United News of Bangladesh

A stone quarry has collapsed Tuesday in India’s northeast due to heavy rains triggered by a tropical storm, killing 13 quarry workers, officials said. Another 16 remain missing. Senior police officer Rahul Alwal said rescuers recovered the bodies of those killed from the quarry in Melthum, some 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the state capital Aizwal, and were able to pull out two workers alive from the debris. Bodies of 27 'burnt beyond recognition' after a massive fire in Indian amusement park Alwal said rescue workers are digging through the rubble to try and reach the trapped workers while looking for more survivors. India’s northeastern states are witnessing heavy rainfall after tropical storm Remal made landfall in Bangladesh on Monday. India’s Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains may cause damage to vulnerable structures and thatched houses, and result in landslides in the region.

Iran's acting President Mohammad Mokhber addressed the country's new parliament Monday in his first public speech since last week's helicopter crash that killed his predecessor and seven others. His speech comes as Iran prepares for a presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi in just a month, a vote that could see the previously behind-the-scenes bureaucrat potentially run alongside others. Meanwhile, Iran's new hard-line parliament is expected to select its new speaker Tuesday. In his remarks, Mokhber praised Raisi's time in office, noting that Iran's crude oil production— a key source of hard currency for the country — climbed to more than 3.6 million barrels a day. That comes after Oil Minister Javad Owji said Sunday that Iran was now exporting around 2 million barrels a day, despite Western sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic. Mokhber also asserted that the country’s economy remained stable under Raisi when Iran took military actions in Iraq, Israel and Pakistan in recent months. Papua New Guinea government says Friday's landslide buried 2,000 people and formally asks for help “Three countries were hit. We hit Israel, people find that figures and indexes are the same in the morning when they wake up, price of hard currency is the same, inflation is the same, liquidity is the same and the market is full of people’s needs,” Mokhber claimed. “This strength, this settlement and this power is not a usual thing, they all were because of guidance by the supreme leader and the sincere efforts of Ayatollah Raisi.” The Iranian rial has tumbled from a rate of 32,000 rials to $1 at the time of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Today, it stands around 580,000 to $1 in the wake of the U.S.' unilateral withdrawal from the accord and a series of attacks on shipping in the Mideast, first attributed to Iran and later involving Yemen's Houthi rebels as Israel's war against Hamas on the Gaza Strip began over seven months ago. On May 20, rescuers recovered the bodies of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others in a mountainous region in northwestern Iran following a fatal helicopter crash. Iran will hold presidential elections on June 28 to replace Raisi. On Thursday, a five-day registration period for candidates will open. Analysts have suggested that Mokhber could be one of those to register. Meanwhile, Monday marked the first day for Iran's newly elected parliament, following a March election that saw the country's lowest turnout since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Of those elected to the 290-seat body, hard-liners hold over 230 seats, according to an Associated Press survey. Iran's parliament plays a secondary role in governing the country, though it can intensify pressure on a presidential administration when deciding on the annual budget and other important bills. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, has the final say in all important state matters.

Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas’ military wing claimed the attack. Palestinian militants have sporadically fired rockets and mortar rounds at communities along the Gaza border, and the military arm of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group later Sunday said it fired rockets at nearby communities. The Israeli military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from the area of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israeli forces recently launched an incursion. It said “a number” of the projectiles were intercepted. Earlier Sunday, aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid because of fighting. Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza's main cargo terminal, after a call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. But the Kerem Shalom crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israel's offensive in Rafah. Israel says it has allowed hundreds of trucks to enter, but United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. The Health Ministry said the bodies of 81 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Around 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. SOUTHERN GAZA LARGELY CUT OFF FROM AID Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera TV aired footage of what it said were trucks entering Gaza through Kerem Shalom. Khaled Zayed, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in the Sinai Peninsula, which handles the delivery of aid from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, said 200 aid trucks and four fuel trucks were scheduled to be sent to Kerem Shalom on Sunday. Southern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion into Rafah on May 6. Since then, over 1 million Palestinians have fled the city. Most had been displaced from other parts of besieged Gaza. Northern Gaza still receives aid through two land routes that Israel opened during global outrage after Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers in April. A few dozen trucks enter Gaza daily through a U.S.-built floating pier, but its capacity remains far below the 150 trucks a day that officials hoped for. Aid groups say 600 trucks a day are needed. NETANYAHU RESISTS PRESSURE TO END WAR Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas' remaining battalions and achieve “total victory” over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza where the military has operated. Netanyahu faces growing pressure to make a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages, something Hamas has refused without guarantees for an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops. Netanyahu has ruled that out. Scuffles broke out between police and protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday after thousands again gathered to demand the hostages' return. They called for Netanyahu's resignation and demanded new elections. The war also leaves Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage. Last week, three European countries announced they would recognize a Palestinian state, and the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, along with three Hamas leaders. On Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah. The top U.N. court also said Israel must give war crimes investigators access to Gaza. Israel is unlikely to comply and has condemned the ICC's move toward arrest warrants. Israel says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. ISRAEL DENIES REPORT OF CAPTURED SOLDIER Hamas claimed to have captured an Israeli soldier during fighting in northern Gaza and released video late Saturday showing a wounded man being dragged through a tunnel. Israel's military denied any soldiers had been captured, and Hamas did not provide any other evidence to support its claim. In a separate development, Israel's military said it had detained a suspect over a widely circulated video in which a man dressed as a soldier threatens mutiny. In the video, the man says tens of thousands of soldiers were ready to disobey the defense minister over his suggestion that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war and pledged loyalty to Netanyahu alone. It was not clear if the man was on active duty, or when or where the video was made. Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, shared the video on social media, sparking criticism from political opponents. The prime minister’s office released a brief statement condemning all forms of military subordination.

Giriraj Singh waited for hours on Sunday to recover the body of his nephew but was told to head home as the remains were "burned beyond recognition." "The bodies are unidentifiable and authorities asked me to wait for the DNA tests," Singh, a retired army officer, told The Associated Press. His 24-year-old nephew was with three friends when a massive fire broke out Saturday at an amusement park in the city of Rajkot in western India, killing 27 people, including children, during the busy weekend coinciding with schools' summer vacation in the state. Local police officer Raju Bhargav said that while the owner Yuvraj Singh Solanki bought some fire extinguishers and was in the process of installing a water fire impression system, he ran the two-storey place without authorization from the fire department. He said Solanki and the park manager have been arrested and charged with "negligence that led to deaths." The park's ground floor housed the reception area while the first floor had bowling, go-carting, and trampoline attractions. Panicked visitors ran for safety but the narrow gates at the park restricted a quick escape, The Indian Express newspaper reported. Bhargav said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but there was some ongoing construction work and a spark from a welding machine might have ignited the fire. He added that the rescue operation was over and now teams were clearing the debris. Relatives said doctors advised them Sunday not to wait and head home as DNA tests to identify the remains might take up to 48 hours. The state's top elected official, Bhupendra Patel, visited the fire scene and a hospital where some injured persons were undergoing treatment. Bhargav, the police officer, said three were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and burns but were not in a life-threatening condition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he was "extremely distressed by the fire ... My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured." Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often flout building laws and safety codes. Activists say builders frequently cut corners on safety to save money and have accused civic authorities of negligence and apathy. In 2019, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit engulfed a building in the Indian capital and killed 43 people. In 2022, a fire in a four-story commercial building in New Delhi killed at least 27.

