United News of Bangladesh

At least 37 people were killed when a bus traveling through the mountainous Arequipa region of Peru collided with a pickup truck and plunged about 200 metres (650 feet) into a ravine, officials said. The bus, carrying around 60 passengers, was traveling from a mining district toward the city of Arequipa around 12:30 a.m. local time (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday when it hit the pickup and veered off the highway, according to public broadcaster TV Peru. Thirty-six passengers died on the spot, while one more later succumbed to injuries at a hospital. About 20 others were injured. Authorities said the pickup truck driver tested positive for alcohol. Photos from the scene showed the front of the truck badly damaged and the bus lying on its side amid debris scattered over rocky terrain. “This isn’t the first tragedy in this area. Years ago, another bus crashed at the same spot, killing 50 people,” regional health manager Walther Oporto told TV Peru. Peru has a high rate of road fatalities due to reckless driving and difficult road conditions. Last year, the country recorded more than 3,000 deaths from traffic accidents. The Arequipa crash comes after similar bus accidents in July and August that killed at least 28 people, and a January incident in which six people died when a bus plunged into a river.   With inputs from AL Zazeera

Six people were killed Wednesday in a stampede at a military recruitment exercise in Accra, the Ghanaian military said. The military said the rush was “triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols” and arrived at the stadium before the scheduled start time. Several others were injured and taken to a military hospital.

A special criminal court in Gabon has sentenced former first lady Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, to 20 years in prison in absentia after finding them guilty of embezzling public funds and money laundering. The court in Libreville handed down the verdict late Tuesday after a two-day trial and issued arrest warrants for both. They were also ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages for what prosecutors called “crimes against the Gabonese state.” Valentin dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated, saying the verdict had been “predetermined” under President Oligui Nguema’s administration and calling the trial “a simple formality.” Sylvia Bongo and her son were influential figures during former President Ali Bongo’s 14-year rule. Ali Bongo was ousted in a 2023 military coup after a disputed election, ending the Bongo family’s 56-year grip on power in the central African nation. Prosecutors accused the two of exploiting the former president’s poor health to gain control of state finances. Witnesses described Valentin, who served as coordinator of presidential affairs, as the main decision-maker at the presidential palace after Ali Bongo suffered a stroke in 2018. Following the coup, both were detained for 20 months before being allowed to leave the country. They now reside in London and hold French citizenship, refusing to participate in the trial. During the proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence including images of two private jets allegedly purchased with laundered money, as well as property holdings in London and Morocco. “They reigned unchallenged and tried to portray themselves as victims of the very system they built,” said Eddy Minang, prosecutor general at the Libreville Court of Appeal.

A popular Malian TikTok influencer who often voiced support for the country’s military was abducted and publicly executed by armed men in Mali’s Timbuktu region, local officials said Monday. Mariame Cissé, who had more than 140,000 followers on TikTok, was seized on Friday while visiting a market in Echel, said Yehia Tandina, mayor of Timbuktu. “The following day, around dusk, the same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd,” he told The Associated Press. Tonka, a village along the Niger River about 150 kilometers from Timbuktu, is known to be an area where al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) operates. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Cissé had reportedly received death threats in the days before her abduction. Local authorities said Cissé was not a member of the armed forces but often appeared online wearing military fatigues and expressing support for Mali’s ruling junta — content believed to have made her a target for extremists. Mali has faced worsening violence since Islamist groups launched an insurgency in 2012. The military took power in a 2020 coup, followed by another in 2021, but insecurity has continued to spread across much of the country. Armed groups, particularly JNIM, now control or influence large rural areas and have imposed a fuel blockade in parts of the landlocked nation, further straining daily life.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians have fled to overcrowded camps amid reports of atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following their capture of el-Fasher in the western Darfur region, an aid group said Saturday. The U.N. human rights chief warned that many others remain trapped in the city. Displaced families arriving in Tawila, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from el-Fasher, find little relief — with few tents and shelters cobbled together from tarps and sheets, according to a video released by Sudan’s IDPs and Refugee Camps group. Children can be seen running through the dusty landscape as adults share meager portions of food. Since the RSF took control of el-Fasher from the Sudanese army on October 26, more than 16,200 people have fled to camps in Tawila, said Adam Rojal, a spokesperson for the aid organization. The International Organization for Migration estimated that around 82,000 people had escaped the city and nearby villages as of November 4, many traveling on foot to areas already overcrowded with earlier waves of displaced people. The RSF and the Sudanese military have been locked in a brutal power struggle since April 2023. The war has killed at least 40,000 people, though the true toll is believed to be far higher. Nearly 12 million have been displaced, and almost half of Sudan’s population is now facing severe food insecurity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Last week’s RSF takeover of el-Fasher followed an 18-month siege. The paramilitary group stormed the Saudi Hospital, killing more than 450 people, and carried out house-to-house attacks involving killings and sexual assaults, the WHO reported. The RSF denied targeting civilians or attacking the hospital, but survivor testimonies, satellite images, and videos depict scenes of widespread destruction. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that 300 new arrivals reached Tawila on Thursday alone, describing “extremely high levels of malnutrition” among adults and children. Aid workers warn of dire shortages of food, medicine, and shelter materials. “Many families are surviving on one or two meals a day,” Rojal told the Associated Press. U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said civilians remaining in el-Fasher are in grave danger.“Traumatized civilians are still trapped inside and prevented from leaving,” he said Friday in Geneva. “I fear that the atrocities — executions, rape, and ethnically motivated attacks — are continuing inside the city. Even those who flee face unimaginable cruelty along the escape routes.” Fighting spreads beyond DarfurViolence has also intensified across Darfur and into Kordofan, turning both regions into new flashpoints in Sudan’s 19-month conflict. Earlier this week, a drone strike on el-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, killed at least 40 people and injured dozens. A Sudanese military official said the army intercepted two Chinese-made drones targeting el-Obeid on Saturday morning. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. According to Jalale Getachew Birru, a regional analyst with the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher and its advance in Kordofan mark a major strategic gain — but also deepen the humanitarian catastrophe. He estimated that at least 2,000 people were killed across Sudan between October 26 and November 1. “These developments not only worsen Sudan’s humanitarian crisis,” Birru said, “but also signal the RSF’s growing capacity to push toward central Sudan, potentially undoing the army’s recent gains and reigniting violence in areas that had remained relatively calm.” On Thursday, the RSF said it had accepted a humanitarian ceasefire proposal put forward by a U.S.-led mediation group known as the Quad. The Sudanese army said it too welcomed the initiative — but only if the RSF withdrew from civilian areas and surrendered its weapons.

