Today’s news: US approves the sale of F-16 spare parts to Taiwan. A first Cuban delegation will visit South Korea next week. Police officers arrested in the Philippines for kidnapping tourists. Malaysia bans Israeli ships from docking, but Prime Minister Anwar is accused of double-dealing. Russian propaganda also passes through the film industry.
INDIA
The National Democratic Alliance unanimously elects Prime Minister Narendra Modi as coalition leader, who will be re-elected for a third term in two days. In the last elections, the BJP, the party from which the premier comes, did not obtain the majority to govern alone. The alliance’s two main regional parties, the Janata Dal (United) of Bihar and the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh, less interested in Hindu ultranationalism, will play a crucial role in forming the government, according to experts.
TAIWAN
The US State Department has approved the sale of spare parts for F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan for an estimated value of 80 million dollars, as announced by the Pentagon. The decision will serve to “improve security” on the island and “help maintain political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region,” the note states. China has repeatedly asked the US, Taiwan’s main arms supplier, to stop selling weapons to the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
CUBA – SOUTH KOREA
A Cuban delegation will visit South Korea next week to attend the annual forum on cooperation between Korea, Latin America and the Caribbean that will be held in Seoul for two days, reported the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It’s about the first official visit of Cuban officials since both countries made a surprise announcement in February of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Havana has always maintained “fraternal” ties with North Korea.
PHILIPPINES
The Philippine authorities They arrest a group of police who kidnapped tourists and demanded money for their ransom. Interior Minister Benhur Abalos said the gang was responsible for the kidnapping of three Chinese tourists and a Malaysian on June 2 in the capital Manila. The suspects were identified thanks to security cameras and the testimonies of the victims.
MALAYSIA – ISRAEL
Malaysian customs They prohibited the entry of a truck from Thailand carrying a container from the Israeli shipping company Zim. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim banned all Zim-owned ships, along with any Israeli-flagged vessels, from docking and offloading cargo at Malaysian ports in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza, but his administration was also accused of maintain ties with arms manufacturers and investment companies that support Israeli military actions against the Palestinians.
RUSSIA
As documented by Agenstvo.Novosti, since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine, the Russian State has multiplied by more than three the financing of films about the war and the conflict with the West, with funds from the Ministry of Culture and the Film Fund. “Patriotic war” subsidies in 2021 were 640 million rubles, in 2022-23 2.5 billion.
ARMENIA – Türkiye
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke in Parliament and described the current dialogue with Turkey as “very healthy and positive”, with many proposals that have not yet been implemented, such as the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of borders closed since 1993, although the transport of goods has been allowed since last year.
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