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What we know about the deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital

Qaseem Hassan
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What we know about the deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital

What we know about the deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — This is what we know about Tuesday’s deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza City.

— In the dark of early evening in Gaza, reports emerged of an explosion at Gaza City’s al-Ahli hospital. Al-Ahli was crowded both with victims of 10 days of Israeli airstrikes and with families and others who have taken refuge on hospital grounds.

— Video that The Associated Press confirmed as being from the hospital showed an orange ball of fire and flames engulfing the building and grounds.

READ MORE : Israel battles Hamas for a second day after mass incursion and trades fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

— The video showed the outside of the hospital, where countless Palestinian families had been camping out. Torn bodies covered the grass, with slain children lying among dead adults.

— Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry blamed an Israeli airstrike, and said it killed at least 500 people.

— Israeli authorities soon after denied involvement, saying a misfired Palestinian rocket appeared to blame.

— Outraged over the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced they were pulling out of a planned Arab summit Wednesday with President Joe Biden.

— The White House and Jordan’s government announced within hours of the attack that Biden’s meeting with Arab leaders was off.

— Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and other Arab nations condemned the hospital attack, or declared days of national mourning. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared the hospital explosion “a clear violation of international law … and humanity.”

— Protests erupted in some Arab cities. In Beirut, protesters roamed the city on motorcycles and gathered outside the French embassy and a U.N. facility, in protests against the international community’s response to the civilian deaths in Gaza. Throngs of Jordanians gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman.

Israel Defense Forces Statement after Gaza Hospital Blast 

International Media reaction after Gaza Hospital Blast

The US currently believes that Israel is not responsible for the Gaza hospital blast that killed hundreds of people, National Security Council says.

Protests have spread around the Arab world since a deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza – for which both sides have exchanged blame International Affairs Editor

@DominicWaghorn

reports live from Amman in Jordan

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Israel battles Hamas for a second day after mass incursion and trades fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Dr Mohd Ramzan Ali
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Israel battles Hamas for a second day after mass incursion and trades fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Israel battles Hamas for a second day after mass incursion and trades fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

By TIA GOLDENBERG AND WAFAA SHURAFA

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel on Sunday and launched retaliation strikes that leveled buildings in Gaza, while in northern Israel a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.

There was still some fighting underway more than 24 hours after an unprecedented surprise attack from Gaza, in which Hamas militants, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel’s security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities. They took captives back into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.

The high death toll, multiple captives and a slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.

READ MORE : Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was at war and would exact a heavy price from its enemies. Hamas leaders said they were prepared for further escalation.

A major question now was whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties. Netanyahu vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” But, he warned, “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”

Civilians paid a staggering cost for the violence on both sides. Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said at least 600 people were killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers, while officials in Gaza said 313 people had died in the territory. An Israeli official said the military had killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

Israeli TV news aired a stream of accounts from the relatives of captive or missing Israelis, who wailed and begged for assistance amid a fog of uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones. In Gaza, residents fled homes near the border to escape Israeli strikes, fleeing deeper inside the territory after warnings in Arabic from the Israeli military.

Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) 

In neighboring Egypt, a policeman shot dead two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian at a tourist site in Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said. Egypt made peace with Israel decades ago, but anti-Israel sentiment runs high in the country, especially during bouts of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The flare-up on Israel’s northern border also threatened to draw into the battle Hezbollah, a fierce enemy of Israel’s which is backed by Iran and estimated to have tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border and Israel’s military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military official, told reporters the situation at the northern border was calm after the exchange. But he said fighting was still underway in the south and that there were still hostage situations there.

He said troops had moved into every community near the Gaza frontier, where they planned to evacuate all civilians and scour the area for militants.

“We will go through every community until we kill every terrorist that is in Israeli territory,” he said. In Gaza, “every terrorist located in a house, all the commanders in houses, will be hit by Israeli fire. That will continue escalating in the coming hours.”

A Palestinian celebrates by a burning Israeli civilian car taken from Kfra Azza kibbutz in Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Ali Mahmud) 

Hamas said that overnight it had continued to send forces and equipment into “a number of locations inside our occupied territories,” referring to Israel. Hamas-linked media reported that the son of Nizar Awadallah, a senior political official, was killed. The Islamic militant group has not reported any senior members being captured, killed or wounded.

