The Western Balkan country is among six nations who are at different stages of the EU accession. Since Russia's war in Ukraine, EU officials are trying to lure them away from Russian influence. The European Commission will recommend on Tuesday to the  European UnionCouncil to start accession negotiations with  Bosnia and Herzegovina, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced. "Today we will decide to recommend to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina," she said in a speech to the European Parliament. The Western Balkan country is among six nations who are at different stages of the EU accession. Since  Russia's war on Ukraine, EU officials have sought to lure them away from Russian influence. Bosnia has met the EU terms The announcement means the EU executive is satisfied with Bosnia and the country has met the criteria to begin formal talks on joining the EU. "Bosnia is now fully aligned with our foreign and security policy, which is crucial in these times of geopolitical turmoil," the commissiob president said. Von der Leyen said the commission will publish a progress report detailing how Bosnia has met those terms.  However, the decision to begin talks needs unanimous approval from the leaders of the 27 EU member states, represented in the European Council. Bosnia applied to join the EU in 2016 and the council recognized it as a formal candidate for membership in 2022. In November last year, the commission said accession talks should begin once the country has fulfilled certain criteria. The MV Abdullah was carrying coal from Mozambique to the UAE when it was captured A Bangladeshi-flagged ship headed from the African country of Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates has been captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The vessel, named the MV Abdullah, had 23 Bangladeshi sailors on board and all of them have been taken hostage, according to the ship’s owners. The ship is owned by the KSRM Group’s SR Shipping and runs freight. The ship’s captain is Abdur Rashid. A message was sent from the ship around 1:30pm on Tuesday Bangladesh time, said SR Shipping CEO Mohammad Meherul Karim. “The pirates have taken control of the ship. Our sailors are being held hostage. We are trying to get more details.” In December 2010, Somali pirates had hijacked the Bangladeshi vessel MV Jahan Moni in the Arabian Sea. They took 25 sailors and the wife of the nickel-bearing ship’s chief engineer hostage. After repeated attempts, they were freed from the pirates after 100 days and brought back home.

Milei had previously criticised the pope during his election campaign last year, but fences look like they're on the mend as the two Argentinians spoke for 70 minutes. Pope Francis and Argentina's President Javier Milei held their first at-length meeting at the Vatican on Monday. The two Argentinians spoke for 70 minutes with no translation required, although the content of the meeting has not immediately been made available.   Milei's shift from criticism to cookies Libertarian economist Milei — who was sworn in as Argentina's new president in December — had previously been critical of the pope while campaigning during the election. Milei had accused the pope of political interference and called him an "imbecile" who "promotes communism." The two briefly met after Sunday mass that saw Argentina's first female saint, Mama Antula, canonized, with indications that last year's comments were now water under the bridge. On Sunday, the pope who was in a wheelchair, went to greet Milei after the service and smiled at him, extended his hand and exclaimed, "You cut your hair!" Milei, known for his unconventional hairstyle, joked about having cleaned up his act and asked if he could hug and kiss the pope. Francis smile and replied: "Yes, son, yes". During Monday's meeting, Milei gave the pope several presents, including biscuits from Argentina that the pope is said to enjoy, a government spokesman said.   Possibility a papal visit was discussed It's likely the president and pontiff — who both hail from Buenos Aires — discussed the possibility of a papal visit to Argentina. In November, Pope Francis called to congratulate Milei on his election victory, and the president in turn asked Francis to return to Argentina. The pope has not visited his country of birth since becoming head of the Catholic church in 2013 and while he has indicated he would like to return, no date has been set. Argentina is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation at more than 200% and Milei having had a turbulent few weeks in office after parliament rejected a major reform package.

