Today’s news: Netanyahu calls on Congress to continue Israeli military presence in Gaza even after war. Philippine ship capsizes and large oil spill off Bataan. Cambodian court fines Candlelight Party chairman for criticising state of democracy under Hun Manet. Japan to introduce 30km/h zones in many population centres by 2026.
CHINA-UNITED STATES-NORTH KOREA
The United States announced sanctions against six individuals and five entities based in China for their alleged involvement in procuring items supporting North Korea’s ballistic missile and space programs. The five entities cited by the Treasury Department include Beijing Sanshunda Electronics Science and Technology Co. Ltd. and Shenzhen City Mean Well Electronics Co. Ltd., while the six individuals include Chen Tianxin and Du Jiaxin. The new sanctions come amid concerns that the dissolution of a U.N. sanctions monitoring group could undermine international efforts to identify and prevent violations by Pyongyang.
ISRAEL-GAZA-UNITED STATES
In his speech to Congress in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahusaid his vision for postwar Gaza includes a continued Israeli military presence. “Israel does not want to resettle the Strip,” he said, “but for the foreseeable future we must maintain security control to prevent a resurgence of terror.” Netanyahu also favored a negotiated U.S.-Israeli security alliance in the region based on the Abraham Accords. The Capitol visit comes as a ceasefire and the release of hostages have been under negotiation for months. Dozens of Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, boycotted the speech.
PHILIPPINES
A Philippine flagged vessel The MT Terra Nova, a ship carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, capsized and sank off Bataan. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that 16 crew members of the MT Terra Nova were rescued, but one is still missing. Aerial surveys detected an oil slick 5.6 nautical miles east of Lamao Point, with an estimated length of two nautical miles, carried by a strong current in an east-northeasterly direction.
CAMBODIA
A Cambodian court sentences Teav Vannolchairman of the opposition Candlelight Party, was ordered to pay a fine of 6 billion riel (about $1.5 million) for comments he made in February to the Nikkei news agency about the state of the country’s democracy, which had allegedly deteriorated under Hun Sen’s rule. The party was barred from participating in last year’s general election, which was handed a landslide victory by the Cambodian People’s Party, led by Hun Sen’s son.
JAPAN
Japan will introduce a 30 km/h speed limit for traffic in many residential districts from September 2026 to reduce accidents. The new speed limit – lower than the current 60 km/h – will apply to municipal roads that do not have a centre line, island or similar signs. According to the National Police Agency, many of the roads that will be subject to the 30 km/h speed limit are less than 5.5 metres wide.
RUSSIA-IRAN
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko announced that the drafting of the new comprehensive agreement on strategic partnership between Russia and Iran, which had been under preparation since 2022 and was suspended due to the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, has been completed. The document will be signed shortly, in what Moscow calls a “historic international event.”
INDONESIA-RUSSIA
According to information gathered by Reuters, the Indonesian state oil company Pertamina has added Russian oil from the Urals and other sources to its trading list, after a decade in which Indonesians had stopped buying oil from Russia. Moscow thus adds an important customer to its already totally oriented exports to the East.
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