United News of Bangladesh

The General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly concluded on Monday, during which 194 delegations spoke on topics including peace, development, human rights, UN reform and the selection of the next secretary-general, as well as artificial intelligence (AI). "Across your statements, one word came before all others -- peace. But peace was spoken of less as a distant aspiration than as an urgent defense of the UN Charter, international law and the protection of civilians," General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said in his closing remarks. "We heard that the maintenance of peace and security ... meant more than containing violence. It requires prevention, mediation and diplomacy, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to international law and investment in the conditions that sustain peace," he said. Development was featured prominently throughout the debate, Rahman said. "Time is running out, and promises remain unfulfilled," he said, noting that only a few of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track and progress has stalled. AI, or artificial general intelligence, has moved from the margins of discussions in previous years to the center of the debate this year, he noted. Four years ago, AI was raised in this hall by only five delegations. This year, 128 delegations addressed it, more than the number that spoke on climate change and human rights, he said. More leaders recognized the extraordinary potential of AI to transform public services, accelerate scientific discovery, advance sustainable development and expand access to knowledge, while pointing out risks arising from it. Many framed AI as a question of governance, he said. "AI governance must be human-centered, inclusive and attentive to the needs of developing countries. It must prevent a new divide ," he said. World leaders also spoke clearly about reforming the United Nations. Reform is not an exercise in rearranging structures or reducing budgets. Its measure is whether this organization delivers better, faster and more fairly for the people it serves, said Rahman. On the selection of the next secretary-general, member states called for a process that is transparent, inclusive and merit-based. The selection process must strengthen, not diminish the legitimacy, independence and moral authority of the office of the UN secretary-general, he said. Restoring trust, a theme of this year's debate, resonated widely in speeches, said Rahman. "Trust cannot be commanded. It must be earned through consistency between words and deeds, equal application of international law, fulfillment of commitments, genuine representation, transparency, accountability, and results," he said. "Restoring trust, therefore, means making our institutions worthy of that trust. Meaningful, and often painful, reforms need to underpin efforts to rebuild trust." This year's General Assembly high-level week again saw the weaponization of visas by the United States, which abused its status as the host country. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to travel to New York for a second consecutive year after the United States imposed a visa ban on Palestinian officials. Addressing world leaders via prerecorded video, Abbas said: "We reject these unlawful punitive measures. And we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based." The Palestinian people and leadership should not be punished for demanding an end to the occupation or for turning to the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, said Abbas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday morning in the same session after Abbas. Netanyahu's presence triggered a mass exodus from the General Assembly Hall as scores of delegates walked out in protest. Netanyahu was booed as the Israeli delegation sat in the hall, while supporters in the gallery cheered him on. The theme of this year's General Debate was "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all." During the high-level week, meetings were also held on sustainable development, climate action, sea-level rise, pandemic prevention and response, among other issues. 

Taiwan’s defense minister said Tuesday that existing U.S. arms sales to the island remain unchanged, although a record $14 billion package remains on hold. Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Taiwan is continuing discussions with the United States on individual arms deals and has received no notice of any changes to existing sales or military cooperation. “As for arms sales, we are in continuous discussions with the Americans on this,” Koo told reporters outside Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan in Taipei. “We haven’t received any notice of any changes to sales or our cooperation.” Koo said U.S. officials had assured him that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged. He also said 66 advanced F-16V fighter jets ordered by Taiwan have reached a stage of production where they are ready for delivery. The aircraft were originally expected to be delivered in 2024, according to local media, but the program was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and problems involving the production line. The comments came amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump could suspend arms sales to Taiwan. China has repeatedly called on Washington to stop such sales, including during a May meeting in Beijing between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The United States paused the $14 billion package following that meeting. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are a major source of tension between Washington and Beijing. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while the United States does not formally recognize the island as an independent country. Washington, however, maintains close unofficial ties with Taipei and is legally required to help Taiwan maintain its ability to defend itself. Taiwan says it needs U.S. weapons to strengthen its defenses against a possible Chinese attack. China’s People’s Liberation Army regularly sends military aircraft and naval vessels toward Taiwan. Analysts expect U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to continue, although some deals could remain delayed in the short term. “There are two more summits between the U.S. and China scheduled within this year, so I think neither side really wants to break things off, and the Taiwan issue will be put aside temporarily,” said Ma Chun-wei, a professor at Tamkang University. However, Ma said Taiwan remains important from a security perspective and that U.S. arms sales to the island would likely continue.

