United News of Bangladesh

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk has been apprehended with "high certainty." Federal and state authorities had earlier released images and a video of the suspected shooter. Kirk, a prominent conservative figure and ally of Trump, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. The attack occurred in broad daylight, with disturbing footage showing Kirk being struck by a bullet during a public address on social issues. Over 7,000 tips have been received as part of the investigation, but authorities have not yet identified the suspect or provided a motive. The FBI's Robert Bohls confirmed it was a "targeted event." The shooter fired from a rooftop and then blended into the crowd, disappearing after the attack. Trump, along with other political leaders, condemned the violence and announced plans to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. Kirk’s funeral will be attended by Trump, and his body was flown to Phoenix for services, where his organization, Turning Point USA, is based. Kirk, known for his divisive views, was taking questions on gun violence moments before the shooting. His appearance sparked protests on campus, with some students barricading themselves in classrooms for safety. The shooting continues to draw bipartisan outrage, reflecting ongoing concerns about political violence in the U.S.  

Britain’s Prince Harry has made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to express solidarity with wounded service members amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. Harry’s representatives confirmed his arrival in Kyiv on Friday but withheld details of his schedule citing security concerns. It marks his second trip to Ukraine since 2022, following an earlier visit to Lviv in April. “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process,” Harry told the Guardian while traveling by train to the capital. A veteran of the British Army who served in Afghanistan, Harry is the founder of the Invictus Games — a Paralympic-style competition for injured veterans worldwide. Ukraine is currently bidding to host the games in 2029. Earlier this week, the Archewell Foundation — established by Harry and his wife Meghan — announced a $500,000 donation to projects supporting injured children in Gaza and Ukraine. The funds will go to the World Health Organization for medical evacuations and to develop prosthetics for severely wounded youth. According to the Guardian, Harry will meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, spend time with around 200 veterans, and visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. His trip coincides with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit to Kyiv, where she unveiled new U.K. sanctions targeting Russia’s oil revenues and military supplies. Harry’s appearance in Ukraine follows a four-day stay in the U.K., where he met his father, King Charles III, for the first time in 19 months — a move seen as a step toward mending strained royal ties. The visit comes less than a week after Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the 2022 invasion.

