Dario Salvi

The UN mission has launched an appeal for 'dialogue without preconditions' to break the political and institutional deadlock. Since the elections of 10 October 2021, no agreement has yet been reached on the appointment of a premier and a new government. The current executive only has the current affairs at its disposal. Economic problems and wasted wealth. The unresolved knot of (Christian) refugees.

Parliament is working on a bill against “disinformation” presented by the governing party. Critics see it as a threat to freedom. The final draft should be approved by the end of the week. Civil liberties advocates and government critics see planned punishments as disproportionate to the law’s aims, i.e., cracking down on false news. Under the bill, offenders could get one to three years in prison.

The security service leadership has given the green light to the Energean company for testing. The Israeli Defence Minister announces a "resolute response" in the event of an attack by Hezbollah and does not rule out a "broader conflict". The Lebanese Shia movement has threatened reprisals in the event of extraction without agreement.

From sports to religious tourism, as part of its Vision 2030 plan, Saudi Arabia wants to boost the industry so that it generates 10 per cent of GDP and creates a million new jobs. The second most visited Arab country is the United Arab Emirates with 14.8 million visitors, followed by Morocco with 11 million.

The Synodal Conference of the Church of Turkey is scheduled to take place this weekend in Ephesus and İzmir, with meetings, prayers and a solemn Eucharistic celebration. Bishop Bizzeti will take stock of the work accomplished so far and the urgencies for the future. Families as the first place to cultivate the faith, more "impetus" is needed to "make Christianity known". The knot tied to the Treaty of Lausanne.

Today's headlines: Joint military exercise by Tokyo and Seoul (with the US) in response to North Korean launches; Vientiane suspends mining operations at a Chinese-owned gold mine; cholera continues to strike in Syria, first case of contagion in neighbouring Lebanon; Moscow's Orthodox churches propse a liturgy for soldiers engaged in the war on Ukraine.

Such a step would help people trying to avoid Putin's call-up for war in Ukraine. Avigodor Lieberman sees the proposal as a temporary measure, which the cabinet is currently examining. Some Israeli lawmakers oppose it accusing the Finance Minister of "destroying" the country’s Jewish identity.

For Msgr Hinder, the November trip is the next stage in the path taht leads from Abu Dhabi and Kazakhstan. A "positive strategy" of approaching the "different currents" of the Muslim faith and an invitation to continue on the "path" of dialogue and encounter. For the pastor of the Sacred Heart Church in Manama, it is a "rare opportunity" to be strengthened in the faith.

Today's headlines: The WHO links the deaths of dozens of young children in Gambia to a cough syrup produced in India; the average age of protesters arrested in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini is 15; the Vatican representative urges Catholics in East Timor to accept sanctions against Bishop Belo; the Buddhist leader of Russia's Kalmykia region condemns the war in Ukraine, the first senior religious leader to do so.

The death toll since the start of protests over the killing of a young Kurdish woman has reached 154. The repression is centred on the north-west (Kurdistan) and the south-east (Balochistan). Other young women killed by the police have become a symbol of the uprising for rights and freedoms. Meanwhile, the regime is ready to strike at the resistance across the border in Iraq.

Today's news: panic among South Koreans over Seoul's failed missile launch crashed to the ground. Major gold-supplying banks cut shipments to India. Since the military coup 145 Burmese, mostly members of the Nld, have died in prison; since the beginning of the war Russian oligarchs have lost more than 94 billion Euro.

From 20 November to 18 December, the emirate hosts the top football competition.Female referees for teh first time in an Islamic nation. Controversy over the exploitation, and deaths, of migrant workers in the construction of facilities. Civil rights and environmental issues in focus. Bishop Hinder: a country that has developed in "competition" with others in the region.