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Japan saw its biggest year-on-year jump in foreign workers since records began, government data showed Friday, as the country seeks to address labour shortages exacerbated by its ageing population.In October 2024, the nation’s foreign workforce stood at 2.3 million — an increase of around 254,000 people from a year earlier, labour ministry data showed.That marks …

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Ayse Barim, a renowned manager of Turkish television stars, has always steered clear of politics, but that did not help her escape prison on charges of “attempting to overthrow the government”. Barim, put into pre-trial detention on Monday, joined a long list of personalities being prosecuted by the authorities, a move denounced by opposition parties that accuse the government of using the judiciary to intimidate dissidents. The charges against Barim date back to 2013 when protests started over the government’s urbanisation plans of Gezi park in the heart of Istanbul. Prosecutors accuse her of “pushing” her actors to take part in anti-government demos, a claim she denies. Famous actors including Halit Ergenc, star of the world-famous Turkish series “The Magnificent Century”, are also under judicial scrutiny as part of the same probe. Ergenc was summoned for questioning last Friday.For Mehmet Esen, actor and former president of the Turkish Film Workers’ Union, it is an attempt to put a stranglehold on the cultural sector, one of the few realms not entirely controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative government. “Artists have great influence in Turkey. What’s more, most of them are dissidents. They take a stand against injustice. It’s clear that the government wants to break that,” Esen said.- Power struggle -Speeches delivered by artists at film festival ceremonies, or the scripts of some Turkish TV series that break audience records, are often critical of the government and touch on pressing issues in society including women’s rights or the polarisation between conservatives and secularists. “The cultural sphere has become an area of power struggle between the opposition and the government,” said Goksel Aymaz, a sociologist at Marmara University in Istanbul. According to Aymaz, even if Barim was not politically engaged, this did not prevent the government from deeming her “a force” behind the Gezi protests. “As long as she’s a prominent figure in the series sector, it doesn’t matter whether she’s politicised or not,” he said. “The government’s aim is to reshape the industry by imposing its own influence, in order to perpetuate its power.”-Istanbul mayor targeted-Turkish authorities regularly target journalists, lawyers and elected political representatives, especially since the failed 2016 coup against the government. In mid-January, prosecutors opened an investigation against the Istanbul Bar Association on charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda”, accusing it of links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The probe was opened because lawyers had called for an investigation into the death of two Turkish Kurdish journalists in Syria in late December, in an area where Kurdish fighters were operating.Since local elections in March last year, 10 opposition mayors have also been arrested, removed from office and replaced by government-appointed administrators.And on Tuesday, three journalists from the opposition TV station Halk TV were arrested for broadcasting an interview with a forensic expert in an investigation into Istanbul’s popular Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.Two of them were released under judicial control Wednesday.Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, was summoned to appear before the public prosecutor on Friday, even though he is already the target of numerous other legal proceedings.According to observers, the investigation targeting the television sector could also be aimed at Imamoglu, who was re-elected with fanfare as mayor of Turkey’s largest city. Pro-government daily Yeni Safak has already accused Barim of using her influence to support the mayor. “The power of justice is being abused to spread fear in all strata of society. We are not afraid and we will not remain silent”, Imamoglu commented on X. His main opposition CHP party also denounced what it described as a “climate of fear”. “The government is trying to discourage civil society by showing that it can neutralise the journalists or politicians it trusts,” political scientist Mesut Yegen said on the private broadcaster Ilke TV on Tuesday. “Thus it is trying to prevent any street movement that might lead to a call for early elections,” he said.

European stock markets rose Thursday as the European Central Bank cut interest rates again while US shares were steady after a mixed bag of company earnings reports. European markets advanced across the board after the ECB trimmed interest rates for the fifth time since June as inflation eases and the eurozone economy stagnates.In New York, major …

