United News of Bangladesh

Australia's Twenty20 domestic competition will open its cricket season in India in December and Big Bash League officials are hoping for a big turnout at Chennai's 38,000-seat MA Chidambaram Stadium. After months of speculation, the Melbourne Renegades’ match against the Perth Scorchers on Dec. 12 was confirmed during a special event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday led by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. It marks the first time a BBL match will be played outside of Australia. The evening match in Australia will start in the afternoon in India and follow the conclusion of the fourth day of the test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth, Western Australia.  

The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East. Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire. But Thursday’s appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar. Sirens sounded Thursday afternoon in Jordan as well, where the U.S. has stationed troops and aircraft. An Iranian official accused the U.S. of launching an airstrike later Thursday targeting the area around Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, and other explosions were reported elsewhere in the country during the afternoon. Early Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad after days of public mourning. Khamenei was killed in the opening salvos of the Iran war. The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of a fragile ceasefire and threatened to escalate the conflict if they didn't stop. That raised concerns that the region could tip back into a war that would engulf several countries and could halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial for the global economy. In Iran, the two days of American airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded another 78, Iran’s Health Ministry said Thursday. Most were reportedly members of the armed forces. In Kuwait, the military said falling debris wounded one person as the nation shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain said it shot down incoming fire, without elaborating, and Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said all incoming fire from Iran had been intercepted. Iranian state TV said the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard fired missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan. There was no immediate word of damage in Qatar. US strikes hit more targets The U.S. military’s Central Command said it hit 90 targets across Iran, releasing black-and-white footage of what appeared to be strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers. The U.S. said the strikes were intended to “further degrade” Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28. Traffic has picked up somewhat since a tentative deal last month included opening the waterway. Maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday that preliminary data showed at least 576 ships passed through the strait in June, compared to 233 in May. More than 3,100 transited the strait in June 2025. Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex, and southern port cities. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ehsan Jahanian, a local official in Bushehr, as accusing the U.S. of striking near the plant around noon, hours after Central Command said it had ended its latest round of strikes. Asked for comment on Bushehr, Central Command referred to a press release that detailed targets but made no mention of the nuclear power plant. Streets are jammed for Khamenei’s final funeral procession For the first time since April, U.S. strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where tens of thousands of mourners thronged wide boulevards during the final funeral procession for Khamenei on Thursday. People pressed forward to touch a vehicle carrying Khamenei's body. Many carried Iranian flags and images of the late leader or banners evoking Shiite Islam’s long history of martyrs. Some signs called for the death of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Khamenei ruled Iran for nearly 37 years before being killed in the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that started the war. The funeral processions began last Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran and other cities as throngs commemorated the man who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West. Trump issues another warning to Iran if attacks on shipping happen again After leaving a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic. “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote Wednesday, a day after three tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also renewed his past threats to hit Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and to seize Kharg Island, through which some 90% of Iranian oil exports pass. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the war, was defiant in a post on X on Thursday morning: “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you’ll get hit.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on Telegram that he spoke by phone with his Saudi, Turkish and Omani counterparts and with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been one of the main mediators in the war. The outreach suggested efforts may be underway to reduce tensions. Talks on reaching a final deal were to begin after Khamenei's funeral Trump said Wednesday that the interim ceasefire agreement was “over.” He said he would allow negotiations to continue but thought negotiators were “wasting their time.” Negotiations to reach a final deal were due to start after the funeral for Khamenei. The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.  

France did it to Morocco again at the World Cup. For the second straight tournament, Morocco was ousted by the French 2-0 — this time in the quarterfinals on Thursday at Gillette Stadium, four years after losing by the same score in the semifinals. With very few attacking chances, Morocco landed only one shot on goal, and that came in the 82nd minute while already trailing by two goals. It was the same ending as in Qatar, when the Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the semifinals at a World Cup. “The future will be bright if we continue like this, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t want to win today. Of course, we wanted to win today,” Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said through a translator. “We did everything we could to win, but we faced a very difficult opponent. It’s a disappointment, of course, but we’ll keep working for the future.” The Atlas Lions' best chance came when midfielder Azzedine Ounahi had a shot from the edge of the box but goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a diving stop, knocking the ball away and, essentially, ending the hopes of Morocco. “They had no real forwards using their speed in the wide areas,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “We were possessing the ball, they had no way to be dangerous to us.” It wasn’t like Morocco didn’t make a hard push at this year's World Cup. They recruited talented 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who could have been playing with France's youth teams. He was born in Senlis, an hour north of Paris, and after representing France in every age group possible, he switched allegiance. “We know we represent more than just one country,” Ouahbi said. “We represent the Moroccan people, and many countries across Asia and Africa. Many people see themselves in this team, and we’ll keep working to win titles in the future.” Morocco’s best opportunity in the opening half came just before the halftime whistle when Achraf Hakimi sent a free kick from just outside the box past the right post. “The first half was very complicated. France was very good with the ball,” Ouahbi said. “They caused a lot of problems on the sides with their players, and also in the center. When we had ball possession, our transitions were not so great, so we had to run a bit more and they ended up being in a comfort zone.”  

