United News of Bangladesh

Rescue teams in Nepal on Saturday recovered a Chinese national and a woman alive, 10 days after devastating floods swept through parts of the country, officials said. The Chinese man was found inside a tunnel at the Trishuli hydropower project, according to a post by the Prime Minister’s Office on social media. His rescue brings to three the number of workers found alive at the project. Two Nepali workers were rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant on Friday. Nepal’s army said a joint team of Nepali military personnel and South Korean disaster-response specialists rescued the man from a 225-metre (738-foot) tunnel. He was being medically assessed after being brought out and was later evacuated by helicopter, with an army medic monitoring him during the flight. Footage released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed two rescuers carrying the survivor out of the tunnel. Authorities said around 900 workers remain missing from 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, with about 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels. Elsewhere, a woman was rescued alive from a house in flood-hit Nuwakot town on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for Nepal’s army. She was being airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Photos released by the army showed rescuers finding the woman covered in mud. They provided her with bottled water before taking her to safety wrapped in a gray blanket. At least 1,300 people were killed in the floods that struck Nepal on Aug 26, while more than 5,000 remain missing, according to the country’s disaster management agency. The flooding was likely triggered by a glacier collapse.

New platform brings together pricing, market fundamentals, trade and plant data, analyst expertise, and AI-assisted discovery in a modern, connected experience. ResourceWise today announced the launch of ResourceWise Compass™, its new market intelligence platform, together with ResourceWise IQ™, that enables users to explore ResourceWise intelligence through natural language questions. Compass launches first with ResourceWise’s chemicals market intelligence, bringing together the deep expertise and market intelligence of Tecnon OrbiChem and Chemical Intelligence, previously delivered through OrbiChem360® and ChemEdge360®. The platform builds on that foundation, enhancing the way customers explore pricing, market fundamentals, trade, plant data, expert analysis, and market developments. The platform is designed to make it easier and faster for chemical market professionals to explore related market signals, investigate changing conditions, and access the data, analysis, and expert insight relevant to their decisions. “Our customers need immediate access to high-quality data to make critical business decisions,” said Pete Stewart, President and CEO of ResourceWise. “Compass brings together world-class human-driven intelligence carefully contextualized across dynamic global market. With connected supply, demand, production, trade, and pricing data, Compass gives customers a clearer view of what is shaping market direction and business risk, so they can make more informed commercial and strategic decisions.” The launch marks the next stage in ResourceWise's broader strategy to modernize the delivery of its market intelligence. Compass is being built as a common platform for ResourceWise intelligence across the markets it serves, beginning with chemicals and expanding over time across the company's other verticals. ResourceWise Compass platform vision: connecting ResourceWise Intelligence™ across markets through a modern, unified delivery experience. Understand What Is Driving the Market Price movement is only one signal. To fully understand market direction, chemical market professionals need visibility into production, capacity, demand, trade, and the developments influencing those fundamentals. Compass gives users a faster way to investigate those factors, add expert insights, and build a clearer view of current and emerging market conditions. Users can explore the market from multiple angles, including: •  Track pricing and market direction with chemical pricing intelligence, historical trends, forecasts, analyst commentary, and filterable, exportable data views •  Understand the production landscape with plant-level information, global capacity, producer trends, and announced projects •  Follow global trade patterns through import and export flows, trading partners, historical trends, and geographic flow visualization •  Evaluate supply-demand fundamentals using demand trends, production, capacity, utilization, supply balances, and trade positions •  Add expert market context through analysis and commentary from ResourceWise chemical industry experts •  Explore intelligence more intuitively with ResourceWise IQ™ using natural-language questions to surface relevant ResourceWise data and analysis “ResourceWise has built deep proprietary datasets and industry expertise across the markets we serve,” said Peter Coutu, Chief Operating Officer at ResourceWise. “Compass gives us a modern foundation for delivering that market intelligence and insight in a way that is easier to navigate, analyze, and apply. It also gives us a scalable platform for expanding both the depth of our market coverage and the ways customers can use ResourceWise Intelligence over time.” Following the initial chemical market launch, ResourceWise plans to bring additional ResourceWise markets onto Compass, including forest products, pulp and paper, and low-carbon fuels as development progresses. To learn more about ResourceWise Compass, visit www.resourcewise.com/platforms/compass . ResourceWise Compass brings chemical pricing, market trends, expert intelligence, and AI-assisted discovery together in a modern, interactive platform.  

