United News of Bangladesh

Indian authorities have closed schools and evacuated tens of thousands of people from low-lying coastal areas as Cyclone Montha approaches the country’s eastern coast. According to the latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department, Montha has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall late Tuesday near Kakinada, a port city in southern Andhra Pradesh. The storm was located about 160 kilometers southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Montha is predicted to strengthen further, bringing wind speeds of 90 to 110 kilometers per hour (55-68 mph) as it moves toward the eastern coastline. The weather office has issued red alerts, the highest level of weather warning, for 19 districts in Andhra Pradesh, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall. Neighboring states, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Karnataka, are also expected to experience moderate to heavy showers. Disaster management teams in Andhra Pradesh have evacuated 38,000 residents from low-lying areas to relief camps. State officials estimate that around 4 million people live in vulnerable zones and could be affected by the cyclone. A total of 1,906 relief camps and 364 school shelters have been prepared, with evacuations ongoing in 1,238 high-risk villages, said Nara Lokesh, the state minister for communications. Schools and colleges will remain closed until Wednesday, while fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Train and flight services have also faced partial disruptions. In Odisha, authorities have relocated approximately 32,000 people from at-risk areas to relief shelters. Experts say severe storms are becoming more frequent and intense in South Asia due to global warming, which is increasing air and ocean temperatures. Warmer oceans fuel stronger storms, particularly near coastal areas. “Global warming is raising air temperatures and warming oceans. Warm oceans supply a large amount of energy to any tropical storm forming over them,” said Akshay Deoras, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, UK. India, the world’s most populous country, is among the largest current emitters of greenhouse gases and is highly vulnerable to climate impacts. In 2024 alone, Asia experienced 167 disasters—the highest among all continents—causing losses exceeding $32 billion, according to the Emergency Events Database maintained by the University of Louvain, Belgium. Tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in other regions, are among the most destructive natural disasters, especially when they strike densely populated coastal areas. India’s eastern coastline has long been prone to cyclones, and the number of severe storms is steadily rising. In 2023, India faced its deadliest cyclone season in recent years, claiming 523 lives and causing an estimated $2.5 billion in damages.   Source: AP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday called on Asia-Pacific leaders to prioritize dialogue over coercion and cooperation over confrontation as he opened the East Asia Summit amid rising U.S.-China rivalry. The summit brings together ASEAN members and key partners including the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia to discuss regional political, security, and economic challenges. In his opening remarks, Anwar emphasized multilateralism and adherence to international law, saying, “We continue to advocate for dialogue over coercion...and cooperation over confrontation. We affirm our stand on global peace and security.” The gathering followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s departure for Japan after attending ASEAN meetings in Malaysia, where he witnessed economic agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia, and supported an expanded ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand. Analysts expect discussions to focus on tensions in the South China Sea, North Korea’s missile launches, and internal crises such as Myanmar’s prolonged conflict. Anwar highlighted the importance of regional engagement, including a “Code of Conduct” for the South China Sea, and reaffirmed ASEAN’s 2021 Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar. The U.S. delegation is set to stress freedom of navigation and trade security, while China is expected to highlight sovereignty, noninterference, and connectivity initiatives like the Belt and Road. Observers say ASEAN will likely maintain neutrality to foster regional cooperation. Trade issues were also prominent, with Malaysia completing a free trade pact with South Korea and the RCEP partners reaffirming commitment to economic integration. Canada announced plans to accelerate free trade talks with ASEAN to counter the impact of U.S. tariffs. Anwar further welcomed Trump’s efforts to resolve the Gaza conflict and called for engagement with North Korea to reduce tensions, emphasizing diplomacy as the path to regional stability.  

India has shifted about 50,000 residents to temporary shelters on Monday, launching large-scale evacuations ahead of Cyclone Montha, which is strengthening over the Bay of Bengal and expected to lash the eastern coastline with fierce winds and heavy downpours, according to officials. Authorities have suspended holidays for emergency personnel and instructed schools and colleges to shut in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha that are projected to experience severe weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system could escalate into a severe cyclone by Tuesday before making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast later in the day. “Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started,” a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh told Reuters. A government statement confirmed that nearly 50,000 individuals have already been placed in relief centers. Rescue teams have been deployed to relocate communities from flood-prone areas in Andhra Pradesh, where authorities estimate 3.9 million people may be impacted. In Odisha, fishermen have been cautioned not to venture into the sea during the dangerous conditions. India’s eastern seaboard is often struck by cyclones between April and December. One of the most catastrophic storms in the country’s history was the super cyclone in October 1999 that claimed nearly 10,000 lives in Odisha. Meanwhile, officials in Tamil Nadu have advised residents to remain vigilant with weather forecasts predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several districts. Chennai, the state’s capital, is especially vulnerable to severe flooding, as witnessed during Cyclone Michaung in 2023. In Nepal, authorities have issued alerts about potential rain and snowfall from Tuesday through Friday and urged trekkers to stay cautious. This month alone, floods and landslides triggered by intense rainfall have killed 53 people across the Himalayan nation, reports Arab News.  

