United News of Bangladesh

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early general election for Nov. 29 as pressure mounts on his government over the country’s housing crisis following a major parliamentary defeat last week. The announcement came after opposition right-wing parties joined forces to block two emergency decrees proposed by Sánchez’s government. The measures included steps to reduce evictions and curb real estate speculation. Public pressure over housing affordability has grown in recent weeks, with protests held in cities across Spain. Anger intensified after the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month. Addressing the nation on Monday, Sánchez said voters must decide the country’s future and argued that a broader progressive majority in parliament could help address Spain’s major challenges. He asked voters to choose between what he described as a far-right political shift and a future based on openness, social justice and environmental responsibility. Sánchez, 54, has served as prime minister since 2018. His government has gained international attention for its support for migration, diplomatic efforts on behalf of Palestinians and criticism of the US and Israeli war against Iran. Spain has also recorded strong economic growth in recent years. However, he faces domestic challenges, including legal cases involving members of his Socialist Party, as well as his wife and brother, both of whom deny wrongdoing. His government has also faced criticism over a border crossing this summer involving tens of thousands of people, mostly Moroccans, into Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta, where a humanitarian crisis has continued. Since 2023, Sánchez has led a minority coalition with left-wing party Sumar. His reliance on smaller parties to pass legislation has limited his government’s ability to implement policies. Political analyst Oriol Bartomeus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona said the housing issue could benefit Sánchez’s party by framing the election around affordability and the traditional left-right divide. Sánchez will face Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, whose party currently holds the largest number of seats in parliament. Feijóo said the election would give Spaniards an opportunity to decide whether Sánchez should remain in power. The Cabinet is scheduled to meet later Monday to approve the formal dissolution of parliament, a necessary step before the election.

This year’s Nobel Prize announcements begin Monday with the award for medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their discoveries on how the immune system distinguishes harmful germs from the body’s own healthy cells. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi were recognized for their work on peripheral immune tolerance, a key process that helps prevent the immune system from attacking the body itself. Experts said their findings are important for understanding autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The medicine prize will be followed by the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday, while the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences is scheduled to be announced on Oct. 12. The prize money this year is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million, for each prize, whether it is awarded to an individual, a small group of laureates or an organization.

Japanese police have arrested a US Marine on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman on Okinawa, a case that has renewed public anger over the presence of US military personnel on the southern Japanese island. The Okinawa prefectural police said Sunday that the 20-year-old Marine, stationed at Futenma Air Station, allegedly killed a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha, the prefectural capital, and took her wallet and backpack early Saturday. Kyodo News, citing police, reported that the woman was found dead in her hotel room and appeared to have been strangled. Security camera footage showed a man believed to be the suspect entering the hotel with the woman and later leaving alone, police said. He was arrested after an officer spotted him walking alone in an entertainment district in Okinawa City late Saturday, according to Kyodo. “The case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to US bases,” newly elected Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja told reporters. “It is absolutely unforgivable and we are outraged.” Koja also questioned whether measures taken by the US military to improve discipline and troop education following previous crimes were working. About 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a bilateral security agreement, with roughly half based on Okinawa. The island has become increasingly important to the Japan-US military alliance as tensions with China grow. Okinawans have long raised concerns over noise, pollution and crime associated with US military bases. Such incidents have also strained relations between Japan’s central government and the Okinawa administration. The latest case comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government seeks to strengthen Japan’s military presence on Okinawa and expand cooperation with the US military. Takaichi called the killing “extremely regrettable” in a message on X. She said her government had strongly protested to the US and demanded full cooperation with Japanese authorities, stricter discipline for US service members and measures to prevent similar incidents. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also summoned US Ambassador to Japan George Glass and conveyed Japan’s “outrage,” the Foreign Ministry said. Glass expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said the US was cooperating with Japanese national and local authorities. The US Marine Corps said the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa and that it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities. “The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior,” it said. Futenma Air Station, located in a densely populated part of central Okinawa, has been a longstanding source of concern. Many residents have demanded its relocation. The Japanese government approved a plan to move the base to Henoko on Okinawa’s eastern coast, but the project has faced major delays. Public opposition to the US military presence intensified after three US service members raped a 12-year-old girl in 1995, triggering massive protests. Okinawa prefectural police said arrests involving US service members and their families exceeded 100 last year. Repeated sexual crimes and delays in reporting some cases have also fueled anger among residents in recent years.

