East Asia

Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St Peter's Basilica next Sunday, but “only 100 people will be present” to “represent symbolically all the poor people of the world”. Focusing on the theme ‘Stretch forth your hand to the poor’, the Pope seeks “to emphasise the urgency to which the COVID-19 pandemic has subjected the entire world.”

The Institute for National Strategic Studies released the latest figures. Negotiations with the Trump administration have not stopped North Korean military ambitions. Kim's regime is a “quasi-criminal” enterprise funded by banned weapons sales, foreign currency counterfeiting, drug trafficking and cyberattacks against foreign banks.

The spiritual movement, already banned in China as an "evil cult", was declared an "extremist organization" in Khakatia and then throughout the Federation, "like Jehovah's Witnesses".

Harsh comments from China’s Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Office over resignation of 15 pro-democracy legislators. For Beijing they are against Basic Law, the Hong Kong government, the sovereignty of China. Johannes Chan, from the University of Hong Kong: China seems above the law. This reduces people's trust in the rule of law. United States: The Chinese Communist Party dictatorship expands to Hong Kong.

Unlike other countries, Beijing is waiting. Chinese leaders are cautious not to give the impression of interfering in US internal affairs. Russia too has not yet complimented Biden. The EU calls on Biden to form a common front against China.

According to Mediatek, the microchip will allow access to the ultra-fast smartphone connectivity. This comes as Huawei has gone to court to be allowed to sell its 5G systems in countries where they are banned. The Chinese company won a court case in Sweden, but Swedish regulators blocked the 5G spectrum auction.

The group took the decision after Beijing removes four lawmakers. For Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong’s parliament will not be Beijing's “rubber stamp”. Pro-democracy district councillors are now expected to be the next to go.

Francis recalls yesterday’s publication of the Report into the "painful case" of the former Cardinal McCarrick at the general audience and renews his "closeness to the victims of all abuse and the Church's commitment to eradicate this evil".

This morning the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing issued a resolution applying the new security law to Hong Kong MPs as well. The four are: Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung. "Today, One Country, Two Systems no longer exists".

The "Report on the Holy See’s Institutional Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick (1930 to 2017) is published. Card. Parolin: "We publish the Report with sorrow for the wounds that this has caused to the victims, their families, the Church in the United States, the Universal Church".

China Merchants Bank Co. stock rose 18 per cent on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Ant, a big microcredit digital platform, is not in line with the new government rules and poses a threat to traditional banks. This is a heavy blow for billionaire Jack Ma, who is critical of China’s financial regulators.

During the civics and politics lesson, the teacher states that God does not exist, according to Darwin's theory of evolution. A young teenager expresses his disagreement and is punished: he will have to stand for a month during the lesson. The United Front campaign to curb faith among young people.