United News of Bangladesh

King Charles III on Thursday stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after weeks of pressure to act over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace said. After the king’s rare move, which follows years of shameful scandals, he will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and not as a prince, and he will have to vacate his Royal Lodge mansion near Windsor Castle. Demand had been growing on the palace to oust the prince from Royal Lodge after he surrendered his use of the title Duke of York earlier this month over new revelations about his friendship with Epstein and renewed sexual abuse allegations by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, whose posthumous memoir hit bookstores last week. But the king went even further to punish him for serious lapses of judgment by removing the title of prince that he has held since birth as a child of a monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II. “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the palace said. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.” It is almost unprecedented for a British prince or princess to be stripped of that title. It last happened in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus, who was a U.K. royal and also a prince of Hanover, had his British title removed for siding with Germany during World War I. Toppling a prince Giuffre's brother declared victory for his sister, who died by suicide in April at the age of 41. “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” her brother Skye Roberts said in a statement to the BBC. Andrew faced a new round of public outrage after emails emerged earlier this month showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted. That news was followed by publication of “Nobody's Girl,” by Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew when she was 17. The book detailed three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, who she said acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright.” Andrew, 65, has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations. Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York. While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. King couldn't avoid the controversy Although Charles was involved in discussions with Andrew before he announced he would relinquish his dukedom two weeks ago, the king had largely managed to steer clear of the scandal until this week. After attending an event at Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the king was heckled by a man who shouted questions about how long he had known about his brother and Epstein and then asked: “Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?” The king did not respond and it wasn’t clear if he even heard the man, who was shouted down by others and eventually pulled from sight. But video of the incident made the evening news and was the source of embarrassing headlines the next morning. It’s the most dramatic royal departure since 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. The couple were given the titles Duke and Duchess of Windsor and lived the rest of their lives in exile outside Britain. Prince Harry, despite renouncing his royal role, feuding with his family and moving to California, remains a prince and the Duke of Sussex. The move by the king means Andrew will no longer be a prince or known as His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness or Baron Killyleagh — all titles he held until now. Also gone are honors that include Order of the Garter and status as Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order. From favored son to tabloid fodder Andrew, who was said to be his mother's favorite child, had once been the poster boy of the royal family, and his romantic links to a number of models and starlets during his youth were widely chronicled in the British press. His star status peaked after he flew missions as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War when British forces sailed to the south Atlantic to eject the Argentine military that had invaded the U.K. overseas territories. But he has also been dogged by decades of tawdry headlines about shady business deals, inappropriate behavior and controversial friendships. Even as the Epstein scandal swirled, news broke that showed his damaged reputation and need for money led him to become entangled with a suspected Chinese spy. Andrew is expected to move to a property on the king's Sandringham estate near the northeast coast and receive private financial support from his brother. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who had been living with him in the 30-room mansion, will have to find a new home.

Israel’s military said Thursday that Palestinian militants handed over the remains of two more hostages, in the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire agreement is moving forward despite Israeli strikes on Gaza this week. The two sets of remains were given to the Red Cross in Gaza, then transported into Israel by troops and taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification, the Israeli military said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said late Thursday that the remains had been confirmed as those of Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that set off the war. Hamas has now returned the remains of 17 hostages since the start of the ceasefire, with 11 others still in Gaza and set to be turned over under the terms of the agreement. In return, Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians to authorities in Gaza without providing details on their identities. It is unclear if they were killed in Israel during the Oct. 7 attack, died in Israeli custody as detainees or were recovered from Gaza by troops during the war. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify the bodies without access to DNA kits. Baruch was readying to pursue an electrical engineering degree when he was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri. His brother, Idan, was killed in the attack. Three months into Sahar’s captivity, the Israeli military said he was killed during an attempted rescue mission. He was 25. Cooper was an economist and one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was captured along with his wife, Nurit, who was released after 17 days. In June 2024 Israeli officials confirmed that he had been killed in Gaza. He was 84. Overnight strikes injure 40 Officials in southern Gaza said Thursday that at least 40 people had been injured in overnight strikes, after Israel declared the ceasefire was back on Wednesday morning. Mohammad Saar, head of the nursing department at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, said it received 40 people wounded in overnight strikes on Khan Younis. The Israeli army said it carried out strikes on “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops” in Khan Younis. The area in southern Gaza is under the control of the Israeli military. After strikes earlier this week killed more than 100 people, Israel said it was retaliating for the shooting and killing of one of its soldiers in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Hamas had violated provisions in the deal concerning the handover of remains of hostages. Hamas denied any involvement in the deadly shooting and, in turn, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military commanders in southern Israel Thursday, Netanyahu warned, “If Hamas continues to blatantly violate the ceasefire, it will experience powerful strikes, as it did the day before yesterday and yesterday.” He said Israel would “act as needed” to remove “immediate danger” to its forces. “At the end of the day, Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized. If foreign forces do this, all the better. And if they don’t, we will do it.” The guarantors of the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal have told Hamas that Israel will resume, and they will not object to, military strikes on targets within the Israeli-occupied zone of the Palestinian territory after a deadline for militants to leave the area expired Thursday. A senior U.S. official said that in messages passed to Hamas by Egypt and Qatar on Wednesday the group was told its remaining fighters in the yellow zone had 24 hours to leave or face Israeli strikes. That deadline expired Thursday, after which the official said “Israel will enforce the ceasefire and engage Hamas targets behind the yellow line.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. The ceasefire, which began Oct. 10, is aimed at winding down a war that is by far the deadliest and most destructive of those ever fought between Israel and Hamas. The war was triggered by the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants, who killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. In the two years since, Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. Israel, which some international critics have accused of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed those figures without providing a contradicting toll.

