LEBANON - ISRAEL
To date, at least 330,000 people remain displaced across the Land of the Cedars, at a time when renewed hostilities in the south of the country are having devastating consequences for civilians.
This was stated by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric regarding the conflict launched by Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding that around 820,000 have returned to their communities in recent months, including almost 90 per cent of those displaced in the Southern Governorate. The senior UN official warned that “humanitarian access” remains a “major” challenge, particularly south of the Litani River, where “restrictions on entry” are “hampering” teams in their efforts to respond to the emergency and restore essential services.
CAMBODIA
The government has announced the achievement of a milestone in the fight against the online scam factory industry, accused of swindling billions of dollars from victims worldwide. According to Phnom Penh, all the main scam centres in the country have been shut down, although smaller-scale, decentralised operations remain hidden in blocks of flats, guesthouses, cafés and hostels. However, this claim has been refuted by activist groups and industry experts, who say they are ‘sceptical’ of the statements made by the Cambodian leadership.
CHINA
Xi Jinping’s purges continue, now targeting even those who were once close to the Chinese president. Zhang Youxia, the most powerful general in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was removed from the top command of the armed forces in January and has now also been expelled from Parliament. The purges are a prelude to the senior officer’s imminent conviction; he is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and the law”. General Liu Zhenli has also been expelled along with him.
SYRIA – IRAQ
The President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Alaa al-Ali, and his Iraqi counterpart, Amer al-Fahdawi, have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation on trade and investment. The signing took place yesterday, as part of the 63rd Damascus International Fair. The memorandum aims to revitalise trade, improve direct communication between businesses in the two countries and encourage joint investments to strengthen economic cooperation and their partnership. The Fair began on 26 August under the slogan “Syria Shines Anew” and will conclude on 4 September, with around a thousand businesses taking part.
MYANMAR – RUSSIA
Cooperation between Myanmar and Russia is strengthening, with a nuclear project that comes on top of the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) involving the construction of a deep-water port in Dawei and a power station on the Andaman Sea. The Russian giant Rosatom has in fact announced that construction will begin next year on a site for a small nuclear power station in Myanmar, marking a further expansion of energy ties. Speaking in Moscow, Director-General Alexey Likhachev confirmed that the company plans to sign a preliminary engineering survey contract by the end of the year. The first phase will use two 55-megawatt land-based reactors, which will provide an initial 110 MW of electrical power.
TAIWAN
The electoral commission yesterday rejected a proposal approved by Parliament that sought to hold a referendum to legalise flogging for serious crimes such as sexual assault and fraud, on the grounds that it violates Taipei’s international human rights commitments. The opposition-controlled chamber had voted earlier this month to hold a referendum aimed at introducing flogging as a method of punishment, a move opposed by the ruling party.
ARMENIA
Karekin II, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, and six bishops, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, failed to appear at the preliminary hearing of the criminal trial against them on 28 August at the Vagharshapat Court in Echmiadzin, presided over by Judge Serž Rušanyan. The prelates exercised their right not to attend, as provided for in the Code of Criminal Procedure, and only their defence lawyers were present in the courtroom. The Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church regards the charges as “an unlawful interference in the internal affairs of the Church”.
MONGOLIA – TAJIKISTAN – UN
At the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), currently taking place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Tajikistan presented its experience in sustainable land management. A session of the Central Asia–Russia Interregional Group was held at the Russian pavilion at COP17, and representatives from countries in the region, including Bakhodur Šeralizoda, Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee of Tajikistan, took part in the discussion.
