United News of Bangladesh

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured victory in the country’s disputed presidential election with more than 97% of the vote, according to official results released early Saturday, marking a rare landslide win in the East African region. The result is expected to heighten concerns among opposition groups, critics, and civil society, who have described the election as more of a coronation than a contest, after Hassan’s two main rivals were barred or prevented from participating. She faced 16 candidates representing smaller parties. The October 29 election was marred by violence, as demonstrators took to the streets in major cities to protest the vote and halt counting. The military was deployed to assist police in controlling the unrest. Intermittent internet shutdowns have further disrupted communications and mobility across the country. Protests spread nationwide, prompting the government to postpone the reopening of universities, initially scheduled for October 3. Tanzanian authorities have not disclosed official casualty figures. However, Seif Magango, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, reported credible accounts of 10 deaths in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Morogoro. Opposition leaders have faced severe restrictions. Tundu Lissu, head of the Chadema party, has been jailed for months on treason charges after calling for electoral reforms necessary for free and fair polls. Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party was barred from contesting. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has maintained its decades-long hold on power despite the emergence of popular opposition figures calling for political change. A landslide victory of this magnitude is uncommon in the region, comparable only to Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s repeated overwhelming wins. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have documented patterns of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings in Tanzania ahead of the election. A UN panel noted over 200 enforced disappearances since 2019, expressing alarm at the repression leading up to the polls. The International Crisis Group highlighted Hassan’s “unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” citing restrictions on freedom of expression, including bans on social media platforms like X, limitations on the Tanzanian digital forum JamiiForums, and intimidation or arrests of critical voices. Despite Tanzania’s long history of single-party dominance since the introduction of multi-party politics in 1992, Hassan’s style has been described as authoritarian, contrasting with previous leaders who tolerated opposition while retaining firm control. The CCM, which has maintained ties with the Communist Party of China, has governed Tanzania since its independence from Britain in 1961. Hassan rose to the presidency as vice president following the sudden death of her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli early in his second term, ensuring a smooth transition. The orderly handover reinforced Tanzania’s reputation for political stability and relative peace, contributing to CCM’s continued popularity, particularly among rural voters.   Source: AP

Dozens of high school students in northeastern Australia were excused from sitting their ancient history exam after teachers discovered they had studied the wrong Roman ruler — Augustus Caesar instead of Julius Caesar. The confusion affected students at nine high schools in Queensland, where teachers realized only days before the statewide exam that they had been following the wrong curriculum. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the situation had been “extremely traumatic” for the students and ordered an investigation into how the mix-up occurred. “I’m very unhappy about the situation,” Langbroek told reporters, assuring that the 140 senior students involved would not be disadvantaged. “They will be given credit for the work already completed and won’t have to sit for the exam.” The ancient history test, which counts for 25% of the students’ final marks, was canceled for those affected. Their grades will instead be based on their internal assessments, which account for the remaining 75%. Parents expressed frustration, saying the last-minute panic over the mistake had disrupted students’ preparation for other exams scheduled the same week. According to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), schools were notified two years ago that the exam topic would shift from Augustus to Julius Caesar beginning in 2025. The Augustus module had been used for the past four years. Langbroek said his department will review communication processes to ensure such an oversight does not happen again.   Source: AP

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday that Australia will recognize a Palestinian state, joining France, Britain and Canada in expressing similar intentions. The move follows weeks of pressure from members of his Cabinet and other voices in Australia urging recognition, amid mounting criticism from within his government over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Albanese administration has also denounced recent plans by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a large-scale new military offensive in the territory. Vance says US has 'no plans' to recognize Palestinian state ahead of talks with UK Foreign Secretary Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Albanese said the formal recognition will be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September. He noted that the decision is based on commitments from the Palestinian Authority, including the exclusion of Hamas from any future government, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the holding of elections. “A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to end the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese said. Source: Agency 

A female has died after being shot by police in Melbourne, the capital city of southeast Australia's state of Victoria, on Saturday evening. The Victorian Police said in a statement on Friday evening that officers were called to Cecil Street in south Melbourne following reports of a male with a machete at around 5 p.m. local time.  Record floodwaters in eastern Australia 4 dead, 1 missing The police located the male and whilst he was being arrested, a vehicle was driven at a police officer. The officer shot at the offending vehicle, striking a female driver and her male passenger. The 34-year-old female has died at the scene, while the 26-year-old male has been taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The male senior constable has been taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.  Record floodwaters in eastern Australia, 1 dead and 3 missing The matter will be investigated with oversight from the Professional Standards Command, as is standard procedure for a fatal police shooting, said the statement.  

