ASIA TODAY Malaysia passed three bills to decriminalize attempted suicide

Other news of the day: The United States imposes new sanctions on the Burmese coup junta, but without affecting the main projects. At least 31 people have been killed in China by the explosion at a restaurant. The South Korean president arrived in Vietnam today. Pakistan will grant the port of Karachi to the Emirates in exchange for emergency funds. The Catholic Archbishop of Moscow was interviewed by Ria Novosti about the Vatican’s peace initiatives.

MALAYSIA

The Malaysian Upper House of Parliament passed a third bill, known as the Mental Health Amendment, to decriminalize attempted suicide. The day before, two other measures had been voted on. The purpose of the legislation is to authorize police officers to save victims who have attempted suicide, an act that will no longer be prosecuted under criminal law, according to some deputies.

MYANMAR – UNITED STATES

United States has issued new sanctions against the Myanmar Ministry of Defense and two banks (Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank) that the Military Junta uses to purchase weapons in foreign currency. However, the measures are not directed against gas extraction projects, which are the main source of income for the coup military.

SOUTH KOREA – VIETNAM

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Hanoi today for a official visit of three days in which the economic cooperation between the two countries will be discussed. Yoon’s delegation is made up of more than 200 people related to the world of business or Korean companies. Vietnam is South Korea’s third largest trading partner.

CHINA

Nine people were arrested in connection with the explosion in a restaurant in Yinchuan, northwest China, which caused at least 31 deaths, probably due to a gas leak. Among the people arrested is the owner of the premises. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an investigation and “all possible efforts” in rescue operations.

PAKISTAN – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Pakistan has created a commission to negotiate an agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which will be given the Karachi port control in exchange for emergency funds, after an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to receive financing failed. This is the first intergovernmental transaction authorized by a law that was approved last year to raise funds in a situation of deep economic crisis, characterized by record inflation, fiscal imbalances and low reserves.

GEORGIA

In the first months of 2023, Georgia ranked first in table wine exports to Russia, surpassing Italy for the first time in 30 years thanks to better payment, contract and transportation facilities. Growth is in the order of 64% to 24 million liters, compared to 23 million in Italy, which are also growing anyway, like wines from Spain, France and Portugal.

RUSSIA

The Catholic Archbishop of Moscow, Msgr. Pezzi, gave an interview to Ria Novosti in which he confirmed the importance of the Vatican’s peace initiatives and Card. Zuppi, and ensured loyalty to the Russian government’s policies on the part of the Catholic community, which has “close to a million baptized” throughout the country.