Aung San Suu Kyi, imprisoned since 2021, turned 81. According to the military, she has been under house arrest at an undisclosed location in Naypyitaw since late April, but no images have yet been released to prove this. Despite restrictions, she is being celebrated with prayers and flowers across the country and in the diaspora. Her son, Kim Aris, accuses the regime of “hostage diplomacy”.
The repatriation to Australia of women and children linked to the Islamic State puts the spotlight on a hitherto forgotten issue. Thousands held in the Al Hol and Al Roj camps, run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), are not only the last physical vestige of the caliphate but also the battleground between two difficult-to-reconcile needs: the protection of national security and obligations towards one’s citizens.
With the People's Republic of China missing from the tournament for 24 years, the "card master" has become a celebrity among fans. He is the only Chinese tasked with refereeing a World Cup match, but also an ambassador for giants like Lenovo and Hinsense. Tomorrow evening, he will referee the Ecuador-Curaçao match, with two Chinese assistants.
Today's news: Cambodia has launched a four-month visa-free trial for Chinese visitors. According to the World Bank, fuel subsidies in Indonesia benefit well-off families. A Nepali climber survived a week trapped alone on Mount Everest. Witkoff and Kushner will be in Switzerland for Iranian nuclear talks.
By targeting the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Moscow has struck the sacred site it has used for centuries as evidence of its "special spiritual mission", which it refused to cede to the Ukrainians until its complete evacuation. Now it will be necessary to rebuild the place, like after the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and the Great Patriotic War against the Nazis.
In a speech to the foreign press, the Taiwanese leader hailed 30 years of democracy on the island, starting with the 1996 elections. He urged the US to unfreeze the US$ 14 billion arms sale, which has already been approved by Congress. Opposition leader Cheng Li-wun, just back from a visit to the United States, said that Trump’s position on his return from Beijing is “fairly consistent” with that of her party.
