Israeli incursion into Syria leaves at least 12 dead

Today's headlines: Floods continue to cause damage in Southeast Asia, and now Sri Lanka is also preparing for the arrival of Cyclone Ditwah; In Malaysia, the state of Sabah, the poorest in the country, is preparing for local elections; Hong Kong authorities have ended rescue operations, with 200 people still missing; Participants in an anti-Chinese demonstration arrested in Kazakhstan.

ISRAEL – SYRIA

The Israeli army carried out a raid on Beit Jinn, in the countryside around Damascus, killing at least 12 people. The town of Tal al-Ahmar, in the southern province of Quineitra, on the border with Israel, was also targeted. The Israeli army justified the operation as necessary to neutralise “terrorists” who had “intensified attacks against Israeli civilians”, without providing any evidence for these claims. At the same time, despite the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel today carried out multiple attacks on Khan Younis and Rafah inside the Strip, while in the West Bank it killed two unarmed Palestinians.

CLIMATE CHANGE

There are at least 90 deaths in Indonesia due to flooding. Southeast Asia has been hit by a series of cyclones in recent weeks, which have so far affected millions of people in Malaysia and Thailand. But the damage has also spread to Sri Lanka, where 56 people have been reported dead and at least 21 missing. The island is preparing to face Cyclone Ditwah, which is expected to move along the east coast today.

MALAYSIA

Local elections will be held tomorrow in the Malaysian state of Sabah. A report by Nikkei Asia says that “voters are tired, distrustful and impatient for change. It is this sentiment that has turned the polls in the eastern state on the island of Borneo into a national indicator, especially for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is considering calling a general election next year, two years ahead of schedule”. Sabah has a population of 3.4 million, about 10% of the nation, and is the poorest region in the country, with a poverty rate of 17.7% in 2024. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse states.

HONG KONG

Local authorities have announced the end of rescue operations at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the Tai Po district. The death toll has risen to 128, with 79 injured and 200 missing, making it one of the deadliest fires in the world in the last 15 years. So far, three people linked to the company that was carrying out the renovation work and where the fire appears to have started have been arrested. Thousands of Hong Kongers, according to Hong Kong Free Press, have mobilised to support the survivors.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has asked the Pakistani government to hold a meeting with former Prime Minister and party leader Imran Khan, 78, who has been in prison since August 2023. However, the former prime minister has not seen his family or lawyers for three weeks, and no reason has been given for this. Khan is not even allowed to undergo medical examinations. The PTI spokesperson has expressed concern about the leader's health.

KAZAKHSTAN – CHINA

Participants in an anti-Chinese demonstration were arrested in Kazakhstan after burning the Chinese flag and a portrait of President Xi Jinping. all members of the unregistered Atažurt party, which defends the rights of Turanian peoples in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. They have been accused of “acts of vandalism” and “inciting inter-ethnic hatred”, for which 13 people have been placed in solitary confinement and face up to 10 years in prison.

RUSSIA

FSB agent Aleksandr Samofal, known to have been involved in attempts to poison opposition politicians Vladimir Kara-Murza and Aleksey Navalny, has been promoted to major general and appointed deputy head of the Moscow and Moscow Oblast services, according to reports by journalist Valeria Ratnikova in Dožd. who emigrated abroad following persecution by Samofal himself.

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