United News of Bangladesh

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain an urgent plea alleging police brutality against students protesting in New Delhi under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), asking the petitioner's lawyer not to "waste" the court's time. "Don't waste our time and yours," Chief Justice Surya Kant told the lawyer, who sought the court's intervention over alleged police action against students protesting at Jantar Mantar. The chief justice also declined to view videos purportedly showing the police action, saying, "We don't want to watch any videos." The remarks came a day after thousands of students took to the streets of New Delhi demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following a call by the CJP online movement. Police used batons to disperse demonstrators as they attempted to march towards Parliament, escalating protests over alleged irregularities in major examinations. Protesters were seen running for safety as riot police moved in near the protest site. Organisers of the demonstration condemned what they described as the authorities' heavy-handed response, claiming that hundreds of protesters were injured. "It's a shameful day in the history of Indian democracy that people, honest students, who had come for a genuine issue were brutally beaten by the Delhi police," a CJP spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to urgently hear a petition challenging the alleged use of excessive force by Delhi Police against students participating in the CJP's protest march to Parliament. "Don't drag the court into all this," a bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia told the petitioner while scheduling the matter for hearing on Wednesday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday during a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi, according to NDTV. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was also detained and removed from the protest site. The Congress intensified its campaign against the Centre by marching towards the Prime Minister's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, a day after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led demonstration over alleged NEET and other examination paper leaks. The march was led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The leaders marched from Kharge's residence on Rajaji Marg, demanding accountability for the police action against protesters during Monday's CJP march to Parliament. Police later detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several opposition leaders around 6:40 pm after Gandhi reportedly refused to leave the protest site. Before his detention, Rahul Gandhi appealed to people to join the protest, describing the police action against students as "an attack on every Indian family." He accused the government of avoiding accountability and demanded justice for the students. The protest took an unexpected turn when Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited the site and held talks with Rahul Gandhi. According to Congress leaders, the discussions ended without any breakthrough. Singh later claimed Gandhi had initially agreed to call off the protest if the government allowed a parliamentary discussion on the NEET and other examination paper leaks, but later added a new demand seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Congress did not immediately respond publicly to Singh's claim before police dispersed the protest. Rahul Gandhi later stepped up his criticism of the government, demanding the resignations of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He alleged that the Centre was unwilling to discuss the issue in Parliament or take responsibility for the police action against students. The Congress protest came a day after the CJP's march to Parliament, during which protesters, mainly students and young people, were baton-charged and tear-gassed by police and the Rapid Action Force. The CJP claimed several protesters were injured, while Delhi Police alleged that demonstrators turned violent, attacked security personnel with stones, vandalised police vehicles and injured 118 police personnel, including senior officers. The ruling BJP accused the Congress of compromising the Prime Minister's security by attempting to march towards his residence. Congress leaders, however, maintained that the protest was peaceful and said they had no alternative venue to press their demands. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule joined the protest in solidarity, while the Aam Aadmi Party stayed away, alleging that the Congress demonstration diverted attention from the CJP's agitation, highlighting differences within the opposition over its strategy to challenge the government. Source: NDTV Profit

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab heading towards New Delhi to join a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade agreement were stopped by Haryana Police at the Shambhu border on Tuesday. The Shambhu border, a key entry point between Punjab and Haryana, witnessed scenes similar to the February 2024 “Delhi Chalo-2” farmers’ protest, with authorities setting up barricades using concrete blocks, iron spikes and multiple layers of security barriers to prevent the farmers from moving towards the Indian capital. After being denied entry, the protesting farmers turned the border area into a demonstration site, accusing the Haryana and Punjab governments of curbing their democratic right to hold a gathering in Delhi. BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh leader Tezveer Singh alleged that Haryana Police had placed barricades inside Punjab territory and criticised the Punjab government for allegedly remaining inactive instead of opposing the move. While Punjab-based farmer groups were stopped at the border, farmers from Haryana districts, including Ambala and Kurukshetra, continued their journey towards Delhi. The Mahapanchayat was organised under the banner of Desh Bachao Morcha, bringing together farmer organisations from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to demand that the central government withdraw from negotiations on the proposed India-US trade agreement. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said groups including KMSC, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha’s Punjab unit, Azaad Kisan Morcha and BKU Ekta Sangharsh had started their marches from different parts of Punjab before being stopped at Shambhu. Pandher said a joint statement issued by India and the United States in February 2026 included a commitment to negotiate the first phase of a multi-sector bilateral trade agreement by autumn 2026. He argued that the proposed agreement went beyond a traditional trade pact as it could cover areas including agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, investment, government procurement, intellectual property rights and services. Farmer leaders expressed concerns that previous US trade positions had sought greater access to India’s agriculture and dairy markets through reduced tariffs and fewer restrictions on products such as soybeans, maize, cotton, ethanol, apples, almonds, dairy items, poultry and fisheries. They warned that allowing subsidised American agricultural and dairy products into the Indian market could severely affect millions of small and marginal farmers who may struggle to compete. The protesters also raised concerns over what they described as a lack of transparency in the trade negotiations, saying important details of the proposed agreement had not been made public. Farmer organisations said India’s dairy sector supports nearly 80 million rural families and warned that any negative impact on the sector would affect producers, small traders, food processors, agro-based industries and micro enterprises. The Desh Bachao Morcha demanded that the government make all documents related to the proposed India-US trade agreement public and avoid signing any deal without detailed consultations with farmers, workers, dairy producers, small businesses and other stakeholders. Source: NDTV  