A longstanding border dispute between the two Latin American countries has reached new highs recently. Venezuela claims the oil-rich Essequibo region in Guyana and last weekend staged a vote on its ambitions. Venezuela and Guyana are due to hold a high-level meeting in the coming days to discuss sovereignty over the oil-rich region, after the decades-old border dispute has been recently rehashed. The meeting will be held on Thursday in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean country's Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced. Brazilian President  Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will attend, at the request of the two quarreling countries. What do we know about the meeting? The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a Saturday statement that the high-level meeting follows separate phone conversations between President Nicolas Maduro, Moros and Lula and Gonsalves. The ministry said the meeting would aim "to preserve our aspiration to maintain Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, without interference from external actors." Saint Vincent and the Grenadines currently chairs the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. In a letter to Maduro and Guyana's President Irfaan Ali, Gonsalves stressed the "urgent need to de-escalate the conflict and institute an appropriate dialogue, face-to-face." The Office of the President of Guyana confirmed Ali had agreed to the meeting, but added, "Guyana's land boundary is not up for discussion." In the phone call with Maduro, Lula said it was important to avoid unilateral measures that could escalate the situation. What has reignited the border conflict? Essequibo currently makes up around two-thirds of Guyanese territory and is home to around 15% of its population, with 125,000 Guyanese citizens living in the region. Venezuela has revived its territorial claim over the region after US energy conglomerate ExxonMobil discovered a significant amount of oil in Essequibo's offshore waters in 2015, transforming Guyana into  the world's fourth-largest offshore oil producer. Tensions rose after Maduro's government staged a referendum last weekend over Caracas' claim. Some 95% of the voters supported Venezuela declaring itself the region's rightful owner, according to official results; Essequibo's residents were not polled in the non-binding ballot. Since then, Maduro has started legal maneuvers to create a Venezuelan province in Essequibo. He has also ordered the state oil company to issue licenses for extracting crude in the region. Venezuela claims Essequibo is part of its territory because the region was part of its boundaries during the Spanish colonial era. International arbitrators in 1899 handed Essequibo to former British and Dutch colony Guyana, with the Guyanese government using this decision as its justification for control of the region.     Litigation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking a decision over the border dispute is pending. The ICJ had appealed to Venezuela to refrain from taking action that could influence the case on Essequibo — which Maduro ignored, pressing ahead with his non-binding referendum last weekend.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden held talks for four hours in the backdrop of geopolitical tumult. They agreed on some fronts, like restarting military talks, but maintained divergent views on others, like China-Taiwan tensions. Chinese President Xi Jinping had a rare face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday. The two leaders met outside of San Francisco for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Biden said the purpose of the meeting was "to understand each other." "As always, there's no substitute to face-to-face discussions," he said, adding that he and Xi "haven't always agreed" in the past.  Following the four-hour meeting, Biden said talks with Xi made "real progress." "I value the conversation I had today with President Xi," Biden said on X, formerly Twitter. "And today, we made real progress."  Biden was then asked at a news conference if he believed Xi was a dictator, to which he responded: "Well look he is, I mean he's a dictator in the sense that he's a guy who's running a country, a Communist country, that's based on a form of government totally different than ours." Biden had made similar comments earlier this year, sparking fierce backlash in Beijing. Biden and Xi discuss Israel's war against Hamas  Biden and Xi discussed the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, with Biden asking China to influence Iran to avoid taking steps that could be seen as provocative, a senior US official told reporters. Chinese officials reportedly told US officials they had engaged in discussions with Iran on the risks of a regional spillover from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.  Biden also pressed Xi to continue to withhold military support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Greater communications at military level, AI Biden and Xi agreed to restore some military-to-military communications between their armed forces at a time when unprofessional incidents between the two nations' ships and aircraft have spiked. Xi said after the meeting that he and Biden agreed to resume high-level military dialogues on the basis of equity and respect, according to a statement released by Xinhua state news agency. The leaders also agreed to set up joint government talks on the use of artificial intelligence, as well as a working group on counternarcotics cooperation, Xinhua said. Biden said they agreed to high-level communications too. "He [Xi] and I agreed that each one of us can pick up the phone call directly and we'll be heard immediately."  