Erdogan's Akp ahead in polls despite criticism over earthquake response

Today's headlines: Three pro-democracy activists sentenced in Hong Kong; UN: endless violence by coup junta in Myanmar; Taiwanese hi-tech giant to invest in India's Telangana state; Japan will help Asean fight climate change; Russian oligarch: move country's capital to Siberia.

TURKEY

President Erdogan's Akp party, in coalition with the nationalists of the Mhp, is ahead in the polls despite popular criticism for its response to the recent earthquake. The opposition suffers from the fact that it has not yet chosen a single candidate to oppose the current head of state. Presidential elections will be held on 14 May.

HONG KONG-CHINA

Three former activists of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the group that organised the traditional vigil in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen massacre, were convicted. Chow Hang-tung, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwon are accused of failing to provide the authorities with data on the organisation's membership.

MYANMAR

The junta that seized power in February 2021 has caused an 'unending humanitarian crisis' in the country. This was stated in a UN report calling for an immediate end to the violence. According to the document, the Burmese military is responsible for indiscriminate attacks on the population.

INDIA-TAIWAN

Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest iPhone assembler, will invest in Telangana. This was stated by K. Chandrashekar Rao, chief minister of the southern Indian state, emphasising that Taiwan is a 'natural partner'.

JAPAN-ASEAN

The Japanese government has pledged financial support to Asean countries to accelerate their efforts to decarbonise their economies and combat climate change. To move away from the use of fossil fuels, Tokyo aims to become a leader in the development of hydrogen as an energy resource.

RUSSIA

One of Russia's leading oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska, spoke at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum, stating that "since the main flow of investments will now come through Asia, it will be appropriate to move the country's capital to Siberia. What do we do with Moscow, which is also within missile range of the West'.

KYRGYZSTAN

A protest demonstration by small entrepreneurs operating in the markets of the country's main cities was held in Gorkij Park in Biškek. They are against the new tax rules, demanding that taxes be proportional to receipts.

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