China

He was abducted in 1995, when he was 6 years old, and since then there has been no news of him. The requests of the UN are futile. Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama offers to help "calm" the situation in Tibet, but China "gives no concrete answer".

According to official data, the energy shortfall will amount to 10 gigawatts, equivalent to millions of households. But experts maintain that the shortage will be even greater. The low "political" cost of electricity forces power stations to operate at a loss and with low reserves, with the risk of remaining in the dark.

The head of the Communist Party Discipline Inspection Commission in Chenzhou is accused of taking millions of yuan in bribes for assessments, mining licences and “fixing” court cases. A briber tells his story.

Security cameras, travel restrictions on local highways, obligation to get a government permit to visit the Marian shrine of Sheshan during the month of May are now in place. Surrounding dioceses have also been “warned” not to organise groups to celebrate the first day of prayer for the Chinese Church as proclaimed by the Pope.

The bank says that there is only a problem of "poor distribution" of supplies, and calls on governments to lift export bans. But the FAO is afraid of having to suspend aid for millions of people, without new funds. The situation in China, India, and Pakistan.

Police arrest more than 400 people in the last few days. They were demonstrating against Chinese repression in Tibet. A spokesperson for the Nepali government tells AsiaNews: We are democrats but shall not allow any protests against Beijing.

The accusation comes from the European parliament, which criticises European governments for being too "timid" with China. Meanwhile, a ship loaded with arms for Zimbabwe is thought to have rounded the Cape of Good Hope. It is feared that the weapons will be delivered to president Mugabe, while systematic violence is taking place in the country.

Reduced access and cancelled appointments for journalists; no permission to film anything except for the torch climbing to the roof of the world. China fears new uprisings and pro-Tibet demonstrations.

The gesture is a token of solidarity with the Tibetan people “which is defending its right to life.” Sarkozy’s envoy is in Beijing trying to reduce tensions between France and China. Demonstrations against Carrefour supermarkets continue in the mainland.

Crowds are kept away from the path of the Olympic torch relay, reduced to only a few kilometres inside a city stadium before a selected group of viewers, to avoid protests and clashes between anti- and pro-China groups. Meanwhile in Tibet China continues to “mix” religion and politics.

Farmers are rebelling against the appropriation of their land, destined for the mining industry or for golf courses. One has been killed and five wounded in Saixi; 300 have been wounded in Longqiao. The campaign against Tibet used as a smokescreen to conceal domestic problems.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, analyses for AsiaNews the provocations of the Chinese government and the smear campaign against the Dalai Lama, intended to weaken even further the condition of the Tibetan population. An appeal to the international community: Beijing has been ignoring you for 30 years; do something before Tibet is destroyed.