United News of Bangladesh

South Korea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, escalating its protest over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disclosure of an alleged secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The announcement came days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned that Seoul could take unspecified punitive measures if Ukraine does not apologize for revealing the transfer. South Korea's Foreign Ministry did not say when Ambassador Park Hee-chang would return home. In a statement, the ministry said Seoul would continue discussions with Kyiv and expressed hope that the dispute could be resolved smoothly. The diplomatic dispute began after Zelenskyy mentioned the transfer of the two North Korean soldiers during his speech at the United Nations on Sept. 23. South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement covering the soldiers' transfer in mid-September. Kyiv has denied that such an agreement existed. The two soldiers were among thousands of North Korean troops sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine. After being captured in early 2025, they said they wanted to settle in South Korea because they could face persecution if returned to North Korea. South Korea had agreed to accept them because it legally considers North Korea part of its territory and has a policy of receiving and providing financial support to North Korean defectors. South Korean officials said the nondisclosure arrangement was intended to protect the soldiers and their relatives in North Korea. However, some experts believe South Korea's liberal government may also be concerned that publicizing the soldiers' arrival could complicate its efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang. North Korean state media has not commented on the transfer. However, Pyongyang has previously reacted angrily to major defections, accusing Seoul of abducting North Korean citizens. North Korea has avoided talks with South Korea and the United States since 2019 while focusing on expanding its nuclear weapons program. It remains unclear what further measures Seoul may take against Ukraine. Experts say maintaining relations with Kyiv is important for South Korea because Ukraine could provide intelligence on North Korea's growing military cooperation with Russia and the battlefield experience of North Korean troops. They also said cooperation with Ukraine is important for South Korea's ties with Western countries supporting Kyiv in the war. Observers believe Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer to highlight the risks posed by North Korea's military support for Russia and encourage greater international assistance for Ukraine. South Korea has provided $445 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since 2022. In July, Lee pledged another $100 million in aid to Ukraine during a meeting with Zelenskyy.

The wife of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was due back in court Thursday as her lawyers seek her release from jail and placement under house arrest, citing serious heart problems. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been detained in New York since early January after US forces seized them during a nighttime raid on their home in Caracas. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges in a criminal case filed six years ago against them and several alleged co-conspirators. If convicted, they could face life in prison for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States. Their lawyers have asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Maduro and Flores were protected by immunity as the president and first lady of a foreign country. Flores, 69, has separately sought release on medical grounds. Her lawyers say her health problems cannot be properly treated in jail and that she could instead stay at a New York residence under round-the-clock security. They also said Flores suffered permanent scars after she was “thrown against a wall or dresser” during the US military operation that resulted in her capture. According to her lawyers, Flores has lost 25 pounds (11 kilograms) during her detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They said doctors have warned that she may need heart surgery. She has also experienced ongoing lightheadedness, dizziness and shortness of breath and may have suffered a minor heart attack in July, her lawyers said. Prosecutors have opposed the request for bail, arguing in a court filing that Flores would present an “extreme risk of flight and danger to the public” if released. Prosecutors also said Flores has been taken from the detention center to a local hospital when she needed medical treatment. President Donald Trump's administration has described the operation to capture Maduro as a “surgical law enforcement operation.” Maduro, meanwhile, has called himself a prisoner of war and described his capture as a kidnapping. Flores is accused of joining a cocaine-importation conspiracy with her husband, who served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until he was captured by US forces in January. Her lawyers said she poses no flight risk because she is “intent on supporting her husband with her constant presence.”

