Asia

The day that marks the birth of the modern State of Israel falls this year against the backdrop of the tragedy of 7 October and the war in Gaza. The risk of a political defeat is even greater than a military debacle. As Israel's Declaration of Independence says, the challenge is "playing one's part in a common effort for the progress of the Middle East.'

According to the International Monetary Fund, the costs of building Sri Lanka's highways are exorbitant, about three times the global average. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said construction on the second section of the Central Expressway will be "started jointly with China". In the meantime, residents have lost their rice paddies.

Netiporn "Bung" Sanesangkhom, 28, died in hospital after her conditions took a turn for the worse. She had become a symbol for international advocacy groups, cited as evidence of abuses in Western government reports. Nearly 2,000 people are being prosecuted for crimes of opinion, with hundreds facing heavy prison sentences.

International Nurses' Day offered an opportunity to acknowledge this valuable service. The event also highlighted the violence they often endure because of their gender and beliefs. Sister Alvina, a Franciscan in charge of the parish's medical dispensary for 30 years, laments that nurses are 'often discriminated' and 'discouraged by their superiors in hospitals.'

The first meetings between prefects and apostolic vicars took place in 1924, when the country was still a Dutch colony. On the anniversary an extraordinary assembly and the inauguration of the new office building. The government representative for relations with Catholics: 'Let us work together for the most neglected areas of the country'.

The murder of a headmaster at the hands of a minor sparkscontroversy. The shooter was a student who wanted 'revenge' for his expulsion. Pro-government unions (also) go on strike. Fr. Monge: education is only the 'tip of the iceberg'. The four Akp reforms have overturned secular and scientific education. Erdogan's 'nemesis' and the rise of Imamoglu.

The Muftiat's condemnation of Ajnura Sagynbaeva's statements on sexual relations outside marriage: 'an open distortion of the precepts of Islam' that contradicts 'the moral values of the entire Kyrgyz society'. But there are those who argue that by allowing themselves to be dragged into the media controversy they risk producing the opposite effect, giving her only great publicity.

Today's news: three men accused of spying for Hong Kong arrested in the UK;India and Iran sign agreement to develop Chabahar port;Japan will invest inconstruction of a new railway line in Indonesia;Myanmar generals proposea national census.

Zhang Zhan, 40, was a leading human rights advocate in Shanghai. The Christian woman was supposed to be freed today after four years in prison, but her fate remains unknown while her family has been forced into silence. Activist groups following her case fear that, as in other cases, she might be detained under a different form.

Outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 72, is stepping down two years later than planned because of COVID-19. His successor, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, now has to tackle some of the city-state's toughest issues, like housing, an aging population, and an inadequate welfare system.

The University of Santo Tomas announced a new course on the 58th World Communications Day, to start with the next academic year. For Prof Felipe Salvosa II, it will provide the tools to assess 'the impact of misinformation and disinformation on various fields of study and the democratic system'. The course "Digital Literacy, Fact-Checking, and Verification" is a response to Pope Francis' message on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Milton Samadder, a 36-year-old nurse and founder of a charity for the disabled and elderly, was arrested after getting caught up in a media storm. Voices from the Christian community call for a fair and transparent investigation, urging the authorities to avoid sensationalising the case.

Receiving in audience a delegation led by the new Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the pontiff publicly expressed his assent to a request made for years by the Churches of the East, especially for their faithful in the Persian Gulf. A new harsh warning on the divisions around the liturgy in Kerala: "Discussing celebratory details while disrespecting unity is incompatible with the Christian faith.

Refugees, the banking and political crisis have exacerbated the population's social malaise. An association founded in 1986 thanks to the intuition of a widow and a priest responds to the growing needs. Today it supports over 600 families in the northern part of the capital. Nohad Azzi: 'Only faith continues to keep Lebanon on its feet'.

Today's news: The death toll in Afghanistan has risen to over 300 from floods in the north;New tensions over some arrests in the Indian state of Manipur; The Myanmar military junta bombs a monastery where civilians had gathered;The number of Chinese cities that have joined the programme to visit Hong Kong individually has risen to 51.

In Tbilisi, the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party call the demonstrators 'radicals' and even 'Satanists'. The patriarchate openly supports the government, which is committed to fighting 'the imposition of foreign, unusual and dangerous ideologies on the country's population. But the archbishop of Dmanisi, Zenon Iaradžuli, has asked not to approve the law, which could also harm some Church-related NGOs.

He made the appeal during the Regina Caeli in the name of the Risen One "who frees us'. For the Solemnity of the Ascension, which is being celebrated today in Italy, the faithful may ask if the desire for eternal life 'alive in me' Francis spoke about the 'wisdom of the heart' on World Day of Social Communications and expressed gratitude to all mothers on their feast day.

For ten years, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea has held two visits annually to listen to people in places that are important for the life of the Church and society. On the mudflats near the longest dyke in world, built 20 years ago, the bishops saw first-hand the dyke's environmental impact on local communities, which was front-page news following last year's Scouts Jamboree debacle.

Hundreds of aid groups and NGOs are calling for help. So far, only US$ 435 million have been raised out of US$ 2.7 billion needed to meet basic needs. The EU is providing €125 million, but, in addition to 'life-saving assistance', what is really needed is a 'political solution'.

The papal nuncio presided over Thursday's ordination ceremony. The archdiocese is in East Nusa Tenggara, a province where the Catholic and Protestant communities date back to colonial times. According to Archbishop Pakaenoni, the local Catholic Church needs a new approach.