United News of Bangladesh

European leaders are set to discuss stricter migration policies this week, a move critics say caters to far-right pressure and risks undermining protections for vulnerable migrants.Ministers from the 27 EU member states convened in Brussels to address migrant smuggling, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivering a keynote speech. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe, representing 46 countries from Iceland to Azerbaijan, is debating measures to make deportations easier for treaty signatories.Last year, nine countries—including Denmark, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Poland—attempted to limit the authority of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), arguing that its interpretation of human rights obligations hindered efforts to expel migrants who commit crimes. That effort failed, though support for its principles has grown. The ECHR handles complaints under the European Convention on Human Rights, including many related to migrants and asylum seekers.Centrist and left-leaning parties are increasingly backing tougher migration rules as a way to counter far-right political momentum. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in an op-ed that their approach targets economic migrants rather than refugees fleeing conflict, framing it as a practical, humane solution rather than political opportunism.Despite unauthorized border crossings into the EU dropping 22% from January to October, migration remains a pressing concern. Frontex recorded 152,000 irregular entries during that period, while most migrants arrive legally, often overstaying visas.The EU has invested billions to curb irregular migration, funding interception programs in Africa and the Middle East, yet member nations also face labor shortages and an aging population, prompting efforts to attract foreign workers legally.Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset emphasized the importance of safeguarding individual rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, warning that the convention’s integrity is inseparable from Europe’s broader direction.The upcoming meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg will signal whether European nations prioritize stricter migration enforcement or maintain a balance between security and human rights protections.

Opponents of Myanmar’s military administration on Wednesday carried out a coordinated silent strike, urging citizens to remain indoors as a symbolic rejection of national elections slated for later this month. The protest took place despite the risk of severe punishment for any action deemed to interfere with the polls. The junta has already filed legal cases against 10 prominent pro-democracy activists who last week held a rare flash-mob demonstration in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. Critics argue that the December 28 election lacks credibility, saying the process is designed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the military, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The General Strike Coordination Body, a leading non-violent resistance organization, called for citizens to observe a “silent strike” on Wednesday. People were asked to remain inside homes, offices or workplaces between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to mark International Human Rights Day. Similar silent protests have periodically taken place since the 2021 takeover. Photos circulating on social media showed unusually quiet streets in Yangon, the country’s commercial hub, and in several other cities. Meanwhile, the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper reported that authorities were seeking the arrest of the 10 activists under provisions of a new election law that impose up to 10 years’ imprisonment for disrupting the electoral process. The activists are accused of distributing anti-election leaflets in a crowded Mandalay market on December 3. Their brief, spontaneous rally drew significant attention because public demonstrations in Mandalay have become nearly impossible under heavy security and routine crackdowns. Many participants made no attempt to conceal their identities as they chanted slogans and scattered flyers. Those charged include well-known activists Tayzar San, Nan Lin and Khant Wai Phyo. They had urged the public to reject the polls, oppose the military’s conscription law and demand the release of political detainees. Tayzar San — a doctor-turned-activist who organized the first major anti-military protest in Mandalay days after the 2021 coup — has been a key figure in the civil resistance. An arrest warrant has been pending against him for years. Speaking to AP following last week’s protest, he said the public’s participation demonstrates that “even after five years, people have not become passive nor surrendered under the repressive mechanisms of the military dictatorship.” Independent Myanmar media, including the Democratic Voice of Burma, reported earlier that authorities had warned shop owners of arrest if they participated in Wednesday’s silent shutdown.  

A Sudanese military cargo aircraft crashed while attempting to land in the country’s east, killing everyone on board, military officials said Wednesday, marking the latest in a series of deadly aviation incidents amid Sudan’s ongoing war. The Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane went down on Tuesday at the Osman Digna Air Base in Port Sudan after suffering a technical malfunction during its landing attempt, according to two officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief the media. They did not specify the number of crew members on the aircraft. Relatives confirmed that pilot Omran Mirghani was among those killed. His uncle, well-known Sudanese journalist Osman Mirghani, publicly mourned him on social media. The military has not issued an official statement about the crash. Sudan’s aviation safety record has long been poor, and fatal crashes are common. In February, a military plane plummeted into a densely populated neighborhood in Omdurman, killing at least 46 people, including women and children. The latest crash comes as the Sudanese military faces mounting losses in its conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In October, the army lost control of el-Fasher, its final foothold in Darfur, and earlier this week withdrew from the nation’s largest oil processing facility in Kordofan. The RSF has been accused of severe abuses in el-Fasher, including executions, rape and other crimes. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said Wednesday that investigators believe war crimes — and possibly crimes against humanity — were committed during the group’s takeover of the city. Türk warned that similar atrocities could unfold in Kordofan as RSF attacks escalate, urging an immediate ceasefire. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed more than 40,000 people — a figure rights groups say is a major underestimate — and pushed parts of Sudan to the brink of famine.  