Kylian Mbappé shook off a missed penalty kick to score his eighth goal of this year's World Cup, helping France beat Morocco 2-0 and reach the semifinals for the third time in a row. Now Les Bleus have to hope he can overcome an injury that had him summoning for help and leaving the game in the 77th minute. Mbappé said the injury was minor, and he showed no ill effects while celebrating with his team after the whistle. “I took a knock to the ankle, but I’m fine," said Mbappé, who was replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta. “At that point, JP was in better shape than I was to play the final minutes.” The reigning Golden Boot winner and only the second teenager — after Pele — ever to score in a World Cup final, Mbappé made up for his miss on a first-half penalty by scoring in the 60th minute. It was his 20th goal in 20 World Cup games and his eighth in 2026, equaling Argentina captain Lionel Messi for the tournament lead. Mbappé also assisted on Ousmane Dembélé’s goal six minutes later to help the two-time champions reach the semifinals, where they will play either Spain or Belgium. France has never failed to make a World Cup final in two previous tournaments with Mbappé. “There’s only one way to relax, and that’s by winning,” Mbappé said. “Until we’ve done that, we don’t let up. We’re in the semifinals and we’re very happy, but there’s still a long way to go. We realize that what lies ahead is even tougher than what we’ve been through, but we’re ready to face anything.” Asked if this was his strongest France team yet, Mbappé said it has the most potential — “for the time being.” “But I always say that the strongest teams are the ones that win,” he said. "I don’t see a World Cup next to me, so for now, we’re not the strongest team.” Mbappé gave France fans a scare when he went to the field in pain after he was stepped on by Morocco defender Issa Diop in the 63rd minute. He remained in the game until the 76th minute, when he dropped to the turf and waved to the sideline. After the training staff checked on him, Mbappé was subbed off — waving to the Gillette Stadium crowd as he left — and watched the end of the match from the bench with an ice pack on his right ankle. “It's a slight pain in the ankle,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Nothing serious.” Mbappé had a chance from the penalty spot in the first half after drawing a foul from Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui in the box in the 28th minute. But goalkeeper Yassine Bounou guessed correctly, diving to his left to stop the attempt. Mbappé said the long delay while the play was being reviewed left him wondering if he would be attempting the shot at all. “It’s complicated, because there’s some kind of imbroglio," he said. "I let myself be de-concentrated. That’s a scenario I hadn’t experienced yet.” But Mbappé delivered in the second half when he dribbled into the area and let loose a rocket that went just inside the post. Messi also has scored eight goals at the tournament and Norway forward Erling Haaland has seven heading into their quarterfinal matches on Saturday. (Mbappé technically holds the Golden Boot lead because he has more assists, which is the tiebreaker.) Mbappé's 20th goal put him one behind Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list. Messi has 21 goals in 31 career World Cup matches over six tournaments, breaking the record of 16 that had been held by Germany striker Miroslav Klose.

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 13 runs in the second one-day international on Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing 248, Bangladesh were bowled out for 234 after slipping from 113 for 2. After Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and chose to field, Zimbabwe were reduced to 18 for 3 before Ben Curran rebuilt the innings. Taskin Ahmed bowled Brian Bennett for a duck in the opening over and later dismissed Innocent Kaia. Nahid Rana then bowled Craig Ervine with a yorker. Curran added 34 with Wessly Madhevere before Mehidy broke the partnership. He later removed Sikandar Raza for 33 after the pair had put on 69 runs for the fifth wicket. Curran went on to score 111 not out from 135 balls, his second ODI century. Brad Evans made 58 from 38 balls, including 22 runs from Taskin's final over, as Zimbabwe finished on 247. Bangladesh lost Soumya Sarkar early when he edged Blessing Muzarabani to slip, and Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed for 9. Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy added 84 for the third wicket to revive the chase. Tanzid made 51 before being bowled by part-time spinner Brian Bennett. Hridoy scored 50, but Bangladesh then lost wickets regularly. Mosaddek Hossain was dismissed for 7, Miraz followed, and Rishad Hossain fell with 29 runs needed from 27 balls. Nurul Hasan made 31 from 44 balls before Bangladesh were all out for 234. Zimbabwe won the opening match by 25 runs and secured the series with one game remaining.

