In a new book, Swiss aid worker Kathi Zellweger recounts her unique experience of 25 years of travelling to and staying in Pyongyang, which began in 1995 when she delivered humanitarian aid with Caritas Hong Kong during the famine. ‘The resilience I have seen amongst the most vulnerable gives me hope even in the face of today’s new restrictions’.
Despite the measures introduced in 2012 following the Nirbhaya case, the killing of a teenage girl found this week in a rubbish tip raises questions about the effectiveness of legislation alone. Sr Lovenia Almeida to AsiaNews: “We need a society that refuses to normalise violence against women and children”.
Today’s headlines: Washington grants a visa to an Iranian delegation for the UN General Assembly (but still denies one to Palestine). Taiwan launches a global alliance for natural disaster response. In India, there is a row within the Tata Group over a stock market listing. In Kyoto, a shrine for soft toys.
Whilst Russia is electing the Duma – knowing full well that only Putin is allowed to win, and with the opposition torn between a boycott and a ‘tactical vote’ – journalist Aleksandr Podrabinek is attempting to shake things up by calling for a computerised system that would allow everyone to trace their vote.
The 20th edition of the Asian Games is kicking off in Nagoya, Japan, featuring 43 sports and 469 events, including five new disciplines: mixed martial arts, teqball, padel, surfing, and virtual taekwondo. The Games blend tradition with innovation, but an approaching typhoon threatens to disrupt the schedule.
More than the deposits themselves, the expertise acquired in mining institutes has ensured China's control over a large share of global production, a disadvantage the West will need years to overcome. To counter the lucrative wages offered by US companies, Beijing is pre-emptively withholding passports from qualified personnel.
In a landmark ruling, Uttar Pradesh’s High Court ruled against revoking the privileges guaranteed to members of tribal groups in the event of religious conversion or interfaith marriage. The case arose from a land dispute. For Archbishop Thakur, this is “an objective and true observation”.
The second preparatory meeting, attended by delegates from 100 countries, has recently taken place in the South Korean capital. The registration system and the structure of the programme in the dioceses were outlined. Archbishop Chung said: “Do not simply gather participants; invite a young person to encounter the Lord”.
The start, originally scheduled for 20 September, was postponed to 11 October, followed by a statement from the ministry confirming the start date as 1 October. Rumours link the decision to the coalition’s withdrawal and the handover of weapons by the militias. The Chaldean Patriarchate has provided school supplies and rucksacks for 475 children.
This is the third serious violent incident at a school since June. A 16-year-old student at Banga National High School opened fire, killing two students aged 14 to 17 before taking his own life with eight more wounded. For Cardinal Advincula, “We need to listen to” young people, “especially when they suffer quietly”.
Today’s headlines: the South Korean president rules out sending troops to a conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington gives the green light to the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib will be able to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. Australia tightens restrictions on student and working holiday visas. Voting has begun in the Russian parliamentary elections.
The University of Oxford has approved the repatriation to Nagaland of ancestral remains held at the Pitt Rivers Museum, which were brought to England between 1910 and 1940. The repatriation follows six years of dialogue with representatives of the Naga communities, who plan to mark the return with traditional rituals and a burial in Kohima.
Russian commentators are trying to portray the commissioning of the 220 kW Zes-Oyu substation as a sort of ‘surrender’ by Ulaanbaatar to Beijing. In reality, it is a pragmatic step that reduces the risk of emergency shutdowns in industrial regions and gives the country some room for manoeuvre in its dealings with Moscow.
In the Chinese education system, having an independent mind is a disqualifying factor from the outset and is subject to criticism from teachers and parents. It is no coincidence that the teaching method is mnemonic. And – as an AsiaNews source explains in this account – this is the broader context in which the growing bans on minors entering churches must also be understood.
More than 60 countries have gathered in Singapore for the first Global Cooling Pledge Assembly to address extreme heat while simultaneously curbing the growth of energy consumption (and emissions). In South Asia, this problem already results in the loss of millions of workdays and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable groups.
A note titled “A Journey of Hope” was released today. In it the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Promoting Christian Unity, and for Interreligious Dialogue review the 60 years since the conciliar declaration on interreligious dialogue was issued. Despite identity-based tensions, “humility, courage, and discernment” must be nurtured. Openness to dialogue with new religious movements is possible.
A rally held recently outside the Israeli embassy blends resentment over the behaviour of certain tourists, fears regarding the expansion of foreign capital, and nationalism (fuelled by the government itself in its confrontation with Cambodia). Among the organisers is former Yellow Shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul.
Launched in 1976 by Father Oh Woong-jin, the "Village of Flowers" is now South Korea's largest Catholic social welfare complex. From the first "House of Love" for the homeless, a religious congregation has emerged with missions in several countries, including the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Pope Francis visited the community in 2014.
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