Dario Salvi

Overnight the jihadist group claimed responsibility for the double kamikaze attack on the city market, with 32 victims and 110 injured. Iraqi Church: "Fateful moment", every citizen called to "turn the page". The Iraqi president against the "rogue" attempts to "destabilize" the nation. Support from the US, the UN and the EU.

Two suicide bombers hit an open-air market in central Baghdad. Several seriously injured people were taken to hospitals in the capital, which had not experienced such violence for a while. No one has yet claimed responsibility but fingers point to the Islamic State group. “[W] did not expect it,” said Baghdad’s auxiliary bishop. Pope Francis sent his condolences.

Figure jumped from 3.7 million in 2019 to 5.2 million last year. In percentage terms, from 6.2% to 8.8% of the total population. In the first half of 2020, at least 340,000 people lost their jobs. The economy records a decline of 6.5%, with estimates of recovery of 4% in 2021.

The mayor himself, an opponent of Erdoğan, made the announcement on social media. The authorities expropriated the orphanage, which was set for demolition in 2015. It will now be a place for youth socialisation in memory of the Armenian journalist killed by a young extremist.

Starting on 25 January, the Chaldean Church will hold three days of fasting and prayer. From Card Sako comes an invitation to transform the “painful experience” of the coronavirus, like the plague of the past, into “opportunities for grace and good”. A prayer should also be dedicated to “the success of Pope Francis' visit”.

Israel launches a tender for 2,500 new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. A move by outgoing Prime Minister Netanyahu to maintain consensus among right-wing and pro-settlement voters in the face of the Gideon Saar threat. Peace Now: a "mad rush" for settlements ahead of change in US administration.

Celebrations and meetings “cannot be replaced by virtual celebrations,” says Fr Frans Bouwen. Unlike Christmas or Easter, technology and the worldwide web are not enough to make up for events with people present. The decision stems from health restrictions imposed by the authorities and a rising positivity rate in the area.

In the announcement published on the internet, the exact location and name of the place of worship are not specified to "protect trade secrets". From 1923 it was used as a tobacco warehouse, then as a textile factory. It could become a museum, cultural centre or hotel. The sentencing of Garo Pylan, an Armenian opposition parliamentarian.

Last year 27 executions were reported, down from a record 184 in 2019. However, a third of them took place in December alone, raising fears of a new spike in 2021. Despite the moratorium, at least five inmates on death row were minors at the time of their offence.

Israel’s immunisation plan is moving quickly, and is expected to be completed by March. In Palestine, the choice of vaccine has yet to be made. For Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, this might be good for his re-election prospects. For Adel Misk, a Palestinian doctor, the campaign “should have been worked out together, without dividing” Israelis from Palestinians. Israeli activist sees health and moral issues related; “Israelis are responsible for what happens,” she says.

The Maronite primate denounces the "state of regression" enveloping Lebanon, after five months of political crisis. The government is "immobile", justice "exposed to political and sectarian interference", the economy is "paralyzed". The need for an "salvation" executive comprising leading personalities.

A man lit a fire and cooked kebabs in the church of the Virgin Mary in Germuş. The building dates back to the 1800s, but has been unavailable to Christians for over a cebtury, subject to excavations and looting. The condemnation of local groups and opposition deputies. In Turkey, hostility towards Armenia and the Armenians continues, considered unwanted neighbors, intensifies.