United News of Bangladesh

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have increased costs for American families and disrupted a decades-old trade relationship as he announced a multibillion-dollar plan to protect Canada’s manufacturing heartland from the trade war. Carney also said he had spoken with Trump for “quite some time” about trade and other issues, as the US Embassy in Canada accused Canadian politicians of attempting to influence American politics ahead of next month’s midterm elections. Both Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejected allegations of improper interference. Trump has openly expressed his desire to shift automobile production from Canada to the United States, threatening an industry that has been deeply integrated across the border for decades. “US tariffs have upended a trade bargain that’s existed for decades,” Carney said. “They’ve raised costs for American families while putting Ontario workers and businesses at a disadvantage and under a cloud of uncertainty.” Carney said an integrated North American automotive industry would benefit both countries, but acknowledged that Washington might no longer consider it a priority. “Their approach has changed,” he said. “So must ours.” Carney said his conversation with Trump covered Iran, the Middle East and several trade issues. The two leaders had discussed Ukraine a few days earlier. Although Carney gave no indication of a breakthrough, he said Canada remained ready to negotiate. Trade negotiations collapsed in August after the two countries appeared close to reaching an agreement. Trump subsequently imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory measures from Canada. Ford says Canada-US relations will not return to previous state Ford said Canada’s relationship with the United States had undergone a permanent change. “It’s clear that Canada’s relationship with the United States has changed permanently,” Ford said. “No matter what happens in the midterms, no matter who sits in the White House, we’re not going back to the way things were.” Trump’s trade war and repeated threats to make Canada the 51st US state have fuelled a surge in Canadian nationalism. Carney has prioritised reducing Canada’s dependence on the United States, setting a target of doubling exports to other markets over the next decade. Billions allocated to protect Canadian industries Carney and Ford announced an 8.7 billion Canadian dollar ($6.2 billion) plan to support steelmakers, automakers and critical mineral development in Ontario, the country’s manufacturing heartland. The package includes CA$5.2 billion ($3.7 billion) over five years for steelmakers and CA$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) for automakers, including CA$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion) in federal funding. The announcement came as US-owned steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs announced layoffs at its plant in Hamilton, Ontario, highlighting the impact of Trump’s tariffs on Canadian manufacturing. US Embassy accuses Canadian politicians of interference Also on Wednesday, the US Embassy issued a fact sheet accusing Canadian politicians of seeking to interfere in American elections. The statement singled out Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for discussing retaliatory tariffs targeting Republican states and Ford for broadcasting a US advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan criticising tariffs. Trump abruptly cancelled trade talks with Canada after the advertisement aired during the World Series in October 2025. The embassy also cited 11 Canadians charged with illegally voting in US elections between 2012 and 2026, without linking the cases to the Canadian government. The Trump administration has launched a government-wide effort to investigate and prosecute noncitizen voting, which election experts and administrators describe as a relatively minor issue. The US Department of Justice says it has arrested more than 200 people since the beginning of 2026 for illegally voting as noncitizens in past elections. The number is extremely small compared with the country’s tens of millions of regular voters. “The items featured in the US embassy’s ‘fact sheet’ are not genuine examples of foreign interference and the implicit assumption that Canada could significantly alter the outcome of the midterms is absurd,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. “Accusing Canada of foreign interference ahead of the midterms could pave the way to ‘Blame Canada’ rhetoric after the electoral results are in.” Carney said Canada was responding to US tariffs, while Ford denied having any interest in interfering in American elections. Carney said Canadian automotive exports to the United States had declined by more than 10%, while US exports to Canada had fallen by more than 20%. “Tariffs make both our industries weaker and reduce choice for our families,” Carney said.