Pakistan’s military has confirmed that its troops are currently deployed in Saudi Arabia under the recently signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, saying Pakistani personnel are serving in the Kingdom in various roles. Pakistan military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the disclosure in an interview with CNN, saying Pakistani forces had already been stationed in Saudi Arabia for decades in different capacities, reports Arab News “I can confirm that the forces of Pakistan are already there in the Kingdom,” he said, adding that Pakistani troops were serving in multiple capabilities and areas. The confirmation comes after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to provide designated military forces and capabilities under the trilateral defense arrangement. The agreement followed a meeting of the Strategic-Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defense in Riyadh, where the three countries discussed security threats facing Saudi Arabia. The meeting took place amid recent attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi territory, involving drones and missiles targeting civilian and economic infrastructure. Officials from the three countries, at the Oct 5 meeting, reiterated their opposition to any attack or threat against Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in the Saudi holy city on Aug 7, 2026. Under the pact, an armed attack on one member is to be treated as an attack on all three. Chaudhry said Pakistan’s military presence in Saudi Arabia was part of a longstanding relationship between the two countries rather than a development that emerged solely from the new agreement. “There is a sustained diplomatic, political, military and people-to-people relationship between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye,” he said. Pakistan has for years provided military training and advisory support to Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh has provided financial assistance to Islamabad during periods of economic difficulty. The two countries also signed a separate bilateral defense agreement in September last year. According to a Reuters report in May, Pakistan subsequently deployed 8,000 troops, a fighter jet squadron and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under that agreement. Meanwhile, Turkiye has also been providing mainly defensive and technical assistance to Saudi Arabia to help counter Houthi attacks, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two officials. Turkiye and Pakistan have condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition aimed at ensuring navigational security in the Red Sea.

Police fired tear gas Thursday after dozens of students built new barricades outside a high school in northeastern Paris, as nationwide protests over education funding showed no sign of slowing. Students dragged rubbish bins into place outside the Helene Boucher Lycee early in the morning. The school has become a major site of clashes in the French capital and was among hundreds affected by protests across the country. At least a dozen demonstrations in support of the student movement were scheduled in different parts of France later Thursday. Riot police gathered in nearby streets as students arrived at the school. Many protesters wore surgical masks or hoodies, apparently to avoid being identified. According to the Interior Ministry, police have arrested more than 6,600 people since late September, when students, most of them under 18, began protesting for increased education funding. The Education Ministry said 375 schools were fully or partially closed Thursday. Pressure grows on governmentAlthough the number of affected schools was lower than Tuesday, the protests are increasing pressure on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron. The demonstrations began over inadequate funding for schools, many of which face deteriorating facilities and staff shortages. The movement has also attracted unions and political groups, as well as people who are not involved in the protesters' main demands. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu criticized the violence in a televised address, citing attacks on students and school staff, injuries to police and gendarmes, vandalized or burned schools, lost class hours, threats and insults. He also accused political leaders of using public anger for electoral purposes ahead of France's presidential election in April. “We cannot play with the safety of France's youth,” Lecornu said. At the Helene Boucher Lycee, 18-year-old university student Emma Khelil, a former student at the school, joined protesters to show her support. She said she was particularly concerned about police violence. “We're here to defend our rights, not to lose an eye or a hand,” Khelil told The Associated Press. Khelil also said the school had insulation problems and water leaks and that she had occasionally seen rats there. Other students said they had also seen rats. She said Lecornu's efforts were unlikely to end the protests. “I don't think the movement is going to lose momentum. As long as things don't change, we're going to see the movement grow stronger, and potentially a convergence of struggles, especially with the next presidential election coming up,” she said. Shortly afterward, police surrounded a nearby square as the crowd surged. Officers then fired tear gas. Protests spread to BelgiumThe unrest in France has also affected neighboring Belgium. Liege Mayor Willy Demeyer banned public gatherings until midnight on Oct. 16, citing a “real, serious and imminent risk” of further clashes and vandalism in the coming days. Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas Wednesday to disperse several hundred protesters. Authorities also sent emergency text messages advising shopkeepers to close their businesses because of the rioting. Nearly 90 people were arrested and several police officers were injured. Reinforcements were brought in from Brussels and Antwerp, with more expected. Smaller demonstrations were also held in Mons and Charleroi. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said on social media that those responsible for the unrest would face legal consequences. The protests in Belgium were organized through social media chat groups. Demonstrators are demanding more teachers and smaller classes and protesting education reforms. However, the movement also appears to have been influenced by the unrest in France.

The Swedish Academy will announce the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday in Stockholm. Last year's prize went to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, whose surreal and often chaotic novels combine a dark view of the world with sharp humor. The Nobel judges praised his work for defending the power of art in the face of “apocalyptic terror.” Three science-related Nobel Prizes were announced earlier this week. The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to three scientists whose research helped develop a technique that uses light to better understand how the brain works. The physics prize honored a scientist for work that helped explain the nature of a rare type of neutrino. The chemistry prize went to two scientists whose research helped explain unusual mirror-image structures in molecules, a breakthrough that has contributed to the development of many medicines. The Nobel announcements will continue Friday with the peace prize. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced Monday. This year's Nobel prize money is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million. The amount is the same whether the prize is awarded to an individual, a small group of laureates or an organization.

