China tests intercontinental missile in the Pacific, first time since 1980

Today's news: Hezbollah fires rocket (intercepted) at Tel Aviv, death toll rises to 569 in Israeli raids; Former PM Noda nominated as leader of opposition party in Japan; Bangkok starts distributing the 10,000 baht subsidy; Pakistan auctions off its national airline; Galstanyan launches new protest campaign in Armenia.

CHINA

China claimed to have successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean. Authorities in Beijing reported that the missile ‘fell in the designated sea areas’, adding that the test launch was ‘routine’ and part of its ‘annual training’. The description is surprising because the last such test took place in 1980. China's tests usually take place within the country and in the past China has carried out intercontinental missile tests in the west, in the Taklamakan desert in the Xinjiang region.

LEBANON-ISRAEL

Hezbollah fired a ballistic missile at the outskirts of Tel Aviv this morning. It is the first time the Israeli metropolis has been directly targeted by the Lebanese Shiite militia since the beginning of hostilities almost a year ago. The missile was intercepted by Israeli air defence systems and there were no injuries. Meanwhile, the Israeli raids on Lebanon continue: according to the Health Ministry in Beirut, the death toll since Monday has risen to 569 people.

JAPAN

Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, 67, was elected president of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), the main opposition party in Japan. In the runoff he defeated former party chairman Yukio Edano. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) - the governing force in Tokyo - will hold its primary elections on 27 September to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is not running for re-election. Early elections are expected to be held in Japan by the end of the year.

THAILAND

The Thai government today launched the first phase of its economic stimulus programme, which will eventually see around 45 million people receive 10,000 baht (about EUR 270 ed.) each. The initial phase will see the sum distributed to 14.5 million welfare card holders and the disabled and is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

PAKISTAN

The auction for the sale of Pakistan's national airline will take place on 1 October. This was reported by the head of the privatisation committee of the National Assembly. The government in Islamabad intends to sell between 51% and 100% of the shares in the company plagued by serious losses as part of reforms urged by the International Monetary Fund.

RUSSIA

One of the last representatives of the Dolgani ethnic group, a group of Turkic origin living in the Taimyr province of the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, published a book in the Dolgani language ‘Even the Frost Melts’ about the last generation of her people, of which there are little more than 7,000 people left, recalling her childhood in the tundra with deer.

ARMENIA

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the oppositions in Armenia, announced the start of a new intense campaign of protests starting on 2 October, ‘not only to overthrow the government, but as a mission to achieve changes in values and civilisation’, addressing the challenges of security, social justice, corruption and Artsakh (the Armenian name for the Nagorno-Karabakh region reconquered by Azerbaijan).

• Asia
• Today