Democratic activists Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi convicted of ‘subversion’

Other news of the day: in Yemen, negotiations between the Saudis and pro-Iranian Houthi rebels. India’s tiger population is growing. Myanmar: Six years in prison for a Baptist pastor who opposes the coup junta. Japanese universities restrict the use of ChatGPT. Moscow wants to take Ukrainian citizenship away from children deported from territories it took from kyiv.

CHINA

After more than three years in prison without a sentence, a Shandong court sentenced the well-known democracy activists Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi: the first at 14 and the second at 12 years. They are accused of “subversion”. The two dissidents were among the leaders of the New Citizens Movement, which is highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

YEMEN-SAUDI ARABIA

With the mediation of Oman, Saudi negotiators met yesterday in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, with a delegation from rebels Houthis: The pro-Iranian group controls part of the north of the country in the civil conflict that has been going on since 2014. The objective of the meeting was to achieve a permanent ceasefire with government forces backed by Riyadh.

INDIA

The tiger population wild has grown to over 3,000 individuals, according to a census published by the Indian authorities. This increase encourages efforts to save this endangered species. Compared to 100 years ago, the number of wild tigers has decreased by 93% in Central, Eastern and South Asia.

MYANMAR

Last Good Friday, the coup military junta condemned the Baptist Pastor Hkalam Samson to six years in jail. He is accused of terrorism, illicit association and incitement to the opposition against the regime.

JAPAN

Japanese universities will limit students’ use of ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence-based chat developed by the American high-tech company OpenAI. The app is capable of generating human-like responses to complex questions, especially for crafting texts.

RUSSIA

Ukrainian children up to the age of 16 who were deported to Russia, orphaned or whose parents are missing or killed in combat, will be deprived of their Ukrainian citizenship without their consent. This is stipulated in a decree of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, which entrusted this task to the tutors or managers of the orphanages, to whom it will suffice to send a request in this regard.

AZERBAIJAN-IRAN

In a telephone conversation, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Iran assessed the numerous misunderstandings of recent times, agreeing that they must restore a climate of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries, as well as keep the media in the interest of both.