Xi and Biden say competition should not mean conflict At the opening of the talks, Biden said the two leaders must ensure that "competition does not lead to conflict."  Xi later told Biden that "planet Earth is big enough for both countries to succeed." He said that protectionism has weighed on the global economy. Xi said China did not seek to "surpass or unseat the United States" and stressed that "the United States should not scheme to suppress and contain China." The leaders' first meeting since November 2022 was held far from the APEC summit at Filoli estate, a venue miles outside San Francisco, chosen for its security, serenity and remoteness. Taiwan biggest issue in ties, Xi tells Biden A senior US official told reporters after the meeting that Xi told Biden Taiwan is the biggest issue is US-China ties. The official quoted Xi as saying China's preference was for peaceful reunification with Taiwan but went on to talk about conditions in which force could be used. China continues to claim the island of Taiwan as its own territory. The US acknowledges China's position on Taiwan but does not take a position on Taiwan's status. "I'm not going to change that," Biden said. "That's not going to change." The White House said Biden also reaffirmed the US ironclad commitment to defending its Indo-Pacific allies. "The US side should... stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification," Xi told Biden, according to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry. Xi was trying to indicate that China is not preparing for a massive invasion of Taiwan, but that does not change the US approach, the official said. The White House said Biden raised concerns with Xi about China's "human rights abuses" in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.  Economic challenges According to Beijing's description of the meeting, Xi pressed Biden to lift sanctions and change policies on export controls for sensitive equipment. "Stifling China's technological progress is nothing but a move to contain China's high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development," the readout said. White House checks off topics tackled in meeting White House national security spokesperson John Kirby earlier listed a number of topics that Biden intended to bring up with Xi at the meeting, which marked the Chinese leader's first time in the United States since 2017. That included "tensions in the Taiwan Strait" and the human rights situation faced by Uyghurs in Xinjiang province, Kirby had said on Wednesday. Kirby previously said the two leaders would likely also discuss other geopolitical issues such as North Korea's missile tests, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's war against Hamas, which the US and other governments categorize as a terrorist organization. On Tuesday, on the eve of the meeting, Biden walked back previous rhetoric about an economic "decoupling" from China. "We're not trying to decouple from China. What we're trying to do is change the relationship for the better," Biden said

President Xi Jinping has arrived on his first visit to the US since 2017. The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold one-on-one talks in San Francisco later on Wednesday. US President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping have both arrived in San Francisco, California, where they will hold one-on-one talks later on Wednesday. The presidents of the world's strongest economies are set to meetat an undisclosed venue amid the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC) in the city. It's Xi's first trip to the US in any capacity since 2017, and it will be the two leaders' first in-person, one-on-one talks since last November. Biden says 'not trying to decouple' from China but seeking to 'change the relationship' The talks come amid frosty US-Chinese ties as China closes in on the title of the world's largest economy and becomes more assertive on a range of foreign policy issues where it clashes either with the US or its allies. It also coincides with European and US giants looking at reducing their dependence on China — partly as a lesson learned from the economic costs of sanctioning Russia amid its war in Ukraine. Initial references to this as "decoupling" from China had angered Beijing, and western countries have since been looking for a more neutral terms for the process like "de-risking." "We're not trying to decouple from China. What we're trying to do is change the relationship for the better," Biden said on Tuesday. China was already perturbed by the more confrontational trade policies of former US President Donald Trump, many of which Biden kept after taking office. Speaking with reporters before departing for San Francisco, Biden said that success for him would mean: "To get back on a normal course, corresponding and being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another in a crisis, and being able to make sure that our militaries still have contact with one another." Aboard Air Force One en route to San Francisco, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Biden and Xi would likely talk about the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, US efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, North Korea's missile tests, and other geopolitical issues. Biden is "not going to be afraid to confront where confrontation is needed on certain issues where we don't see eye-to-eye" but also will look for areas to cooperate on such as climate change, Kirby told reporters. Climate working group announced before talks Although there are few expectations for high-level agreements or major breakthroughs, comments prior to the summit suggested negotiators in Washington and Beijing had been seeking areas where they could more easily find common ground — for instance on environmental policy.  