United News of Bangladesh

The United States and India have reached a trade agreement under which Washington will lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 25%, while New Delhi has agreed to sharply reduce trade barriers and boost purchases of American products, US President Donald Trump said. Announcing the deal on his Truth Social platform after a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump said India would bring both tariff and non-tariff barriers down to zero and stop buying Russian oil. As part of the agreement, an additional 25% tariff penalty imposed earlier over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil will also be withdrawn. Trump said Modi requested an immediate trade agreement during the call, which also covered the Russia-Ukraine war, and committed to buying more than $500 billion worth of US goods. These include energy, technology, agricultural products and coal. “He agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to buy much more oil from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” Trump wrote, adding that the agreement would significantly expand US exports to India. A White House official later confirmed that tariffs linked to Russian oil purchases would be dropped and that the overall tariff rate on Indian goods would be reduced to 18%. Modi welcomed the announcement, saying on X that he was “delighted” by the agreement. He thanked Trump on behalf of India’s 1.4 billion people and said cooperation between the two countries would unlock major opportunities for mutual benefit. “When two large economies and the world’s largest democracies work together, it benefits our people,” Modi said. The deal comes at a sensitive moment for India’s trade policy. Indian exports to the United States fell sharply after Washington imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods last August, the highest applied to any Asian country. In response, New Delhi had been seeking alternative trade partnerships. Less than a week ago, India and the European Union announced a long-awaited free trade agreement aimed at cutting duties on most goods traded between India and the 27-nation bloc. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as the “mother of all deals,” with EU officials saying it could double European exports to India by 2032. Analysts said the US-India deal signals Washington’s intent to reassert its position in global trade. Terry Haines, founder of Pangaea Policy, described the agreement as a response to perceptions that the EU was gaining ground on the United States in trade relations. US markets edged higher following Trump’s announcement. However, the agreement has drawn criticism from some US business groups. We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition representing about 800 small American companies, said the deal still leaves tariffs far higher than before Trump’s trade measures. Its director, Dan Anthony, said US importers previously paid an average tariff of 2.5% on Indian goods, calling the new rate a long-term tax increase rather than relief.   With inputs from BBC

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, have agreed to testify before a congressional committee investigating the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just days before lawmakers are due to vote on whether to hold them in criminal contempt of Congress. The decision follows months of standoff with the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which late last month approved a motion to hold the Clintons in contempt for failing to comply with subpoenas. Several Democrats backed the move. Confirmation of the Clintons’ agreement came on Monday evening from Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, who said the couple would appear before the panel. However, it remains unclear when the depositions will take place. If it goes ahead, the testimony would mark the first time a former US president has appeared before a congressional committee since Gerald Ford did so in 1983. Bill Clinton has acknowledged past contact with Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, but has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. He has said he severed ties with Epstein more than 20 years ago and has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse. Ureña said the Clintons had previously cooperated by providing sworn written statements and sharing what they described as limited information they possessed about Epstein. He criticised the committee’s approach, accusing it of acting in bad faith and pursuing partisan objectives. The Clintons have dismissed the subpoenas as an attempt to embarrass political opponents, alleging the move was politically motivated. In a letter sent last month to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, they accused him of mishandling the investigation and said the panel’s actions had hindered efforts to uncover facts about the government’s role in the Epstein case. Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, has rejected those claims, noting that the subpoenas were authorised by a bipartisan vote and insisting that no one is above the law. He said the committee had given Clinton’s legal team multiple opportunities to appear voluntarily, accusing them of repeatedly delaying. Epstein’s private jet flight logs show that Bill Clinton took four international trips aboard the financier’s aircraft in 2002 and 2003. Photographs released by the US Department of Justice last December also show Clinton at Epstein’s estate, including images of him swimming in a pool and relaxing in what appears to be a hot tub. Clinton’s spokesman said the images were decades old and predated any public knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. The Oversight Committee’s investigation forms part of a broader congressional effort to review government handling of Epstein’s case, following the release of large volumes of previously sealed records mandated by law.   With inputs from BBC