Millions of Indians are voting Saturday in the next-to-last round of a grueling national election with a combined opposition trying to rattle Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign for a third-consecutive term for himself and his Hindu nationalist party. Many people lined polling stations before the start of voting at 7 a.m. to avoid the blazing sun later in the day at the peak of Indian summer. Saturday’s voting in 58 constituencies, including seven in New Delhi, will complete polling for 89.5% of 543 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The voting for the remaining 57 seats on June 1 will wrap up a six-week election. The votes will be counted on June 4. This election is considered one of the most consequential in India’s history and will test Modi’s political dominance. If Modi wins, he’ll be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term, after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister. A less-than-expected voter turnout in the previous five rounds of voting seems to have left both sides guessing about the outcome of the election. Temperatures are likely to rise above 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some places on Saturday. Election authorities said they are taking steps to ensure voters’ comfort, such as setting up fans and tents and providing drinking water. Most polls predict a win for Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which is up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and powerful regional parties. Modi was involved in a highly acrimonious and mudslinging campaign with the opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family that has produced three prime ministers. “When the polls began it felt like a one-horse race, with Modi leading from the front. But now we are seeing some kind of shift," political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said. “The opposition is doing better than expected and it appears that Modi’s party is rattled. That’s the reason you see Modi ramping up anti-Muslim rhetoric to polarize voters.” Kidwai said the opposition has challenged Modi by centering its campaign narrative on social justice and rising unemployment, making the contest closer than expected. Modi ran his campaign like a presidential race, a referendum on his 10 years of rule. He claimed to help the poorest with charity, free health care, providing toilets in their homes, and helping women get free or cheap cooking gas cylinders. But he changed tack after a poor turnout of voters in the first round of the election and began stirring Hindu nationalism by accusing the Congress party of pandering to minority Muslims for votes. Hindus account for 80%, and Muslims nearly 14%, of India’s over 1.4 billion people. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — were eligible to elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years. Voters’ relative apathy has surprised some political analysts. In the five rounds of polling the voter turnout ranged between 62.2% to 69.16% — averaging 65.9%. By comparison, India’s 2019 national election registered the highest-ever voter turnout — 67.11%. Modi’s BJP won 303 seats in parliament in 2019. Modi’s inauguration of a massive Hindu temple for the most revered Lord Rama, his massive roadshows, and big public rallies raised the BJP’s hopes of a massive a surge of voters in its favor. Modi came to power in 2014, dislodging the Congress party that governed the country for nearly 55 years after India won independence from British colonialists in 1947. Before the election, the opposition INDIA alliance was seen bickering, but it has since held together, particularly after two chief ministers of two opposition-controlled states were sent to jail on corruption charges. Both deny the accusations. One of them — New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal — has since been released on bail and returned to the campaign trail. In March, Gandhi completed a 6,713-kilometer (4,171-mile) walk across the country, starting in the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur, to raise issues of poverty, unemployment, and democracy with voters. “The walk helped Gandhi boost his image as a serious politician among the voters, and that is helping the opposition,” Kidwai said.

