Dario Salvi

While Israel’s parliament is on recess for high holidays, one committee expedites one a bill advanced by Ben-Gvir and Levin to allow the police to use cameras for the identification and proactive or retroactive analysis of images. Activists and critics fear the law will be used in an abusive and twisted manner.

Today's news: Riyadh sets18-year jail term for high school student for tweets supporting political prisoners; At least 1400 migrant workers enter China every day from Myanmar through the Muse trade hub; Turkish, along with Arabic and Kurdish, is the third official language in Kirkuk; The Indian judiciary confiscates the property of a Sikh separatist leader; Taiwan wants to produce two new submarines by 2027 and equip subsequent ones with missiles; Seoul against the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow.

So far, 3,300 people have been reported dead in Derna, but the final toll might top 20,000. At least 43,000 have been displaced. The investigation by Libyan authorities suggests that the tragedy was compounded by the failure of a Turkish company to complete repair work on the collapsed dams. Turkey’s presence in Libya is but a small part of its growing economic and political footprint in Africa.

The Philippines plans to go before a yet-to-be-named international tribunal seeking damages against Chinese vessels operating in the Philippine section of the disputed South China Sea China’s aggressive policy is blamed. Beijing rejects the accusations; instead, it points the finger at Japan over its release of contaminated waters from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Extraordinary repair and maintenance work needed. Undefined timeframes, some experts even speak of 50 years for completion. The closure hypothesis a 'political issue'. The denial by the Minister of Tourism that it will be regularly opened as a mosque (and open to tourists).

Chinese diplomats have tried to block a conference held yesterday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Beijing claims it is shutting down internment camps when in fact it is simply moving inmates to regular prisons.

Two Vietnamese activists are on their way to the United States thanks to a deal negotiated before Biden's visit; another couple is already in Germany. A private agreement promises improvements to freedom of worship and NGO activities. Yet 374 activists are at risk of arrest or closely monitored, while 190 are in jail, laments advocacy groups Project 88.

The cardinal relects on the the tumultuous weeks since the withdrawal of the presidential decree under pressure from self-styled leaders (in the pay of Tehran). A "more subtle" threat hangs over the community, but with the same logic as Isis: drive out Christians. The bitterness at the Pope's meeting (at the end of a general audience) with Rayan the Chaldean, who has been proclaimin in Iraq that Sako is no longer the patriarch. Forced to give up his presence at the meeting of the Mediterranean bishops in Marseilles because of the complaints in the courts, part of this campaign against him.

Negotiations between the parties are being finalised and should be concluded by the end of the year. It would be the second plant after the Russian one, but two others are already under consideration. Turkey is counting on nuclear power to diversify its energy sources and meet its environmental goals.

At the end of the Marian prayer, the pontiff mentioned "Rencontres Méditerranéennes", which he plans to attend, calling it a "fine initiative" that can "promote paths of peace". The pope urged the faithful to pray for the Ukrainian people and every land "bloodstained" by war. He also noted that the Gospel encourages “forgiveness" to “defuse anger and heal so many maladies of the heart that contaminate society.”

Rev Joseph Shahbazian was given a 10-year sentence, reduced to two in May. In prison he developed health problems, which might explain his early release. For a Christian activist, this is good news amid a surge of arrests. A year after Mahsa Amini’s death, her father too was detained. The authorities are trying hard to ban her memory.

Today's news: Afghan Taliban have arrested 18 members of an NGO. Japan has a record number of centenarians, 73.74 per 100,000 people. Five Indonesians in six prefer democracy to strongman rule. Not seen for weeks, China’s Defence minister is thought to be under investigation for corruption. Ignoring warnings, hundreds of devout Jews, many with young children, are on pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman. Turkey and Russia resume talks over building a natural gas hub in Turkey.