A US warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The USS Gravely, whose upcoming arrival was announced Thursday by the Trinidadian government, docked in the capital, Port of Spain. It is set to remain in the small Caribbean nation until Thursday, during which time a contingent of US Marines will conduct joint training with local defense forces. The exercises are part of a mounting military campaign by US President Donald Trump against drug-trafficking organizations in Latin America, which has targeted Trump`s arch-foe Maduro in particular. US forces have blown up at least 10 boats they claimed were smuggling narcotics, killing at least 43 people, and Trump has also threatened ground attacks on suspected cartels in Venezuela. Maduro, a longtime Trump foe whose reelection last year was widely rejected as fraudulent, has accused the United States of "fabricating a war" aimed at toppling him. The standoff escalated sharply on Friday, when the Pentagon ordered the deployment of the world`s biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, to the region. Trump has also authorized CIA operations against Venezuela. The standoff has pulled in Colombia`s Gustavo Petro, a sharp critic of the American strikes who was sanctioned by Washington on Friday for allegedly allowing drug trafficking to flourish. Washington has accused both Maduro and Petro of being "narcoterrorists," without providing any proof of the allegations. In August, Washington deployed a fleet of eight US Navy ships, 10 F-35 warplanes and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region for anti-drug operations -- the biggest military build-up in the area since the 1989 US invasion of Panama. - `Getting a lash` - In Trinidad and Tobago, a laidback twin-island nation of 1.4 million people, some welcomed their government`s show of support for the US campaign but others worried about getting caught up in a conflict between Washington and Caracas. "If anything should happen with Venezuela and America, we as people who live on the outskirts of it ... could end up getting a lash any time," 64-year-old Daniel Holder, a Rastafarian who wore a white turban, told AFP, "I am against my country being part of this," he added. Victor Rojas, a 38-year-old carpenter who has been living in Trinidad and Tobago for the past eight years, said he was worried for his family back home. "Venezuela is not in a position to weather an attack right now," he said, referring to the country`s economic collapse under Maduro. Trinidad and Tobago, which acts as a hub in the Caribbean drug trade, has itself been caught up in the US campaign of strikes on suspected drug boats. Two Trinidadian men were killed in a strike on a vessel that set out from Venezuela in mid-October, according to their families. The mother of one of the victims insisted he was a fisherman, not a drug trafficker. Local authorities have not yet confirmed their deaths.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signalled Sunday a tentative deal for China to delay export curbs on rare earth minerals and resume buying US soybeans, thus averting a huge hike in tariffs. President Donald Trump had threatened a 100 percent tariff hike on November 1 if the Chinese imposed rare earth global export controls, but "I think we have averted that," Bessent told ABC`s "This Week." On the export curbs, China will "delay that for a year while they reexamine it," Bessent said, adding that Beijing had also agreed on "substantial" agricultural purchases in talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng in Kuala Lumpur.

Leading Japanese entrepreneur and politician Miki Watanabe has announced plans to establish a driving school in Bangladesh to hire skilled drivers for his country. Watanabe, founder of the Watami Group, made the announcement during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here on Saturday evening, said CA`s Press Wing. “We are now looking for a 12,000-square-metre area to set up a driving school,” Watanabe told the Chief Adviser, adding that there is a high demand for qualified drivers in Japan and Bangladesh can be a key source of such manpower. The Chief Adviser asked the officials to find a suitable land for the proposed driving school, preferably on the outskirts of Dhaka. It was a follow up meeting on Professor Yunus’s official visit to Japan in May, during which Japanese entrepreneurs signed an agreement with Bangladeshi authorities to recruit 100,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next five years. Watanabe, a long-time admirer of Professor Yunus’s work, informed that he already established a language training academy in Monorhodi of Narsingdi district to train and recruit at least 3,000 Bangladeshi workers. “Fifty-two workers have already gone to Japan to work in the construction and agriculture sectors,” Watanabe said. He added that the academy currently provide training to 40 students per session but will gradually expand its facilities and network across the country. The Chief Adviser emphasized the importance of teaching Japanese etiquette, decorum, and cultural values through the academy. “Teaching etiquette and culture should be an integral part of the academy’s training,” Professor Yunus said. “It will help Bangladeshis understand Japan deeply and prepare them better before they leave for Japan,” he added. Professor Yunus also encouraged the Watami founder to expand training programmes in caregiving, nursing, construction, and farming, noting that skilled workers in these fields can earn significantly higher wages in Japan. “We would like to do these as well,” Watanabe replied. Watanabe praised the newly established Japan Cell in the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, which facilitates cooperation between Japanese investors and Bangladeshi institutions. He also expressed interest in setting up another training centre in or near Dhaka to make it easier for Japanese companies to visit without travelling long distances to Monohordi. The Chief Adviser immediately instructed officials to locate a ready facility—such as an unused IT park—that could be quickly transformed into a Japanese language and vocational training centre with minimal investment. “We will work together,” Professor Yunus said, adding, “We’ll find land for the driving school and a ready facility for the new training centre.” Shazeeb Khairul Islam, Personal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, said that authorities would soon organize visits for Japanese investors to potential IT park sites around Dhaka. Professor Yunus also called for greater efforts to increase the number of Japanese language proficiency tests held in Bangladesh, noting that Japan requires overseas recruits to demonstrate adequate language skills. Currently, the tests are held only twice a year, which, he said, is insufficient to meet growing demand. During the meeting, Watanabe fondly recalled the memory of establishing a school at Narayankul in Gazipur more than a decade ago, inspired by Professor Yunus’s vision for a poverty-free world. “The school now has 1,500 students. It’s a wonderful institution—the students are amazing and doing very well,” Watanabe said. SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed also attended the meeting.