A former Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student in her classroom last year testified Thursday that she believed she had died in the moment of the attack. Abby Zwerner, who taught at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, was wounded in the hand and chest in January 2023 as she sat at a reading table with students. “I thought I had died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven,” Zwerner told the court. “Then it all got black. And so, I thought I wasn’t going there. My next memory is seeing two co-workers putting pressure on my wounds.” Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against a former assistant principal, alleging school officials ignored multiple warnings that the first-grader had brought a gun to class. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, underwent six surgeries, and still does not have full use of her left hand. A bullet remains lodged in her chest after narrowly missing her heart. The shooting shocked the Newport News community and raised national questions about how a child so young could obtain and fire a gun. Zwerner has since left teaching and revealed during testimony that she is now a licensed cosmetologist. Zwerner answered questions on the stand for more than an hour. A physician testified Wednesday that Zwerner can’t make a tight fist with her left hand, which has less than half its normal grip strength. Former assistant principal Ebony Parker is accused of failing to act after several people voiced concerns to her in the hours before the shooting that the student had a gun in his backpack. Zwerner testified she first heard about the gun prior to class recess from a reading specialist. The shooting happened a few hours later. Despite her injuries, Zwerner was able to hustle her students out of the classroom. She eventually passed out in the school office. “The moment went by very fast,” she said. Parker is the only defendant in the lawsuit. A judge previously dismissed the district’s superintendent and the school principal as defendants. Parker faces a separate criminal trial next month on eight counts of felony child neglect. Each of the counts is punishable by up to five years in prison upon a conviction. The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son told authorities he got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse.  

As October draws to a close, the month marks several defining moments in world history — from Muhammad Ali’s legendary victory in the “Rumble in the Jungle” to the Soviet Union’s detonation of the most powerful nuclear bomb ever tested, and Rosa Parks’ historic recognition in the U.S. Capitol. On this day, Oct. 30, 1974 — Muhammad Ali, 32, knocked out George Foreman, 25, in the eighth round of their heavyweight title bout in Kinshasa, Congo (then Zaire), reclaiming his world crown in a fight remembered as one of the greatest in boxing history. Throughout October: 1912 — U.S. Vice President James S. Sherman, running for re-election with President William Howard Taft, died six days before Election Day. Taft went on to lose to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. 1938 — Orson Welles’ radio drama “The War of the Worlds” aired on CBS, convincing some listeners that an actual Martian invasion was underway. 1961 — The Soviet Union tested the “Tsar Bomba,” a hydrogen bomb estimated at 50 megatons — more than 3,500 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb — making it the most powerful nuclear explosion in history. 1972 — A deadly train collision on Chicago’s South Side claimed 45 lives and injured hundreds when two Illinois Central Gulf commuter trains collided. 1975 — The New York Daily News published its iconic headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” after President Gerald Ford refused to support a federal bailout for a financially desperate New York City. 1995 — Quebec voters narrowly rejected a referendum calling for independence from Canada and the creation of a new partnership with the rest of the country. 2005 — Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, a tribute to her pivotal role in sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. 2018 — Infamous Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was found beaten to death at a federal prison in West Virginia, just hours after being transferred there. 2023 — The United Auto Workers reached a tentative deal with General Motors, concluding a wave of strikes that also involved Ford and Stellantis. The new contracts were later ratified by union members. October birthdays: Author Robert Caro turns 90. Rock legend Grace Slick is 86. R&B icon Otis Williams (The Temptations) is 84. Actor Henry Winkler celebrates 80. Journalist Andrea Mitchell is 79. Musician Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles) is 78. Actor Harry Hamlin is 74. Country singer T. Graham Brown is 71. Actor Kevin Pollak is 68. Business executive Ivanka Trump is 44. Gymnast Nastia Liukin is 36. NBA star Devin Booker is 29, and NHL defenseman Cale Makar is 27.  

