United News of Bangladesh

Five people were killed and eight others were injured Monday when a Cessna 208 plane crashed into a hangar at a sky diving center during bad weather, authorities said. The plane's pilot and four people sheltering in the hangar from stormy weather died in the afternoon crash in Chrcynno in central Poland, firefighters spokesperson Monika Nowakowska-Brynda said. READ: Six killed when small plane crashes, bursts into flames in field near Southern California airport An additional eight people were injured, two of them seriously, police said. A child was among the injured, the provincial governor, Sylwester Dabrowski, said. Chrcynno is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Warsaw. Firefighters and airborne ambulances took the injured to hospitals in the Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki area. READ: Flight data, voice recorders retrieved from Nepal site after deadly plane crash Rescuers were still checking the hangar for additional victims, said Katarzyna Urbanowska, another spokesperson for local firefighters. Prosecutors and police were investigating the cause of the accident. READ: Airplane crash in Gulf of Mexico leaves 2 dead, 1 missing It was the worst accident related to sky diving in Poland since 2014, when 11 people were killed in a crash of a small plane in Topolow, near the southern city of Czestochowa.

Russia on Monday halted a breakthrough wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Black Sea Grain Initiative would be suspended until demands to get Russian food and fertilizer to the world are met. "When the part of the Black Sea deal related to Russia is implemented, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal," Peskov said. Also read: Key Russian bridge to Crimea is struck again, with Moscow blaming Kyiv for attack that killed 2 While Russia has complained that restrictions on shipping and insurance have hampered its agricultural exports, it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year. The suspension marks the end of an accord that the U.N. and Turkey brokered last summer to allow shipments of food from the Black Sea region after Russia's invasion of its neighbor worsened a global food crisis. The initiative is credited with helping lower soaring prices of wheat, vegetable oil and other food commodities. Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food products that developing nations rely on. The suspension of the deal sent wheat prices up about 3% in Chicago trading, to $6.81 a bushel, which is still about half what they were at last year's peak. Prices fell later in the day. Also read: South Korea to expand support for Ukraine as President Yoon Suk Yeol makes a surprise visit Analysts don't expect more than a temporary bump in global food commodity prices because countries such as Russia and Brazil have ratcheted up wheat and corn exports. But food insecurity worldwide and prices at local stores and markets have risen as developing countries also struggle with climate change, conflict and economic crises. Finding suppliers outside Ukraine that are farther away also could raise costs, analysts say. The grain deal provided guarantees that ships would not be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, while a separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer. Western sanctions do not apply to Moscow's agricultural shipments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wanted to keep the initiative going even without Russia's safety assurances for ships. "We are not afraid," he said. "We were approached by companies that own ships. They said that they are ready, if Ukraine gives it, and Turkey continues to let it through, then everyone is ready to continue supplying grain." Also read: Russia's threat to exit Ukraine grain deal adds risk to global food security The Russian Foreign Ministry again declared the area "temporarily dangerous." Sergei Markov, a Moscow-based pro-Kremlin political analyst, speculated that if Ukraine doesn't heed the warnings, Russia could strike Ukrainian ports or place explosive mines in Black Sea routes. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said officials were talking with Russia and that he was hopeful the deal would be extended. The Black Sea Grain Initiative has allowed three Ukrainian ports to export 32.9 million metric tons of grain and other food to the world, according to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. Russia has repeatedly complained that the deal largely benefits richer nations. JCC data shows that 57% of the grain from Ukraine went to developing nations, with the top destination being China, which received nearly a quarter of the food. Also read: Russia, Ukraine extend grain deal to aid world's poor U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the end of the deal will inevitably result in more human suffering but that the U.N. would keep working to ensure the flow of supplies from Ukraine and Russia. "We will stay fixed on finding pathways for solutions," he told reporters. "There is simply too much at stake in a hungry and hurting world." The agreement was renewed for 60 days in May, but in recent months, the amount of food shipped and number of vessels departing Ukraine have plunged, with Russia accused of preventing additional ships from participating. The war in Ukraine sent food commodity prices to record highs last year and contributed to a global food crisis, which was also tied to other conflicts, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate factors. High grain prices in countries like Egypt, Lebanon and Nigeria exacerbated economic challenges and helped push millions more people into poverty or food insecurity. Also read: Ukrainian grain shipments drop as ship backups grow Rising food prices affect people in developing countries disproportionately, because they spend more of their money on meals. Poorer nations that depend on imported food priced in dollars also are spending more as their currencies weaken and they are forced to import more because of climate change. Under the deal, prices for global food commodities like wheat and vegetable oil have fallen, but food was already expensive before the war in Ukraine, and the relief hasn't trickled down to kitchen tables. "Countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia are dependent on food imports from Ukraine, so it does hamper availability and accessibility to food," said Shashwat Saraf, the International Rescue Committee's regional emergency director for East Africa. Now it's key to watch whether Russia "weaponizes" its wheat exports, said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade and economic development at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Also read: Russia rejoins key deal on wartime Ukrainian grain exports As the world's current largest wheat supplier, Russia could hike its export taxes, which "would raise world grain prices as well as allow Russia to finance more of its military campaign in Ukraine," Evenett said. He noted that Moscow already raised them slightly this month. The grain deal has faced setbacks since it was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey. Russia pulled out briefly in November before rejoining and extending the deal. In March and May, Russia would only renew for 60 days, instead of the usual 120. The amount of grain shipped per month fell from a peak of 4.2 million metric tons in October to over 2 million metric tons in June. Ukraine has accused Russia of preventing new ships from joining the work since the end of June. Joint inspections meant to ensure vessels carry only grain and not weapons have slowed considerably. Asked Monday whether an attack on a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia was a factor in the decision on the grain deal, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not. Meanwhile, Russia's wheat shipments hit all-time highs following a large harvest. It exported 45.5 million metric tons in the 2022-2023 trade year, with another record of 47.5 million metric tons expected in 2023-2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.  

