ASIA TODAY Jerusalem and the holy places in talks between King Abdullah and Netanyahu

Other news of the day: Pyongyang has imposed a five-day lockdown for cases of unspecified “respiratory illness”; Hanoi wants to open the arms market to foreign companies; cold wave in Northeast Asia, in Japan, transport interrupted and one victim; in Russia, the Andrej Sakharov Foundation was listed as an “undesirable organization”.

JORDAN – ISRAEL

Jordanian King Abdullah received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday at a meeting rare. The last between the two leaders was in 2018. According to Amman, the talks focused on tensions at the al-Aqsa Mosque and the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites. The Israeli counterpart talks about “regional issues” and bilateral relations.

NORTH KOREA

North Korean authorities ordered a five-day lockdown in Pyongyang due to a rise in cases related to a “respiratory disease” not specified. The government statement, released by NK News, does not mention the Covid-19 but warns citizens about the obligation to stay home until the night of January 29 and check their temperature several times a day. Yesterday the citizens collected food.

INDIA – PAKISTAN

india invited Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in May. A possible sign of détente between the two rival nuclear powers, at a time of tension that includes the disputed region of Kashmir. If Islamabad accepts, it will be the first foreign minister-level visit in 12 years.

VIETNAM

With a special law being examined by Parliament, Hanoi wants to open the arms market to foreign companies, interrupting the internal monopoly of production in the hands of the military. Vietnamese officials and analysts consider the law essential to provide a legal framework to strengthen the defense sector. The planned expenditure for 2027 exceeds 8,500 million euros.

JAPAN CHINA

The cold wave affecting Northeast Asia is setting record temperatures and paralyzing the transportation system. In Mohe, in northern China, the thermometer dropped to record lows, registering -53 degrees, and it looks like the cold will continue throughout the week. In Japanthe snow has caused transport disruptions and has already claimed one victim.

RUSSIA

The Russian Prosecutor General has described the Andrej Sakharov Foundation as an “unwanted organization”, its activity “constituting a threat to the foundations of constitutional order and security”. After 35 years, the social networks affirm, “the title of dissident has been restored to Sakharov.” It was also proposed to remove Solzenitsyn’s “Gulag Archipelago” from school curricula.

AFGHANISTAN – UZBEKISTAN

Kabul harshly criticizes Uzbekistan for cutting power to Afghanistan during abnormal frosts in the region that killed more than 120 people. Acting Foreign Minister Amir Han Muttaki traveled to Tashkent to attend an exhibition on agricultural production and called on the Uzbek authorities to honor contracts to “support each other.”