President Donald Trump said Thursday he had reached several agreements with China after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking an attempt to steady relations between the world’s two largest economies following months of trade friction. Speaking aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington from a five-day, three-nation Asia tour, Trump said the U.S. would cut tariffs imposed earlier this year on Chinese chemicals used to make fentanyl, reducing the rate from 20% to 10%. That move lowers the overall average tariff rate on Chinese imports from 57% to 47%. “I’d say on a scale of zero to 10, the meeting was a 12,” Trump told reporters, describing his 100-minute discussion with Xi as highly productive. Trump’s renewed tariffs and China’s retaliatory curbs on rare earth exports had heightened the urgency for talks, as both sides sought to avoid further shocks to the global economy. China, U.S. to Pause Port Fee Measures for a Year China’s Commerce Ministry announced Thursday that both countries will suspend for one year the tit-for-tat port fees introduced earlier this month under the U.S. Section 301 investigation into Chinese shipbuilding and maritime practices. The U.S. had imposed new port fees on Chinese vessels entering American ports on Oct. 14, calling Beijing’s policies “unreasonable” and harmful to U.S. trade. China quickly responded with similar fees on American ships. The ministry also said it would “properly resolve” disputes over the social media platform TikTok with Washington. Atomic Bomb Survivors Condemn Trump’s Nuclear Testing Remarks In Japan, survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki denounced Trump’s comments suggesting the U.S. might resume nuclear weapons testing. Jiro Hamasumi, secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo — the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization representing survivors — said any return to testing “vehemently opposes all efforts to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful world.” The group urged the U.S. to uphold its commitment to nuclear disarmament and to lead international efforts toward peace. China Urges U.S. to Honor Nuclear Test Ban China’s Foreign Ministry called on Washington to abide by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty after Trump hinted on social media that the U.S. could resume testing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing hoped the U.S. would “fulfill its obligations” and continue its moratorium on nuclear tests. Trump’s post came shortly before his meeting with Xi in South Korea. China to Suspend Rare Earth Export Controls Beijing said it would suspend for one year its new export restrictions on rare earth minerals and refine the policy after further study. In exchange, Washington will pause for a year its expanded export controls on Chinese-owned subsidiaries listed under U.S. trade rules. The reciprocal moves, both announced earlier this month, had alarmed industries dependent on rare earth supplies. China Confirms U.S. Tariff Reduction China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would reduce fentanyl-related tariffs by 10 percentage points. The ministry said both countries agreed to extend a temporary pause on broader tariffs for another year, a freeze first established in May. Xi Calls for Cooperation on AI, Immigration Xi emphasized that “dialogue is better than confrontation” and proposed expanding cooperation with the U.S. in areas such as curbing illegal immigration, tackling telecom fraud, combating money laundering, advancing artificial intelligence, and strengthening infectious disease response. He said both countries should demonstrate their global responsibilities through “positive interactions” and noted that China will host the APEC summit and the U.S. the G20 summit next year. Xi Urges Completion of Trade Consensus In China’s first official statement on the meeting, Xi said both negotiating teams had “reached a consensus,” referring to preparatory talks in Malaysia last weekend. He called for swift follow-up work to produce “tangible results” that would reassure both nations and the world. “Both sides should look at the long-term perspective,” Xi said, “focusing on the benefits of cooperation rather than falling into a vicious cycle of retaliation.” China’s Reaction to Tariffs Beijing did not immediately comment on the results of the meeting. Chinese officials have previously called the fentanyl-related tariffs an act of bad faith, noting their prior cooperation with the Biden administration to curb chemical exports tied to the drug’s production. Source: AP

