MONTH IN BRIEF – APRIL 2025
MONTH IN BRIEF
Kiribati mining deal with China
The Pacific nation of Kiribati says it is exploring a deep-sea mining partnership with China, offering Beijing the attractive prospect of access to a huge swathe of the Pacific Ocean that harbours coveted metals and minerals. China has for some time been ramping up efforts to court Pacific nations sitting on lucrative sea-floor deposits of cobalt, nickel and copper, recently signing a cooperation deal with the Cook Islands. Kiribati opened discussions with Chinese ambassador Zhou Limin after a longstanding agreement with leading deep-sea mining outfit The Metals Company fell through.
Death sentences for student killers
A court in Bangladesh has upheld the death sentences of 20 former university students convicted of the brutal 2019 murder of a fellow student who criticised the Sheikh Hasina government on social media. Abrar Fahad, 21, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, was beaten to death with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, just hours after publishing a Facebook post that criticised the then government for signing a water-sharing treaty with India. The assailants were all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the former PM’s political party, the Awami League.
Out with the old…
A Japanese utility has begun to dismantle an old nuclear reactor, with a view to building a new one, as the East Asian country drives for more clean energy, with nuclear power set to account for 20 to 22 per cent of its electricity by 2030.This is the first such attempt on a commercial unit in Japan, after Chubu Electric decided in 2008 to dismantle two reactors at its Hamaoka plant in the central Shizuoka region, to avoid paying for costly anti-earthquake measures for them. Only about 25 nuclear reactors worldwide have been fully dismantled, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Mission accomplished
India has accelerated the rate at which it is opening up new diplomatic missions across the world, with the aim of serving the growing Indian diaspora, deepening business ties and expanding the country’s global footprint. In the last seven months alone, New Delhi has opened several consulates and embassies across Europe, Asia and Latin America. On March 8, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar inaugurated a new consulate in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland in the UK in a renewed push to increase India’s diplomatic presence worldwide.
US, South Korea energy cooperation
Representatives from the US state of Alaska have visited South Korea to discuss energy cooperation, amid an impetus for US allies in Asia to join a stalled gas pipeline project being pushed by President Trump. Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy’s delegation included officials from the Glenfarne Group, a partner in the project to transport gas from Alaska’s remote north via a US$44 billion pipeline, and the state gas agency. In a meeting with South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Mr Dunleavy discussed energy cooperation, including over the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and other trade issues.
A hint of blasphemy
A Pakistani YouTuber has been charged with blasphemy after launching a perfume named after the very law with which he has come into conflict. Rajab Butt, who has one of the largest online followings in the Muslim-majority country, has long been steeped in controversy, including over his brief custody of a lion cub. In a recent video, he launched his ‘295’ perfume, which refers to blasphemy legislation in the penal code. The publicity surrounding his scent prompted the leader of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to file a complaint on March 24.
In honour of ‘Sharmaji’
A March 22ndevent was held to celebrate a remarkable 50years of public service by Virendra Sharma – affectionately as ‘Sharmaji’ – the former Member of Parliament for Ealing-Southall in London. The event, attended by over 800 people at the Heston Hyde Hotel, paid tribute to Mr Sharma’s lifelong dedication to serving communities in the UK and beyond. Born in India, he migrated to the UK in 1968 and began his working life as a bus conductor before pursuing further education at the London School of Economics on a Trade Union Scholarship. His journey from public transport worker to British Parliamentarian, during which he was a tireless advocate for social justice and equality, is an inspiring example of perseverance and commitment.
Return of the king
Former king of Nepal Gyanendra Shah has been welcomed back to Kathmandu by thousands of cheering supporters who have been holding pro-monarchy demonstrations across the Himalayan country. Hindu-majority Nepal became a secular republic in 2008 after Parliament abolished the monarchy as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war in which more than 16,000 people were killed. But support for the restoration of the monarchy and a Hindu state has grown amid dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development.