The Philippine Islamic Burial Law fills a regulatory gap that has been a source of tensions with Christians. In compliance with Islamic religious precepts, burial can take place within 24 hours, while violations will be sanctioned with jail time or fines. This success for the Muslim religious minority has sparked reactions among some Catholics.
Singapore’s unicameral legislature is set for renewal. A divided electorate could decree the end of the hegemony of the People’s Action Party. Fears of instability are likely to affect the economy, while negotiations with the United States on tariffs are underway. In a country with an aging population, immigration remains an unresolved issue.
The ruling junta, the Rohingya issue that emerged during Pope Francis' visit in 2017, the riches of the territory and the violence of the military. Lights and shadows of a nation born in the same year as the cardinal. The call to fight ‘hatred and division’, the moderate face in domestic politics and attacks on Beijing for violations of rights and religious freedom, as in the arrest of Cardinal Zen.
The ILO reports a 10 per cent drop in informal work in Vietnam, but many complain that workers in large, export-oriented companies still suffer from job insecurity and lower wages. Manufacturing employs some 17 million people. Set to come into force on 1 July 2025, Vietnam’s new trade union law remains controversial.
On the day of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Saigon and the reunification of the country, the experience of the Scalabrinian missionaries who stand by the families arriving in the big city from the countryside.
The 65-year-old bishop of Kalookan is one of three Filipino cardinals in the conclave. As a priest, bishop, and then cardinal he always showed a missionary attention for the downtrodden. He was the strongest voice against former President Duterte's "war on drugs" and promoted rehabilitation programmes for drug addicts. He warns against looking at the conclave as a horse race, highlighting the sacredness of the election of a pontiff.
