United News of Bangladesh

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have damaged or destroyed more than 62,000 housing units, according to a government estimate. Chadi Abdallah, head of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), said at a news conference that within about 45 days, 21,700 housing units were destroyed while 40,500 were damaged. The CNRS also estimated that 428 housing units were destroyed and 50 were damaged during the first three days of a ceasefire, he added. Right-wing ‘Pioneers of Bashan’ settlers stopped in bid to enter Syria: media says Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara Zein told reporters that Israeli strikes did not spare residential areas, civilian infrastructure or places of worship, adding that large agricultural and forested areas were also affected. Since the resumption of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 2,400 people and displaced over one million, according to officials. Source- Al Jazeera

The Israeli army said it stopped around 40 Israeli settlers who attempted to enter Syria earlier on the day. According to the army, the civilians gathered near the border and managed to infiltrate several hundred metres into the Israeli military-controlled buffer zone inside Syria before being turned back. They were later returned to Israel and taken into police custody. Iran ready for talks but only after blockade ends Israeli media identified the infiltrators as members of a right-wing group known as “Pioneers of Bashan”, which advocates for establishing Jewish settlements in Lebanon and Syria. Source- Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump has said a second round of peace talks with Iran could begin within the next few days, raising cautious hopes for diplomatic progress. According to a report by the New York Post, Pakistani officials indicated that talks might take place within the next 36 to 72 hours. When asked about the possibility, Trump replied in a text message, “It’s possible! President DJT.” The development comes a day after Trump announced the extension of a ceasefire with Iran, which was initially set to expire on Wednesday evening. The extension is aimed at giving Tehran more time to present a “unified proposal” to end the ongoing conflict. While uncertainty remains over Iran’s participation, the prospect of renewed talks signals a potential diplomatic opening amid heightened tensions between the two sides. Source: BBC

Iran has said it will continue talks in Islamabad as long as the United States lifts its blockade, according to sources. The extension of the ceasefire has been seen as a positive signal, although mixed indications are still emerging from Tehran. The situation can be described through three key factors. First, ambiguity, as time had been running out but the ceasefire extension has now created space, while the risk of renewed confrontation still remains. Second, breakability, with expectations of unpredictability and uncertainty being the only constant at present. 34 Iran-linked tankers slipped past US Hormuz blockade: Report Third, complexity, as discussions involve extending the ceasefire alongside potential diplomatic engagement, despite major unresolved issues. These include the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear dossier, sanctions relief, frozen assets, ballistic missile programme, war reparations, and regional relations. The positions of both sides remain significantly apart on these matters. Sources indicate that the issue has moved beyond mistrust, now reflecting deep suspicion over any possible rapprochement with the United States. Source- Al Jazeera

At least 34 tankers linked to Iran have reportedly passed through or around the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz despite Washington’s claims of tightly restricting maritime movement, according to a Financial Times report. The report said that of these vessels, 19 Iran-linked tankers exited the Gulf, while 15 others entered from the Arabian Sea heading toward Iran, reports NDTV. Citing data from maritime tracking sources, the report claimed that at least six of the outbound ships carried Iranian crude oil, transporting an estimated 10.7 million barrels. Based on discounted pricing due to sanctions, the shipments could be worth around $910 million. One Iranian-flagged supertanker, Dorena, reportedly passed through the region after switching off its transponder, a device used for tracking location and identity. It was later involved in a ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Malaysia, allegedly to conceal the oil’s origin. The developments come amid heightened tensions following the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Washington says aims to restrict Tehran’s oil revenues. US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States “totally controls” the Strait of Hormuz and that the blockade strategy has been a “tremendous success,” saying restrictions will remain until a final agreement with Iran is reached. However, the US Central Command said American forces have directed dozens of vessels to turn back or return to port since the blockade began. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global oil transit route, with Iran and its allies asserting new restrictions on navigation in the area, further escalating maritime tensions.

