Created in 2001 to help children and women victims of abuse and violence, the Salvatorian Pastoral Care for Children works directly in parishes. Over the years, it has helped more than 5,000 children and trained more than 3,000 youths. For Sister Ruth Baguinon, by protecting rights, fullness of life is restored.
Soaring prices are increasingly creating problems for low-income families. According to a report by the NGO Kidsdoor, two out of three families receiving assistance cut portions during the summer break when school meals are not available. And despite the stifling temperatures, they limit their use of air conditioning as well.
In the first half of 2026, 8,105 new cases were filed regarding divorce, marriage annulment, and child support, bringing the total pending cases to 16,000. The increase reflects reforms for minorities, marriages of choice, and tensions related to the use of social media like TikTok. The Church insists on support and counselling before legal action.
Despite the negative trend, most couples report a happy union. New government data show that divorce rates are also declining. The numbers reflect demographic trends in Asia. Christian churches seek to prepare couples for marriage as a lifelong process.
Lawmakers in Tashkent have approved a bill replacing the current letters o', g', ch and sh to standardise the spelling of Uzbek words in international digital systems, thereby preventing problems with electronic payment systems, machine translation and online dictionaries.
Serebrennikov and Bogomolov were the most acclaimed figures in Russian theatre, celebrated far beyond the country’s borders. But since the start of the war, the former has left Russia and is now working in Europe, whilst the latter has remained in Moscow, urging the intelligentsia to “set aside their contempt for their own people” and to “work, live and believe”.
Today, Washington and Beijing clash over tariffs, Taiwan, and technology. Yet Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and other leading figures of the American Revolution also found inspiration in the thoughts of Confucius and the meritocratic system of the Chinese empire. This forgotten story speaks to a different beginning in relations between the two powers.
From Tajikistan's green tea to Kazakhstan's Kumys to Kyrgyzstan's Ayran: cooling off in the summer heat in Central Asia is an ongoing rediscovery of ancient nomadic and semi-nomadic traditions, of peoples who also rediscover their ancient identity by sipping their drinks.
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