New strategies of Russia and China

1. President Putin approved a new national arms procurement program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Source: THX/TTXVN

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin said on February 26 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the country's new arms procurement program for the 2018-2028 period.

In an interview with Kommersant newspaper about the move, Mr. Rogozin affirmed: "Yes, this document was signed by President Putin."

Russia's new arms procurement program focuses on advanced weapons including "robotic equipment, intelligence systems, unmanned combat and reconnaissance aircraft, missile defense systems and high-precision ammunition," Rogozin added.

2. Chinese Communist Party discusses government personnel, restructuring

Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (right) meets with senior officers of a local military unit in Sichuan province in the capital Chengdu on February 12. Source: THX/ VNA

On February 26, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened a three-day session in Beijing to discuss government personnel and plans to reorganize Party and state agencies.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is expected to discuss a successor to China's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, with the posts to be given to State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The conference will also discuss the inclusion of a new anti-corruption body in the Constitution during this session, as China prepares to establish the body this year to merge its anti-corruption apparatus into a unified body.

3. Germany's final steps in the process of forming a new Government

German politician Jens Spahn. Photo: Alcheron.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will meet today (February 26) to ratify the coalition agreement that it and the Christian Social Union (CSU) reached with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) earlier.

The move is aimed at helping Angela Merkel move closer to a fourth term as chancellor of Europe's largest economy. The conference will also vote on the appointment of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a close ally and possible successor to Merkel, as secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union.

4. 8 casualties in explosion in UK

Scene of the explosion. Photo: EPA.

British police said on February 26 that an explosion in the city of Leicester on the night of February 25 killed four people and injured at least four others.

Images and videos posted on social media on February 25 showed a large fire breaking out after the explosion, engulfing the collapsed house and threatening to spread to surrounding homes.

Leicester City Police Detective Shane O Neil said that immediately after the incident, rescue and investigation work was urgently carried out, however, up to now, the cause of the explosion has not been determined./.

5. PyeongChang Paralympics: North Korea sends negotiating delegation to South Korea

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

On February 26, North Korea announced the list of a three-member delegation to South Korea to attend negotiations on North Korea's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics in March.

According to the announcement of the South Korean Unification Ministry, the delegation will be led by Mr. Hwang Chung-song, a North Korean official in charge of inter-Korean affairs, and the other two members are Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Korea Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD) Jong Hyon, and Mr. Yun Chol, another official of the federation.

The ministry said Seoul will also send a three-member delegation led by Lee Joo-tae, an official in charge of inter-Korean exchanges at the ministry, to the upcoming meeting.

6. Malaysia "gives" cash to 7 million people

The BR1M programme is one of the few policies of the government led by Prime Minister Najib that has gained support from the Malaysian people. Photo: The Star Online.

Malaysia will distribute a total of $1.61 billion to about 7 million people as part of a program to help low-income communities in the country.

Money from the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) program began to be distributed from February 26, and will be divided into three phases, said Malaysian Finance Minister Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

BR1M ProgramThe scheme was first introduced by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2012, whereby each family with an income below RM3,000 will receive RM500. The amount has been gradually increased over the years. Accordingly, in 2016, the distribution amount was RM1,000 and this year it is RM1,200.

7. Former South Korean President's son-in-law's house searched

The prosecutor's office later said Lee Sang-joo was being questioned.

South Korean prosecutors said on the morning of February 26 they searched the home and office of former President Lee Myung-bak's son-in-law in connection with corruption allegations.

According to Yonhap News, prosecutors suspect that Lee Sang-joo may have accepted bribes from a third party on behalf of his father-in-law. Prosecutors are closely monitoring Lee Sang-joo because he is one of the directors of the Cheongngye Foundation, a non-profit organization that the former president established with his own money.