The two countries said they would launch a working group on climate action in a joint statement released early on Wednesday. This follows months of bilateral talks behind the scenes. The group would focus on "energy transition, methane, circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon and sustainable provinces/states and cities, and deforestation," the joint statement said.  The two sides said they agreed to "work together and with other parties" to "rise up to one of the greatest challenges of our time for present and future generations of humankind."  US, South Korea and Japan issue North Korea warning On Tuesday evening in San Francisco, Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.  The three countries agreed to step up cooperation against the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, calling it a "serious threat" to international peace, according to a statement from South Korea's government early on Wednesday.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia for several days in September, visiting military and space-related sites in the country and holding talks with President Vladimir Putin.  Even Russia will be represented at the APEC meeting in San Francisco this week. Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and other Russian officials not subject to US sanctions will represent Moscow at the meeting. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday to discuss defense and strategic collaboration in the face of global challenges. They were joined by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh for the talks. The top US and Indian officials met for the annual "2+2 Dialogue" to discuss issues of concern, including security and strengthen bilateral ties. Friday's discussions focused on the Indo-Pacific region, China, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to Jaishankar, the dialogue aims to establish "a forward-looking partnership" and help "construct a shared global agenda." Defense, a key pillar of India-US bilateral ties Blinken's tour of Asia is seen as a move to show unity with regional partners over Russia's war in Ukraine as well as to find common ground over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The secretary of state's tour has seen him visit key allies in Asia, such as South Korea and Japan. Washington and New Delhi have taken steps to boost their relations, but these are still mired by significant differences, especially in how to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We are promoting a free and open and prosperous Asia-Pacific, including by strengthening our partnership in the Quad with Japan and Australia," Blinken said at the start of the meeting. US Defense Secretary Austin and Indian counterpart Singh are set to discuss a plan for industrial defense collaboration to accelerate technology partnership and joint production in various areas, according to the US Defense Department. Singh highlighted defense as an important pillar of the India-US bilateral relationship and said despite "various emerging geopolitical challenges, we need to keep our focus on important and long-term issues." Talks to build on Modi-Biden vision The "2+2 Dialogue" seeks to build on the foundation laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in June and the subsequent trip of US President Joe Biden to New Delhi for the G20 summit in September. "Together we have been taking very concrete steps to deliver on the vision that our two leaders put forward," Blinken said. Blinken also addressed the fallout between India and Canada that was sparked by allegations that India was involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen. "These are two of our closest friends and partners and, of course, we want to see them resolving any differences or disputes that they have," Blinken said. "As a friend of both, we think it's very important that India work with Canada on its investigation, and that they find a way to resolve this difference in a cooperative way." These annual meetings, which started in 2018, aim to align policy objectives and deepen defense ties between the two nations, especially regarding concerns over regional issues, including China's increasing assertiveness and the situation in Gaza and Ukraine. Washington hopes a stronger defense partnership will gradually reduce India's reliance on its main military supplier, Russia.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has said the Johannesburg meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping showcased for one more time to the world the example of relations between developing countries jointly set up by Bangladesh and China. “It was the first face-to-face meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since the latter’s formal visit to China four years ago. We have long been waiting for this meeting. It would definitely tide up new momentum for our bilateral relations,” he told UNB in his first interview since arrival in Dhaka, noting that it is his sacred mission to fully implement the consensus reached by the two leaders to push the “Strategic Partnership of Cooperation” between the two countries to a new level. As briefed by Ambassador Yao, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the traditional friendship and good relations between Bangladesh and China “based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs”. “It is high on my agenda to facilitate more in-person visits and meetings of this kind in the