The swelling wave of public anger first swept through the island nation of Sri Lanka in 2022 and ousted the president. Two years later, it erupted in Bangladesh as protesters toppled the ruling government. On Monday public fury exploded in Nepal, forcing its prime minister to resign a day after. Each protest movement began with a specific grievance that flared up, ending in the rejection of the government or its leaders. In many ways, the protest movements share a common feature: disillusioned peoples’ resentment against the ruling elite and an entrenched political system they hold responsible for rampant corruption, deepening inequality and economic disparities. Often led by young people, the protests have sparked deadly violence and sometimes left behind a political vacuum filled by unelected leaders and a worsening law and order situation. “A perception of ruling elites as being both corrupt and ineffective at delivering a plausible path forward has created a structural basis for major crises,” said Paul Staniland, a politics professor specializing in South Asia at the University of Chicago. Nepal's public fury is largely against the political elite The youth-led protests in Nepal began on Monday as simmering discontent over years was ignited by the government’s ban on major social media platforms. Many were particularly angry that the children of political leaders seem to enjoy a lavish lifestyle, while most of the population was dealing with economic problems, rising unemployment and widespread corruption. The unrest has left at least 19 people dead. Protesters — who have not clearly spelled out their demands apart from rallying under the anti-corruption call — burned the parliament building, presidential house, and residences of several ministers and other politicians. Bending to mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli reversed the social media ban and quit. However, he will still lead a caretaker government until a new one is in place. It is unclear what the new government would look like and whether it will constitute the old political guard. Many Nepalis fear a familiar sequence of bargaining among the same political class they want to overthrow. Nepal is fraught with frequent political instability and each prime minister’s tenure has lasted just a year or two since the new constitution came into effect in 2015. The country abolished its monarchy in 2006, after a violent uprising that forced its former king to give up his authoritarian rule. Staniland said the violence could make it “much harder to determine who should be in charge or how they should proceed.” “The big question now in Nepal will be whether order can be restored and new, stable political dispensation forged,” he said. Before Nepal there was Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Those in Nepal looking for answers about its future will not find solace in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The lack of consensus on basic reform demands like elections and anti-corruption mechanisms, and an uncertain road map for the future, have dented the democratic progress in those countries and further exacerbated the problems they face. In Bangladesh, student-led protests started with anger against rules that limited the number of civil service jobs based on merit. They morphed into a massive nationwide uprising in July last year that culminated in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hundreds of people, mostly students, were killed in violent protests. Hasina fled to India, and an unelected interim administration, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was installed. He promised to restore order and hold a new election after necessary reforms. One year on, Bangladesh remains mired in instability. Politic parties are bickering over election dates. Mob violence, political attacks on rival parties and groups, and hostility to vulnerable minority groups by religious hard-liners have surged. In Sri Lanka, the then-Prime minister Ranil Wickremensignhe took over the country after protesters forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out in 2022. The country later had a democratic transition of power after Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected as president last year. He promised to improve standards of living, clean up government and hold corrupt politicians responsible for their actions. Almost a year later, Sri Lanka's problems seem far from over. Its people continue to deal with issues like economic hardships, human rights concerns and foreign-debt default. “There is no sign of the ideals of change desired by the protesters,” said Veeragathy Thanabalasingham, a Colombo-based political expert. Wider instability in the region Recent popular revolts have also rocked other nations in the region. In Indonesia, deadly protests last week over lawmakers’ perks and the cost of living forced the country’s president to replace key economic and security ministers. The protests have led to the death of at least seven people. In Myanmar, imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu Kyi ’s democratically-elected government was ousted by the military in 2021. Resistance to the military government has grown, and the country is now in the midst of a brutal civil war. Staniland said while “most protests come and go without such dramatic results” as those seen in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, “the kindling is there for miscalculations and unexpected events to spiral.” “I think Nepal represents the new politics of instability in South Asia," he said.

China has launched a two-year action plan aimed at accelerating high-quality growth in its power equipment industry, with a focus on promoting green and intelligent transformation. The official document outlines multiple development targets for the 2025-2026 period, including an average annual revenue increase of approximately 6 percent in traditional power equipment and a steady rise in new energy equipment. Leading enterprises in the sector are expected to achieve revenue growth of around 10 percent. The move comes in response to a global shift toward low-carbon energy and China's own push to build a new-type power system. Key measures listed in the plan include spurring wind power and other new energy equipment, advancing innovation in new energy storage technologies, expediting the construction of large onshore wind and photovoltaic bases, and eliminating outdated coal-fired capacity in an orderly manner. Efforts will also be made to deepen the integration of information technology with power equipment manufacturing. International cooperation will be intensified. China aims to expand full supply chain cooperation with emerging markets in wind, photovoltaic and energy storage, encourage component makers to join overseas supply chains, and promote mutual recognition of technical standards, testing, and certification. The plan was jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration. China's green power expansion has gained momentum. By the end of July, the nation's installed power generation capacity had reached 3.67 billion kilowatts, up 18.2 percent year on year. Solar installations surged 50.8 percent to 1.11 billion kilowatts, while wind capacity rose 22.1 percent to 570 million kilowatts.  

