The Indian government has now designated Bangladesh as a country where officials cannot live with their families. According to the BBC, this means that Indian officials or diplomats working in Bangladesh will no longer be able to bring their spouses and children with them. Previously, this rule was only applicable to a few countries, such as Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. Now, Bangladesh has been added to this list, and the decision came into effect on January 1st. Officials already stationed in Bangladesh were informed that their families had to return to India by January 8th. Those with school-going children were given an additional seven days. Following this decision, the families of Indian officials living in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, and Rajshahi had to return to India in a hurry. Also read these international news stories… China’s largest embassy approved in London, US leader says espionage risk will increase. The British government on Tuesday approved the construction of China’s largest embassy in London. This decision comes at a time when Britain is trying to improve relations with China. British and American politicians are warning that the site could be used for espionage. Government approval has been granted with certain conditions. This embassy will be China’s largest in Europe. It will be built in the nearly 200-year-old Royal Mint Court complex, located near the Tower of London. China’s plan has long been opposed by local residents, lawmakers, and pro-democracy activists living in Britain. This has stalled the project for the past three years. The Chinese government purchased the land in 2018 for 255 million pounds, but the local council refused permission to build the embassy in 2022. Following this, the British government took over planning decisions last year. The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, stated in October that the agency has over a century of experience dealing with foreign embassies and can manage security risks. However, MI5 has also warned that China may try to influence individuals with access to the British government. In November, the agency also issued an alert to lawmakers about China’s attempts at political interference. The new embassy will be built on an area of approximately 55,000 square meters. It will be approximately 10 times larger than China’s current London embassy and even larger than its embassy in the US. Israel bulldozes UN relief agency office, revokes licenses of 37 organizations providing aid. Israel has begun demolishing the headquarters office of the UN relief agency UNRWA, located in East Jerusalem, which is under Israeli occupation. UNRWA announced this on Tuesday, stating that Israeli security forces evicted employees from the headquarters and confiscated their belongings. UNRWA called this a violation of international law and UN privileges. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces entered the UNRWA compound on Tuesday with bulldozers. Nearby roads were sealed off and a military presence was increased. Then the campus buildings were demolished. Israel has long accused UNRWA of supporting Palestine and having links with Hamas. However, Israel has not yet provided any evidence for these allegations. However, UNRWA has repeatedly denied these accusations. Israel has already banned several international aid organizations amid the Gaza War. In recent weeks, Israel has revoked the licenses of 37 aid agencies in Gaza. Israel has asked all international NGOs working in Gaza and other Israeli-occupied territories to provide complete information regarding their staff, funding, and activities. Failure to do so threatens the banning of these organizations. Hindu saint Chinmay Das charged in Bangladesh lawyer’s murder case; jailed for 15 months on treason charges. A Bangladesh court on Monday charged 39 people, including Hindu saint Chinmay Krishna Das, in the murder case of a lawyer. The case dates back to November 2024, when a lawyer was murdered in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The murder occurred during violent protests that erupted the day after Das’s arrest on November 25, 2024. Das was arrested at Dhaka airport on November 25 on charges of sedition. The court has charged Das under sections 302 (murder) and 109 (incitement to commit a crime) of the Bangladeshi Penal Code. According to the prosecutor, 23 of the 39 accused, including Das, are in police custody. All of them were produced in court during the trial. The remaining 16 are absconding. According to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, Das was brought to court under police protection. During this time, lawyers present outside the court raised slogans. Das is the spokesperson of the Sanatani Jagran Jot of Bangladesh and is associated with the Hindu religious organization ISKCON. Following his arrest, several protests erupted in Dhaka and surrounding areas. On November 26, a protest in Chittagong turned violent, resulting in Alif’s death. In 2024, after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power, Das’s organization organized several rallies to protest attacks on the Hindu community. Netanyahu stated that Qatar and Turkey’s forces will not enter Gaza; also objected to their inclusion in the Board of Peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday that Qatar and Turkey’s forces will not enter Gaza. He also objected to Trump’s decision to include both countries in the Board of Peace in Gaza. Netanyahu stated that there are differences between the US and Israel on this issue. According to the news website The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s relations with Qatar and Turkey are strained. In fact, Trump has announced the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to manage and rebuild Gaza under the Peace Plan. Trump has formed a “Board of Peace” to oversee this committee and raise funds. Trump himself chairs it and has invited several countries, including India, Russia, and Pakistan, to join. However, Netanyahu has previously stated that the US announced the new administrative board for Gaza without consulting Israel. Israel says this decision is against its policy. 1,500 ISIS-linked prisoners escape from prison, government admits 120 prisoners have escaped. Around 1,500 ISIS-linked prisoners have escaped from Shaddadi prison in Syria. This claim was made by the Kurdish website Rudaw, quoting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). However, the Syrian Interior Ministry has acknowledged the escape of 120 prisoners. The Syrian Interior Ministry said that Syrian forces entered the city of Shaddadi after the prisoners escaped from the prison. Security forces have recaptured 81 escaped prisoners so far through search and cordon operations in the city and surrounding areas. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining prisoners. This prison was previously under the control of the SDF. The army alleged that the SDF released these prisoners. After several days of fighting with government forces, the SDF agreed on Sunday to withdraw from Raqqa and Deir al-Zour. The SDF had controlled these areas for several years. These areas are also known for Syria’s main oil fields. The SDF is an armed military coalition in Syria, led primarily by Kurdish fighters, fighting against ISIS. Police in Iran issued an ultimatum to protesters: surrender within 72 hours or face full force. Police have issued a stern warning regarding the ongoing protests in Iran. On Monday, the country’s National Police Chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, said that those who participated in the riots should surrender within 72 hours. If they do not do so, action will be taken against them with the “full force of the law.” This information was reported by the news agency AFP. Radan said that young people who inadvertently joined the riots will not be considered enemies. If they surrender within the stipulated time, they will be treated leniently.
So far, 5,000 people have died in the violent protests in Iran that have been going on since December 28th. This includes about 500 security personnel. An Iranian official provided this information to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Iranian officials say that the protests were initially peaceful but later escalated into violence. The government alleges that foreign enemies like the US and Israel played a role in this. Asim Munir said, “The purpose of the creation of Pakistan is about to be fulfilled: Its special status among Islamic countries, its importance will increase further.” Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir claimed that the true purpose of Pakistan, created in the name of Islam, is about to be fulfilled. He made this statement to the Pakistani newspaper The News International in Lahore on Sunday. Asim Munir was here to attend the wedding reception for Junaid Safdar, grandson of former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and several senior leaders, ministers, and military officials were present. During the conversation, Asim Munir said that Allah has given Pakistan a historic opportunity to achieve its purpose, and the country is rapidly moving towards that goal. He said that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and today enjoys a special status among Islamic countries. Now, its importance will increase even more. Read the full story here…