Two people were killed and nearly 30 others injured after gunfire broke out at a large homecoming party in the southern US state of Georgia early Sunday, authorities said. Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy identified those killed as Jaquevion Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. He did not say whether the two were related. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said some of the injured suffered gunshot wounds but could not confirm how many. “We're still trying to work through that,” Hosey said at a news conference Sunday evening. No arrests had been announced several hours after the shooting, and authorities had not identified a possible motive. The injured, aged between 14 and 51, were taken to several hospitals in the region. Some remained in critical condition while others were stable, Peavy said. More than 1,000 people were attending the event when more than 50 shots were fired at at least two locations about a block apart, Peavy told WMAZ-TV. Vienna, a small rural community, is about 210 kilometres south of Atlanta. Deputies were near the area when the shooting began, Peavy said. After they arrived, additional gunfire broke out about a block away. The shooting occurred during homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School but was not a school-sponsored event, school superintendent Sherrod Willaford said. “We recognise that its impact may reach many of our students, families, and staff,” he said in a statement. Schools were scheduled to reopen Monday with additional safety measures in place, although officials did not provide details. Ashley Gee, 30, who travelled from nearby Turner County to attend the party, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she heard repeated bursts of gunfire before people began running. “Like a machine gun,” she said. The party reportedly attracted people from several surrounding counties after a local high school football team's homecoming victory Friday night. Peavy said celebrations began Friday and remained peaceful as deputies patrolled the area. Saturday night's gathering, however, became much more difficult to control because of the large crowd. Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls said the two victims were pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. He described the scene as “horrific” and said several others were shot, while about a dozen people were injured while trying to escape. “This doesn't — it's not supposed to — happen in a small town like that,” Walls told the newspaper. Authorities have not said whether suspects have been identified or whether anyone is in custody. Investigators are continuing to search for suspects and determine a motive. Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels said the shooting occurred about a block from his home. He said he saw numerous police vehicles but had not yet received details from investigators. Daniels also said the city had not issued a permit for the block party and that he did not know whether it was officially connected to the high school's homecoming. Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Lydia Bullard declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

The United Arab Emirates shared passenger and crew details, including pilots' names and nationalities, with Israel before a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv was targeted in an attempted hijacking, regional officials said Sunday. The disclosure has raised questions over how the attacker managed to board the aircraft despite previous concerns about his views. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later ordered the head of the National Security Council to appoint an examiner to review “all security aspects regarding foreign civil aviation to Israel.” The preliminary investigation has pointed to several possible security failures. Officials have said the Omani co-pilot had previously been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns about his extremist views. It also remains unclear how an Omani citizen was allowed to serve as co-pilot on a flight carrying Israelis to Tel Aviv, given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft in what it described as a “terrorist attack” on Wednesday. The plane, carrying 182 people, nearly crashed before the Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers and other people then entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. No Israeli security warning Regional officials said Emirati authorities had shared information about the passengers and crew with Israel, including their nationalities. However, Israel did not flag any passenger or crew member as a security concern, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly. Israel's Shin Bet security agency said the Transportation Ministry is responsible for checking passenger lists from foreign flights. Transportation Minister Miri Regev said on X that security agencies were responsible for flight security and that her ministry had not received a passenger list or any warning. Sharing passenger information is standard aviation practice. However, Dvir Rubenstien, head of aviation security at the Transportation Ministry, told Army Radio that the ministry depends largely on security checks conducted by foreign authorities and lacks the capacity to screen every passenger on every flight. Netanyahu said Israel has long-standing agreements with foreign airlines to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying into the country. Australian police said counterterrorism investigators were also examining whether the attacker had any links to Australia. Local media reported that he had travelled there on a student visa about a decade ago. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology said Monday that the man had been enrolled at the university but did not complete an engineering qualification. Passengers who helped stop the attack and regain control of the plane have been praised as heroes in Israel. Political questions emerge As the initial relief over the passengers' actions faded, officials began questioning the security measures that allowed the incident to happen. Opposition politicians have used the case to criticise the government ahead of elections scheduled for later this month. Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats party, accused Netanyahu's government of failing to protect the country's aviation security. “It is exactly what system collapse looks like,” Golan wrote on X, criticising Regev, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party. Questions have also been raised about how FlyDubai, an Emirati low-cost airline operating flights between the UAE and Israel, failed to identify the Omani co-pilot as a potential security threat. Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England, said background-check systems vary between countries and cross-border investigations can be difficult because of limits on information sharing. He said stronger background checks are important but acknowledged that there are “huge limitations” on conducting them, particularly across national borders.

