India

This was stipulated in a Sonbhadra court ruling granting freedom on bail. They were part of a group of 42 people arrested Nov. 29 on charges of converting the poor by fraudulent means. Fr. Anand Mathew: ongoing "severe persecution" characterized by "false narratives" in media and social media.

The Delhi High Court recently authorised Prema Kumari to travel to Yemen to free her daughter, who is accused of killing Talal Abdo Mahdi with a high dose of sedatives. The latter helped her to set up a clinic but then took her passport, preventing her from escaping. Nimisha's home community in Kerala has rallied to her cause.

A new facility for people with autism, Parkinson's and Down syndrome opened in the Indian state shaken by ethnic violence. This occurred on the same day that the new bishop, Mgr Linus Neli, began his ministry in Imphal. At the inauguration, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Girelli noted that the facility was for the people of Manipur, without distinction, and that Pope Francis is praying for them.

Sr. Maria Suzette, of the Apostolic Carmelite congregation who has lived in the disputed Muslim-majority region for 16 years, recounts her experience to AsiaNews. Yesterday, a constitutional panel issued a verdict that the revocation of Kashmir's autonomy in 2019 was a legitimate act by the Narendra Modi-led government.

This week, the Telegraph wrote that it had uncovered a kidney-buying racket involving Myanmar nationals as donors and a private health facility in Delhi, where transplants would take place. The phenomenon is not new: despite decades of awareness-raising (starting in Tamil Nadu) there is still a shortage of donors in India and too many people who would need at least one kidney. It is mainly poor people who need to pay off debts who fall victim to trafficking, but online scams have also increased in recent years.

Card George Alencherry and the Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, have resigned. In January, the Synod will pick a new leader. The pontiff issued a tough warning to those who continue to reject the uniform rite of the Eucharistic celebration. “Do not force the competent ecclesiastical authority to acknowledge that you have left the Church,” Francis said. "For next Christmas,” he added, “the Qurbana in communion should be celebrated, following the indications of the Synod.”

In Leithao, Tengnoupal district, unidentified gunmen killed scores of people, forcing residents to flee to nearby villages. A local community leader calls for security forces to intervene. An official with the opposition Congress party slams the government for failing to act.

Created in 2017, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) defeated the Mizo National Front (MNF), whose leader Zoramthanga had appealed to Zo nationalism during the election campaign. Identity politics did not resonate with voters who, experts say, are tired of nepotism and a lack of development and vision.

Today's news: the Hong Kong government wants to prosecute activist Agnes Chow in Canada too. Israel accuses Hamas of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. After the death of 6 Nepalese soldiers in the Russian army, the Himalayan country has asked Moscow to no longer recruit its citizens. A cyclone in India has caused at least 9 deaths and displaced 8,000 people.

Prime Minister Modi's party holds on to power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while Congress, the main opposition party, wins in Telangana. Speaking to AsiaNews, Archbishop Emeritus Leo Cornelio of Bhopal, the ultranationalist Hindu party ran a more effective campaign, while Rahul Gandhi’s Congress failed to keep its promises.

Today's news: Red Crescent volunteers also among victims of new Israeli bombings in northern and southern Gaza; Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have won three of the four state elections, a prelude to the 2024 general election; 11 people are confirmed dead and 12 missing following the eruption of the Marapi volcano in Indonesia

Yesterday the #we4resilience conference, a two-day event to understand how to deal with the disasters caused by climate change ended in the Indian capital. The event - held just as COP28 opens in Dubai - was attended by dozens of aid workers, priests and beneficiaries of projects implemented by Caritas together with other partners. The focus was on a comprehensive approach that takes into account the experiences of vulnerable communities.