Best of Your World

  The sky, usually a canvas of serene blues, can sometimes become a stage for unimaginable tragedy. On a seemingly ordinary Saturday afternoon, May 25th, 2002, the heavens above the Taiwan Strait bore witness to a chilling spectacle: the sudden and catastrophic disintegration of China Airlines Flight 611. The Boeing 747-200, en route from Taipei to Hong Kong, vanished from radar screens, leaving behind a debris field and a haunting mystery that would take years to fully piece together. Before the catastrophic 20 seconds that sealed its fate, Flight 611 was a routine journey. The seasoned crew, led by Captain Yi Ching-ling, a pilot with decades of experience, went through their pre-flight checks. Passengers, a mix of business travelers, tourists, and those returning home, settled into their seats, anticipating the short hop across the strait. The hum of the engines filled the cabin, a familiar soundtrack to countless journeys taken and yet to come. Little did anyone on board know th...

  On May 13, 1989, something remarkable unfolded in the heart of Beijing. As the early summer sun rose over Tiananmen Square, thousands of Chinese students sat down—not in protest with fists raised, but in silence, with empty stomachs and full hearts. They had come not to fight, but to fast. This was not just any hunger strike. It was a cry for dignity. A plea for reform. A moment when the youth of China dared to ask their leaders—and the world— to listen . ✊ Why a Hunger Strike? The 1980s in China were a time of transformation. The country had begun to open up after decades of strict control under Mao Zedong. With economic reform came hope, and with hope came questions—about freedom, corruption, and the future. Students had been gathering in Tiananmen Square for weeks, mourning the sudden death of Hu Yaobang, a reform-minded official ousted by the Communist Party. His passing sparked a movement—one that quickly grew beyond memorials. The youth began demanding dialogue, transparenc...