 "FirstUp: Asean foreign ministers’ meet on Thailand–Cambodia tensions, Calcutta HC deadline to submit report on Messi fiasco... headlines today")
It is set to be a busy Monday with several events lined up for the day.
Firstly, Malaysia will host a special Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur over the escalating conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court has set a deadline for the West Bengal government to submit a detailed report on the “Messi fiasco”.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court is scheduled to rule on former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s judicial review application regarding his house arrest today. The Supreme Court is set to hold a special vacation sitting of the Supreme Court to hear urgent matters.
Here is all that is set to take place across the world today.
Asean foreign ministers’ meeting on Thailand–Cambodia border tensions
Malaysia will host a special Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting today in Kuala Lumpur to address the escalating border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. The meeting will be chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, as Malaysia is the current Asean chair.
The key objectives of the chair are to halt ongoing frontline offensives, deploy an Asean Observer Team to the border to monitor the situation and assess facts on the ground, and coordinate diplomatic efforts to prevent further regional instability.
Earlier, the session was planned for December 16, but it was postponed to December 22 following a request from Thailand to allow more time for tensions to ease.
Calcutta HC’s deadline to Bengal govt on Messi fiasco
The deadline for the West Bengal government to submit a detailed report on the ‘Messi Fiasco’ is today. Earlier, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen directed the state government to file a report regarding the chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium.
Three separate PILs were filed seeking a thorough probe into financial irregularities in ticket sales, a formal investigation by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, and a transfer of the investigation to central agencies like the CBI, ED, or SFIO.
On December 13, Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated appearance at Salt Lake Stadium lasted only 20 minutes. This, along with frustrated fans’ limited visibility due to the crowd of VIPs, led to rioting, ripping up seats, and vandalising stadium property.
Quick Reads
View AllMalaysian court to rule on Najib’s house arrest bid
The Kuala Lumpur High Court is scheduled to rule on former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s judicial review application regarding his house arrest bid.
The ruling follows Najib’s request to compel the government to execute a purported “royal addendum”. Najib claims this supplementary decree was issued by the former King, Al-Sultan Abdullah, in January 2024, alongside a pardon that halved his initial 12-year prison sentence to six years.
SC to hear urgent cases
A special vacation sitting of the Supreme Court will be held on December 22 to hear urgent matters. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that he will take a call on how many benches should sit after seeing the number of matters.
The CJI made this observation when some lawyers orally mentioned some matters for urgent listing, since the winter vacations in courts began on Friday. It will resume regular sitting on January 5, 2026.
The court registry will strictly scrutinise cases to ensure only those with “actual urgency,” specifically matters involving interim bail, child custody, or protection from arrest, are listed. The Chief Justice indicated that one or two benches may sit, depending on the volume of urgent cases verified by the registry
With inputs from agencies
 "‘Bangladesh’s Yunus govt failed to control ‘mobocracy’’: BNP leader on attack on Indian mission")
 "Tarique Rahman to return to Bangladesh after 17 years: Can Khaleda Zia’s son influence February elections?")
 "US Congressmen raise alarm over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh")
 "‘Time to Kash out’: Why Kash Patel’s choice of new wheels has sparked a row")
 "‘Bangladesh’s Yunus govt failed to control ‘mobocracy’’: BNP leader on attack on Indian mission")
 "Tarique Rahman to return to Bangladesh after 17 years: Can Khaleda Zia’s son influence February elections?")
 "US Congressmen raise alarm over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh")
 "‘Time to Kash out’: Why Kash Patel’s choice of new wheels has sparked a row")
