ASIA TODAY Coordinated attacks in southern Thailand leave at least seven injured

Today’s news: a group of (Syrian) migrants is rescued on a small island on the border between Turkey and Greece; drought and power shortages in the Yangtze Delta, where the water level is at its lowest level since 1961; in Pakistan, a polio vaccination team was attacked, killing two officers escorting them; Egyptian soccer player Salah donates 150,000 euros to rebuild the Giza church, which suffered a fire; in Russia, a protestant community is under the scrutiny of the police.

THAILAND

occurred last night explosions and fires in at least 17 different locations in southern Thailand, an area where Islamic separatist groups operate and have carried out attacks in the past. Today’s events – which affected grocery stores and a gas station – seem to be coordinated, but for the moment there are no claims. At least seven people were injured.

SYRIA – TURKEY

A group of 38 migrants – probably of Syrian origin, including a pregnant woman – were rescued on a small unnamed island located on the border between Turkey and Greece. The 22 men, nine women and seven children say they have been on the small island in the Evros River since mid-July and report the death of a child. After being located, they were taken to the mainland by the authorities of Athens.

CHINA

The high temperatures of recent weeks caused droughts and energy shortages in the delta of the yangtze river. The region records the lowest water level since 1961: in the Three Gorges Dam it is 135 meters, 40% less than in the last four years. The Sichuan government suspended industrial power supply from August 15 to 20.

PAKISTAN

Two officers escorting a vaccination team against polio in northwest Pakistan were shot dead yesterday, by unidentified assailants. It is the umpteenth attack against health personnel dedicated to the fight against the disease. In general, the attacks are carried out by Islamic extremists. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic.

EGYPT

The Egyptian footballer of Liverpool, Mohammed Salah, famous for his Muslim faith, donated some 150,000 euros to help rebuild the fire-damaged church in Giza. In the fire on August 14, 41 people, including children, died. In the social networks of the country of the pharaohs, many -Christians included- sent messages of thanks for this gesture.

RUSSIA

The police carry out raids and mass arrests among the members of the Protestant religious association “New Generation”. The group, active in Ukraine and declared “undesirable” in Russia, is now accused of supporting the Azov battalion. According to the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the confidence of the population in the Orthodox Church is collapsing.

KYRGYZSTAN

Authorities in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, have banned weddings of more than 250 guests, requiring celebrations not to last past midnight. The problem is not so much the sanitary isolation due to Covid, but the excessive spending of the Kyrgyz on weddings and funerals, for which they contract enormous debts, which are impossible to pay in the long term.