United News of Bangladesh

Pakistan carried out a test launch of a ballistic missile on Saturday, escalating tensions with neighboring India following a deadly shooting last month targeting tourists in the contested Kashmir region. The military said the surface-to-surface missile, part of the Abdali Weapon System, has a range of 450 kilometers (around 280 miles). The test was intended to verify the operational readiness of forces and the missile’s technical capabilities, including an upgraded navigation system and improved maneuverability. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the successful test. These missile launches are typically directed toward the Arabian Sea or remote desert regions like southwestern Balochistan—not toward the Indian border. India, which has accused Pakistan of involvement in the April 22 gun attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left several tourists dead—a claim Islamabad has denied—has not responded to the missile launch. Multiple countries send aircraft to help Israel battle widespread wildfire India’s navy conducted its own military exercises on April 27, confirming it had performed anti-ship missile tests to demonstrate its platforms’ readiness for precision strikes. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar recently claimed the country had “credible intelligence” that India was planning to launch an attack soon. Kashmir remains a deeply contested territory, with both nations claiming it in full while controlling different parts.    

Neelum Valley in northern Pakistan attracts some 300,000 tourists each summer who marvel at its natural beauty. But the threat of war with nearby India has emptied its hotels. Gunmen last week killed 26 people in the Indian resort town of Pahalgam, fueling tensions between the nuclear-armed nations after India blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge Pakistan denies. Neelum Valley is less than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, making it vulnerable to any military activity. Hotel owner Rafaqat Hussain said Thursday the crisis has hit the tourism industry hard. “Most tourists have left and returned to their cities because there is a risk of war.” Authorities in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir temporarily shuttered dozens of tourist resorts following the attack as a precaution. No such order has come from Pakistani authorities. Bazaars in the Pakistani border town of Chakothi were open for business, although people were concerned. “First of all, our prayer is for peace, as war always affects civilians first,” shop owner Bashir Mughal told The Associated Press, saying he would fight alongside the army in the event of conflict. Pakistan used to help residents to build bunkers near their homes during periods of intense cross-border firing. But the population has grown and some homes lack shelters. “Local casualties could be devastating if war breaks out,” Mughal warned. Saiqa Naseer, also from Chakothi, shuddered at the childhood memories of frequent firing across the border. “Now, as a mother, I find myself facing the same fears,” she said. She remembered Indian shells striking the picturesque valley when the two countries came close to war in 2019. She has a bunker at her home. “If war comes, we will stay here. We won’t run away,” she said.

Singaporeans will vote Saturday in a general election that is set to return to power the city-state's long ruling party, and it will be closely watched as a gauge of public confidence in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s leadership. The People's Action Party has won every election since the Asian financial hub gained independence in 1965. Wong, who took office last year, hopes to clinch a stronger mandate after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls over voters’ rising discontent with the government. Here’s what to know about the Singapore election. How does the vote work? Singapore holds a general election every five years and voting is compulsory. Its electoral system involves single-member wards along with group representation constituencies (GRCs) where voters pick a team of up to six members rather than individual candidates. The team includes at least one member from a minority ethnic group. The GRCs ensure minority representation in Parliament, but critics say they entrench the PAP and make it harder for the opposition to contest. Ethnic Chinese are the majority in Singapore, while Malays and Indians are in the minority. Singapore calls May 3 general election as Parliament is dissolved Nearly 2.76 million voters are registered to elect 97 members of Parliament, but five seats have already been won uncontested by the PAP after the opposition failed to nominate candidates in a GRC. There are 33 constituencies, comprising 15 single-member wards and 18 GRCs. Voting opens at 8 a.m. (OOOO GMT), runs for 12 hours, and results are expected the same night. What's at stake? The election is the first test for Wong, 52, since he succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down last year after two decades at the helm. Lee’s departure marked the end of a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first leader, who built the former colonial backwater into one of the world’s richest nations during 31 years in office. Known for its clean and effective governance, the PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity. While it is assured of victory, its support is being chipped away by unhappiness over government control and a high cost of living. Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding caused by immigration and restrictions on free speech have also loosened the PAP’s grip on power. In 2020 polls, the PAP’s share of popular support slipped to a near-record low of 61%, down from nearly 70% in 2015. The PAP kept 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, but it ceded more seats to the opposition, which won 10 seats, the most ever. Singapore-India owned company to invest $ 9.24 million at BEPZA Economic Zone The opposition has acknowledged it cannot unseat the PAP but is appealing to voters for a stronger voice in Parliament. Wong, a U.S.-trained economist and former finance minister, warned this would only weaken the government as it navigates economic turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes. The government has lowered its growth forecast, and warned of a possible recession. “If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around. It will be harder for us to advance Singapore's interest. But with a clear mandate from you, my team and I can speak up for Singapore confidently,” Wong said while campaigning this week. The PAP has fielded many new faces to refresh the party. Wong offered cash handouts, vouchers and other goodies in this year's national budget, and sought to engage younger voters in developing a more balanced and inclusive Singapore. A strong PAP performance would help seal Wong's leadership and determine whether the one-party dominance in Singapore could endure over the next decade. “The ruling party has portrayed the ongoing tariffs war as a crisis for trade-reliant Singapore,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. “Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system ... as being robust enough and can accommodate more political diversity and competition?” Who are the PAP's rivals? The Workers Party, led by lawyer Pritam Singh, is the biggest opposition party and the only one with a presence in Parliament. Singh was named as Singapore's first opposition leader after the WP won 10 seats in the 2020 polls. But despite gaining ground over the years, the opposition still struggles with limited resources and talent, and fragmented support. The WP is fielding only 26 candidates in this election. Singh has said even if the WP won all 26 seats, it wouldn't hamper the PAP but lead to a more balanced political system and greater accountability. The remaining seats are contested by nine smaller opposition parties and coalitions, as well as two independent candidates. Bangladesh, Singapore seek transparent, cost-effective worker migration “The WP threat is taken seriously by the PAP and it will be a keener contest than in 2020. It remains to be seen how many more seats it will win. But even an additional seat won will add to the WP’s standing and builds on the momentum to erode the one-party dominant system,” said law professor Tan.

