The US and Chinese foreign ministers meet in Malaysia

Today's news: the flood in Nepal that killed at least nine people was caused by the emptying of a glacial lake. In India, two people have been arrested on charges of forcing teenage girls to strip naked to prove they were menstruating. New arrests in Hong Kong. The United Nations says the current Syrian government has no “active links” to al-Qaeda.

USA – CHINA – MALAYSIA

After attending the ASEAN summit in Malaysia and meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will today meet in person for the first time with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Li. Rubio and Wang have so far extolled the benefits of their partnership to Southeast Asian countries: Rubio has focused on cooperation, including the signing of a civil nuclear development agreement with Malaysia, while Wang has criticised Trump's tariffs, which are particularly heavy on countries in the region.

NEPAL – CHINA

The flooding of the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal, which in recent days has caused the deaths of at least nine people and left 19 missing, including some Chinese workers, was caused by the emptying of a glacial lake in the Tibet region of China, according to the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong's national security police have arrested four people, including a 15-year-old boy, on charges of conspiracy. The police chief said those arrested are members of the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union, a group founded in Taiwan in November that is fighting for the city's independence. It has a few dozen followers on Facebook.

INDIA

Two people, including a school principal, have been arrested on charges of forcing teenage girls to strip naked to prove they were menstruating after bloodstains were found in the bathroom. Police intervened in a village not far from Mumbai after the mother of one of the “10-15 girls” who were allegedly humiliated filed a complaint. In India, menstruation has long been a taboo subject: girls and women who menstruate are considered impure and excluded from social and religious events.

RUSSIA

Russia plans to invite 1 million migrant workers from India to compensate for the shortage of skilled labour, according to Andrey Besedin, head of the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry. An Indian consulate will be opened in Ekaterinburg in the Ural region to “take care of all the formalities”, while other workers will be brought in from Sri Lanka and North Korea.

SYRIA

The United Nations group monitoring sanctions has found no “active links” between al-Qaeda and the current Syrian government, which took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The rebellion was led by the jihadist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which severed ties with al-Qaeda in 2016. The information could strengthen the United States' decision to further reduce sanctions against Syria, writes Reuters, which previewed a report to be published later this month.

GEORGIA

Georgia's foreign ministry has completed a major internal reorganisation that began in April, resulting in the dismissal of more than 40 senior diplomats for opposing government policies. The ambassadors to NATO and the EU integration department in Tbilisi will also have to leave their posts on 1 August.

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