 British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reignited discussion over the country's future relationship with the European Union (EU), including the possibility of rejoining the bloc. His comments mark a shift from Labour's earlier position and raise questions about how far Britain could go in restoring closer relations with its European neighbors. Speaking at his first Labour Party conference as prime minister on Tuesday, Burnham said Brexit had "done more harm than good" and outlined several possible paths for Britain's long-term ties with the EU. In a BBC interview broadcast the following day, he said rejoining the EU could be considered. "I would like to see Britain rejoin in my lifetime," he said, while stressing that he would examine the different available options. The choices include keeping the existing arrangement, joining a customs union, returning to the EU single market or seeking full EU membership. Each would involve a different level of economic integration and political commitment. Burnham's position differs from Labour's 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out returning to the single market or customs union and restoring free movement. According to the Financial Times, Burnham had also previously promised not to reopen the "divisive arguments about rejoining the EU." The renewed debate comes 10 years after 52 percent of British voters chose to leave the EU in the June 2016 referendum. Britain formally exited the bloc in 2020. Economic benefits weighed against political risks Burnham has placed economic growth at the center of his argument for reconsidering Britain's relationship with the EU. In an interview with ITV News on Wednesday, he said Brexit had hurt economic growth and argued that it would be difficult to restore stronger growth rates while Britain remained too distant from its largest market. Recent opinion polls indicate considerable public support for closer ties with the EU, although that does not necessarily translate into support for full membership. A Public First poll found that 70 percent of British voters wanted the government to establish closer relations with the EU, the Independent reported Wednesday. YouGov polling published the same day showed 59 percent of respondents favored Britain rejoining the bloc. However, reopening the Brexit question could create political difficulties. Labour MP Graham Stringer described a reversal of the 2016 vote as a "betrayal" and warned that a renewed debate could become even more divisive than it was a decade ago. EU leaders welcome prospect, but return would be complex French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have welcomed the possibility of Britain returning to the EU. Macron said "welcome back" in English, describing a potential British return as good news for both Britain and Europe. Sanchez said Brexit had represented a "huge loss" for both the British people and the EU. While such statements demonstrate goodwill, they do not amount to agreement among all EU members on the terms of any potential British return. Rejoining the EU would require negotiations on membership conditions, approval from the European Parliament, unanimous consent from the EU Council and ratification of an accession treaty by Britain and every EU member state. A planned UK-EU summit could offer an early indication of how Burnham intends to develop his position. The meeting, initially scheduled for July, was postponed and could now take place in November. British media have reported that Burnham wants the summit to address the wider framework of relations between Britain and the EU. The immediate question is whether the British government will formulate a specific negotiating position. Such a move would show whether Burnham is seeking closer practical cooperation with the EU or considering a more fundamental overhaul of Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the bloc.

