India

A racket involving doctors from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu was uncovered in Rangareddy district, with widows among those exploited. At least 200,000 patients in India are in need of a kidney transplant but only 7,500 ‘legal’ operations are carried out in a year due to the low number of donations.

Teachers and parents slam the decision by the BJP-led government as an attack on their community’s cultural and linguistic heritage, calling for Hindi to be instead included as an optional subject. For children, it is important to study in their native language. Fr Steven Rawat, victim of an attack over Christmas carols, also criticised the measure.

Bastar district village council's act of intolerance is upheld by the local high court following son's appeal for justice. He is not even allowed to bury him in his own land. Archbishop of Raipur: “Endorsement of such acts promotes lawlessness in the country.”

The Chapel of St Therese of the Child Jesus in the village of Chokragaon was set on fire, a few days after the ordination of two local priests. The authorities have opened an investigation. The bishop of Tezpur praises the "intense solidarity" and "unity" among Christians following the incident.

Trump, who takes office on 20 January, opposed visas for highly skilled jobs, but changed his mind after comments from Elon Musk, whose companies rely on Indian labour. Yet, many US companies have cut job offers, while others have warned their foreign employees against travelling outside the United States to avoid not being able to return.

The strict imposition of the uniform on the girls in class X even on the last day of school has become a pretext to accuse the Carmel School that has been operating for 70 years in the Dhanbad district. The headmistress told AsiaNews: ‘Only 2% of the students are Christian, education in the service of all’. Former students' stance: “Grateful to those who made us what we are”.

In January, diocesan and religious ordinations were held in several villages, presided over by the archbishop of Imphal, Mgr Linus Neli. Meanwhile, in the parish of Tuibuang, new houses were delivered for those displaced by the violence, built thanks to the solidarity of Catholic communities from all over India.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, began his protest in late November. Despite being in critical conditions, he refused medical treatment yesterday. Indian farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been asking for action for nearly two years without any response from the central government.

The gesture of goodwill and détente has been repeated every year since 1991 at the start of the new year under an agreement to prevent attacks on nuclear installations. This allows the two countries to exchange a list of their facilities along one of the hottest borders in the world. Most of the people freed are fishermen caught operating outside their countries’ territorial waters.

A public appeal is made to President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi after at least 14 incidents of intolerance by Hindu radicals against Christmas celebrations were reported in various parts of the country. Christian leaders call for rapid and impartial investigations into a general climate that threatens religious freedom.

Delhi paid tribute today with state honours to the former premier who died at the age of 92. The Archbishop of Mumbai recalled: ‘His intellectual and moral qualities were well known, but in person I perceived his passionate commitment to ensure that in the country's development no one was left behind’.

For the first time an Indian premier was the guest speaker at an event at the CBCI headquarters in Delhi. He praised Bishop Thazhath's commitment to the country's unity, but also voiced the concerns of Christians who are victims of violence by extremist fringes. Modi expressed sorrow for those who ‘cause unrest in society’ and recalled his invitation to Pope Francis to visit India. Best wishes to Card. Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, who turns 80 today.