Houthis release Galaxy Leader crew seized in November '23

Today's news: at least 103 schools in Bangkok suspended classes due to pollution emergency. Isis claims the killing of a Chinese national in northern Afghanistan; Three people stabbed outside Nagano train station in Japan, at least one victim; New Syrian government cancels contract between Tartus city port and Russian companies.

YEMEN

The Houthis in Yemen, declared a “terrorist organization” by Trump, have released members of the ship Galaxy Leader, en route from Turkey to India and seized in November 2023 at the start of a campaign of attacks against freighters in the Red Sea in response to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. On board were 25 people, including workers from the Philippines. The crew was handed over to Oman “in support of the ceasefire agreement” in the Strip.

THAILAND

At least 103 public schools in the Bangkok metropolitan area have canceled classes for between one and five days due to high levels of P2.5 in the air. The capital has been battling the pollution emergency for some time, so much so that Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has authorized school principals to suspend activities to preserve students' health.

AFGHANISTAN - CHINA

A Chinese national was murdered yesterday in Takhar province in northern Afghanistan. Police reported this, while the interpreter accompanying him was unharmed; the Islamic State claimed the attack, although official confirmation is lacking. Beijing was the first to appoint an ambassador since the rise of the Taliban, with which it wants to strengthen trade and investment ties.

PHILIPPINES

A Muslim insurgent group ambushed government troops assigned to escort visiting U.N. personnel in the southern Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding 12 others. The attack yesterday is attributed to militiamen from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf), which more than 10 years ago signed a historic peace agreement with Manila ending the long separatist campaign.

JAPAN

A man stabbed three people in JR Nagano train station, a popular tourist destination in central Japan, yesterday evening before fleeing. The attack claimed one victim (a 49-year-old man), two others (including a woman) were injured, and law enforcement officials launched a manhunt to locate the perpetrator who allegedly struck at random.

INDIA

At least 13 people were killed and five injured by a passing train after they hurriedly got off the convoy they were on--and headed to Mumbai--for a (false) fire alarm. One passenger pulled the emergency brake, several people on board got off without noticing the oncoming vehicle on the adjacent platform. Delhi has launched a billion program to modernize the railways in recent years, but safety issues remain.

RUSSIA-SYRIA.

In Syria, the contract between the port in the city of Tartus and Russian companies that were tasked with 0 million to modernize it by 2023 was canceled without fulfilling their obligations. At the same time, Syrian Customs Director Riad Juli said that “from now on all earnings from port activities will go to the Syrian state.”

TURKMENISTAN

There has been a severe cash shortage in Turkmenistan since the beginning of the year, and ATMs are granting very limited amounts, preventing withdrawal of salaries and pensions. ATMs often issue old, worn-out bills that are not accepted in stores, while large flows of manat cash are found outside the country's borders.