August 22, 2023

*) Ex-PM Thaksin jailed on return to Thailand after 15 years in exile Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was sent to jail on Tuesday shortly after he returned to the kingdom after 15 years in exile. The latest political development comes just hours before parliament votes to install his party's candidate as new prime minister. At the airport in Bangkok, the 74-year-old billionaire was greeted by hundreds of supporters waving banners and singing songs, demonstrating how he has retained an outsized influence despite his long absence. *) Russia says jet 'destroys' Ukraine reconnaissance boat in Black Sea Russia's defence ministry said that one of its Sukhoi jets had "destroyed" a Ukrainian "reconnaissance boat" in the Black Sea. The vessel reportedly sailed near a Russian gas production facility prompting a response from Moscow. Earlier, Russia claimed that its ships were targeted by a Ukrainian naval drone attack. *) BRICS summit of emerging economies to begin in South Africa Leaders of the BRICS nations are due in South Africa to discuss expanding membership amid a push to forge the bloc as a counterweight to the West. South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa will host Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the country’s largest city, Johannesburg, from Tuesday to Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, is skipping the meeting amid concerns that he could be arrested due to an outstanding international warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Over 40 countries said they are interested in joining BRICS, but India and Brazil have expressed some reservation, over concerns that the expansion could dilute the bloc’s global influence. *) Japan to start releasing Fukushima water on Thursday Japan is expected to release on Thursday the water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. The nuclear plant was knocked out by a massive earthquake and tsunami