United News of Bangladesh

China has accused the Netherlands of causing “chaos” in the global semiconductor supply chain after Dutch authorities seized Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, warning the disruption could affect global automobile production. The Dutch government took control of Nexperia in late September over national security concerns. Nexperia, owned by China’s Wingtech Technology, temporarily halted wafer shipments from its Netherlands headquarters to its Chinese factory in Dongguan, sparking fears about the delivery of finished semiconductors critical for automakers. China initially blocked exports from the Dongguan plant but has since allowed them to resume. China’s Commerce Ministry said the Netherlands “should bear full responsibility” for the turmoil. The Dutch government also replaced Nexperia’s Chinese CEO Zhang Xuezheng with interim CEO Stefan Tilger. The standoff follows U.S. export restrictions on Wingtech and its subsidiaries, including Nexperia, citing national security risks. Global automakers, including Ford, have warned that the supply disruption could hamper car production. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing: EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Dutch officials said discussions with China are progressing toward “lasting stability,” while both sides have expressed willingness to find a “constructive solution.” Nexperia, acquired by partially state-owned Wingtech in 2018 for $3.6 billion, was seized under the Netherlands’ rarely used Goods Availability Act, with Dutch authorities citing threats to key technological knowledge and capabilities in Europe.  

Artificial intelligence company Stability AI largely emerged victorious in a British court battle with Getty Images over intellectual property rights. Seattle-based Getty Images, which owns a vast online collection of images and videos, filed the lawsuit challenging Stability AI’s use of its library to train the Stable Diffusion AI model. The case, which went to trial at Britain’s High Court in June, was closely watched amid a global wave of copyright disputes involving AI training data. According to Tuesday’s ruling, Getty secured a limited win on trademark infringement, but its claims of secondary copyright infringement were dismissed. Both parties declared partial victories. “This is a significant win for intellectual property owners,” Getty said in a statement, though its U.S. shares fell 3% before the opening bell. Stability AI said it welcomed the ruling, noting that “the final decision resolves the core copyright concerns,” according to General Counsel Christian Dowell. Justice Joanna Smith noted that Getty’s trademark claims were only partially successful and described the findings as “historic but extremely limited in scope.” The ruling highlights the ongoing tensions between tech companies and creative industries over AI’s use of copyrighted works. Similar lawsuits are underway in the U.S., including cases against Stability AI, Midjourney, and Anthropic.  

New Yorkers are deciding Tuesday on a generational and ideological shift that could reverberate nationally as they elect the next mayor of the country’s largest city. Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani is facing former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and longtime Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is aiming for a major upset. A Mamdani victory would make him the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in decades, propelling the democratic socialist to national prominence and giving his economic populist agenda a high-profile platform. If Cuomo prevails, it would mark an extraordinary political comeback just four years after resigning amid sexual harassment allegations as governor. For Sliwa — founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol and a familiar New York media figure — winning would place a Republican at the helm of the nation’s largest city at a time when many voters are looking for leadership to counter former President Donald Trump. The race has made Mamdani a national figure, drawing attacks from Trump and other Republicans, who have painted him as a radical Democrat. Trump has even threatened to “take over” the city and deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda but is a U.S. citizen, if he wins. On the eve of the election, Trump reluctantly endorsed Cuomo, warning that Mamdani would bring “disaster” and encouraging Sliwa supporters to vote for Cuomo instead. A Rematch with New DynamicsMamdani, 34, a state lawmaker, previously defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary, energizing progressives with a platform focused on reducing living costs in one of America’s priciest cities. Cuomo is now appealing to moderates and Republicans, hoping that outgoing Mayor Eric Adams’ late exit and endorsement will help him among centrists, Black voters, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. He has also received backing from former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who contributed $1.5 million to a super PAC supporting Cuomo in the race’s final days. Mamdani, meanwhile, has drawn endorsements from prominent progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He proposes taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers to fund free city buses, universal child care, and a rent freeze for around one million regulated apartments. However, some centrists remain wary due to Mamdani’s past criticism of the NYPD and Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which he labeled genocidal. His refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state has also alarmed some Jewish leaders. Though he has softened some of his past rhetoric, several top New York Democrats remain hesitant to endorse him. The general election will follow a simple plurality system, unlike the city’s ranked-choice primaries. Sliwa’s Narrow PathSliwa’s chances in heavily Democratic New York depend on consolidating Republican support with his tough-on-crime platform while attracting moderates who reject both Mamdani and Cuomo. At 71, he has resisted party pressure to step aside and force a Cuomo-Mamdani runoff. Trump dismissed him as “not exactly prime time,” and Cuomo has sought to siphon off Sliwa supporters, arguing a vote for the Republican could help Mamdani. Cuomo Runs on Experience, Shadows of the PastCuomo, 67, emphasizes his experience managing large government operations in contrast to Mamdani’s relative inexperience. Yet his time as governor is also his vulnerability. He resigned in 2021 after an attorney general report concluded he had sexually harassed at least 11 women, ranging from unwanted advances to groping allegations. Cuomo initially apologized for some behavior, citing a lapse in workplace judgment. In recent months, however, he has denied wrongdoing, called his accusers liars, and blamed political adversaries for his resignation.