Record floodwaters on Australia’s east coast have left four people dead and one missing, officials said Friday as rain eased over the disaster area. 50,000 people have been isolated by flooding along the coast of New South Wales state north of Sydney after days of heavy rain. The low-pressure weather system that brought the deluge had moved further south to Sydney and its surrounds Friday.  Record floodwaters in eastern Australia, 1 dead and 3 missing Four bodies have been retrieved from floodwaters in New South Wales since Wednesday. Three of the victims had driven into floodwaters, while a man’s body had been found on the veranda of his flooded home. The latest victim was a man in his 70s whose body was found in a car in floodwater Friday near Coffs Harbour, a police statement said. The car had run off the road. A 49-year-old man remains missing after walking near a flooded road at Nymboida on Wednesday night. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns on Friday were inspecting devastated communities, some of which had been inundated by the highest floodwaters on record. Minns praised emergency services and volunteers for rescuing 678 people from floodwaters in recent days, including 177 in the past 24 hours. “It’s an amazing, heroic logistical effort where, in very difficult circumstances, many volunteers put themselves in harm’s way to rescue a complete stranger. And over the coming days and weeks, we will hear scores of stories of locals being plucked out of impossible, desperate situations,” Minns told reporters in Maitland in the flood area. “Without the volunteers, we would have had hundreds of deaths and we’re in deep, deep gratitude to those people who volunteered their time,” Minns added. Despite the easing rain, State Emergency Service Commissioner Mike Wassing said crews were still looking out for floodwaters potentially rising due to water continuing to flow into catchments. “We still do have active flood rescues still coming into the system and we’re dealing with those on a case-by-case" basis, Wassing said. “We have seen that tempo drop off, and that’s a good thing.” Bellingen Shire Council Mayor Steve Allan said landslides and damaged roads and bridges were complicating the process of reaching isolated communities in his rural local government region southwest of Coffs Harbour. “We’ve woken up to blue skies which is a great thing,” Allan said. Australians start voting in general elections as pope's death overshadows campaigning “Our rivers are slowly receding and I think we’re probably transitioning from the response phase into the recovery phase this morning,” he added.

Record floodwaters on Australia's east coast left one person dead and three others missing, officials said Thursday, as more heavy rain was forecast in the area. Some 330 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney. The area has been hit with heavy rain since Tuesday. The flooding exceeds local records set in 1929.  Australian central bank reduces benchmark interest rate to 3.85% in second cut this year News South Wales Premier Christopher Minns said some areas were forecast to receive as much as 30 centimeters (1 foot) of rain in the next 24 hours. He said 50,000 people were warned to prepare to evacuate or be isolated by floodwaters, telling reporters: “We are bracing for more bad news." The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon, Fire and Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said. A coroner will determine whether a pre-existing medical condition played a part in his death, he added. Three people — including a 60-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and a 49-year-old man — were also reported missing, Fewtrell said. “We hold grave fears for all three individuals,” he added. Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said 330 flood rescues were conducted in the past 24 hours. Helicopters have been used to rescue people stranded by floodwaters from rooftops and verandahs. “We’ve seen more rain and more flooding in the mid-to-north coast area than we’ve ever seen before,” Dib said. The flooding has hit communities including Taree, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen in New South Wales. Taree received a month’s rain in 24 hours, Minns said.  Australians start voting in general elections as pope's death overshadows campaigning “Up around the Taree area, we’ve seen communities that have never flooded in recorded history now flooding,” Fewtrell said. The region has opened 14 evacuation centers as of Thursday.

