Hong Kong court orders liquidation of Evergrande

Today's news: attack against US troops in Jordan; North Korea launched more missiles off its east coast; In Maharashtra another disputed place of worship generates religious disputes; New tensions in Belucistan; In Myanmar, the Pa-O ethnic group also decided to fight against the army; Restrictions on journalists in Kazakhstan.

CHINA

This morning a Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of the Chinese Evergrande group, the most indebted real estate developer in the world which has been in a liquidity crisis since 2021. The decision is likely to impact Chinese markets at a time when local authorities are trying to curb a stock market sell-off. Evergrande shares fell more than 20% in Hong Kong after the announcement and trading was suspended.

NORTH KOREA

North Korea fired several cruise missiles into waters off its eastern coast over the weekend, the South Korean military said, adding that leader Kom Jong Un oversaw the launch and reviewed a project to build a submarine nuclear powered. In recent months Pyongyang has proved increasingly aggressive, putting an end to various peacekeeping mechanisms and intensifying military action.

INDIA

Once again a religious place is at the center of a religious dispute in India: the Haji Malang sanctuary located on a hill on the outskirts of Mumbai is seen as a symbol of assimilation and tolerance and is frequented by believers of all religions. However, the prime minister of the state of Maharashtra earlier this month claimed that the structure was a temple belonging to Hindus and declared his commitment to "liberate" it.

IRAN – PAKISTAN

Some gunmen killed 9 Pakistani citizens in the Baluchistan region, while Tehran and Islamabad are trying to mend their ties after the exchange of missiles in recent weeks: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is scheduled to visit Pakistan today. Calling the attack a "terrorist act", Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it was in contact with Iranian authorities and had asked Tehran to investigate the incident.

JORDAN

Three US soldiers were killed and 34 others wounded in a drone attack by pro-Iranian militants against American troops in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border, US President Joe Biden said, while Tehran denied any involvement. This is the first attack against American targets since the start of the war between Gaza and Israel.

MYANMAR

The Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA), one of Myanmar's ethnic militias, has abandoned peace talks with Myanmar's coup junta and said it will join the fight against the regime. The ceasefire agreements with the central government were signed in 2015. This is an interesting development in the Burmese conflict, considering that in the last three years several Pa-O groups have fought on the side of the army.

RUSSIA

After the spontaneous protests in Yakutsk in Siberia, the authorities of the region sent the police for mass raids among migrants, with searches in almost 200 buildings and checks on violations of the rules, to which around 800 people were subjected, mostly some from Central Asia, and 108 were arrested. 10 people have been charged with violations, 5 will be deported, 22 have been drafted for the war in Ukraine.

KAZAKHSTAN

In the new draft law on communications of the Astana government it is proposed to change the rules of accreditation of foreign media and their journalists, giving the Foreign Ministry the right to refuse or revoke it "in case of threat to the national security of Kazakhstan", with a direct procedure without the possibility of legal appeal.

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