Yemen

| PHILIPPINES - YEMEN

At least four people are reported dead in the attack that saw the Yemeni group resume hostilities against maritime trade in the Red Sea in retaliation for the war in Gaza. Ten have been rescued, but the rest of the crew, mostly Filipinos, are still missing. Stella Maris appeals to the Manila government: ‘The safety of seafarers must be protected.’ Sunday is the day when the Church focuses on workers at sea.

by mons. Paolo Martinelli*

In a reflection sent to AsiaNews, the Vicar of Arabia describes the pontiff as a ‘concrete presence’ for Christians in the region. The 2019 apostolic journey, the birth of the House of Abraham and the signing of the document on fraternity. A universal fraternity that welcomes differences as a gift and a treasure, the encyclical Laudato sì and regret at the failure to participate in COP28.

| 22/04/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Dario Salvi

Speaking to AsiaNews, Jordanian scholar Al Sabaileh says that reports that several Shia groups in Iraq plan to disarm are likely accurate. US pressure and the fear that Iraq might become another battleground like Syria, Lebanon and Yemen have been decisive. But with the end of the armed struggle, the militias’ political weight will not be the same in upcoming October elections.

| 11/04/2025
| IRAQ – IRAN
by Dario Salvi

According to Amnesty International's report, 91 per cent of known death sentences have been handed down in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. There is no reliable data for China, North Korea and Vietnam since the information is treated as a state secret. Iran has experienced a boom in executions, partly to crack down on protest. Governments have weaponised the death penalty under the pretext of improving security.

| 08/04/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Dario Salvi

For Bishop Martinelli, the sudden escalation comes after Trump's decision to declare the Houthis a terrorist group. The conflict is at risk of getting hot with tragic consequences for civilians. Poverty is extreme and humanitarian projects are hard to implement. The work of the Sisters of Mother Teresa is a “point of reference” for the few Christians who remain in the country.

| 19/03/2025
| YEMEN

In the country devastated by more than 10 years of war, there are very young children, even 13-year-olds, driving taxis or public transport. The hope of earning even small amounts of money to support impoverished families. UN: the crisis triggered by the conflict ‘has disproportionately and devastatingly affected women and girls’.

| 07/03/2025
| YEMEN
by Dario Salvi

Msgr. Martinelli told AsiaNews that it is ‘urgent’ to relaunch the Church's ‘presence’ in the country tormented by conflict and violence. The testimony of the nuns, the work of Caritas and the local Christian reality. The Houthi missiles towards Israel, the neutrality of the Gulf and the fragile balance with Riyadh and Tehran. The Abrahamic House a model of encounter, confrontation and prayer.

| 08/10/2024
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
Editor's choices
 
After serving time in prison for refusing to join the Party, he served as coadjutor to Bishop Li in Luoyang before retiring to his village in 2011. Some local Catholics spoke to AsiaNews about him: “In China, following the right path by believing ...
| 08/09/2025
| CHINA
 
In a chat picked up by a hot mic, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping talk about the possibility of organ transplants allowing people to live up to 150 years. China has never adopted a clear and transparent system for organ donation. Despite new regulations, ...
| 04/09/2025
| RED LANTERNS
 
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China refers to the general as the “acting president of Myanmar”, enhancing the military junta’s credentials. For its part, India plans to send a delegation to monitor Myanmar’s ...
| 03/09/2025
| MYANMAR – CHINA – INDIA
 
The pontiff met in the Vatican with former residents of Diego Garcia, the island in the Indian Ocean, who were removed in the 1970s to make way for a large UK-US military base. Last May, the UK signed an agreement transferring sovereignty to Mauritius, ...
| 23/08/2025
| VATICAN
 
by Gregory
A demolition order was also served to 19 Buddhist sites in the city's "cultural zone," set to be razed to unearth ancient Ketumati. AsiaNews reports local Catholics are dismayed by the threat looming over the church dedicated to the Sacred Heart, ...
| 23/08/2025
| MYANMAR
 
Eighty representatives of the Modern Orthodox movement, led by Rabbi Yosef Blau, have launched an appeal calling for "moral clarity" and "responsibility" based on the values of Jewish tradition. While condemning Hamas, they call for a "response" to the ...
| 20/08/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
Concern is growing around the world about the health of the 77-year-old businessman, a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, who has been imprisoned for nearly 1,700 days under China’s national security law. The prosecution began ...
| 18/08/2025
| HONG KONG
 
by Santosh Digal
ahead of the vote, they play a ‘crucial role’ in guaranteeing the electoral process. On 5 August, a MiRLeC meeting was considered a ‘moment of shared introspection’ and a ‘project for a fairer electoral future.’ StAengthening ...
| 11/08/2025
| FILIPPINES
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”