Minister Nanayakkara told parliament that 1,454 people are behind bars because they are unable to pay court-imposed fines of up to 100,000 rupees (around 268 euros). There are 60 prisons in the country, with overcrowding reaching 400 per cent of capacity.
Today’s headlines: Doctors say ‘no further treatment is required’ for Leon XIV following surgery; The Philippines and Taiwan consider close cooperation to protect undersea cables; Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Airport leaves one dead and eight injured; Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia sign agreement to strengthen defence capabilities.
Father Benedict Barla, principal of St Michael Middle School in the Diocese of Khunti, was found in his office lying in a pool of blood. He has been rushed to Ranchi. Security camera footage shows three masked men entering the school premises. “We will wait for the administration and police to investigate. We do not want rumours to spread and create divisions in society,” said the vicar general.
Vietnam is holding Hiep Tran, an Australian activist, after he went missing in Cambodia a month ago along with two other dissidents. Human Rights Watch reports that Vietnam has shown no progress in labour rights, despite trade agreements with European nations, agreements aimed at securing access to rare earth elements to reduce dependence on China.
In the wake of the meeting in Rome that brought together the heads of the bishops’ conferences ten years on from *Amoris Laetitia*, Archbishop Vira Arpondratana speaks of the challenges facing the younger generations in Asia. “Religious practice is on the decline across all faiths: material prosperity is driving people away from God. Forming the laity is our top priority.”
Danantara Indonesia has acquired shares in the Novotel Thakher Makkah and 14 adjacent plots. For the government of this Asian nation, it is a ‘strategic’ plan to benefit pilgrims travelling to the Muslim holy cities. Riyadh has postponed the ‘Davos in the Desert’ until 2027 due to the escalation of Houthi attacks.
Fr Benedict Barla, headteacher of St Michael’s Middle School in the Diocese of Khunti, was found in his office lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to Ranchi. CCTV footage shows three masked men entering the premises. Vicar General: “We await the outcome of the investigation; let us not stir up divisions”.
The Meduza website interviewed political scientist Margarita Zavadskaya, one of the co-founders of the OutRush project, which, based in Finland, studies Russian emigration, how emigrants adapt abroad, and the conflict between ‘those who have left’ and ‘those who have stayed’. It also examines the differences between the various waves of migration.
Today’s headlines: China deploys forces off the Spratly Islands to monitor a US vessel; Jordan designates site of Jesus’ baptism protected natural area; Millions in India celebrate the Hindu festival of Dussehra; Indonesia's Bangka slow loris, a primate declared extinct in the 1930s, is rediscovered.
Waseem Abbas, an orphan who had begun working as an apprentice electrician only days earlier, was struck and killed by a car following reports of mistreatment and threats. Questions have been raised regarding the role of the institution where he lived. Meanwhile, in Gojra, activists have mobilised following the assault and arrest of a journalist.
In his first general audience after surgery, Leo thanked the faithful “for the support of your prayers.” Despite the rain, he received a joyful welcome from the faithful in St Peter's Square. Today’s catechesis centred on family and marriage, drawing from Gaudium et Spes: man and woman are “equal in dignity”. The conscience of spouses should “conform to divine law, as interpreted by the Magisterium of the Church”.
With their stable bloc of votes, Shas and United Judaism in the Torah have been key allies for Netanyahu. But the row over the conscription of yeshiva students has shaken things up. And today, a (minority) reformist religious party, headed by a woman, is also standing for election.
With their stable voting blocs, Shas and United Torah Judaism have been key allies for Netanyahu. However, the row over conscription for Yeshiva students has changed the equation. Meanwhile, a (minority) reformist religious faction is also on the ballot with a woman as a leading candidate.
From reforestation in China to sustainable coffee in Indonesia, and free-diving fisherwomen in South Korea: the FAO has selected 100 women who are contributing to food security, environmental protection and the development of rural communities. However, the sector is still marked by significant gender inequalities.
Ignatius Ding Zuyao, a priest born in 1986, was consecrated this morning in Jiangsu province under the terms of the agreement with the Holy See. This diocese saw Bishop Shen Bin moved (by the Communist Party) to Shanghai. Ding becomes the youngest bishop in the world, confirming a clear trend in episcopal appointments in China.
Fires burning for weeks have worsened air pollution in Malaysia and Singapore. While Malaysia has called for greater regional coordination, ASEAN agreements remain contingent on the willingness of individual states to cooperate.
Bishop Ri Iong-Hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, spoke to AsiaNews from Rome, where he is taking part in a gathering convened by Pope Leo XIV, about the challenges facing families in his country. In his view, “the Church should not simply tell young people to marry and have children. We must first listen to their hopes, fears,” while the family and children should be seen “as a subject of evangelization.”
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