Dario Salvi

Today’s news: Since the March 28 earthquake, the Burmese junta has launched more than 243 attacks and caused at least 200 deaths, according to UN estimates; Ten dead and at least 60 injured in the capsizing of two boats in the Chinese province of Guizhou; The “popemobile” used by Francis in the Holy Land in 2014 becomes a mobile clinic for the children of Gaza; Landslide victory for the Pope in the Singapore elections. Colombo and Tokyo strengthen defense cooperation.

The former labour minister will challenge the favourite candidate, the liberal Lee Jae-myung, in the elections on 3 June. In his acceptance speech, he promised ‘a strong alliance with anyone’ to defeat his rivals. Among his priorities are support for businesses and a hard line against North Korea. However, polls still give Lee a clear lead.

The cardinal has dedicated his work to defending a community that is part of the country and its history. The principle of citizenship, fraternal but frank dialogue with Islam and the courage of ‘transparency’ are the cornerstones of his mission. Among the most significant moments was the Pope's visit to Iraq. For the Conclave, the hope is for a pope capable, like Francis, of ‘reading the signs of the times’.

Today's news: since 2003, incursions by settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have increased by over 18,000 per cent; According to RSF, press freedom has never been so ‘difficult’, with China and North Korea occupying the lowest positions; At least six people have been killed and 55 injured in a stampede at a Hindu temple in Goa; An armed man has killed three people in southern Thailand, with suspicions falling on an Islamic separatist; Hong Kong police have arrested the father and brother of Anna Kwok.

The ruling junta, the Rohingya issue that emerged during Pope Francis' visit in 2017, the riches of the territory and the violence of the military. Lights and shadows of a nation born in the same year as the cardinal. The call to fight ‘hatred and division’, the moderate face in domestic politics and attacks on Beijing for violations of rights and religious freedom, as in the arrest of Cardinal Zen.

A US air raid against a detention centre last Sunday killed at least 68 people from Africa. Since mid-March, US and UK planes hit at least a thousand targets. Advocacy groups report at least 400 civilians killed. Pope Francis is among the few voices who spoke out against the tragedy of migrants in the region.

The upcoming vote will be the sixth since the fall of Saddam Hussein. This will occur against a background of intra-Shia divisions while incumbent Prime Minister al-Sudani is looking for a strong coalition to win a second term. The election appears competitive in Kurdistan, with opposition parties trying to break the KDP-PUK stranglehold. The Christian vote remains an unknown factor while doubts linger over representativeness.

The apostolic nuncio in Damascus - who turns 80 next January - is among the cardinals called to choose Bergoglio's successor. Despite the war and violence, he has never left his diplomatic mission or the Christian community. The ‘poverty bomb’, the tragedy of sanctions and the issue of the disappeared, which also affects the Syrian Church.

According to the SIPRI report, global military spending hit a new high in 2024, at US$ 2.7 trillion. China accounts for half of all military expenditures in Asia, with spending rising in the Far East Asia, especially by Japan. In the Middle East, Israel is investing 8.8 per cent of GDP in the military, the second-highest percentage in the world.

A Franciscan of Belgian origin, he received the cardinal's red hat on 7 December during the last consistory. The Iranian Church is a ‘peripheral’ reality, a small flock that is ‘transparent’ in its faith. Criticism of those who harbour a ‘preconceived’ view of a nation rich in ‘contrasts’. The desire to train ‘local pastors’.

The Chaldean Patriarch spoke to AsiaNews about the late pope on the eve of his departure for Rome to attend the pontiff's funeral and the conclave. Francis was a "prophetic" voice that spoke not only to Christians, but to all Iraqis. His historic trip in March 2021 and the message of peace and brotherhood are his legacy. He “was able to read and grasp the signs of the times better than anyone else.”

In a reflection sent to AsiaNews, the Vicar of Arabia describes the pontiff as a ‘concrete presence’ for Christians in the region. The 2019 apostolic journey, the birth of the House of Abraham and the signing of the document on fraternity. A universal fraternity that welcomes differences as a gift and a treasure, the encyclical Laudato sì and regret at the failure to participate in COP28.