News in Asia

Fair warning: this edition is on the sad side.

The big news story coming out of Asia is the sinking of a South Korean ferry that likely killed most of the passengers onboard. The majority of those killed were teenagers on a trip to the island of Jeju, a popular tourist destination. This story is one that is hard for me. Ferries are frequently used in South Korea to reach the many inhabited islands surrounding the peninsula. I traveled on a few in my two years there. A trip to Jeju is common for high school students on a class trip, and my Grade 1 students went there on a ferry leaving from the southern city of Busan. The number of students killed in the sinking most likely represents the loss of a whole grade at their high school. The latest investigations say that it was an inexperienced third mate at the helm when the boat began to capsize.

In other news around Asia, the Taliban has ended a cease-fire with Pakistan.

An avalanche killed 12 guides on Mt. Everest in the deadliest accident on the mountain ever.

Moderate to high turnout continues in the fifth week of Indian elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, rejects the accusation the he was silent on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Japan has decided to build a military base on a disputed island, potentially angering China.

In news that is tragically familiar, the Afghan government claims that a NATO airstrike has killed civilians.

The Philippines has been declared the most dangerous place in Asia for environmental activism.

Finally, to assuage all the bad news, NPR has a story on how Pakistan’s literary spring represents both renaissance and resistance.