Tanzanian authorities have charged hundreds of people with treason over protests linked to last month’s disputed elections, marking a sharp escalation of political tensions in the East African nation, where violence has claimed an unknown number of lives. According to court documents released Saturday, dozens of additional suspects were charged with treason across several regions, a day after similar charges were filed against scores of demonstrators in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. Police have also issued arrest warrants for several senior opposition figures who remain at large, including Brenda Rupia, communications director for the main opposition Chadema party, and its secretary-general, John Mnyika. Chadema leader Tundu Lissu, who has been in detention for several months, also faces treason charges after calling for electoral reforms ahead of the October 29 polls. Questions over death toll in post-election violence Authorities have come under growing scrutiny over the death toll from the government’s crackdown on protests and riots surrounding the vote. Chadema claims that more than 1,000 people were killed and accused security forces of secretly disposing of bodies to conceal the true scale of the bloodshed. The Catholic Church in Tanzania has also reported that hundreds were likely killed. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, was declared the winner with over 97 percent of the vote, according to official results. Sixteen candidates from smaller parties were allowed to contest after key opposition figures, including Lissu and Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, were barred from running. Rights groups allege widespread abuses Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have accused Tanzanian authorities of creating a repressive climate before the polls, citing enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings. The government has dismissed the allegations. Meanwhile, the African Union said in a statement this week that its observer mission found the election failed to meet AU standards and international obligations for democratic polls. Observers reported ballot stuffing, multiple ballot issuance, and a generally hostile environment that was “not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes.” Concerns over growing authoritarianism Since the introduction of multi-party politics in 1992, Tanzania has largely been governed by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which traces its roots to the country’s independence movement and maintains close ties with China’s Communist Party. Critics say that while past leaders tolerated limited opposition within the one-party-dominant framework, President Hassan has adopted an increasingly authoritarian approach that runs counter to the youth-led democracy movements emerging across Africa. Hassan’s overwhelming victory in the disputed polls extended the CCM’s six-decade rule, deepening concerns over Tanzania’s democratic backsliding and political freedoms. Source: AP

The Sudanese army said Friday it intercepted drone strikes launched overnight by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on two cities in the country’s northeast. A senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 15 drones targeted Atbara, a city north of the capital in River Nile province. The attacks caused no casualties, though residents reported hearing explosions. The official added that air defenses also downed drones aimed at Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum. The RSF strikes came a day after the group announced its acceptance of a humanitarian truce proposed by a U.S.-led mediation group known as the Quad. However, a Sudanese military official told the Associated Press that the army would agree to a ceasefire only if the RSF withdrew from civilian areas and surrendered its weapons in line with previous peace plans. Sudan’s civil war erupted in 2023 between the army and the RSF — once allies in overseeing the country’s democratic transition after the 2019 uprising. The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced around 12 million, according to U.N. agencies, with the actual toll believed to be far higher. The World Food Program estimates that more than 24 million Sudanese are suffering from acute food insecurity. Under the U.S.-backed peace proposal, the truce would begin with a three-month humanitarian pause followed by a nine-month political process, said U.S. adviser for African affairs Massad Boulos earlier this week. Meanwhile, the U.N. Human Rights Council announced an emergency special session on Sudan, scheduled for November 14, to address rising violence and civilian casualties in and around the Darfur city of El-Fasher. The session was requested by Britain, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway, and has received support from 24 of the council’s 47 members so far. The RSF’s truce announcement follows its recent capture of El-Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur after an 18-month siege. UNICEF reported that over 81,000 people have been displaced from the city since October 26, with urgent needs for food, water, and medical care. The agency said more than 850 children are being treated for acute malnutrition, while violence, sexual assaults, and looting of health facilities continue to threaten women and children across North Darfur.  

