United News of Bangladesh

Iran-backed group Hezbollah on Sunday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ceasefire remarks, in which he said Hezbollah’s actions are threatening the truce between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah said its shelling of Israeli targets is “a legitimate response” to what it described as Israel’s violations of the ceasefire. The group also criticized Lebanese authorities, saying they “have placed themselves in a dangerous predicament when they chose to be photographed in a disgraceful image alongside representatives of a usurping and illegitimate entity that violates its land and sovereignty and continues killing its people.” The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended for three weeks, with U.S. President Donald Trump hosting talks flanked by Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors.

Iran’s near-total internet shutdown has continued for a 58th consecutive day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, marking its ninth week and surpassing the 1,368-hour mark. NetBlocks said the widespread disruption began following renewed anti-government protests in early January and intensified after the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran at the end of February. The prolonged restrictions have severely impacted connectivity across the country, limiting access to online services and communication platforms. Tehran FM in Islamabad as US envoys prepare for talks amid dispute The heavily curtailed internet access has also taken a toll on jobs and businesses, with many sectors struggling due to the disruption. Source: Al Jazeera

Residents of Slavutych gathered in the early hours of Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, lighting candles in a quiet midnight vigil despite the ongoing war with Russia. People slowly filled the city’s central square, placing candles around a large radiation hazard symbol on the ground to remember those who died in the 1986 disaster and the thousands who risked their lives to contain its aftermath. The annual vigil continues even as authorities warn against large gatherings during wartime and curfews remain in place. The April 26, 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant exposed major safety failures and secrecy in the then Soviet Union. Authorities delayed announcing the disaster for two days, only after radioactive fallout had spread across Europe and raised alarms abroad. Around 600,000 people, known as “liquidators,” were involved in firefighting and cleanup efforts. Dozens died within months from the explosion and radiation sickness, while millions were exposed to harmful radiation. The disaster also forced the long-term evacuation of hundreds of towns and villages across Ukraine and Belarus. Slavutych, located about 50 kilometers from the plant, was built after the disaster to house Chernobyl workers and their families. The city has since faced new hardships, including a brief Russian occupation early in the war and severe winters, with recent power outages forcing some residents to cook outdoors. At the vigil, people of all ages arrived, many bringing flowers like tulips and daffodils. They gathered near a memorial surrounded by Soviet-era apartment blocks and posters honoring locals killed in the ongoing war. Liudmyla Liubyva, 71, attended the ceremony with a friend. She said she used to come with her husband, a former Chernobyl worker who later became disabled due to radiation exposure. She said remembering those who sacrificed their health remains important, but added that the war has brought back fears of nuclear danger. "When the drone struck the arch, it felt like the world could return to 1986," she said, referring to a Russian drone strike in 2025 that damaged the New Safe Confinement structure built over the destroyed reactor. "We all — young and old alike — must protect our land, because it is so vulnerable." The ceremony included soft music and poetry about the disaster played over loudspeakers. Some participants wore white protective suits and face masks, symbolising the liquidators, and stood silently holding candles. Larysa Panova, 67, said she still remembers the day she was forced to leave her hometown of Chernobyl and start a new life in Slavutych. Though she has lived there for years, she said memories of her childhood home remain strong. Before the war, she often visited the area, but access has since been restricted. "I never stop thinking of Chernobyl as my homeland," she said. "You remember your school, your childhood, your youth — everything happened there, in Chernobyl."

Amid the stalled negotiations with Iran, US President Donald Trump said the Iranians sent over a new peace proposal, but that it “could have been better,” and rejected it. “They gave us a paper that could have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said to reporters on Saturday before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Florida. The President wouldn’t offer specifics about what was in the latest proposal other than saying “they offered a lot.” But he stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.” Trump said he cancelled the latest rounds of negotiations with Iran because it was “a lot of traveling” and because his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “weren’t meeting with the leader of the country.” Trump said the U.S. will “deal by telephone and they can call us anytime they want” before adding that “we have all the cards.”

Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, vowed Saturday to react if the United States continues its "blockade, banditry and piracy" in the West Asia region. It made the announcement in a statement carried by Iranian media while pointing to the U.S. naval blockade imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, which prevents vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway, and actions against Iran-bound ships over the past few days. It called on the United States to know that Iran's armed forces are more powerful and prepared than before to defend the country's national sovereignty and interests as well as territorial integrity, adding the U.S. army experienced part of Iran's power and offensive capabilities during the recent war. It said Iran's armed forces are ready and determined to, while monitoring the "enemies' behavior and movements" in the region and continuing their management and control over the Strait of Hormuz, inflict more severe damage on the U.S. and Israeli "enemies" if they repeat their "aggression." Also on Saturday, Saudi state-linked Al Arabiya News, citing a source, reported that Iran will not acquiesce to negotiations involving red lines set by the United States. The developments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday conveyed Iran's considerations and views regarding the end of the war in a meeting with Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Araghchi, who arrived in Pakistan's capital Islamabad Friday night at the head of a diplomatic delegation, also exchanged views with Munir on the latest developments pertaining to a ceasefire with the United States and Israel, and the end of the war, as well as the expansion of bilateral cooperation to strengthen peace and stability in the West Asia region, the report said. Iran had tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28, when it barred passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States after the two countries' joint strikes on Iranian territory. A ceasefire was achieved between Iran, the United States and Israel on April 8 after 40 days of fighting, followed by lengthy talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Islamabad on April 11-12, which failed to yield an agreement. The United States later imposed its own blockade on the waterway. Iranian and U.S. delegations were reportedly expected to hold another round of peace talks in Pakistan this week, but Iran refrained from attending negotiations, citing the U.S. continued naval blockade and "excessive" demands as the main reasons.   