The UN General Assembly on Friday endorsed a world map designed to portray Africa and other continents in proportions closer to their actual size, backing a campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups. A resolution sponsored by Togo and supported by members of the African Union received 164 votes in favour. The United States voted against it, while Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained. The resolution encourages governments and institutions to consider replacing the centuries-old Mercator projection with the Equal Earth projection, which geographers say provides a more accurate representation of the relative sizes of continents. The move does not prohibit the use of the Mercator map or make Equal Earth mandatory. Instead, it calls for wider adoption of the newer projection, according to the UN. Under the Mercator projection, Greenland can appear roughly comparable in size to Africa. The Equal Earth map, by contrast, depicts Africa as about 14 times larger than Greenland. “Maps shape our understanding of the world,” Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said before the vote, stressing their influence on education and people's perceptions. Africa No Filter, a leading group behind the campaign, welcomed the resolution and called for accurate maps to be used in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and digital platforms. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also welcomed the decision, saying that correcting a distorted representation of the world was an important step toward greater accuracy. The Mercator projection was developed in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator primarily to assist European sailors with navigation. However, critics say it significantly enlarges areas near the poles while making Africa and South America appear smaller than they actually are. The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, takes the Earth's curvature into account and depicts continents in proportions closer to their true areas. Geographers say the Mercator projection remains useful for navigation but has limited value for other purposes. “Outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it,” said Mark Monmonier, a geography professor at Syracuse University.

A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service in central Kyiv on Friday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack came just before U.S. officials were expected to hold discussions aimed at finding a way to end the war. The fighting between Russia and Ukraine has intensified as the conflict approaches its fifth year following Russia’s invasion. In recent months, Russia has increasingly deployed high-speed, jet-powered drones, while air-raid alarms have become a regular feature of life in Kyiv. The Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, is located near the historic St. Sophia Cathedral and several international hotels. The agency is also involved in long-range operations against targets inside Russia. Local officials said Friday’s attack injured 12 people. Zelenskyy said the drone had intentionally been directed at the SBU headquarters. He added in a Telegram message that acting security chief Oleksandr Poklad had presented him with possible plans for Ukraine’s response, including potential targets. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as a serious escalation, particularly because it occurred while diplomatic efforts appeared to be gaining momentum. He argued that the timing showed Moscow was not genuinely committed to negotiations. U.S. Representatives Expected in Moscow and KyivU.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Moscow before heading to Kyiv over the weekend and early next week. Washington has not announced the exact schedule for their visits. Trump said the two officials would carry a proposal aimed at bringing the war to an end. The planned trip would mark their first visit to Kyiv. Previous U.S. attempts to broker a settlement have not yet resulted in a clear route toward peace. Zelenskyy said he expected Witkoff and Kushner to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday following their planned visit to Moscow. He said Ukraine would suspend airstrikes during the negotiations and urged Russia to do the same so that the discussions could take place safely. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would ensure that Russian airspace remained safe for the American negotiators traveling to the talks, stressing that Ukraine was concerned about the safety of the visitors rather than Russia itself. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm reports that Witkoff and Kushner would meet Russian officials in Moscow. He said the media would be notified if such a meeting actually occurred. The two American envoys last traveled to Moscow in January, when they met President Vladimir Putin. Following that meeting, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov characterized the discussions as productive but warned that a lasting agreement would not be possible without resolving the issue of territory. Subsequent negotiations have slowed, while the White House has also been preoccupied with its confrontation with Iran. Deadly Russian Attacks Across UkraineThe diplomatic developments came as Russia carried out what regional officials described as a massive overnight assault on the Odesa region. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said one person was killed and at least five others, including a child, were injured. Several residential structures were damaged, including two apartment buildings. Elsewhere, overnight Russian attacks killed two police officers in the city of Dnipro. In Kyiv, another drone attack struck a residential building and injured three people. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted populated areas across Ukraine. While such strikes were previously concentrated mainly at night, attacks are increasingly occurring during daylight hours. Meanwhile, fighting along the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine remains largely stalled, with neither side achieving a decisive breakthrough. Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil FacilitiesMeanwhile, Russian authorities reported a major Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea resort of Sochi and the neighboring Sirius district. Regional officials said the attack caused a fire at an oil storage facility but provided few additional details. Russian media reported that two oil depots were affected, one in Sochi and another in Sirius. Ukraine has frequently attacked Russian oil infrastructure, which plays a crucial role in the economy of one of the world's largest energy-producing countries. Repeated Ukrainian attacks on refineries and other important facilities have increased economic strain and public frustration in Russia, while causing disruptions in various parts of the country. In response to the attacks, Putin issued a decree last month allowing the government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure when private operators fail to adequately protect facilities from Ukrainian drone attacks or fail to restore damaged sites. Analysts believe the measure is intended to pressure companies to finance stronger security measures and repair damaged infrastructure despite the high costs involved. Drone Found on Finnish ShoreFinnish authorities are also investigating how a Russian-made drone came to rest on a rocky shoreline in the Pellinge archipelago, east of Helsinki. Finland's Border Guard said the object appears to be a Geoscan 701, a drone produced by a Russian manufacturer. Officials cautioned that the aircraft is used by both government agencies and civilian organizations, making it impossible at this stage to determine who operated it or what its purpose was. Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported that a fisherman discovered the drone on Tuesday. Geoscan identifies itself as one of Russia's major drone manufacturers and says the Geoscan 701 is intended for large-scale aerial surveying and mapping.

