United News of Bangladesh

Israel’s military announced Wednesday that the ceasefire in Gaza has been reinstated after a night of intense airstrikes that killed 104 Palestinians, including 46 children, according to local health authorities. The overnight bombardment — the deadliest since the ceasefire began on October 10 — has raised serious doubts about the durability of the fragile truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the “powerful strikes” after accusing Hamas of breaching the agreement by returning what Israel described as partial remains of a hostage from earlier in the war. Netanyahu called the handover a “clear violation” of the truce, which requires Hamas to promptly return all remaining hostages. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of orchestrating the discovery, releasing a 14-minute drone video they said showed the incident. In retaliation for the Israeli attacks, Hamas said it would delay the return of another hostage’s body. While traveling in Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump defended Israel’s response, claiming it was justified following an alleged incident in which Hamas militants killed an Israeli soldier during an exchange of fire in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Hamas denied involvement, instead accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire terms. Hamas has said efforts to recover hostage remains have been hampered by widespread destruction in Gaza, while Israel claims Hamas is intentionally delaying the process. Thirteen hostages’ bodies are still believed to be in Gaza, slowing progress on the next phase of the truce — discussions on Hamas disarmament, international security deployment, and post-war governance of the territory. Rising Death TollThe Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that 104 people were killed and 253 injured, most of them women and children. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported 45 critical cases, including 20 children, and received 21 bodies overnight. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza all reported dozens of additional casualties, many of them children. Trump Defends IsraelSpeaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Israel “has the right to hit back” when attacked, though he expressed confidence the truce would hold, adding: “Hamas is a very small part of the overall Middle East peace. And they have to behave — or be terminated.” An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the soldier killed in Rafah — Master Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, who also held U.S. citizenship — died when his vehicle came under “enemy fire.” Israeli forces were reportedly targeting tunnels and Hamas infrastructure in the area at the time. Hamas reiterated that it had no role in the Rafah shooting and called Israel’s airstrikes a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.” According to U.S. officials, Israel informed Washington before launching the air raids. The Israeli military claimed to have struck 30 senior militant targets in Gaza but maintained it would continue to honor the ceasefire while responding “firmly” to any breach. Gaza Hospitals OverwhelmedHospitals across Gaza struggled to handle the influx of bodies and wounded. At Deir al-Balah, stretchers and makeshift carts carried victims into overcrowded facilities. “They struck right next to us — rubble fell over us and our children,” said one woman outside a hospital. At dawn, displaced residents searched through debris at a destroyed camp and recovered the body of a small child, wrapped gently in a blanket. “What kind of ceasefire is this?” asked survivor Amna Qrinawi. At Al-Awda Hospital, mourners gathered for funeral prayers over dozens of white-shrouded bodies — nearly half of them children. Among the grieving was Yehya Eid, who lost his brother and nephews. Holding a blood-stained shroud, he wept:“Why? These were children — what did they do wrong? They’re just like any children in the world.”  

New Zealand’s resident population grew 0.7 percent to 5.3 million in the year ending June 2025, with growth slowing across all 16 regions, Stats NZ said on Wednesday. The increase was smaller than in the previous two June years — 2.3 percent in 2023 and 1.7 percent in 2024 — according to a statement from the statistics agency. “Lower net migration gains in the June 2025 year led to slower population growth across all regions,” said Victoria Treliving, Stats NZ’s population estimates, projections, and coverage spokesperson. Stats NZ noted that natural increase (births minus deaths) was the main driver of growth, marking a shift from recent years when net migration was the dominant factor. Among regions, Canterbury in the South Island recorded the fastest growth at 1.1 percent in the June 2025 year. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, grew 1 percent to over 1.8 million, with a net migration gain of 6,300.

The Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate has asserted that it was behind the killing of Indian-origin entrepreneur Darshan Singh Sahsi in British Columbia. Gang member Goldy Dhillon posted on social media that Sahsi was targeted over alleged links to the drug trade and for refusing to pay the gang. The Punjabi-Canadian industrialist was gunned down outside his Abbotsford home on the morning of October 27. Originally from Rajgarh village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, Sahsi migrated to Canada in 1991. After working several small jobs, he invested in a failing textile recycling company, Canam International, later turning it into a globally recognized enterprise. Sahsi served as the president of Canam International—a major name in the textile recycling sector—promoting sustainable and transparent business practices. According to the company website, Canam handles close to half a million pounds of textile materials every day through re-use, downcycling and mechanical recycling, contributing to a circular textile economy. The company employed a significant number of Punjabi-origin workers, and Sahsi also expanded business operations to Kandla in Gujarat. Beyond his business success, he was known for supporting social and charitable causes. Early findings from law enforcement indicate the gunman was lying in wait as Sahsi approached his car parked outside his residence. Once he got inside the vehicle, shots were fired from another car positioned across the road, and the attacker quickly escaped. Police in Abbotsford responded to reports of gunfire at around 9:22 am and found Sahsi gravely injured. Despite efforts by emergency crews, he did not survive. As a precaution, three nearby schools temporarily went into a ‘shelter-in-place’ lockdown, though no children were harmed. Authorities have launched a homicide investigation into the killing. With inputs from NDTV  

Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight have killed at least 60 people, including many children, local hospital officials reported Wednesday. The attacks follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive for “powerful strikes” in Gaza, citing Hamas’s violations of the fragile ceasefire. The ceasefire, which began on Oct. 10, has been unstable, with previous flare-ups, and tensions remain high. According to hospital reports, the Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah received at least 10 bodies overnight, including three women and six children, after two Israeli airstrikes in the area. In southern Gaza, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving 20 bodies following five Israeli strikes, 13 of whom were children and two women. Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza received 30 bodies, including 14 children. Netanyahu’s order for the strikes came after an Israeli official said Hamas had fired on Israeli forces in southern Gaza. The militant group has also delayed returning another hostage’s body in response to Israel’s planned attacks. On Monday, Hamas handed over body parts identified by Israel as belonging to a previously recovered hostage, an act that Netanyahu described as a breach of the ceasefire.

Days after thieves took just minutes to steal eight pieces of the French crown jewels from the Louvre, a former bank robber says he warned museum officials years ago about glaring security weaknesses — including jewel cases positioned beside streetside windows that he called “a piece of cake” to attack. David Desclos speaks with the authority of someone who once knew how to silence alarms. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, just outside I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid, the reformed burglar said he had flagged the vulnerable windows and nearby display cases after the Louvre invited him to its Apollo Gallery in 2020 to discuss a historic 1792 theft for an in-house podcast. “Have you seen those windows? They’re a piece of cake. You can imagine anything — people in disguise, slipping in through the windows,” he said, recounting that he told a senior official involved in the Louvre’s podcast production — not the museum director — about the risk. “Through the windows — even from the roofs — there are plenty of ways in.” Then came Sunday’s heist. Authorities say two thieves in high-visibility jackets smashed through a window of the Apollo Gallery and used power tools to cut open cases. Eight crown-jewel items — valued in some reports at more than $100 million — disappeared in minutes. A ninth piece, Empress Eugénie’s diamond-studded crown, was found on the ground outside the museum, damaged but salvageable. Two suspects have been arrested; others remain at large. “Exactly what I had predicted,” Desclos said. “They came by the windows … they came, they took, and they left.” Timing, he argues, was part of the trick. “Do it in broad daylight, at opening time — that disables the first alarm layer… You know you’ve got five to seven minutes before police arrive.” A smash-and-grab is choreography, he says: rehearsal, a stopwatch, muscle memory. Were display cases a weak spot? High on his list of weak points is a 2019 overhaul of the Apollo Gallery display cases. Desclos — who has slicked back hair and a larger-than-life personality — says older display cases were designed so that, in an attack, treasures could drop to safety; newer ones without that feature left the artifacts vulnerable. As he put it: “It’s incomprehensible they changed the cases to leave jewels within arm’s reach. You’re making it easier for burglars.” The Louvre has pushed back on such criticism, saying the newer vitrines are more secure and meet modern standards. And then there was one glaring soft spot. “When I saw that specific window, I thought: they’re crazy.” Desclos says he raised those concerns with the Louvre official after the podcast recording and avoided spelling out vulnerabilities on air. “I couldn’t say on the podcast, ‘Go burglarize.’ That would have given the idea to many others,” he told AP. The Louvre did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment. AP has listened to the podcast and verified Desclos’ presence on it but cannot immediately verify his account of warning a museum official. An ex-con with a colorful story If the messenger sounds improbable, so does his résumé. He grew up in Caen, Normandy, started stealing food as a child, moved on to department stores and banks, and specialized in neutralizing alarm systems. In the late 1990s, he says he and accomplices spent months tunneling through city sewers to reach a Société Générale bank vault at Christmas. Incredibly, Desclos has reinvented himself as a stand-up comedian, performing a show titled ‘Hold-Up’ drawn from his past. Desclos stresses that despite his notorious former career, he has no leads on the famous museum breach. Security reckoning in Paris museums Scrutiny of the heist is widening. Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure is scheduled to speak at the French Senate on Wednesday in a session on museum security and the broader threats highlighted by the theft. The Louvre’s strains have been visible for months. In June, a spontaneous staff strike — including security personnel — forced the museum to close as workers protested unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union representative called “untenable” conditions, leaving thousands of ticketed visitors under Pei’s pyramid. As for the loot’s afterlife, Desclos drains the glamour fast. “There is 90—95% chance the jewels will be dismantled and stone by stone put in block,” he said. His prescription is blunt: vault the originals; show replicas. “The real ones should be at the Banque de France,” he said. French media report that after the heist, remaining crown-jewel pieces were moved to the central bank’s deep vaults, sitting near secure national gold reserves and Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. “They should have listened,” Desclos said.  

