United News of Bangladesh

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his refusal to cede any territory to Russia, resisting U.S. pressure for a compromise while rallying European support for Kyiv. In a WhatsApp exchange with reporters late Monday, Zelenskyy said Moscow demanded territorial concessions, but Ukraine had no intention or legal or moral authority to give up land.“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for," he said.“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and we don’t have a moral right either.” U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Politico interview, renewed calls for Kyiv to accept a U.S. peace plan that includes ceding territory, arguing Russia still holds the “upper hand” and Ukraine must “play ball.” Zelenskyy met Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo. The pope called for sustained dialogue and urged that current diplomatic initiatives lead to a “just and lasting peace.” Later, Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The visit follows Monday talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position amid Trump’s pressure. U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded three days of talks on Saturday to narrow differences over the peace plan, with the most contentious issue being Kyiv ceding control of the Donbas region, mostly occupied by Russia. Trump claimed other Ukrainian officials supported the U.S. plan, saying, “They really liked it, but they said he hasn’t read it yet.” He also urged Ukraine to hold national elections despite martial law extending Zelenskyy’s term. Zelenskyy said Monday that Trump “certainly wants to end the war” but Ukrainians understand the conflict’s realities more deeply. He noted the latest U.S. peace plan has 20 points, down from 28 after removing “obvious anti-Ukrainian points.” European leaders strongly backed Kyiv. Starmer called the peace push a “critical stage,” stressing the need for a “just and lasting ceasefire.” Merz expressed skepticism over some U.S. documents, highlighting the need for further talks. European governments aim to back any ceasefire with strong security guarantees, something Trump has not publicly committed to. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 110 drones overnight, downing 84. Twenty-four struck targets, causing emergency blackouts in several regions. Ukraine also conducted drone attacks in Russia. Moscow said its air defenses destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and Crimea. In Chuvashia, nine people were injured and buildings damaged. A Ukrainian Security Service strike on Dec. 5 hit an LPG terminal in Temryuk, Krasnodar region. Over 20 storage tanks burned for more than three days, and rail cars and refueling facilities were damaged, an official told AP on condition of anonymity.  

Cambodia vowed a fierce response to Thailand as fighting resumed along their shared border, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. The clashes reignited after a Sunday skirmish injured two Thai soldiers, breaking a ceasefire established in July. Over five days of earlier fighting, dozens were killed and more than 100,000 civilians displaced. Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen said Monday the country initially refrained from retaliating but launched counterattacks overnight, targeting Thai forces with artillery, rockets, and drones. Thailand, which carried out defensive airstrikes along the frontier, reported three soldiers killed, while Cambodia confirmed seven civilian deaths and 20 injuries. Both sides blamed each other for initiating the conflict. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that Cambodia had not contacted Thailand for negotiations, signaling continued operations to defend sovereignty. Hun Sen emphasized Cambodia was compelled to fight to protect its territory. Evacuations have been extensive. Thailand set up nearly 500 temporary shelters in four provinces, hosting 125,838 people, with others staying with relatives. In Cambodia, over 55,000 have been relocated to safer areas. Evacuees described fleeing amid shelling, carrying only essential belongings. The two countries share a history of border tensions, with disputes over territory hosting ancient temples. Previous ceasefire agreements, brokered by Malaysia and supported by U.S. pressure, called for removing heavy weapons, halting disinformation, and restoring trust. Yet, compliance has been incomplete. Cambodia accuses Thailand of holding 18 prisoners from July’s ceasefire, while Thailand alleges new Cambodian land mines have caused injuries. The recent flare-up underscores the fragility of peace efforts and deep-rooted animosity between the neighbors, with civilians bearing the brunt of the renewed violence.  

