A devastating fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has claimed the lives of at least 16 people, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase as rescue efforts continue.

Authorities reported that sixteen bodies have so far been recovered and will be handed over to families after DNA testing, as the remains were badly burned and difficult to identify.

Crowds of grieving relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district on Tuesday, anxiously waiting for news of loved ones who were still unaccounted for.

The blaze erupted around midday and was brought under control after about three hours, according to the fire service. However, a nearby chemical storage facility continued to burn late into the night.

Major fires remain a recurring tragedy in Bangladesh, often linked to weak enforcement of safety measures and poor building conditions. Hundreds of lives have been lost in similar incidents across the country in recent years.

By 9:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, officials confirmed that firefighters were still working to fully extinguish the flames at the chemical warehouse next to the factory. Investigators have not yet determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Eyewitnesses said the warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials, and hydrogen peroxide — all highly flammable substances that can intensify fires and release toxic fumes when burned.

According to the fire service, most of the victims likely succumbed to poisonous gas inhalation, made worse by the fact that the roof exit was locked at the time of the incident.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said the victims probably died “instantly” after inhaling “highly toxic gas.”

Police and military personnel are currently searching for the owners of both the garment factory and the chemical warehouse, while authorities have launched a probe to determine if the warehouse had been operating legally.

Officials revealed that the warehouse lacked both a fire safety clearance and an operating licence. Reports also confirmed that it had no official occupancy permit.

Outside the smouldering buildings, heartbroken families held photographs of their missing relatives. Among them was a father desperately searching for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
“When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven’t found her… I just want my daughter back,” he said tearfully.

Bangladesh has a grim record of industrial disasters. In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory killed at least 52 people, later found to have been operating illegally without proper fire exits.
In 2019, a fast-moving blaze swept through an old part of Dhaka, leaving 78 people dead.

The country’s deadliest industrial tragedy occurred in 2013, when the eight-storey Rana Plaza building, which housed several garment factories, collapsed due to structural defects, killing more than 1,100 people.

US President Donald Trump says he may authorise the delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, a move that could heighten already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he was “considering it,” when asked about sending Tomahawks to Kyiv, adding, “We’ll see… I may.” He described such a decision as “a new step of aggression” in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.

The comment followed a weekend phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities against Russian forces.

Moscow has previously cautioned the US against transferring long-range missiles to Kyiv, warning it would provoke a major escalation in the conflict and further strain diplomatic ties.

Tomahawk missiles can travel up to 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles), making it possible for Ukraine to reach Moscow and other targets deep inside Russian territory.

Trump’s position on Russia has become more hardline in recent months as his administration grows impatient with President Vladimir Putin’s resistance to reaching a ceasefire deal.

“I might tell them [Russia] that if the war isn’t settled, we may very well send Tomahawks to Kyiv. Do they want them heading their way? I don’t think so,” Trump said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Trump’s comments as “deeply concerning,” warning that global tensions were “intensifying from every side.”

He also pointed out that Russia would not be able to determine whether any Tomahawks launched toward its territory were nuclear-armed. “What should Russia think? How should we respond?” he asked.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev echoed Peskov’s remarks in a post on Monday, warning that the delivery of the missiles “could end badly for everyone — and especially for Trump himself.”

Medvedev, who has adopted a more aggressive tone in recent years, has clashed with Trump in the past. Their previous exchanges on social media prompted the US president to order two nuclear submarines closer to Russian waters in August.

Ukraine has long requested long-range weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. During recent discussions, Trump and Zelensky also reviewed ways to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence and strike capacity.

Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities in recent weeks, causing widespread blackouts as winter approaches.

Last month, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, hinted that the president had already approved strikes inside Russian territory, telling Fox News that “there are no sanctuaries” in the ongoing conflict.

The Norwegian hub Nobel Committee has announced Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her unyielding advocacy for democracy and peaceful political reform in Venezuela.

Machado, widely regarded as the “Iron Lady of Venezuela,” was honored for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Announcing the award in Oslo, Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes described Machado as “a brave and committed champion of peace” who continues to “keep the flame of democracy burning amidst growing darkness.” Despite being barred from political office and currently in hiding due to threats from President Nicolás Maduro’s government, Machado’s resolve to stand for freedom and democratic values has made her a global symbol of peaceful resistance.

Who is Maria Corina Machado?

Born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, Maria Corina Machado is an industrial engineer, economist, mother of three, and one of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figures. She leads the Vente Venezuela party, a liberal movement that campaigns for democratic governance, free markets, and social welfare programs targeting the nation’s poor.

Machado’s political journey began in 2002 when she co-founded Súmate, a civil organization formed to promote civic participation and electoral transparency during the deeply polarized years under former president Hugo Chávez. That same year, she led a recall referendum campaign against Chávez’s presidency, an act that earned her charges of treason and death threats, forcing her family to temporarily leave the country.

