United News of Bangladesh

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, as similar demonstrations are planned in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Authorities estimated around 70,000 protesters filled Barcelona’s central boulevard, Passeig de Gracia, many carrying Palestinian flags and holding signs reading “Stop the Genocide” and “Hands off the flotilla.” Families and people of all ages joined the march. The protests follow widespread anger after Israel intercepted a humanitarian aid flotilla from Barcelona attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. Over 450 activists, including more than 40 Spaniards and a former Barcelona mayor, were removed from the flotilla this week. Italy saw more than two million people participate in a nationwide one-day strike on Friday in solidarity with Gaza residents. In Spain, support for Palestinians has surged, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemning the destruction in Gaza as “genocide” and calling for Israeli sports teams to be banned from international competitions. Protests are also underway in Rome, organized by Palestinian groups, unions, and students, with marches planned from Porta San Paolo to San Giovanni. Demonstrations are scheduled later in Lisbon, Madrid, and other Spanish cities. Athens will see a protest Saturday, with a larger one expected Sunday alongside a pro-Israel rally. The conflict began in October 2023 after a Hamas attack killed roughly 1,200 people and left 251 hostages. Israel’s military response has since killed over 67,000 and wounded nearly 170,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, figures widely cited by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Germany's Munich Airport reopened Saturday morning after authorities shut it down the night before for the second time in less than 24 hours after two additional drone sightings, officials said. The closures are the latest after mysterious drone overflights in the airspace of European Union member countries. The airport, one of Germany's largest, reopened gradually beginning at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Saturday. Planes typically begin taking off at 5 a.m. Federal police said two drone sightings were confirmed shortly before 11 p.m. Friday near the airport's north and south runways, the agency said in a statement Saturday. The drones flew away before they could be identified. Delays were expected to continue throughout Saturday, the airport said in a statement. At least 6,500 passengers were impacted by the overnight closure Friday into Saturday. The previous closure, Thursday night into Friday, affected almost 3,000 passengers. Authorities were not immediately able to provide any information about who was responsible for the overflights. The incident was the latest in a series of incidents of mysterious drone sightings over airports as well as other critical infrastructure sites in several European Union member countries. Drones also were spotted overnight in Belgium above a military base. A drone incident in Oslo, the capital of Norway, which is a NATO member but not part of the EU, also affected flights there late last month. It wasn’t immediately clear who has been behind the flyovers. European authorities have expressed concerns that they’re being carried out by Russia, though some experts have noted that anybody with drones could be behind them. Russian authorities have rejected claims of involvement, including in recent drone incidents in Denmark. Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s interior minister said he and some European counterparts would discuss the drone incursions, and a “drone detection and defense plan” at a meeting this weekend in Munich. “We are in a race between drone threat and drone defense. We want to and must win this race,” he said in the western city of Saarbrücken, where he joined German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony to mark the 35th anniversary of Germany’s reunification.

Police in Britain are questioning six people arrested on suspicion of terrorism following Thursday’s deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester that left two people dead. The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by police outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue after he rammed his car into pedestrians, stabbed several people, and tried to storm the building during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Two worshippers — Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53 — were killed in the attack. Police said Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and others tried to barricade the synagogue to stop Al-Shamie from entering. Three other men remain hospitalized with serious injuries. Authorities said Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian origin, was wearing a fake explosives belt and may have been influenced by extremist Islamist ideology. He had been out on bail over an alleged rape case but had not been charged. Six suspects, three men and three women aged between 18 and their 60s, were detained across Greater Manchester as investigators work to determine whether Al-Shamie acted alone. The attack has rattled Britain’s Jewish community and reignited debate over antisemitism and pro-Palestinian activism. Antisemitic incidents have risen sharply since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, according to the Community Security Trust. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis blamed an “unrelenting wave of Jew hatred” both online and on the streets. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged restraint and asked protest organizers to postpone demonstrations planned for the weekend, saying they should “recognize and respect the grief of British Jews.” Police in London also called for the cancellation of a protest against the government’s recent ban on Palestine Action, now listed as a terrorist organization. But organizers said the rally would go ahead, while expressing sympathy for victims of the synagogue attack.

