A dramatic rescue from deadly floods

Hello. Today Caroline Davies reports from Baghlan, a mostly rural Afghan province affected by deadly flash floods - she hears from a young man who was able to bring back a stranded girl to her father. As India keeps on voting in its general elections, my colleagues have a fascinating piece on the incumbent PM Narendra Modi, and how he crafted his persona. To finish the week, I'm leaving you with Vatican policy, Australian portraiture and hip-hop commentary.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Vatican's new rules on the supernatural

Claims of religious phenomena are said to have soared in recent years in the social media era. Credit: Getty Images

Pilgrimages to the sites of religious apparitions are a tradition for many Roman Catholics. But the Vatican has issued new guidelines, laying out stricter rules to help clergy determine whether supernatural phenomena should be deemed truthful by the Roman Catholic Church.

What are these new guidelines?

A document compiled by the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, lays out stricter rules to assess the truthfulness of such claims. It replaces rulings last set out in 1978. The paper warns against creating "damage to the unity of the Church" and serious errors that could "cause scandals and undermine the credibility of the Church".

What does the document say?

Supernatural recognition by the Vatican is rare. But as a rule, the document says bishops should issue a "nihil obstat" - or no obstacle. This means that the incident would not be formally recognised as supernatural but that there would be no barrier to worship. However, incidents of phenomena should be carefully assessed, to make sure that they are not fraudulent or an attempt to make money.

What's behind these changes?

Reports of apparitions are said to have soared in recent years in an era of social media. In 2016, an Italian woman began claiming regular apparitions of Jesus and Mary in a small town north of Rome. It took eight years for the local bishop to debunk the story.

YOUR WEEKEND LISTENING

THE BIG PICTURE

A decade of popularity and polarisation

Narendra Modi's face and likeness can be found everywhere in India. Credit: Photoshot

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aiming for a historic third term. The 73-year-old leader's "brand" remains strong after 10 years in power, thanks to adept management of political narratives. His divisive persona draws "very staunch admirers and very strong critics", as one political analyst explains to Sharanya Hrishikesh and Vikas Pandey.

And finally... in Australia

Mining heiress and billionaire Gina Rinehart has requested that a portrait of her be removed from the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). The artwork was painted by Aboriginal artist Vincent Namatjira, who is famous for a caricature style that challenges power structure, and the complaint has sparked a debate about art and censorship.