Tehran, missiles against Israel to avenge Nasrallah. Netanyahu: ‘They will pay’

Today's news: Delhi opposes the idea of an ‘Asian NATO’ advocated by the new Japanese premier; Seoul unveils the latest ‘monster missile’ that can hit critical infrastructure in the North; Textile factories reopen in Bangladesh after violent protests; The Myanmar regime launches population census operations ahead of vote.

IRAN - ISRAEL - LEBANON
A night of war in filled the skies over the Islamic Republic and Israel. Teheran launched 181 ballistic missiles towards the Jewish State (mostly intercepted by the ‘Iron Doom’ defence system), forcing about 10 million people into air-raid shelters. The Iranian attack, like the one last April, was more of a demonstration in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and had no serious consequences: the toll was a few minor injuries and no major damage to infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks of a ‘grave mistake’ and promises that ‘they will pay for it’, the ayatollahs threaten further escalation in the event of retaliation. The Israeli army's (IDF) ground operation in Lebanon, which has been under bombs for a dozen days, clashes with Hezbollah continue.

INDIA - JAPAN
Delhi does not share the idea of an 'Asian NATO ’ advocated by the new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said this yesterday, explaining that - unlike Tokyo - his country has never been allied with others. India, Japan, the United States and Australia are part of the so-called Quad, a grouping of countries formed as a counterweight to China.

KOREA
Seoul has unveiled its latest ballistic missile, Hyunmoo-5, a ‘monster missile’ with a destructive capacity according to the South Korean media of a nuclear weapon. The launcher can carry warheads of up to nine tonnes and strike command centres hidden underground, including critical Pyongyang infrastructure. It incorporates an advanced cold launch system with compressed gas.

BANGLADESH
Most garment factories reopened yesterday, 24 hours after violent protests over a wage increase left one worker dead and several injured. Bangladesh, among the world's largest garment producers and a supplier to western brands, has seen widespread protests in recent weeks, leading to the closure of dozens of companies and paralysing a production process already slowed by recent political turmoil and devastating floods.

MYANMAR
Myanmar's military administration yesterday started the census used to draw up electoral rolls ahead of next year's vote. The day before, anti-regime activist groups detonated two bombs in Yangon, injuring 11 people. Opponents, including ethnic minority insurgents and pro-democracy fighters loyal to the shadow government of Aung San Suu Kyi's loyalists, control much of the country and oppose census and voting.

PAKISTAN - RUSSIA
In Pakistan, a Mi-8 helicopter with Russian pilots at the helm and 14 passengers crashed in the North Waziristan district near an oil well, killing six people and injuring eight; at the moment it is not known for sure who was left alive. The aircraft belongs to the Pakistani oil exploration and extraction company Mari Petroleum Limited.

CHINA - AZERBAIJAN
The 1st Chinese International Conference for the Study of Azerbaijan was held in Beijing under the slogan ‘Strengthening Sino-Azerbaijani Relations in the Spirit of the Silk Road’, organised by the Puija University of Foreign Languages ; Director Chao Zhang noted that it was not only ‘for economic cooperation, but also to deepen cultural, scientific and educational relations’.

• Asia
• Today