Samoa Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt apologized Monday for making a Nazi gesture and saying “Heil Hitler” in a video recorded at a family gathering 19 years ago. The apology came a day after the Samoa Observer reported the existence of a seven-second video from a Schmidt family reunion held in Samoa in July 2007. A screenshot from the video shows Schmidt holding a microphone while raising his other arm, with several people around him making a similar gesture. The newspaper reported that Schmidt could be heard saying, “Raise your right hand, Heil Hitler!” Schmidt, who was deputy speaker of Samoa's Parliament at the time, did not dispute the report. He has led the Pacific island nation, which has a population of about 220,000, since winning an election in August 2025. “I recognise that those words and gesture were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt and I apologise for using them,” Schmidt said in a statement posted on the government's Facebook page. He said the video was recorded at a private family gathering and was not intended for public release. Schmidt also said he rejected “Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism.” The Samoa Observer said it was unclear what happened immediately before or after the moment shown in the video. Schmidt's statement did not provide further details. Dispute with newspaper The disclosure comes amid an ongoing dispute between Schmidt's government and the Samoa Observer, which has been barred from covering his news conferences and other government events since November. Schmidt accused the newspaper of publishing misleading reports. On Friday, he confirmed that an aide had deleted photographs of him taken by an Observer reporter outside government buildings during an official event. Schmidt defended the action, saying the newspaper had violated the government's ban on its coverage. The Observer has described the ban as “authoritarian,” while several Pacific media organisations have urged Schmidt to lift it. The Journalists Association of Samoa said it was “deeply disturbed” by the deletion of the photographs. Schmidt's support for Israel Schmidt has also been a strong supporter of Israel, joining several leaders of small Pacific island nations who have expressed support for the country. Since September 2023, three Pacific island nations other than Samoa have been among a small group of countries that followed the United States in opening embassies in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv, where most foreign diplomatic missions are located. Analysts have linked the region's support for Israel to its strong Christian traditions. When Schmidt was sworn in as prime minister in September 2025, he wore a Jewish prayer shawl during a ceremony that included the blowing of a shofar. “Samoa will not withdraw from supporting Israel as the country of God's people,” he told reporters after the ceremony, according to local media reports.

Ethiopian government-aligned forces have entered Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, after Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters withdrew from the city amid renewed fighting, a witness said. The TPLF seized Mekelle and its airport last month but announced Saturday that its fighters had pulled out, apparently to prevent further destruction. The group had similarly withdrawn from the city during the previous two-year conflict that ended with a 2022 peace agreement. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire after the airports came under rebel control. The African Union urged all sides to exercise restraint, warning that the renewed fighting could threaten the 2022 peace deal. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced growing resistance from Tigray’s leadership, with TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael openly challenging the federal government. Debretsion said Thursday that the latest clashes were a continuation of the earlier conflict and vowed to keep fighting to defend Tigray. Following the government takeover, regional security is expected to be handed to the Tigray Peace Force, made up largely of former members of the TPLF’s armed wing, the Tigray Defense Forces, according to Ethiopia analyst Jalale Getachew Birru of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Internet and mobile phone disruptions have made it difficult to independently verify developments in the region. Some connectivity returned Sunday. A local businessman, Filmon Equar Hailu, said he witnessed TPLF-linked fighters leaving Mekelle in small groups, with some walking and carrying light weapons. He said the withdrawal began about three days earlier and continued until Saturday afternoon. Filmon also reported looting at the TPLF administration office, regional police headquarters and several shops. He said Tigray Peace Force fighters later entered the city and celebratory gunfire was heard overnight. The renewed conflict has also raised wider regional concerns. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea and Egypt of potentially supporting the TPLF, though Egypt denies backing the group. Ethiopia and Eritrea have separately exchanged accusations amid worsening relations, while Ethiopia and Egypt remain at odds over Ethiopia’s Nile dam project. Eritrea announced it was severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave, accusing them of threatening national security.

Nolo has changed from a strong hurricane to a typhoon after it crossed the international date line. Nolo was a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) Sunday morning Hawaii time before it crossed the agreed-upon line in the Pacific Ocean that separates one day from the next. Names of tropical cyclones vary by the parts of the world where they occur. Monday morning Japan time, Typhoon Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (162 kph) and was moving west at 19 mph (30 kph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. “The good news is there’s a large, vast ocean, so even though it is still going to be strong, it’s not near any land,” said John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Tropical cyclones with winds over 74 mph (119 kph) are called hurricanes in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the central and eastern Pacific. They are typhoons in the North Pacific, while the South Pacific and Indian Ocean use just the generic term tropical cyclone no matter the strength of the storm. Nolo is forecast to keep moving west and gradually weaken. Nolo skirted Hawaii as a hurricane a week ago. It then lost some of its punch and became a tropical storm, before regaining hurricane strength on Friday. Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Rachel continued heading westward on a path away from Mexico. As the storm moved further out to sea, it was sending dangerous waves and swells back to the coast of west-central Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, according to the hurricane center.