Malaysia began sending Myanmar nationals back to their country Tuesday under a voluntary repatriation program, despite warnings from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups that parts of Myanmar remain unsafe. The first group of 1,476 people is among about 5,000 Myanmar nationals expected to return to Myanmar in stages. Malaysia’s Home Ministry said 10,388 Myanmar nationals were being held at immigration detention centers across the country as of Aug. 15. A ministry official confirmed that the repatriation process began Tuesday. Buses believed to be carrying returnees arrived at a stadium in Manjung, in central Malaysia’s Perak state, amid tight security. Ships believed to belong to Myanmar were also seen docked at the nearby Lumut naval base. The ministry said those in the first group had agreed to return voluntarily and would be transported using two Myanmar navy ships and a hospital vessel. Details about the returnees and their individual circumstances were not immediately available. Myanmar has faced armed conflict and political instability since its military seized power in 2021. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and rights organizations have urged Malaysia to proceed cautiously, saying security and humanitarian conditions in parts of Myanmar remain unstable and returnees could face serious risks. Malaysia hosts about 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR, including around 126,000 Rohingya Muslims. The country has one of Southeast Asia’s largest refugee populations. However, Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and generally treats refugees as undocumented migrants. The Rohingya have faced decades of discrimination and persecution in Myanmar, where authorities have largely denied them citizenship and refused to recognize them as an ethnic group. In Malaysia, they have also faced increasing public criticism linked to concerns about employment, public services, security and the size of the refugee population, as well as misinformation and inflammatory posts on social media. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has defended the repatriation program, describing it as part of diplomatic efforts to find a long-term solution. He has said Malaysia cannot continue hosting refugees indefinitely and that Myanmar should take responsibility for its citizens. Anwar said he plans to invite Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing to Malaysia to discuss the long-running issue of refugees and undocumented migrants. “I am inviting him to say that we can be friends and trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them back,” Anwar said in a podcast posted online Sept. 16. He said such engagement would be more effective than simply criticizing Myanmar. Myanmar Foreign Ministry official Han Win Aung said the latest program follows similar repatriation operations in 2021 and 2022, when Myanmar received more than 1,100 nationals from Malaysia. He said the current program involves Myanmar citizens and is not intended to repatriate Rohingya people.

Three news organizations barred from the White House grounds asked a federal court Monday to stop the Trump administration from enforcing the ban while their lawsuit is pending, saying officials have continued to apply the restrictions inconsistently despite a judge’s temporary order. Lawyers for CNN, MS NOW and Politico said the White House continued restricting access, including preventing CNN from carrying out its scheduled role in the White House television news pool over the weekend. In a 42-page filing, the lawyers said the administration could restore the full ban on the three outlets if the court does not intervene. They argued that the restrictions violate First Amendment protections and could cause lasting harm to the news organizations and the public. The outlets also called Trump’s action a violation of press freedom and due process. Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said the administration’s actions showed that the ban was aimed at punishing coverage the president dislikes. The filing came a day after Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the administration’s position that Trump was justified in restricting the outlets. Speaking to ABC, Blanche said access to the White House was a privilege rather than a right. The dispute has increasingly centered on the White House television pool, made up of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News. After CNN was removed from the rotation, the other networks declined to provide replacement coverage in solidarity. CNN was allowed to cover Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the National Archives on Friday. However, the White House barred CNN from Air Force One on Saturday, preventing the network from covering Trump’s trip to a college football game in Tennessee. Blanche defended the decision, saying the president has the right to determine who flies on his plane. He also accused some media outlets of failing to report accurate information and said misinformation could create a national security concern. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly questioned that argument in a ruling last week that temporarily blocked the White House ban. Kelly said he was skeptical that national security was the actual reason for removing the outlets’ access. The ruling did not specifically address the television pool rotation, although Boutrous has argued that it covers pool access as well. The five networks are now handling the dispute on a case-by-case basis, according to a person familiar with the pool’s operation who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions are ongoing. Fox covered a pool event Sunday, while NBC covered Trump in the Oval Office Monday. CNN is not scheduled for pool duty again until at least Thursday. If CNN is again barred from an assignment, the networks are expected to decide jointly whether to provide replacement coverage or suspend coverage, depending on the importance of the event. Legal experts said the networks face difficult choices between defending press access and continuing to provide news to their audiences. David A. Schulz, director of Yale Law School’s Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic, said there were few easy options for the networks. RonNell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah, said refusing to cover major government events could also raise concerns about the media’s responsibility to inform the public. The Trump administration has shown no clear sign of changing its position. “When it comes to the White House, it is the people’s house,” Blanche said. “It is a privilege, and not a right, to be there.”

