TURKEY
Jailed in March 2025, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main rival in the upcoming presidential election, announced yesterday that, after 17 years, he was resigning from the Republican People's Party (CHP) and joining Ozgur Özel’s newly formed New Party (Yeni Parti, YEP). On X, he addressed "dear citizens" and "esteemed fellow travellers” to explain his decision "for the future of the country" and his responsibility to the nation. "Today we are opening a NEW path to build, together, a stronger, more democratic, and more hopeful future for Turkey," he wrote. YEP was formally established on 24 July under Özel’s leadership, after a Turkish court cancelled the 38th ordinary congress of the CHP and suspended Özel from the party leadership in May. In the following weeks, 91 MPs quit the CHP to join the new party, which now constitutes the main opposition bloc in parliament. İmamoğlu is currently held in Silivri Prison set to go on trial for corruption with hundreds of co-defendants.
RUSSIA – JAPAN
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup (Etorofu), an island claimed by Japan, part of the Kuril Group, north of Hokkaido Island, the day after major naval exercises and the launch of a ballistic missile by its ally North Korea. Moscow and Tokyo have never signed a formal peace treaty to end World War II, precisely because of territorial dispute over islands that Japan calls its Northern Territories. In Iturup, the Russian leader visited the Yasny fish processing plant, after overseeing naval exercises in the Far East. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, in a statement on X, stated that, “The Northern Territories, including Etorofu, are Japan’s inherent territories, both historically and under international law.”
CHINA
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, whose reforms helped drive China's extraordinary economic growth, has died at the age of 97. According to Xinhua, he passed away at 11:06 am yesterday morning. Zhu served as vice premier from 1991 to 1998 and then as premier until early 2003. In his obituary, the official state news agency described him as an "outstanding member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a long-tested and loyal communist fighter." A graduate of Beijing's elite Tsinghua University, he joined the CPC in 1949, the same year Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China.
THAILAND
The Thai government has approved a civil service reform aimed at reducing the public sector workforce by 15 per cent by 2032. Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said that the programme includes a freeze on new posts and the gradual elimination of posts via retirement. Recurrent expenditures account for 70 per cent of the national budget, with the public service making up a significant share.
NEPAL
About 101 violations of press freedom were recorded in the last fiscal year, the Nepal Press Council notes in its annual report. The incidents, recorded between mid-July 2025 and mid-July 2026, include interference, intimidation, and attacks against journalists and the media. A total of 119 media professionals were affected (113 men and six women), with some cases involving more than one person. Threats accounted for most violations, plus 27 attacks, 13 cases related to professional insecurity, 10 cases of obstruction or seizure, and five cases of mistreatment. Finally, the report also includes three arrests, three cases of verbal abuse, three cases of policy restrictions, and one suspicious death.
IRAN
Iran has carried out at least 916 death sentences since the start of 2026, including 15 so far in August, this according to the US-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran. The rights group said that the real number is likely much higher since Iranian authorities withhold information in many cases. Meanwhile, the wave of closures of cafes, shops, and other business establishments for non-compliance with mandatory hijab regulations continues. Human rights activists in Iran (HRAI) report at least 191 cases of business closures in 2025-2026.
MONGOLIA
The 13th International Congress of Mongolists is underway in Ulaanbaatar. From 40 scholars in 1959, the discipline has grown into a global scientific community in the 21st century, under the aegis of the president of Mongolia. Defenders of historical truth and Mongolia's academic ambassadors to the world gathered at the State Palace for the important academic forum on Mongolian Studies: Tradition and Modernity. The youngest participant in the discussions turned 25, while the doyen of Mongolian studies worldwide is 92.
ARMENIA
The traditional Grape Blessing Festival will be held for the third time on 16 August in Aghavnadzor, a village in Areni municipality, with a concert, songs, folk music, and a market exhibition of traditional dishes following the ceremonial blessing of the first grape harvest. For organisers, the goal is to preserve the cultural traditions of rural communities and introduce visitors to the historical and cultural heritage of Aghavnadzor and its four wineries.
