Dario Salvi

In office since August 2023, Thavisin allegedly violated the constitution by appointing a minister involved in an old corruption case. Now Thailand’s parliament will have to choose a new PM amid uncertainty and constitutional row. The fragile truce between Thaksin Shinawatra and his enemies in the conservative elite and the military old guard is at risk.

The exhibition tells “a very different story" about the unrest and the "colour" revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. Unlike the narratives in the Western media, the protests were not demands for freedom, but attacks on security and order, while Xi Jinping stressed “social stability” as a “prerequisite for building a strong and prosperous China”.

On the evening of 14 August, the Chaldean patriarch will hold a vigil in the Cathedral of St Joseph in Karrada. A “regional war” would be disastrous for everyone. Patriarch Pizzaballa laments that the impact of the war is “greater and more painful than ever before.” It is “particularly important to pray for peace,” said the Custos of the Holy Land. Al-Sistani warns that the Gaza war will have “catastrophic consequences”.

A new report by a UN fact-finding mission exposes the repression endured by Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities. In the Islamic Republic, persecution on gender grounds intersects with persecution on ethnic and religious grounds. Even children are victims of particularly serious violence. The hijab hides “gender apartheid”.

Today's headlines: Japan’s prime minister cancels trip to Central Asia, as fears of a “megaquake” increase among the Japanese. Myanmar’s military regime is preventing young people from emigrating for work. Seven die in attack by militants against army posts in northwestern Pakistan. Panipak Wongpattanakit is the first Thai sportswoman to win two gold medals at the Olympics.

In early August 2014, the advance by the Islamic State sparked the great Christian flight from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. This tragedy is still etched in the victims’ memory and only 60 per cent have returned to their lands. The Chaldean primate calls for a move away from "fear and despair" by stopping the conflicts that ravage the region.

A first group of 175 teachers has completed their training and will start teaching in the Saudi kingdom by the end of August. The goal is to send at least 800 teachers to the Arab country. This is another sign of Beijing's growing economic and educational involvement in the Middle East.

Today's headlines: For the USCIRF, Afghanistan under the Taliban is experiencing a "continual and significant” decline in religious freedom. Indonesia and Japan want to eliminate trade barriers and strengthen bilateral trade. Israeli fighter jets hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Vietnam is going after Falun Gong members.

In Shanxi, a court president illegally keeps three Protestant leaders in prison without trial. But the law can also be used to show that religious freedom conforms with the law, this according to Feng Xuewei, a legal expert who worked on China’s entry in the WTO.

Today's headlines: North Korea punishes students and officials for watching a film about the Korean War. Telephone and Internet restrictions leave large parts of Myanmar without information from abroad. In Bangladesh, garment factories reopen after forced closure due protests. War in Gaza hinders polio vaccination amid WHO warning of a possible epidemic.

In his first Wednesday audience after the July break, the pontiff renewed his appeal to prevent the war from spreading and to end the “unsustainable” humanitarian situation in Gaza. He called for prayers to eliminate “discrimination against women” in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In a new cycle of catechesis, he proposed a reflection on the Holy Spirit in the Incarnation. Before the audient, the pontiff met with a delegation representing the Afghan community in Italy.

Today's headlines: The Philippines, the US, Canada, and Australia hold a two-day exercise in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s defence spending is expected to reach a record high next year. Hamas appoints Yahya Sinwar as its new leader. In South Korea, climate change is disrupting agriculture with new banana and papaya farms popping up.