United News of Bangladesh

Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago. The findings, described in the journal Nature, push back the earliest known date for controlled fire-making by roughly 350,000 years. Until now, the oldest confirmed evidence had come from Neanderthal sites in what is now northern France dating to about 50,000 years ago. The discovery was made at Barnham, a Paleolithic site in Suffolk that has been excavated for decades. A team led by the British Museum identified a patch of baked clay, flint hand axes fractured by intense heat and two fragments of iron pyrite, a mineral that produces sparks when struck against flint. Researchers spent four years analyzing to rule out natural wildfires. Geochemical tests showed temperatures had exceeded 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 Fahrenheit), with evidence of repeated burning in the same location. That pattern, they say, is consistent with a constructed hearth rather than a lightning strike. Rob Davis, a Paleolithic archaeologist at the British Museum, said the combination of high temperatures, controlled burning and pyrite fragments shows “how they were actually making the fire and the fact they were making it.” Iron pyrite does not occur naturally at Barnham. Its presence suggests the people who lived there deliberately collected it because they understood its properties and could use it to ignite tinder. Deliberate fire-making is rarely preserved in the archaeological record. Ash is easily dispersed, charcoal decays and heat-altered sediments can be eroded. At Barnham, however, the burned deposits were sealed within ancient pond sediments, allowing scientists to reconstruct how early people used the site. Researchers say the implications for human evolution are substantial. Fire allowed early populations to survive colder environments, deter predators and cook food. Cooking breaks down toxins in roots and tubers and kills pathogens in meat, improving digestion and releasing more energy to support larger brains. Chris Stringer, a human evolution specialist at the Natural History Museum, said fossils from Britain and Spain suggest the inhabitants of Barnham were early Neanderthals whose cranial features and DNA point to growing cognitive and technological sophistication. Fire also enabled new forms of social life. Evening gatherings around a hearth would have provided time for planning, storytelling and strengthening group relationships, which are behaviors often associated with the development of language and more organized societies. Archaeologists say the Barnham site fits a wider pattern across Britain and continental Europe between 500,000 and 400,000 years ago, when brain size in early humans began to approach modern levels and when evidence for increasingly complex behavior becomes more visible. Nick Ashton, curator of Paleolithic collections at the British Museum, described it as “the most exciting discovery of my long 40-year career." For archaeologists, the find helps address a long-standing question: When humans stopped relying on lightning strikes and wildfires and instead learned to create flame wherever and whenever they needed it.

Japan on Friday issued a tsunami advisory after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook the country’s northeast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake occurred off the east coast of Aomori prefecture, in the north of Honshu, the main Japanese island, at a depth of 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) at 11:44 a.m. local time, JMA said. The Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures could see a tsunami of up to 1 meter (3.2 feet), the agency added. Damage and injuries weren’t immediately clear. An advisory is a lower level of caution than a warning. Friday’s quake followed a 7.5 magnitude earthquake earlier this week in the north that caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities. At least 34 people were injured in that quake on Monday off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island. A tsunami more than 2 feet (0.6 meters) above tide levels was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture before all tsunami advisories were lifted. Power was knocked out for hundreds of homes but was mostly restored Tuesday morning. Authorities had warned of possible aftershocks. Officials said after Monday's quake there was also a slight increase in risk of a magnitude 8-level quake and possible tsunami occurring along Japan’s northeastern coast from Chiba, just east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido. The agency urged residents in 182 municipalities in the area to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, reminding them that the caution is not a prediction of a big one. The quakes occurred in the coastal region, where a magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011 killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