The surprise attack Saturday was the deadliest on Israel in decades. In an assault of startling breadth, Hamas gunmen used explosives to break through the border fence enclosing Gaza, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast.

They rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip early Saturday morning, including towns and other communities as far as 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Gaza border, while Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israeli cities.

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Death toll from strong earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

Qaseem Hassan
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Death toll from strong earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

Death toll from strong earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The death toll from strong earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan has risen to over 2,000, a Taliban government spokesman said Sunday. It’s one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades.

A powerful magnitude-6.3 earthquake followed by strong aftershocks killed dozens of people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, the country’s national disaster authority said.

But Abdul Wahid Rayan, spokesman at the Ministry of Information and Culture, said the death toll from the earthquake in Herat is higher than originally reported. About six villages have been destroyed, and hundreds of civilians have been buried under the debris, he said while calling for urgent help.

READ MORE : Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

The United Nations late Saturday gave a preliminary figure of 320 dead, but later said the figure was still being verified. Local authorities gave an estimate of 100 people killed and 500 injured, according to the same update from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The update said 465 houses had been reported destroyed and a further 135 were damaged.

“Partners and local authorities anticipate the number of casualties to increase as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings,” the U.N. said.

Disaster authority spokesperson Mohammad Abdullah Jan said four villages in the Zenda Jan district in Herat province bore the brunt of the quake and aftershocks.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Herat city. It was followed by three very strong aftershocks, measuring magnitude 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5, as well as lesser shocks.

At least five strong tremors struck the city around noon, Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Samadi said.

“All people are out of their homes,” Samadi said. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt the quake.” His family began shouting and ran outside, afraid to return indoors.

The World Health Organization in Afghanistan said it dispatched 12 ambulance cars to Zenda Jan to evacuate casualties to hospitals.

“As deaths & casualties from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded & assessing additional needs,” the U.N. agency said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “WHO-supported ambulances are transporting those affected, most of them women and children.”

Telephone connections went down in Herat, making it hard to get details from affected areas. Videos on social media showed hundreds of people in the streets outside their homes and offices in Herat city.

Herat province borders Iran. The quake also was felt in the nearby Afghan provinces of Farah and Badghis, according to local media reports.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expressed his condolences to the dead and injured in Herat and Badghis.

The Taliban urged local organizations to reach earthquake-hit areas as soon as possible to help take the injured to hospital, provide shelter for the homeless, and deliver food to survivors. They said security agencies should use all their resources and facilities to rescue people trapped under debris.

“We ask our wealthy compatriots to give any possible cooperation and help to our afflicted brothers,” the Taliban said on X.

Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Takashi Okada, expressed his condolences saying on the social media platform X, that he was “deeply grieved and saddened to learn the news of earthquake in Herat province.”

In June 2022, a powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and mud-brick homes. The quake killed at least 1,000 people and injured about 1,500.

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Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

Kyung An
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Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

Hamas attack on Israel thrusts Biden into Mideast crisis and has him fending off GOP criticism

By MATTHEW LEE AND AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly Hamas militant attack on Israel and the massive retaliation it provoked from Jerusalem have thrust President Joe Biden into a Middle East crisis that risks expanding into a broader conflict and has left him fending off criticism from GOP presidential rivals that his administration’s policies led to this moment.

The potential for prolonged and expanding violence could test Biden’s leadership on both the world stage and at home as he tries to navigate between demonstrating unflinching support for Israel and fostering a broader peace in the combustible Mideast, where sympathetic militants were quick to loudly praise the action by Hamas. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group welcomed the attack as a response to “Israeli crimes.” The Iran-backed group, which holds similar goals as Hamas for the destruction of the Israeli state, fired rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions, drawing a response from Israel’s military with armed drones. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader lauded the operation by Hamas, which said it was ready for a potentially long fight.

READ MORE : Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

Several 2024 Republican presidential contenders immediately tried to pin a portion of the blame on Biden. They sought to tie his recent decision to release $6 billion in blocked Iranian funds in exchange for freeing five Americans who had been detained in Iran to Saturday’s complex attack by air, land and sea.

