A Taliban minister and the Iranian ambassador met in Kabul to discuss the return of Afghans to their country of origin, with an Afghan delegation set to travel to the Iranian capital. An NGO reported the recent killing by Iranian border guards of Afghan migrants (260 dead and wounded, according to some sources).

The Chaldean Patriarch speaks to AsiaNews of a “worrying” situation especially for the civilian population, which pays “the highest price.” Mediations stagnate and the “economics of war” continue to prevail, triggering on other elements of crisis, such as demographics and climate. The role of Shiite militias in the Iraqi scenario and the “scandal” that hit the Chaldean Church recently.

Without a ceasefire and full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, Lebanon remains in a political stalemate. Iranian pressure prevents House Speaker Nabih Berry from freeing himself from Hezbollah's grip. Invited to the Vatican for the Synod on Lebanon in 1995 and the one on the Middle East in 2010, the senior Sunni leader tells AsiaNews that he hopes Lebanon will learn from past tragedies, and return to the Arab fold through the Saudi "gateway".

While they may be divided over the conflict between the Party of God and the Jewish State, Lebanese movements and parties are united in defending the country’s territorial integrity. The humanitarian emergency is getting worse as more and more people are displaced, but expressions of solidarity are also multiplying. Political analyst says the Israeli prime minister is trying to cause a religious war within Lebanon, splitting Lebanese society.

AsiaNews met with Archbishop Mathieu on the sidelines of the Synod, a few hours before the announcement of his elevation to the rank of cardinal. The appointment shows the pope's "incessant desire" to "weave and strengthen bonds with all peoples." The Iranian people are "welcoming", not just " chadors and beards” as portrayed in the West.

For the parish priest of the small Latin rite community, “the war will not end soon,” now that it involves Lebanon. More than 16,000 children have died in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict out of a total death toll of 41,000. For the small Catholic community, the priority is schooling, even if it has to take place in improvised classrooms in the church itself so as not to lose the year. A day of prayer and fasting for peace will be held on 7 October. Many “only want an end to the violence.”