Today's news: In India a court dismisses the appeal against the arrest of opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvid Kejriwal. Sunni militants kill five police officers in Sistan-Balochistan. South Korea invests billions in artificial intelligence. Protests in Manila against Chinese “aggression”, trampled on Xi Jinping's image.
TAIWAN
The president-elect of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, appointed this morning Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai, former leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (PDP). He will take office on May 20, with the inauguration of Lai's term. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who in turn appoints cabinet members (the Foreign Affairs and Defense functions are crucial), who are subject to final approval by the Head of State.
INDIA
An Indian court rejected the appeal against the arrest of the opposition leader and Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, accused of corruption. The ruling was criticized by the anti-government front, just 10 days before the general elections. The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (Aap), 55, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate, which specializes in financial crimes.
IRAN
Sunni militants attacked two police cars yesterday in the southeastern province of Sistan-Balochistan, killing at least five agents and wounding one. The action was claimed by Jaish al-Adl, which claims to fight for more rights and better living conditions for the Beluci minority, and has carried out attacks against Iranian security forces in recent years.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a plan investment of 9.4 trillion won (US$6.94 billion) in artificial intelligence by 2027, with the aim of maintaining a global leadership position in next-generation semiconductor chips. In parallel, a separate fund of 1.4 trillion won will be created to promote AI semiconductor companies.
PHILIPPINES – CHINA
A group of protesters they protested on the streets of Manila against Beijing's “aggression” in the South China Sea they stepped on a photo of President Xi Jinping as they marched towards the consulate. Protesters demand an end to the occupation, the dismantling of “illegal” structures, an end to the aggression against Filipino fishermen and the execution of the 2016 arbitration court ruling.
AFGHANISTAN
Environmentalists from “Rivers Without Borders” issue increasingly heartfelt warnings about the construction of the Koš-Tepa canal by the Kabul government. In fact, the infrastructure could cause a catastrophe in the water supply of the Amudari basin, on which all the countries of Central Asia depend, and in the last 30 km stretch it comes dangerously close to the river delta.
RUSSIA – CENTRAL A.
The humanitarian activist agency Okno disseminates information about the persecution of Central Asian migrants in Russia, persecuted by neo-Nazi groups and systematically beaten and tortured by police. Many return home, but most live “in the catacombs” indoors, waiting for better times.
