Activities discovered at 'closed' North Korean nuclear site

Today's headlines: Vietnam denounces Chinese naval exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin; Macau prays for Hong Kong in pandemic crisis; Russian lawyers advise priests to be cautious in their prayers for peace in Ukraine; Demonstrations in Kazakhstan against Russian invasion; New security criteria for Palestinian companies in the West Bank; Exit poll: Modi would win Uttar Pradesh elections.

NORTH KOREA

Satellite images revealed construction activities at the Punggye-ri nuclear site, which Kim Jong-un's regime had declared closed in 2018 as part of a moratorium on the country's atomic tests. Pyongyang has conducted nine missile tests since the beginning of the year: the latest on 6 March.

CHINA-VIETNAM

Beijing is optimistic that a code of conduct will soon be drafted up for shipping in the South China Sea, where its territorial claims have been rejected by several countries in the region. Vietnam seems to take the opposite view. Hanoi reports that for days the Chinese Navy has been conducting naval exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin, 60 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast.

MACAO-HONG KONG

The Bishop of Macao, Msgr Stephen Lee, announced nine days of special prayer for neighbouring Hong Kong, which is grappling with a serious health crisis due to Covid-19. The invocation, already pronounced by Pope Francis, will be recited from 11th to 19th March.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

The Moscow College of Lawyers has advised priests and faithful of all religions "to be very cautious in prayers for peace during celebrations. The suggestion is to choose the formulas carefully, because they could be interpreted as "discrediting the Armed Forces" and severely punished by the new legal provisions.

KAZAKHSTAN

On 6 March, the most crowded demonstration since the riots at the beginning of January was held in Almaty. Demonstrators protested against the Russian invasion of Ukraine shouting "Putin in the Hague, in jail!" and "Tokaev, don't be silent!".

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

The Israeli government has introduced stringent new security criteria for trade from the West Bank. Palestinian companies in the Bethlehem area will have to install cameras in their facilities, fit GPS devices on their vehicles and assist the authorities in security checks on workers. For many local businesses, these commitments are too costly.

INDIA

Post-election polls indicate PM Narendra Modi's BJP (Hindu nationality) will retain control of Uttar Pradesh. Yesterday saw the conclusion of voting operations in the most populous state of the Indian Federation, which lasted about a month. However, exit polls in India are not always reliable.

• AsiaToday