United News of Bangladesh

Israeli forces fired on people as they headed toward an aid distribution site in Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 27, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said, in the third such shooting in three days. The army said it fired “near a few individual suspects” who left the designated route, approached its forces and ignored warning shots, reports AP. The near-daily shootings have occurred after an Israeli and US-backed foundation established aid distribution points inside Israeli military zones, a system it says is designed to circumvent Hamas. The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn't address Gaza's mounting hunger crisis and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. The Israeli military said it “fired to drive away suspects." Hungry Palestinians in Gaza block and offload dozens of UN food trucks In a statement, army spokesperson Effie Defrin said "the numbers of casualties published by Hamas were exaggerated” but that the incident was being investigated. He said the army is not preventing Palestinians in Gaza from reaching aid in the distribution areas, but rather allowing it. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates the sites, says there has been no violence in or around them. On Tuesday, it acknowledged that the Israeli military was investigating whether civilians were wounded “after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone,” in an area that was “well beyond our secure distribution site.” A spokesperson for the group said it was “saddened to learn that a number of civilians were injured and killed after moving beyond the designated safe corridor." Gaza's roughly two million people are almost completely reliant on international aid because Israel’s offensive has destroyed nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies into Gaza in March, and limited aid began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine. The shootings all occurred at the Flag Roundabout, around a kilometre (half-mile) from one of the GHF’s distribution sites in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. The entire area is an Israeli military zone where journalists have no access outside of army-approved embeds.

Spain has cancelled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defence Ministry said Tuesday. The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of 285 million euros ($325 million). The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, according to local press. “The goal is clear...a total disconnection from Israeli technology,” government spokesperson Pilar Alegría told reporters, adding the government is studying “the effects of the cancellation.” Israel’s Defence Ministry referred questions on the decision to Rafael. The company’s press office said in a statement to The Associated Press that it “has not been informed of any cancellation.” Pap Tecnos, located on the outskirts of Madrid, did not comment, reports AP. Spain approved the deal on October 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza. Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced for up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies. Spain's leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of October 2, 2023, but there where reports some shipments slipped through. China slams EU's protectionist measures aimed at Chinese medical device companies United States late last year opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain denied port entry to at least three cargo vessels reportedly transporting US weapons to Israel. Spain formally recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top United Nations court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the charge.

Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro fell to 1.9 per cent in May from 2.2 per cent in April, clearing the way for more rate cuts from the European Central Bank to support growth in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive. Lower energy prices helped bring consumer prices in May to below the ECB's 2 per cent target for the first time since September. Increasing signs that inflation is back under control after a painful outbreak in 2021-23 leaves room for the ECB to turn its attention to worries about the impact of a slew of new import taxes on EU goods in the US that threaten to slow Europe's export-oriented economy. Reductions in the ECB's benchmark rate, currently at 2.25 per cent, lower borrowing costs throughout the economy, making it easier to buy things on credit and stimulating economic activity and investment. Higher rates combat inflation, but for the moment that battle appears to have been won. Asian markets rise as US stock indexes near records amid easing trade tensions The ECB's rate-setting council meets on Thursday under bank President Christine Lagarde to determine the next step on rates. Analysts expect a cut of a quarter percentage point and for Lagarde to indicate that at least one more cut is possible at future meetings. Trump has raised tariffs on steel, aluminium and autos from almost all trading partners to 25 per cent, and has now said he will raise the rate to 50 per cent on steel, as well as proposing a 20 per cent tariff on all European Union goods. That last tariff has been paused ahead of a July 14 deadline pending negotiations with EU officials. Worries about the impact of tariffs on growth led the European Union's executive commission to cut its growth forecast for the 20 euro member countries this year to 0.9 per cent from 1.3 per cent in its fall 2024 forecast.

The Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday that China strongly opposes the EU's protectionist action to restrict Chinese medical device companies from participating in major EU public procurement tenders. The statement was issued in response to EU member states' decision to exclude Chinese companies from participating in public procurement tenders in the medical device sector for contracts exceeding 5 million euros (approximately 5.72 million U.S. dollars) under the bloc's International Procurement Instrument. The plan, reportedly approved on Monday, would prohibit Chinese firms from bidding on such contracts for a five-year period. The EU's decision and discriminatory measures harm the interests of Chinese enterprises, and also undermine fair competition and set up new trade barriers through unilateral tools, the ministry noted, stressing that China firmly opposes such a protectionist move. The global economic order is facing severe challenges from unilateralism and protectionism, the ministry said. As responsible major economies, China and the EU should adhere to WTO rules, uphold the principles of fairness, transparency and non-discrimination, address challenges through mutual openness, and resolve differences through cooperative dialogue to jointly safeguard the healthy development of China-EU economic and trade relations, the ministry added. It is hoped that the EU will rectify its misguided approach, the ministry said, stressing that China will closely monitor the EU's subsequent actions and take necessary measures to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