Five young British men arrested near a US-operated air base in England have been released on bail as UK counterterrorism police investigate possible links to Iran, Russia or non-state militant groups. The men, all British nationals from London and in their 20s, were arrested early Sunday near RAF Fairford after three vans were spotted in the surrounding countryside. They were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offences and later arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Police said they remain under investigation and face strict bail conditions. The national news agency PA reported that no viable explosives had been found. Counter Terrorism Policing chief Laurence Taylor said investigators were pursuing several lines of inquiry, including whether the suspects were acting knowingly or unknowingly on behalf of a foreign state. Iran denied any involvement, with its embassy in London rejecting what it called “unfounded and malicious” speculation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor” but did not identify a country. Residents of 85 homes near Whelford were evacuated while bomb-disposal experts examined the vans. They were allowed to return Monday, although a police cordon remained. The arrests come amid heightened UK concerns over alleged Iranian and Russian proxy activity. RAF Fairford has been used by US bombers during military operations in the Middle East, including the recent conflict involving Iran.

Floodwaters in Bangkok slowly receded Monday after near-continuous weekend rainfall, though several neighborhoods and major roads remained submerged. Intermittent rain continued, but city officials said improved conditions allowed drainage efforts to accelerate. Four major canals had reached levels too high to receive runoff from surrounding communities. The flooding affected 329,000 households, or about 700,000 people, according to the Bangkok Flood Control Center, Deputy Gov. Tavida Kamolvej said. Thai media reported two flood-related deaths in Bangkok and at least 10 nationwide. Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt declared a flood emergency across all 50 districts Saturday. Authorities prioritized older people and people with disabilities, while nearly 7,000 residents were staying in shelters. Eastern Bangkok was hardest hit, with Bang Kapi particularly affected. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inspected a flooded housing estate there Sunday night and distributed relief supplies. The flooding also disrupted food supplies, caused panic buying and created staffing shortages. At Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Thai Air Force sent 69 personnel to help clear a luggage backlog caused largely by workers being unable to reach work. Some departures were delayed and passengers faced longer waits for baggage. The government declared special holidays Monday and Tuesday for state offices. Thailand's meteorological agency warned of heavy to very heavy rain, flash floods, river overflows, runoff and landslides. Myanmar reported at least 10 deaths and dozens missing after flooding and landslides in Tanintharyi. Dawei received a record 346 millimeters of rain Monday. Cambodia reported flash floods in 10 provinces, affecting 44,889 families and forcing nearly 4,000 people to evacuate. Authorities in Siem Reap operated water gates and diversion systems to protect the Angkor temple complex.

Russian drone attacks across Ukraine killed at least three people and injured 41 others Monday, officials said, as Ukrainian forces reported fresh gains along the front line. The attacks came after a week of diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to advance talks aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Third Army Corps said its forces had recaptured another 51 square kilometres (20 square miles) in eastern Donetsk region, bringing the total area retaken during its recent offensive to 176 square kilometres (68 square miles). The corps said Soviet-era BTR-60 armoured vehicles had been converted into unmanned explosive vehicles to destroy Russian fortifications. Ground robots were also used in attacks, it said. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces captured Novovodiane in Donetsk and Ulanove in the northern Sumy region. The claims could not be independently verified. Russian strikes also hit civilian and infrastructure targets. In Kyiv region, three people were killed and eight injured, while a strike on a nine-storey apartment building in Kharkiv injured 38 people, including 10 children. In Chernihiv region, four people were injured by a Russian drone. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones caused fires at three infrastructure facilities in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Russia said its air defences intercepted 254 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Rainfall eased in Thailand’s capital Sunday, but flooding continued in several low-lying areas, forcing thousands of residents to move to temporary shelters. At least eight people have died across the country over the past 10 days. Several days of heavy rain have caused widespread flooding in Bangkok, disrupting traffic and businesses. Rainfall totals have exceeded 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in many parts of the city. Thailand’s Meteorological Department forecast moderate to heavy rain in several parts of the country Sunday but said weather conditions were expected to improve from Monday. Bangkok authorities have opened more than 200 temporary shelters, with around 3,000 people staying there as of Sunday. Floodwaters were still affecting 31 roads across the capital. Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said rainfall had decreased and city authorities were working to drain the accumulated water as quickly as possible. However, he warned that water levels in major canals remained high, with some continuing to rise as water flowed in from surrounding areas. Several low-lying parts of the city, particularly suburban communities, remained inundated, forcing residents in some areas to evacuate, Chadchart said. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said more than 545,000 people in 25 other provinces had been affected by flooding as of Sunday. The central and eastern regions were among the worst affected. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said persistent rainfall had overwhelmed drainage systems in many areas. He instructed relevant authorities to take immediate steps to ease the situation and provide assistance to affected residents. Several long-distance train and bus services were suspended because of the flooding. Airports remained operational, although passengers experienced some delays.