Russia carried out its biggest attack of the war overnight, targeting natural gas facilities operated by Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz Group, Ukrainian officials said Friday. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 381 drones and 35 missiles, aiming to damage the country’s power and gas infrastructure ahead of winter and undermine public morale. Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi described the strike as “deliberate terror against civilian facilities” with no military purpose, saying the attacks were meant to disrupt the heating season and deprive Ukrainians of warmth. The northeastern Kharkiv and central Poltava regions saw 35 missiles, including ballistic types, and 60 drones targeting gas extraction and processing sites, some sustaining severe damage. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and related energy infrastructure, claiming all targets were hit. Ukraine has reported that Russian attacks on power grids and rail networks are intended to weaponize winter. In Poltava, an 8-year-old child and two women were injured, and blasts shattered about half the windows of the historic St. Nicholas Church. Ukraine has retaliated with domestic long-range drones, striking Russia’s Orsk oil refinery and briefly halting operations at the Azot chemical plant in Berezniki. Russia said it shot down 20 Ukrainian drones, mostly over the Black Sea. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the strikes aim to terrorize civilians and disrupt essential services during winter.

The Netherlands’ highest court on Friday ordered the Dutch government to reconsider its suspended license for the export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, amid concerns the parts could be used in violations of international law. The Supreme Court ruled that the suspension of exports will remain in effect while the government reassesses the license. Court Vice President Martijn Polak said the government has six weeks to complete the review. The judgment overturned a decision by The Hague Appeals Court, which in February 2024 banned the transfer of F-35 parts to Israel, citing the risk they could be used to commit serious breaches of humanitarian law. That ruling prompted the government to suspend the exports. Friday’s ruling comes as Israel presses ahead with its devastating military campaign in Gaza and while the Netherlands faces political uncertainty ahead of national elections on October 29. The case was initiated in late 2023 by three Dutch human rights groups who argued that supplying the F-35 parts made the Netherlands complicit in alleged war crimes by Israel in Gaza. Israel denies such allegations. A district court first rejected the call for a ban, but the appeals court later ruled that shipments must stop. The Dutch government challenged that ruling, saying foreign policy decisions fall under the government’s authority, not the courts. In its written decision, the Supreme Court said the appeals judges “were not entitled to make their own assessment” about risks of serious violations of international humanitarian law. Instead, it said, the responsibility lies with the minister, who must reassess the export license based on that criterion. The Dutch foreign ministry has not yet commented on the decision. The Netherlands hosts one of three regional hubs for U.S.-owned F-35 parts. Government lawyers have argued that even if the Netherlands blocks transfers, the United States could still ship the parts from elsewhere, making a ban ineffective. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 66,200 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others since October 2023. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but says women and children account for about half of the deaths. The figures are widely considered credible by the U.N. and independent monitors, although the ministry operates under Hamas rule. The conflict began after Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages. Israel says Hamas continues to hold 48 captives, including around 20 believed to be alive. Other European nations have also taken steps to restrict arms trade with Israel. Slovenia announced in August that it was banning all weapons imports, exports, and transit to and from Israel. The U.K. suspended some arms exports last year, while Spain halted sales in October 2023. Court cases on weapons transfers to Israel are also ongoing in France and Belgium.

