The need to contribute financially to their families’ is turning students, even very young ones, into cross-border porters, a trend that is growing, especially in western Iran. Increasingly, many are also victims of accidents or shot by Pasdaran.
Today's news: eight Taiwanese soldiers jailed for pro-China espionage; Hundreds of migrants from Asia stranded at São Paulo airport in Brazil; At least 15 dead and 4.5 million affected by floods in Bangladesh; It is less dangerous for airlines to fly over Afghanistan than the Middle East, security and screening concerns remain; Delegation from Laos to Moscow for International Buddhist Forum visits Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Fr. Ibrahim Faltas warns, “The situation is dramatic” and there is “deep concern” about a future without Christians. In the crosshairs of settlers and the governing ultra-right a UNESCO heritage area near Bethlehem. Also in the West Bank an escalation of violence, destruction, arrests and deaths. Alice Kisiya's “emblematic” story. Already more than 70 Christian families have migrated since the beginning of the war.
The MoU follows two days of talks between defence ministers in Ankara. The deal marks an improvement in bilateral relations, which were deeply strained in the past. A Joint Security Coordination Centre will be set up in Baghdad and a Joint Training and Cooperation Centre in Bashiqa.
In a stormy Middle East, the Hashemite kingdom stresses its stability, which rests on the 1994 peace deal with Israel. King Abdullah II told Biden that the ceasefire in Gaza is the first step towards de-escalation. He also condemned Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's incursion at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Protests continue in Amman after Friday prayers in the wake of Ismail Haniyeh’s killing.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the former ambassador of Palestine to the UN draws a parallel between the war in Gaza and the exodus of 1948. Today the Palestinians "have learnt their lesson" and know that if they leave, "there will be no return". Israel uses its “special status” to strike with impunity, but “all this won’t work”. A duplicitous United States condemns raids against civilians but supplies weapons.
On the evening of 14 August, the Chaldean patriarch will hold a vigil in the Cathedral of St Joseph in Karrada. A “regional war” would be disastrous for everyone. Patriarch Pizzaballa laments that the impact of the war is “greater and more painful than ever before.” It is “particularly important to pray for peace,” said the Custos of the Holy Land. Al-Sistani warns that the Gaza war will have “catastrophic consequences”.
A new report by a UN fact-finding mission exposes the repression endured by Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities. In the Islamic Republic, persecution on gender grounds intersects with persecution on ethnic and religious grounds. Even children are victims of particularly serious violence. The hijab hides “gender apartheid”.
Today's headlines: Japan’s prime minister cancels trip to Central Asia, as fears of a “megaquake” increase among the Japanese. Myanmar’s military regime is preventing young people from emigrating for work. Seven die in attack by militants against army posts in northwestern Pakistan. Panipak Wongpattanakit is the first Thai sportswoman to win two gold medals at the Olympics.
In early August 2014, the advance by the Islamic State sparked the great Christian flight from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. This tragedy is still etched in the victims’ memory and only 60 per cent have returned to their lands. The Chaldean primate calls for a move away from "fear and despair" by stopping the conflicts that ravage the region.
A first group of 175 teachers has completed their training and will start teaching in the Saudi kingdom by the end of August. The goal is to send at least 800 teachers to the Arab country. This is another sign of Beijing's growing economic and educational involvement in the Middle East.
Today's headlines: For the USCIRF, Afghanistan under the Taliban is experiencing a "continual and significant” decline in religious freedom. Indonesia and Japan want to eliminate trade barriers and strengthen bilateral trade. Israeli fighter jets hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Vietnam is going after Falun Gong members.
Today's headlines: North Korea punishes students and officials for watching a film about the Korean War. Telephone and Internet restrictions leave large parts of Myanmar without information from abroad. In Bangladesh, garment factories reopen after forced closure due protests. War in Gaza hinders polio vaccination amid WHO warning of a possible epidemic.
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