U.S. strategic bombers joined a fleet of Japanese fighter jets in a joint military exercise meant to demonstrate their military cooperation around Japan's airspace, defense officials said Thursday, as tensions with China escalate. The exercise showcasing joint Japanese-U.S. air power came a day after Chinese and Russian bombers flew together around western Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble fighter jets, though there was no airspace violation. It also follows China's military aircraft locking radar on Japanese jets Saturday, another incident that has caused Tokyo-Beijing relations to further deteriorate. Early Friday, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his U.S counterpart, Pete Hegseth, held telephone talks on “increasingly severe security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the radar incident,” the Japanese defense ministry said in a statement. It did not mention the flight drills. It said the ministers expressed serious concern over any actions to increase regional tensions, as “China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability.” Koizumi reiterated that Japan will firmly and steadily continue surveillance and monitoring activities in the airspace and waters surrounding the country. Japan's Air Self Defense-Force and the U.S. military conducted the joint exercise Wednesday as “the security environment surrounding our country is becoming even severer,” the Japanese Joint Staff said. It said the allies “reaffirmed the strong resolve to prevent unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and the readiness between the SDF and the U.S. forces.” Two U.S. B-52 strategic bombers and three Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jets and three F-15 jets conducted their joint flight drills near Japan’s western airspace, above the waters between the country and South Korea, officials said. Exercises held as the security environment grows more tense The Joint Staff denied that the exercise was conducted in response to a specific incident, but acknowledged Chinese military aircraft’s recent radar-locking on Japanese jets and the China-Russia joint bomber exercises Tuesday as examples of a worsening security environment around Japan. Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated after Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in early November that Japan's military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own. The row escalated over the weekend when separate Chinese drills involving a carrier near southern Japan prompted Tokyo to scramble jets and to protest that Japanese aircraft were targeted by repeated radar-locking — a move considered as possible preparation for firing. Tokyo protested to Beijing, asking for an explanation and preventive measures. China denied the allegation and accused Japanese jets of interfering and endangering the Chinese exercise. Washington stressed its “unwavering” alliance with Japan, saying the incident was not “conducive to regional peace and stability." The exercise came one day after Chinese and Russian strategic bombers conducted joint long-distance flight from the waters between Japan and South Korea down to the Pacific, the Joint Staff said. Two Russian strategic bombers Tu-95 that flew down from the airspace east of the Korean Peninsula joined a pair of Chinese H-6 bombers over the East China Sea for a joint flight down to the Pacific off the southern coast of Japan's Shikoku island. The four bombers were also joined by four Chinese J-16 fighters as they flew back and forth between two Japanese southwestern islands Okinawa and Miyako, the area where China is expanding its military presence.

An airstrike by Myanmar ’s military destroyed a hospital in an area controlled by a leading rebel armed force, killing 34 patients and medical staff, according to a rescue worker and independent media reports Thursday. About 80 other people were injured in the attack Wednesday night on the general hospital in Mrauk-U township, an area controlled by the ethnic Arakan Army in the western state of Rakhine. The military, which took over Myanmar's government in 2021 and has been fighting ethnic militias and armed resistance forces since then, has not mentioned any attack in the area. Wai Hun Aung, a senior official for rescue services in Rakhine, told The Associated Press that a jet fighter dropped two bombs at 9:13 p.m. with one hitting the hospital’s recovery ward and the other landing near the hospital’s main building. He said he arrived at the hospital early Thursday to provide assistance and recorded the deaths of 17 women and 17 men. He said that most of the hospital building was destroyed by the bombs, and taxis and motorbikes near the hospital were also damaged. Rakhine-based online media posted photos and videos showing damaged buildings and debris including medical equipment. The hospital has been the main source of health care for people in Rakhine, where most hospitals have closed because of Myanmar’s civil war, said Wai Hun Aung. It was reopened after doctors gathered in Mrauk-U to provide much-needed medical services. Mrauk-U, located 530 kilometers (326 miles) northwest of Yangon, the country’s largest city, was captured by the Arakan Army in February 2024. The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. It began its offensive in Rakhine in November 2023 and has seized a strategically important regional army headquarters and 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships. Rakhine, formerly known as Arakan, was the site of a brutal army counterinsurgency operation in 2017 that drove about 740,000 minority Rohingya Muslims to seek safety across the border in Bangladesh. There is still ethnic tension between the Buddhist Rakhine and the Rohingya. Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, established by elected lawmakers who were barred from taking their seats in 2021, condemned the airstrike. The organization urged the international community to pressure the military to end its actions, take action against perpetrators and provide humanitarian assistance as soon as possible. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army took power in 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. Many opponents of military rule have since taken up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The military government has stepped up airstrikes ahead of planned Dec. 28 elections against the armed pro-democracy People’s Defense Force, which is closely associated with the National Unity Government. Opponents of military rule charge that the polls will be neither free not fair, and are mainly an effort to legitimize the army retaining power.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States had seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a rare military intervention amid escalating pressure on President Nicolás Maduro. Video shared by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi showed Coast Guard personnel fast-roping from a helicopter onto the ship, later moving through the vessel with weapons drawn. The tanker, identified as the Skipper, carried about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half owned by a Cuban state-run oil importer. The vessel, previously known as M/T Adisa, had been sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for involvement in a shadow tanker network supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority with Coast Guard support from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, currently in the Caribbean. Trump described the tanker as the largest ever seized and said it was taken “for a very good reason,” though he provided no further details about the oil’s fate. Venezuelan authorities condemned the move as “blatant theft” and international piracy, claiming it targeted the country’s natural resources. The seizure follows a series of U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, as the administration builds a large military presence in the region. Critics, including some Democrats, argue these actions are part of a push for regime change rather than drug interdiction. Senator Chris Van Hollen described the seizure as evidence that the U.S. is seeking to remove Maduro by force. Analysts say the action could disrupt Venezuelan maritime commerce, potentially affecting the country’s oil-dependent economy. Maduro, speaking at a Caracas rally, did not address the seizure directly but warned that Venezuela is prepared to resist U.S. aggression. The U.S. military also flew fighter jets near Venezuelan airspace Tuesday, raising further concern over potential escalation. Lawmakers have demanded unedited footage of prior strikes, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said is still under review.

