Russia bomb's rebels in Aleppo, Franciscan monastery also hit

Today's news: UN summit on plastic pollution treaty ends without agreement in Busan; At least 19 dead in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu from Cyclone Fengal; BBC investigation reveals tomatoes grown in China with Uyghur slave labour sold as ‘Italian’ pasta sauce in British supermarkets; Tension between Thailand and Myanmar over Burmese coast guard firing at Thai fishing boats.

SYRIA

The Syrian army backed by Russian air force raids is responding to the advance of rebel forces that took control of Aleppo on Friday. Anti-Assad forces were stopped in Hama, while intense bombing raids on Aleppo and Idlib reportedly claimed at least 25 lives yesterday. The Terra Sancta College of the Franciscans was also hit by two missiles in the raids, fortunately without casualties but with serious devastation to the laboratory that produces bread.

SOUTH KOREA

The 170 countries of the world negotiating a treaty to tackle plastic pollution ended their summit in Busan, South Korea, without an agreement. Some oil-producing countries opposed limits on production, arguing that the focus should be on managing plastic waste. In March 2022, the UN Environment Assembly had adopted a resolution calling for the development of an instrument to control plastic pollution by the end of 2024. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, up to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste enter lakes, rivers and seas every year. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, global plastic production and use is expected to increase by 70 per cent in 2040 compared to 2020 levels.

INDIA-SRI LANKA

Cyclone Fengal killed at least 19 people between Sri Lanka and India and caused flooding in the state of Tamil Nadu. Puducherry was hit by the heaviest rainfall in 30 years within 24 hours, the Indian Meteorological Bureau said yesterday. The cyclone also flooded parts of the city of Chennai. In Sri Lanka, 16 people were killed and a total of 138,944 families were affected by the heavy rains, according to the latest figures from the Colombo Disaster Management Centre.

CHINA-UNITED KINGDOM

Tomato passata sold or described as Italian by several UK supermarkets appears to contain tomatoes grown and harvested in China with forced labour. This was revealed by a BBC investigation into 17 products, most of them own brand, sold in supermarkets in the UK and Germany. Most Chinese tomatoes come from the Xinjiang region, where their production is linked to forced labour by Uyghurs and other largely Muslim minorities.

MYANMAR-THAILAND

Thailand protested an incident in which the Myanmar navy fired at Thai fishing boats on 30 November: one fisherman drowned, two were injured and dozens were detained by one of the boats. PM Shinawatra has questioned claims that the fishing boats were trespassing in Myanmar's territorial waters near the southern Thai province of Ranong. Thailand is seeking more details about the incident and a speedy release of four Thai nationals who were among the 31 fishermen detained.

UKRAINE-SOUTH KOREA-JAPAN

The Central Bank of Russia has announced that no objects of a religious nature will be depicted on the new 1,000 roubles banknote, as was requested by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow after the first draft showed the Orthodox cathedral in Kazan without the crosses, while the mosque tower showed the crescent moon, provoking much reaction.

RUSSIA

The Central Bank of Russia has announced that no religious objects will be depicted on the new 1,000 roubles banknote, as requested by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow after the first design depicted the Orthodox cathedral in Kazan without crosses, while the mosque tower showed a crescent moon, provoking many reactions.

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