days to come,” he added. Relations in Challenging Situation Ambassador Yao said China and Bangladesh share significant commonalities in terms of moral values, national dreams and development paths. “Since President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly upgraded our bilateral relations to Strategic Partnership of Cooperation in 2016, we have set a model of friendly ties between developing countries for the world at large,” he said. China now stands as the single largest trade partner and a key development partner of Bangladesh. “Wherever I go in Bangladesh, the local people would always give me thumbs-up for China-Bangladesh friendship,” the ambassador said. At international arenas, China and Bangladesh both stand for peace and development. “We share similar views on hotspot issues like the Ukraine crisis. China’s effort to help resume Saudi-Iran diplomatic relations was also welcomed in Bangladesh,” he said. “China is working with Bangladesh in meeting regional and global challenges, such as the repatriation of displaced people from Rakhine State of Myanmar, tackling climate change, upholding the right to development, and supporting the UN peacekeeping efforts,” the envoy added. “Based on equal footing, mutual respect, joint development and common commitment to peace, relations between China and Bangladesh infuse the power of certainty and stability to an increasingly trembling world,” he said. Non-Intervention in Upcoming Election “China supports Bangladesh in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” President Xi said in the Johannesburg meeting, adding that China upholds Bangladesh’s efforts to fend off external interference and maintain domestic unity and stability, so as to ensure development and revitalization. Yao said the upcoming election is an internal affair of Bangladesh, and their policy is very consistent that China never intervenes in any country’s internal affairs. “The future of Bangladesh shall be determined by the Bangladeshi people,” said the ambassador adding “China is full of confidence for the better future of Bangladesh as well as China-Bangladesh relations.” For the time being, over 600 Chinese enterprises are functioning in Bangladesh, and tens of thousands of Chinese citizens are living and working here. According to Ambassador Yao, the Chinese companies proactively undertake social responsibilities on boosting local economy, protecting the environment, providing social services to host communities, help create job opportunities, build capacity for manpower and promote charity. “With their contribution and efforts, the hearts of the two peoples are brought together ever closer,” he said. When asked whether he is concerned about the interests of Chinese companies and citizens in the context of heated political air, Yao replied that the Chinese people are here for friendship and joint development with Bangladeshi people. “Their safety and security should surely be guaranteed, and their lawful interests should be protected,” he opined. Priorities Ahead Bangladesh and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025. “It would be a perfect occasion to review achievements in the past and map forward for the future,” the ambassador said. He promised that China would do its part to help Bangladesh to graduate from the LDCs by 2026, and fuel up joint development to achieve respective national dreams which are “well-connected”. “Practical cooperation is the cornerstone of China-Bangladesh relations. While implementing projects agreed during high-level visits back in 2016 and 2019, we will take the initiative with Bangladesh to figure out more under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on connectivity infrastructure, renewable power section, blue economy, digital empowerment, so on and so forth,” said the Chinese envoy. In terms of trade, he said, local exporters are encouraged to fully leverage China’s 98% zero-tariff treatment for Bangladeshi products and showcase the brand of “Made in Bangladesh” on expositions held in China, such as China International Import Expo, China-South Asia Expo and Canton Fair. The Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chittagong should eye on high-end and high-value industries to serve the Smart Bangladesh development strategy as well as the high-quality development paradigm of China, he said. “We’d encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to increase investment in promising fields like new energy, ICT, advanced manufacturing, and agri-product processing,” Ambassador Yao said, adding that he would also push forward the cooperation on disaster management and relief, military exchanges, law enforcement coordination and maritime cooperation during his tenure in Dhaka. “Of course, as the Chinese ambassador, I’d play my role in mediating between Bangladesh and Myanmar to facilitate the early and sustainable repatriation of displaced people from Rakhine State,” he underscored. BRI Project “The Belt and Road Initiative has brought about tangible benefit for the Bangladeshi people,” Ambassador Yao said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described BRI a ‘trailblazer’ for Bangladesh’s development.