United News of Bangladesh

A teenager who fatally stabbed three young girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England has been sentenced to over 50 years in prison, reports AP. The judge described the crime as "extreme, shocking, and exceptionally serious." Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloids apologize to Prince Harry in legal settlement Judge Julian Goose stated that 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana aimed to carry out a mass killing of "innocent, happy young girls" and had planned to murder as many as possible. However, as Rudakubana was under 18 at the time of the crime, a life sentence without parole could not be imposed. The judge ruled that Rudakubana must serve at least 51 years before being eligible for parole, emphasising that it is unlikely he will ever be released. The attack occurred in Southport in July, when Rudakubana was 17. He killed three girls, aged 6, 7, and 9, and injured eight other children and two adults. The incident horrified the nation, prompting street protests and a public inquiry into systemic failures, as the attacker had been flagged to authorities multiple times over his fixation on violence. Disruption in Court Rudakubana faced charges including three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, and possession of weapons and extremist materials. Although he pleaded guilty to all charges earlier in the week, he was absent during the sentencing. On the day of the hearing, he disrupted proceedings by claiming he felt ill, leading to his removal from the courtroom. The Attack The tragedy unfolded on the first day of summer vacation as young girls gathered to make bracelets and sing along to Taylor Swift songs. Armed with a large knife, Rudakubana stormed into the dance class and began stabbing the children and their teacher. One girl, stabbed 32 times, managed to survive. Tragically, Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, lost their lives. The court was shown harrowing footage of the attack, evoking gasps and tears from those present. Victim Impact Statements Survivors and relatives shared the devastating impact of the attack. The dance teacher, Leanne Lucas, described her trauma and survivor's guilt, while a 14-year-old survivor spoke of enduring mental and physical scars. The parents of Alice Da Silva Aguiar expressed their anguish, saying their daughter's death had "shattered our souls." A Pattern of Violence Prosecutors revealed that Rudakubana had no clear political or religious motivation but harboured a longstanding obsession with violence. Authorities had flagged him multiple times for concerning behaviour, including carrying weapons, researching school shootings, and assaulting a classmate. Despite these warnings, the danger he posed was not fully recognised. Starmer pledges 100-year partnership with Ukraine National Reckoning The murders sparked days of anti-immigrant violence, fuelled by false claims that Rudakubana was a recently arrived asylum seeker. Born in Cardiff to Rwandan Christian parents, his motives remain unclear, though investigators found materials on topics like genocide and terrorism on his devices. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for legislative changes to address emerging threats posed by violent individuals acting independently. The government has announced a public inquiry to examine the systemic failures that allowed this horrific attack to occur.

Veteran politician Micheál Martin is poised to assume the role of Ireland's prime minister for a second time on Wednesday, as lawmakers are expected to formally endorse him as the leader of a coalition government, reports AP. This confirmation comes nearly two months after an election in which Martin’s Fianna Fáil party secured the most seats but fell short of a majority needed to govern independently. Ireland votes in tight parliamentary election Following weeks of negotiations, the long-established centre-right parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael reached an agreement to form a coalition with support from several independent lawmakers. As part of the arrangement, Martin, aged 64, will serve as taoiseach, or prime minister, for three years, with Fine Gael’s Simon Harris – the outgoing taoiseach – acting as his deputy. For the remainder of the five-year term, the two leaders will exchange roles. Members of both parties have approved the coalition agreement, and Martin is set to be formally endorsed by the Dáil, Ireland’s lower house of parliament, on Wednesday. Following this, President Michael D. Higgins will officially appoint him as prime minister, after which Martin will select his Cabinet. Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognize a Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens In the election held on 29 November, Irish voters defied a global trend of ousting incumbent governments seen throughout 2024. Fianna Fáil won 48 of the 174 legislative seats, while Fine Gael secured 38. They garnered the necessary support to govern with backing from the largely conservative Regional Independent Group, which will receive two ministerial posts. Although Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael share broadly similar centre-right policies, their century-old rivalry dates back to opposing sides of Ireland’s civil war in the 1920s. The two parties first formed an alliance after the 2020 election, which ended in a near tie. This new coalition excludes the left-of-centre Sinn Féin, which will remain in opposition despite winning 39 seats. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have consistently refused to collaborate with Sinn Féin due to its historical association with the Irish Republican Army during Northern Ireland’s decades of conflict. Bangladesh advocates for increased student admissions and IT professional recruitment in Ireland The incoming government faces significant challenges, including addressing Ireland’s acute housing crisis marked by rising homelessness, soaring rents, and property prices. Additionally, they must manage an increasing number of asylum-seekers. The cost of living, particularly the housing crisis, dominated the election campaign, with immigration emerging as a sensitive and complex issue in a country of 5.4 million people historically shaped by emigration.

Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, pledging long-term security support for Ukraine, including a "100-Year Partnership" treaty set to be signed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This treaty will cover defence, science, energy, and trade, reports AP. UK's Starmer in Kyiv for security talks with Ukraine This unannounced visit marked Starmer's first trip to Ukraine since becoming Prime Minister in July, although he had visited in 2023 as opposition leader and met Zelenskyy twice in London. With the war entering its third year next month, Starmer's visit is part of a broader diplomatic push, coinciding with several other European officials' visits to Kyiv ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration. Upon arriving at Kyiv’s railway station on a cold morning, Starmer reiterated the need for continued support: “We’re a long way into this conflict. We mustn’t let up.” He later laid flowers at a war memorial and visited a burn treatment hospital. Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks caused minor damage in Kyiv, though Ukrainian air defences successfully downed the drones. The UK has committed over £12.8 billion ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine and has trained over 50,000 Ukrainian troops. Starmer is also set to announce an additional £40 million ($49 million) for Ukraine's postwar recovery. British PM's brother Nick Starmer dies However, the U.S.'s future support under Trump remains uncertain, as the president-elect has questioned the costs of aiding Ukraine and shown an interest in negotiating with Russia. This uncertainty has led Ukraine’s allies to intensify their support in anticipation of potential shifts in American policy. The 100-year pact aims to provide lasting security to Ukraine, preventing it from being vulnerable to Russian aggression, as seen in Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the 2022 invasion. The agreement includes collaboration on defence, particularly maritime security, drone technology, and tracking stolen Ukrainian grain. Starmer emphasized that the partnership not only serves the current moment but invests in the future, fostering technology, scientific progress, and cultural exchanges. He also stated that this partnership strengthens ties between the UK and Ukraine, which have only grown stronger since Russia’s invasion. There's no honeymoon for new UK leader Keir Starmer after a summer of unrest Zelenskyy and Starmer also planned to discuss France’s proposal for foreign troops to monitor a potential ceasefire. Zelenskyy has conditioned such a plan on a clear timeline for Ukraine’s NATO membership, a topic of contention with Trump, who has expressed support for Putin’s stance on NATO expansion. As the war nears its third year, both sides are intensifying their military efforts, with Ukraine pushing offensives in Russia’s Kursk region and Moscow continuing to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday his government will take the “strongest action possible” if Russia has harmed an Australian who was taken prisoner while fighting for Ukraine. Video posted on social media in December showed Oscar Jenkins, 32, dressed in a military uniform with his hands bound being questioned and struck by a Russian interrogator. Australian authorities were seeking comment from Russia on reports that the Melbourne school teacher had been killed since he became a prisoner of war. Albanese said Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials were seeking “urgent clarification” of Jenkins’ circumstances. “We call upon Russia to immediately confirm Oscar Jenkins’ status. We remain gravely concerned,” Albanese told reporters. “We will await the facts to come out. But if there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that is absolutely reprehensible. And the Australian government will take the strongest action possible,” Albanese added. Jenkins had no previous military experience before joining the Ukraine defense forces early last year. While other Australians have been killed in combat in Ukraine, none has died in Russian captivity. Albanese did not elaborate on what action Australia might take if Jenkins has died. Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian said the maximum extent of Australia’s response was likely to be expelling Russia’s ambassador, withdrawing the Australian ambassador from Moscow and imposing additional sanctions against Russia. Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who could become prime minister in elections due by May 17, said the Russian and Australian ambassadors should be sent home if the Russians killed Jenkins. “If there is confirmation that Oscar Jenkins has been killed, the government should take the strongest possible action and that is the ambassador should be withdrawn and that the ambassador here in Australia should be sent packing,” Dutton told reporters. Read: Iran denies plot to kill Trump, rejects U.S. assassination claims “We should send a very clear message to Russia and to other similarly minded regimes that Australians are sacrosanct, that they deserve to be protected by their government and if they’re harmed in this way and if they’re brutally executed, as seems to be the suggestion in this case, and we wait for confirmation, then there should be a strong reaction from the prime minister,” Dutton added. Australia’s military involvement in Ukraine has involved training missions, but no Australian combat troops have been involved in the