As victims are counted and efforts are underway to save hydroelectric plant workers in Nepal, questions are mounting about the sustainability of the development model adopted in recent years in the shadow of the Himalayas. For its part, the Nepali government is demanding “climate compensation”.
In his annual address, Chief Executive John Lee announced special legislation to speed up a futuristic project for a new metropolis in the New Territories, the area closest to mainland China. The goal is to bring 2.5 million new residents, centred around a major tech hub. This is also part of a political plan to turn a page in a major Asian crossroads where growth has stalled since the events of 2020.
In 2024, South Korea recorded its highest number of suicides in 13 years, with a total of 14,872, a 6.3 per cent increase over the previous year. The causes lie in the intense social pressure imposed from childhood to excel in studies and careers. Seeking psychological support continues to be seen as a failure, preventing young people from getting proper help.
JICA, the development agency of Tokyo's Foreign Ministry, has been forced to abandon its twinning initiative between four Japanese cities and Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Mozambique. Perceived as encouraging immigration, it sparked demonstrations and alarm. This is a serious blow to development cooperation in a political climate marked by the rise of the far right.
Despite announcements, Beijing continues to delay the construction of the gas pipeline that would represent a lifeline for Gazprom. Political and financial considerations are complicating the agreement on the terms of the contract to be concluded. Meanwhile, China is also looking to other suppliers to meet its needs, which are set to grow after 2030.
The 42-year-old blogger and lawyer who was jailed for reporting on the pandemic in Wuhan will spend more time behind bars for “causing a public disturbance”. Her "crime" was attempting to meet and defend a trade unionist in Gansu. Friends and supporters highlight the deep Christian faith that inspires her courage.
The race to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the helm of Japan’s hitherto dominant right-wing party is underway. The spotlight is on Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a relatively young member of the party’s liberal wing, and Sanae Takaichi, a nationalist close to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who could become the country’s first female prime minister. While inflation and the cost of living dominate the campaign, the candidates discuss how to rebuild the party’s base eroded by new far-right movements.
AsiaNews editorial director Fr. Gianni Criveller comments on the Pope's words on China in an interview released in recent days: "He guarantees the continuity of previous choices, aware that there is time between now and the new expiry of the Agreement in 2028. But he also says he is listening to the “underground” communities that (rightly or wrongly) feel they have been sacrificed. So that the government's narrative is not the only one in this complex and painful ecclesial affair."
Friends report that Zhang Yadi, 22, has been missing since 30 July, a few weeks before she was supposed to start an MA in anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. She had founded “Chinese Youths Stand for Tibet”, a pro-Tibet group based outside of China. In Changsha, lawyer Jiang Tianyong, who was making inquiries about her case, was also arrested. Beijing is increasingly cracking down on criticism, even among Chinese communities abroad.
This year, China became Tajikistan's main trading partner for the first time, with a balance exceeding $3 billion. At the recent SCO summit held in Tianjin, there was also talk of establishing a centre for combating drug trafficking in Dushanbe, and bilateral agreements were signed on the digital economy, renewable energy and transport.
The Department of Religious Affairs has issued a new Internet code of conduct for priests and ministers of other faiths, who “must not engage in online activities as such”. The crackdown on educational initiatives for children has also been extended to the web with a ban on organising online religious training. Fundraisers to support places of worship or activities are out. Only the websites of authorised religious denominations are allowed.
According to Japan’s National Police Agency, more than 40,000 lonely deaths at home were reported in the first half of this year. More than one case in four is discovered after more than a week. The causes include an aging population, weakening relationships, and a reluctance to seek help. “A person told me that [. . .] he has only one friend left, whom he talks to twice a year,” says Father Marco Villa, head of a counselling centre in Koshigaya. Loneliness is the country’s greatest tragedy.
Only 53 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballot in the former Portuguese colony, despite shuttles carrying casino workers to vote at the urging of local government leader Sam Hou-fai. In July, 12 candidates were barred, and a former lawmaker arrested on "national security" grounds under legislation imposed by Beijing. Even among those who did vote, many returned a blank or spoilt ballot paper.
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