Syria

by Fady Noun | SYRIA - LEBANON

Damascus wants to secure the release of fellow citizens who have been detained without trial in Lebanon for years and are ideologically close to HTS. Their arrest was based on ideological motives linked to mere suspicion. According to Lebanese ministerial sources, there are at least 2,100 of them, 55% of whom have never appeared in court. At the root of the controversy are the civil war in Syria and Hezbollah's hegemony.


Vicar General Naaman's golden cross, keys, phone, and other personal belongings were taken. Two men claiming to be members of a security service attacked and injured him. Activists speak out against the country's new leaders, who are incapable of protecting minorities. In Idlib, the Church of Saint Anna reopens after 14 years.

| 05/09/2025
| SYRIA
by Fady Noun

According to UNHCR, in just under nine months, over 200,000 have chosen to return. Some for the first time since 2011. For the authorities in Beirut, the departures “lighten” the Land of the Cedars from a “substantial demographic burden”. But there is also a counter-exodus: from Alawites fleeing the coast to Christians who dream of leaving after the attack on the church in Damascus.

| 04/09/2025
| LEBANON - SYRIA
by Sabdra Awad

Sandra Awad, former Caritas director and now a UNICEF collaborator, has reported on the devastation of the war in recent years. Today she recalls that, despite violence and critical issues, the community plays a ‘fundamental role’ in spreading ‘the spirit of forgiveness’ and ‘healing sectarian divisions.’ She launches an appeal: ‘Free yourselves from the chains of fear.’

| 14/08/2025
| SYRIA
by Dario Salvi

According to the Jordanian scholar, the Netanyahu government's ultimate goal ‘goes beyond’ defeating Hamas and redrawing borders. The West Bank becomes an ‘opportunity to be exploited’ with a view to annexation. The weakness of the Palestinian Authority and the international community, the new paradigm of the Abraham Accords. Among the nations of the region, ‘more tactics than alliances’.

| 12/08/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

The vote is scheduled for mid-September to signal a return to normalcy, but a third of parliamentarians will still be appointed by al-Sharaa, there are no political parties, and the current constitution does not provide for autonomy for certain provinces. The issues in Rojava, the Kurdish-majority region, and the southern governorate of Suwayda, home to the Druze. Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has denounced abuses against Alawite women.

| 29/07/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST

In a week of clashes between Druze, Bedouins and government forces, over a thousand civilians and combatants were killed, including Christian families and the Druze evangelical pastor Khalid Mezheri. The Latin Church and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate are calling for urgent intervention by the international community and denouncing the role of militias that still escape Damascus' control and external interference. L'Œuvre d'Orient reports hundreds of displaced persons without food or water. Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo Hanna Jallouf: ‘Only dialogue can save Syria.’

| 22/07/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
Editor's choices
 
by Andrew Law
The diocese has sent official notice for Fr Wu Jianlin’s ordination ceremony, calling on all priests and nuns to be present without exception. Ordinary Bishop Shen Bin reportedly supported the choice, stressing that Wu is a member of the Party ...
| 10/10/2025
| CHINA – VATICAN
 
by Gershon Baskin
AsiaNews publishes the thoughts on the Gaza peace deal (in its first phase) by the political activist and mediator. A key player in the release of Israeli soldier Shalit, he has worked behind the scenes in recent months to achieve a ceasefire. Against ...
| 09/10/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE – EGYPT
 
Zaw Zaw, a powerful businessman who heads the Myanmar Football Federation, was appointed to chair FIFA's Social Responsibility Committee. Sanctioned in the past by the United States for his ties to the military, the oligarch has over the years built ...
| 09/10/2025
| MYANMAR
 
by Gianni Criveller
1 October marked the anniversary of the canonisation desired by John Paul II  which gave rise to the most conflictual moment in relations between Beijing and the Holy See. In the context of today's dialogue with the Beijing authorities, ...
| 05/10/2025
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
 
The former interior minister, known for her tough stance on China and her nationalist policies, won the Liberal Democratic Party primaries and is set to lead the government as its leader. However, without a majority in parliament, she will have to seek ...
| 04/10/2025
| JAPAN
 
by Dario Salvi
For the Jewish leader, a leading figure in relations with Christians and Muslims, the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is a "natural partner" to develop point 18 of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. “Such a clause already appears in the Abraham ...
| 01/10/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
A court in Wenzhou has convicted 39 members of the Ming family, originally from Shan State in northern Myanmar, for fraud and drug trafficking, among others, activities that generated estimated proceeds of over 10 billion yuan. Among those sentenced ...
| 30/09/2025
| MYANMAR – CHINA
 
by Mathias Hariyadi
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made the announcement at the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution as the only way forward in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, he condemned ...
| 24/09/2025
| INDONESIA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”