Let us ask Our Lady, the Gate of Heaven, for the grace to begin each day by raising our eyes to Heaven, toward God, to say to Him: "Thank you!” as the lowly ones say to the great ones. “Thank you”'". “Today I would like to pray in particular for the difficult situation in Nigeria, hit by terrorism”. Finally, Francis addresses an appeal to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, involved in negotiations on the Nile, which is a "river of peace".
With over 132,000 infected and almost 6,000 dead, Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s most affected nation by Covid-19 in. National GDP will contract by 2% on the back of the pandemic. The Indonesian president wants to improve food and energy security. A plan announced to strengthen the mineral processing industry.
The Emirates are the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. The agreement should "advance peace in the Middle East". For Abu Dhabi, it will stop Israeli annexation of the occupied territories; for Tel Aviv the annexations will be partial and only "postponed". For Hamas, the agreement is a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. Bahrain and Oman could follow Abu Dhabi's example. But the axis of the Resistance, led by Iran, would be strengthened.
The heir to the Red Bull energy drink empire was under the influence of drugs and alcohol whilst driving a Ferrari at 177 kilometres per hour. Some witnesses were reportedly paid off. Several years after the incident, all charges are dropped. Young pro-democracy Thais criticise injustice.
The increase is due to threats from China, which does not rule out retaking the "rebel" island by force. China holds naval exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Taipei wants to buy cruise missiles and underwater sea mines from Washington. Taiwan is among the top 30 countries in the world in terms of military capabilities.
The US has already sanctioned mainland banks in the past. Financial decoupling is no longer unlikely. Chinese banks risk being excluded from the global dollar-based payment system. The Trump administration could sanction banks that do business with leaders implicated in the crackdown in Hong Kong. Internationalising the yuan is not a viable solution.
Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK removes an interview with exiled pro-democracy activist Nathan Law, who is wanted by police. For Chris Yeung, Hong Kong media are sliding towards self-censorship. Jimmy Lai's return to Apple Daily is met with an ovation.
Revealed in an International Organization for Migration report. About 10 million Bangladeshi work abroad, especially in the Persian Gulf, generating remittances of over 15 billion euros. One migrant worker supports on average three members of his family. Without work, they go into debt to buy food and pay for coronavirus treatment. Many returnees hope to leave soon.
A quarter of the victims at Beirut port were Syrian. Many of them decided to stay in the country to work on rebuilding homes. Damascus' contribution to the care of the wounded. After years of occupation and war, there are small signs of friendship. The stories of Nadir and Rafiq.
It is yet another anti-Christian attack in the country. Rajesh Gupta's wife is in hospital with a fractured hand and leg. In June, an educational center run by a Christian organization was attacked. Two weeks ago, extremists killed a pastor in Punjab. Sajan K George: The faithful live in terror.
The Catholic bishops are calling for an end to the violence and negotiations between the government and the opposition. Kirill says Lukashenko's victory "exalts attention to the spiritual and moral issues of people's lives". For some Orthodox priests, their bishops’ applause is a "humiliation of human dignity". Demonstrations and clashes continue.
About 20 per cent of Cambodian exports to the EU are affected. The latter is imposing sanctions on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government for its repeated human rights violations. This is a severe blow to the local garment industry, already badly affected by the pandemic. A free-trade agreement with China will not make up for the losses.
The death toll continues to grow: 171, with 30 people considered missing. Over 6 thousand injured; hundreds of thousands are left homeless, housed in private homes or convents or mosques. Yesterday in the Martyrs Square, a commemoration of the victims and "hanging" of those responsible. Already four years ago, US security personnel warned of the danger associated with stored ammonium nitrate.
Human rights activists hold a national convention to affirm democratic values. The Punjab Legislative Assembly approves a resolution to include Ali Jinnah's famous speech in school curricula. Last month, however, the same Assembly passed a law that protects the Islamic religion. The pluralist vision of the Father of the Nation has yet to materialise.
The nephew of a local politician posted an offensive comment on Facebook. A mob attacked the politician’s home and a police station, injuring some 60 policemen. About 110 protesters and the post’s author have been arrested. For the Archbishop of Bangalore, violence is never a solution; intercommunal dialogue is needed.
