Hello lovelies. Welcome to “News in Asia” time!
The pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong are still going on; however, the number of protesters have decreased. Still, tensions remain high between the Hong Kong government and police and the pro-democracy groups. The newest flare up happened over the weekend as police broke past barricades where demonstrators were gathered in the Mong Kok shopping district. Reportedly, 20 people were injured.
Keeping with the protest theme for a bit, climate change activists in the South Pacific have been using canoes, kayaks and surfboards to blockade shipments of coal from a port north of Sydney. The activists from the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea say they don’t want to drown because of climate change. Also fun fact I just learned: Australia is the worst polluter per head of population in the developed world and the world’s largest coal exporter.
Shame on me for not noticing this earlier: Asia Bibi, a Christian, has had her death sentence upheld by a Lahore high court. Bibi is accused of blasphemy, which in Pakistan carries the death penalty.
Pakistan has issued a statement saying that any drone strikes within their borders must comply with international law. I think the government has long grown tired of the US ordering drone strikes at will.
Rebel groups in Myanmar are saying that if the military keeps escalating operations, then peace talks will cease.
A brutal storm in the Himalayas left hundreds stranded on the Annapurna Trail. An estimated 400 people have been rescued with at least 39 deaths and many still missing. The Nepalese government has called off the rescue operation and has now switched to recovering bodies from the trail.
Afghanistan’s new First Lady, Rula Ghani, is taking on a decidedly public role, a break from tradition. She will focus primarily on advocating for women, children and the internally displaced. Bravo!
Competitive gaming is a BIG DEAL in South Korea; the best gamers are celebrities. This article features the gaming culture in South Korea in regards to the League of Legends Championship.
Finally, because I like including sports news when I can, participants in the Beijing marathon donned masks and ran the race in smog conditions deemed, “hazardous.” Good for them…I guess?
5 replies on “News in Asia”
Thanks for sharing this! It’s great to hear about what else is going on in the world.
You’re welcome!
Yikes, Australia.
I saw on telly a company that wants to use the smog and turn it into jewelry and stuff, and something that would like ..be a huge vacuum and create better air quality stops.
I kid you not, when I taught high school in South Korea, my students came up with a similar idea. They were geniuses.
Now only to get the attention of people with money, I guess.