A recent study estimates that nearly 40 per cent of children have blood lead levels exceeding the threshold set by the World Health Organisation. The difficulty of preventing disposal in soil or water is compounded by a shortage of facilities for special waste and their poor efficiency.
Pastor Victor George is being targeted and threatened by a neighbour named Muhammad Naseer. His crime is praying at home with his family. He confessed to AsiaNews that he is ‘deeply saddened for my family.’ Activists are speaking out against ‘hate crimes’ perpetrated against minorities by exploiting ‘blasphemy laws.’
The place of worship commemorates the death of Mathew Navak during the dramatic anti-Christian violence of 2008. For the faithful, the sacrifice of the young teacher is still alive. Bishop Barwa: ‘The criminals had a plan to eliminate Christians from the region, but they failed.’
During a major anti-terror operation in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, security forces eliminated 27 Maoist rebels, including Nambala Keshava Rao, who had led the group since 2017. This marks a strategic victory for the Modi government, which aims to eradicate the threat by 2026. The insurgency, in decline for years, appears increasingly isolated and lacking support among the new generation of tribal youth.
Despite legislation, abortion based on sex determination remains common. Dr Carvalho to AsiaNews: “It transcends caste; prevalent even among the wealthy and educated”. Former nurse arrested in Bavla: carried out illegal abortions in a guesthouse. Authorities report links with hospitals and ultrasound centres.
To mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, which falls today, Sister Gomes, principal of Holy Cross College in Dhaka, issued an appeal for a collective commitment to menstrual hygiene. In Bangladesh, social taboos, poverty and lack of educational facilities continue to exclude thousands of girls from a safe and dignified menstrual management.
Inaugurated in 2013, the port has long been out of use due to the build-up of sand dunes that block vessel access. The project was launched with a €46 million loan from Denmark, but it has caused severe environmental damage and the displacement of local residents.
The prelate personally visited the areas most affected by the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Shelling has "killed many people" and "destroyed hundreds of houses, shops, vehicles and other infrastructure". The situation now seems to be improving but the fear of fresh attacks remains.
In Rakhine, the Arakan Army – like the military junta – is forcibly recruiting men and women, exacerbating the civil war and aggravating the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Rohingya face continued abuses after fleeing abroad. India is accused of arbitrarily detaining refugees and illegally pushing some back at sea, while fuelling the stigmatisation of Muslim refugees at home.
These refugees meet the criteria for resettlement in third countries and need international protection the most. Expulsions to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan continue; in April alone, more than 300,000 returned from Pakistan and Iran, aggravating a humanitarian crisis already out of control due to extreme poverty. For their part, Kabul, Beijing and Islamabad are building new geopolitical ties.
A Yanadi tribal family forced into bonded labour at a duck farm. The mother, desperate for news of her nine-year-old son held as "collateral", was fed a string of lies by the employer. Bishop Thakur of the Indian Bishops’ Commission for Migrants: "Slavery, though officially illegal, remains a deep stain on the conscience of a country that presents itself as an economic powerhouse".
The main opposition party – but also the military and the international community – are urging the interim head of government to set a clear “roadmap” for elections in December. After threatening to resign, in a country in a deep crisis, Yunus will meet all political groups in what promises to be a crucial step in the post-Hasina period.
The Madras High Court issues a controversial ruling that strips a woman of her rights as a member of a historically marginalised group because she married a Christian man while remaining Hindu. For Fr Santhanam, a Jesuit and a lawyer, this is a serious violation of the rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It is paradoxical that a principle recognised in Canon Law for mixed couples is disregarded by a court in the 21st century.
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