THAILAND – MYANMAR
Thailand is ready to grant work permits to thousands of refugees from Myanmar living in camps along the border. This decision, welcomed by the UNHCR, will uphold the law and guarantee rights of approximately 80,000 immigrants in Thailand, many of whom have lived in the country for more than 40 years, with 42,601 of working age. The decision could also help address a potential shortage of migrant labour following the armed conflict on the border with Cambodia, which has led to an exodus of workers. Approximately 520,000 Cambodians, 12 per cent of the workforce, were employed in Thailand before fighting broke out in July.
NORTH KOREA – RUSSIA – CHINA
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Kim Jong-un will participate in the Victory Day military parade in Beijing on 3 September, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia. It will be the first public appearance of the two leaders with the Chinese president, in a show of collective defiance to Western powers, who will be largely absent from the event. For China, this provides a chance to showcase its close co-operation with the Global South and its strong ties with Russia and North Korea in a new world order, at a time when US President Donald Trump is trying – so far unsuccessfully – to get a summit with Kim.
HONG KONG
With the closing arguments, the trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai on national security charges concluded today at the Hong Kong court. Beginning in December 2023, the trial of the Apple Daily editor lasted 156 hearings and is symbolic of the crackdown on rights and freedoms in the name of the notorious national security law imposed by Beijing after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. When asked about the timing of the verdict, Esther Toh, one of the three judges, said it would be handed down “in good time”.
SAUDI ARABIA – CHINA
Beijing and Riyadh intend to boost co-operation in trade, investment, and industrial and supply chains, as well as express their joint support for a multilateral trading system. The agreement was reached on Tuesday during a meeting between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih, ahead of the China-Arab States Expo, scheduled for today until 31 August in Yinchuan, in northwest China.
PAKISTAN – INDIA
Pakistan has accused India of “weaponising” water. In a statement, Pakistani Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that India had abruptly and intentionally discharged torrents from its dams, contributing to the damage caused by recent flooding linked to heavy rains in the region. The flooding in Punjab stems from the overflowing of the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea has approved a bill banning the use of mobile phones and tablets in class, the latest country to restrict their use among children and teenagers, especially in schools. The legislation, approved yesterday with 115 votes in favour out of 163 MPs present, will come into effect in March 2026 and is the result of a bipartisan effort to curb addiction and its negative impact on learning.
TURKEY
Turkish authorities detained Emin Oner and Gurcan Okumus, respectively the owner and general manager of the Assan Group, a big defence and construction company, as part of an investigation into military espionage. Meanwhile, the government has begun building bunkers and air raid shelters in all 81 provinces of the country, following up on a plan developed during a cabinet meeting in June and approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The green light came during the "Twelve-Day War" between Israel and Iran, which showed that the Jewish state was capable of striking Tehran and Iranian strategic sites. The project will be implemented by the Turkish Housing Development Administration (TOKI).
AFGHANISTAN – RUSSIA
The Taliban government is proposing Russian companies invest in oil drilling in Afghanistan, pledging to guarantee “security, transparency, and long-term prospects for the invested capital”. Afghan acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Mullah Hedayatullah Badri, made the pledge at the Kazan oil and gas forum in Tatarstan, showcasing the "great resources" of the country and the entire region.
KYRGYZSTAN – MONGOLIA
With the support of the Ministry of Culture in Bishkek, a group of Kyrgyz researchers travelled to Mongolia as part of Kyrgyzstan’s National Spirit–Global Heights project, investigating the ethno-cultural roots that link the two countries. The work began in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar and included a visit to Mongolia’s National Central Archives, and continued in various parts of the country.