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second ODI against Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Bangladesh made one change from the side that lost the opening match by 25 runs, bringing in left-arm fast bowler Shariful Islam for Mustafizur Rahman. After the toss, Miraz said Bangladesh wanted to make use of the first 10 overs, with the conditions expected to assist the seamers. Bangladesh trail 1-0 in the three-match series after being bowled out for 116 in pursuit of 142 in the opener. Nahid Rana took 6 for 21, the best ODI figures by a Bangladesh bowler, as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 141. Before the tour, Bangladesh had won ODI series against the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. Batting coach Mohammad Ashraful said he expected the batters to improve after the first match and pointed to the larger boundaries and extra bounce in Harare. Bangladesh are also without Litton Das for the series. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said the wicketkeeper-batter has not recovered from the injury he suffered during the ODI series against Australia last month. Another defeat would give Zimbabwe an unassailable lead in the series.

France coach Didier Deschamps spent much of his World Cup news conference on Wednesday responding to questions about issues off the pitch, ranging from racist remarks directed at French star Kylian Mbappé to refereeing decisions and his own future. Meanwhile, French authorities are preparing for possible unrest surrounding Thursday's World Cup quarterfinal between France and Morocco. Thousands of police officers are expected to be deployed across the country after the two sides' 2022 World Cup semifinal sparked more than 250 arrests, many of them in Paris. Even without the off-field concerns, the France-Morocco clash is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing quarterfinals. France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A victory on Thursday would keep France on course to become only the third nation, after Brazil and Germany, to reach the final of three consecutive World Cups. Morocco made history in 2022 as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal. "We met them four years ago in the semifinal. They also played in the African final. It is a really great, excellent team with top-notch individuals. They're not here to play. They're there to win," Deschamps said. "They like to attack to score goals. We have to be ready." Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his team has bigger ambitions than simply reaching the last eight. "I don't like this feeling where we can say what we've done up until now is great and the rest is a bonus," Ouahbi said. "No, the only bonus is to win the World Cup." Midfielder Brahim Diaz said Morocco's 3-0 victory over Canada in the round of 16 reflected the team's mentality. "This is our mentality," Diaz said. "We want to keep going. Everybody wants to play in this type of game." Olise one booking away from suspension France midfielder Michael Olise will have to be careful after FIFA rejected France's appeal against the yellow card he received during the 1-0 round-of-16 win over Paraguay. "We received FIFA's decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained," Deschamps said. If Olise receives another yellow card against Morocco, he will miss the next match. Olise was booked in the 97th minute after an altercation with Paraguay's Matías Galarza. Video replays showed Olise grabbing Galarza's jersey before the Paraguayan fell to the ground. Morocco, meanwhile, will be without midfielder Ismael Saibari, who suffered a thigh injury during the win over Canada, Ouahbi confirmed. France's appeal came after US President Donald Trump last week personally appealed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino over the suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun following a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina. FIFA later overturned the suspension, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium. The decision, however, did not prevent the United States from suffering a 4-1 defeat to Belgium and exiting the tournament. Deschamps focused despite off-field distractions On Monday, Mbappé condemned racist comments made by a Paraguayan senator after France's victory over Paraguay. Deschamps said his captain remains fully focused. "Kylian is OK. Whatever happens, I don't want to look back and think about it again. He's a very strong guy mentally, physically. He's just focused on tomorrow's game," he said. Questions were also raised over refereeing after three French players were booked during the heated match against Paraguay, while Paraguay received only one yellow card after the game. "It is out of our control," Deschamps said. "I trust the refereeing. Some refereeing decisions may lead to discussions. It really depends on everyone's opinion. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee." The 57-year-old Deschamps, who has announced he will step down after the tournament, also brushed aside questions about his future. The captain of France's 1998 World Cup-winning team has coached the national side for the past 14 years and guided them to the 2018 World Cup title. "The last game could have been the last one," he said. "In my head, with the technical staff, we want to win tomorrow. That's the objective. In a football game there are many possibilities when it comes to tomorrow's result. I'm focused on the Moroccan team so we can win that game."

