COHEN AND THE TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT

A lot of things have been said about US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen since he testified in Congress last week but this one might well take the cake: Mr Trump said Cohen’s testimony contributed to his decision to abandon talks.

That means, in case you have not been following this closely, the reasons offered so far for the abrupt end to talks are:

1) North Koreans had unreasonable demands

2) Americans had unreasonable demands and

3) Michael Cohen

Either way, since the summit collapsed, both sides have stressed that it wasn’t the end of the relationship. Over the weekend, the US and South Korea agreed to end their biggest annual joint military exercise. This is not a move that everyone agrees with given that it can be seen as fulfilling a key North Korean request without the regime having to give up anything to get it.

With no unified explanation from either side on what happened, here’s a look at what experts say is at the heart of the disagreements. East Asia Editor Goh Sui Noi also examines what the path forward might be.

The issues:

-Lack of agreement on how to denuclearise

-Not seeing eye to eye on UN sanctions

Analysis: Trump, Kim at crossroads

IN KASHMIR CONFLICT, TRUTH BECOMES A CASUALTY

It’s been now almost a week since we first heard of the Indian Air Force launching a strike across the Line of Control with Pakistan, but beyond the fact that some kind of strike took place, very little else has been established definitively.

It is not established fact whether the strikes hit a terror camp or the side of a hill, whether some 300 terrorists were killed or none at all or whether or not either side shot down jets.

In short, we know some planes dropped bombs that exploded somewhere but that is about it. India has said that it will not be sharing proof of its claim that a “ very large number” of militants were killed in airstrikes.

As tensions have cooled, we have now had time to consider some new repercussions from last week’s tensions. And there is one big lesson about misinformation. As India and Pakistan have shown us, in national conflicts, unbiased, verifiable non-partisan information is going to be exceptionally difficult to get.

Read some of our reporting on the conflict so far.

The mood on the ground:

-In India: Appeals for restraint amid nationalism

-In Pakistan: Calls for peace even as tensions rise

The challenges faced by the different leaders:

-Modi adopts hawkish stance ahead of polls

-Imran Khan wins plaudits for diplomatic approach

CHINA TALKS POLICY

All this week, Chinese politicos will be engaged in their annual huddle known as “Lianghui”. The most anticipated element of the meeting will come tomorrow when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to announce China’s projected growth for the year – a number being watched closely after decades-low growth last year and a brewing trade war with the US.

Today, the government said it would keep up a “reasonable and appropriate” increase in defence spending to satisfy its national security and military reforms. There were no numbers today as the point was made ahead of the release of the defence budget.

Full story: China says defence spending rise to be ‘reasonable and appropriate’

MURDER MOST BIZZARE

I don’t normally pick out courts and crime stories for Asian Insider (except when they involved heads of state) but the circumstances surrounding this one mean it is capturing attention around the region.

When venture capitalist Nazrin Hassan, 45, was found dead in his home in Malaysia last year, the initial theory was that he had died in a fire after his mobile phone exploded. But after a forensic investigation, the case was reclassified as murder. One of the tell-tale clues: a puncture wound on the man’s neck that is believed to be caused by an arrow.

Today, his wife and two teenage stepsons have been charged with his murder. Both the stepsons were members of their school’s archery club. We’ll be tracking this one closely.

Full story: Wife, stepsons of Malaysia Cradle Fund CEO who gave early funding to Grab to be charged with his murder

INDONESIA’S ELECTION BATTLEGROUNDS

With just about two months to go till legislative and presidential elections in Indonesia, our correspondents there are travelling around the archipelago to get a sense of what the key issues are in key regions. We are launching the first of a six-part report this week with a look at East Java, a province of 30.9 million voters and an important constituency for President Joko Widodo. He won this province in 2014 and will need to do so again if he is to secure another term.

Full story: Jokowi tipped to win in East Java despite changing dynamics.

AND FINALLY, INHUMAN NEWS

China’s state news agency Xinhua’s unveiled their latest employee on Sunday, a news reader that never stumbles over words, never calls in sick, is ready to go on air at a moment’s notice and never argues with her editor.  Her name is Xin Xiaomeng and she is an artificial intelligence robot.

On the whole, quite an impressive if worrying (for journalists) achievement because of some very disconcerting lip movement.

I’m relieved about that though. I worry about when she becomes indistinguishable from a human. You can mark that day down as a turning point in the robot uprising.

Watch: China’s Xinhua presents news using robot news anchor

That’s it for today. Just to prove to you that a human person has written this note, I will now proceed to misspell a word. See you tommorrow.

-J

IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

-Indonesian authorities warned today that up to 100 people could still be trapped and feared dead inside a collapsed illegal gold mine despite a painstaking rescue effort that has so far plucked 19 people alive from the rubble, but also seen nine deaths.

-Indonesia and Australia on Monday (March 4) signed a long-awaited trade deal  after months of diplomatic tension over Canberra’s contentious plan to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

-The Huawei Technologies Co. chief financial officer whose detention in Canada has sparked a diplomatic standoff has filed a civil lawsuit against Canadian authorities, alleging she was wrongfully detained and searched.

-A couple from Singapore are being investigated by Taiwanese authorities for allegedly dumping the body of a newborn baby girl in a recycling bin.

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