United News of Bangladesh

Marking a glorious chapter in human history, a bust of Yuri Gagarin was unveiled on Sunday to commemorate 65 years since the first human spaceflight. Speaking at the event, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin said Gagarin was not merely a cosmonaut but a symbol of humanity. He emphasised that science knows no borders and that space exploration represents a shared dream of humankind. Yuri Gagarin had become the first human to conquer space. President of the Russian Friendship Society with Bangladesh Mia Sattar described the sculpture as more than a memorial, calling it a symbol of the future. He said bilateral ties between the two countries are steadily strengthening, particularly in the areas of science, education, and cultural cooperation. He said such initiatives would inspire young people and encourage the next generation to engage in space research. Alexandra Khlevnoy, Director of the Russian House in Dhaka, and Munira Sultana, Director General of the National Museum of Science and Technology, among others, were present. The speakers highlighted a shared message - friendship, cooperation, and progress. The programme, jointly organised by the Russian Friendship Society with Bangladesh, the Russian Association for International Cooperation, and the Russian House, carried special significance, they said. The event also pointed to a promising possibility that one day, a Bangladeshi astronaut may travel to space, which sparked renewed hope among attendees. The bust now stands as more than a work of art, said the organisers, adding that it conveys a message - to advance scientific inquiry, to break boundaries, and to dream. Perhaps one day, from this very museum courtyard, a young mind will begin its journey toward the stars, the organizers said. A distinct atmosphere prevailed at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Agargaon, Dhaka, as the venue buzzed with a festive spirit as students, researchers, and diplomats gathered in large numbers.

On a sunny weekend in central Moscow, dozens of people queued outside a presidential administration building, as police watched closely. They came to voice complaints over the government’s increasing restrictions on the internet, which have included frequent cellphone internet shutdowns, blocked messaging apps, and limited access to thousands of websites and digital services. The moves have stirred growing frustration among Russians, affecting daily life, harming businesses, and drawing criticism even from some Kremlin supporters. Knowing that unauthorized protests are harshly suppressed, activists have focused on authorized rallies, putting up posters, and filing lawsuits, while business leaders have urged authorities to ease the measures. Even Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took a subtle jab at Russia during a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin on April 1, noting that social media in Armenia “is 100% free” without restrictions, prompting an unsmiling reaction from Putin. The internet clampdown has disrupted digital life, making tasks like ordering taxis, paying bills, and staying in touch with family and friends difficult. Kremlin critic Boris Nadezhdin told AP, “This infuriates a huge number of people.” A push for full control Russia has long sought total control over the internet, blocking tens of thousands of websites, messaging apps, and social media platforms that refuse to cooperate. While users have turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions, authorities have also blocked many of these tools. Last year, shutdowns escalated to include cellphone internet and sometimes broadband, leaving only government-approved sites and apps accessible. Officials claim the measures target Ukrainian drones using Russian networks during the ongoing invasion, but ordinary citizens and businesses in areas unaffected by drones see them as harmful. WhatsApp and Telegram, the country’s two most popular messaging apps, have faced repeated blocks, while a government-backed app, MAX, is being promoted—widely viewed as a surveillance tool. Voice and video calls were initially blocked, followed by messaging, which often now requires a VPN. Lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan of digital rights group RKS Global said the government aims to confine users to a “digital ghetto” of Russian-controlled apps, adding, “The internet is no longer this universal digital good.” Business voices concerns Business leaders have called for moderation, highlighting the impact on daily life and commerce. Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told Putin that cellphone internet shutdowns “made life difficult for both businesses and citizens.” CEOs of major telecom operators also suggested targeted restrictions on suspicious users instead of broad shutdowns. IT entrepreneur Natalya Kasperskaya criticized the blocking of VPNs for causing weekend outages in banking and other services, calling for dialogue between authorities and the IT sector. Cautious activism Activists across Russia have attempted rallies since late February, seeking authorization under strict protest laws. Many applications were rejected, and some organizers were arrested, but small pickets and poster campaigns have taken place. Nadezhdin and other groups have applied to hold rallies on April 12, Cosmonautics Day, highlighting the link between science, technology, progress, and internet connectivity. “Public frustration is enormous,” he said, noting that people are willing to join authorized protests. Moscow-based opposition politician Yulia Galyamina echoed the sentiment, saying public discontent over internet restrictions, especially Telegram, “is truly widespread” and growing.  

Russian Ambassador Alexander Khozin and Military, Air and Naval Attaché Colonel Pavel Ivashinnikov on Tuesday held talks with Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh’s Armed Forces Division, on enhancing military and technical cooperation. The discussions covered current and potential areas of collaboration and explored ways to expand the legal framework governing bilateral military cooperation, said the Russian Embassy in Dhaka.

