United News of Bangladesh

At least nine people were killed and 10 others wounded early Sunday when a group of gunmen opened fire at a pub in Bekkersdal, a township 46 kilometers west of Johannesburg, authorities said. The attack marks the second mass shooting in South Africa within three weeks. Police said around 12 unidentified suspects arrived in a white mini-bus and a silver sedan, targeting patrons at KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo area before firing indiscriminately as they fled. Some victims were shot outside the pub on nearby streets. Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana, acting provincial commissioner of Gauteng, told the AP that the assailants, some wearing balaclavas, were armed with one AK-47 rifle and multiple nine-millimeter pistols. Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that an e-hailing driver was among those killed after dropping off a client. Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations, together with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit, launched a manhunt for the suspects. Mass shootings at bars, or shebeens, have occurred repeatedly across South Africa in recent years. Earlier this month, multiple suspects attacked an unlicensed bar near the capital, leaving at least 12 dead and 13 injured. In 2022, a similar attack in Soweto killed 16 people, while another left four dead in a separate province. South Africa recorded nearly 26,000 homicides in 2024, averaging more than 70 deaths per day, making it one of the countries with the highest murder rates globally. Firearms remain the leading cause of homicide, and while the country enforces strict gun control laws, illegal weapons are frequently used in violent crimes. Authorities continue to investigate the latest attack as the community reels from the deadly incident.

Iraq’s political landscape remains in flux more than a month after the November parliamentary elections, with parties maneuvering to form alliances that will shape the next government. No bloc won a decisive majority, setting the stage for prolonged negotiations. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s party secured the largest number of seats, but his path to a second term is uncertain. Observers say the Iran-backed Coordination Framework — the largest Shiite parliamentary coalition — is unlikely to support al-Sudani, whom they now see as a political rival. Historically, only Nouri al-Maliki has served a second term as prime minister, highlighting the coalition’s caution against consolidating too much power in one leader. Shiite alliances won 187 seats, Sunni groups 77, Kurdish parties 56, and minorities nine. Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition won 46 seats, forcing him to seek coalition support. Earlier this month, his government withdrew a terror designation on Iran-aligned groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, reflecting the influence of armed factions within the Coordination Framework. The absence of Muqtada Sadr’s Sadrist movement, which boycotted the election, created a vacuum exploited by parties with armed wings. More than 100 parliamentary seats are now held by parties affiliated with militias, the largest such presence since 2003. Sunni forces are reorganizing under the National Political Council, while Kurdish parties negotiate over the presidency, which by convention goes to a Kurd, with the Shiite prime minister and Sunni parliamentary speaker completing the leadership trio. The incoming government faces daunting challenges, including a national debt exceeding $69 billion, heavy reliance on oil revenues, entrenched corruption, and the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). These militias, formed to fight ISIS, remain largely autonomous despite formal integration under the military in 2016. After attacks on U.S. bases in retaliation for the 2023 Gaza war, Washington has warned against appointing leaders with militia ties or granting them control of security ministries. Iraqi analysts say Iran-backed armed groups, including U.S.-designated terrorist organization Kataib Hezbollah, are unlikely to relinquish weapons, insisting that foreign forces leave before any disarmament discussions. As Iraq’s political factions negotiate, the next government must balance internal power struggles, armed groups’ influence, and pressures from Washington and Tehran — all while managing a fragile economy and fragile stability across the country.

Israel’s Cabinet has approved the construction of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich announced Sunday. The plan includes two settlements previously evacuated under the 2005 disengagement plan and brings the total number of new settlements over the past two years to 69, Smotrich wrote on X. According to the anti-settlement group Peace Now, the approval will raise the total number of West Bank settlements by nearly 50% under the current government, from 141 in 2022 to 210. The decision also retroactively legalizes certain outposts and neighborhoods on lands where Palestinians were previously evacuated. Settlements are widely considered illegal under international law. The announcement comes as the U.S. urges Israel and Hamas to advance a new phase of the Gaza ceasefire, effective Oct. 10, which envisions a potential pathway to a Palestinian state — a goal critics say the settlements undermine. Israel seized the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza in the 1967 war. Currently, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, with over 200,000 in contested east Jerusalem. The government, dominated by far-right officials including Smotrich and Cabinet Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, has prioritized settlement expansion. Settlement growth has coincided with a surge in attacks against Palestinians. During October’s olive harvest, settlers carried out an average of eight attacks daily, the highest since 2006, according to the U.N. humanitarian office. By Nov. 24, at least 136 additional attacks were recorded, including arson, mosque desecration, ransacking of industrial facilities, and crop destruction. Israeli authorities have largely limited their response to occasional condemnations.

