United News of Bangladesh

Five people were killed and eight others injured in a road accident in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Saturday, police said. The accident occurred on Indus Highway in Dadu district of the province, where a speeding truck hit a rickshaw, resulting in the loss of five lives, including children, according to local police. The victims were pilgrims who were coming back home after visiting a nearby shrine, police said, adding that at least two injured people were in critical condition. 12 dead in traffic accident in north India Following the accident, police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the victims to a nearby hospital. Road crashes frequently happen in Pakistan mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads and negligence of road safety measures.

At least 12 persons died and a dozen others were injured when the bus they were aboard fell into a deep gorge in India's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand on Saturday, a local police officer told Xinhua over phone. The officer said that a couple of passengers went missing and it was feared that they might have been drowned in Alaknanda river which flows just next to the spot of the accident. There were around 25 people aboard the bus when the accident took place.

Following the footsteps of prophets beneath a burning sun, Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for intense, daylong worship and reflection. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is often the most memorable for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. The mount is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Mecca. It’s believed that Prophet Muhammad delivered his final speech, known as the Farewell Sermon, at the sacred mount 1,435 years ago. In the sermon, the prophet called for equality and unity among Muslims. “It’s indescribable,” Ahmed Tukeyia, an Egyptian pilgrim, said on his arrival Friday evening at a tent camp at the foot of Mount Arafat. Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. The rituals officially started Friday when pilgrims moved from Mecca’s Grand Mosque to Mina, a desert plain just outside the city. Saudi authorities expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2 million, approaching pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. The pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to make the demanding pilgrimage. The rituals largely commemorate the Quran’s accounts of Prophet Ibrahim, his son Prophet Ismail and Ismail’s mother Hajar — or Abraham and Ismael as they are named in the Bible. This year’s Hajj came against the backdrop of the raging war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which pushed the Middle East to the brink of a regional war between Israel and its allies on one side and Iran-backed militant groups on the other. Palestinians in the coastal enclave of Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca for Hajj this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing in May, when Israel extended its ground offensive to the strip’s southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. Staving off potential protests or chants about the war during the Hajj, Saudi authorities said they won’t tolerate politicizing the pilgrimage. The time of year when the Hajj takes place varies, given that it is set for five days in the second week of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Most of the Hajj rituals are held outdoors with little if any shade. When it falls in the summer months, temperatures can soar to over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The Health Ministry has cautioned that temperatures at the holy sites could reach 48 C (118 F). It urged pilgrims to use umbrellas and drink more water to stay hydrated. After Saturday’s worship in Arafat, pilgrims will travel a few kilometers (miles) to a site known as Muzdalifa to collect pebbles that they will use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil back in Mina. Pilgrims then return to Mina for three days, coinciding with the festive Eid al-Adha holiday, when financially able Muslims around the world slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to poor people. Afterward, they return to Mecca for a final circumambulation, known as Farewell Tawaf. Once the Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal. Most of the pilgrims then leave Mecca for the city of Medina, some 340 kilometers (210 miles) away, to pray in Prophet Muhammad’s tomb, the Sacred Chamber. The tomb is part of the prophet's mosque, which is one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Hajj is a notorious choke-point for crowds. In 2015, several thousands of pilgrims were crushed to death in a crowd surge. Saudi authorities never offered a final death toll. In recent years, Saudi authorities have made significant efforts to improve access and avoid deadly accidents. Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed across the city, especially around the holy sites, to control the crowds, and the government built a high-speed rail link to ferry people between holy sites in the city, which has been jammed with traffic during the Hajj season. Pilgrims enter through special electronic gates. Saudi authorities have also expanded and renovated the Grand Mosque where cranes are seen around some of its seven minarets as construction was underway in the holy site.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here Thursday for an official visit to New Zealand, the first leg of his three-nation tour from June 13 to 20. Li said upon arrival that he looks forward to having in-depth exchanges of views with New Zealand leaders and people from all walks of life on China-New Zealand relations and issues of common concern, to further deepening exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and to updating the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership. China's exports grow 7.6% in May, beating expectations despite trade tensions This year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to New Zealand, as well as the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and New Zealand, Li said, noting that his visit to New Zealand is intended to continue traditional friendship, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and drive common development. Although China and New Zealand are separated by vast oceans, their friendly exchanges have a long history, and they have a deep understanding and affection for each other, Li said. Over the more than 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, the relationship between China and New Zealand has consistently been at the forefront of China's relations with developed countries, Li added. Noting that the two countries have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, science and technology, and cultural exchanges, Li said that their cooperation has set a model of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, historical cultures, and stages of development. Li expressed his belief that with the joint efforts, China-New Zealand relations will surely usher in an even brighter future, bringing greater benefits to the people of both countries and contributing more to world peace, stability, development, and prosperity. Taiwan scrambles jets and puts missile, naval and land units on alert over China's military drills During his stay, Li will hold in-depth exchanges of views with Governor-General Cindy Kiro, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other officials on China-New Zealand relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Li will also pay official visits to Australia and Malaysia, and will co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake cracked walls, spilled items from store shelves and caused other minor damage in a fishing community in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday, but no injuries have been reported. The earthquake in Buan, which had an estimated depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles), was the strongest detected in South Korea this year. The National Fire Agency said it so far confirmed eight minor cases of property damage in Buan and the nearby city of Iksan, including cracked walls at homes and a warehouse, at least two broken wall tiles and at least one broken window. It was also strong enough to knock items off store shelves. Earthquake measuring 5 magnitude jolts Dhaka, some other areas Jo Yoo-jin, an official at the North Joella province fire department, said officials received nearly 80 calls from area residents who felt the shaking. More than 200 other similar calls were placed by residents in other regions, including 38 in the central North Chungcheong province and seven in the country’s capital, Seoul, according to the National Fire Agency. There were no reports of injuries as of Wednesday morning. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo, the country’s No. 2 official behind President Yoon Suk Yeol, instructed officials to guard against the possibility of aftershocks and prepare for safely evacuating residents and protecting key infrastructure such as power plants and transportation networks. A cluster of earthquakes shakes Taiwan after a strong quake killed 13 earlier this month South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said it assessed that the earthquake did not affect the safety at any of the country’s nuclear power plants and that it didn’t find any abnormalities after conducting emergency inspections.