war. Australia has been one of the most generous donors to the Ukraine war effort outside NATO. Three months ago, Australia announced it will give Ukraine 49 of its aging M1A1 Abrams tanks valued at 245 million Australian dollars ($152 million). The tanks brought the total value of Australia’s military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion to over AU$1.3 billion ($804 million). Australian officials questioned Russian Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky about Jenkins in the Australian capital Canberra on Monday. The Russian Embassy responded to a request for comment on Wednesday by referring The Associated Press to a press briefing given in Moscow by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Dec. 25. Read more: South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol arrested over martial law declaration Zakharova said the ministry was “checking information on the detained Australian citizen,” whom she described as a "mercenary." “We will certainly share any facts, if there are any,” Zakharova said. “Regarding the current and overall situation, the captured foreign mercenaries will be called to account. We regularly inform you about the mercenaries’ crimes and their punishment in accordance with the Russian legislation, especially when they are involved in acts of atrocity against civilians,” she added.

The Princess of Wales revealed Tuesday that her cancer is in remission after an emotional visit to the hospital where she received treatment last year. In a statement on social media, the princess offered her heartfelt thanks to those who helped her and husband Prince William navigate the treatment. She described her time as a patient as being "exceptional.'' “It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery,'' she wrote. ”As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.'' It was the first time the princess had offered any detail on her diagnosis. Earlier, she had simply said she had completed her chemotherapy, without offering any information on her prognosis for the future. Kate, as she is commonly known, conducted the solo engagement at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, a world-leading state-of-the art cancer center known for its pioneering research. She expressed her gratitude to the medical team for their support even as she spoke with other patients receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Read: Princess of Wales returns to public life after chemotherapy “It’s really tough,'' she said of chemotherapy. ”It’s such a shock.” During the visit, the princess shared her experiences with Katherine Field, 45. Gesturing to her arm and chest, she discussed the port mechanism used to deliver the drugs. “I got so attached to it,” Kate said, joking that she had been almost reluctant when told that she "you can have it taken out” now. Her Kensington Palace office stressed that she would continue to return to public-facing engagements, albeit gradually. The palace described the visit as reflecting her “own personal cancer journey.’’ The royal family was hard hit by health concerns last year, beginning with the announcement in January 2024 that the king would receive treatment for an enlarged prostate and Kate would undergo abdominal surgery. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was receiving treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. Six weeks later, Kate said she, too, was undergoing treatment for cancer, quieting the relentless speculation about her condition that had circulated on social media since her surgery. Read more: Kate, the Princess of Wales, makes first public appearance after cancer treatment She announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he has held further discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of Western troops deploying in Ukraine to safeguard any peace deal ending the nearly three-year war with Russia. Zelenskyy’s disclosure came before an official visit to Kyiv on Tuesday by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. He arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit following a meeting in Warsaw on Monday with his counterparts from France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland. Germany and the four other countries are Europe’s five top military spenders. Pistorius told German news agency dpa that his visit to Kyiv aims to underscore Germany’s strong support for Ukraine at a time when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s term beginning next week looks set to bring deep changes to Washington’s policy on the war. Pistorius said that his visit “is a signal that Germany, as the biggest NATO country in Europe, stands by Ukraine — not alone, but with the group of five and many other allies.” Trump has criticized the cost of the war for U.S. taxpayers through major military aid packages for Ukraine, and vowed to bring the conflict to a swift end. He also has made it clear that he wants to shift more of the Ukraine burden onto Europe. Macron prompted an outcry from other leaders, and he appeared isolated on the European stage, after his remarks almost a year ago floated the possibility of putting Western troops in Ukraine. Pistorius told reporters in Kyiv that the Warsaw meeting didn’t discuss Macron’s remarks about troop deployments. Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine needs security guarantees to bolster any peace agreement — an issue he said late Monday that he discussed with the French leader. “As one of these guarantees, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “We considered practical steps for its implementation, possible expansion and involvement of other countries in this process.” Read: NKorean troops in Ukraine gain battlefield experience, cementing alliance with Russia Potentially sending European troops as peacekeepers to Ukraine is fraught with risk. Such a move may not deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again in the future, which is the fear of Ukrainian officials, and could drag European countries into a direct confrontation with Moscow. That, in turn, could pull NATO — including the United States — into a conflict. Russia’s bigger army has largely pinned Ukrainian forces on the defensive along the around 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Ukraine’s defenses are creaking in the eastern Donetsk region amid a Russian onslaught. Zelenskyy said Ukraine has more than 100 brigades on the battlefield and each of them requires equipment replenishment before potentially increasing the number of troops through a wider mobilization. Ukraine has built up a domestic arsenal of long-range drones and missiles that it uses to hit targets on Russian soil far behind the front line. The targets are usually infrastructure that supports the Russian war effort, such as arms depots, oil refineries and manufacturing plants. The Ukrainian General Staff on Tuesday claimed a series of successful attacks on three Russian regions and Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, reaching some 1,100 kilometers (almost 700 miles) into Russia. It said in a report that among the targets struck were an oil refinery and a fuel storage depot, a chemical plant producing ammunition, and two anti-aircraft missile systems. Russian authorities did not report any major damage or injuries from recent aerial attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of firing six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, six U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and 31 drones at Russia’s Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine. Read more: Ukraine claims to have captured 2 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia All the missiles and drones were shot down by air defense systems, the ministry claimed in an online statement, but it said that the attack "will not go unanswered.” Russia has repeatedly threatened Ukraine and the West with retaliation for the use of Western-supplied longer-range weapons to strike Russian soil.

An emergency task force arrived in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region on Sunday as an oil spill in the Kerch Strait from two storm-stricken tankers continues to spread a month after it was first detected, officials said. The task force, which includes Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov, was set up after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called on authorities to ramp up the response to the spill, calling it “one of the most serious environmental challenges we have faced in recent years." Kurenkov said that “the most difficult situation” had developed near the port of Taman in the Krasnodar region, where fuel oil continues to leak into the sea from the damaged part of the Volgoneft-239 tanker. Kurenkov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that the remaining oil will be pumped out of the tanker's stern. The Emergencies Ministry said Saturday that over 155,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil had been collected since oil spilled out of two tankers during a storm four weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, which separates the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula from the Krasnodar region. Russian-installed officials in Ukraine’s partially Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region said Saturday that the mazut — a heavy, low-quality oil product — had reached the Berdyansk Spit, some 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of the Kerch Strait. It contaminated an area 14 1/2-kilometer (9-mile) long, Moscow-installed Gov. Yevgeny Balitsky wrote on Telegram. Russian-appointed officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea announced a regional emergency last weekend after oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula’s largest city, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Kerch Strait. Read: Oil spill in Meghna river threatening environment, vessel still not recovered after 36 hours In response to Putin’s call for action, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi accused Russia of “beginning to demonstrate its alleged ‘concern’ only after the scale of the disaster became too obvious to conceal its terrible consequences.” “Russia’s practice of first ignoring the problem, then admitting its inability to solve it, and ultimately leaving the entire Black Sea region alone with the consequences is yet another proof of its international irresponsibility,” Tykhyi said Friday. The Kerch Strait is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the inland Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of trying to seize control of the area illegally. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months. Read more: Records show slow response to report of California oil spill Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, described the oil spill last month as a “large-scale environmental disaster” and called for additional sanctions on Russian tankers.

