Dario Salvi

Destroyed graves and damaged tombstones in the Protestant cemetery, owned by the Anglican Church. A video allegedly shows two people wearing yarmulkes entering the area and desecrating it. A UN Security Council meeting is scheduled for the "provocative" Ben-Gvir walk on the Esplanade of the Mosques.

The extreme right-wing leader and Israeli Minister of Security visited the area, surrounded by a large contingent of agents. Former Prime Minister Lapid condemns the move, which is bound to trigger further violence. For the Palestinian government it is an 'unprecedented provocation'. Jewish settlers supported by police occupy land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

A report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) tallies human casualties. Almost half a million people have died in more than a decade of fighting. The 2022 death toll includes 1,627 civilians, among them 321 children, while some 209 died from landmines or unexploded ordnance. For SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman, the deaths are largely linked to the country’s chaotic situation and lack of security.

The new law passed at the end of the year expands the boycott and punishes public or private relations with persons or entities in the Jewish state. Analysts speak of a blow to Israeli hopes of expanding the "Abraham Accords". For the Sultanate, any prospect of relations is tied to the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution.

Today's headlines: Israeli security forces killed two Palestinian youths near Jenin; after two years, the Japanese emperor returns to greet citizens on New Year's Eve; Islamabad and Delhi exchange lists of nuclear sites and prisoners; Pyongyang shops flooded with luxury goods - counterfeits - of Chinese origin; Uzbekistan blocks the sale of Indian medicines.

The Chaldean patriarchs spoke to AsiaNews about the pope emeritus who died this morning. A "man of God” with a "luminous" face, one day he will be proclaimed "doctor for what he has left". He had a bond of "deep closeness" with the Muslim world. He supported the synod on the Middle East in 2010.

Bianka Zaia, a 38-year-old Assyrian, was arrested on 26 November but confirmation only came during the Christmas holiday. She is believed to be held in Evin prison and has not been able to contact family members. According to the latest figures, more than 500 protesters have been killed and 18,000 arrested, with a hundred death sentences.

Fr Bahjat Karakach, pastor at St Francis of Assisi church, compares houses, “chilly, dark places”, to the manger where Jesus was born, where children suffer and parents are helpless. The "light of faith" can breathe new life into a dying nation. Christian NGO holds tombola for children and the poor.

The parish priest recounts the festive atmosphere for the celebrations and fears for an uncertain future. Escape attempts, especially by young people, are "an open wound" for "broken" Palestinian families. Protests against Hamas at the funerals of eight Gazans who drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean in barges. Fr. Romanelli: If Israel's policy does not change, the community "is doomed to die."

Official data from the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) confirm the crisis. Last year, about 81,000 businesses closed. The decline began with the COVID-19 pandemic, and is bound to continue. An inflation rate of 85 per cent is a major factor, impacting rental costs of commercial properties (+70 per cent). Erdogan raises the minimum wage for 2023.

The political stalemate and the economy on its knees is impacting education. In the public sector, teachers go on strike over non-payment of salaries. Despite the difficulties, the number of students in Church-related institutes is growing. Fr Youssef Nasr: with the pandemic an "educational and pedagogical loss" that "we must recover".

“Bibi” makes the announcement just shy of the deadline. Smotrich gets Finance with the supervision of settlements. Ben Gvir becomes minister of National Security, with control over police (and al-Aqsa). Shas leader Aryeh Deri is set to take over Interior and Health despite the Attorney General’s ban.