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US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that Egypt and Jordan would take in displaced Gazans, despite the two Arab nations dismissing his plan to move Palestinians from the territory.Trump’s comments came a day after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II rejecting any forced displacement of Gazans following the war between Hamas and Israel.”They will do it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked for his response to the Egyptian and Jordanian refusal, and whether he would consider imposing tariffs on either country to push them.”They’re going to do it. We do a lot for them, and they’re going to do it.”After an Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect on January 19, Trump last week floated a plan to “clean out” the Gaza Strip and for Palestinians to move to “safer” locations such as Egypt or Jordan.He said the 15-month war had reduced the Palestinian territory to a “demolition site.”Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made a rare trip to Gaza this week, the White House said, in a bid to prop up the fragile ceasefire. He also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Egypt’s Sisi, a key US ally, had said on Wednesday in his first public response to Trump’s comments that displacing “the Palestinian people from their land is an injustice that we cannot take part in.”Jordan’s King Abdullah II separately stressed his country’s “firm position on the need to keep the Palestinians on their land.” Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, both Egypt and Jordan have warned of plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank across their borders.

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, promised Thursday to hold a “national dialogue conference” in his first address to the nation since the fall of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.Sharaa, who was appointed interim president a day earlier for an unspecified transitional period, vowed to preserve “civil peace” and Syria’s territorial unity.”We will announce in the coming days a committee charged with preparing the national dialogue conference, a direct platform for discussions, to listen to different points of view on our future political programme,” Sharaa said in the prerecorded televised address.Sharaa also committed to issuing a “constitutional declaration” to serve as a “legal reference” during the country’s transition, following the suspension of the old constitution.And he vowed to “pursue the criminals who shed Syrian blood and committed massacres and crimes”, whether they were in Syria or abroad, and to establish “real transitional justice” after Assad’s fall.The speech followed a visit by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who emphasised the “urgent need” to form an inclusive government during a meeting with Sharaa, according to the Qatari royal court.The emir’s trip to Damascus was the first by a head of state since Islamist-led rebels seized power less than two months ago. It also follows a visit by Qatar’s prime minister this month.The emir “stressed the urgent need to form a government representing all spectrums” of Syrian society in order “to consolidate stability and move forward with reconstruction, development and prosperity projects”, the royal court statement said, congratulating Sharaa on his appointment.Syria’s new authorities on Wednesday said Sharaa had also been tasked with forming a transitional legislature. They announced the dissolution of all armed groups involved in Assad’s overthrow, as well as the former government’s army.A transitional government had previously been appointed to steer the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country until March 1.Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions with the Qatari delegation touched on reconstruction in the country devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war.- ‘Historic visit’ -Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar did not restore diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad and was one of the first to back the armed rebellion that erupted after his government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011.Several visiting foreign officials have urged an inclusive transition after Sharaa’s Islamist group led the offensive that ousted Assad on December 8.Qatari foreign ministry official Mohammed al-Khulaifi welcomed Wednesday’s announcement by Syria’s authorities “on the end of the revolutionary phase and the transition to the phase of establishing the state”.Doha would continue “to provide the required support on all humanitarian and service levels, and also regarding infrastructure and electricity”, he said.Qatar was the second country, after Turkey, to reopen its embassy in Damascus following Assad’s overthrow. It has urged the lifting of sanctions.During a visit earlier this month, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani pledged to support the rehabilitation of Syria’s infrastructure.A diplomatic source has also said Qatar was weighing plans to assist Syria with public sector salaries.- Regional congratulations -Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince on Thursday congratulated Sharaa on assuming Syria’s interim presidency.Riyadh was key to returning Assad’s Syria to the Arab League in 2023, after openly championing his overthrow following Damascus’s 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy protests, which sparked war.”We are pleased to express our congratulations on the occasion of your assumption of the presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic in the transitional phase,” King Salman said in a cable, according to the foreign ministry.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi prime minister and de facto ruler under his ageing father, sent a separate cable also offering his congratulations, the statement said.Last week, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister visited Damascus, promising help to secure the lifting of international sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule.Shaibani travelled to Riyadh early in January for his first official trip abroad, and also visited Qatar during a regional tour.Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Sharaa on Thursday, wishing him “success in leading Syria and serving its people”.Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, a delegation from Russia, a close ally of ousted leader Assad, visited this week, while foreign ministers or senior officials from countries including France, Germany and Turkey have also been to Damascus.Syria’s defence ministry said Thursday that a high-level Turkish military delegation also visited the country.burs-tgg/dv/smw