Trade tensions between the United States and China appeared to ease Sunday ahead of an expected meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as both sides signaled progress toward stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies. Chinese negotiator Li Chenggang said the two countries had reached a “preliminary consensus” to cool the tariff conflict that had rattled global markets. Trump echoed optimism, saying, “They want to make a deal and we want to make a deal,” adding that Xi could visit Washington or his Mar-a-Lago resort. The announcement came during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, where Trump sought to project himself as a global dealmaker. His visit also included the signing of new economic agreements with Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia to strengthen U.S. access to critical minerals and diversify supply chains away from China. At the summit, Thailand and Cambodia formalized a ceasefire agreement ending months of border clashes — a deal Trump claimed credit for brokering through economic pressure. Leaders hailed it as a “historic” step toward regional peace. Trump’s Asia tour, which includes Japan and South Korea, marks a renewed push to reassert U.S. presence in a region critical to global trade and security. The president expressed confidence in securing further trade deals, including one with China, even as tensions linger over tariffs and rare earth exports. The summit underscored Trump’s dual strategy of tough economic leverage and headline-grabbing diplomacy as he seeks to reshape America’s role in Asia.

Cambodia and Thailand on Sunday signed an expanded ceasefire agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump helped push forward to reinforce the peace deal which ended their deadly border conflict in July. Trump, who threatened to impose higher tariffs on both nations to halt the fighting, witnessed the signing by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Under the agreement, Thailand will release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers and both sides will gradually remove heavy weapons from the frontier. The 800-kilometre border has long been disputed, but past flare-ups were shorter and less deadly than this year’s clashes, which left dozens killed and forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The signing took place during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit, which also welcomed East Timor as the bloc’s 11th member in its first expansion since the 1990s. East Timor’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao described the country’s accession as “a dream realized,” saying the move gives his nation fresh opportunities to boost its struggling economy while joining a regional community of 680 million people with a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs ASEAN this year, said East Timor’s inclusion strengthens the bloc’s unity and reflects its commitment to shared progress and fair development. Despite excitement over membership, analysts noted that East Timor, with a GDP of around $2 billion and high levels of poverty and youth unemployment, will need strong technical assistance to fully integrate. The country, sandwiched between Indonesia and Australia, regained independence in 2002 after a brutal 24-year occupation by Indonesia following the end of Portuguese rule. Over the next two days, ASEAN leaders are expected to engage with key global partners including China, Japan, India, Australia, Russia, South Korea and the United States. Trump arrived Sunday for his first Asia trip since returning to the White House and is expected to sign a trade deal with Malaysia later in the day. Source: AP

Three Chinese citizens have been arrested in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, while attempting to illegally purchase 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of uranium, the country’s State Security Service said Saturday. The suspects planned to transport the nuclear material to China through Russia, the security service said in a statement, while also releasing video footage of the detention operation. “Three Chinese citizens have been detained in Tbilisi while attempting to illegally purchase 2 kilograms of nuclear material — uranium,” the agency said, adding that members of the criminal group planned to pay $400,000 (344,000 euros) for the radioactive material. According to the authorities, a Chinese citizen already in Georgia, who was in breach of Georgian visa regulations, brought experts to Georgia to search for uranium throughout the country. Other members of the criminal group coordinated the operation from China, the statement said. The perpetrators were identified and detained while "negotiating the details of the illegal transaction,” the security service said. The agency did not specify when the arrests occurred or provide the identities of the suspects.  

