Today's news: About 8,000 Rohingya have left Myanmar in recent months and taken refuge in Bangladesh; Thai king approved new government presented by PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra; Former governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon Riad Salameh arrested; Fumio Kishida in Seoul Nov. 6-7 to revive alliance with South Korea.
A controversial regulation - which in theory is supposed to prevent excesses during weddings, funerals and other ceremonies - actually translates into a series of bureaucratic burdens with serious financial burdens for citizens. In the first six months of the year alone, the police carried out thousands of checks, collecting fines of hundreds of thousands of euro
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the two countries in the region from which the largest number of labor migrants come. But the approach is quite different: the former seems to be abandoning its compatriots, while the latter operates a more careful policy, considering expatriates crucial to its economy. Pressures against Tajiks after the Krokus City Hall bombing in Moscow.
Today's headlines: For the USCIRF, Afghanistan under the Taliban is experiencing a "continual and significant” decline in religious freedom. Indonesia and Japan want to eliminate trade barriers and strengthen bilateral trade. Israeli fighter jets hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Vietnam is going after Falun Gong members.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the 5+1 summit in Astana (9-12 August). He will bring a substantial aid package to support the region’s development, centred on transport and energy, particularly decarbonisation. In the background is Tokyo’s difficult relationship with Moscow and Beijing.
Today's headlines: North Korea punishes students and officials for watching a film about the Korean War. Telephone and Internet restrictions leave large parts of Myanmar without information from abroad. In Bangladesh, garment factories reopen after forced closure due protests. War in Gaza hinders polio vaccination amid WHO warning of a possible epidemic.
