Japan: Supreme Court upholds dissolution of the Unification Church

Today’s headlines: Following the agreement between the United States and Iran, the International Maritime Organisation is working to gradually evacuate the 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz; The south-west monsoon arrived in Mumbai today, 13 days late; The Vatican has confirmed the ban on laypeople delivering homilies during liturgical services; China has regained the title of having the world’s fastest computer.

JAPAN

Japan’s Supreme Court has upheld the lower courts’ rulings ordering the dissolution of the Unification Church, rejecting the appeal lodged by the group. According to the judges, the measure does not violate the Constitution, which protects freedom of religion and association. This is the first time the Supreme Court has made the dissolution of a religious organisation final on the grounds of unlawful acts under the Civil Code. The request for dissolution had been made by the government in 2023, following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, which was linked to alleged ties between Abe and the group.

GULF

Following the agreement that has halted – at least for the time being – the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has begun the evacuation of over 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. The IMO’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, stated that the operation will take place in collaboration with Iran, Oman and the other coastal states in the region. As the situation has improved, maritime traffic has resumed: on Monday, 36 commercial vessels passed through, the highest number since the start of the conflict. The evacuation will be carried out gradually to reduce the risk of collisions and ensure the safety of navigation.

INDIA

Mumbai has finally welcomed the arrival of the south-west monsoon today, 13 days later than the usual date of 11 June. The long-awaited rains have brought relief after weeks of intense heat and humidity. However, the rainfall has caused significant disruption in various parts of the city, with flooded roads and underpasses hampering traffic and daily activities.

VATICAN

In response to a question posed by the German bishops, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has rejected the possibility of allowing the homily to be delivered by qualified laypeople in exceptional cases. In a letter addressed to Monsignor Heiner Wilmer, President of the German Bishops’ Conference, the Dicastery, whilst expressing appreciation for the pastoral concerns that inspired this request, emphasises that this is not possible and that “the current discipline cannot be waived by means of an indulgence, since the homily, reserved for the priest or deacon, is not merely a matter of disciplinary regulation, but derives from the very nature of the liturgy”.

CHINA

After nine years, China has regained its position as world leader in the field of the world’s fastest computer systems thanks to LineShine, a new supercomputer unveiled at the ISC 2026 conference in Hamburg. Achieving a sustained performance of 2.198 exaflops, it has become the first system to exceed two exaflops. Developed at the National Supercomputing Centre in Shenzhen, it combines scientific computing and artificial intelligence on the same platform. This integration reflects the evolution of supercomputers, which are playing an increasingly central role in big data-driven research and AI applications.

UKRAINE-BELARUS

In an interview on the Ukrainian television channel Tsn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko must “take concrete action to prove that Belarus is not assisting Russia in its war against Ukraine”, giving him one week to remove the relay stations in Belarus, which Kyiv claims are being used to direct Russian drone attacks in Ukraine. For its part, the Kremlin has indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko plan “to be in contact shortly” to discuss Volodymyr Zelensky’s “utterly aggressive threats” in Minsk.

TURKMENISTAN

A meeting of the country’s religious leaders was held at the Turkmenbaši Spirituality Mosque in Kipčak, where they proposed replacing the Grand Mufti of Turkmenistan. President Serdar Berdymuhamedov subsequently dismissed Jalkap Khodžagulyev from the post he had held since the summer of 2019, appointing Rakhman Gurbanmyradov in his place. The elders also approved the proposal to name the mosque in the city of Arkadag Arkadagyň Ruhy metjidi, meaning ‘The Spirituality of Arkadag’.