United News of Bangladesh

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London as Kyiv’s European partners seek to strengthen Ukraine’s position in negotiations on a U.S.-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy said his discussions in London and Brussels this week will focus on security, air defense, and long-term financial support for Ukraine’s war effort. The leaders aim to ensure any ceasefire includes robust guarantees from both Europe and the United States to prevent further Russian attacks. U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded three days of talks on Saturday to narrow differences over the U.S. peace proposal. A key sticking point is the suggestion that Ukraine cede control of the Russian-occupied Donbas region, which Ukraine and its European allies oppose. Starmer said he will not pressure Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement, emphasizing that any halt in hostilities must be fair and lasting. Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued overnight. Drones struck residential buildings in Okhtyrka and Chernihiv, injuring at least 10 civilians and causing extensive damage, while Ukraine reported that 131 of 149 Russian drones fired were neutralized. Russia claimed its air defenses shot down 67 Ukrainian drones over 11 regions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed a new U.S. national security strategy, saying it aligns with Moscow’s vision for dialogue and constructive relations, though European leaders have expressed concern over parts of the document.  

Thailand carried out airstrikes along its contested border with Cambodia on Monday, as both nations accused each other of violating the ceasefire that ended deadly clashes earlier this year. Border tensions erupted into five days of violence in July, leaving dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire in October, but mistrust between the neighbors has remained high. Thailand’s defense ministry said more than 35,000 residents near the frontier have moved to shelters or to stay with relatives farther away. Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said several border villages have also been evacuated. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised address that Thailand would take whatever military action is needed to safeguard its territory and protect civilians. “Thailand has never sought conflict. We have never started a fight or invaded anyone, but we will not accept violations of our sovereignty,” he said. New clashes followed Sunday’s exchange of fire The October ceasefire had already been under strain since early November, when land mines injured Thai soldiers. Bangkok then suspended implementation of the truce, with both sides blaming each other even as they were meant to jointly remove the mines. Trump said in mid-November that he had stepped in to help keep the ceasefire intact. A brief firefight erupted on Sunday, with each country claiming the other fired first. Thailand reported two soldiers wounded and said it returned fire for about 20 minutes, while Cambodia insisted Thai troops initiated the clash and that its forces held back. On Monday, Thai military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said Cambodian forces opened fire across several areas of the border, killing one Thai soldier and injuring four others. Civilians were being moved from the conflict zone, he added. He confirmed that Thai aircraft struck “military targets in multiple locations to suppress Cambodian supporting fire.” Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata countered that Thailand launched Monday’s attack and claimed Cambodian troops did not respond initially. “Cambodia calls on Thailand to immediately cease all hostile actions that undermine regional peace and stability,” she said. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged both sides to show restraint, saying his country is prepared to support efforts to prevent further escalation. “Our region cannot allow old disputes to spiral into confrontation,” he said. Longstanding historical rifts fuel dispute Thailand and Cambodia’s rivalry stretches back centuries to their eras as competing empires. Current territorial claims largely relate to a 1907 map drafted during Cambodia’s French colonial period — a document Thailand disputes. In 1962, the International Court of Justice granted Cambodia sovereignty over territory including the Preah Vihear temple, a ruling still resented by many in Thailand. The existing ceasefire does not address the root cause of the conflict — longstanding disagreements over the precise border line.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel and Hamas are “very close” to entering the second phase of the ceasefire, which will begin once Hamas returns the remains of the final hostage still held in Gaza. Speaking at a press conference alongside visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu said the next phase — involving Hamas’ disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza — could start by the end of the month. Hamas has not yet handed over the body of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. His remains were taken to Gaza. The second phase also calls for deploying an international security force in Gaza and forming an interim Palestinian administration overseen by an international committee led by U.S. President Donald Trump. A senior Hamas figure told The Associated Press the group is willing to discuss “freezing, storing, or laying down” its weapons as part of the ceasefire, signaling possible progress on one of the toughest issues. Netanyahu: Next stages will be difficult Netanyahu noted that many doubted the first phase could be completed, and he expects similar challenges ahead. He added that a third phase — “deradicalizing Gaza” — is also essential, saying it has been achieved in places like Germany, Japan, and the Gulf States and could be done in Gaza as well, but only if Hamas is dismantled. Returning Gvili’s remains — in exchange for Israel handing over 15 Palestinian bodies — would finalize the first stage of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan. Hamas says locating all remains is difficult due to destruction from Israel’s two-year offensive, while Israel accuses Hamas of delaying and has threatened to resume operations or restrict aid if the returns are not completed. Hostage families reiterated that the next phase cannot begin without Gvili’s body being returned. Meanwhile, Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the Yellow Line — separating Israeli-held Gaza areas from the rest of the territory — as a “new border,” saying Israeli forces will remain along the line as a forward defensive position. Germany reaffirms backing for Israel Merz said Germany is helping implement the second phase by sending personnel to a U.S.-led coordination center in southern Israel and providing humanitarian supplies to Gaza. He reaffirmed Germany’s support for a two-state solution but said Berlin maintains that Palestinian statehood can only be recognized at the end of negotiations. Netanyahu said he has not scheduled a visit to Germany due to concerns about an International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to the Gaza war. Merz said no visit is currently planned but may be considered in the future. He also said he is unaware of any impending EU sanctions on Israel or renewed German restrictions on arms exports. Germany previously paused defense exports to Israel, but the suspension was lifted after the Oct. 10 ceasefire. Israel kills militant near Yellow Line Israel’s military reported killing a militant who approached its forces near the Yellow Line. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 370 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire began, including six people whose bodies reached hospitals in the past day. The Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages. Nearly all captives or their remains have since been released through ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed at least 70,360 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which does not separate civilians from combatants but reports that nearly half the victims were women and children. The ministry’s figures are considered credible by the U.N. and international organizations.