Samia Suluhu Hassan was officially sworn in as Tanzania’s president on Monday following a contentious election that triggered deadly protests across the country. Hassan took the oath of office at a military base in the capital, Dodoma, in a ceremony closed to the public due to the violence surrounding the October 29 vote. The election barred the two main opposition candidates from running, leaving Hassan to face only minor opposition contenders. She secured nearly 98% of the vote, cementing her hold on power. State television showed officials and foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony at the State House parade grounds rather than a stadium, reflecting heightened security concerns. Meanwhile, tensions remained high in Tanzania’s commercial hub, Dar-es-Salaam, where shops remained closed and streets were largely empty. A total internet blackout has been in effect since the protests began on election day. Chadema, the country’s main opposition party, rejected the results, calling the vote a “sham” and demanding fresh elections. The party reported that hundreds of protesters were killed during clashes with police, who allegedly used tear gas and live ammunition while government buildings were set on fire. Chadema suggested that as many as 800 people may have died nationwide, although these figures could not be independently verified. The United Nations human rights office confirmed credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities, while Tanzania’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo denied the use of “excessive force” and said the government has no official data on casualties. Hassan, who became vice president in 2015 and assumed office in 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli, has faced criticism for a pattern of crackdowns, disappearances, and harassment of critics ahead of the election. Analysts say the exclusion of her major challengers and the sweeping victory reflect her intent to consolidate power and suppress opposition. The Independent National Electoral Commission disqualified Chadema in April for refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct. The final results showed Hassan winning 97.66% of the vote, dominating all constituencies.   With inputs from AL Zazeera

Peru has announced it is severing diplomatic relations with Mexico over the asylum granted to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, who is under investigation for rebellion, officials said Monday. Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela described Mexico’s decision to provide asylum to Chávez at its embassy in Lima as an “unfriendly act” that exacerbates tensions between the two nations. A statement from President José Jerí’s office accused Mexico of “repeated” interference in Peru’s internal affairs. Chávez is accused of participating in former President Pedro Castillo’s failed attempt in 2022 to declare a state of emergency and dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote. Castillo’s plan collapsed when the military refused to support him, leading to his swift removal by Congress and subsequent arrest on charges of attempting a coup. The Peruvian Attorney General’s Office has charged Chávez with being an accomplice in the rebellion against state authorities and is seeking a prison sentence of up to 25 years. She served as Castillo’s prime minister at the time. “Today we learned with surprise and deep regret that former Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, the alleged co-author of the attempted coup, is being granted asylum at the Mexican Embassy in Peru,” de Zela told reporters. Mexico expressed regret over Peru’s move, stating the asylum was granted in accordance with international law. “Mexico rejects Peru’s unilateral decision as excessive and disproportionate in response to a legitimate act by Mexico consistent with international law, which in no way constitutes intervention in Peru’s internal affairs,” said Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Castillo’s family currently resides in Mexico, where authorities have expressed sympathy for the former president, who rose to power on a leftist platform before being ousted in December 2022. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously described Castillo as a victim of a coup and called for his release and a fair trial. The Peruvian Foreign Ministry said Mexico “has interfered in an inadmissible and systematic manner” in Peru’s domestic matters since December 2022, adding that repeated calls for respect of Peru’s sovereignty were ignored.   Source: AP