Police in New York City fatally shot a man carrying a knife who was walking along the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge after he refused repeated instructions to put down the weapon, authorities said Friday. The man was shot after moving to within a few feet of an officer who was attempting to assist him down from the bridge. The incident temporarily shut the Brooklyn Bridge and caused significant traffic problems during the morning. It occurred only four days after another deadly attack in Times Square, where a woman randomly stabbed two people, killing one, before being shot and killed by police. Gerard Dowling, commander of the New York Police Department's Emergency Services Unit, said the man told the police rescue team that he wanted officers to kill him and claimed that he had a bomb. According to Dowling, officers secured themselves to the bridge with safety harnesses and spent roughly an hour talking with the man. They repeatedly told him that they wanted to help him and safely bring him down, while also ordering him several times to drop the knife. The situation escalated when the man suddenly began moving rapidly down one of the bridge cables. Several officers were positioned farther down the same cable, Dowling said. The officers attempted to back away from him, but the man was moving faster than they could retreat. When he reached approximately 3 feet (0.9 meters) from one officer, he lifted the arm holding the knife and pointed it toward the officer. At that moment, another officer positioned on the bridge roadway fired one shot, striking the man. Officers then brought him down and immediately provided medical assistance. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died. Police body cameras captured the entire encounter, according to Dowling. He said members of the Emergency Services Unit are specially trained to handle extremely dangerous situations and receive extensive preparation in de-escalation techniques and compassionate communication with people in crisis. Authorities did not release the man's identity. Police said they also recovered a flashlight in addition to the knife. When asked whether a bomb had actually been discovered, Dowling said the matter remained under investigation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media that officers initially responded to a 911 report about a man who appeared to be preparing to jump from the bridge. Mamdani said officers attempted to calm the situation and repeatedly encouraged the man not to jump. He added that the man was armed with a knife and threatened officers before moving closer to them, prompting one officer to fire and hit him. The NYPD previously shared a video highlighting the Emergency Services Unit's successful rescue of a distressed woman who had climbed onto the bridge. The unit is trained in specialized operations, including high-angle rescues, scuba diving and emergency psychological intervention. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension bridge supported by large cables that links Manhattan and Brooklyn. Its towers rise about 276.5 feet (84 meters) above the water, although authorities did not specify how far above the water the man and officers were during the incident. The Brooklyn Bridge incident followed Monday's stabbing attack in Times Square, which occurred close to an NYPD substation outside One Times Square, the landmark associated with New York City's annual New Year's Eve celebration. The area is among the city's most heavily visited and closely policed locations. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a 49-year-old woman from Queens, identified as Pamela Cisneros, took two knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen. The man had recently exited a subway station and was waiting with his wife to cross the street. Moments later, Cisneros stabbed a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen as well. That victim later died. Officers spent several minutes ordering Cisneros to put down the knives before using a Taser, Tisch said. According to the commissioner, Cisneros told officers, “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.” Video footage showed the Taser failed to stop her. She continued advancing toward the officers while holding and waving the knives. Police said two officers then fired their weapons, killing Cisneros.