The United States will permit exports of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, with a 25% fee collected on sales, President Donald Trump announced Monday. The move aims to balance maintaining U.S. leadership in AI technology while addressing national security concerns over advanced chip transfers to China. Trump said the same approach will apply to other AI chipmakers, including AMD and Intel, reports Reuters. The decision follows debate over whether restricting Nvidia and competitors from selling to China would help U.S. global dominance or spur Chinese self-reliance in AI. Nvidia shares rose 2% in after-hours trading following Trump’s announcement, with the U.S. Commerce Department finalizing details. Trump stated the arrangement includes security vetting before exports, and that the latest, faster Blackwell chips will not be part of the deal. The H200 is nearly six times more powerful than the H20 chips previously allowed for export. Critics, including several Democratic senators and U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, warned that the decision could strengthen China’s military and industrial capabilities. They expressed concern that Chinese firms could copy or mass-produce the technology, undercutting U.S. firms. Chinese regulators have previously cautioned domestic companies against using downgraded Nvidia chips like the H20 and L20. Analysts expect Beijing to gradually relax its stance toward Nvidia, while continuing long-term efforts to develop its own advanced AI chips. China’s domestic AI chip industry includes firms such as Huawei, Cambricon, and Moore Threads. Nvidia welcomed the decision, calling it a balance between commercial interests and national security. The Trump administration sees the H200 export as a compromise, allowing sales to vetted commercial customers while protecting U.S. strategic interests and jobs in the AI sector.  

France’s social security budget faces a high-stakes parliamentary vote on Tuesday that could spark a political crisis and leave a €30 billion ($35 billion) shortfall for healthcare, pensions, and welfare programs. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, lacking a parliamentary majority, has secured Socialist backing by suspending President Macron’s 2023 pension reform, but this move alienated centrist and conservative allies, leaving the bill’s approval uncertain, reports reuters. Lawmakers in the lower house began reviewing the legislation after 4 p.m. local time, following narrow approval of the taxation portion. Budget Minister Amelie de Montchalin said she could not predict the outcome, though the government might promise additional funding for hospitals to win over reluctant parties, including the Greens. Socialist leader Olivier Faure indicated his party’s support after concessions, while far-right and hard-left factions are expected to oppose the bill. Centrist Horizon and conservative Republicains may abstain or vote against it, criticizing Lecornu for sacrificing pension reform and increasing taxes to appease the Socialists. Social security accounts for over 40% of France’s public spending. Lecornu warned that rejection could create a €30 billion gap, nearly double the original €17 billion allocation, threatening the entire 2025 budget. With the year-end approaching, the government may need stopgap measures. The administration aims to reduce France’s budget deficit to below 5% of GDP next year but faces a fragmented parliament without a majority, making budget passage difficult. Budgetary instability has plagued France since Macron lost his parliamentary majority in last year’s snap election, leading to three governments falling. Last year, budget disputes triggered a no-confidence vote that toppled Michel Barnier’s cabinet, highlighting ongoing political volatility. This vote is seen as a key test of Lecornu’s ability to navigate a divided legislature while securing funding for essential social programs.  

A fire swept through a seven-story office building in central Jakarta on Tuesday, killing at least 17 people, police said. Thick black smoke rose over the area as flames quickly engulfed the structure, triggering panic among residents and office workers in the densely populated neighborhood.  

Japan assessed damage and warned of potential aftershocks Tuesday following a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Aomori, northern Honshu. At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, mostly from falling objects, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported. The quake struck around 11:15 p.m., about 80 kilometers offshore, at a depth of 44 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A tsunami measuring up to 70 centimeters hit Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, with smaller waves along the northern Pacific coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced an emergency task force to assess damage, saying the government would prioritize citizens’ safety. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reported around 800 homes lost power temporarily, and Shinkansen bullet trains along with local lines were suspended but are expected to resume later Tuesday. About 480 people sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base, and 18 defense helicopters were deployed for damage checks. At New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, 200 passengers were stranded overnight due to ceiling damage in part of the domestic terminal. The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported a minor spill at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant but confirmed safety levels remained normal. The Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned residents in 182 municipalities along the northeastern coast—from Chiba to Hokkaido—to remain vigilant for aftershocks and possible tsunamis. Officials noted a slight increase in the risk of a magnitude 8-level quake in the coming days. The region lies near the area devastated by the 2011 magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Smaller aftershocks continued Tuesday, including magnitude 6.6 and 5.1 tremors, highlighting the ongoing seismic risk.