Russian oil giant Lukoil announced Tuesday that it plans to sell its international assets in response to sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump targeting Moscow’s oil industry amid the Ukraine conflict. The company said it is in talks with potential buyers and aims to complete transactions under a sanctions grace period ending Nov. 21, seeking an extension if needed. Lukoil has stakes in oil and gas projects across 11 countries, including refineries in Bulgaria, Romania, and a 45% share in a Dutch refinery, along with gas stations in several other nations. Trump’s sanctions, announced on Oct. 22, target Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia’s two largest oil exporters, which together account for roughly half of the country’s oil exports. The measures block U.S. businesses from dealing with the firms and threaten secondary sanctions on foreign banks facilitating their transactions, complicating international operations. The sanctions specifically aim at sales to India and China, major buyers of Russian crude following the European Union’s ban on most Russian oil imports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said countries can independently decide whether to continue purchasing Russian energy, noting its strategic importance and competitiveness. The move signals Lukoil’s effort to adjust to growing financial pressures from the U.S. and maintain liquidity while continuing global operations amid mounting geopolitical tensions.  

President Donald Trump praised Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, highlighting her nation’s commitments to major U.S. energy and technology investments and signaling a strengthening of bilateral ties. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, joined Trump during a visit to U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington and participated in meetings that culminated in announcements of up to $550 billion in Japanese investments in the United States, including $100 billion each for nuclear projects led by Westinghouse and GE Vernova. Trump described the day as a “victory lap,” emphasizing the strong U.S.-Japan alliance and pledging continued support. Takaichi, who drew on her ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also discussed cultural exchanges, including sending cherry trees and fireworks to mark America’s 250th anniversary, and hosted a working lunch featuring Japanese-American cuisine. The two leaders signed agreements promoting cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths, under a framework they called a “golden age” of bilateral relations. Trump also noted Toyota’s plan to invest $10 billion in U.S. auto plants. Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, met the emperor, and is scheduled to continue his Asia trip with visits to South Korea and China to advance trade and regional security discussions.  

