Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday at the age of 67, worked hard on the release of Tom Uzhunnalil, the Salesian priest seized in Yemen and held for over a year. She loved Mother Teresa. Card Gracias remembers her. Pope Francis called her "very spiritual".
Thousands of Bangladeshis emigrate each year in search of work. Many leave without proper papers. Volunteers at the Caritas ITC Centre in Sirajdikhan provide useful information and show how to fill out forms. For Caritas Dhaka, this is a way “to ensure social justice”.
Some non-Muslim communities criticise addition of Khatt calligraphy in Malay language course. Protestant leader wonders why Christians cannot study Arabic Christian calligraphy. For the sixth time, court postpones the decision as to whether Christians can use the word "Allah". Radical Muslims consider the word of exclusive use in Islam.
Over 2.5 million Muslims prepare for the annual pilgrimage that begins tomorrow. At least 5 thousand faithful from Africa rejected for fear of Ebola. About 350 thousand people will ensure safety of pilgrims. Despite the tensions with Tehran, the arrival of almost 89,000 people from Iran is expected.
Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, met with 500 pro-Beijing delegates, lawmakers and businessmen in Shenzhen. Hong Kong’s protests have become a "coloured revolution", like those in some post-Soviet countries. The army could be used to restore law and order. A young student has been arrested preventively. Troll group Diba is promoting contempt for young protesters online.
The return to the "original aspirations" in the Party is the new slogan launched by the "president for life" to bend the cadres to his rule. But in the meantime the "trade war" and the domestic economy are jeopardizing the successes of his policy.
