Israel

Today's news: Three killed overnight in Gaza as Israeli police arrest dozens after al-Aqsa prayer; In Taiwan over 600 earthquake victims still waiting to be rescued; In India, consumer confidence is at its highest level since 2019; Hundreds of arrests in a joint police operation against child pornography in Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong.

A spontaneous movement started on 24 March when a crowd marched towards the long-closed Israeli embassy. In response to the demonstrations, the police made arrests and accused the demonstrators of "aggression". Fr. Rifa Badert: fears of internal violent drift, fundamental to resolve the Palestinian question.

Disputed properties in the area known as the 'Cows Garden', which has long been at the centre of a legal dispute, were targeted. The police, without presenting any warrants, supported the attackers in their attempt to evict them. The Patriarchate in a note asks "Christians around the world" to defend and support the battle of the Holy Land community.

The vicar of Aleppo expresses concerns after yesterday’s raid against the Iranian embassy in Damascus that killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. “Here too we have counted 35 dead in an attack that seems to have been coordinated with the rebels and terrorists who control Idlib,” said the prelate who thanks Pope Francis for citing Syria’s suffering in his Easter message. To survive, “people are constantly looking for a piece of bread,” said Maronite Archbishop Nassar.

Today's news: Pakistani court suspends sentence against former premier Imran Khan; Southeast Asians would rather side with China than the US; Pyongyang launches another missile towards the coast; King of Malaysia signals the end of 'honeymoon' for head of Anti-Corruption Commission; In Kazakhstan this year's floods were the most disastrous in three decades.

The Custos of the Holy Land speaks to AsiaNews: the Palestinian issue is a long unresolved problem that must be addressed "with realism". The UN vote on the truce has a "moral value", but we need the "courage" to recognise and legitimise ourselves. The Roman centurion "an example of mature faith". The Collection is a "special communion" and fundamental resource today, with a thought for all persecuted Christians in the world.

The conflict with Hamas and the question of hostages is one of the "sensitive issues", but not the only one. From Jerusalem - the day after Pope Francis' letter to the Christians of the Holy Land - the patriarchal vicar for Israel recalls the tensions surrounding military service for the ultra-Orthodox, violence in Arab society, and growing anti-Semitism abroad. Political isolation also adds "suffering upon suffering". "As Christians we avoid being drawn into hate speech".

For Fr Romanelli, "something is moving" in the quagmire of international diplomacy, but an "effective" truce and "humanitarian aid" are needed. Yesterday's UN vote is a positive step, but it must be accompanied by the delivery of food and medicine and the stop of the invasion of southern Gaza. This year’s Holy Week celebrations are a mixture of “bitterness and joy”.

The Patriarch's words at the procession on the Mount of Olives that opened the rites of Holy Week in a Jerusalem marked by war: "We are here to cry out that even in these tragic circumstances our only reference is Jesus". The closeness to the parish of Gaza: "We pray with you that this night will pass as soon as possible".

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby writes airdrops are “imprecise, inadequate and do not reach those in most need.” For him, “the only effective solution [. . .] is an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and sustained humanitarian access”. But at the UN, Russia and China use their veto to block a US-backed resolution. The United States did the same last month to a resolution presented by Algeria.

Arrivals, especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, are up as peace prospects appear to improve. According to OCHA, the total number rose from about 27,000 to over 90,000 from 2021 to 2023. The country remains one of the main transit points, but Houthi attacks have kept ships away from the Red Sea, resulting in an extra 100,000 barrels of oil burnt per day.

Today's news: At least 15 Palestinians killed in Israeli raid on Nuseirat refugee camP; In India, water reservoirs are at their lowest levels in five years; Pyongyang launches "super-large" rockets capable of hitting Seoul; Villagers in Laos accuse Chinese company of polluting the Mekong.