United News of Bangladesh

Famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the world's highest mountain. Kami Rita, 55, guided a group of clients reaching the summit in the early morning, according to Mingma Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based Seven Summits Treks. He was in good health and descending from the summit with other climbers to the base camp, he said. Before heading to the mountain, Kami Rita had told The Associated Press he would try to climb to the top for the 31st or even possibly 32nd time. He made two successful climbs last year. He had attempted to climb to the summit a few days ago but was forced to turn back due to bad weather. Hundreds of climbers have attempted to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali side of the peak in the south this season, which ends this weekend. Most climbing of Everest and nearby Himalayan peaks is done in April and May, when weather conditions are most favorable. Kami Rita, 55, first climbed Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since. He is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to the safety and success of foreign climbers aspiring to stand on top of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain each year. Famed Sherpa guide will attempt to climb Mount Everest for a 31st time and break his own record His father was among the first Sherpa mountain guides. In addition to Everest, Kami Rita has climbed other peaks that are among the world’s highest, including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. His closest competitor for the most climbs of Mount Everest is fellow Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa, who has made 29 successful ascents of the mountain. Everest was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Tuesday, trading in a narrow range after U.S. markets were closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. U.S. futures were and oil prices slipped. Data on consumer confidence and housing prices were due out later on Tuesday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.2% to 37,451.60 after the governor of the central bank said he anticipated raising interest rates in coming months due to inflationary pressures. Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said in a speech that Japan was facing pressure from rising food prices, with rice prices doubling in the past year. Inflation in Japan is now higher than in the U.S. or Europe and above the BOJ's target level.  China to jointly usher in new "Golden 50 Years" for bilateral ties with Malaysia: Li But the central bank also has to take into account trade policies, he said without directly mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes, that complicate its goal of raising its very low benchmark interest rate of 0.5%. “We are now closer to the target than at any time during the last three decades, though we are not quite there. Our recent path has been affected in a unique way by supply shocks,” Ueda said. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3% to 23,359.94, while the Shanghai Composite index was little changed, at 3,346.48. In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.4% to 2,632.93. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 held steady at 8,359.20 and Taiwan's Taiex lost 0.6%. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 23 cents to $61.30 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 20 cents to $63.92 per barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 142.23 Japanese yen from 142.85 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.1388. The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.9% and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.8%. On Monday, European shares closed higher and U.S. futures surged after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would delay a threatened 50% tariff on goods from the European Union to July 9. Germany’s DAX added 1.5% to 23,977.83 and the CAC 40 in Paris rose 1% to 7,810.49. Markets were closed in Britain for a holiday. The impact on markets from U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to delay a threatened 50% tariff on imports from the European Union was relatively muted as investors are growing inured to such policy changes, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. “Investors know this act by heart,” Innes wrote. “The volatility is still there, but like a horror franchise on its fifth sequel, the jump scares are losing their bite. Panic-selling into a Trump pirouette doesn’t pay like it used to — markets have seen this dance before.” The European Union’s chief trade negotiator said Monday he had “good calls” with Trump administration officials and that the EU was “fully committed” to reaching a trade deal by the July 9 deadline. Just last week, Trump had said on social media that trade talks with the European Union “were going nowhere” and that “straight 50%” tariffs could go into effect on June 1. On Friday, U.S. stocks fell as traders weighed whether Trump’s latest threats were just negotiating tactics. Israel's latest strikes in Gaza kill 38 people including children The S&P 500 lost 0.7% to end its worst week in the last seven. The Dow dropped 0.6% and the Nasdaq composite sank 1%.

