United News of Bangladesh

Turkish gendarmerie forces detained 104 people suspected of being members or supporters of the Islamic State (IS) in coordinated operations across the country on Friday, the Interior Ministry said. The operations were carried out simultaneously in 30 provinces by provincial gendarmerie commands in coordination with the Gendarmerie General Command’s Counter-Terrorism Department and local prosecutors, the ministry said in a social media statement. The suspects are accused of providing financial support to IS through individuals affiliated with the group and purported aid organizations, spreading its propaganda on social media and being members of the organization, the statement said. Prosecutors have launched investigations into the suspects, it said. Türkiye designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013 and has since been targeted in several attacks by the group. In response, Ankara has intensified counter-terrorism operations both domestically and abroad.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Friday signed a defense agreement under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all, officials said. The “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” was signed in Mecca during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Iraq studies new oil pipeline to Turkey, Syria to reduce Hormuz dependence  The agreement between the three Sunni Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran. Turkish media reported the agreement could facilitate joint military exercises, training, technology transfers and intelligence sharing. A Turkish official described it as “purely defensive,” saying it targets no specific country and could be joined by other regional states. The pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements. Defense analyst Abdullah Khan called it a formalization of decades of strategic ties, combining Pakistan’s military expertise, Saudi Arabia’s economic and regional influence, and Turkey’s defense technology. Sharif arrived Thursday for a three-day visit with a delegation including Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, while Erdogan arrived Friday. The leaders were also expected to discuss easing US-Iran tensions, trade, economic ties and wider security cooperation.

A warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online retailer caught fire after Ukrainian long-range drones struck the facility in the Ural Mountains, more than 2,000 kilometers from the countries' border, officials and the company said Friday. Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, was set ablaze in the attack, although most of the goods inside were not damaged. Regional Governor Denis Pasler said three drones struck the warehouse roof. Kremlin representative Artyom Zhoga said about 800 people were evacuated from the facility and no one was injured. Ukraine has increasingly targeted locations deep inside Russia, including in the Urals and western Siberia. Earlier, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery nearly 2,500 kilometers from the border. Kyiv has made drone technology a key part of its military response to Russia's invasion, with Ukrainian officials saying the country's advances have led to drone cooperation agreements with nine countries. Talks are also underway with 15 more countries. Ukraine pushes ahead with new weaponsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is accelerating work on new military technologies, particularly air defense systems designed to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Ukraine has faced growing pressure from Russian missile attacks amid shortages of US-made Patriot interceptor missiles, which have been used to protect civilian areas. Zelenskyy said a joint European anti-ballistic missile development program is already underway, involving 10 countries. He said Ukraine could produce its own missiles and launchers, while partner countries would supply key components, including radars and sensors. He also said Ukraine is developing its own ballistic missiles for use against Russia, adding that initial tests had shown promising potential. Eastern defenses under pressureMeanwhile, Ukrainian forces are facing continued pressure along the eastern front as Russia seeks to break through after months of limited advances. Ukraine has been evacuating civilians, including children, from Kramatorsk, one of four major cities forming the so-called Fortress Belt in the eastern Donetsk region. The roughly 50-kilometer line of heavily fortified cities has played a key role in preventing Russia from capturing Ukraine's industrial heartland. Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said more than 800 people, including 91 children, were evacuated from the area in the previous 24 hours. Ukraine has also been using medium-range strike drones to disrupt Russian supply routes and slow the advance of its forces. Nightly drone attacks continueRussia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 203 Ukrainian drones between late Thursday and early Friday. Ukraine's Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 147 long-range attack drones at Ukrainian targets. In the northern Sumy region, a Russian drone hit a busy market Friday morning, injuring 10 people, according to local authorities. Russia also launched glide bombs and other drones against the regional capital, damaging residential buildings, transport facilities and infrastructure, regional administration head Oleh Hryhorov said. Two people were injured in those attacks.

