Francis appeals "to those with institutional responsibilities" in his message to a conference held at the Gregorian university marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When fundamental rights are violated "we are all called into question", especially Christians, he says.

| 10/12/2018
| VATICAN

Some positive steps have been taken in Tunisia, Lebanon and Qatar, but gender segregation remains in Saudi Arabia. For the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “domestic laws must not punish criticism of religious leaders or prevent commentary on religious doctrine and tenets of faith.”

| 10/12/2018
| ASIA
by Adriano Pelosin

Boss, 13, grew up in a family wrecked by drugs. With his care and way of doing, he managed to put a smile on Few’s face, a boy pushed driven from home by his mother's second husband. In May 2018, Boss entered the seminary "to become a priest like 'Kun Po A' (Father Adriano)". Few now wants to be baptised too.

| 10/12/2018
| THAILAND
by Sumon Corraya

This year’s surplus comes to seven million tonnes. Researchers developed 94 new varieties. To increase output, farmers received 120 tonnes of seeds.

| 10/12/2018
| BANGLADESH

The US and the UK are concerned over ties between the two companies and China’s intelligence services. Beijing slams Canada for Sabrina Meng Wangzhou's arrest and criticises the "inhumane" conditions in which she is being held.

| 10/12/2018
| JAPAN – CHINA

The first ever beatification ceremony in an Islamic country, in the presence of government representatives, family members of the martyrs, the main imams of the country and representatives of the religious congregations to which the new blessed belonged. The Pope: "this celebration helps to heal the wounds of the past and to create a new dynamic of encounter and coexistence".

| 10/12/2018
| ALGERIA - VATICAN
Editor's choices
 
by Dario Salvi
The 23-year-old native of Birzeit is the only Christian woman under "administrative detention". She was taken, blindfolded and handcuffed, overnight by a military patrol without an arrest warrant or charges against her. For the Christian leader, Israel ...
| 19/04/2024
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
Chinese Human Rights Defenders released a report detailing the stories of children and young people victims of human rights violations, like He Fengmei's daughter, who was separated from her mother a month after her birth and kept in a psychiatric ...
| 16/04/2024
| CHINA
 
Currently in intensive care, the seven-year-old is the only person to be seriously wounded by Iran’s attack against Israel because her house and village were not covered by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system. Nothing is known of the fate of ...
| 15/04/2024
| ISRAEL – GAZA - IRAN
 
by Daniele Frison
The auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem and patriarchal vicar for Palestine looks at the protests in Amman. Diplomatic relations with Israel allow aid to be sent to Gaza. Some students from Gaza’s Holy Family Parish arrived in Amman thanks to the Patriarchate’s ...
| 12/04/2024
| JORDAN
 
The Holy See has officially announced the long journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. Card Goh of Singapore hopes the pope will bring to his predominantly Chinese city, “renewed fervour to all Catholics [. . .], especially ...
| 12/04/2024
| VATICAN
 
by card. Anthony Poola *
The Archbishop of Hyderabad looks at the media reaction to the declaration released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on human dignity. The media are “focused on gender theory, sex change, surrogacy etc., but” people who “struggle ...
| 11/04/2024
| INDIA
 
The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States presides over Mass in the cathedral, the focal point of this historic trip for the local Church since the breaking of diplomatic relations between Hanoi and the Vatican in 1975. In the meeting with ...
| 11/04/2024
| VIETNAM
 
The Custody, a Jewish group and Tag Meir activists offered gifts to Muslims leaving al-Aqsa every Thursday at the Damascus Gate. Fr. Pari: An initiative that has been  carried out  for some time, but this year takes on special value in the context ...
| 06/04/2024
| HOLY LAND
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”