At the Dushanbe summit, discussions developed on the route that would directly connect Russia to India and Iran. Moscow is unable to offer Central Asia the large investments that China and Europe can, but it is trying to catch up in terms of transport and logistics infrastructure.
Israel’s prime minister pulls out from the signing of the agreement, ostensibly because of a Jewish holiday, but the most likely reason is the presence of Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media announced a historic visit by Indonesian President Prabowo to Israel tomorrow, which Indonesia’s foreign ministry quickly denied. Modi snubs the summit, sending his Minister of State for External Affairs.
Fierce fighting along the border has reignited tensions between the two countries following a Pakistani raid on Kabul against the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad claims 200 Taliban fighters were killed, while Kabul reports 58 Pakistani soldiers killed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trying to broker a truce. In Pakistan, the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement has resumed protests, sparking clashes in Islamabad and Lahore amid growing tensions.
Scores of members have been arrested in at least six cities in what ChinaAid calls "the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution” in the last 40 years against underground Evangelical communities. Rev Jin Mingri was also arrested. A former Tiananmen Square protester, he founded the Zion Church, reportedly numbering thousands of members. The accused were charged with illegal use of information networks just days after Xi Jinping stressed the need to “accelerate the sinicisation of religions”.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Yonatan Zeigen calls for breaking the mould of a country at war where time has stood still since the tragedy of 7 October. The time has come to think about the present and the future, beyond Trump's peace deal, and imagine a "different vision" based on "equality" between the two peoples. Now a new leadership, a new government, a new mindset are needed for both Israelis and Palestinians.
At the celebration for the 375th anniversary of the foundation of the institute, which has been present in this Indian region for more than 150 years, six priests welcomed by children in their schools serving orphans and the poor paid tribute to the service of the religious sisters together with 20,000 other people. ‘A reflection of God's care among us’.
