Vincenzo Faccioli Pintozzi

Biopharma giant Celltrion announces clinical trials following government approval. Antibodies will be used to fight the coronavirus outbreak, which hit China and Korea hard.

The government has announced that it wants to conform to international standards with respect to birth certificates. Religion and parents’ marital status have been used to discriminate in the past.

Data for the second quarter reveals a contraction of 2.9 percentage points in the gross domestic product. This is the worst performance since 1998, the year of the great crisis that hit all of Asia. Catholic sources: “The unemployed increase, society will pay a heavy toll. We ask the government to remember welfare and not just businesses."

When North Korea completely locked down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it hit its own economy hard, as 90 per cent of its trade is with China.

The national episcopal conference sends a letter to all the faithful: "We pray for the former British colony, together with Card. Bo. But we ask the world to pray for us too: the government-approved anti-terrorism law is crushing the basic freedoms of the population." The prelates warn: "It all started like this in 1972, the dawn of the Marcos dictatorship." The full text of the message.

The leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church met in council after the decision to transform the basilica into a mosque open to worship. Appeals to the international community to act to maintain the special status of Hagia Sophia which "remains a church for millions of Christians around the world".

According to a study published by Lancet, the country’s population could decline to a record low, from the current 53 million to 26.78 million by 2100. This would drop the "Asian tiger" to 20th place in terms of world economies.

The Prefect of Propaganda Fidae and president of Caritas Internationalis presents the annual report of the charitable organization. Calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East and for debt relief to weaker nations. Covid-19 will bring disastrous consequences not only in the health sector, but globally. The full text of his address.

It is a purely symbolic act in response to the destruction of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Office. But it is also an absolute first: Kim Yo-jong. The young marshal's sister had never been targeted by Seoul. The tension between the two Koreas continues, after a period of thaw that had made the international community hope.

The crisis triggered by the pandemic devastated the labor market, which in June lost 352 thousand jobs. This is the fourth consecutive month of decline in the sector, the worst streak since October 2009. The government promises liquidity injections, but middle-aged workers are likely to be out of work. The Church's commitment: "We will help them requalify".

The earthquake hit the eastern province of Elaziğ killing at least 35 people and injuring almost 2,000. Aid and rescue are haphazard with some areas getting little. Basic supplies, food and clothing are needed.

East Asia and Asian communities around the world are preparing for lunar New Year celebrations, which begin tomorrow. A new dangerous coronavirus outbreak is however complicating things. Other factors also bode ill for the festivities. In South Korea, many people are stressed out by the New Year. Considered the bearer of good luck for thousands of years, the rat has come to be regarded as a dangerous and disease-carrying fiend.