He was convicted for "inciting subversion of state power" after a trial marked by serious procedural breaches of Chinese and international law. Xie, who has handled several sensitive cases, including religious persecution cases, and has been imprisoned and tortured in the past for his work. The human rights community is calling for his immediate release.
President Lai Ching-te announced plans to restart the Guosheng and Ma-anshan nuclear plants due to growing energy demand and the war in the Middle East, marking a turning point after the country's nuclear phase-out. Last year, a referendum had already called for the restart of one plant but failed because it fell short of the threshold of eligible voters.
The activist and former trade unionist spoke at his subversion trial regarding his role in the Hong Kong Alliance, which organised vigils in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. He faces up to 10 years in prison. In his defence, he quoted Mao Zedong and former Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang opposing one-party rule.
The price of a coconut in Thailand, which was 20 baht before 2020, has now dropped to as low as 2 baht, putting small farmers out of business. According to local producers, a few companies with Chinese capital now control much of the supply chain, imposing extremely low prices and distorting the market.
Iran is blocking with missiles and mines the strait through which 20 per cent of global crude oil transits. After China, India and Bangladesh are trying to get Iran’s approval for their ships to avert a crisis. According to EIA data, up to 82 per cent of oil going through Hormuz reach Asian markets. Starting 16 March, Tokyo intends to release part of its oil reserves on its own.
A new report looks at the reasons for the decline based on qualitative interviews in Tokyo and Seoul. In addition to demographic decline, the erosion of faith between generations, the “pressures of modern life”, the decline in religious practices, and negative views of religion have also played a role. However, many claim to maintain a cultural connection with Buddhism and still feel drawn to its teachings.
