Bangladesh clothes factories sack hundreds of workers protesting low wages

Today's news: High Court allows party members to visit Imran Khan ahead of February 8 elections; Iran executes four people linked to Mossad, Israel's missiles continue to kill civilians in Gaza; Beijing revives deal with Myanmar for Kyaukphyu port; Activist Tony Chung seeks political asylum in Britain after 43 months in prison

BANGLADESH

Bangladeshi garment factories have fired hundreds of workers following protests in October demanding higher wages, report three unions representing half a million workers. In November the government - which will go to elections on January 7 - agreed to increase the minimum wage by 56% to 12,500 taka (4) a month, which many workers still consider too low. Bangladesh has become the world's second largest garment exporter after China, thanks to low wages.

PAKISTAN

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) today granted Pakistan Justice Movement (PTI) leaders and lawyers permission to visit former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was detained in Adiala to hold election meetings ahead of the Pakistan elections. February 8th. The order was passed by Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb on a petition filed by Imran, who intends to strategize ahead of the elections. With the publication of the electoral programme, activities related to the elections in the political parties have begun and the deadline for submitting candidatures expires on Sunday.

IRAN - ISRAEL

Iran has executed four people the court identified as "saboteurs" linked to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. This was reported today by the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the country's judiciary. "Four members of a sabotage team, which committed actions against Iran's security under the leadership of Mossad officers, were executed this morning following legal procedures," it said. Meanwhile overnight, an Israeli airstrike on a house in Maghazi camp in the town of Khan Younis killed eight Palestinians, the Red Crescent said.

MYANMAR - CHINA

China and the Burmese military junta have signed a supplementary agreement under the Belt and Road Initiative for the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port. Both sides are trying to get the long-stalled project off the ground in Rakhine state where there are clashes between rebel groups and the ruling coup junta, prompting repeated security warnings from the Chinese state group's mission Citic Group which will have a 70% stake in the port. China sees Myanmar as a window to further open itself to trafficking in the Indian Ocean.

RUSSIA

The President of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, said that the exclusion of Russian credit institutions from the international Swift system, and the freezing of assets in foreign banks, are measures due to sanctions that are particularly painful for Russian finances, which no alternative solutions have yet been found, "there are active chains that are constantly adapting, but many companies don't know how to do it".

HONG KONG

The former leader of a pro-independence group and Hong Kong rights activist, Tony Chung - 22 years old today - was sentenced to 43 months in prison in 2021 under the national security law imposed by China. He stated that he had fled to Great Britain and had formally requested political asylum. He finished serving his sentence last June.

MOLDOVA

Moldova has definitively left all the agreements that still tied it to the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States, and the head of the parliamentary commission for foreign policy in Chişinău, Dojna German, assured that from this detachment "we have nothing to lose”, or rather there will be a gain, no longer having to pay the fees.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is bracing for an intense heatwave in the North and West over the New Year weekend, with temperatures expected to hit more than 45 degrees Celsius (113°F), while severe thunderstorms are expected to hit the 'East of the country. The heat wave follows the violent floods that hit the east of the country during Christmas, killing 10 people and cutting off electricity to tens of thousands of homes.

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