A new chapter in the silent war on heritage in the West Bank. The tomb of the prophet, north of Jerusalem, managed by the Islamic Waqf, has been seized in the latest act of the “Judaization” of Palestinian sites. Peace Now: the aim is to “expand and deepen the annexation”. Rumours of a plan by the Netanyahu government to strip Jordan of custody of Islam’s third holiest site.
In recent years, alongside conventional loans and deposits, this sector has grown significantly in the country and is no longer a niche market: the volume of financing based on Islamic principles has reached 21.1 billion som, an increase of almost sixfold.
Scores have died in Israeli attacks in the south of the country, including across the Litani River. Israel aims to expand the territory it controls by up to 30 kilometres. So far, the capital, Beirut, has been spared, since the United States has designated it “off-limits”. A new round of talks is scheduled for 2 and 3 June in Washington, where the Lebanese delegation will insist on the need for an immediate and simultaneous cessation of hostilities.
In his encyclical, Pope Leo XIV singles out Pakistan's first female prime minister as a public figure who promoted the greatness of humanity. A Muslim, she was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi. Pakistani Catholics expressed gratitude towards her for being a “bridge between our national identity and our faith”, and for the Income Support Programme she created, which is still “supporting millions of women”.
Announced yesterday, the body includes Cardinal David, bishop of Kalookan, former International Criminal Court Judge Pangalangan, and a prominent medical doctor. It will assist survivors and grieving families in their quest for the truth about one of the most painful chapters in the country’s recent history. Reports and recommendations on its work will be published every six months.
Andrew “Cosi” Costello, a popular Australian radio and television presenter, founded “Cows for Cambodia”, a project that lends pregnant cows to the most vulnerable rural families. The initiative, launched following a trip to a country still marked by poverty and the legacy of the Khmer Rouge, aims to foster economic independence.
