United News of Bangladesh

Hundreds of opposition lawmakers, lawyers, activists and trade union members protested in Sri Lanka’s capital Thursday, demanding that the government withdraw proposed legislation they say could undermine judicial independence. The protest came nearly two weeks after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government submitted a constitutional amendment on judicial reform to Parliament. The proposed changes would increase the retirement age of the country’s top judges by two years and expand the number of judges on the higher courts. The government says the reforms are aimed at reducing delays in the courts and would not affect judicial independence. Opposition lawmakers and rights activists, however, accuse the government of seeking greater political control over the judiciary. Protesters gathered at Colombo’s main railway station, holding banners and placards reading “Don’t touch the judiciary” and “Stop reforms that tarnish judicial independence.” Opposition lawmaker Ajith Perera called the proposed amendment “draconian,” alleging that it was drafted without consultation with judges, lawyers or other stakeholders and was intended to manipulate the judiciary for political purposes. No parliamentary debate has yet been scheduled. The amendment requires a two-thirds majority to pass, a threshold the ruling National People’s Power party can meet as it controls more than two-thirds of Parliament. Dissanayake won the presidency in September 2024, followed by his party’s victory in parliamentary elections later that year, amid public anger over Sri Lanka’s severe 2022 economic crisis, which was blamed on years of mismanagement and corruption. His government has since launched investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct under previous administrations, with dozens of former government and political officials facing scrutiny.

The death toll from the devastating mudslide in Nepal has climbed to 1,204, with 4,216 people still missing as of 6 p.m. local time Wednesday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The disaster has also left a total of 301 people injured. In response to the catastrophe, 21,314 security personnel have been mobilized across the affected regions to conduct search, rescue and relief operations, the authority said. Some missing tourists make contact as Nepal flood death toll exceeds 1,100

Nepal has launched a diplomatic campaign seeking climate compensation from major greenhouse gas emitters for the devastation caused by recent deadly flash floods, saying assistance to climate-vulnerable countries should be seen as a matter of responsibility rather than charity. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal contributes virtually negligible greenhouse gas emissions but is facing disproportionate impacts of global warming, including rapid glacier melting and increasingly severe mountain disasters. “We are paying the ultimate price for a global crisis we did not create,” Khanal said in an interview with Kantipur TV, excerpts of which were published by The Kathmandu Post on Tuesday. He said Nepal was changing its diplomatic approach from seeking “aid” to demanding “justice and compensation” for climate-related losses. “This is not a matter of charity; it is a matter of legal and moral liability,” Khanal said, adding that Nepal would raise the issue firmly at international forums. He identified China, the United States and India as the world's three largest greenhouse gas emitters and said they have a historical responsibility to compensate vulnerable countries such as Nepal. Khanal also warned that the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers could threaten the water security of more than two billion people in South Asia who depend on rivers originating in the region. The minister said Nepal's Finance Ministry has already sent a formal climate compensation claim to its international partners. Meanwhile, Nepal has formally approached the board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, seeking urgent financial assistance following the devastating flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River basin on Aug 26, The Kathmandu Post reported. The fund was established at the UN climate conference COP27 in 2022 and operationalised at COP28. A joint letter from Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Forests and Agriculture Minister Geeta Chaudhary called for an urgent response to the disaster, which caused deaths, displacement and extensive damage to homes and critical infrastructure. The ministers said the full extent of the economic and non-economic losses had yet to be assessed, but preliminary information indicated that the damage was extensive and beyond Nepal's immediate capacity to respond. India has long advocated climate equity, saying countries' obligations should reflect differences in historical emissions, development needs and capacities. New Delhi has also supported efforts to address climate-related loss and damage while calling on developed countries to provide financial resources to vulnerable developing nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday put forward a four-point proposal at the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. In his speech at the summit, Xi said this year marks the 25th founding anniversary of the SCO. He pointed out that 25 years ago, safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests became a shared consensus among countries in the region in the face of the profound lessons of the Cold War, the real threat posed by the "three evil forces," as well as the strong aspirations of people in various countries for peace and development. The SCO thus emerged, and the organization has increasingly demonstrated its strong vitality and dynamism, Xi added. Over the past 25 years, the SCO has gone through an extraordinary journey, Xi said, noting that its most significant achievement has been its gradual transformation into a new type of regional cooperation organization that spans the largest geographical area, represents the largest population, and possesses enormous development potential in the world. The SCO's most valuable spiritual asset is the pioneering proposal and steadfast adherence to the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, he said. The SCO's most important experience