The daughter of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother’s behalf Wednesday, after officials confirmed Machado would not be able to attend the ceremony. Machado has been in hiding since Jan. 9, when she briefly appeared at a protest in Caracas and was detained. She has not been seen publicly since. During the award ceremony, Norwegian Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said Machado had made every effort to reach Oslo “despite facing extreme danger,” and assured attendees that she was safe and expected to arrive later. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, collected the prize in her place. In an audio message released by the Nobel Foundation, Machado said many people had risked their lives to help her travel and described the honor as recognition for all Venezuelans. She said she looked forward to reuniting with family and supporters she had not seen in two years. Several Latin American leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, attended the ceremony to show support for Machado, who was awarded the prize for her push for democratic change in Venezuela. Machado won the opposition primary but was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election, which later returned President Nicolás Maduro to power amid allegations of arrests, repression and rights abuses. Her replacement candidate, Edmundo González, who has since sought asylum in Spain, was also present at the event. Machado joins several previous Nobel Peace laureates who could not attend due to imprisonment or persecution, including Narges Mohammadi, Ales Bialiatski, Liu Xiaobo and Aung San Suu Kyi. Venezuelan activist Gustavo Tovar-Arroyo said her absence underscored the risks faced by those resisting authoritarian governments, adding that supporters knew the dangers involved but remained committed to the struggle.

Wearing a white coat and a face mask, Indonesian trainee Fadli Ilhami followed the instructions of a Chinese doctor who was showing him how to operate a coronary angiography. Fadli, 32, is one of nine Indonesian doctors who relocated to Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, to participate in a one-year fellowship and medical specialists training program offered by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. Fadli said that he has been provided with a valuable opportunity for further study since he could deal with a variety of different cases in Lanzhou, helping him gain both experience and confidence in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). "I'm deeply motivated to master PCI, with a clear vision of becoming a seasoned expert in this field," said Fadli. The hospital has arranged experienced mentors for one-on-one guidance, combining theory and practice to boost the specialist skills of trainees, said Bai Ming, vice president at the hospital and also a leading expert in treating cardiovascular diseases. Bai's team has persistently carried out in-depth research and extensive practice in the field of interventional cardiology over a long period of time. The heart center at this hospital is considered the premier cardiovascular care hub in northwest China. "The goal is to train them to master diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of cardiovascular interventional procedures," Bai noted. According to the Indonesian government, cardiovascular diseases claim around 500,000 lives each year in that country. One reason for this high mortality rate in Indonesia is the shortage of heart specialists trained in interventional cardiology. Santi Putri Ramdhani, 40, also an Indonesian trainee, is confident she will be able to perform operations in her country once she returns to Indonesia. "There are so many cases I have already performed in this hospital. All of our mentors are very supportive and they are very generous to share their knowledge, including technical skills, clinical judgment and decision-making," said Santi. Xu Jizhe, an associate chief physician at the hospital and a mentor in the training program, offered knowledge regarding foundational theories and core technologies of PCI to trainees. Fundamental procedures such as preoperative preparation and patient surface cleaning and disinfection, as well as advanced technological interventions including stent implantation, have been included in the training, which will last until next March, Xu said. He added that, in accordance with training requirements, each trainee needs to participate in and study 300 cases of cardiovascular interventional procedures, and so far, they have finished over 200 cases. Hariman Kristian Sitanggang, another trainee from Indonesia, expressed his gratitude to the mentoring team and voiced hope that more clinic programs would be on offer for Indonesian doctors in the future, since this kind of program is a crucial step toward reducing the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. "The Chinese doctors are very professional and patient. They not only taught us really helpful medical knowledge, but also treated us like a family, which meant a lot to us," he said. The trainees told Xinhua that they look forward to treating patients with cardiovascular diseases after returning home armed with medical techniques they learned in China, which should enable them to save more lives.  

President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement is taking a heavy toll on U.S. child care workers, particularly in communities with large immigrant populations, according to preschool staff and administrators. At CentroNía, a bilingual preschool in a historically Latino neighborhood, teachers have altered daily routines out of fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Staff have stopped taking children on walks, visits to libraries, and playgrounds, and the school canceled its Hispanic Heritage Month parade to avoid drawing attention. “These concerns dominate all of our decision-making,” said CEO Myrna Peralta. Instead, children are pushed around hallways in strollers, and a classroom was converted into a miniature library after ending a local library partnership. The child care sector relies heavily on immigrants, who make up roughly one-fifth of the workforce nationwide, and up to 40% in major cities like Washington, D.C., New York, and California. Many are better educated than U.S.-born staff and support programs such as Spanish-language immersion preschools. Most immigrant workers have legal status and work authorization. Trump’s policies, including ending Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, have forced many workers out of their jobs or the country. Schools report losing teachers, while those who remain face heightened anxiety. Some staff have experienced panic attacks during work hours, and mental health consultants are being deployed to support teachers. Incidents involving ICE have also affected children. At a Montessori school in Portland, Oregon, a failed ICE arrest of a parent caused a school lockdown, triggering emotional distress among students, including increased outbursts and withdrawal. Administrators warn that the growing fear among staff is spilling over to children, potentially affecting the quality of care and learning. “If the teachers aren’t good, the kids won’t be good either,” said site director Joangelee Hernández-Figueroa, highlighting the broader impact of immigration enforcement on early education.  

