new clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Other news of the day: in Thailand, an activist was found guilty of lese majesty; Human Rights Watch denounces the atrocities of the Burmese coup junta; another Russian leader dies under mysterious circumstances. A chain of electric scooter fires triggers the alarms of the government, which wants to promote its use.

ARMENIA – AZERBAIJAN

Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other and report new border clashes culminating in the death of an unknown number of Azerbaijani soldiers. The fighting began shortly after midnight (local time), in a new outbreak of violence for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

THAILAND

After two years in prison, an activist was found guilty of insulting the monarchy for dressing like the thai queen. Jatuporn Saeoueng wore a pink dress during a rally in Bangkok in 2020. Since King Maha Vajiralongkorn took the throne in 2019, Thai authorities have intensified their use of lese majesty law to suppress protest movements calling for the reform of the monarchy. Since November 2020, at least 210 protesters have been charged with this crime.

MYANMAR

A report published yesterday by Human Rights Watch sheds light on the abuses of the Burmese coup junta: Dozens of civilians have been imprisoned, tortured and killed. Based on testimonies, the humanitarian organization described the death in prison of at least six activists. “The six deaths documented by Human Rights Watch are just the tip of the iceberg of the suffering and torture of people detained by the Myanmar military and police,” said Manny Maung, a researcher with the organization.

RUSSIA

Another Russian executive has died under mysterious circumstances. Ivan Pechorin drowned near Vladivostok’s Russkij Island. The man was serving as the operating director of the Arctic and Far East Development Corporation for aviation activities, according to a company press release.

NORTH KOREA

One month after declaring “victory” over Covid-19, North Korean authorities decreed the mandatory use of masks in public. During most of the pandemic, Pyongyang did not publish data on infections, but in May this year it admitted the spread of the virus. On August 10, leader Kim Jong-un had declared that the disease was eradicated.

CHINA

This year reduced the number of trips on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which produced a drop in income from tourism. The restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 discouraged people, who preferred not to travel. Travel was down 16.7% from a year earlier, while tourism-related earnings fell nearly 23% to $4.14 billion.

INDIA

an iFire spread in an electric scooter showroom left at least eight dead and 11 wounded. The wave of fires of electric scooters raises alarm in the government, which aims to promote its use by up to 80% before 2030, in an attempt to combat pollution. According to the first investigations, the fires originated from defects in the batteries of the vehicles.