for cooperation is that it has found the right way of coexistence featuring non-alliances, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party, while bringing countries in the region together to build a common home, he added. Xi said that 25 years on, as profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating, the rivalry is intensifying between dialogue and confrontation, win-win cooperation and zero-sum, and multilateralism and unilateralism, and the shadow of war continues to haunt the world. At the crossroads concerning the future of humanity, the SCO should shoulder its historic responsibility and take the initiative in steering the course of history, he said. Xi called on the SCO to stay committed to putting development first, and open up the prospects for shared prosperity. The SCO, Xi said, should champion a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as trade and investment, connectivity, energy and resources, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, green industry and green mining. China sees the SCO as a priority area for the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road and implementation of the Global Development Initiative, and will continue to host events such as the SCO Digital Economy Forum and the SCO Agricultural Expo, Xi said. China will also establish an international cooperation center on AI applications for SCO countries, set up a China-SCO port economy cooperation center in Tianjin, and jointly implement 100 technological cooperation projects with SCO countries over the next three years, Xi added. Xi urged the SCO to stay committed to taking security as a key goal, and foster an environment of common security. The SCO should coordinate to counter traditional and non-traditional security threats, combat the "three evil forces," transnational organized crime, drug trafficking and telecommunications fraud, strengthen cooperation on information security, bio-security and outer space security, and prevent external forces from interfering in the internal affairs, endangering political security and undermining regional stability, Xi noted. Xi said China stands ready to work with all parties to act on the vision of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and build the SCO into an important platform for implementing the Global Security Initiative. China supports the early opening of the SCO's "four security centers" so as to enhance the capacity of member countries to address security threats and challenges, Xi said. Xi also called on the grouping to put people first, and cement the foundation for everlasting friendship. The SCO should take into account the characteristics of each member state's history, culture, social system and development stage, build cooperation networks between legislatures, political parties, schools, think tanks, enterprises and media, promote people-to-people exchanges, and inject vitality into the good-neighborliness and friendship among member states, he said. China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and supports a greater role of the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission and other organizations of friendly people-to-people exchanges, Xi said. The Chinese side will set up a China-SCO basic education cooperation center, and continue to build bridges for exchanges and mutual learning as well as people-to-people connectivity through such programs as Confucius Institutes and Luban Workshops, he added. Xi also urged the SCO to promote dialogue and consultation, and strive for more equitable and orderly governance. He stressed that the SCO should always advocate that all countries, regardless of their size, are equal, and that regional affairs should be discussed by all countries to bridge differences and build consensus. The SCO should properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and meet common challenges through multilateral coordination. China supports the SCO in setting an example in cooperation to implement the Global Governance Initiative, Xi said, calling for continued efforts to improve the SCO's operational mechanisms, and enhance the efficiency of its decision-making and execution. More like-minded countries are welcome to become SCO partners to join the effort to improve regional and global governance, he said. Xi stressed that China is ready to work with all parties to continue to uphold the banner of the "Shanghai Spirit," implement the SCO's development strategy for the next decade, strive for higher quality development, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity. Leaders of member states fully affirmed the achievements the SCO has made in the past 25 years, and recognized that the SCO has provided important guarantee for regional security and prosperity and has become one of the cornerstones of global stability and economic development. All parties expressed appreciation for China's important contribution to the organization's development as a founding member, and agreed to actively implement the strategic vision set out at the 2025 Tianjin summit, continue to uphold the Shanghai Spirit, promote institution-building, enhance political mutual trust, deepen cooperation in areas including trade, investment, science and technology, energy, finance, industrial and supply chains, and connectivity, strengthen people-to-people bonds, jointly respond to new types of security challenges, with a view to writing a new chapter of lasting peace and common development. In the face of a complex and volatile international situation, SCO member states should embrace solidarity and cooperation, enhance the influence of SCO, promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system, and play a greater role in safeguarding peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. Leaders of the member states signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration, approved the protocol on amendments and additions to the SCO Charter, the regulations on the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the regulations on the SCO Anti-drug Center, and adopted 28 outcome documents covering such areas as security, economic and people-to-people cooperation, and organizational development. President Xi congratulated Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on taking over the chair of the Council of Heads of State. 

