United News of Bangladesh

Southeast Asian foreign ministers opened preliminary talks Saturday ahead of a landmark ASEAN summit that will officially admit East Timor as the bloc’s 11th member and mark U.S. President Donald Trump’s first visit to Asia since returning to the White House. The meeting precedes the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which begins Sunday in Kuala Lumpur and will be followed by two days of high-level discussions with partners including China, Japan, India, Australia, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. Key topics include regional security, maritime disputes, and economic resilience — with U.S. tariffs and shifting trade dynamics expected to dominate debate. A separate leaders’ meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) — the world’s largest trade bloc linking ASEAN with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand — will also take place for the first time since 2020, as regional economies seek to steady trade amid Washington’s tariff disruptions. Among the high-profile attendees are Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, who will join as new ASEAN dialogue partners. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hopes their participation will strengthen ASEAN’s economic ties with Africa and Latin America. Trump’s Return to AsiaTrump’s attendance marks his first ASEAN appearance since 2017 and his first trip to Asia in his second term — the first by a U.S. president since Joe Biden in 2022. He is expected to announce new trade agreements with Malaysia and witness the signing of an expanded ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which follows border clashes earlier this year. The deal, brokered in Kuala Lumpur with ASEAN’s backing, came after Trump threatened to suspend trade talks unless both sides reached peace. “Trump’s presence reflects a rare instance of direct U.S. presidential engagement in Southeast Asia,” said Joanne Lin of Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. She noted that while his visit underscores Washington’s continued Indo-Pacific interests, it also aims to project Trump as a “global dealmaker” amid growing unease over his trade policies. Heightened Security in MalaysiaSecurity has been tightened throughout Kuala Lumpur amid planned protests against Trump’s visit, particularly over U.S. policies on Palestine. Anwar said peaceful demonstrations would be permitted but assured that summit proceedings would not be disrupted. He praised Trump for helping broker a Gaza ceasefire — calling it “nearly impossible under normal circumstances” — though he reiterated Malaysia’s stance that the truce has yet to resolve the Palestinian issue, which he intends to raise directly with Trump. East Timor Joins ASEANThis year’s summit marks ASEAN’s first expansion in 26 years, welcoming East Timor (Timor-Leste) as its newest member. The young nation, which applied for membership in 2011, becomes the first to join since Cambodia in 1999. With just 1.4 million citizens, East Timor’s entry symbolizes greater regional inclusivity. Formerly a Portuguese colony, it was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and endured a violent 24-year occupation that claimed tens of thousands of lives before gaining independence in 2002. ASEAN membership offers East Timor access to regional trade pacts, investment, and broader markets — crucial for diversifying its oil- and gas-dependent economy. “They may be poor, but they have potential. It’s our duty as a community to support them,” Anwar said. Regional Flashpoints: South China Sea and MyanmarThe summit will also tackle ongoing crises, including the South China Sea dispute, Myanmar’s civil conflict, and cross-border crime networks. ASEAN leaders plan to finalize an upgraded trade deal with China and continue negotiations on a long-delayed code of conduct for the contested sea. Myanmar’s situation remains a major challenge. The military junta, which seized power in 2021, is still barred from ASEAN summits after failing to implement the bloc’s peace roadmap. Its proposed December elections — widely dismissed as neither free nor fair — have deepened tensions. The junta has invited ASEAN nations to send election observers, but doing so could be seen as legitimizing the regime, while refusal risks further isolating Myanmar and weakening ASEAN’s influence. “The key question is what comes after the vote — whether ASEAN will continue excluding Myanmar’s representatives if the junta claims legitimacy through the election,” Lin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday called on the United States to widen its sanctions on Russia’s oil industry — extending restrictions from two major firms to the entire sector — and appealed for long-range missiles to help counter Moscow’s attacks. Zelenskyy traveled to London to meet with over 20 European leaders who have pledged ongoing military support to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, aimed at deterring future Russian aggression. The summit, hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, sought to tighten pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin following new U.S. and European sanctions targeting Russia’s key oil and gas revenues. Talks also focused on protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from relentless Russian drone and missile strikes as winter nears, strengthening air defenses, and potentially supplying Kyiv with long-range weaponry capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Zelenskyy urged Washington to provide Tomahawk missiles — an option U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly considered. Zelenskyy praised Trump’s latest move to impose oil sanctions, calling it “a big step,” but stressed that pressure should extend “not only to Rosneft and Lukoil, but to all Russian oil companies.” He noted that Ukraine is also conducting drone and missile operations targeting Russia’s energy assets. Trump, meanwhile, has delayed a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest, describing it as potentially “a waste of time.” Putin has resisted calls for peace talks, insisting Russia’s invasion was justified and exploiting loopholes in Western sanctions. In a related development, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev announced he had arrived in the U.S. for talks with officials, including U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, about investment and economic cooperation — a meeting first reported by Axios. Dmitriev has long served as a key intermediary between the Kremlin and the Trump administration on Ukraine and other issues. Western leaders expressed growing frustration with Putin’s stance. “He’s again rejected talks and is demanding Ukrainian territory he couldn’t take by force,” Starmer said at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte added that Putin is “running out of money, troops, and ideas.” Leaders from Denmark, the Netherlands, and about 20 other nations joined the London talks, either in person or virtually, as part of the “Coalition of the Willing.” Building a Reassurance Force Ukraine’s allies are still debating their long-term commitments as the war — Europe’s largest since World War II — nears its fourth year. Key questions include funding Ukraine’s recovery, future security guarantees, and Washington’s ongoing role. Officials discussed forming a “reassurance force” focused on air and naval support, rather than deploying Western ground troops. U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said it would aim to “secure the skies and seas” and train Ukrainian forces. Russia Reports Modest Gains The war remains deadlocked. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its troops captured 10 Ukrainian villages in the past week as part of a slow push across Donetsk toward Dnipropetrovsk. Moscow also said it downed 111 Ukrainian drones overnight, while debris damaged civilian buildings. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported three drones intercepted near the capital, disrupting flights at two airports. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russian shelling in Kherson killed two people and injured 22, while glide bomb strikes in Kharkiv wounded six. For the first time, Russia also launched glide bombs at the Odesa region — a “new and serious threat,” local officials warned.

