United News of Bangladesh

A Malaysian court on Monday rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s request to serve the remainder of his graft sentence under house arrest, ruling that a rare royal order he cited was not valid under constitutional requirements. The High Court said the house arrest was “not a valid order” as the king’s prerogative of mercy must follow the advice of the Pardons Board and cannot be issued independently. Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said the former leader was disappointed and plans to appeal the verdict. Najib, 72, is serving a six-year prison term after the Pardons Board reduced his original 12-year sentence last year. He was convicted in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering over 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) linked to SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state fund. He began his sentence in August 2022, becoming Malaysia’s first ex-leader to be jailed. The court’s decision came days before a separate ruling in another graft trial, where Najib faces charges of abusing power and laundering more than $700 million from 1MDB. Conviction in that case could add decades to his sentence. Najib denies wrongdoing, claiming financier Low Taek Jho duped him; Low remains at large. The 1MDB scandal, which investigators say involved at least $4.5 billion stolen and laundered through international accounts for luxury purchases and Hollywood films, contributed to Najib’s government losing the 2018 election after ruling Malaysia since independence. Despite his conviction, he retains influence within the United Malays National Organization, now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.  

Thailand and Cambodia will resume negotiations later this week to establish a more durable ceasefire along their shared border, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Monday, emphasizing that progress requires detailed bilateral talks rather than public statements that internationalize the dispute. Sihasak said the October ceasefire, rushed to coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit, lacked sufficient detail to ensure a lasting end to the armed conflict. He noted that while Cambodia publicly declared readiness for an unconditional ceasefire, Thailand had received no direct proposal, interpreting the statements as an effort to increase international pressure rather than resolve the crisis. The joint border committee of both nations is scheduled to meet Wednesday to work out specific measures to ensure a lasting ceasefire. “This time, let’s thrash out the details and make sure the ceasefire reflects the situation on the ground and is fully respected by both sides,” Sihasak told reporters. The border clashes intensified two weeks ago, derailing the July truce promoted by Trump, which had ended five days of fighting. The October agreement, formalized during a regional summit in Malaysia, aimed to add more detail to the truce, which included releasing prisoners and removing heavy weapons and land mines along the frontier. The conflict, stemming from disputed border territories, has killed more than three dozen people and displaced over half a million. Recent fighting involved Thai F-16 airstrikes and Cambodian BM-21 rocket attacks. Thailand has protested newly laid landmines that injured soldiers, while Cambodia claims they are remnants from its civil war. Sihasak called the new mine incidents “a clear violation” of the October agreement. Thai authorities said they discovered abandoned weapons and explosives in areas described as Cambodian strongholds, suggesting “deliberate use of anti-personnel landmines” against Thai troops. Thailand plans to send letters of protest to Cambodia and Zambia, the current chair of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, to seek action under the convention. Cambodia has not responded to the claims. The U.S. State Department on Sunday urged both countries to end hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, halt new landmine placements, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.  

Southeast Asian foreign ministers convened Monday in Kuala Lumpur for a special meeting aimed at resolving the ongoing border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which escalated into deadly clashes two weeks ago. The session marked the second time this year that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has provided a platform to promote de-escalation between the two member states. The recent fighting disrupted a ceasefire brokered in July under U.S. pressure, with Malaysia mediating and President Donald Trump threatening to withhold trade benefits if both sides did not agree. The truce was further detailed at an October regional summit in Malaysia attended by Trump. The conflict has drawn international concern. On Sunday, the U.S. Department of State called on Thailand and Cambodia to “end hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, cease emplacement of landmines, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” including steps for humanitarian demining and border management. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he discussed the situation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reaffirming Thailand’s commitment to a ceasefire and promising constructive engagement at the Kuala Lumpur meeting. Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn is also attending, emphasizing resolution “through all peaceful means, dialogue and diplomacy.” The dispute centers on contested territory along the shared border. The latest fighting began Dec. 8, a day after a skirmish left two Thai soldiers wounded, and has since included Thai F-16 airstrikes and Cambodian BM-21 rocket attacks. Officials report more than two dozen fatalities and over half a million displaced. MI6 chief warns of Russia’s global security challenge Under the October truce, Thailand was to release 18 Cambodian soldiers and both sides to begin removing heavy weapons and landmines. Despite this, minor cross-border violence and a propaganda war have continued. Landmine incidents remain particularly contentious, with Thailand alleging Cambodia laid new mines while Phnom Penh says they are remnants from its civil war. The Thai navy reported a marine seriously injured by a landmine and discovered abandoned weapons in a Cambodian stronghold, alleging deliberate use of anti-personnel mines. Thailand plans to send formal protests to Cambodia and Zambia, the current chair of the Ottawa Convention, for further action. Cambodia has not yet responded. Source: AP

At least 15 people were killed when a passenger bus crashed on Indonesia’s main island of Java early Monday, according to officials. The bus, which was carrying 34 passengers, lost control on a toll road shortly after midnight, slammed into a concrete barrier and overturned, said Budiono, a chief of the country’s search and rescue agency. The inter-provincial bus was en route from the capital Jakarta to the historic city of Yogyakarta at the time of the accident. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Source: AP 

