Netanyahu fires head of Shin Bet, bombs in Gaza continue to kill

Today's news:  South Korea oppostion moves to impeach interim president; Hanoi arrests pro-democracy activist for ‘anti-communist activities’; Punjab farmers year-long protest broken with bulldozers and over a hundred arrests; Riyadh cracks down on prostitution and ‘immorality’: over 50 arrests.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the head of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, blaming him for the intelligence failure that allowed the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 to take place. The official decision was made last night by a government vote and is destined to fuel the political and social conflict, while the opposition has already appealed to the Supreme Court. The decision, which is actually linked to the judicial investigations against the prime minister, has fuelled the street protests that are joining those of the families of the hostages due to the resumption of the conflict in Gaza. In the Israeli air force's bombardments of the Gaza Strip in the last few hours, meanwhile, at least another 91 people have died and new evacuations have been ordered.

SOUTH KOREA

Today the opposition parties presented a motion for the impeachment of the interim president Choi Sang-mok. This was announced by the Democratic Party, with a decision that risks exacerbating a political situation already marked by the trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol who is accused of having declared martial law in the country for a few hours. At the moment the timing of the parliamentary vote is not yet known; a simple majority will be required to vote Choi out of office.

VIETNAM

Police in the southern province of Dong Nai have arrested 28-year-old pro-democracy activist Quach Gia Khang, accusing him of ‘conducting activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration’ under Article 109 of the Penal Code. A member of the France-based Assembly for Democracy and Pluralism, he is alleged to have tried to ‘overthrow the communist government’ through the use of Facebook, Viber and other social networks. Khang is the second member of the group to be arrested in six months.

INDIA

After more than a year, the authorities have forcibly ended the farmers' protest march that began in February 2024, arresting hundreds of demonstrators and using bulldozers to clear the temporary camps. The demonstrators had stopped at the border between Punjab and the neighbouring state of Haryana, in the north, after the police had stopped their march to Delhi to demand better prices for their crops. Among those arrested were the farmers' leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

SAUDI ARABIA

The Saudi authorities have arrested over 50 people, including sex workers and foreign nationals, in a crackdown aimed at the repression of ‘immoral acts’. At least 11 women ended up in prison accused of prostitution, as well as dozens of migrants arrested for alleged crimes related to activities in massage parlours and for forcing women and children to beg.

JAPAN

Japan is the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States, joining the three host nations already present by right. With yesterday's 2-0 home win over Bahrain, the team from the Land of the Rising Sun has mathematically secured first place in Group C, guaranteeing their eighth consecutive participation in the World Cup.

RUSSIA - INDIA

The president of the Russian company X5, which includes several commercial networks such as Pyaterochka, Perekrestok and Tsizh, with over 400,000 employees, has sounded the alarm about the lack of labour and the decrease in the flow of migrants. To face these difficulties it is necessary to ‘activate projects to attract qualified personnel from Asian countries’, especially from India.

KYRGYZSTAN

On 24-25 April the Central Asia Startup Cup, the first international conference on start-ups for the Central Asian ecosystem, will be held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Among the topics discussed will be ‘smart’ prospects in the commercial sector, with the participation of numerous investors and entrepreneurs from the world's leading technologically advanced companies.

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