South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean troops briefly violated the tense border earlier this week, South Korea's military said Tuesday, as the rivals are embroiled in Cold War-style campaigns like balloon launches and propaganda broadcasts. Bloodshed and violent confrontations have occasionally occurred at the Koreas' heavily fortified border, called the Demilitarized Zone. While Sunday's incident happened amid simmering tensions between the two Koreas, observers say it won't likely develop into another source of animosity as South Korea believes the North Koreans didn't deliberately commit the border intrusion and North Korea also didn't return fire. At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, some North Korean soldiers who were engaged in unspecified work on the northern side of the border crossed the military demarcation line that bisects the two countries, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Those North Korean soldiers carrying construction tools — some of them armed — immediately returned to their territory after South Korea's military fired warning shots and issued warning broadcasts, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said North Korea had not conducted any other suspicious activities. South Korea says North Korea is installing its own loudspeakers along border South Korea's military has assessed that the North Korean soldiers didn't appear to have intentionally crossed the border because the site is a wooded area and MDL signs there weren't clearly visible, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters. Lee gave no further details. But South Korean media reports said that about 20-30 North Korean soldiers had entered South Korean territory about 50 meters (165 feet) after they likely lost their way. The reports said most of the North Korean soldiers were carrying pickaxes and other construction tools. The 248-kilometer (155-mile) -long, 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) -wide DMZ is the world's most heavily armed border. An estimated 2 million mines are peppered inside and near the border, which is also guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. It's a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. On Sunday, South Korea resumed anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts from its border loudspeakers in response to the North's recent launches of balloons carrying manure and rubbish across the border. South Korea said North Korea has installed its own border loudspeakers in response but hasn't turned them on yet. From South Korea to India, devotees mark the birthday of Buddha with lanterns and prayers North Korea has said its balloon campaign was in response to South Korean activists' launches of their own balloons to drop propaganda leaflets critical of leader Kim Jong Un's authoritarian rule, USB sticks with K-pop songs and South Korean drama shows, and other items in North Korea. North Korea is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its political system as most of its 26 million people have no official access to foreign news. On Sunday night, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, warned of "a new response" if South Korea continued its loudspeaker broadcasts and refused to stop civilian leafletting campaigns. The tit-for-tat over speakers and balloons — both Cold War-style psychological warfare — have deepened tensions between the Koreas as talks over the North's nuclear ambitions have remained stalled for years Kim's sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia

South Korea’s military on Monday said it’s detecting signs that North Korea is installing its own loudspeakers along their heavily armed border, a day after the South blared anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts over its speakers for the first time in years as the rivals engage in a Cold War-style psychological warfare. The South’s resumption of its loudspeaker broadcasts on Sunday was in retaliation for the North sending over 1,000 balloons filled with trash and manure over the last couple of weeks. North Korea has described its balloon campaign as a response to South Korean civilian groups using balloons to fly anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border. Pyongyang has long condemned such activities as it’s extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of leader Kim Jong Un’s authoritarian rule. The tit-for-tat over speakers and balloons has deepened tensions between the Koreas as talks over the North’s nuclear ambitions remain stalled. In their latest nuclear planning talks in Seoul, U.S. and South Korean officials reviewed an undisclosed guideline mapping out their nuclear deterrence strategies to counter growing North Korean threats. They also discussed strengthening the allies’ combined military training involving strategic U.S. assets, the participants said in a news conference. Cho Chang-rae, South Korea’s deputy defense minister for policy, and Vipin Narang, acting U.S. assistant secretary of defense for space policy, refused specific comment when asked to assess the threat posed by North Korea’s balloon activities. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately comment on the number of suspected North Korean speakers or where along the border they were spotted being installed. It said the speakers were still silent as of Monday afternoon. South Korea on Sunday activated its loudspeakers for an initial broadcast into North Korea, which reportedly included news, criticism about North Korea’s government and South Korean pop music. Hours later on Sunday, Kim’s powerful sister warned that the South created a “prelude to a very dangerous situation.” She said South Korea would witness an unspecified “new response” from the North if it continues with the broadcasts and fails to stop civilian activists from flying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border. “I sternly warn Seoul to immediately case its dangerous activities that would further provoke a crisis of confrontation,” Kim Yo Jong said through state media. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Kim’s comments represented a heightened verbal threat from North Korea but he did not provide a specific assessment on the actions the North might take. Lee said the South was conducting broadcasts in sites where soldiers have sufficient protection and are equipped to swiftly hit back if attacked. “(We) don’t think that they could provoke us that easily,” Lee said during a briefing Monday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t specify the border area where Sunday’s broadcast took place or what was played over the speakers. It said that any additional broadcasts are “entirely dependent on North Korea’s behavior.” The South withdrew loudspeakers from border areas in 2018, during a brief period of engagement with the North under Seoul’s previous liberal government. In deciding to restart the loudspeaker broadcasts, South Korea’s presidential office berated Pyongyang for attempting to cause “anxiety and disruption” in the South and stressed that North Korea would be “solely responsible” for any future escalation of tensions. The North said its balloon campaign came after South Korean activists sent over balloons filled with anti-North Korean leaflets, as well as USB sticks filled with popular South Korean songs and dramas. Pyongyang is extremely sensitive to such material and fears it could demoralize front-line troops and residents and eventually weaken leader Kim Jong Un’s grip on power, analysts say. In 2015, when South Korea restarted loudspeaker broadcasts for the first time in 11 years, North Korea fired artillery rounds across the border, prompting South Korea to return fire, according to South Korean officials. No casualties were reported.

India is investigating an attack in which suspected militants fired at a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing nine and injuring 33, officials said Monday. The attack caused the vehicle to fall into a deep gorge Sunday in Jammu province’s Reasi district. The bus was carrying pilgrims to the base camp of the famed Hindu temple Mata Vaishno Devi. A team from the National Investigation Agency has reached the site of the attack, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Security forces also were trying to track down those suspected to be responsible. Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha announced compensation of $11,975 each for families of those killed, as well as nearly $600 to those who were injured. Federal minister Amit Shah said Sunday he was in touch with Sinha and the local administration was providing speedy medical attention. “The culprits of this dastardly attack will not be spared and will face the wrath of the law,” he posted on social media platform X. Bus crashes into gorge in India-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 21 people A police officer said some of the victims had gunshot wounds and blamed the attack on Muslim militants who are fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 33 others injured. Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. New Delhi insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Narendra Modi was sworn in Sunday for a rare third consecutive term as India's prime minister, relying on his coalition partners after his party failed to win a parliamentary majority in a surprise outcome. Modi and his Cabinet ministers took the oath of office, administered by President Droupadi Murmu, at India's presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The 73-year-old popular but polarizing leader is only the second Indian prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to retain power for a third five-year term. PM Hasina joins Modi's oath taking as Indian prime minister for 3rd term His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which won by landslides in 2014 and 2019, failed to secure a majority to govern on its own in the latest national election. However, Modi's National Democratic Alliance coalition won enough seats to form a government, with him at the helm. This is the first time the BJP under Modi has needed support from its regional allies to form a government after a decade of commanding the majority in Parliament. Final election results released Wednesday showed Modi's BJP won 240 seats, well below the 272 needed for a majority. Together, the parties in the NDA coalition secured 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of Parliament. Modi's coalition government now largely depends on two key regional allies — the Telugu Desam Party in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Janata Dal (United) in eastern Bihar state — to stay in power. Meanwhile, Modi's political challenger, the INDIA alliance led by the resurgent Congress party, put up a stronger-than-expected fight, doubling its strength from the last election to win 232 seats. An avowed Hindu nationalist, the prime minister is considered a champion of the country's Hindu majority, who make up 80% of India's 1.4 billion population. His supporters credit him with rapid economic growth and improving India's global standing since coming to power. Modi oath-taking: Foreign leaders' presence confirms India's Neighbourhood First policy, says MEA But critics say he's also undermined India's democracy and its status as a secular nation with attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country's minorities, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media. His political opponents have questioned his government's economic record, pointing to high unemployment and growing inequality despite strong growth. Several South Asian leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony Sunday, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. Tensions between India and Maldives have grown since Muizzu was elected last year. He has since taken a pro-China stance and removed Indian troops stationed on one of Maldives' islets. Third term for Modi likely to see closer defense ties with US as India's rivalry with China grows