Thailand carried out airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday, with both countries blaming each other for initiating the attacks. The two Southeast Asian neighbors have experienced rising tensions since signing a U.S.-brokered truce in October, following a five-day conflict in July that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thai army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said Cambodian forces fired first across multiple border points, resulting in one Thai soldier killed and four others injured. Civilians in the affected areas are being evacuated. Thai aircraft were used to target Cambodian military positions in response, he added. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata, however, claimed that Thai forces struck first and that Cambodia did not retaliate during the initial attacks. “Cambodia urges Thailand to immediately halt all hostile actions that threaten regional peace and stability,” she said. Thailand halts ceasefire, demands Cambodia apology after border mine injures soldiers The U.S.-brokered ceasefire from October has been under strain, particularly after Thai troops were injured by land mines last month, with both sides continuing to dispute responsibility even as they are meant to cooperate in clearing the explosives. U.S. President Donald Trump said in mid-November that his mediation had prevented further escalation between the two nations. Source: AP

Somalia's Ministry of Health and Human Services on Sunday confirmed that a new diphtheria outbreak has killed 50 children and infected about 1,000 others nationwide. In a statement, the ministry said children aged 5 to 15 have been the most affected. Responding to this "dangerous situation," the ministry has launched vaccine campaigns to control the disease, it said, adding that vaccination will begin on Dec. 15 and run for five days. "All children, wherever they are, in villages, health facilities, and schools will be vaccinated", the ministry said, urging parents to bring their children to the designated sites to help contain what it described as a "killer disease." The warning comes amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia, compounded by persistent conflict and climate shocks, including floods and droughts.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel and Hamas are “very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire,” after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke during a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and stressed that the second phase, which addresses the disarming of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, could begin as soon as the end of the month. Hamas has yet to hand over the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer who was killed in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. His body was taken to Gaza. The ceasefire's second stage also includes the deployment of an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an international board led by U.S. President Donald Trump. A senior Hamas official on Sunday told The Associated Press the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing or laying down” its weapons as part of the ceasefire in a possible approach to one of the most difficult issues ahead. Netanyahu says second phase will be challenging Netanyahu said few people believed the ceasefire’s first stage could be achieved, and the second phase is just as challenging. “As I mentioned to the chancellor, there’s a third phase, and that is to deradicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too, but of course Hamas has to be dismantled,” he said. The return of Gvili’s remains — and Israel's return of 15 bodies of Palestinians in exchange — would complete the first phase of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan. Hamas says it has not been able to reach all remains because they are buried under rubble left by Israel’s two-year offensive in Gaza. Israel has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned. A group of families of hostages said in a statement that “we cannot advance to the next phase before Ran Gvili returns home.” Meanwhile, Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday called the so-called Yellow Line that divides the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory a “new border.” “We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defense lines," Zamir said. "The Yellow Line is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity." Germany says support for Israel is unchanged Merz said Germany, one of Israel’s closest allies, is assisting with the implementation of the second phase by sending officers and diplomats to a U.S.-led civilian and military coordination center in southern Israel, and by sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. The chancellor also said Germany still believes that a two-state-solution is the best possible option but that “the German federal government remains of the opinion that recognition of a Palestinian state can only come at the end of such a process, not at the beginning.” The U.S.-drafted plan for Gaza leaves the door open to Palestinian independence. Netanyahu has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders. Netanyahu also said that while he would like to visit Germany, he hasn’t planned a diplomatic trip because he is concerned about an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, the U.N.'s top war crimes court, last year in connection with the war in Gaza. Merz said there are currently no plans for a visit but he may invite Netanyahu in the future. He added that he is not aware of future sanctions against Israel from the European Union nor any plans to renew German bans on military exports to Israel. Germany had a temporary ban on exporting military equipment to Israel, which was lifted after the ceasefire began on Oct. 10. Israel kills militant in Gaza The Israeli military said it killed a militant who approached its troops across the Yellow Line. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 370 Palestinians since the start of the ceasefire, and that the bodies of six people killed in attacks had been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours. In the original Hamas-led attack in 2023, the militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 others hostage. Almost all the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed at least 70,360 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas government and its numbers are considered reliable by the U.N. and other international bodies.