A Turkish court on Friday dismissed a case challenging the legitimacy of the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 2023 internal congress, ruling there was no legal basis to overturn the party’s leadership. The lawsuit sought to annul the CHP’s 38th congress held in November 2023, where longtime leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu was ousted, over allegations of electoral fraud, including vote-buying and procedural violations. Had the case succeeded, current chairman Ozgur Ozel could have been removed and replaced by Kilicdaroglu or a court-appointed “trustee chairman.” The CHP dismissed the fraud allegations as politically driven, saying the vote followed proper procedures. Party officials have accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of using the judiciary to pressure the opposition. The dispute comes amid what CHP supporters describe as a broader crackdown on the party after it made major gains in last year’s local elections. Several officials from CHP-run municipalities have been arrested in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent Erdogan rival who is being held on corruption charges he denies, has been a key target. On Friday, prosecutors launched a new investigation into Imamoglu over potential espionage charges, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Imamoglu’s former campaign manager, Necati Ozkan, and journalist Merdan Yanardag, detained on Friday, are also under investigation. Authorities cited alleged links to a businessman arrested in July on accusations of spying for foreign states. Imamoglu’s arrest in March triggered widespread protests, as he is widely viewed as a strong future challenger to Erdogan. The government says the judiciary is independent and that ongoing investigations are focused solely on corruption.  

US President Donald Trump will travel to Japan and South Korea next week seeking progress on nearly $900 billion in pledged investments for American industries, including factories and a natural gas pipeline project. Japan earlier promised $550 billion, while South Korea offered $350 billion in August as both countries pushed Trump to reduce his planned tariffs from 25% to 15%. But these pledges remain uncertain, with Tokyo wanting benefits for its own companies and Seoul seeking a U.S. dollar swap line to avoid financial pressure. Trump insists he will control how the money is used, allowing him to decide which U.S. sectors gain. Meanwhile, Trump’s popularity among Hispanic adults has dropped. A new AP-NORC survey shows 25% now have a favorable view of him, down from 44% in January when he took office. Those saying the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction rose to 73% from 63% in March. Trump also halted trade talks with Canada after a television ad criticized U.S. tariffs, calling it “egregious behavior.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded that he plans to expand trade outside the U.S. due to the tariff threat. On domestic issues, Trump said he will delay sending federal agents to San Francisco following requests from business leaders. Mayor Daniel Lurie told him the city is seeing progress in reducing crime. White House schedule for Trump’s Asia trip: — Friday 11 p.m. EDT: Departure from the U.S. — Sunday: Arrival in Malaysia; meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; ASEAN working dinner. — Monday: Flight to Tokyo. — Tuesday: Meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. — Wednesday: Flight to Busan; meeting with Korean President Lee Jae Myung; address at APEC CEO lunch; APEC leaders’ dinner. — Thursday: Meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping; evening return to the U.S.  

