Pope phones US President Biden for peace in the Holy Land

Today's news: The Philippines summons the Chinese ambassador over clashes in the South China Sea; In Indonesia, President Widodo's son to run as deputy in elections; In South Korea, number of elderly workerforce is increasing; Iranian journalists who covered death of Mahsa Amini sentenced to prison; Tatarstan wants to use child labour to assemble drones.

VATICAN – USA – GAZA

Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis telephoned American President Joe Biden to speak about "conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace". In the morning the pontiff had renewed his appeal for peace in the Holy Land. At the moment, another 14 trucks of humanitarian aid have been authorized to enter the Gaza Strip, still too few according to the United Nations.

CHINA – PHILIPPINES

This morning Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador after three Chinese and Philippine ships collided for the umpteenth time in the South China Sea. The collisions occurred near the Spratly Islands and both sides released videos to support their claims. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian was last summoned by the Philippine Foreign Ministry in August and the Philippines repeated its call for China to stop its "provocative actions" last week.

INDONESIA

Yesterday presidential candidate Prabowo Subiant, Minister of Defense, announced that the current president's eldest son will run as his deputy in the next elections, scheduled for February 14, 2024. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, could give a boost to Prabowo's campaign , 72 years old, given the enormous popularity of his father, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

SOUTH KOREA

According to a survey conducted by Statistics Korea, 60% of people between the ages of 55 and 79 are currently in the workforce. This is more than 9.3 million people which could reach 10 million by 2024 at the current rate. Since 2013, in fact, the increase in elderly workers has been around 60%, the survey states.

IRAN

Iran has sentenced journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi to several years in prison for writing about the death in detention of 22-year-old Kurdish Mahsa Amini for "cooperation with the hostile US government". Meanwhile, national media reported that Armita Geravand, 16, was "brain dead" after being taken into police custody for violating the hijab law.

RUSSIA

The State Council of Tatarstan would like to amend the labor legislation, to use the labor of minors in dangerous activities such as the assembly of the Iranian-imported Alabuga Politekh assault drones, or underground mining work, which could cause damage to health and to the psyche of adolescents, even with specific training.

KYRGYZSTAN

In Kyrgyzstan, arrests continue of supporters and members of the opposition party Butun Kirgyzstan, suspected of having developed plans for a violent seizure of power. Among them there is also a seventy-year-old pensioner, Salija Taštanova, and a 44-year-old single mother with three children, Čynygul Šerkulova, as well as the party leader Adakhan Madumarov.

• Asia
• Today