RUSSIA-UKRAINE
At least 600,000 people in Ukraine have been left without electricity following a series of overnight Russian attacks involving missiles and drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated. Energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in Kharkiv in the north-east, has been hit.
At least six people have been killed and 21 injured in the capital. The attacks took place despite US President Donald Trump having announced an energy truce between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia claims to have targeted infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military. According to Kyiv, Moscow launched 39 missiles and 128 drones.
SAUDI ARABIA–YEMEN
The Saudi Ministry of Energy has confirmed that overnight, a Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran was hit by Houthi air strikes. Riyadh also stated that it had intercepted several missiles heading for various locations. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi forces have issued evacuation warnings for different targets. The Yemeni army has urged civilians to move away from oil facilities and areas of Sana’a, whilst the Houthis have threatened Saudi oil facilities.
NORTH KOREA-CHINA
The Chinese news agency Xinhua has announced that the new bridge over the Yalu River, linking Sinuiju in North Korea to Dandong in China, will officially open to traffic tomorrow. Construction of the four-lane road bridge, 3,024 metres long, began in 2011 and was completed in 2014, but infrastructure on the North Korean side was lacking. The opening is expected to facilitate trade and travel between the two countries, strengthening bilateral relations. The new link will complement the Friendship Bridge, inaugurated in 1943, thereby reducing congestion on the old crossing.
CHINA-INDIA
China has rejected India’s decision to assign official names to 28 geographical locations in Ladakh, a region disputed between the two countries. Beijing maintains that the western sector of the Sino-Indian border belongs to China and considers the creation of the Indian administrative territory of Ladakh to be illegitimate. New Delhi has reiterated that the region is an integral and inalienable part of India. According to the Indian government, the naming of the localities, agreed with local authorities, aims to facilitate their identification and raise public awareness. The dispute highlights the diplomatic tensions between the two Asian powers that lie beneath the façade of the recent meeting between Xi and Modi.
SRI LANKA–SAUDI ARABIA
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has quashed the death sentence handed down to Anojan Sivarasa, the Sri Lankan migrant worker convicted of blasphemy against Islam following a comment posted on Facebook.
The case had sparked widespread outrage in Sri Lanka, prompting the authorities to intervene diplomatically to secure clemency. The comment, written in Tamil during an online discussion on religious matters, had subsequently been deleted and followed by a public apology. It is not yet clear whether the young man will face further legal proceedings or whether he will remain in custody.
HONG KONG
Hundreds of people queued up in Hong Kong to admire a painting by Vincent van Gogh, which has not been publicly exhibited for over sixty years. The work, entitled Châtaigniers en fleurs (‘Chestnut Trees in Bloom’), is due to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on 18 November, with an estimated value of around 180 million dollars. Painted in May 1890, the painting belongs to the final creative period of the Dutch artist, who died aged just 37 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, some two months later. The auction will test the strength of the art market and could set a new record for a work by Van Gogh.
KYRGYZSTAN
According to a statement from the state-owned company Kyrgyz Temir Žolu, coal from Kočkor has been transported by rail to the thermal power station in Bishkek. This marks a historic milestone for Kyrgyzstan’s railway sector, opening up new opportunities for the development of freight transport and the continued use of the railway infrastructure. The transport of coal by rail aims to preserve the ecosystem of Lake Issyk-Kul, reduce road congestion and improve transport safety.