The United States, Britain, France and Germany have prepared a draft resolution that could be presented to the Board of Governors of the U.N. nuclear watchdog. The proposal seeks to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its alleged failure to meet its nuclear nonproliferation commitments, according to diplomats. As a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is legally required to report all nuclear materials and activities and permit inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to confirm that nuclear material is not being diverted for military purposes. The latest diplomatic effort has been under discussion since June 2025, when the IAEA Board of Governors formally determined that Iran was failing to meet its nonproliferation obligations. It was the first such finding in two decades and came just one day before the United States and Israel carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Sending the issue to the U.N. Security Council would move the matter to a body with the authority to impose additional legally binding actions, potentially including sanctions and asset freezes. However, major punitive action by the Security Council appears unlikely because Russia and China, both of which maintain close ties with Iran, have veto powers on the council. The draft, reviewed by The Associated Press and previously reported by Reuters, asks IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to forward the resolution, along with earlier adopted resolutions, to IAEA member states as well as the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly in accordance with the IAEA's governing statute. The proposal also emphasizes support for a diplomatic settlement of disputes surrounding Iran's nuclear program and its impact on regional peace and security. It calls for an agreement capable of addressing international concerns over Iran's nuclear activities and urges all sides to participate constructively in diplomatic efforts. Diplomats said negotiations over the draft are continuing and that it has not yet been officially submitted to the IAEA Board. As a result, its wording could still be modified as member states propose changes. If formally introduced, the resolution is expected to be considered during next week's meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna. A senior Western diplomat said the decision to refer Iran to the Security Council had previously been delayed in an effort to give diplomacy one final opportunity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive issue, said the IAEA Board now believes it must act because Iran has not only failed to cooperate but has also stopped communicating with the agency. Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit nuclear facilities damaged during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, despite its legal obligation under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to cooperate with the agency. The IAEA has also been unable to determine what happened to Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to levels approaching weapons-grade since the June attacks. The agency's efforts have been further complicated by more than six months of fighting that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, including strikes carried out by both sides this week. In a confidential report issued Tuesday and reviewed by the AP, the IAEA warned that Iran's continued refusal to provide access to nuclear facilities or allow verification of its nuclear materials represents a serious "proliferation risk" that requires urgent attention. The agency estimates that Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to as much as 60% purity. Enrichment to approximately 90% is generally considered weapons-grade, making the remaining technical step relatively small. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with the AP last year that this quantity could theoretically provide enough material for Iran to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons if it chose to turn its nuclear program toward military purposes. He stressed, however, that this does not mean Iran currently possesses nuclear weapons. The IAEA's latest confidential report also said there has been no meaningful progress in its investigation into traces of uranium found by inspectors at several sites in Iran that had not been declared to the agency. Western governments believe those findings could offer additional indications that Iran operated a covert nuclear weapons program until 2003. Iran, however, continues to reject those allegations and maintains that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons and that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes.

