United News of Bangladesh

The Dutch general election ended in an unprecedented tie on Thursday, with far-right Party for Freedom and centrist D66 each winning 26 seats, according to nearly complete results reported by the Dutch news agency ANP. The deadlock is expected to delay the formation of a new coalition government, which could take weeks or even months in the Netherlands’ fragmented political landscape. No previous Dutch election has seen two parties finish with an equal number of seats. Globally, tight elections have often captured headlines. In the 2000 U.S. presidential race, George W. Bush narrowly defeated Democrat Al Gore by just 537 votes in Florida after weeks of recounts and a Supreme Court ruling. The controversy centered on outdated punch-card ballots with “hanging” and “dimpled” chads. Earlier this year, Poland saw conservative Karol Nawrocki narrowly defeat Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski with 50.89% to 49.11% of the votes in a runoff, highlighting the country’s political divisions along the NATO and EU eastern flank. While the Polish president holds veto and foreign policy powers, most governance rests with the prime minister. Portugal’s 2024 general election also ended narrowly, with a center-right Social Democratic alliance winning by just two seats in the 230-member parliament. The hard-right Chega party surged from 12 to 50 seats, disrupting decades of alternating power between Social Democrats and Socialists, though the government lasted only a year. Ireland’s 2020 election produced another tight finish, with Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, and Fine Gael securing 38, 37, and 35 seats respectively. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, historical rivals, eventually formed a coalition, excluding Sinn Féin despite its electoral breakthrough. Germany’s 2005 parliamentary election saw Angela Merkel take office with a narrow margin after then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s Social Democrats claimed half the cabinet seats. In Greece, 1990 elections left Conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis dependent on a single seat from the small Renewal Party to achieve a slim majority in the 300-seat parliament. These examples underline the global impact of razor-thin electoral outcomes and the political uncertainty that often follows.  

Russia’s latest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure caused widespread power outages across the country on Thursday, killing at least three people, including a 7-year-old girl, officials said. Ukrainian authorities described the strikes as “systematic energy terror” aimed at disrupting daily life and lowering morale ahead of winter. The attacks involved over 650 drones and more than 50 missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Centralized Ukrainian infrastructure, which supplies water, heating, and sewage services, was disrupted nationwide, leaving millions without essential utilities. Children aged 2 to 16 were among the 17 injured in the strikes. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko condemned Moscow’s actions, saying the goal was “to plunge Ukraine into darkness” while promising to maintain essential services. She called for stronger air defense systems, tougher sanctions, and increased international pressure on Russia to halt the attacks. In southern Zaporizhzhia, 17 people were injured, including a 2-year-old girl. Rescuers recovered a man from building rubble, but he later died. A second victim was also reported in the region. Meanwhile, a 7-year-old girl succumbed to injuries in Vinnytsia in central-west Ukraine. In western Lviv, two energy facilities were damaged near the Polish border. Poland temporarily closed regional airports in Radom and Lublin and scrambled military aircraft as a precaution in response to the cross-border threat, according to the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency. The attacks come amid nearly four years of conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow targeting power, weapons production, and critical infrastructure.  

Five more people have been arrested in the investigation into the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, but the treasures remain missing, the Paris prosecutor announced Thursday. The five were detained late Wednesday night in separate police operations in Paris and surrounding areas, including the Seine-Saint-Denis region, Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told RTL radio. She did not release their identities or other details. One is suspected of being part of the four-person team that robbed the Louvre's Apollo Gallery in broad daylight Oct. 19, the prosecutor said. Two other members of the team were arrested Sunday and given preliminary charges Wednesday of criminal conspiracy and theft committed by an organized gang. Both partially admitted their involvement, according to the prosecutor. “Searches last night and overnight did not allow us to find the goods,” Beccuau said. It took thieves less than eight minutes to steal the jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million), shocking the world. The robbers forced open a window, cut into cases with power tools and fled with eight pieces of the French crown jewels. French police have acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s defenses, turning the dazzling daylight theft into a national reckoning over how France protects its treasures. One of those who has been charged is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has been living in France since 2010, Beccuau said. He was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to fly to Algeria with no return ticket. He was living in a suburb north of Paris, Aubervilliers, and was known to police mostly for road traffic offenses. His DNA was found on one of the scooters used by robbers to leave the scene, she said. The other suspect, 39, was arrested at his home in Aubervilliers. The man was known to police for several thefts, and his DNA was found on one of the glass cases where the jewels were displayed and on items the thieves left behind, she added. Video surveillance cameras showed there were at least four people involved, Beccuau said. Four of the suspects arrived onboard a truck equipped with a freight lift that two of them used to climb up to the museum’s window. The four of them left onboard two motor scooters along the Seine River toward eastern Paris, where they had some other vehicles parked, she said. Beccuau said nothing suggests that the robbers had accomplices within the museum’s staff. She made a plea Wednesday night to those who have the jewels: “These jewels are now, of course, unsellable … Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods. There’s still time to give them back.” Information about investigations is meant to be secret under French law to avoid compromising police work and to ensure victims’ right to privacy. Only the prosecutor can speak publicly about developments, and violators can be prosecuted. Police and investigators are not supposed to divulge information about arrests or suspects without the prosecutor’s approval, though in high-profile cases, police union officials have leaked partial details. Source: AP