North Korea plans to resume anti-Seoul propaganda broadcasts along its heavily fortified border with South Korea, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has said, reviving a psychological warfare campaign amid rising tensions following land mine explosions that injured three South Korean front-line soldiers. Kim Yo Jong, her brother’s key spokesperson on relations with Washington and Seoul, announced the move on Wednesday after visiting border areas where North Korean troops are strengthening fortifications. She also renewed threats of retaliation against any South Korean provocation targeting the ongoing construction work. In a follow-up statement on Thursday, she said North Korea would place “new counter means” on alert along the border and put its loudspeakers on standby within days. North Korea has been installing mines, barbed-wire fences, anti-tank barriers and other fortifications along the border, already one of the world's most heavily armed frontiers, as Kim Jong Un maintains a hard-line stance toward Seoul. During the visit with Marshal Pak Jong Chon, one of her brother’s senior military officials, Kim Yo Jong described the fortification work as a “sacred and great undertaking” in support of the leader’s policy of permanently severing ties with South Korea. Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea his most hostile adversary amid a broader diplomatic stalemate with Washington. “Our tactical hunting teams are taking new positions, and within October, the loudspeakers for psychological warfare against the ROK will be in operation along the whole border,” Kim Yo Jong said, referring to South Korea by the initials of its official name, the Republic of Korea. She warned that if South Korean warning shots, which Seoul says are intended to push North Korean soldiers back across the border during fortification work, cause “actual harm to our territorial security and our service persons' safety,” North Korean border guards “will show no mercy for the armed gangsters bereft of reason.” Asked about the threat to resume loudspeaker broadcasts, South Korean Defence Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said on Thursday that Seoul would need to take “proportionate measures” in response to North Korea’s activities along the border. She did not specify what steps the South might consider. North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency initially reported that Kim visited the border on Tuesday. However, Kim later corrected the timing in a separate statement, saying the visit took place early Wednesday. Following an inspection with the US-led United Nations Command, South Korea formally blamed North Korean-planted mines for the September 21 explosions and called on Pyongyang to apologise and remove its remaining mines. North Korea has denied responsibility for the blasts and warned of strong retaliation if provoked. “Our military leadership underlined the need to make those rogues aware that our new firepower units have taken their firing positions,” Kim Yo Jong told soldiers during Wednesday’s visit, reminding them of her brother’s order to make the border with the “enemy ... eternally impregnable.” South Korea’s military has said North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line 50 times this year while carrying out fortification work, prompting Seoul to respond with warning shots and loudspeaker broadcasts. Kim Yo Jong has dismissed the South’s claims of border crossings as a “false pretext” and accused Seoul of escalating provocations “beyond the red line” since the mine explosions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Jin Yong-Sung, described Kim’s threats as “intolerable” and instructed the military to respond firmly to potential North Korean provocations. During Tuesday’s border inspection, Pak accused South Korea of making “deliberate, premeditated and absurd” claims to shift blame for the rising tensions. He also threatened an “overwhelming response” to any South Korean provocation. Pak denied that North Korean troops had crossed the border during fortification work, saying “our army knows where our borderline is better than any others,” according to KCNA. Loudspeaker broadcasts are among the Cold War-era psychological warfare tactics that the two Koreas have occasionally used against each other during periods of heightened tensions. South Korea’s liberal government, led by President Lee Jae Myung, suspended its broadcasts after taking office last year in an effort to improve relations with the North. Pyongyang later halted its own broadcasts as well. Kim Jong Un has cut off diplomatic engagement and cooperation with South Korea in recent years, declaring the country a permanent enemy as a prolonged deadlock in nuclear negotiations with Washington continues.

