ISRAEL-PALESTINE-GAZA
Hamas's last-minute announcement of the acceptance of a proposal from Qatar and Egypt for a ceasefire was not enough to stop the start of the Israeli military ground operation in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. The Netanyahu government - claiming that the terms accepted by Hamas are different from those proposed - started the incursion during the night and this morning took control of the crossing with Egypt. Today, however, delegations from both sides are in Cairo where negotiations continue.
CHINA-GREAT BRITAIN
According to Sky News yesterday evening, British parliamentarians will be informed today of a massive data breach at the Ministry of Defense which has affected service personnel. The government did not name the country involved in the cyber espionage operation, but Sky News believes it is China. The attack allegedly affected a payroll system with active-duty personnel and some veterans. Above all, names and bank details would have been exposed.
CHINA
Chinese provinces are urging companies to offer women flexible job roles, called "Mamas' Posts" that make it easier to balance work and childcare. This is one of the measures to encourage women to mother, after in 2023 the Chinese population decreased for the second consecutive year and births reached a historic low. Many mothers stay out of the job market for more than three years, until their children are old enough to enter daycare, and need flexible hours to re-enter the workforce.
INDIA
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted today in the third of seven phases of the legislative elections which will end on June 1st. Meanwhile, the Indian Election Commission has sent a letter to all political parties ordering them to remove any video or audio created with false content through artificial intelligence within three hours of notification. The notice comes a week after a BJP delegation, led by current IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, called for "urgent measures" to address the impact of doctored videos on the country's ongoing voting.
PHILIPPINES
Poor families and those living in areas outside Metro Manila were hit hardest by inflation in April, driven largely by soaring rice prices, a heat wave that damaged crops and depreciation of the peso against the dollar. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported today that the nationwide inflation rate in April rose to 3.8 percent, but that of households with incomes below 30 percent of the average reached 5.2 percent. in April, compared to 4.6% in March.
RUSSIA-ARMENIA
On the eve of the Victory Day parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan at the end of the session of the Eurasian Economic Council chaired by Armenia. As the assistant to the president Yuriy Ušakov explained, the meeting aims to "candidly address the problematic issues that have emerged in recent times".
KYRGYZSTAN
In Kyrgyzstan, the demand to receive religious education in madrasas is growing, especially for girls, raising many concerns about the poor level of religious schools, with the danger of leading to a radical "Islamisation" of the country. According to information from the Muftiat of Bishkek, there are currently 130 active madrasas, 34 for women.
