Dario Salvi

The two-day meeting in Ben Gurion's symbolic land has come to an end. The United States, Bahrain, Morocco, the Emirates (and Egypt) were also present. At the centre of the talks was the "threat" posed by Iran and its allies, with the Palestinian issue virtually absent. Chancellor of the Patriarchate: "divergent interests" at stake, but it could represent "a step in the right direction".

Saudi planes strike the capital and the coastal town of Makram in response to attacks against Saudi oil facilities over the weekend. The Houthi rebel movement announces a three-day ceasefire, hoping for a resumption of talks. The UN wants to stop the violence for Ramadan.

Today's headlines: in Russia, student protests continue to call for an end to the war in Ukraine; the largest military exercise between the Philippines and the US is underway; Moscow relies on the Syrian army to recruit mercenaries; in Shanghai, lockdowns and mass swabbing to contain Covid-19; South Korean nuns on the border with the North open a reception centre for refugees; Manama closes an Indian restaurant for forbidding entry to a woman wearing a veil.

The Apostolic Vicar Msgr Hinder will ordain Fr Dickson Eugene, who grew up in Oman, for the Salesian province of Bangalore . Two confirmations in two different parishes in the capital and a meeting of all the priests of the sultanate are also planned for the weekend. The nation has a very large Muslim majority, but there is freedom of worship. The role of Mascate in the liberation of Fr Tom.

North Africa is also affected. The water problem compounds food supply problems (primarily wheat) caused by the war in Ukraine. UNICEF ​​notes that the situation will get worse. Long-standing structural problems have compounded the emergency. Risk is highest in Yemen and the Gaza Strip; in the latter, the salinisation of aquifer is becoming a serious issue.

Tomorrow Iraqi Christians will join the pontiff for the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to Mary. The government does not have a "clear" position on the war, it seeks to safeguard relations with Moscow and Washington. Solidarity and closeness in a letter sent to the Archbishop of Kiev. Those who have lived through the war "know what disasters it can cause".

The Archbishop of Damascus is close to those "abandoning their land" because of the offensive launched by Moscow. These scenes "invite us to think of a life" beyond death, the "Mystery of the empty tomb" to understand the value "of the Resurrection". The Syrian Church plans to build a cemetery for Christians in the capital.

The short video is by Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, who recently met the pope in the Vatican. The pontiff blesses the Church in China and Hong Kong tackling the pandemic.

An interfaith prayer was held in front of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, at the Russian Compound, in order to appeal to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to work for peace. A letter signed by 150 religious leaders was taped to the building’s walls. For Patriarch Pizzaballa, “the images that we are seeing from the media are terrible and not justifiable.”

Islamic extremist movements are exploiting Moscow's "crusader" conflict in Kiev to launch new attacks. From the escalation in Syria to the massacre at the Shiite mosque in Pakistan, episodes of violence are multiplying. Celebrations for every 'Christian' victim on the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Unacceptable to send Muslims to the battlefield, the Chechens 'apostates'. The Taliban against the war.

In an editorial Gulf News calls the visit of the Damascus leader to Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the weekend "historic". Relations with the country are "fundamental" to restoring regional order, coupled with the "urgent need" for an "Arab" presence in Syria. US disappointment. Assad "uses" Christians to attack Israel.

While the COVID-19 pandemic rages, prisons are operating at 343 per cent of their capacity, with more than 38,000 people stuck in facilities made for just under 9,000. For Amnesty International, the situation is like a “ticking time bomb". The government announces measures, but they are late and limited.