The European Union is preparing for tougher talks with China as a trade deficit of more than $1 billion a day raises concerns about job losses and increases pressure on the bloc to take a harder position toward its second-largest trading partner. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will travel to Beijing Thursday for two days of talks with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The discussions will focus on reducing the EU's 360 billion euro ($410 billion) trade deficit with China. Šefčovič earlier gave Beijing until October to show meaningful progress. Across the 27-member EU, politicians and economists are increasingly concerned that China's large state subsidies and rising exports are threatening key industries, including steel and automobile manufacturing. China has redirected more exports toward the EU and other markets since the United States increased tariffs. European lawmakers voiced strong concerns about trade with China during a debate Tuesday in Strasbourg. On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted 454-86 in favor of a resolution calling for tougher action, including “economic reciprocity” and a proportionate EU response if China fails to open its markets. Before the vote, Belgian lawmaker Hilde Vautmans, who led the resolution, said Europe has economic power and should use it. EU considers tougher trade measuresThe EU has already introduced trade measures targeting Chinese steel and small e-commerce shipments, but it remains uncertain how far the bloc is prepared to go. France's High Commission for Strategy and Planning called in February for swift action, including tariffs of up to 30% on many Chinese exports and a weaker euro against China's currency. German carmakers are facing falling sales in China, while Chinese automakers are gaining ground in Europe by offering lower prices, helped by heavy state subsidies. Major manufacturers, including Volkswagen, have already announced large-scale job cuts. France and Germany have also urged the EU to rethink its China policy. A letter seen by The Associated Press called for easier use of the bloc's Anti-Coercion Instrument, sometimes described as a “trade bazooka.” The tool, which has never been used, could restrict trade and investment from countries found to be putting excessive pressure on EU members or companies. However, EU countries are not united on tougher measures. Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, has maintained a more cooperative approach toward China. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has visited Beijing four times in three years. The European Policy Centre said in June that industries including batteries, solar panels, steel, electric vehicles, chemicals and machinery were already losing jobs and production capacity. It called for a trade investigation body modeled on Section 301 of the US Trade Act. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the situation as another “China shock” for Europe, comparing it with the loss of hundreds of thousands of US manufacturing jobs in the early 2000s. Tim Rühlig, a China analyst at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, said the EU needs domestic economic reforms as well as a stronger trade policy toward China. He said Europe cannot simply protect itself from Chinese competition, but it must strengthen its industries to remain competitive in future technologies over the next 15-20 years. Rühlig said the EU also cannot completely cut economic ties with China as it did with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, Europe needs to decide where it should reduce dependence on China and where cooperation remains possible. China prepares for prolonged trade disputeChina has warned the EU against adopting protectionist policies. A spokesperson for China's Commerce Ministry said France and Germany should not encourage the bloc to take such measures. “Protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and decoupling or cutting off supply chains will only harm others without benefiting oneself,” the ministry said. China is the EU's second-largest goods trading partner after the United States. Chinese exports to the EU increased 15.3% during the first eight months of this year, while imports from the EU rose 6.2%, according to China's customs agency. An editorial in China's state-run Global Times last month said the EU lacked the capacity to fight a trade war with China and challenged the bloc to try if it was determined to do so. China's exports to Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa increased after US tariffs took effect last year. Despite trade restrictions, China recorded a global trade surplus of $1.2 trillion in 2025. Max Zenglein, Asia-Pacific senior economist at The Conference Board, said China's export sector has remained resilient despite US tariffs and other restrictions. Ahead of Šefčovič's meeting with Wang, China launched an anti-dumping investigation into EU exports of p-nitrotoluene, a chemical used in dyes and pharmaceuticals. Beijing had warned last month that it would retaliate if the EU introduced tougher protectionist measures. Zenglein said China has faced several rounds of external pressure and has largely resisted efforts to change its economic policies. China's economy remains heavily dependent on exports as domestic demand stays weak. The EU imports large quantities of Chinese lithium-ion batteries and hybrid electric vehicles, while Chinese automakers are expanding their production facilities in Europe. Bank of America economists said improving US-China relations after a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington has shifted attention toward China-EU trade relations. Zenglein said Chinese investment in Europe could become an important bargaining tool in negotiations, particularly as EU countries compete to attract investment, jobs and new manufacturing projects.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday proposed a new rule that would introduce substantial fees for F-1 non-immigrant students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT), a temporary work authorization related to their fields of study. Under the proposed rule, students would have to pay 70,000 U.S. dollars for initial OPT authorization and 30,000 dollars for any subsequent OPT, according to a statement posted on the DHS website. The department said the proposed fees are aimed at combating fraud and abuse, reinforcing the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and protecting American workers. The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) criticized the proposal, saying the new fee structure adds to uncertainty facing international students. “Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership,” said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA. The proposal comes as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has tightened immigration policies since his return to the White House, including stepped-up enforcement against undocumented immigrants and increased scrutiny of U.S. visa holders. In September 2025, Trump signed a proclamation requiring companies to pay a 100,000-dollar fee to sponsor H-1B applicants. However, two federal judges have blocked the fee, one in June and another in late September. The H-1B visa allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialized occupations. In August, the DHS also proposed a 103,265-dollar fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions, in another move to impose restrictions on the visa program.

