Speaking to AsiaNews, the Custos of the Holy Land describes a surreal feeling, with something “looming" from Iran. Israel’s nationalist-religious leaders are fuelling the conflict, while Israeli civil society is unable to find a political response. Defending Christian-owned land and property is essential for the future.
Today's headlines: Iran arrested a street female performer for singing in public without headcover. Purges continue in Vietnam, where a tycoon was sentenced to 21 years for fraud. Tomorrow in Jeddah, the OIC will meet to discuss Haniyeh’s assassination at the request of Pakistan and Iran. Cambodia’s prime minister is set to launch the controversial Funan Techo project. China and Kazakhstan plan to jointly build a lunar station.
Today's headlines: Israel is on maximum alert for an expected attack from Iran and its allies in response to Haniyeh’s killing. China hits an historic low in the number of marriages in the first six months of 2024. At the Torkham border crossing, Pakistan denies entry to Afghan drivers without passport or visa. Thailand draws up a ten-year plan in response to healthcare crisis.
In the first six months of the year, the Islamic State has already carried out 153 operations and is reportedly trying to ‘rebuild itself’. The jihadists' strength in acting and carrying out their objectives is worrying. The prime minister praises the ‘diversity’ represented by Christians, who are a ‘factor of stability’. The Chaldean Synod closes with an appeal for unity among Churches and belonging to the land.
The pontiff sent a message to the archbishop of Paris ahead of the Paris Games stressing truce, peace and fraternity. Although the Games have been marked by wars and restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes due to the war in Ukraine, they are also an opportunity to “discover and appreciate each other, to break down prejudices, to foster esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, and friendship where there is hatred.”
Today's news: at least 32 killed in student protest in Bangladesh, state TV set on fire; Police investigate cyanide used in the murder-suicide of six Vietnamese men in a Bangkok hotel; Consensus reached between Tokyo and Pacific Island leaders on releasing Fukushima waters into the ocean; Monsoons in Nepal caused 125 deaths in little over a month.
The decision was taken to support Pakistan and is linked to geopolitical and trade factors. The sensitive news is found in minutes of a recent meeting at the Foreign Affairs Committee. The number two of the defence industry agency told the committee that no sales are allowed if the buyer is based in or is linked to India.
Today's news: Beijing breaks off talks with the US on nuclear arms control in Taiwan. The Knesset rejects the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry on 7 October, satisfied Netanyahu. Japanese PM apologised to victims of forced sterilisation. Indian economy has the fastest growth rate among emerging nations.
Protests escalated in Diwaniyah and Najaf due to power supply shortages at a time of record heat (50 Celsius). The police responded with tear gas and live ammunition, and many fear a repeat of the mass protest of 2019. In Nasiriyah, China is set to build a civilian airport to handle 2.5 million passengers a year, boosting its partnership with Iraq.
Today's news: Police in Laos rescue 17 girls (as young as 10) from sex slavery for Chinese tourists; UN report denounces "institutionalized" forced labor in North Korea; Six Vietnamese men poisoned in a Bangkok hotel room; Recruitment among ultra-Orthodox begins next week, clashes in Tel Aviv; Hindu group offers prayer for Trump's "health" after attack.
A Baha'i researcher under arrest and three Baha'is convicted are the latest examples of sectarian persecution. The president-elect has Azerbaijani and Kurdish roots, and one of the first steps he took was to meet religious leaders. For Turkey’s Erdogan, he will improve relations because he "speaks Turkish". For others, the focus on dignity is just propaganda. The world is waiting to see who will be the next foreign minister.
Today's news: three civilians killed in an Israeli raid in southern Lebanon, in Gaza the attack on the UN school exceeds 20 dead; Talks between Palestinian factions on 20 and 21 July in China; High North Korean official in Cuba defects and flees to South Korea; Bangkok court postpones extradition hearing in Vietnam for activist Montagnard Y Quynh Bdap.
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