Mount Sinabung in Indonesia erupted Monday, sending a column of black ash and smoke about 3,500 meters (11,482 feet) above the mountain on Sumatra island. There were no immediate reports of casualties, evacuations or flight disruptions in the area. However, residents, visitors and tourists were advised to avoid activities in nearby villages in Karo district of North Sumatra province and within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of the volcano’s summit. Gray volcanic ash covered roads, vehicles and buildings in several villages in Karo following the eruption. Local authorities distributed masks among residents as a precaution. Officials raised the volcano’s alert status to “Watch,” the second-highest level for volcanic activity, thereby expanding the restricted area around the 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) mountain. “This eruption is considered an initial eruption, and it is possible that a larger eruption could occur,” Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said in a statement Monday. The agency had earlier documented signs of increased activity at Mount Sinabung in mid-August, including dozens of earthquakes, and expanded the recommended radius for public activities around the volcano. Around 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in areas surrounding Sinabung over the past several years because of volcanic activity. Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 280 million people, experiences frequent seismic activity and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes. The country is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Rescue teams on Monday stepped up efforts to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels buried under mud following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, as the death toll continued to rise and families desperately searched for missing relatives. The combined death toll in Nepal and China has exceeded 950, while more than 4,400 people remain missing. The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), a private-sector body representing power companies, said at least 900 workers were missing from 12 hydropower projects hit by flash floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. Around 500 of the missing workers were believed to be trapped inside tunnels. While an expert said some of them might still have access to oxygen, others cautioned that the possibility of finding survivors was rapidly declining. Nepal’s army said four bodies were recovered from three mud-filled tunnels as rescue operations intensified. Some workers were able to make calls for help when the disaster struck last Wednesday, while others who escaped said many of their colleagues remained inside the tunnels, according to IPPAN President Mohan Kumar Dangi. It remained unclear whether rescuers had been able to establish contact with the trapped workers after their initial calls for help. Six days after the disaster, concerns were increasing that some of the workers may have suffocated, Dangi said. Large tunnels built to control water flow Rescue operations were concentrated on the huge tunnels constructed to regulate water flow at the hydropower facilities. “These tunnels are big enough to drive trucks through,” said Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at Austria’s University of Graz who is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He said authorities understood that oxygen had reached some of those trapped inside and that efforts were underway to bring them out. “But it’s a race for time, though, as people need food and water,” Steiner said. At the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in the badly affected Rasuwa district, at least 576 people were reported missing, Dangi said. Around 300 of them were believed to be trapped inside the project’s tunnel. At the Trishuli-3 Hydropower Project, rescue teams were working to dig down about 15 meters (50 feet) into a tunnel to reach those believed to be trapped there, said Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, a spokesman for the Nepalese army. In Dhading, workers clearing mud from a flood-damaged power station told The Associated Press that the facility is an important link in supplying electricity to more than 20,000 people in the area. China focuses on rebuilding border roads On the Chinese side of the border, rescue and recovery operations included efforts to restore the road leading to Gyirong Port, an important crossing point for travel between China and Nepal. China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed trucks transporting large rocks Monday as workers attempted to rebuild a section of the road beside rapidly flowing floodwaters intensified by days of rain. The road was submerged under 2 to 3 meters (6.6 to 9.8 feet) of water, CCTV reported, adding that the reconstruction work was being carried out just over a kilometer (0.62 miles) from the border. Although some rescue teams have reached the border area, they represented only part of the overall response force. Chinese state media coverage has largely focused on the government’s response, including the deployment of firefighters and members of the People’s Liberation Army, as well as directives issued by the country’s top leaders. Relatively little information has emerged about the victims on the Chinese side. Families desperately seek missing relatives Nepal’s disaster management agency said Monday that 939 deaths had been recorded in the country, while 3,925 people remained missing, including 592 foreigners. Chinese authorities had reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people as of Sunday. Chinese state media said 261 of those missing were foreigners, including more than 100 Nepalis. The U.S. State Department said 80 Americans were missing, while 13 had been confirmed safe. Two days after the disaster, Indian travel company owner Maraval Nagappan traveled to Nepal to search for his missing son. He visited rescue centers and morgues and traveled as far as 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the area where his son was believed to have been, but found no trace of him. His son, Sathya Narayan, had been leading a group of 49 Indian pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash in Tibet. The group has been missing since floodwaters swept through a Chinese immigration facility where they were waiting to cross into Nepal. Nagappan’s Chennai-based company had organized the pilgrimage. He said the group was expected to complete immigration procedures and cross into Nepal within about two hours, but instead they were caught in the floodwaters. The pilgrimage had begun on Aug. 14. “I haven’t heard from my son since then. I don’t know whether he is alive or dead,” Nagappan told AP. Surveillance video showed floodwaters rushing through the immigration facility at the border as people tried to escape. Nagappan said some of those fleeing appeared to be members of his son’s group, whom he identified by the clothes they were wearing. Glacial collapse triggered devastating floods The flash floods on Wednesday began after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists studying satellite imagery said bedrock beneath a glacier collapsed, bringing part of the glacier down with it. The massive rockfall generated a seismic event measured at magnitude 5.2. The falling rocks and melting ice then caused rivers in the valleys below to swell, producing a powerful, muddy torrent that swept away buildings, bridges and huge amounts of earth downstream across Tibet and Nepal. UN says tens of thousands need emergency assistance Nearly a week after the disaster, around 65,000 people were in need of emergency water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, the United Nations said Monday. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that more than 22,000 children required protection, while about 2,600 children under five were expected to need treatment for severe wasting. Around 10,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women were also in need of nutritional assistance, he said. Dujarric said schools had either been damaged or destroyed, while some were being used as shelters for people displaced by the floods. “More than 10,000 school-age children need psychosocial support, and preliminary reports indicate that 107 children may have been separated from their parents or caregivers,” he said.

Rescue operations intensified Monday as catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet killed at least 919 people and left more than 4,700 missing, with rescuers searching for workers trapped at hydropower projects. Nepal's disaster agency said 903 people had died and 4,247, including 592 foreigners, remained missing. China reported 16 deaths and 546 missing as of Sunday, including more than 100 Nepalis. Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal, or IPPAN, said the floods damaged least 12 hydropower projects in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, with about 900 people missing from project sites.  At the Upper Trishuli-1 project, 576 were missing and about 300 were believed trapped inside tunnels. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said teams were searching hills, settlements and river areas. Geoscientist Jakob Steiner said the large hydropower tunnels could provide shelter and oxygen, but trapped people urgently need food and water. In Tibet, authorities were rebuilding roads to Gyirong Port, where floodwaters 2-3 meters deep have hampered access. Families are desperately seeking missing relatives. Maraval Nagappan traveled from India to search for his son, Sathya Narayan, who led 49 pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash. The floods began Wednesday after a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. Scientists said the resulting rockfall triggered a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, sending rocks and meltwater into rivers and sweeping away buildings and bridges in Tibet and Nepal.

The death toll from the disaster in Nepal has risen to 794, with the bodies recovered since Wednesday reaching that figure as of 5:45pm local time on Sunday, according to the latest update from Nepal Police. In a separate update, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that 781 people had been killed and 2,502 remained missing. Figures released by different agencies in Nepal have varied in recent days, with official updates not always matching as information continues to come in from multiple sources.  #Reports BBC

The China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation has ushered in a "golden period" of rapid development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday as he landed here for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. Upon the arrival, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his wife welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the Manas International Airport. In a written speech, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to Japarov and the people of Kyrgyzstan on behalf of the Chinese government and people. Noting that China and Kyrgyzstan share a time-honored traditional friendship, Xi said that the majestic Tianshan Mountains stands as witnesses to the millennia of friendly exchanges between their peoples. Over the 34 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the China-Kyrgyzstan relationship has withstood the test of a changing international landscape, maintained sound and stable development throughout, and reached the high level of a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. In recent years, bilateral trade volume and people-to-people exchanges have reached new highs, Xi said, noting that major projects including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway have been successfully implemented, and the tangible results of mutually beneficial cooperation have broadly benefited the two peoples. Xi said that during the visit he will have in-depth exchanges of views with Japarov on China-Kyrgyzstan relations, cooperation in various fields between the two countries, and international and regional issues of common concern, and draw a new blueprint for building a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future. "I look forward to attending the SCO Bishkek Summit, working with all parties to revisit the 25-year development experience of the SCO, jointly discuss cooperation plans, create the future of the organization, and promote the continuous new development of the organization," Xi said.  

