The Myanmar military junta announced elections for late 2025; protests in Bangladesh were violently dispersed; migrant boats capsized near Yemen; China arrested house church members amid a crackdown; Thailand overturned student hair regulations; and Azerbaijan closed the Red Cross office, citing smuggling accusations.
The military government in Myanmar announced it will conduct general elections in December 2025 or January 2026. This is the first time a specific timeframe has been given since the ousting of the elected government in early 2021, an event that sparked extensive civil unrest and armed rebellion. Aung San Suu Kyi, a prominent opposition leader and Nobel laureate, remains imprisoned under the junta’s rule.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, police employed tear gas and stun grenades to break up a protest led by Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an Islamist group advocating for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate. The activists gathered after Friday prayers at the Baitul Mukarram mosque and attempted to march despite police barricades, chanting slogans such as ‘Khilafat, Khilafat.’
Off the coast of Yemen and Djibouti, four migrant boats capsized, resulting in at least two fatalities and leaving 186 individuals missing, according to the UN Migration Agency. Many of those on board were believed to be Ethiopian migrants; the operation included five Yemeni crew members. Among the missing were at least 57 women.
In China, authorities raided a Protestant house church in Huinan as part of a broader crackdown on religious groups during the National People’s Congress. Nine church members, including Pastor Zhao Hongliang, were arrested, with four detained while five others were released on bail.
The Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand recently nullified a 1975 directive that regulated student hairstyles, stipulating short hair for boys and hairnets for girls. This directive was often enforced by schools, but the court ruled that it infringed on individual freedoms, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
In the Russia-USA context, negotiations have led to the appointment of Aleksandr Darčiev as the new Russian ambassador to Washington. Darčiev previously served as head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul and was an ambassador from 2017 to 2024. This change follows the resignation of Anatolij Antonov, known for his strong support of the invasion of Ukraine.
In a significant move, Azerbaijan has shut down the office of the International Red Cross. This organization played a crucial role in communicating the conditions of Armenian prisoners in Baku and providing humanitarian assistance. The Azerbaijani government has accused the Red Cross of unauthorized transport of materials, labeling it as ‘smuggling.’
The article outlines significant regional updates, including Myanmar’s planned elections amid ongoing civil strife, violent protests in Bangladesh, a maritime tragedy off Yemen, a crackdown on religious groups in China, Thailand’s changes to student regulations, and shifts in diplomatic relations between Russia and the USA. Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s closure of the Red Cross office highlights ongoing tensions regarding humanitarian access in the region.
Original Source: www.asianews.it
