Kata’ib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian Shia militia, is threatening “total war" after the US sent an aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The election of a new president has been postponed; the outgoing office holder, Abdul Latif Rashid, is remembered for his bitter feud with the Chaldean patriarch for revoking a presidential decree recognising the Christian prelate. Meanwhile, al-Maliki’s possible return to power is casting a long shadow. Cardinal Sako calls for three days of fasting and praying for the country.
Some officers were detained and suspended after Father Milan Priyadarshana was beaten while returning home from an evening service. This morning, the Archdiocese of Colombo organised a silent demonstration against police violence and abuse.
Human rights and religious organisations denounce the increase in xenophobic rhetoric ahead of the 8 February vote. In a joint statement, they call on parties, candidates and the media to condemn hate speech. Criticism of the government's policies Takaichi: ‘We want a society where the human dignity of all is guaranteed’.
The decision to join UNCLOS comes after 40 years of delays, opening a new front with Thailand over the disputed oil fields off Koh Kood Island. In 2001, then Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra signed an agreement with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, for joint exploitation, but this never materialised and is now contested by Bangkok. The issue ties in with the 2016 arbitration on China’s "nine-dash line” with which Beijing claims most of the South China Sea.
After years of negotiations, the conclusion of a comprehensive trade agreement has been announced, which reduces tariffs, facilitates trade and investment, and strengthens strategic cooperation, including in the areas of security and defence. The deal follows increased tensions with the United States and competition with China. For New Delhi, the move reinforces the idea of India at the centre of the economic and geopolitical balance between the West and the Global South.
Prayers, thanksgiving and a traditional kethoprak performance marked the celebrations for the archbishop's half-century of priesthood. A tribute to local culture and a profound reflection on the mission of a pastor. The Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs was also present, along with hundreds of faithful.
