United News of Bangladesh

Long-displaced residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes amid celebrations hours after a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group took effect early Wednesday morning. The ceasefire has brought relief across the tiny Mediterranean nation, coming after days of some of the most intense airstrikes and clashes since the war began, though many wondered if the agreement to stop fighting would hold. Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement, which was announced Tuesday. Hundreds of cars made their way into southern Lebanon, defying a warning from the Israeli military to stay away from previously evacuated areas. At least 42 people were killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens in the country’s north. The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire marks the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Authorities reopened roads linking Pakistan's capital with the rest of the country, ending a four-day lockdown, on Wednesday after using tear gas and firing into the air to disperse supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan who marched to Islamabad to demand his release from prison. “All roads are being reopened, and the demonstrators have been dispersed," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was leading the protest, and other demonstrators fled in vehicles when police pushed back against the rallygoers following clashes in which at least seven people were killed. The police operation came hours after thousands of Khan supporters, defying government warnings, broke through a barrier of shipping containers blocking off Islamabad and entered a high-security zone, where they clashed with security forces. Tension has been high in Islamabad since Sunday when supporters of the former prime minister began a “long march” from the restive northwest to demand his release. Khan has been in a prison for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested since Sunday. Bibi and leaders of her husband's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party fled to Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the party still rules. Khan, who remains a popular opposition figure, was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital Islamabad, while at least six people have died in protest-related violence. Protesters battled security forces and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire. The dead included four members of the security services and one civilian who were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack on Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting law enforcement personnel. There were no claims of responsibility for the ramming. A police officer died in a separate incident. Shortly after midnight, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi threatened security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said. Thousands of Imran Khan supporters arrested ahead of Islamabad rally Police used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds. Scores of people more have been injured, including journalists who were attacked by Khan supporters. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was being treated in a hospital. Pakistani media have mostly stopped filming and photographing the rally, instead focusing on the security measures and the city's deserted streets. Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023, and has been sentenced in several cases. Khan’s supporters were around 10 km (6.2 miles) from their destination, the city’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings. Naqvi said Khan's party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. Khan's wife Bushra Bibi, who is leading the protest, told people to keep marching toward the Red Zone peacefully. She said another plan of action would be conveyed to protesters if Khan was not released. She also urged the government not to harm the demonstrators. In a bid to foil the protest, police arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms are experiencing severe disruption in the capital. Pakistan seals off capital ahead of Imran Khan supporters’ rally The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand his release and uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible even with a VPN. The violence comes during an official visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital Islamabad, battled police, and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and at least one person has died in clashes. Scores more have been injured, including journalists who were attacked by Khan supporters. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and broke his camera. He sustained head injuries and was being treated in a hospital. Thousands of Imran Khan supporters arrested ahead of Islamabad rally Shortly after midnight, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had threatened protesters that police would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet.” he said. Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023, and has been sentenced in several cases. Khan’s supporters were around 10 km (6.2 miles) from their destination, the city’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings. Naqvi said Khan's party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms are experiencing severe disruption in the capital. The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand his release and uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The violence comes during an official visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for deliberately gaining more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to evade a tougher role in the country’s military conscription system, a Seoul court said Tuesday. In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months, but individuals with health issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centers and community service centers. If their problems are serious, they are exempted from their military duties. The Seoul Eastern District Court said it sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the country’s military service act. The court said an acquittance of the man received a suspended 1-year prison term for aiding his crime. Local media reported they are friends, both aged 26, but the court said it couldn’t confirm the reports. An exam in 2017 found the man suitable to become an active-duty soldier at 169 centimeters (5 feet 6 inches) tall and weighting 83 kilograms (183 pounds). But with the advice of his acquaintance that he could get a social service grade if he was overweight, he doubled his daily food consumption, focused on eating high-calorie food products and quit his part-time job as a delivery worker, according to the court’s public affairs office. In three physical exams from 2022-2023, the man weighted 102-105 kilograms (225-231 pounds), a weight that made him fit for social service. Just before those exams, he drank a large amount of water as well, according to the court. It was unclear how their crime was caught and what duties the man served under the conscription system. The court said both the defendants and prosecutors didn’t appeal the Nov. 13 ruling. South Korea maintains a military conscription system due to threats from rival North Korea. But exemptions or dodging of military duties is a highly sensitive domestic issue, because the draft forces young men to suspend their studies or professional careers. Each year, about 50-60 cases of dodging military duties have been reported, according to the Military Manpower Administration. It said common ways to evade military duties include gaining or losing weight excessively or men with health issues not taking necessary medical treatments before physical tests.

