United News of Bangladesh

Nine African migrants died after being exposed to freezing temperatures near Morocco’s border with Algeria, according to rights groups in the North African country. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said the bodies of seven men and two women were found in Ras Asfour, a remote mountainous area known for severe winter conditions. The group said the migrants died from extreme cold after their bodies were unable to withstand the temperatures. According to the organisation, one of the deceased was from Guinea, while the others were from different sub-Saharan African countries. Their identities have not been fully established. Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not immediately comment on the incident. Each year, thousands of migrants attempt irregular crossings from North Africa to Europe in search of improved living conditions. From Morocco, some try to enter Spain via the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla by scaling border fences or swimming, while others attempt to reach the Canary Islands through the Atlantic Ocean. Moroccan security forces regularly report intercepting such migration attempts. North Africa continues to serve as a major transit region for migrants seeking entry into southern Europe. Cooperation and security agreements between North African countries and the European Union have strengthened border controls in recent years. Many migrants who fail to cross initially remain in the region for extended periods, working in informal sectors such as construction, agriculture and domestic work, or relying on assistance while waiting for opportunities to attempt sea crossings. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said six of the bodies were buried last week, while two were retained at the request of relatives. The group said it would continue to monitor the case. Earlier this week, the Moroccan Organization of Human Rights called for measures including more humane border management, the decriminalisation of irregular migration and residence, and the creation of a system to track missing migrants to help prevent similar incidents.  

Israeli military operations inside southern Syria have intensified tensions and raised concerns about a prolonged Israeli presence as forces expand control within and around a buffer zone near the Golan Heights. Last month, Israeli troops carried out a raid in the village of Beit Jin in southwestern Syria, during which 13 residents were killed, according to local accounts. Israel said the operation targeted members of a militant group planning attacks into Israel and that its forces came under fire, wounding six soldiers, before responding with ground fire and air support. Syrian authorities described the incident as a massacre, while residents rejected Israeli claims that militants were operating in the village. The raid was one of several recent Israeli actions in Syria that have increased local opposition and reduced prospects for improved relations between the two countries, despite pressure from the United States to ease tensions. Prospects for limited Israeli-Syrian engagement had emerged late last year after Sunni Islamist-led rebels removed former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close ally of Iran. Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has said he does not seek conflict with Israel. Israel, however, has expressed distrust of al-Sharaa due to his past militant affiliations. Israeli forces subsequently moved into the United Nations monitored buffer zone in southern Syria adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed, a step not widely recognised internationally. Israeli troops have established checkpoints, military positions and landing sites, including on Mt Hermon, and have increased patrols and drone surveillance across nearby Syrian areas. Israel has said its presence is temporary and aimed at preventing attacks by militant groups and remnants of pro-Assad forces. It has not provided a timeline for withdrawal, and talks on a bilateral security arrangement have not produced results. Developments in neighboring Lebanon and Gaza have also influenced perceptions in Syria. Israel continues to hold positions in southern Lebanon following a ceasefire with Hezbollah, while maintaining airstrikes and surveillance operations. In Gaza, Israeli plans include buffer zones even after a future withdrawal from parts of the territory. At a regional meeting in Doha earlier this month, al-Sharaa accused Israel of using perceived threats to justify military actions, saying withdrawal to positions held before Assad’s removal was necessary for security on both sides. The interim Syrian government faces multiple internal challenges, including unresolved arrangements with Kurdish-led authorities in the northeast and instability in the southern province of Sweida, where sectarian clashes earlier this year resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths. Israel has portrayed itself as a protector of Syria’s Druze minority and has also sought contacts with Kurdish groups. Analysts say Israel’s approach risks undermining international efforts to support a unified Syrian state. Michael Young of the Carnegie Middle East Center said the strategy contradicts the positions of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the United States, which favor a stable and consolidated Syrian government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel seeks a demilitarized zone extending from Damascus to the UN buffer zone, including Mt Hermon. While he said agreements with Syria remain possible, he stressed Israel would adhere to its security principles. Israel’s actions have drawn rare public criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has supported al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control. Trump said it was important that Israel maintain dialogue with Syria and avoid steps that could disrupt the country’s recovery. Netanyahu is expected to discuss Syria during a planned visit to Washington later this month. Analysts say Israel is unlikely to withdraw soon, while Syria’s interim government has limited leverage against Israel’s military strength.

