The latest to lose their lives were two students from Comilla while flying kites. Lightning is one of the leading causes of death in the country, with 3,845 deaths since 2011. Despite the development of early warning systems, deaths are mainly among farmers. The government is pushing for timely alerts via text message and phone calls, but obstacles remain in rural areas. Tree planting and awareness-raising are crucial preventive measures.
After suspending operations in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, the fast-food company has resubmitted its registration application to the relevant office of Rospatent. While diplomatically stating that this is only a renewal of trademark rights, Moscow already considers it a seal of the new friendship with Trump's United States.
The apostolic nuncio in Damascus - who turns 80 next January - is among the cardinals called to choose Bergoglio's successor. Despite the war and violence, he has never left his diplomatic mission or the Christian community. The ‘poverty bomb’, the tragedy of sanctions and the issue of the disappeared, which also affects the Syrian Church.
Elevated by Pope Francis in 2022, the first East Timorese cardinal is a Salesian from a small Catholic country where young people make up 70 per cent of the population, marked by a long struggle for independence from Indonesia. Appointed bishop of Dili in 2016, he inaugurated the John Paul II Catholic University and promotes an “open” and united Church. He remembers the joy of welcoming the pontiff before an immense crowd on Francis’s trip last September.
The archbishop of Goa, 72, has chaired the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences since the start of the year. He has been very attentive to the life of families whom he constantly encouraged in his ministry. As head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India-Latin Rite, he promoted a broad consultation in the dioceses, which led to a document with 16 priorities, including Dalits and digital technologies.
According to the SIPRI report, global military spending hit a new high in 2024, at US$ 2.7 trillion. China accounts for half of all military expenditures in Asia, with spending rising in the Far East Asia, especially by Japan. In the Middle East, Israel is investing 8.8 per cent of GDP in the military, the second-highest percentage in the world.
