Today's headlines: Pakistan calls off arrest of former premier Imran Khan; India may sell 0 million worth of arms to Indonesia; Myanmar's junta is using displaced people as human shields; Information about fake medical remedies is rampant in the Philippines; Russian credit cards are popular in Cuba; Part of the Georgian opposition wants a pro-Ukrainian government.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile just hours before the historic meeting (the first in 12 years) between the president of South Korea and the premier of Japan. It is Pyongyang's fourth missile launch in a week carried out while the US and South Korea hold joint naval exercises. Pyongyang's increased missile activity is likely to be the focus of talks between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
PAKISTAN
A court in the city of Lahore ordered the suspension of the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan after police tried for two days to catch him clashing with supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (Pti), Khan's party. According to some, cricket, a sport of which he was a champion, came to the former premier's rescue: the officers withdrew early to allow the Pakistan Super League knockout matches to take place at the stadium in Lahore, which is 9 km from Khan's residence.
INDONESIA - INDIA
Defence company BrahMos Aerospace plans to conclude a deal to sell cruise missiles to Indonesia worth at least 0 million, in a bid to expand its presence in Southeast Asia. BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia and concluded its first deal last year selling 5 million worth of land-based anti-ship missiles to the Philippines, part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to triple defence exports.
MYANMAR
The Burmese coup junta detained and used internally displaced civilians as human shields during clashes with the Karenni Army and the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, two ethnic militias in Kayah State where the conflict has escalated in recent weeks. The regime 'launched an airstrike against a camp of displaced people in eastern Demoso while civilian medical teams were evacuating the evacuees, but fortunately there are no reported casualties,' said a spokesman for the Karenni Human Rights Group.
PHILIPPINES
There are many posts on social media in the Philippines telling falsehoods about medical remedies and suggesting untested cosmetic products. Even before the pandemic, people turned to the internet looking for cheaper and more easily accessible remedies, but with Covid-19 there has been 'an explosion of misinformation', experts say. Most of the posts circulate on Facebook and the platform often struggles to control the spread of harmful information.
RUSSIA - CUBA
Russian 'Mir' credit cards, rejected in almost every country in the world except a few 'friends', are becoming popular in Cuba, to issue generous amounts of cash to Russian tourists who are flocking to the island, where the local population cannot withdraw more than a day from ATMs, under an agreement to circumvent US sanctions.
GEORGIA
Georgian ex-premier Vano Merabišvili, a member of the National Movement, declared that the oppositions support the establishment of a pro-Ukrainian government in Tbilisi, which is to come into operation 'after Ukraine's victory over Russia', arousing much criticism not only from the government side, but also from many opposition figures.