India will include caste details in its next census, in a move likely to have sweeping socio-economic and political ramifications for the world's most populous country. Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw didn’t say when the census would begin when he announced it would include caste information Wednesday. He said the decision demonstrated New Delhi’s commitment to the “values and interests of the society and country.” The count is likely lead to demands to raise the country’s quotas that reserve government jobs, college admissions and elected offices for some categories of castes, especially for a swathe of lower and intermediate castes that are recognized as Other Backward Classes, AP reports. India’s current policy caps quotas at 50%, with 27% reserved for OBCs. Caste is an ancient system of social hierarchy in India and is critical to Indian life and politics. There are hundreds of caste groups based on occupation and economic status across India, particularly among Hindus, but the country has limited, or outdated data on how many people belong to them. China celebrates May Day with travel boom and cultural festivities Successive Indian governments have resisted updating caste data, arguing that it could lead to social unrest. But its supporters say detailed demographic information is necessary to properly implementing India’s many social justice programs. Colonial ruler Britain began an Indian census in 1872 and counted all castes until 1931. However, independent India since 1951 only counted Dalits and Adivasis, who are referred to as scheduled castes and tribes, respectively. Everyone else’s caste was marked as general.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called senior officials in India and Pakistan in an effort to defuse the crisis that followed last week's deadly attack in Kashmir, the State Department said. Rubio urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to de-escalate tensions on Wednesday. India has vowed to punish Pakistan after accusing it of backing the attack, which Islamabad denies. The nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other's diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad. Soldiers on each side have also exchanged fire along their de facto border, driving tensions between India and Pakistan to their highest point in recent years. The region of Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory. U.S. State Department’s Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio in his call with Jaishankar expressed sorrow over last week’s massacre. He also reaffirmed the U.S.’s "commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,” Bruce said. Jaishankar on Thursday said he discussed the last week’s massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, were killed, with Rubio, adding that “perpetrators, backers and planners” of the attack “must be brought to justice.” Dozens of tourist resorts in Indian-controlled Kashmir are closed after deadly attack Rubio also spoke to Sharif on Wednesday evening and “emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia,” according to a Pakistani statement. It said Sharif rejected the Indian allegations and “urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.” Public anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth.” A Pakistani minister has said that Pakistan has “credible intelligence” that India is planning to attack it within days. Indian and Pakistani troops have exchange fire over the past six nights, with each side blaming the other for firing first. Tensions persist along India-Pakistan Kashmir border amid cross-border skirmishes The Indian army in a statement on Thursday said it responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from Pakistan in the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The previous day, Pakistan’s state-run media said Indian forces had violated the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control by initiating fire with heavy weapons on troops in the Mandal sector of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The incidents could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region.

Operations at the Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) were briefly disrupted late Tuesday night after aviation authorities issued a high alert for undisclosed reasons, official sources confirmed. The alert, issued at 11:48 p.m. local time (1848 GMT) on April 29, remained in effect until 12:21 a.m. (1921 GMT) the following day, halting outbound flights for about 33 minutes. During the shutdown, boarding was suspended for three international flights—PK-233 and PA-210 to Dubai, and PK-287 to Doha—according to sources speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity. While the cause of the alert has not been disclosed, inbound flights continued unaffected and normal operations resumed shortly after the alert was lifted. Pakistan warns of imminent Indian Military Strike amid rising tensions Airport authorities emphasized that standard safety procedures were strictly followed to ensure passenger security. Islamabad International Airport is a major aviation gateway in Pakistan, handling significant domestic and international traffic. The temporary disrupttion caused concern among passengers, but services returned to normal soon after midnight.

