The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 1,092 patients in Gaza have died while awaiting permission to leave the enclave for medical treatment. The deaths occurred over the past 18 months, as the territory remains under blockade and frequent Israeli attacks. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 10,600 critically ill patients, including 5,600 children, have been evacuated during the same period, but thousands still need urgent transfers.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated that 18,500 patients, including 4,000 children, are still waiting for medical evacuation, many of whom cannot afford further delays. The organization urged more countries to open their borders to Palestinian patients, warning that lives are at stake. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have proposed a $112 billion plan to rebuild Gaza over ten years, with the U.S. covering 20% of the cost.

Israeli bombardments continue despite ceasefire talks, killing at least six people in Gaza City on Friday. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports over 70,000 deaths since the start of the conflict, underscoring the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram has suspended operations at its visa application center, citing security concerns. The announcement was posted on the official Bangladesh visa website on Sunday, stating that services would remain closed from December 21 until further notice. The decision follows recent unrest near the commission’s premises.

According to reports, the closure comes after clashes between police and protesters erupted on December 19 in Chattogram’s Khulshi area. The protests followed the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convener of the Inquilab Mancha. The Indian mission said it would review the situation before deciding when to reopen the center.

The suspension is expected to affect visa applicants from southeastern Bangladesh who rely on the Chattogram center. Officials have advised applicants to monitor official channels for updates. Diplomatic observers note that such closures, while temporary, can disrupt travel and trade ties between the two neighboring countries.

Iran’s Deputy Chief of Staff Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has accused Israel of using threats, media campaigns, and political maneuvers to conceal its defeat in a recent 12-day war. Speaking to Al-Mayadeen, Vahidi alleged that Israel’s leadership is engaged in psychological warfare to distract from its strategic failures and internal crises.

He linked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United States and ongoing threats against Iran to what he described as an effort to project strength amid growing isolation. According to Vahidi, Israel’s rhetoric does not reflect the real situation on the ground, and its objectives in the confrontation with Iran have not been achieved.

The comments come amid heightened regional tensions and continued diplomatic maneuvering between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Analysts suggest the exchange underscores the deepening hostility between the two nations and could influence future security alignments in the Middle East.

The United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey have jointly called on all parties involved in the Gaza ceasefire to uphold their commitments and exercise restraint. The appeal followed a meeting in Miami, where U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff discussed the Gaza peace plan with representatives from the four mediating nations. The meeting reviewed the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 10.

The talks took place against the backdrop of renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense Department, six people were killed in an airstrike on a school sheltering displaced civilians, bringing the total Palestinian death toll since the ceasefire’s implementation to around 400. Witkoff reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan and urged cooperation in monitoring compliance.

Officials noted progress in humanitarian aid delivery, partial troop withdrawals, and the return of prisoners’ remains. Discussions also addressed the framework for the ceasefire’s second phase, aimed at sustaining stability and reducing hostilities.

Venezuela has accused the United States of committing 'international piracy' after U.S. forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker in international waters. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the U.S. military 'stole and hijacked' the vessel and detained its crew, calling the move a serious violation of international law. Caracas announced plans to raise the issue before the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral bodies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the seizure through Secretary Kristi Noem, who stated on social media that the operation—conducted with support from the Coast Guard and Pentagon—was part of efforts to curb the illicit movement of oil funding narcoterrorism in the region. Washington has long imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil exports, citing links to corruption and criminal networks.

The incident risks escalating tensions between the two nations, already strained by years of sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Analysts expect the dispute to test international maritime law and could influence future negotiations over Venezuela’s oil trade and U.S. enforcement actions in Latin American waters.

The United States has seized another Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast, marking the second such operation this month. US Interior Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the action in a post on X, stating that the Coast Guard, with Pentagon support, carried out the seizure early Saturday. Washington claims the operation targets illicit oil shipments allegedly funding narcoterrorism in the region.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s recent declaration of a “total blockade” on tankers entering or leaving Venezuela under sanctions. Caracas has condemned the seizure, labeling it “serious international piracy” and rejecting Washington’s justification. The Venezuelan government said it views the incident as a violation of international law and sovereignty.