An internal Vietnamese military document has revealed deep concerns within Hanoi’s defense establishment about a potential American “war of aggression,” even as Vietnam maintains its highest-ever level of diplomatic relations with Washington. The document, prepared by Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense in August 2024 and titled “The 2nd U.S. Invasion Plan,” portrays the United States as a “belligerent” power and urges vigilance against what it describes as possible US-led attempts to destabilise Vietnam’s socialist system, according to a report released on Tuesday by The 88 Project, a human rights organisation focused on Vietnam. The disclosure comes roughly a year after Vietnam and the United States elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, placing Washington on par with Hanoi’s ties to China and Russia. The internal assessment highlights what analysts describe as a dual-track approach in Vietnam’s foreign policy: outward diplomatic engagement alongside persistent internal suspicion. Beyond fears of direct military conflict, the document underscores a long-standing anxiety within Vietnam’s Communist leadership about so-called “color revolutions,” mass uprisings that have toppled governments elsewhere, including Ukraine’s Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Philippines’ People Power movement in 1986. Vietnamese planners warn that external forces could exploit issues such as democracy, human rights, ethnicity and religion to engineer political change. According to the document, while the risk of an immediate war against Vietnam is considered low, the US and its allies are seen as willing to use unconventional warfare or manufacture pretexts for intervention against countries that fall outside Washington’s strategic orbit, particularly as part of efforts to counter China’s influence in Asia. Ben Swanton, co-director of The 88 Project and author of the analysis, said the concerns outlined in the document reflect a broad consensus within Vietnam’s government rather than the views of a marginal faction. He noted that Hanoi does not see the US as a true strategic partner and has no intention of joining any anti-China alliance. Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the report or the document. The US State Department declined to address the contents directly but reiterated that the bilateral partnership is intended to promote shared prosperity and regional stability. Analysts say the document offers rare insight into internal debates within Vietnam’s leadership, particularly tensions between reform-minded officials and more conservative, military-aligned figures who remain deeply shaped by memories of the Vietnam War and wary of foreign interference. While Western diplomats often view China as Hanoi’s primary security concern, the document suggests that regime stability and the threat of internal unrest remain paramount. The assessment also reflects Vietnam’s delicate balancing act. China remains its largest overall trading partner, while the United States is its biggest export market, binding Hanoi economically to both powers even as strategic mistrust persists. Observers say the return of US President Donald Trump for a second term has both eased and complicated Vietnamese concerns. While Washington has softened its emphasis on democracy and human rights, recent US actions abroad have reinforced fears among Vietnamese conservatives about American willingness to violate national sovereignty. Overall, analysts suggest Vietnam’s leadership continues to engage the United States pragmatically, but with enduring caution rooted in history, ideology and fears of political destabilisation.

A Russian cargo ship captain has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after his vessel collided with a U.S. oil tanker in the North Sea last year, resulting in the death of a crew member. Vladimir Motin, 59, was on sole watch when his ship, the Solong, struck the anchored Stena Immaculate off northeast England on March 10, 2025. Both vessels were carrying flammable cargo, and the crash triggered a massive fire that burned for eight days. Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was on the bow of the Solong, died instantly, and his body was never recovered. Prosecutors told the London trial that Motin failed to slow the vessel, sound alarms, call for help, or attempt a crash stop, and accused him of lying about the incident. Iranian protester Erfan released on bail amid conflicting execution claims Senior specialist prosecutor Michael Gregory described the case as “a tragic and entirely avoidable death caused by truly exceptional negligence,” adding, “It is extremely fortunate that no one else was killed.” Motin is due to be sentenced on Thursday. The Solong, 130 meters long, was transporting mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous materials en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Stena Immaculate, 183 meters long, was carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military. Evidence presented at the trial included CCTV footage showing both ships engulfed in flames from leaking fuel, and a recording of the Stena Immaculate crew reacting in panic: “What just hit us … a container ship … this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision.” Rescue teams managed to save 36 crew members from both vessels.

South Asia Regional Conference of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) has begun in Colombo, underscoring Sri Lanka’s growing profile as a regional centre for diplomacy, trade and tourism. Held under the auspices of FICAC, the global organisation that promotes consular practice and international cooperation, the conference aims to foster policy dialogue, business networking and capacity building in support of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and foreign policy priorities. President of the Association of Consuls in Sri Lanka Mahen Kariyawasan said hosting the conference in Colombo reflects renewed global confidence in Sri Lanka and offers a unique opportunity to attract investment, boost tourism and strengthen regional partnerships, reports Daily FT, a Sri Lankan daily. He said the programme, which includes business forums, networking events and cultural activities, is designed to turn diplomatic engagement into tangible economic gains. FICAC is currently led by Nikolaos (Nikos) K. Margaropoulos, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Thessaloniki, Greece. Conference organisers said honorary consuls play a vital role as connectors between diplomacy and real-world cooperation, helping translate policy intent into practical partnerships. FICAC and national consular associations are jointly working to professionalise the role through expanded training and clearer public-private collaboration frameworks. The conference is anchored by two major ceremonial events. The opening ceremony today brings together senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and international delegates, signalling renewed regional commitment to cooperation. A farewell gala dinner on February 3 will conclude the gathering, providing space for informal diplomacy and cultural exchange. Organisers said the meeting is expected to leave behind concrete outcomes, including the formation of follow-up working groups on investment, a regional best-practice toolkit for consuls, and a schedule of bilateral missions aimed at turning discussions into projects. A summary of outcomes and an action plan for 2026 are expected to be published by the end of February.Participants highlighted the role of honorary consuls in facilitating business connections, promoting cultural and tourism exchanges, and providing essential citizen services and local insights that strengthen crisis response and consular outreach.            