Indonesian rescuers have found five more survivors, including a seven-year-old girl, from a passenger boat that sank off the country's eastern coast earlier this week, while search operations continue for 20 people who remain missing. The KM Nurul Salsa, carrying 78 passengers and crew, suffered engine failure before sinking on Wednesday about 43 nautical miles (79 kilometres) from a port in the Selayar Islands of South Sulawesi province. Makassar Search and Rescue Office chief Muhammad Arif Anwar said the five survivors — one man and four women — were discovered late Saturday clinging to a floating fish trap owned by a local fisherman. They were spotted before nightfall and rescued by a passing fishing boat near Matallang Island before being transferred to a search and rescue vessel. The survivors were later taken to Benteng port for medical examinations and to provide information to investigators, Anwar said. Authorities have confirmed one death from the incident so far, while efforts are continuing to locate the remaining missing passengers. Officials also revised the number of people on board, saying the vessel had been carrying 78 passengers and crew, up from an earlier estimate of 74. Passenger boats remain a vital means of transport across Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. However, marine accidents are relatively common due to overcrowding, poor safety standards and inadequate enforcement of maritime regulations.

Pakistani security forces killed 24 militants during raids on multiple hideouts in the country's northwestern region, as authorities stepped up operations following recent militant attacks, the military and local officials said Friday. According to the military, intelligence-based operations carried out over the previous day targeted members of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups, leaving 24 militants dead and resulting in the seizure of a cache of weapons. The military said the raids were launched in response to two militant attacks on Wednesday, including a suicide bombing in which an explosives-laden vehicle rammed police officers and civilians. Another attack by a little-known militant group targeted a police station in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, injuring several police officers. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what they described as a swift and effective response to the recent attacks in Bannu. In separate statements, they said eliminating terrorism remains the government's top priority and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. The TTP, while separate from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, is allied with the group. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing cross-border militant attacks, an allegation Kabul has consistently denied. The TTP and the Baloch separatist group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), have frequently claimed responsibility for attacks inside Pakistan. Since last year, Pakistan has carried out several military strikes that it says targeted TTP hideouts along the Afghan border. The government in Islamabad has also alleged that the militant groups receive support from India, a claim New Delhi has repeatedly rejected. President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif reiterated the allegation in their statements. The military said security forces will continue the nationwide counterterrorism campaign, Azm-e-Istehkam ("Resolve for Stability"), launched last year under the National Action Plan to dismantle militant networks across the country.

A landslide struck southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Friday, burying several residential buildings and trapping an unknown number of people, according to state media. State broadcaster CCTV reported that at least eight people had been rescued from the debris, while search and rescue efforts were still underway. The landslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. in Pengshui County of Chongqing, CCTV said. Footage aired by the broadcaster showed a section of a mountainside collapsing onto a residential area. Several buildings stood close to the site of the collapse as rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors. Pengshui County is situated in the southeastern part of Chongqing and borders China's Hubei and Guizhou provinces.

