MYANMAR
According to Myanmar’s military regime, Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader detained since the 2021 coup, met with Aranud de Baecque, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who has so far not commented. In two of the four photographs provided by the government, Suu Kyi, dressed in traditional Burmese clothing, is shown meeting with de Baecque in a bare, wood-panelled room with only two chairs and a desk.
MALAYSIA
Ismail Lasim has been appointed as the new chief minister of Negeri Sembilan following the victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN)-Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance in the latest state elections, a result seen as a setback for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance. A longtime leader of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the 67-year-old was sworn in before state ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir at Istana Besar Seri Menanti yesterday.
VIETNAM – AZERBAIJAN
"Vietnam Days" began in Baku on Saturday, an event that at first glance might seem like a simple act of diplomatic protocol, but which actually symbolises a partnership that has survived the collapse of one political system, adapting to the realities of an entirely different one. Azerbaijan and Vietnam are separated by thousands of kilometres, culture, religion, and political systems, yet they are united by a history of personal contact between their leaders, dating back to the Soviet era.
PAKISTAN
At least 15 people were killed yesterday, and more than 30 were injured, many critically, in an attack on a police station in Swat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This is one of the worst incidents in recent months, immediately claimed by the Tahrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistani Taliban. A rally in support of the police was taking place in the area, but it is unclear whether it was the target.
CHINA
China's corn, rice, and cotton harvests are at risk due to a heatwave affecting the main farming regions in the north and east of the country, while the southern provinces are bracing for heavy rains. Temperatures remain high across the rest of East Asia. In South Korea, the highest temperature, 42.5°C, was recorded over the weekend in the southeastern city of Yangsan.
WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST
US President Donald Trump announced that talks with Iran would resume today, after cancelling what he said would be a major attack against the country. Aboard Air Force One, Trump refused to set a deadline for reaching an agreement with Tehran. Following the announcement, oil prices on Asian stock markets fell. Mehr, a news agency linked to the Iranian regime, denied that Tehran had asked the United States to refrain from further military action, calling Trump's statements “nothing more than a new lie”.
RUSSIA – UKRAINE WAR
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to shake up the Crimean administration, removing the head of the republic, Sergey Aksenov, who has been in office for 12 years. A replacement has already been designated, according to information posted on the Telegram channel of the Crimean resistance movement Atesh, blaming him for the impending humanitarian catastrophe and the inability to meet the peninsula's needs, and stem the growing unrest in the local population.