Protesters took to the streets in over 200 towns and cities across France Thursday, denouncing government spending cuts and demanding higher taxes on the wealthy. In the capital, thousands of workers, retirees, and students marched from Place d’Italie, while the Eiffel Tower announced it would remain closed due to the ongoing strikes. The nationwide action, organized by major French unions, comes amid political uncertainty and budget debates. Unions are urging Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to scrap draft budget measures introduced by his predecessor, which include social welfare freezes and austerity steps they say would further reduce the purchasing power of low- and middle-income workers. They are also pressing for higher taxation on the rich. Lecornu, who took office last month, has yet to present his budget plans or appoint government ministers. The deeply divided parliament is expected to debate the budget bill by year-end. Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, told BFM TV, “It’s the first time there are three days of strikes and protests in a month without a government or budget. It shows the level of social anger. We are protesting now because decisions are being made, and we want to be heard.” The French Interior Ministry reported 195,000 protesters nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris. National rail services remained mostly normal, though some regional lines faced partial disruptions. Metro services in Paris ran near normal, but many commuter trains operated at reduced capacity. Teachers and healthcare workers also joined the strikes, though turnout was lower than last month. On Sept. 18, more than 500,000 demonstrators marched across France, including in Paris, while unions estimated over one million nationwide. Earlier protests in late September, part of the “Block Everything” campaign, saw streets filled with smoke, barricades set on fire, and clashes with police using tear gas.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound aid vessels, calling it an “act of piracy” and a demonstration of ongoing atrocities in the region. Addressing his AKP party, Erdogan said the move in international waters highlights that “the genocide apparatus is in a state of frenzy to conceal its crimes in Gaza.” “The genocidal Netanyahu government cannot tolerate even the slightest chance for peace to take hold,” he added. Erdogan said the Global Sumud Flotilla incident exposed “the brutality in Gaza and Israel’s murderous face” to the world. He vowed that Turkey would continue supporting Palestinians and work to achieve a ceasefire and restore peace in the region. The president’s remarks follow an announcement from the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office that it has opened an investigation into the detention of Turkish citizens aboard the flotilla, which attempted to break the blockade of Gaza. Source: Al Jazeera

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a freeze on roughly $18 billion allocated for New York City infrastructure projects, including a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New York and New Jersey and the city’s Second Avenue subway expansion, citing the ongoing federal government shutdown. White House budget director Russ Vought said in a post on X that the funds were withheld due to the administration’s view that the projects were “based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion. An unnamed administration official also noted that the shutdown, which began at midnight, led to furloughs of Transportation Department staff responsible for reimbursing workers on these projects, effectively delaying the release of funds. The department confirmed the furloughs, stating that civil rights staff involved in project reviews had been temporarily suspended. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the move, saying, “The bad news just keeps coming,” and accused the federal government of putting “culture wars” ahead of public needs. The Hudson River rail tunnel, long delayed, is designed to ease congestion on a 110-year-old tunnel heavily used by Amtrak and commuter trains, while the Second Avenue subway line, first proposed in the 1920s, is set to extend into East Harlem in its next phase. The funding suspension is seen as targeting Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, with the White House blaming him for the government shutdown.

German authorities arrested three individuals suspected of being members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for allegedly planning attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany, on Wednesday, officials said. The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, where a judge will decide whether they should remain in custody pending trial. Germany’s federal prosecutor said the trio has been involved in procuring firearms since earlier this summer. During a raid, authorities recovered several weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, along with ammunition. Two of the suspects are German nationals, while the third was born in Lebanon. In line with German privacy regulations, they have been identified only as Abed Al G., Wael F. M., and Ahmad I.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday as part of a general strike that brought ferries to a standstill and disrupted public services across Greece, demonstrating against recent changes to the country’s labor laws. Many demonstrators also waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Gaza, including “free, free Palestine.” During the 24-hour strike, taxis and trains in Athens were not operating, while buses, the subway, tram, and trolley services ran on limited schedules. Schools, courts, hospitals, and municipal offices nationwide were also affected. The strike was organized by unions representing civil servants and private sector workers to oppose labor law reforms that allow extended overtime shifts of up to 13 hours. Under the new regulations, total weekly working hours, including overtime, are capped at 48 hours, with a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year. Unions argue that the changes leave employees vulnerable to exploitation. “We reject the 13-hour shift. Exhaustion is not development, human endurance has limits,” said the General Confederation of Workers of Greece, the main private sector union. It also called for a 37½-hour workweek and the restoration of collective bargaining agreements.