Russia carried out a large-scale drone and missile attack on civilian areas across Ukraine, killing at least four people and injuring 27 others, officials said Tuesday, amid indications that Moscow may be launching a new spring offensive. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired nearly 400 long-range drones overnight in one of the biggest attacks in recent weeks. The assault continued into Tuesday morning, with dozens of drones targeting the capital, Kyiv, even during daylight hours. In addition, Russia launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles overnight, hitting at least 10 locations across the country. Ukraine has been facing constant attacks since Russia began its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Efforts to reach a ceasefire through US-led talks have failed, while the ongoing Iran conflict has shifted global focus away from Ukraine. Along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces are preparing for increased attacks as weather conditions improve. Army chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian troops have recently tried to break through defenses in several key areas. “Intense fighting is ongoing along the entire front line,” Syrskyi said, adding that Russia launched 619 attacks over four days. He noted that Ukraine has sent reinforcements to counter the assaults. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said recent developments suggest Russia’s spring-summer offensive is already underway, with increased troop deployments and heavier equipment near the front lines. Despite stepping up attacks, Russia has so far made only limited territorial gains and currently controls about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Facing a shortage of troops, Ukraine has relied heavily on advanced drone technology. Kyiv is also seeking to exchange its battlefield drone expertise with Western and Gulf partners for much-needed air defence systems.Meanwhile, Russia said it intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over its regions, Crimea and the Black Sea.

At least four people were killed and 15 others injured after Russia launched a large overnight missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region early Saturday, local officials said. Mykola Kalashnyk, head of Kyiv’s regional administration, said the strikes hit four districts, damaging homes, schools, businesses and key infrastructure. Three of the injured were in critical condition and two of them were undergoing surgery, he said in a social media post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the main target of the attack was energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region. According to him, Russia launched about 430 drones and 68 missiles during the overnight assault. The attack came shortly after the United States postponed planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this week, citing the ongoing war in the Middle East. Despite strong criticism of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Russia has not taken direct action to support its ally. Analysts say Moscow’s limited response shows the limits of its influence, although the Kremlin could still gain from the situation. Rising global energy prices are boosting Russia’s revenues, while the Middle East conflict may also shift international attention away from Ukraine. Zelenskyy warned that Russia could use the global crisis to intensify attacks on Ukraine and urged Western partners to focus fully on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. “Russia will try to take advantage of the war in the Middle East to cause even more destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,” he said on social media. He called for increased production of air defense missiles in Europe, especially those capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, to better protect civilians. Ukraine is also waiting for approval from the White House for a proposed joint drone production agreement with the United States, which Kyiv believes would help strengthen its defenses. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy also criticized Washington’s decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian oil exports for 30 days, saying the move could provide Moscow with about $10 billion and prolong the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck targets in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight. Local officials said an oil refinery and the Port Kavkaz facility were hit, injuring three people and damaging a service vessel and port infrastructure.  Authorities also said falling drone debris caused a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery, though no casualties were reported there. Both Russia and Ukraine have recently claimed progress along the front lines, with Kyiv saying its forces pushed back Russian troops in some areas, while Moscow insists its offensive continues to advance.  

Scientists have found possible evidence suggesting that some killer whales may hunt and eat their own species in waters near Russia. The discovery comes after two severed fins of killer whales were found on a remote Russian island. According to a recent study, both fins carried clear tooth marks from other killer whales, raising concerns that some orcas may be attacking members of their own species. Dr. Olga Filatova, an associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark, said she first saw photographs of the fins sent by her long-time collaborator Sergey Fomin. She said the discovery was unexpected. “When he found the first one, it was very surprising,” Filatova told BBC Science Focus, adding that scientists never expected to witness such behaviour in their lifetime. Genetic tests showed the fins belonged to resident killer whales, a population that mainly eats fish and lives in close family groups spanning several generations. Researchers believe the likely attackers were transient killer whales, another group that lives in the same waters but hunts marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and even other whales. Scientifically, the incident could be considered cannibalism because all killer whales belong to a single species, ‘Orcinus orca’. However, Filatova noted that resident and transient killer whales rarely mix, do not interbreed and may not even recognise each other as the same type of animal. Researchers believe the attacks may have occurred during large gatherings when many resident whale families meet for breeding. During these events, young whales can become separated from their family groups, making them easier targets for mammal-hunting orcas. Both fins belonged to young whales. Scientists also noted that predators often remove fins when hunting to reach the flesh underneath. While the findings are based on only two fins, researchers say the evidence could help explain why resident killer whales maintain such strong family bonds, possibly as protection against predators from other killer whale groups.

