07/31/2014TIBET - CHINA - NEPAL Thousands of people attend 14th Shamar Rinpoche's cremation in Nepal Despite pressure from Beijing, the Nepali government allows the funeral to take place, granting the deceased his last wishes. Kathmandu's initial refusal was due to fear of possible anti-China protests from the Tibetan community in exile, which however did not occur. Kathmandu
(AsiaNews) - Thousands of exiled Tibetans attended
today's cremation ceremony of the
14th Shamar Rinpoche, one
of the most influential Tibetan
lamas.
After
initially
opposing it at...
07/31/2014CHINA Xinjiang in lock down following riots The catalyst that sparked the violence in the province, which killed dozens of people, is still unknown. Military patrol streets and authorities shut down communications with the outside world. Formal charges of "separatism" against Ilham Tohti, a scholar who defends the Uyghur minority.
07/30/2014CHINA Official probe of former security chief Zhou Yongkang underway by Wang Zhicheng The investigation is in the hands of the Party Disciplinary Committee. For the first time since the days of Mao a member of the Politburo is being charged. Aids, secretaries and Zhou family members also under investigation. When he was minister of security, he strengthened police powers and fast-tracked arrests of dissidents, religious personalities, farmers, workers. If Xi Jinping’s fight against corruption aims to establish "rule of law", he should release those who been denouncing corruption for years and deliver justice to those who have been victims of Zhou’s violence and corruption.
07/30/2014CHINA More violence in Xinjiang: police shoot and kill "dozens of terrorists" The clash took place in Shache county, but the details are unclear. According to the government, a group of "terrorists" attacked local government offices and police station; another reported to have attacked the inhabitants of Huangdi. Authorities respond immediatly: dozens of dead, wounded and arrested.
07/29/2014CHINA Beijing: Xi Jinping "almost as popular as Mao," but only in party press
A survey by researchers from the University of Hong Kong's China Media Project shows that in his first 18 months of his rule, the Chinese president was mentioned in the People's Daily more than any of his predecessor, except for Mao who was involved in the Cultural Revolution. Outside official media, the pope is more popular than the premier, and the Bible is mentioned more than the Red Book.
07/29/2014CHINA Wenzhou, more crosses torn down. Ningbo Cathedral burned The faithful of the Longgang Huai En church try to bar police and to save their cross, but are put aside. Some protest with banners: "Anti-graft, anti-corruption, protect religion". Instead the fire that destroyed the interior of Jiangbei cathedral, one of the oldest Catholic churches in all of China is judged accidental.
07/28/2014TIBET - CHINA - NEPAL Nepali government ready to allow the funeral of 14th Shamar Rinpoche by Christopher Sharma The Tibetan Buddhist religious is one of the three main disciples of the Karmapa Lama, tasked with recognising of the Dalai Lama's reincarnation. The current Shamar, Mipham Chokyi Lodro, died two weeks ago and asked to be cremated in a monastery he founded near Kathmandu. Despite China's opposition, the government "is considering" that possibility. Thousands of people are expected at his funeral, some from Tibet as well.
07/27/2014VATICAN "Stop! I am asking you with all my heart. Stop!" says pope as he speaks out on the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine He mentions children, victims of war, "from whom we take away the hope for a decent life," urging the parties to address "every diatribe with the tenacity of dialogue and negotiation and the power of reconciliation". As tomorrow marks 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, "a day of mourning," we should learn the lessons of history. The Gospel makes us know the true Jesus, the living Jesus, who speaks to the heart and is a life changer as he was for Saint Francis of Assisi. "The joy of finding the treasure of the Kingdom of God comes through, can be seen. Christians cannot hide their faith."
07/26/2014CHINA American Benedictine nuns help women's religious congregations in Jiangsu and Beijing The need to assimilate the teachings of the Second Vatican Council on Consecrated Life is moving many congregations around the world to help religious communities in China. This includes courses in spirituality and Bible reading in Jiangsu, as well as assistance in drafting the first charters of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph in Beijing, which was founded in 1872.
07/25/2014ASIA Air disasters: 2014 could beat 2005 in terms of fatalities So far this year, 680 people have died, higher than 12-month totals for the past three years. With 916 deaths, 2005 was the worst year. IATA points out that about 100,000 flights take place every day without incident with passenger trips on airlines exceeding three billion last year.
07/25/2014CHINA Shandong, flurry of arrests against Church of Almighty God members A group of 5 members, that the state has outlawed as an "evil cult," beat to death a woman who had refused to join them. The murder has sparked public outrage because, during the violence, no one intervened to help the victim. "Hundreds" of other members arrested by the police.
07/24/2014VATICAN-TAIWAN Pope sends condolences to Archbishop of Taipei for Magong plane crash The Pope sent a telegram through the Secretary of State. The plane was carrying 58 people; 48 have died. 10 others are hospitalized for injuries. The immediate cause is believed to be bad weather conditions, but the government has opened an investigation.
07/23/2014MACAU - CHINA Beijing's censorship and Macau universities Lecturers are fired because they express pro-democracy views or mention the horror of Mao's reign. The politburo and the principle of "one country, two systems" are off-limits on university campuses.
07/23/2014CHINA The plague detected in Gansu: 30 thousand people in Yumen under quarantine A resident skinned a groundhog feed it to his dog and contracted pneumonic plague, the only one of the 3 strains of the disease that can be transmitted from human to human. After his hospitalization and death, the authorities have sealed the area off: the quarantine expires tomorrow, but 151 residents will remain under observation. Since 2002, WHO has reported a total of 7 outbreaks of pneumonic plague.
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