South Asia

Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Linus Neli to lead the archdiocese of Imphal, which has been shaken for months by ethnic violence that has already caused 200 deaths. The new archbishop tells AsiaNews: "We pray for a peace that is not just cosmetic, strong in a hope that has its root in God. We will remain close to the refugees who still suffer in the camps'.

Fr. Robert Athickal, founder and director of Tarumitra - active in 23 states of the Asian giant - emphasises the salient passages of the apostolic exhortation. 'Friends of Trees' in Sanskrit, the Catholic environmental association is committed to the conservation of biodiversity and ecological issues.

Today's news: at least 42 people have died in floods in the Indian Himalayas. The Myanmar High Court dismissed appeals of six corruption convictions against Aung San Suu Kyi. Over 43 million children internally displaced in Asian nations due to climate change. Islamabad wants to expel all illegal immigrants, primarily Afghans, by 1 November. Aiea task force will visit the Fukushima plant at the end of the month, the first time since the start of spill operations. Russian coal export prices increased by 14% in September.

For the government of the northeastern Indian state, Chin refugees are fellow ethnics. As Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga seeks another term in state elections later this year, the refugee issue is politically relevant. An estimated 30,000 Myanmar refugees are present in Mizoram, the largest concentration in India. In Manipur, the attitude is different, following the orders from the central government in Delhi.

Violence against ethnic and religious minorities continues in Bangladesh. The latest incident saw Radhapada Roy, a well-known octogenarian Hindu poet, sent to the hospital. Members of Bangladesh’s cultural community took to the streets to demand justice, uniting Christians, Hindus, and Muslims.

Today's news: Hong Kong man accused of disseminating 'seditious' children's books is jailed for four months. Arrests for journalists critical of Modi accused of spreading 'Chinese propaganda'. The city of Sapporo withdraws from the 2030 Winter Olympics bid. The Mekong Delta is in danger of running out of sand.

The archbishop emeritus of Ranchi passed away yesterday at the age of 84. An ethnic Oraon, he was appointed bishop very young by Paul VI. In 2003 Pope John Paul II made him the first Indian aboriginal cardinal. The encounter with Jesus changed his people and “their strong faith in Jesus Christ continues to liberate, transform, and empower them,” he said. He was friends with Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

In a vast operation, India's National Investigation Agency raided 62 locations, arresting Chandra Narasimhulu, for alleged membership in an organisation linked to Maoists. Human rights groups condemned the police action, saying two and a half years of investigation have found nothing.

The figure comes from the report released today by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on the 2030 UN sustainability goals, on the same day, Pope Francis published his “Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum. Some 1.2 billion Asians use old, polluting energy at home. Progress made in renewable technologies over the past 10 years has been concentrated only in a few countries.

The revenue agency and the customs and excise administration are in the crosshairs. It will be difficult for the government to meet the short-term targets set by the IMF. According to experts, the executive 'has little or no room to increase tax rates'. The incidence of corruption has been growing since 2005, weighing more and more heavily on the budget.

China has turned down requests for more investments in energy and infrastructure due to rising attacks and insecurity, uncertain about the fate of the current government. Some experts say money flows could resume after next year's parliamentary elections, but Pakistan's economy is still at risk of default and Beijing is reassessing the chances of long-term gains from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The case of Fr. Kuriakose Mattam in Idukki. "I disagree with the belief that the BJP is not a party for Christians." The party flaunts his words to dismiss criticism of the Modi government over failures to act against violence in Manipur. Hindu nationalists' courtship of Kerala's large Christian community.