United News of Bangladesh

Protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza have disrupted Spain’s Vuelta cycling race, drawing international attention and sparking a diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Tel Aviv. Hundreds of demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags, gathered along the race route, including in Rosana Prieto’s small village in northwestern Spain, aiming to broadcast their message to global television audiences. During one incident, a protester’s proximity to the cyclists caused a crash, though no riders from the Israeli-owned team, Israel Premier Tech, were injured. Over the past 10 days, five stages have been interrupted or shortened, and more than 20 protesters detained. Spain’s government has tacitly endorsed the demonstrations. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” while Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares supports expelling the Israeli team from the race. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegría, who also oversees sports, said neutrality was impossible in the face of widespread death and destruction. The protests have heightened tensions with Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the Spanish measures as “antisemitic” and a “blatant genocidal threat.” Meanwhile, Spanish activists are sending humanitarian aid by ship to Gaza, aiming to breach Israel’s naval blockade. The unrest has affected riders and teams. Cyclists voted to quit if safety risks persisted, though Israel Premier Tech has continued competing while removing its team name from uniforms to reduce attention. Some riders reported threats from protesters, including flagpole strikes and tacks on the course. Political analysts say the Vuelta protests reflect growing public anger over Spain’s stance on Gaza, with Sánchez leveraging grassroots movements to strengthen Spain’s opposition to Israel. Authorities plan a heavy security presence, including 1,500 police officers, for the race’s final stage in Madrid this Sunday.

Britain’s Prince Harry has made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to express solidarity with wounded service members amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. Harry’s representatives confirmed his arrival in Kyiv on Friday but withheld details of his schedule citing security concerns. It marks his second trip to Ukraine since 2022, following an earlier visit to Lviv in April. “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process,” Harry told the Guardian while traveling by train to the capital. A veteran of the British Army who served in Afghanistan, Harry is the founder of the Invictus Games — a Paralympic-style competition for injured veterans worldwide. Ukraine is currently bidding to host the games in 2029. Earlier this week, the Archewell Foundation — established by Harry and his wife Meghan — announced a $500,000 donation to projects supporting injured children in Gaza and Ukraine. The funds will go to the World Health Organization for medical evacuations and to develop prosthetics for severely wounded youth. According to the Guardian, Harry will meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, spend time with around 200 veterans, and visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. His trip coincides with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit to Kyiv, where she unveiled new U.K. sanctions targeting Russia’s oil revenues and military supplies. Harry’s appearance in Ukraine follows a four-day stay in the U.K., where he met his father, King Charles III, for the first time in 19 months — a move seen as a step toward mending strained royal ties. The visit comes less than a week after Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the 2022 invasion.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed the UK’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, following revelations of his close ties with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The move came after the publication of a series of emails Mandelson sent to Epstein, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty told Parliament. “In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. It added that the emails demonstrated Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.” On Wednesday, The Sun newspaper published emails in which Mandelson urged Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before the disgraced financier was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. In one message, Mandelson told Epstein, “I think the world of you,” ahead of his sentence in June 2008. The disclosures followed the release by Democrats on the US House Oversight Committee of a 50th birthday album compiled for Epstein in 2003, when he was still a wealthy and influential figure. In a handwritten note in the album, Mandelson referred to Epstein as “my best pal.”

Protesters blocked roads, set fires and clashed with police in Paris and other French cities on Wednesday, piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and testing new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on his first day in office. France’s Interior Ministry said 250 people were arrested in the early hours of the nationwide demonstrations, called against budget cuts and other grievances. Despite a massive deployment of 80,000 police, protesters created widespread disruptions. In Rennes, a bus was torched, while fire damage to electrical cables in the southwest halted one train line and disrupted another, authorities said. The “Block Everything” movement, which spread online over the summer, urged citizens to strike, march and obstruct traffic. Although the call fell short of completely shutting down the country, protests spread from Marseille in the south to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Lyon and Grenoble in the southeast. Paris police reported 159 arrests by noon, with protesters attempting to block the city’s beltway and hurling objects at officers. Nearly 100 others were detained in other regions. The unrest comes after the collapse of Macron’s previous government on Monday, when then-Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a parliamentary confidence vote. Lecornu, sworn in Tuesday, now faces a turbulent political climate marked by growing anger over spending cuts. Protesters said they were defending public services against privatization and accused Macron’s government of ignoring ordinary people’s struggles. Some warned the anger could grow into a wider social movement, recalling the “Yellow Vest” protests of 2018–2019. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau accused far-left groups of hijacking the demonstrations and seeking violent confrontations with police. He said small organized groups dressed in black were responsible for much of the unrest. Macron’s minority government has faced repeated waves of protests in recent years — from pension reform anger in 2022 to riots in 2023 following a police shooting of a teenager. The latest unrest signals further instability for Lecornu’s new government.

