In Sri Lanka, the preliminary death toll from Typhoon Ditwah stands at 56, with 44,000 people affected. Hundreds of millimetres of rain fell in just a few hours. Government offices and schools are closed. In Indonesia, 19 people are confirmed dead with scores trapped by mud and debris. The archbishop of Medan has launched a fundraiser.
Banned in the 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, opium cultivation could be legalised again by Iran’s parliament. Supporters argue it is necessary for critical drug production, while opponents accuse the government of seeking profits. The goal is to increase production from 450 tonnes per year to about 1,000 tonnes.
At last week's summit in Johannesburg, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a six-point agenda, ranging from coordination against drug trafficking and terrorism to a new framework for critical minerals, as well as regulations on artificial intelligence. Relations with Japan, Italy, and Canada have strengthened. But while New Delhi claims a central role for emerging economies, tensions with Beijing flared up again after yet another incident related to the disputed territory of Arunachal Pradesh.
Myanmar's military junta has released more than 3,000 political prisoners and dropped charges against another 5,500 people. Friends and relatives of the prisoners rejoiced yesterday, but it is also a threat to the population, who find themselves forced to vote in order to avoid arrest. This has been confirmed by the military itself: more than 700 prisoners will only be released on parole and risk returning to prison at the first sign of dissent.
In Penang, 800 delegates from churches across the continent gathered for a ‘pilgrimage of hope’ in the Jubilee year. Cardinal Tagle: like the Magi, we reject the despair of today's Herods. Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching: ‘We are a minority. But the Lord asks us too not to shut ourselves in our churches and go out to serve our brothers and sisters.’
Today's headlines: Floods continue to cause damage in Southeast Asia, and now Sri Lanka is also preparing for the arrival of Cyclone Ditwah; In Malaysia, the state of Sabah, the poorest in the country, is preparing for local elections; Hong Kong authorities have ended rescue operations, with 200 people still missing; Participants in an anti-Chinese demonstration arrested in Kazakhstan.