A severe heat wave swept across Europe on Thursday, putting all major Italian cities under the highest heat alert while Austria and Slovakia recorded their highest-ever temperatures. Temperatures climbed above 40°C (104°F) in several countries, raising health concerns for millions and putting pressure on power supplies, transport networks and public services. Scientists and officials said increasingly frequent and intense heat waves are linked to a warming climate and are forcing governments to prepare for more extreme weather. Italy issues red alert across all major citiesItaly's Health Ministry placed all 27 cities covered by its heat monitoring system under a red alert Thursday, marking the first time this year that the entire network has simultaneously reached the highest warning level. The alert covers cities from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily and indicates a health risk for everyone, not just older people and those with existing health problems. Authorities advised people to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, stay indoors when possible and drink plenty of water. The heat wave has also led to changes at major tourist sites. The tourism and culture ministries extended evening opening hours at attractions including Rome's Colosseum and Pantheon. Cooling mist fans were installed at Colosseum entrances, while additional medical stations were set up to help visitors cope with the heat. Rome has also opened a free temporary "urban beach" along the Tiber River in the Marconi area. The Tiberis site offers swimming pools, water fountains and shaded spaces, providing residents and children with a place to escape the heat. Austria, Slovakia record highest-ever temperaturesSlovakia recorded a new national temperature record Thursday, with the mercury reaching 42.2°C (108°F) at Dolne Plachtince in the south, according to the Slovak Meteorological Institute. Low water levels in the Danube have also affected the country's biggest hydroelectric power plant in Gabčíkovo. Seven of its eight turbines were shut down, with the plant producing 15% less electricity this year than during the same period last year. The Academy of Sciences said the Danube recorded its lowest July water flow on record. Austria recorded its highest-ever temperature on Wednesday, reaching 41.2°C (106.2°F) in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border, according to GeoSphere Austria. The country is also experiencing severe drought. Rainfall during the first six months of the year was 27% below the long-term average nationwide, while some eastern areas received only half their normal rainfall. Climatologist Alexander Orlik said some parts of Austria had not seen such dry conditions since 1885. Hungary cuts power use amid droughtHungary's prolonged drought and record-low Danube levels have affected its only nuclear power plant, which depends on river water to cool its reactors. The plant has cut production to around 10% of normal levels, prompting the government to introduce emergency measures to reduce electricity use. Authorities asked industries and households to limit power consumption, particularly between 5pm and 10pm, when demand is highest. Freight trains have also been banned from operating during those hours, while decorative lighting at Budapest landmarks has been switched off. Major companies, including energy firm Mol, pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter and automakers Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, have announced plans to reduce electricity consumption. The government also canceled parliamentary sessions this week as part of efforts to save power. Budapest recorded its hottest night on record Wednesday, with the temperature dropping only to 28°C (82°F). Germany concerned over falling river levelsGermany is increasingly concerned about the effects of drought on transport and industry as water levels in the Rhine and other rivers continue to fall. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger met with affected organizations Thursday and said low river levels were creating serious problems for inland shipping, industries and the wider supply chain. Environmental group BUND called for measures to make rivers more resilient to climate change, including retaining more water in the landscape and reducing water withdrawals during droughts. France remains at high wildfire riskFirefighters continued to monitor the Var region in southeastern France after authorities said a major wildfire was no longer spreading but could flare up again. The fire, which started on July 20, has burned more than 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), making it the largest wildfire recorded in the region in recent decades. Authorities warned that strong winds and extremely dry conditions were keeping the wildfire risk very high across southeastern France. In England, temperatures eased, but the effects of the country's driest July on record remained visible. A grass fire temporarily closed the southern runway at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday. Balkans battle wildfires and droughtThe heat wave peaked across the Balkans on Thursday, with temperatures approaching 40°C (104°F) as countries struggled with drought and wildfires. Firefighters in Serbia battled several blazes after days of dry weather. One major fire spread through pine forests west of Belgrade, while another broke out near Kraljevo in central Serbia, where difficult terrain hampered firefighting efforts. In neighboring Croatia, tourists in Dubrovnik sought shade and avoided the beaches during the hottest hours as temperatures soared along the Adriatic coast.

Ukraine has struck two oil refineries in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday. In a social media post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Defence Forces targeted the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl and the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region. Earlier, reports said thick black smoke was seen rising from the area of the Yaroslavl refinery following Ukrainian drone attacks. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Evraev said Ukrainian drones targeting the region had been destroyed, but falling debris set three houses on fire. Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces attacked two Russian military patrol boats and vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea. Source: BBC