Severe foreign aid cuts imposed this year by U.S. President Donald Trump, along with reductions from other countries, have devastated child protection, education, and youth programs in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh home to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Thousands of schools and training centers were forced to close, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, child marriage, and forced labor. Hasina, 17, recalls the school that had once shielded her from forced marriage and abuse. When funding for her school was cut in June, her education ended abruptly, and she was married off. Her husband began beating and sexually abusing her, extinguishing her childhood and dreams of becoming a teacher. “If the school hadn’t closed, I wouldn’t be trapped in this life,” she said. UNICEF reports a sharp rise in child abuse and exploitation this year: abductions and kidnappings quadrupled to 560 cases, and 817 children were recruited or used by armed groups operating in the camps. Verified child marriages rose 21% and child labor 17% compared to the previous year, though the real numbers are likely higher. The closures have left children with no safe spaces to learn or play, making them easy targets for traffickers who exploit their desperation. Ten-year-old Mohammed Arfan now spends his days selling snacks instead of attending school, while 13-year-old Rahamot Ullah collects plastic from sewage canals to pay for private lessons he cannot afford. Both boys dream of education and a better life but are trapped by circumstances caused by the aid cuts. Aid agencies warn that the situation will worsen next year. Save the Children has secured only a third of its funding target for 2026, putting 20,000 children at risk of losing access to education. UNICEF has reopened some learning centers using remaining funds, but many schools remain closed. The cuts also exacerbated starvation, health risks, and unsafe conditions in the camps. Families desperate to survive have sent children on perilous journeys abroad, often with traffickers. In one case, Mohammed Ullah’s 13-year-old son was taken by traffickers to Malaysia; his father scrambled to raise a ransom for the boy’s release. Experts and aid workers say the aid reductions have destroyed lives and futures. Children once shielded by schools now face child labor, trafficking, and forced marriage, with little hope of returning to the education and protection they lost.

At least 16 files, including a photograph showing former President Donald Trump, have disappeared from the U.S. Justice Department’s public webpage for documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, less than a day after they were posted. The Justice Department offered no explanation for the removals and gave no prior notice to the public. The missing files, previously available on Friday but inaccessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women and a photograph showing Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump, and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In a statement on X, the department said materials “will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information.” The unexplained disappearance has fueled speculation about possible cover-ups and intensified concerns over transparency, particularly given Epstein’s ties to powerful figures. House Oversight Committee Democrats questioned why the photo featuring Trump was removed, calling for full public disclosure. The Justice Department’s initial release, spanning tens of thousands of pages, has so far offered little new insight into Epstein’s criminal activities or prosecutorial decisions, with critical records — including FBI interviews with survivors and internal memos on charging decisions — still missing. Many documents were heavily redacted, lacked context, or consisted solely of images of Epstein’s homes and associates. Some of the released records include grand jury transcripts detailing sexual abuse of minors, including girls as young as 14, and interviews with U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta regarding his 2008 decision not to pursue federal charges against Epstein. Survivors’ attorneys described the release as both “a triumph and a tragedy,” criticizing the government’s inaction despite ample warning signs. The Justice Department has indicated it will continue releasing records on a rolling basis, citing the need to obscure victims’ identities, but no timeline has been provided for when the public can expect a complete set of documents.

South African authorities have launched a manhunt following a deadly shooting at a licensed tavern in a township near Johannesburg that claimed nine lives and wounded at least 10 others. Police said around a dozen unidentified assailants arrived at the scene in two vehicles in Bekkersdal and opened fire on people inside the tavern. The attackers continued firing indiscriminately while escaping, leaving multiple casualties behind. The incident occurred at approximately 1:00am local time on Sunday, equivalent to 11:00pm GMT on Saturday, according to police officials. South Africa remains among the countries with the highest homicide rates globally. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime data for 2023–24 show the country records about 45 murders per 100,000 people. Source: BBC

U.S. forces on Saturday intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks, as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The operation, conducted in the early hours, follows Trump’s recent announcement of a “blockade” on all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and comes after the December 10 seizure of another tanker, the Skipper. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard, assisted by the Defense Department, stopped the Panama-flagged vessel Centuries, which had recently been docked in Venezuela. An unclassified video showed U.S. personnel boarding the tanker via helicopter. Officials described the boarding as “consented,” with the vessel stopping voluntarily. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Centuries was part of Venezuela’s shadow fleet, transporting stolen, sanctioned oil. However, maritime expert Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano noted that shipping databases suggest the tanker is properly registered, though it likely carried sanctioned oil. Venezuela condemned the action, calling it “criminal” and vowing legal action, including complaints to the UN Security Council. Trump has linked the blockade to U.S. oil investments seized by Venezuela in past decades and accused Maduro of drug trafficking, while U.S. forces have also targeted vessels alleged to smuggle fentanyl into the Americas. At least 104 people have been killed in 28 such strikes since September. The Trump administration has deployed a significant naval presence to the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, warning of potential further actions to pressure Maduro, who has dismissed U.S. operations as an attempt to force him from power. Source: AP 

