Myanmar

Today's news: Prison system in Israel is collapsing, over 3,000 more inmates since October alone; International troops on the southern side of the inter-Korean border will rearm in response to the North's increasing military activism; In Pakistan artificial intelligence used to create a rally by former premier Imran Khan, now in prison; Myanmar's civil war has caused more than 2.6 million new internally displaced persons.

Today's news: To protect women from abuse, Afghan Taliban locks them in prison; Over19,000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza, Israeli army mistakenly kills three hostages while Tehran executes "a Mossad agent"; Record number of bullying cases in Seoul schools; Tokyo sanctions Russian entities for war in Ukraine; Iranian woman to serve 13 years in prison for social posts regarding the killing of her son in protests over Mahsa Amini.

Bishop Celso Ba Shwe left the city after witnessing the total devastation of the Cathedral of Christ the King. The desecration of places of worship by soldiers has also alarmed Buddhists, sources told AsiaNews. Meanwhile, China is trying to broker peace talks between the junta and resistance militias, with little success so far.

At COP28, a compromise agreement was reached that calls for "transitioning away from fossil fuels". Meanwhile, ASEAN and Japan will hold a summit in Tokyo later this week to discuss ways to speed up the environmental transition in Southeast Asia.

A month after Operation 1111 began, ethnic militias reportedly overwhelm junta forces, and are now close to complete control of the state capital, Loikaw, and Moebye, a strategically important township. Meanwhile, the civilian death toll continues to rise: At least 82 have been killed since the start of the offensive.

The ongoing wave of migration to Indonesia is the strongest since 2017, when the harshest persecution in Myanmar began. Discontent is mounting among the population, especially in Aceh province. President Joko Widodo: 'Tough action against human traffickers, temporary assistance only for refugees'.

Today's news: 309 people have died in attacks by Myanmar's coup junta on civilians since the beginning of the resistance counter-offensive; Widodo's government intends to return almost 1,500 Rohingya to Myanmar. In Russia; Prigožin's son takes over 'family' businesses; North Korea closed its embassies in Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Police believe the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army is carrying out a new round of killings to assert its dominance in the refugee camps where more than 1.2 million Rohingya live.

Today's news: the Hong Kong government wants to prosecute activist Agnes Chow in Canada too. Israel accuses Hamas of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. After the death of 6 Nepalese soldiers in the Russian army, the Himalayan country has asked Moscow to no longer recruit its citizens. A cyclone in India has caused at least 9 deaths and displaced 8,000 people.

General Min Aung Hlaing blames unnamed “foreign experts" for the rebels' advance in Shan State. Entire army battalions are reportedly surrendering, but in Yangon, the junta continues its crackdown. Some 600 organisations call on ASEAN to drop the inclusive dialogue and demand the military be brought to justice for their crimes.

Bishop Celso Ba Shwe offers his dramatic testimony. With some priests, he was forced to flee the pastoral center, which provided shelter to displaced people during the fighting. But the “Burmese military attempted for three times to take over the compound of Christ the King's Cathedral.” On the night of the feast of Christ the King, “the military intentionally shot [at] the pastoral center” with several “artillery shells” landing on the target. “Please continue to remember us in your prayers,” the prelate asks.

Dozens of companies have been blacklisted for failing to comply with regulations in construction, agriculture, and fisheries. Some recruitment agencies have seen their licences temporarily revoked. The move comes as thousands of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge and opportunities across the border are turned back.