Bombs continue despite ‘Black Sea ceasefire' between Moscow and Kiev

Today's news: 18 dead in the forest fires that have been afflicting South Korea for days; On social networks, videos of the protest against Hamas by hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza; Controversy in Papua New Guinea over a temporary Facebook blackout for ‘security measures’; A film by an Anglo-Indian director blocked by censors in Delhi for ‘negative representation of the police’.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire for naval vessels in the Black Sea in separate agreements with the United States, after three days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Washington stated that all parties will continue to work towards a ‘lasting and durable peace’ in the statements announcing the agreements, which aim to reopen an important trade route. For its part, Russia has stated that the naval ceasefire will only come into effect after the lifting of a series of sanctions against its trade in food products and fertilisers. Meanwhile, Moscow launched a night attack with drones against the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv, which provides the country with access to the Black Sea, and struck Kryvyi Rih in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest drone attack of the war against the city.

SOUTH KOREA

The death toll from a wave of wildfires devastating the southeastern region of South Korea has risen to 18, with one person still missing. The fires, which started last Friday in Sancheong county, South Gyeongsang province, spread to neighbouring Uiseong and reached the provinces of Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok, fuelled by strong, dry winds.

GAZA-ISRAEL

Yesterday hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated against Hamas in northern Gaza, in what appeared to be the largest protest against the group since the attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. A video circulated on social networks showed a crowd marching through the streets of Beit Lahia chanting slogans such as ‘For God's sake, get rid of Hamas’, ‘Hamas terrorists’ and ‘We want an end to the war’. Local sources said the crowd was dispersed by militiamen, as has been the case for years for demonstrations of dissent in Gaza.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

A temporary block of Facebook has caused chaos over the last two days in Papua New Guinea. The authorities initially defined it as a ‘test’ to limit hate speech, disinformation and pornography; today - revoking the measure - the police chief linked it to ‘an anti-terrorism operation’. Facebook is the most popular social network in the country with more than 1.3 million users, including many small businesses that use it to promote their commercial activities.

TAIWAN-CHINA

Chinese influencer Liu Zhenya left Taiwan after her residence permit was revoked for claiming on Douyin - the Chinese version of TikTok - that China should unify the island by military means. In addition to her, two other Chinese influencers have come under fire from the Taiwanese government for the same reason. In response to these measures taken by Taipei, Beijing has opened a dedicated email address for sending information on individuals or groups that would hinder peaceful ties between the two sides of the Strait or undermine steps towards reunification.

INDIA

The film Santosh by Anglo-Indian director Sandhya Suri, submitted by the UK for an Oscar, was blocked in India by the Central Board of Film Certification who objected to the film's ‘negative portrayal of the police’. Set in rural India, Santosh stars Shahana Goswami as a widow who inherits her late husband's position as a police officer and must investigate the rape and murder of a Dalit girl. In the British newspaper The Guardian, the director Suri said that she had received from the commission ‘a list of radical cuts so long and extensive as to make its implementation impossible’.

IRAN-ARMENIA

Iran's Foreign Minister, Seydi Abbas Arakchi, visited Yerevan, where he met his counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan to discuss the reopening of borders and trade relations between Iran and Armenia, as well as other collaborative projects. Arakchi presented his book ‘The Strength of Negotiations’ in the Armenian capital.

• Asia
• Today