At least eight people were killed and 27 others injured after Russian ballistic missiles struck port facilities in Odesa, southern Ukraine, late Friday, according to the country’s emergency services. The attack came as a Kremlin representative prepared to travel to the United States for discussions on a Washington-backed proposal aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict. Ukrainian officials said some of the injured were passengers on a bus caught near the blast site. Several trucks were set ablaze and nearby vehicles were damaged. Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper confirmed the port infrastructure was hit. The talks are part of the Trump administration’s sustained diplomatic effort to broker peace, following meetings earlier this week in Berlin with Ukrainian and European officials. Ukraine’s chief negotiator said Friday that Kyiv had also concluded separate consultations in the United States with American and European partners. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the outcome would largely depend on Washington’s response after engaging with Moscow. Speaking alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said it remained unclear how the U.S. would proceed following discussions with Russian officials. Ukraine and Portugal also signed an agreement to jointly produce maritime drones, which Zelenskyy described as a key area of defense cooperation. EU approves €90bn loan for Ukraine as Putin calls West 'enemy' Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said its drones struck a Russian oil and gas platform at the Filanovsky field, a patrol ship in the Caspian Sea, and a radar system in Crimea. Russia has not confirmed the claims, while its Defense Ministry said it targeted Ukrainian military-linked transport, storage, and energy facilities. As diplomatic efforts continue, Russia has maintained firm conditions for peace, while the European Union has pledged €90 billion in financial and military assistance to Ukraine over the next two years. Talks between U.S. envoys and Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev were expected to take place in Miami on Saturday, according to U.S. officials. Source: AP 

Christmas is a Christian holiday that observes the birth of Jesus. But did you know that the earliest followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate his birth? Or that Santa Claus is inspired by the acts of kindness of a fourth-century Christian saint? And have you heard about the modern-day Japanese tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas? Since the early 20th century, Christmas has evolved from a religious holiday to a hugely popular cultural holiday observed by Christian and secular people across the globe who gather with families, exchange gifts and cards and decorate Christmas trees. Here’s a look at the history, beliefs and the evolution of Christmas: Origins and early history of Christmas Early followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate his birth but instead focused on commemorating their belief in his resurrection at Easter. The story of the birth of Jesus appears only in two of the four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew and Luke. They provide different details, though both say Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The exact day, month and even year of Jesus’s birth are unknown, said Christine Shepardson, a professor at the University of Tennessee who studies early Christianity. The tradition of celebrating Jesus’ birth on Dec. 25, she said, only emerged in the fourth century. “It’s hard to overemphasize how important the fourth century is for constructing Christianity as we experience it in our world today,” Shepardson said. It was then, under Emperor Constantine, that Christians began the practice of gathering at churches instead of meeting at homes. Some theories say the date coincides with existing pagan winter solstice festivals, including the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus, or the “Unconquered Sun,” on Dec 25. While most Christians celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, some Eastern Orthodox traditions celebrate the holy day on Jan. 7. That’s because they follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular world. Rowdy medieval celebrations For centuries, especially during the Middle Ages, Christmas was associated with rowdy street celebrations of feasting and drinking, and for many Christians, it “was not in good standing as a holiday,” said Thomas Ruys Smith, a professor of American literature and culture at the University of East Anglia in England. “Puritans,” he said, “were not fond of Christmas.” But in the 19th century, he said, Christmas became “respectable” with “the domestic celebration that we understand today — one centered around the home, the family, children, gift-giving.” The roots of modern-day Christmas can be traced back to Germany. In the late 19th century, there are accounts of Christmas trees and gift-giving that, according to Smith, later spread to Britain and America, helping to revitalize Christmas on both sides of the Atlantic. Christmas became further popularized with the publication of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens in 1843, and the writings of Washington Irving, who was a fan of St. Nicholas and helped popularize the celebration of Christmas in America. The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up by workers in 1931 to raise spirits during the Great Depression. The tradition stuck as the first tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933 and remains one of New York City’s most popular holiday attractions. America’s secular Santa is inspired by a Christian saint St. Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian bishop from the Mediterranean port city of Myra (in modern-day Turkey). His acts of generosity inspired the secular Santa Claus legend. The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to children. He is believed to have interceded on behalf of wrongly condemned prisoners and miraculously saved sailors from storms. Devotion to St. Nicholas spread during the Middle Ages across Europe and he became a favorite subject for medieval artists and liturgical plays. He is the patron saint of sailors and children, as well as of Greece, Russia and New York. Devotion to St. Nicholas seems to have faded after the 16th century Protestant Reformation, except in the Netherlands, where his legend remained as Sinterklaas. In the 17th century, Dutch Protestants who settled in New York brought the Sinterklaas tradition with them. Eventually, St. Nicholas morphed into the secular Santa Claus. It’s not just Santa who delivers the gifts In the U.K., it’s Father Christmas; in Greece and Cyprus, St. Basil (who arrives on New Year’s Eve). In some parts of Italy, it’s St. Lucy (earlier in December) and in other Italian regions, Befana, a witch-like figure, who brings presents on the Epiphany on Jan. 6. Instead of a friendly Santa Claus, children in Iceland enjoy favors from 13 mischievous troll brothers, called the Yule Lads. They come down from their mountain cave 13 days before Christmas, according to folklore. Christian traditions of Christmas One of the oldest traditions around Christmas is bringing greenery — holly, ivy or evergreen trees — into homes. But determining whether it’s a Christian tradition is harder. “For many people, the evergreen can symbolize Christ’s promise of eternal life and his return from death,” Smith said. “So, you can interpret that evergreen tradition within the Christian concept.” The decorating of evergreen trees is a German custom that began in the 16th century, said Maria Kennedy, a professor at Rutgers University—New Brunswick’s Department of American Studies. It was later popularized in England and America. “Mistletoe, an evergreen shrub, was used in celebrations dating back to the ancient Druids — Celtic religious leaders — some 2,000 years ago,” Kennedy writes in The Surprising History of Christmas Traditions. “Mistletoe represented immortality because it continued to grow in the darkest time of the year and bore white berries when everything else had died.” Other traditions include Christmas services and Nativity scenes at homes and churches. More recently, Nativity scenes — when erected on public property in the U.S. — have triggered legal battles over the question of the separation of church and state. Christmas caroling, Kennedy writes, can also be traced back to European traditions, where people would go from home to home during the darkest time of the year to renew relationships within their communities and give wishes for good luck, health and wealth for the forthcoming year. “They would recite poetry, sing and sometimes perform a skit. The idea was that these acts would bring about good fortune to influence a future harvest,” Kennedy writes. Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas in Japan Among the many Christmas traditions that have been adopted and localized globally, there’s one that involves KFC. In 1974, KFC launched a Christmas campaign where they began to sell fried chicken with a bottle of wine so it could be used for a Christmas party. KFC says the idea for the campaign came from an employee who overheard a foreign customer at one of its Tokyo restaurants saying that since he couldn’t get turkey in Japan, he’d have to celebrate Christmas with Kentucky Fried Chicken. “That really stuck,” Smith said. “And still today, you have to order your KFC months in advance to make sure that you’re going to get it at Christmas Day.”  