The White House pushed back fiercely against the GOP criticism, noting that the money unfrozen last month in the prisoner swap has yet to be spent by Iran and can only be used for humanitarian needs.

Iran has historically maintained strong ties with both Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah.

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said it was “too early to say whether the state of Iran was directly involved in planning or supporting” the complex attack but noted Iran’s deep ties to Hamas.

Biden and top aides spent Saturday consulting with European and Middle East leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In remarks before reporters at the White House, Biden called the attacks “unconscionable” and pledged his administration would ensure Israel has “what it needs to defend itself.”

“Let me say this as clearly as I can: This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” Biden said.

The attack only adds new complications as the Biden administration and Iran are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Still, the administration hasn’t given up hope on reviving a deal brokered during the Obama administration — and scrapped during the Trump White House — that eased sanctions on Iran in return for curbs to its nuclear program.

Biden administration officials have also been working on brokering a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state. Such a deal has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel’s standing in historic ways.

But brokering such a deal was already seen as a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it won’t officially recognize Israel before a resolution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The new conflict adds an enormous new roadblock to Biden’s ambitions, although the administration official said the White House did not see the Hamas attack derailing the effort.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry in a statement did not condemn the Hamas attack, but noted the kingdom’s “repeated warnings of the dangers … of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities.”

Netanyahu vowed in his own national address to avenge the startling attacks, pledging to “bring the fight to them with a might and scale that the enemy has not yet known.”

Another point of criticism leveled at the administration by Republicans is that its decision shortly after taking office to reverse a Trump-era ban on assistance to the Palestinians, including civilians in Gaza, may have helped fund the operation.

Biden administration officials did not address whether Iran, in anticipation of using the money — now held in Qatari banks — for food, medicine, medical supplies and agricultural products, may have diverted other funds to Hamas or other proxies.

In a briefing with Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff on Saturday, administration officials said the U.S. had warned Iran “through interlocutors” that direct involvement in the Gaza situation would imperil any future initiatives the U.S. might consider with the Islamic Republic, according to a congressional aide familiar with the session.

The officials did not elaborate on who the interlocutors were or what future initiatives would be in jeopardy, although acting deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the top U.S. diplomat for the Mideast, Barbara Leaf, both spoke to officials in Lebanon about the situation. Some Lebanese officials maintain contact with Iran, which supports the militant group Hezbollah in the country.

Administration officials roundly rejected this, saying their efforts to help Palestinian civilians in Gaza and elsewhere do not involve money that Hamas can use or divert.

___
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Jill Colvin in New York and Thomas Beaumont in Waterloo, Iowa contributed to this report.

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US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

Kyung An
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US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

US Sports Star, Bears legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80

By Larry Mayer

CHICAGO (CB) – Dick Butkus, a legendary Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker and Chicago native who many still consider the most ferocious defensive player in NFL history, has passed away. He was 80.

The Butkus Family released the following statement: “The Butkus Family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, Calif. The Butkus family is gathering with Dick’s wife Helen. They appreciate your prayers and support.”

“Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. “He was Chicago’s son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership. He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his teammates. When we dedicated the George Halas statue at our team headquarters, we asked Dick to speak at the ceremony, because we knew he spoke for Papa Bear.

READ MORE : Broadcaster Rick Jeanneret Dead at 81, After Multi-Organ Failures

“If I had a choice, I’d sooner go one-on-one with a grizzly bear,” Green Bay Packers running back MacArthur Lane once said. “I pray that I can get up after every time Butkus hits me.”

“Dick was an animal,” Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones once said. “I called him a maniac, a stone maniac. He was a well-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital.”

Butkus was voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight NFL seasons and was also selected as an All Pro in seven of his nine years. He won two NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility.

Butkus was named to the NFL All-Decade Teams for both the 1960s and 1970s, had his No. 51 jersey retired by the Bears and was voted to the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.

Butkus also possessed extraordinary ball skills. He set an NFL record that has since been broken with 26 fumble recoveries and his 22 career interceptions are tied for 11th in Bears history with fellow Hall of Fame middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

In the Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook that was published in 2019, Hall of Fame writers Dan Pompei and Don Pierson ranked Butkus as the second greatest player in franchise history behind only superstar running back Walter Payton.