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launching of BRI and the 7th anniversary of Bangladesh’s participation in the initiative. “In recent years, we’ve witnessed completion of a good number of projects built under the BRI that have significantly changed the development landscape of Bangladesh, such as the Info-Sarker phase 3 project, the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, the Payra Thermal Power Plant, the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, among others,” he said. “Connectivity will be further improved between the Southwestern part and the rest of the country when the Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuri River and the First Section of the Padma Bridge Railway Link open for traffic by the end of this year,” he noted. Asked about the latest status of on-going development projects, he said that projects like Modernization of Telecommunication Network for Digital Connectivity and the Installation of Single Point Mooring with Double Pipeline Project will be completed soon. “The Rajshahi WASA Surface Water Treatment Plant will start its construction, and the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project is also under discussion between authorities of the two sides,” he added. Global Development Initiative The Global Development Initiative (GDI), a twin sister of BRI, is said to be aimed at supporting the timely achievement of all 17 Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by revitalizing global development partnership and promoting stronger, greener and healthier global development. Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward GDI at the United Nations in 2021. It promotes international cooperation in eight priority areas, namely poverty alleviation, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity in the digital-era. “All these are also the focus of Bangladesh in its Vision 2041 perspective plan,” said the ambassador. According to the United Nations, over 100 countries and international organizations have expressed their support to the initiative and 68 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI at the UN. This July, the first high-level meeting of the Global Action Forum for Shared Development was held in Beijing, with more than 800 guests from 158 countries and international organizations attending online and offline. Minister of Planning M.A. Mannan took part in the event on behalf of Bangladesh. “It is hoped that Bangladesh would make good use of China’s aid, preferential loans and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to actively carry out policy dialogue, experience sharing, capacity building and practical cooperation,” said the ambassador. Producing Green Energy Responding to a question, the envoy said China, a key contributor to the Paris Agreement, pledged to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. “By 2035, China will broadly establish eco-friendly ways of work and life, lower carbon emissions after reaching a peak, improve the environment and largely accomplish the goal of building a ‘Beautiful China’,” he added. Bangladesh also faces critical challenges of environmental degradation and climate change. “Fortunately, the country has become well aware of the gravity of these issues, and has taken plausible actions,” the Chinese envoy said, noting that the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) adopted in 2020 plays a key role in guiding the country’s development paradigm into the track of green transition by 2030. “As Bangladesh and China converge on environmental goals, there heralds significant potentials for the two countries to synergize on green development strategies, thereby building a shared human community in harmony with nature,” said Ambassador Yao. “In fact, we’ve already kicked start cooperation in this regard. When I visited Cox’s Bazar a few months ago, I saw photovoltaic panels of Chinese brand on top of many roofs. A wind farm project is also being built there by Chinese contractors,” he added. Next Generation of Green Traffic It was reported that Bangladesh had its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station installed in Dhaka earlier this month. “I read it from newspaper. But there are only 35 EV registered in Bangladesh for the time being. That is a negligible amount compared to the 170 million population of Bangladesh,” he said. China is a key designer and manufacturer of EV. There are over 16 million EV and mixed-fuel vehicles running on the road of China, and the number is still soaring up. “We would encourage more Chinese EV manufacturers to come to Bangladesh, explore the local market, and meet the demand of Bangladeshi people, thereby helping Bangladesh transit towards the next generation of green traffic,” said the ambassador. People-to-People Exchanges In the interview, Ambassador Yao said people-to-people exchanges lay the foundation for Bangladesh-China friendship. Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping replied a touching letter to Alifa Chin, a Bangladeshi teenager born with the help of Chinese navy hospital ship “Peace Ark” and named after China by her father. Expressing his hope that Chin would make best use of her youthful years and study hard to make her dream come true, President Xi encouraged her to give back to her family, contribute to the society, and serve her own country. “President Xi Jinping’s reply letter to Alifa Chin ushers in a new chapter for the intimate relations between the two peoples. From this start, we’d further enhance people-to-people exchanges between us,” said the ambassador. As of now, there are more than 12,000 Bangladeshi students studying in China. Three Confucius Institutes and classrooms are functioning in Bangladesh. The Chinese envoy sees them as “seed and hope” for enhanced mutual understandings. “The local media also play a unique role in influencing public opinion and bridging recognition gaps. It is my sincere hope that prominent media houses like UNB would keep producing objective and fair reports about China and China-Bangladesh cooperation, thereby contribute to the betterment of friendly ties between our two countries and peoples,” he said.

