Eastern Indian state along the Bay of Bengal
Independent and AP News report on Marian devotion at Bandel Church near Kolkata and a Philippine replica of Mary’s house in Cavite. Both sites illustrate how Marian devotion shapes faith communities across Asia.
A methane gas buildup inside a tunnel at the Teesta Stage VI hydropower project in Sikkim has triggered an explosion, leaving multiple workers trapped. Rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities confirm casualties and intensify search operations in the Himalayan region.
India's education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned after weeks of nationwide protests led by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Tens of thousands of students have protested exam paper leaks and police violence at Jantar Mantar; CJP has suspended its agitation after government assurances but reports of detentions in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar continue.
Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, has defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar in Bankipur by over 19,000 votes, according to the Election Commission of India. This marks Kishor’s first electoral contest and tests Modi’s support among India’s youth amid recent student protests. Bankipur had voted BJP in four consecutive terms since 2010.
Thousands of protesters, led by opposition politicians and the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party, have marched in multiple Indian cities to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation after a nationwide voter-roll revision removed about 130 million names. Authorities have detained demonstrators, closed metro stations and deployed large security forces while the Election Commission and the government deny wrongdoing.