This latest confrontation underscores worsening relations between the two nations as US enforcement of oil sanctions intensifies. Analysts warn that continued maritime seizures could further destabilize regional trade routes and complicate diplomatic efforts to ease sanctions or resume oil exports.

The funeral prayers for six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in a terrorist drone attack on a United Nations mission base in Sudan’s Abyei region were held at the Dhaka Cantonment Central Mosque on Sunday morning. Senior military and government officials, including the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force, attended the ceremony alongside family members of the fallen soldiers. Floral tributes were placed on behalf of the President and the Chief Adviser.

The six peacekeepers—hailing from Natore, Kurigram, Rajbari, Kishoreganj, and Gaibandha—were killed in the December 13 attack targeting the UN peacekeeping base. Their bodies arrived in Dhaka on Saturday via Emirates Airlines and were received with full military honors at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. A minute of silence was observed, and military personnel saluted the martyrs.

Following the funeral, the bodies were flown by helicopter to their respective hometowns for burial with state honors. The attack has drawn condemnation and renewed attention to the risks faced by Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving in volatile conflict zones under the UN flag.

The Gaza Civil Defense announced on Saturday that 94 bodies of Palestinians were recovered from beneath the rubble in Gaza City. The bodies were transferred for forensic examination before being sent to Deir al-Balah for burial. The recovery operation comes amid continued devastation following Israeli airstrikes that began in October 2023.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 70,700 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,000 injured since the conflict began, with women and children comprising the majority of casualties. Civil Defense officials said they have relocated thousands of bodies previously buried in temporary sites, in cooperation with the Health and Religious Affairs ministries.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was declared on October 10, reports indicate that Israeli attacks have persisted, violating the truce. Humanitarian agencies warn that thousands more remain trapped under debris, underscoring the severe toll of the prolonged conflict on Gaza’s civilian population.

The bodies of six Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers killed in a terrorist drone attack in Sudan’s Abyei region have arrived in Dhaka. Their funeral prayers are scheduled for Sunday at the Dhaka Cantonment Central Mosque, followed by burial with full military honors in their respective hometowns. The remains arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday afternoon aboard an Emirates Airlines flight.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attack occurred on December 13 at a UNISFA base in Abyei, killing six and injuring nine Bangladeshi peacekeepers. Senior officials, including the Bangladesh Army’s Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Mizanur Rahman Shamim, received the bodies at the airport alongside representatives from the UN and civil aviation authorities.

Eight of the injured peacekeepers are being treated at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi and are reported to be out of danger. The incident has drawn condolences from military and diplomatic circles, underscoring the risks faced by Bangladeshi troops serving in global peacekeeping missions.

A group of Hindu extremists under the banner of Akhand Hindu Rashtrasena staged a violent protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Saturday night, issuing death threats against High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah. Witnesses said around 20 to 25 protesters breached multiple security layers in the diplomatic Chanakyapuri area before chanting anti-Bangladesh slogans and threatening to shoot the envoy. Security personnel reportedly did not intervene, leaving the High Commissioner and his family in a vulnerable position.

Diplomatic sources in both capitals described the incident as unprecedented, questioning how protesters could access such a heavily guarded zone without authorization. The Bangladesh interim government has taken the matter seriously, considering temporary suspension of visa services in Delhi and Agartala as a possible response. The attack follows the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a Bangladeshi activist, which has already strained bilateral relations.

The episode adds to escalating tensions between the two neighbors, marked by reciprocal diplomatic summons and increased border friction. Analysts warn that the incident could further complicate India-Bangladesh relations, already under pressure from political and security disputes.

For the first time in two years, students have returned to in-person classes at Gaza’s Islamic University, reopening amid widespread destruction and displacement caused by Israeli military operations. The partial resumption of teaching marks a fragile step toward normalcy on a campus that has been largely reduced to rubble, with only four classrooms currently functional.

