SOUTH KOREA–NORTH KOREA–UNITED STATES
In his speech marking Liberation Day, which on 15 August commemorates the anniversary of the end of Japanese occupation in 1945, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed to North Korea that they begin negotiations to officially end the war, which has technically been ongoing since 1953, when only an armistice was signed. Lee suggested establishing a multi-tiered security system to prevent further incidents along the Demilitarised Zone and offered to discuss concrete solutions to halt the development of North Korea’s nuclear programme. Pyongyang has already rejected previous proposals for dialogue and has not yet responded to this offer. Meanwhile, Trump has ordered the Pentagon to significantly scale back the annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, which begin today, describing them as costly and provocative towards North Korea. The decision appears to be a further sign of openness towards Kim Jong-un, whom Trump met in person three times during his first term.
VIETNAM
Vietnam aims to restore the sex ratio at birth to its natural level of around 106 boys for every 100 girls by 2035. A plan by the Ministry of Health seen by Reuters sets the target of falling below 109 boys for every 100 girls by 2030. For years, the country has had one of the highest gender imbalances in Asia, linked primarily to a preference for male children and prenatal sex selection. The ratio, which rose to 114.8 in 2018, fell to 110 in 2025. The plan calls for stricter controls on healthcare facilities, measures to combat sex selection and monitoring of online advertising.
CHINA
Xi Jinping today led commemorations in Beijing for the centenary of the birth of Jiang Zemin, a former Chinese leader from 1989 to 2002 who succeeded Deng Xiaoping following the Tiananmen Square crackdown and is remembered for the economic reforms that brought China into the WTO. During a solemn ceremony in the Great Hall of the People, Xi delivered a 40-minute speech praising Jiang’s contribution to the Communist Party and to China. The presence of the entire Politburo Standing Committee and numerous former leaders (though not Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin’s successor and Xi Jinping’s predecessor) was intended to send a message of unity and political continuity, one year ahead of next year’s crucial Party Congress.
BANGLADESH-INDIA
Bangladesh has stated that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not visit India until New Delhi extradites former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following the 2024 protests. Hasina has been sentenced to death in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity and to 10 years’ imprisonment for corruption. Dhaka also accuses India of allowing her to make public statements. The tensions have already led the Prime Minister to prioritise Malaysia and China for her first foreign trips, breaking with the tradition of India being the first destination for Dhaka’s Prime Ministers on their official visits abroad.
PALESTINE-ISRAEL
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrated the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August in Taybeh, urging the Christian community to maintain faith, courage and hope despite the difficulties. He emphasised that evil does not have absolute power and called on the faithful not to give in to fear and despair. Pizzaballa reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land and to supporting Taybeh. The visit comes as an Israeli military order has declared the area of Taybeh and Rimon – long targeted by settlers – a closed military zone, raising serious questions about the future of the only Christian town in the West Bank.
SYRIA-RUSSIA
A memorandum of understanding signed on 9 August between Russia and Syria radically alters the status of Russian military installations at Hmeimim and Tartus, depriving Moscow of exclusive control over them. According to the official statement from Damascus, the bases will cease to exist in their previous form and will transition to a reduced joint-use arrangement. The new Syrian authorities have acted with relative caution, bearing in mind Syria’s continuing economic dependence on Russian supplies of food, oil and other resources.
RUSSIA
The Chechen Electoral Commission has completed the registration of candidates for the republic’s presidential elections, due to be held in September. The incumbent regional president, Ramzan Kadyrov, will face Ismail Denilkhanov, chairman of the Public Chamber and candidate put forward by the Fair Russia party, and Khalid Nakaev, a local deputy from the federal Communist Party. Kadyrov, who has governed Chechnya since 2007, has for the first time in his political career failed to be the candidate with the most votes from the United Russia party.
