South Asia

Today's headlines: OSCE says Erdogan had 'unfair advantage' in presidential run-off; UN special rapporteur terms Rohingya in Bangladesh are 'the new Palestinians'; Beijing deploys hundreds of police to quell the protest of the Hui Muslims in Yunnan; Nepalese experts say climate change is behind the continuing deaths in the Himalayas; Birth rate plummets in Russia down to 31% with second child.

FAO and the World Food Programme sound the alarm. The long-term effects of last summer's floods, from which the country has yet to recover, are compounded by political and financial instability. With imports cut because of the lack of foreign currency, food is increasingly out of reach for many while inflation is way up.

Over 3,000 cases in the first four months of 2023, Matara district the most affected. Called for more efforts to create a safe environment. But the National Authority for Child Protection, which has been taking care of the youngest children since 1929, today has only half the staff it would need.

Today's headlines: joint Philippine, Japanese and US coast guard exercise in the South China Sea to counter Beijing;First North Korean military reconnaissance satellite completed; Burmese junta arrests a rapper and sentences a video-maker to 10 years; China launches the first civilian astronaut into space; Riyadh in stand-off with Moscow over oil prices; Asad Gulzoda Bukhoroi, Tajiki poet and intellectual, has died.

Catholic prelates appeal to the State’s various communities after a month-long violence pitting Meitei against tribal groups. They note that “concessions can be made in view of the common good” while “Both communities concerned know their destinies are intertwined.” Meanwhile, more attacks are reported against Kuki villages; in one, scores of houses and the church were set on fire. Weapons are rumoured to have been taken from armouries.

On the Solemnity of Pentecost, the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee began. The archbishop's warning: 'We have always worked not for our own profit, but for the development and progress of the entire country. Let us not look outside to condemn and belittle others, but let us renew ourselves by putting Jesus at the centre'.

Today's headlines: in 2023, solar investment will exceed oil spending for the first time, driven by China; PM Modi inaugurates new parliament, opposition boycotts: South Korean court issues arrest warrant for passenger who opened door in flight; Over 9,000 Russian teenagers will attend patriotic-military camps in summer, modern variant of Soviet 'Pioneers'.

The only Catholic family in an Orissa village, they were forced to flee during the 2008 persecution, losing everything. Now the little girl from that time has made her first religious profession, and the Hindus who had participated in the violence also took part in the Christians' celebration. A ray of light amid gathering darkness for Christians in the state of Manipur.

Like with Ukraine, India is taking the middle road in the Pacific region, between the US and China. For Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, James Marape, India is a “leader of the Global South". On the plus side, India can provide affordable technology and rely on local Indian communities, but militarily, the West remains dominant.

The former prime minister accuses the government and the military of putting pressure on Pakistani Tehreek-e Insaf members. The defence minister suggests banning the party over the violent protests that broke out on 9 May. In the meantime, the issues that should be central in the campaign for the October elections are being sidelined.

In Sri Lanka there are 800 refugees from Pakistan, Rohingya from Myanmar, Afghans, Syrians and Yemenis. The probable closure, or at least downsizing, of the UN body's headquarters fuels uncertainty for the future. The majority have been living for years suspended in limbo, without jobs or education for their children.

The World Food Programme says it is forced by lack of funds, despite the recent devastation wrought by Cyclone Mocha. According to some observers, many refugees may feel forced to return to Myanmar's Rakhine State, where the situation remains difficult due to the civil war.