Doctors treated hundreds of victims of heatstroke at hospitals across Pakistan on Thursday after an intense heat wave sent temperatures above normal levels due to climate change, officials said. Temperatures soared as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) the previous day in Mohenjo Daro. The city, known for its archaeological sites, is in southern Sindh province, which was badly hit by climate-induced monsoon rains and devastating floods in 2022. The heat wave is forecast to continue for at least a week. Authorities have urged people to stay indoors, hydrate and avoid unnecessary travel. But laborers say they don't have a choice because they need to work to feed their families. “Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change. We have witnessed above normal rains, floods,” Rubina Khursheed Alam, the prime minister’s coordinator on climate, said at a news conference in the capital, Islamabad. Barakullah Khan, a civil defense official, asked people not to place cooking gas cylinders in open areas as a safety measure. He warned those living near fields that snakes and scorpions could enter homes and storage places in search of cooler spaces. This month, temperatures are likely to soar to 55 C (131 F), weather forecasters said. Doctors say they treated hundreds of patients in the eastern city of Lahore, while scores of people were brought to hospitals in Hyderabad, Larkana and Jacobabad districts in the southern Sindh province. “The situation has been getting worse since yesterday, when people affected by heat started coming to hospitals in the Punjab province,” said Ghulam Farid, a senior health official. Pakistan has set up emergency response centers at hospitals to treat patients affected by the heat. The state-run ambulance service is now carrying bottled water and ice to provide emergency treatment to victims of the heat, health officials said. The United Nations children’s agency appealed for children to be protected from the heat. “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the health and safety of babies and young children as debilitating heatwave conditions take hold in several countries,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF regional director for South Asia. He said the increasing temperatures across the region could put millions of children’s health at risk if they are not protected and hydrated. Heatstroke is a serious illness that occurs when one’s body temperature rises too quickly, causing some to fall unconscious. Severe heatstroke can cause disability or death. This year, Pakistan recorded its wettest April since 1961, with more than double the usual monthly rainfall. Last month’s heavy rains killed scores of people while destroying property and farmland. Daytime temperatures are soaring as much as 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) above May’s average temperatures over the last 20 years, raising fears of flooding in the northwest because of glacial melting. The 2022 floods caused extensive damage in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces, as 1,739 people were killed across the country. Pakistan's southwest and northwestern areas are also experiencing the heatwave. Authorities have shut schools for a week in Punjab. On Thursday, nongovernmental organization Save the Children said more than half of Pakistan’s school-age children — about 26 million — will be locked out of classrooms for a week due to the heat wave. In a statement, it said the closure of the schools in Punjab means 52% of the country’s students will be out of school. In the city of Lahore people were seen swimming in roadside canals. Pakistan says despite contributing less than 1% to carbon emissions, it is bearing the brunt of global climate disasters. Alam said recent erratic changes in weather patterns were the result of human-made climate change.

The Israeli army pulled out on Thursday from the West Bank's Jenin and its refugee camp after three days of military operation, killing 12 Palestinians and wounding 25 others, said Palestinian security sources. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli forces stormed the city of Jenin and its camp on Tuesday morning. During the operation, confrontations broke out, and gunfire took place between Palestinians and Israeli forces, accompanied by the sounds of explosions. Local sources and eyewitnesses said that military bulldozers destroyed the infrastructure, causing a power outage and disruptions in communications in a large part of the city. The Palestinian death toll from Israeli gunfire in Jenin rose to 12, including four children, the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said in a press statement. Palestinian factions in Jenin and its camp had announced a general strike to mourn the dead. Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said on social media platform X on Tuesday that the security forces were conducting a "counter-terror" operation in the Jenin area. The West Bank has witnessed escalating tension since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, which led to the death of more than 500 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health authorities.

Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced on Wednesday their official recognition of Palestine as a state. The decision came amid international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following Israel's military operation. Global reactions to the recognition varied, with dozens of countries welcoming the decision. The Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the recognition sends the right message to the Palestinians that the world is willing to defend their right to self-determination and to be an independent state. In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry urged countries that have not taken this step to push forward with recognizing a Palestine state to uphold the values of justice and support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday welcomed the decision, saying that this represents a step toward implementing the two-state solution. Qatar welcomed the recognition and considered this a significant step in supporting the two-state solution and achieving peace and stability in the region, said the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. The ministry stressed "the need to end the war on the Gaza Strip immediately and return to the political track as the only guarantee to achieve stability in the region." In response to the news that Spain and Ireland said they are going to recognize the Palestinian State, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China always firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, supports the two-State solution and is one of the first countries to recognize the State of Palestine. China will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as early as possible and promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, the spokesperson added. In Europe, Malta, Slovenia, and Slovakia expressed support, with Slovenia also taking steps toward recognizing Palestine, while the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Lithuania expressed reservations. Israel, infuriated by the decision, perceived it as a form of reward for Hamas militants. "The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. The country swiftly recalled its ambassadors from Ireland, Norway, and Spain. The U.S. government pushed back against a move from Ireland, Spain, and Norway to recognize a Palestinian state. "The president is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career," a National Security Council spokesperson was quoted by CNN as saying. "He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition," the spokesperson added. Observers noted that the three countries' recognition could generate momentum for other nations to recognize a Palestinian state and might further isolate Israel. In March, Malta and Slovenia, alongside Spain and Ireland said they were considering recognizing a Palestinian state as "a positive contribution" toward ending the conflict. More than 140 countries have already recognized a Palestinian state, representing over two-thirds of the United Nations' membership. However, none of the major Western countries have taken this step, making the recognition a notable achievement for the Palestinians. Diplomatic pressure on Israel has also grown as there is a sign of growing international support for Palestine's UN membership. On May 11, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, recognizing Palestine as qualified to join, with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. The Palestinians demand the establishment of an independent state alongside Israel with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday his country does not have a “China-phobia” policy and wants to engage both Beijing and Washington, expressing hopes for both powers to resolve their differences. Anwar, who is attending a Nikkei annual conference in Tokyo, said China is an important neighbor as it grows economically and militarily. "While I maintain excellent relations with the United States, Japan and (South) Korea, I think for Malaysia and for the region, it is better to continue to engage with China,” he said. “We will continue to engage and consider the United States as an important ally and at the same time enhance our collaboration with China." He stressed that Beijing is “too close, too important and too strategic to ignore.” Anwar said Malaysia hopes China and the United States will “resolve their differences.” He also urged the U.S. to abandon protectionism and respect competitiveness. He later met with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, and agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in a wide range of areas including maritime security, energy transition, cyber security and supply chain resilience, under the bilateral ties which were elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership last year. Japan, a key U.S. ally in the region, sees China’s growing influence as a threat and has stepped up security and economic ties with ASEAN countries, many of which have territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. Anwar also called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as he defended his meeting with the militant group's leaders in the Qatari capital Doha last week. It was not a move to promote terrorism but to stop the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, he said. The Malaysian leader criticized Washington for not doing enough to stop mass killings in Gaza. “It is unfortunate that the U.S. is not using all its might, influence and resources to end the killings. That’s all they were asking,” Anwar said. He called for a peaceful resolution and respect for the two-state solution “because that would ultimately ensure peace.” Anwar said the recent wave of pro-Palestinian student protests in the U.S. reminded him of anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and said there is a “systemic shift” of how the conflict is now viewed.

A devotee knelt and gently touched his head on the dome of the Boudhanath Stupa, an iconic Buddhist monument in Kathmandu, as a mark of reverence on Thursday, which marks the birth of Buddha. The birthday of Buddha is a holy occasion for all Buddhists, but is celebrated on different dates depending on the school of Buddhism or country to which one belongs. In many parts of Asia, the sacred day marks not just the birth, but also the enlightenment and passing of Buddha. In most Asian cultures and the diaspora, Buddhists go to their local temples and participate in chanting, meditation and festivities all day. Families decorate their homes with lanterns and gather for feasts. The highlight of the celebration in South Korea is the lotus lantern festival called Yeondeunghoe, a parade of thousands of colorful, lighted paper lanterns often shaped like lotus flowers that are hung in temples and streets of Seoul. In Cambodia, novice monks wearing saffron robes joined elders seeking alms. Devotees gathered around the banyan tree, considered sacred, and watered it in Myanmar. In India, the birthday of Buddha, also called Buddha Purnima, is marked as a national holiday, like in many other Asian countries. At the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala, northern India, Tibetan Buddhist monks sat crossed-legs on the floor, chanting prayers as devotees stood in line to offer prayers. In Ipoh, Malaysia, devotees unveiled a giant sacred “Thangka” canvas measuring 60 meters (197 feet) by 12 meters (39 feet) as devotees walked under it to receive blessings and to rejuvenate their spirits and minds. Sri Lankan celebrants decorated homes and streets with candles and paper and bamboo lanterns. Festivities feature devotional songs and burning of incense. And in Borabadur, monks released lanterns lighting up the night sky over the largest Buddhist temple in the world.