Ukraine has resumed oil transit from Russia to several European countries through the Druzhba pipeline, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Wednesday. Oil flows through the pipeline had been suspended since late January after a Russian strike damaged the Ukrainian section of the route, halting deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia. According to an industry source cited by the agency, pumping resumed at 12:35pm local time (0935 GMT). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that repair work on the pipeline had been completed. The Druzhba pipeline is one of Europe’s key oil supply routes, transporting Russian crude to several Central and Eastern European countries.

Nepal's home minister Sudan Gurung, who had landed in controversy over his financial dealings, resigned on Wednesday. "I have resigned from the post of home minister effective from today (Wednesday) to ensure an impartial investigation into matters related to me and to avoid any conflict of interest," he wrote in a post on Facebook. Deepa Dahal, press expert to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, issued a brief statement saying the prime minister himself will oversee the ministry until a new minister is appointed. Gurung, head of the non-governmental organization Hami Nepal, was at the forefront of the Gen Z-led violent protests in September 2025. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party weeks before the March 5 parliamentary election and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives. Shah appointed him as the home minister on March 27. Gurung had landed in controversy recently after news reports revealed that he had business partnerships with businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is under probe for money laundering offenses, and that his organization had received money from questionable sources.  

The European Union’s top energy official is warning that the massive energy crisis sparked by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is set to hit prices for months, even years, to come. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said Wednesday that “this is not a short-term, small increase in prices. This is a crisis that is probably as serious as the 1973 and the 2022 crises combined.” Jørgensen says the war is costing Europe around 500 million euros ($600 million) each day and that “we are looking into some very difficult months, or maybe even years” ahead. “Even in a best-case scenario, it’s still bad,” he told reporters.

Ukraine is seeking a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to revive slow-moving US-led peace talks, the country’s top diplomat said. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv believes a face-to-face summit could help bring fresh momentum to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Russia’s invasion, which has been ongoing for more than four years. At the same time, Russian officials reported that a Ukrainian drone strike hit a residential building deep inside Russia, killing a woman and a child. Ukraine has asked Turkey to help arrange the high-level talks and has contacted other countries as possible hosts. Kyiv said it is open to holding the meeting in any country except Russia and Belarus. “We are advocating for a summit now to inject new energy into diplomacy,” Sybiha told reporters. Talks mediated by the United States over the past year between Russian and Ukrainian representatives have made little progress on key issues, including the fate of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims but does not fully control. With Washington now focused on tensions involving Iran, the peace process has largely stalled. Zelenskyy has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump, but Putin has rejected it. Analysts say Moscow believes time is on its side, expecting Western support for Ukraine to weaken over time. Fighting continues along a roughly 1,250-kilometer front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine, with heavy losses reported on both sides. Western officials estimate that Russia is suffering tens of thousands of casualties each month, though such figures cannot be independently confirmed. Ukraine has also expanded its domestic arms production, developing long-range drones and missiles capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia, including oil and military-related facilities. In the Russian city of Syzran, about 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, a drone strike caused part of a residential building to collapse. Authorities said the bodies of a woman and a child were recovered from the debris, while 12 others were injured. Images from the scene showed a section of the four-story building reduced to rubble as rescue workers searched through the wreckage. Reports said a Rosneft refinery, often targeted in Ukrainian strikes, is located on the same street. Russian officials say Ukraine’s drone attacks have surged sharply, rising from around 6,200 in 2024 to over 23,000 in 2025.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reiterated Washington’s commitment to maintaining economic pressure on Iran, saying measures targeting its key revenue sources will remain in place. In a post on X on Tuesday evening, Bessent said the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports is aimed at restricting the country’s maritime trade and cutting off its primary income streams. “The blockade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines,” he said, adding that storage facilities at Kharg Island could soon reach capacity, forcing disruptions in Iran’s oil production. Kharg Island handles around 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports and is considered central to the country’s energy sector. Bessent also said Iranian funds will remain frozen and warned that any individual or vessel involved in facilitating financial flows to Iran could face US sanctions. The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over maritime security and economic restrictions.