HONG KONG
The Hong Kong government today published the text of the new law on Article 23, the provision that would further tighten national security regulations. The text expands the cases and stiffens the penalties for the crimes of sedition and violation of state secrets, also including new laws on treason, espionage and external interference. The discussion in the Legislative Assembly began today and the head of local government John Lee wants the bill to be approved before mid-April.
UNITED STATES-GAZA-ISRAEL
The United States wants to build a temporary port in Gaza to deliver more humanitarian aid by sea via a corridor from Cyprus. President Joe Biden announced this in his State of the Union speech. Biden said the initiative will be carried out by the US military, but will not include the presence of troops on the ground. It is therefore unclear who will ensure the unloading and distribution of the aid, crucial questions regarding the operation's likelihood of success.
NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA
According to Pyongyang media, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un led artillery exercises involving front-line units capable of hitting the "enemy's capital", namely Seoul. The action is an apparent response to an ongoing joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.
INDIA
Faced with the serious water crisis affecting the metropolis of Bengaluru, the Government of Karnataka has banned the use of drinking water for various purposes, including car washing, gardening, construction and maintenance. The city is grappling with a severe water shortage even before the summer truly begins. More than 3,000 boreholes across the city have run dry, as poor rainfall last past monsoon season led to huge water shortages.
MYANMAR
In the southern part of Shan State, more than a thousand civilians are trapped in the midst of heavy clashes between the Myanmar army and ethnic Pa-O rebels in the city of Hsiheng, which the junta is trying to reconquer. These fights are part of the offensive that since October has seen various factions of the armed resistance increasingly put the military junta on the ropes throughout the country. In the nearby Sagaing region, the People's Defense Force said it was close to capturing a town near Monywa, the region's largest city.
RUSSIA
The Kremlin's electoral campaign is increasingly focusing on guaranteeing a high turnout, which must be "absolutely high, between 70 and 80%", as several officials repeat, authoritatively mobilizing the State-dependent electorate of employees, with their relatives and friends, for which everyone must "bring at least ten other people".
ARMENIA
Exiles from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) organized a protest in front of the parliament building in Yerevan, to ask for a solution to their housing issue, as the Armenian authorities issued them purchase certificates for apartments, but the local banks refuse to issue the credits to conclude the procedure.
