Beijing: first conviction of Taiwan activist on ‘separatism’ charges

Today's news:  3477 displaced, including 1485 children, in attacks by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 7 October; Risk of new pandemic from Chinese mammal farms, new viruses ready to jump species; The head of the Election Commission in Bangladesh resigns;Kuala Lumpur continues explorations in disputed area of.the China Sea.  

TAIWAN - CHINA
For the first time, Beijing has sentenced a Taiwanese political activist on trial for ‘separatism’ to nine years in prison. A sentence that had never been handed down before and which prompted Taipei to warn its compatriots about travelling to China. The verdict against Yang Chih-yuan was handed down by the court in the eastern city of Wenzhou. In the past, the charge has often been used against Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in the western region of Xinjiang.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE
Israeli security forces withdrew from the city of Jenin and from a refugee camp in the area, after 10 days of ‘violent aggression’ tantamount to a siege as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. At least 21 people were killed and there was extensive damage to infrastructure. According to Unrwa sources, between 7 October 2023 (war in Gaza) and 2 September, the IDF destroyed, demolished or confiscated 1478 Palestinian structures in the West Bank, displacing 3477 people including 1485 children.

CHINA
Dozens of viruses, some new and species-hopping, have emerged on fur farms. Virologist Edward Holmes issued the alert, pointing out that after Covid-19, mammals including mink would be the main danger - and vector - for a new pandemic. The researchers sequenced genetic material from the lungs and intestines of 461 animals - minks, rabbits, foxes and raccoon dogs - that died of the disease in the country between 2021 and 2024.

BANGLADESH
The head of the Election Commission in Bangladesh resigned yesterday after denying any political interference in the January vote that led to the re-election of leader - now resigned and in exile - Sheikh Hasina. Kazi Habibul Awal and the other four commissioners left office, the last in a series of senior officials appointed by the previous executive including the head of the Central Bank and Supreme Court judges.

MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur, through its state-owned company Petronas, intends to continue exploring for oil and gas in the South China Sea, despite pressure from Beijing which claims large areas in the region. This was stated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who wants to defend the country's economic interests while describing China as a ‘friend’.

RUSSIA - INDIA
According to correspondence between the governments of Moscow and New Delhi, published by the Financial Times, Russia has agreed since 2022 on a secret channel to purchase from India dual-use items prohibited by the sanctions. The agreement mainly includes electronics items, but there is also talk of opening factories in India to produce components needed for military purposes.

KYRGYZSTAN
The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Žaparov, commented in the State Agency Kabar on the confirmation of the closure of the independent news agency Kloop. In this regard, he recalled that ‘in the country for 30 years people confused anarchy with democracy, and gossip with freedom of speech, but now our society is trying to recover from these illnesses’.

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