United News of Bangladesh

US District Judge Ana Reyes on Monday ordered a 24-hour suspension of tree-cutting at the East Potomac Golf Course, a historic golf course in Washington, DC, that is part of President Donald Trump's plans to transform the city. Reyes issued the order after a tense three-hour hearing during which she sharply criticised the government for misleading her through its actions over the holiday weekend. The judge said the temporary order could be extended to 14 days if necessary. She limited it to 24 hours while the government seeks to locate a key Trump administration official who can explain why extensive tree-cutting at the park had to take place over the holiday weekend with little notice to the plaintiffs seeking to block the renovation plans or to the judge. The hearing began with a forceful 15-minute statement from Reyes, who has repeatedly rejected requests from the plaintiffs to suspend the administration's work, amid concerns that the government appeared determined to proceed with projects despite court proceedings. “I am thoroughly unamused right now,” Reyes said. “I do not know how I could have made it any plainer that I did not want what was to happen, to happen.” She added, “I have given the government every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done.” The emergency hearing, held on a holiday, was expanded as Reyes ordered the government to bring various people involved in the decision-making process into the proceedings remotely.

The U.S. State Department on Sunday urged "extreme caution" at all major airports in Saudi Arabia, following attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh the day before. The U.S. Mission strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid the airport in the Saudi capital and surrounding areas, according to a security alert. "U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization to use the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as the airports in Jeddah and Dammam. Please take extreme caution when using all major airports in Saudi Arabia," it said. "U.S. citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions," it continued. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told U.S. airlines on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing safety threats tied to ongoing military activity and interference with navigation systems, according to a report by Reuters. "Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including overflight, the arrival, and departure phases of flight," the FAA was quoted as saying, warning of the "potentially hazardous situation." The latest warnings came after a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 12 people and injured 309 others.

A 45-year-old man killed eight people, including a pregnant woman and two young children, at a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, before taking his own life, police said Saturday. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said seven of the victims were related to the gunman, while the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman. The shooting occurred on Friday. Investigators recovered video and audio evidence indicating muffled gunshots came from inside the house shortly before two distressed women arrived and knocked on the door shortly before 5pm. The gunman then came outside and shot the women as they ran towards him before returning inside, Lorah said. Police found the two women dead outside the house. After deploying a drone and a robot, officers entered the building and recovered the bodies of a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl on the first floor, two women and two young men in a stairwell, and the gunman on the second floor. Lorah declined to discuss the motive, saying investigators would interview relatives and examine the cellphones of the women killed outside the house. Police arrived within minutes of receiving an alert from ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that uses microphones and artificial intelligence to identify gunfire. No further shots were fired after officers arrived, he said. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro offered his administration’s support to Erie Mayor Daria Devlin and the victims’ families. District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz urged the public not to spread rumours or unverified information while the investigation continues. Shapiro later described the killings, along with the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers early Saturday, as a dark day for the state. Erie is located about 190 kilometres north of Pittsburgh.

