India

In a story that has sadly gone viral in India in recent days, a villager exhumed his sister’s remains to “prove” her death to officials who were preventing him from withdrawing money from her account. The community where he now lives wants him to perform a ritual bath and a series of other public acts to atone for the desecration. Otherwise, he will be banished.

Over 200 delegates, including bishops, priests and laypeople from all the Latin Rite dioceses in India, have gathered in Bangalore for the event entitled ‘Synodal Pilgrims of Hope’. The proceedings focused on four of the priorities outlined in the CCBI’s pastoral programme: accompanying young people and children, poverty and integral ecology, inclusion, interreligious dialogue and peace-building.

Between 2021 and 2025, 37,740 Indian workers died abroad, over 86% of them in Gulf countries, and reports of abuse and exploitation are also on the rise. However, migration flows remain central to the Indian economy, due to remittances. The crisis in the Middle East is putting pressure on an already fragile system, including from an energy perspective, and in the long term risks causing a domestic economic shock.

As many as 55 Missionaries of Charity had been removed from the electoral roll, as had thousands of other people – mostly Bengalis – in the controversial revision imposed by the central government in New Delhi. Exit polls suggest the BJP is in the lead, but there are many doubts about their reliability as the controversy has driven turnout up to almost 93%. Official results on 4 May.

The government has given the green light to a railway corridor linking the bauxite deposits at Sijimali and Kutrumali. The decision comes after violent clashes with local communities, who denounce land expropriation, environmental damage and violations of their rights, which are also enshrined in law. The government defends the project in the name of development, but protests against mining expansion have been ongoing for three years.

According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military spending reached US$ 2.887 trillion in 2025, marking the eleventh consecutive year of growth. In Asia, growth is driven by China, Japan, India, and Taiwan, due to strategic rivalries and uncertainty over the role of the United States. In the Middle East, Israeli spending was down, but Turkey’s and Saudi Arabia’s were up.

The Israeli government is turning an ad hoc process into a structured policy, approving in November 2025 a plan to relocate nearly 6,000 people with public funding. The first 240 arrived recently as part of Operation Kanfei Shahar. Faith alone is not driving many to leave their Indian villages in the Indian state of Manipur, interethnic violence is.

From India to Australia, Tibetan expatriates in 27 countries elected the 45-member assembly with 93 candidates running. Just over 91,000 voters cast their ballot. The five-year parliament, based in Dharamsala, serves as the representative body for the approximately 150,000 Tibetans living in exile. Young voters call for greater attention to the community's future.

An amendment amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has been introduced in the Lower House. Among other things, the bill proposes the establishment of an “authority” tasked with “seizing, managing and disposing of” the assets of the affected organisations. For Fr Thelakkatt, it is “cloaked in rhetoric” about “national security” but is a tool to fuel the “nationalist ideology” of Hindutva.

Recent violence has rekindled tensions in the northeastern Indian state, scene of a bitter conflict for the past three years. Ethnic Kuki-Zos now accuse the Nagas, who had remained neutral during the confrontation between Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis. The newly elected Yumnam Khemchand Singh administration is facing the difficult task of reconciliation.

The first round of the legislative elections, held yesterday, was marred by controversy over the revised electoral rolls, which excluded millions of voters, mostly Muslims. The central and state governments have blamed each other, while those most affected belong to vulnerable groups.

In Kottayam district, a Christian hymn performed during a festival sparked controversy from groups close to the Hindu right. The temple committee, however, defended the choice, emphasising the shared nature of the event and the collaborative relationships between the Hindu and Christian communities in the village.