Butkus told ChicagoBears.com in 2019 at the Bears100 Celebration in Rosemont that he felt fortunate to have starred in his hometown.

Linebacker Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears pursues the play against the Pittsburgh Steelers during a game Sept. 19, 1971, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Butkus played for the Bears from 1965-73. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

“It’s kind of a unique position because I don’t think many players actually have done that,” Butkus said. “I feel very lucky. My parents got to see probably 95 percent of the games that were in Chicago, so it was good for my family, and I liked it.

“Playing for someone who was involved in football since I can remember, who’s better to play for than a guy like George Halas that started it all? I just felt that everything happened for a reason.”

Asked about the ferocity and intensity he was known for, Butkus said: “I thought that was the way that everybody should have played. But I guess they didn’t because they were claiming that I had a special way of playing. You try to intimidate the person that you’re playing against and hit him hard enough so that sooner or later he’s going to start worrying about getting hit and forget about holding the ball. If it stood out, I guess no one else was doing it as much.”

Interestingly, one of the most memorable moments of Butkus’ career did not occur on defense. It came late in a 1971 game against Washington when the Bears were attempting an extra point to snap a 15-15 tie. Bobby Douglass scrambled to recover a bad snap, rolled to his left and lofted the ball into the end zone to Butkus, who caught the pass to give the Bears a thrilling 16-15 victory.

After retiring from the Bears, Butkus became a popular actor who starred in dozens of movies and television shows —many alongside fellow former football star Bubba Smith. Butkus had recurring roles on TV shows such as “My Two Dads,” “Vega$,” “MacGyver” and “Hang Time.” His movie credits include “Brian’s Song” (appearing as himself), “The Longest Yard,” “Johnny Dangerously,” “Necessary Roughness” and “Any Given Sunday.”

Butkus endorsed several products, most notably appearing in a series of commercials for Miller Lite alongside other former professional athletes.

Throughout his adult life, Butkus generously supported numerous charitable causes. He created and operated The Butkus Foundation, which instituted the Butkus Award to honor the nation’s best linebacker in professional, college and high school football. The Hall of Famer also started the Dick Butkus Center for Cardiovascular Wellness, a nonprofit organization based in Orange County, Calif., with a cardiac screening program that uses specialized testing to help identify those at risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

In addition, the Butkus Foundation runs the “I Play Clean Campaign,” which educates and encourages high school athletes to train and eat well without resorting to illegal steroids and other performance-enhancing products.

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Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

Shasi Kumar
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Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

Dr. Srinivas Eluri, a prominent diplomat hailing from the Telangana, has achieved a significant milestone on the international stage

NEW YORK (DT) – Invited to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, Dr. Eluri actively participated in a crucial event—the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Conference, held from the 16th to the 24th of September 2023.

This event served as a platform to emphasize and discuss the crucial role of sustainable development goals in steering global progress. Dr. Eluri’s focal points during the conference were gender equality and nuclear disarmament, pivotal aspects in promoting world peace and stability.

READ MORE : America International University Chancellor Dr Park Met with Guinea Ambassador in Malaysia, discussed about education

In the realm of global security, Dr. Srinivas Eluri passionately underlined the urgent need for a ban on nuclear weapons. The existential threat posed by these devastating instruments cannot be underestimated. He stressed that the current trajectory of nuclear proliferation presents a significant question to humanity, one that demands immediate and unified attention.

His resounding call was for a collective cessation of nuclear weapon production. He implored nations to reconsider their priorities and channel their efforts towards peaceful coexistence rather than the relentless development and accumulation of these destructive arms.

READ MORE : World Environment Day 2023: Solutions to Plastic Pollution, History, Importance

Dr. Eluri’s address was multifaceted, touching upon fundamental human rights and ethical considerations. He highlighted the necessity of prioritizing humanitarian needs, particularly in the face of growing global challenges.

His assertion that “people need food, not missiles” encapsulates the essence of this humanitarian perspective, emphasizing the importance of addressing basic human needs. Moreover, the discourse extended to the inhumanity inherent in nuclear warfare. Dr. Eluri emphasized that nuclear warfare stands as a stark violation of human dignity and moral principles.

