Today's news: Kuki drone attack on security forces in Manipur; The UN launched the anti-polio vaccination campaign in Gaza; The Japanese Defence Minister aims at a record allocation of funds for the next fiscal year; China's strengthens relations with Turkmenistan over gas deliveries.
Today's headlines: Japan’s prime minister cancels trip to Central Asia, as fears of a “megaquake” increase among the Japanese. Myanmar’s military regime is preventing young people from emigrating for work. Seven die in attack by militants against army posts in northwestern Pakistan. Panipak Wongpattanakit is the first Thai sportswoman to win two gold medals at the Olympics.
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.
Despite its rich energy resources, for which it receives billions of dollars from exports, Turkmenistan continues to experience a severe internal economic crisis. And with the greatest difficulties in emigrating to other countries, thousands from the villages flock to the capital in search of work. With police harassing the 'vagrants'.
In the country led by the president-son Serdar Berdymukhamedov, kinship relations are multiplying among officials at every level, while without blood ties it is very difficult to get ahead, even for the most gifted, perhaps even with a degree abroad.
The President of South Korea visited Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in recent days. The focus of attention was access to rare earth minerals, which are particularly needed by Korean manufacturers of semiconductors and accumulators.