Fresh from declaring victory in India's election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered few details on the agenda for his third term, but went out of his way to underline he would continue to focus on raising the country's military preparedness and clout. That should come as good news to the United States and its other allies, as they focus increasingly on keeping China’s sweeping maritime claims and growingly assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region in check. “The government will focus on expanding defense production and exports,” Modi told a crowd of supporters at his party's headquarters after election results came in. He spoke of his plan to increase security by lowering India's dependence on arms imports. “We will not stop until the defense sector becomes self sufficient.” Defense cooperation with the U.S. has greatly expanded under Modi, particularly through the so-called Quad security grouping that also includes Australia and Japan. It’s a two-way street, giving the U.S. a strong partner neighboring China, which Washington has called its “pacing challenge,” while strengthening India’s defense credibility against a far more powerful rival. “India is currently a frontline state as far as the Americans are concerned,” said Rahul Bedi, a New Delhi-based defense analyst. “The Indian navy is a major player in the Indian Ocean region.” The defense relationship was also at the top of U.S. President Joe Biden's agenda when he congratulated Modi on the election results. In a call, “the two leaders emphasized their deepening the U.S.-India comprehensive and global strategic partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” the White House said. It added that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan would soon travel to New Delhi “to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities.” It was about a year into Modi's second term when India's defense focus took a sharp turn toward China, when troops from the two nuclear neighbors clashed in 2020 in the Galwan Valley in the disputed northern border region of Ladakh and 20 Indian soldiers were killed. “China really is India's long term strategic challenge, both on the border and in the Indian Ocean as well,” said Viraj Solanki, a London-based expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. US values its ties with Bangladesh, India; will continue to work together on shared interests: Spokesperson “This has resulted in a number of defense partnerships by India shifting, or just focusing on countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said. Beijing has a close relationship with Pakistan, India's traditional rival, and China has been increasing defense cooperation with India's neighbors, including Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as the Maldives and Sri Lanka. “China is really trying to engage more with these countries and develop its own influence and presence,” Solanki said. “I think that is a concern for New Delhi and something that will lead to increased competition in the Indian Ocean over the next few years.” In congratulating Modi on the election results, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that a “sound and stable ” relationship between India and China was “in the interest of both countries and conducive to the peace and development of the region." She also added that China stood “ready to work with India,” but her comments were significantly more muted than the Foreign Ministry's remarks on Modi's last win in 2019 — before the border fight. At that time, the Foreign Ministry called the two nations “important neighbors” and said China wanted to "deepen political mutual trust, carry out mutually beneficial cooperation and push forward the closer partnership between the two countries.” Modi has always governed with his party in the majority, but after a lackluster performance in the election will now be forced to rely on coalition partners, and will face a stronger and invigorated opposition. US says it would let India speak for its bilateral relations with Bangladesh The main opposition Congress party is unlikely to challenge Modi's defense reforms, but has been critical of how he has handled the border issue with China and may pressure him on that front, Bedi said. “Modi has not been entirely truthful, or very economical with the truth as far as the situation in Ladakh is concerned,” he said. He referred to a Defense Ministry document that was published online, and quickly removed, which had suggested Chinese troops entered Indian territory during the 2020 confrontation. “The opposition, I am sure, will raise questions and ask the government to come clean on what the real situation is.” Under Modi's program of military modernization and reform, his government has sought to grow the private defense manufacturing sector, a space previously occupied solely by the government-run organizations, and has eased foreign direct investment regulations to try and encourage companies to establish themselves in India. In a flagship project, the country launched its first home-built aircraft carrier in 2022, part of a plan to deploy two carrier battle groups to counter China’s rising maritime power. Much of India's military equipment is of Russian origin, and delays on delivery and difficulties of procuring spare parts due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also provided impetus for India to diversify defense procurement, looking more to the U.S., France, Israel and elsewhere, Solanki said. US defense secretary discusses upgrading ties with India to counter China As it seeks to strengthen ties with India, Washington has agreed to a deal that will allow General Electric to collaborate with Hindustan Aeronautics to produce fighter jet engines. Speaking at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore last weekend, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the countries were also co-producing armored vehicles. “The relationship that we enjoy with India right now is as good or better than our relationship has ever been,” he said. “It's really strong.”