Iranian protester Erfan Soltani, who was widely reported last month to have been sentenced to death over anti-government demonstrations, has been released on bail, according to media and rights groups. Soltani, 26, was detained on 8 January in Fardis, near Tehran, amid nationwide protests that triggered a violent response from security forces. His family was later told by authorities that he was facing imminent execution, though no further details were provided, Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw said. Iran’s judiciary later rejected claims that Soltani had received a death sentence, stating instead that he was charged with security-related offences punishable by imprisonment, reports BBC. His lawyer, Amir Mousakhani, told AFP that Soltani was freed on bail on Saturday and had his personal belongings, including his mobile phone, returned. A bail amount of two billion tomans—about $12,600—was posted to secure his release. Hengaw and Iranian outlets, including semi-official news agency ISNA, also confirmed the development. Soltani, a clothing shop owner, drew international attention after reports emerged that he was set to be executed. A relative previously told BBC Persian that a death sentence had allegedly been issued within just two days through an unusually fast legal process. The reports prompted international reaction, including warnings from then US President Donald Trump of “very strong action” should executions proceed. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, cautioned that any attack on Iran would ignite a wider regional conflict. Iranian authorities dismissed foreign media reports about Soltani’s execution as false, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no intention to carry out hangings. Hengaw later reported that Soltani’s execution had been postponed, citing family sources. Meanwhile, human rights organisations say the death toll from the unrest continues to rise. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency claims more than 6,300 people have been killed since protests began in late December, with thousands more deaths under investigation. Iran Human Rights has warned the total could surpass 25,000. Protesters have told the BBC that the scale and intensity of the crackdown were unprecedented. On Sunday, Khamenei accused demonstrators of attacking police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and public institutions, including banks and mosques.

Palestinians have begun passing through the Rafah border crossing linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt following its reopening for passenger movement. The crossing had been mostly shut since May 2024, after Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side. The long-awaited reopening forms a central element of the first phase of a ceasefire framework proposed by US President Donald Trump between Israel and Hamas, which took effect in October. Under the arrangement, only a limited number of people, several dozen each day, will be permitted to cross in either direction. The passage of humanitarian assistance and commercial goods through the crossing remains prohibited. About 20,000 Palestinians who are sick or wounded are awaiting permission to leave Gaza to receive medical treatment abroad. According to Israeli media reports, only 50 patients will be allowed to exit the territory each day, accompanied by two relatives each. In addition, just 50 of the tens of thousands of Palestinians who left Gaza during the war will be permitted to return daily. The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to supervise the evacuation process. Patients will be transported by bus from areas under Hamas control, passing through zones controlled by the Israeli military before reaching the Rafah crossing, BBC News reported. Read More: Israel to reopen Gaza–Egypt crossing after extended shutdown Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that anyone crossing the Yellow Line, the boundary of Israeli-controlled territory under the ceasefire agreement, would be “met with fire”. Under the arrangements, the Rafah crossing will be operated by European Union monitors alongside local Palestinian staff, while Israel will conduct security checks remotely. Israeli officials said a trial reopening of the crossing was successfully completed on Sunday. A Palestinian official familiar with the trial phase told the BBC that around 30 Palestinian staff members had reached the Egyptian side of the crossing ahead of full operations. The reopening follows provisions in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, which states that the crossing will operate under mechanisms used during a previous ceasefire last January. Before Israel seized control of Rafah in 2024, the crossing served as Gaza’s primary exit route and a key channel for humanitarian aid.   With inputs from BBC

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Monday said he agreed with Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s admission that she had shown “poor judgement” in maintaining contact with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as newly released US court files revealed extensive past communications between them. The acknowledgement came after documents released by the US Department of Justice showed the crown princess appeared hundreds of times in Epstein-related records between 2011 and 2014, triggering fresh scrutiny of Norway’s royal family. In a statement issued earlier, Crown Princess Mette-Marit said she regretted having any contact with Epstein, calling it “simply embarrassing”, and expressed deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of abuse linked to him. Støre’s public agreement with the princess’s admission is seen as unusual, as Norwegian prime ministers rarely comment critically on members of the royal family. He also said former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland had exercised “poor judgement” after it emerged that Jagland once planned, but later cancelled, a family holiday on Epstein’s private island. The revelations have surfaced at a sensitive time for the monarchy, just ahead of a seven-week trial of the crown princess’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, who faces 38 charges including rape and sexual assault. Høiby, 29, who is not a member of the royal family, denies the most serious allegations. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. According to the newly disclosed files, Crown Princess Mette-Marit spent several days at Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach in January 2013, and email exchanges suggested a warm tone in their correspondence, including references indicating awareness of his earlier conviction in 2008. Norwegian commentators have expressed shock at the nature of the communications, raising questions about how the risks of maintaining contact with Epstein were assessed and the role of royal advisers at the time. The royal family has faced a series of controversies in recent years, adding to public unease. No member of the family is expected to attend the upcoming trial in Oslo district court, which begins on Tuesday. Crown Prince Haakon said last week that the family’s thoughts were with everyone affected by the case, adding that while his stepson is not a royal, he remains an important part of their family.   With inputs from BBC

