Sentences for ‘incitement to racial hatred’ have been handed down to 19 activists from the Atažurt movement, which campaigns on behalf of relatives detained alongside Uyghurs in Xinjiang’s ‘re-education camps’. Initially charged with violating protest regulations, the offence was upgraded following a note from the Chinese consulate in Almaty describing the actions as “open provocation”.
Today’s headlines: Ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel comes into effect; Robots allow Hong Kong fire survivors return home for first time in four months to retrieve personal belongings; Indian Supreme Court has ordered an additional voter list for the elections to be held next week in West Bengal.
The pope visited today Cameroon’s English-speaking region in the western of the country, scene of a forgotten war that has caused thousands of deaths, destruction, and more than a million refugees in this part of Africa. During his peace meeting with the local community, the pontiff encouraged those working for reconciliation, contrasting their action with what the masters of war do, to “look into each other’s eyes: we are this immense people!”
A new release by the human rights NGO highlights the increased pressure by Chinese authorities on Catholics in the shadow of "sinicisation" and the agreement with the Holy See on episcopal appointments. A member of an underground community merged into an official diocese laments that, “We started praying like we were thieves.” A United Front document has emerged calling for telling on parents who “instill religious ideas to their children”.
Some 83 arrest warrants have been issued and 93 Telegram groups blocked following attacks on two schools. Yesterday, nine people were killed (including the attacker) and 13 wounded in Kahramanmaras province. The previous day, a high school in Urfa was attacked. The Ministry of Justice's 2025 report notes that 16.7 million people were under investigation.
In light of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Singapore has drawn attention to ‘chokepoints’, starting with the Strait of Malacca, through which nearly a third of the world’s oil and the majority of global trade passes. The “Malacca dilemma” has prompted China to diversify its routes and infrastructure to reduce its strategic vulnerability.
