ISRAEL-PALESTINE
A 26-year-old Turkish-American citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was killed in Beita, a West Bank town near Nablus, after the Israeli army opened fire on participants of a weekly protest against the expulsion of Jewish settlements. The killing comes as tensions rise in the West Bank over repeated attempts by settlers to take advantage of the War in Gaza to expand their presence. In another incident that occurred tonight in Qaryut and reported by the Israeli human rights NGO Yesh Din, a 13-year-old girl was also reportedly killed in her home during an assault by dozens of settlers on the West Bank village.
JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA
At their last summit in Seoul before the announced change of leadership in Japan, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed their hope that the positive fruits of improving bilateral ties, overcoming outstanding historical issues, would continue regardless of the change of leadership in Japan. Yoon and Kishida pledged to strengthen coordination between the two nations in response to growing security threats from North Korea. The successor to Kishida, who announced his resignation weeks ago, will probably be chosen on 1 October, when an extraordinary session of the Diet is scheduled. If the next premier decides to dissolve the House of Representatives immediately after his election, the earliest date for early elections will be 27 October.
INDIA
Four militiamen and a civilian were killed in a new wave of violence between Kuki and Meitei that occurred this morning in the Jiribam district of Manipur, according to the district administration. The ethnic clashes, which have been shaking the north-eastern Indian state for a year and a half now, have experienced a new upsurge in recent days.
PHILIPPINES-CHINA-INDONESIA
Former Philippine mayor Alice Guo, accused of links to Chinese criminal organisations and of laundering more than 100 million pesos ($1.79 million), arrived in Manila yesterday after being expelled from Indonesia. Guo was arrested by Indonesian authorities on Wednesday after leaving the Philippines in July. She is wanted by the Philippine Senate for refusing to appear before a congressional investigation into her alleged criminal connections.
LAOS
Imports of expensive vehicles have been temporarily banned by the Laotian government. The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a notice banning the import of any vehicle costing more than $50,000 between 20 August and 30 December. The measures are aimed at stabilising the national currency, the kip, which has lost value in recent years due to an inflation rate of nearly 25 per cent earlier this year. ‘Vehicle trading has been the main factor in Laos losing its foreign reserves to other countries,’ a government source told Radio Free Asia.
RUSSIA-INDIA
The Russian airline Aeroflot is planning to open a line of direct flights from Kazan and Soči to India, based on statements by the Indian Ambassador to Moscow Vinay Kumar that ‘India is ready to accept any request from Russian companies’, also mentioning the opening of two new consulates in Kazan and Ekaterinburg.
AZERBAIGIAN
The chairman of the Azerbaijan State Committee for Religious Associations' Issues, Ramin Mamedov, discussed with the head of the Caucasus Muslim Administration, Allakhšukjur Pašazade, the preparation of the summit of the leaders of religions to be held during the 29th session of the UN Climate Convention, Cop29 in Baku in November.
