05/23/2013VATICAN Pope: 'salt' of faith, hope and love gifted us by Jesus must be shared, or Christians risk becoming “a museum piece” There are two “outlets” to prevent this salt from growing stale. Firstly: using this salt “at meals, in the service of others, to serve people". Second, "transcendence toward the author of this salt, the Creator". "Christian originality is not a uniformity! It takes us all as we are, each with our own personality, characteristics, culture and leaves us with that, because it is a treasure. " Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The
"salt" which Jesus gives us should not be stored up but shared out, this
means "going out with the message, going out with the treasure of this
salt and sharing it with others," or Christians risk becoming "a museum piece"....
05/23/2013IRAN IAEA reports "significant progress" in Iran's uranium enrichment programme In its quarterly report, the UN says Tehran has accelerated the installation of centrifuges at Natanz and is making further progress in the construction of a reactor at Arak. The West fears it could produce plutonium and enriched uranium, necessary for military purposes.
05/23/2013SYRIA - JORDAN Jordan’s Catholics march in silence for release of Syrian Orthodox bishops A candlelight vigil yesterday in Amman. Initiative was attended by hundreds of people. The march is a message of solidarity with the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Greek-Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox Church. The kidnap of Msgr. Yohanna Ibrahim and Msgr. Boulos Yaziji afflicts not only Christians, but also secular society and Muslim.
05/23/2013TAIWAN - PHILIPPINES Taiwanese students promote "friendship" with Filipino immigrants by Xin Yage The initiative aims to show solidarity with Filipinos impacted by controversy over a naval incident between Manila and Taipei on May 9 last. Immigrants contribute to social development and co-operate in the protection of children and the elderly. Student: The person who shot is responsible, not "the honest workers here."
05/23/2013PAKISTAN - CHINA Quetta, 12 people die in an attack on the military. Beijing and Islamabad discuss energy A bomb aboard a rickshaw targets a security forces convoy. The bomb was made up of more than 100 kg of explosives. Meanwhile, the Chinese premier arrives in Pakistan for a two-day official visit. Objective: To strengthen ties, enhance trade and help solve the energy crisis.
05/22/2013VATICAN Vatican continues fight against money laundering The Vatican Financial Information Authority (AIF) releases its first annual report, showing that the "system is consistently improving". The AIF received six suspicious activity reports last year, up from one the previous year. International cooperation is improving. This year, Moneyval recommendations are set to be implemented.
05/22/2013IRAN Iran's vote worthless as Rafsanjani and Mashaei are out The two men are excluded from the list of admissible candidates the Guardians Council made public today. Only one reformist candidate, Mohammed Reza Araf, is allowed. He was former President Khatami's vice president. Police are deployed across the country's cities and sensitive sites.
05/22/2013NEPAL Nepali Muslim leader killed, community calls it a political murder by Kalpit Parajuli The assassination of the president of National Islamic Struggle Committee threatens to spark renewed sectarian violence. The country's Muslim minority accuses the government of indifference, of failing to deal with the problem of extremist groups. For Muslim Association of Nepal Vice President Mohammad Najimuddi, the killing was politically motivated, demands more security.
05/22/2013VATICAN Pope says no to intolerance, everyone can and must do good, even atheists As he celebrated Mass this morning, Francis said that the possibility of doing good is part of creation, and that Christ redeemed all of us, not only Catholics. Doing good "is a beautiful path towards peace" whilst "killing in the name of God is blasphemy."
05/22/2013VATICAN-CHINA Pope: pray for Chinese Catholics that they may "never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world and the world to Jesus" At the General audience, Francis speaks of the "duty" to evangelize that belongs to every Christian: the Spirit urges us to preach the Good News “courageously, loudly" and to all. Also a prayer "for the victims, especially the children of the disaster in Oklahoma. May the Lord himself console everyone, in particular parents who have lost a child in such a tragic way".
05/22/2013SYRIA Aleppo prays for Orthodox bishops kidnapped a month ago Bishop Audo, Chaldean Archbishop of Aleppo, speaks of the pain of the Syrian Christian community. For a month the population has been waiting for news on the conditions of Msgr. Youhanna Ibrahim and Msgr. Boulos Yaziji kidnapped on 22 April. The appeal of Bartholomew I, for the liberation of the two prelates and peace in Syria. The hopes for an end to the conflict is supported by the hymn "Christ is Risen Alleluia", which is heard every day in all the churches of the city.
05/22/2013SRI LANKA National strike, unions: public sector employees threatened with dismissal by Melani Manel Perera The government told its employees not to participate in yesterday's protest against high prices. For the unions, it was a "success" because it showed the central government's weakness.
05/22/2013CHINA Beijing, 13 arrests for protests relating to case of young "suicide" migrant Security forces have arrested a group of people accused of fomenting protests and of spreading "rumors" on the internet. They include the boyfriend of the 22 year-old Yuan Liya. For many commentators, the girl was thrown from the upper floors of the mall, after a gang rape.