Over 100 inmates escaped from a prison in Karachi overnight after being temporarily moved from their cells due to mild earthquake tremors. Officials reported Tuesday that one prisoner was killed and three security personnel were injured in a shootout following the escape. Kashif Abbasi, a senior police officer, said that 216 prisoners fled from Malir prison in Sindh’s provincial capital before dawn. Authorities have since recaptured 78 of them. None of the escapees were militants or facing terror-related charges, he added. The escape occurred after prisoners were evacuated from their cells as a safety measure during the tremors. While still outside, a group of inmates overpowered guards, took their weapons, opened fire, and escaped, said Ziaul Hassan, Sindh’s home minister. Malir prison superintendent Arshad Shah said the fugitives ran toward nearby residential neighborhoods. Residents said police later used mosque loudspeakers to inform the community about the jailbreak and ask for help locating the escapees. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah urged the prisoners to turn themselves in, noting they had only committed minor offenses so far but could face terrorism charges for fleeing. He warned that if caught by police, their situation could worsen legally. Although escapes during prisoner transport have occurred, large-scale jailbreaks are rare in Pakistan. Security around prisons has been tightened since a 2013 Pakistani Taliban attack on a prison in Dera Ismail Khan that freed over 200 inmates. The National Seismic Monitoring Center reported that Karachi experienced multiple light earthquakes in the last 24 hours, with magnitudes between 2.6 and 3.4.

Palestinian health officials and eyewitnesses say Israeli troops opened fire on civilians heading toward an aid distribution site on Tuesday, killing at least 27 people. It marks the third such incident in as many days. The Israeli military stated it fired near individuals who deviated from the approved route, approached Israeli positions, and ignored warning shots. These frequent shootings come after a new system—backed by the U.S. and Israel—was set up to deliver aid via distribution points located within Israeli-controlled military zones. The aim is to bypass Hamas, but the United Nations has criticized the system, arguing it exacerbates Gaza’s food crisis and enables Israel to use humanitarian aid as leverage. The Israeli army said it was reviewing Tuesday's reported casualties. It previously claimed it only fired warning shots on Sunday and Monday when similar incidents left 34 people dead, according to local health officials. Israel maintains it has not deliberately fired on civilians or prevented access to aid sites. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which manages the aid locations, denies that violence has occurred at or near their distribution points. On Tuesday, the group noted that the military was investigating whether civilians had been injured after straying from a safe corridor into a restricted area, which it emphasized was far from the actual distribution zone. ‘We’ll die either way’ The shootings happened near the Flag Roundabout in Rafah, roughly a kilometer from a GHF aid site. This zone is under Israeli military control, and journalists are not allowed in without military clearance. Zaher al-Waheidi of the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed at least 27 fatalities. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that its Rafah field hospital treated 184 wounded individuals, including 19 who arrived deceased and 8 who died shortly after. The dead were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Among the casualties were three children and two women, said Mohammed Saqr, head nurse at Nasser Hospital. Hospital director Atef al-Hout added that most had been shot. Yasser Abu Lubda, a 50-year-old displaced Rafah resident, said gunfire broke out around 4 a.m. near the roundabout, where he saw numerous casualties. Another witness, Neima al-Aaraj from Khan Younis, described the shooting as “indiscriminate.” She said she reached the aid site but found no supplies and decided not to return after witnessing the bloodshed. “There was no aid,” she said. “After what happened, I won’t go again. Either way we will die.” Rasha al-Nahal, another witness, said shots came from all directions. She counted over a dozen dead and reported that Israeli forces fired on people as they tried to return from the aid center, where no supplies were found. An AP journalist at the Red Cross hospital around 6 a.m. saw ambulances moving the injured, while empty, blood-stained flour sacks littered the ground. Many people returning from the site carried nothing. Israeli Soldiers Killed in Northern Gaza In northern Gaza, the Israeli military announced the deaths of three soldiers in what may be the deadliest incident involving Israeli forces since the breakdown of a March ceasefire with Hamas. The soldiers, all in their early 20s, were reportedly killed by an explosion in Jabaliya. Israel ended the ceasefire after Hamas refused revised terms for releasing hostages. Since then, Israeli airstrikes have killed thousands, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The war began after Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and took 251 hostages during an October 7, 2023, raid on Israel. Of those hostages, 58 remain in captivity, with about a third believed to be alive. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 54,000 Palestinians have died, the majority being women and children. Though the ministry operates under Hamas, its data is considered generally reliable by the U.N. and independent analysts, despite Israeli skepticism. Israel claims to have killed 20,000 militants but hasn’t provided supporting evidence. Since October 7, about 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including over 400 during ground operations in Gaza.

