United News of Bangladesh

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.

US President Donald Trump met with Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader, during a packed day on his Asia tour that also included visits with American troops aboard an aircraft carrier and a meeting with business executives. Takaichi, who took office only a few days ago and is known for her ultraconservative views, is expected to use this meeting to strengthen personal ties with Trump and ease trade tensions between the two allies. Among the ideas reportedly under discussion is Japan’s possible purchase of a fleet of American-made Ford F-150 trucks. Trump, who spent Sunday in Malaysia as part of his regional trip focused largely on trade, has been emphasizing U.S. economic leadership in the global marketplace. Two New Bilateral Agreements Signed During their meeting, Trump and Takaichi signed two agreements described as marking the beginning of a “golden age” in U.S.-Japan relations. The first, a brief document less than a page long, formalized their shared commitment to deepen the alliance. The second established a new framework for cooperation on critical minerals and rare earth supplies, aimed at securing essential resources for both nations. When the ceremony concluded, Trump did not respond to questions from reporters, and organizers swiftly moved the press to the next event. Japan to Gift Washington 250 Cherry Trees Takaichi announced that Japan would present 250 new cherry trees to Washington, D.C. in 2026, honoring the United States’ 250th anniversary. The gift will also include fireworks from Akita Prefecture for the Independence Day celebrations that year. The gesture follows a similar donation in 2024 by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who gave 250 trees to replace those removed during seawall repairs around the Tidal Basin. Trump Praises Japan’s First Woman Prime Minister Trump warmly congratulated Takaichi on her historic election, calling it “a big deal” and expressing strong support for her leadership. “You’re going to do a fantastic job, and we’re going to have a fantastic relationship,” he said. He also assured Takaichi of the United States’ backing, adding, “Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there — any favors you need.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Japan for his first official meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s newly appointed leader and the first woman to hold the post. The encounter marks an early diplomatic test for Takaichi, who took office last week with a fragile coalition backing her. Trump’s Asia tour has focused on trade, with efforts to realign the global economy under his “America First” agenda. Officials from the U.S. and China said Sunday that they had reached a preliminary understanding, setting the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to aim for a formal deal during a high-stakes meeting later this week. Markets in China responded positively, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rising 1.1% and Shanghai Composite climbing 1.2%, reflecting investor optimism over a potential resolution to months-long trade tensions. Asian shares surged Monday, while European markets remained largely unchanged. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.5%, hitting a new closing high. Trump’s trade focus also includes ongoing negotiations with South Korea and the potential for expanded U.S. agricultural exports, particularly soybeans, amid a trade conflict that has opened opportunities for Brazilian producers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said talks with South Korea remain complex and may require more time. Ahead of Trump’s visit, Tokyo tightened security, mobilizing 18,000 officers and implementing strict measures at Haneda Airport and key areas in the capital. The president praised Takaichi’s leadership, noting her close ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and expressing confidence in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations. Trump’s trip follows a stop in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, where he witnessed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia and advanced trade discussions with regional leaders. He also used the visit to comment on international and domestic issues, including Argentina’s midterm elections, the Federal Reserve, and ongoing negotiations with North Korea.  

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed optimism Monday that his country and the United States will soon reach a trade agreement, saying U.S. President Donald Trump had practically “guaranteed” a deal during their meeting on Sunday. The two leaders held talks on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia’s capital, which Lula described as “very good.” Trump, who traveled to Japan afterward, indicated that he could consider reducing tariffs on Brazilian products, imposed earlier in a bid to seek leniency for Brazil’s jailed former president, a known Trump ally. “I think we should be able to make some good deals for both countries,” Trump said after the meeting, according to Lula. Lula told reporters that he presented Trump with a written document disputing the U.S. tariff hikes, arguing that while the U.S. has the right to impose them, the measures were based on “mistaken information.” Lula added that Trump did not attach any conditions nor commit to immediately suspending the tariffs, but assured him that an agreement would be reached. “He guaranteed to me that we will reach an agreement,” Lula said through an interpreter. “I am very confident that in a few days we will reach a solution.” The Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian goods in July, adding to a previous 10% increase. The U.S. justified the tariffs, citing Brazil’s policies and the criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was recently convicted of attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election and sentenced by Brazil’s Supreme Court to around 27 years in prison. Lula emphasized that Brazil remains one of three Group of 20 countries with which the U.S. has a trade surplus. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States had a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year. He also stressed that Bolsonaro’s legal troubles should not influence trade negotiations, saying, “Bolsonaro is part of the past now in Brazilian history.” In addition, Lula offered to mediate the crisis in Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of fabricating a war against the country after the U.S. sent its largest warship to the region. Lula, who turned 80 on Monday, described the milestone as a high point in his life and expressed hope of living to 120. He attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual summits as a guest of Malaysia, the chair of this year’s meeting, which seeks to strengthen trade ties with Latin America.   Source: AP