United News of Bangladesh

U.K. inflation unexpectedly remained unchanged at 3.8% in the year to September, as rising fuel costs were balanced by falling food prices, official data showed Wednesday, fueling hopes of another interest rate reduction next month. The Office for National Statistics reported that the consumer price index held steady from the previous two months, defying economists’ expectations of a rise to 4%, double the Bank of England’s target. Analysts said the flat reading suggests inflation may have peaked and could gradually return toward target levels in the coming months. Martin Sartorius, principal economist at the Confederation of British Industry, said price pressures should ease slowly, though a significant decline may not occur until the first half of next year. He added the “downside surprise” increases the likelihood of a rate cut at the Bank of England’s next policy meeting on Nov. 6. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves is also expected to welcome the figure ahead of the Nov. 26 budget, as September’s inflation rate influences welfare benefit adjustments, reducing funding costs compared with earlier expectations.

Ukraine’s security service on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded unmanned naval craft, the “Sea Baby,” saying the revamped vessel can operate across the Black Sea, carry much heavier arms and use artificial intelligence to improve targeting. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the Sea Baby’s range has been increased from about 1,000 km to 1,500 km and its payload capacity now reaches roughly 2,000 kg. At a demonstration seen by The Associated Press, SBU showed variants equipped with a multiple-rocket launcher and a stabilized machine-gun turret. SBU Brig. Gen. Ivan Lukashevych said the new models include AI-assisted friend-or-foe targeting, the ability to launch small aerial attack drones and multilayered self-destruct systems to prevent capture. The vessels are remotely piloted from a mobile control centre inside a van, officials said. The SBU credited Sea Baby strikes with damaging Russian shipping and infrastructure and said drone attacks have hit 11 Russian vessels, including frigates and missile carriers. Those operations, the SBU claims, helped push the Russian navy to move its main base from Sevastopol, Crimea, to Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Officials also said the Sea Baby program has evolved from a single-use strike craft into a reusable, networked platform that broadens Ukraine’s offensive options. Lukashevych described the effort as pioneering a new form of naval warfare and highlighted that part of the program’s funding comes from public donations coordinated with Ukraine’s military and political leadership. The SBU noted the drones have been used in high-profile strikes — including repeated attacks aimed at the Crimean Bridge’s underwater supports — and stressed operational security by asking that demonstration details not be disclosed. An operator identified only by the call sign “Scout” said team cohesion remains vital to mission success.

At least six people, including a woman and her two daughters, were killed in a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack across Ukraine, officials said Wednesday, as U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end the war stalled and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more military support. Repeated waves of missiles and drones hit at least eight Ukrainian cities overnight. In a village in the Kyiv region, a strike set fire to a house where a mother and her 6-month-old and 12-year-old daughters were staying, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said. Kyiv authorities reported at least 18 people injured. The attacks, which continued into Wednesday morning, also targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, triggering rolling blackouts. Russia has been intensifying strikes on the country’s power grid ahead of the winter season. U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to mediate a resolution to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion over three years ago, have so far failed. Trump said his plan for a quick meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was on hold to avoid a “waste of time,” citing Moscow’s rigid stance on settlement terms despite Ukraine’s offer of a ceasefire and direct talks. Zelenskyy urged the EU, the U.S., and the G7 nations to increase pressure on Russia to return to the negotiating table. “Pressure can be applied only through sanctions, long-range missile capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among our partners,” he said, adding that Trump’s consideration of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine influenced Putin’s willingness to meet. Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Stockholm Wednesday to meet Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, marking the start of a week of intensive diplomacy. Additional international sanctions on Russia are expected to be discussed at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, followed by a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in London on Friday. In Kyiv, residents described panic and destruction. “We heard a loud explosion, the glass shattered, and everything was engulfed in flames,” said Biriukova Olena, 58, a local resident. “It was terrifying for the children. I never thought this could happen in our neighborhood.” The attacks caused damage in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, and the wider regions of Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Sumy, Zelenskyy said. In the Dnipro district, two more people were found dead, and emergency services rescued 10 from a 16-story residential building after a fire sparked by drone debris. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that drone debris also damaged a medical facility and another residential building. In the Darnytskyi district, debris hit a 17-story building, igniting a fire on five floors; 15 people, including two children, were rescued. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s army general staff said Ukrainian forces struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region Tuesday night using British-made Storm Shadow air-launched missiles. The plant produces gunpowder, explosives, missile fuel, and ammunition and is a key part of Russia’s military-industrial complex. Source: AP