At least 18 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an inflatable boat died when it capsized south of the island of Crete, Greek authorities said Saturday. The half-sunken boat was located Saturday by a passing Turkish merchant vessel, authorities said. Two survivors were rescued and a rescue operation to find more was ongoing. Greece is a major entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and f atal accidents are a common occurrence. The short but perilous journey from Turkey’s coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or small boats, often in poor conditions, used to be the major route until increased patrols and alleged pushbacks reduced crossing attempts. In recent months, arrivals from Libya to Crete have surged. Authorities have not yet determined where the boat came from. A ship and a plane from European border agency Frontex, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter and three merchant vessels are taking part in the search operation.  

Nobel week was underway in Stockholm and Oslo with laureates holding news conferences and lectures before they will be awarded the prestigious prizes. Hungarian László Krasznahorkai, who won the Prize in literature for his surreal and anarchic novels that combine a bleak world view with mordant humor, was expected to give a lecture in Stockholm on Sunday in one of his rare public appearances. When the Nobel judges announced the award in October, they described the 71-year-old as “a great epic writer” whose work “is characterized by absurdism and grotesque excess.” “Krasznahorkai’s work can be seen as part of a Central European tradition," the Nobel Prize organization said. ”Important features are pessimism and apocalypse, but also humor and unpredictability." Last year’s winner was South Korean author Han Kang. The 2023 winner was Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, whose work includes a seven-book epic made up of a single sentence. Meanwhile, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Kristian Harpviken, said Saturday that Venezuelan Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader María Corina Machado will come to Oslo this week to receive her award in person. The 58-year-old, who won for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation, has been hiding and has not been seen in public since January. Harpviken told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Machado was expected to personally pick up the prize on Wednesday. “I spoke with the Peace Prize winner last night, and she will come to Oslo,” Harpviken said, according to NRK. Nobel Prize award ceremonies are held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. The award ceremony for peace is in Oslo and the other ceremonies are in Stockholm.

A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, killing 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said Sunday. The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji. Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered. The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said. Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said. The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said. Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations. Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire "deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering condolences to the victims’ families. Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols. “This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again.” The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

Japan lodged a strong protest with China after a Chinese military aircraft locked its radar on Japanese fighter jets near Okinawa, escalating tensions between the two countries amid already strained relations over remarks by Japan’s prime minister on Taiwan. Japan’s Defense Ministry said a Chinese J-15 fighter, operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning, “intermittently” locked its radar onto Japanese F-15 jets twice on Saturday — once for about three minutes in the late afternoon and again for roughly 30 minutes in the evening. The radar targeting was detected by separate Japanese fighters that scrambled in response to a possible airspace intrusion, though no violation of Japanese territory occurred and no damage or injuries were reported. Officials said it was unclear whether the same J-15 was involved in both incidents. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the radar lock “a dangerous act beyond what is required for safe aircraft operations,” adding that Japan has filed a strong protest and demanded strict measures to prevent a recurrence. The incident occurred as the Liaoning passed between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island while conducting takeoff and landing drills in the Pacific. Japanese jets monitored the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance and avoided provocative maneuvers, according to officials quoted by Kyodo News. Radar locks are considered serious because the systems can be used to guide missiles. This is believed to be the first case of such targeting between Japanese and Chinese aircraft, though a Chinese warship locked its radar on a Japanese destroyer in 2013. The confrontation comes weeks after Beijing reacted sharply to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments suggesting Japan’s military could intervene if China moved against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.