A Russian glide bomb struck a village in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as residents queued to collect their monthly pensions, killing at least 24 people and injuring 19 others, Ukrainian officials said. The attack hit Yarova village in Donetsk region around 11 a.m., less than 10 kilometers from the front line. Regional head Vadym Filashkin said 23 of those killed were elderly pensioners. “It was beyond words,” said resident Hennadii Trush, who lost his wife in the blast as she waited to collect her bedridden mother’s pension. He fled the village with his elderly mother after the attack. “Before, strikes landed on the outskirts. This time it was right in the center of the village,” he told the Associated Press, weeping with soot still on his face. The strike destroyed homes and set the village ablaze. “The whole village is on fire,” said Pavlo Diachenko, head of communications for the regional police, who rushed to the scene. “Private houses were burning, and people tried to put out the flames with their own hands.” The explosion tore through a mobile post office vehicle where pensions were being distributed, according to Ukrposhta, Ukraine’s postal service. The local post office had shut down a week earlier after staff evacuated. “Apparently, someone gave away the coordinates,” said Ukrposhta head Ihor Smilianskyi, noting that the car had been parked under trees to avoid detection. At the morgue, victims showed severe blast wounds and burns. “They were all lying in one heap,” said Zinaida Hrymailo, who came to identify her 75-year-old cousin. She said her cousin had been preparing to leave Yarova after collecting her pension but died before she could flee. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “frankly brutal,” urging the world to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. “The world should not remain silent,” he wrote on Telegram. “The United States needs a reaction. Europe needs a reaction. Strong action is needed so that Russia stops bringing death.” The UN says more than 12,000 civilians have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The latest strike came two days after Russia launched its largest aerial barrage of Kyiv since the war began. Poland on alert The assault also raised tensions in neighboring Poland, whose military said it went on the highest state of air defense alert overnight Tuesday. “To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the operational commander of the Polish armed forces has activated all necessary procedures,” the Operational Command said. Polish and allied aircraft, along with radar systems, were fully deployed in what officials called “preventative” actions to secure areas adjacent to Ukraine. European Council President Antonio Costa denounced the attack, asking: “Is this what Russia means when it talks about peace? When will President Putin accept to start peace talks already accepted by President Zelenskyy?” Meanwhile, US and European officials held talks in Washington on new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian oil revenues, as fears mount that Ukraine’s air defenses are being depleted faster than they can be replaced. Glide bombs — retrofitted Soviet-era weapons that can weigh up to 3,000 pounds — have devastated eastern Ukraine in recent months.  

Poland said Wednesday it shot down drones that violated its airspace during Russia’s latest large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, forcing the temporary closure of four airports and putting its armed forces on the highest state of alert. The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces claimed in a statement, “During today’s attack by the Russian Federation targeting Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drones.” “At the request of the operational commander, weapons have been used, and operations are under way to locate the downed targets”, the military said. Polish and NATO aircraft were scrambled, while ground-based air defence and radar systems were moved to maximum readiness. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that “an operation is under way related to multiple violations of Polish airspace.” Earlier, flights were suspended at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport, Modlin Airport, and Lublin Airport, according to notices on the US Federal Aviation Administration’s website. The Polish military did not directly mention the closures. Ukraine’s Air Force initially reported that Russian drones had crossed into Polish territory, posing a threat to the southeastern city of Zamosc. But  the statement was later removed later. Overnight, much of Ukraine — including western border regions Volyn and Lviv — was under extended air raid alerts. Border with Belarus to close amid Russian-led drillsSeparately, Poland said it will close its border with Belarus from midnight Thursday due to Russian-Belarusian military exercises known as “Zapad-2025,” scheduled to begin Friday in western Russia and Belarus. The drills have raised alarm in NATO countries bordering Belarus — Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the border would reopen only when the government is sure “there is no more threat to Polish citizens.” Belarus summoned Poland’s chargé d’affaires to protest the move, calling it “an abuse of geographical position” that “caused significant difficulties.” Its Foreign Ministry said the suspension reflected “an intention to conceal one’s own actions rather than any real threat from Belarus.” Lithuania also announced it would tighten border security with both Belarus and Russia during the drills.