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into the Argentine Football Association's (AFA) financial activities in the United States over allegations of possible money laundering, according to a report by Argentine daily La Nacion. The report said investigators are examining how the AFA, headed by president Claudio Tapia, transferred funds through the U.S. financial system and whether any criminal activity was involved. The investigation comes amid heightened scrutiny of Argentine football following the country's controversial 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, a match that drew criticism over several refereeing decisions. According to La Nacion, Florida-based TourProdEnter LLC, which reportedly manages the AFA's financial operations abroad, is also under investigation. The newspaper claimed that documents it reviewed showed TourProdEnter LLC handled at least US$260 million in AFA revenue through accounts at five U.S. financial institutions — Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and PNC Bank. While part of the funds could be linked to identifiable operating expenses, the report alleged that approximately US$57 million was transferred to various companies and beneficiaries without any apparent economic justification. It further claimed that tens of millions of dollars were wired to companies that appeared to provide no identifiable services and were controlled by individuals who, according to official records cited by the newspaper, received social welfare benefits and lived in Bariloche or Buenos Aires. The FBI has not publicly commented on the reported investigation, and no formal charges related to the alleged money laundering have been announced. Tapia has previously faced legal and political scrutiny. In March, he was charged with tax evasion and has also been involved in an ongoing dispute with Argentine President Javier Milei over the ownership structure of the country's football clubs. Neither the AFA nor TourProdEnter LLC has publicly responded to the latest allegations.

Switzerland booked a place in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in more than seven decades after Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty in a 4-3 shootout win over Colombia following a goalless draw on Tuesday. The Swiss will now take on defending champions Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina earlier defeated Egypt 3-2 to secure its quarterfinal berth. Switzerland had not reached the last eight of a World Cup since hosting the tournament in 1954. The team was also without young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who suffered an injury during training on Monday. Vargas, who has scored twice in the tournament, had also left Monday's training session early but came on during stoppage time at the end of regulation before converting the winning penalty. In the shootout, Colombia defender Davinson Sánchez struck the crossbar with his penalty, while Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel denied Cucho Hernández to seal victory. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the spectators at BC Place, where a sellout crowd of 52,497, mostly dressed in Colombia's yellow colours, created a vibrant atmosphere. "They had the crowd on their side, so it was a tough game for us," Kobel said. "We know we had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally. Obviously we had a few players missing so, yeah, it was a big challenge for us." Colombia had failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Their best recent performance came in 2014, when they reached the quarterfinals in Brazil after beating Uruguay in the round of 16 before losing 2-1 to the host nation. "The dream was enormous," Colombia midfielder John Arias said. "The country showed us that it believed in us, that it lived every moment with us, and I think that only makes the pain even greater." Switzerland had reached the round of 16 in each of the previous three World Cups but had been unable to progress further when the tournament featured 32 teams. "We worked very hard, and now we have this opportunity," Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said. "This is going to be a very interesting matchup from our point of view. We will try to compete against the reigning champions and it's going to be amazing. Switzerland against Argentina in a quarterfinal. I am so excited. I think that I need maybe a couple of hours more or another day to process what just happened, and then tomorrow we will start focusing on Argentina." The match was closely contested, with Switzerland relying on its organised and disciplined approach while Colombia played a more physical and attacking game. The Swiss enjoyed a slight advantage in possession. Manzambi, the 20-year-old Freiburg midfielder who has scored three goals in the World Cup, missed the match after emerging as one of the tournament's breakout performers. Switzerland were also without Luca Jaquez and midfielder Michel Aebischer. Colombia created the first clear opportunity in the 21st minute when Gustavo Puerta's long-range effort was pushed away by Kobel. Switzerland threatened in the 30th minute through Fabian Reider, whose powerful strike was punched clear by goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. Minutes later, Vargas made another important save to deny Dan Ndoye. Reider came close again in the 52nd minute when his free kick curled around the wall but hit the side netting. During the first period of extra time, Jhon Lucumi's header struck the crossbar as Colombia increased the pressure on the Swiss defence. "I don't think you can overstate what a huge success this is — for us, for this team, for Switzerland, for such a small country. To be among the top eight teams in the world is incredible," Kobel said. "It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm incredibly proud." Colombia and Switzerland had previously met at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where Los Cafeteros claimed a 2-0 victory in the group stage.

Lionel Messi delivered another memorable performance at this year's World Cup, scoring a crucial goal as Argentina staged a remarkable late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday and secure a place in the quarterfinals. The defending champions will face either Switzerland or Colombia in Saturday's quarterfinal in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina appeared headed for elimination after falling 2-0 behind on goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and remaining two goals down until the 79th minute. Cristian Romero sparked the comeback by pulling one back in the 79th minute before Messi equalised in the 83rd with his eighth goal of the tournament and a record-extending 21st World Cup goal. The Argentina captain was seen in tears after the final whistle. Enzo Fernandez completed the dramatic turnaround by scoring the winner in stoppage time, sealing one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Cup history. Messi had earlier missed a first-half penalty, with Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir making the save. He also struck the post later in the match when Argentina trailed 1-0. Argentina are aiming to become the first nation to retain the World Cup title since Brazil won back-to-back championships in 1958 and 1962.