Dario Salvi

Today's headlines: Israel wants to transfer Gazans to South Sudan, Hamas “softens” demands; Diplomatic success for Moscow, but no agreement on Ukraine after Putin meets Trump in Alaska; Seoul baulks at Japanese ministers visit to the war shrine; Hundreds poisoned in Indonesian President Prabowo's free meal programme; The UN says there were “war crimes” in last March's sectarian violence against Alawites.

Sandra Awad, former Caritas director and now a UNICEF collaborator, has reported on the devastation of the war in recent years. Today she recalls that, despite violence and critical issues, the community plays a ‘fundamental role’ in spreading ‘the spirit of forgiveness’ and ‘healing sectarian divisions.’ She launches an appeal: ‘Free yourselves from the chains of fear.’

Of these, only 11 have been released on bail. The others remain in prison and join the more than 60 already in jail before the conflict for reasons of faith. According to the Ministry of Intelligence, they are “Mossad mercenaries” trained abroad by churches in the United States and Israel. Article 18: their “crime” was to have participated “in a gathering” of faithful “in a neighbouring country”.

According to the Jordanian scholar, the Netanyahu government's ultimate goal ‘goes beyond’ defeating Hamas and redrawing borders. The West Bank becomes an ‘opportunity to be exploited’ with a view to annexation. The weakness of the Palestinian Authority and the international community, the new paradigm of the Abraham Accords. Among the nations of the region, ‘more tactics than alliances’.

Liu Jianchao, 61, considered one of the most influential candidates to become China's next foreign minister, was arrested on his return from the capital. According to experts, he may have paid the price for his personal activism or his close ties to Washington. Since 2022, he had travelled to more than 20 countries and met with officials from over 160 countries.

The Chaldean primate recalls the death and destruction linked to the rise of the Islamic State, which are still present today. Lack of rights and security are driving people to flee. Added to this is the persecution by “militias” who practice “extortion, harassment, intimidation, and seizure of parliamentary seats.”

Today's headlines: Indian authorities ban dozens of books in Kashmir for ‘fomenting’ 'secessionism'; Cambodia and Thailand authorize ASEAN observers to monitor border truce; Trump announces a ‘historic peace summit’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan for today; In China, thousands of cases of Chikungunya have triggered a maximum alert.

Gopichand Padalkar, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, mocked the foundations of the Christian faith at a rally and promised money for attacks against believers. He also linked the suicide of a woman in Jalna to alleged “forced conversions”. For weeks, despite protests and complaints, the judiciary refused to open a case file.

Today's headlines: Myanmar's post-coup president Myint Swe has died; Damascus signs investment agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates worth $14 billion; Indonesia is first country in Southeast Asia to deploy a ballistic missile defense system; Modi on first visit to China in seven years, amid trade war with Trump; Hundreds of Cambodian migrant workers leave Thailand after border tensions (and clashes).

At the end of Wednesday's audience, the pontiff recalls ‘the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing’, calling on the “contemporary world,” marked by “tensions and bloody conflicts,” to use the instruments of “justice, dialogue, and fraternity.” In his catechesis, he emphasizes that love is not the result of chance, but of a conscious choice. And the Eucharist is not celebrated “only on the altar, but also in everyday life.”

Today's headlines: Japan commemorates 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in a world at risk of nuclear escalation; Tensions in the Israeli war cabinet over the plan for total occupation of Gaza, which the UN calls ‘deeply alarming’; In Pakistan, over 240 arrests among supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan; Record exports in Vietnam.

Parliament is discussing a bill that aims to regulate the right to protest and express dissent. Activists and NGOs fear that the text, which has not yet been made public, risks undermining personal and civil liberties in a country heading for elections. Between January and June, at least 20 people were charged with peacefully exercising their “freedom of expression”.