The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating its campaign to dismantle the tribunal over investigations involving the United States and its allies, including Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures on Friday, following the Nobel Peace Prize award to South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts. US President Donald Trump has long sought the prize. The sanctions cut the court off from US financial services, technology firms and dollar transactions, giving American companies and individuals six months to end their business dealings with the tribunal. Rubio called the ICC illegitimate and warned that Washington would continue efforts to dismantle it unless Americans were no longer threatened. The court condemned the measures as an attack on the rule of law and international legal order. Its President Tomoko Akane vowed to continue working independently and impartially, urging member states to defend the institution. Amnesty International also denounced the sanctions, urging countries to take concrete steps to protect the court. The Netherlands has discussed activating the European Union's blocking statute to shield European court staff and businesses from the US measures. Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom jointly rejected the sanctions, warning they could seriously affect court operations, staff and their families. Several countries, including Venezuela, Chad and Naoero, have announced plans to leave the ICC this year.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington will not resume military strikes against Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, while saying that discussions with Tehran are making progress. In a post on social media, Trump said the United States “will not be attacking Iran at any time” before the midterm elections. He said his administration was engaged in “productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Trump’s announcement came after weeks of uncertainty over whether the United States would resume large-scale military operations against Iran following a months-long conflict. While campaigning for Republican candidates this week, Trump had suggested that a possible end to the war could come around the election period, while also leaving open the possibility of renewed military action. The United States and Iran had reached an interim agreement in June aimed at establishing a 60-day ceasefire and a framework for a lasting peace settlement. The arrangement broke down within weeks as military operations resumed and the two sides remained divided over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations have since faced difficulties. Trump last month rejected an Iranian proposal under which Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington met certain conditions. Iran later said it had received a US counterproposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Tehran was expected to provide a formal response within days. Trump said Wednesday at a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, that his special envoy Steve Witkoff had continued indirect discussions with Iranian officials. At the same time, Trump indicated that he was not necessarily eager to conclude an agreement immediately. “I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” he said. Trump has argued that Washington is gaining leverage as US forces help oil tankers navigate the Strait of Hormuz while a US naval blockade restricts Iran’s oil exports. The US Central Command has been escorting tankers through the strait at night, with their location systems switched off, while Gulf countries have also used pipelines that bypass the waterway to maintain oil exports near prewar levels. However, Iran has increased attacks on tankers in recent days, and shipping through the strategic waterway remains significantly below prewar levels. Shipments of liquefied natural gas and refined fuel products have also fallen. Some tanker operators willing to travel through the strait under US military protection are charging $1 million or more per day, according to shipping analysts. The regional situation has also become more complicated with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government launching a military campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in an effort to drive them from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another major route for oil and commercial shipping. The Houthis have responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi airports and other infrastructure. Trump’s announcement came as the US military continued reinforcing its presence in the region. US officials have said the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, accompanied by thousands of troops and other vessels, could reach the region by the end of October. The USS Abraham Lincoln was also due to return to its home port in San Diego on Thursday after an extended deployment in support of the Iran war. The carrier’s deployment has been accompanied by reports of crew stress, mental health concerns and shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products. The USS George Washington, normally based in Asia, replaced the Lincoln in August. Another carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed in the Middle East for about six months and recently made a port visit to Phuket, Thailand.