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Mahfuj Alam today said the government will increase facilities for newspapers and private television channels, urging the media owners to enhance benefits for journalists accordingly. He was speaking at the `Meet the Reporters` programme organized by Dhaka Reporters` Unity (DRU) at its Shafiqul Kabir Auditorium in the capital. Emphasizing the need for increasing journalists’ salaries, the adviser said the government plans to fix a minimum salary for entry-level journalists. “Media outlets that will fail to provide the minimum wage will not be eligible for any government benefits,” he added. Mahfuj Alam said the government will digitize the country’s private television broadcast system, which will help determine the number of viewers of the channels. “Channels with better performance will get more advertisements and higher revenue,” he noted. Regarding the approval of new television channels, he said the government has given licenses in line with existing policies to promote healthy competition in the media industry. Highlighting the progress in implementing the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission, the adviser said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken initiatives to implement 13 out of 23 recommendations on priority basis after review. New policies and ordinances should be made for implementing the recommendations while some issues depend on the decisions of the council of advisers, he added. Mahfuj Alam informed that the draft of the Journalists’ Rights Protection Ordinance has already been sent for vetting and will soon be placed before the council of the advisers. The government is also mulling enactment of Mass Media Employees Act and a new guideline for private television channels. He said the scope of online media and OTT platforms is vast and efforts are underway with the ministry and ICT Division to bring all online media under a structured framework. “Online platforms that earn revenue from content must come under registration,” he added. Referring to the current circulation of newspapers, the adviser said there are many inconsistencies in circulation figures. The Department of Films and Publications (DFP) has monitored the circulation of most newspapers over the past three months and found that many newspapers print only 500 to 1,000 copies a day, but they show their circulation much higher. As per the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations, the government plans to rationalize circulation numbers and double advertisement rates, he said, urging newspaper-owners to show accurate figures. Responding to a question, the adviser said necessary measures will be taken in coordination with the Election Commission to ensure journalists’ safety during the upcoming national elections. On forming a permanent Media Commission, he said such a body requires for redefining the jurisdiction of various departments. But, it difficult to establish a permanent commission in a short span of time. On combating misinformation, the adviser said every media outlet should have its own fact-checking team. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the government wants to uphold ethics in journalism profession and emphasized the need to raise journalists’ salaries. He also criticized the increased number of websites in present time that violate copyright laws by publishing news from other outlets, stressing the importance of respecting copyright rules in publishing news. The programme was presided over by DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and conducted by its General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel. Chief Adviser’s Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad and journalists from print and electronic media were also present.

Election Commission (EC) Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today said there is no situation so far to be panicked or concerned regarding the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. “So far, there is no reason for panic or concern,” he told journalists at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon. About the preparations, Akhtar Ahmed said “It is not necessary that everything must be completed exactly as per the EC’s initial plan. Certain adjustments are made depending on the situation.” “Some tasks have already been completed, while others are still in progress and will take a bit more time. Not every activity can be scheduled or executed strictly according to fixed dates and times,” he said. He said that the list of polling centres has been finalized. The registration of political parties and the final list of polling centres will be completed within this week, he added. Regarding new party registration, he said, “We are receiving information from the field about party registrations, which are currently being reviewed. Hopefully, we will complete the process within this week.” About BNP’s objection letter regarding the amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), Akhtar Ahmed said, “BNP has sent a letter expressing its objection over the RPO issue. The Commission will take a decision on this matter.”