The United Kingdom has said it wants action to be taken following findings that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny died after being poisoned, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Sunday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Cooper said European laboratory tests indicated Navalny was killed using a rare toxin derived from dart frogs, adding that the evidence pointed to a breach of international chemical weapons rules. Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a Siberian prison in 2024 while serving a sentence that Western governments and his supporters had described as politically motivated. Russian authorities have previously said he died of natural causes. Cooper said the UK and its allies had been pursuing the circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death since it occurred and were now seeking accountability through international mechanisms. She said a group of European ministers had reported the findings to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for further action. Asked about possible steps, Cooper said Britain would continue to consider coordinated measures with its allies, including sanctions against Russia, as part of its broader response to Moscow’s actions, including the war in Ukraine. Russia’s embassy in London has denied any involvement in Navalny’s death and rejected the poisoning allegations, describing them as unfounded. The issue has renewed calls within the UK for tougher measures against Russia, with opposition figures also urging stronger enforcement of existing sanctions.   With inputs from BBC

Five European nations have concluded that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a rare toxin derived from poison dart frogs, escalating accusations against the Kremlin over his death. Foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said laboratory analysis of samples taken from Navalny’s body found the presence of epibatidine, a potent neurotoxin naturally secreted by dart frogs in South America but also capable of being manufactured synthetically. In a joint statement, the countries said Russia had the “means, motive and opportunity” to administer the poison and announced plans to report Moscow to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for an alleged breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, died on Feb 16, 2024, in an Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence he said was politically motivated. Russian authorities have maintained that he died of natural causes, denying any involvement. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, said she had been convinced from the outset that her husband was poisoned and that new findings now provided proof. She again accused Putin of being responsible and called for accountability. At least 6,000 killed over 3 days during RSF attack on Sudan’s el-Fasher, UN says European officials said epibatidine affects the nervous system in a manner similar to nerve agents, causing breathing difficulties, seizures, slowed heart rate and potentially death. They expressed high confidence in the findings but acknowledged the investigation was complex and time-consuming. Navalny survived a previous poisoning in 2020 involving a nerve agent attack he blamed on the Kremlin. He later returned to Russia after treatment in Germany and was immediately arrested, spending the final years of his life in prison. The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected accusations of using chemical or biological weapons against political opponents.

Britain and several European allies have said Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed using a rare poison made from a dart frog toxin, blaming the Russian state for his death. In a joint statement issued two years after Navalny died in a Siberian penal colony, the UK, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands said tests found traces of epibatidine in samples taken from his body. The toxin has no natural link to Russia and there is no innocent explanation for its presence, the UK Foreign Office said. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said only the Russian government had the means, motive and opportunity to use such a lethal substance against Navalny during his imprisonment. She made the remarks while speaking at the Munich Security Conference. The allies said epibatidine is found naturally only in certain wild dart frogs in South America. It is not produced by frogs in captivity and does not occur naturally in Russia. They said the Russian state should be held responsible for Navalny’s death. The UK has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons about what it described as a possible breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Navalny’s courage and said his fight to expose the truth left a lasting legacy. France’s Foreign Minister Jean Noël Barrot also paid tribute, saying Navalny was killed for his struggle for a free and democratic Russia. Navalny, a leading anti corruption campaigner and fierce critic of the Kremlin, died in custody on Feb 16, 2024, at the age of 47. He had been jailed for several years on charges widely seen by critics as politically motivated. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has long said her husband was poisoned in prison. Reacting to the latest findings, she said she was convinced from the first day that he had been poisoned and thanked European states for uncovering the truth after detailed work. The Kremlin has not commented on the allegations. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously avoided mentioning Navalny by name and gave only a brief remark after his death. Experts say epibatidine is an extremely rare neurotoxin and far stronger than morphine. It can affect the nervous system and lead to paralysis, breathing failure and death.   With inputs from BBC

The final remaining nuclear arms agreement between the United States and Russia expired on Thursday, eliminating limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in over 50 years. Experts warn that the end of the New START Treaty could trigger an unchecked nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously expressed willingness to extend the treaty for another year if Washington agreed, but U.S. President Donald Trump has remained noncommittal. Trump has suggested including China in any future deal, an idea Beijing has rejected. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin discussed the treaty’s expiration with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, noting that the U.S. has not responded to Russia’s extension proposal. “Russia will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” Ushakov added. Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated Wednesday night that, under the current circumstances, both parties are no longer bound by any obligations under the New START Treaty and are free to choose their next steps. US launches plan to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals Signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, New START limited each side to 1,550 nuclear warheads and 700 delivery systems, including missiles and bombers. The treaty, originally set to expire in 2021, was extended for five years and included on-site inspections to verify compliance, which halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2023, Putin suspended Russia’s participation in inspections, citing concerns over U.S. and NATO statements regarding Russia’s defeat in Ukraine, while emphasizing that Moscow would still respect the warhead limits. In September, he proposed adhering to New START’s limits for one more year to allow negotiations on a successor pact, warning that the treaty’s expiration could destabilize global security and fuel nuclear proliferation. New START follows a series of previous U.S.-Russia nuclear arms reduction agreements, all of which have since ended. While Trump has expressed a desire to maintain nuclear limits, he insists China be included in any new treaty. Beijing, which has a smaller but expanding nuclear arsenal, has refused to participate in nuclear disarmament talks, urging the U.S. to resume dialogue with Russia. US seeks critical minerals trading bloc with allies to counter China “China’s nuclear forces are not on the same scale as those of the U.S. and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday, calling on Washington to respond positively to Russia’s suggestion to continue observing the treaty’s core limits.