Paolo Fossati

Serving a prison term for "propaganda against the state", the 23-year-old blogger was arrested for protesting against the government's handling of the country’s worst environmental disaster. The authorities tried to get him to testify against Lê Đình Lượng, another Catholic dissident.

Rice has been grown in Korea since the Bronze Age. Annual festival offers several attractions, including the re-enactment of a procession to carry rice to the king as well a huge rice cauldron to feed thousands of people. Rice production has dropped in South Korea but slightly increased in North Korea.

The Communist Party secretary was the only candidate running to succeed the late President Trần Đại Quang. He will retain his position as head of the party, becoming the first person to fill both roles with the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.

Mgr Đức Đạo is the fifth bishop of Xuân Lôc. Until May 2016 he was auxiliary bishop and rector of the major seminary, which today has more than 450 seminarians. He is also rector of the new Catholic Institute of Vietnam. In the diocese of Xuân Lôc, erected on 14 October 1965 out of the Archdiocese of Saigon, the Catholic faith is strong thanks to over 1.1 million faithful, about a third of the population. This is partly due to a massive influx of northern Catholics after 1954. At present, the diocese has 250 parishes, run by 500 priests with 447 men religious and 1,810 nuns.

About 500 units have already been completed, 773 are under construction and 250 are awaiting financial coverage. The Indian government will finance 250. Repatriation, which should have started in January 2018, has raised concerns among refugees about their safety following their return to Rakhine.

As part of a vast operation, police have detained a thousand people. Alleged Nigerian and Ugandan "romance scammers" are the main target. Human rights groups warn that refugees and asylum seekers are being arrested.

The South Korean president: "We are paving the way for a noble effort, which will ensure a peaceful future for the Korean peninsula and the whole world". Moon praises the role of the Church in the history of the country: " During the dark hours of colonization, division, war and dictatorship, it stood tall to shed light on human dignity and justice, as well as the path of peace and love".

Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, a 39-year-old mother with two children, was arrested in October 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of "propaganda against the state". Friends express joy online for her release: "After numerous efforts, the family has gathered in a free country". Since 2016, activists and bloggers have been the targets of a government campaign against dissent. At present there are 129 political prisoners arrested for criticizing or protesting against the communist regime.

The country has 12 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants, second only to Japan. Despite the abundance of medical equipment, it only had 2.3 doctors per 1,000 people in 2016 and only 7.9 graduates in medicine for every 100,000 people.

Kunio Kohori accused the sovereign of "trying to destroy Yasukuni shrine” by staying away. The shrine’s Book of Souls holds the names of 2.5 million people, including war criminals. Since he ascended to the throne, Emperor Akihito has chosen to honour fallen soldiers and civilians in Pacific battlefields.

Singapore Airlines will offer only business and premium classes. The flight will cover 16,700 km. Passengers will enjoy more room and a seven-week long selection of audio-visual material. The menu will include selected dishes to promote well-being.

Pro-Chinese rebels forced those released to sign a document pledging to pray only at home and not in churches. More than a hundred places of worship have been shut down and at least three destroyed. Catholic mission run by Salesian missionary nuns has also be forced to close.