Christmas, Patriarch Pizzaballa: Gaza Christians ‘light of the Church in the world’

Today's news: Xi Jinping's ‘war’ on corruption hits record number of senior officials in 2024. After years of delays, the first underground opens in Ho Chi Minh City. Mass flight of health workers since the rise of the Taliban, millions of Afghans without medical care. Taiwan government against opposition-voted rule cutting spending, including defence resources.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, entered the Strip yesterday - one day after Pope Francis' condemnation of Israel's initial denial of his entry - and celebrated Christmas Mass in the parish of the Holy Family in Gaza. The cardinal expressed his ‘anger and sorrow’ at the enormous destruction, expressing the hope that we can start again from ‘forgiveness’ and emphasising the role of Christians as a bridge for dialogue between Jews and Muslims. Meanwhile, medical sources speak of at least 50 deaths in the Strip in Israeli air raids, while Peace Now denounces the establishment of at least seven outposts in recent months in the West Bank in areas under Palestinian Authority control.

CHINA

In 2024, Xi Jinping's war on corruption hit a record number of high-ranking officials: 56 at the vice-ministerial level or above ended up under investigation, an increase of almost 25% from the previous year. Corruption cases involving major party organs and ministries doubled; they also increased in the aviation and defence industries, decreased in the financial sector.

VIETNAM

Thousands of Ho Chi Minh City residents from soldiers in uniform to couples with children witnessed the inauguration of the first metro line yesterday after years of delays. A USD 1.7 billion project, stretching almost 20 km from the city centre. Vietnam's commercial capital took 17 years to complete, thanks to substantial investment from Japan.

AFGHANISTAN

Thousands of health workers fled the rise of the Taliban in the summer of 2021. The severe shortage of doctors has left millions with limited or no access to life-saving treatment and operations. Poor working conditions, low wages and harassment are the critical factors. According to the WHO there are only 10 health workers for every 10,000 people, below the average of 44 needed for universal health coverage, with 18 million out of 40 in need of care and 9.5 million with non-existent services.

TAIWAN

The Taiwanese government is sounding the security alarm, which is considered to be at risk following the opposition parties' decision to pass a series of regulations calling for major cuts in public spending, including the defence sector. The rule approved last week in parliament would end up weakening the island in the face of an escalation of Chinese military activity in the area.

RUSSIA

The Novaja Gazeta devoted an extensive report to the political prisoners who died this year in Russia in camps and solitary confinement cells, which numbered at least 15 counting the known ones. In addition to Aleksej Naval'nyj, the pianist Pavel Kušnir, the Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roščina, the volunteer Aleksandr Demidenko and those involved in the ‘Bajmak case’ were also mentioned.

TURKMENISTAN - MALAYSIA

The President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, made his first official visit to Malaysia, where he met with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The two leaders discussed cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, textiles, energy and transport, and called for the creation of a joint commission of the governments of Ašgabat and Kuala-Lumpur.

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