Fourteen people have died, and several others have sustained burns after a massive fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata's Burrabazar on Tuesday night. The blaze started around 8:30 PM at Hotel Rituraj, located in the Mechua fruit market area of Burrabazar. One hotel employee died after jumping from the roof while attempting to escape the fire. Once the fire was contained, firefighters and disaster response teams entered the building for a search operation. During the operation, 13 additional charred bodies were found in various rooms of the hotel. Police Commissioner Manoj Verma confirmed that 14 bodies had been recovered from the hotel, and several individuals were rescued. A special team has been assigned to investigate the incident, and further inquiries are ongoing. The bodies have been sent to RG Kar Hospital and Neel Ratan Sarkar Medical College for post-mortem. Source: With input from India TV news

Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir temporarily closed dozens of the tourist resorts in the scenic Himalayan region after last week’s deadly attack on tourists raised tensions between India and Pakistan and led to an intensifying security crackdown in Kashmir. At least two police officers and three administrative officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Tuesday that the decision to shut 48 of the 87 government-authorized resorts was a safety precaution. They did not specify how long these places would be out of bounds for visitors. The decision comes a week after gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, near the resort town of Pahalgam. The massacre set off tit-for-tat diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan that included cancellation of visas and a recall of diplomats. New Delhi also suspended a crucial water sharing treaty with Islamabad and ordered its border shut with Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines. India accuses Pakistan of backing the attack India has described the massacre as a “terror attack” and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan has denied any connection to the attack, and it was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance. Tensions persist along India-Pakistan Kashmir border amid cross-border skirmishes Some tourists who survived the massacre have told Indian media that the gunmen singled out Hindu men and shot them from close range. The dead included a Nepalese citizen and a local Muslim pony ride operator. Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. New Delhi describes all militancy in Indian-controlled Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle. Tensions spike between India and Pakistan As tensions escalate, cross-border firing between soldiers of India and Pakistan has also increased along the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates Kashmiri territory between the two rivals. On Tuesday, the Indian army in a statement said it had responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from multiple Pakistan army posts for a fifth consecutive night. The incidents could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region. Early Wednesday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had credible intelligence that India intended to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours over the “baseless and concocted allegations of involvement” in the Pahalgam attack. He said in the statement that Pakistan would respond to any such action and the responsibility for any consequences of the escalation lay with India. Indian officials had no immediate comment. The U.S. State Department called for deescalation and said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be speaking soon to the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers. Pakistani troops shot down a small Indian spy drone that flew hundreds of meters into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, three Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity as they weren’t allowed to speak to the media. The drone was shot down on Monday in the border town of Bhimber, they said. Meanwhile, government forces in the region have detained and questioned nearly 2,000 people, officials and residents said. Many of the detained are former rebels fighting against Indian rule and others who officials describe as “over ground workers” of militants, a term authorities use for civilians suspected of associating with insurgents. Fresh crossfire along Kashmir border amid rising India-Pakistan tensions Indian soldiers have demolished the family homes of at least nine suspected militants across Kashmir, using explosives. The region’s top pro-India leaders have supported action against suspected militants but also questioned the demolitions. Omar Abdullah, the region’s chief minister, said Monday that any heavy-handed tactics against civilians should be avoided. “We should not take any step that will alienate people,” Abdullah told the region’s lawmakers during a legislative session. Ruhullah Mehdi, a lawmaker from the region in India’s national parliament, termed the demolitions of homes as “collective punishment.” Cancellations overwhelm Kashmir tourism industry Indian tourism has flourished in Kashmir after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government promoted visits to the region with the hope of showing rising tourism numbers as a sign of renewed stability there. Millions of visitors arrive in Kashmir to see its Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, despite regular skirmishes between insurgents and government forces. According to official data, close to 3 million tourists visited the region in 2024, a rise from 2.71 million visitors in 2023 and 2.67 million in 2022. Indian Military accuses Pakistan of firing across Kashmir border amid rising tensions But last week's attack has left many tourists scared and some have left the region. Widespread cancellations are also being reported by tour operators, with some estimates putting the number at more than 1 million.

