Liu Xia on forced "vacation". Activists remember her husband seven days after his death

Bishop Edwin de la Peña comes out against the government, which wants to extend the state of emergency and martial law. For the bishop, the latter was needed at the beginning, but now it is no longer necessary. In all, more than 465,000 people have been evacuated. The Church is playing a leading role in providing humanitarian aid. Caritas set aside another 200,000 dollars.

Moscow patriarch visits the monastery on Lake Ladoga. Under Soviet rule, the complex was all but ruins by the 1960s.  “[M]onastic life itself now resumes with unexpected vigour”. Vladimir Putin was present at the event.

A Turkish court has remanded into custody six militants, including İdil Eser, in what Amnesty International calls a "travesty of justice". Two trainers, a Swedish and a German, have also been detained. They were charged with "committing a crime in the name of a terror organisation without being a member”, namely the Gülen movement.

Hossein Ferydoun was arrested yesterday for "financial issues". His initial bail of US$ 13 million was reduced to US$ 9.3 million. The inquiry remains ongoing and he could still end up in jail again. The struggle between the judiciary (backed by the Guardians of the Revolution) and Rouhani gets worse.

Rev Sultan Masih was the pastor of the Temple of God Church. He was gunned down whilst talking on his mobile. For the bishop of Jalandhar, "This attack against Christians has deeply wounded the whole community". The victim's family blocks motorway. A “lynching culture” prevails across the country, says Sajan K George.

Discussions are underway in Sri Lanka over changes to the 1978 constitution. Ranil Wikremasinghe tried to reassure some 70 Buddhist monks who made serious threats. For Anglican clergyman, “The ideal would be to separate state and religion." For Muslim leader in Colombo, “it is political drama”.

The Chinese president said that foreign firms should be able to benefit from the same treatment as Chinese companies. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Xi stood as a defender of free trade and globalisation against Donald Trump's protectionism, but foreign companies operating in China complain of obstacles they face to do business in that country.

Benedict XVI launched the account 3 December 2012. Available in nine languages, it is one the most followed in the world with the most retweets. In recent weeks, the pope’s thoughts about Charlie Gard and very sick children was extensively retweeted.

Amid the frenzy of everyday life, the search for the meaning of life takes place. Those who reach Mount Carmel, like the prophet Elijah, serve as an example. God's quest for happiness “is so important and all-consuming that some persons are ready to give up literally everything for this”. “Not all of us are called to climb up a faraway mountain; but all of us can try to make a little space for silence in our hearts to allow the voice of the Lord to reach us.” Helping the neediest is a way to meet Jesus, as Mary did at the foot of the Cross.

World Maronite Youth Days (WMYD) are currently underway (13-23 July) aimed at immersing young foreign-born Maronites in an Antiochian-Syriac cultural environment to deepen their faith.

Unnamed US intelligence officials make the claim, according to the Washington Post. The UAE has denied it, saying it “had no role whatsoever” in the affair. FIFA also denies reports that Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have called for Qatar to be stripped of the 2022 World Cup.

The authorities issued an arrest warrant for Hossein Ferydoun after he failed to secure bail. He is accused in connection with a scandal of inflated public managers wages. According to a spokesman for the judiciary, “other people have been investigated, some of whom are in jail”.

Francis Pereira, 54, reportedly confessed that he wanted to free “trapped souls". A group of experts wonder how one man could do so much damage. The general perception is that Hindu radicals "encouraged" the incidents.

The Disney-owned character has become a “sensitive” topic in recent years after a less-than-flattering comparison was made between the portly bear and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Some post the name and picture just to see how quickly they are censored.

The National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) and Caritas Philippines are handing out food, hygiene kits and other essential goods to 3,005 beneficiaries in 12 villages in Illigan City. Psychological support is also provided to women and children traumatised by the fighting. Five staff members and 20 volunteers, Christians and Muslims, are working on the ground.