CANADA: Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing today to begin a four-day visit as Canada looks to strengthen relations with countries other than the United States.

It’s the first visit of a Canadian leader to China in nearly a decade. Mr Carney will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Chinese media has been calling on the Canadian government to set a foreign policy path independent of the US — what it calls “strategic autonomy.”

THAILAND: A construction crane crashed onto a moving passenger train in north-east Thailand today, triggering a derailment that killed at least 32 people and injured dozens more.

The crash occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima, 135 miles north-east of Bangkok, on a section of a planned high-speed rail project that is intended to eventually connect China with much of south-east Asia.

JAPAN: Far-right Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve the lower house of parliament soon to pave the way for a snap election to seek the public’s mandate for her policies, Shunichi Suzuki, secretary-general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters today.

A snap election is seen as an attempt to capitalise on Ms Sanae’s strong approval ratings of about 70 per cent.

MARTIAL LAW: Ukraine’s parliament voted today to extend martial law and mobilisation in the country for the 18th time — from February 3 to May 4.

The extension means that neither parliamentary nor local elections can be held in the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term of office formally expired on May 20, 2024.