More than a month after the attack on Krokus City Hall, the retaliation against Tajik migrants in Russia has not subsided, to the point of prompting a protest note from Dushanbe. Hundreds remain stranded at airports and at the border with Kazakhstan, but Moscow cannot afford to lose the country where its most important military base in Central Asia is located.
On the Solemnity of the Ascension, Pope Francis this evening released the bull "Spes non confundit", announcing the Holy Year in 2025, delivering the document to Churches around the world. Reiterating his call for the guns to fall silent, he calls that the debt of poor countries be forgiven, “a question of justice”. He also expressed hope that the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will offer a visible path on the ecumenical journey, beginning with the date of Easter.
Uzbekistan’s Employment Minister Behzod Musaev was in Seoul to discuss with South Korean officials opening new sectors for Uzbek workers. South Korean businesses have called for the unprofessional worker visa to be extended to more areas. Since President Yoon took office, foreign work permits have jumped considerably.
About 50 homes in a village in the Negev have been razed to the ground, leaving hundreds of people homeless in one of the largest mass demolitions in recent years. For Ben Gvir, the homes were “illegal” and destroying them “an important step”. For the community, “We've sought a solution for years, hoping for a fair resolution.”
The government’s latest education figures highlight the problem. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday opened a conference to address the nation-wide problem. According to UNICEF, 70 per cent of 10-year-olds are unable to read or understand texts. Teachers note that children are forced to work to help their families.
A journey of 10,000 kilometres extolled by Beijing as an opportunity for development (and revenge on Italy's exit from the Belt and Road Initiative). But cotton and tomatoes from Xinjang are at the heart of the ‘policy of poverty alleviation through the transfer of labour’, which according to numerous reports is a form of forced labour.