ASIA TODAY Malaysian PM pledges help to resolve conflict in southern Thailand

Other news of the day: the number of victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria already exceeds 21 thousand. South Korea resumes issuing visas for people from China. Japan and the Philippines strengthen military understanding. Pakistan reaches an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Tensions between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican.

MALAYSIA-THAILAND

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vowed yesterday to do everything possible to facilitate a peaceful solution to the armed rebellion in the south from Thailand. Since 2004, more than 7,300 people have been killed in armed clashes between security forces and rebels in provinces bordering Malaysia, inhabited mainly by people of Malay and Muslim origin.

TURKEY-SYRIA

So far there is more than 21 thousand victims of the earthquake that devastated the region on the Turkish-Syrian border. The hardships of the population are aggravated by the cold, while the 100,000 lifeguards who are working in the area must face serious logistical problems, such as the lack of vehicles and interrupted roads.

SOUTH KOREA-CHINA

Starting tomorrow, the Seoul authorities will reactivate the issuance of entry visas for travelers arriving from China. The decision is motivated by the improvement of sanitary conditions in China after the recent increase in Covid-19 infections.

JAPAN-PHILIPPINES

During their meeting yesterday, Philippine President Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida promised strengthen military relations between their countries. Among other things, Tokyo has gained greater access for its troops in the Philippines, at a time of rising tension with China.

PAKISTAN

Islamabad said today that it has accepted the conditions set out by the International Monetary Fundl for the release of $1.1 billion in aid. The payment is part of a $6.5 billion bailout deal signed in 2019; It will serve to recover the national economy, plunged into a serious crisis for some time.

RUSSIA

The exarch for Africa of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Metropolitan Leonid (Gorbachëv), asked the president of the Pontifical Dicastery for Christian Unity, card. Kurt Koch, to officially apologize to Patriarch Kirill for the accusations of heresy that he expressed in a comment about patriarchal support for the military operation in Ukraine.

KYRGYZSTAN

Bishkek Deputy Health Minister Bubužan Arykbaeva said in a statement that the Kyrgyz government has decided to accept Russia’s proposal to open a biolaboratory for infectious disease research on its territory.