Anthropic has documented the use of Claude to track Catholic and Tibetan Buddhist leaders, Christians in Taiwan, and the Falun Gong. A religious affairs intelligence unit that once employed many teams has been reduced to a single office, yet this is enough to produce thousands of investigations per month.
Today's headlines: Putin will not attend the G20 in New Delhi; Japan wants to sue China at WTO over seafood import ban after Fukushima water release; Anti-crime mayoral candidate wounded in attack in Nazareth; Georgian 6th-century monastery buried by a landslide.
In an interview with the Hong Kong weekly Christian Times, the 91-year-old cardinal talks about his friend, the late Rev Yuen Tin-yau of the Methodist Church, a companion in many battles for educational freedom. He also expresses sadness over mobility issues that prevent him from ministering in prisons. “If I manage to heal quickly and walk, I will visit the prisoners again,” he hopes. "The pope has given us an excellent bishop," he says, speaking about Hong Kong’s new cardinal, Bishop Chow, a wise prelate who has to deal with an “uncomfortable situation”.
The import halt on Japanese seafood decided by Beijing after the start of the plant's spillage into the ocean-accompanied by massive propaganda against Tokyo-is generating widespread alarm that is also curbing consumption of local products. Boycotts also on cosmetics and travel to Japan, while the Japanese embassy urges its citizens to be careful.
Today's headlines: Terry Gou to run in upcoming Taiwanese presidential elections; Taliban bans women from entering the most famous and oldest national park for non-compliance with hijab regulations; China still addicted to cigarettes, smokers one-third of world total; At least four killed in Vietnam quarry collapse; Pyongyang approves return of expats unable to return since 2020 Covid closures; in Novosibirsk new anti-migrant raid.
Back from the WYD in Lisbon, the Asian nun chosen by Pope Francis among the president delegates of the October Assembly tells AsiaNews about her expectations for the Synod: "Living in a country where we Christians are a minority has taught me to listen, to try to understand, to pray to understand where the Spirit is guiding our conscience. And to understand that before anything else we must love everyone like Jesus." Archbishop of Tokyo Msgr. Kikuchi: "Proud and grateful for the role assigned to you."
The Justice and Peace Commission reiterates its condemnation of the Kishida government's choice. While TEPCO "reassures" on the absence of significant amounts of tritium in the first seawater samples tested, the prelates of Naha and Sendai retort that "it is not only the concentration that is the relevant parameter: no one knows how much water will be discharged as debris removal is still far away. The objections of local residents and other people at home and abroad should be listened to with humility."
Today's headlines: students arrested for attempted assault on Japanese embassy in Seoul released, further investigation under consideration; Attempts at rapprochement, and border agreement, between Xi and Modi at BRICS summit; Vietnamese youth traffickedin Laos under pretext of jobs; 22-year-old ex-soldier tours Taiwan island for a month warning of imminent risk of war with China; The flight of Russians over war in Ukraine reaches record numbers, more than a million in one year.
A study by the US Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center reveals data concerning the over 30s and records increases in all provinces, with the exception of Tibet. No official comment from the Chinese health authorities, who have always underestimated the numbers. Today the “Eris” variant of Omicron dominates with over 70% of cases.
Today's headlines: Hanoi records a surge in rice price and demand;On return from India, papal delegate reports to pope on the situation of the Syro-Malabars; Druze protest continues for fifth day in southern Syrian town of Swida; Taipei reopens to Chinese tourists, "peace" signal to Beijing; UN report accuses Taliban of more than 200 extrajudicial killings; Flowers and tributes at St. Petersburg's Wagner Center after Prigožin's death.
At Johannesburg summit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates officially invited to join as member countries from Jan. 1, 2024. "Willing to explore opportunities" on the use of local currencies as an alternative to the dollar. Beyond the "photo opportunity" problems of distancing between Beijing and New Delhi persist.
Beijing announces "total" blockade of seafood, but remains silent on its spills into the sea. Environmentalists and activists on the streets in South Korea and Japan, at least 14 arrests among protesters in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. IAEA reassures on fairness of procedures. South Korean premier calls for "maximum transparency" and data "for the next 30 years."
Today's headlines: Tokyo bracws for impact from Hong Kong and China's seafood import ban after Fukushima waters release began this morning; North Korea fails in second attempt to launch spy satellite; Indian bishops' applaud Chandrayaan-3 moon landing; Vietnam's famous Halong Bay kissing rocks in danger of collapsing; Burmese junta sentences a singer to 20 years for a critical video posted on social media.
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