Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, to return to Dhaka ahead of elections
Today's news: Pope Leo XIV appeals for “one day of peace” at Christmas. The United States wants Palau to take third-country nationals. China has completed its "green" steelmaking plant in Guangdong, using hydrogen as a fuel. Kyoto University has developed a catechist bot for Protestant communities.
BANGLADESH
Tarique Rahman, son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and heir to the historic family that dominates the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), will leave London this afternoon and is expected to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow at noon local time. His return comes ahead of the crucial 12 February elections, the first since last year's mass unrest that toppled Sheikh Hasina's rule. The BNP is seen as the favourite in the race. Meanwhile, tensions with India have risen again following the killing of a Hindu man in Mymensingh, an incident that sparked outrage in India, with Hindu groups holding demonstrations in front of Bangladeshi diplomatic missions.
VATICAN
“I once again make this appeal to all people of good will: that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Saviour, one day of peace may be respected,” said Pope Leo XIV in an appeal made yesterday evening, speaking to journalists at Castel Gandolfo. The pontiff, who will celebrate Midnight Mass in the Vatican Basilica this evening, expressed sadness because “Russia has apparently refused the request for a Christmas truce” in Ukraine. He also mentioned Patriarch Pizzaballa's "beautiful visit" to Gaza, expressing hope that the Middle East peace process will move forward.
PALAU – UNITED STATES
On Tuesday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke with Palau's President, Surangel Whipps, about the resettlement of third-country nationals in the Pacific island nation, despite its parliament rejecting Washington's earlier request. Palau, with a population of 17,000, has a Free Association Agreement with the United States, which provides economic assistance in exchange for granting US military access to its territory. Palau is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
CHINA
China has completed the construction of its first steel production line that uses hydrogen as a fuel instead of coal in the city of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. The plant, which marks a major step forward in the green transformation of the steel industry, can reduce carbon emissions by 50 to 80 per cent compared to conventional plants.
JAPAN
A research team at Kyoto University has developed a Protestant bot catechist, which recites passages from the Bible, representing a "starting point for future Christian AI creation.” The project is the latest in a series of collaborations between Prof Seiji Kumagai of the Institute for the Future of Human Society and Toshikazu Furuya, CEO of Teraverse, a company that has previously focused on Buddhist-inspired AI products and tools. Initially, its use will be limited to “believers under clergy guidance or by the general public within church settings,” Kumagai stated.
UKRAINE – RUSSIA
Kyiv City Council has decided to remove 15 more monuments and memorials associated with the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, including the bronze statue of Ukrainian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, author of The Master and Margarita, on Andreevska Hill, as well as the monuments to Mikhail Glinke and Anna Akhmatova, the sign “Kyiv – Hero City” with a five-pointed star as a symbol of the USSR, the commemorative stone for Lenin’s centenary, and the memorial plaque to Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
TAJIKISTAN
The Titan Training Center (TTC), a new training facility for Korean language learning, has opened in Dushanbe. This is part of a programme to prepare Tajiks to work in South Korea, which is suffering from labour shortages. To be accepted, applicants must pass a language test and a series of exams for various specialisations. According to the TTC, learning Korean “is not just to teach the language, but to help people pass the exams and prepare for real work opportunities in South Korea.”
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