ASIA TODAY Iraqi Parliament replaces Al Sadr MPs

Other news of the day: the drama of the Afghan population after the earthquake continues and the UN fears a cholera epidemic. The verdict exonerating Narendra Modi of the 2002 Gujarat riots is upheld. Thailand lifts the latest restrictions against Covid. They arrested a Russian filmmaker who was awaited in Milan

IRAQ

After the resignation of 73 deputies that prolonged the political crisis in Iraq, yesterday the vacant seats were allocated to the candidates who obtained the second place in number of votes in the October elections. In this way, the pro-Iranian factions that oppose the government of the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr are reinforced.

MYANMAR

moved to solitary confinement for Aung San Suu Kyi, the former leader of Myanmar who was arrested when the military overthrew the government in a coup. For a year now, she has been under house arrest in an unknown location in the capital, Naypyidaw. Apparently, the 77-year-old former Nobel laureate is being assisted by three women from the prison service.

AFGHANISTAN

Earthquake survivors in Afghanistan told to BBC They have no place to shelter and no food. The United Nations fears a cholera epidemic. A man who was not present when the earthquake struck because he works as a day laborer in Karachi, Pakistan, reported the loss of 20 members of his family. There are no tents: to protect themselves and some resort to a canvas supported by sticks.

INDIA

India’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling exonerating Prime Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The petition was filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress party MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the riots. More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the events, and a train fire killed 60 Hindu pilgrims. Modi, who was then serving as Gujarat’s chief minister, was accused of doing little or nothing to stop anti-Muslim riots.

THAILAND

Bangkok lifted the latest restrictions against Covid-19: the use of masks or chinstraps will be voluntary, while bars and pubs will be able to stay open late. At the beginning of the month, nightclubs in the main tourist destinations in the country had been authorized to reopen their doors, but with the obligation to close at midnight. Southeast Asian countries are now competing to attract visitors.

JAPAN

Despite falling support for the government, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s coalition is expected to obtain a majority in the elections on July 10 to renew the Upper House of Parliament. This is indicated by a survey of the newspaper Asahi posted today. Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party and its ally Komeito would need to win at least 68 of the 125 seats to retain a majority.

RUSSIA

Russian border guards detained film director Aleksandr Sokurov, one of the few men of culture who has publicly spoken out against the war in Ukraine, at the Finnish border. The filmmaker is a member of the Human Rights Council and was expected in Milan for an international conference. He was now forced to return to his house in St. Petersburg.

UZBEKISTAN – AZERBAIJAN

The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, Mirziyoyev and Aliev respectively, signed a Declaration that aims to deepen strategic collaboration and cooperation in all fields. The agreement sealed Aliev’s visit to Tashkent, and includes 18 interministerial and interregional cooperation annexes, both in productive matters and in other sectors.