Damage to infrastructure and the disruption of links with Tibet come on top of the heavy reliance on remittances from the more than 2.6 million Nepalis living abroad. A still-fragile economy and youth unemployment exceeding 20 per cent are fuelling an exodus of young people that has been strongly encouraged in recent years.
Benedict XVI recalls the missionaries who suffer persecution, especially Don Ruggero Ruvoletto, killed in Brazil, and Fr. Michael Sinnot, kidnapped in the Philippines. All must share "materially and spiritually" with the needs of the young poorer Churches. Prayers for the African Synod, currently underway.
Indian missionary to Congress, being held in Muambai, archbishop of Ranchi, speaks of the importance of the Christian mission among the tribal peoples and their liberation from slavery. Evangelization is not so much "doing something" rather a way of "being."
At least 30 thousand soldiers and tanks moved toward the Hakimullah stronghold of Mehsud, the new leader of Islamic extremists in Pakistan. An operation of encirclement which aims to eradicate the fundamentalist struggle in Pakistan. The authorities have imposed a curfew in the region.
The resolution of the UN Commission on Human Rights condemns Israel for its policy of violence in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority praises the vote. Hamas appreciates the fight against "the Zionist criminals," but does not comment on the allegations concerning itself. United States and Italy among the dissenting votes.
The World Health Organization reports nearly 400 thousand infected, but the number could be higher. Beijing confirms a second victim to the new flu. Alarm for children and young people in the United States: so far H1N1 has cost nearly twice as many victims as seasonal flu.
The observer of the Holy See UN recalls Cairo Conference (1994) in which many saw the population explosion as the cause of all evils. After 15 years none of those apocalyptic predictions have come true. Man is a resource and not hindrance to development.
Contracts with the Italian company Eni, in alliance with the United States and South Korea. The Nasiriyah oilfield to the Japanese. Problems with Chinese companies. But meanwhile the standoff between Kurdistan and Baghdad continues. The population receives crumbs or nothing.
The announced offensive against Taliban strongholds has led to the exodus of almost half the population of the area. Witnesses confirm locals fear of imminent war. Increasingly difficult to find food and basic necessities. The region is hiding at least 10 thousand extremists, terrorists, including Chechens, Uzbeks and Arabs.
The Non-Resident Nepalese Association represents about two of the seven million Nepalis living outside the country. They have been reinvesting millions of dollars in the national economy; now they want to make it easier to invest in the areas of education, infrastructures and the private sector.
The message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue for the festival of Diwali says that a real human development is carried out while respecting the freedom of everyone, including the political will to work to guarantee greater protection of human rights and peaceful coexistence
The elephants on the island are now 8 thousand 500. In some areas their raids destroy homes and crops and even claim victims among the population. The example of Diyakepilla village where the inhabitants are forced to spend the night in trees to defend themselves and monitor the fields.
Sources tell AsiaNews that sending fresh troops ‘will not improve the situation.” The conflict is a political and social problem. A compromise is needed to break the “stalemate” at the government level and fight the “widespread impression of corruption.” No one is speaking but some suspect that foreign forces and secret services have paid off the Taliban.
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