Authorities in Nepal warned of possible fresh flooding on Sunday and urged residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River. Flood warning notices were sent to people's phones early Sunday as rescue crews worked to clear a major highway connecting Kathmandu to one of the areas worst hit by Wednesday's catastrophic floods, which killed at least 800 people and left more than 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet. In Dhading, one of the worst-hit regions in Nepal, some residents began returning to ruined homes to see what can be salvaged. Residents sat in homes with walls washed away by the floods, shoveling sludge-like mud and rubble off balconies or window frames. Others scanned the ground for items they could pick out of the mud and rinse off. One man had returned for his chickens, which he found alive. He tied them up and put them in the cabin of his truck. “Everything is finished. Nothing is left. Not even our home,” Sharmila Tamang, a Dhading resident who was trying to salvage items from her home, told The Associated Press. At a key power plant that was severely damaged by the floods, workers started inspecting the facilities Sunday to survey the destruction. The plant serves over 20,000 people across four districts. In the town of Galchhi, a group of residents sought higher ground on a nearby bridge and watched as the river roared by. Some pointed to enormous rocks washed downriver during the earlier floods, while others standing on a suspension bridge were warned off with whistles. Along the river, homes, vehicles and farm tractors could be seen jutting from the thick gray-brown sediment that enveloped entire villages in some areas. Parts of rice terraces along the riverside had dropped into the river after landslides hit them. Nepal’s disaster agency said Sunday the death toll had climbed to 788 with 2,502 missing, while Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on the Chinese side of the border. The missing include hundreds of people from over a dozen countries who were in the region to work, visit the mountains or make a pilgrimage to a sacred peak. On Sunday, Chinese state media said 261 foreigners were missing in Tibet, including over a hundred Nepalis and others from around the world. Residents are receiving constant flood warnings Homes and businesses left intact after the flooding were still without electricity on Sunday, as twisted power line poles and wires lay tangled in the mud. Prithivi Highway is a crucial supply route for food, fuel and other goods entering Kathmandu from other parts of the country. While most of the highway is operational, other parts still face repair challenges. The latest warnings came after Chinese authorities informed their Nepalese counterparts of increased water flow upstream, according to Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. But residents of the flood-hit villages said they were struggling to make sense of near-constant alarms they've received since the initial floods. “Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain,” said Govind Shreshta, a resident. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mom. I must carry them and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive.” Large concrete and smaller suspension bridges were destroyed, leaving communities on the other side of the river with less easy access. “Those who are there are now stuck there. Those who are here are stuck here. It’s going to be very difficult,” said Sattan Singh Tamang, 47, who was working near a bridge when Wednesday’s floods came. Minister says Nepalis have become victims of climate change Wednesday’s flash floods started after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as magnitude 5.2. The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal. Nepal’s foreign minister called for a global response to climate change, saying Nepal was bearing a disproportionate share of its impact. “Despite having only 0.1 percent contribution to the global emissions, people of Nepal have become major victims of climate change,” Shisir Khanal said Saturday. Scientists have said it is too early to draw a direct connection between global warming and Wednesday’s catastrophe. However, they said that as Earth’s temperature rises because of human activities such as burning oil, gas and coal, the chances of such disasters increase, especially in the Himalayan mountains, which are warming considerably faster than many other parts of the world. Meanwhile, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Sunday his country will send a search-and-rescue team to Nepal to assist with relief efforts and help evacuate Malaysians affected by the disaster. Malaysia has also pledged $1 million in financial aid to Nepal, he said in a statement.