Today's headlines: China and Belarus sign cooperation agreements; New US missile sale to Taiwan approved; New Vietnamese president elected; London's Royal Navy seizes Iranian weapons in the Gulf of Oman; Journalistic investigation into Putin's wealth.
INDIA
PM Narendra Modi's BJP is advancing in state elections. Ongoing results give the Hindu nationalist party poised to win in Nagaland and Tripura. In Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma's National People's Party is close to winning the majority.
CHINA-BELARUS
On a visit to Beijing, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko - an ally of Russia - signed a package of 16 agreements for bilateral industrial and technological cooperation with Xi Jinping yesterday. Analysts note that the Chinese could use Minsk to circumvent Western sanctions on Moscow.
TAIWAN-UNITED STATES
The US State Department gave the go-ahead for the potential sale of new missiles to Taipei worth USD 619 million. They will be used to strengthen the island's air defences against a possible Chinese threat.
VIETNAM
As predicted, the Vietnamese parliament appointed Vo Van Thuong as the new head of state. In the largely ceremonial role, Thuong replaces Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who resigned in January after the Communist Party's anti-corruption campaign targeted his subordinates.
KINGDOM-UNITED-IRAN
The Royal Navy seized a consignment of weapons smuggled from the Iranian coast in the Gulf of Oman. The small vessel was mainly carrying anti-tank missiles and components of a ballistic rocket.
RUSSIA
Proekt journalists published a new series of investigations into the 'Iron Masks', telling about Putin's 'secret wallet'. Since 2003, the Russian leader has been the owner of the Cyprus financial company Ermira Consultants Ltd, a protagonist of unscrupulous actions on the markets. In Valdaj in Russia he has also built a 'golden castle' for his family with his wife Alina.
TURKMENISTAN
Ashgbat has signed 26 cooperation documents with UN Development, Population and Unicef sections, in the fields of economy, health, education, media and others. They cover programmes for the current year and projects for the two-year period 2023- 2025, including the USD 2.5 million data exchange computer system.