Ukraine is facing growing difficulties in stopping Russian ballistic missiles, which can reach their targets within minutes — and sometimes seconds — after being launched. The missiles are exposing Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to increasingly heavy attacks because they travel extremely fast and descend steeply toward their targets. Ukraine says the US-made Patriot system is currently the only defense system in its arsenal capable of stopping some of Russia’s most advanced ballistic missiles. But Ukraine does not have enough Patriot systems or interceptor missiles to protect all of its cities. Unlike cruise missiles, which fly more like unmanned aircraft, ballistic missiles are launched like rockets before diving toward their targets at several times the speed of sound. That gives air-defense crews very little time to detect, track and intercept them. The difficulty was highlighted by Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv, which struck a brewery, a warehouse and a mail-sorting facility. At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday. Thomas Withington, an electronic warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute, compared intercepting such a missile to trying to catch a ball moving extremely fast. Russia's main ground-launched ballistic missile is the Iskander-M. It also uses the air-launched Kinzhal and has fired S-300 and S-400 air-defense missiles at ground targets. The Zircon, technically a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, also travels at speeds that create similar challenges for air-defense systems. Patriots provide limited protectionThe Patriot system is designed to defend against fast-moving missiles. Its PAC-3 interceptor is built to hit an incoming warhead directly rather than explode near it. The system must quickly detect and track an incoming missile, calculate its flight path and launch an interceptor, sometimes leaving only seconds to complete the engagement. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Patriots are currently the only systems in Ukraine capable of intercepting Russia’s Iskander-M, S-400 and Zircon missiles. The United States and its allies have other advanced missile-defense systems, including THAAD and ship-based Aegis systems, but those have not been supplied to Ukraine. Even Patriot systems cannot guarantee protection. If a battery is unavailable, deployed elsewhere or running short of interceptors, other Ukrainian air defenses often cannot fill the gap. Ukraine also has too few Patriot batteries to cover every major city. Russia complicates the challenge by launching ballistic missiles alongside cruise missiles, drones and decoys, forcing Ukrainian defenders to deal with many targets at once. Global shortage of interceptorsThe shortage of interceptor missiles has become a wider international problem. The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has used large numbers of Patriot and THAAD interceptors. An Associated Press analysis estimated that the US stockpile of Patriot interceptors had fallen by at least 65% from its level before the conflict, although the Pentagon said it still had a large supply. Increasing production will take time. Lockheed Martin delivered more than 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors in 2025 and is working to increase annual production to 2,000 by the end of 2030. NATO says Europe’s first Patriot missile production facility is expected to open in Germany in September. Washington has also sent mixed signals about expanding production in Ukraine. At a NATO summit in Turkey last month, President Donald Trump said the United States would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles. About three weeks later, however, he said he had not made a final decision. Even if approval is given, US officials and experts told AP that establishing production in Ukraine would take years. Ukraine seeks to destroy missile launchersUkraine is also trying to prevent missile attacks before they begin by targeting Russian launchers and related infrastructure. People familiar with the discussions told AP that Zelenskyy asked Trump to help secure Elon Musk’s approval for Ukrainian forces to use Starlink communications for targeting inside Russia, where access to the service has been restricted. Such access could potentially help Ukrainian drones locate Russian missile launchers and supporting infrastructure, reducing the number of missiles that Ukrainian Patriot batteries would have to intercept. The request has not been publicly confirmed by the White House, the Ukrainian Embassy or SpaceX. Ukraine is also developing a proposed lower-cost missile-defense system called Freya, which is intended to reduce the country’s dependence on Patriot systems. In July, Ukraine and nine European countries formed a coalition to work on a joint missile-defense capability. Zelenskyy said the countries could work together to develop a system for mass production within 12 months. Freya remains under development, however, and it is not clear when it could become operational. Following the latest Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukraine received only one-third as many air-defense missiles during the first half of 2026 as it did during the same period last year. He urged countries that cannot immediately increase deliveries of interceptor missiles to instead impose tougher sanctions on Russia, saying a significant part of Russia’s ballistic missile production has remained largely unaffected by existing sanctions.

South Korean police have raided the local headquarters of Starbucks as part of an investigation into a controversial marketing campaign that was accused of making light of the country’s pro-democracy movement in the 1980s. Police searched Starbucks Korea’s headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday, officials said Wednesday. South Korean media reported that investigators also searched the homes of some company executives. The investigation follows public anger over a campaign promoting a series of stainless-steel tumblers called “SS Tank.” The company had designated May 18 as “Tank Day,” using a date that marks the anniversary of the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju. The uprising was violently suppressed by South Korea’s military-backed government at the time. The campaign also used the slogan “Thwack it on the table!” which many people viewed as a reference to the 1987 death of student activist Park Jong-chol while in police custody. Authorities at the time falsely claimed that Park had died after an investigator “hit the desk with a thwack,” an explanation that was later exposed as a cover-up of his torture and death. The campaign sparked widespread criticism, prompting Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, to cancel it within hours. The group also dismissed the chief executive of Starbucks Korea. Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin later apologized in a televised statement. Starbucks Korea subsequently closed all of its stores across the country early on June 22 for mandatory training on Korean history and social sensitivity. The police investigation began after relatives of victims of the Gwangju crackdown filed complaints. Official records say about 200 people were killed during the suppression of the uprising. South Korea became a democracy in 1987 after then-authoritarian President Chun Doo-hwan, who had led the crackdown in Gwangju, agreed to constitutional changes introducing direct presidential elections following massive pro-democracy protests.