A Slovak court on Tuesday convicted Juraj Cintula for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico last year, sentencing him to 21 years in prison for a terror attack. The 72-year-old opened fire on Fico on May 15, 2024, in Handlová, northeast of Bratislava, as the prime minister greeted supporters. Two surgeries were required after Fico was shot in the abdomen, but he has since recovered. Cintula, who had no prior criminal record, claimed his motive was disagreement with government policies, including ending military aid to Ukraine and changes in the anti-corruption office. He maintained he had no intention to kill anyone. The three-judge panel said the attack targeted the prime minister specifically, aimed to incite opposition, and justified the terror charge. Cintula’s age and clean record influenced the decision to avoid life imprisonment. His lawyer indicated an appeal is likely. Fico, who returned to power in 2023 with a pro-Russia platform, was not present at the trial and has expressed forgiveness toward Cintula, taking no legal action against him. The attack and trial have stirred political tensions in Slovakia, with critics accusing Fico of steering the country closer to Russia.

Polish and Romanian authorities have arrested Ukrainian citizens allegedly working for Russian intelligence in a sabotage campaign, prosecutors said Tuesday. Polish prosecutors stated that the suspects planned to send shipments containing explosives and incendiary materials to Ukraine, designed to ignite or explode during transit. The aim, they said, was to intimidate populations and destabilize EU countries supporting Ukraine. In Romania, two Ukrainians, aged 21 and 24, allegedly acting for Russian intelligence, deposited parcels with improvised explosive devices at a Bucharest courier. Romanian intelligence specialists defused the devices, and the suspects were placed under 30-day preventative arrest. The Ukrainian detained in Poland was among eight people recently arrested over sabotage preparations, according to the National Prosecutor's Office. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister coordinating special services, confirmed that the plot involved reconnaissance of military and critical infrastructure, preparation of sabotage materials, and potential attacks. Authorities across Europe have detained dozens for suspected sabotage and espionage linked to Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Recent cases include arson plots, attacks on cargo planes, store fires, cyberattacks, and spying networks in multiple countries.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of criminal conspiracy for allegedly financing his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya — becoming the first modern French leader to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left their Paris home hand-in-hand and headed to the La Santé prison. Before entering the facility, he released a statement on social media, saying that “an innocent man” was being sent to prison. The 70-year-old former president was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme involving illegal funding from Libya. He has appealed the verdict and denounced the court’s “unjust” decision to jail him while his appeal is pending. On his way to prison, Sarkozy paused outside his residence to greet supporters, family members, and grandchildren who had gathered to show solidarity. Dozens chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas,” waved French flags, and displayed banners reading “Courage Nicolas, return soon” and “True France with Nicolas.” His lawyers said Sarkozy will be kept in solitary confinement for security reasons. “He has prepared himself mentally,” lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois told France Info, adding that Sarkozy packed “a few sweaters because it’s cold in prison, and earplugs because it’s noisy.” Another lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, said the imprisonment had only strengthened Sarkozy’s resolve “to prove his innocence.” He added that the former president plans to write a book about his prison experience. Sarkozy told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper he would enter prison “with his head held high” and vowed to “fight till the end.” He also said he would bring along three books — the maximum allowed — including Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, a novel about wrongful imprisonment and revenge. A Paris judge ruled that Sarkozy must begin serving his sentence immediately, citing “the seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offense.” His legal team plans to quickly file a request for release, which the appeals court will have up to two months to review. President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace last week, said he respected judicial independence but described the meeting as “a human gesture” toward one of his predecessors.   Source: AP

