ASIA TODAY Iranian convert sentenced to five years in prison for 'Christian Zionism'

Today's news: UN Security Council votes on Gaza ceasefire resolution; Taipei arrested a Chinese citizen for “illegal entry” by sea; The Indonesian population ingests the most microplastics among 109 countries in the world; Manhunt by Indian soldiers in Kashmir after attack on pilgrimage bus; Tokyo wants to strengthen economic cooperation with Central Asian countries.

IRAN
An Iranian Christian, converted to Islam and imprisoned for months, was sentenced to five years in prison for having acted “against national security” by communicating with “Christian “Zionist” organizations”. Esmaeil Narimanpour, 37, had already been forced to take religious “re-education” courses. He is part of a group of 50 people imprisoned by authorities over the Christmas holidays.

ISRAEL – PALESTINE – UN
The UN Security Council approved the American draft resolution supporting the Gaza ceasefire plan announced by Joe Biden and calls on Hamas to accept it. The text urges “both parties” to implement its terms “without delay and without conditions”. Positive opinion of the militiamen of the Gaza Strip. The project was approved by 14 votes in favor, with Russia abstaining.

TAIWAN – CHINA
Taiwan arrested for “illegal entry” a Chinese citizen who sailed on a speedboat to the mouth of a river leading to the capital, amid deep tensions. The coast guard had spotted a suspicious boat 11 km off the coast of Tamsui in the north, which then collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal. Initial information suggests that it was a former captain who wanted 'test' Taipei's defenses.

KOREA
South Korean army fires warning shots at some North soldiers crossed the border. The incident took place over the weekend, but was only reported by South Korean authorities in the past few hours. On June 9 around 12:30 p.m., a patrol crossed the military demarcation line in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, but this breach was apparently unintentional because the wooded area had “obscured” the border signs.

MALAYSIA – INDONESIA – PHILIPPINES
Populations in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, ingest the most. microplastics among 109 countries. This is according to Cornell University, according to which Indonesians consume the most with 15 g per month (three credit cards) from aquatic sources such as fish and seafood. A 59-fold increase between 1990 and 2018 .

INDIA
Soldiers launched a manhunt in Indian-controlled areas of Cashmere, a day after nine Hindu pilgrims visiting a temple were killed in one of the bloodiest attacks on civilians in the region. The attackers fired on the bus, also causing the death of a child. The vehicle ended its journey in a ravine, causing dozens of injuries.

RUSSIA
As Memorial activists tell us, since the beginning of June, police in Moscow and various regions of Russia have taken more decisive and more “technological” measures against migrants, arresting hundreds of them who tried to regularize their status. They used facial recognition program Sphere with video cameras in subways to track them down.

JAPAN – KAZAKHSTAN
According to information published by Orda.kz, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to visit Kazakhstan and participate in the joint summit with the heads of state of Central Asian countries in early August. The aim is to assess prospects for economic cooperation, a move seen by commentators as “a challenge for China”.