India

Draupadi Murmu, 64, is from Odisha, and later this month she could become India’s first tribal (Adivasi) woman president. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party is working overtime to ensure its victory in the 2024 elections. Adivasi and Dalits are still marginalised. The BJP is taking advantage of a recent political crisis in Maharashtra.

A few days ago, the clergyman acted as "father" at the wedding of a Hindu girl he took in at his ashram when she was two years old. For almost 30 years, Fr Kannamplakal, a member of the Blessed Sacrament, has been opening the doors of the Divyahruday Ashram in Chennaipara to those left on their own. “I realised that if I focus on the goodness of each person, the Lord will give me everything,” he said.

On the first anniversary of the death of the Jesuit prostrated by almost nine months of unjust imprisonment for his commitment in defence of the tribals of Jharkhand, the memory of Sr Beena who assisted him in hospital in the last weeks of his life: "There was a sense of joy in his struggle. He encouraged me to renew my daily commitment as a doctor for the people of the suburbs and the marginalised".

Coming into effect on 1 July, the new measure imposes a 10 per cent tax on freebies and perks given to social media glitterati. The Indian government wants to broaden its tax base in a fast-growing industry. About 71 per cent of young people say they bought at least one product on the suggestion of an influencer on social media.

Today's headlines: Israel wants to take part in the US study of the bullet that killed the Christian journalist; in India, the death toll in a landslide in Manipur State rises to 37; the Iraqi premier inaugurates a 750 megawatts power plant; Tibetan monk Jigme Gyatso, who was arrested several times by Beijing, dies; Russian raid against illegal Chinese workers.

On 3 July, feast day of Saint Thomas, Indian Christians of all denominations celebrate a day to remember that Christianity is not a foreign religion in their country. This year takes on a special significance since it is the 1,950th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Apostle in Chennai. “May Saint Thomas the Apostle help us to be strong in our faith,” said Archbishop Poola, chosen by Pope Francis to be a new cardinal.

Archbishop Moolachira makes an appeal. So far, some 31,000 people have been affected by the floods in 25 districts with 159 reported deaths. Displaced people have found shelter in Catholic parishes, schools and other facilities. The aid has gone especially where government assistance has not yet arrived.

Mohammad Zubair is co-founder of AltNews, a fact-checking website created in 2017. Multiple criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes back to the pogrom of 2002. Twitter is struggling with India’s requests to block tweets and accounts.

The victim was attacked in his shop for defending on social media a BJP politician who sparked a row after making negative comments about the prophet Mohammed on TV. For Bishop Ganawa, Christians “stand for religious tolerance, dialogue and peaceful co-existence among all communities. I pray that good sense will prevail among us all.”

The archbishop of Bangalore and other Christian groups filed a plea, accepted by the Supreme Court, noting that in May alone, 57 attacks were reported on places of worship and other Church-related facilities. The “government machinery [. . .] can control the fringe elements,” Archbishop Peter Machado told AsiaNews.

On the day the Supreme Court ruling in the United States marked a turning point on the right to life, seven fetuses were being found near a bus stop in Belagavi, India. According to doctors, they were around five months gestation and were presumably killed after sex detection. The slaughter of baby girls the dark side of pregnancy terminations in India.

The ban takes effect on 1 October 2022 until the end of February 2023. Lorry drivers expect losses of millions of dollars. In winter, Delhi’s air becomes unbreathable; in 2019 alone, 1.67 million Indians died from air pollution-related diseases.