A 14-year-old boy suffered severe facial injuries after a police tear gas grenade struck him during protests by French high school students, drawing fresh criticism over police tactics used against young demonstrators. The grenade shattered the boy’s jaw and damaged many of his teeth. The police officer who fired it was detained a week later and charged with violence causing mutilation, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The boy’s mother said he cannot speak after surgery and can eat only through a straw. Other teenagers have also suffered serious injuries during the nationwide protests, which began over demands for more funding and additional teachers for schools. In Lens, a 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a police stun grenade. In Tours, prosecutors said a police riot-control projectile is suspected of partially blinding a 16-year-old. The injuries and thousands of arrests have intensified concerns among lawyers and rights campaigners about the use of force against young protesters. “It politicizes you at an incredible speed,” said Paris lawyer Alexis Baudelin, who represents more than a dozen detained teenagers. The Interior Ministry said police have made more than 6,500 arrests since the protests grew last week, including 488 people during nationwide demonstrations Tuesday. The movement began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September. Lawyers and policing researchers warned that the police response could leave young people disillusioned with the French state and its ideals of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” Some police grenades suspendedInterior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Wednesday that police would stop using the type of stun grenade suspected in the Lens teenager’s injury against high school protesters. He said there was a “strong possibility” that the weapon caused the teenager’s hand injury and that authorities needed to establish exactly what happened. Nunez defended police actions as proportionate in almost all cases, saying officers had intervened when demonstrations turned violent or involved vandalism. In the case of the 14-year-old, prosecutors said the officer claimed he fired the grenade in a split second to protect a female colleague who had exchanged blows with the boy. Investigators described the action as disproportionate. The officer was suspended and barred from carrying a gun. He is the first police officer facing possible prosecution among 18 investigations into suspected misconduct during the protests. Teenagers describe arrestsThree Paris-region teenagers told The Associated Press they were arrested, handcuffed, searched and held before being released without charges. Two 17-year-olds, Samy and Warkya, said they believed police targeted them because of their racial backgrounds. French officials have denied racism within the police force. Samy said officers simply told them they were being taken away despite the teenagers not wearing masks or carrying anything suspicious. “Here in France, they don't listen to us,” he said, adding that authorities should improve students’ daily lives instead of sending police to demonstrations. Warkya said her first experience in police custody strengthened her determination to protest but also taught her to run when police appear. “The police are more powerful than us,” she said. “There’s nothing we can do.”

A senior Iranian military advisor has said the country will soon close the routes created by "violators" in the Strait of Hormuz. Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, advisor to the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, made the remarks in an interview published on Tuesday night with state-run Al-Alam news channel while elaborating on the latest situation of the Strait of Hormuz. He said the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the Iranian armed forces have full control over it, stressing that this situation will continue unless Iran's "legitimate" demands are met. He added that although the strait is closed, "some individuals use small vessels to smuggle oil and transfer it to oil tankers," emphasizing, "The few passages created by violators through the explosion or destruction of some rocky routes in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be closed." Shifting to the range of Iran's weapons, he said technical issues are not the reason why Iran keeps its weapons' range limited, but the country's policies. Naqdi said the range of Iran's weapons is determined based on the decisions made by the country's authorities and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and according to the needs. He noted that whenever authorization is granted, the weapons' range will be increased in accordance with the battlefield's necessities and requirements. Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory. U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have claimed that the waterway is open and under the U.S. forces' control, and oil is being transported through it.