A Texas sheriff's deputy was killed and a police officer wounded during a gunfire exchange while serving felony warrants at a rural home near Canton late Tuesday. The officers were outside when shots were fired from inside, prompting them to return fire, according to Van Zandt County Sheriff Kevin Bridger. The suspect was later found dead inside from a gunshot wound. Deputies were assisting Canton police in serving warrants for aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer. The wounded Canton officer, shot in the right arm, underwent surgery and remains in stable condition at a hospital, police confirmed. Authorities have withheld the names of the deputy, the officer, and the suspect. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident, which occurred near Canton, a city of 5,000 located 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Dallas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine after November 10, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday, following a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. The talks would focus on postwar security arrangements, Ushakov said. Representatives of the three countries held three rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi and Geneva earlier this year but made little progress beyond prisoner exchanges. The three-hour meeting came a day after Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo. Ushakov said the proposals discussed there offered little of real value, though he later described them as a step in the right direction. Zelenskyy said freezing the conflict was the minimum requirement for ending the war, while US President Donald Trump urged Kyiv to reach a deal with Moscow. Witkoff said peace efforts had gained some momentum. He and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also discussed postwar economic cooperation, European security and a possible technical-level trilateral meeting, a US official said. Putin expressed willingness to explore renewed US-Russia economic ties and discuss the US-led conflict with Iran. Russia and the US also discussed major joint economic projects, some reportedly nearing implementation. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed five people and wounded at least 23 in Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said. Three died in Kyiv and two near Kharkiv, while energy facilities and residential buildings were hit. Russia said it intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Nine undocumented foreign nationals were killed when a sedan collided with a tractor unit on an intercity road in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan early Wednesday. The collision occurred around 1:30am local time (2200 GMT Tuesday), said Mehdi Khamar, traffic police chief of northern Sistan and Baluchestan. Khamar said all nine victims were traveling in the sedan. Eight died at the scene, while the ninth succumbed to injuries after being rushed to a hospital. Sistan and Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, serves as a major entry point for undocumented migrants entering Iran.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a deal with Russia to end the conflict, warning that "if they don't make a deal, it's just gonna get worse."   Speaking to White House reporters, Trump said American taxpayers are tired of giving "tremendous amounts" to Ukraine with nothing back "other than high diesel," adding, "It's time to make a deal; Russia would like to get it done."   The appeal came after US special envoy Steve Witkoff held what Zelensky called "constructive" talks with European officials and Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday. US media outlet Axios reported Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to present an updated proposal creating a "pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations."   Trump, who recently accused Zelensky of hindering peace, suggested Monday that Zelensky should have settled long ago and proposed replacing him as Ukraine's chief negotiator.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday slammed "stupid" and "unacceptable" claims by foreign leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who blamed Muslim migrants and fake AI-generated images for French riots caused by soaring living costs. Speaking in Qatar after a Gulf tour to secure oil, gas, diesel, and jet fuel amid an energy crisis, Macron accused electioneering leaders of foreign manipulation and using France for political campaigns. Trump had urged Macron to "close your borders," claiming an invasion of migrants and Islamists-narratives Macron called completely false. Macron said leaders naively repeat AI content, though he did not specify which images. Despite earlier good relations, Trump regularly mocks Macron, who remarked that critics "don't love our country."   During his tour, Macron secured nearly 295,000 additional monthly tonnes of diesel-over 10% of France's consumption-including 100,000 tonnes from the UAE, 100,000 tonnes pending in Bahrain, and supplies from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s main airport in the capital Riyadh resumed limited flight operations on Wednesday, two days after airlines were notified that they could restart services with prior permission, following multiple attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels this month. Only Saudi airlines were operating at King Khalid International Airport on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking data published by FlightAware. Saudia and Flynas were operating flights, while major international carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France, had cancelled services through mid-November. The airport was struck multiple times by Houthi rebels this month and was shut down on October 10. The decline in air traffic could have longer-term economic implications for Saudi Arabia beyond the direct damage caused by the attacks. The Houthis have acknowledged targeting the airport, claiming, without providing evidence, that Saudi Arabia used the facility to supply military equipment to government forces. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed five Houthi drones launched towards Saudi Arabia over the holy city of Medina on Wednesday. In Yemen, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said a ballistic missile struck a military camp near Aden airport. A transportation ministry official said airport operations were temporarily suspended, but the runway was undamaged and a civilian aircraft had departed before the strike.