8.8 magnitude quake in Kamchatka triggers tsunami warning in Japan and Pacific

Today's headlines: Lebanon has begun repatriating Syrian refugees; Thailand accuses Phnom Penh of ceasefire violations; India confirms the death of three militants responsible for the 22 April massacre that led to clashes with Pakistan; China, announces a new national subsidy for families to cope with the demographic crisis.

JAPAN - PACIFIC

Tsunami waves up to 60 cm high have been detected near the Japanese coast after a strong earthquake - estimated at magnitude 8.8 after an initial estimate of 8.7 - off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. A tsunami warning predicting waves of up to 3 metres has been issued for the Pacific coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu, and for the regions of Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has urged residents in the affected areas to evacuate to higher ground. Similar measures have been taken in Hawaii, the United States, Russia and the Philippines. The Japanese city of Wakayama has ordered the evacuation of 175,000 people.

GAZA - LEBANON - SYRIA

According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, more than 60,000 people have died in Gaza since 7 October 2023. The tragic threshold was crossed as Israel continues to attack amid famine. Dozens of people seeking aid have been killed in recent days, despite “humanitarian pauses”. Meanwhile, Lebanon has begun the first phase of its plan to repatriate Syrian refugees, with buses crossing the border at Masnaa (Jdeidet Yabous). The returns are part of a broader strategy to reduce the number of Syrian refugees in the country. The Syrian news agency SANA confirmed that 72 Syrian citizens have returned “voluntarily” to the country. Lebanon is home to around 1.8 million Syrian refugees, of whom around 880,000 are registered with the UNHCR.

THAILAND - CAMBODIA

For the second time, Thailand has accused Cambodia of a ‘blatant violation’ of the truce agreement aimed at ending border clashes, claiming that Cambodian troops launched a night-time attack along the border. ‘A blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,’ said a statement from the Foreign Ministry. The two countries had agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday after five days of clashes that left 43 dead on both sides, when a long-running dispute over contested temples inflamed the 820 km border.

INDIA - PAKISTAN

India has said its security forces have killed three militants responsible for the killing of 26 civilians on 22 April near a tourist resort in Indian Kashmir. In May, India launched a series of attacks, with Pakistan responding with drones, missiles and fighter jets, leading to four days of intense clashes. Home Minister Amit Shah said the men were killed near Srinagar on Monday. He claimed that the attackers were Pakistani citizens, an accusation denied by Islamabad.

CHINA

Parents in China will receive up to 10,800 yuan (about ,500) for each child under the age of three, thanks to the first national subsidy introduced by the government to encourage births. China faces a growing demographic crisis, despite the Communist Party's abolition of the controversial one-child policy nearly a decade ago. The subsidies would help around 20 million families. Several provincial governments had already launched pilot programmes. Families with children born between 2022 and 2024 will also be eligible for partial subsidies.

RUSSIA

Russia has virtually exhausted its stocks of Soviet-era weapons, according to research by the Kiev School of Economics, sending more materials to restoration factories than can be repaired, and Moscow's military capability increasingly depends on supplies from Iran and North Korea, and spare parts sent by China.

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdymukhamedov has pardoned 247 prisoners on the occasion of the International Day of Peace and Trust on 25 July, the second mass release this year after the one in March for the Holy Night of Omnipotence, when 321 prisoners were pardoned, but no known political prisoners were released.

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