The Japanese MMX mission is designed to bring samples from one of Mars’ moons back to Earth by 2031, the same year that materials collected on the moon by China’s Tianwen-3 mission are also expected to return. India and South Korea are investing in new technologies, infrastructure, and satellites. The commercial importance of space is growing.
At a global summit on the status of women, 30 years after the Beijing Conference, the Chinese president pledged funding to UN Women and new, pro-women worldwide cooperation. Yet, since 2022, the Politburo has been entirely male. Meanwhile, discrimination is rising again in the workplace in China after the abrupt shift from the one-child policy to a pro-natalist policy.
A local Catholic offers their thoughts about yesterday's ordination of Auxiliary Bishop Wu Jianlin. The unresolved situation of Bishop Ma Daqin, who is still barred from exercising his ministry, is a source of sorrow that encourages “those members of the clergy who seek only to please the government”.
As AsiaNews reported, the ceremony for the prelate chosen by Bishop Shen Bin during the Vatican's Sede Vacante took place this morning. Leo XIV approved the appointment in August in accordance with the Agreement. Although confined to the Sheshan Seminary since 2012, the other auxiliary bishop, Ma Daqin, sent a message of unity to the Church of Shanghai via social media, quoting the great ‘patriarch’ Xu Guangqi.
Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's visit to New Delhi marks a new impetus in the strategic partnership between India and Mongolia. Indian Prime Minister Modi announced a training programme for Mongolian border forces, free e-visas, and deeper cultural exchanges based on Buddhism. The two countries are united by a shared desire to reduce trade and energy dependence on China and Russia.
Scores of members have been arrested in at least six cities in what ChinaAid calls "the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution” in the last 40 years against underground Evangelical communities. Rev Jin Mingri was also arrested. A former Tiananmen Square protester, he founded the Zion Church, reportedly numbering thousands of members. The accused were charged with illegal use of information networks just days after Xi Jinping stressed the need to “accelerate the sinicisation of religions”.
Ambassador Ho's speech at the celebrations held in Rome for the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China in the presence of Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi. ‘Taiwan will continue to promote universal values and defend human dignity.’
The split between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, allies in the coalition that has governed Japan almost continuously since 1999, ushers in a new phase of political instability in Japan. The recently elected LDP leader, conservative Sanae Takaichi, now risks failing to secure the majority needed to become the country's first female prime minister. The opposition, led by the Constitutional Democratic Party, is trying to join forces to block her election.
The diocese has sent official notice for Fr Wu Jianlin’s ordination ceremony, calling on all priests and nuns to be present without exception. Ordinary Bishop Shen Bin reportedly supported the choice, stressing that Wu is a member of the Party Conference, and must be a bishop. In the case of the other auxiliary bishop, Mgr Ma Daqin, he has been unable to exercise his ministry since 2012 after he refused to be part of the Patriotic Association.
Following last year’s historic reconciliation between Palestinian factions in Beijing, "blessed" by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the People's Republic of China did not take part in ceasefire negotiations over Gaza. Even after last night's breakthrough, Beijing appears aloof. Business remains the crux of its involvement in the region.
The Osaka University immunologist received the prestigious award along with two Americans for their work on the immune system. Sakaguchi hopes that the recognition will encourage new applications for cancer treatment and the prevention of transplant rejection. With him, the number of Japanese Nobel laureates now stands at 29 (six for Medicine).
China is the world's largest producer and consumers of tobacco, with 300 million smokers and over a million deaths per year. Dozens of provincial divisions have already tightened regulations, and the “Healthy China 2030” plan aims to reduce adult smokers to 20%. For months, Shanghai has been experimenting with bans even in outdoor sensitive areas. Meanwhile, civic activism is growing, and students are also pushing for smoke-free campuses.
According to a survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, only 40.4% of respondents said they would organise Charye - one of the rituals that characterise today's traditional harvest festival. In 2016, the figure was 74.4%. This is an indication of the changes taking place in Korean society. For the younger generations, the holiday that marked the return to their hometowns has become the season for travelling abroad.
Subscribe to the newsletter to receive verified news, analysis and insights from Asian countries every week.
Subscribeto the newsletter