The new head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency MI6 is set to warn that Russia’s efforts to spread instability are reshaping modern conflict and creating complex security challenges for the United Kingdom and its allies. In her first public speech as MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli is expected to say Britain faces increasingly unpredictable and interconnected threats, with particular focus on what she describes as an aggressive and expansionist Russia. Extracts released by the Foreign Office quote her as saying that the export of chaos is a core feature of Russia’s approach to international engagement and is likely to continue unless President Vladimir Putin changes course. Metreweli, who assumed office at the end of September, is the only publicly named employee of MI6. She succeeded Richard Moore after previously serving as the agency’s director of technology and innovation. In her remarks, she is expected to stress the importance of combining technological expertise with human intelligence to counter hybrid threats. She will say MI6 officers need to be as skilled in computer code as they are in handling human sources, and as fluent in programming languages as they are in spoken ones. Her speech follows a series of warnings from Western defence and security officials about hybrid threats posed by countries including Russia, Iran and China. These threats are said to include cyber operations, espionage and influence campaigns that undermine international stability. Last week, the UK imposed sanctions on several Russian media organisations over alleged information warfare activities and on two Chinese technology companies accused of large-scale cyber operations. Metreweli is the first woman to lead MI6 since the agency was founded in 1909. Britain’s other intelligence agencies have previously been headed by women, including MI5 and the cyber intelligence agency GCHQ. The warning comes amid intensified diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US envoys in Berlin on Sunday and is scheduled to hold talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain. European allies are seeking to maintain support for Kyiv as Washington pushes for a rapid acceptance of a US-brokered peace proposal. Separately, Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, is also expected to warn that Putin aims to weaken and ultimately dismantle NATO. In a speech on Monday, Knighton will say the war in Ukraine demonstrates Russia’s readiness to target neighbouring states and civilian populations, posing a threat to the entire NATO alliance, including the UK. He is expected to argue for stronger military capabilities and more resilient national infrastructure in response.  

Australian authorities are investigating a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead during a Jewish festival, as the government considers stricter gun laws following the incident. Officials said a father and son carried out the attack during a Hanukkah event attended by hundreds marking the first day of the Jewish holiday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese classified the incident as an act of antisemitic terrorism. The 50-year-old father, who was killed, arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and was an Australian resident at the time of his death, authorities said. Officials did not disclose his country of origin. His 24-year-old son, an Australian-born citizen, was wounded and is undergoing treatment in hospital. Police said those killed included a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor. Several others were injured. Albanese said the Australian Security Intelligence Agency had investigated the son for six months in 2019. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the investigation examined potential links to a Sydney-based Islamic State cell. Albanese said the agency’s focus at the time was on associates rather than the son. Police said the father held a firearms licence and was a member of a gun club. Footage broadcast on Australian television showed a bystander intervening and disarming one of the gunmen. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke identified the individual as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 42-year-old fruit shop owner, who was later shot in the shoulder by the second gunman and survived. The attack occurred amid an increase in antisemitic incidents in Australia over the past year. The country has a population of about 28 million, including approximately 117,000 Jews, most of whom live in Sydney and Melbourne. Government data cited by the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, showed antisemitic incidents rose more than threefold in the year following the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military operations in Gaza. In recent years, synagogues, vehicles and properties in major cities have been targeted, and individuals have been assaulted. Albanese previously said Iran was responsible for two such attacks and announced the suspension of diplomatic ties with Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Australia to take stronger action against antisemitism and criticised Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state. The Bondi Beach incident is the deadliest shooting in Australia in three decades. Australia introduced strict gun control measures after a 1996 mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, where 35 people were killed. Since then, mass shootings have been rare. Notable incidents include murder-suicides in 2014 and 2018 and a 2022 shooting involving police and extremists in Queensland that resulted in six deaths. Albanese said the government is moving toward tougher gun regulations following the attack.

European leaders are set to reaffirm backing for Ukraine on Monday as Washington pressures Kyiv to quickly accept a U.S.-brokered peace plan, amid ongoing high-level talks in Berlin. Peace discussions involving U.S. envoys, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European officials resumed Monday morning as part of efforts to secure regional stability in the face of Russia’s growing assertiveness. The second day of talks began shortly before noon local time. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, a key intermediary between U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy, was seen in downtown Berlin Monday morning. Zelenskyy met Sunday with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the German federal chancellery to explore ways to end the nearly four-year conflict. The U.S. has sought to balance the demands of both sides, with Trump pressing for a swift resolution. Key hurdles remain, including control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, largely occupied by Russian forces. Following a five-hour meeting, the U.S. said via Witkoff’s social media account that “a lot of progress was made.” Zelenskyy earlier indicated readiness to drop Ukraine’s NATO bid if Western countries provide security guarantees comparable to NATO members. However, Kyiv continues to reject U.S. proposals to cede territory to Russia. Moscow demands Ukraine withdraw from parts of Donetsk under Kyiv’s control and abandon its NATO ambitions, which Russian President Vladimir Putin cites as a security threat. Zelenskyy stressed that any Western assurances must be legally binding and backed by the U.S. Congress. The Kremlin said Monday it expects updates on the Berlin talks once concluded. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called predicting a peace deal timeline “a thankless task,” adding that Putin is open to serious negotiations but not to stalling tactics. In London, new MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli is set to warn that Putin’s global ambitions are reshaping conflict and security challenges. Meanwhile, Russia launched 153 drones at Ukraine overnight Sunday into Monday. Ukraine’s Air Force reported neutralizing 133 drones, with 17 hitting targets. Russia claimed to have destroyed 146 Ukrainian drones, including 18 over Moscow, temporarily halting flights at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports. Damage and casualties are not yet confirmed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leading European support for Ukraine alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Saturday that the era of “Pax Americana” is largely over for Europe and Germany. He warned that Putin aims to redraw European borders and restore the former Soviet Union. Macron affirmed France’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and sovereignty on Sunday, pledging to help build lasting peace in Europe. Ciobanu reported from Warsaw. Pietro De Cristofaro in Berlin, Illia Novikov in Kyiv, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester contributed.    