An attack before dawn Monday damaged part of a bridge linking Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea that is a key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, forcing the span's temporary closure for a second time in less than a year. Two people were killed and their daughter was injured. Vehicle traffic on the Kerch Bridge came to a standstill, while rail traffic across the 19-kilometer (12-mile) span also was halted for about six hours. The strike was carried out by two Ukrainian maritime drones, Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee said. Also read: South Korea to expand support for Ukraine as President Yoon Suk Yeol makes a surprise visit Ukrainian officials were coy about taking responsibility, as they have been in past strikes. But in what appeared to be a tacit acknowledgment, Ukrainian Security Service spokesman Artem Degtyarenko said in a statement that his agency would reveal details of how the "bang" was organized after Kyiv has won the war. The bridge previously was attacked in October, when a truck bomb blew up two of its sections and required months of repair. Moscow decried that assault as an act of terrorism and retaliated by bombarding Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, targeting the country's power grid over the winter. In Monday's blast, the Ukrainian news portal RBK-Ukraina cited a security services source as saying it was carried out by what it called floating drones. A deputy prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, later said on the Telegram messaging service that "today, the Crimea bridge was torn apart by sea drones," but it was not clear if he was making an official confirmation or referring to earlier reports. Also read: Zelenskyy blasts NATO’s failure to set a timetable for Ukraine’s membership as ‘absurd’ Hours after Monday's attack, video from Russian authorities showed crews picking up debris from the deck of the bridge, a section of which appeared to be sloping to one side, and a damaged black sedan with its passenger door open. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said authorities were inspecting the damage before determining how long it will take to repair. The Kerch Bridge is a conspicuous symbol of Moscow's claims on Crimea and an essential land link to the peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. The $3.6 billion bridge is the longest in Europe and is crucial for Russia's military operations in southern Ukraine in the nearly 17-month-old war. Russia has expanded its military forces in Crimea since the launch of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Occasional sabotage and other attacks against the Russian military and other facilities on the peninsula have occurred since, with the Kremlin blaming Ukraine. Also read: NATO summit boosted by Turkey's decision to end opposition to Sweden's bid to join alliance The bridge attack comes as Ukrainian forces are pressing a counteroffensive in several sections of the front line. It also happened hours before Russia announced, as expected, that it is halting a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that allows the export of Ukrainian grain during the war. Russian media identified the dead as Alexei and Natalia Kulik, who were traveling to Crimea for a summer vacation. The 40-year-old Kulik was a truck driver and his 36-year-old wife was a municipal education worker. Their 14-year-old daughter suffered chest and brain injuries. Kyiv didn't initially acknowledge responsibility for October's bridge attack either, but Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar acknowledged earlier this month that Ukraine struck it to derail Russian logistics. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, returned to that theme Monday, calling the Ukrainian government a "terrorist organization." "We must blow up their houses and houses of their relatives, search and eliminate their accomplices," he said. Russian authorities said the attack didn't affect the bridge's piers but damaged the deck on one of two road links. The damage appeared less serious than in October's attack. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence department, declined to comment but said: "The peninsula is used by the Russians as a large logistical hub for moving forces and assets deep into the territory of Ukraine. Of course, any logistical problems are additional complications for the occupiers." The Security Service of Ukraine posted a redacted version of a popular lullaby, tweaked to say that the bridge "went to sleep again."  

