The coup generals extend the state of emergency for another six months

Other news of the day: Filipino priests oppose mining activity. New data highlights the difficulties facing Asian industries. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s approval rating plummets. Clashes on the border between Iran and Afghanistan.

MYANMAR

The leader of the military junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, announced that will extend the state of emergency in the country for another six months. The military had promised to hold new elections in August 2023, but the date has already been pushed back – and even if they did take place, they would hardly be free and fair. A few days ago, the Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota was arrested for filming the protests in Rangoon.

PHILIPPINES

The Catholic priests of the Davao province carry out a campaign against the mining activity of the company Asiaticus Management Corporation (Amcor), which was closed in 2017 for violating laws that protect the environment. Amcor offered the diocese a donation, but this was rejected by Bishop Mati Abel Apigo as a bribery attempt.

EASTERN ASIA

According to a new data series, factories in the region continue to fight the pandemic: South Korea’s industrial activity has declined for the first time in nearly two years, while Japan’s growth over the past 10 months has been slower due to persistent supply chain disruptions. Chinese growth also slowed, despite the easing of “zero tolerance” measures against Covid.

JAPAN

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kushida’s approval rating fell to an all-time low since taking office last October: The premier has lost 12 percentage points due to his handling of the pandemic. Currently, Japan is the country with the highest number of infections per week. The prime minister is also under fire from critics for his decision to hold a state funeral for Shinzo Abe.

IRAN-AFGHANISTAN

Border clashes broke out yesterday between Taliban security forces and Iranian guards, but the dynamics of the dispute are still unclear. According to Iran, the Taliban were trying to raise a flag of the Islamic Emirate “in an area that is not Afghan territory.” The Taliban reported one dead. In the last year there have been several clashes in the border area.

RUSSIA

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture provided the harvest figures for the first half of 2022, which show a significant drop in production. 39.9 million tons of cereals were harvested, 11 million less than last year and processed wheat would be around 34 million compared to 40 million a year ago. All industry indicators show similar trends.

KAZAKHSTAN

The Public Ministry of Kazakhstan reports that 717 people were sentenced for the January riots, but does not specify the type of sentence applied. It had previously been reported that 83 of them were actually sentenced to a prison term for serious crimes, while another 512 were released after spending a period in preventive detention.