Thailand: Anti- monarchy protests return

In the headlines today: A new Covid outbreak in China; expectations ahead of the virtual meeting between Xi and Biden. Japan's economy declines sharply. Two journalists arrested in India for reporting on clashes in Tripura. Kabul mediates truce between Islamabad and Pakistani Taliban. Israel and the US launch partnerships against ransomware. Schism in the Russian Orthodox Church.

THAILAND

Anti-government protests have returned in Thailand. Yesterday about 800 demonstrators marched in Bangkok demanding a review of the powers of the crown: for the Constitutional Court the calls for reform of the monarchy amount to an attempted coup d'état.

CAMBODIA

As of today, there is no longer any quarantine requirement for travelers vaccinated against Covid-19: even if they present a negative test they can visit any part of the country.

CHINA

China is facing the worst Covid-19 infection since the initial phase of the pandemic. Most affected is Dalian, in the northeast of the country. Chinese state media write that Taiwan will be the main topic Xi Jinping will raise in his virtual meeting tonight (US time) with Joe Biden.

JAPAN

The Japanese economy saw a 3% contraction in the third quarter of the year: a new global wave of coronavirus and problems with international trade chains (particularly microchips) at the root of the contraction. Experts expect a recovery in the last three months of 2021.

INDIA

While the smog emergency in Delhi continues, Tripura police arrested two journalists from HW News Network: blamed for fueling hatred with their reports on the late October riots in the northeastern state.

AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN

Opium production, from which heroin is derived, is growing in southern Afghanistan; the Taliban government says it is studying alternatives to cultivation. Kabul revealed that it mediated the recent signing of a ceasefire between the Islamabad government and the Pakistani Taliban (Ttp).

ISREAL-US

Israel and the U.S. will cooperate in the fight against "ransomware" (online extortion), which has now become a global threat. The European Union and 30 other countries are also expected to participate in the initiative.

RUSSIA-GEORGIA

The Russian Orthodox Church risks another schism because of the religious authorities of Abkhazia, a region of Georgia under Moscow's influence. Part of the local Orthodox, led by the priest Vissarion Aplia, has formed an autonomous Church based in Sukhumi.