Saudi Arabia began talks on resolving the Ukraine war on Saturday, Saudi state media reported, despite no delegation from Russia taking part. Senior officials from some 40 countries including the US, China, South Africa and India are attending the discussions in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah. Ukraine and its allies hope the two-day conference will lead to an agreement on key principles for a peaceful end to the 17-month conflict and win over non-Western countries that have so far stayed neutral over the conflict due to close ties with Moscow. Ahead of the summit, aides to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's said the delegates would look into his 10-point peace plan, which includes Russia withdrawing from Ukrainian territory and returning Crimea to Kyiv's control. It is not clear whether the talks are aimed at producing a joint statement.  Brazil Foreign Policy Advisor Celso Amorim underscored the importance of bringing Moscow into the dialogue, saying, "Although Ukraine is the biggest victim, if we really want peace, we have to involve Moscow in this process in some form."   On Saturday, DW spoke with Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC, about the conference and what it means for Kyiv.  Kupchan said: "It gives Ukraine an ability to try to appeal to the court of world opinion, to get major countries that have been on the fence — Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India — to get them onto its side. I don't think we're going to see anything concrete emerge from this conversation, but it is a step forward." The US analyst went on to say: "I do think it's important that China is there. The fact that China has gone despite Russia's absence says to me that the Chinese are carefully hedging away from their unstinting support for Moscow in this war." What did Ukraine, Russia say ahead of the talks? "I predict that the conversation will not be easy, but the truth is on our side," Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, said in an interview broadcast on Friday. "We have many disagreements and we have heard many positions, but it is important that we share our principles," Yermak, who is heading the Ukrainian delegation said. "Our task is to unite the whole world around Ukraine." In his nightly video message Friday, President Zelenskyy said, "a fair and honest end to Russian aggression will benefit everyone in the world. Everyone!" Although Russia has not been invited, the Kremlin has said it will keep an eye on the talks. While the conflict rages, Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between the two sides at present. Saturday's meeting follows Ukraine-organized peace talks in Copenhagen in June that were designed to be informal and did not yield an official statement. Riyadh hopes to play mediator Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, works closely with Russia on oil policy but has touted its ties to both sides and positioned itself as a possible mediator in the war. It has backed UN Security Council resolutions denouncing Russia's invasion as well as its unilateral annexation of territory in eastern Ukraine. Riyadh also helped mediate a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last year. Under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom has sought a bigger role on the world stage and has pushed to expand ties with major powers outside the old framework of its relationship with the US. In May, the kingdom hosted Zelenskyy at an Arab summit in Jeddah, where he accused some Arab leaders of turning "a blind eye" to the horrors of Russia's invasion. Beijing also wants to broker peace China has also mooted a mediation role for itself in the conflict. Beijing describes itself as a neutral party but Western nations have criticized its close ties with Russia. In March, Beijing brokered a resumption of ties between Saudi and its arch-regional foe Iran. Beijing said Friday it would send its special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, to Jeddah. Like China, India has maintained close ties with Russia and refused to condemn it for the war and while ramping up imports of Russian oil. CFR analyst Charles Kupchan told DW: "it's important to have these conversations going because ultimately we will likely get to a point where it's time to shift from the battlefield to the negotiating table. China has an important role to play here, mainly because if anybody has influence over Putin, it is Xi Jinping. We will need China to lean on Moscow at the appropriate moment."

The 8th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks (DPT) was held in Canberra on July 24-25, where the two sides discussed strengthening the partnership in co-development and co-production of defence equipment and fully implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Defence policy talks were co-chaired by the Special Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Nivedita Shukla Verma, and the Acting Deputy Secretary in Australian Defence Ministry, Steven Moore. During the talks, both sides reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries and explored new initiatives to further strengthen and deepen bilateral defence engagements. The discussions also focused on identifying ways to strengthen partnerships in the co-development and co-production of defence equipment. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and the rule of law. The Indian side highlighted the potential of the Indian defence industry with the capacity and capability to cooperate with the Australian Armed Forces in its shipbuilding and maintenance plans. India – Australia share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since June 2020 and defence is a key pillar of this partnership. India and Australia’s partnership is based on a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The two democracies have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two countries have a 2+2 mechanism at the Ministerial level. The 8th DPT reviewed the outcomes of the maiden 2+2 conducted in September 2021. Both sides agreed to early finalization of the hydrography agreement. The two sides also exchanged views on the geo-political situation, regional and global issues of shared interest.

Oscar-winning Director James Cameron has visited the wreckage of the Titanic more than 30 times. The director has denied rumors that he is in talks to helm a feature about the OceanGate submarine that is believed to have imploded on a deep sea voyage to explore the Titanic wreck, killing its five passengers. According to American Magazine Variety, James Cameron wrote in a blunt post on Twitter Saturday morning. He said, “I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now. I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever.” in 1997, he created the movie 'Titanic. It has retained its reign as the highest grossing film in the world till date at the box office. So that, many people are claiming that only James Cameron can portray the incident on the screen. It is mainly for this reason that his name came up in the making of the movie about the sunken 'Oceangate'. Source: Variety