At least one person was killed and dozens of others were hospitalized after a sudden crowd surge during the annual Rath Yatra festival in India's eastern Odisha state on Thursday, authorities said. The incident occurred in the coastal town of Puri, where tens of thousands of devotees had gathered for the centuries-old Hindu chariot festival, according to the Press Trust of India. The Rath Yatra is one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions, during which idols of Hindu deities are taken out of the Jagannath Temple and paraded through the streets on elaborately decorated chariots. Videos circulating on social media showed injured devotees being carried to hospitals while shoes, bags and other personal belongings lay scattered across the area after the crowd surge. Odisha Police said rescue teams provided first aid and oxygen support to 33 injured people before transferring them to nearby hospitals for further treatment. The latest incident comes a year after three people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a similar crowd surge during the same festival. Crowd crushes are relatively common during major religious gatherings in India, where millions of devotees often assemble in confined spaces with limited crowd-control measures. Last year in January, at least 30 people were killed during the Maha Kumbh festival when large numbers of pilgrims rushed to bathe in a sacred river. In another major tragedy in 2013, at least 115 pilgrims died after panic broke out over fears that a bridge would collapse during a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, leading to a deadly stampede and drownings.

A fire at a state-run child welfare institution in Mohammadia, east of Algiers, killed 11 people, including children, and injured 19 early Thursday. The blaze broke out at around 3:30 am local time (02:30 GMT) at the Childhood Relief Institution, Algeria's Civil Protection agency said. The facility serves as a residential care centre, providing shelter, medical treatment and social support for orphans, abandoned children and minors with special needs. Factory warehouse gutted in Gazipur fire According to the agency, 10 people suffered burns of varying degrees, while two others sustained severe respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation. Another seven people were treated for severe psychological shock. Emergency teams also evacuated five residents with special needs to a safe location. Videos shared on social media showed large crowds gathered outside the institution as rescue efforts continued. Images released by the Civil Protection agency showed firefighters battling thick smoke inside the building while evacuating residents. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences in a social media post, saying he had received the news of the deaths of children and injuries to others with deep sorrow. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb later visited Mustapha Pacha University Hospital in Algiers to check on the condition of the injured and oversee their treatment, local media reported. Firefighting and search operations have been completed, while security and judicial authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. With inputs from Al Jazeera

More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees capsized off the coast of Myanmar, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday. According to preliminary information, the two vessels departed Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June with mostly Rohingya passengers on board. One boat, carrying an estimated 250 people, lost contact shortly after leaving, while another, believed to have been carrying around 280 people, reportedly sank off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. “While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the agencies said. Before these latest incidents, more than 300 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, had already been killed or reported missing this year while attempting dangerous crossings in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The UN agencies noted that Rohingya refugees, who have fled both Myanmar and camps in Bangladesh in recent years, usually avoid sea journeys during the monsoon season because of rough weather and hazardous condition. They said recent heavy rainfall and flooding across the region would have made the crossings even more dangerous. Around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya continue to live in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces. Humanitarian conditions in the camps have worsened following significant cuts in foreign aid from the United States and other donors, leading to reduced food assistance. Unable to return safely to Myanmar, where the military remains in power and Rohingya continue to face severe restrictions, many have attempted dangerous sea voyages to countries such as Malaysia. Thousands have died on the route over the years, including children and pregnant women, while reports have accused some maritime authorities of leaving boats in distress without assistance. The IOM and UNHCR said the latest suspected tragedy underscores the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya crisis and called for greater international support for refugees living in Bangladesh. “Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies said. According to the UNHCR, more than 6,500 Rohingya have fled by sea in 2025, with nearly 900 reported dead or missing, making it the deadliest year on record for Rohingya attempting such journeys and the world's highest mortality rate for a major refugee and migrant sea route. Source Al Jazeera

Philippine police are investigating the killing of an American marine biologist who was shot dead by three masked men who forced their way into his home in the central Philippines over the weekend, officials said Tuesday. Police said Kent Carpenter, 73, was at his house in the coastal town of Sibulan in Negros Oriental province with his Filipina companion on Sunday night when three men entered the home. According to police, citing Carpenter's companion, one of the intruders pulled out a gun and shot Carpenter in the head, killing him instantly. The attackers then fled with a laptop, an unspecified amount of cash and a backpack, national police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co told reporters. Regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong said Carpenter's companion sustained unspecified injuries during the incident and was receiving treatment. Investigators are working to determine the motive behind the killing and identify the suspects. Malong said Carpenter, a marine biologist, had served as a lecturer at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. He added that the U.S. Embassy in Manila had been informed of the incident. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. "We assure the victim's family, the community and our foreign visitors that this case is being treated with utmost urgency and no effort will be spared until justice is served," regional police director Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño said. Several environmental and biodiversity organisations in the Philippines expressed grief over Carpenter's death. Silliman University described Carpenter as an outstanding scientist who had collaborated with the institution on marine research and studies since 1976. "Dr. Carpenter made groundbreaking contributions that transformed global understanding of Philippine marine biodiversity," the university said.