Australia’s central bank on Tuesday reduced its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage for a second time this year, to 3.85% after inflation fell within a target range. The Reserve Bank of Australia reduced its cash rate from 4.1%. The reduction from 4.35% at its February board meeting was Australia’s first rate cut since October 2020. ​​​​​​​Australian prime minister names new Cabinet that drops Israel critic The rate cut was anticipated, although expectations had declined slightly after the United States and China agreed last week to cut back recent tariff hikes for 90 days, reviving stalled trade between the world two biggest economies. The bank adjusts interest rates to steer inflation toward a target band of between 2% and 3%. During the March quarter, annual inflation was 2.4%. The trimmed mean –- a gauge of underlying inflation which is the bank’s preferred measure –- was 2.9%. Inflation was also steady at 2.4% in the previous three months. But the underlying figure, which strips out the smallest and largest values, was 3.2% in the last quarter of 2024. Inflation has gradually declined after it peaked at 7.8% in the last quarter of 2022.  Australia to hold general elections on May 3, With inflation and housing crisis key issues Unemployment inched up to 4.1% in January-March from 4.0% in the December quarter but remains relatively low. Economists fear a shortage of workers could fuel further inflation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his new Cabinet on Monday following his Labor Party’s landslide victory in the May 3 elections, a move that coincided with the exclusion of a minister who had criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza. The updated Cabinet line-up comes after former Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said his removal was partly linked to his vocal criticism of Israel’s military campaign. Albanese revealed the names of 30 lawmakers who will serve in ministerial and outer-ministry roles. With Labor securing 92 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives and possibly reaching 95 as counting continues, Albanese said his government now holds more seats than any Labor government since Australia’s first Parliament in 1901. “I’m deeply humbled by the trust that was put into my government with the election and we certainly won’t take it for granted,” he said during a press conference at Parliament House. Although prime ministers distribute ministerial portfolios, the Labor Party’s internal factions determine who fills them based on their proportion of seats. In this reshuffle, faction leaders dropped both Husic, who is of Bosnian Muslim heritage, and former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish. Australians rescue a 10-foot great white shark stranded in shallow water Husic, the first Muslim federal minister sworn in on the Quran after the 2022 election, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that Albanese should have acted to retain both him and Dreyfus. “I think it’s been a factor in there. Would I do things differently? I don’t think so,” Husic said, referring to his stance on the Gaza conflict. “You can’t celebrate diversity and then expect it to sit in a corner and be silent. You need to speak up … for the communities that you care about,” he added. When questioned about whether he had attempted to keep Husic and Dreyfus in Cabinet, Albanese avoided a direct answer. “We have a process in the Labor Party caucus. You’ve been watching it for some time,” he said. He added that he spoke with Husic on Monday morning in a “constructive discussion.” “What I’ve done is to allocate portfolios. That’s the system that’s there. It’s one that Ed and others have supported for a long period of time,” Albanese said. Bilal Rauf, an adviser to the Australian National Imams Council, urged Albanese to clarify if Husic’s demotion was related to his views on the war in Gaza. “I think at a minimum, some explanation is warranted. We can’t just leave it at explanations about factionalism,” Rauf said. “If Ed says that’s a factor, I have no reason to discount that,” he added. “It’s hard to deny that it likely is a factor.” Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said his organization had good working relationships with both Husic and Dreyfus, although Husic's comments following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel had caused concern. “He levelled accusations at Israel which we fundamentally disagree with but again reasonable people will differ on these things and we wish Ed Husic all the best,” Ryvchin said. Two weeks after the October attack, Husic had said: “I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished … for Hamas’ barbarism.” On Sunday, he reiterated that the Israeli government had “atrociously managed this.” Meanwhile, Anne Aly, born in Egypt, has been elevated to the Cabinet, becoming the highest-ranking Muslim in the government. She will oversee the small business, international development, and multicultural affairs portfolios. With Dreyfus no longer in the Cabinet, this marks the first time since 2010 that an Australian government has had no Jewish Cabinet minister. Most senior ministers have retained their previous roles or experienced minor adjustments. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles remains Defense Minister, while Tony Burke’s Home Affairs portfolio now also includes oversight of the Australian Federal Police and the domestic spy agency, ASIO. Tim Ayres, previously assistant trade minister, has replaced Husic in Cabinet, while Michelle Rowland, formerly communications minister, takes over from Dreyfus.