US authorities have charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with torture and other crimes in a new indictment unsealed Thursday, adding human rights allegations to the drug trafficking charges he already faces. Maduro was previously charged with taking part in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States. The new indictment accuses him of human rights abuses committed during his presidency of the oil-rich South American country. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been held in a New York jail since early January after US forces seized them from their home in Caracas during a nighttime raid. Both have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges filed years ago against them and several alleged co-conspirators. They had faced potential life imprisonment if convicted on the drug trafficking charges. The new indictment increases legal pressure on Maduro, who served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until his capture by US forces in January. Meanwhile, Flores was due to appear in court Thursday as her lawyers seek her release from jail and placement under house arrest, citing her heart condition. Flores' lawyers, who say she is 69, have argued that her medical problems cannot be adequately treated in jail and that she should instead be allowed to stay at a New York residence under round-the-clock security. They said Flores suffered permanent scarring after being “thrown against a wall or dresser” during the US military operation in which she and Maduro were captured. Her lawyers also said she had lost 25 pounds (11 kilogrammes) during her detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and had been told she might require heart surgery. They said she continues to experience lightheadedness, dizziness and shortness of breath and may have suffered a minor heart attack in July. Prosecutors have opposed her release, arguing in a court filing that Flores would pose an “extreme risk of flight and danger to the public” if freed. They said she had been taken to a local hospital from the jail when medical treatment was required. The lawyers for Flores have argued that she poses no flight risk because she is “intent on supporting her husband with her constant presence.” Flores is also charged with participating with Maduro in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. The lawyers representing Maduro and Flores have sought dismissal of the case, arguing that the couple are entitled to immunity as the former leader and first lady of a foreign country. The administration of President Donald Trump has defended the operation that led to Maduro's capture, describing it as a “surgical law enforcement operation.” Maduro, however, has described himself as a prisoner of war and his capture as a kidnapping.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure NATO ally Iceland on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's administration has no plans involving the island, while stressing shared concerns over Arctic security amid rising tensions with Russia. Rubio highlighted the importance of diplomacy in resolving conflicts as he began a three-nation tour of NATO allies, including Greece and Portugal, amid concerns in Europe about the Trump administration's sometimes abrasive approach toward traditional partners. He met Icelandic Foreign Secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir at Reykjavik's Hofdi House, where US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held their landmark 1986 summit widely seen as helping bring an end to the Cold War. “The house symbolizes diplomacy’s role in ending the Cold War and defeating communism,” Rubio said in a social media post following the meeting, held days before the summit's 40th anniversary. Rubio and Gunnarsdóttir played down differences between the two allies and stressed their intention to strengthen military and commercial cooperation. Rubio also made clear that Washington would not take any action in Iceland without its consent. “We would be open to having those conversations to see what we can do together,” he said, referring to potential cooperation. He noted that the United States maintained a permanent military presence at Iceland's Keflavik base until 2006, when changing priorities led to its closure. “ We have tremendous respect for the people. We have respect for the country in the role it plays, and it has for a very long time,” Rubio said. Iceland had grown uneasy about Trump's intentions after a map posted online showed the US flag extending across North America and into Iceland and Greenland. Concerns continued even after Washington reached an agreement last month to increase its presence in Greenland, apparently ending Trump's earlier push for full US control of the Danish territory. Following Rubio's talks with Gunnarsdóttir and Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, however, tensions appeared to have eased. Gunnarsdóttir said the issue had been largely, if not completely, resolved. “We remain focused on the future,” she said. Rubio said he was not in Iceland to discuss social media posts, adding, “Everything is very positive.” Before leaving Washington, Rubio said his trip was aimed at advancing “our shared priorities: a secure Arctic, stronger commercial and energy ties, and closer defense cooperation.” Iceland, a NATO member without a standing army, is located about 180 miles (290 kilometers) from Greenland. Gunnarsdóttir had earlier summoned US Ambassador Billy Long after the map was posted, saying it was unacceptable. Long himself has faced controversy in Iceland. Before taking up his post in August, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the prime minister to reject him after he joked earlier this year about Iceland becoming the 52nd US state and him becoming its governor. He later apologized. Another Trump-era ambassador to Iceland, Jeffrey Ross Gunter, also drew criticism during Trump's first term after seeking armed bodyguards in relatively low-crime Reykjavik. Rubio's next stop is Athens, where another US ambassador, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has faced allegations of misconduct and impropriety. US Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would investigate the allegations and could seek Guilfoyle's dismissal if they were substantiated. The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that Washington could undermine the Greek government, promoted the interests of a Greek construction and energy company and allowed its lobbyist to attend private diplomatic meetings. Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and California prosecutor who was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr., has denied wrongdoing. Rubio has defended her, calling her an “incredible advocate” for Trump's agenda in Greece and Europe. The Trump administration views Greece as an important partner in promoting and exporting US-produced liquefied natural gas to southeastern and central Europe.