With roads washed away in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot gorges, the sky is the only viable route for rescue and aid. With more than 4,000 people missing and several communities isolated, 30 military and private aircraft are flying over a rugged valley with no ground control or landmarks to rescue survivors and deliver aid to villages.
A Lahore court acquitted Adil Babar and Simon Nadeem, wrongfully arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan in 2023. Despite the verdict, their families remain exposed to threats and discrimination. Janssen denounces the controversial conduct of the “blasphemy business group”. Justice Khan calls for a commission to investigate within 30 days the way blasphemy rules are used.
The Pakistani government has approved an ordinance to reform the Frontier Constabulary, turning it into a new paramilitary force with country-wide jurisdiction, renaming it the Federal Constabulary. It will operate in all provinces and territories, with internal security and counterterrorism duties. Opposition parties and advocacy groups fear that that it will be used to suppress dissent, especially ahead of protests announced by Imran Khan's party.
Dissanayake's secretary, Dr Kumanayake, has tasked officials with presenting a proposal. The instructions are part of the Prajashakthi government programme for the equitable distribution of benefits in society. Autism (DSA) is increasingly recognised in Sri Lanka. The Ayati Trust centre in Ragama has reached 14,000 children with disabilities in five years.
Introduced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it provides for up to life imprisonment for anyone who intentionally destroys a sacred text of any religion. Punjab, the only Indian state with a Sikh majority, had previously passed a similar law, but it was rejected by the Union government because it was limited to the Guru Granth Sahib, the book revered by the majority faith. The new bill, which will be examined by a select committee before it is voted on, also penalises abetment to commit sacrilege.
Arosa Azam, 26, an electronic engineering graduate, is inspired by diplomat Samuel Martin Burke. Success after four attempts and seven years of study. Her story has been celebrated by the Archdiocese of Karachi as a symbol of hope for young people from minority groups, reaffirming the importance of representation in government institutions.
The small Himalayan kingdom is focusing on virtual currencies to modernise its economy and attract digital nomads. The government is generating its reserves (the sixth largest in the world) with hydroelectric power, an abundant and sustainable resource in the country. However, challenges remain, related to digital market volatility, the need for training, and fraud.
On 29 June, nine minors fled the Vidyadeep Children's Home in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. They caused a disturbance and reported abuse to the district authorities. The Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod deny all allegations. Sr. D'Souza: ‘The story has taken a political turn.’ Bishop Pinto: ‘An example of selfless dedication for over a century.’
Moscow has become the first government to complete the normalisation of relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2018, Russian policy towards the Taliban had begun to change, moving from formal opposition to an evident search for cooperation. But the new friendship with Kabul will develop in the usual style of mutual suspicion and cross-checking
The purge of non-Hindus at Sri Venkateshwara Swamy in Tirumala has also reached the top of the organisation that manages the sacred site. Muslims object: ‘If Hindu temples are to be administered only by those who profess this religion, why is this same principle not applied to the Islamic Waqf?’
Four men accused of being part of a terrorist network in Malaysia have been repatriated and are under arrest in Dhaka, while investigations into the matter continue. The recruiters had infiltrated migrants from Bangladesh, who number about one million in the Southeast Asian country. The incident risks compromising their job opportunities.
Sri Lankan President Dissanayake attended the ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the priesthood of the archbishop of the capital, ordained in 1975 by Pope Paul VI. In recent years, the cardinal has been a voice for the truth about the attacks that struck churches on Easter Sunday. ‘The country needs a new beginning. Let us work to protect religious and cultural values and the harmony of the country.’
Just four months before local elections, the Commission has ordered a review of the eligibility of nearly 30 million voters who have registered over the past 20 years. Sr. Dorothy Fernandes tells AsiaNews: ‘The government is afraid of losing and will end up depriving the marginalised, migrants and Muslims who are unable to complete the necessary paperwork of their right to vote.’
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