Today's news: More than 243 million children in East and Southeast Asia at risk from heat waves. Beijing denies senior management access to two US companies for selling weapons to Taiwan. The Taliban want to shut down Facebook (and social networks) by blocking scarce sources of information. Islamabad negotiates the renewal of the rescue plan with the International Monetary Fund. More than 98,000 people evacuated in Kazakhstan due to floods.
ISRAEL – IRAN – GAZA
Tehran points to Washington: there will be a response to Israel for the attack on the embassy in Syria, but it must be “controlled” to avoid an “escalation” and calls for a truce in Gaza. This was revealed by diplomatic sources citing a letter from the Iranian Foreign Minister, sent through Oman. Meanwhile, the United States is restricting the trips of its officials and employees to Israel in anticipation of the attack, since the Jewish State gets ready for “war scenarios” beyond Gaza.
THAILAND – PHILIPPINES
More than 243 million children in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific region are at risk of illness and death from heat waves, as the continent prepares for a summer of record temperatures. Children, remembers Unicef, are even more susceptible to extreme temperatures. Bangkok recently urged citizens to take precautions against heat stroke, after the first deaths were recorded. In some parts of the Philippines, in-person classes have been suspended.
CHINA – TAIWAN
China has banned senior executives from entering the country two American companies related to defense and has frozen its properties in response to arms sales to Taiwan. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced the measures against General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems. For Beijing, arms sales “seriously interfere” in internal affairs and “damage” territorial sovereignty.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan's Taliban want block access to Facebook and other social networks. The plan, announced by Telecommunications Minister Najibullah Haqqani, threatens to worsen the isolation of millions of citizens who already suffer severe restrictions on telephone and Internet access. For the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this is “a new blow to information”, due to the “role” that social networks play in the transmission of news.
SINGAPORE – ASIA
Singapore is the fifth “smart” city in the world, having gained two positions last year, according to the Smart City Index 2024. And it confirms its absolute supremacy on the Asian continent, ranking well above leading cities such as Beijing, Taipei and Seoul. The ranking evaluates 142 cities based on their use of technology to improve lives.
PAKISTAN
Islamabad is discussing with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the follow-up of the $3 billion deal, of which a tranche of $1.1 billion should be released shortly. This was announced by the President of the Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, according to which Pakistan is “successfully” completing the existing program and the effects are already visible in the economy.
RUSSIA – KAZAKHSTAN
The Russian president's representative for the Urals district, Vladimir Jakušev, blamed Astana for last week's flooding for “not agreeing” to evacuate water through its reservoir system. Meanwhile, in Kazakhstan, more than 98,000 people have been evacuated due to flooding and the situation is likely to worsen.
ARMENIA – Türkiye
Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan stated before Parliament in Yerevan that “the opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey will be an epoch-making event for the entire region. In this sense, everyone must contribute to the success of this progress, overcoming “the socio-psychological aspects” of the historical hostility between both peoples because “it is a relationship between States, not between people.”
