South Asia

​The head of European diplomacy Borrell met with regional leaders in Samarkand. The area is increasingly central to EU policy. Talks on infrastructure, energy, water resources, immigration and the fight against disinformation. Concern over situation in Afghanistan. Criticism of the Russian war in Ukraine.

About 18 million eligible voters will vote for national and provincial assemblies. Nepalis are tired of the three traditional parties. The interests of China, India and the United States are involved.

Despite recent progress, the disease has not yet been wiped out. In slums, parents are wary of injections. In addition to increasing the number of vaccinations, the government must also reduce child malnutrition.

Imran Rehman has been in prison for two months for a complaint against him regarding a post he made on WhatsApp. His wife: 'Since his arrest, my daughter cannot go to school'. Increasingly in Pakistan, social networks are being used to fabricate false accusations of blasphemy against families belonging to religious minorities.

Today's headlines: a devastating fire north of the Gaza Strip kills 21 people, including seven children; Beijing, more online censorship:comments must be approved; wild animal trafficker arrested by Thai police with tiger cubs from Laos; Afghan refugees in Pakistan fear mass arrests; Russian ports are on the verge of collapse.

Yesterday’s ambush was the latest in a series. Today a Taliban leader was reportedly killed. Since their "cousins" took power in Afghanistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have increased terror attacks in Pakistan by more than 50 per cent.

The authorities’ proposal of painting the walls of almost 8,000 classrooms with a colour associated with Hindutva is proving controversial. For the opposition, the state should be more concerned about the “More than 10 lakh (one million) children” out of school after the pandemic. Meanwhile, India’s central government unveiled the logo for next year’s G20, and it has more than a passing resemblance with the ruling party’s logo.

Although the waters have receded, the situation in southern Pakistan remains catastrophic. Poverty is up fourfold and people have been reduced to stealing. “Even before this disaster, we were in difficulty,” said the bishop of Hyderabad. The AsiaNews campaign to send aid is still ongoing.

An entrepreneur who launched a philanthropic programme in schools together with the government said that students take home part of their school lunch for their hungry parents. Without immediate action, malnutrition could become a major problem in rural areas. Experts are set to present a plan for economic stability.

India’s highest court accepts to hear a petition filed by a lawyer with the ruling BJP, claiming that "forced" conversions are undermining religious freedom. As a result, the court asked the central government what action it plans to take to stop them. Hindu nationalists have long been pushing for national anti-conversion laws. “The Supreme Court has made a highly exaggerated statement,” the bishop of Lucknow told AsiaNews, “Existing provisions in the constitution are sufficient to take care of any aberrations,” he added, warning that false claims “cause hatred and violence.”

​Held yesterday, the ceremony was attended by several priests. Caritas Antoniana of Padua funded the housing project. "We are ready to forgive,” said Card Malcolm Ranjith, if the culprits admit their responsibility in the attacks.

Heeding Pope Francis’s call, the mission of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel in Bidar marked the observance with widows, leprosy patients, and sweepers, who have been traditionally kept on the margins of society. For the Sisters’ superior, a helping hand is better than a handout.