Debt-stricken Sri Lanka hosted one of New Zealand's top ministers to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties in areas such as trade, tourism and agriculture. Winston Peters, New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, met Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath in the capital Colombo on Monday. The five-day visit by Peters is scheduled to continue until Wednesday The visit comes as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis, which began in the Indian Ocean island nation three years ago. The countries have improved relations in recent years, establishing a New Zealand embassy in Colombo in 2021 and a Sri Lankan embassy in Wellington this year. The discussion Monday focused on advancing ties in trade, investment, agriculture, education and tourism, Herath said. “We also explored expanding trade links in high-potential sectors such as diary, processed food, fresh produce and discussed improving market access for Sri Lankan products,” Herath told reporters. He commended New Zealand’s support in developing Sri Lanka’s dairy industry, saying it had a “transformational impact on rural livelihood.” Sri Lanka has embarked on an effort to expand and modernize its domestic diary industry in recent years, but still produces only about 40% of the country's demand for milk and dairy products, while the balance is imported. New Zealand is a key supplier of those dairy products, especially milk powder. In 2024, New Zealand exported $335 million in goods to Sri Lanka, with dairy products forming the bulk. Trade balance between the nations favors New Zealand, which in 2024 imported goods worth $64 million from Sri Lanka including tea, coffee, apparel and rubber products. The discussion included reducing red tape at the border and how to “increase Sri Lanka’s market access capabilities," Peters said. "We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners,“ said Peters, adding that those collaborations will benefit Sri Lanka’s tourism, agriculture and healthcare sectors. Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half to foreign creditors. It sought the help of the International Monetary Fund, which approved a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout package in 2023 under which Sri Lanka was required to restructure its debt. In September last year, Sri Lanka said it had concluded the debt restructuring process after reaching agreements with bilateral and multilateral creditors and private bondholders. Sri Lanka is seeking to obtain $17 billion in debt service relief. Sri Lanka’s crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, along with 2019 terrorist attacks that devastated its important tourism industry. The pandemic also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad.

 Authorities in India’s southern Kerala state issued a high alert on Monday after a cargo ship carrying dangerous materials sank off its coast in the Arabian Sea. Fishermen have been advised to avoid the accident area. The Liberia-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3 was en route between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it sank early Sunday, about 38 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast. All 24 crew members were rescued, according to India’s Ministry of Defence. The sunken ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with unspecified hazardous materials and 12 loaded with calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tons of diesel and 367.1 metric tons of furnace oil in its tanks. Kerala’s Chief Minister’s Office has warned residents to stay away from any containers washing ashore and urged fishermen not to go near the site of the wreck. On Sunday, the Indian Coast Guard dispatched an aircraft equipped with an oil spill detection system and deployed a pollution control vessel to the scene.

Cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will unlock immense potential for multilateral cooperation across sectors and inject stability into the world economy, analysts said ahead of an inaugural joint summit for the three parties. At the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, to be held in the Malaysian capital next week, the three parties are expected to deepen practical cooperation in various fields, such as trade, investment and supply chain, creating new opportunities in clean and renewable energy, digital economy, electric vehicles, financial markets and infrastructure development among other areas. The trilateral gathering of the leaders of 17 countries also marks an innovative step in cross-regional South-South cooperation among complementary economies to ride out trade disruptions caused by U.S. tariffs. "GOLDEN TRIANGLE" ASEAN, a group of 10 Southeast Asian countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, is the fifth-largest economy after the United States, China, the EU and Japan. With a large, youthful population driving digital transformation, abundant natural resources, and a skilled labor force, ASEAN has positioned itself as a major engine powering the global supply chain and industrial development. The GCC economies, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are expected to double its economic growth rate from 2.1 percent in 2024 to 4.2 percent in 2025, the First Abu Dhabi Bank, the largest bank in the UAE, said in a report released in February. According to the report, the GCC's economic resilience will be supported by strategic investments, diversification and robust expansion in the non-oil sector, as the Middle East undergoes a shift from a major oil exporter to a global green energy hub. Julia Roknifard, a senior lecturer at Taylor's University in Malaysia, said China is an anchor for ASEAN-GCC cooperation. "China has already had a transformative effect on ASEAN and the wider Middle East, including GCC states, through its various infrastructure, trade and development initiatives, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative guided by the Global Development Initiative," she said. "But the relationship goes deeper than that, as China is increasingly engaged in technology sharing and shared industrialization, besides tourism, cultural exchange and longstanding people-to-people relationships," Roknifard added. The expert called the trilateral cooperation platform a "Golden Triangle" of resources, manufacturing and consumers, which will continue to power the global economy despite severe trade disruptions due to recent U.S. tariff policy. PROTECTING GLOBAL TRADE The trilateral event comes amid heightened uncertainty in world economy. In its April World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF downgraded its global growth forecast for 2025 to 2.8 percent, a hefty 0.5 percentage points decrease from its January estimate. "Since the release of the January WEO Update, a series of new tariff measures by the United States and countermeasures by trading partners have been announced and implemented," the report said, calling the U.S. reciprocal tariffs "near-universal" and "not seen in a century." "The unprecedented imposition of tariffs by the U.S. will disrupt regional and global trade and investment flows, as well as supply chains, affecting businesses and consumers worldwide, including those of the U.S.," ASEAN economic ministers said in a joint statement issued following a special virtual meeting held on April 10. U.S. tariffs are also endangering 22 billion U.S. dollars worth of non-oil exports of GCC economies, according to a recent policy brief by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The UN agency said Bahrain is flagged due to its heavy dependence on aluminum and chemical exports to the U.S. market, while the UAE could see disruptions to roughly 10 billion dollars in U.S.-bound re-exports, a result of U.S. tariffs on goods originally produced in third countries. Facing trade disruption, China, ASEAN and GCC members -- as part of the Global South, can jointly catalyze more cooperation across other Global South countries by inspiring similar initiatives, said Bunn Nagara, director and senior fellow at the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia-Pacific (BRICAP), an independent non-governmental think tank based in Kuala Lumpur. "Our success in cooperation is also a success for the Global South," the expert said. "Countries in Africa and Latin America share our aspirations." "Part of our interests lies in protecting global trade, on which our respective national development programs depend. This will also benefit other countries and regions around the world," he added. SOLID FOUNDATION Cooperation among China, ASEAN and GCC countries has witnessed fruitful results in recent years. In October 2023, the first ASEAN-GCC summit was held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, marking a significant milestone in the relations between the two regional organizations, which forged ties in 1990. The ASEAN-GCC Framework of Cooperation (2024-2028) was presented at the conclusion of the summit, which outlines measures and cooperation activities in such sectors as security, trade and investment, cultural exchanges and tourism. In December 2022, the first China-GCC summit was held in Riyadh. China pledged to work with GCC countries to prioritize cooperation in energy, finance and investment, innovation, science and technology, aerospace, as well as language and cultural fields. China and GCC countries are natural partners of cooperation with strong economic complementarities, Chinese leaders have said, as China has a vast consumer market and a complete industrial system, while the GCC, with rich energy resources, is embracing diversified economic development. Meanwhile, China and ASEAN countries have fully completed negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), and will strive to formally sign the CAFTA 3.0 upgrade protocol before the end of this year, economic and trade ministers from China and ASEAN said at a special online meeting on Tuesday. "Over the past decade, economic ties between ASEAN and China have strengthened significantly, bolstered by shared participation in regional production networks and the rapid economic growth of both sides," Abdul Mui'zz Morhalim, chief economist at MIDF Amanah Investment Bank, told Xinhua. The upcoming ASEAN-China-GCC summit is expected to establish an important mechanism for trilateral cooperation across the board. The three sides will be able to synergize their economic and industrial policies, and have the potential to upgrade their cooperation in many fields, including clean energy and the digital economy, analysts said.