Severe foreign aid cuts imposed this year by U.S. President Donald Trump, along with reductions from other countries, have devastated child protection, education, and youth programs in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh home to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Thousands of schools and training centers were forced to close, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, child marriage, and forced labor. Hasina, 17, recalls the school that had once shielded her from forced marriage and abuse. When funding for her school was cut in June, her education ended abruptly, and she was married off. Her husband began beating and sexually abusing her, extinguishing her childhood and dreams of becoming a teacher. “If the school hadn’t closed, I wouldn’t be trapped in this life,” she said. UNICEF reports a sharp rise in child abuse and exploitation this year: abductions and kidnappings quadrupled to 560 cases, and 817 children were recruited or used by armed groups operating in the camps. Verified child marriages rose 21% and child labor 17% compared to the previous year, though the real numbers are likely higher. The closures have left children with no safe spaces to learn or play, making them easy targets for traffickers who exploit their desperation. Ten-year-old Mohammed Arfan now spends his days selling snacks instead of attending school, while 13-year-old Rahamot Ullah collects plastic from sewage canals to pay for private lessons he cannot afford. Both boys dream of education and a better life but are trapped by circumstances caused by the aid cuts. Aid agencies warn that the situation will worsen next year. Save the Children has secured only a third of its funding target for 2026, putting 20,000 children at risk of losing access to education. UNICEF has reopened some learning centers using remaining funds, but many schools remain closed. The cuts also exacerbated starvation, health risks, and unsafe conditions in the camps. Families desperate to survive have sent children on perilous journeys abroad, often with traffickers. In one case, Mohammed Ullah’s 13-year-old son was taken by traffickers to Malaysia; his father scrambled to raise a ransom for the boy’s release. Experts and aid workers say the aid reductions have destroyed lives and futures. Children once shielded by schools now face child labor, trafficking, and forced marriage, with little hope of returning to the education and protection they lost.

A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said. The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year. They were accused of selling the gifts, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia’s government, at prices far below their market value while he was in office. Prosecutors said Khan and his wife declared the value of the gifts at a little over $10,000, far below their actual market value of $285,521, allowing them to purchase the items at a reduced price. Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, said he would appeal the ruling on behalf of the former premier and his wife. Under Pakistani law, for government officials and politicians to keep gifts received from foreign dignitaries, they must buy them at the assessed market value and declare any proceeds earned from selling them. Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, said Saturday's sentencing ignored basic principles of justice. In a statement, he said that the “criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules. Bukhari said the court ruling “raised serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the process, turning justice into a tool for selective prosecution.” Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, denounced the ruling in a statement, calling it “a black chapter in history,” and said Khan was present in the court when the judge announced the verdict in the Adiala prison in the city of Rawalpindi. On its official X account, the party wrote Khan's family was not allowed access to the court when the verdict was announced. “A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair. It is, in fact, a military Trial.” Omar Ayub, a PTI senior leader, said on X that there was “no rule of law in Pakistan.” Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan and his wife were convicted and sentenced after the court examined solid evidence. He said the couple indulged in corruption, and “the court delivered a fair decision”. Khan, 73, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and his party is in opposition in the parliament. However, he remains popular in Pakistan. His party made a strong showing in the Feb. 8, 2024, parliamentary election but did not win a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament. The party claimed the vote was rigged. The government denies such claims. Khan's main political rival, Shehbaz Sharif, is the country's current prime minister. Since his ouster, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his removal was the result of a U.S.-backed conspiracy carried out with the support of Pakistan’s powerful military — claims denied by Washington, the military and his opponents. The former prime minister has been serving multiple prison terms since 2023 on corruption convictions and other charges that the former cricket star and his supporters have alleged are aimed at blocking his political career.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday accused neighboring India of “weaponizing water” by releasing water from Indian dams without prior notice, claiming the move violates the World Bank-brokered Indus Water Treaty and threatens peace and stability in the region. Dar’s remarks followed Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry writing to New Delhi seeking clarification over irregular releases from the Chenab River. He alleged that India was manipulating water flows during a critical stage of Pakistan’s agricultural cycle, endangering livelihoods as well as the country’s food and economic security. “Such illegal and irresponsible conduct has the potential to trigger a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan,” Dar said, noting that similar actions in September worsened flooding that devastated hundreds of villages. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi. The Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1960 and overseen by the World Bank, allocates the eastern rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas to India, and the western rivers Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus to Pakistan. Despite wars and border skirmishes, the treaty has generally survived. Dar said Pakistan has informed U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the U.N. General Assembly, urging their intervention. He stressed that any attempt to divert or stop the flow of water to Pakistan would be considered an “act of war.” Source: AP 

China created 12.1 million urban jobs in the first 11 months of 2025, meeting its full-year target of over 12 million a month ahead of schedule, official data showed on Tuesday. Over the same period, the average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, better than the annual target of about 5.5 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Central to household livelihoods and social stability, employment has remained high on China's policy agenda, with authorities introducing comprehensive measures to support job growth.