Dutch voters faced an unusually crowded ballot Wednesday as 27 parties and 1,166 candidates vied for 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The long ballot paper, listing all parties and their candidates, posed a challenge for voters who mark their choices with small red pencils before folding the sheets to fit through the slot of the ballot box. Vote counters later must unfold the papers to tally results. Five municipalities are experimenting with smaller, streamlined ballots this year, displaying party names and numbers separately from candidate details inside polling booths. Voters expressed mixed reactions. Marcel Roelofsen called a smaller ballot “ideal,” while Layla Balounsi said she had to look carefully to avoid mistakes. The large ballot highlights the fragmentation of Dutch politics, though such crowded elections are not new. In 1986, 27 parties were also on the ballot, with three major parties – Christian Democrats, Labor Party, and People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy – dominating. Polls suggest a close contest this year. The far-right Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, appears poised for a second successive victory, while center-left and center-right parties remain competitive. To qualify for the ballot, parties must pay a deposit of 11,250 euros ($13,077) and submit 580 supporting signatures. Votes are tallied to determine seat allocation, with one seat requiring roughly 69,551 votes in 2023. Small parties often win only a single seat, while some miss out entirely despite significant votes. The large number of parties complicates coalition formation. The collapse of the last four-party coalition earlier this year left 15 parties in parliament, making the formation of a new government likely to take months.  

Lithuania announced Wednesday that it will extend the closure of its border crossings with Belarus for one month following repeated disruptions caused by balloons used to smuggle cigarettes, though some exemptions will apply. The Šalčininkai crossing will remain fully closed, while passage through the Medininkai checkpoint near Vilnius will be restricted. Lithuanian and EU citizens, as well as Russians holding transit documents to Kaliningrad, will still be allowed to cross at Medininkai, according to the BNS news agency. The closures were first implemented last week after balloon sightings forced the suspension of flights at Vilnius Airport on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Lithuanian authorities consider the balloon incidents a deliberate action by Belarus, which is allied with Russia. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic told BNS that the measures aim to send a “clear message” to Belarus, which has made “no effort to address the problem.” Lithuania is a NATO and EU member and shares borders with both Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko criticized the move, calling it a “mad scam” and a part of a “hybrid war” against his country. He suggested Lithuania should tackle smuggling within its own borders. “If air balloons loaded with cigarettes are flying there, I guess they need to solve the issue on their end,” Lukashenko said, adding that Vilnius should track down those responsible. He also stated that Belarus would issue an apology if its involvement is confirmed.  

The United States has notified its NATO allies that it plans to scale back its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine as it focuses on other global security priorities, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Typically, between 80,000 and 100,000 U.S. troops are stationed across Europe. NATO members have expressed concern that the Trump administration’s move could reduce deterrence capacity at a time of heightened tension with Russia. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the U.S. decision will end the rotation of a brigade deployed across several NATO countries, including Romania. About 1,000 U.S. troops will remain stationed in the country, down from an estimated 1,700 earlier this year. Romania’s Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu said the move reflects Washington’s strategic shift toward the Indo-Pacific region but emphasized that allied troop levels will stay higher than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Our strategic partnership remains solid, predictable, and reliable,” Mosteanu told reporters. After the war in Ukraine began, NATO reinforced its eastern flank by deploying additional multinational battle groups to Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia. European troop levels in the region have since increased significantly. Romania’s Defense Ministry said the U.S. adjustment takes into account NATO’s strengthened presence along the eastern frontier, allowing Washington to recalibrate its military posture without compromising defense readiness. A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such adjustments are not unusual and that the U.S. maintains a much larger force in Europe than before 2022. “NATO and U.S. authorities remain in close coordination to ensure the alliance’s robust capacity to deter and defend,” the official added.

