United News of Bangladesh

France will expand its nuclear arsenal and extend its deterrence framework to several European partners, marking what officials describe as the most significant shift in French nuclear doctrine in decades. President Emmanuel Macron announced the changes during a speech to naval officers at the Ile Longue base near Brest in Brittany, warning that the coming decades would be shaped by nuclear risks amid a deteriorating global security environment. Macron said France would increase its current stockpile of roughly 300 nuclear warheads and confirmed plans to launch a new nuclear-armed submarine, to be named “The Invincible,” in 2036. Under a new “advanced deterrence” strategy, eight European countries – the UK, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark – have agreed to participate in expanded cooperation. These nations may join exercises involving France’s air-based nuclear forces and potentially host air bases for French nuclear-capable aircraft. Macron said dispersing France’s Strategic Air Forces across Europe would complicate any adversary’s military calculations. He also outlined plans for joint development of supporting capabilities, including space-based early warning systems, air defence against drones and missiles, and long-range conventional strike systems. Despite the broader framework, Macron stressed that France’s president would retain sole authority over the decision to use nuclear weapons. There will be no formal nuclear guarantee extended to partner nations, maintaining continuity with the principles established under former president Charles de Gaulle. France and the UK remain the only nuclear-armed states in Europe. Paris already cooperates closely with London on deterrence matters, and British officials recently joined French nuclear air force exercises for the first time. Following Macron’s speech, France and Germany issued a joint statement pledging closer collaboration in nuclear deterrence. The agreement, signed with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said Berlin would take part in French nuclear exercises this year and work with European partners on strengthening conventional military capacities. Both governments emphasized that the initiative would complement, not replace, NATO’s nuclear deterrence framework. Macron also signalled a shift toward greater strategic ambiguity, saying France would no longer publicly disclose the size of its nuclear arsenal. He reiterated that any attack threatening France’s vital interests would come at an “unsustainable price,” while leaving the exact scope of those interests undefined. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the move, saying European countries were strengthening defences together to deter potential aggression. The announcement reflects growing concerns in Europe over global instability and shifting geopolitical alignments, with France positioning itself at the centre of a more coordinated continental defence posture.   With inputs from BBC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has failed to “break” Ukrainians or achieve victory, marking four years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion that has killed tens of thousands and reshaped Europe’s security landscape. Speaking on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had defended its independence despite relentless attacks from Russia’s larger and better-equipped military, which still occupies nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. He insisted that Kyiv’s statehood remains intact and Moscow’s key goals have not been met. The anniversary drew strong international support, with more than a dozen senior European leaders visiting Kyiv to show solidarity. The war has caused massive hardship for civilians, with repeated airstrikes destroying homes and disrupting electricity and water supplies. Despite diplomatic efforts led by the United States, negotiations remain stalled over the future of the Donbas region and long-term security guarantees sought by Ukraine to prevent another invasion. Zelenskyy also invited US President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine to better understand the human cost of the war. Western officials say Moscow is banking on prolonged fighting to erode Ukraine’s resistance and weaken international backing. However, European leaders warned that the conflict threatens wider regional stability and stressed continued unity in supporting Kyiv. As the war grinds into its fifth year, both sides face heavy troop losses and growing reliance on drone warfare, while Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction is estimated to cost nearly $588 billion over the next decade.

