Scores of YouTubers, influencers, artists and prominent figures from the Arab world and beyond have visited the country and praised its features. For experts, the pope’s apostolic journey also had a great impact. To boost the industry, the government has taken steps to ease entry, lifting visa requirements for travellers from 36 nations.
Ejaz Masih, a father of three, found himself in debt and forced to close his business. Thanks to the charity he was able to reopen a shop and supply it with goods. The charity is “converting jobless people into business people and borrowers into givers,” says the charity’s president, Rehan Farooq. Help goes to the marginalised with skills “without distinctions of faith, caste or social origin”.
Mohammad Zubair is co-founder of AltNews, a fact-checking website created in 2017. Multiple criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes back to the pogrom of 2002. Twitter is struggling with India’s requests to block tweets and accounts.
The Indonesian president just concluded a trip to Ukraine and Russia in an attempt to overcome the wheat blockade. Putin denies restricting exports from Ukrainian ports. Indonesia remains available to act as a "bridge" between the two warrying countries.
The Chinese president is in the city for the 25th anniversary of the city's handover to China and the inauguration of its new chief executive. Entire neighbourhoods were closed off and strict restrictions were imposed on media coverage. Xi listed the goals the city’s new administration must achieve.
In recent days a teacher was bludgeoned to death, while the principal of a school was evacuated by police and forced to resign for his own safety. A dozen pupils have begun a hunger strike in solidarity. Catholic teacher: "We demand exemplary punishment."
