The Indian government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank to avail a $200 million loan for the Uttarakhand climate resilient power system development project. The project will update Dehradun’s power network infrastructure by installing an innovative and climate-resilient underground cable system that will include 537 km of subterranean cables, 354 ring main units, and 99 compact substations. It will also upgrade the distribution system to minimise power outages and reduce technical losses.
Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday that the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), cannot “oust” her government by killing people. A train was derailed, and several trucks and buses were torched as the country reels under severe unrest over the upcoming 7 January elections, which are being boycotted by the BNP, led by former PM Khalida Zia. Hasina has accused the BNP and its allies of carrying out the attacks ahead of the general elections. She said that those who commit such acts deserve punishment and must be held accountable. Nonetheless, the BNP has distanced itself from the attack and denied involvement, while slamming those behind the train derailment.
China condemned Canada’s support for the Philippines over what it said was a violation of Chinese sovereignty in the South China Sea. A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Canada said in a statement that the South China Sea is “the common home of countries in the region and should not become a hunting ground for Canada, the United States and other countries to pursue their geopolitical interests.” The spokesperson added that Canada’s support “has emboldened the Philippines’ violation of China’s sovereignty, violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and jeopardised regional peace and stability.”
Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, assured on Wednesday that Canberra is addressing the recent spate of attacks on Hindu temples in Australia, with utmost seriousness. Emphasising the country’s unwavering commitment to religious tolerance and safety, Green said: “We have a lot of experience of dealing with this. Our police and intelligence and multicultural agencies and state authorities are deeply focused on this.”
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to convene an international conference to find a long-term solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. “The only way for this problem to be solved forever, and to be solved in a just way, is to hold an international conference with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council,” Lavrov told Russian senators. He said that the conference should also include representatives of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The Swiss parliament’s lower house voted on Tuesday to cancel the $21 million annual funding it provides to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees amid persistent allegations that the organisation glorifies terror against Israel. Switzerland was the ninth-largest contributor. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the decision, saying that he hoped the Swiss Senate would overrule the decision.