A senior Ukrainian negotiator has offered a rare insight into what it is like to sit face to face with Russian representatives amid ongoing efforts to halt the war, saying military-level talks are largely pragmatic but stopping the conflict ultimately depends on political will in Moscow. Sergiy Kyslytsya, a member of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s delegation, told the BBC that recent military-to-military discussions with Russia were generally business-like and free from the ideological rhetoric often heard from the Kremlin in public forums. “The military has a better understanding of what is happening on the battlefield,” Kyslytsya said during an interview at the presidential palace. He added, however, that it remains uncertain whether Russian officers accurately convey realities on the ground to their political leadership. His comments come ahead of a possible new round of US-mediated talks in Geneva later this week, following several previous discussions that have failed to produce a breakthrough nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kyslytsya said the complexity of disengagement is heightened by conditions on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, where thousands of drones operate across a vast so-called grey zone and about 200,000 civilians still live in heavily fortified Donbas cities. Any ceasefire, he stressed, would require detailed rules, clear protocols and reliable verification mechanisms. Much of the technical groundwork for such arrangements has already been completed, he said, with significant input from US officials. Kyslytsya praised Washington’s role, noting that American representatives actively participate in discussions rather than merely observing. He also spoke positively about the involvement of US figures including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, describing them as experienced and constructive participants in the process. According to Kyslytsya, the United States is expected to play a central role in monitoring any future ceasefire, using satellite imagery and other advanced technologies. He said a credible and authoritative third party would be essential to adjudicate violations. Previously, this role was held by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, but Kyslytsya said its limited resources and lack of enforcement power left it unable to prevent escalation before the 2022 invasion. A former Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations, Kyslytsya said he has long experience dealing with Russian diplomats. He recalled being at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on February 23, 2022, when he learned Ukraine was under attack. He said Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia declined to contact Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for assurances as the invasion loomed. Kyslytsya said that moment marked a turning point, after which he remained at the UN for three more years before returning to Kyiv. Looking ahead to possible talks in Geneva, he said negotiations continue to focus on the mechanics of a ceasefire but argued the war could end swiftly if Russia’s leadership chose to act. “The war could be stopped by just one call,” he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far shown no readiness to take that step.   With inputs from BBC

British politician Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, as police investigate allegations that he shared market-sensitive government information with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a minister. The Metropolitan Police said a 72-year-old man was detained on Monday at a residence in Camden, north London, and taken to a police station for questioning. The arrest followed the execution of search warrants at properties in Camden and Wiltshire earlier this month. According to police, the probe centres on claims that Mandelson passed confidential government assessments and policy-related details to Epstein during his time in office. The investigation was launched after documents released last month by the US Department of Justice included email exchanges between the two men. Mandelson has not commented publicly on the allegations in recent weeks. However, the BBC reported that his position is that he did not act criminally and was not driven by financial gain. In one email dating back to 2009, Mandelson appeared to relay an adviser’s assessment prepared for then prime minister Gordon Brown, referring to proposed policy steps including an asset sales plan. Other correspondence suggested discussions on a tax on bankers’ bonuses and confirmation of a Eurozone bailout package a day before its official announcement in 2010. Mandelson was appointed British ambassador to the United States in February 2025 but was removed from the post in September, after Downing Street said fresh details had emerged about the extent of his association with Epstein. On Monday afternoon, Mandelson was seen being escorted from his London home by plain-clothes officers and placed into an unmarked vehicle. Sources said officers from the Met’s central specialist crime division carried out the arrest, with consultations between police and prosecutors continuing. The government has said it plans to release initial documents linked to Mandelson’s appointment in early March, although officials indicated discussions are ongoing with police over what material can be made public while the investigation continues. Political reaction was swift, with opposition figures saying the arrest raised serious questions about the prime minister’s judgment in appointing Mandelson to a senior diplomatic role.   With inputs from BBC

