| RED LANTERNS

In agreement with the Holy See, the current bishop of Xiamen took office today in one of the most historically important sees of the Church in China. The province is right across from Taiwan in a politically very sensitive context. For him, the challenge of reaching out to underground communities, while reiterating cumbersome slogans about “patriotism”.

 

by Nirmala Carvalho

Teachers and parents slam the decision by the BJP-led government as an attack on their community’s cultural and linguistic heritage, calling for Hindi to be instead included as an optional subject. For children, it is important to study in their native language. Fr Steven Rawat, victim of an attack over Christmas carols, also criticised the measure.

| 23/01/2025
| INDIA

According to Halo Trust since early December, coinciding with the fall of Assad, at least 144 people have been killed, including 27 children. Last year, at least 212 civilians lost their lives to explosive remnants of war, including 28 women and 63 children. Land clearance work critical to a true rebirth of the country.

| 23/01/2025
| SYRIA
by Vladimir Rozanskij

President Mirziyoyev has signed a decree tasking embassies with promoting abroad the local version of wrestling, practiced since antiquity. Heavily allocated funding for international competitions, with the dream of one day getting to see it recognized among the Olympic disciplines.

| 23/01/2025
| UZBEKISTAN
by Dario Salvi

The Israeli military launched an operation in Jenin, dubbed Iron Wall, resulting in a dozen deaths with 35 wounded. In Tel Aviv, a man is killed after carrying out a knife attack that left four people wounded. General Herzi Halevi resigns over 7 October, backing an independent inquiry. For a Palestinian activist, Israel is imposing “total closure” on the West Bank to settle the score.

| 22/01/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE

Despite a 14.8 per cent rise over the previous 12 months, last year’s figures remain far from the record six billion domestic travellers reached before the pandemic. With upgraded transport infrastructure, more Chinese can discover new sites. The boom in Xinjiang is politically designed to promote sinicisation.

| 22/01/2025
| CHINA
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

Delays are leading many cargo ships to bypass the port, causing economic losses for the country and higher costs for importers. Maritime authorities have reported two to three days delays in berthing due to low terminal capacity and obstacles in slow clearance operations.

 

| 22/01/2025
| SRI LANKA
Editor's choices
 
Israel celebrates the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari as part of the fragile truce. However, the fate of the foreign workers still being held hostage in the Strip remains a mystery. These include six Thai nationals ...
| 20/01/2025
| ISRAELE - PALESTINE - ASIA
 
by Shafique Khokhar
Despite existing legislation, kilns are places of "inter-generational slavery", circles of violence from which it is almost impossible to escape. Minority activist Joseph Janssen freed 32 people from six Christian families. Naseem, Mehwish and Safia ...
| 17/01/2025
| PAKISTAN
 
by Dario Salvi
The Palestinian Catholic leader calls the ceasefire agreed upon after tensions in the Israeli government and with Hamas a "good development". For him, children cannot be “killed because of the (alleged) crime of the father or the mother.” ...
| 17/01/2025
| ISRAEL - PALESTINE
 
Manufacturers in ASEAN countries are concerned about what might happen if a trade war with China breaks out once the US president takes office in a few days. The fear that Chinese products that no longer take the road to the West could be dumped in their ...
| 16/01/2025
| RED LANTERNS
 
Rising costs for ingredients and labour are pushing ramen eateries over the edge. According to Teikoku Databank, 34 per cent reported losses in the last fiscal year. Price rises are now inevitable, even if many Japanese seem unwilling to spend more for ...
| 13/01/2025
| JAPAN
 
by Silvia Torriti
The National Health Commission announced the measure as part of a plan to cope with an emergency kept hidden for many years for cultural reasons. Mental distress is also pervasive in rural areas, especially among women and young people. Fewer than four ...
| 10/01/2025
| CHINA
 
Westerners jailed by the Islamic Republic, who are rightly an international issue, are but a fraction of the more than 8,000 non-Iranians jailed in Iran, 95 per cent of them migrants from Afghanistan. More than 70 Afghans were hanged in 2024. Other countries ...
| 03/01/2025
| IRAN
 
The year that starts today will be full of events, anniversaries and major issues: from Expo Osaka to the midterm elections in the Philippines. In May, Francis and Bartholomew might make an ecumenical visit to Nicaea to mark the 1,700th anniversary of ...
| 01/01/2025
| THE COMING YEAR
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”