South Asia

Hundreds of people rallied demanding justice for Amshika who took her own life after “months of official neglect and public shaming”. A teacher accused in connection with the affair was later released. A political cover-up is suspected. The story is highlighting the shortcomings of Sri Lanka’s education system, as well as the pervasiveness of gender-based violence.

Son of a prominent activist and politician, he took office after being sworn in before President Droupadi Murmu. He will serve a six-month term, until 23 November. Fr Raj: the appointment is a “sign” of the “hard work and perseverance” through which Dalits today can aspire to the highest positions.

The young daughter of a mix couple is among the victims of the Easter 2019 bombings. The Archdiocese of Colombo included her name in the list of martyrs of the 21st century sent to the Jubilee Committee. She was preparing for her baptism when she was killed in the church blast. She was buried in an Islamic cemetery. Her mother told AsiaNews that she invited others to pray, but “God took her”.

The Election Commission has suspended the registration of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party over allegations of crimes against humanity after her government cracked down on student protests last summer. The current head of government, Muhammad Yunus, has delayed the vote, while Jamaat-e-Islami and Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh National Party are putting pressure for an early poll.

While the governments in New Delhi and Islamabad each claim victory after the ceasefire in Kashmir, the ceasefire is bringing some relief to an exhausted population. Meanwhile, extremists continue to fuel hatred on social media. Political tensions remain an obstacle to dialogue. Bishops on both sides of the border have launched appeals for a future of peace and shared development.

The archbishop emeritus of Bombay (Mumbai), representative of Asia on Pope Francis’s Council of Cardinals, wrote to AsiaNews about the new pope. “He brings hopes, expectations, understanding, openness and a missionary thrust,” the cardinal writes. Leo is a pastor “shaped by Saint Augustine the ‘Doctor of Grace’ when he says the Church must illuminate the ‘dark nights of this world’.

One million jobs are at risk if the 44 per cent tariff is imposed after the 90-day pause. The apparel industry is one of the most vulnerable. According to experts, the tariffs will lead to a 20 per cent drop in exports to the US, with an annual loss of about US$ 300 million.

Bishops, priests, religious and faithful in Pakistan are grateful and hopeful following the election of Pope Leo XIV. Young people, teachers and seminarians hope for a pontificate marked by peace, dialogue and closeness to the last and the marginalised, like the Christians living in difficult situations in Pakistan.

After attacking each other in the past couple of days, both sides continue to launch air strikes and drones, with emergency measures imposed along the border. The two countries accuse each other of starting the violence and infiltrating their respective territory. New Delhi has also intensified non-military measures against Islamabad, putting pressure on the International Monetary Fund, as well as blocking parts of the Internet. It has also taken advantage of tensions to crack down on domestic opposition.

The religious family to which the new pontiff belonged, and which he led as Prior General for 12 years, has a long history of missionary presence on the Asian continent, beginning with the Basilica of Santo Niño in Cebu. Fellow Augustinians in India and Indonesia describe him as "a deeply spiritual man, capable of truly listening." His coat of arms features a phrase from Augustine and the order's emblem: a burning heart pierced by an arrow above a book.

As clashes between India and Pakistan intensify after the attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, military operations are increasingly seen as testing the most advanced weapons on the market. Today India struck Pakistani air defences, risking further escalation. Pakistan has promised a response “at a time and place of its own choosing” with the risk of causing the worse confrontation between the two countries since 1971.

Behind the demonstrations is the mysterious fall of a young woman from a building in the capital. According to some sources, politicians and prominent figures are involved. The incident allegedly took place during a party with drugs and alcohol in the Muslim-majority nation, and the police are accused of covering it up. Close associates of the president are also under scrutiny.