About 30 people are feared dead after a migrant boat capsized off the Greek island of Crete, Greek authorities and the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday. The vessel, carrying roughly 50 migrants, sank on Saturday about 20 nautical miles from the port of Kali Limenes, the southernmost point of Crete. Three men were recovered dead on the day of the accident, and a woman’s body was found floating on Sunday. No other survivors or victims have been located so far, though passing ships continue to search the area, a coast guard spokesperson told The Associated Press. According to survivors, the boat had departed from Tobruk, Libya, on Thursday. Authorities said high winds were reported in the region on Saturday. Two Sudanese men, aged 25 and 19, have been arrested as suspected traffickers. The IOM said Monday that at least 606 migrants have already been reported dead or missing along the Mediterranean route in the first two months of 2026, marking the deadliest start to a year in the Mediterranean since the IOM began tracking such data in 2014. The organization warned that human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the Central Mediterranean route, forcing them onto unsafe vessels and exposing them to severe abuse. The IOM stressed that stronger international cooperation and protection-focused measures are essential to dismantle these criminal networks, expand safe migration routes, and save lives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian leader Vladimir Putin has already started World War III, insisting that only sustained military and economic pressure can force Moscow to retreat, while firmly rejecting any ceasefire deal based on Ukraine surrendering territory. In an interview with BBC at the heavily guarded government headquarters in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine would not pay the price demanded by Russia, including withdrawal from strategic areas Moscow has failed to fully capture despite heavy losses. He dismissed Russian demands that Ukraine hand over parts of eastern Donetsk and additional land in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, saying such a move would mean abandoning hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and would fracture society. Any pause achieved through concessions, he warned, would only allow Russia time to regroup and resume the war. Zelensky said stopping Putin and preventing the occupation of Ukraine would be a victory not only for his country but for the entire world, arguing that Moscow’s ambitions would not end with Ukraine. While reaffirming Ukraine’s ultimate goal of restoring its internationally recognised 1991 borders, he said attempting to retake all territory immediately would cost an unacceptable number of lives and requires greater support from partners. Responding to scepticism from some Western analysts and pressure from Donald Trump, Zelensky said Ukraine is not losing the war and is fighting for its independence. He acknowledged uncertainty over Washington’s position but stressed that lasting US security guarantees must be approved by Congress to outlast changing administrations. Zelensky also addressed calls for Ukraine to hold elections, saying they could only be considered after credible security guarantees are in place, given martial law, millions of refugees abroad and Russian occupation of parts of the country. He reiterated his appeal for stronger air defence, including permission to produce US-made systems such as Patriot missiles under licence, noting that Ukraine has yet to receive approval for domestic manufacturing. Despite corruption scandals and wartime pressures, Zelensky said Ukraine would continue pursuing parallel diplomatic, military and economic efforts to stop Russia, expressing confidence that sustained pressure would eventually force Moscow to step back.   With inputs from BBC

France will summon U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to protest remarks by the Trump administration regarding the fatal beating of a far-right activist, the French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday. Barrot’s statement came after the U.S. State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau posted on X that “reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all.” France rushes to avert US-style government shutdown after budget talks fail Deranque, a far-right activist, died last week in Lyon from brain injuries sustained during an attack linked to a scuffle at a student meeting, where far-left lawmaker Rima Hassan was the keynote speaker. The incident has fueled concerns over rising political tensions ahead of France’s next presidential election. President Emmanuel Macron urged calm as around 3,000 people marched in Lyon in tribute to Deranque, organized by far-right groups. Barrot condemned attempts to politicize the tragedy, saying, “We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends. We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement.” The State Department’s post described “violent radical leftism” as a growing threat and said the U.S. will monitor the situation and expect justice for those responsible. Seven individuals have faced preliminary charges. Six were charged with intentional homicide, aggravated violence, and criminal conspiracy, while a seventh was charged with complicity in the same crimes, the Lyon public prosecutor’s office said. France plans new aircraft carrier amid boost in defense spending Barrot also plans to raise U.S. sanctions against former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and French ICC judge Nicolas Guillou, calling them “unjustified and unjustifiable.” The Foreign Affairs Ministry has not announced a date for the meeting. Kushner had previously been summoned in August last year over a letter to Macron accusing France of insufficient action against antisemitism; French officials met with his representative after the ambassador did not attend.

Denmark’s Arctic command has evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member who required urgent medical care off the coast of Greenland. The Danish Joint Arctic Command said the evacuation took place Saturday about 7 nautical miles from Nuuk. The crew member was airlifted by a Danish Seahawk helicopter from an inspection ship and transferred to a hospital in Nuuk for treatment. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to send a hospital ship to Greenland, claiming many residents were ill and not receiving adequate care. He said the initiative would be coordinated with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, whom he described as a special envoy for Greenland. Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told public broadcaster DR that Danish authorities had not been informed about any such deployment. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark’s healthcare system, saying both Denmark and Greenland ensure free and equal access to medical services regardless of wealth or insurance status. Aaja Chemnitz, one of Greenland’s representatives in the Danish parliament, criticized the proposal on Facebook, calling it a desperate move that would not provide a long-term solution to strengthening Greenland’s healthcare system. Tensions between Denmark and the United States have risen in recent months amid renewed U.S. interest in Greenland’s strategic and mineral resources.

