30 detained, also Christian leaders

Today’s news: poverty in Lebanon has tripled in a decade. Summit between the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan on May 26-27 in Seoul, first trilateral talks in four years. Heavy pre-monsoon rains claim seven victims in Kerala. Reopening of a century-old Armenian church in Zakho, Iraq. The local Russian administration offers children a prize trip to the “fascinating” North Korea.

MYANMAR

The Myanmar coup army yesterday assaulted the town of Hapakant, in northern Kachin state, and detained more than 30 people, including Christian leaders and teenagers, accused of supporting a rebel group. About 100 soldiers stormed the area before dawn, gathering residents at a school. The detainees were released after nine hours of interrogation. At least 20,000 people were left trapped in the clashes in Maungdaw, western Rakhine State.

LEBANON

The Poverty rate In Lebanon it has tripled in a decade, affecting one in three people and aggravated by the economic crisis that broke out in 2019 and the conflict in the south with Israel. According to a World Bank report, the figure has risen from 12% in 2012 to 44% in 2022 and, in some rural areas, it will reach 62%. As for Syrian refugees, nine out of ten are below the poverty line.

SOUTH KOREA – CHINA – JAPAN

The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan they will meet on May 26 and 27 in Seoul to hold the first trilateral talks in more than four years. South Korean Prime Minister Yoon Suk Yeol will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterparts, Li Qiang, and Japanese counterparts, Fumio Kishida, while a three-way mini-summit will be held on the second day. They will discuss economics and trade, sustainable development, health, science and technology, disaster management and security, and interpersonal exchanges.

INDIA

At least seven people have died in the southern state of Kerala due to the strong rains pre-monsoon, while the rest of the Asian subcontinent remains affected by a persistent heat wave that has claimed lives in several countries. Rainfall was 18% above normal in the area, causing heavy flooding and disrupting flights at Kozhikode airport.

IRAQ

With the support of Erbil (Hungary) and the Armenian archdiocese of Iraq, in recent days reopened a centuries-old church in Zakho (Kurdistan). The building is one of the five Armenian places of worship in the northern autonomous region, built in 1923. At the inauguration, former deputy Yarwant Aminyan recalled that the town opened its doors to survivors of the 1915 genocide.

RUSSIA – NORTH KOREA

The administration of Russia’s eastern region of Primorje has decided to celebrate Child Protection Day by offering children a grand tourist trip to the “fascinating country” of North Korea. Visits to the zoo and the Aquapark, a visit to Pyongyang and “much more” are planned, thanks to an agreement between the governments of both countries.

KYRGYZSTAN – UZBEKISTAN – TAJIKISTAN

The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Žaparov, declared before the Republican Plenary Assembly that “with Uzbekistan we have closed all border disputes.” With Tajikistan “there is little left”, the negotiations are slow and laborious, but “we hope to conclude them as soon as possible, to defend the integrity of our territory and the unity of our people.”