Dario Salvi

Official ratification awaited after Israeli government meeting. In a statement, the Latin primate of Jerusalem speaks of “a first phase” which nevertheless represents “good news”. Fr Romanelli calls for “just and lasting peace”. Consensus reached on the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of troops, but unresolved issues remain to be defined in subsequent phases.

The vicar to Israel spoke to AsiaNews, expressing hope that peace talks will be given a real chance to stop the carnage in Gaza. Tomorrow, the anniversary of the Hamas attack, prayers will take place to Our Lady of the Rosary on her feast day so that she "supports us on our journey.” For the prelate, unresolved issues remain. “Israelis and Palestinians must show the will to move forward.” The Church's role is to mediate and include.

A court has upheld decades of prison sentences for five defendants. Their ‘crime’ was participating in house church services, taking online courses on faith and attending training courses abroad (Turkey). On 7 October, another trial for blasphemy. In August, state television broadcast a propaganda documentary featuring forced confessions by converts.

Today's headlines: China and India will resume direct flights by October after a five-year hiatus; The South Korean president calls on Pyongyang to resume meetings between families separated by the war; At least eight people killed in four days of anti-government protests in Pakistani Kashmir; In Vietnam, the death toll from Typhoon Bualoi rises to 51, with damage estimated at over €500 million.

The killings took place yesterday in Anaz, a village in western Homs. Gunmen on motorbikes fired at least 30 bullets before fleeing. The motive behind the attack remains unknown. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, one of the victims had been involved in a legal case, but had been acquitted after the court found the charges against him to be baseless. The case had been brought by people from Al-Hosn, a neighbouring village where the perpetrators of the crime fled to.

Announced by Cardinal Pizzaballa and CEI Secretary General Monsignor Baturi. A long-term project to respond to the devastating crisis in the Strip. A pilgrimage by Italian bishops is also being considered. Ten years of Christian contribution to healthcare, from hospitals to the distribution of free medicines and treatment.

Today's headlines: Death toll from earthquake in the Philippines rises to 72, while Indonesia races against time to rescue dozens of students trapped under the rubble of an Islamic college; On the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si', Pope Leo XIV renews his call for an “ecological conversion”; Beijing and Kuala Lumpur study a joint project for the exploitation of rare earths; Tens of thousands of families affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan are still without shelter, with fears for the approaching winter.

For the Jewish leader, a leading figure in relations with Christians and Muslims, the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is a "natural partner" to develop point 18 of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. “Such a clause already appears in the Abraham Accords, but nothing was implemented,” he said. For him, everyone is “blessed by the presence of as very wise as well as deeply spiritual Latin Patriarch (Pierbattista Pizzaballa) who understands the fears and aspirations of the different sides of conflict.”

The Palestinian Catholic leader welcomes the 20-point Gaza proposal. For him, it is imperative to stop death and destruction. The issue of Hamas (which is factionally divided) still needs to be addressed. There is hope for a first step towards ending the conflict, and rebuilding without displacing the population or turning Gaza into a “Riviera”. An international force is important as is the role of Muslim countries like Indonesia.

Today's headlines: Islamic college collapses in East Java, Indonesia, at least three dead and dozens missing, over a hundred injured; The UN discusses the Rohingya eight years after their flight from Myanmar, without representatives or delegates from the Muslim minority; From 20 to 23 October, the annual session of the CPC is scheduled in Beijing to define the next five-year plan; Singapore's population grows, driven by new arrivals of migrants.

For the 2025/26 school year, only one new student had enrolled, but was transferred to another Greek school. The number of students at the Greek High School in the Fener neighbourhood has dropped from 730 to 30 in just under 150 years. For the sake of the school and Christian education in Turkey “I’m calling on everyone to extend a helping hand,” said Principal Dimitri Zotos.

Today's headlines: in Moldova, the pro-European party wins the parliamentary elections with twice as many votes as the pro-Moscow bloc. At least 40 people are dead and over 50 injured in Tamil Nadu at a rally held by Vijay, a film star who heads a local party. The UN has reintroduced sanctions against Iran, while Tehran has executed one of Israel's “most important spies”. In China, the world's highest bridge opened to traffic yesterday.