Russian oil giant Lukoil announced Tuesday that it will sell its international assets after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions aimed at pressuring Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. In a statement, the company said it has begun talks with potential buyers and will complete the sales under a grace period allowing transactions until Nov. 21. Lukoil added that it may seek an extension if more time is needed to finalize the deals. The company holds oil and gas interests in 11 countries, including refineries in Bulgaria and Romania, and a 45% stake in a Dutch refinery. The sanctions, announced on Oct. 22, target Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia’s two largest oil producers, which account for about half of the nation’s oil exports. The U.S. Treasury said the restrictions are designed to cut off key revenue sources funding Russia’s war in Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Moscow to “immediately agree to a ceasefire,” saying that oil and gas revenues remain central to sustaining the Kremlin’s military operations. The sanctions prevent U.S. entities from doing business with the two companies and threaten secondary sanctions on foreign banks that process their transactions — a move expected to isolate them from global markets.

Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian refineries have slashed Moscow’s oil refining capacity by around 20%, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, citing intelligence from Western sources. Zelenskyy noted that over 90% of these deep strikes on Russian territory were carried out using Ukrainian-made long-range weapons, and called for additional foreign financial support to produce more. “We just need to work on this every day,” he told the media on Monday, in remarks embargoed until Tuesday. Oil exports remain a major source of funding for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Kyiv targets refineries with weapons, new sanctions from the U.S. and European Union are aimed at curbing Moscow’s oil and gas revenues. Russian strikes kill 4 across Ukraine Despite U.S.-led efforts for renewed peace, the nearly four-year conflict shows no sign of ending. The Kremlin remains uncompromising, and U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, set to take effect on Nov. 21. Zelenskyy said Trump “will probably use this as a tool of pressure or dialogue with the Russians.” Highlighting Russia’s major oil buyers, Zelenskyy said India has signaled a reduction in energy imports from Moscow. He also expressed hope that Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea this Thursday could further cut Russian crude purchases. Additional updates from Zelenskyy included: Ukraine has secured 70% of the $2 billion needed for winter gas imports; production of 500–800 interceptors per day is planned to counter Shahed drone attacks; Kyiv has captured 2,200 Russian POWs in six months of fighting in the east; and talks with Sweden, France, and the U.S. are ongoing to enhance Ukraine’s future combat aviation, with a request for 250 aircraft. Source: AP 

The Czech Republic’s President Petr Pavel on Monday requested former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to form a new government after his party ANO won the recent parliamentary elections. Babiš, a populist billionaire, has been holding talks to build a majority coalition with two right-wing partners — Freedom and Direct Democracy, and Motorists for Themselves. All three parties are critical of the European Union’s policies on climate, migration and other issues. Analysts say their leadership could reduce Czech support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. President Pavel said Babiš has promised to submit a coalition agreement and its priorities within the week. Under the current plan, the coalition would form a 16-member Cabinet, with ANO taking eight ministerial posts including the prime minister. Motorists for Themselves would control four ministries, while Freedom and Direct Democracy would get three. ANO secured 34.51% of the vote in the October 3–4 election, defeating the pro-Western conservative alliance led by outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The three-party coalition would command 108 seats in the 200-seat lower house, sending Fiala’s bloc into opposition.  

Russia has successfully tested a new nuclear-capable and nuclear-powered cruise missile designed to evade current missile defense systems, President Vladimir Putin said Sunday, signaling progress toward its deployment. In video footage released by the Kremlin, Putin, dressed in military fatigues, was seen meeting with senior defense officials. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, reported that the Burevestnik — or Storm Petrel — flew 14,000 kilometers (about 8,700 miles) during a test on Tuesday, remaining airborne for 15 hours. “That’s not the limit,” Gerasimov added, suggesting the missile’s range could extend even farther. Putin instructed military officials to finalize testing and prepare infrastructure for deploying the weapon, calling it “invulnerable” to existing and future missile defenses due to its near-unlimited range and unpredictable flight path. The announcement came days after Putin oversaw large-scale nuclear force exercises on Wednesday, featuring practice missile launches and involving all components of Russia’s nuclear triad. The drills included the test-firing of intercontinental ballistic missiles from both land-based launch sites in northwestern Russia and a submarine in the Barents Sea, as well as long-range cruise missiles launched by Tu-95 strategic bombers. According to the Kremlin, the exercises were intended to assess the readiness and coordination of Russia’s nuclear command structure. The missile test and drills come as Moscow’s planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the Ukraine war remains on hold, amid rising global concerns over Russia’s expanding nuclear capabilities.