Today’s news: Democratic activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to three months in prison in Hong Kong. A controversial former Indian MP was murdered: his assailants chanted Hindu slogans. Warning shots by the South Korean navy at a North Korean fishing boat that violated maritime limits; At least 41 dead in Syria in attacks by the Islamic State. Malaysia wants to introduce a second 5G network.
IRAN
Tehran condemned 10 members of the armed forces were sent to prison for their participation in the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 that occurred on January 8, 2020. The attack caused the death of all 176 people on board. As reported Mizan Onlinea commander will have to serve 10 years in prison, while the other nine involved received sentences of between one and three years.
HONG KONG
One of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy activists, Joshua Wong, 26, detained since 2020, He was sentenced today to another three months in prison for spreading information about a police officer, violating a court order. The agent reportedly fired at protesters during a protest in 2019. Wong attended the hearing but did not comment.
INDIA
A group of armed men infiltrated the journalists and killer a former Indian politician and his brother during a live television broadcast as they were both being carried handcuffed by police to hospital. The victim, 61-year-old Atiq Ahmed (along with his brother Ashraf), had been detained since 2019 on kidnapping charges. Both were Muslims; after firing at them, the assailants shouted Hindu slogans.
KOREA
Tension intensifies on the Korean peninsula. Yesterday, the Seoul army conducted warning shots against a North Korean ship that had crossed the maritime borders. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. on April 15. Today South Korea performs joint naval maneuvers with the US and Japan -with the use of missiles- to face the “threat” of Pyongyang.
SYRIA
at least 41 dead, including 24 civilians, is the balance of two attacks attributed to the Islamic State against truffle pickers and shepherds in Syria. Activist groups denounce attacks in the desert east of Hama, which also killed 17 pro-government fighters. More than 240 people have been killed by ISIS since the beginning of February during the harvest of desert truffles, which are then sold at exorbitant prices.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia wants to introduce a second 5G network starting next year. The initiative, promoted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, aims to dismantle monopolies and promote competition to improve services to the public. The launch is scheduled for January 2024 and will challenge the state-owned Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB).
RUSSIA – UKRAINE
The Russian Interior Ministry published the regulations for the implementation of the new law “On the special legal status of Russians with Ukrainian nationality”, especially in the four newly annexed republics. The affected people will be under close observation for 25 years, to check that they completely renounce their ties with Ukraine.
CHINA – KAZAKHSTAN
Beijing is preparing for the China-Central Asia summit to be held in Xi’an on May 18-19 by offering generous gifts to partners in the region. Among them, the recent agreement signed with Kazakhstan to abolish the country’s entry visa, valid for 30 days for citizens of both countries, and the evaluation of various transport and logistics projects that are highly beneficial for the entire area.
