Asia

• 16 January 2012
  ASIA/PAKISTAN-More than 160 indicted and 9 killed for "blasphemy" in 2011; 1,800 Christian and Hindu girls converted to Islam by force Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The controversial blasphemy law continues to claim victims in Pakistan, while religious minorities suffer from rampant extremism. In 2011, because of the "black law" (composed of the articles 295 ...
• 16 January 2012
  ASIA/PAKISTAN-8 million religious minorities: a special Commission is urgently needed Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The government has released new figures which are not official (the last official census dates back to 1998) regarding the composition of Pakistani society: according to recent sociological resea ...
• 16 January 2012
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians beaten and a pastor’s finger was cut off in an attack by Hindu extremists Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - Twenty Christians were attacked and beaten, the Protestant Pastor Srirangam Shanthakumar of the "Agape Church", was wounded and his finger was cut off. This is the toll of the final attack car ...
• 13 January 2012
  ASIA/INDIA - The Islamic court in Kashmir incriminates a Catholic missionary and a Protestant Pastor: alarm for Christians Srinagar (Agenzia Fides) - The Islamic Supreme in Kashmir Court has incriminated the Catholic missionary Father Jim Borst and the Protestant Pastor Chander Mani Khanna for their involvement in fraudulent activities of pr ...
• 13 January 2012
  ASIA/INDIA-New Report on persecution against Christians: more than 2,000 cases in 2011 Bombay (Agenzia Fides) - 2,141 Christians suffered aggressions, attacks and persecutions in 2011, not counting their families, relatives and friends, indirect victims. It is expected that the persecution by Hindu extremi ...
• 13 January 2012
  ASIA/HONG KONG - The Church's commitment to the poor and to uphold the fundamental values in society Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - The Church has the duty to give full attention to the poor through the parish, formation and social services, taking its social responsibility: this is how His Exc. Mgr. John Tong, Bishop of ...
• 13 January 2012
  ASIA/BANGLADESH-National campaign of vaccination against polio for 22 million children Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - Mobile health teams, in Bangladesh, are doing a research "child-child" aimed at achieving the remaining half a million children who have not been vaccinated during the national campaign against po ...
• 13 January 2012
  ASIA/MYANMAR - Amnesty for 650 political prisoners; the Bishops: "a sign of hope and peace for the future" Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - The president of Burma Thein Sein has today issued a measure of amnesty, ordering the release of 650 political prisoners. Among those released are important prisoners such as former Prime Ministe ...
• 13 January 2012
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Message of the Bishops: "The election process was fraught with serious irregularities, that have put into question the credibility of the published results" Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "From the final report of the Electoral Observation Mission of CENCO and testimonies collected in various dioceses and other sources, today it is noted that the election process took place, in ...
• 12 January 2012
  ASIA/INDIA- Emergency in the villages of Tamil Nadu affected by the typhoon Thane continues Madras (Agenzia Fides) – The situation in many of the villages in the State of Tamil Nadu scourged by the typhoon Thane remains serious and difficult (see Fides 09/01/2012). Although the news seems to have been downgra ...
• 12 January 2012
  ASIA/TAIWAN - The indigenous people of Taiwan reject electoral fraud, for a a transparent and clean vote Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - For the dignity of the indigenous people, to be the best indigenous in the world and to be loved by God, the indigenous people of Taiwan say 'no' to fraud, to electoral corruption, and claim tra ...
• 12 January 2012
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Mindanao hospitals on alert for an outbreak of leptospirosis Cagayan de Oro (Agenzia Fides) - Hospitals in Mindanao are on alert due to cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread by rodents, following tropical storm Washi. According to the local health care authorities, re ...
• 12 January 2012
  ASIA/MYANMAR-The government has signed a "ceasefire" with Karen rebels, but "the objective is complete reconciliation" Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - The government of Myanmar has signed a cease-fire with the Karen rebels, an ethnic minority group, which has been in conflict with the Burmese army for 60 years . A step forward that Fr. Bernard ...
• 12 January 2012
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - More than one million flood victims in Sindh in "piteous conditions", having to face the government's apathy Karachi (Agenzia Fides) - More than 1.3 million flood victims who, in Sindh province (southern Pakistan) find themselves in "piteous conditions", are having to face indifference on behalf of the institutions: this is the ...
• 11 January 2012
  ASIA/TAIWAN - "Eucharistic Adoration and Promotion of the Faith": the 35th Regional Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Conference of Taiwan prepares the Year of Faith Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - " Eucharistic Adoration and Promotion of the Faith" is the theme of the 35th Theological Seminar, organized by the Regional Episcopal Conference of Taiwan in collaboration with the Fu Ren Cathol ...