Tunisia and the European Union (EU) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strategic and comprehensive partnership, according to the Tunisian presidency. The MoU was signed in the presence of Tunisian President Kais Saied, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The presidency statement didn't provide further details about the MoU. Coastguards recover bodies of 41 migrants off Tunisian coast According to the European television news network Euronews, the MoU was inked for a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the EU and Tunisia, with a focus on renewable energies, economic development, and irregular migration. Today, we urgently need a collective agreement on the issue of inhumane immigration," Saied said during a joint press conference held in the capital Tunis with the visiting European leaders. He added the Tunisian people have provided these illegal immigrants with all the necessary help and support, and stressed that the country is "determined to meet the challenges of the current situation." Von der Leyen assured that the EU "is working for prosperity and a better future for the whole region, especially Tunisia and its people." At least 24 migrants die in waters off Tunisia over 2 days The Italian prime minister said, "It is a major step to build a solid partnership to face the scourge of illegal immigration that harms both shores of the Mediterranean." Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe. European Union lawmakers back a major plan to protect nature and fight climate change Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Italy has been on the rise.     

After enduring two major heatwaves, Italy was faced on Sunday with what the iLMeteo.it weather website has described as a "heat storm", with exceptionally high temperatures and humidity rates, especially in the central and southern regions. On Sunday the number of major Italian cities that the health ministry has put on red alert, meaning that the heat is so intense it poses a threat to the whole population, not just groups such as the elderly, the clinically vulnerable and very young children, climbed from 15 to 16. REad:No respite from heat, with 3rd wave bringing record temperature in Italy They are Bologna, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Viterbo. Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Civitavecchia, Messina and Palermo, Sunday's new entry. Temperatures are forecast to climb as high as 47° Celsius in areas of southern Sardinia, 45 or 46° in Sicily and 45° in the province of Foggia, in Puglia. In Rome, which The Times has called "The Infernal City" because of the heat it is suffering, temperatures are expected to reach 37° on Sunday and climb to 42 or 43° on Tuesday. REad: Climate: 18,000 killed by heat in Italy last summer - study iLMeteo.it Founder Antonio Sanò said temperatures of over 30° may last until up to midnight in some cases. Sleeping is a problem, with temperatures not going below 20° during the night.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Sunday he plans to resign at the next Cabinet reshuffle after four years in the job. Wallace has served as defense secretary under three prime ministers and played a key role in the U.K.'s response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. South Korea to expand support for Ukraine as President Yoon Suk Yeol makes a surprise visit He told The Sunday Times his departure was due to the strain his job had put on his family. He also said he would stand down as a lawmaker at the next general election. Wallace is the longest continuously serving minister in government. He was security minister under former Prime Minister Theresa May, before being promoted to defense secretary by her successor Boris Johnson. MPs’ roundtable seeks UK-Bangladesh joint efforts ahead of COP28 Wallace drew criticism last week when he suggested that Ukraine should show "gratitude" for the West's military support. He made the remark at the NATO summit in Lithuania after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration about when his country could join the military alliance. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from Wallace's comments, saying Zelenskyy had "expressed his gratitude for what we've done on a number of occasions." Zelenskyy blasts NATO’s failure to set a timetable for Ukraine’s membership as ‘absurd’

