Informed by Damascus and Arab and international media outlets, Lebanese authorities are doubling their surveillance efforts. However, “gaps” in the border between the two countries are hindering the mission. According to the UN, since Assad's fall, 69,000 Syrians, mainly Alawites, have fled to Lebanon, although the data are partial and difficult to verify.
PickMe, one of the leading ride-hailing companies, complains: ‘The police are turning a blind eye to the intimidation suffered by our drivers.’ The new services are breaking the monopoly of local groups that imposed exorbitant fares on tourists.But the failure to enforce basic rules, such as the requirement for a taximeter on every three-wheeled vehicle, also weighs heavily.
Although Rosstat has decided to keep the data secret until 2025, many independent demographers believe that the decline in the Russian population is accelerating. The only areas bucking the trend are the Muslim-majority regions of the North Caucasus. Where religious practice is already much more intense than among the faithful of the Orthodox Churches.
The American Catholic activist founded Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organisation that turns landmine fields into agricultural initiatives. In India for the ordination of her friend, Bishop Stephen Fernandes, she met with students from Saint Stephen High School for the Deaf and Aphasic and symbolically planted a white rose bush with them. For her, “we can break the silence and inspire transformative change”.
Leo XIV closed the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, and referred to the multitudes of pilgrims who passed through it as today's new Magi. Of the 33 million who arrived in Rome, 7.69 per cent came from Asia, with China as the eighth country in terms of numbers. God will continue “to amaze us,” especially “if our communities are homes “. If they “resist the flattery and seduction of those in power, then we will be the generation of a new dawn.”
China cites "international law” and “the UN Charter" to stand with Venezuela (while not respecting it in the South China Sea). Xi Jinping calls on South Korean President Lee to make the “right strategic choices”. A former Japanese defence minister is concerned about a possible domino effect involving Taiwan. India is cautious in order to keep a door open for Trump on tariffs.
