ASIA TODAY Taliban chief meets Qatari PM to break international isolation

Other news of the day: Seoul wants to review its alert systems after the panic that the North Korean launch unleashed yesterday. Demand in Islamabad against trials in military courts of supporters of former Prime Minister Khan. Chinese authorities forcibly evict Tibetans to build a dam. As of today, companies in the Emirates are now subject to income tax. Kuala Lumpur has decided to create a “war room” to control the effects of the Child.

AFGHANISTAN – QATAR

The leader of the Afghan Taliban maintained last month “secret conversations” with the Prime Minister of Qatar to try to “resolve” the tensions between Kabul and the international community, confirming the will of the Koranic students to end the isolation. The summit took place on May 12 in the city of Kandahar and is the first between a foreign leader and the Taliban chief.

KOREA

After the failure registered yesterday in the last launch of a missile in North Korea, Seoul has decided to review its warning systems. Indeed, an erroneous message that was sent to the population caused confusion, widespread panic and complaints. The new program will be based on the “5 W’s” (who, when, where, what, how and why), to allow for an adequate response to Pyongyang’s moves.

PAKISTAN

Human Rights Watch (HRW) activists they claimed the government of Islamabad that civilians are not tried in military courts, which is a violation of international law. The trial before military judges of 45 supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently taking place. The fundamental criticism concerns the “secret procedures” imposed by the courts, which “deny” due process.

TIBET – CHINA

Beijing authorities have ordered Tibetans in Rebkong county in western China to evict their land to build a dam hydroelectric. In the area there are many agricultural areas and cultivated fields that constitute the main source of livelihood for the local population. At least seven villages have been affected by the expropriation and any form of protest is prohibited.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Starting today, June 1, companies and businesses in the UAE will be subject to the income tax. The rates will be calculated on an annual basis and the Tax Authority reported that they will have the following rates: 0% on taxable income up to 375,000 dirhams (about $100,000) and 9% on taxable income above 375,000 dirhams. Taxes are increasing throughout the Gulf.

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur wants to install a war room to monitor the water level of the dams at the national level, in anticipation of the phenomenon known as El Niño, which should occur between this month and until October, with prolonged droughts and serious consequences for water reserves. The room will begin to operate on June 14. Extremely high temperatures and less rainfall have been recorded in recent weeks.

RUSSIA – UKRAINE

Due to the war in Ukraine, the price of funeral services in Russia has skyrocketed, especially coffins, which have jumped more than 52%, according to Rosstat, to as much as $6,000. The excavation of the grave costs up to 8 thousand dollars and the cremation 30 thousand. The increases are due to the ever-increasing cost of materials, from wood to aluminum, which previously came precisely from Ukraine.

CHINA – KYRGYZSTAN – UZBEKISTAN

In the Chinese city of Yangling, the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Forum began on the fight against poverty, entitled “Exchanges for mutual enrichment. Collaboration for victory”. Also present are the representatives of Kyrgyzstan, with Labor Minister Zhyldyz Polotova, and Uzbekistan, with Deputy Prime Minister Dzhamshid Kuchkarov.