COP29
Negotiations at the COP29 climate conference are taking longer than expected after developing countries rejected an offer from advanced economies to allocate US$ 250 billion a year for climate finance by 2035. The amount is seen as too modest; the most vulnerable countries were seeking more than a trillion dollars a year. Discussions will continue today.
PAKISTAN
The authorities have imposed a curfew and suspended mobile services in Kurram (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), after anti-government protests broke out in the wake of a recent armed attack against a convoy of vehicles that left dozens of people dead. Protesters accuse the government of not providing adequate security. Thousands joined a sit-in in Parachinar, while riots were reported in other areas.
MIDDLE EAST
Around 4 am, an Israeli airstrike levelled a residential building in Beirut’s Basra neighbourhood; four people were killed and dozens injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. This is the fourth attack by Israel in central Beirut in the last seven days. US President Joe Biden called his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss a proposed ceasefire along the "Blue Line".
KAZAKHTAN
Alga (Forward) Kazakhstan party activists have been trying to register since May 2022, but for the 25th time, the Ministry of Justice in Astana denied their application, even though it contained 3,000 signatures. Police tried to stop them, claiming the activists “disturbed the work of officials”.
KOREAN PENINSULA
Shin Won-sik, director of the South Korean National Security Bureau, said that Russia has provided North Korea with anti-air missiles and air defence equipment in exchange for North Korean troops sent to support its war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, South Korean residents living along the border between the two countries have reported serious mental health issues due to the annoying sounds blared by North Korean loudspeakers, which have been activated in response to South Korean propaganda, also broadcast over loudspeakers.
JAPAN
Some public libraries will start selling books next year to fill the void left by the closure of bookstores; the initiative is aimed primarily at seniors who may not be familiar with buying books online. Some libraries will also sell stationery and locally grown vegetables to create interactive hubs. About 145 bookstores closed from August 2023 year to March 2024.
PHILIPPINES
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said that she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. murdered if she were killed herself. This morning, at a press conference, she explained that she had spoken with an assassin and had instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife, and the House speaker if she died. Marcos's Office responded with a statement saying it had reported the threat to the Presidential Security Command.
