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”.
To reach an upper-medium level of development this decade, greater investments in energy are needed. For supporters, nuclear plants would guarantee stable and "clean" energy, and improve the environment at a critical juncture for traditional renewables. Moscow and Beijing would partner in infrastructure development.
The Tokyo District Court revoked the religious movement’s status. Founded by Sun Myung Moon, the Church was involved in financial scandals over the years, which emerged following the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The Church, which will still be able to operate in Japan, plans to appeal, but it loses its tax benefits in the meantime.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders issued an appeal on behalf of the activist, who was jailed again a few months ago after serving four years in prison for her reports on the pandemic. Last November, she was indicted for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
The report on North Korea by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been presented. Only workers sent abroad to finance the regime are able to escape, and even United Nations agencies have difficulty entering the country. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un receives Shoigu in Pyongyang, reiterating the ‘unwavering support’ of North Korean soldiers for the Russian war in Ukraine.
One million Chinese will be living in Japan by next year, according to some estimates, driven by families enrolling their children in academies linked to Japan’s animation industry, where the best talents are offered the possibility of permanent residence. About 70 per cent of foreign students today come from mainland China, but distrust is growing towards them.
A Catholic voice from Shanghai reminds AsiaNews of the case of the auxiliary bishop who resigned from the Patriotic Association when he was ordained and has been living in seclusion ever since. It was hoped that the tormented appointment of Mgr Shen Bin as ordinary bishop would unblock the situation, but two years later nothing has happened. Ma Daqin remains the icon of the “suffering righteous”.
Trump's latest wave of executive orders has reached Radio Free Asia and other related news outlets such as Voice of America. Funded by the US government, the latter have been an essential source of information in at-risk regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, against Chinese censorship. For a former US ambassador, this is a giant gift to China.
The Chinese government has introduced a series of new measures against obesity, including specialised clinics in hospitals and Olympic athletes’ testimonials to raise awareness. By 2030, 65 per cent of Chinese adults are at risk of being overweight, with serious consequences for public health and the country's economy.
Called "space oil” because it makes people feel as if they were in space, the substance is taken through electronic cigarettes. Its basic ingredient is an anaesthetic, etomidate. It is increasingly popular among youth in Hong Kong, but also mainland China and Taiwan. A “zero tolerance” policy has failed so far to deal with the real causes of the problem.
The 30th anniversary of the Committee set up by Card Stephen Kim, who celebrates a weekly Mass for peace and the reunification of the Korean peninsula, was celebrated in Myeongdong Cathedral. Archbishop Chung said: ‘It is disheartening to see that today hatred prevails over suspicion, over exclusion and hatred. Let us continue to walk together on the path of conversion of hearts’.
The US retail giant has reportedly asked Chinese companies to cut prices to compensate for the Trump tariffs. Chinese suppliers complain that they are already working with very narrow profit margins to compete. China’s Ministry of Commerce warns the US company that its interests in the Chinese domestic market are also at stake.
As South Korea awaits the Constitutional Court's decision on impeaching the president, the leaders of the country's main religious groups call for unity and respect for the court’s decision. Tensions have risen after Yoon's recent release from prison, putting security forces on alert. Meanwhile, support for the ruling party is also up.
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