For Khalil Sayegh, nothing suggests Hamas plans to lay down its arms. The visit of Patriarchs Pizzaballa and Theophilus is a positive sign for a population haunted by a humanitarian tragedy amid international silence. The situation is "bad” with "daily violations and killings" by the Israeli military.
The death toll from the unrest triggered by overcrowding has risen to at least 29 (including seven officers) with over a hundred injured. Prisoners were transferred and attacked. Mothers are demanding the return of the bodies and criticising the authorities for arresting their sons “on false charges”. Behind the prison crisis lies a system that rewards police officers and officials based on the number of arrests made.
In Chhattisgarh, the wave of intolerance in villages against those who refuse to renounce their Christian faith shows no sign of abating. The police are accused of collusion. Meanwhile, there have been further acts of intimidation in West Bengal too: four separate incidents took place last Sunday in the densely populated eastern Indian state, including an attack on a church under construction in Subhashgram.
A new armed attack took place at a checkpoint in the Ziarat District resulting in the death of nine agents and 15 suspected attackers during response operations. The Balochistan Liberation Army is suspected. Local Christian groups offer their sympathy for the victims, speaking out against the climate of fear in which people live.
From Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, thousands of young people are currently studying at colleges and universities opened in recent years by Moscow, where teaching is conducted in Russian. The aim is to make a long-term investment in the new generation, who have no memory of the Soviet era and are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.
Today’s headlines: The UK has recognises sacrifice of nearly 10,000 Indian soldiers from the Punjab during the First World War;. In Indonesia, a rubbish tip has been burning for a week; The International Monetary Fund revises growth forecasts for Cambodia downwards; At least 21 people die in China landslide.