The close relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is bringing the two countries closer to resolving Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet program, the U.S. ambassador to Ankara said Wednesday. Ambassador Tom Barrack, who also serves as Trump’s special envoy for Syria, said on social media that the “positive relationship” between the leaders has created a new atmosphere of cooperation, leading to the most productive discussions on the F-35 issue in nearly a decade. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program during Trump’s first term after purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, raising U.S. concerns that the missile system could compromise F-35 security. Ankara has sought readmission, noting its $1.4 billion investment before being suspended in 2019. The U.S. also imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act in 2020. Barrack said discussions continue on Turkey’s desire to rejoin the program while maintaining its S-400 system, with hopes for a breakthrough in the coming months that would satisfy both U.S. security requirements and Turkish interests. While barred from F-35 deliveries, Turkey is strengthening its air force with Eurofighter Typhoons, U.S.-made F-16s, and developing its own KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet, expected in 2028. Trump and Erdogan, who met at the White House in September, have maintained a strong personal rapport. Previous U.S. administrations kept Turkey at a distance due to human rights concerns, ties with Russia, and tensions with regional allies. Trump has also viewed Erdogan as a key intermediary on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.  

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will not attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said, with her daughter receiving the award on her behalf. Machado, who has not appeared in public for 11 months, was briefly detained last January after participating in a protest in Caracas. Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken said the Venezuelan leader was expected in Oslo but “unfortunately, she won’t arrive in time to attend today’s ceremony or other events.” Machado’s spokesperson, Claudia Macero, confirmed she will miss the ceremony but hoped she could join other events scheduled later in the day. Her current location was not disclosed. Several prominent Latin American leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, attended the ceremony to show solidarity with Machado. The 58-year-old won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to push for a democratic transition in Venezuela. She had previously won an opposition primary to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s presidential election, but was barred from running. Her replacement, retired diplomat Edmundo González, later sought asylum in Spain amid a government crackdown. Human rights groups and U.N. officials have repeatedly expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela, citing arrests, disqualifications, and repression of dissent. Nobel officials noted that it is customary for family members to represent laureates unable to attend, citing past winners who were imprisoned, including Narges Mohammadi of Iran in 2023 and Ales Bialiatski of Belarus in 2022. Venezuelan human rights activist Gustavo Tovar-Arroyo said supporters had done their best to bring Machado to Oslo, but warned that such risks are part of challenging a dictatorship.    

A UAE-backed separatist group has taken control of key oil-rich provinces in southern Yemen, threatening to reignite the country’s long-stalled civil war and destabilize the wider Gulf region. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized most of Hadramout and Mahra provinces this month, including major oil facilities. The STC, established in 2017 to restore an independent South Yemen, enjoys strong support across the southern half of the country and backing from the UAE. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. Saudi Arabia and the UAE later joined the conflict to support the government. The latest clashes pit the STC against Yemeni government forces and their tribal allies, even as both sides are part of the anti-Houthi coalition. The STC’s recent advances, including control of the PetroMasila oil facility and a border crossing with Oman, give it significant leverage in any future negotiations over southern Yemen’s autonomy. Saudi Arabia has sought to calm tensions, sending a delegation to Hadramout and emphasizing that it rejects attempts to create a “fait accompli.” Analysts say the UAE appears to have expanded its influence, while the STC’s actions undermine the fragile political balance among anti-Houthi partners. The escalation comes amid a fragile truce with the Houthis, which had reduced violence since 2022. Observers warn that the takeover could destabilize Yemen further, heighten regional rivalries, and threaten critical trade routes along the Gulf.  

Nineteen people were killed and 16 others injured after two four-story residential buildings collapsed overnight in Morocco’s third-largest city, Fez, authorities said Wednesday. The buildings, home to eight families, fell in one of the city’s older neighborhoods. Rescue teams continue searching for potential survivors, while the surrounding area has been evacuated as a precaution. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the collapse or how many residents remain unaccounted for. Fez, a host city for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, is famous for its historic walled medina, bustling souks, and traditional tanneries. However, much of the city faces deteriorating infrastructure, and building collapses have become a recurring concern. Earlier this year, a similar incident in May killed 10 people in a building that had already been scheduled for evacuation. Experts say enforcement of building codes is often lax, particularly in older, densely populated neighborhoods. Moroccan citizens have previously protested gaps in basic services, criticizing government spending on stadiums while infrastructure, health care, and education remain underfunded. The Fez collapse marks the second deadly building accident in the city this year, highlighting ongoing concerns about urban safety in Morocco.