United News of Bangladesh

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day address in Moscow’s Red Square to defend the war in Ukraine and criticise NATO, as the annual parade took place on a reduced scale this year. Addressing military personnel and a limited number of foreign leaders, Putin described the conflict in Ukraine as a “just” war and accused NATO of backing Kyiv. “They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the whole bloc of NATO. And despite this, our heroes move forward,” he said, referring to Russian troops involved in what Moscow calls its “special military operation.” The ceremony marked Russia’s most important national holiday, commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. However, celebrations were more subdued compared to previous years. For the first time in recent years, the parade did not feature armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles, though large numbers of troops marched across Red Square under heightened security. Putin began his speech by honouring the sacrifices of Soviet soldiers during World War II, saying their legacy continues to inspire Russian forces today. “The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” he said. He also praised the contributions of ordinary citizens, including scientists, doctors, teachers and workers, to the country’s war effort. Ahead of the event, Russia and Ukraine agreed to observe a three-day ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump. Among the leaders present at the parade were Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Fewer international leaders attended compared to last year’s event. Following the ceremony, Putin laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and later hosted a reception at the Kremlin. Victory Day events were also held earlier in Russia’s eastern regions, including Vladivostok, where people took part in the traditional “Immortal Regiment” march to honour war veterans.Source: BBC  

Spanish authorities are preparing to evacuate more than 140 passengers and crew from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak as it heads toward the Canary Islands, health officials said Friday. The vessel is expected to arrive near the island of Tenerife, off the northwest coast of Africa, on Saturday or Sunday. Authorities said passengers will be transferred in a strictly controlled and isolated area. “They will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said Virginia Barcones, head of Spain’s emergency services. Spain is coordinating with multiple governments to arrange evacuation plans for their nationals on board. The United States has agreed to send an aircraft to repatriate 17 American citizens, while the United Kingdom will charter a plane to evacuate nearly two dozen British passengers. At least three people have died in the outbreak, while several others have fallen ill. The World Health Organization has assessed the risk to the general public as low, noting that hantavirus is mainly transmitted through contact with contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily spread between humans. Health officials said none of the remaining passengers or crew currently show symptoms. The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed the situation on Thursday. However, international health agencies are still tracing passengers who disembarked earlier, including more than two dozen people from at least 12 countries who left the ship without formal contact tracing after an April 24 stop. Some countries are now tracking potential secondary exposures. UK health authorities on Friday said a third British national is suspected of being infected while on Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic. Two other British passengers have already tested positive, with one hospitalized in the Netherlands and another in South Africa. South African authorities are also tracking contacts linked to passengers who left the ship earlier, including travelers who passed through Johannesburg after disembarking in St. Helena. Officials continue to monitor the situation as evacuation preparations intensify in the Canary Islands.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said that sanctions on Iran will not be lifted unless the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened and free of restrictions imposed by Iranian forces. “We ourselves have imposed significant sanctions on Iran. But it is out of the question that any sanction whatsoever be lifted as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked,” Barrot told French broadcaster RTL. “It cannot be blocked, subjected to tolls, or used as leverage or blackmail.” France must ensure it never finds itself again in a situation where it’s forced to pay the price for wars it didn’t choose to launch, Barrot said. “That is why we must focus on … how Europe can rid itself of all these dependencies on hydrocarbons and oil – no longer being dependent on oil, no longer being dependent on digital technologies. In short, no longer being dependent on things that, in one way or another, draw us into conflicts, disasters, and crises in which we are not participants.” Input from Al Jazeera  

Voting began across the United Kingdom on Thursday in local and regional elections widely viewed as a major test of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership, with his governing Labour Party bracing for significant losses. Millions of voters are choosing around 5,000 local council members, along with several mayors in England, and representatives for semi-autonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales. Polls opened at 7:00am and are set to close at 10:00pm (2100 GMT), with most results expected on Friday. Although local elections typically focus on municipal services, analysts say this vote has taken on national significance and is being treated as a midterm verdict on Starmer’s government. Labour, which holds about 2,500 council seats, is expected to lose ground after a difficult period for the prime minister, whose popularity has declined amid economic challenges, strained public services, and rising living costs. His government has also faced criticism over policy missteps and political controversies, including the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, which drew backlash due to his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. Political analysts say the election could further weaken Starmer’s position within his party, though immediate leadership change is considered unlikely. Far-right Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is expected to be one of the biggest winners, targeting working-class voters in former Labour strongholds with an anti-establishment and anti-immigration platform. The Green Party is also projected to gain seats in urban and university areas, while the Conservative Party is expected to suffer losses, with the Liberal Democrats making modest gains. Experts say the results could signal a fragmentation of Britain’s traditional two-party system, with smaller parties increasingly challenging Labour and the Conservatives. Despite internal pressure, Starmer did not directly mention the Conservatives in his final campaign message, instead framing the vote as a choice between Labour’s “progress and a better future” and what he described as the “anger and division” of Reform and “empty promises” from the Greens. Reform UK leader Farage has suggested that a strong performance for his party could threaten Starmer’s leadership within months, while both Reform and the Greens have faced scrutiny over funding and candidate controversies. In Scotland and Wales, nationalist parties are expected to maintain strong positions, even as Reform seeks to expand its influence. Observers say Labour is contesting a highly fragmented political landscape, facing competition on multiple.  