Two Australian cricketers were "approached and touched inappropriately" while in India for the Women's Cricket World Cup, Cricket Australia has confirmed. The incident took place on Thursday morning, the day after Australia’s victory over England, as the players were walking to a café in Indore. "We can confirm two members of the Australian Women's Team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore," Cricket Australia said in a statement. "The matter was reported by team security to police who are handling the matter."According to a report by the Press Trust of India, a man was arrested on Friday after allegedly following the players from their hotel. BBC Sport has reached out to Indore Police for a comment. Australia is set to face South Africa in their final group-stage match of the tournament on Saturday in Indore, reports BBC. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia expressed his concern over the "unfortunate" incident, in which two Australian players reportedly encountered "inappropriate behaviour" during the ongoing Women's World Cup in Indore.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers met Saturday ahead of a pivotal ASEAN summit that will formally admit East Timor as the bloc’s 11th member and mark U.S. President Donald Trump’s first trip to Asia since his return to office. The two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, starting Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, will focus on regional security, economic resilience, and maritime disputes, with U.S. tariffs and shifting trade dynamics dominating discussions. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan warned that global political “turbulence” threatens ASEAN’s neutrality, urging unity as geopolitical rivalry intensifies. The summit will also revive the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest trade bloc, as regional economies seek stability amid Washington’s protectionist trade policies. Trump’s visit—his first ASEAN appearance since 2017—will feature new U.S. trade agreements and an expanded ceasefire signing between Thailand and Cambodia. Analysts say his presence underscores Washington’s bid to maintain regional influence, even as Trump seeks to project himself as a “global dealmaker” amid strained trade ties. Security is tight in Kuala Lumpur, with protests planned against Trump’s stance on Palestine. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia supports peaceful demonstrations but will ensure smooth proceedings. While acknowledging Trump’s controversial reputation, Anwar praised his mediation in Gaza, though he stressed that Malaysia will press for a lasting Palestinian solution. A key milestone of this year’s summit is East Timor’s long-awaited ASEAN membership — the first expansion since Cambodia joined in 1999. Anwar hailed the move as strengthening regional inclusivity and solidarity. The young democracy, independent since 2002, hopes ASEAN membership will boost its oil-dependent economy. Leaders will also tackle regional tensions, including the South China Sea dispute and Myanmar’s ongoing crisis. Myanmar’s military regime remains excluded from ASEAN meetings for failing to implement the bloc’s peace plan, though its upcoming elections have reignited debate over engagement. Thailand indicated it may send observers to Myanmar’s elections, but insisted the move would not imply endorsement.

A roadside bomb struck a police vehicle Friday in Hangu city, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, killing a city police chief and two junior officers, officials said. Local police chief Adam Khan said the officers were heading to a police station that had been attacked less than an hour earlier. He did not provide further details. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks and attributed the violence to the Pakistani Taliban. The assault comes a day before Pakistan and Afghanistan are scheduled to hold a second round of peace talks in Istanbul, following initial discussions in Doha on Oct. 19. The talks, brokered by Qatar and Turkey, followed deadly border clashes that killed dozens on both sides and led to a temporary ceasefire. Bomb exploded on Syrian Defense Ministry bus, killing 4 soldiers and wounding others The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is separate from but closely allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, which returned to power in Kabul in August 2021 after the U.S. and NATO withdrawal. Many TTP fighters have sought refuge in Afghanistan, some living openly under Taliban rule, emboldening the group and straining Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. All border crossings between the two countries have been closed since Oct. 13 after the clashes. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never formally recognized. Source: AP

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday vowed to accelerate the country’s military buildup and boost defense spending, citing growing security threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Delivering her first policy speech in parliament since taking office Tuesday, Takaichi said her government will meet its target of raising defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by March — two years ahead of schedule. She also promised to revise Japan’s national security strategy by the end of 2026, earlier than planned, to reflect global instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East. “The free, open and stable international order that we were accustomed to is being violently shaken,” Takaichi said. “In the region around Japan, military activities by our neighbors are causing grave concerns. Japan must proactively build up its defense capabilities.” Takaichi’s remarks come just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Tokyo for an Oct. 27–29 summit, where Washington is expected to press Tokyo for further defense spending and additional purchases of U.S. weapons. She said she would discuss strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and fostering a relationship of trust with Trump. While stressing the need for a “constructive and stable relationship” with China, Takaichi acknowledged ongoing security concerns. Analysts say her conservative stance — including past visits to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine — could strain relations with Beijing. The updated security strategy may expand Japan’s offensive military roles, loosen arms export rules, and significantly raise defense expenditure, though Takaichi did not explain how these measures would be financed. At home, she faces challenges such as inflation, stagnant wages, and low public confidence. Her minority government, supported by a new alliance between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, will need opposition backing to pass major legislation. Takaichi also pledged to address Japan’s labor shortage by allowing more foreign workers under strict compliance rules, saying the policy aims to maintain order, not promote xenophobia.