By 2030, Tashkent plans to increase the share of the ‘creative economy’ in gross domestic product to 5%. In recent years, two new theatres, 19 cultural centres, 16 museums, 20 music and art schools, and five universities specialising in the sector have been opened. Mirziyoyev wants to restore the Uzbeks to their former glory, whilst also seeking to present a new face of the country.

Leo XIV told Equatoguinean authorities to “dismantle the obstacles to integral human development.” Citing Pope Francis a year after his death, he reiterated the Church’s opposition to “an economy of exclusion and inequality.” God “must never be invoked to justify choices and actions of death.” In a letter to the pontiff, Equatorial Guinea’s exiled political opposition laments that, "The country has been captured by the president’s family."

The BJP-led state government has renamed a 16th-century pillar to make it a symbol of Hindu victims of the Inquisition. For scholar Frazer Andrade, the new name is misleading, lacking any verifiable historical evidence. Meanwhile, a local nationalist leader lashed out at Saint Francis Xavier in a debate, calling him "a terrorist”. The archdiocese expressed outrage, saying that the saint is “revered not only in Goa but by millions of people across the globe,” an example of “peace and unity”.

On Sunday, a mob attacked Sanka Christian Para, a tribal village, injuring six. The raid stemmed from ongoing tensions over land claimed by Rezaul Islam. Catholics in the area, where PIME missionaries were the first to proclaim the Gospel in 1965, have appealed to the authorities for help and protection.

According to a study by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the region is rapidly aging. The declining workforce and the spread of the informal economy risk accentuating existing inequalities. But greater investment in care services could create millions of jobs and new opportunities for inclusive development.

On the first anniversary of  Pops Francis’s passing, two accounts from the Philippines and the war-torn Gulf region today recall his attentive gaze towards those who, as they travel the world in search of a future, also carry with them a Christian witness. Cardinal David: “They bring light to the world not out of strategy, but out of fidelity, wherever life may lead them.” Bishop Martinelli: “May his encouragement be a sign of peace even amidst today’s difficulties.”