He implored for a collective conscience that categorically rejects the engagement in and endorsement of such inhumane practices.

Dr. Srinivas Eluri, at United Nations Headquarters. Photo : Provided

Additionally, the diplomat underscored the significance of inclusivity and global collaboration in decision-making processes concerning nuclear weaponry. Dr. Srinivas Eluri stressed that every nation’s opinion and concerns regarding nuclear weapons should be considered and weighted equally.

This democratic approach ensures that decisions related to nuclear armament are collective, well-informed, and representative of the global population’s diverse perspectives.

In conclusion, Dr. Srinivas Eluri’s presence and active contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Conference marked a crucial stride towards fostering a world driven by peace, humanitarian values, and sustainable development.

His articulate and impassioned address serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility we bear in shaping a future free from the shadows of nuclear conflict and oriented towards the welfare of all humanity.

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Bangladesh gets first uranium shipment from Russia for its Moscow-built nuclear power plant

Qaseem Hassan
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Bangladesh gets first uranium shipment from Russia for its Moscow-built nuclear power plant

Bangladesh gets first uranium shipment from Russia for its Moscow-built nuclear power plant

By JULHAS ALAM

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh on Thursday received the first uranium shipment from Russia to fuel the country’s only nuclear power plant, still under construction by Moscow. Once finished, the plant is expected to boost Bangladesh’s national grid and help the South Asian nation’s growing economy.

The Rooppur power plant will produce 2,400 megawatts of electricity — powering about 15 million households — when the twin-unit facility goes fully online. The plant is being constructed by Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation. Moscow has funded the construction with a $11.38 billion loan, to be repaid over two decades, starting from 2027.

Once Rooppur starts production, Bangladesh will join more than 30 countries that run nuclear power reactors.

READ MORE : Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

The uranium, which arrived in Bangladesh late last month, was handed over to the authorities at a ceremony in Ishwardi, where the plant is located, in the northern district of Pabna on Thursday. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the ceremony — both by video link.

Putin said the plant will cover about 10% of Bangladesh’s energy consumption when launched. He said more than 20,000 people worked on its construction and that over 1,000 people were trained to operate it.

“Together with you, we are building not just a nuclear power plant, but the entire atomic industry,” Putin said.

Hasina said that Russia has promised to take back the spent fuel from Rooppur and she also assured her nation that the plant is safely constructed against damage from natural disasters.

A view of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at Ishwardi in Pabna, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Oct.4, 2023. Photo : Mahmud Hossain/AP

On Thursday, Aleksey Likhachev, head of Rosatom, handed over the fuel at the function to Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, according to the United News of Bangladesh news agency. The report provided no other details on the amount of uranium that was shipped.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — also joined by video conference, the report said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a ceremony marking the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to the first power unit of the Rooppur NPP in Bangladesh, via videoconference call,in Sachi, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi are seen on the screen. Photo : Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool/AP

Osman was cited as saying the first unit at Rooppur will become operational in July 2024 and the second in July 2025. The fuel is expected to allow the reactor to operate for one year, after which more fuel will have to be loaded.

The uranium was produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant in Russia, a subsidiary of Rosatom’s fuel manufacturing company Tevel.

Bangladesh and Russia have traditionally maintained good relations, which haven’t changed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Dhaka has signed several contracts with Moscow on cooperation in the nuclear power industry, trade and finances, and in other sectors.

Bangladesh has planned to rely less on natural gas, which now accounts for about half of power production in the country. It is also setting up coal-fired power plants while it has a long-term plan to source 40% of the nation’s electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power by 2041.

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Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

Rania Lampou
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Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

Brutal Russian strike on café, shop in eastern Ukraine kills at least 51 civilians

By SUSIE BLANN

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least 51 civilians were killed Thursday in a Russian rocket strike on a village store in eastern Ukraine, one of the deadliest attacks in recent months that came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a summit of around 50 European leaders in Spain to drum up support from the country’s allies.

Zelensky denounced the attack on the store and cafe in the village of Hroza as a “demonstrably brutal Russian crime” and “a completely deliberate act of terrorism.”

