PAKISTAN
The Pakistani government has imposed new restrictions on media reporting. Hitherto, anyone working for foreign media outlets, including Pakistani nationals, must apply for a permit, known as a No Objection Certificate, to report outside the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. With these limits, field investigations will be at the discretion of local authorities. Foreign media outlets are already subject to a number of restrictions, so they often rely on residents of cities where travel is difficult, such as Quetta or Peshawar, to verify information.
BANGLADESH
The home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan was hit with Molotov cocktails after he attended an online meeting organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, where former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her desire to return to the country in December despite her death sentence. Shakib was elected to parliament with the Awami League, Hasina's party, and, like the former prime minister, left Bangladesh after the student uprising two years ago.
VIETNAM
Vietnamese Prime Minister Tô Lâm will visit Australia and New Zealand from 9 to 14 August to strengthen partnerships and intensify cooperation in science and technology. Since taking office as secretary general two years ago, Tô Lâm has made several trips abroad. For Australia, a leading producer of rare earths used in smartphones and automobiles, Vietnam is an attractive partner because of its vast mineral deposits.
INDONESIA
Salt producers in Indonesia's West Java province are reaping the benefits of an El Niño-induced drought. Much of Indonesia's salt production relies on rudimentary methods that involve evaporating seawater in shallow coastal ponds during the dry season. In places like Cirebon Regency, on Java’s north coast, farmers spend hours scraping crystallised salt from the bottom of ponds before gathering it in piles for later harvesting.
JAPAN
In Japan, theories are spreading online claiming that the earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in late July was man-made. Experts dismiss these claims as unrealistic from all points of view. On the day of the earthquake, an X user known for spreading false information in the past wrote that the “seismic wave is of an explosion, not a quake." In March, the Japanese Seismological Society created a FAQ section on its website to address the issue.
PALESTINE
Yesterday morning, Israeli settlers intruded into a Christian home in Christ the Redeemer parish, Taybeh, bringing a flock of sheep onto the family’s property. Over the past few days, settlers have entered the same property three or four times a day. For a local parish priest, Father Bashar Fawadleh, such actions raise “serious concerns about a possible attempt to intimidate the family and take control of the property”.
RUSSIA – INDIA
According to Reuters, the cost of moving Russian Urals crude oil from western Russian ports to India has increased by about 50 per cent since mid-July because of rising maritime transport costs, as well as a shortage of ships willing to dock in Russian ports because of the growing risk of drone attacks. Nevertheless, Russia still expects to boost exports in August, thanks to strong demand from Asian buyers.