Tanzania is facing growing concern over deaths linked to post-election crackdowns, with the main opposition party accusing security forces of secretly dumping the bodies of hundreds killed during protests. Demonstrations erupted across the country following the Oct. 29 election, largely driven by young people contesting a vote that foreign observers said fell short of democratic standards, as key opposition figures were barred. Authorities imposed a nationwide curfew, and security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds. Chadema, Tanzania’s largest opposition party, claimed more than 1,000 people were killed and said security forces were attempting to conceal the scale by secretly disposing of the bodies. Authorities have not responded to the allegations. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who won over 97% of the vote, faced criticism as main rivals were blocked from running. Human Rights Watch condemned the violent crackdown, calling for accountability and an end to excessive force. The U.K., Norway, and Canada, as well as the Catholic Church, cited credible reports of numerous fatalities. Chadema officials reported at least 400 deaths in Tunduma, Mbeya region, and warned that security forces are withholding bodies to hide the extent of the killings. The party has rejected any political pact with the government until electoral and judicial reforms ensure justice for victims. Independent lawyers and human rights observers reported accounts of army trucks transporting dead bodies, raising fears of cover-ups. President Hassan, Tanzania’s first female leader, acknowledged the loss of life in her inauguration speech and urged security forces to restore normalcy. Authorities have restricted sharing of photos and videos related to the unrest, warning that violations could lead to treason charges. Life is gradually returning to normal in major cities as curfews ease and public services resume, though concerns over accountability and transparency remain high.  

Authorities in Tanzania are facing mounting scrutiny over deadly crackdowns on post-election protests, with the country’s largest opposition party claiming that security forces have been secretly disposing of the bodies of hundreds killed during the unrest. Protests erupted across Tanzania following the Oct. 29 elections, with mostly young demonstrators challenging a vote that foreign observers said failed to meet democratic standards due to the barring of key opposition candidates. Security forces responded with live ammunition and tear gas, and a nationwide curfew was imposed. The main opposition party, Chadema, alleged that over 1,000 people were killed and claimed that authorities were attempting to conceal the scale of the deaths by secretly dumping bodies. The government has not responded to these allegations. “Tanzanians’ hearts are bleeding right now. This is unprecedented for our country,” said Brenda Rupia, Chadema’s communications director, speaking from Dar es Salaam. She added that at least 400 deaths have been reported in the Tunduma area alone, with hundreds more in other regions. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female leader, was declared the winner with over 97% of the vote in a rare landslide, but the election has faced criticism for low turnout and the disqualification of main rivals, including Chadema’s Tundu Lissu and ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina. Lissu remains jailed on treason-related charges. Human Rights Watch condemned the violent crackdown, calling on authorities to “end the use of excessive and lethal force” and ensure accountability. Reports from the UK, Norway, Canada, and the Catholic Church indicate that deaths may be in the hundreds, though exact figures remain unverified. Tanganyika Law Society President Boniface Mwabukusi said more than 1,000 people may have died, adding that killings appeared targeted at politically active regions. Independent lawyer Tito Magoti reported sightings of army trucks transporting bodies from hospital mortuaries, suggesting a possible cover-up. Hassan, inaugurated on Monday, acknowledged the loss of life and urged security agencies to restore normalcy. Authorities have warned citizens against sharing images and videos that could incite panic, following a six-day internet blackout. Public life is slowly resuming in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, with businesses reopening and transport services returning to operation.   Source: AP

Tanzania’s government has cautioned citizens against sharing images or videos that could “cause panic” as internet services gradually return following a six-day shutdown during deadly post-election protests. Mobile users received text messages Monday night warning that circulating such materials could lead to treason charges. The warnings came shortly after connectivity was restored, when people began posting unverified images allegedly showing victims of the unrest. A social media page sharing these visuals was removed after quickly gaining thousands of followers. Authorities have not released an official death toll, though President Samia Suluhu Hassan acknowledged fatalities during her Monday swearing-in ceremony and ordered security agencies to restore calm. Human Rights Watch condemned the violent crackdown, citing opposition party Chadema’s claim that more than 1,000 people were killed. The Catholic Church also reported deaths “in the hundreds,” though both accounts remain unverified. The violence erupted during the disputed Oct. 29 election, in which Hassan was declared the winner with over 97% of the vote after opposition candidates were disqualified. Youths took to the streets in protest, prompting security forces to respond with live ammunition and tear gas. A nationwide curfew soon followed. By Tuesday, normalcy was slowly returning in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma as fuel stations, markets, and public transport resumed operations. Government workers were ordered back to offices, ending a temporary work-from-home directive. Human Rights Watch urged Tanzania to investigate the killings and fully restore internet access, saying the crackdown and censorship further erode confidence in the country’s electoral process and violate citizens’ rights to free expression and information.