03/08/2014TURKEY Fanar: Churches reach agreement on pan-Orthodox Holy Synod in 2016 Representatives of the various expressions of orthodoxy have agreed to meet in synod in two years. Meanwhile, a Preparatory Commission consisting of a bishop from each church will prepare the introductory documents. Istanbul (AsiaNews ) - The "sacred and great" pan-Orthodox
Synod will be held in Istanbul in 2016 at the Cathedral of St. Irene. In the
meantime, the Orthodox Churches, a
Preparatory Commission - composed of a bishop from each church will begin preparatory
work "in a fruitful...
03/08/2014MALAYSIA - CHINA - VIETNAM Boeing “disappears” mid-flight over Sea of Vietnam: "every hypothesis" is still open The aircraft had departed from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing. Shortly after midnight, without launching any SOS, it disappeared. Malaysian minister : "We have not ruled out the possibility it was an act of terrorism”. Chinese President Xi Jinping: "Every effort made to rescue the survivors”.
03/08/2014INDIA India, 67 Kashmiri expelled from university for cheering on Pakistan They are accused of subversion . The students denounce being charged without a fair hearing. Hindu nationalists call for exemplary punishment. The fear is that the case is likely to fuel new tensions between the two countries.
03/08/2014PHILIPPINES Filipino bishops: laity, courageous witnesses of the faith to non-believers, the poor and marginalized The Bishops' Conference calls on the community to live their faith with "courage”, renewing the call to mission. The campaign "Choose to Be Brave " unites organizations of lay people, to help people in distress. A website becomes a point of formation, encounter and to exchange experiences.
03/08/2014SOUTH KOREA Daejeon Diocese celebrates "fruits of love " born thanks to Benedict XVI by Pietro Kim Jaedeok After the publication of "Deus Caritas Est ," Msgr. Lazzaro You Heung- sik promised the Pope Emeritus that he would launch a major campaign for the poor in Korea and Mongolia. Six years later, the project "100 won for a meal" has produced a home for the poor, a regular distribution of meals and support for students.
03/07/2014LAOS - CAMBODIA In Laos, poorly designed Don Sahong dam threatens Mekong Environmentalists slam Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) based on "incomplete" research. The project endangers fish and more than 60 million people living in the lower basin of the river. Some of the endangered species are "unique". Damage is estimated at between US$ 1.4 and 3.9 billion a year.
03/07/2014UKRAINE - RUSSIA Crimea: Church and pro-Ukraine Crimeans demonstrate for peace The Orthodox Metropolitan of Simferopol prays for Ukraine's territorial integrity. Crimean Muslims also demonstrate. Tensions persist between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine Crimeans. As US and EU threaten Putin with financial sanctions if he does not accept negotiations with Ukraine, fears rise in the Baltic republics.
03/07/2014INDIA For Verbite missionary, dialogue with Islam begins with students by Santosh Digal In an interview with AsiaNews, Fr Anbu Augustine, procurator of Sadbhavana, a house dedicated to religious traditions, describes his mission, which is the dialogue between Islam and Christianity as well as ecumenism.
03/07/2014PAKISTAN Faisalabad: hundreds of "white ribbons" to protest against violence against women by Shafique Kholkar On the eve of International Women's Day, hundreds of people march to demand an end to abuse in all its forms. They appeal to the government for "new laws" to protect women, who are discriminated in the family and the workplace. This battle is "cultural" as well as societal in a country that does not fully recognise equal rights for women.
03/07/2014CHINA - HONG KONG Beijing threatens Hong Kong, saying democracy will only bring disaster For the chairman of China's National People's Congress, "some people were waving the banner of universal suffrage to undermine stability in Hong Kong." Journalists and human rights activists slam Beijing's interference in the city's affairs.
03/07/2014SYRIA All contact lost with Ma'aloula nuns. Syria will sink further into war for another 10 years by Paul Dakiki The kidnappers belong to Al Nusra Front, linked to Al Qaeda. In addition to the release of political prisoners they are demanding food for the rebels and that the Syrian army clear out from all Christian sites. No news on fate of abducted Orthodox bishops, or Fr. Dell'Oglio. All humanitarian corridors blocked.
03/07/2014CHINA Beijing, Minister of Agriculture in favor of GMOs: They are good and healthy, I eat them every day On the sidelines of the National People's Congress, Han Changfu "clears" Genetically Modified Organisms "I eat them regularly, they do not cause any harm". The government needs to ensure the food security of 1.3 billion people, but forced evictions and abuses by the Party endanger national agricultural production.
03/07/2014INDONESIA Moluccas: Fire destroys Ambonia’s Xaverian seminary by Mathias Hariyadi Short circuit believed to have sparked fire, however police initiate an investigation to ascertain the causes. The entire second floor destroyed. It housed rooms for seminarians and a prayer chapel. Students moved to rooms of the diocesan pastoral center.
03/07/2014MALAYSIA - INDONESIA Kuala Lumpur, couple sentenced to death for having starved Indonesian domestic worker The Malaysian couple will be hanged. Because of being denied food the girl weighed only 26 pounds at the time of her death. The government's controls encourage illegal immigration. At least 2 million Indonesians working in Malaysia.
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