Discontent with the institutions in India continues to grow following the arrests of leaders of the “cockroach” movement. According to Jesuit Father Sebasti L. Raj of the Indian Social Institute, the success of the mobilisation hinges on remaining independent of political parties and being open to different religious and cultural communities.
The case of a student at St. Rita School in Palluruthy who wants to wear the hijab despite uniform regulations prohibiting it is reigniting interreligious tensions in Kerala. After attempts to resolve the matter peacefully, the local government has asked the school to comply. Criticism from the National People's Party: ‘This is not an isolated attack on Christian institutions; the authorities must not be complicit.’
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.
Israel’s prime minister pulls out from the signing of the agreement, ostensibly because of a Jewish holiday, but the most likely reason is the presence of Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media announced a historic visit by Indonesian President Prabowo to Israel tomorrow, which Indonesia’s foreign ministry quickly denied. Modi snubs the summit, sending his Minister of State for External Affairs.
At the celebration for the 375th anniversary of the foundation of the institute, which has been present in this Indian region for more than 150 years, six priests welcomed by children in their schools serving orphans and the poor paid tribute to the service of the religious sisters together with 20,000 other people. ‘A reflection of God's care among us’.
The court ruled that the land is a private donation, not religious property, squashing the Waqf Board’s attempt, in 2019, to claim the area as a religious asset, creating uncertainty for more than 600 Catholic families who had legally purchased the land. The court called the Board's action a “land-grabbing tactic”, clarifying that the state is not bound by its orders. The Archbishop Chakkalakkal of Calicut calls for the full restoration of property rights.
Today, India decided to reopen its embassy in Kabul, marking an unprecedented political step towards the Taliban government. The announcement came after Pakistan struck the Afghan capital to eliminate Noor Wali Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban. These developments are part of a new phase in the conflict between India and Pakistan, which began with Operation Sindoor, launched by New Delhi in May in response to an attack in Kashmir.
The Canadian government has listed the powerful India-based criminal network as a terrorist group. The decision follows a long trail of shootings and extortions against members of the Sikh diaspora, and comes as Ottawa attempts to restore cooperation with New Delhi following tensions over the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian authorities accuse the gang of acting as a tool of intimidation, with connections to Indian intelligence, a charge New Delhi vehemently denies.
The head of India's highest judicial body was targeted with a shocking gesture by a lawyer from a Brahmin family for comments he made during a hearing regarding a temple in Madhya Pradesh that Hindutva nationalists deemed offensive. The judicial community was outraged by a casteist attack that “cannot be tolerated”.
The boy, accused of ‘contaminating’ the home of a higher caste family, was beaten and locked in a barn. They demanded a goat from his parents as a sacrifice to ‘purify’ the home. The bishop of the diocese of Simla and Chandigarh told AsiaNews: ‘This is not an individual tragedy, but a social sin. We are all responsible if structures of discrimination go unpunished.’
Today's historic decision by the Church of England, which will see a female head of the primatial see for the first time, is also highly significant for the Asian Churches that are part of the Anglican Communion. Among them are the United Churches of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, which have already opened up the ordained ministry to women, with female bishops in some Indian dioceses.
New Delhi is weighing the consequences of the end of US exemptions on the Iranian port of Chabahar, in which it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars as a strategic hub to Central Asia and a counterweight to China's presence in Gwadar. New sanctions risk stalling the project and further complicating relations with Washington, already beset by tariffs and new visa restrictions. In the long run, analysts warn, China could be the real beneficiary of the crisis.
The Bodoland People's Front won 28 out of 40 seats, strengthening its presence compared to 2020 and thus returning to the leadership of the Bodo Territorial Council. The BJP, which has enjoyed a series of successes in the north-eastern state since 2016, won only five seats. The defeat calls into question the party's hegemony a few months ahead of the 2026 legislative elections.
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