One arrest and 23 detained in Hong Kong for trying to recall Tiananmen

Today's headlines: many migrants on train crash in Orissa, 187 bodies yet to be identifie; Hun Sen imposes new financial controls on all NGOs; Philippine bishops for the Ati's right to land on the tourist island of Boracay; In Turkmenistan, the government requires gas and electricity to be paid three months in advance.

HONG KONG-CHINA

A 53-year-old woman arrested on charges of obstructing police officers; 11 men and 12 women, aged between 20 and 74, detained on Causeway Bay for further investigation on suspicion of breach of the peace and then released.

This is the toll of police operations in Hong Kong against those who tried to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown with flowers, candles or other gestures yesterday.

Among those taken into police custody are prominent activists and a journalist: Tsui Hong-kwong, who was among the organisers of the Tiananmen vigils, trade unionist Leo Tang, the president of the pro-democracy group League of Social Democrats (LSD), Chan Po-ying, and the former head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Clement So.

INDIA

Three days now since the Balasore train disaster, out of 275 confirmed victims, there are still 187 bodies to be identified. Preserving them until they are claimed by relatives is proving to be a challenge for hospitals in Orissa. Many passengers travelling on the two trains were Indian migrant workers, so identification is proving difficult.

CAMBODIA

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered all NGOs to undergo financial audits on pain of closure, adding that a review of funding sources will ensure that money is not used 'to further terrorism in Cambodia'. The official Kampuchea Presse news agency said that Cambodia's 6,109 NGOs and associations will risk legal action if they do not submit their annual reports, which are subject to approval by the Ministry of the Interior, to strengthen the country's stability.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippine Bishops' Conference's Commission for Indigenous Peoples has issued an appeal calling for the land titles awarded by the government in 2018 to the Ati tribe on Boracay Island, a popular tourist destination, to be 'honoured and respected'. The Ati - beneficiaries of the land reform - risk losing the land allocated to them during the Duterte administration on the pretext that it would be 'unsuitable' for agriculture, even though in reality - denounces Bishop Jose Corazon Tala-oc of Kalibo - the tribe is already successfully cultivating it.

ISRAEL-EGYPT

Three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed by gunfire on the Israeli side of the border. Egypt claims its officer crossed the border while chasing drug smugglers. The Israeli army stated that the gunshots were allegedly related to an operation against drug trafficking. The armed forces of both countries say that joint investigations into the incident are ongoing.

RUSSIA

For the first time in 30 years, no western journalists have been accredited to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for 14-17 June, due to the decision to "keep out representatives of unfriendly countries". as reported by The Bell agency and confirmed by the Kremlin, the decision affects more than 50 countries.

TURKMENISTAN

In Turkmenbaši and other cities in Turkmenistan the local authorities are forcing citizens to pay for electricity and gas services three months in advance, heavy fines are being imposed on those who do not comply with the request within a week, up to the disconnection of supplies, and in the city centre already more than 300 flats have been left without electricity.

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