Ukrainian invasion: talks between Pope Francis and Moscow Patriarch Kirill

Today's headlines: A 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Japan, train derailed; Cambodia no longer requires testing when entering the country; Hong Kong chief executive elections may still be postponed; Asian energy giants reluctant to leave Myanmar.

VATICAN - RUSSIA

Pope Francis had a telephone conversation with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, which was also attended by Metropolitan Ilarion, "foreign minister" of the patriarchate together with Fr Ivan Nikolaev, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity together with Fr Yaromir Zadrapa. The communiqué speaks of a very cordial conversation, during which there was a "detailed analysis of the situation on Ukrainian soil", paying particular attention to the humanitarian aspects and the common efforts of Catholics and Orthodox for a ceasefire, hoping for positive results in the peace negotiations to achieve "a just peace". The Vatican Press Office writes in a note that the Pope agreed with the Patriarch that "the Church must not use the language of politics, but the language of Jesus".

RUSSIA

Exiled opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovskij,  in an interview with LatyninaTV said there are no doubts that the right of citizens to travel abroad in Russia will be restricted: "About 300,000 people have left in recent days, including many IT experts, and in two or three months this branch of the economy could go into crisis. Even now, those who leave are called traitors'.

JAPAN

Two dead and more than 160 injured is the initial death toll after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook the Japanese archipelago yesterday. A train was derailed by the earthquake, which occurred at 11.36pm in the north-eastern part of the country and initially triggered a tsunami alert, which was later withdrawn. In the meantime, Tokyo has simplified entry procedures for refugees from Ukraine as much as possible.

HONG KONG

Measures to contain the coronavirus will not be tightened, Carrie Lam said, but it is possible that the chief executive election, set for 8 May, could still be postponed. "A further delay" may be decided by the central government in Beijing, she added. The elections were originally scheduled for 27 March. Lam has not yet revealed whether she will seek another term. Her administration has come under pressure over its handling of the pandemic in recent months.

INDIA - AUSTRALIA

Delhi and Canberra are set to sign a first free trade agreement to free themselves from Chinese markets. A more complex agreement, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, is expected to be signed by the end of the year. China is Australia's largest trading partner and India's main source of imports. A trade agreement would allow both countries to reduce their dependence on Beijing.

CAMBODIA

After Vietnam, Cambodia dropped its entry restrictions to boost tourism and investment. Phnom Penh has vaccinated over 92% of its population, one of the highest rates in the region. In the first half of 2021, visitor arrivals had plummeted by 90%. Tourism contributes a quarter of Cambodia's GDP.

MYANMAR

While Total and Chevron have left Myanmar in fear of European sanctions launched late last month, this is not the case for Asian energy companies: South Korea's Posco and Thailand's PTT are much more reluctant to leave the country, writes Nikkei. For the fiscal year 2022, Burma's military junta expects to earn .5 billion from the sale of gas and oil, 10% of its budget.

IRAN - UK

After a long imprisonment in Iran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released and returned to the UK. A third citizen was released on bail. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager at the Thomson Reuters Foundation charity, had been jailed in 2016 on conspiracy charges, while Ashoori was charged with espionage on behalf of the Israeli Mossad.

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