In 2022, estimated 2 thousand Russian women in Argentina for 'birth tourism'

Today's headlines: China is in talks with Pfizer to produce an oral antiviral locally; Thailand has published a guide on cannabis for tourists; 89% of Kyrgyz teenagers want to leave the country; Pakistani Taliban threaten war actions against government members; Clash between two ethnic Rakhine militias in Myanmar.

RUSSIA-ARGENTINA

As Russia's ambassador to Buenos Aires, Georgija Polina, reported, some 2,500 Russians, mostly pregnant women traveled to Argentina in 2022 to give birth to their children in a trend referred to as "birthing tourism."  This entails giving birth in a country that allows visa-free entry for six months and easily grants citizenship to people born on the territory.

KYRGYZSTAN

According to a survey commissioned by the Ministry of Youth Policy in Biškek, which questioned 1,640 people in all regions, 89 percent of Kyrgyzstan's young people between the ages of 14 and 28 want to go to study or work outside the country's borders, many of whom are children of labor migrants, and that's 1.5 million boys and girls.

CHINA

While some sources say China is in negotiations with Pzifer to obtain a license to produce a generic version of Paxlovid (an oral antiviral that has reduced hospitalizations for high-risk covids) locally, today is the beginning of "chun yun," the travel period leading up to the Chinese New Year and which before the pandemic was considered the largest annual migration in the world. It is predicted that 2 billion people will move in the next 40 days. Investors hope the end of the "zero covid" policy will jumpstart the economy.

PAKISTAN

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Ttp), the Pakistani Taliban, has threatened to take war actions against current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari if their political parties "stand firm on their position." The threat comes two days after Pakistan's National Security Committee met to discuss the increase in attacks in the country and to solidify a "zero tolerance for terrorism" stance

INDONESIA

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he may carry out a cabinet reshuffle in the coming days after Nasdem-one of the seven political parties in the ruling coalition-announced it would support former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in the 2024 presidential election. Since then, members of the president's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, have been calling for Nasdem members to be ousted from the cabinet.

MYANMAR

Yesterday the Arakan Liberation Party (Alp), an armed group allied with Burma's coup junta, accused rival militia the Arakan Army (Aa) of killing three military leaders of its group. The Arakan Army has rejected the charges. Established in 1967, the Alp is the oldest ethnic armed organization in Rakhine State, but unlike the Aa, its influence is waning due to ties with the regime.

THAILAND

Thailand's Ministry of Health has published a guide (currently in English only) for foreign visitors on everything they need to know about purchasing and using cannabis in the country. Thailand is the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize marijuana, but still lacks a law regulating its use and sale.

• Asia
• Today