Bahrain

by Dario Salvi | BAHREIN - GULF

Bishop Berardi recounts Holy Week among Catholics in the Gulf, a ‘unique’ reality due to the multitude of rituals and languages. Expatriates in Saudi Arabia use the internet and television to follow the celebrations. Prayers for peace in the Holy Land, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The meaning of the mission, which is ‘first and foremost personal conversion’.


Chinese President Xi spoke at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing. The leaders of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were present. In his address, Xi stressed China’s friendly exchanges and affinity with the Arab world, reiterating his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meanwhile, as the US continues to disengage from the region, China is boosting its presence.

| 30/05/2024
| CHINA – MIDDLE EAST
by Dario Salvi

Bishop Aldo Berardi, head of the vicariate that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, comments on Pope Francis' decision to grant the Syro-Malabar Church jurisdiction over Indian migrants. "This is not a secondary element, it concerns areas that go beyond rituals" and will have to be defined. The problem of places of worship, relations with the State and interlocution with the Muslim world. "Too many voices" can create "confusion".

| 16/05/2024
| GULF - VATICAN - INDIA

Receiving in audience a delegation led by the new Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the pontiff publicly expressed his assent to a request made for years by the Churches of the East, especially for their faithful in the Persian Gulf. A new harsh warning on the divisions around the liturgy in Kerala: "Discussing celebratory details while disrespecting unity is incompatible with the Christian faith.

| 13/05/2024
| VATICAN - INDIA

Today's news: Record gold seizure at Hong Kong customs worth more than million; For the Thai premier, it is time for talks with the coup junta in Myanmar, which is starting to 'lose strength'; Beijing blocked a popular Tibetan-language blog; Meeting between the foreign ministries of Russia and China, Putin's visit to Xi Jinping on the agenda. 

| 09/04/2024
| ASIA TODAY

Today's news: In Nepal, the most violent earthquake since 2015 causes hundreds of deaths, but the toll could rise as whole areas are unreachable; In China and Mongolia, the effects of climate change are being felt: from 30 degrees to 0 in a few days; Scam allowing Russian businessmen and officials to circumvent Western sanctions uncovered.

| 04/11/2023
| ASIA TODAY
by Dario Salvi

The jubilee year opens today in the Church of Arabia 15 centuries (it was 15 October 523) after the massacre of the saint of Najran and his companions. Msgr Berardi: discover the "rich Christian past of the Arabian Peninsula". Vicar of the South: Promote awareness of the "most precious witness" of the Missionaries of Charity.

| 24/10/2023
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
Editor's choices
 
by Alessandra De Poli
On 19 June, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burmese democratic leader will turn 80 in prison, where she has been held since the military coup in February 2021. Despite her enforced silence, her son Kim Aris tells AsiaNews how his mother ...
| 17/06/2025
| MYANMAR
 
by Dario Salvi
The Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan of the Latins tells AsiaNews of his concern over the escalation in recent hours. The cardinal, who participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis, was appointed by the Pope precisely to keep alive the Christian ...
| 13/06/2025
| IRAN - VATICAN
 
In Hong Kong, the NGO that reported on spontaneous worker protests and workplace accidents in mainland China has been forced to cease operations. It was founded in 1994 by activist Han Dongfang, who tried to set up an independent trade union in Tiananmen ...
| 13/06/2025
| HONG KONG - CHINA
 
The ceremony took place today in Fujian province. Leo XIV, in his first choice regarding the Church in China, formally appointed Lin Yuntuan alongside Ordinary Bishop Cai Bingrui (the last Chinese bishop appointed by Francis in January). The Holy See ...
| 11/06/2025
| CHINA – VATICAN
 
by Alessandra De Poli
New data from the International Labour Organisation and UNICEF indicate a drop of 22 million child workers in four years. However, 138 million children remain trapped in this scourge, particularly in agriculture and the informal economy. Expert Insaf ...
| 11/06/2025
| ASIA
 
by Gregory
The Trump administration’s immigration restrictions have had a devastating impact on people from Myanmar’s, disproportionately affecting refugees and students. Many of them, who have waited years in refugee camps, are now seeing their dreams ...
| 07/06/2025
| MYANMAR
 
by Alessandra De Poli
Jomana Solman, project manager for the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, told AsiaNews that no remains have been found where the Italian priest was abducted in 2013. The organisation continues to work on mass graves in northeastern Syria, but ...
| 05/06/2025
| SYRIA
 
The prime minister ousted by parliament had promoted a New Recovery Policy to make Mongolia independent from the mining industry interests. Despite economic growth and the reduction of public debt, his government has had to face growing criticism, triggered ...
| 04/06/2025
| MONGOLIA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”