Taiwan votes to dismiss 24 Kuomintang MPs

Today's headlines: Death toll rises to 33 in Cambodia and Thailand, ceasefire stalled; Philippine Supreme Court dismisses impeachment request against Sara Duterte on procedural grounds; School collapses in Rajasthan, killing seven children; L'Osservatore Romano reports on Suhail, the young Catholic from Gaza who was seriously injured in the attack on the Church of the Holy Family.

TAIWAN

Nearly 6.79 million voters in nine counties and cities in Taiwan are voting today to decide whether 24 members of the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party, will retain or lose their seats. The vote follows a political initiative by the Progressive Democratic Party—the party of President Lai Ching-te, which does not currently hold a majority in the local parliament—which, availing itself of a provision in the local constitution, promoted this popular vote of no confidence. In constituencies where the vote is successful, the representatives will have to resign and will not be able to run for the same office for a period of four years. If this recall vote does not reach the required quorum, the officials in question will not be subject to a similar procedure for the remainder of their term. Seven other Kuomintang representatives will face the same fate on August 23.

THAILAND-CAMBODIA

Despite attempts to reach a ceasefire, the death toll on both sides has risen to 33 in the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, now in their third day. A total of more than 200,000 people are reported to have been displaced. Phnom Penh continues to declare itself ready for an “unconditional” truce, while Bangkok accuses its neighbor of seeking to “internationalize” the crisis and refusing direct negotiations. According to Cambodia, Thailand is further intensifying its attacks this morning, while Bangkok claims to have also used the navy to counter Cambodian incursions.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippine Supreme Court has blocked the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, requested by the Philippine House of Representatives in February on charges of misusing public funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The court (dominated by judges appointed by her father Rodrigo Duterte during his presidency) raised a procedural flaw, noting that the constitutional ban on initiating multiple impeachment proceedings in a single year had been violated. While not acquitting Sara Duterte, this verdict gives her a respite from possible removal from office, at least until February.

INDIA

Part of a public school building collapsed yesterday in the Jhalawar district of Rajasthan state, killing seven children and injuring 28 others. The section of the Piplod Public School building housing the 6th and 7th grade classrooms collapsed, burying the students. Angry locals said they had informed the local administrative official and magistrate about the dangerous condition of the school building, but no action had been taken.

GAZA-ISRAEL

“The last word is not for death and war, but for life and peace. Because peace is stronger than war.” Suhail Aboo Dawood, the young Palestinian Catholic from the parish of the Holy Family who kept a “diary from Gaza” in the Holy See's daily newspaper before being seriously injured in the July 17 attack, writes this in a new article for L'Osservatore Romano. In the article, Suhail recounts from his hospital bed what happened that day, the long surgery he underwent, and the deep faith with which his community is living through this new trial.

RUSSIA

The Russian authorities have put up for auction the “Golden Beach” of Sevastopol in Crimea, 2.7 hectares offered for rent for 20 years starting at 1 million rubles, with a ban on removing trees in the area, which is a national park much loved by lovers of “wild tourism” who come to relax in camping tents. The Crimean ports of Yalta and Evpatoria had also been put up for auction previously.

MONGOLIA-KYRGYZSTAN-TAJIKISTAN

After concluding his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh traveled to Tajikistan, continuing his travels to “give a major boost to the expansion and strengthening of friendly relations with the countries of Central Asia,” with official talks and the signing of cooperation agreements with Emomali Rakhmon in Dushanbe.

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