Hong Kong bans online fighting game “against communists”

Today's news: the Indian state of Karnataka to redo its caste census; Defence spending in Pakistan to increase by 17%;  Myanmar's mines contaminating Thai rivers; Russia recruits foreigners for war through deception; Members of world famous K-pop band BTS complete compulsory military service in South Korea.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong police have banned the download of an online game that promotes armed struggle (against the Chinese government). On the game's website, called “Reversed Front: Bonfire”, players can “swear allegiance” to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet or the Uighurs, with the aim of “overthrowing the communist regime”. In a statement released yesterday, the police warned that anyone who downloads the game “could be considered in possession of a publication with seditious intent”.

INDIA

The chief minister of Karnataka, from the Congress Party, said that a new census on castes will be conducted in response to complaints from some communities who claimed to have been excluded or under-represented in the survey. The data for the first survey was collected in 2015 and approved by the local government in April, sparking opposition from some indigenous groups who believe they have been underrepresented.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan has drastically increased defence spending, citing growing security needs following the military clash with India. In contrast, development spending has been cut to meet conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund. Yesterday, the Pakistani government announced its budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on 1 July, explaining that billion of a total of billion will be allocated to debt financing, while billion will be dedicated to defence, an increase of about 17% over last year.

MYANMAR – THAILAND

A new, massive mine in Myanmar's Shan State is responsible for polluting the Kok River, which flows into Thailand and joins the Mekong. The facility is run by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), considered the most powerful ethnic militia in the country, with strong ties to China. Thai authorities claim to have detected arsenic levels five times higher than the standard in their waterways, posing a risk to aquatic life and local communities that depend on fishing.

SOUTH KOREA

Two more members of the BTS group, Jimin and Jungkook, were discharged from the South Korean army today, while fans await the last member of the band to complete his compulsory military service in the coming days. The group was forced to put their music career on hold in 2022 after the government ruled out the possibility of singers obtaining an exemption.

RUSSIA

Russia continues its deceptive recruitment for the war in Ukraine, inviting many Africans with promises of well-paid jobs, as in the case of 36-year-old Jean Onana from Cameroon, who thought he would receive a generous salary in a champagne factory to support his wife and three children, but was detained and sent to the front with citizens from Bangladesh, Ghana and Zimbabwe, all lured in the same way.

KYRGYZSTAN

The president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Žaparov, has signed amendments to the constitution on the election of the president and deputies of the Žogorku Keneš, which aim to “improve electoral procedures, combat political corruption and eliminate flaws in the current electoral law, increasing citizens” trust in their elected representatives', with a redistribution of seats that has been widely criticised by many social forces.

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