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has stepped down following public outrage over viral social media posts showing his son's extravagant holiday, which triggered an anti-corruption investigation and two weeks of street protests. Oyun-Erdene, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, lost a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday. Of the 88 lawmakers who participated in the secret ballot, 44 voted in favour of the prime minister while 38 voted against him. However, he required the support of at least 64 of the 126-member parliament to retain office. “It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs,” Oyun-Erdene said after the vote. The political storm erupted after photos, purportedly showing the prime minister’s son and his fiancée enjoying a luxurious overseas engagement holiday, surfaced on social media. One widely circulated image showed a black Dior shoulder bag alongside several high-end shopping bags, with the caption: “Happy birthday to me”. Another image appeared to show the couple kissing in a swimming pool. The photos sparked questions over how the PM's family could afford such opulence, leading to a probe by Mongolia’s anti-corruption body. The incident touched a nerve in a country already grappling with allegations of high-level corruption and growing economic disparities. Hundreds of protesters—many of them youths—have been demonstrating in the capital for the past two weeks, calling for Oyun-Erdene’s resignation and greater government accountability. Despite stepping down, the outgoing prime minister accused his critics of orchestrating a smear campaign against him. However, international watchdog Transparency International has noted a deterioration in government transparency during his tenure, ranking Mongolia 114th out of 180 countries last year on its Corruption Perceptions Index. A landlocked nation nestled between Russia and China, Mongolia has been undergoing a democratic transition since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Yet corruption remains deeply entrenched. Source: With inputs from BBC   

Millions of South Koreans are voting Tuesday for a new president in a snap election triggered by the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who now faces an explosive trial on rebellion charges over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Pre-election surveys suggested Yoon’s liberal archrival, Lee Jae-myung, appeared headed for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law debacle. The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, has struggled to win over moderate, swing voters as his People Power Party remains in a quagmire of internal feuding over how to view Yoon’s actions. This election serves as another defining moment in the country’s resilient democracy, but observers worry a domestic divide worsened after Yoon's martial law stunt is far from over and could pose a big political burden on the new president. The past six months saw large crowds of people rallying in the streets to either denounce or support Yoon, while a leadership vacuum caused by Yoon’s impeachment and ensuing formal dismissal rattled the country’s high-level diplomatic activities and financial markets. The winning candidate will immediately be sworn in as president Wednesday for a single, full term of five years without the typical two-month transition period. The new president will face major challenges including a slowing economy, President Donald Trump’s America-first policies and North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats. Voting began at 6 a.m. at 14,295 polling stations nationwide that will close at 8 p.m. Observers say the winner could emerge as early as midnight. South Korean conservative party fails in a bid to switch presidential candidates As of 2 p.m., more than 13 million people had cast their ballots. Combined with the 15 million who voted during last week’s two-day early voting period, voter turnout stood at 65.5%. South Korea has 44.4 million eligible voters. Final pitches made by rival candidates In a Facebook posting on Tuesday, Lee, whose Democratic Party led the legislative effort to oust Yoon, called for voters to “deliver a stern and resolute judgement” against the conservatives over martial law. In one of his final campaign speeches Monday, Lee argued that a win by Kim would mean the “the return of the rebellion forces, the destruction of democracy and the deprival of people’s human rights.” He also promised to revitalize the economy, reduce inequality and ease national divisions. He urged the people to vote for him, Kim, a former labor minister under Yoon, warned that a Lee win would allow him to wield excessive power, launch political retaliation against opponents and legislate laws to protect him from various legal troubles, as his party already controls parliament. Lee “is now trying to seize all power in South Korea and establish a Hitler-like dictatorship,” Kim told a rally in the southeastern city of Busan. Lee’s positions would impact nation’s direction Lee, who served as governor of Gyeonggi province and mayor of Seongnam city, has been a highly divisive figure in South Korean politics for years. As a former child laborer known for his inspirational rags-to-riches story, Lee came to fame through biting criticism of the country’s conservative establishment and calls to build a more assertive South Korea in foreign policy. That rhetoric has given him an image as someone who can institute sweeping reforms and fix the country’s deep-seated economic inequality and corruption. His critics view him as a dangerous populist who relies on a political division and backpedals on promises too easily. On foreign policy, Lee has not made any contentious remarks recently and has steadfastly vowed to pursue pragmatic diplomacy. He has called South Korea’s alliance with the U.S. the foundation of its foreign policy and promised to solidify a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo partnership, a stance that is not much different than the position held by South Korea’s conservatives. Experts say there aren’t many diplomatic options for South Korea as it tries to address Trump’s tariff hikes and calls for South Korea to pay more for the cost of the U.S. military presence, as well as North Korea’s headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons. Experts say that has made both Lee and Kim avoid unveiling ambitious foreign policy goals. Lee’s government still could become engaged in “a little bit of friction” with the Trump administration, while Kim’s government, which prioritize relations with Washington, will likely offer more concessions to the U.S., said Chung Jin-young, a former dean of the Graduate School of Pan-Pacific International Studies at South Korea’s Kyung Hee University. South Korea's President Yoon removed over martial law Chung predicted Lee won’t be able to pursue overly drastic steps on foreign policy and security, given the country’s foreign exchange and financial markets are very vulnerable to such changes. Lee has preached patience over Trump’s tariff policy, arguing it would be a mistake to rush negotiations in pursuit of an early agreement with Washington. Kim has said he would meet Trump as soon as possible. On Monday, South Korean trade officials held an emergency meeting to discuss a response to Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will raise tariffs on steel and aluminum products to 50% beginning June 4. South Korea’s central bank last week sharply lowered its 2025 growth outlook to 0.8%, citing the potential impact of Trump’s tariff hikes and weak domestic demand worsened by the political turmoil of past months. Prospects for improved North Korea relations are unclear Relations with North Korea remain badly strained since 2019, with the North focused on expanding its nuclear arsenal while refusing dialogues with South Korea and the U.S. Since his second term began in January, Trump has repeatedly expressed his intent to resume diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Kim has so far ignored the offer while making Russia his priority in foreign policy. Lee, who wants warmer ties with North Korea, recently acknowledged it would be “very difficult” to realize a summit with Kim Jong Un anytime soon. Lee said he would support Trump’s push to restart talks with Kim Jong Un, which he believed would eventually allow South Korea to be involved in some projects in North Korea. Foreign policy strategists for Lee understand there isn’t much South Korea can do to bring about a denuclearization of North Korea, said Paik Wooyeal, a professor at Seoul’s Yonsei University. South Korea battles devastating wildfires as death toll reaches 27 He said Lee also doesn’t share the Korean nationalistic zeal held by ex-liberal President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim Jong Un three times during his 2017-22 term.