Sought by the Ethiopian government, Oromo rebel commander Jaal Marroo remains on the move to evade drone surveillance targeting him from the air. Marroo heads the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) from a network of remote forest hideouts in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, home to an estimated 40 million people. The government has labelled the former student a terrorist, accusing the OLA of carrying out ethnically driven attacks that have killed civilians. However, speaking in a rare interview from one of his concealed locations, Marroo denied allegations that his forces deliberately target civilians. “Our war is not against the people,” he told The Associated Press. “It is against the brutal regime that has occupied and oppressed the nation for generations.” The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has been fighting Ethiopia’s federal government since 2018, although the conflict has often been overshadowed by other crises, including the 2020–2022 war in the northern Tigray region. U.N. investigators have accused the group of grave abuses such as killings, rape and abductions. Human rights organizations, while documenting violations by the OLA, say government forces have also committed serious abuses. Indiscriminate drone strikes, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances are described as key features of the counterinsurgency campaign. “The research that we conducted puts both the OLA and the government forces in the middle of the conflict in terms of summary executions, in terms of torture, in terms of abductions, in terms of rape of women,” said Sarah Kimani, Amnesty International’s regional spokesperson. “Our report is able to point to both groups having been responsible for the atrocities that are being carried out in the Oromia region and that continue to be carried out against civilians in the region,” she told the AP. Read More: Eritrea withdraws from regional bloc as UN expresses concern over tensions with Ethiopia Civilians report widespread fear and displacement. Ayantu Bulcha said members of her family were killed after being accused of supporting the OLA, while others described harassment, extortion and ransom demands by armed groups. “Movement from place to place has become increasingly restricted,” said Lensa Hordofa. “It’s almost impossible to travel.” Access restrictions have limited reporting from Oromia, where aid delivery has been disrupted, schools closed and health facilities looted or destroyed. Analysts say insecurity persists despite recent government gains, leaving civilians trapped between multiple armed actors. “Oromia is very insecure,” said International Crisis Group’s Magnus Taylor, citing criminal groups alongside the insurgency.

Veteran British politician Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party, saying he does not want to further embarrass the party following renewed controversy over his past links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter to Labour’s general secretary, Mandelson said he was “regretful and sorry” after being named in newly released documents by the US Department of Justice. The files, made public on Friday, appear to reference three payments of $25,000 each allegedly connected to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004. Mandelson said allegations that Epstein made financial payments to him around two decades ago were false, adding that he has no record or recollection of receiving such money. He said he would look into the matter but decided to step down from party membership in the meantime to avoid causing further damage to Labour. In his letter, Mandelson again apologised to the women and girls abused by Epstein, saying their voices should have been heard much earlier. He said his resignation was taken in what he believed to be the Labour Party’s best interests, stressing his long-standing commitment to its values. Earlier, Mandelson said he could not confirm the authenticity of the newly released documents but repeated his regret for having known Epstein and for maintaining contact after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. He offered an “unequivocal” apology to the victims. Labour MP Gordon McKee said Epstein’s victims would be “rightly outraged” by the latest revelations and said Mandelson had taken the correct step by resigning. The Conservative Party criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying Mandelson should have been expelled rather than allowed to resign, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for his suspension and a formal investigation. Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the government had not been aware of the alleged financial links when questioned by the media. Mandelson, a prominent Labour strategist and former cabinet minister, was appointed UK ambassador to the United States in December 2024 but was removed from the post less than a year later following earlier disclosures about his association with Epstein. He has remained on leave from the House of Lords since his ambassadorial appointment. The newly released files include bank records, first reported by the Financial Times, that appear to show three payments referencing Mandelson. One payment in May 2003 was sent to a Barclays account linked to Reinaldo Avila da Silva, identified as Mandelson’s partner at the time, while two further payments were made to HSBC accounts in June 2004. It is unclear whether the funds were ultimately received. The documents also include redacted images showing Mandelson standing next to a woman, as well as emails indicating he remained in contact with Epstein after his conviction. Mandelson has said he cannot recall the circumstances of the photograph and stressed that being named or pictured in the files does not imply wrongdoing. Epstein was convicted in 2008 in the United States on charges including soliciting underage girls and later died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The latest disclosures form part of the largest release so far of Epstein-related records under a US law mandating their publication.   With inputs from BBC