North Asia

In a new trial, the anti-Putin dissident attacks judges, accusing them of being subservient to power. From his prison cell, he criticises Ukraine invasion and expresses support for the journalist who denounced Russia's aggression on TV. He risks another 13 years of harsh prison regime.

Dalveer Bhandari, a former justice with the Supreme Court of India, backs the decision ordering Russia to stop military operations. The court rejects Russia’s claim that Ukraine is guilty of genocide. At the UN, India has abstained in resolutions against Russia to avoid condemning it.

It was scheduled for next autumn. Xi Jinping would need a "small victory" to secure a third term in power. Taipei cannot confirm the authenticity of the document, but it is credible, according to a well-known investigative journalist. After invasion of Ukraine, Taiwanese more ready to fight.

At the general audience, Francis quotes a prayer written in recent days by the archbishop of Naples on the war in Ukraine and asked the young people to pray for their peers forced to flee from the bombs. In his catechesis on old age, he recalled the style of Noah who denounced corruption "without recriminations, but safeguarding future generations".

Empty shelves: sugar is disappearing, a salad costs the same as a plate of oysters, and meat is now like gold. The authorities tell citizens that aid will arrive from China and Belarus. For the Russians, the current crisis is worse than the Covid-19 crisis.

Fears of US reprisals in case of Chinese aid to Moscow has sparked a sell-off of shares in Chinese hi-tech companies. The US National Security advisor issues a warning. For Yang Jiechi, “the situation in Ukraine has reached a point that the Chinese side does not want to see.” The Chinese are in "damage control" mode.

They have gathered in Moscow to support the Russian president in his war on Ukraine. A ritual "for the good of Russia". They say that as Russian citizens they do not have the right to criticise those who govern.

At the Angelus Francis renewed his plea for an end to the ruinous war in Ukraine. “Faced with the barbarism of the killing of children, and of innocent and defenceless citizens, there are no strategic reasons that hold up,” he said. Calling on all dioceses in the world to devote more time to praying for peace, he turned his thoughts to refugees and Mariupol, the city that bears Mary’s name.

China imports nearly half of the gas, mostly in liquified form from Australia and the US. Only one gas pipeline connects Russia to China at present, but three are under construction. This will help China, but won’t be enough to compensate Russia for its loss of European markets.

The grotesque and tragic Russia described by Vladimir Sorokin in his 2006 novel “Day of the Oprichnik” unravels the tormented soul of a country that is always its own first enemy, and for this it needs to feel at war with all the others. It almost seems that the political and religious leaders of present-day Russia feel the duty to turn the nightmares of literature into facts.

In his latest speech at the end of the "Two Sessions", China’s incumbent premier is open to working with the United States to overcome the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic. For Beijing, striking a deal with Washington is better than a tactical "quasi-alliance" with Moscow. Confrontation with Washington is not paying off at a difficult time for the Chinese economy.

The Kremlin is seeking to strengthen its control of the CSTO, the political-military bloc that incorporates several former Soviet republics. Putin wants a right of "coordination". The member states have not yet ratified the changes demanded by Russia. In Kazakhstan, part of the population is asking to leave the alliance.