China on Wednesday announced a series of countermeasures against the United States, including tighter controls on drone exports to the US and sanctions on six American entities, in response to recent trade and technology restrictions imposed by Washington. The measures come as tensions persist between the world's two largest economies ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States in September, despite recent efforts by both sides to stabilize relations. In a statement, China's Commerce Ministry said the latest actions were prompted by several recent US decisions, including the Federal Communications Commission's restrictions on imports of Chinese drones and Washington's addition of 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list. Beijing said the US measures undermine the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and harm China's legitimate interests, adding that it was left with "no choice" but to respond. China said exports of drones, key drone components and related technologies listed as dual-use items with both civilian and military applications will now be subject to case-by-case government review before being approved for shipment to the United States. The Commerce Ministry also barred six US entities, including Applied DNA Sciences Inc. and the rights group Human Rights in China, from conducting trade or other business activities with Chinese organizations. Separately, China prohibited Compliance Testing LLC from operating in the Chinese market, accusing the company of cooperating with the US Federal Communications Commission in ways that harmed China's sovereignty and national security. Chinese authorities also announced a national security review of imported printing software and office equipment, although they did not identify any specific companies involved. Meanwhile, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said US-based firms will no longer be allowed to conduct follow-up factory inspections for China Compulsory Certification (CCC), a key product safety certification for electronic goods. The change means US manufacturers seeking CCC approval will need to rely on auditors or certification bodies based outside the United States. The latest measures follow a series of US actions targeting Chinese technology products. In December, the FCC restricted imports of new Chinese drones before later easing the ban for certain models. Last week, Washington also announced restrictions on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns.

Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded 44 others overnight into Wednesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Russia fired 24 ballistic missiles, four other missiles identified as either hypersonic Zircons or supersonic Oniks, and 115 drones, many of them jet-powered, in the attack. Zelenskyy said the strikes mainly targeted warehouses belonging to civilian businesses, as well as infrastructure and a railway station, hitting sites that he described as “with no connection to the war” — including a brewing company, building materials warehouses and civilian logistics facilities. The attack was the latest in a series of large-scale Russian ballistic missile strikes that have become near-routine this summer. Ukraine has a limited stockpile of interceptor missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot systems, the sole air defense system in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles, making large volleys like Wednesday’s hard to stop, even as Ukraine has stepped up deep strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure. “Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today," Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram. "It is very important for our partners to understand that delays in supplying them, or a reluctance to hand over anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.” In the wider Kyiv region around the capital, there were fires at multiple locations in Brovary, Bucha and Fastiv districts, Ukraine’s emergency service said. Large warehouse fires burned in the city of Brovary and the villages of Velyka Dymerka, Kvitneve and Peremoha. A fire involving vehicles at an enterprise in Fastiv district was extinguished. In Bucha district, crews battled a warehouse fire in the village of Chaiky after putting out a separate fire at a logistics facility in Sofiivska Borshchahivka. In the capital, emergency crews extinguished all fires sparked by the strikes in the Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Holosiivskyi and Desnianskyi districts, the Kyiv City Military Administration said. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on defense technology development, said the war of attrition has entered a new phase. “The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” he said on Facebook. One of the companies that came under heavy fire was Epicentr, one of Ukraine’s largest retail and construction chains. It said in a statement on Facebook that “in minutes, Russian missiles destroyed what the company had built over decades.” One employee was killed and three others were wounded. Russia hit two of the company’s key logistics hubs. A direct hit also destroyed the production floor of its ceramic tile factory, forcing the company to halt manufacturing there and shift production abroad, with full recovery expected to take up to two years, the company said. Epicentr also voiced support for other Ukrainian businesses damaged in the attack, saying it understood “how many years of work, effort, faith and daily responsibility stand behind every enterprise.” Ukraine has carried out its own campaign against Russian retail logistics, striking multiple warehouses belonging to Wildberries — often described as Russia’s answer to Amazon — as part of a broader effort to damage Moscow’s economy and confront Russians with the costs of the war.  

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened "very soon." In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the United States is "having very good discussions" with Iran. But Tehran denied it is having any talks with Washington.