Bulgaria’s government stepped down on Thursday as mass protests swept the country, coming just weeks before its planned entry into the eurozone. The minority coalition, led by the center-right GERB party, submitted its resignation minutes before parliament was set to vote on a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition over economic mismanagement and deep public frustration over corruption. “Ahead of today’s vote of no confidence, the government is resigning,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in parliament. The latest demonstrations erupted after large protests last week against the government’s proposed 2026 budget, which included higher taxes, increased social security contributions and expanded spending. The government later withdrew the budget plan, but calls for its resignation intensified. Zhelyazkov acknowledged the pressure from the streets, saying, “The decisions of the National Assembly are meaningful when they reflect the will of the people. We want to be where society expects us to be.” Students from Sofia’s universities joined Wednesday’s rallies, which organizers said exceeded last week’s turnout of more than 50,000 people. Media outlets, citing drone footage, estimated the crowd at over 100,000. Tens of thousands protest against Bulgarian government over corruption Central to the public anger is the influence of Delyan Peevski, a sanctioned politician and oligarch whose MRF New Beginning party backs the government. Opponents accuse him of steering government policy to serve oligarchic interests. Zhelyazkov said he expected his coalition to survive the no-confidence vote but added that parliament’s decisions “are important when they reflect the will of the sovereign.” Bulgaria, a country of 6.4 million people, is scheduled to adopt the euro on January 1 and become the 21st member of the eurozone.  

President Donald Trump has introduced a new “Gold Card” visa programme that offers wealthy foreigners a fast-track route to US residency and eventual citizenship in exchange for a minimum payment of $1 million. Announcing the launch on Wednesday, Trump said the card would give qualified and vetted applicants a “direct path to citizenship,” adding that it would help American companies retain “invaluable talent.” According to the scheme’s official website, the Trump Gold Card is intended for individuals who can show they will provide a “substantial benefit” to the United States. The rollout comes as Washington steps up its broader immigration crackdown, including higher work visa fees and increased deportations of undocumented migrants. The programme promises residency “in record time,” with the $1 million fee serving as proof of an applicant’s economic value. Companies sponsoring foreign workers must pay $2 million plus additional charges. A premium “platinum” card offering tax breaks will cost $5 million. Applicants must also pay a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee before their application is reviewed. Additional government fees may apply based on individual circumstances. The Gold Card website features the slogan “Unlock life in America,” alongside an image of the card bearing Trump’s photo. The plan has drawn criticism since it was first announced in February, with Democrats arguing it favours the wealthy. Trump has compared the card to a green card but said it is aimed at “high-level” professionals. “The people who can pay $5 million will create jobs,” Trump said. “It’s going to sell like crazy.” The launch comes as the Trump administration expands enforcement measures, halting immigration applications from 19 countries under the travel ban and freezing all decisions on asylum cases approved during the Biden administration. In September, Trump ordered a $100,000 fee for new overseas H-1B visa applicants, sparking concern among foreign students and tech companies. The White House later clarified the fee applies only to new applicants outside the US.   With inputs from BBC

