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.
Government-owned housing in the Sri Lankan capital, including those of former presidents, is in a state of neglect and have been invaded by pests. The decision by the National People's Power government to have its members stay in their own homes has had an impact. A committee has been set up to find ways of dealing with the situation, while neighbours complain of serious health risks and lack of maintenance.
The latest to lose their lives were two students from Comilla while flying kites. Lightning is one of the leading causes of death in the country, with 3,845 deaths since 2011. Despite the development of early warning systems, deaths are mainly among farmers. The government is pushing for timely alerts via text message and phone calls, but obstacles remain in rural areas. Tree planting and awareness-raising are crucial preventive measures.
The archbishop of Goa, 72, has chaired the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences since the start of the year. He has been very attentive to the life of families whom he constantly encouraged in his ministry. As head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India-Latin Rite, he promoted a broad consultation in the dioceses, which led to a document with 16 priorities, including Dalits and digital technologies.
The meeting in 2017 in Bangladesh with a delegation of one million exiles from Myanmar was one of the most touching moments in the pontiff's trip. He often remembered that embrace in the following years. “Pope Francis was a beacon of hope for the marginalised, a voice for the voiceless, and a man whose humility touched hearts across all boundaries,” Peter Saiful told AsiaNews. Fr Josim, a tribal convert to Christianity whom the pontiff ordained a priest in Dhaka, was told: “Your hands are holy. Use these hands for holy work.”
Tension remains high between Delhi and Islamabad after the attack in Kashmir that left 26 dead. Airspace closed, agreement on rivers revoked, Hindu nationalists press for armed retaliation. The vice-president of the Bishops' Conference: “May our efforts for peace continue.”
For days, Catholics and non-Catholics alike have been paying tribute to Pope Francis. A ‘national day of mourning’ has been declared to coincide with the funeral. Cardinal Ranjith recalls the support given to the victims of the Easter massacre. For President Dissanayake, he was an example of ‘compassion, justice and interreligious harmony’ for all the people.
More than 1,100 people, mostly female workers, died trapped in the textile garment factory. Wounds remain open due to slowed-down legal processes. But Caritas Bangladesh with its support programmes manages to be close to those who have lost their parents or have been disabled.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists and Hindu pilgrims, were killed yesterday in an attack by a Pakistani terrorist group. The region has long been disputed between India and Pakistan and marked by violence. After revoking Kashmir's special status, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted tourism and religious travel in recent years.
The Archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi expresses the deep sorrow of Catholics and non-Catholics in the country. The ‘courage’ to bring people who are often ‘discarded’ to the ‘front line’. From interreligious harmony to ecological issues, gestures that are ‘testimony to his deep commitment to unity’. Looking ahead to the next conclave, so that ‘the Holy Spirit may guide the cardinals’.
One of the great signs of the pontificate that ended this morning with the death of Pope Francis is his care for the peripheries of the world. The archbishop of Hyderabad, the first Dalit called to join the College of Cardinals in 2022, pays tribute to the late pontiff who “looked each person in the eye, not as a number, but as a soul beloved by God.”
The testimony of a catechumen who will be baptised this Easter in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Mumbai. ‘This journey has shown me that no matter how low you have fallen, God's love can reach even deeper. Just take a step towards Him and He will run to you."
Despite officially banning palm oil cultivation in 2021 due to its environmental impact, large companies involved in this market continue their activities in the country, where consumption of this ingredient remains high. The measure ultimately discourages the introduction of new plant varieties that could represent a solution to the problem, as they have a more limited impact on water resources.
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