Hurricane Melissa bore down on Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to ever strike the island since records began nearly two centuries ago. Forecasters said Melissa would make landfall early Tuesday, cutting diagonally across Jamaica from St. Elizabeth parish in the south to St. Ann in the north, before heading toward Cuba. Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned residents to brace for devastating destruction, saying, “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5. The question now is the speed of recovery.” Ahead of the storm, Jamaica was already experiencing landslides, downed trees and power outages, with emergency officials warning that cleanup and recovery could take days. A storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) is expected along southern coasts, threatening hospitals and low-lying communities. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients had been moved to upper floors to avoid floodwaters. Melissa has already caused seven deaths across the Caribbean — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic — while one person remains missing. By early Tuesday, the storm was located 115 miles (180 kilometers) west-southwest of Kingston, with 175 mph (280 kph) sustained winds, moving north-northeast at 5 mph (8 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. “Many have never experienced anything like this before,” said Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps advisor near Kingston, describing widespread fear and uncertainty. Officials urged residents to conserve clean water, as shortages are expected in the storm’s aftermath. Melissa was forecast to strike eastern Cuba late Tuesday, prompting hurricane warnings in Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces. Cuba has begun evacuating more than 600,000 people, officials said. After Cuba, the storm is expected to turn northeast and reach the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday evening, with hurricane and tropical storm warnings in effect across the region.

A small plane en route to Maasai Mara National Reserve crashed early Tuesday in Kenya’s coastal Kwale region, with 12 people feared dead, officials said. The aircraft went down in a hilly, forested area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Diani airstrip. Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the press that rescue operations were ongoing and further details would be shared later. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that 12 people were onboard and said authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Maasai Mara National Reserve, a major tourist destination, is renowned for the annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania’s Serengeti. Source: AP

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has been reelected to a fourth term, according to preliminary results released Monday, following an election characterized by low voter turnout and largely deserted streets in Abidjan, the nation’s economic hub. Ouattara, 83, who has led the country since 2011, secured 89.7% of the vote, Electoral Commission chief Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly announced. Former commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon finished second with 3%, while former first lady Simone Gbagbo placed third with 2.4%. Final results are expected in early November, though an earlier announcement remains possible. Of the 8.5 million registered voters, turnout was roughly 50%. Billon congratulated Ouattara on Sunday based on early projections, while Gbagbo accepted the outcome but criticized what she described as an “unfair and restricted electoral process” and a “divided opposition” that fostered fear and violence. Ouattara rose to power after a disputed 2010 election against former President Laurent Gbagbo, a conflict that killed at least 3,000 people before Ouattara, backed by U.N. and French forces, assumed office. His supporters credit him with stabilizing and revitalizing the world’s top cocoa-producing economy, while critics accuse him of authoritarian tendencies and manipulating the constitution to stay in power. Key opposition figures such as Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo were barred from this year’s ballot, leading observers to describe the opposition as weakened and fragmented. “This was not a real election,” Thiam said on social media, calling for political dialogue to end the impasse. Analyst Mucahid Durmaz of Verisk Maplecroft told the Associated Press that Ouattara’s dominance over state institutions and his central role in rebuilding the country after the civil war helped secure his continued rule. Although Ivory Coast’s constitution originally imposed a two-term limit, a 2016 referendum revised it. Ouattara argued in 2020 that the changes reset his term count, allowing him to run again — a claim opponents rejected. His subsequent 2020 reelection, boycotted by rivals, saw him win over 90% of the vote. Durmaz warned that Ouattara’s continued rule “reinforces constitutional manipulation and deepens democratic decline in West Africa.” Ouattara’s victory adds to a pattern of elderly leaders maintaining power across Africa — including Cameroon’s Paul Biya (92), Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni (81), and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (83) — despite the continent’s predominantly young population. Under Ouattara, Ivory Coast’s economy has averaged 6% annual growth, fueled by cocoa exports, yet 37.5% of its 30 million citizens still live in poverty, and youth unemployment remains high. His government has also clashed with military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger over his perceived alignment with France, which those juntas blame for worsening insecurity in the Sahel region.