A freed ex-militant received a hero’s welcome in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after chaos during a Gaza hostage release briefly delayed the third Israel-Hamas exchange under a ceasefire deal.At around dusk, two buses carrying released inmates left from the West Bank’s Ofer Prison after Israel said it had received assurances from mediators over the future “safe release” of captives.Hundreds of joyous Palestinians greeted them when they arrived in Ramallah, an AFP correspondent said.Flashing a victory sign, the first to disembark was Zakaria Zubeidi, 49, a former top militant leader jailed for attacks that killed several Israelis.The cheering crowd immediately hoisted him onto their shoulders.Israel’s prison service confirmed it had freed 110 inmates in the latest hostage-prisoner swap under the January 19 ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.Earlier in the day, after more than 15 months of captivity, three Israelis were freed by militants in Gaza alongside five Thais who were also captured in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.Netanyahu had denounced what he called “shocking scenes” during the hostage releases in Khan Yunis, where television images showed gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans seeking to witness the handover.First to be freed Thursday was 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger, who was handed over to officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jabalia, northern Gaza.Before her release, footage showed her on a stage with masked Hamas members in distinctive green headbands, being prompted to wave to onlookers.The Red Cross said it facilitated the latest hostage-prisoner exchange but urged all parties to improve security and uphold agreements.”The security of these operations must be assured, and we urge for improvements in the future,” ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.Another hostage and prisoner release is scheduled for Saturday, with three Israeli men set to be freed.- ‘Thank you God’ -All the freed Israeli and Thai hostages were taken to hospitals after their return to Israel, the military said.The two other freed Israelis are civilians Gadi Moses, 80, and Arbel Yehud, 29, both of whom also hold German nationality.Yehud’s family, still awaiting the release of her partner and brother from Gaza, urged future releases to go ahead unhindered.”We urge everyone not to let this open door close. Everyone must be brought home immediately so that we can heal as a society,” the family said.Footage released by the Israeli military showed Moses, 80, in the tearful embrace of his family during their reunion at a reception centre in southern Israel.Netanyahu’s office named the freed Thais as Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Tanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Surasak Lamnau and Bannawat Saethao.”It is confirmed everyone, my son did not die. Thank you, God,” a sobbing Wiwwaeo Sriaoun said at her home in rural Thailand as she heard confirmation her farm worker son was among those freed.In war-devastated Khan Yunis, dense crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Yehud and Moses near the childhood home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who Israel killed in October.On August 1, Israel’s military had announced the killing of the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, but Hamas had never confirmed his death — until a statement from the group on Thursday announced his “martyrdom”.The ceasefire hinges on the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, in exchange for around 1,900 people — mostly Palestinians — in Israeli custody.The truce deal has allowed a surge of aid into Gaza, where the war has created a long-running humanitarian crisis.But Hamas accused Israel of slowing aid deliveries, with one official citing key items such as fuel, tents, heavy machinery and other equipment.COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, called this “totally fake news”.As the text of the agreement — mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States — has not been made public, AFP was unable to verify its terms on aid.- Displacement ‘injustice’ -The ceasefire deal is currently in its first, 42-day phase, which should see 33 hostages freed in stages, excluding the Thais.Negotiations for a second phase of the deal should start next Monday, according to a timeline given earlier by an Israeli official. This phase would cover the release of the remaining captives, the Times of Israel has reported.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing the agreement, which took effect before his inauguration, and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in the talks, met Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday.Trump has invited Netanyahu to the White House on February 4, according to the premier’s office.More than 376,000 displaced Palestinians have gone back to northern Gaza since Israel reopened access this week, according to the UN humanitarian office OCHA, with many returning to little more than rubble.”My house is destroyed,” 33-year-old Mohammed al-Faleh told AFP.”The biggest problem is that there is no water,” he added. “Food aid is reaching Gaza… but there is no gas or electricity. We bake bread on a fire fuelled by wood and nylon.”Israel cut ties with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from Thursday following accusations some of its staff belong to Hamas.UNRWA has long been the lead agency in coordinating aid to Gaza, and the United Nations said on Thursday it would continue working in all Palestinian territories despite the Israeli legislation.