USAID Will Destroy Food for 30,000, US Announces Syria De-escalation
Andrew Sheves 🇺🇸** USAID Will Destroy Food for 30,000 Kids**
Nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits intended to feed 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be incinerated after expiring in a Dubai warehouse following Trump’s closure of USAID. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas called the waste “a casualty of the shutdown of USAID,” which closed July 1, leaving over 60,000 tonnes of food aid stuck worldwide. The $793,000 worth of expired fortified wheat biscuits will cost an additional $100,000 to destroy, despite lawmakers warning officials in March about the potential waste as 319 million people face limited food access globally. More - Al Jazeera
🇸🇾** US Announces Syria De-escalation**
The US said “specific steps” were agreed to end Syria violence after Israeli strikes hit Damascus, including the defense ministry in central Umayyad Square, as Israel warned of “painful blows” against forces attacking the Druze in Suweida. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said warnings to Damascus had ended and the military would “continue to operate vigorously” until attacking forces withdraw completely from Suweida. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported over 300 people killed since Sunday’s clashes began, including 69 Druze fighters, 40 civilians, and 165 government forces, while Syria’s health ministry said government forces found “dozens of bodies” at Suweida’s national hospital. More - BBC
Asia Stability Ratings and News Summary
More Unstable
🇦🇫 Afghanistan, 🇦🇲 Armenia, 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇨🇳 China, 🇬🇪 Georgia, 🇮🇳 India, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇲🇲 Myanmar, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇵🇰 Pakistan, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, 🇹🇯 Tajikistan, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan, 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
More Stable
No countries were more stable over this period
Unchanged
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan, 🇧🇹 Bhutan, 🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇹🇱 East Timor, 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇲🇳 Mongolia, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Regional News Summary
In recent developments across Asia, Singapore’s economy has shown resilience, growing by 4.3% in the second quarter, driven by robust performances in manufacturing and finance, thus averting a recession. This positive economic outlook is complemented by Tata Steel’s acquisition of shares worth Rs 1,074 crore in its Singapore unit, and the eSIM platform Airalo achieving unicorn status after raising US$220 million in funding [SOURCE - CNBC].
On the diplomatic front, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, emphasized the need for deeper relationships with China, the US, and Europe, while Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted Singapore’s pivotal role in India’s Act East Policy [[SOURCE - AsiaOne]](https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/singapore-must-develop-deeper-relationships-china-us-europe-shanmugam?utm_source=new
Carpe tomorrow!