A note titled “A Journey of Hope” was released today. In it the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Promoting Christian Unity, and for Interreligious Dialogue review the 60 years since the conciliar declaration on interreligious dialogue was issued. Despite identity-based tensions, “humility, courage, and discernment” must be nurtured. Openness to dialogue with new religious movements is possible.
Voters in the Philippine autonomous region have elected the first parliament in their history with an 82 per cent turnout. Since no single party has a majority, negotiations for a coalition government will now begin. For the local Church, “peace and prosperity” come first.
The Jordanian government has stepped up technological surveillance using night-vision goggles, thermal imaging systems, drones, and satellites. Traffickers are moving not only Captagon but also hashish, methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, and cocaine. Stabilising Syria, combating criminal groups, and maintaining territorial control are crucial.
Today’s headlines: Yemeni reject Saudi claim of Houthi drone towards Mecca; John Lee presents Hong Kong’s first five-year plan; China inaugurates the Pinglu Canal, a new maritime route to South-East Asia; Indian drug regulator raises alarm over Pakistani creams.
In the last few days, horrific killings have occurred in Manipur, an Indian state torn by violence over the past three years. Yet, at the St Francis de Sales parish in Kangpokpi, Catholics from the two different ethnic groups continue to celebrate the Eucharist together.
From Anatolia to Syria, new routes emerge to offset the blockades at Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. For Amer Sabaileh, the Houthis need fewer resources to influence Red Sea traffic. A multitude of avenues exists to rethink energy security.
The state’s Sentence Review Board has rejected Dara Singh’s application for remission of his sentence after more than 26 years in prison. The decision follows directives from the Supreme Court and takes into account the potential risks to public order associated with the release of the man convicted of killing the Australian missionary and his two children in 1999.
Leo met with participants in a conference organised by the Commission for New Martyrs. Witnesses killed due to "abuses of power" or at the hands of "criminal organization(s)" heroically manifest "the Christian way of life”. In the catechesis at the general audience, the pope urged the faithful to open up “to the logic of reciprocity," even in the age of algorithms.
Around 20.5 km² of land in the northern and eastern regions, ravaged by the conflict that ended in 2009, still needs to be cleared. To date, over 2.8 million explosive devices have been recovered. Two thousand people, including 500 former soldiers, have been involved in the operation.
The results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that countries in the region have scores significantly below the average. Progress in Uzbekistan in science subjects, a setback in mathematics in Kazakhstan
Protests against price hikes have spread from the northeast to Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. Meanwhile, in Kurdish-majority areas, mobilisations continue for the right to education in the mother tongue. President al-Sharaa is in Dubai for a summit on communication and media.
A double anniversary for the cardinal, who is also celebrating 25 years as a bishop. Today, the archdiocesan community gathered at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. ‘Audiam’, a collection of homilies for a Church open to listening, was presented. Pope Leo XIV’s gratitude for his service.
Introduced to the commercial market in 2018, ‘cloning’ represents the most extreme form of humanisation in the country’s pet economy. By 2025, spending on dogs and cats had reached 312.6 billion yuan, whilst Chinese companies are increasingly focusing on developing their own brands and conquering foreign markets.
A rally held recently outside the Israeli embassy blends resentment over the behaviour of certain tourists, fears regarding the expansion of foreign capital, and nationalism (fuelled by the government itself in its confrontation with Cambodia). Among the organisers is former Yellow Shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul.
Launched in 1976 by Father Oh Woong-jin, the "Village of Flowers" is now South Korea's largest Catholic social welfare complex. From the first "House of Love" for the homeless, a religious congregation has emerged with missions in several countries, including the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Pope Francis visited the community in 2014.
On 9 September 1976, the ‘helmsman’ of China’s path to communism died. Still honoured in Beijing as a talisman, his name means nothing to Generation Z, who are chasing the China of social media. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping has revived his rhetoric on the primacy of the Party and his methods for promoting his nationalist agenda.
Today, the Latin Patriarch, in cooperation with the University of Notre Dame, inaugurated Within Your Gates, a forum that brings together scholars, religious, and civic leaders to study and publicise the “universal vocation of Jerusalem”. The prelate asks “with honesty and humility” what purpose this city serves and what it asks of us.
Subscribe to the newsletter to receive verified news, analysis and insights from Asian countries every week.
Subscribeto the newsletter
