04/24/2014VATICAN Christians and Buddhists to foster together the growth of the community The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue issues a message for the Buddhist Feast of Vesakh to "join forces to educate people, particularly the young, to seek fraternity, to live in fraternity and to dare to build fraternity." Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Christians
and Buddhists are called "in a spirit of cooperation [. . .] to respect
and to defend our shared humanity in a variety of socio- economic, political
and religious contexts."
Fostering fraternity in a...
04/24/2014CHINA - JAPAN - UNITED STATES In Tokyo, Obama irks Beijing by siding with Japan over disputed islands For the first time, a US president directly addresses the issue of the Senkaku/Diayou, a group of small islands claimed by both China and Japan. For the US president, on a visit to Japan, the islands "fall within the scope of Article 5 of the US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Co-operation and Security." For Beijing, this is mistake, worthy of the "Cold War" era.
04/23/2014SINGAPORE - CHINA Singapore archbishop: With Benedict XVI's words pray for the Church in China by William Goh Seng Chye* Citing the Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan, the bishop calls on the faithful to "reach out" to Chinese migrants living in the city-state, and show "them our genuine love and concern." On 23 May, a special prayer is set for St Bernadette Church.
04/18/2014CHINA Beijing: four more New Citizens Movement activists convicted All wanted government officials to declare their economic and financial assets. A court in Haidian found them guilty of disturbing "public order" and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from three and half to two years in prison. Defence lawyer slams the decision, calling it flawed. Now "calling on officials to disclose their assets is a crime."
04/17/2014CHINA Beijing blogger sentenced to 3 years for "spreading rumors" online Qin Zhihui is the first victim of the law passed in September 2013 against micro-blogs, increasingly active in denouncing corruption and scandals . The courts have handed down the sentence without investigating allegations of defamation brought against the blogger .
04/16/2014CHINA Dongguan: 40,000 workers down tools again Strike hits Yue Yuen, a company that works for giants such as Nike, Adidas and Timberland. Workers complain about the level of payments for pensions, want higher wages, better medical insurance, and injury compensation.
04/15/2014CHINA Party and military setting up local offices to monitor and protect soldiers After two senior military leaders are arrested, central authorities set up special agencies to monitor military rights. Heads of political and law commissions at county, city and provincial levels will lead the groups.
04/14/2014CHINA Beijing: two more Zhou Yongkang cronies arrested For experts and analysts, the government is trying to rid itself of former powerful "national security czar." Zhao Miao and Yan Cunzhang, two of his associates, are the latest victims, both accused of corruption. For one observer, a "power struggle" is underway.
04/12/2014CHINA With benzene in water, residents in Gansu city storm supermarkets to buy bottled water Lanzhou officials ask residents not to drink tap water because it may cause death. Illegal spilling of toxic sewage by a chemical plant is thought to be at the root of the problem. As things get worse across the country, the central government appears to be powerless vis-à-vis the problem.
04/11/2014CHINA Beijing, Xu Zhiyong sentence confirmed on appeal The activist, founder of New Citizens Movement, has long called for the government to publicly disclose the leadership’s personal assets. An increasing number of anti-corruption activists end up in court. In Hong Kong, his autobiography published: "To Be a Citizen."
04/10/2014CHINA - ISRAEL After two centuries, Henan Jews prepare to celebrate Passover The first presence of Jews in Kaifeng, China's former imperial capital, dates back to the 10th century AD. The last recognised rabbi died in 1810, and since then the community has lived without knowing the faith of their ancestors. Increasingly, the historical void has been reduced in recent years. Now, a local young man prepares to return home as a rabbi after studying in Israel.
