EU Special Representative Stiprais is calling for an update to cooperation policies that takes account of the increasingly close ties between the countries in the region, which have been highlighted by Kyrgyzstan’s election to the UN Security Council. The “shared” Kambarata hydroelectric power station and the local satellite internet connection system are the flagship projects.
Unlike previous years, no public commemorations were held at the site of the jihadi attack. Foreign diplomats organised a joint memorial at the Italian Embassy. The memory has been kept alive in more discreet ways. This morning, the Catholic Church offered prayers for the victims during Mass, invoking peace for their souls and healing for their families.
Leo XIV's appeal not to break unity has fallen on deaf ears. This morning in Écône, four consecrations were made without a mandate, which is tantamount to a schismatic act. The Society of Saint Pius X also has a district in Asia, based in Singapore, with a presence in the Philippines (home to a novitiate for Oblates), India, and Japan. Comparisons with China are inappropriate.
The figures released today by ACLED confirm the military junta's failure to restore stability after the 2021 coup. While Beijing wants to restart construction on the Myitsone Dam, the regime continues to reject ASEAN’s request for a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi.
In recent weeks, in the district of Narayanpur, a series of measures have targeted Christian families with the aim of forcing them to take part in tribal religious rituals. The Archbishop of Raipur to AsiaNews: “These actions are funded by those with a self-serving political agenda. Let us pray that God may open their hearts.”
The authorities have stepped up pressure on one of the few remaining places of worship for the Protestant community in Iran. St Peter’s Evangelical Church has been operating for almost 150 years. Six security officers raided the premises and ‘identified’ those present. The property is worth ‘tens of millions of dollars’. The crackdown has intensified since the signing of the truce with the United States.
