China floods leave at least12 dead

Today’s headlines: the book *Taiwan Travelogue* has won the International Booker Prize; Thailand has reduced the visa-free stay to 30 days following a series of arrests of foreign nationals; The United Arab Emirates has reported that the recent attack on one of its nuclear power stations was carried out using six drones originating from Iraq.

CHINA

The heavy rains that have fallen over the last few days across various parts of China have killed at least 12 people and forced nearly 20,000 people to be evacuated. This morning, the state broadcaster CCTV reported five deaths and eleven people missing in Shimen County, in Hunan Province, central China. One town recorded 240 millimetres of rain in just a few hours, breaking historical records, whilst in the neighbouring province of Hubei, some roads turned into rivers and rescue workers had to use rubber dinghies to help stranded residents.

TAIWAN

The book “Taiwan Travelogue”, by writer Yang Shuang-zi, has won the International Booker Prize, the first novel translated into English from Mandarin Chinese to win the award. It recounts the culinary journey of two women across Taiwan in the 1930s, during the period of Japanese rule. Presented elaborately as the translation of a rediscovered travel diary, complete with fictitious footnotes, many readers, upon its initial publication in 2020, believed it to be an authentic historical text.

SOUTH KOREA

A new app allows users to check the availability of free seats on Seoul’s packed metro in real time. It is called “Cheo Naeryeoyo” (which roughly translates as “This is my stop”) and allows passengers about to alight to share details of their seat, including the metro line they are travelling on, the departure station, the direction of the train, the carriage in which the seat is located and whether it is a regular or express train, thus enabling other passengers to take a seat.

THAILAND

Bangkok has decided to reduce the duration of 60-day visa-free stays for visitors from over 90 countries in an attempt to curb crimes involving foreign tourists, local authorities announced yesterday, bringing the limit back down to 30 days. There has recently been a series of arrests for drug trafficking, human trafficking and illegal commercial activities. Tourism accounts for over 10% of Thailand’s GDP, although visitor numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.

MIDDLE EAST

The United Arab Emirates has stated that six drones originating from Iraq were used in the attack on a nuclear facility in recent days. Emirati officials have stated that the plant remains secure, but that the country has the right to respond to these ‘terrorist attacks’. Iraq is home to several armed groups backed by Iran, which have so far claimed responsibility for a series of actions against ‘enemy bases in Iraq and the region’.

CHINA – KYRGYZSTAN

China intends to grant Kyrgyzstan a loan for the construction of a railway, and the Žogorku Keneš committee on industrial policy, transport, fuels and energy, architecture and construction has examined a draft agreement to this effect. The Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Almaz Turgumbaev, noted that China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have already established a joint venture to carry out the project, and under the agreement, China will contribute 51% of the 5 million cost.

RUSSIA – UKRAINE – SOUTH ASIA

Migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries are carrying out heavy labour in Russia and Ukraine, as the warring nations seek to make up for labour shortages. Residents of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine recently saw an unusual notice: “From Monday 4 May, migrant workers from India will be cleaning the area around your housing estate”, and the reaction has been largely negative.