The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) suspended the first parliamentary elections in the Muslim-majority region on 13 October 2025, after a court ruling temporarily restrained the election law over seat distribution. Now the election date is uncertain, but it is up to Congress to decide any further postponement.
From St Peter's Square, Leo XIV spoke about the emptying of Gaza City under “unacceptable conditions”, stressing that “every person always has an inviolable dignity,” and that “international humanitarian law” must be upheld. The pontiff also issued a message for religious leaders gathered in Kazakhstan. “The future we envision” is one “of peace, fraternity and solidarity,” he said. Yesterday, he met with Karekin II, Catholicos of the Armenian Church. In his Jubilee catechesis, Leo explained that, “God works in depth, in the slow time of trust.”
Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced a moratorium on farmland conversion to tourist and commercial use. Every year, about 1,000 hectares of rice paddies and green spaces are lost, with extensive damages to the island’s traditional irrigation system. According to the Environment Ministry, only 3 per cent of the Ayung River Basin is still covered by forest, far from the minimum standard of 30 per cent.
This year, China became Tajikistan's main trading partner for the first time, with a balance exceeding billion. At the recent SCO summit held in Tianjin, there was also talk of establishing a centre for combating drug trafficking in Dushanbe, and bilateral agreements were signed on the digital economy, renewable energy and transport.
Today's headlines: Australia and Papua New Guinea issue joint statement, do not sign real defence agreement; In the Philippines,influencers form group against government corruption; In Vietnam, foreign investment continues following administrative reforms approved by the government; The US pressures Syria to sign an agreement with Israel.
The Department of Religious Affairs has issued a new Internet code of conduct for priests and ministers of other faiths, who “must not engage in online activities as such”. The crackdown on educational initiatives for children has also been extended to the web with a ban on organising online religious training. Fundraisers to support places of worship or activities are out. Only the websites of authorised religious denominations are allowed.