The Louvre Museum in Paris, the world’s most-visited museum, was forced to shut down for “exceptional reasons” on Sunday after a group of intruders carried out a lightning-fast robbery, stealing eight priceless pieces of jewellery in just four minutes. Police have launched a massive manhunt for the culprits, who broke into the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo’s Gallery) through a window soon after the museum opened. The suspects reportedly used a lift normally employed to move furniture into buildings before escaping on motorcycles with jewels dating back to the Napoleonic era, dropping one piece as they fled. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the incident on social media, calling it an “attack on a heritage that we cherish.” He vowed, “The perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office.” The heist unfolded around 9:30am local time (07:30 GMT), as tourists roamed the museum. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, the thieves used a basket lift to access the gallery and fled on motorbikes with “jewels of inestimable value.” The Louvre evacuated visitors and closed for the day while police sealed off the premises and surrounding streets along the Seine River. “It was crazy… like a Hollywood movie,” said Talia Ocampo, an American tourist who witnessed the scene. Authorities confirmed that the stolen treasures include pieces once owned by Empress Marie-Louise, wife of Napoleon I, and Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. Among them are tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches. The crown of Empress Eugenie—set with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds—was later recovered outside the museum walls. Experts said the theft represents a major loss of cultural heritage. Anthony Amore, an art theft expert, told Al Jazeera the stolen items are priceless “not just in terms of dollars, but in terms of cultural patrimony.” Investigators said the gang used power tools, motorcycles, and precise coordination to pull off the heist. Witnesses reported seeing men dressed as construction workers using a hoist to enter the building, with the entire operation lasting “almost four minutes,” according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Police forensic teams are now examining CCTV footage and interviewing staff. Dati described the thieves as “professionals,” adding, “Organised crime today targets objects of art, and museums have of course become targets.” The theft has reignited concerns about security and staffing at the Louvre, which drew 8.7 million visitors in 2024 but has faced repeated staff shortages and strikes. French citizens and politicians have expressed shock that such a high-profile museum could be so vulnerable in broad daylight. “It’s just unbelievable that a museum this famous can have such obvious security gaps,” said Magali Cunel, a teacher from near Lyon.   Source: AP

Ukrainian drones struck a key Gazprom-operated gas processing plant in southern Russia overnight, causing a fire but no casualties, local authorities said Sunday. The Orenburg plant, located near Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, is one of the world’s largest gas processing complexes with an annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters. Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said the attack ignited a workshop and partially damaged the facility, though emergency crews later brought the fire under control. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 45 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Orenburg region and 23 over the neighboring Samara and Saratov regions. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the strike, but Kyiv has intensified its drone and missile attacks in recent months, targeting Russian energy and fuel infrastructure that it says help fund and sustains Moscow’s war effort.

The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed on Sunday after a theft occurred inside the world-renowned institution, France’s culture minister confirmed. “A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum,” Culture Minister Rachida Dati wrote on X, adding that she had visited the site and that an investigation was underway. The museum announced it would close “for exceptional reasons,” without giving further details. No injuries were reported. According to French daily Le Parisien, the thieves entered the museum through its Seine-facing facade, where construction work is ongoing, and used a freight elevator to reach the Apollo Gallery. After breaking windows, they reportedly made off with “nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress.” The Louvre — the world’s most visited museum — has faced several thefts throughout its history. Its most infamous was in 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen by a former employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, who hid in the museum overnight and walked out with the painting under his coat. The masterpiece was recovered two years later in Florence. In 1983, two Renaissance-era armor pieces were stolen and recovered nearly four decades later. The museum’s vast collection also includes artifacts linked to Napoleonic-era looting, a subject that continues to stir restitution debates. Home to more than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculptures, and paintings, the Louvre’s iconic exhibits include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The theft reportedly occurred in the Galerie d’Apollon, where part of France’s Crown Jewels is displayed. The museum typically attracts up to 30,000 visitors daily.   Source: AP

Germany’s Munich Airport was temporarily closed on Saturday night following reports of drone sightings that authorities later failed to confirm, federal police said. The airport — one of the country’s busiest — resumed operations before midnight, and flights were running normally by Sunday morning, according to airport authorities. Several people, including security personnel and airport employees, reported “suspicious observations” around 10 p.m. local time for about 30 minutes, and again around 11 p.m. for another half-hour, federal police said. The temporary shutdown caused only minor disruptions. Three incoming flights were diverted, two of which later landed in Munich, while one departure was canceled, the airport said. Police said no drones or suspicious individuals were found in the surrounding area. The latest incident follows a series of mysterious drone overflights in European Union airspace. Earlier this month, Munich Airport was forced to suspend operations twice within 24 hours over similar sightings, affecting thousands of passengers. Source: AP