ASIA TODAY South Korea at the UN Security Council

Other news today: China “concerned” by the humanitarian and ecological consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. The Indian government has launched a program for students to visit the primary school where Modi studied in Gujarat. Singer supporter of the generals was assassinated in Rangoon. Iran claims it has its own hypersonic missile. The election campaign began in Uzbekistan.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea was chosen as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a period of two years. In the vote at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, it obtained 180 votes from the 192 member countries. Seoul’s last participation in the Security Council was in 2013-2014. Among the ten non-permanent members, the other country currently present representing Asia is Japan.

CHINA-RUSSIA-UKRAINE

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, expressed his grave concern about the destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in southern Ukraine. “The protection of civilians and critical civilian structures in armed conflict is an important principle enshrined in international humanitarian law,” he said. We are deeply concerned about the resulting humanitarian, economic and ecological consequences.”

INDIA

The primary school attended by the prime minister Indian Narendra Modi in his hometown of Vadnagar, Gujarat, will become a model school called “Prerna” which will be visited every week by two students from each Indian district on a study tour. Students will visit the school in groups of 30 and all transportation and accommodation expenses will be borne by the Union Ministry of Culture. The late 19th century school, which was in operation until 2018, has been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of a Vadnagar mega restoration scheme.

MYANMAR

Singer Lily Naing Kyaw, 58, died at a hospital in Rangoon a week after she was shot in the head, allegedly by gunmen opposed to the army she was a supporter of. The artist was close to the leadership of the Junta that took power in 2021 and she was also accused of being an informer. Two men were arrested on the murder charge.

IRAN

Iran claims it has created a hypersonic missile that can travel at 15 times the speed of sound, adding a new weapon to its arsenal, while high tensions continue with the United States and Israel over Tehran’s nuclear program. The Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s paramilitary aerospace program, explained that the missile – called Fattah, meaning “conqueror” in Farsi – potentially has a range of 1,400 kilometers.

RUSSIA-AFGHANISTAN

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov told a conference at the Russian-Tajika University in Dushanbe that Russia will continue to maintain a channel of dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan, but it will not be able to recognize the Kabul government until it complies with the demands of inclusion of all ethnic components of the country.

UZBEKISTAN

The campaign for the election of the president of Uzbekistan began prior to the elections on July 9. Together with the outgoing president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is more than assured of re-election, Ulugbek Inojatov for the Popular Democratic Party, Robakhon Makhmudov for the “Adolat” social democrats and Abdushukur Khamzaev for the Ecologist Party.