Pakistan: today the return of Nawaz Sharif who wants to run in the elections

Today's news:  Qatari mediates release of two women with US citizenship among 200 Gaza hostages; Chinese authorities ban book on the last emperor of the Ming dynasty over online comparisons with Xi Jinping; Kuwait promises Philippines to resolve clash over migrants; Nagorno Karabakh refugees protest in Yerevan.

PAKISTAN

Three-time Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected in Pakistan today after four years of self-imposed exile in London to relaunch his party's campaign three months before general elections. THE 73-year-old Sharif had left for London in 2019 to receive medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. His convictions are still in force, but on Thursday a court barred authorities from arresting him until a court hearing. According to his party, he aims to become prime minister again. Nawaz Sharif's return comes while his main rival Imran Khan remains in prison but remains hugely popular in Pakistan.

PALESTINE-ISRAEL

Hamas released two hostages last night - Judith Raanan and her teenage daughter Natalie - kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the October 7 assault. This is the first release of the more than 200 hostages held in Gaza. The two women, who have US citizenship, were handed over to the Red Cross, which then handed them over to Israel. Hamas presented the gesture as "unilateral", but Qatar expressly spoke of its role in negotiations with the United States. According to some sources, the expected opening of the Rafah crossing could take place today for the passage of the first humanitarian aid and the evacuation of foreigners.

CHINA

Chinese authorities have banned a book on the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen, after some online comments claimed that his analysis could also apply to the current leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping. "Chongzhen: The Hard-Working Emperor Who Brought Down a Dynasty" by late Ming dynasty expert Chen Wutong recently disappeared from online bookstores, including the website of state-run Xinhua Books, with multiple searches for the book yielding no results on the main platforms.

PHILIPPINES-KUWAIT

In a meeting on the sidelines of an ongoing summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-sabah, expressed to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. his intention to resolve the issues that have put a strain on relations between the two countries. The crown prince also reportedly apologized to Marcos. In February, the brutal case of the maid Jullebee Ranara pushed the Philippine government to block the examination of the requests of first-time Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait. In an apparently retaliatory move, Kuwait then suspended issuing new visas to Filipinos starting in May, resulting in the repatriation of at least 815 Filipino workers.

VIETNAM

Police in Vietnam have arrested six people accused of violating mining regulations, including the president of a company at the forefront of building a rare earths industry that could challenge China's dominance in the sector. Vietnam's government is planning to auction off new rare earth mining concessions later this year, and those arrested include officials from at least one company, Vietnam Rare Earth JSC (VTRE), which was supposed to submit an offer.

RUSSIA-CENTRAL ASIA

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, has proposed revoking the Russian passport granted to migrants, especially from Central Asia, who refuse to participate as combatants in the war in Ukraine. As humanitarian activists say, the passport is offered to migrants with many other promises of employment and compensation

ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN

A group of refugees from Nagorno Karabakh broke into the offices of the representation of the republic of Artsakh, suppressed and occupied by Azerbaijan, in Yerevan, demanding to meet President Samvel Šakhramanyan, who came out to meet the crowd and promised to organize a meeting open to all next week, warning that "our homeland is Armenia, and we must try not to endanger it in this delicate phase".

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