TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) – More than a dozen gunshots rang out at the Philippine Senate as police and marines moved in to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

Ten people have been injured on a flight between Brisbane, Australia and Hong Kong that encountered turbulence.

Cathay Pacific’s CX156 arrived in Hong Kong at 6.45am on Saturday, with medics boarding the plane to assess the condition of passengers and crew.

According to the flagship airline, four passengers and six cabin crew members sustained minor injuries, with eight sent to hospital.

“Medical personnel boarded the aircraft to assess the conditions of a small number of passengers and crew who reported feeling unwell, and they were provided with the utmost level of care,” a spokesperson for Cathay Pacific told HKFP on Tuesday. “We will continue to follow up and provide the necessary assistance. We are in the process of gathering more facts to better understand the circumstances, and it would not be appropriate to draw any premature conclusions at this stage.”

A video posted to social media appeared to show debris and food scattered across the floor of the aircraft.

TEHRAN, May 10 (MNA) – At least 12 police personnel were killed and several others injured after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police installation in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA) – At least two people were killed after a 5.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Guangxi in southern China.

TEHRAN, Jun. 01 (MNA) – China's Coast Guard vessels conducted patrols in waters east of Taiwan in response to negotiations between Japan and the Philippines on maritime delimitation in the area.

Chief Executive John Lee has announced that Hong Kong’s links to Central Asia will be strengthened with expanded visa-free arrangements and direct flights to Kazakhstan.

Lee was speaking to reporters in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Tuesday during an official visit with business leaders.

Hong Kong already has visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, which allow stays of between 10 and 30 days, but Lee said he hoped to extend the period to 30 days for all three countries this year.

“We and the Kazakh government both agree that this is definitely one of our goals. We have already exchanged some further information with the two governments, and everyone is working hard to work toward this target,” he said, according to RTHK.

He later told officials at a business dinner that he looked forward to a “long-term partnership and enduring friendship” between Astana and Hong Kong.

“Rich in oil and mineral resources, and rapidly developing and diversifying, Kazakhstan is a regional economic powerhouse. Hong Kong, a pivotal player in the Belt and Road Initiative, looks forward to working with Kazakhstan – with you – in creating mutual opportunities,” he said, according to a government press release.

Cathay direct flights

Meanwhile, flagship carrier Cathay Pacific announced direct flights to Almaty, the country’s largest city and former capital, on Tuesday.

The airline said flights are set to begin in the first quarter of next year.

“Central Asia is a strategically important Belt and Road region that offers ample business opportunities. As Hong Kong’s home hub carrier, Cathay has aligned interests with the HKSAR Government in strengthening our connectivity with this emerging market,” Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau – who is among the visiting delegation – said, according to a Cathay press release.

Business deals

On Monday, Lee oversaw several memoranda of understanding signed at the capital’s Astana Hub – an innovation and tech hub.

Agreements were inked between Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, as well as deals between the Astana Hub and Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.

An agreement between InvestHK and the Astana International Financial Centre was also signed, RTHK reported.

Lee will visit Astana’s Nazarbayev University on Wednesday to strengthen collaboration with Hong Kong universities. He will then travel on to Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner in Central Asia.

It has seen strong GDP growth in recent years and a stable unemployment rate in recent years, with minerals, agriculture and hydrocarbons being key exports.

However, it has struggled with double-digit inflation, currency stability and severe social inequality, according to the US International Trade Administration. It is ranked 96th out of 182 countries evaluated in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index. Hong Kong sits at 12, whilst China sits at 76.

According to the Astana Times, Kazakhstan’s top trade partner is China, with trade reaching US$13.2 billion (HK$103.4 billion). Beijing imports huge quantities of minerals from the Central Asian country and has developed a trade corridor across the region.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a hallmark economic strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, seeking to link China to Europe and Africa through a land “belt” and a maritime “Silk Road.” Since its announcement in 2013, China has spent billions of dollars developing trade links and building infrastructure in countries across central and southern Asia.

The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan is immensely proud of its horses. The ancient and endangered Akhal-Teke species has become a symbol of great national pride in a deeply isolated state where power is firmly concentrated, and are considered so beautiful that beauty pageants are held for them annually. The species and the culture surrounding them has even been listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. 

TEHRAN, May 09 (MNA) – Pakistani security forces killed five militants in two separate intelligence-based operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday.

Paul Kearley posted a photo:

Photograph by Ivan Finbow. A digitally restored image from an original colour negative in my collection.

A 700-kilo albino buffalo in Bangladesh dubbed "Donald Trump" for its sweeping cowlick of strawberry-blond hair has been saved from sacrifice after achieving viral fame. The bull was slated to be slaughtered as part of the Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said that China world not swerve from its commitment ​to safeguarding common interests with North Korea or waver in its support for Kim Jong Un during a rare summit between the two leaders in Pyongyang. The summit comes at a time when China's economy, strengthened by growing trade and military ties to Russia, could boost ⁠North Korea's confidence in talks.

TEHRAN, May 23 (MNA) – The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s Shanxi Province has risen from 82 to 90.