Four members of a family were killed after a seven-storey apartment building collapsed early Wednesday in Gebze, a northwestern city in Turkey. State-run TRT News identified the victims as members of the Bilir family — father Levent, 43, mother Emine, 37, daughter Hayrunnisa, 14, and son Muhammed Emir, 12. Rescuers pulled out the eldest daughter, 18-year-old Dilara Bilir, alive from the debris, TRT reported. The bodies of the two younger children were recovered by Wednesday evening, while those of the parents were found overnight, Deputy Interior Minister Mehmet Aktas told reporters Thursday morning. A total of 627 rescuers were deployed to the scene. The cause of the collapse remains unclear, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. However, Gebze Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz told local media that it might be linked to nearby metro construction. Gebze lies along the North Anatolian Fault Line and was among the hardest-hit areas during the 1999 earthquake that killed an estimated 18,000 people across the region. Experts have repeatedly warned that weak enforcement of modern construction codes continues to endanger lives in Turkey’s earthquake-prone zones. Earlier this year, a four-storey building collapse in Konya left two people dead. Authorities later charged ground-floor shopkeepers for allegedly removing structural columns to expand their space — a risky but common practice. They could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted. Source: AP

President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to suggest that the United States might resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in three decades, saying it would be done on an “equal basis” with Russia and China. The comment, made minutes before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, marks a potential shift in long-standing U.S. nuclear policy. However, Trump provided no clear details, and there was no indication the U.S. planned to detonate warheads. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That process will begin immediately.” The White House did not respond to requests for clarification, and Trump avoided questions about the statement during his meeting with Xi. Later, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he appeared to blur the distinction between testing nuclear missiles and detonating nuclear warheads. “I see them testing and I say, well, if they’re going to test, I guess we have to test,” Trump said, without specifying when or where such tests would occur. The U.S. has not conducted nuclear detonations since 1992, though it routinely tests missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Pentagon officials did not immediately comment on the president’s statement. Trump’s remarks came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced tests of a nuclear-powered cruise missile and an underwater drone, but no actual nuclear detonations. Trump did not reference those developments directly, though he compared the nuclear stockpiles of the three powers, saying, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years.” The U.S. signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996 but never ratified it. Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023, saying it wanted parity with Washington and would only resume tests if the U.S. did so first. Despite the apparent escalation, Trump told reporters he still favored “denuclearization and de-escalation,” adding, “We are actually talking to Russia about that,” without elaborating further. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, criticized the president’s remarks, calling him “misinformed and out of touch.” “By announcing his intention to resume nuclear testing, Trump risks triggering public backlash in Nevada, opposition from U.S. allies, and a dangerous chain reaction of nuclear testing worldwide,” Kimball wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Source: AP

President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea as a major success, announcing plans to cut tariffs on Chinese imports while Beijing agreed to resume soybean purchases and ease export restrictions on rare earth elements. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States would lower tariffs imposed earlier this year on China—from 20% to 10%—for exporting chemicals used in fentanyl production. The change reduces the total tariff rate on Chinese goods from 57% to 47%. “On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I’d say the meeting was a 12,” Trump said. He added that he plans to visit China in April, with Xi expected to visit Washington later. The two leaders also discussed the possible export of advanced computer chips, with U.S. firm Nvidia expected to begin talks with Chinese officials. Trump said a trade deal with China could be signed “pretty soon,” noting there were “not too many major stumbling blocks.” Tensions remain despite optimism The 100-minute meeting in Busan, South Korea, was seen as an attempt to ease months of economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies. The U.S. and China have been competing for dominance in manufacturing and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, while also clashing over geopolitical issues, including Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump’s aggressive tariff policy during his second term and China’s retaliatory restrictions on rare earth exports added urgency to the talks. Both sides now appear eager to avoid further economic disruption. Xi, reading from prepared remarks at the start of the meeting, said through a translator that it was “normal” for two major economies to have disagreements but emphasized a willingness to cooperate. Finding common ground The meeting was held at a small military facility near Busan’s international airport, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit set to begin Friday. In the days before the meeting, U.S. officials hinted that Trump would not follow through on his recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods. Meanwhile, China signaled flexibility on rare earth export rules and pledged to resume buying American soybeans. Earlier in the week, negotiators from both countries met in Kuala Lumpur and reached what Chinese trade envoy Li Chenggang called a “preliminary consensus.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described it as “a very successful framework.” The meeting has already boosted investor confidence, with U.S. stock markets rising on hopes of a trade breakthrough. Pressure points persist Despite signs of progress, experts warn the underlying rivalry between Washington and Beijing remains intact. “The proposed deal fits the pattern we’ve seen all year—short-term stabilization dressed up as strategic progress,” said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Trump’s pressure tactic has largely been tariffs, while Xi has wielded control over rare earth exports—a vital resource for global industries ranging from defense to electric vehicles. Trump’s latest announcement effectively replaces his earlier plan to raise tariffs to 145%, which he dropped following market backlash. On Oct. 10, he had threatened a 100% import tax, but Thursday’s meeting instead led to a reduction to 47%, effective immediately. Xi is expected to remain in South Korea to meet regional leaders during the APEC summit after Trump returns to Washington. “Xi sees an opportunity to position China as a reliable partner and strengthen ties with nations frustrated by U.S. tariff policies,” said Jay Truesdale, CEO of TD International and a former U.S. State Department official. Source: AP

