The Gist: Asia News Edition

Sometimes, there is nothing interesting happening nearby in news. Trump is still awful, Brexit is still occurring, FG like rugby. So, today we have a special round up of news from Asia.

#MeToo in Bollywood
Bollywood star Preity Zinta was asked about the #MeToo movement (an interesting phrase used to designate a political or social campaign with neither leaders nor a centre). She told the reporter "people treat you the way you want to be treated", which didn't go down so well. Interestingly, the PR response was a double header of both 'out of context' and 'disappointment' with the journalist for making the star look bad.

These are things you say when you can't actually deny you said the thing you wish you hadn't said.

Democracy on Trial in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is feeling that it's promise of autonomy, democracy and freedoms, while still being part of China may not be lasting as long as the 50 years specified. So, lots of people took to the streets, in 2014 and- like the Occupy movement- held long protests, controlling public spaces. This week, the Gov is starting trials of leaders of the movement for causing a nuisance. Which, in Hong Kong, is apparently a criminal offence with up to 7 years in prison.

The Building Blocks of Australia
Plato asserted that there were perfect versions of everything, like geometric forms and that, in this world, we only ever encountered debased echos of those ideals. So it is that we learn that, at the very far end of the spectrum from the Platonic ideal of a cube is Wombat poo.

Wombats, unlike every other creature in the world, poo cubes- about 100 cubes a night. They do this using unique intestinal squeezing. Then, having produced this little faecal minecraft hoard, they proceed to spend their night using the tiny pooblocks to build structures to mark their territory.

Really, if you take nothing away from our Asia special but this fact, I think you will agree it has been a valuable adventure.