ASIA TODAY Ankara approves Finland’s NATO entry, Sweden still waiting

Today’s news: Hindu temple accident in Indore, 35 dead. Partial victory for Tehran in The Hague: the freezing of assets of Iranian companies by the US is partly “illegal”. Water crisis in South Korea. The Cambodian opposition leader is appealing his conviction. Pyongyang launches campaign against divorce. Taliban delegation in Tajikistan to discuss borders.

Türkiye – FINLAND

The Turkish Parliament approved late yesterday afternoon a bill allowing Finland to join the NATO, thus opening the door of the Atlantic alliance to Helsinki, which had been pressing to enter in an anti-Russian key. Ankara is the last of the 30 countries to ratify membership, meanwhile, Sweden remains on hold, which has so far failed to convince President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

INDIA

In a accident What happened yesterday in a Hindu temple in Indore, in the center of the country, killed at least 35 faithful and more than a dozen were rescued by rescuers. More than 25 people rushed into a well – a water source used by the municipality – after the pavement collapsed under the weight of attendees. The temples are packed on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the god Rama.

IRAN – UNITED STATES

Partial victory for Tehran: the judges of the International Court of Justice ruled yesterday that Washington had allowed “illegally” to US courts to freeze the assets of Iranian companies. The US will have to pay compensation to be determined. However, the court said it had no jurisdiction over 1.75 billion euros of frozen assets of the Central Bank of Iran.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is facing one of the worst water crises of its history, which so far affects more than a million people. The two main reservoirs that supply Jeolla province, some 440 km south of Seoul, are running dry. Among the initiatives being studied by the Seoul government to limit the crisis is the construction of a mobile seawater desalination plant.

CAMBODIA

The opposition leader kem sokha, 69, co-founder of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), appealed against his 27-year prison sentence (which he is serving under house arrest) for “conspiring” with foreign entities to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen. He was also deprived of his political rights and cannot meet with anyone outside of his family without permission.

NORTH KOREA

Pyongyang launches campaign against divorce designed to convince “disgruntled wives” to stay in the family. One of the points of the initiative consists of punishing with the “public pillory” the parents of couples who are about to get divorced. Companies with high separation rates are also in the crosshairs.

AFGHANISTAN – TAJIKISTAN

In recent days, a Taliban delegation officially paid a visit to Tajikistan for the first time since its return to power in Kabul. The parties kept the meeting in Khorog in the strictest confidence, without making any statements. Experts believe that the negotiations focused on border relations and the situation of the Tajiks in Afghanistan, with many family ties on both borders.

RUSSIA

According to The Moscow Times, President Vladimir Putin would have imposed a confidential ban on officials, deputies and senators, governors, heads of large companies and state banks, to prevent them from traveling abroad without explicit permission. Anonymous sources quoted by the newspaper reveal that, in effect, “the iron curtain has been raised again, at least for state officials.”