Dario Salvi

The town is located on the M5 highway, which connects Damascus to Aleppo. Today it is semi-deserted, but has a high symbolic and strategic value. The militiamen who controlled it fled. UN estimates speak of at least 358 thousand people who fled since December to avoid armed clashes. Fears about an escalation of the "humanitarian catastrophe".

The vicar of Arabia underlines the openness to "students of different nationalities" under the banner of common basic values. The school must prepare people capable of making "effective contributions" to the encounter between "cultures and traditions". To date, it hosts 300 pupils from 22 countries, but at full capacity it can accommodate up to 1800.

Armed men killed two people in Nassiriya; three more died in the capital, where there were violent clashes for the third consecutive day. Over 500 people have died since the start of the protests in October. The weak condemnation of the international community, inert in the face of violence.

Parliament meets to approve the state budget. Lebanese forces announce boycott, but deputies reach quorum. From an initial 0.6%, deficit now at 7%. Maronite Patriarch: the executive must "regain lost trust" and "turn the page" by archiving a "black chapter" in Lebanese history.

Five rockets launched against diplomatic representation in the Green Zone. One hit the canteen, injuring at least one person. At the moment the attack has not been claimed. Security forces intervene to quell street demonstrations, resulting in one victim and over one hundred injured across the country.

Three Frenchmen and one Iraqi man linked to a Christian charity went missing on Monday, last seen near the French embassy in Baghdad. No ransom or claim have been made. The four are “experienced staff members who have been working with us for years,” said the charity’s director.

Supporters of the Shia cleric respond to his appeal for a “million strong” march. Many people dressed in white, ready to die for the country. Anti-government protests continue in Tahrir square. In his Friday's sermon, al-Sistani appeals again to politicians to form a new government as soon as possible.

The archbishop of Damascus sounds the alarm: austerity has given way to widespread poverty. Wages have fallen by 50% in just three months. Lebanese crisis and US-Iran tensions have exacerbated an already difficult situation because of the war. A "new vocation" emerges in the drama based on "love, forgiveness, sharing, compassion".

The executive committee’s third meeting was held on January 21 and 22. Christian leaders re-launch appeal for the release of the two bishops kidnapped in Syria. The political and institutional situation in the area is worrying, from Lebanon to Iraq. Greater support for Christians in Palestine, victims of occupation and isolation.

Cardinal addresses citizens, inviting them not to oppose "an outright rejection" to new cabinet but give them time to "put a rescue program in place". Violence and destruction, he adds, "must end". Yesterday, new demonstrations and more clashes in the center of Beirut, at least 10 injured. President Aoun calls on the executive to "conquer the confidence of the Lebanese".

The Iranian president’s chief of staff reaches out to the Saudis, noting that Iranian-Saudi relations should not be influenced by tensions with the United States. For Mahmoud Vaezi, the two countries “should work together to resolve their problems”.

The announcement came late yesterday evening after a meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. Since the night, protesters have blocked numerous streets across the country and tried to break through the cordon to protect Parliament. The executive is not comprised of external technicians but "experts" linked to the various political movements.