United News of Bangladesh

Two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed in a shooting near Yehuda Junction outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The army identified the soldiers as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. Three others were lightly wounded. The military said the suspects, both Palestinians from Hebron, arrived at an Israeli military position armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun. An exchange of fire lasted about 20 minutes before Israeli troops killed them. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare for a West Bank-wide closure. Visiting the site, he pledged a sweeping operation, including evacuations, house-to-house searches and the destruction of weapons and militant infrastructure. Netanyahu later blamed Hamas during an emergency Security Cabinet meeting. The army reported dozens of arrests and weapons seizures, while its chief, Eyal Zamir, said a large quantity of ammunition was found in the suspects' vehicle. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for restrictions on Palestinian movement. US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander criticised the closure, while a Hebron Jewish community spokesperson defended Israel's security measures. The incident comes ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary election, amid warnings of possible attacks.

Austria ordered four Russian diplomats to leave over espionage allegations, an Austrian official said on Friday. The Foreign Ministry said three diplomats were based at Russia's embassy in Vienna and one at its OSCE mission. Declared personae non gratae for "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status," they were told to leave in coming days. No further details were provided. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told media that "a reaction is unavoidable". Vienna-host to OPEC, OSCE, IAEA, and UNODC-is considered a spying hotbed due to lenient laws penalizing foreign espionage only if targeting Austrian interests. The neutral EU member aids Ukraine non-militarily as reciprocal European-Russian expulsions continue post-Ukraine invasion. In May, Austria expelled three embassy staff using building antennas to intercept international satellite data, media reported. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger's liberal Neos party advocated tougher stances. The government is negotiating legislation expanding punishment to espionage against international organizations.

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Friday after accusing them of attempting an attack near Hebron, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order security forces to seal off the city and prepare for a territory-wide closure. At least five other people were injured in the incident, some of them critically, according to reports. The Israeli military said it had thwarted what it described as a “terror attack against Israeli civilians”. The two Palestinians, both from Hebron, were carrying an M16 rifle and a handgun, the military said, without specifying the intended target. Netanyahu’s office later announced that security forces had been instructed to immediately cordon off Hebron and prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank beginning Friday. The incident comes ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election scheduled for Tuesday, which will determine whether Netanyahu secures another term as prime minister. The vote is taking place three years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Israeli authorities have warned of possible attacks by the country’s “enemies” ahead of the election. Following the shooting, Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet and senior military and security officials. He alleged that Hamas was planning a major attack aimed at killing civilians but provided no details of the alleged plot. “Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination,” Netanyahu said, praising the forces involved and wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. He did not clarify whether those injured were soldiers or civilians. Earlier on Friday, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank following the incident. “The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police officers, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement,” he said, using Israel’s term for the West Bank. Ahead of the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Netanyahu had also accused the Palestinian militant group of potentially seeking to carry out an attack to influence the Israeli election outcome, without presenting evidence to support the claim.

Two workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion inside a mine in northern Turkey on Friday, while rescuers were working to reach another worker trapped underground, an official said. The blast occurred near Kilimli, in the Black Sea coastal province of Zonguldak. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Medical teams and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene to assist the victims and search for the missing miner. Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacibektasoglu told reporters that two of the injured workers were in critical condition. One of them was being transferred to the capital, Ankara, for further treatment. Mine accidents are relatively common in Turkey. One of the country's deadliest mining disasters occurred in 2014, when a fire inside a coal mine in the western town of Soma killed 301 people.

Seven oil tankers caught fire or sustained damage in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being struck by Iran or hitting naval mines, Tehran said Thursday, raising fresh concerns about a possible return to full-scale war. Fears of renewed US-Israeli attacks on Iran are growing ahead of Israel’s closely contested election, scheduled for Oct 27, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and next month’s US midterm elections, where rising prices linked to the war have fuelled voter anger. “Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that’s not even a question,” Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in the country’s military and intelligence services, told The Associated Press. Citrinowicz accused Israel of rushing towards another confrontation with Iran without revising its strategy. He said a clear victory for Netanyahu in the Oct 27 election would make another attack almost inevitable. Although leading opposition candidates are expected to prioritise domestic issues, Citrinowicz said he believed the region was heading towards “another kinetic escalation.” Iran renews threat to strike US bases in region Iranian state television reported the latest attacks on the vessels, citing the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims. The report did not mention any casualties. It also quoted the Guard's navy as renewing its threat to target US military bases in the region if Washington continued helping commercial vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz. Iran continues to assert control over the strategic waterway, which remains a key source of leverage in any negotiations with the United States over the war. October has seen the highest number of reported attacks on commercial shipping since March, when the war began, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British maritime security monitor. Although UKMTO did not report the latest incidents, it has noted that some shipping operators have become increasingly reluctant to report attacks. Experts say oil producers have managed to maintain crude supplies through alternative arrangements, but doing so has become increasingly costly.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced early Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi group toward the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to a statement posted on X by the coalition's spokesperson. Loud explosions were heard in Riyadh early Friday, while residents received alerts on their mobile phones. The coalition also announced the interception and destruction of two drones launched by the group toward the kingdom's southern region, without providing further details.    