Authorities in northern France said on Thursday that two people died and 20 others were injured due to a cold snap bringing snow and ice across northern Europe. One of those killed slipped on a pavement and violently banged their head, authorities from the Nord region said in a statement. The other person had no fixed address and was found dead in the town of Valenciennes, the statement said. The icy weather first hit Wednesday. The statement said rescue services have been called out to deal with traffic accidents, people falling in the snow and ice, flooding and other emergencies. Across the English Channel, weather warnings were in force across the U.K., where temperatures were expected to plummet to -16 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places later on Thursday. Manchester Airport briefly closed its runways due to heavy snow on Thursday morning before reopening. The U.K.'s weather forecasters, the Met Office, warned of more travel disruption to road and rail services in some parts, as well as potential accidents in icy areas. Snow and ice warnings were also in place for northern Scotland and Northern Ireland. Days of snow, sleet and downpours have disrupted airports, rail lines and roads across the country leading to delays and cancellations during the busy holiday period.

The head of Poland's parliament said Wednesday that the country's presidential election will be held on May 18, with a runoff on June 1 if needed. The election will decide whether the pro-European Union Cabinet of Prime Minister Donald Tusk will gain an ally in the presidential palace at a challenging time for Poland and for Europe, with a full-scale war in neighbouring Ukraine. The incumbent right-wing President Andrzej Duda is at odds with the government, blocking legislation and making strongly critical comments. In the latest spat, Duda chose skiing over attending a concert gala marking the launch of Poland's rotating presidency in the EU. Duda is to leave office in August, ending his second five-year term. He cannot seek another term, according to Poland’s constitution. Szymon Holownia, the powerful speaker of the lower house of parliament, or Sejm, has declared he will run for president as head of Poland 2050, a party within the ruling coalition. Austrian FM Schallenberg appointed as interim govt leader He said he was announcing the election date early in the political calendar to allow ample time for procedures and campaigning, which can officially begin from Jan. 15. The powers of the president are limited in Poland, where the government decides on domestic and international policy. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces, cooperating with the government. He can propose legislation and veto new laws and also has a say on Poland's foreign relations. The chief governing party, the Civic Coalition, has chosen Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski as its candidate for president. Tusk, the party's leader and former head of the European Union, has chosen to stay in his government seat. The right-wing opposition party, Law and Justice, backs historian Karol Nawrocki in the election. Nawrocki, now head of a national history institute, IPN, has been a controversial figure. Recent media reports allege Nawrocki had ties to hard-right groups and acquaintances in criminal circles. Nawrocki denies the allegations. Law and Justice was ousted in the 2023 general election after eight years of turbulent, euro-sceptic rule. Duda hailed from the party and was largely its ally. A far-right leader, Slawomir Mentzen, is running in the election for the Konfederacja (Confederation) party.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will temporarily assume the role of interim leader as the far-right Freedom Party works to form a new coalition government, according to a statement from President Alexander Van der Bellen's office on Wednesday. Schallenberg, aged 55, will replace outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who announced his resignation over the weekend after failing to create a coalition that excluded the Freedom Party. Nehammer plans to step down on Friday, reports AP. Talks on a new 3-party Austrian government collapse as the smallest party pulls out The president's office confirmed that Schallenberg will be tasked with “continuing the management of the chancellery and leading the interim government.” This marks Schallenberg's second brief tenure as Austria’s leader; he previously served as chancellor for less than two months in late 2021 after Sebastian Kurz stepped down. Following that, Schallenberg returned to his position as foreign minister when Nehammer took over. Austrian companies keen to invest in Bangladesh: Ambassador The far-right Freedom Party, known for its anti-immigration stance, euroscepticism, and pro-Russia leanings, emerged victorious in Austria’s parliamentary elections in September. Initially shunned by other political parties, it now holds a central role in coalition negotiations after the Austrian People’s Party, led by Nehammer, reversed its earlier refusal to collaborate with the Freedom Party and its leader, Herbert Kickl. Bangladesh flags visa-related difficulties with Austria On Monday, Kickl was given the mandate to attempt forming a government, which could potentially become Austria’s first far-right-led administration since World War II. However, this process is expected to take weeks or even months, with no guarantee of success. Schallenberg has made it clear that he does not intend to remain in the government if Kickl leads it.