Undeterred, Machado became one of the most vocal critics of the Maduro administration, pushing for democratic transition and accountability. In 2023, she won the Venezuelan opposition’s presidential primary with overwhelming support, but her candidacy was blocked by a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a ban preventing her from holding public office.

Following the 2024 disputed presidential election, in which Maduro claimed victory amid allegations of electoral fraud, Machado went into hiding inside Venezuela, continuing her activism despite mounting threats and arrests of her allies.

What Is the Nobel Peace Prize About?

Established through the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, the Nobel Peace Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious honors, awarded annually to individuals or organizations that have made exceptional contributions toward peace, democracy, and the advancement of human rights.

The award recognizes those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Over the decades, the Nobel Peace Prize has celebrated global icons who have stood firm in the face of oppression: leaders, activists, and advocates who have chosen dialogue and resilience over violence and fear. Maria Corina Machado joins this historic lineage as the 20th woman and one of few Latin Americans to receive the distinction since its inception in 1901.

The Nobel Committee’s Remarks on Machado

In its official statement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado as a “courageous defender of freedom and democracy,” highlighting her steadfastness in the face of persecution and her commitment to peaceful change.

The committee emphasized that despite living in hiding and facing threats to her life, Machado “has remained in her country, a choice that has inspired millions.” It reaffirmed that she meets “all three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will” by promoting unity within Venezuela’s opposition, resisting the militarization of society, and persistently advocating for non-violent democratic transition.

Committee Chair Frydnes noted that the decision to honor Machado was also symbolic; a message to the world that “democracy is a precondition for peace” at a time when authoritarian regimes are gaining ground.

Similarly, Nina Græger, Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), described the award as “a prize for democracy,” commending Machado’s courage to defend freedom “with ballots, not bullets.”

Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize win represents more than personal recognition; it is a global affirmation of courage, endurance, and faith in democracy. Her unwavering stand against authoritarian rule and her determination to inspire peaceful reform have made her a beacon of hope for millions in Venezuela and beyond.

Authorities in China have detained several pastors linked to one of the country’s largest unregistered Christian congregations, marking the most extensive suppression of underground churches since 2018, according to family members and church representatives.

The arrests occurred over the weekend, coinciding with heightened China–U.S. tensions following Beijing’s recent decision to expand controls on rare earth exports. The detentions have sparked international outrage, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the immediate release of the pastors.

Among those taken into custody was Pastor Jin Mingri, the 56-year-old founder of Zion Church, a prominent unofficial “house church” not recognised by the state. He was arrested at his residence in Beihai, a city in southern China, on Friday evening, according to his daughter, Grace Jin, and a church spokesperson, Sean Long.
“What just happened is part of a new wave of religious persecution this year,” Long said, noting that security forces had questioned over 150 church members in recent months and increased surveillance at Sunday gatherings.

Speaking from the United States, Long said that around the same period, nearly 30 church leaders and members were detained nationwide, though five have since been released. Roughly 20 others remain in custody.

Jin is currently being held at the Beihai City No. 2 Detention Centre on charges of “illegal use of information networks,” according to an official notice shared by Long. The offence carries a possible prison sentence of up to seven years. Supporters fear the pastors could face additional accusations related to sharing religious content online.
“He’s been hospitalised in the past for diabetes. We’re worried since he requires medication,” Grace Jin said. “I’ve also been notified that lawyers are not allowed to meet the pastors, so that is very concerning to us.”

The arrests come in the wake of new regulations from China’s national religious affairs authority that prohibit unauthorised online preaching and “foreign collusion.” Last month, President Xi Jinping pledged to “implement strict law enforcement” and further advance the “Sinicisation” of religion — the process of aligning faith practices with Communist Party ideology.

Official statistics indicate that China has over 44 million Christians worshipping in state-approved churches, most of whom are Protestants. However, estimates suggest that tens of millions more attend unregistered “house churches” operating independently of state control.

Zion Church, which reportedly has about 5,000 regular followers spread across nearly 50 cities, expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic through online sermons and small group worship, Long explained. Founded by Jin — who is also known by his Christian name, Ezra — in 2007 after leaving an official Protestant church, the congregation has long been under scrutiny.

A graduate of Peking University, Jin embraced Christianity following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Authorities closed Zion Church’s main building in Beijing in 2018 during a wave of raids on major underground congregations. Earlier this year, 11 of its pastors were also briefly detained.

According to Grace Jin, her father has faced travel restrictions since 2018, preventing him from visiting his wife and three children, who now live in the United States. “I think he had always known that there was a possibility he would be imprisoned,” she said.

Last month, police intercepted and forcibly returned Jin to Beihai while he was in Shanghai, according to Grace Jin and Bob Fu, founder of the Christian advocacy group ChinaAid.
“The key underlying reason is that Zion Church has grown explosively into a well-organised network in recent years, which of course must scare the Communist Party leadership,” Fu stated.