Jimmy Lai, the outspoken pro-democracy media entrepreneur and longtime critic of Beijing, was convicted Monday in a landmark national security case in Hong Kong, a ruling that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison. A panel of three handpicked judges found the 78-year-old guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security, as well as conspiring to publish seditious materials. Lai had denied all the charges. Lai was first arrested in August 2020 under the sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing following the massive 2019 anti-government protests. He has remained in custody for nearly five years and has already been jailed over several lesser offenses, during which time he has appeared increasingly frail. His wife, son and Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen were present in court as Lai briefly acknowledged his family before being led away by guards. The closely watched, jury-free trial has drawn intense international scrutiny from the United States, Britain and the European Union, with observers viewing it as a key test of press freedom and judicial independence in the former British colony. The verdict also carries diplomatic implications, with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer both saying they have raised Lai’s case with Beijing. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, faces a possible life sentence under the national security law, while the sedition conviction carries a maximum two-year term. A mitigation hearing is scheduled to begin Jan. 12. Prosecutors accused Lai of orchestrating efforts to seek foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China, citing meetings with senior U.S. officials in 2019 and dozens of Apple Daily articles, messages and social media posts as evidence. The court ruled Lai was the central figure behind the conspiracies. Throughout the 156-day trial, Lai testified in his own defense and argued for freedom of expression, though concerns over his deteriorating health were repeatedly raised. Apple Daily was forced to shut down in 2021 after police raids and asset freezes. Lai was previously sentenced to five years and nine months in a separate fraud case and has also been convicted over his role in unauthorized assemblies linked to the 2019 protests. Source: AP 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski arrived for an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, direct from a dentist appointment. The 63-year-old veteran human rights advocate was experiencing a return to daily life after more than four years behind bars in Belarus. He was suddenly released on Saturday. Medical assistance in the penal colony where he served his 10-year sentence was very limited, he said in his first sit-down interview after release. There was only one option of treating dental problems behind bars — pulling teeth out, he said. Bialiatski recalled how in the early hours of Saturday he was in an overcrowded prison cell in the Penal Colony no. 9 in eastern Belarus when suddenly he was ordered to pack his things. Blindfolded, he was driven somewhere: “They put a blindfold over my eyes. I was looking occasionally where we were headed, but only understood that we’re heading toward west.” In Vilnius, he hugged his wife for the first time in years. “When I crossed the border, it was as if I emerged from the bottom of the sea and onto the surface of the water. You have lots of air, sun, and back there you were in a completely different situation — under pressure,” he told the AP. Bialiatski was one of 123 prisoners released by Belarus in exchange for the U.S. lifting sanctions imposed on the Belarusian potash sector, crucial for the country’s economy. A close ally of Russia, Belarus has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Its authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been repeatedly sanctioned by the West for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In an effort at a rapprochement with the West, Belarus has released hundreds of prisoners since July 2024. Bialiatski won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 along with the prominent Russian rights group Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties. Awarded the prize while in jail awaiting trial, he was later convicted of smuggling and financing actions that violated the public order — charges widely denounced as politically motivated — and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The veteran advocate, who founded Belarus’ oldest and most prominent human rights group, Viasna, was imprisoned at a penal colony in Gorki in a facility notorious for beatings and hard labor. He told AP that he wasn’t beaten behind bars — his status as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, perhaps, protected him from physical violence, he said. But he said he went through much of what all political prisoners in Belarus go through: solitary confinement, arbitrary punishment for minor infractions, not being able to see your loved ones, rarely being able to receive letters. “We can definitely talk about inhumane treatment, about creating conditions that violate your integrity and some kind of human dignity,” he said. Bialiatski is concerned about two of his Viasna colleagues, Marfa Rabkova and Valiantsin Stefanovic, who remain imprisoned, and about all 1,110 political prisoners still behind bars, according to Viasna. “Despite the fact that prisoners are being freed right now, new people regularly end up behind bars. Some kind of schizofrenia is taking place: with one hand, the authorities release Belarusian political prisoners, and with the other they take in more prisoners to trade, to maintain this abnormal situation in Belarus,” he said. The advocate vows to continue to fight for the release of all political prisoners, adding: “There is no point in freeing old ones if you're taking in new ones.” He intends to use his status as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate — of which he learned in prison and couldn't initially believe it — to help Belarusians “who chose freedom.” “This prize was given not to me as a person, but to me as a representative of the Belarusian civil society, of the millions of Belarusians who expressed will and desire for democracy, for freedom, for human rights, for changing this stale situation in Belarus,” he told AP. “And it was a signal to the Belarusian authorities, too, that it's time to change something in the life of the Belarusians.”

