Thongkham Philavanh, 40, was attacked in his home in the village of Vanghay. Rescued by his wife, he died on arrival in hospital. The murder of Pastor Sy Sengmany in 2022, a case that is still unsolved. A relative of Philavanh: ‘Groups of people do not like what he did’.
The non-participation in the Tokyo 2020 Games led to the exclusion of the Beijing 2022 winter event as well. In PyeongChang, athletes from North and South Korea paraded and played together to the point that there was speculation that a peace treaty would be signed. Today, relations with Seoul are once again hostile.
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.
In Madhya Pradesh a misunderstanding during a school lesson is exploited by Hindutva group to attack school run by the Sisters of Sain t Elizabeth. Bishop Athikalam slams the shameful violence against women who have been serving the community for 50 years, “working towards nation-building.”
Aid includes individual packages that can feed a family of five for a month. More will follow, including action on medical assistance, which is reeling. Various agencies warn that the Rafah invasion has brought the humanitarian aid system to its knees.
For years, China has been focusing on “minor” sports to get as many gold medals as possible. In Tokyo it won 38 against 39 for the United States. Most successes came in only six sports and mainly by women. This strategy is still pursued today in a highly centralised system with doping casting its long shadow.