According to Al Jazeera, around 500 displaced families are now sheltering within the university grounds, where lecture halls have become makeshift living spaces. UNESCO reports that more than 95% of Gaza’s higher education institutions have been damaged or destroyed since the 2023 conflict began. Human rights groups and UN experts have described the systematic devastation of Gaza’s education sector as “scholasticide.”

Despite dire conditions, faculty members continue teaching with minimal resources, covering open walls with plastic sheets and borrowing generators for electricity. Observers warn that the destruction of schools and universities threatens the social and intellectual foundation of Palestinian society, with over 750,000 students deprived of education for two consecutive academic years.

At least eight people were killed and 27 injured after a Russian missile strike hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa late Friday, according to Ukraine’s emergency services. The attack targeted port infrastructure, igniting fires in nearby vehicles and damaging facilities. Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said ballistic missiles were used in the strike, which caused extensive destruction in the port area.

In a parallel development, Ukraine claimed responsibility for drone attacks on a Lukoil-operated oil rig and a Russian patrol vessel named ‘Okhotnik’ in the Caspian Sea. The Ukrainian General Staff described the operation as part of an ongoing campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, marking the first official acknowledgment of such strikes in the region. Damage was also reported to a radar system in Crimea’s Krasnosilske area, occupied by Russia since 2014.

Kyiv maintains that Russian oil facilities are legitimate military targets, arguing that energy revenues directly fund Moscow’s war effort. The escalation underscores the widening geographic scope of the conflict and the growing use of long-range strikes by both sides.

The crescent moon marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Rajab was sighted in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, signaling the start of the seventh month in the Hijri calendar. With this sighting, the formal countdown to the holy month of Ramadan has begun for Muslims worldwide, according to Gulf News. Rajab is one of the four sacred months in Islam, traditionally observed as a time for spiritual reflection and preparation before Ramadan.

Religious authorities noted that if both Rajab and Sha'ban months complete 29 or 30 days each, Ramadan is expected to begin in about 60 to 61 days. The exact start date will be confirmed by official moon-sighting committees in each country. In Bangladesh, the National Moon Sighting Committee, led by Religious Affairs Adviser A.F.M. Khalid Hossain, is scheduled to meet on Sunday to confirm local sightings. Based on current calculations, Ramadan in South Asia is likely to begin on February 19, unless the moon sighting is delayed by a day.

The sighting of Rajab’s moon marks the beginning of spiritual preparations across the Muslim world, as communities gear up for the fasting month ahead.

A large digital billboard campaign in central London has drawn attention for accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of atrocities during the Sudanese civil war. The campaign, organized by U.S.-based nonprofit Avaaz, uses AI-generated imagery showing a woman taking a selfie in Dubai, juxtaposed with war-torn Sudan in the reflection, carrying the caption: “Your selfie won’t look so good if you knew what they’re doing in Sudan.”

The billboard, projected on a moving van and looping every 80 seconds, includes a QR code linking to investigative reports from outlets such as *Middle East Eye*, *The Guardian*, and *The New York Times*. Passersby in London expressed surprise at the UAE’s alleged involvement, with some saying the campaign changed their perception of Dubai. The UAE has denied arming the RSF, calling related media reports fabricated, but analysts cite flight data, weapons serial numbers, and diplomatic sources suggesting ongoing Emirati support.

The campaign underscores growing international scrutiny of the UAE’s regional military activities and its potential implications for diplomatic relations with Western allies.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced that hearings in the genocide case filed by Gambia against Myanmar will begin from January 12 to 29, 2026. The case accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority during a 2017 military crackdown that forced more than 730,000 people to flee to Bangladesh. Gambia, backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, initiated the case in 2019, arguing that Myanmar violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.

During the first week of hearings, Gambia will present its arguments from January 12 to 15, followed by Myanmar’s defense from January 16 to 20. The court has also allocated three days for witness testimonies. Myanmar continues to deny the genocide allegations, claiming its operations targeted Rohingya insurgents responsible for attacks on security forces.

The proceedings mark a critical phase in a case closely watched by human rights advocates and international observers. A final judgment could take years, but the hearings are expected to shape global accountability discussions regarding mass atrocities and minority protection.