US condemns Chinese spy

Today's news: US bans imports from companies in Malaysia that use forced labour, protests by pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, a gene may be the cause of high death and hospitalisation rates from Covid-19 in South Asia.

CHINA - USA

A Chinese intelligence official was convicted by a US court of trying to steal information from US airlines. Xu Yanjun faces up to 60 years in prison and, arrested in Belgium in 2018, is perhaps the first Chinese agent to be extradited to the United States to stand trial for espionage.

MALAYSIA - USA

The US has banned the import of products from Smart Glove, one of Malaysia's largest companies that manufactures gloves for the medical and food industries. According to the US government, 'Smart Glove's production facilities use forced labour'. The company has rejected the accusations, but factories in Malaysia have come under increasing scrutiny for abuses against foreign workers.

SOUTH ASIA

According to an Oxford University study, there is a gene that doubles the risk of respiratory failure caused by the coronavirus. Around 60% of people of South Asian origin are thought to carry this gene, compared with 15% of people of European origin. The findings could partly explain the high death and hospitalisation rates in countries on the Indian subcontinent.

RUSSIA

Russia plans to open 'immigration preparation centres' in three countries - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan - where citizens of these countries will be able to start receiving some migration services before they even arrive in the Russian Federation. Migrants in Russia are needed for productive activities, and their decline due to the pandemic is causing serious problems.

IRAQ

Hundreds of pro-Iran protesters clashed with Iraqi security forces near the Green Zone in the capital Baghdad, contesting the results of the last elections. The political arm of the paramilitary group Hashed al-Shaabi went from 48 to 15 seats in parliament. More than 100 people were injured.

PAKISTAN

A telecommunications tower was destroyed yesterday in Pakistan, in a tribal district of North Waziristan. The facility belonged to China Mobile Pakistan and had been providing internet services for two days. The attack was not claimed but the Pakistani Taliban is known to operate in the area.

NORTH KOREA

More than 4 out of 10 North Koreans suffer from malnutrition, says a recent FAO report. It estimates that at least 10.9 million people, or 42.4% of North Korea's population, were undernourished between 2018 and 2020. Last week, the World Food Program also launched an appeal to improve the country's food situation.

MYANMAR

The United Nations hopes Facebook will work with a team of its investigators to gather information on crimes committed in the country in recent years. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar was created in 2018. The former Burma is accused of genocide by the International Criminal Court for its crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017.