Russia carried out dozens of overnight drone attacks on Ukraine, ignoring a unilateral ceasefire declared by Kyiv that came into effect at midnight, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Russian forces launched 108 drones and three missiles, with strikes continuing through the night into Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating its own ceasefire, claiming its air defenses intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, the annexed Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday. Russia-installed governor of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov said a Ukrainian drone strike killed five people in the city of Dzhankoi shortly after midnight. There had been no indication from Moscow that it would observe Kyiv’s ceasefire, with prospects for a pause in fighting remaining slim as the war enters its fifth year following Russia’s full-scale invasion. On Tuesday, Russian drone and missile strikes killed 27 civilians and injured 120 others in Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The United Nations estimates that more than 15,000 civilians have been killed since the war began. Fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line, where Russia’s larger forces are engaged in a prolonged and costly battle against Ukraine’s defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the unilateral ceasefire after Russia signaled it would observe a separate pause later this week to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Zelenskyy warned that any violation of the ceasefire would prompt a military response. European leaders had welcomed Ukraine’s move as a sign of willingness to pursue peace. However, Sybiha said Russia’s continued attacks showed a lack of sincerity in its own ceasefire proposals linked to upcoming commemorations. “Moscow once again ignored a realistic and fair call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organizations,” he said. He urged the international community to increase pressure on Moscow through additional sanctions, diplomatic isolation, accountability for alleged war crimes, and enhanced military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.

Donald Trump has again threatened to reduce the United States’ military presence in Germany, reviving long-standing concerns among European allies about Washington’s commitment to regional security. The warning came in a social media post on Wednesday after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised the US approach to diplomacy with Iran, saying Washington risked being “humiliated” by Tehran amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict. Trump has repeatedly questioned the role of NATO and criticised allies for what he sees as insufficient support, particularly during the current conflict. He has long floated the idea of scaling back US troop deployments in Germany, a key NATO member and Europe’s largest economy. The latest remarks have reignited concerns across Europe, where officials have been bracing for a potential shift in US military strategy since Trump returned to office. Analysts say any reduction in American forces could have significant implications for European security, including support for Ukraine and broader deterrence efforts in the region. European allies have increasingly warned that they may need to assume greater responsibility for their own defence if US commitments weaken further.

Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid on Thursday as he left a building following a news conference in the German capital. Despite the incident, Pahlavi waved to supporters before getting into a vehicle that drove away from the scene. Police immediately detained the suspected perpetrator, though further details about the motive were not immediately available. Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly five decades following the overthrow of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, during the Iranian Revolution. The revolution saw millions take to the streets, forcing the shah from power. In recent years, Pahlavi has sought to reassert his role as a political figure and position himself in discussions about Iran’s future.

Ukraine has resumed oil transit from Russia to several European countries through the Druzhba pipeline, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Wednesday. Oil flows through the pipeline had been suspended since late January after a Russian strike damaged the Ukrainian section of the route, halting deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia. According to an industry source cited by the agency, pumping resumed at 12:35pm local time (0935 GMT). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that repair work on the pipeline had been completed. The Druzhba pipeline is one of Europe’s key oil supply routes, transporting Russian crude to several Central and Eastern European countries.

Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have called on the European Union to discuss the possible suspension of its association treaty with Israel, citing growing concerns over regional developments and recent policy measures. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the three countries submitted a joint letter last Friday to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, urging an urgent review of the bloc’s response, reports Al Jazeera. The letter highlights concerns over the situation in Lebanon as well as a recently passed Israeli law that предусматриes the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted in Israeli military courts. The request comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, where the issue is expected to be discussed. Meanwhile, international criticism has also intensified following reports of an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon. The incident has drawn condemnation from various quarters, including political figures and religious observers, who say it reflects a broader pattern of tensions in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have welcomed the announced reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but said the key global shipping route must remain permanently open and secure. Macron said after a meeting of around 50 countries in Paris that “we all demand the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties.” Starmer said announcements by Iran and the United States declaring the waterway open must become “both lasting and a workable proposal.” He added that France and the U.K. would lead a multinational mission to safeguard maritime shipping “as soon as conditions allow,” with military planners set to meet in London next week. Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels The Paris gathering, attended by more than 30 heads of state and government either in person or virtually, excluded the United States. It aimed to advance plans for the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative, following disruptions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that had pushed up global oil prices. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said passage for commercial vessels would remain “completely open” during a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said American naval restrictions would continue until a full agreement with Iran was reached. Macron said the proposed mission would be “strictly defensive,” involving non-belligerent countries and deployed only when security conditions permit. France and Britain are leading military planning efforts, considering roles such as mine-clearing, intelligence sharing and maritime coordination, rather than direct naval escorts. Experts said such tasks would be more feasible for coalition partners given limited naval capacity. Dozens of countries, including   Australia, Canada, South Korea and Ukraine, have participated in discussions, though commitments to deploy forces remain uncertain.