Hundreds of supporters of India's main opposition party protested on Monday against billionaire Gautam Adani, who was recently indicted in the U.S. for alleged fraud and bribery, and accused the government of protecting the Indian coal magnate whose companies' shares have plunged since the charges last week. Activists belonging to the Congress party demonstrated near Parliament in New Delhi to demand the immediate arrest of Adani, who is seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some held up placards reading “Modi and Adani are one” and “Modi's friendship is costing the nation." Several were detained by police. Also on Monday, opposition parties attempted to raise the Adani allegations in Parliament, but the session was adjourned over disruptions. They called for a joint committee to investigate his companies, which include agriculture, renewable energy, coal and infrastructure. Adani, 62, one of Asia's richest men, was thrust into the spotlight last week when U.S. prosecutors in New York charged him and seven of his associates with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, alleging that Adani duped investors in a massive solar project in India by concealing that it was being facilitated by bribes. The indictment outlines an alleged scheme to pay about $265 million in bribes to government officials in India. The government has not officially commented on the charges, which the Adani group has denied as baseless. On Saturday, the group's CFO said the indictment was linked to one contract of Adani Green, its renewable energy arm, that comprised 10% of its business, adding that none of the group's other companies was accused of wrongdoing. Ishita Sadha, part of the Congress party’s youth wing, said the allegations were embarrassing for India. “Modi is keeping Adani safe,” she said. After the indictment was unsealed last week, the Congress party's Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government was protecting Adani and that the billionaire wouldn't be arrested or investigated. “The prime minister's credibility has been destroyed. The entire country knows they (Adani and Modi) are one. We will expose the entire network,” Gandhi told reporters. The main opposition bloc, called INDIA, led by the Congress party, has repeatedly called for investigations into Adani. They have hit out at the tycoon and his perceived links to the government since a U.S.-based short-selling firm released a report last year accusing the billionaire’s companies of stock price manipulation and fraud. Adani denied those claims too, but the report triggered the selling of his companies’ stock and an ongoing investigation by the country’s market regulator. Market analysts say Adani had just about recovered from the shock from the report when the charges were announced, making it the biggest test yet for the beleaguered billionaire. A day after the indictment, his companies’ stocks plunged up to 20%. Adani’s imprint across India’s economy runs deep. His group is the country’s largest operator of coal mines and largest infrastructure developer, operating several ports and airports, and employs tens of thousands of people. Despite his fossil fuel roots, Adani has ambitions to become the world’s largest player in renewable energy by 2030. Analysts say a key factor in his meteoric rise over the years has been his knack for aligning his group’s priorities with those of the Modi government. His critics accuse him of crony capitalism and of gaining preferential treatment from the government, including in winning contracts, which the group has denied.

Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters as the capital remained under lockdown ahead of a rally there to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has since Saturday sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services, according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected.

Pakistan Sunday suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Khan has been in prison for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. His supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. Pakistan has already sealed off the capital Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan seals off capital ahead of Imran Khan supporters’ rally The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services, according to monitoring service Netblocks. On Sunday, Internet-access advocacy group, Netblocks said live metrics showed WhatsApp backends are restricted in Pakistan, affecting media sharing on the app. Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery.  

