The inauguration of a place of worship and pilgrimage four years after the papal visit sends a message. Both Christians and Muslims worry about the pontiff's health. A country’s cultural lasting heritage is a treasure that supports the economy. For the patriarch, the secular nature of the state remains a key issue; in the meantime, he appeals for an end to wars and extremist ideologies.
A Likud bill wants to impose an 80% tax on donations from foreign organisations and limit their right to appeal in court. Speaking to AsiaNews, the Development and External Relations Director of the long-standing pacifist association, which is currently demonstrating with the families of the hostages, confirms his concerns about this law. The risk of distancing Israel from liberal democracies and strengthening authoritarian tendencies.
Despite the huge turnout and the high-level Iranian representation, the funeral of the two leaders of the Party of God was not the show of force that many had hoped for. On two occasions, four Israeli fighter planes flew over Beirut. The Christian, Sunni and Druze political leadership stayed away from the ceremony. Aoun to Tehran: ‘Lebanon is tired of other countries’ wars on its territory’.
The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the Saudi Film Commission (SFC) are set to work together to develop cooperation in the film industry. The two sides inked an agreement, based on a 2019 memorandum of understanding, to encourage cultural exchange, film co-production and technological innovation, with training and networking initiatives between industry professionals.
The raid by plainclothes agents in the province of Mazandaran dates back to the beginning of the month but only came to light in recent days.
The bodies of four hostages have returned to Israel, including the two youngest victims (the Bibas brothers) and that of Oded Lifshitz, a veteran journalist and pacifist. For his son, getting the release of all the hostages is crucial, since the work "is not yet done”. Volunteers have tended the garden of the Lifshitz home so that it remains a symbol of hope and dialogue.
