Egypt’s tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III reopened to visitors on October 4, 2025, following more than two decades of restoration. Located in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, the 3,400-year-old burial site had been closed to the public for over 20 years. Amenhotep III ruled Egypt from around 1390 to 1350 BC during the 18th Dynasty, a period associated with the height of ancient Egypt’s power and prosperity. His reign left behind temples, palaces and monumental statues, including the Colossi of Memnon near Luxor. French engineers first located the tomb in 1799 during Napoleon’s Egyp
Southeast Asia has significant potential to attract greater energy investment as electricity demand rises and countries accelerate the shift towards cleaner power generation. The ASEAN Centre for Energy’s ASEAN Energy Investment 2026 report highlights the scale of funding required to support the region’s energy ambitions and strengthen its long-term energy security. Under the ASEAN coordinated scenario, the region will require US$14.2 trillion in energy investment through 2060, compared with US$7.8 trillion under the baseline scenario. The coordinated pathway reflects the scale of inve
South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on October 9, recognising her contribution to strengthening legal institutions and ensuring accountability for grave international crimes. Born in Durban in 1941 to a family of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay grew up under apartheid. She became a lawyer and challenged racial discrimination through her legal work. Her early career included defending Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid. Pillay
India and Singapore are exploring a 2,000-megawatt electricity link that could span around 3,000 kilometres through Southeast Asia. India’s Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shripad Yesso Naik, outlined the proposal at the 20th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on October 8. One possible route would connect Imphal in northeastern India with Singapore through Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. No construction schedule or final implementation plan has been announced. The corridor could strengthen regional energy security and complement the AS
Singapore and Mongolia will begin accepting applications for carbon credit projects on October 30 under a bilateral agreement designed to support emissions reductions and climate cooperation. The announcement was made on October 8 by Singapore Minister of State for Manpower and Energy, Trade and Industry Foo Cexiang at the Mongolia-Singapore Business Forum. The agreement establishes a framework for eligible projects in Mongolia to generate carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Interested project developers can apply for authorisation, with proposals to be reviewe
US scientist Karl Deisseroth has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries that led to optogenetics. The technique allows researchers to control nerve cells using light, making it possible to study how individual neurons influence functions such as memory, emotions and behaviour. Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein found in a single-celled alga. The protein responds to light by controlling the movement of ions across a cell membrane. Deisseroth later adapted the d
French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discoveries that helped explain how chemical reactions can produce one mirror-image form of a molecule rather than the other. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognised their work on asymmetric organic synthesis, nonlinear effects and autocatalysis. Molecules can exist as two mirror-image forms known as enantiomers. While they have the same chemical composition, the two forms can behave differently in biological systems. Producing a specific form is therefore impor
Scientists have found that 97 per cent of strangler figs recorded in two burned peat-swamp forest sites in Sumatra, Indonesia, had established directly on the ground rather than on host trees. The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, examined 138 strangler fig individuals across 3.4 hectares at two post-fire sites on the Kampar Peninsula. Of these, 134 had established on or near the ground, with their roots growing in soil or leaf litter. Only four had established on other trees. The researchers recorded 10 fig species, with Ficus sundaica accounting for 67 per cent of the strangl
Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa have recorded strong positions in the 2026 Global Innovation Index published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Tunisia ranked 71st globally, Egypt 83rd and South Africa 63rd. Tunisia improved from 76th place in the previous edition. Its strongest area was human capital and research, where it ranked 45th globally. The country also ranked first worldwide for science and engineering graduates. Egypt rose from 86th to 83rd place. Its position was supported by its large domestic market and research base. The country ranked 75th globally for inno
US scientist Karl Deisseroth has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology alongside German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel. The trio was recognised for their discoveries involving light-gated ion channels and the development of optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control nerve-cell activity. Hegemann and Nagel discovered light-sensitive proteins known as channelrhodopsins. Their research showed that light could control ion channels in cells. Deisseroth later developed methods that applied these discoveries to neuroscience, allowing researchers to control the activity of sp