The annual Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday as Chinese leaders decided priorities for the economic work in 2026. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the conference. In his speech, Xi reviewed the country's economic work in 2025, analyzed the current economic situation and arranged next year's economic work. It was noted at the meeting that 2025 is a truly extraordinary year, and the main targets for economic and social development will be successfully achieved. As the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) is set to approach a successful conclusion, the meeting noted that over the past five years, China has effectively navigated various shocks and challenges, and achieved new major accomplishments in the cause of the Party and the country. It is necessary to fully tap the economic potential, continue to pursue both policy support and reform and innovation, ensure both market vitality and effective regulation, combine investment in physical assets with investment in human capital, and respond to external challenges by strengthening internal capabilities, the meeting said. Noting that there are still long-standing and new challenges in China's economic development, and the impact of changes in the external environment has deepened while risks and hidden dangers persist in some key areas, the meeting said that these issues can be resolved through efforts, and the underlying conditions and fundamental trends sustaining China's long-term economic growth remain unchanged. The conference stressed the need to fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy, move faster to forge a new development paradigm and focus on promoting high-quality development. China will adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, better coordinate domestic economic work with struggles in the international economic and trade arena, and ensure both development and security. The country will implement more proactive and impactful macroeconomic policies, formulate more far-sighted, more targeted and better-coordinated policies, continuously expand domestic demand and optimize supply, and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Efforts will be made to develop a unified national market and continuously prevent and defuse risks in key areas. It is imperative to secure the steady development of employment, businesses, markets and expectations, getting the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) off to a good start. China will continue to implement a more proactive fiscal policy and maintain necessary fiscal deficits, overall debt levels and expenditure scale, while standardizing tax incentives and fiscal subsidy policies. Greater attention should be given to addressing local fiscal difficulties, and Party and government bodies will continue to keep their belts tightened. China will continue implementing a moderately loose monetary policy, employ various monetary policy tools such as reserve requirement ratios and interest rates in a flexible and efficient manner to maintain ample liquidity. China will guide financial institutions to scale up support for domestic demand expansion, sci-tech innovation, micro, small and medium enterprises, and other key areas. The RMB exchange rate will be kept generally stable at an adaptive, balanced level, the meeting said, adding that China will make macro policy orientations more consistent and effective, and refine expectations management mechanisms to bolster social confidence.

Tens of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets Wednesday to protest alleged government corruption, just weeks before the country adopts the euro as its official currency. The demonstrations followed last week’s rallies against the government’s 2026 budget proposals, which included higher taxes, increased social security contributions, and spending hikes. The government later withdrew the plan, but protesters have expanded their demands, calling for Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s resignation. In Sofia, crowds gathered near the parliament, government, and presidential offices, chanting slogans such as “Resignation” and “Mafia.” Student groups from local universities joined the protests, which organizers said exceeded last week’s 50,000-strong rallies. Drone footage suggested over 100,000 participants. Central to the unrest is Bulgarian politician and oligarch Delyan Peevski, sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K., whose MRF New Beginning party supports the government. Opponents accuse Peevski of influencing government policies to serve oligarchic interests. No violence was reported, and the protests concluded peacefully. Meanwhile, the opposition coalition We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria filed a no-confidence motion against the government, the sixth such attempt, scheduled for Thursday. President Rumen Radev, a government critic, described the protests as a symbolic vote of no confidence and urged lawmakers to respect the public’s demands. Bulgaria, a nation of 6.4 million, is set to join the eurozone on Jan. 1, becoming the 21st EU country to adopt the euro.  

Former Bolivian President Luis Arce was arrested Wednesday in a corruption investigation, just a month after conservative President Rodrigo Paz took office, ending two decades of socialist rule. Authorities said Arce faces charges of breach of duty and financial misconduct tied to alleged embezzlement from public funds during his tenure as economy minister under former President Evo Morales (2006–2019). A special anti-corruption police unit confirmed he was in custody at its La Paz headquarters. Marco Antonio Oviedo, a senior official in Paz’s government, said Arce’s arrest demonstrates the administration’s commitment to tackling high-level graft. “We will arrest all those responsible for this massive embezzlement,” he said. Arce’s supporters, however, called the arrest politically motivated. Maria Nela Prada, a former minister and ally of Arce, described the detention as an abuse of power, noting that he was taken from the street without prior notice. Authorities allege that Arce and other officials diverted around $700 million from the state-run Indigenous Peasant Development Fund, intended to support rural Indigenous communities. Arce, who served on the fund’s board from 2006 to 2017, is accused of misusing the money for personal expenses. Bolivia’s attorney general, Roger Mariaca, said Arce invoked his right to remain silent and will appear before a judge to determine whether he will stay in custody pending trial. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 4–6 years. Paz won the October elections amid public anger over economic mismanagement, including soaring inflation, fuel shortages, and depleted state coffers under Arce’s administration. His running mate, Vice President Edman Lara, vowed that the arrest is the first of a series of anti-corruption actions. Bolivia’s judiciary has long been criticized for political bias, with past administrations using courts to target opponents. Morales and Arce previously used the system to pursue their political rivals, while former interim President Jeanine Añez and right-wing leaders were jailed, though many have since been released under the current administration. President Paz is now reversing many leftist policies, signaling a shift in Bolivia’s political landscape after years of polarized governance.