On the night of 31 December, Mohamed Massat stopped an ISIS terrorist who wanted to attack a church, paying for his gesture with his life. Six months ago, there was an attack against Mar Elias in Damascus. Many today praise his courage, pointing to him as an example for Syria today.
A reflection by the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mumbai on the growing contrast between images of the Indian prime minister in churches at Christmas and his silence on attacks against these same places by people ideologically close to him. ‘Calling violence an act of violence is not an act of enmity: it is a gesture of hope.’
The country's first female prime minister, a long-time protagonist in Bangladeshi political life, has died at the age of 80. An unprecedented crowd gathered at her funeral. Bishop Bejoy D'Cruze: ‘Despite differences of opinion, she loved the nation deeply’. The Church's appeal for peace and unity in a moment of profound grief.
The comedy ‘Ruyn kim’ (meaning ‘What family are you from?’) sought to poke fun at the prejudices that remain widespread in Kazakh society. But even the last-minute removal of explicit references to the Žalairy (Tokaev's ethnic group) or the Šapiyrašty (that of former president Nazarbaev) was not enough to avoid the wrath of some politicians who claim that it ‘undermines national unity from within’. In the end, the production company itself suspended screenings.
Today's news: Trump postpones tariff increase on furniture until 2027; Contaminated water in India leaves nine people dead and hundreds hospitalised; In Malaysia, strict measures against littering on New Year's Eve; Israel confirms ban on 37 NGOs from Gaza for violating “security standards”.
The year begins with elections in Bangladesh, Thailand and Nepal, but also with the Vietnamese Communist Party Congress. The Philippines will hold the rotating presidency of ASEAN, while Shenzhen will host the APEC summit. Japan will host the 20th edition of the Asian Games. Anniversaries include 500 years of the Mughal Empire in India and 50 years since the death of Mao Zedong.
