United News of Bangladesh

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with top Chinese leaders Wednesday during his visit to Beijing, the first since the heads of the two countries met at a summit in Peru last month, in an effort to make positive inroads in the bilateral relationship. The two neighbors have had a tense relationship in recent years. At the top of Iwaya's agenda is China’s ban on Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as well as China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the East and South China Seas. Iwaya met with China's premier, Li Qiang Wednesday as well as Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart. "Currently the China-Japan relations are at a critical period of improvement and development,” said Li, in his remarks. “ China is willing to work together with Japan to move towards the important direction proposed by the leaders of the two countries.” "I want to build a relationship where the people of both countries feel that Japan-China relations have developed and progressed in a positive direction," said Iwaya, ahead of his meeting with Wang. France gets a new government again amid political crisis His trip comes just before US President-elect Donald Trump is to take office in January. Tokyo considers the Japan-US alliance the lynchpin of its diplomatic and security policies, a tone emphasized in the past four years under US President Joe Biden’s direction, but it’s unclear how Trump will impact the alliance. Japan has revamped its approach to defense i n response to Chinese actions in recent years, boosting military spending and shifting away from a principle of self-defense. Earlier this year, Japan protested when a Chinese military plane flew into Japan's airspace, while in the summer, a Chinese survey ship sailed into Japanese territorial waters. While how US-China relations come out under the Trump administration is unclear, Japan is seeking stability in its relationship with its neighbor and hopes to develop ties in areas of mutual interest, including the economy and the elderly care industry. South Korea's opposition party vows to impeach acting president Iwaya told reporters before his departure Tuesday that he will also hold bilateral high-level people and cultural exchange talks, joined by the education ministers from the two sides. “The relationship with China, our neighboring country, is one of Japan’s most important,” Iwaya told reporters Tuesday. Though there are many issues and concerns, Japan and China share a variety of possibilities, he said. “The two countries share important responsibilities for the peace and prosperity of the region and the international society.” Iwaya, a security expert, is also expected to reiterate his concern about Japanese nationals detained in alleged spying allegations. Japan maintains that the water discharged from the Fukushima plant is treated and diluted to levels much safer than international standards and adequately monitored, but China calls the water contaminated. Japan and China agreed in September to work toward easing the seafood ban by allowing China in multinational sampling missions under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Chinese experts joined an IAEA monitoring mission to Fukushima in October, when China took water samples from the sea just off the coast of the Fukushima plant, as well as the water discharge system on the plant, for analysis.

Local Afghans and the Pakistani Taliban said Wednesday that civilians, including women and children, were killed after Pakistan launched rare airstrikes inside neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistani security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with regulations, told The Associated Press that Tuesday's operation was to dismantle a training facility and kill insurgents in the province of Paktika, bordering Afghanistan. Residents in the area told an AP reporter over the phone that at least 13 people were left dead, adding that the death toll could be higher. They also said the wounded were transported to a local hospital. Meanwhile, in a statement, Mohammad Khurasani, the spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed that 50 people, including 27 women and children, have died in the strikes. Pakistan has not commented on the strikes. However, on Wednesday, the Pakistani military said security forces killed 13 insurgents in an overnight intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan, a district located along eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province. The strikes are likely to further spike tensions between the two countries. Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government denounced the attack, saying on Tuesday that most of the victims were refugees from the Waziristan region and promising retaliation. The TTP is a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. In March, Pakistan said intelligence-based strikes took place in the border regions inside Afghanistan. Pakistan has seen innumerable militant attacks in the past two decades but there has been an uptick in recent months. The latest was this weekend when at least 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed when TTP attacked a checkpoint in the country’s northwest. Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of not doing enough to combat militant activity across the shared border, a charge the Afghan Taliban government denies, saying it does not allow anyone to carry out attacks against any country.

The United States and the United Kingdom have expressed deep concern over the recent handing down of convictions by Pakistani military courts to 25 civilian supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan over their alleged involvement in riots last year. The convictions had previously also been criticized by the European Union and domestic human rights activists. “The United States is deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on May 9, 2023. These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees,” according to a statement released by State Department on Monday. South Korea's opposition party vows to impeach acting president It asked Pakistan to respect the right to a fair trial and due process. In London, the Foreign Office said that “while the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial. We call on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The statements were referring to the violence that erupted after Khan’s arrest in Islamabad in May 2023. The former premier was ousted through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in 2022, and he was convicted of corruption and sentenced in August 2023. Since then, Khan has been behind bars. Khan’s popular opposition party is in talks with the government to secure his release. The 25 supporters on Monday received prison terms ranging from two years to 10 years, which the army in a statement warned acted as a “stark reminder” for people to never take the law into their own hands. Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, has rejected the convictions of civilians, demanding they should be tried in the normal courts if they were involved in the riots. Pakistani health workers' boycotting halts polio vaccination drive in southwest There was no response from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government to the criticism from the US and the UK, but state-run Pakistan Television on Tuesday showed people welcoming the convictions, saying the punishments were given to people who attacked military installations. Earlier this month, Khan and dozens of others were indicted by a civilian court on charges of inciting people on May 9, 2023, when demonstrators attacked the military’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, stormed an air base in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province and torched a building housing state-run Radio Pakistan in the northwest.

