Today’s news: Delhi unveiled first batch of locally made assault helicopters; Japan aspires to become the third world military power; Saudi Arabia will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Neom; Islamabad High Court accepted former Prime Minister Khan’s apology; Yerevan reiterates the call for an international investigation against Baku for war crimes.
LAOS – MALAYSIA
Some 700 Malaysian migrant workers were kidnapped at a Chinese-owned casino-hotel in northern Laos. The managers of the establishment subject them to abuse and mistreatment and demand a ransom for their release. Lured by the promise of a job in the Golden Triangle, most migrants are exploited and forced into online scams after being beaten and tortured.
INDIA-CHINA
Delhi yesterday introduced the first batch of assault helicopters locally made. They were specifically designed for use in high-altitude areas such as the Himalayas, where there have been occasional tensions and clashes with China over the past two years. The light fighter jets represent a further step by India to reduce its military dependency on Russia.
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia will be in charge of organizing the 2029 Asian Winter Games. The event will be held in a complex located in the futuristic city of Neom, a multi-million dollar project promoted by Mohammad bin Salman that covers up violations of the Rights humans. The Trojena development is planned for 2026 and includes outdoor ski facilities, an artificial freshwater lake and a nature reserve.
JAPAN
In the next five years the Land of the Rising Sun could become the third military power in the world -in firepower and defense- behind the United States and China. Everything will depend on the achievement of its budget objectives: it is estimated that the budget allocated to this area will go from 53,000 million next year to more than 70,000 million in 2027, with an annual growth rate of 7.3%.
PAKISTAN
The Islamabad High Court accepted the apology offered by the former prime minister imran khan, and filed the criminal case against him. The verdict of conviction would have meant exclusion from political life and the impossibility of holding public office for at least five years. The accusation was based on a public speech in which he had threatened the police and the judiciary.
RUSSIA
One of Russia’s most prestigious art critics, Dmitry Ozerkov, has resigned after 22 years at the head of the contemporary art section of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. In an Instagram post he said that “he does not want to continue dealing with today’s Russia, where there is no longer a place for dialogue and respect, and information turns into propaganda.”
ARMENIA – AZERBAIJAN
While the meeting of the delegations from Yerevan and Baku takes place in Geneva, the Armenians accuse the other side of having shot several prisoners of war and demand an international investigation into the matter. According to the Armenian media, videos of the shootings are available on Telegram channels, confirming the long-standing accusations of war crimes made against Azerbaijan.