Canada’s tightening of international student permits has affected applicants from India government data shows. In early 2025, Canada reduced the number of international student permits for the second consecutive year, aiming to curb temporary migration and combat student visa fraud. About 74 per cent of Indian applications for Canadian post-secondary study permits in August were rejected, compared to roughly 32 per cent in August 2023, according to immigration department data shared with Reuters. Overall, 40 per cent of study permit applications were refused in both periods, while 24 per cent of Chinese applicants faced rejection in August 2025. The number of Indian applicants also fell sharply, from 20,900 in August 2023—just over one-quarter of all applicants—to 4,515 in August 2025. India has remained Canada’s top source of international students for the past decade and recorded the highest refusal rate among countries with more than 1,000 approved applicants in August. The spike in rejections comes as Canada and India work to restore relations following tensions over a 2023 murder in Surrey, British Columbia, which former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged involved the Indian government—a claim India denies. Canada’s immigration department said in 2023 it found nearly 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraudulent acceptance letters, most from India. Enhanced verification measures and stricter financial requirements have since been introduced. The Indian embassy in Ottawa said, “However, we would like to emphasise that some of the best quality students available in the world are from India, and Canadian institutions have in the past greatly benefited from the talent and academic excellence of these students.” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand noted that the country wants to maintain Indian students while safeguarding immigration integrity. Universities, including Waterloo, Regina, and Saskatchewan, report significant drops in Indian enrollment.   With inputs from NDTV

From Coney Island to the Bronx, candidates in New York City’s mayoral race spent Monday racing across all five boroughs in a last-ditch effort to win over voters before Election Day. As the campaigns entered their final stretch, President Donald Trump unexpectedly urged New Yorkers to back former Governor Andrew Cuomo over Republican contender Curtis Sliwa in order to block Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, declaring on Truth Social that voters “really have no choice.” More than 735,000 people had already cast ballots during nine days of early voting — more than quadruple the turnout in the 2021 mayoral race, though still below the nearly 1.1 million early votes cast in last year’s presidential election. Lines at several polling sites, including one in downtown Brooklyn, stretched for blocks on Sunday, the final day of early voting. Cuomo’s Comeback Tour Cuomo’s Monday schedule was packed with campaign stops across the city. At one event, he attacked Mamdani, comparing his policies to failed socialist governments. “Socialism didn’t work in Venezuela. Socialism didn’t work in Cuba. It’s not going to work in New York City,” Cuomo said. At 67, Cuomo is seeking a political revival four years after resigning as governor amid sexual harassment allegations he denies. Running as an independent, he has sought to attract Republican and centrist voters, presenting himself as the only candidate capable of defeating Mamdani. Mamdani’s Grassroots Push Mamdani, a state assemblymember who would become New York’s first Muslim mayor, began his day walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise and ended it rallying volunteers in Queens. “With just 24 hours left, let’s give it everything we’ve got,” he told cheering supporters. “Let’s work so hard tonight and tomorrow that we never have to ask ourselves, ‘What if?’” Over the weekend, Mamdani made high-energy campaign appearances at nightclubs, watched a Buffalo Bills game with Governor Kathy Hochul, and attended a Knicks game from the upper seats — a symbolic contrast to Cuomo’s courtside presence weeks earlier. Sliwa Stays in the Race Republican Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels patrol group, began his day at a Brooklyn subway station where he laid a wreath for a woman killed there last year before holding evening rallies in the outer boroughs. “This time, the billionaires and insiders won’t pick New York’s next mayor,” he told supporters. “The people will.” Trump’s Influence Looms Large Trump, a former New Yorker, has loomed over the race for months — at one point threatening to arrest or deport Mamdani if he wins. On Monday, he threw his support behind Cuomo, again warning that he would withhold federal funds from the city under a Mamdani administration. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” Trump wrote. “A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani.” Cuomo, during an interview with WABC Radio, agreed: “The president is right. A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. This election now depends on Republicans.” Sliwa, however, insisted he was staying in the race. Mamdani criticized what he called “the MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo,” saying Trump supports Cuomo “because he believes Cuomo will serve his administration, not New Yorkers.” Digital Duel Cuomo’s campaign continued to rely heavily on AI-generated ads, including a Halloween-themed video featuring a fake Mamdani trick-or-treating. The ad carried a disclaimer noting it was “AI generated.” The former governor faced backlash earlier for a fabricated ad showing Mamdani eating rice with his hands and labeling his supporters as criminals — a video the campaign later removed, claiming it was posted by mistake. Mamdani countered with multilingual social media posts, including a video of him speaking Arabic — which he jokingly admitted “needs some work.” He has previously shared messages in Spanish and Bengali to connect with New York’s diverse electorate.