One of the two attackers behind the deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, was originally from Hyderabad and had been living in Australia for nearly three decades, Indian police said on Tuesday. The suspect, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by Australian police during the attack. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, who authorities say carried out the assault alongside him, survived and is currently hospitalised under police guard. Australian investigators have described the incident as a terrorist attack inspired by the so-called Islamic State group. The Director General of Police of India’s Telangana state said Sajid Akram was a native of Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in November 1998 on a student visa. He had completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad before leaving India in search of work. Police said Akram lived in Australia for about 27 years and maintained limited contact with his family in Hyderabad during that time. Senior Telangana police officials said there was no evidence of any operational or ideological link between Akram’s alleged radicalisation and India. Akram last visited Hyderabad in 2022 and continued to hold an Indian passport. His two children, a son and a daughter, were born in Australia and are Australian citizens. According to investigators, Akram’s relationship with his extended family in Hyderabad had deteriorated years ago due to family disputes, and relatives had cut ties with him long before the attack. Police said he did not attend his father’s funeral in 2017. After moving to Australia, Akram married Venera Grosso, described by police as a woman of European origin. The family settled permanently in Australia. The shooting occurred on Sunday at Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most popular public locations, where families and community members had gathered for a Hanukkah event. Fifteen people were killed when gunfire broke out. Australia’s federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said on Tuesday the attack was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” adding that the alleged attackers appeared focused solely on causing mass casualties without regard for the victims’ age or condition. Authorities said the attackers were a father and son. Sajid Akram was killed at the scene, while Naveed Akram was injured. Police seized a vehicle registered to the younger suspect and said they recovered improvised explosive devices and two homemade flags linked to the so-called Islamic State group. Australian police are also probing a trip the two suspects made to the Philippines in the month before the attack. The Philippine Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Sajid Akram and his son entered the country on November 1 and left on November 28. According to the BBC, Sajid Akram travelled using an Indian passport, while his son used an Australian passport. They declared Davao city as their destination and booked return flights to Sydney. Davao is located on the island of Mindanao, a region that has previously seen activity by Islamist groups such as Abu Sayyaf, which had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in the past. However, the Philippine military said it could not immediately verify reports that the suspects received any military-style training during their stay. Philippine security officials said militant groups in the region have been significantly weakened by long-running military operations and that there has been no recent evidence of foreign militants operating there. Australian authorities said the purpose of the Philippines trip and the locations visited by the suspects remain under investigation.   With inputs from NDTV

Dense smog shrouded India’s capital on Monday, sending air pollution to its worst levels in weeks, disrupting travel, and forcing authorities to implement strict containment measures. More than 40 flights were cancelled, dozens more delayed, and over 50 trains arriving and departing from New Delhi faced multi-hour delays, officials said. Healthcare experts warned residents to avoid outdoor activities as hospitals reported a surge in patients suffering from breathing difficulties and eye irritation. “New Delhi is like a gas chamber right now. Air purifiers offer limited relief, so the government must come up with long-term solutions,” said Naresh Dang, a physician at Max Healthcare. Delhi’s air quality has remained at the federal government’s “severe” level for the past two days, which can affect healthy individuals’ respiratory systems and seriously harm those with heart or lung conditions. Official readings on Sunday exceeded 450 at multiple monitoring stations, up from 430 on Saturday, marking the highest levels this winter, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Monday’s readings stood at 449. For reference, values below 50 are considered safe. During severe pollution, authorities advise people to stay indoors and wear N95 masks. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are urged to take extra precautions. “I have never seen such pollution before. Last year Delhi was bad, but this year it is worse. I can feel the smoke as I breathe,” said tourist Tiam Patel. To curb pollution, the government has banned construction, restricted diesel generator and vehicle use, and deployed water sprinklers. Schools and offices are allowing students and employees to stay home. Environmentalists, however, warn that these short-term measures are insufficient. New Delhi and its surrounding areas, home to over 30 million people, consistently rank among the world’s most polluted regions. Six of the world’s ten most polluted cities are in India, with New Delhi topping the list for national capitals, according to Switzerland-based IQAir. Pollution spikes each winter due to crop residue burning in nearby states, combined with cooler temperatures that trap smoke from vehicles, construction, and industry. Levels often exceed the World Health Organization’s safe limit by 20 times. “Delhi’s air is unhealthy year-round, even if it appears visibly worse from October to December,” said Vimlendu Jha, an environmentalist. Earlier this month, residents protested against the government’s inaction on air pollution. A Lancet study last year linked long-term exposure to polluted air in India to 1.5 million additional deaths annually. “Air pollution-related deaths are largely uncounted due to the lack of systematic tracking mechanisms,” said Shweta Narayan of the Global Climate and Health Alliance. In October, authorities conducted a controversial cloud-seeding experiment over New Delhi to induce rainfall and clear smog, but the effort failed to produce rain.