Christians in Hyderabad hold silent march over arrest of nuns
The march began at 6:30 pm from St Francis School, moving past St Mary's School and St John's Road, before culminating at the Mother Teresa Statue.
Organised by the Syro Malabar Youth Movement (SYM) Hyderabad, with support from various Christian groups, the demonstration aimed to express support for Sisters Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), who were recently detained under what the community described as questionable circumstances.
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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
UK's Royal Navy appoints Himachal Pradesh cadet as first-ever Hindu chaplain
The UK's Royal Navy has appointed its first-ever Hindu chaplain, the first non-Christian to be appointed for the official role of offering spiritual support to fellow naval officers based on the tenets of Hinduism. Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh, took over his new role last week after undergoing a somewhat different course from other Navy cadets. 'To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour,' said Attri. 'As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all,' said the 39-year-old. 'My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience,' he said. The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) welcomed the move after proposing Attri as fitting the criteria for the role: personal fitness both physical and mental, principled in faith and philosophy, reflective and pastoral; professional eligibility of education equivalent to Hindu scriptural degree level and post accreditation experience in leadership capacity, with a sound sense of spirituality and interfaith relations; and general outlook for integration into the British culture and having good English communicative skills. 'The training can be arduous, which requires medical fitness standards, ready for duty 24/7 at short notice,' said HCUK's Anil Bhanot, Hindu Advisor to the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD). 'MoD careers are sometimes neglected by our Hindu youth and we will try and do more community meetings at temples to raise awareness. British Hindus have settled here from all corners of the world, and although our spiritual bhoomi (land) is India, our karmabhoomi is the United Kingdom and MoD represents our protective arm,' he said. Attri was among 148 new officers among the so-called 'leaders of tomorrow', including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their 'Initial Officer Training' last week. After up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers. 'We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation's security, also with confidence – and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality,' said Andrew Burns, Vice-Admiral and the Royal Navy's senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony. 'There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same,' he said. The training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and strategy. In addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel. 'Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service,' said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College.
News18
8 hours ago
- News18
Two held for attempting illegal religious conversion in UPs Mau
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Mau (UP), Aug 19 (PTI) Two persons have been arrested for allegedly attempting to covert a man to Christianity in Uttar Pradesh's Mau district, police said on Tuesday. A case has been registered against the arrested accused and an unidentified individual, they said. On Sunday, Akash Kumar, a resident of the district, lodged a complaint against Shyam Kumar Rajbhar and Ravi Shankar, a police officer said. The complainant alleged that, 'Around two months ago Shyam and Ravi were pressuring me to change my religion by offering me money. When I refused, they asked me to come to a prayer meeting near Salahabad." Upon reaching the spot, Akash saw around 60 to 70 people being 'brainwashed" to convert their religion, police said. Acting on the complaint, a police team was sent to the spot on Monday, leading to the arrest of Shyam and Ravi while a few unidentified persons managed to flee, Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Kumar Singh said. The team recovered Christian religious text, books and other religious symbols from the spot, the officer said added. Superintendent of Police Elamaran G said any attempt of illegal conversion will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those involved in such acts. PTI COR NAV OZ OZ (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 19, 2025, 16:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
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Business Standard
15 hours ago
- Business Standard
Islamic State-backed rebels kill nearly 52 people in eastern Congo, says UN
Attacks by an Islamic State-backed rebels killed at least 52 people between Aug. 9 and 16, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo said Monday. The UN mission, known as MONUSCO, said in a statement that the attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) took place in several localities of Beni and Lubero territories, in the North Kivu province. The violence was accompanied by abductions, looting, the burning of homes, vehicles, and motorcycles, as well as the destruction of property belonging to populations already facing dire humanitarian conditions, the statement read, adding that the death toll is likely to rise. Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates along the border with Uganda and often targets civilians. The group killed nearly 40 people in the Ituri province last month, when it stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshipers, including many women and children. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Congolese army has long struggled to contain the group, especially while also confronting renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
