World roundup: November 3 2025

Stories from Vietnam, Sudan, Czechia, and elsewhere

TODAY IN HISTORY

November 3, 644: The second Muslim caliph, Umar, is assassinated. Between the total conquest of the Persian Empire and the capture of most of the Byzantine Empire, Umar’s caliphate saw a massive expansion in the Arab empire that had been established by Muhammad. He was murdered by a slave, Piruz Nahavandi (or “Abu Lulu”), who had previously been a soldier in the Persian army. His motives are unclear, but revenge for the Arab conquest was probably among them.

November 3, 1903: Panama declares itself independent of Colombia, at the encouragement of a US government that wanted to deal with an independent and…oh, let’s say “persuadable” Panamanian government in constructing the Panama Canal. Commemorated as Panamanian Separation Day.

MIDDLE EAST

LEBANON

The Israeli military (IDF) killed at least two more people and wounded at least seven others in airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Monday. Israeli officials claimed that one of the deceased was a “commander” in Hezbollah’s “Radwan” special forces unit, while the other was attempting to “reestablish Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites.” Israeli officials have been threatening to escalate their daily strikes on Lebanon if the country’s government doesn’t move to disarm Hezbollah. US envoy Tom Barrack said over the weekend that he’s trying to arrange direct negotiations between the two governments on this issue.