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran’s foreign minister and his delegation attending the U.N. General Assembly to leave New York earlier than planned, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. The Trump administration had issued visas, though with strict restrictions, to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and their delegations to attend the annual gathering of world leaders despite tensions between the two countries. Pezeshkian left New York a day after addressing the United Nations last week, while Araghchi stayed behind, reportedly to take part in indirect discussions with the United States on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the conflict and restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Some accounts said Araghchi had planned to remain in New York until Wednesday. But after weekend meetings involving Iranian and Qatari mediators produced little progress, Rubio told the Iranians on Monday that Araghchi and his delegation had to leave New York immediately, according to the two U.S. officials familiar with the decision. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing an internal administration process. One of the officials said Rubio had concluded that the Iranians had “overstayed their welcome” and that, with the high-level U.N. meetings over, they should leave New York. Araghchi and his delegation departed the city very early Tuesday. The Iranian U.N. delegation, however, denied Wednesday that they had been ordered to leave. “The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the U.S. Department of State in advance on September 17,” the delegation said in a post on its official X account. “Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news,” it added. Rubio’s decision was first reported by Axios.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that South Korea plans to invest about $54 billion in a natural gas project in Alaska, making the announcement from the Oval Office alongside Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is facing a competitive reelection race in the state. Trump and Sullivan, a two-term senator and longtime supporter of the Alaska pipeline project, portrayed the investment as settled. South Korean officials, however, took a more cautious position, saying the project’s commercial viability must be assessed before any investment commitment is made. The announcement marked the second time in three days that Trump has highlighted major development projects in states where Republican Senate candidates are facing competitive races, despite Trump having won those states comfortably in previous presidential elections. On Monday, Trump made a similar announcement involving plans for a massive steel plant in Iowa. South Korea’s participation in the Alaska project, which involves an 807-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline linking Alaska’s North Slope with a liquefied natural gas export terminal in the southern part of the state, “has not been finalized,” said Han Jeoungae, secretary-general of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s liberal Democratic Party. She said she believed Trump’s comments were “intended to emphasize the U.S. position.” “We will decide whether to invest in the Alaska LNG project only after thoroughly reviewing it in accordance with our domestic legal procedures and based on the principle of commercial viability,” she wrote on Facebook. The South Korean government has likewise said the Alaska LNG project remains subject to review based on commercial viability and domestic legal procedures. Trump and Alaska leaders in the Oval Office did not present the project as still pending. Trump praised Sullivan for advancing the project, saying, “He’s been working on this deal and other deals in Alaska, the pipeline, for almost 20 years, and we’re now getting it done.” Sullivan thanked Trump and his Cabinet for their efforts on the project. “Mr. President, this one is huge for Alaska,” Sullivan said, adding that he had been working on it “relentlessly.” Sullivan’s Democratic challenger, former congresswoman Mary Peltola, also welcomed the project and Trump’s efforts to promote it. In a statement, Peltola said she had participated in the bipartisan effort to bring the project “closer to reality” and looked forward to “continuing this bipartisan work with the President as Alaska’s next United States Senator.” Trump takes campaign message on the road Trump’s effort to promote major projects in states where Republican candidates could benefit comes as his approval ratings have fallen ahead of the midterm elections. Trump himself has acknowledged that Republicans could face a difficult effort to retain control of both chambers of Congress after November. “We have to turn this around,” he said Wednesday, suggesting that his administration has not done enough to publicize its accomplishments. “I’ve done a very bad job of explaining,” Trump said earlier at an event in the White House East Room. He has promised to spend much of the coming month on the road campaigning. He begins that effort Thursday with visits to Texas and Alabama, followed by Ohio on Saturday and Nebraska on Monday. All four states are traditionally solidly Republican. Democrats target Alaska and Iowa On Monday, Trump announced plans for a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa to be built by a Minnesota company owned by an Indian industrial conglomerate. The announcement came as Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson faces a close Senate contest with Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek for the seat being vacated by retiring two-term Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. Hinson spoke in the Oval Office during Trump’s announcement. Democrats need to gain a net four seats in the 100-member Senate to take control of the chamber, and the Iowa and Alaska races are among those they are targeting. Trump’s announcements come as voters express concern over near-record fuel prices linked to the unresolved war with Iran, while Republicans who control Congress face voters dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy. In a late-July poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about one-third of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while about seven in 10 described the economy as poor.