SOUTH KOREA: Hur Young In, chairman of Seoul baking giant the SPC Group, was arrested today on charges of coercing workers to leave the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and join the employer-friendly Federation of Korean Trade Unions between 2019 and 2022.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the arrest warrant for the chairman on charges of violating the Trade Union aAt and citing concerns about him attempting to destroy evidence.

NORWAY: The government said today that it plans “a historic increase” in defence spending of 600 billion kroner (£44bn) over the next 12 years.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said: “As our security environment is deteriorating, we need to spend more on and pay more attention to defence and preparedness.”

TURKEY: Authorities have detained two people suspected of providing information to Israel’s spy agency, a top official said today, in the latest in a series of such arrests.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects allegedly gathered information about people and companies of interest to Israel and passed on the data and documents to that country’s intelligence officials.

EGYPT: Authorities have arrested 10 activists who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest at which they accused the government of contributing to the siege of Gaza and called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, a human rights lawyer said today.

Egypt has played a key role in efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, but the government has largely banned public protests and any criticism of Cairo’s ties with Israel is highly sensitive.