Pope Leo XIV’s visit in France continues. Yesterday, he prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle, and today he celebrated Mass before 150,000 faithful, urging them to “leave as missionaries of hope.” At the Marian shrine, “no one is turned away due to their frailty.” During the Angelus, he issued an appeal, to pray the Rosary "with the particular intention that wars may cease”.
For this year's World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo XIV focused on the situation of migrant children. A South Korean Catholic weekly heeded the call, focusing on the issue of children unregistered at birth because they are foreign, consequently deprived of essential rights like healthcare and education.
At the Institut Catholique de Paris, the pope spoke of the wonder of faith in adulthood in a “secularized” French society. Meeting migrants at the Maison Bakhita, he bemoaned “a culture that tears communities apart and leaves cities sick with loneliness.” In the afternoon, he led Mass at the Place de la Concorde.
The archbishop of Shillong and president of the NEIRBC spoke to AsiaNews about the recent escalation in the northeastern state. The prelate laments the loss of numerous lives, families broken, homes abandoned, and places of worship reduced to ashes. At least 41 homes and several churches were destroyed in Makui.
Today's news: Xi and Trump: US-China dialogue channel on AI risks and benefits. Pakistan thwarts an Afghan Taliban attack in Gulistan. Hanoi and Pyongyang plan to strengthen defence cooperation. Singapore's population hits a new record high.
As Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia undergo restructuring, the balance of power shifts, spanning everything from politics to infrastructure. Moscow maintains complex, multifaceted relationships with Baku, Yerevan, and Tbilisi, with the ultimate outcome proving “crucial” for the region. The International North-South Transport Corridor is strategic for supply chains.
Putting aside the rhetoric and panda diplomacy, the only outcome of the visit is the extension of the tariff truce until 10 January. Between now and then, the APEC summit will be held in Shenzhen and the G20 in Miami. Regarding Taiwan, China is asking the United States to oppose independence. Japan is unhappy about references to the wartime anti-Japanese unity.
The numbers come from the Computer Literacy Statistics 2025 report prepared by the DCS. The overall computer literacy rate is up by 3.3 per cent, but the study highlights disparities between urban and rural areas and across the country's various provinces. Smartphone usage for email or internet access has seen a slight decline.
Pope Francis’s first day in France a visit to the Pavillon d’Honneur where he asked, “What does it mean to be human?” He spoke out against dehumanisation and a view of humanity tied to efficiency, noting that AI is incapable of answering questions about “meaning”. At the Élysée Palace, he said not to consider “the prospect of war” as “inevitable;” urging instead “dialogue and diplomacy.”
Two of the three election commission members raised concerns at least 14 times over ten months regarding voter registration, deletions, and the digital management of electoral rolls. An investigation sparked a swift reaction from the opposition and young people.
Indicators are in the red, entrepreneurs are operating at a loss, and families are resorting to loans even to pay for weddings. High fuel costs are leading to illegal logging, and people are increasingly forced to forgo necessities. Despite warnings from the IMF, the banking lobby holds 90 per cent of account holders in a stranglehold.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the General Assembly on the tragedy of the 26 August floods, which left over 1,400 dead and thousands missing. He proposed a climate resilience mechanism for the Himalayas involving India and China, and called on the international community to reassess its priorities: “We are being hit by a climate emergency that we did not cause and by wars that we did not start.”
It has been 24 years since the killing of seven employees of the organisation linked to the diocese. An armed group stormed the building, targeting one of the symbolic centres of Christian activism. Fr Khalid: their voices “have not been silenced”, their memory “is a call for peace and justice”.
Today’s headlines Pakistan foils another Taliban attack on the border; Cambodia hands down seven years’ imprisonment for four supporters of the Candlelight Party; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey discuss a defence agreement following Houthi attacks; Four new airport projects in Tajikistan
Education Minister Ja Htoi Pan spoke to AsiaNews. Five years after the 2021 coup, 6.3 million young people lack access to a basic education. There is an urgent need for safety. “We provide schools with safety drills and air-raid shelters." Aung San Suu Kyi remains a beacon of “hope for the people”.
With the Bothekoshi Valley impassable, the only open trade route with China now runs through the Korala Pass at an altitude of 4,650 metres. Beijing is pushing for major infrastructure projects there as well. Until now, Kathmandu has preserved the environment and identity of the plateau, a region some identify with the mythical Shangri-La.
In a new book, Swiss aid worker Kathi Zellweger recounts her unique experience of 25 years of travelling to and staying in Pyongyang, which began in 1995 when she delivered humanitarian aid with Caritas Hong Kong during the famine. ‘The resilience I have seen amongst the most vulnerable gives me hope even in the face of today’s new restrictions’.
More than the deposits themselves, the expertise acquired in mining institutes has ensured China's control over a large share of global production, a disadvantage the West will need years to overcome. To counter the lucrative wages offered by US companies, Beijing is pre-emptively withholding passports from qualified personnel.
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