According to CBSL data, declared exports of precious stones in 2024 were less than £382 million. However, the value is much higher for unaccounted exports and clandestine trade. The main destinations are Hong Kong, Thailand and Dubai. Experts find it difficult to intervene because those responsible ‘enjoy political protection’.
The place of worship, dedicated to St Joseph, is located in the village of Munpi, a remote area in the Singngat region. A Catholic couple from Goa made a significant contribution to its construction. The inauguration was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal. For the prelate, the church ‘will contribute to their healing, their relief and their sense of stability’.
The traditional dish that has been celebrated in Yerevan for centuries at the end of October to mark the end of the harvest is a thanksgiving for nature's generosity and a wish for a peaceful winter for those engaged in agricultural work. The filling with thousands of grains of rice represents the whole of humanity, which absorbs the sweetness of the other ingredients inside the pumpkin without losing its own specificity.
On the 60th anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate, the pontiff joined other religious leaders in the meeting in the "spirit of Assisi" promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio. “Those who practice religion without prayer run the risk of misusing it, even to the point of killing,” Leo said. Instead, “with hands raised to heaven and open to others, we must ensure that this period of history, marked by war and the arrogance of power, soon comes to an end”.
The text signed last night in St Peter's Basilica was released on the 60th anniversary of the conciliar declaration Gravissimum Educationis. In it Leo XIV describes education as a "task of love," and “one of the highest expressions of Christian charity”. He calls for putting people at the centre, against "functional training." Catholic education must be "choral" and "human," capable of generating peace and “environmental responsibility”.
After the large-scale operation at KK Park, in the Myawaddy area on the border with Thailand, around a thousand people forced to work in illegal activities fled across the border. Some local sources expressed scepticism, noting that the operation was linked to the threat of sanctions expressed at the ASEAN summit. The criminal networks remain entrenched and enjoy political cover.
