At the Oceania Island Leaders' Forum meeting currently underway in Palau, agreement was reached on a text that, while not specifically naming Beijing, criticizes the test conducted in July. The meeting was also marked by Chinese attacks over the invitation to Taiwan's Foreign Minister.
Today's news: further tragedy in the escape of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabach, at least 20 dead in the explosion of a fuel depot. 20 years later, there is still no compensation for the Iraqi victims of torture in US prisons, including Abu Grahib. North Korean athletes refuse photos with South Korean rivals at Asian Games. Manila removes in a "special operation" the floating barrier positioned by Beijing in a disputed area of the South China Sea.
Ronson Chan gets five days in jail for obstructing public officials and disturbing the peace in September 2022. For the presiding judge, a fine was not enough. For activists and critics, this is another attack against press freedom and represents an attempt to intimidate journalists.
Today's news: Riyadh sets18-year jail term for high school student for tweets supporting political prisoners; At least 1400 migrant workers enter China every day from Myanmar through the Muse trade hub; Turkish, along with Arabic and Kurdish, is the third official language in Kirkuk; The Indian judiciary confiscates the property of a Sikh separatist leader; Taiwan wants to produce two new submarines by 2027 and equip subsequent ones with missiles; Seoul against the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Chen Siming, 60, commemorates the Tiananmen massacre in Hunan every year and has already been arrested for it. Threatened with internment in a psychiatric hospital in July, he escaped clandestinely to Laos and then to Thailand, countries that are no longer safe for Chinese dissidents. He applied for protection during a stopover in Taipei with a plane ticket to Guangzhou. Taiwan does not have a refugee law, more likely to accept the request from a third country.
Today's headlines: Assad in Beijing collects support for Syrian reconstruction from Xi Jinping; India-China clash over visas for three female athletes from Arunachal Pradesh at the Asian Games; South Korean opposition leader facing arrest warrant breaks hunger strike; In Mariupol so many Russian soldiers hospitalised, there is no more room for civilians in hospitals.
Pre-cooked food is a booming industry after the Covid pandemic changed people's lifestyles. In the country of food scandals, parents boycott meals distributed to students' canteens for safety reasons. However, the authorities strongly support a rapidly growing sector.
Today's headlines: clashes continue in Manipur, 10 injured yesterday; In Laos, the debt trap with China may be bigger than imagined; Dust and volcanic gases in the Philippines cause school closures; In South Korea, video game champions might get exemption from military service; Still no agreement for Nagorno-Karabakh after the capitulation of Armenian militias under fire from Azerbaijani army; African countries abandon the rouble for the Chinese yuan in purchases from Russia.
Bishop Yang Yongqiang of Zhouchun and Yao Shun of Jining are on the list of members released today a couple of weeks before the synod opens. They were picked by the local Church in agreement with the authorities and appointed by Pope Francis.
The Philippines plans to go before a yet-to-be-named international tribunal seeking damages against Chinese vessels operating in the Philippine section of the disputed South China Sea China’s aggressive policy is blamed. Beijing rejects the accusations; instead, it points the finger at Japan over its release of contaminated waters from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Although some competitions have already started, the opening ceremony will take place in two days (without fireworks for environmental reasons). Alongside the Olympic disciplines there will be eSports and disciplines related to ancient Asian practices, such as traditional Dragon boat racing or Indian kabbadi. The coach of India's football team consulted an astrologer to decide which players to bring along. Beijing reopens to the region after the covid in the hope of racking up medals.
Lee Jae-myung, head of the Democratic Party of Korea, is accused of corruption, which he has always denied. He was hospitalised two days ago. Meanwhile, his party has tabled a motion calling on the prime minister to resign. In a deeply divided country, confidence in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is sinking, driven by its failure to oppose Japan’s release of radioactive waters from the Fukushima plant in the name of the détente with the former colonial power.
Chinese diplomats have tried to block a conference held yesterday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Beijing claims it is shutting down internment camps when in fact it is simply moving inmates to regular prisons.
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