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s condemnation of antisemitism and pledged to combat it, amid rising tensions linked to Israel’s war in Gaza. Speaking during a general audience marking the 60th anniversary of the landmark Vatican document Nostra Aetate, the pope acknowledged past misunderstandings and conflicts with Jews but stressed the church’s ongoing commitment to friendship with the Jewish community. The document, issued in 1965, repudiates the “deicide” charge that blamed Jews collectively for Christ’s death and condemns antisemitism in all forms. Leo quoted Nostra Aetate, emphasizing that the church “does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself.” The anniversary comes as antisemitic incidents linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict surge worldwide. In the United States, the Anti-Defamation League reported a record 9,354 incidents last year, with 58% connected to Israel, including chants and protests at rallies. Leo called for continued dialogue, noting that political circumstances and injustices should not disrupt the special relationship between Christians and Jews. He said, “Even today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far.” Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, welcomed the pope’s acknowledgment and urged the Vatican to actively use its moral influence to combat antisemitism. The pope’s remarks contrast with recent tensions surrounding comments by Pope Francis, which some Jewish and Israeli leaders viewed as drawing a moral equivalence between Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza. Leo’s address highlighted the church’s ongoing effort to strengthen interfaith dialogue and reaffirm its historic stance against antisemitism.  

Hurricane Melissa slammed into eastern Cuba early Wednesday near Chivirico, in Santiago de Cuba province, as a Category 3 storm, after devastating Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). Hundreds of thousands of Cubans were evacuated to shelters ahead of the storm. Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, as well as parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas. As of early Wednesday, Melissa carried maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving northeast at 12 mph (19 kph), the NHC said. The hurricane’s center was about 60 miles (97 km) west of Guantánamo and 230 miles (370 km) south of the central Bahamas. Authorities warned residents to remain indoors, while preparations in the Bahamas were urged to be “rushed to completion.” The NHC forecast the storm to weaken slightly as it moved across Cuba on Wednesday morning, but remain a strong hurricane as it passed over the southeastern and central Bahamas later in the day. By late Thursday, Melissa is expected to approach Bermuda, where a hurricane watch is already in place. Meteorologists warned of life-threatening floods and landslides from the torrential rains accompanying the storm. Melissa had struck Jamaica on Tuesday with winds peaking at 185 mph (295 kph), toppling power lines and trees, and submerging large areas under floodwaters. Forecasters said the storm could produce a storm surge up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) and rainfall reaching 20 inches (51 cm) in eastern Cuba. “Numerous landslides are likely in those regions,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Officials warned that the storm could worsen Cuba’s deepening economic crisis, already marked by fuel and food shortages and prolonged power outages. “There will be a lot of work to do — we know there will be extensive damage,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address. He promised that “no one will be left behind” and pledged all available resources to protect lives. Díaz-Canel also urged citizens not to underestimate the storm, calling Melissa “the strongest hurricane ever to strike national territory.” Classes were suspended Monday across provinces from Guantánamo to Camagüey, as authorities braced for impact. In Jamaica, officials began damage assessments Wednesday after the hurricane’s direct hit. Severe flooding was reported in Clarendon and St. Elizabeth, with the latter parish described as “underwater,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. Four hospitals were damaged — one left without power, forcing the evacuation of 75 patients, McKenzie said. More than 500,000 customers lost electricity across Jamaica late Tuesday, as fallen trees, power poles, and widespread flooding crippled the island’s infrastructure. The Jamaican government said it hopes to reopen airports by Thursday to speed up the delivery of emergency aid. So far, seven deaths across the Caribbean have been linked to Hurricane Melissa — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where one person remains missing.