Asia

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  1 September 2017
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - The Bishop of Marawi’s appeal: "Priority is to save the lives of hostages" Marawi City (Agenzia Fides) - "We are living hours of great concern. The crisis in Marawi is almost over. The Filipino army has reconquered much of the city and among the terrorists a handful of diehard people remain who ...
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  1 September 2017
  ASIA/SYRIA - Member of the Sutoro Brigade killed in Qamishli. Archbishop Hindo: Russia and the US do not support Kurdish autonomist projects Hassakè (Agenzia Fides) – On Thursday August 31 a clash between militiamen in the north-east Syrian city of Qamishli caused the death of a member of Sutoro self-defense groups, often accredited by the media as "Christ ...
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  31 August 2017
  ASIA/JORDAN - Memorandum of Understanding for new joint projects between the American University of Madaba and Jordanian Christian Schools Amman (Agenzia Fides) - The American University of Madaba and the General Secretariat for Christian educational institutions in Jordan signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at fostering the collaboration and sharing ...
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  31 August 2017
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Quran teaching compulsory at school: more Islam in society Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - Pakistan's senate approved the teaching of the Quran compulsory in public schools. The text obliges all educational institutions to impart the teaching of the Quran to Muslim students from cla ...
• 31 August 2017
  ASIA/MYANMAR - Appointment of the Rector of the "St. Joseph" Major Seminary in Mandalay Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On May 1, 2017, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, appointed the Rector of the "St. Joseph" Interdiocesan Philosophical Seminary in the ...
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  30 August 2017
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Appeal of the Salesians regarding the wave of mass killings of vulnerable young people Makati (Agenzia Fides) - "We, Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) of the Philippine North Province are deeply saddened by the spate of killings that have been going on in the recent past. Being at the forefront of youth pastora ...
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  29 August 2017
  ASIA/IRAQ - Even a Christian among former jihadist prisoners freed in Tal Afar Tal Afar (Agenzia Fides) - Rana Behnam is a Christian woman who was freed in the suburbs of Tal Afar after having been held for a long time in a place of segregation by the jihadists of the self-proclaimed Islamic State ...
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  29 August 2017
  ASIA/TURKEY - Evangelical pastor Brunson still in prison for espionage. Trump had asked for his extradition Ankara (Agenzia Fides) - President Donald Trump's attempts to release and return Andrew Craig Brunson to the United States, the US Evangelical pastor who had already been arrested in Turkey in the autumn of 2016, accused ...
• 29 August 2017
  ASIA/VIETNAM - Appointment of the Auxiliary of Thanh-Pho Ho Chi Minh Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On August 25, 2017, Pope Francis appointed rev. Louis Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Secretariat of the Bishops' Conference of Vietnam as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Thanh-Pho ...
• 29 August 2017
  ASIA/VIETNAM - Appointment of the Coadjutor of Long Xuyên Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On August 25, 2017, the Pope appointed His Exc. Mgr. Joseph Tran Van Toan as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Long Xuyên, Vietnam. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 29/08/2017) ...
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  28 August 2017
  ASIA/IRAQ - Spokesman for the Sadrist Movement: Muqtada al-Sadr will pay a visit to the Vatican Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr will set on a European tour responding to official invitations, including a visit to the Vatican and a meeting with Pope Francis. This was confirmed in recent d ...
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  21 August 2017
  ASIA/LEBANON - The giant statue of Saint Charbel to be installed on the heights of Kesrouan Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - The giant statue of Saint Charbel, Lebanon’s Saint dear to the Maronite tradition has reached the heights of Kesrouan. The statue was transferred Sunday morning from Haret Sakhr, north of Joun ...
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  18 August 2017
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishop voices firm condemnation of plan to use hostages as human bombs Manila (Agenzia Fides) – A local Catholic bishop has deplored suspected plans by a group, of IS inspiration, known as Maute, to use civilian hostages as suicide bombers to attack security forces. According to a repo ...
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  17 August 2017
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Commitment and generosity: Pontifical Mission Society Holy Childhood marks 30 years activity in Sri Lanka Maradana (Agenzia Fides) – Some 1,500 participants under the slogan "I called you by name to be my disciple" recently celebrated 30 years in Sri Lanka of Pontifical Mission Society Holy Childhood activity. Celebrations ...
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  9 August 2017
  ASIA/PALESTINE - Itinerant theatre to alleviate trauma of Gaza’s children Gaza (Agenzia Fides) – A group of young people in Gaza has decided to take the only Itinerant theatre in Palestine to perform in orphanages, hospitals and day assistance centres, to alleviate the psychological stress a ...