Warning: the article contains images of extreme violence that could shock and disturb readers. Soldiers and police use lethal bullets and fire indiscriminately on the crowd without warning. According to some witnesses, light machine guns were also used. Three emergency paramedics brutally beaten by police. UN Security Council meets tomorrow as junta reveals contempt: "We are used to sanctions".
Pope in Iraq on a journey of peace, reconciliation and brotherhood (VIDEO)
by Franco Pisano | VATICANA government COVID cemetery will destroy Iranativu Island's ecosystem
by Melani Manel Perera | SRI LANKAFaced with the Chinese naval exercises that will continue throughout the month of March, the foreign ministries of Vietnam and Thailand are seeking compliance with UN conventions on maritime law. And they hope that ASEAN will be strengthened, while commercial relations between the two countries advance.
“I want to encourage everyone to take the vaccine. It is easy, it is painless and comfortable,” the cardinal said. “I am so proud of our country. I am proud that India has taken the lead; not only concerned about itself but also concerned about other countries. We are sending the vaccine also to other countries that are needy.”
The Maronite bishops attack the "burning failure" of the country's political and ruling class. Backing for Card. Raï’s proposal of a summit under the auspices of the UN. Partisan rivalries risk leading to division.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister to review relations with the Chinese. Observers predict the Baltic country will leave 17 + 1. Small EU nations increasingly dissatisfied with relations with China. Another blow to Beijing: Lithuania will open a commercial office in Taiwan.
Civil society groups criticise the government’s minority rights watchdog at a seminar organised in Karachi by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church of Pakistan. The “Minority Commission is not the one we recommended. It should be based on its own bylaws, principles and criteria without state interference.”
Thanks to the generosity of some AsiaNews readers, 52 families were helped to pay off their debt to kiln owners who had forced them to work as slaves. Now their children can go to school and are no longer forced to pay for their parents' debt. Some of them told their stories.
Hong Kong authorities want to strike a blow at pro-democracy moderates, says Ernest Ng, expert in public policy. The 47 are back in court tomorrow. Freedom of association and the right to organise under International Labour Convention have been violated. Restrictions are expected for Hong Kong’s election law.
On behalf of the association, Indonesia’s foreign minister calls on the junta to keep in mind the humanitarian aspects of the crisis and avoid it from getting worse. The regional organisation is caught between the principle of non-interference and the need to respect rights. Indonesia’s experience might provide an example of how to overcome the crisis.
“If we do not see justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, through a transparent investigation, by 21 April 2021, we will not only wear black, but we will invite people across the country to raise a black flag that day to show our strong opposition.”
Today's death toll included five in Monywa; two in Mandalay, one hit in the chest and one in the head; two in Myingyan, one in Magway, and one in Yangon. Strikes and acts of civil disobedience are spreading across the country. Some 34 journalists have been arrested, many for spreading “fake news”. Thousands have been arrested. ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting yields no results.
At the general audience, Francis asks to pray for the journey that begins on Friday. In Myanmar, "aspirations for peace must not be stifled by violence". Before knowing Jesus, he said, "we really did not know how to pray: what words, what feelings and what languages were appropriate for God."
The Papal visit bears three messages: hope, peace and coexistence and it is a “dream come true". A thank you to the Yazidis for their support over the years. Sunni Muslim: "We want to pray together with Christians", a stimulus from the Pope "to arise and rebuild".
Forest Department officials tore down a Seventh-day Adventist church in Bandarban district for lack of construction permit. Extremists attacked another Protestant church in northern Bangladesh because of the presence of new Christians. For the Bangladesh Christian Association, everyone should be guaranteed the right to practise their own religion and justice should be done.
Small business owners in the tourist provinces badly hit. The Caixin Index on services is down, a sign that Chinese companies are laying off. The new coronavirus outbreaks plunge the catering and wellness sectors into crisis. The government is not expected to give any indications on the expected growth in 2021.
