China: four and a half years in prison for dissident Xie Wenfei

Today's headlines: Seoul 'rejuvenates' South Korean population by one year; Nedteen Israeli military reservists threaten to boycott service in protest of justice reform; Pakistani army hunts three senior officers who failed to block attacks by supporters of former PM Khan; Myanmar military junta "no impact" on drug trafficking; Tokyo ready to relax rules on use of electric scooters from July; Baku blocks one of the Lačin corridor crossings.

CHINA
The People's Court in Chenzhou, Hunan, sentenced Xie Wenfei, an activist and voice critical of the Chinese government who is among the staunchest supporters of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, to four and a half years in prison. Sources close to the family speak of "mistreatment" during his years in solitary confinement. He was arrested on April 29, 2020, and has not been heard from since. 

SOUTH KOREA
Starting tomorrow, South Koreans will become at least one year "younger." The country has decided to change the counting of age from birth (until now Seoul assigned infants one year of life), conforming to international standards. Behind the decision is the need to avoid confusion and comply with the global model, whereas until now time in the womb was also considered. 

ISRAEL - PALESTINE
Some 300 Israeli military reservist doctors are threatening to boycott the service if the government continues in the process of approving the controversial justice reform. "We will not be," they write in a letter, "in the service of a dictatorship. Meanwhile, the ultra-right nationalist and religious coalition approved the construction of 5700 new housing units for settlers in the West Bank. 

PAKISTAN
The Pakistani army has kicked out three senior officers, including an army corps general, for failing to stop attacks on military property by supporters of former premier Imran Khan, who were in the streets demonstrating against his arrest. At least 102 people are on trial in army courts for last month's violence. Activists concerned about the presence of civilians among the defendants. 

MYANMAR
The coup military junta in Myanmar claims to have burned about half a billion dollars worth of illegal drugs. Nevertheless, the fight against drug trafficking marks a setback, and the generals themselves admit they cannot stop the surge in the production and trade of heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine and opium. The impact of restrictions is almost "nil." 

JAPAN
Tokyo plans to relax rules on electric scooters starting in July, with users no longer required to obtain or hold a driver's license. The vehicles will be equated with bicycles if they meet certain requirements. However, critics advance safety concerns: from 4 in 2020, fatal accidents are up to 41 in 2022 and growing. 

RUSSIA - KAZAKHSTAN - UZBEKISTAN.
While the Prigožin march was underway, the Russian president held telephone talks with counterparts from several former Soviet countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as stated by the press office in Tashkent, to "brief on the situation and discuss bilateral and regional relations." Tokaev called the whole thing "an internal affair of Russia," Mirziyoyev offered help to Putin.

AZERBAIJAN - ARMENIA
Baku has erected a bitumen barrier on its side of the Khakari Bridge, one of the crossings of the Lačin Corridor, near the military control post, making it impossible to travel the affected section. The aim is to protect the work by which the Azeris are building fixed structures to defend their positions, which Russian peacekeepers are witnessing inertly.

• AsiaToday