India, at least 14 dead and hundreds missing after a lake floods

Today's news: South Korean lecturers investigated for buying university entrance exams; In Japan, Premier Kishida wants wage increases; The Philippines removed the ceiling on rice prices; In Thailand the shooting in a shopping mall brought the issue of weapons back to the centre; The US sent ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine; Germany discusses the repatriation of migrants with Central Asian countries.

INDIA

At least 14 people were killed and 102, including 22 army personnel, went missing in northeast India this morning after heavy rains caused the high-lying Lhonak Lake to overflow its banks. Eleven bridges were swept away. “The search operations are being undertaken in conditions of incessant rain, rushing water in the Teesta River,” a defense spokesperson said.

SOUTH KOREA

Some of South Korea's best-known university teachers are under investigation for allegedly purchasing questions for the state-administered college entrance exam, or Suneung. The list of suspects includes the so-called big three hagwon, or private education institutions - Megastudy, Sidae Injae and Daesung Hagwon - and Hyun Woo-jin, a well-known mathematics teacher. The Ministry of Education has asked police to investigate possible collusion between public educators and the private education industry.

JAPAN

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the need to propose larger and more lasting wage increases to help families affected by the rising cost of living. The observation was made during the annual meeting of Japan's largest labor organization, Rengo, and highlights the current administration's focus on supporting consumption so companies can raise prices.

PHILIPPINES

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos lifted the rice price cap after a month, but "we are taking other measures to help our farmers in terms of equipment and processing," Marcos said during a rice distribution event in Manila. Staple food prices have been volatile in recent months, contributing to inflation in the Philippines after Asian countries, particularly India, restricted exports of non-basmati rice.

THAILAND

After a shooting at a shopping mall in Thailand, police arrested three suspects who allegedly sold a gun to the 14-year-old boy accused of carrying out the shooting attack, which killed a Chinese woman and a Burmese woman. According to Thai media reports, one suspect modified the blank gun, another sold the weapon and the third withdrew the money from the sale from an ATM. New requests have arrived from Thai society to limit the sale of weapons.

USA – IRAN – UKRAINE

The US military will send more than a million rounds of ammunition previously seized from Iran to Ukraine. These are munitions intercepted over the years to prevent them from reaching Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen and which were often found hidden on fishing boats. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) had stated that “the United States is committed to working with allies and partners to counter the flow of lethal Iranian aid into the region by all lawful means.”

RUSSIA

The Basmannyj court in Moscow sentenced the former collaborator of the first television channel, Marina Ovsannikkva, known for being the first to condemn the invasion live, displaying a sign "Stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they lie here,” and later managed to escape Russia.

GERMANY - CENTRAL ASIA

The Berlin government is negotiating with various countries to establish a so-called 'migration partnership', which would, among other things, allow for the rapid repatriation of illegal migrants. At present, Georgia, Moldova, Kenya, Colombia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to discuss the issue, with priority being given to Tbilisi and Chisinau, whose citizens have been refused asylum in Germany by more than 10%.

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