ASIA TODAY Talks between Israel and Indonesia on the normalization of relations for entry into the OECD

Today's news: Hong Kong denied access to a Reporters Without Borders representative, who was searched and subsequently expelled. At least 16% of the candidates in the first phase of Lok Sabha voting have criminal cases pending. The deaths increase to 16 and more than 1,100 injured by the Taiwan earthquake. The Houthis claim an attack on four ships in the Gulf, also an “American warship.”

ISRAEL – INDONESIA

Israel and Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world, have been holding in-depth talks for three months to normalize your relationships. This was reported by the Israeli website Ynetnews, according to which, in exchange for official relations, the Jewish State is willing to lift the blockade at the entrance of Jakarta to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which also participates in the discussion. On April 9, an Indonesian plane participated in an aid drop to Gaza, the first by a Jakarta plane in Israeli airspace.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong authorities they denied entry to a representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Aleksandra Bielakowska, based in Taipei, was searched three times and questioned by immigration officials for six hours at the international airport, before being deported. In a note, Rfs speaks of an “unprecedented” action by the former government, which marks “a new setback in the already bad climate of press freedom in the territory.”

INDIA

According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms, at least 16% of the candidates in the first phase of the elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), 252 out of a total of 1,618, have criminal cases pending against them. For at least 161 of them, these are “serious” charges, including seven for murder, 19 for attempted murder and 18 for violence against women. At the party level, the government's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 36% of its candidates charged; 34% in the case of the opposition Congress.

TAIWAN

The number of fatalities of the earthquake The 7.4 magnitude magnitude that hit the island of Taiwan on April 3 has increased to 16, after rescue teams recovered three more bodies on a trail frequented by hikers. More than 1,100 people were injured. President Tsai Ing-wen visited Hualien to thank rescuers and promise quick help to affected areas.

YEMEN – GULF

The Houthis demand a stroke in the Gulf of Aden against four ships, including one they describe as an “American warship”, with drones and missiles. Months of operations by Iran-linked rebel militias in the Red Sea in response to the Gaza conflict have caused serious disruptions and delays in global shipping, forcing companies to reorganize their routes.

SINGAPORE

Cases of dengue in Singapore they continue to increase, as demonstrated by the 416 cases registered in one week, between March 31 and April 6, 67 more than the previous week. Since the beginning of the year, there are more than 5,500 cases in total, with at least seven deaths in total. In 2023, the total number of cases was 9,949, with six deaths. To date, there are 90 active hemorrhagic fever clusters.

RUSSIA – MONGOLIA

After months of negotiations, Russia has decided to lift customs duties on trade with Mongolia, Ulan-Bator Deputy Prime Minister Chimedin Khurelbaatar announced in a report to the Velikij Khural, the state national assembly. In a first phase, free trade will apply to meat products, textiles and clothing and footwear.

UZBEKISTAN

On the occasion of the end of Ramadan, the President of Uzbekistan, Šavkat Mirziyoyev, pardoned 426 people, including 11 foreigners and 3 minors. At the same time, Guvd security services are carrying out a series of comprehensive checks in Tashkent, with arrests and searches, to counter threats related to religious extremism and terrorism.