ASIA TODAY Laos, evangelical preacher found dead with signs of violence

Today’s news: night of explosions and burning cars in Istanbul; new riots against the “Zero Covid” policy in Guangzhou; in India the population growth rate slows down, falling to 1.2% compared to 1.7% in the previous decade; Tokyo resumes international cruises on the 30th anniversary of the Covid-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess, during the first phase of the pandemic.; In Kazakhstan, “Euro 0” cars without safety systems are back.

LAOS

A evangelical preacher who had recently been arrested for proselytizing, died under mysterious circumstances and his corpse shows signs of violence. Sy Seng Manee, 48, was taken away by two men and his motorcycle was left abandoned on the side of the forest in the village of Donkeo (Khammouane). Laos, a Buddhist-majority nation, allows freedom of worship, but Christians are often subjected to persecution,

TURKEY

Last night mysterious explosions took place in the city of Istanbul, marked by the attempt of November 13. Seven cars caught fire in the Fatih district, causing columns of smoke. At the moment, the cause of the fire has not been clarified, which spread from one car to other nearby ones and caused panic among the inhabitants. Witnesses speak of multiple explosions in the place where the fire originated.

CHINA

new revolts in China against the “Zero Covid” policy imposed by Beijing. In Guangzhou, an industrial city located in the south of the country, a crowd rebelled against the closures and staged fierce clashes with the police. Videos of overturned police vehicles and vandalized isolation fences circulated on the web. Meanwhile, the escalation of infections continues, which exceeds the peak of the month of April.

INDIA

The world population reached 8,000 million inhabitants, driven by China and India. However, Delhi confirms that the growth rate is slowing down. In some areas, local governments are even rethinking their birth control policies. The average rate since 2011 stands at 1.2%, below the 1.7% of the previous decade. And it is expected to fall in the near future.

JAPAN

After two and a half years, Tokyo raises its prohibition that governed international cruise ships after the outbreak on the Diamond Princess (3,711 passengers, more than 700 infected and 13 deaths) in the early phases of the pandemic. The government has set guidelines for shipbuilders and port authorities and has confirmed that the country is preparing to resume activity, but the date is still unknown.

RUSSIA

The “Mažita Gafuri” theater in Ufa, in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, withdrew from the bill a play based on the novel “Zulejka opens your eyes” by the well-known Tatar writer Guzela Jakhina. The author had spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine, an event that “has destroyed my world”, as she put it. The theater staff said that they were against Jakhina’s views.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan, like Russia, has lowered the green standards of car production, going back to the “Euro 0” level of the 1990s. airbags security, automatic locking systems and automatic warning signals. The decree signed by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov will be in force until February 1, 2023.