandaki flash flood
Written by
International DeskThe International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