Israel is heading toward its first election since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rivals placing the deadly assault and its aftermath at the centre of their campaigns. The attack, which remains deeply embedded in the national consciousness, has become a defining issue in campaign posters, speeches and debates. Three years after what was described as Israel’s worst security failure, the events of October 7 could determine Netanyahu’s political future. “October 7 is kind of a framework for the entire political discussion that is going on,” said Tamar Hermann, an expert on Israeli public opinion at the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s critics argue that he should be held accountable for the failures that preceded the attack, which became the deadliest day in Israel’s history and triggered a series of conflicts. His supporters, however, contend that the military and security establishment failed him and credit him with leading the country through a major recovery. A defeat in the October 27 election could bring an end to the political career of the nearly 77-year-old Netanyahu, while a victory would further strengthen his reputation for political resilience. Attack reshaped Israel and the regionOn October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched thousands of rockets and breached Israel’s border by land and sea, as well as using motorised paragliders. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded with a major military campaign in Gaza that, according to local health authorities, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and devastated much of the territory. The conflict also expanded beyond Gaza, with Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, seizing territory in Syria, striking targets in Yemen and joining the United States in two conflicts with Iran. Hundreds of Israelis, many of them soldiers, have also been killed, leaving few families untouched by the violence. Despite Netanyahu’s pledge of “total victory,” Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran’s government remain intact. Israel has also faced growing international criticism, while some governments have accused it of genocide, a charge Israel strongly rejects. Netanyahu is also wanted by the International Criminal Court. With several senior security officials having resigned since the attack, Netanyahu remains the only senior figure from October 7 still in office, making the election a major test of his leadership. October 7 dominates campaignNetanyahu and his opponents have made the attack a central campaign issue, though they draw sharply different conclusions from it. Opposition parties describe Netanyahu’s outgoing coalition as the “massacre government,” while Netanyahu portrays his leadership during the conflict as a “war of redemption.” His main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, lost his son and nephew in fighting in Gaza. Opposition forces have promised to establish a government focused on “repair and reconstruction,” including an official commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures. They have also pledged to end military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and accused Netanyahu of undermining democratic institutions. Netanyahu has rejected calls for an independent commission of inquiry and has sought to place responsibility for the security failure on senior officials. He recently accused former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of withholding information before the attack, a claim Bar has rejected and said he would challenge through a defamation lawsuit. Netanyahu has also denied reports that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt warned him about a possible attack before October 7. He maintains that Israel has emerged stronger from the conflict. Attack victims enter political arenaPeople directly affected by the October 7 attack are also seeking seats in parliament. Eisenkot’s Yashar party includes two parents who lost children in the attack, while Netanyahu’s Likud party has two bereaved parents among its candidates. One of them is the mother of a police officer killed on October 7 whose remains were the last to be returned to Israel under a ceasefire agreement. Other parties have also recruited candidates with direct experience of the attack and subsequent fighting. Yair Golan, leader of the dovish Democrats party and a retired general, rushed to the southern border on October 7 to fight Hamas militants. The centrist Together party includes former general Noam Tibon, who fought militants while rescuing his son’s family, as well as the mother of a soldier killed during the attack. Families of victims and other organisers have said politics will be kept out of a mass memorial service in Tel Aviv, although some relatives have openly criticised the country's leadership. Gaza largely absent from campaignDespite the enormous human toll of the war in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis there has received relatively little attention in Israel’s election campaign. Israeli political leaders have largely focused on the trauma caused by October 7 rather than the scale of Palestinian deaths, destruction and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Peace negotiations have received little attention, while even several of Netanyahu’s opponents oppose the creation of a Palestinian state. A documentary released recently by Israeli filmmakers depicting civilian deaths in Gaza drew accusations of treason from politicians across the political spectrum, including Eisenkot. Election exposes deep divisionsOpinion polls indicate a closely contested race between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, with the final outcome uncertain. More than 60% of Israelis surveyed by the Israel Democracy Institute said their views about October 7 would be a major factor in deciding how they vote. Among Jewish Israelis, the figure was 68%, while Arab voters identified rising crime in their communities as a more pressing concern. However, Hermann cautioned that viewing October 7 as an important election issue does not necessarily translate into support for one particular candidate. The attack, she said, has instead deepened divisions within Israeli society, with voters drawing very different conclusions about Netanyahu’s responsibility and leadership.