Xi Jinping in France: trade with Europe and Ukraine top the agenda

Today's news: Families begin Rafah evacuation while Gaza ceasefire talks remain stalled; Pakistani farmers announce a march against falling wheat prices; In Malaysia, data centres boom in the Johor region, very close to Singapore; Four Jehovah's Witnesses sentenced in Russia to six and a half years for 'terrorist activity'. 

CHINA-FRANCE

Chinese President Xi Jinping began his first visit to the region in five years in Paris yesterday, with trade and Russia's war with Ukraine on the agenda in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the Commission European Ursula von der Leyen. In a statement released upon his arrival, Xi - who will stay in France for two days before stopping in Serbia and Hungary - praised the ties between the two nations, calling them "a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation all between countries with different social systems".

ISRAEL-PALESTINE-GAZA

Palestinian families are leaving areas east of Rafah after the Israeli army asked them to start evacuating the area ahead of the offensive. Meanwhile, talks aimed at securing a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of hostages have stalled, with Israel and Hamas saying they do not want to give in on key demands. Meanwhile, three Israeli soldiers were killed and 11 others were injured in a missile attack, claimed by Hamas, against army positions near the Kerem Shalom crossing on the border with Gaza.

PAKISTAN

The Kissan Ittehad Pakistan farmers' association has announced that thousands of farmers will stage a large national demonstration against the wheat crisis starting from May 10th starting from Multan. Wheat prices have collapsed in the local market and are way below the support price of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg. The government's decision to import wheat despite a plentiful harvest is under fire. Already last month, farmers' protests in Lahore and several other cities were quelled by a government crackdown.

MALAYSIA

The world's growing reliance on cloud-based technology is fueling the growth of data centers in the Johor region of Malaysia, aided by its proximity to the financial hub of Singapore, but also by an abundance of available land and low energy costs. Major data center operators have set up operations in this area and Microsoft has also reportedly purchased land in Kulai. According to resource site Baxtel, Johor has 13 data center facilities covering more than 1.65 million square meters, already making it the ninth largest market in Asia Pacific.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea's market regulator said it found violations of short-selling rules by seven more banks in the domestic stock market, as part of a large-scale investigation into the banks' trading practices foreign investment. Last November, South Korea introduced a ban on short selling of securities in the domestic market after finding illegal trading activity by two foreign companies in October, and launched a special investigation to examine the trading practices of other banks.

RUSSIA

The court in the eastern Russian region of Primorje sentenced four Jehovah's Witnesses for terrorist activity to 6 and a half years in concentration camps, plus a period of between 2 and 5 years of "verification and re-education", defining the activities of the religious sect as "a repeated crime with a character of fanaticism and conspiratorial association", to be strictly controlled through the services of the FSB.

KAZAKHSTAN

Pensions in Kazakhstan will no longer be subject to taxes, according to a new rule of the Tax Code. This was communicated to the parliament in Astana by Prime Minister Olžas Bektenov who underlined "the great social significance" of the issue and said he was inspired by international practices to guarantee fiscal fairness for all citizens.

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