To Lam in Beijing on first trip as Vietnam leader.

Today's news: Blinken in Israel over cease-fire agreement, but Netanyahu and Hamas accuse each other. Protests in Kolkata over the rape and murder of a female doctor in a hospital. Pakistan denies plans to activate firewall to control internet. A case of mpox in the Philippines as well.

CHINA-VIETNAM

Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Vietnam today during talks with Vietnam's new leader To Lam in Beijing on his first state visit since taking office as general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party last month. The meeting is a sign of the close ties between the two neighbors, who have well-developed economic and trade relations despite occasional border clashes in the South China Sea. Lam arrived Sunday in China's southern province of Guangzhou for a three-day visit that includes meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other senior Chinese officials.

MIDDLE EAST.

While U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has arrived in Israel to press for a Gaza cease-fire agreement and hostage release, there is a long-distance clash between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leadership, who accuse each other of boycotting the deal. Meanwhile, at least nine Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids in Gaza, while new Hezbollah drones from Lebanon have been intercepted in northern Israel.

INDIA

Hundreds of women took to the streets in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal last night, demanding justice for an alleged rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a state-run hospital, last week. Doctors also went on strike for 24 hours in solidarity. The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has come under pressure for its handling of the crime. The victim's parents have criticized alleged attempts to stifle the protests. The CBI-the federal investigative agency-continues its investigation of the case after taking over from the Calcutta police by order of the Calcutta High Court.

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani government has denied claims that it is building a firewall to control the Internet, causing a slowdown in connections in recent weeks. Instead, it claims the slowdown is due to the massive use of VPNs (virtual private networks). The statement comes after business groups warned that poor connectivity could lead to a “mass exodus” of IT companies. Shutting down the Internet to crush dissent is a familiar move in Pakistan and other parts of Asia : after riots sparked by former Prime Minister Imran Khan last year, the government had blocked social media platforms and reduced the speed of connections.

PHILIPPINES

A new case of mpox (the so-called monkeypox) has also been recorded in the Philippines, The Health Department reports that it is a 33 year-old from the Manila metropolitan area with no history of traveling outside the country. This is the first case recorded in the Philippines this year; the last was in December 2023. Manila has alerted tracking and prevention systems to reduce the risk of infection.

RUSSIA

The memory of Russian pianist Pavel Kušnir, who died at the age of 39 in the Birobidžan prison camp last July 28 after a hunger strike, is becoming increasingly widespread. Convicted of “inciting terrorism” for his anti-war appeals and videos, he also left behind writings that are being picked up by media around the world, making him an increasingly sharp figure in expressing the sentiments of true pacifism.

KAZAKHSTAN

Almaty's museums in Kazakhstan were awarded the Best Museum of the Turkic World award by the international organization Tjurksoj, whose secretary Sultan Raev recalled how museums in the southern Kazakh capital have put on excellent exhibitions in the past two years in Istanbul, Prague, and Seoul, connecting with the experiences of the world's best museums.

• AsiaToday