The White House announced that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Islamabad on Saturday for discussions related to Iran. However, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied any direct talks, stating that no meeting between Tehran and Washington is planned and that Iran’s position will instead be communicated through Pakistan. According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Islamabad, Pakistani mediators remain “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of Iran-US engagement, following the arrival of Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the capital during a regional tour. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces retain “full freedom of action” in Lebanon, despite a three-week extension of the ceasefire, which Hezbollah has dismissed as meaningless due to ongoing Israeli strikes. The Israeli military reported killing six Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry, however, said Israeli attacks since March 2 have left 2,491 people dead and 7,719 others injured. Readers are advised to follow the live tracker for updated casualty figures across the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said he had undergone treatment for prostate cancer and is now in good health. In his first public disclosure of the illness, the 76-year-old leader said he had prostate surgery around a year and a half ago. He added that doctors later found a small tumour about two and a half months ago, which was treated with radiation therapy at Hadassah Hospital. Netanyahu said he chose to delay announcing the treatment. “I requested to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be released at the height of the war” against Iran, he said, adding that he wanted to avoid “more false propaganda against Israel.” He described the tumour as a minor issue and said he is now healthy. His health had been widely speculated about earlier during the conflict with Iran, especially after fake, AI-generated images circulated online falsely claiming he had died. Aharon Popovtser, head of the oncology unit at Hadassah Hospital, said the cancer was detected early and noted that prostate cancer is common among men of Netanyahu’s age. “Based on the test results, we can say the disease has disappeared,” he said, referring to medical imaging and blood tests. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is currently leading the country through conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon. He has faced criticism in the past for not sharing details about his health. Earlier, he revealed that he had a pacemaker fitted to treat a heart condition about a week after he fainted at a public event.

India on Thursday termed certain remarks about Indians as “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” hours after the US Embassy issued a clarification following a controversy involving US President Donald Trump. Trump had shared a derogatory social media post by a podcaster describing India as a “hell-hole,” triggering criticism. Without directly naming Trump, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the comments did not reflect the reality of India-US relations, which it said are based on mutual respect and shared interests. India to send veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi as next envoy to Bangladesh: Report “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy. The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Trump had reposted a transcript of a podcast containing derogatory remarks about Indians. In a subsequent statement, the US Embassy said Trump considers India a “great” country led by a “good friend of mine at the top.” The clarification followed queries from Indian media after Trump shared comments by radio host Michael Savage referring to India, China and others as “hell-holes.” The post drew criticism from the Hindu American Foundation, which said it was “deeply disturbed,” warning such rhetoric could fuel racism and endanger communities. BJP leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised the remarks during a public appearance. Source: NDTV

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a ceasefire with Hezbollah by three weeks after White House talks on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday. He, however, has ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats that deploy mines to choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post Thursday morning, he said the military is intensifying its mine-clearing efforts in the critical waterway. The move escalates the U.S.-Iran standoff in the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. military seized another tanker Thursday associated with smuggling Iranian oil. The U.S. Defense Department said it seized the oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. “We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Defense Department said. The seizure comes after Iran attacked three cargo ships Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two of them. The Defense Department released footage of the seizure of the vessel, showing U.S. troops on the deck of the vessel. Ship-tracking data showed the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, earlier seized by American forces. It had been bound for Zhoushan, China. The Majestic X is a Guyana-flagged oil tanker. It previously had been named Phonix and had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in contravention of American sanctions on the Islamic Republic. “Iran relies upon a sprawling network of tankers and ship management firms in multiple jurisdictions to transport its petroleum to overseas customers — using tactics such as false documentation, manipulation of vessel tracking systems, and constant changes to the names and flags of vessels,” the Treasury said at the time. There was no immediate response from Iran on the news of the seizure. Since the start of the war between Iran, Israel and the United States, over 30 ships have come under attack in the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The threat of attack, rising insurance premiums and other fears have stopped traffic from moving through the strait, through which 20% of all crude oil and natural gas traded passes. Iran’s ability to restrict traffic through the strait, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has proved a major strategic advantage. After the attacks Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Channel that American officials that Iran’s seizure of the ships didn’t violate truce terms because “these were not U.S. or Israeli ships, these were two international vessels.” However, the ceasefire has been strained by dueling American attacks on Iranian ships and those by Iran on commercial vessels. It also remains unclear when, or if, the two sides will meet again in Islamabad, where Pakistani officials say they are still trying to bring the countries together to reach a diplomatic deal. END/UNB/AP/SIS