A Russian glide bomb struck a village in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as residents queued outside to collect their pensions, killing at least 21 people and injuring around two dozen others, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and local officials. The attack hit Yarova village in Donetsk region, less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the front line, Zelenskyy said on Telegram. It marked another deadly strike on civilians in the three-year conflict, which has claimed more than 12,000 civilian lives, according to the United Nations. Calling the strike “frankly brutal,” Zelenskyy urged tougher international sanctions to hold Russia accountable. “The world should not remain silent … strong action is needed so that Russia stops bringing death,” he wrote. The assault comes as U.S.-led peace initiatives have stalled and Russia has stepped up aerial attacks. On Sunday, Moscow launched the largest drone and missile barrage on Kyiv since the war began in February 2022. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to convince Russian leader Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire and talks with Zelenskyy, Moscow has intensified its bombing campaign. Western officials worry Ukraine is depleting its air defenses faster than replacements can arrive. U.S. and European officials met at the Treasury Department in Washington on Monday to explore new economic measures against Russia, including additional sanctions and oil tariffs, according to a person familiar with the talks. Discussions were expected to continue Tuesday. Glide bombs, Soviet-era munitions modified with guidance systems, have been devastating eastern Ukraine for months. Some now weigh up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms), six times heavier than those first deployed in 2022. In rural Ukrainian villages, pensions are typically distributed in cash at local post offices or mobile postal vans due to limited access to banking services. Photos from the scene showed bodies near a damaged Ukrposhta vehicle parked under trees, apparently serving as a mobile post office. Ukrposhta head Ihor Smilianskyi said the van was positioned under cover to avoid detection, but “apparently, someone gave away the coordinates.” Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin confirmed 21 deaths and 21 injuries, calling the strike “pure terrorism.” Emergency services were deployed to the site, he added. Yarova was occupied by Russian forces in 2022 but recaptured by Ukrainian troops later that year.

Russia fired over 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, hitting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities in central and western regions, authorities said Wednesday. At least five people were wounded, Ukrainian officials reported. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as “demonstrative,” accusing Vladimir Putin of showing “impunity” and calling for tougher sanctions on Russia’s war economy. The attacks come as Kyiv engages with European leaders to strengthen defenses and revive stalled U.S.-led peace efforts. Zelenskyy visited Denmark and was due in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on postwar security guarantees, while British Defense Secretary John Healey met Ukrainian officials on military aid. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said clarity is expected after the Paris talks on what each country can contribute without overstretching alliance resources. Meanwhile, Putin met in China with Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, countries Washington says are indirectly aiding Russia’s war effort through troops, weapons, and oil purchases.

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced GPS jamming over Bulgaria in what officials suspect was Russian interference, the EU said Monday. The aircraft landed safely in Plovdiv, and von der Leyen continued her four-day tour of EU states bordering Russia and Belarus. Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà confirmed the disruption, citing Bulgarian authorities’ suspicion of “blatant interference by Russia.” Podestà said the incident highlighted the urgency of von der Leyen’s mission, stressing EU commitments to boost defense spending and readiness. Bulgaria also confirmed the aircraft lost GPS navigation signals on approach to Plovdiv Airport. Von der Leyen was scheduled to hold a press conference later in Romania.

Britain’s Court of Appeal on Friday overturned a High Court order that would have forced asylum-seekers to leave a hotel northeast of London, a site that has drawn weeks of protests and national political debate. A three-judge panel ruled in favor of the Labour government and hotel owner Somani Hotels, allowing 138 asylum-seekers to remain at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The High Court had earlier ordered their eviction by Sept. 12, citing local planning laws. Justice David Bean said the lower court “made a number of errors,” warning that closing one site would only shift the burden elsewhere and that considering protests as grounds for closure risked encouraging “lawlessness.” The case has fueled controversy as councils elsewhere consider similar legal action. Opponents say the government is prioritizing asylum-seekers over local residents, a charge Labour denies. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said, “Local communities should not pay the price for Labour’s total failure on illegal immigration.” Protests—both peaceful and violent—have been staged outside the hotel in recent weeks. Tensions escalated after a resident was charged with sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Health Minister Stephen Kinnock warned that closing hotels could leave migrants homeless but said alternative housing options are being sought. As of June, more than 32,000 asylum-seekers were housed in hotels across Britain, according to the Home Office, down from a peak of 56,000 in September 2023.