With one short post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump may have signaled a major shift in his approach to China — one that delights Beijing but unnerves many U.S. allies. “The G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!” Trump wrote before his Oct. 30 summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, reviving a term — “G2,” or Group of Two — that Washington had long abandoned. Originally coined in 2005 by economist C. Fred Bergsten, “G2” referred to cooperation between the world’s two largest economies. Over time, it came to suggest a balance of power between the U.S. and China — an idea Beijing welcomes as recognition of its global stature but one that deeply worries American allies who fear being sidelined. “The G2 concept implies the U.S. and China are equals on the world stage,” said Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Trump’s use of the term has sparked intense speculation about his administration’s China policy, which remains undefined as Beijing grows increasingly assertive. A Term with Historical WeightTo grasp the significance of “G2,” analysts note China’s century-long sensitivity to Western “containment.” Since the early 2000s, Chinese diplomacy has sought to overturn that perception — a mission embodied in initiatives like the Belt and Road program, aimed at expanding China’s influence abroad. Trump later praised his “G2 meeting with President Xi,” calling it “a great one for both countries” that would lead to “everlasting peace and success.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also echoed the phrase online after speaking with China’s defense minister. Former Biden administration official Mira Rapp-Hooper warned that Trump’s remarks likely “provoked significant anxiety in allied capitals,” where governments fear Washington could make bilateral deals with Beijing at their expense. Beijing’s ReactionChinese commentators celebrated Trump’s adoption of the term. One nationalist blogger wrote that “Trump’s G2 means the U.S. has accepted it no longer holds a unipolar position,” implying a new bipolar world order with China as a peer — and diminishing Europe, Japan, and India. At a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the two countries “can jointly shoulder our responsibilities as major countries,” while still committing to “true multilateralism” and “an equal and orderly multipolar world.” Scholar Zhao Minghao stressed that G2 “does not mean China and the U.S. co-ruling the world,” but rather a willingness to “re-examine the importance of their relationship” and boost communication. A Controversial RevivalBergsten, who first proposed the G2 concept, said he welcomed its renewed use, emphasizing that it was never meant to exclude other powers like the G7 or G20, but to foster necessary cooperation between the two economic giants. “It’s not about the U.S. and China dictating to the world,” Bergsten said. “It’s about them talking through global economic issues.” The term briefly gained traction during the Obama administration before being dropped due to backlash from allies such as Japan, Australia, and India, who saw it as Washington deferring to Beijing’s interests. “It plays very poorly in those countries,” Rapp-Hooper said. “They fear being left out of decisions that affect their region.” Former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell added that China often used the G2 concept to make neighboring nations “feel insecure,” which ultimately “powerfully delegitimized” the idea.

Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, once the Israeli army’s chief legal officer, has become the focus of a national scandal following her sudden resignation, brief disappearance, and eventual arrest. The saga began last week when Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted that she had authorized the leak of a surveillance video at the heart of a politically explosive investigation into the abuse of a Palestinian detainee at Israel’s Sde Teiman military prison. The footage, which shows soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner, was meant to highlight the gravity of the allegations. Instead, it provoked fierce backlash from Israel’s right-wing leadership. Under intense political pressure, Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned. Soon after, she vanished, leaving behind a note and her car near a Tel Aviv beach. Fears for her safety sparked a large-scale search using military drones. She was found alive on Sunday night — a discovery that only intensified public attacks against her. Right-wing commentator Yinon Magal, a supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X: “We can resume the lynch,” adding a winking emoji. When reports surfaced that one of her phones was missing, critics accused her of faking a suicide attempt to destroy evidence. Tomer-Yerushalmi now faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice, and will remain in custody until at least Wednesday. Former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh has also been arrested in connection with the leak. The prime minister’s office has declined to comment. The uproar over the leaked video has shifted public focus away from the underlying issue — the alleged abuse itself. The July 2024 incident at Sde Teiman involved Israeli soldiers who, according to court documents, assaulted and sodomized a Palestinian prisoner with a knife, leaving him with life-threatening injuries. A hospital staffer familiar with the case described the detainee’s condition as “the most extreme” he had seen, citing blunt trauma, fractured ribs, and a perforated rectum. The man was later returned to the prison after surgery and released to Gaza in a recent hostage-prisoner exchange. Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation letter said she leaked the video to counter claims that the military’s internal investigators were persecuting soldiers. She argued that ignoring evidence of violence against detainees endangered the rule of law within the army. “There are actions which must never be taken, even against the vilest detainees,” she wrote. The case highlights Israel’s deep internal divisions. According to Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute, investigators must now untangle three legal threads: the alleged abuse, efforts by right-wing civilians and lawmakers to obstruct the probe, and Tomer-Yerushalmi’s possible role in undermining the investigation through the leak. Plesner said the public vitriol surrounding the case recalls the climate before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack — and even the tensions that led to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination 30 years ago. “The debate over our differences must not turn into personal destruction,” he warned. “The events of this weekend should be a wake-up call for Israeli society.”

Belgium’s defense minister voiced alarm Monday over a series of unidentified drone flights near a military base believed to house U.S. nuclear weapons, suggesting the activity may be linked to espionage. Defense Minister Theo Francken said the drones were detected over two nights, Saturday and Sunday, near the Kleine Brogel air base in northeastern Belgium. The first wave involved smaller drones “testing the radio frequencies” of Belgian security services, followed later by larger ones “to destabilize the area and people,” he told public broadcaster RTBF. “It resembles a spy operation. By whom, I don’t know,” Francken said, noting he had “a few ideas” but declined to speculate publicly. The incidents follow similar unexplained drone sightings over another Belgian military base near the German border last month. Recent months have also seen drone-related airspace violations across Europe, with Russia suspected in cases involving Estonia and Poland, though flights over Denmark and Germany remain unsolved. Last Friday, flights at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport were suspended for nearly two hours due to a drone sighting. Francken dismissed the possibility that the Belgian incidents were a prank, saying the drones’ operators demonstrated advanced knowledge by evading jamming systems. “An amateur doesn’t know how to do that,” he said. He added that shooting down drones near populated areas poses legal and safety risks: “When they’re over a military base, we can shoot them down. But nearby, they could fall on a house, a car, or a person.” Francken admitted Belgium is “chasing after the threat,” adding that the country should have invested in modern air defense systems “five or 10 years ago” to better counter drone incursions.