Dario Salvi

Thon Ratha, Phuong Keo Reaksmey, and Long Khunthea will not travel to Sweden for the prestigious Right Livelihood Award. They are currently serving a 14-month suspended sentence and a three-year travel ban for raising environmental awareness. Meanwhile, Vietnam detains green energy expert Ngô Thị Tố Nhiên, a sixth environmentalist jailed in two years.

Turkish security forces arrested 90 people in 18 provinces suspected of links with the PKK, responsible for last Sunday’s attack in Ankara. For the Kurdish group, it was a way to show the flag, but Turkey’s harsh response risks generating an escalation that will involve Syria and Iraq. In the first half of 2023, Turkey carried out more than 665 air strikes against Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq.

Local officials and electric maintenance staff are blamed for the tragedy in Qaraqosh. Locals criticise the official version of events, pointing the finger at Rayan the Chaldean who wants to use the incident to replace local officials with loyalists. People are demanding an independent commission of enquiry. Patriarch Sako slams “the corruption that is devastating the nation".

The bishop of Penang is one of 21 cardinals who received their biretta from Pope Francis. He is enthusiastic about a youthful reality that is a source of hope for the mission. Relations with Muslims are marked by trust and fraternity. He will bring to the synod the voice of Asian families and their contribution to the future.

The Latin patriarch received his cardinal's biretta from Pope Francis. The presence of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch was a sign of progress in ecumenism. Christians in the Holy Land face the problems and challenges of the West (the family) and the East (the exodus). The patriarch expressed proximity to Card Sako and stressed Jerusalem’s role as a bridge with Asia’s Churches and faiths.

With Nagorno Karabakh liquidated, the Turkish president is pushing for a link between Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan with the Armenian province of Syunik at stake. Erdogan also says he is getting "positive" signals from Iran. As the Armenian exodus continues, almost half of the population has left, abandoning their homes and land. The refugees speak of crimes and abuses, as well as hasty funerals and weddings.

The Russian embassy in Pakistan reported the delivery, which took place via Iran’s special economic zone in Sarakhs, paid in Chinese currency. Its value is not known or whether a discount was applied. Russian oil was delivered to Pakistan earlier.

The Chaldean patriarch visits the Christian town in northern Iraq scene of a tragic fire, triggered by fireworks. At least 114 people have died and more than 200 have been injured. The toll is “bound to rise because some of the injured are in very serious conditions.” Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds showing solidarity amid the tragedy is a “sign of hope”.

Today's news: official Riyadh delegation in the West Bank, an Israeli minister visits Saudi Arabia for the first time. Evergrande president under police control. A suicide attempt and the wounding of a protester during protests in Bangalore over a water dispute. Pyongyang ready to reopen borders to foreigners, closed since first phase of Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese holding company presents project to pump and distribute drinking water from the Kyrgyz-Uzbek basin.

A debate has opened in the country between those in favor and skeptics in the use of technology, in particular for the "speeding up" of the publications of sentences on religious matters. Beyond the dichotomy between tradition and modernity, Khamenei himself asks religious people to explore and support this process. Iranian government investments in the sector.

Today's news: further tragedy in the escape of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabach, at least 20 dead in the explosion of a fuel depot. 20 years later, there is still no compensation for the Iraqi victims of torture in US prisons, including Abu Grahib. North Korean athletes refuse photos with South Korean rivals at Asian Games. Manila removes in a "special operation" the floating barrier positioned by Beijing in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

Ronson Chan gets five days in jail for obstructing public officials and disturbing the peace in September 2022. For the presiding judge, a fine was not enough. For activists and critics, this is another attack against press freedom and represents an attempt to intimidate journalists.