INDIA – BANGLADESH
The announcement of a speech by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, tomorrow in New Delhi, where she is in exile, has reignited tensions between India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has warned that the issue could jeopardise bilateral relations, which have been improving in recent months. Despite the various criminal proceedings against her, Hasina told Reuters that she plans to return to Bangladesh in December.
JAPAN
The victims of the earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July include two employees who had been asked by their employer to return to the Aeon shopping mall to secure their store's cash. Both were killed by a blast inside the building hours after the quake. One of the two was identified as 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. A week after the quake, more than 8,000 people remain displaced, while, according to government estimates, some 120,000 buildings have suffered some damage.
MYANMAR – THAILAND
General Ming Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 military coup, is expected in Thailand on Thursday for his first visit to the country since taking office as president. Bangkok is actively working to normalise relations with Myanmar, both bilaterally and through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Yesterday's news of a visit by a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears to be a concession by the regime to reestablish diplomatic relations.
NORTH KOREA
North Korean state media are advising North Koreans to eat dog meat soup (dangogi guk) to combat the intense summer heat. A lengthy article in Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party newspaper, outlined a series of tips for coping with heatwaves, recommending fresh and nutritious foods. However, dog meat soup, long promoted by the North Korean regime as a health tonic and a common dish in the country, is very expensive for ordinary North Koreans. South Korea, on the other hand, banned the slaughter of dogs and the sale of the meat in 2024.
KAZAKHSTAN – CHINA
Kazakhstan has announced the start of construction work on the Kyzylorda-Saksaulsk, Ulgaisyn-Saksaulsk, and Beineu-Saksaulsk routes, connecting the border crossings with China to the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. This is expected to reduce the distance of shipments from China to Europe by 1,000 km, and delivery times by up to three days. In his speech, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the goal is "to transform our country into a major logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia."
RUSSIA – UKRAINE
Russia reported that a Ukrainian drone struck dozens of civilians on a Black Sea beach crowded with tourists. The total number of injured reached 40, including 17 hospitalised, said Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, who accused Ukraine of "a deliberate strike against civilians." Ukraine did not comment, and it is unclear what the drone's target was, which may have been diverted or hit by Russian defence forces.
WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST
A cargo ship reported being hit overnight in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman. Meanwhile, the Peace Council stated that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will only take place after Hamas has fully disarmed. The news comes after a meeting between the board’s director, Nickolay Mladenov, and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance,” the Board of Peace noted in a social media post after the meeting. Hamas has insisted that the agreement will not be implemented unless Israel fulfils its part of the agreement.