A bomb blast in eastern Congo killed more than 30 people and injured about 20 others after a confrontation between the Congolese army and a pro-government militia, despite a recently signed Washington peace deal that was hailed as a breakthrough. Residents and civil society representatives told The Associated Press that the FARDC, Congo’s armed forces, and Wazalendo — a militia that has been fighting alongside the army — exchanged fire before the explosion shook the town of Sange in South Kivu on Sunday evening. Eastern Congo remains destabilized by more than 100 armed groups competing for control in the mineral-rich region near Rwanda’s border, with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels being the most prominent. The conflict has produced one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing more than 7 million people. The blast occurred days after the U.S. finalized a peace agreement aimed at halting the conflict between the Congolese military and M23. But residents, civil society leaders and analysts say clashes continue unabated. Faraja Mahano Robert, a community leader in Sange, said FARDC soldiers returning from the front line tried to move toward Uvira but were ordered to stop. When some refused, fighting broke out between the forces, followed by the deadly explosion. Many locals fled toward Burundi for safety. Residents said the situation remained tense Monday. Amani Safari reported ongoing departures from Sange and new clashes between Wazalendo and FARDC early that morning. Another resident, David Kaserore, said civilians feel trapped and unable to distinguish between the army and armed groups, calling on the government to end the violence. The military did not immediately comment. Meanwhile, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda in a parliamentary speech of violating the peace deal, looting Congo’s natural resources, and undermining its institutions. Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to sign the agreement, which the White House praised as historic. Tshisekedi claimed that Rwandan forces carried out heavy weapons attacks from the Rwandan town of Bugarama the day after the signing, calling it “proxy aggression” and rejecting suggestions of internal rebellion. Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, also accused Rwanda of duplicity, saying it signs agreements while escalating drone attacks on civilians. Burundi, which fights alongside the Congolese military against M23, warned Rwanda that repeat attacks could prompt legal action. Rwandan officials did not immediately respond. Despite the peace deal, residents reported intensified fighting in South Kivu last week. Both M23 and the Congolese army have repeatedly accused one another of breaching earlier ceasefire terms. Earlier this year, M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, two major cities in eastern Congo. U.N. experts estimate the group is backed by roughly 4,000 Rwandan troops, and at times the rebels have threatened to advance all the way to the capital, Kinshasa, nearly 1,600 kilometers away.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British, French and German leaders in London on Monday, as Europe rallied behind Ukraine at what they described as a pivotal stage in U.S.-led peace efforts to end Russia’s invasion. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position amid growing impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump. Afterward, the leaders contacted other European partners, calling for sustained pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Starmer’s office said they agreed this was a “critical moment” requiring increased support for Ukraine and tougher economic measures against Russia. Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells, said progress was being made but that “outstanding issues” remain. Macron’s office noted the meeting helped coordinate European additions to the U.S. proposal. Speaking to reporters later, Zelenskyy said the latest U.S. peace plan had been reduced from 28 to 20 points after removing what he described as “obviously anti-Ukrainian” elements. He emphasized that Ukraine still needs clarity on security guarantees, especially regarding the risk of renewed Russian aggression after the war. Trump, in comments Sunday night, expressed frustration that Zelenskyy “hasn’t read the proposal,” while Zelenskyy insisted Trump wants the war to end but does not see the conflict the way Ukrainians do. Before the meeting, Starmer, Macron and Merz emphasized support for Ukraine. Starmer called the peace effort “critical” and urged a “just and lasting ceasefire.” Merz said he was wary of aspects of the U.S. documents and that the coming days could be decisive. European leaders want any ceasefire backed by firm U.S. and European security guarantees, though Trump has not publicly committed to any. Zelenskyy said his meetings in London and Brussels would focus on defense support and long-term funding, stressing that Ukraine depends on both Europe and the United States. Starmer’s office added that national security advisers will keep negotiating in the coming days. Challenges in the peace plan U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded three days of talks Saturday to close gaps in the U.S. proposal. Zelenskyy said discussions were “substantive” and that senior Ukrainian officials were returning to brief him. A major dispute concerns a U.S. suggestion that Kyiv give up control of the Donbas region, most of which Russia occupies. Ukraine and its European partners reject ceding territory. Starmer said he would not pressure Zelenskyy to agree. Trump, who has urged Ukraine to surrender land to end the war and has criticized the cost of U.S. aid, continues to take a fluctuating stance toward Kyiv. U.S. national security strategy released The London talks came shortly after the U.S. unveiled a new national security strategy that unsettled European governments but drew praise from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document aligned with Russia’s views and welcomed its call for improved relations and reduced tensions. The U.S. strategy said Washington aims to stabilize its relationship with Russia and sees ending the war as key to that goal. It also argued NATO should not expand indefinitely and criticized European allies’ migration and free-speech policies. The U.K. government declined to comment on the U.S. document. Continued attacks on Ukraine Despite diplomatic efforts, Russian drone strikes continued. In Okhtyrka, drones hit an apartment block, injuring seven people. In Chernihiv, another drone blast wounded three people and damaged residential buildings and infrastructure. Ukraine said Russia launched 149 drones overnight, of which 131 were intercepted. Russia reported downing 67 Ukrainian drones over 11 regions.