United Nations climate talks adopted a deal to inject at least $300 billion annually in humanity’s fight against climate change, aimed at helping developing nations cope with the ravages of global warming in tense negotiations. The $300 billion will go to developing countries who need the cash to wean themselves off the coal, oil and gas that causes the globe to overheat, adapt to future warming and pay for the damage caused by climate change’s extreme weather. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, but it’s three times a deal of $100 billion a year from 2009 that is expiring. Some delegations said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. But it was not quite the agreement by consensus that these meetings usually operate with and some developing nations were livid about being ignored. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev gaveled the deal into acceptance before any nation had a chance to speak. When they did they blasted him for being unfair to them, the deal for not being enough and the world's rich nations for being too stingy. “It’s a paltry sum,” India negotiator Chandni Raina said, repeatedly saying how India objected to rousing cheers. “I’m sorry to say we cannot accept it.” She told The Associated Press that she has lost faith in the United Nations system. Nations express their discontent A long line of nations agreed with India and piled on, with Nigeria's Nkiruka Maduekwe, CEO of the National Council on Climate Change, calling the deal an insult and a joke. "I’m disappointed. It’s definitely below the benchmark that we have been fighting for for so long,” said Juan Carlos Monterrey, of the Panama delegation. He noted that a few changes, including the inclusion of the words “at least” before the number $300 billion and an opportunity for revision by 2030, helped push them to the finish line. "Our heart goes out to all those nations that feel like they were walked over,” he said. The final package pushed through “does not speak or reflect or inspire confidence,” India's Raina said. “We absolutely object to the unfair means followed for adoption,” Raina said. “We are extremely hurt by this action by the president and the secretariat.” Speaking for nearly 50 of the poorest nations of the world, Evans Davie Njewa of Malawi was more mild, expressing what he called reservations with the deal. And the Alliance of Small Island States' Cedric Schuster said he had more hope “that the process would protect the interests of the most vulnerable" but nevertheless expressed tempered support for the deal. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a post on X that he hoped for a “more ambitious outcome.” But he said the agreement “provides a base on which to build.” After tough talks, some feel relief There were somewhat satisfied parties, with European Union's Wopke Hoekstra calling it a new era of climate funding, working hard to help the most vulnerable. But activists in the plenary hall could be heard coughing over Hoekstra's speech in an attempt to disrupt it. Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s environment minister, called the agreement “a huge relief.” “It was not certain. This was tough,” he said. “Because it’s a time of division, of war, of (a) multilateral system having real difficulties, the fact that we could get it through in these difficult circumstances is really important.” U.N. Climate Change's Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called the deal an “insurance policy for humanity,” adding that like insurance, “it only works if the premiums are paid in full, and on time.” The deal is seen as a step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015. The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising. Hope that more climate cash will follow Countries also anticipate that this deal will send signals that help drive funding from other sources, like multilateral development banks and private sources. That was always part of the discussion at these talks — rich countries didn’t think it was realistic to only rely on public funding sources — but poor countries worried that if the money came in loans instead of grants, it would send them sliding further backward into debt that they already struggle with. “The $300 billion goal is not enough, but is an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” said World Resources Institute President Ani Dasgupta. “This deal gets us off the starting block. Now the race is on to raise much more climate finance from a range of public and private sources, putting the whole financial system to work behind developing countries’ transitions.”

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has secured victory in Kerala's Wayanad constituency securing over 6.22 lakh votes in her first electoral contest. She defeated Communist Party of India's Sathyan Mokeri, who bagged over 2.11 lakh votes, while BJP's Navya Haridas managed 1.09 lakh votes. Priyanka secured a victory margin of 4.1 lakh votes, surpassing the record set by her brother Rahul Gandhi in the 2024 elections, where he won by 3.65 lakh votes. This feat comes despite a notable decline in voter turnout. Modi's party set for a sweeping victory in Maharashtra state election The Wayanad bypoll recorded a turnout of approximately 65%, a drop from 74% in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and significantly lower than the 80% turnout in the 2019 general elections. Vote counting began at 8 am following bypolls held over the past weeks for 48 assembly seats across 14 states and two Lok Sabha constituencies—Wayanad in Kerala and Nanded in Maharashtra. Priyanka’s candidacy marked her electoral debut, contesting the seat previously held by Rahul Gandhi. The bypoll in Wayanad was necessitated after Rahul, having won from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, chose to retain the latter. Rahul Gandhi actively campaigned for his sister Priyanka Gandhi. In one of the election rallies, he said, “If she likes you, she will do whatever; beyond anything you can imagine. She is also going to like Wayanad a lot. You see, a huge part of being a good MP is that you like the people and place you work for. She is going to like it.” With inputs from NDTV