Shigeo Nagashima, who was known in Japan as “Mr. Pro Baseball” and was one of the most famous people in the country during his playing days, has died. He was 89. His death was confirmed Tuesday by the Yomiuri Giants, the team he helped make famous and eventually managed. His passing was also announced in special extra editions of newspapers that are handed out on street corners — a throwback to breaking news in an earlier time. He was famous in a period before Japanese players like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani began to star in North American MLB. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Nagashima “gave bright dreams and hopes to the society.” Nagashima helped lead the Giants as they won nine straight Japan Series titles — the counterpart to the World Series — from 1965 through 1973. His equally famous teammate was Sadaharu Oh, who hit 868 home runs in his career. Nagashima played third base, finished with a .305 batting average, had 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs. Gene Hackman died at home a week after wife Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus He played for 17 seasons and retired in 1974, then returned to manage the Giants in 1975 through 1980. He was fired after the 1980 season when the Giants failed to win the Japan Series during his stint. He returned to the dugout in 1993 and led the Giants to the Japan Series title in 1994 with Hideki Matsui, who eventually joined the New York Yankees. He also won the championship in 2000. He was to set to manage Japan in the 2004 Athens Olympics, but had a stroke a few months before that left him partially paralyzed and unable to participate.  

Mongolia 's prime minister resigned early Tuesday after he failed to receive enough support in a vote of confidence in parliament, Mongolian media reported. The country's embassy in Washington confirmed it. Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai received 44 votes, well short of the 64 needed, according to news site ikon.mn. The vote followed weeks of protests sparked by reports of lavish spending by the prime minister’s son. Some called for the prime minister to step down. Before the vote, Oyun-Erdene warned that the vote could lead to instability and shake Mongolia’s fledgling democracy. “If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus. It could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse,” he said. He defended his integrity but acknowledged a mistake: “dedicating too much time to major projects while paying insufficient attention to social and internal political matters.” Oyun-Erdene had held the post for four years and survived previous calls to step down. Yemen's internationally recognized prime minister resigns over a political dispute Last year, parliament was enlarged from 76 seats to 126 following electoral reforms. It resulted in a coalition government. Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia has struggled to become more democratic after its party-state era. A communist state during the Cold War, it has been transforming into a democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Protesters have said the country’s mineral riches have benefited business interests and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty. “It’s very difficult to build that foundation for democracy” at a time that Mongolia also must tackle economic problems, which are a major source of people's frustration, said Erin Murphy, deputy director and senior fellow of India and emerging Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ‘Shame on you all’: Indian-American engineer resigns over Microsoft’s Israel ties “We still have to see what happens next and how the new government plans to tackle these issues," she said. While democracy is yet to thrive in Mongolia, “it is taking root,” Murphy said.