A year ago, Mohammad Marwan found himself stumbling, barefoot and dazed, out of Syria’s notorious Saydnaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus as rebel forces pushing toward the capital threw open its doors to release the prisoners. Arrested in 2018 for fleeing compulsory military service, the father of three had cycled through four other lockups before landing in Saydnaya, a sprawling complex just north of Damascus that became synonymous with some of the worst atrocities committed under the rule of now-ousted President Bashar Assad. He recalled guards waiting to welcome new prisoners with a gauntlet of beatings and electric shocks. “They said, ‘You have no rights here, and we’re not calling an ambulance unless we have a dead body,’” Marwan said. His Dec. 8, 2024, homecoming to a house full of relatives and friends in his village in Homs province was joyful. But in the year since then, he has struggled to overcome the physical and psychological effects of his six-year imprisonment. He suffered from chest pain and difficulty breathing that turned out to be the result of tuberculosis. He was beset by crippling anxiety and difficulty sleeping. He’s now undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and attending therapy sessions at a center in Homs focused on rehabilitating former prisoners, and Marwan said his physical and mental situations have gradually improved. “We were in something like a state of death” in Saydnaya, he said. “Now we’ve come back to life.” A country struggling to heal On Monday, thousands of Syrians took to the streets to celebrate the anniversary of Assad's fall. Like Marwan, the country is struggling to heal a year after the Assad dynasty’s repressive 50-year reign came to an end following 14 years of civil war that left an estimated half a million people dead, millions more displaced, and the country battered and divided. Assad's downfall came as a shock, even to the insurgents who unseated him. In late November 2024, groups in the country’s northwest — led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist rebel group whose then-leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is now the country’s interim president — launched an offensive on the city of Aleppo, aiming to take it back from Assad’s forces. They were startled when the Syrian army collapsed with little resistance, first in Aleppo, then the key cities of Hama and Homs, leaving the road to Damascus open. Meanwhile, insurgent groups in the country’s south mobilized to make their own push toward the capital. The rebels took Damascus on Dec. 8 while Assad was whisked away by Russian forces and remains in exile in Moscow. But Russia, a longtime Assad ally, did not intervene militarily to defend him and has since established ties with the country's new rulers and maintained its bases on the Syrian coast. Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesperson for Syrian Ministry of Defense, said HTS and its allies had launched a major organizational overhaul after Assad’s forces regained control of a number of formerly rebel-controlled areas in 2019 and 2020. The rebel offensive in November 2024 was not initially aimed at seizing Damascus but was meant to preempt an expected major offensive by Assad’s forces in opposition-held Idlib intending to “finish the Idlib file,” Abdul Ghani said. Launching an attack on Aleppo “was a military solution to expand the radius of the battle and thus safeguard the liberated interior areas," he said. In timing the attack, the insurgents also took advantage of the fact that Russia was distracted by its war in Ukraine and that the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, another Assad ally, was licking its wounds after a damaging war with Israel. When the Syrian army’s defenses collapsed, the rebels pressed on, “taking advantage of every golden opportunity,” Abdul Ghani said. Successes abroad, challenges at home Since his sudden ascent to power, al-Sharaa has launched a diplomatic charm offensive, building ties with Western and Arab countries that shunned Assad and that once considered al-Sharaa a terrorist. In November, he became the first Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946 to visit Washington. In a speech in Damascus on Monday, al-Sharaa described his vision of Syria as “a strong country that belongs to its ancient past, looks forward to a promising future and is restoring its natural position in its Arab, regional and international environment" and will join “the ranks of the most advanced nations.” But the diplomatic successes have been offset by outbreaks of sectarian violence in which hundreds of civilians