South Korea’s main opposition party said Tuesday it will seek to impeach acting leader Han Duck-soo after he missed an opposition-set deadline to approve independent investigations into impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife. If realized, Han’s impeachment would further deepen South Korea’s political tumult and worries by neighboring countries caused by Yoon’s stunning December 3 martial law declaration and ensuing impeachment. Han, the country’s No. 2 official, has taken over presidential powers and duties since Yoon’s impeachment. If he's impeached too, the finance minister is next in line. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament, has slammed Han for vetoing several opposition-sponsored bills, including a controversial agriculture bill. It also urged Han to quickly appoint justices to vacant seats on the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing Yoon's impeachment and will determine whether to dismiss or reinstate him. Filling the court's three empty posts could make conviction more likely, as it requires the support of six of the court's nine possible members. The Democratic Party also demanded that Han approve by Tuesday bills calling for the appointments of special prosecutors to investigate Yoon for rebellion over his marital law decree, and his wife for corruption and other allegations. But Han didn’t do so during Tuesday’s Cabinet Council meeting, calling for the ruling and opposition parties to negotiate. Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae responded that there's no room for negotiations about a Yoon investigation, and that his party would begin steps toward an impeachment at once. “We’ve clearly warned that it’s totally up to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo whether he would go down in history as a disgraceful figure as a puppet of rebellion plot leader Yoon Suk Yeol or a public servant that has faithfully carried out the orders by the public,” Park told a televised party meeting. China says US is 'playing with fire' after latest military aid for Taiwan Korean prosecutors and other officials are separately probing whether Yoon committed rebellion and abuse of power, but he’s ignored requests by investigative agencies to appear for questioning and allow searches of his office. Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several other senior military commanders have already been arrested over the deployment of troops and police officers to the National Assembly, which prompted a dramatic standoff that ended when lawmakers managed to enter the chamber and voted unanimously to overrule Yoon's decree.   The governing People Power Party said that the opposition's impeachment threats are interfering with Han’s “legitimate exercise of authority." Floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, said the Democratic Party’s “politics of intimidation have reached their peak.” An impeachment vote would face legal ambiguities. Most Korean officials can be impeached with a simple majority of parliament, but impeaching the presidents takes two-thirds. The rival parties differ on which standard would apply to an acting president. The Democratic Party controls 170 of the National Assembly's 300 seats, so it would need support from members of other parties including Yoon's own to get a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court has up to six months to determine Yoon's fate. If he's thrown of office, a national election to find his successor must take place within two months.

The Iranian rial on Wednesday fell to its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of value since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November and signaling new challenges for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East. The rial traded at 777,000 rials to the dollar, traders in Tehran said, down from 703,000 rials on the day Trump won. Iran’s Central Bank has in the past flooded the market with more hard currencies as an attempt to improve the rate. In an interview with state television Tuesday night, Central Bank Gov. Mohammad Reza Farzin said that the supply of foreign currency would increase and the exchange rate would be stabilized. He said that $220 million had been injected into the currency market. The currency plunged as Iran ordered the closure of schools, universities, and government offices on Wednesday due to a worsening energy crisis exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. The crisis follows a summer of blackouts and is now compounded by severe cold, snow and air pollution. Despite Iran’s vast natural gas and oil reserves, years of underinvestment and sanctions have left the energy sector ill-prepared for seasonal surges, leading to rolling blackouts and gas shortages. In 2015, during Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, the rial was at 32,000 to $1. On July 30, the day that Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and began his term, the rate was 584,000 to $1. Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that persist today. Iran’s economy has struggled for years under crippling international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions. Tensions still remain high between the nations, 45 years after the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed. Before the revolution, the rial traded at 70 for $1. Iran remains deeply involved in the Middle East conflicts that have roiled the region, with its allies battered — including the militant groups and fighters of its self-described “axis of resistance,” such as Palestinian Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday postponed a polio vaccination campaign in the country's restive southern Balochistan province after health workers boycotted it to oppose a proposed privatization of hospitals. Authorities on Monday launched the final nationwide polio vaccination campaign for the year, aiming to protect 45 million children. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the potentially fatal, paralyzing virus has not been eradicated. Anwarul Haq of the National Emergency Operation Center for Polio Eradication, said the polio vaccination campaign in Balochistan was delayed until Dec. 30 for “better preparedness." He provided no further details. However, other health and government officials said the campaign in Balochistan was postponed after health workers refused to join it and demanded that the government stop plans to privatize state-run hospitals where they work. Representatives of health workers have also urged the government not to employ unqualified workers to carry out the campaign. Read: Pakistan begins another vaccination campaign after a worrying surge in polio cases Restive Balochistan has reported the highest number of polio cases, with 26 out of the nationwide 63 confirmed cases since January. The campaign continue until Dec. 22 in other areas in Pakistan. Pakistan regularly launches campaigns against polio despite attacks on the workers and police assigned to the inoculation drives. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. More than 200 polio workers and police assigned for their protection have been killed since the 1990s, according to health officials and authorities.

