Lebanon declares national mourning after Israeli attacks that leave hundreds dead

Today’s headlines: the Chinese Foreign Minister’s two-day visit to Pyongyang, the first since 2019; Arrest warrant issued for corruption against Nepal’s former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba (and his wife): Jakarta plans to ban vapes and e-cigarettes; The Moscow Academy of Sciences revives the idea of ‘reversing the flow’ of Siberian rivers.

PAKISTAN - MIDDLE EAST - USA

The Pakistani authorities, architects of the (fragile) truce between the United States and Iran, have declared a two-day public holiday on 9 and 10 April in Islamabad, on the eve of the peace talks scheduled for tomorrow in the capital. No reasons were given for the decision, although similar measures have often been taken in the past for security reasons. However, the devastating attacks launched yesterday by Israel in Lebanon, which today is observing national mourning and mourning at least 182 victims (according to some sources up to 254), the vast majority of whom were civilians, are undermining diplomatic efforts: in fact, in the last few hours, Tehran has described the meeting as “unreasonable”, although a delegation from the Islamic Republic is expected to arrive in the country this evening.

MYANMAR

Parliament today approved a list of 30 ministers who will form Myanmar’s new government, led by the head of the junta (and newly appointed president) Min Aung Hlaing, in which the military, as expected, will play a dominant role. Most of its members are retired senior military officers or officials from the previous coup-led administration. Former ambassador to China Tin Maung Swe will take up the post of foreign minister.

CHINA - NORTH KOREA

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins a two-day visit to North Korea today, as part of efforts to revitalise ties that have cooled following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Wang’s last visit to Pyongyang was in late 2019. The shared aim is to “strengthen strategic communication and enhance exchanges and cooperation”.

NEPAL

Kathmandu has issued an arrest warrant for 79-year-old former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on corruption charges, the latest in a series of high-profile figures targeted by the new government. He is currently abroad for medical treatment and denies all charges, describing them as “false propaganda”. His wife and former foreign minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, is also under investigation.

INDONESIA

The National Narcotics Agency has proposed a ban on vaporisers or e-cigarettes, due to growing concerns over their misuse as narcotics or psychotropic substances. Laboratory results reported by the National Narcotics Agency in February show that at least 35 of the 341 e-liquid samples tested positive for illicit substances, including cannabis, methamphetamine and etomidate, a narcotic under Indonesian health regulations.

INDIA - BANGLADESH

India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along the border with Bangladesh, according to the Border Security Force, with the aim of curbing unauthorised crossings along a border stretching over 4,000 km. A vast and often unfenced territory, with several waterways defining a border that crosses the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest. The use of reptiles was reportedly discussed at a meeting in February at the Ministry of the Interior.

RUSSIA

The Russian Academy of Sciences is seeking to revive the grand Soviet project to ‘reverse the flow’ of Siberian rivers, which was very much in vogue during Leonid Brezhnev’s era but was subsequently abandoned due to ecological risks and protests from academics at the time. Today, the head of the water research laboratory, Mikhail Bolgov, believes that Siberian river waters could be used to supply Russia’s ‘new regions’ in Ukraine and Crimea, which are suffering from severe water shortages.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

In Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the Azeris have destroyed one of the symbols of the Armenians’ presence in the territory, the “Theatre Fountain” located on the grounds of the Vagram Papazyan Drama Theatre. An act which, for the Armenians, forms part of a “specific policy” aimed at eliminating every trace of Armenian cultural heritage and erasing the cultural history of the long-disputed territory; for this reason, they are appealing to the international community.