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he and leaders of major artificial intelligence companies had signed a voluntary accord aimed at addressing public concerns over the technology, including provisions for internal and external reviews. “I think I’m seeing tremendous self-policing. And they understand that they have to self-police,” Trump told reporters during an impromptu news conference outside the West Wing. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson met with executives from leading technology companies that are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, including data centers being built in communities across the United States. The projects have sparked bipartisan opposition at the local level. The accord was signed by Trump, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, founder of xAI, which is now part of SpaceX. Trump posted the accord on his social media platform, Truth Social, late Tuesday. It leaves open the possibility of future regulation but focuses on four voluntary steps for the participating companies. Under the agreement, the companies would establish “robust internal controls,” work with an “independent external auditor” to determine whether those controls are effective and create a committee within each company’s board of directors to review reports from internal and external auditors. “Over time, it may make sense to codify these steps into laws and regulations,” the accord said. Trump repeatedly praised the executives for developing a technology that he said would generate “unbelievable growth.” Investment in data centers and related computer equipment has accelerated economic activity and helped boost the stock market, increasing investment accounts for higher-income Americans and supporting consumer spending. But some caution was voiced during Tuesday’s meeting. Amodei, one of the most outspoken advocates for slowing AI development, said the technology carries “very real risks.” “And, you know, the mechanism, how we address those risks is still under discussion,” Amodei said. Putting faith in ‘self-policing’ AI Trump said about 10 people would be appointed to a committee to “watch over the whole enterprise” and described the accord as “morally binding.” He also said he would appoint someone to oversee the agreement in the coming days after consulting with industry representatives. Some of the measures included in the accord are already being taken by the companies in some form or had previously been announced as commitments. The agreement seeks to balance the flexibility needed for innovation with regulatory oversight, said Shri Narayanan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Southern California. Narayanan said innovation involves not only improving the capabilities of AI models but also making them safer and more secure. Other experts questioned whether “so much faith” should be placed in self-policing. Robin Jia, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Southern California, said it was important to ensure that the intentions of leading AI companies remained aligned with the broader interests of the American public. Pointing to recent disclosures of hacking incidents, Jia said the consequences of such incidents would become more serious as AI models improve. Some critics also objected to the accord’s broad and vague language. Alex Pascal, executive director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, said reducing AI-related risks and harms to Americans would require legal liability, regulation and changes to the competitive pressures driving decisions by leading AI developers. Trump unveils chatbot to help Americans navigate government servicesHuang sat to Trump’s right during a White House luncheon, according to a seating chart posted by the president on Truth Social, while Musk sat to his left. Earlier Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. government would not restrict AI development or support calls for “guardrails” and other limitations. “I will never stifle the growth of a technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution,” Trump said at the unveiling of an AI chatbot, America.gov, designed to help Americans navigate government services. “We can’t stifle it, and we’re leading by a lot,” he said. The government chatbot was unveiled during a daylong event in Washington, where several Trump administration officials celebrated what they described as a “Golden Age” driven by what Trump prefers to call “super intelligence” rather than artificial intelligence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the chatbot on America.gov could soon allow people to apply for a first-time passport entirely online, eliminating the in-person visit to a processing center that is currently required. Trump says data centers will become ‘very popular’ Trump also said the technology executives had agreed to address bipartisan opposition to data centers being built in communities across the country by providing more financial support to local schools or taking measures to lower energy costs. “You’re going to see, data centers are going to be very popular,” Trump said. If opposition continued, he suggested, companies could be forced to build the facilities overseas or in other locations. Also Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a television interview that the company was placing greater emphasis on safety. His company had halted the rollout of a new model the previous day over safety concerns. “We are pacing our progress, which includes sometimes not training a model,” Altman said on CNBC. “We have to do these in a way where we can make very confident safety cases and claims, so that people don’t have a bunch of anxiety.” Trump portrayed the global AI race as largely a competition between the United States and China, saying there would be a winner and a loser, with no “second place.” The two countries agreed last week to establish a channel for dealing with AI-related incidents during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington. Trump, however, said Tuesday that he did not want extensive cooperation with China on AI. “I didn’t want to do anything, because we’re leading. Why would I want to do anything?” he said.