MORNING NEWS BRIEF [AUGUST 31, 2020]

HOT NEWS

1. Italian coastguard evacuated 49 people while nearly 400 refugees and migrants remained stranded in the central Mediterranean after an overcrowded rescue vessel. Source: Al Jazeera
2. A UN agency warned that more than half of Lebanon’s populations were at risk of food shortages while the country experienced the economic collapse even before the blast. Source: Al Jazeera
3. Tens of thousands of people in Belarus continued protesting against President Alexander Lukashedo, and faced off with a huge riot police presence. Source: BBC

WORLD

1. The Israeli army confirmed its tanks have hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after a series of Palestinian balloon attacks across the border. Source: Al Jazeera
2. Numerous far-right sympathies demonstrators attempted to storm Germany’s parliament building during the protest against COVID-19 restrictions. Source: BBC
3. A French senior military officer, who had also been working under a NATO command center, is under investigation over the accusation of treason and spying for Russia. Source: RT

REGIONS

1. Chief Cabinet Secretary and Abe’s right-hand man, Yoshihide Suga, emerged as the top candidate to succeed and take over the role as the next Prime Minister. Source: Japan Times
2. All schools and kindergartens in China’s Wuhan are set to reopen on September 1st,  after maintaining at zero reported cases since May. Source: The Straits Times
3. China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed they had launched an anti-subsidy investigation on some containers of two liters of wine imports from Australia. Source: Reuters

CAMBODIA

1. The 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ meeting via teleconference focused on market reopening and eliminating trade barriers in the region to ease supply chain. Source: AKP
2. Cooperation plans in trade, investment, human resources and post-pandemic economic recovery have been adopted by CLMV under the framework of AEM-52. Source: Khmer Times
3. The Health Ministry issued a letter mandating governors to strengthen the security and order in all quarantine facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Source: Khmer Times