Italy's third heatwave of the summer is set to arrive on Sunday, bringing record temperatures and immediately replacing the second to deny the nation a moment of respite. The new heatwave is forecast to peak on Tuesday, when temperatures in areas of southern Sardinian may reach 48° Celsius, according to forecasts. Read: Nearly 100 die as India struggles with a sweltering heatwave in 2 most populous states The temperature in Rome is forecast to reach 41°C on Monday and 43° on Tuesday, beating the record of 40.7° set last summer. Exceptionally high temperatures are also forecast for the rest of the country. On Saturday 15 major Italian cities are on red alert, meaning that the heat is so intense it poses a threat to the whole population, not just groups such as the elderly, the clinically vulnerable and very young children. Read: Heatwaves to impact almost every child by 2050: UNICEF report They are Bologna, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Viterbo. Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Civitavecchia and Messina. Palermo will join them on Sunday. A study coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and published in the Nature Medicine journal this week estimated that over 18,000 people died in Italy due to the intense heat the nation endured last summer. Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heat waves, drought, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday that Sweden’s NATO membership bid would not be ratified by Turkey’s parliament before October. He said at a news conference at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that the process would have to wait until after lawmakers return from a summer recess. Read: NATO summit boosted by Turkey's decision to end opposition to Sweden's bid to join alliance “The parliament is not in session for the upcoming two months … but our target is to finalize this matter as swiftly as possible,” he said. Turkey on Monday withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by Erdogan was a significant move toward Sweden’s membership and came after days of intensive meetings. Read: Biden’s upcoming European trip is meant to boost NATO against Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on Finland has already become the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Nordic countries were historically nonaligned until the war increased fears of Russian aggression. Read more: NATO again extends Stoltenberg's mandate, happy with a safe pair of hands as the war drags on

There were 30,686 crimes against the environment in Italy in 2022, an increase of 0.3% with respect to the previous year, Legambiente said Tuesday in its Ecomafia 2023 report. The environmental association said this worked out at 84 environment crimes a day, or 3.5 an hour. Climate: 18,000 killed by heat in Italy last summer - study It said the biggest category of environmental crime regarded illegal building work, with 12,216 felonies last year, 39.8% of the total and a rise of 28.7% on 2021. Next came crimes against fauna, of which there were 6,481, while illegal-waste-related crimes dropped 33.8% to 5,606. Italy agrees to lift ban on flights from conflict-stricken Libya after 10 years The report said revenue generated from environmental crime in Italy was stable at 8.8 billion euros a year. It added that 67,030 administrative offences were committed against the environment last year, an increase of 13.1% on 2021. Italy govt okays legal entry of 452,000 foreign workers in 3 years

Over 18,000 people died in Italy due to the intense heat the nation endured last summer, according to a new study. The study, coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and published in the Nature Medicine journal, said that Italy had the highest heat-related death toll in Europe in the summer of 2022, with 18,100 mortalities out of a total of 61,672 for the whole continent. Read: EU must act to stop migration at source: Italian PM Spain was second with 11,324 deaths followed by Germany with 8.173. Europe was hit by a series of intense heatwaves last year that led to drought and devastating wildfires. The study said the average temperature in Europe was about 2° Celsius above the average for the period last summer. Read: 10 mn Italians to spend on average 227 euro in summer sales In France it was 2.43° above average while in Italy it was 2.28° higher. Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is causing extreme weather events such as heat waves, drought, supercharged storms and flooding to be more frequent and more intense.