As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first trip to Asia since returning to office, speculation is mounting over a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in South Korea. If it happens, it would be the first summit between the two since their last impromptu encounter at the Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019, and the fourth overall. During his 2019 visit, Trump made a surprise trip to the North Korean border to revive stalled nuclear talks. While experts say another spontaneous meeting this time is unlikely, some predict dialogue could resume in the coming months. Others argue that a quick diplomatic restart is improbable due to changes since 2019, including North Korea’s expanded nuclear arsenal and increased geopolitical leverage. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in renewing talks with Kim, praising him as “a smart guy.” Kim, breaking his silence last month, said he holds “good personal memories” of Trump and hinted at returning to negotiations if the U.S. abandons its “delusional obsession with denuclearization.” Neither Washington nor Pyongyang has indicated any high-level meeting before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. However, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young recently told lawmakers that a Panmunjom meeting could be possible following Trump’s visits to Malaysia and Japan. Analysts note that Kim now has greater leverage than in 2019. Since the collapse of prior talks, he has expanded North Korea’s nuclear-capable missile arsenal, strengthened ties with Russia and China, and benefited from weakening sanctions enforcement. Experts suggest this diminishes Kim’s urgency for immediate talks. “If a meeting occurs, Trump could tout it as a diplomatic achievement, but what substantial concessions could the U.S. offer Kim?” questioned Chung Jin-young, former dean at South Korea’s Kyung Hee University. Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification, added that any meeting around the APEC summit is unlikely to yield meaningful results unless the U.S. brings compelling incentives. Even without an immediate summit, the possibility of future Trump-Kim diplomacy remains. Some view it as a chance to manage North Korea’s nuclear threats, while others warn against offering significant sanctions relief for limited steps, which could leave North Korea with a potent short-range nuclear capability targeting South Korea. Experts note that any partial concessions could trigger demands from South Korea and Japan to develop their own nuclear capabilities, while North Korea is unlikely to fully abandon its nuclear program. Source: AP

European Union leaders are seeking a more active role in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after being sidelined from the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. At a summit Thursday in Brussels largely focused on Ukraine and Russia, EU heads of state discussed the shaky ceasefire in Gaza and pledged EU support for stability in the war-torn coastal enclave. The EU has been the biggest provider of aid to the Palestinians and is Israel's top trading partner. “It is important that Europe not only watches but plays an active role," said Luc Frieden, the prime minister of Luxembourg, as he headed into the meeting. “Gaza is not over; peace is not yet permanent,” he said. Outrage over the war in Gaza has riven the 27-nation bloc and pushed relations between Israel and the EU to a historic low. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in September plans to seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel, aimed to pressure it to reach a peace deal in Gaza. Momentum driving the measures seemed to falter with the ceasefire deal mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, with some European leaders calling for them to be scrapped. But leaders from Ireland to the Netherlands say that with violence continuing to flare up in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, keeping on the table sanctions of Israeli cabinet ministers and settlements and the partial suspension of a trade deal gives the EU leverage on Israel to curtail military action. In the run-up to the ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that “Europe has essentially become irrelevant and displayed enormous weakness.” The ceasefire deal came about with no visible input from the EU, and European leaders have since scrambled to join the diplomacy effort currently reshaping Gaza. The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has said the EU should play a role in Gaza and not just pay to support stability and eventually reconstruction. The EU has provided key support for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank.

An Alabama man convicted of helping to burn a man alive in 1993 over a $200 drug debt was executed by nitrogen gas on Thursday. Anthony Boyd, 54, was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. at William C. Holman Correctional Facility, authorities said. The execution was carried out by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year. Boyd was sentenced to death for his role in killing Gregory Huguley in Talladega County. Prosecutors said Huguley was set on fire after he didn’t pay for $200 worth of cocaine. Boyd used his final words to proclaim his innocence and criticize the criminal justice system. “I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t participate in killing anybody,” he said. “There can be no justice until we change this system,” he continued. He said he wanted to express love to those who are still fighting, before closing with, “Let’s get it.”

Dangerous winds swept across New Zealand for the second time in a week on Thursday, forcing school closures, causing widespread power outages, and canceling hundreds of flights. The severe weather also disrupted what was planned as one of the country’s largest industrial actions in decades. The strongest winds struck the lower North Island, including the capital Wellington, and parts of the South Island such as Christchurch. The national meteorological agency, MetService, issued rare “red” wind warnings, the highest level of alert, for multiple regions. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported during Thursday’s storm, though a man had died earlier this week after being struck by a falling tree branch. Transport was severely affected, with over 200 flights canceled nationwide. Wind speeds reached 140-160 km/h (87-100 mph) in urban areas, with gusts hitting 230 km/h (143 mph) in remote parts of the South Island. Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged, and shipping containers toppled at the Dunedin port. Several highways were closed, including routes to the West Coast of the South Island, cut off due to flooding. The extreme weather also disrupted a planned “mega strike” by more than 100,000 health and education workers represented by four unions. Teachers, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff walked off the job for four hours after months of unsuccessful pay and conditions negotiations. While some rallies were canceled due to the storm, thousands still marched in Auckland and Hamilton, and hundreds joined demonstrations in smaller towns. Hospitals and emergency rooms remained operational, though public health authorities advised people to seek medical care only for urgent matters. The industrial action reflects mounting frustrations over government spending cuts and a rising exodus of medical professionals to neighboring Australia for higher pay and better living conditions. Authorities expect winds to ease by Friday but warned travelers to remain cautious. Fireworks and open-fire bans remain in effect as high winds have sparked wildfires, some of which firefighters have struggled to control. New Zealand’s mountainous terrain and southern latitude make it vulnerable to extreme weather year-round. Source: AP

