Dario Salvi

A conference on “Church: House of charity, Synodality and Coordination” was held in the Syrian capital on 15-17 March. For Bishop Audo, who acted as the meeting’s secretary, it provided an opportunity to rediscover “all the ecclesial, pastoral and social riches” that “distinguish us”. Participants focused on the future, with particular attention for young people. They also prayed for peace in Ukraine (and Syria).

The execution is ostensibly a “revenge" killing for a death that occurred decades ago. The group killed the Christians and danced over their bodies. Upon returning to their village, they were greeted by songs, celebrations and cries of “Allah Akbar”. The three brothers who were killed had nothing to do with past events.

The GCC invites a Houthi delegation to Riyadh to try to reach a lasting ceasefire. "Formal invitations" will be sent shortly. But the rebels seem inclined to decline because of the active role of the Saudis. The humanitarian crisis is worsening: UN agencies sound the alarm: 161,000 people at risk of famine by the end of the year.

The figure includes teachers who quit or lost their job. Overall teaching staff is down by 7.2 per cent over the previous year, mostly female (7,778) rather than male (2,381). COVID-19 and remote learning are the main factors. Total number of schools is also down.

Riyadh has freed a famous blogger and activist, almost simultaneously with the execution of 81 prisoners. The economy more than rights is driving the kingdom's reforms. Timid steps towards the emancipation of women. In Jeddah, a cosmopolitan and affordable neighbourhood has been demolished in the name of development and modernisation.

The custos of the Holy Land, the Greek Orthodox patriarch and a representative of the Armenian Patriarchate were present at the start of the new works. The Custodia is coordinating the activity. “In this historical context, with the pandemic and the war, cooperation on the restoration work takes on a different meaning,” said Custos Fr Patton. AsiaNews’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land is set for 20-27 June to invoke the gift of peace.

Reports of four Mossad agents killed and seven others wounded. The Chaldean Patriarchate proposes "dialogue" to resolve disputes and the urgency of a "national government". The Arab League and the Gulf monarchies speak of a "terrorist attack" at the hands of Iran. Haaretz writes of a "secret war" between Iran and Israel thathas become "public" because of drones.

Jamal Deibes is the patriarchal vicar for Jordan, while Rafic Nahra is the vicar for Israel. The former directed schools in Palestine, while the Lebanese priest is a great knowledge of the Jewish world. Patriarch Pizzaballa said that their mandate is “to teach, govern and sanctify”.

Trial chamber verdict reversed over alleged procedural errors. The appeals judges ruled "unanimously" against the defendants in absentia Hassan Habib Merhi and Hussein Oneissi. Mobile phone network used to coordinate the attack, dubbed the "Green Network",identified.

The warning comes from Carmen Reinhart, the World Bank’s senior vice president and chief economist. Soaring food prices could spark unrest similar to what led to the Arab Spring. Egypt halts exports of lentils, pasta, wheat, flour and fava beans for three months.

The Israeli president today ended a “historic” two-day official visit to Turkey. Yesterday he met with the Turkish president, whilst today he visited the Jewish community in Istanbul. The two sides pledge to resolve differences in the future. The Palestinian question and the holy places in Jerusalem remain the main stumbling block. Europe looks to Israeli gas (via Turkey) to make up for the loss of Russian supplies.

The young woman’s violent death by her brother and uncle was reported on International Women's Day. With tens of thousands of followers on social media, she promoted women’s rights and freedoms. Her family forced her to marry at the age of 12 a man from whom she separated four years later.