China is ready to work with Germany to open a new chapter in their all-round strategic partnership, to steer China-EU relations toward new progress and to make new contributions to the stable growth of the world economy, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday. Speaking to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over phone, Xi once again congratulated him on assuming office. Xi said that as the world undergoes accelerated changes unseen in a century and the international landscape is marked by transformation and turbulence, the strategic and global significance of China-Germany and China-EU relations has become even more prominent. A sound and stable China-Germany relationship serves both countries' interests, and meets the expectations of various sectors in China and Europe, the Chinese president added. China and Germany have developed their bilateral relations based on mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and win-win cooperation, Xi stressed, calling on both sides to maintain and carry forward this fine tradition. First, Xi called for consolidating political mutual trust. He said China views Germany as a partner, welcomes Germany's development and prosperity, and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with Germany, respect each other's core interests and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations. Second, Xi urged the two sides to enhance the resilience of the bilateral relationship. He said both sides should not only continue to expand the existing cooperation in traditional fields such as automobiles, mechanical manufacturing and chemical industry, but seek more collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in areas including climate change and green development, contributing the wisdom and solutions of China and Germany to global sustainable development. Third, Xi noted that bilateral cooperation should continue to gather momentum. He said that China is willing to share with Germany development opportunities brought about by its high-level opening-up, adding that China hopes Germany will offer more policy support and facilitation for two-way investment, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. Xi pointed out that facts have fully proven that partnership is the proper positioning of China-Germany and China-EU relations, and a stable and predictable policy environment is essential to ensuring bilateral cooperation. As major countries, he added, both sides share a common responsibility. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Xi said that the two sides should jointly review the successful experience in the development of China-EU relations and send a positive signal in support of multilateralism and free trade, as well as deepening openness and mutually beneficial cooperation. 

The death toll from a school bus bombing in southwestern Pakistan rose to eight on Friday after three more critically wounded children died, according to the country’s military, which blamed rival India for allegedly supporting rebels behind the attack. The victims included two soldiers who were aboard the bus when it was attacked Wednesday in Khuzdar, a city in Balochistan province, where a separatist insurgency has raged for decades. A total of 53 people, including 39 children, were wounded in the attacka, reports AP. The children were going to their Army Public School when the bombing happened. Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said that several of the wounded children remain critical. He said an initial investigation suggested the bombing was carried out by insurgents from the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019, on India's instructions. Pakistan school bus bombing kills 3 girls, 2 soldiers Sharif said Pakistan had evidence that India is orchestrating “terrorists attacks inside Pakistan" and the international community should take its notice. India has not responded to the allegation and Pakistan has presented no proof to back up its claim. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Tensions between India and Pakistan remain high after the two sides earlier this month engaged in a four-day border conflict before agreeing to a cease-fire.

The Chinese government said Friday that the Trump administration's move to ban international students from Harvard would harm America's international standing, as anxious students and parents overseas fretted over what would come next. Among the two largest parts of the international student community in Harvard are Chinese and Indian students. The university enrolled 6,703 international students across all of its schools in 2024, according to the school’s data, with 1,203 of those from China and 788 from India.  Trump threatens 25% import tax on Apple unless iPhones made in US The Trump administration's move, announced Thursday, was a hot topic on Chinese social media. State broadcaster CCTV questioned whether the U.S. would remain a top destination for foreign students, noting Harvard was already suing the U.S. government in court. “But with the long litigation period, thousands of international students may have trouble waiting,” the CCTV commentary said. It went on to say that it becomes necessary for international students to consider other options “when policy uncertainty becomes the norm.” Educational cooperation with the U.S. is mutually beneficial and China opposes its politicization, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing in Beijing. “The relevant actions by the U.S. side will only damage its own image and international credibility,” she said. She added that China would firmly protect the rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars abroad but she didn't offer any details on how it would do so in this situation. Indian authorities say they currently assessing the impact of the U.S. order on Indian students who are already enrolled with Harvard, as well as those aspiring to study there in future, but have not issued any statements of criticism. Chinese students in U.S. previous point of tension The issue of Chinese students studying overseas has long been a point of tension in the relationship with the United States. During Trump’s first term, China’s Ministry of Education warned students about rising rejections rates and shorter terms for visas in the U.S. Last year, the Chinese foreign ministry protested that a number of Chinese students had been interrogated and sent home upon arrival at U.S. airports. Chinese state media has long played up gun violence in the U.S. and portrayed America as a dangerous place. Some Chinese students are opting to study in the U.K. or other countries rather than the U.S. Meanwhile, two universities in Hong Kong extended invites to affected students. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said it would welcome international students already at Harvard and those who have been admitted in a statement Friday. City University in Hong Kong did as well without mentioning Harvard by name. Some people in China joked online about having the university open a branch in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, whose name shares the same character as Harvard’s name in Chinese.  Germany's economy grew by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. That's double the initial estimate Wait and see Mumbai-based higher education and career advisory firm, ReachIvy, is receiving anxious queries from aspirants and their parents about the impact of Trump administration’s latest move. The company’s founder, Vibha Kagzi, herself an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, said they were advising students to keep calm, and wait to see how the situation unfolds as legal challenges were underway. “Harvard will surely fight back,” she said, adding that the situation remains fluid. Kagzi, while recalling her days from 2010 at Harvard, said the U.S. was then welcoming international students and its immigration policies supported educational aspirants. “Indian students should stay hopeful. Universities value global talent and are exploring all options to ensure continuity in admission and learning,” she said.

A magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, early Friday morning, damaging over 100 homes but causing no reported injuries, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred at 2:52 a.m. local time (1952 GMT on Thursday), with its epicenter located offshore near Bengkulu province and a depth of 68 kilometers (42.2 miles), the USGS reported. Indonesia’s meteorological agency, however, recorded the quake at a magnitude of 6.0 and a depth of 84 kilometers, adding that it posed no tsunami risk. According to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the earthquake damaged more than 100 homes and at least six public buildings in the city of Bengkulu. "In Bengkulu city, 140 houses were affected, eight of which collapsed beyond repair," he said during a Friday press briefing. In Central Bengkulu district, two homes sustained minor damage, he added. No casualties had been reported as of Friday morning. 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolts Turkey’s Istanbul Local residents described being jolted awake by the tremor. “The windows were shaking strongly, and that woke us up,” said 36-year-old Erick Catur Nugroho. “We immediately took the children outside, and most of our neighbors were already outside their homes too.” Indonesia, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire—a zone of frequent seismic activity due to colliding tectonic plates—regularly experiences earthquakes. In recent years, the country has seen several devastating quakes, including a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Sulawesi in January 2021 that killed more than 100 people, and a magnitude-7.5 quake followed by a tsunami in Palu in 2018 that claimed over 2,200 lives. The 2004 magnitude-9.1 earthquake in Aceh province remains the deadliest, triggering a massive tsunami that killed more than 170,000 Indonesians. Source: With inputs from agency

Prosecutors in Turkey issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel Friday over links to a group accused of attempting a coup in 2016. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the suspects included four colonels and came from the army, navy, air force and gendarmerie. Early morning raids across the country resulted in 56 suspects being detained. They are allegedly tied to an outlawed group that Turkey refers to as the Fethullahist Terror Organization, or FETO. Its leader, Fethullah Gulen, died in October last year in the United States, where he had lived since 1999 in self-imposed exile. Some 290 people were killed in July 2016 when rogue military units took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul in a bid to depose the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jet fighters bombed the parliament building and presidential palace while Erdogan narrowly escaped assassination or capture while vacationing on the west coast.  Gaza's main hospital overwhelmed with children in pain from malnutrition A subsequent purge of the military, police, judiciary and other state agencies saw tens of thousands arrested. Schools, businesses and media organizations tied to Gulen were closed down. The prosecutor’s statement said those targeted Friday were identified through telephone communications and said FETO still posed the “greatest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state.” Since the failed coup, 25,801 military suspects have been detained, it added. The statement did not specify the exact charges against the suspects. Gulen, a former cleric, amassed a worldwide following over decades and aided Erdogan’s rise to power in 2003. The alliance broke down after the government closed some Gulen-run educational establishments and Gulenists in the police and judiciary pursued corruption allegations against Erdogan’s government. Gulen always denied any involvement in the failed coup. He was wanted in Turkey, which repeatedly demanded his extradition from the U.S.  China prioritises neighbourhood diplomacy to foster peace and prosperity The coup attempt contributed to the acceleration of authoritarian tendencies in Turkey, with Erdogan’s government implementing measures that consolidated his powers.