ASIA TODAY Iran turns to cryptocurrencies to circumvent US sanctions

Other news of the day: Chinese military exercises around Taiwan continue. Japan has 726,000 fewer inhabitants. The former president of Sri Lanka will settle in Thailand. Modi’s BJP is excluded from the Bihar government. Possible trip of Pope Francis to Ukraine shortly.

IRAN

The Islamic Republic made its first import order using an unspecified cryptocurrency – a way to circumvent sanctions imposed by the United States due to Iran’s nuclear and missile program. The amount of the operation in question is 10 million dollars. It should be noted that the value of cryptocurrencies is very volatile, which makes it difficult to use them in large transactions.

TAIWAN-CHINA

seventh day of military exercises Chinese around Taiwan. Chinese ships continue to operate east and west of the Taiwanese coast in response to the recent visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives. Along the median line that informally divides the Taiwan Strait between the two countries, 20 Chinese and as many Taiwanese warships sail.

JAPAN

The population of Japan decreased: as of January 1, the country has 726,000 fewer inhabitants. With 125.93 million inhabitants, Japan registers its largest population decline since 2013. The drop affects all prefectures, with the exception of Okinawa.

SRI LANKA-THAILAND

The former president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arrive in Thailand tomorrow, where he would find refuge. On July 14 he had fled to Singapore after months of popular protests calling for his removal.

INDIA

political crisis in bihar, the third most populous state in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP lost its majority after allies of the Janata Dal, a regional party led by state governor Nitish Kumar, joined the opposition to form a new majority.

UKRAINE-VATICAN

According to the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrej Juraš, Pope Francis could visit kyiv before traveling to Kazakhstan in September. Juraš recalled that “Ukraine has been waiting for the pontiff for many years.” The Vatican does not rule out the possibility of this trip, which could even be in August.

GEORGIA

The Georgian Foreign Ministry recalled the 14th anniversary of the Russian invasion, and denounced the way in which Moscow continues to expand its illegal control over the breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. According to Tbilisi, the Russians refuse to apply the agreements reached with the mediation of the EU for the cessation of the conflict.