Renewed clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Today's headlines: Thai activist found guilty of lese majesty; Human Rights Watch denounces Burmese junta atrocities; another Russian leader dies in mysterious circumstances; In India, a chain of electric scooter fires alarms the government, which wants to promote their use.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

Trading blame, Armenia and Azerbaijan both report new border clashes that have resulted in the deaths of an unknown number of Azerbaijani troops. The fighting, which broke out shortly after midnight local time, is yet another outbreak of violence over control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

THAILAND

An activist, jailed for two years, was found guilty of insulting the monarchy for dressing like the Thai queen. Jatuporn Saeoueng had worn a pink dress during a demonstration in Bangkok in 2020. Since King Maha Vajiralongkorn took the throne in 2019, the Thai authorities have intensified their use of the lese majesty law to crack down on protest movements demanding reform of the monarchy. Since November 2020, at least 210 protesters have been charged with this offence.

MYANMAR

A report published yesterday by Human Rights Watch shed light on the abuses of Burma's junta: dozens of civilians were detained, tortured and killed. The humanitarian organisation described through testimonies the deaths of at least six activists in prison. "The six deaths documented by Human Rights Watch are just the tip of the iceberg of suffering and torture of those detained by the Myanmar army and police," said Human Rights Watch researcher Manny Maung.

RUSSIA

Another Russian executive died under mysterious circumstances: near the Russkij Island in Vladivostok, the Chief Operating Officer of the Far Eastern and Arctic Development Corporation for Aviation Operations, Ivan Pechorin, drowned, the company's press office reported.

NORTH KOREA

A month after declaring 'victory' over covid-19, North Korean authorities ordered citizens to wear masks in public. Pyongyang had not released infection data for most of the pandemic. In May this year, it had admitted the spread of the virus. On 10 August, leader Kim Jong Un declared that he had eradicated the disease from the country.

CHINA

This year there was a reduced number of trips for the Mid-Autumn Festival, resulting in a drop in tourism revenue. The strict restrictions against covid-19 discouraged people from travelling. Travel dropped by 16.7% from a year ago, while tourism-related earnings fell by almost 23% to USD 4.14 billion.

INDIA

A fire that broke out in an electric scooter showroom killed at least eight people and injured 11. A spate of electric scooter fires has alarmed the government, which aims to promote their use to 80 per cent by 2030 in a bid to tackle pollution. According to initial investigations, faulty batteries were the main cause of the fires.

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