Other news of the day: Hong Kong jails three activists who promoted Tiananmen vigils, but leaves Elizabeth Tang free; Thai authorities issue a pollution alert; the Japanese remember the victims on the twelfth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident; Indian police detain three suspected of participating in the lynching of a murdered Muslim man because they believed he was transporting beef.
IRAN – SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia and Iran, historical rivals, have reached a agreement to restore diplomatic relations seven years after breaking them. The announcement comes after four days of talks mediated by China, the host country. Relations had broken in January 2016 over the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, in response to the execution of a Shiite leader in Riyadh.
HONG KONG – CHINA
The Hong Kong authorities stopped today under the National Security Law three former members of a pro-democracy group, promoters of the annual vigils to commemorate Beijing’s crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Chow Hang-tung, 38 , Vice President of the Alliance, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong, all of them for four and a half months. Catholic trade unionist Elizabeth Tang has been released on bail.
THAILAND
The Thai authorities issued a pollution alert because a blanket of smog and fog covered some important centers of the country for weeks, especially Bangkok and the northern cities. Children and pregnant women are advised to stay at home and the public to wear protective masks outdoors and reduce their activities.
JAPAN
The Japanese commemorate the victims on the 12th anniversary of the catastrophe of fukushima, the nuclear accident caused by a tsunami that triggered a magnitude 9 earthquake. It left a balance of 18,500 victims between dead and missing, in the worst atomic catastrophe since Chernobyl. However, public support for nuclear power continues to grow in the country.
INDIA
Indian police detained three people in Bihar suspected of being related to the death of a muslim which had previously been attacked because it was believed to be transporting beef. The victim was Naseem Qureshi, a 56-year-old Muslim, who was lynched by the mob. Cows are considered sacred animals according to Hindu tradition, and their sale and consumption is restricted in many Indian states.
RUSSIA – TURKEY
After Secretary Blinken’s visit to Ankara, Turkey began to block all merchandise loads sent to Russia from Europe, to check that those subject to international sanctions do not pass. The blockade affects more than 10,000 commercial items, especially electronics, chemical products and industrial equipment.
UZBEKISTAN
The Tashkent Parliament has proposed holding a referendum on April 30 on the new Constitution of Uzbekistan, according to the text agreed by President Mirziyoyev with the representatives of the two Chambers after the popular consultation in recent months. They will not be simple modifications, since it is planned to introduce 27 new articles, which will become a total of 155.
