Myanmar's junta occupies places of worship in Rakhine

Today's headlines: Japan tests a next generation power system; Shanghai is almost out of lockdown; India launches measures to assist Covid-19 orphans; Malaysia considers blocking palm oil exports; a Russian ship has docked in Syria possibly smuggling Ukrainian grain.

MYANMAR

The coup military junta has started to occupy places of worship in Rakhine State and residents fear that clashes could break out in which houses and religious buildings would be destroyed. The local ethnic organisation, the Arakan Army, clashed with the army in November last year, in February and a few days ago, indicating that the civil conflict in Myanmar could spread further.

CHINA

The two-month lockdown will be lifted tomorrow from the 25 million residents of Shanghai tomorrow. Public transport will be back in operation and residents will be able to return to work. The blockade of supply chains in recent months has slowed down the economy and generated some discontent.

INDIA

The Indian federal government will provide scholarships, mental health counselling and health insurance to children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this yesterday, adding that they will also get free admission to school and textbooks. According to official estimates, more than 520,000 people died in India during the second wave of the pandemic.

MALAYSIA

After Indonesia, Malaysia will also discuss the possibility of stopping the export of palm oil because the kernels of the plant can be used as chicken feed, the export of which will be banned from June. Currently, Malaysia's feed is mostly shipped to Europe, while wheat-based chicken feed is again imported from Russia and Ukraine.

JAPAN

Japan successfully tested a new renewable energy production system independent of sun and wind: an underwater turbine that converts the energy of ocean currents into electricity. The machine produced by IHI Corp could cover 60% of Japan's energy needs.

IRAN

The death toll after a building collapsed in the southwestern city of Abadan has risen to 31 . The collapse raised questions about the safety of the people and generated protests against the government: the state TV crew was attacked by protesters forcing the police to intervene.

TAJIKISTAN

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon arrived in Tehran with a large delegation at the highest level, for a State visit that should rebuild relations between Iran and Tajikistan, which had deteriorated greatly in recent times. In fact, Dusanbe has been accusing the Iranians since 2015 of supporting from outside the Tajik Islamic Rebirth Party, which is outlawed in its homeland, while Tehran accuses the Tajiks of having stolen millions of dollars from Iran, brought by Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani.

RUSSIA

The Russian cargo ship 'Matros Pozynic' was observed by a satellite as it docked, for the second time in a month, in the Syrian port of Latakia, allegedly to unload grain stolen from Ukraine. It is estimated that the ship is capable of carrying around 30,000 tonnes of grain.

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