A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said. The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year. They were accused of selling the gifts, including jewelry from Saudi Arabia’s government, at prices far below their market value while he was in office. Prosecutors said Khan and his wife declared the value of the gifts at a little over $10,000, far below their actual market value of $285,521, allowing them to purchase the items at a reduced price. Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, said he would appeal the ruling on behalf of the former premier and his wife. Under Pakistani law, for government officials and politicians to keep gifts received from foreign dignitaries, they must buy them at the assessed market value and declare any proceeds earned from selling them. Khan’s spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, said Saturday's sentencing ignored basic principles of justice. In a statement, he said that the “criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules. Bukhari said the court ruling “raised serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the process, turning justice into a tool for selective prosecution.” Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, denounced the ruling in a statement, calling it “a black chapter in history,” and said Khan was present in the court when the judge announced the verdict in the Adiala prison in the city of Rawalpindi. On its official X account, the party wrote Khan's family was not allowed access to the court when the verdict was announced. “A closed-door jail trial is neither free nor fair. It is, in fact, a military Trial.” Omar Ayub, a PTI senior leader, said on X that there was “no rule of law in Pakistan.” Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan and his wife were convicted and sentenced after the court examined solid evidence. He said the couple indulged in corruption, and “the court delivered a fair decision”. Khan, 73, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and his party is in opposition in the parliament. However, he remains popular in Pakistan. His party made a strong showing in the Feb. 8, 2024, parliamentary election but did not win a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament. The party claimed the vote was rigged. The government denies such claims. Khan's main political rival, Shehbaz Sharif, is the country's current prime minister. Since his ouster, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his removal was the result of a U.S.-backed conspiracy carried out with the support of Pakistan’s powerful military — claims denied by Washington, the military and his opponents. The former prime minister has been serving multiple prison terms since 2023 on corruption convictions and other charges that the former cricket star and his supporters have alleged are aimed at blocking his political career.