Ongoing hostilities between India and Pakistan continue to raise fears of further conflict, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week. On Tuesday, Indian authorities closed dozens of tourist sites in the disputed Himalayan region, while Pakistan announced plans for legal action over India’s decision to suspend a key water-sharing agreement. Meanwhile, both sides exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC) — the 740km unofficial frontier — for a fifth consecutive night. Pakistan also claimed it had shot down an Indian drone, fueling concerns of military escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Officials in Indian-administered Kashmir confirmed that 48 of 87 state-approved tourist locations had been closed, though no timeline was given for reopening. The move prompted many visitors to leave the region in haste. Escalating Diplomatic Row India blames Pakistan for backing “cross-border terrorism” after an attack last week that killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists. Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation. The incident has triggered a series of retaliatory diplomatic steps, including the suspension of visas, expulsion of diplomats, and closures of borders and airspace. India has also barred Pakistani citizens from entering the country and suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which supports a significant portion of Pakistan’s agricultural irrigation. In response, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice, Aqeel Malik, said his country is preparing to challenge India’s actions at international legal forums, including the World Bank and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He also said Pakistan may approach the International Court of Justice, citing violations of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Risk of Conflict Grows Firing continued along the LoC, with the Indian army accusing Pakistani forces of initiating “unprovoked” gunfire. No casualties were reported by India. While Pakistan has not officially confirmed the skirmish, state media claimed its military had downed an Indian unmanned aerial vehicle that allegedly violated its airspace. India has not responded to the allegation. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that the country was bracing for a possible military incursion by India. Sources: Al Jazeera, News Agencies  

The humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of survivors remain desperately pressing a month after Myanmar’s deadly earthquake, compounded by airstrikes that the military government is reportedly carrying out despite ceasefires meant to aid relief efforts during the country’s civil war. The 7.7 magnitude March 28 quake hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states, including the capital, Naypyitaw. Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported Monday there had been 157 aftershocks after the big quake, ranging in magnitude from 2.8 to 7.5. Quake death toll rises State-run MRTV television reported on Sunday the quake’s death toll had reached 3,769, with 5,106 people injured and 107 still missing. The earthquake left many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaged roads and bridges, in addition to tens of thousands of buildings. In some quake-hit areas, bereaved relatives and friends of the disaster’s victims on Monday offered donations to monks, a Buddhist tradition to transfer merit and blessings to the deceased. Military airstrikes continue A report released Monday by the Myanmar Witness project of the London-based Centre for Information Resilience said the group had documented 80 post-quake airstrikes by the military across multiple regions, including 65 after the army declared its unilateral ceasefire on April 2, following similar declarations by its battlefield foes. 112 aftershocks hit Myanmar following devastating earthquake Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army’s 2021 takeover ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which led to nationwide peaceful protests that escalated into armed resistance, uniting pro-democracy activists and ethnic minority guerrilla groups that have long been fighting for autonomy “Myanmar’s population was already on its knees after years of SAC aggression and armed conflict,” said Myanmar Witness project director Robert Dolan, referring to the military’s ruling State Administration Council. “The layers of suffering are hard to comprehend — we’ve seen regions wrecked by war and then the earthquake, only to sustain further damage from continued airstrikes.” The bombings have primarily targeted civilian areas — markets, residential zones, Buddhist monasteries, and Christian churches — resulting in the deaths of over 200 civilians, including at least 24 children, from March 28 to April 19, 2025, according to a statement from the shadow National Unity Government, the main opposition group coordinating resistance to military rule. Dave Eubank, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who founded the Free Burma Rangers, a private aid organization, said two of his medics had been killed in military attacks since the earthquake, which have primarily struck villages. “These attacks have now slowed down at all, attacks by drones, airstrikes, mortars and artillery continue unabated,” said Eubank, who was in Myanmar when the earthquake hit but is currently outside the country, though his teams continue to operate there. “They have been widespread and lethal, mostly to villagers — very few of the resistance have been killed by them.” The military government hasn’t directly commented on the airstrikes, but when it extended its ceasefire on April 22, it reserved the right to respond as “necessary” to certain activities by the resistance forces. Agencies warn of dire living conditions U.N. agencies and other humanitarian organizations, meanwhile, stress that living conditions remain dire for earthquake survivors. Even before the earthquake, the civil war had displaced more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need. “Critical needs remain for safe shelter, clean water and sanitation, physical and mental health care, comprehensive protection services and cash assistance,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday in its latest situation report. Many who lost their homes are still in makeshift tents with little to protect them from pre-monsoon storms ahead of the months-long rainy season, which normally begins in May, and limited access to safe drinking water and clean sanitation raises the threat of waterborne diseases, the U.N. said. Myanmar youths raise funds with Lion Dance for earthquake victims The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a report released Monday that displaced people were living outdoors in temperatures of up to forty degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with an overwhelming fear of further aftershocks. Reconstruction starts In Naypyitaw, the damaged buildings of the labor and foreign ministries have been demolished for new construction, said a resident who asked not to be named for security reasons. Debris at markets and schools has been cleaned by municipal workers, while thousands of people, who lost their homes, were still living under tarpaulin sheets, he said. He said that he was told that the departments and offices of several ministries will be temporarily relocated to Yangon, the country’s former capital and largest city, until their offices can be rebuilt.