A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv on Friday, injuring 12 people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as U.S. envoys were expected to hold talks in Moscow and Kyiv on ending the war. Zelenskyy said the drone deliberately targeted the SBU building, which is involved in deep-strike operations inside Russia. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a “major escalation” amid renewed diplomatic efforts. Putin says Ukraine talks stalled, dismisses reports of new mobilization U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Moscow and then Kyiv, with Zelenskyy saying they could arrive in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday. He said Ukraine would refrain from airstrikes during the negotiations and urged Russia to do the same. Meanwhile, overnight Russian attacks killed one person in Odesa and two police officers in Dnipro, while a drone strike in Kyiv injured three others. Ukraine also launched a large-scale drone attack on Russia's Black Sea resort city of Sochi and nearby Sirius, setting an oil depot ablaze, according to Russian officials. Separately, Finnish authorities are investigating how a Russian-made Geoscan 701 drone washed ashore in the Pellinge archipelago east of Helsinki.

Clashes in southern Sudan have killed at least 21 people, including women and children, the Sudan Doctors Network said Friday. The network reported that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebel group attacked Debi and Luweri in South Kordofan's Kauda town on Thursday. The fighting between the SPLM-N and the minority Otoro tribe violated a ceasefire backed last month by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with whom rebel leader Abdel Aziz al-Hilu is aligned. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data think tank said al-Hilu's forces previously attacked 10 Otoro villages between Aug. 20 and 26, displacing hundreds.  SPLM-N claimed control of Kauda. Think tank analyst Ali Mahmoud Ali warned the clashes could draw more Nuba clans into the conflict and worsen divisions in South Kordofan. The rebel faction, a breakaway from South Sudan's ruling party, joined an RSF-backed local government. Since 2023, the wider RSF-military war has killed at least 59,000, displaced 13 million and caused famine. The network has recorded at least 158 deaths since land-dispute violence began in March.

Israel released four more Lebanese civilians on Friday under an agreement between the two countries, while shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low following renewed exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran. The latest releases came a day after Israel freed another Lebanese civilian. All five had been detained by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops control a large area following renewed fighting with Hezbollah. Israel said Thursday that it agreed to release the detainees after Lebanon assisted in efforts to search for the remains of Lebanese Jewish leaders who disappeared during the country's civil war in the 1980s. Officials said the releases followed US mediation and negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Another round of talks is expected to take place in Rome later this month. Meanwhile, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited after renewed US strikes on targets in Iran earlier this week and Iran's retaliatory attacks across the region, including an attack on Kuwait on Thursday. The disruption has also added fresh pressure to global fuel prices. Diesel prices in the United States reached a record average of $5.85 per gallon on Friday. Benchmark US crude oil also rose above $91 a barrel as concerns grew over the security of shipping through the strategically important waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for oil exports from the Middle East, and uncertainty over shipping through the passage has continued to affect global energy markets as the US-Iran war enters its sixth month.

Jordan, one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East and a host of US military forces, has found itself increasingly exposed to Iranian attacks because of its close security ties with the United States. Hundreds of Iranian drone and missile attacks have targeted the kingdom, adding pressure to a country already struggling with a weak economy, rising costs and growing instability in the neighbouring West Bank. Despite the risks, Jordanian leaders remain committed to their long-standing partnership with Washington. Analysts say the alliance is seen as crucial to protecting the kingdom from regional threats, including Iran’s efforts to expand its influence through armed groups and other allies. Jordan also faces economic difficulties after hosting millions of refugees fleeing conflicts across the region. High energy prices, inflation and a struggling tourism sector have added to the pressure. Tensions in the neighbouring West Bank are another major concern. Growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has raised fears in Jordan that further instability could force more Palestinians to flee into the kingdom. Since becoming king in 1999, King Abdullah II has worked to strengthen ties between Amman and Washington. Jordan supported US-led operations in Iraq and has also taken part in efforts against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. A defence cooperation agreement signed in 2021 gave US forces and contractors access to 12 military sites across Jordan. The country’s strategic location has also made it an important base for US military operations in the region. However, that role has made Jordan a potential target. In recent months, Iranian missiles and drones have been launched toward the kingdom, although US air defences intercepted most of them. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country has the right to make its own sovereign decisions and rejected Iran’s claims that Jordan was involved in the conflict. “Iran has been attacking us and many other countries in the region long before even this war started,” Safadi said, adding that Jordan was not a party to the war.