A Hangzhou court sentenced Zou Wei and Zan Aizong for meeting on the Qiantang River on 13 July 2024, the seventh anniversary of Liu’s death, to commemorate the intellectual, one of the promoters of Charter 08, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his nonviolent commitment to human rights. Despite his death, he continues to inspire fear among China’s rulers today.
Today, Ash Wednesday, Leo XIV spoke about Lent, a time of “true conversion” on the path to Easter, which is “the supreme revelation of God's merciful love” to be “interiorly renewed”. In his catechesis on Lumen Gentium, he said that "differences are relativized” in the liturgy, while “the Love of Christ [. . .] broke down the wall of separation between people and social groups.”
On the first day of Lent, a health camp was organised by the Xavier Institute of Social Research together with Kurji Holy Family Hospital, the Holy Cross Sisters and the Bihar Migrant Hub. Medical check-ups, maternal and child care and free distribution of medicines were offered to about 150 families. In Bihar, one in six inhabitants is a migrant.
In a pastoral letter, the prelates mark the 40th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, with a reference to today’s unresolved problems. In it they mention “three sacred duties: to remember, to repent, to respond” welcoming “the spirit of that miracle” that “bring us to a better future”. To this end, “Let us support honest and competent leaders, mindful of the common good. Let us continue the education for good citizenship”.
Today's headlines: the United States appoints a new envoy for Tibetan affairs; French President Emmanuel Macron is in India to finalize agreements for the sale of Rafale jets; Afghanistanreleases three Pakistani soldiers for the start of Ramadan; In Japan, sleep is also being studied with Pokemon apps.
In 2025, municipal service rates increased by an average of 8-12%, and VAT also rose by 1.7% on January 1. This surge is leading to a sharp increase in the prices of consumer goods, including cucumbers, which are a staple on Russian tables. To stop this spiral, profound economic reforms would be needed, which are impossible with a state budget focused solely on military spending.
