progress in the Gaza truce. New Israeli incursions into Lebanon

Today's news: Reports of labor abuses in South Korea double in five years. Baghdad will send 10 million liters of fuel to the Gaza Strip. Public apology from a Malaysian company for a shoe logo that resembles the word “Allah.” The Taliban build a wall around the Eidgah mosque in Kandahar for fear of Isis attacks. Moscow slows down the granting of work permits to immigrants from Central Asia.

ISRAEL – PALESTINE

Three people are killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Egyptian sources speak of progress “significant“in talks in Cairo for a truce in the Strip (where there has been a withdrawal of the southern army), with agreement on key points. But Israeli officials cool their enthusiasm, the “distance” remains “great.” Yesterday tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Jerusalem to demand the government's greater commitment on the hostage front.

SOUTH KOREA

Reports of labor abuses and violations in South Korea have been duplicate in five years. The Ministry of Labor recorded more than 10,000 cases in 2023, 12% more than the previous year. The most common form of harassment is verbal abuse and insults, at 32.8%, followed by “inappropriate” measures related to human resources, at 13.8%,

IRAQ – GAZA

Yesterday the Baghdad government approved the shipment of 10 million liters of fuel to Gaza in support of the Palestinian people. This was announced by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, adding that the country is also prepared to receive the wounded from the Strip and treat them in public and private hospitals. The energy crisis has paralyzed hospitals, water supply systems, bakeries and relief services.

MALAYSIA

Verns Holding Sdn Bhd, a company that produces a pair of shoes with a logo similar to the word “Allah” in Arabic, has apologized in an attempt to put an end to the strong controversy that has erupted in Malaysia. The design supposedly depicted a stylized high-heeled shoe and was not intended to be offensive to Muslims; Marketing was suspended and a refund was offered for those already sold.

AFGHANISTAN

Fearing attacks by the Islamic State on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Afghan Taliban built a protective wall around the eidgah mosque of Kandahar, the scene in the past of one of the few departures of its leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Military vehicles worked for a long time around the place of worship, creating a concrete ring that blocked the entrances.

RUSSIA – CENTRAL A.

Since the Krokus attack, the issuance of work permits to Central Asian immigrants in Moscow has slowed down enormously, creating kilometer-long queues at authorized centers, before which they have to wait days, if not weeks, in the cold and rain. According to activists, this is not due to verification, but is a mere form of pressure.

INDONESIA – ORTHODOX

The Russian Orthodox Patriarchal Exarch for Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Sergij (Čašin), first visited the city of Kupang, on the island of Timor, in the Malay archipelago of Indonesia, and met with Christians living there. The province of East Nusa Tenggara, where the city is located, is the southernmost province of the country and, at the same time, the furthest point from the Russian mission.