LEBANON
In a historic decision, albeit one whose implementation is uncertain, the Lebanese government, meeting yesterday in Baabda under the leadership of President Joseph Aoun, ordered the complete withdrawal of weapons from Hezbollah by the end of the year. In addition, the Council of Ministers instructed the army to draw up an action plan by the end of August to achieve this goal, with further discussions scheduled for tomorrow. Analysts and experts speak of a ‘signal’ to the international community and domestic public opinion after a long period of tension and conflict, not least the war between the pro-Iranian Party of God and Israel. Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has already responded that there will be no surrender of weapons as long as Israeli attacks continue.
JAPAN
Japan today marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with a ceremony reminding the world of the horrors caused by nuclear weapons, at a time of global threats from the Middle East to the war between Russia and Ukraine and tensions between Moscow and Washington. A silent prayer was held at 8:15 a.m., the moment when the US aircraft Enola Gay dropped ‘Little Boy’ on the western city on August 6, 1945. Hundreds of officials, students, and survivors dressed in black laid flowers at the Memorial Cenotaph in the Hi Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup around the world.”
ISRAEL - PALESTINE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with security chiefs at a war cabinet meeting to define the strategy for the total occupation of Gaza. However, there are rifts and divisions, with Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir expressing concerns about the human and economic cost, as well as the hostage issue. This opposition triggered a harsh response from the prime minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, who attacked the senior officer - who in the meantime has received the support of Defense Minister Israel Katz - and warned of the risk of a “military coup.” The UN also weighed in on the occupation plan through the assistant to the secretary-general, calling it “deeply alarming.”
PAKISTAN
Police in Pakistan have arrested more than 240 opposition party activists during yesterday's protests demanding the release of their leader Imran Khan on the second anniversary of his imprisonment. At least 122 were arrested while trying to block roads and threatening law and order in Lahore, the capital of Punjab. Others were detained during night raids in the province.
VIETNAM
Vietnamese exports in July rose 16% year-on-year to $42.27 billion, while industrial production rose 8.5% year-on-year.
For the first seven months of 2025, exports rose 14.8% compared to the same period in 2024 to $262.44 billion, while imports rose 17.9% to $252.26 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.18 billion.
CHINA
China will waive school fees for children in their final year of public kindergartens and reduce them for eligible private schools from next quarter. The government announced this yesterday in its plan for a gradual transition to free preschool education. The measures came after Beijing last week unveiled a subsidy for childcare up to the age of three to boost the birth rate, as fewer young people are choosing to have children.
INDIA
Delhi has said it does not want to give up Russian oil, but the main company, Indian Oil Corporation, has rushed to buy 7 million barrels, including 4.5 million in a tender from the US, half a million from Canada and 2 million from Abu Dhabi's Das. Delivery is scheduled for September, seeking the right balance in the ‘sanctions dance’, in which Donald Trump has given India ‘another 10 days’.
RUSSIA - TAJIKISTAN
After almost a year, the court in western Moscow has begun hearings, initially behind closed doors, in the trial of 19 Tajik citizens accused of the attack on Krokus City Hall on August 19, 2024, in which 149 people were killed and 609 injured. At least four of the perpetrators have fully admitted their guilt, one “only partially.”
