Dario Salvi

Rumours indicate a stop on March 6 in Najaf, for a meeting between Francis and the highest local Shiite authority. Card Sako: preparations for the trip continue "with enthusiasm" to overcome violence, a harbinger of "hatred and pain". Jawad al-Khoei: the two religious leaders are very similar in terms of "piety and humility". An important step "for those who work for peace in the region".

Until recently, the deconsecrated place of worship was used as a film set and a wedding hall. The destruction violates President Erdoğan’s statement on the protection of sacred places. Meanwhile, abuses against Christians continue.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the main communities accuse the ruling class of "toying with the fate of the nation". Ecclesiastical sources report the approval of the Maronite patriarch and the main Shiite and Sunni leaders. The attack on those who "slow down any attempt at reconciliation".

Fr Sefer (Aho) Bileçen, an Assyrian clergyman, is on trial for feeding some members of the PKK. The next hearing is in April. He faces two to 15 years in prison if found guilty. He recently reiterated that he gave food “out of Christian charity”. He was released pending trial following a protest by local Christians.

The 76-year-old outgoing leader (and President of the Republic) confirmed at the top of the party. The country's successes include economic growth in a period of crisis and the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. Congress closes on February 2nd. For analysts and experts, the guidelines and the repression of activism in civil society will remain unchanged.

In 2020, South Korea’s GDP contracted by 1%, the worst figure since 1998. Expected to grow by 3% in 2021. South Koreans will start vaccinating in February. Kim Jong-un does not trust Chinese and Russian vaccines, or the domestic one under development.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry sends a protest note calling for "an end to the provocations" and to "respect the mandate" which entrusts the management of the area to Waqf. The police allegedly blocked access and identified workers and technicians, with threats of arrest and deportation. So far no official reaction from the Israeli government.

Ahead of the New Year of the Buffalo, Msgr. Joseph Nguyễn Đức Cường visited the ethnic communities living on the border with Laos. A poor reality, which survives thanks to agriculture and the forest resources. But at the same time rich in faith and happy to receive a visit from tehir pastor. Mass in the open air, a tree as an altar.

The letter is also addressed to Macron, Johnson and Merkel. The signatories include clerics, civil society leaders, and doctors. The Syrian people “demand quick answers” to an exceptional crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated difficulties. The country is at risk of “famine” and people go to sleep “hungry”.

The oil crisis and coronavirus pandemic have fuelled unemployment. The Ministry of Labour confirms the "nationalization" of some sectors. Work permits will not be renewed upon expiry. Over 25 million foreign workers live in the Gulf and make up the majority of the employment force.

The National Insurance Institute reports that 23 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, almost 50 per cent in the case of Israel’s Arab population. The pandemic has particularly hit the middle classes and the self-employed. The poor were able to rely on government subsidies. Unemployment is a major concern.

Pope Francis appointed the Belgian religious as archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan of the Latins, after years of sede vacante. He will be consecrated on 16 February in Rome, on the feast day of St Maruthas. He appeals to Catholics around the world to nurture “contact and bond” with Iranian Catholics.