News of the day: after North Korea, Putin arrives in Vietnam, historical ties between both countries. In the disputed South China Sea, the Philippines accuses Chinese coast guards of acting “like pirates”, boarding ships armed with knives. In India, heat strokes are multiplying due to the record heat wave. In Xinjiang, according to HRW, village names are changed to eliminate Uyghur culture.
IRAN
A Ahvaz revolutionary court sentences Yasin Mousavi to 15 years in prison, Iranian Christian convert. The accusation refers to “membership in groups intended to disrupt national security” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic by promoting Zionist Christianity.” Although Christians are recognized as a religious minority in Iran, authorities treat those who convert from Islam to Christianity harshly.
RUSSIA – VIETNAM
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, for the second leg of a tour of East Asia. The trip, which comes after her meeting in North Korea with Kim Kong-un, is interpreted as a demonstration of the diplomatic support that Russia still enjoys in the region. Vietnam continues to value its historical ties with Russia, although it is working to improve its relations with Europe and the United States.
PHILIPPINES – CHINA
Philippines accused the Chinese Coast Guard of acting “like pirates”, claiming that personnel armed with knives and spears boarded their supply ships at Second Thomas Shoal, in the latest standoff in the disputed South China Sea. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Romeo Brawner, stated that the incident occurred on June 17 while Filipino soldiers were trying to resupply sailors stationed in Sierra Madre.
ISRAEL – UNITED STATES
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the United States of stopping arms shipments, which slows down the Israeli offensive in Rafah, where the fighting has aggravated the already serious humanitarian situation of the Palestinians. President Joe Biden delayed the delivery of a single shipment of heavy bombs in May over fears of killing civilians. Meanwhile, divisions are deepening between the government and the Israeli army, whose spokesman acknowledged that “Hamas is an idea and can only be defeated through a political alternative.”
INDIA
India registered more than 40,000 cases of suspected heat stroke. A prolonged heat wave killed more than 100 people across the country, while parts of the northeast were hit by flooding due to heavy rain, authorities said. Billions of people across Asia are enduring extreme heat this summer, one of the longest heat waves on record.
CHINA
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), China has changed the names of hundreds of towns in the Xinjiang region with the aim of erasing Uyghur Muslim culture. Words like “sultan” and “sanctuary” are disappearing from place names, to be replaced by terms like “harmony” and “happiness,” according to the research, which is based on data published by China itself. The Chinese embassy in London has denied the allegations.
ARMENIA – GEORGIA
The “South Caucasus Railways” company announced that on June 24 a passenger connection will be opened on the Yerevan-Batumi line between Armenia and Georgia, much desired to reach the Adžaria beach, the Georgian tourist area, and also the first route reestablished after the reopening of rail communication between both countries.
RUSSIA – AFGHANISTAN
Some regions of Russia, especially Tatarstan and Chechnya, offer work to migrants from Afghanistan. In Kazan, in particular, the Afghan Tatars are counted on after the government’s statements about the withdrawal of the Taliban’s “terrorist” status, although Russia’s rampant xenophobia against Asians remains a concern.
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