For the first time, in the upcoming elections on 12 April, Viktor Orbán appears at risk of defeat by his opponent, Peter Magyar. This is drawing particular attention from Moscow, which has so far regarded him as its main ally amongst the countries of the European Union. And Putin has tasked his most trusted adviser with closely monitoring this election.
The marriage of Maria Bibi of Lahore has been upheld, following an apparent conversion to Islam. Her father's appeal for her release has been rejected. Activists and the local Church are outraged. The Bishop of Faisalabad slams loopholes in the law, calling for urgent reforms to set the marriage age at 18 and boost the protection of minors.
Out of 107 recorded cases, 43, or about 40 per cent, involve parliament. This is the highest figure in the last 11 years, when the survey began. For the report, it is "a mirror held up to our society." Meanwhile, the arrest of a journalist is fuelling fears about freedom of the press and information.
The return of more than 900,000 migrants has caused the flow of money from abroad to drop by more than 20 per cent, according to a report from the Cambodian central bank. This situation is squeezing households' financial means and creating new pressures on the domestic labour market. Meanwhile criticism of the government and tensions with Thailand along the border continue.
In a message released today, the Buddhist leader endorses the pope's appeal on Palm Sunday for nonviolence and disarmament, emphasising the values common to all religions – “love, compassion, tolerance” as the basis for conflict resolution, from the Middle East to Ukraine.
Online for a month now, “S.H.I.T Journal” – playing on the double meaning of the acronym for Science, Humanity, Information, and Technology – is racking up millions of views by publishing studies on grotesque topics presented with apparent rigour. A ‘subtle protest’ against the Party’s pressure to publish ever more studies to certify the excellence of Chinese universities.
