From dolls that have become a global phenomenon to large technology factories and the delivery sector, a system is increasingly spreading in China that relies on the ability to transform individual needs and family obligations into a virtually unlimited willingness to work. Women themselves are being pushed to abandon stable contracts (guaranteed only on paper) in favour of temporary and seasonal employment.
As has been the case in Kiev for some time, there is also conflict in Chişinău between the Orthodox Church of Moldova – linked to the Moscow Patriarchate – and the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which belongs to the Romanian-speaking Church. The Patriarchate of Bucharest itself accuses pro-Russian hierarchs of interfering in the country's electoral processes. A dispute that brings to the surface the troubled area between the Danube and the Dniester.
The military and the pro-government BGF militia raided the Shwe Kokko complex. According to local sources, however, the BGF moved out its bosses before the raid, and thousands of workers fled after being warned. Washington and Beijing have launched parallel initiatives against the activities that finance this criminal activity, but many analysts remain sceptical; without targeting the networks linking the military, militias, and criminal groups, raids risk being merely window dressing.
Fr Susai Jesu, a missionary with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, was called by Leo XIV to lead the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas. Since 2007, he has lived his ministry among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, participating in the journey of reconciliation that culminated in the meeting with Pope Francis at Lac Ste. Anne in 2022. “God chooses the weak to make them strong in faith and love,” said the new prelate in his first comment after he learnt of his appointment.
Despite the ceasefire declared in Gaza, violence continues to engulf the region, not only in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but also in Lebanon, where Israel recently bombed the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, killing at least 13 people. Against this background, an ecumenical group of Palestinian Christian leaders spoke out on the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which they deem insufficient and restrictive.
If we are not “the custodian of the garden,” we become its “destroyer”, the pope said in his Jubilee catechesis in St Peter's Square. He described the contemplative life, as a “silent, fruitful, and irreplaceable apostolate”. The second World Children's Day is scheduled for September 2026; a young boy from Gaza presented the logo to the pontiff. Last night in Castel Gandolfo, he called for a “ceasefire and then dialogue” in Ukraine.
