From a niche hobby introduced by Japan, the trend of dressing up as comic book characters or historical figures from ancient times continues to grow among young people in China, fuelling a market that is now worth over billion. The local variant of “Hanfu” is spreading Chinese national identity among Generation Z.

While Assam, led by the BJP, has passed a bill banning the practice but not applying it in tribal areas, Kerala has taken a different approach. A landmark ruling by the local High Court has ruled that no second marriage can be registered without informing the first wife, reaffirming the primacy of constitutional rights over religious law.

According to data from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labour, at the end of 2024 women accounted for 55% of the more than half a million Kyrgyz working abroad. But the Organisation for Migration denounces their greater exposure to job insecurity, violence and severe psychological pressure.

A research team from the Sri Lanka Blue Resources Trust found a new ridge linking the Yakampita and Gingiripita reefs. The discovery reveals the surprising richness of the marine ecosystem near the capital, where some areas show over 50 per cent hard coral cover. But researchers warn that the reefs remain outside protected areas and are threatened by pollution and illegal fishing.

A car bomb that exploded yesterday near the historic Red Fort, a symbol of Indian independence, killed 13 people and wounded more than 20. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but authorities suspect a jihadi attack linked to Kashmir, following the discovery of three tonnes of explosives in Faridabad. However, "all angles" remain open, according to federal Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. “Let us continue to pray for peace and safety across our beloved nation,” reads a statement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

Christian families are returning to the village in the Orontes Valley to claim their homes and lands 14 years after it was occupied by armed Islamists, who killed Fr François Mourad. For Father Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land, every true reconstruction is based “on the strength of faith, and of the power of forgiveness”.