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue efforts for the missing and prompt medical treatment for the injured after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a county in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an important instruction, calling for every effort to minimize casualties.  Sixteen people were killed and 46 others injured after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region at 10:33 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the city's earthquake relief headquarters. The regional disaster prevention, reduction and relief committee activated a Level III emergency response for natural disaster relief on Friday. As of 5:20 a.m. Friday, 11 of the injured were in serious condition, while 35 sustained minor injuries. Over 330 houses collapsed or were damaged.

Sixteen people were killed and 65 others injured after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region at 10:33 p.m. Thursday, the city's earthquake relief headquarters said on Friday. The regional disaster prevention, reduction and relief committee activated a Level III emergency response for natural disaster relief on Friday. Over 330 houses collapsed or were damaged. The damage caused by the quake is being further evaluated, and disaster relief work is underway. Quake relief supplies allocated by the authorities at various levels have been arriving at the quake-hit zone as of early Friday morning, including 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents, over 2,800 folding beds, and other daily necessities like quilts, stoves and clothes.     

The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will focus on the concrete implementation of climate policies, said Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci on Thursday. Speaking at an event commemorating the upcoming United Nations Day, Ekinci said the conference would be designed as an "implementation COP," reflecting growing expectations that the second decade of the Paris Agreement should focus on delivering climate commitments rather than primarily negotiating new decisions. She highlighted the importance of linking national climate priorities with financing through the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative developed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help turn climate ambitions into bankable projects. According to the Turkish minister, the summit will also combine formal negotiations with a climate action agenda that involves cities, businesses, investors, researchers, civil society, and young people. Ekinci said the agenda includes six global targets for 2035. Babatunde Ahonsi, the UN Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, said that addressing climate change requires broad participation across society, including businesses, local authorities, women and young people, as well as governments. Describing the approach as "inclusive multilateralism," Ahonsi said preparations for COP31 had involved dialogues with businesses, municipalities, youth groups and women's organizations. Also on Thursday, Murat Kurum, minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, said Türkiye expects 85 world leaders to attend COP31 in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya next month, while 26,000 security personnel will be deployed to ensure the event proceeds smoothly. Kurum made the remarks during an inspection of the summit venue. According to the minister, nearly 300 ministers are expected to visit Türkiye, and applications for 159 pavilions and 90 delegation offices have been approved, a record number for the UN conference. More than 1 million visitors are expected during the event, which will feature dedicated meeting halls, exhibition areas and a media center designed to accommodate 4,000 journalists, he said. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said 26,000 personnel from the police, gendarmerie and coast guard would be assigned to security duties, with measures covering land, air and maritime operations. COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.

Hundreds of Ethiopians crossed into Kenya on Thursday amid gunfire and chaotic scenes in the border town of Moyale, Kenyan police said. A police officer escaped injury after a bullet struck a metal bar supporting a tent at the football ground of the Moyale police station, according to a police report. A woman was shot in the neck and taken to a private hospital in Moyale, where the bullet was removed. She was in stable condition, the report said. Another bullet shattered a window at La-Tahsan Hotel. Police did not identify where the gunfire originated. In a separate security brief issued on Thursday, police said hundreds of Ethiopians had entered Kenya through several points in Moyale, including Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation and Miti. The crossings began on Wednesday, with women, children and young people accounting for most of the arrivals, the brief said. According to Kenyan police, the Ethiopians were fleeing tensions between leaders of Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states. The Kenya Red Cross said it was arranging temporary shelters and distributing essential supplies, including cereal and porridge flour, to those arriving from Ethiopia. “The response will initially reach 1,000 households,” the organisation said in a statement. Gunfire was heard on the Ethiopian side of the border from around 5:50am on Thursday and continued afterward, according to the police brief.