Australians began voting Tuesday at general elections as campaigning was overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis. Polling stations opened to voters who for a variety of reasons will be unable to vote on May 3. Around half the votes are expected to be cast before the election date. Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton cancelled campaign events planned for Tuesday out of respect for the late pontiff. Flags were flown at half staff from government buildings across the country where a 2021 census found 20% of the population were Catholics. Albanese was raised as a Catholic but chose to be sworn in as prime minister when he was elected in 2022 by making a secular affirmation rather than by taking an oath on a Bible. Albanese attended a Mass in honor of the pope in Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday morning. “I try not to talk about my faith in public,” Albanese told reporters. “At times like this, I think what people do is they draw on who they are and certainly my Catholicism is just a part of me,” he added. Singapore calls May 3 general election as Parliament is dissolved Albanese and Dutton, who leads the conservative Liberal Party, will meet in Sydney later Tuesday for the third televised leaders’ debate of the campaign. A fourth debate is planned Sunday. Dutton, who was raised by a Catholic father and Protestant mother and attended an Anglican school, planned to go to a church service in Sydney. “I don’t think it’s a day for overt politicking at all. I think that the day is best spent reflecting,” Dutton told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I don’t think there’s a place for the body blows of politics today. I think it’s a very different day from that,” Dutton added. Albanese’s center-left Labor Party is seeking a second three-year term. The government held a narrow majority of 78 seats out of 151 in the House of Representatives where parties form administrations during its first term. Australia to hold general elections on May 3, With inflation and housing crisis key issues The lower chamber will shrink to 150 seats after the election due to redistributions. The major parties are both predicting a close election result.

Australians will head to the polls on May 3 for general elections, with rising costs of living and a housing shortage posing significant challenges for the government as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party seeks a second three-year term. Albanese visited Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s official residence on Friday to formally trigger the election and later announced the date at a press conference at Parliament House. “Over the last few years, the world has thrown a lot at Australia. In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges we will face, but we can determine how we respond,” Albanese said. “Our government has chosen to face global challenges the Australian way: helping people under cost-of-living pressure while building for the future,” he added. Opposition Pushes for ChangeOpposition leader Peter Dutton launched his conservative coalition’s campaign by promising better economic management, citing the failure of 29,000 small businesses under Labor’s three-year rule. “It’s a choice about who can better manage our economy, and the question Australians need to ask is: Are you better off today? Is our country better off today than three years ago?” Dutton told reporters. Canada's new leader announces Australian radar purchase while visiting edge of Arctic Circle Election OutlookMany analysts expect Dutton’s coalition to gain seats in the House of Representatives. Since 1931, no Australian government has been ousted after a single term, but second-term elections typically result in losses. Labor currently holds 77 of the 151 seats in the House, where a majority is needed to govern. After a redistribution, the next election will be contested with 150 seats. One likely outcome is a minority government backed by independent or minor party lawmakers. In 2022, a record 19 lawmakers who were not aligned with either major party were elected to Parliament. These independent lawmakers could play a crucial role in determining whether Labor or Dutton’s conservative Liberal Party forms the next government. Adam Bandt, leader of the minor Greens party, said his lawmakers would support a Labor minority government—if Labor agreed to key demands. Those demands include banning new coal and gas extraction projects, providing free dental care for all, and capping rent increases. “With a minority government likely, this is a once-in-a-generation chance to keep Peter Dutton out and push Labor to take action on the housing crisis, the cost-of-living crisis, and climate change,” Bandt said. The Greens previously supported a Labor minority government in 2010, which introduced a carbon tax. However, the tax was later repealed by a conservative government. Key Election IssuesCost of Living:Since Albanese took office, cost-of-living pressures have intensified, with 12 interest rate hikes. However, Australia’s central bank lowered the benchmark cash rate to 4.1% in February, signaling a potential easing of inflationary pressures. Housing Crisis:Albanese pledged to build 1.2 million homes over five years to address the housing shortage, but progress has been slow. Dutton has promised to ease housing competition by reducing immigration and allowing Australians to use savings from compulsory workplace pension funds for home down payments. Bangladesh most credible, influential voice in global climate negotiations: Australia Climate Policy:Both major parties have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. However, their approaches differ—Labor supports a transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, while the opposition proposes building seven state-funded nuclear power plants and expanding gas-fired power generation. The election outcome will determine whether Australians stick with Labor’s vision or shift toward the conservative opposition’s policies. Source: With input from agency