Ukraine has voiced growing frustration over US-backed peace efforts with Russia, saying Washington is putting heavy pressure on Kyiv while failing to apply the same level of pressure on Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the latest round of talks had not delivered acceptable results for Ukraine. In a video address to the nation on Wednesday, he said the outcome so far was insufficient. Ahead of talks held in Geneva this week, Zelenskyy rejected Russian demands that Ukraine hand over the remaining parts of the eastern Donetsk region not under Russian control. He said Ukrainians would never accept giving up more land, warning that such a move would not be forgiven by the public. Russia currently controls about 19 percent of Ukrainian territory, down from around 26 percent in early 2022, according to estimates. Recent opinion polls show a majority of Ukrainians strongly oppose ceding Donetsk to Russia, even in exchange for security guarantees. Many also doubt the current US-led negotiations will bring lasting peace. Zelenskyy has instead suggested freezing the current front line as a basis for a ceasefire, followed by negotiations. He said such an approach could gain public support if put to a referendum. US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine is holding up a peace deal, a claim Zelenskyy called unfair. He said he hoped the US stance was part of negotiating tactics rather than a fixed position. Several US senators visiting Ukraine recently said Washington should increase pressure on Russia. They argued that Moscow is not negotiating in good faith and continues to use force during talks. On the same day as the Geneva discussions, Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials said the strikes damaged power and heating supplies and showed Russia’s lack of interest in peace. Zelenskyy again urged Western allies to tighten sanctions on Russian energy exports and stop the flow of critical components to Russia through third countries. Ukraine says Russia continues to rely on a large shadow fleet of oil tankers to bypass sanctions. Despite ongoing fighting, Ukrainian officials say their forces have made recent gains in eastern and central regions. Military observers report that Ukrainian troops reclaimed territory in mid-February, marking one of their fastest advances since 2023. European allies have pledged increased military and financial support to Ukraine this year, including funding for drone production and weapons supplies. The European Union has also approved new financial assistance packages. The United States, however, has halted direct military and financial aid to Ukraine since President Trump took office in January 2025, increasing concerns in Kyiv about the balance of pressure in the peace process.   With inputs from ALJAZEERA

Police continued searching Royal Lodge for a second day on Friday as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. More unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at the Windsor property, which is Andrew’s former residence, as officers pressed on with their inquiry. Police searches linked to the case have already ended in Norfolk but are ongoing in Berkshire, according to authorities. Andrew was arrested on Thursday and held for around 11 hours before being released under investigation. This means he faces no restrictions on his movement while police continue their inquiries. He was later photographed returning to the Sandringham estate. The arrest, first reported by the BBC, followed an assessment by Thames Valley Police of a complaint alleging that Andrew shared confidential material with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy. Police sources said the investigation is not limited to a small number of emails already reported in the media and could involve a wider review of documents. Buckingham Palace has said it will cooperate fully with the investigation. Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. He has not responded to specific BBC questions related to millions of Epstein-related documents released earlier this year. He has not been charged. King Charles III, who was not informed in advance of the arrest, said he learned of the development with deep concern and stressed that the law must take its course. Political reaction followed swiftly. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said no one is above the law, while opposition figures called for the police to be allowed to complete their work without interference. Legal experts said a release under investigation is the least restrictive option available to police and is used when inquiries are at an early stage and further evidence gathering is required. Investigators may still question Andrew again as the probe continues. Despite losing several royal titles last year, Andrew remains eighth in line to the British throne. Any change to that status would require an act of Parliament and the agreement of other Commonwealth nations. Police have not given a timeline for completing the investigation.   With inputs from BBC