The Iranian rial on Wednesday fell its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of its value since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November and signaling new challenges for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East. The rial traded at 777,000 rials to the dollar, traders in Tehran said, down from 703,000 rials on the day Trump won. Iran’s Central Bank has in the past flooded the market with more hard currencies as an attempt to improve the rate. In an interview with state television Tuesday night, Central Bank Gov. Mohammad Reza Farzin said that the supply of foreign currency would increase and the exchange rate would be stabilized. He said that $220 million had been injected into the currency market. The currency plunged as Iran ordered the closure of schools, universities, and government offices on Wednesday due to a worsening energy crisis exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. The crisis follows a summer of blackouts and is now compounded by severe cold, snow and air pollution. Despite Iran’s vast natural gas and oil reserves, years of underinvestment and sanctions have left the energy sector ill-prepared for seasonal surges, leading to rolling blackouts and gas shortages. In 2015, during Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, the rial was at 32,000 to $1. On July 30, the day that Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and began his term, the rate was 584,000 to $1. Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that persist today. Iran’s economy has struggled for years under crippling international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions. Tensions still remain high between the nations, 45 years after the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed. Before the revolution, the rial traded at 70 for $1. Iran remains deeply involved in the Middle East conflicts that have roiled the region, with its allies battered — including the militant groups and fighters of its self-described “axis of resistance,” such as Palestinian Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

In a surprising move to eliminate begging, authorities in an Indian city will begin registering police cases against individuals who give money to beggars, starting January 1, 2025, according to media reports. The initiative aims to make Indore the first city in India to be declared “beggar-free.” The district administration has announced that an awareness campaign will continue until the end of December. However, from January, legal action will be taken against those found giving alms, marking the enforcement of a city-wide ban on begging in Indore. This effort is part of a central government pilot project targeting the rehabilitation of beggars across ten cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. The initiative aims to reshape the lives of those who depend on begging while maintaining Indore’s reputation as a model urban center. India listed as 'uncooperative' country by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement The campaign is being supported by Madhya Pradesh’s Social Welfare Department and local organizations. According to officials, a local organization will provide six months of shelter to beggars while helping them secure employment opportunities. Indore authorities believe this dual approach—combining enforcement with rehabilitation—will not only eliminate begging but also create pathways for vulnerable individuals to reintegrate into society.

The head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, was killed early Tuesday by an explosive device planted close to a residential apartment block in Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. Kirillov’s assistant also died in the blast. Russia launches massive attack on Ukrainian infrastructure with missiles Kirillov was sentenced in absentia by a Ukrainian court Monday for the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022. During the almost 3-year operation, Russia has made small-but-steady territorial gains to the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine it already controls.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan’s decision to request an arrest warrant for Myanmar military commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, can build a momentum for justice and hope if it is seized and built upon now, a UN expert said on Monday, following meetings in The Hague with Khan and his team. “The Prosecutor’s decision to request an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing in relation to his crimes against the Rohingya was a long-awaited and critical step forward,” said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar. “There is not a moment to lose to move the wheels of justice forward. I am encouraged by the Prosecutor’s commitment to requesting further warrants and that this will be done as soon as possible. It is critical that governments lend their full support to enforcing them,” he said. Andrews said this was an important moment for victims of the 2017 attacks against the Rohingya, who have waited for justice for far too long. Myanmar's Arakan Army claims control of border with Bangladesh “Min Aung Hlaing is not only accused of atrocity crimes against the Rohingya, he is also responsible for ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity throughout Myanmar. He must be stopped and held accountable,” he said. On 27 November, ICC Prosecutor Khan, speaking in Bangladesh, announced that his office had filed an application for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing in relation to the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya. He stated that the alleged crimes, which took place between August and December 2017, were committed in part in the territory of Bangladesh, which is State Party to the ICC. Such crimes therefore fall within the Court’s jurisdiction. Myanmar itself is not a State Party to the ICC, and the Security Council has not referred the situation in Myanmar to the Court. “Unfortunately, because of the jurisdictional limitations on the Court, the Prosecutor’s case does not address the full breadth of atrocities committed against the Rohingya, the ongoing international crimes committed by the junta since the February 2021 military coup, nor the historic crimes perpetrated by the military against pro-democracy activists and ethnic groups,” Andrews said. ICC prosecutor requests arrest warrant for the head of Myanmar's military regime He reiterated his call for governments to support universal jurisdiction cases concerning Myanmar in competent national courts and for States Parties to the ICC to consider referring the situation in Myanmar to the Prosecutor under Article 14 of the Rome Statute, further to the declaration made by the National Unity Government accepting the Court’s jurisdiction. “All States that continue to engage with the junta should be re-evaluating their relationship with the Senior General in light of the Prosecutor’s application for an arrest warrant,” the Special Rapporteur said. "Min Aung Hlaing is on notice that he and his brutal military junta can’t hide from justice,” Andrews said. “But the international community must act swiftly. The Prosecutor’s recent decision is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done to ensure robust accountability for the staggering catalogue of crimes committed in Myanmar,” he said.