A long report by Article18, CSW, Open Doors and Middle East Concern raises the issue. The future for migrants is uncertain with abuse and violence potentially waiting for them should they return to Iran. In 2023, 20 per cent of asylum seekers in Georgia came from Iran, 90 per cent fleeing after converting to Christianity.
The Chinese president is on a three-day visit to the former Portuguese colony 25 years after its return to Chinese sovereignty, providing him with an opportunity to send messages to Hong Kong as well, and stress the potential of the Greater Bay Area. The stop on Hengqin Island is significant, since it is slated to help Macau diversify its economy centred on casinos and gambling (source of 80 per cent of local tax revenue).
Leader of the local Church from 2001 to 2013, he is being remembered for his spirituality and interfaith dialogue. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called him a “devoted shepherd and steadfast pillar of the Catholic community”. For the imam of the Ba'alwie Mosque, he was “a keen supporter of such inter-faith discourse”. Tomorrow a requiem Mass will be held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, followed by cremation.
South Korea has introduced a voluntary repatriation programme for illegal migrants that would avoid expulsion and include a waiver on heavy fines. At the end of 2023, some 423,675 foreigners were staying illegally in the East Asian country out of more than 2.5 million. About 145,000 Thais, who are more than a third of all foreigners staying illegally, could benefit from the measure.
In the past few days, two proposals for constitutional amendments to merge elections had been tabled but did not receive parliamentary approval. The plan was to hold the general consultations and those of the individual states at the same time. For the supporters, including the BJP, this system would obscure the role of regional parties.
According to the WHO, around 3,000 people in the country take their own lives every year. A large proportion are young students between the ages of 12 and 25, suffering from stress, anxiety and isolation. The social stigma towards mental health care and the absence of professionals and safe listening spaces in schools take their toll. Psychologists: ‘Awareness programmes involving the entire community are needed’.