At least 62 people have died following several days of heavy rain and flooding in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, officials said Monday. According to the state government, 46 people were injured and more than 1,000 houses were damaged after three days of intense rainfall triggered flooding in several districts. Authorities closed schools Monday in several areas, including the state capital Lucknow, as rescue teams evacuated residents from flooded locations to safer places. People were advised to avoid unnecessary travel through waterlogged areas and keep away from fast-moving rivers, streams and drains. Rainfall was expected to decrease from Monday as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal weakened, said Atul Kumar Singh, a senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow. He said light rain could continue in eastern and western parts of Uttar Pradesh through Tuesday. Flooding also hit Odisha, an eastern Indian state, where more than 75,000 people were evacuated to safer locations, officials said. In neighboring Nepal, 21 people died in weather-related incidents between Thursday and Sunday, according to the country's disaster management agency. Five people were still missing and another five were injured, while floods and landslides damaged 194 houses. Nepal is also recovering from devastating floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left nearly 6,000 others missing.

South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul said was supposed to remain confidential. Zelenskyy told the U.N. General Assembly last week that Ukraine had recently transferred the two men to South Korea after they were captured on a battlefield in the Ukraine-Russia war in early 2025. They were among thousands of North Korean troops deployed to support Russia. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement concerning the transfer. Ukraine, however, denied that such an agreement existed. Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser on public relations, expressed “strong regret” Sunday over Ukraine’s disclosure and called for an official apology and clarification. Seong said Ukraine’s denial of the agreement was “false” and had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and their friendly relations. According to Seong, Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential because South Korea was concerned about the safety of the North Korean soldiers and their families, as well as diplomatic and security considerations. Ukraine, meanwhile, was concerned that sending the prisoners to South Korea could lead to domestic criticism because it would lose a potential opportunity to exchange them for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. Ukraine’s Embassy in Seoul did not respond to repeated calls seeking comment Monday. North Korean POWs seek resettlement in South KoreaThe two North Korean soldiers said in media interviews while still in Ukraine that they wanted to settle in South Korea. Seoul had urged Ukraine not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution. South Korea legally considers North Korea part of its territory and has a policy of accepting North Korean defectors and providing them with financial assistance. More than 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, with most arriving during the past three decades. Most defectors have been civilian women from economically disadvantaged northern parts of North Korea, while defections by soldiers are relatively rare. Zelenskyy did not provide details about the transfer in his U.N. speech. He said one of the soldiers had attempted suicide after realizing he was about to be captured and expressed surprise that he survived. Some analysts believe Zelenskyy disclosed the case to highlight North Korea’s involvement in the war and encourage greater Western support for Ukraine. South Korea’s government, meanwhile, has been concerned that publicizing the transfer could provoke a response from North Korea and complicate efforts to revive diplomatic engagement between Pyongyang and Washington. Seoul maintains policy against direct military aid to UkraineSouth Korea, a major arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian assistance and other support to Ukraine and joined US-led sanctions against Russia since the war began in 2022. However, Seoul has rejected calls from Ukraine and NATO to provide direct military assistance, maintaining its long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively involved in armed conflicts. North Korea and Russia confirmed in April 2025 that North Korean troops had fought alongside Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region. South Korea, the United States and other countries have also accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, ammunition and missiles in exchange for economic and military assistance. South Korea’s intelligence service estimated last year that North Korea had deployed about 15,000 troops to Russia, with around 2,000 reportedly killed. Closer military cooperation with Russia has helped North Korean leader Kim Jong Un resist US-led pressure while accelerating the country’s nuclear weapons program. Last month, US President Donald Trump reduced the scale of a military exercise with South Korea in what appeared to be an effort to revive diplomacy with Kim. North Korea, however, indicated that the move was insufficient to persuade it to return to negotiations.