from the Alawite and Druze minorities were killed by pro-government Sunni fighters. Local Druze groups have now set up their own de facto government and military in the southern Sweida province. There are ongoing tensions between the new government in Damascus and Kurdish-led forces controlling the country’s northeast, despite an agreement inked in March that was supposed to lead to a merger of their forces. Israel is wary of Syria's new Islamist-led government even though al-Sharaa has said he wants no conflict with the country. Israel has seized a formerly U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and launched regular airstrikes and incursions since Assad’s fall. Negotiations for a security agreement have stalled. Remnants of the civil war are everywhere. The Mines Advisory Group reported Monday that at least 590 people have been killed by landmines in Syria since Assad’s fall, including 167 children, putting the country on track to record the world’s highest landmine casualty rate in 2025. Meanwhile, the economy has remained sluggish, despite the lifting of most Western sanctions. While Gulf countries have promised to invest in reconstruction projects, little has materialized on the ground. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding the country’s war-damaged areas will cost $216 billion. Rebuilding largely an individual effort The rebuilding that has taken place has largely been individual owners paying to fix their own damaged houses and businesses. On the outskirts of Damascus, the once-vibrant Yarmouk Palestinian camp today largely resembles a moonscape. Taken over by a series of militant groups then bombarded by government planes, the camp was all but abandoned after 2018. Since Assad’s fall, a steady stream of former residents have come back. The most damaged areas remain largely deserted but on the main street leading into the camp, bit by bit, blasted-out walls have been replaced in the buildings that remain structurally sound. Shops have reopened and families have come back to their apartments. But any larger reconstruction initiative appears to still be far off. “It’s been a year since the regime fell. I would hope they could remove the old destroyed houses and build towers,” said Maher al-Homsi, who is fixing his damaged home to move back, although the area doesn't even have a water connection. His neighbor, Etab al-Hawari, was willing to cut the new authorities some slack. “They inherited an empty country — the banks are empty, the infrastructure was robbed, the homes were robbed," she said. Bassam Dimashqi, a dentist from Damascus, said of the country after Assad’s fall, “Of course it’s better, there’s freedom of some sort.” But he remains anxious about the precarious security situation and its economic impacts. “The job of the state is to impose security, and once you impose security, everything else will come," he said. "The security situation is what encourages investors to come and do projects.” The U.N refugee agency reports that more than 1 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes since Assad’s fall. But without jobs and reconstruction, some will leave again. Among them is Marwan, the former prisoner, who says the post-Assad situation in Syria is “far better” than before. But he is struggling economically. Sometimes he picks up labor that pays only 50,000 or 60,000 Syrian pounds daily, the equivalent of about $5. Once he finishes his tuberculosis treatment, he said, he plans to leave to Lebanon in search of better-paid work.

The Suez Canal has recorded a notable rise in traffic and revenue since the start of Egypt’s current fiscal year in July, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said Monday. SCA Chairman Osama Rabie told an IMF mission that 5,874 vessels transited the waterway since July 1, generating 1.97 billion U.S. dollars — a 17.5 percent year-on-year increase. Net tonnage grew 14.4 percent to 247.2 million tonnes, while total vessel numbers rose 5.2 percent. Rabie said long-term indicators point to continued recovery, projecting revenues of 8 billion dollars in FY 2026/27 and 10 billion dollars in FY 2027/28. Last month, he estimated revenues would reach 4.2 billion dollars in 2025, compared with 3.9 billion dollars in 2024 — still below the record 10.2 billion dollars in 2023, when regional tensions disrupted traffic. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi forces in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since late 2023 prompted many shipping lines to reroute around Africa, sharply reducing canal transits. Rabie noted that attacks have stopped since the Gaza ceasefire in October.