Saudi Arabia has appointed prominent ultraconservative scholar Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as the kingdom’s new grand mufti — the country’s highest religious authority. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported late Wednesday that the appointment was made by King Salman on the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sheikh Saleh, 90, succeeds Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, who served as grand mufti for 25 years until his death in September. Born on September 28, 1935, in Saudi Arabia’s al-Qassim province, Sheikh Saleh studied the Quran with a local imam after his father’s death and later rose to prominence as a scholar through his long-running radio program “Noor ala al-Darb” (“Light the Way”), books, and television appearances. His religious edicts, or fatwas, are widely circulated on social media. Sheikh Saleh has drawn criticism in the past for controversial remarks. Human Rights Watch cited him in 2017 for calling Shiite Muslims “brothers of Satan” and questioning their faith. He also condemned Yemen’s Houthi rebels for targeting holy sites in Saudi Arabia. In 2003, he was quoted as saying, “Slavery is a part of Islam. Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long as there is Islam.” In 2016, a fatwa attributed to him banned the mobile game Pokémon Go, calling it a form of gambling. Ironically, Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed now owns major stakes in Nintendo and Niantic, the game’s developer. 'Muslim Ummah loses guiding voice', Prof Yunus on Saudi Grand Mufti’s death The new appointment breaks a long tradition of members of the al-Sheikh family — descendants of Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdul-Wahhab — serving as grand mufti. The 18th-century cleric’s ultraconservative teachings, known as Wahhabism, have shaped Saudi religious doctrine for decades, particularly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. The grand mufti is among the most influential Sunni clerics globally, and his rulings are closely watched given Saudi Arabia’s status as custodian of Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. While Saudi Arabia has moved toward social liberalization under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed — allowing women to drive and reopening cinemas — the appointment of Sheikh Saleh signals the enduring influence of the kingdom’s conservative religious establishment. Source: AP

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday ordered Israel to allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, ruling that the country must facilitate relief operations in the besieged territory. The Hague-based court was asked by the UN General Assembly last year to clarify Israel’s legal obligations after it passed laws effectively barring UNRWA — the main provider of humanitarian assistance in Gaza — from operating there. ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa said Israel “is under the obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations and its entities, including UNRWA.” Israel has blocked UNRWA from bringing in supplies since March, though the agency continues to run health centers, mobile medical teams, sanitation services and schools inside Gaza. The agency says some 6,000 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies are waiting to enter the enclave. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the “unambiguous ruling” on X, saying the agency has “the resources and expertise to immediately scale up the humanitarian response in Gaza” with large quantities of aid on standby in Egypt and Jordan. The court’s advisory opinion comes as a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, in effect since October 10, continues to hold. Israel, which did not attend the ICJ hearings in April, dismissed the opinion as biased but said in a written submission that it “fully upholds its obligations under international law.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry also said it “will not cooperate with an organization that is infested with terror activities,” referring to UNRWA. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the ICJ ruling “an important decision” and urged Israel to comply, saying it would be “decisive” for efforts to boost humanitarian aid in Gaza. The ICJ found Israel had not substantiated its allegations that UNRWA was infiltrated by Hamas, adding that Gaza’s population had been “inadequately supplied” and that Israel must ensure “the basic needs of the local population” are met. More experts label Israel’s Gaza offensive as genocide, deepening global isolation Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi hailed the decision as “clear, unequivocal and conclusive,” saying it leaves Israel with “no pretext, no context, no excuse” to block UNRWA. The ruling adds to a series of ICJ advisory opinions criticizing Israeli policies. In 2023, the court said Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territories was unlawful and called for an end to settlement construction. While ICJ advisory opinions are legally significant, they are nonbinding and carry no direct enforcement mechanism. The decision is separate from South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel before the ICJ. The court’s opinion also noted that Israel “is not to use starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare.” Legal experts said the opinion strengthens the case at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of using starvation as a weapon of war — charges Israel denies. The Gaza war began after Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed more than 68,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Source: AP