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off in a runoff Oct. 25 for the top job of Latin America’s powerhouse economy after neither won a majority in Sunday's vote. The country’s electoral court in Brasilia said neither the 80-year-old incumbent, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, nor the 45-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro would garner the majority vote needed for an outright win. The court had Bolsonaro with just over 56 million votes to Lula’s 53.7 million, with 99.8 percent of the vote reported. The next presidential term is set to begin Jan. 5. The winner will be in charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million. A win for Bolsonaro would increase U.S. influence in Latin America. If Lula wins, Brazil will keep its distance from Washington and continue to deepen its relationship with China. Lula faces a tough battle Flávio Bolsonaro addressed the press and a small group of supporters, including some wearing green and yellow Brazil jerseys and one woman wrapped in the Israeli flag, outside his Brasilia house. “Brazil wants change, that’s the reading of what happened today,” Bolsonaro said. “It’s the end of the Workers’ Party era,” he added, in a reference to Lula's party. Lula, seeking to be encouraging ahead of an uphill battle to beat Bolsonaro in the runoff, said the result was “unexpected” as he had thought he could win in the first round. “Tomorrow we start a new campaign,” Lula said. “I am very good in the knockout stage. We will see who has the best plan.” Both Lula and Bolsonaro will have three weeks to reach moderate voters who did not support them in the first round. Augusto Cury, a writer who finished in third place with 3.4 million votes, said he would not endorse either in the runoff. Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, two candidates who garnered about 5.3 million votes combined Sunday, have previously said the same. In the campaign ahead, Lula is expected to try to capitalize on the popularity of his social policies and his rival’s many legal woes. Image problems for both candidates While the once widely popular Lula saw his approval ratings plummet during his third term, standing up to the U.S. gave him a boost. And he still enjoys a strong base of supporters who credit his social policies for improving millions of Brazilians’ lives. But the incumbent faces a tough battle because of an affordability crisis and a corruption scandal that ensnared the same justice who led the investigation into Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro will likely lean into his messaging on affordability and link the president to corruption scandals. He has promised to crack down on Brazilian criminal groups and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy, second only to China. Bolsonaro also has campaigned on releasing his father and bringing him back to politics. Both candidates face image problems: Roughly half of Brazil’s population disapproves of the Bolsonaro family, and roughly half disapprove of Lula’s Workers' Party, according to multiple polls. Four years ago, Lula beat then incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by about 2.1 million votes. While it was a successful night for Bolsonaro, nothing is won yet, said Mayra Goulart, a political scientist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Lula should “look at the votes for Augusto Cury and Ronaldo Caiado and try to reduce abstention,” she said. Voters to choose between incumbent or return to right Reacting to the result, Alvaro Senra, 65, a history professor and Lula supporter in Rio de Janeiro said he felt “calm but very sad.” He watched the count with friends at a bar. “I think this is the result of conservatives working under the radar, including by neo-Pentecostal churches. But I think Lula can still win,” he said. Earlier in the day, Maria Ribeiro, a 50-year-old cellphone vendor from Brasilia, said she voted for Bolsonaro’s eldest son because she wants freedom to express her evangelical religion. She hopes he follows in his father’s footsteps. “I voted for his father, and I don’t regret it,” she said. The proximity to his father was what worried Lorena Zschaber, a 40-year-old photographer, who watched the results roll in at an LGBTQ+-friendly bar in downtown Rio de Janeiro. During his father’s presidency, “people felt more at ease to discriminate,” she said. “I’m an LGBTQ+ woman, I can’t think of anything worse happening than Flávio Bolsonaro being elected,” she added. Rosângela Resende da Rocha, a 69-year-old who was previously a stay-at-home mom, said she supported Lula’s social policies that help the “less fortunate” and how he stands up to Trump. “That crazy guy wants to come in here to buy our country, so that our country will be like it is over there,” she said at a voting center in Brasilia. “He won’t succeed if Lula wins.” Confidence in Brazil’s electronic voting system No significant fraud has ever been detected since Brazil adopted its electronic voting system in the 1990s. The Organization of American States’ electoral observation mission reported Sunday that “the voting has been going smoothly and under adequate safety conditions.” Electoral authorities assured that electronic votes are secure and verifiable. Voters appeared largely confident that the country’s voting system can’t be tampered with. Josemar Lauriano Pereira, a 46-year-old lawyer in Rio de Janeiro, said that the rapid availability of results helped combat fraud and uncertainty. “When results take a lot of time, it creates an opening for people to cast doubt on the results, to say there’s been a problem,” he said.