He urged Western allies to help strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, saying that “Russian terror must be stopped.”

READ MORE : Europe Union’s top diplomat dismisses concern about bloc’s long-term support for Ukraine

“Russia needs this and similar terrorist attacks for only one thing: to make its genocidal aggression the new norm for the whole world,” he said. “Now we are talking with European leaders, in particular, about strengthening our air defense, strengthening our soldiers, giving our country protection from terror. And we will respond to the terrorists.”

Presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak and Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said a 6-year-old boy was among the dead, adding that six other people were wounded.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, a woman reacts near the bodies of victims of the deadly Russian rocket attack that killed more than 40 people in the village of Hroza near Kharkiv, Ukraine, October 5, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

About 60 people were in the cafe, attending a wake after a funeral, said Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko, who provided the death toll. According to preliminary information from Kyiv, the village was struck by an Iskander missile. Emergency crews searched the smoldering rubble of damaged buildings. Ukrainian prosecutors released photos showing bloodied bodies.

Hroza and other parts of the eastern Kharkiv region were seized by Russia early in the war and recaptured by Ukraine in September 2022.

The attack came as Zelensky was in Granada in southern Spain to attend a summit of the European Political Community, which was formed in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at the Europe Summit in Granada, Spain, October 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

“The key for us, especially before winter, is to strengthen air defense, and there is already a basis for new agreements with partners,” he said in a statement posted on his Telegram channel.

Last winter, Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy system and other vital infrastructure in a steady barrage of missile and drone attacks, triggering continuous power outages across the country. Ukraine’s power system has shown a high degree of resilience and flexibility, helping alleviate the damage, but there have been concerns that Russia will again ramp up its strikes on power facilities as winter draws nearer.

Zelensky noted the Granada summit will also focus on “joint work for global food security and protection of freedom of navigation” in the Black Sea, where the Russian military has targeted Ukrainian ports after Moscow’s withdrawal from a UN-sponsored grain deal designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded country’s ports.

The UK Foreign Office cited intelligence suggesting that Russia may lay sea mines in the approach to Ukrainian ports to target civilian shipping and blame it on Ukraine.

“Russia almost certainly wants to avoid openly sinking civilian ships, instead falsely laying blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea,” it said, adding that the UK was working with Ukraine to help improve the safety of shipping.

Speaking in Granada, Zelensky emphasized the need to preserve European unity in the face of Russian disinformation and to remain strong amid what he described as a “political storm” in the United States.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, emergency workers search the victims of a Russian rocket attack that killed at least 47 people in the village of Hroza near Kharkiv, Ukraine, October 5, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Earlier Thursday, Russia targeted Ukraine’s southern regions with drones. Ukraine’s air force said that the country’s air defenses intercepted 24 out of 29 Iranian-made drones that Russia launched at the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions.

Andriy Raykovych, head of the Kirovohrad regional administration, said that an infrastructure facility in the region was struck and emergency services were deployed to extinguish a fire. He said there were no casualties.

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Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

Shasi Kumar
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Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

Flash floods kill at least 18 in northeastern India and leave nearly 100 missing

By ASHOK SHARMA

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescue workers were searching for nearly 100 people on Thursday after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rainfall swamped several towns in northeastern India, killing at least 18 people, officials said.

More than 2,000 people were rescued after Wednesday’s floods, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement, adding that state authorities set up 26 relief camps for more than 22,000 people impacted by the floods.

Eighteen bodies have been found so far, said Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the top state bureaucrat.

READ MORE :Death toll in Libya floods nearly 3,000 after Storm Daniel

Twenty-six people have suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at various hospitals across Sikkim, he said.

Among the missing were 22 soldiers, officials said. One soldier who had been reported missing on Wednesday was later rescued by authorities, the army said in a statement.

The Press Trust of India news agency cited a statement by neighboring West Bengal state as saying that the bodies of four soldiers were found. However, it wasn’t immediately clear whether they were among the 22 missing soldiers, or had died separately.

Some army camps and vehicles were submerged under mud following the floods, the army said.

Pathak said that nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 drivers with their vehicles have been stranded in the flood-hit areas.

“We are evacuating them through helicopters provided by the army and the air force,” he said.

