South Asia

The attacks on supplies to Afghanistan will increase to the extent that operations with the drones continue. Even the Pakistani army criticizes the use of drones that last week killed three Pakistani soldiers.

With only a few days to go until the assembly of bishops from the Middle East, the region is dominated by tensions between Sunnis and Shiites; stalemate between Israelis and Palestinians, persecution especially in Egypt. The Synod will also be able to make proposals for politics. But most of all it must reawaken the duty and mission of Christians in the Middle East: the freedom and right to offer witness to God's love in front of Jews and Muslims.

Fr George Joshua, an Indian priest, leads the activity. He is an important figure in the struggle for the religious freedom of Indian Catholics living in Saudi Arabia. He tells AsiaNews about the suffering and abuses inflicted upon on the million Christians living in the Muslim country, where every religion other than Islam, is banned.

In Brussels, European parliamentarians and bishops call for greater attention to persecution, religious freedom and human rights in relations between the EU and other countries, a few steps away, the meeting with Wen Jiabao and other Asian representatives speaks only about economics. Yet the EU has always been proud to stand as a champion of human rights. The emptying of words is one of the methods of totalitarianism (H. Arendt).

Hanoi wants the immediate and unconditional release of a fishing trawler and its crew seized by China on 11 September for fishing in the disputed waters of the Paracel Islands. Tokyo and Beijing make conciliatory gesture to end worst Sino-Japanese crisis in the past five years.

They only count for 10% of the population but do not receive adequate health care or pensions. More than 600 people, Sinhalese and Tamils, Buddhists and Muslims celebrate the World Day of the elderly in Colombo. The meeting on 1 October organised by HelpAge Sri Lanka, the only charity association to assist old people across the country.

A military court had convicted the once-time presidential candidate and former army chief. President Rajapaksa confirms the sentence. Fonseka’s party says government is persecuting him after he became Rajapaksa’s main political adversary.

Sources in Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations say the five are three Germans of Turkish descent and two Britons with ties to al-Qaeda. The five men had come to Pakistan to train at a terrorist-run camp. One of them was planning attacks in Europe.

20 tankers set on fire. Six people killed and nine wounded in the attack. Similar attacks have occurred in recent days. Tensions between NATO, the U.S. and Islamabad on the war on terrorism.

Confiscated thousands of ballots used to elect the Prime Minister and members of the Tibetan parliament in exile, formally authorized by local authorities. Tibetan activists accuse Nepalese government and police of implementing a crackdown in league with Beijing.

India is trying to project the image of an emerging and reliable nation but has to try to make people forget organisational nightmares. Human rights activist tells AsiaNews that the Games have come at huge cost in terms of human lives and workers’ dignity.

The president of the International Federation of Red Cross calls on donor countries to give more money for a second round of aid distribution. Flooded regions still have millions of people without food and shelter who could die from the approaching winter. More than 150,000 families are still receiving aid relief from the Red Cross.