The 2026 edition of the prestigious Ludovic Trarieux Prize was awarded to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, two lawyers held in a Rawalpindi prison since last January for publishing posts expressing solidarity with Baloch and Pashtun peoples and criticising the country’s military. For human rights organisations, their case is a symbol of restrictions on freedom of expression.
On World Desertification Day, the United Nations warns that Central Asia is facing its worst drought in 45 years. It's no coincidence that the next UN conference on the topic will be held in Mongolia in August. Land degradation on the continent translates into food insecurity and migration to cities and abroad.
Leo XIV expressed “gratitude" for the memorandum to be signed on Friday during the general audience in St Peter's Square. In light of the "distressing news" from Ukraine, he called for a "just and lasting peace." On his apostolic visit to Spain, he stressed that Europe is “a living reality, not a thing of the past.” Asked yesterday at Castel Gandolfo about the episcopal ordinations that the Society of Saint Pius X plans to perform without papal mandate on 1 July, the pontiff said: “I am sorry. But we must move forward.”
In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the NGO Global Alms treats the trauma and restores a name, dignity and a future to the survivors.
Eight years on from the 2018 disaster, a new 6.7-magnitude tremor has claimed at least one life and caused damage to dozens of homes. It is worth noting that the Central Sulawesi region, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the areas in Indonesia most at risk from earthquakes. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of mitigation measures and building inspections.
Today’s headlines: Iran-US: 60 days of negotiations following Friday’s signing; Seoul is to restrict the no-go zone for civilians on the border with North Korea; India temporarily suspends Telegram to prevent cheating in the medical school entrance exam; In Vietnam, 400 cats destined for slaughter have been rescued.
