World·4h ago
China to ban storing remains of dead in ‘bone ash apartments’
Practice of using apartments to store relatives’ ashes has risen as rapid urbanisation and aging population increases competition for cemetery plots China is introducing a law to stop people storing the ashes of their dead relatives in empty high-rise flats rather than paying steep costs for increasingly scarce cemetery plots.
The Guardian
World·3h ago
Eurovision Song Contest launches first-ever Asia edition
As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, it feels especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent," Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, said in a statement. Known for its glitzy stage costumes and sometimes outlandish performances, the Eurovision Song Contest is now launching its first ever Asia edition. First held in 1956, Eurovision has grown into the world's longest running international music competition.
BBC World
National·5h ago
US-based dissident artist put on trial in China over satirical Mao sculptures, says rights group
New York-based Gao Zhen was detained in 2024 during a family visit to China and then tried for ‘defaming national heroes’ The Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen , known for making satirical sculptures of China’s former leader Mao Zedong, has been tried over accusations of “defaming national heroes and martyrs”, his wife and a rights group have said. Gao, 69, who was detained in 2024 during a visit to China from the US, faces a maximum three-year prison sentence, his wife, Zhao Yaliang, and Shane Yi, a researcher at the Chinese human rights defenders group, said. He has a right to artistic.
The Guardian