标签： Asia

In a significant reversal of its longstanding position, the Israeli military has formally acknowledged the general accuracy of the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty figures from the conflict. After years of dismissing the ministry’s reports as “misleading and unreliable,” military officials now confirm that the death toll of approximately 71,000 is substantially correct, though they note this figure excludes individuals still buried beneath rubble.

The army disclosed it is currently conducting detailed analysis of the data to differentiate between civilian and military casualties. According to their assessment, the reported numbers also do not account for deaths resulting from starvation or diseases that have been exacerbated by the prolonged humanitarian crisis in the region.

Military observers note that the overwhelming majority of casualties have been civilians, attributing this to the Israeli army’s predominant use of aerial bombardments and artillery shelling from distance rather than direct battlefield engagements with Palestinian fighters.

The context of this acknowledgment comes amid a fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in October, which was intended to conclude more than two years of intense conflict that devastated nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure. Since the ceasefire began, however, monitoring groups have reported over 1,300 violations by Israel, resulting in approximately 500 additional Palestinian fatalities.

The second phase of the Trump administration’s peace plan envisions the disarmament of Hamas, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces—who currently control more than half of the Gaza Strip—and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force. Hamas officials have responded that Israel must fully implement the ceasefire agreement, particularly regarding humanitarian aid access and complete military withdrawal from Gaza.

In a significant development for South Asian aviation and diplomatic relations, direct flight operations between Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed on Thursday following a fourteen-year suspension. The inaugural flight, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, departed from Dhaka for Karachi, marking the restoration of regular air connectivity that had been absent since 2012.

The resumption of direct flights represents a tangible manifestation of improving bilateral ties between the two Muslim-majority nations, which share a complex historical background as former constituents of a single nation until their separation after the 1971 liberation war. The geographical separation of approximately 1,500 kilometers of Indian territory had previously necessitated transit through Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Doha for travelers between the two countries.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has established a twice-weekly flight schedule, a move that aviation analysts believe will substantially reduce travel time and costs for passengers. Mohammad Shahid, one of the 150 passengers aboard the inaugural Karachi-bound flight, expressed enthusiasm about the renewed connectivity, noting that the previous absence of direct flights had limited his travel frequency to once every two or three years.

The airline emphasized in an official statement that the reestablished air link would significantly contribute to enhancing trade relations, facilitating educational exchanges, and strengthening cultural connections between the two nations. This diplomatic thaw follows substantial political changes in Bangladesh, including the 2024 student-led movement that resulted in the conclusion of Sheikh Hasina’s fifteen-year administration.

The warming relations have already yielded concrete benefits, with cargo shipping operations between Karachi and Chittagong resuming in November 2024. Subsequent months have witnessed increased commercial activity, expanded cultural interactions featuring performances by Pakistani artists in Dhaka, and growing medical tourism from Bangladesh to Pakistan.

In a decisive move against transnational organized crime, China has carried out the execution of 11 principal members of the Ming criminal syndicate originating from Myanmar’s northern Shan State. The sentences, initially handed down in September, mark the culmination of an extensive cross-border operation targeting sophisticated cyber fraud operations that had ensnared thousands of Chinese citizens.

The Ming family, alongside the Bau, Wei, and Liu clans, had established a formidable criminal empire in the remote border town of Laukkaing since 2009. Their rise to power followed a military operation led by General Min Aung Hlaing that displaced the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the ethnic insurgent group previously controlling the region.

These criminal networks transitioned from traditional narcotics production to establishing large-scale casino operations and ultimately sophisticated cyber fraud compounds. The most notorious facility, known as Crouching Tiger Villa operated by the Ming family, became synonymous with human rights abuses where torture was routinely employed against workers forced to participate in elaborate ‘pig-butchering’ romance scams targeting predominantly Chinese victims.

The turning point emerged in October 2023 when guards at these compounds killed several Chinese nationals during an attempted escape. This incident prompted China to collaborate with the MNDAA, which subsequently launched an offensive recapturing Laukkaing and detaining the crime family leaders. Ming Xuechang, the family patriarch, committed suicide following capture, while over 60 associates were transferred to Chinese authorities.

China’s Ministry of Public Security has publicized interrogation details revealing the extreme brutality of these operations, including reports of random killings intended to demonstrate power. The comprehensive crackdown has extended beyond Myanmar, with China securing extraditions of key figures like She Zhijiang from Thailand and Chen Zhi from Cambodia, both accused of operating massive scam empires across Southeast Asia.

Despite these efforts, the cyber fraud industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting and relocating to new regions within Myanmar while maintaining significant presence in Cambodia. The executions represent China’s most severe response to date against cross-border criminal enterprises threatening its citizens and financial security.

In a landmark decision with profound diplomatic implications, European Union foreign ministers convened in Brussels on Thursday to formally designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. This historic move places the elite Iranian military force on the EU’s terror blacklist alongside notorious jihadist groups including Al-Qaeda and Daesh.

The decisive action comes in response to Tehran’s brutal crackdown on nationwide protests, during which thousands of civilian demonstrators were reportedly killed by security forces. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declared to journalists that “those who operate as terrorists must be treated accordingly,” signaling a fundamental shift in Europe’s approach to the Iranian regime.

Concurrently, the 27-nation bloc implemented additional punitive measures including visa bans and asset freezes targeting 21 Iranian state entities and senior officials. Among those sanctioned are Iran’s Interior Minister, Prosecutor General, and regional IRGC commanders directly implicated in the suppression of dissent.

While Iranian authorities acknowledge approximately 3,000 fatalities during the unrest, they claim most casualties were security personnel or bystanders killed by rioters. However, international human rights organizations contend the actual death toll reaches potentially tens of thousands, with evidence indicating IRGC forces directly fired upon peaceful protesters.

The EU’s designation follows significant policy reversals from key member states France and Italy, both of which recently endorsed the terrorist classification. This alignment brings European policy in concert with existing designations by the United States, Canada, and Australia.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that “there can be no impunity for the crimes committed” and called for the immediate release of thousands of political prisoners. He further urged Tehran to restore internet access and “enable the Iranian people to determine their own future.”

Despite its primarily symbolic nature—as the IRGC and its commanders already faced extensive EU sanctions—the terrorist designation represents the bloc’s strongest condemnation yet of Iran’s human rights abuses. The move preserves diplomatic channels while delivering an unequivocal message regarding the EU’s position on state-sponsored violence and repression.