Mariko Terada

The top court in a northern Indian state has prevented police from arresting three Catholic girls facing charges under a stringent anti-conversion law along with a Catholic priest and several others. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh granted anticipatory bail to the college girls on March 18, while asking police in the state, ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not to arrest them.

The Vatican-Vietnam ties will develop further in the coming days and there is a plan for a papal visit to the Southeast Asian nation, says a top Vietnam minister. Deputy Home Minister Vu Chien Thang also said Vietnam and the Vatican respect each other to work towards a friendly relationship.

News Features Commentary Series Specials Video Stories PODCAST Systematic assaults on political opposition, criminalization of rights activists and journalists continue, Civicus Monitor says Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party protest outside a temporary election commission office in Peshawar on Feb. 10, 2024, amid claims an election result delay was allowing authorities to rig vote-counting.