Too many illegal migrants: Ecuador suspends visa waiver from China

Today's news: Putin and Kim will sign a 'comprehensive strategic partnership' in Pyongyang; Religious parties also threaten to leave Netanyahu government over law on how rabbis are chosen; Curfew in Orissa after Hindu fundamentalists attack cow slaughter for Eid; Germany wants to repatriate Afghan asylum seekers via Uzbekistan; Japanese in favour of an 'official' government meeting app.

ECUADOR-CHINA

Ecuador announced the suspension from 1 July of an agreement with China that provided visa-free travel to the South American country for Chinese citizens, citing a 'worrying' increase in irregular immigration. As of 2023, people from China are among the top nationalities of migrants reaching the United States. Ecuador - which, along with Suriname, are the only two American countries that offer visa-free travel to Chinese citizens - has become a departure point for Chinese migrants who then travel north through Central America before entering the United States.

NORTH KOREA-RUSSIA

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in talks that began today in Pyongyang. The summit meeting followed an official welcoming ceremony held in Kim Il Sung Square. In his opening speech, Putin expressed appreciation for North Korea's support for Russian policies, including Moscow's war on Ukraine.

ISRAEL

Just as the threat of a large-scale conflict also looms on the Northern front with Lebanon, religious parties in Israel are now also threatening to abandon the Netanyahu government. The reason for the clash is the premier's decision to block a bill that would have changed the way rabbis are appointed in local communities. Pointing the finger at the internal divisions within Likud, representatives of Shas made it known that the fall of the executive would now only be a "matter of time".

INDIA

A curfew and internet suspension have been triggered in the coastal city of Balasore, in the Indian state of Orissa, after clashes over allegations of cow slaughter during the Eid celebration by the Muslim community. The clashes - which took place in the afternoon of 17 June - injured at least 15 people, including five policemen, with assaults in several villages on the homes of the Muslim minority, which represents just two per cent of the local population.

GERMANY-UZBEKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN

The authorities in Germany are discussing with those in Tashkent the possibility of repatriating Afghan asylum seekers via Uzbekistan with flights of a private company. As Bloomberg informs, this 'migration pact', which was discussed by a German delegation in May, would prevent Berlin from conducting direct negotiations with the Taliban in Kabul.

JAPAN

According to a poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, the majority of Japanese citizens would not mind a state-supported dating app to encourage marriages against declining birth rates. The nationwide poll found that 54% of respondents were in favour, while 36% were against it. The poll follows the Tokyo metropolitan government's recent announcement that it will launch such an initiative powered by artificial intelligence. Administrators in the capital emphasise credibility and a sense of security for users.

RUSSIA

In the Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Moscow, a 19th century copy of the icon of the Virgin Mary of Vladimir, which had been saved from the destruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 1931 on Stalin's orders, has been recognised in a corner of the altar and will now be solemnly returned to the cathedral rebuilt in 1997, the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow.

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