A shooting near a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach on Sunday left 12 people dead and 29 others injured, including two police officers in serious condition, New South Wales authorities said. NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed one of the attackers was killed at the scene and the second is in custody, describing the attack as targeted against the Jewish community, Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon declared the incident a terrorist attack, noting that over 1,000 people had gathered to celebrate Hanukkah when the shooting occurred. Many victims were forced to take cover behind buildings, vehicles, and natural barriers. Authorities said there is no longer an active threat but urged residents to avoid the area as emergency operations continue. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with gunfire striking near women, children, and other beachgoers. One gunman, identified as Narveed Akram from Sydney’s south-west, is under investigation while police conducted raids at his home. Hospitals in Sydney treated multiple victims, several in critical condition. The attack, occurring on the first night of Chanukah, has been condemned by Jewish community leaders and federal politicians as a “terror attack” and “horrifying tragedy.” Authorities continue to investigate and secure the area.

A shooter dressed in black killed at least two people and wounded nine others at Brown University on Saturday afternoon during final exams, authorities said, prompting an extensive police search across the Ivy League campus. University President Christina Paxson said 10 of the shooting victims were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the gunfire. Officers searched academic buildings, backyards and porches late into the night for the suspect, described as a man in dark clothing who may have been wearing a camouflage mask. Security footage showed him leaving the Barus & Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and physics department, though his face was not visible. Authorities believe the shooter used a handgun, but investigators have not determined how he entered the exam room, which requires badge access. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said all resources are being deployed to capture the suspect, while Providence Mayor Brett Smiley maintained a shelter-in-place advisory for residents near campus. Students described harrowing moments of fear and sheltering. Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, ran from the building after hearing gunfire. Others hid under desks or took refuge in nearby businesses. Students were evacuated hours later under police supervision. Nine victims were hospitalized at Rhode Island Hospital, with one in critical condition and six others receiving intensive care. The shooting occurred despite Rhode Island’s strict gun laws, including an assault weapon ban passed last spring that restricts sales and manufacturing starting next July but does not prohibit possession. Former “Survivor” contestant Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate, had left the building minutes before the attack. President Donald Trump expressed condolences, saying he had been briefed and urged prayers for the victims. Authorities continue to search for the suspect, emphasizing public safety and ongoing investigation efforts.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and tougher migration policies are gaining momentum across Europe as immigration rises on the political agenda and right-wing parties increase their influence, according to an Associated Press report. In the U.K. and several European countries, overt hostility toward immigrants and ethnic minorities has become more visible. Tens of thousands marched in London this year chanting anti-immigrant slogans, while senior politicians made controversial remarks about race and called for deportations of long-term residents born abroad. Right-wing parties advocating mass deportations and portraying immigration as a threat to national identity are polling strongly, including Reform U.K., Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and France’s National Rally. Analysts say rhetoric once confined to the political fringe is now central to mainstream debate. Experts link the growing polarization to economic stagnation since the 2008 financial crisis, the impact of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the amplifying role of social media. Immigration has increased over the past decade, driven partly by people fleeing wars in Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine, though asylum-seekers make up a small share of overall migration. Racist language and hate crimes are also rising. Police in England and Wales recorded more than 115,000 hate crimes in the year to March 2025, a 2% increase. Lawmakers and minority politicians report escalating online abuse and threats. Violent anti-immigrant protests have also occurred in Ireland, the Netherlands and the U.K., often targeting housing for asylum-seekers. Mainstream parties, while condemning racism, are adopting tougher migration stances. Britain’s Labour government has announced measures to make permanent settlement harder, while several European states are pushing to ease deportations and weaken migrant protections. Human rights advocates warn this risks normalizing increasingly extreme policies. Some centrist leaders have drawn criticism for echoing far-right language, fueling concerns that divisive rhetoric deepens social fractures. Analysts argue political leaders must consider how their words shape public attitudes, though many fear confrontational language is increasingly seen as electorally effective across Europe.