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump steps up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement to end the fighting. Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Witkoff said he hoped to discuss the resumption of trilateral negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine, allowing technical teams to consider the next steps towards a peace settlement. Putin thanked Trump and Witkoff for their efforts to end the conflict. The meeting came a day after Witkoff held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. The back-to-back meetings signalled renewed efforts to advance US-led diplomatic initiatives to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four and a half years ago. However, the Trump administration’s efforts to broker a settlement since early last year have yet to produce significant progress, and there was no immediate indication of a breakthrough. Russia and Ukraine remain divided over the terms of a possible settlement, while their forces continue fighting on the battlefield and carrying out daily long-range strikes against each other. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who attended the Oslo meeting, said late Tuesday that the discussions had made “genuine progress.” Witkoff sees momentum in peace efforts Witkoff and Putin met at Constantine Palace in St Petersburg, with Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov also attending. Witkoff said Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would participate in the discussions through a video link. Witkoff described the previous day’s talks in Oslo as productive and said there was “some degree of momentum” in the peace efforts. He said he would brief Putin on the discussions. He also thanked Putin for lifting Russia’s ban on diesel exports, saying the move would help lower costs for US farmers and truckers. The decision had drawn criticism from some US lawmakers. Putin said Moscow was prepared to discuss restoring economic ties with Washington. He also expressed readiness to discuss the US-led conflict with Iran, saying Russia could use its special relationship with Tehran to help bring about peace. Meanwhile, Putin was scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday. Li was in St Petersburg for meetings with senior Russian officials, according to the Kremlin. Russia has strengthened its ties with China in recent years. Last month, the two countries vetoed a US proposal at the United Nations to allow experts to continue monitoring sanctions on Iran.

At least 153 people were killed in a drone strike on a market in Abyei, a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan, after the attack hit a nearby fuel depot and sparked a fire that continued to burn on Tuesday, a local official said. Yohanna Akol Ngor, caretaker information minister of the Abyei administration, accused Sudan’s military of carrying out Monday’s strike on Amiet Market, located north of Abyei town. Speaking to The Associated Press by phone on Tuesday, Ngor said the death toll was rising as the fire continued to rage. A senior Sudanese military officer confirmed that the army conducted a drone attack on Monday, saying it targeted fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan that were allegedly supplying fuel to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The officer spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to comment publicly. He claimed those killed were RSF members and people involved in fuel smuggling, adding that the military did not target civilians. However, the AP could not independently verify the intended targets or the identities of the victims. The officer also said the strike occurred outside the demilitarized zone along the Sudan-South Sudan border. In a statement on Tuesday, the UN secretary-general condemned drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach, reporting that dozens of civilians, including women and children, had been killed and many others wounded. The statement did not name those responsible for the attacks. The United Nations said many people were still missing and the casualty count was likely to increase as the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) continued to verify the toll. According to the statement, UNISFA deployed medical teams, firefighting equipment and quick reaction forces to provide emergency care, evacuate the injured and contain the fire. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, said more than 20 injured people had been admitted to Ameth Bek Hospital, where its medical teams were working with personnel from South Sudan’s Health Ministry. “So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted,” said Dr Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital. South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry also blamed Sudan’s military for the attack, saying strikes on several locations inside the market caused civilian casualties and extensive damage to property. The ministry said it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador to lodge a protest and called on Khartoum to “refrain from any actions that endanger civilian lives and property.” It also urged both sides to resolve disputes over Abyei through diplomatic means. Sudan’s military and the RSF have been engaged in a devastating conflict since April 2023, causing widespread destruction across the country and threatening stability in neighbouring areas. Ngor said the strike took place at around 11am on Monday and hit a fuel depot that supplied local businesses. “It is a horrible and shocking situation,” he said. MSF urged all parties to halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that such violence threatens people's safe access to healthcare and other essential services. Amiet Market serves as a major trading centre for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities. The status of oil-rich Abyei remained unresolved under a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war in Sudan. The dispute continued after South Sudan gained independence in 2011, as a proposed referendum on the region’s future stalled over disagreements about voter eligibility. The Ngok Dinka, who form the majority of Abyei’s population, favour joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads, who depend on the region’s grazing lands, support remaining part of Sudan. Abyei has also witnessed deadly communal clashes, including disputes over land between the Ngok Dinka and neighbouring Twic Dinka communities.