The army is extending medical aid and phone connectivity to civilians and tourists stranded in the areas of Chungthang, Lachung and Lachen in north Sikkim, the army statement said.

Eleven bridges were washed away by the floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 houses in four districts, officials said.

The flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and was worsened when parts of a dam were washed away.

Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered shut until Sunday, the state’s education department said.

Parts of a highway that links Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities in the aftermath of the flooding.

The flooding was caused by cloudbursts — sudden, very heavy rains — which are defined as when more than 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) of rainfall occurs within 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) within an hour. Cloudbursts can cause intense flooding and landslides affecting thousands of people.

The mountainous Himalayan region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season.

Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in nearby Himachal Pradesh state. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India, as roads were waterlogged and homes collapsed.

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.

“This is, incredibly sadly, another classic case of a cascading hazard chain that amplifies as you go downstream,” said Jakob Steiner, a climate scientist with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, commenting on Wednesday’s flash flooding.

Earlier this year, Steiner’s organization published a report saying that Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled.

In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand state in northern India.

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Sibi Arasu contributed to this report from Bengaluru.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receive support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

Andy Sengiah
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Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified mock gun, police say

By JERRY HARMER AND JUTARAT SKULPICHETRAT

BANGKOK (AP) — The teenage boy who allegedly shot two people dead and wounded five others inside a major shopping mall in the center of Thailand’s capital used a mock handgun that had been modified to fire real bullets, police said Wednesday.

The suspect was taken into custody less than an hour after the first gunshots Tuesday afternoon at the Siam Paragon Mall, one of Bangkok’s biggest and most upscale shopping destinations.

Video uploaded to social media and broadcast on television showed a long-haired teenage boy in the custody of police. Major Thai media reported he was 14 years old and a student at a prominent private school. Recently appointed Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed only that he is a minor and had a record of being treated for mental illness.

READ MORE : Shocking Incident: Police Col. Wachira Yaothaisong Shot Himself, Investigation Underway

Assistant National Police Chief Samran Nualma said at a news conference Wednesday that the weapon used was “a plastic gun and adapted to use with real bullets.” It has variously been described as originally intended to fire blanks or BBs.

Samran said the authorities were looking into the regulation of such items. Mock weapons are popular among military buffs in Thailand and can be freely purchased. Licensing of real guns is restricted and limited to people 20 years or older. The penalty for unlawful possession of a firearm is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 baht ($538).

The minister of Tourism and Sports, Sudawan Wangsuppakitkosol, confirmed at the news conference that a Chinese citizen and a Myanmar citizen had died. She said five people were hospitalized — one from China, one from Laos and three Thais — and that several were in critical condition.

“We need to rebuild confidence. We will discuss with the National Police putting safety measures in malls and communities to prevent such incidents,” she said.

Siam Paragon installed metal detectors at its entrances during political tensions several years ago, but recently they have been only casually monitored. Security guards were conducting hand searches of customers’ bags at entrances on Wednesday. Inside, workers were repairing the front of a luxury shop that was apparently damaged by the gunfire.

Thailand is relying on its once-robust tourism industry for a full economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic. It is especially encouraging visitors from China, who before the pandemic were by far the largest national group. But Chinese social media have lately been filled with warnings about safety in Thailand because of some high-profile crimes and scam operations.

Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, though mass shootings are rare.

The incident occurred days before Thais are to mark the anniversary of the country’s biggest mass killing by an individual, a gun and knife attack at a rural day care center in a northeastern province that killed 36 people, most of them preschoolers, on Oct. 6, 2022.

In 2020, a disgruntled soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for about 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

Tuesday’s shooting prompted authorities to temporarily shut access to the nearby Siam Square elevated train stop, preventing commuters from exiting at the key transfer point as the evening rush hour began and intense rain pounded the city.

Although gun laws in Thailand are relatively restrictive, the country has one of the highest levels of gun ownership in Asia, according to GunPolicy.org, a research project at Australia’s University of Sydney.

There are about 10 guns per 100 people in Thailand, including those owned illegally, compared with less than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia, the project said.

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Associated Press journalists Penny Yi Wang, Grant Peck, Tian Macleod Ji and Jintamas Saksornchai contributed reporting.

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