Grieving families of protesters killed by police in Nepal gathered in the capital Thursday, expressing anger at authorities and seeking information about their missing loved ones. Families held a candlelight vigil outside a hospital morgue in Kathmandu and announced plans to meet with Nepal army officials to seek justice. Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of people crowded Nepal’s main airport in Kathmandu to get a flight out of the country, as confusion set in over who governs the Himalayan nation after violent protests toppled the country’s government. The Health Ministry said that 34 people were killed and 1,368 wounded in protests on Monday and Tuesday. They were sparked by a short-lived social media ban and fueled by broader discontent over corruption and unemployment. Nepal’s army took control of the capital Tuesday night after two days of huge protests that left the presidential residence and government buildings in flames and forced the prime minister to resign and flee. The toll of the dead and wounded has been rising as reports on casualties trickled in from other parts of the country. “We need to fight for justice for our family who were killed and we cannot stay silent any longer,” said Kamal Subedi, one of those at the vigil. He said his nephew was killed. “We have lost our loved ones but politics seem to take priority right and no one has even approached us, so now we going to fight for justice for the honor they deserve.” Protesters said they are demanding state honors for their loved ones and are not interested in monetary compensation. Bhol Bahadur Bishwokarma was seeking information about his brother, Santosh Bishwokarma, who was killed by police fire. “We have heard that the body is in the hospital morgue here but no one has confirmed that or in what condition and shape the body is in. We have not even been able to see the body. We demand the government address our concern at the earliest," he said. In the capital, residents rushed to buy food staples like rice, vegetables and meat early Thursday, when the army briefly lifted a curfew. Armed soldiers were guarding the streets, checking vehicles and offering assistance to those in need. Many tried to leave the country after the airport reopened late Wednesday and international flights resumed Thursday. “It was very difficult time for us. We had trouble just to get to airport and back to hotel hoping for flights but finally I have found a seat and am going to be flying out of Nepal,” said Raj Kumar Bika, a chicken farmer who was trying to get to New Delhi for business. The last day of the key Indra Jatra festival was also shortened by the organizers cancelling the chariot process of the living goddess in the heart of Kathmandu. A few hundred devotees were allowed in the old palace courtyards but the living goddess was not taken out of her palace temple. It remained unclear who would take control of the government as the search for an interim leader continued. Nepalis wonder who's in charge When the protests prompted Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli to resign Tuesday, the country’s ceremonial President Ram Chandra Poudel asked him to lead a transitional government until a new one could be put in place. But Oli fled from his official residence, and his whereabouts were not clear. Residents of the capital were left wondering who was in charge. "I feel there should be an election soonest and new leaders who are able to work for the country should be elected,” said Sanu Bohara, a shop owner. “After all this what we need is peace. I feel there should not have been so much destruction, but that has already happened.” Anup Keshar Thapa, a retired government officer who was looking at the charred official residences of ministers, said it was not clear who would lead the country and if people would actually listen to them. “If the protests had gone in an organized way, it would be clear who was leading," he said. Protest leaders met with military officials at the army headquarters in Kathmandu on Wednesday to discuss a transitional leader. Rehan Raj Dangal, a representative of the protesters, said his group proposed to military leaders that Sushila Karki, a popular former chief justice, should head an interim government. Karki was the only woman to serve as chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court. Other protesters opposed her appointment. Anger at social media ban triggered protests Demonstrations by thousands of protesters were sparked Monday by a short-lived government ban on social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube, which the government said had failed to register with authorities and submit to oversight. Officers opened fire on protesters, and the clashes escalated Tuesday with attacks on government buildings. The social media ban was lifted on Tuesday, but the demonstrations continued, fueled by rage over the deaths of some 34 protesters blamed on police. The protests also spiraled to reflect broader discontent. Many young people are angry about “nepo kids” of political leaders who seem to enjoy luxurious lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work. Protesters set fires at the parliament building, the presidential residence, the central secretariat that houses the offices of the prime minister and key ministries, and the prime minister’s official residence. The building of Kantipur publication, Nepal’s biggest media outlet, also was torched and damaged. Car showrooms were also targeted, and burned-out vehicles dotted the streets. “We are compelled to go abroad because there is no future for people like us in Nepal,” said Asmita Poudel, who was waiting to board a flight to Dubai. “If there were opportunities, we would all stay back in the country.” The military takes control The military is rarely mobilized in Nepal, and soldiers initially stayed in their barracks as police lost control of the situation. Security forces started to mobilize late Tuesday, saying they were committed to preserving law and order. On Wednesday, soldiers quelled a jailbreak in the heart of Kathmandu. Inmates at the main jail had overpowered guards, set fire to buildings and tried to escape. Soldiers fired into the air, apprehended the escaping inmates and transferred them to other jails. No injuries were reported.

Charlie Kirk's casket arrived in his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two on Thursday as Vice President JD Vance honored the conservative activist with a final flight. Vance's wife, Usha, stepped off the plane with Kirk's widow, Erika. Both women wore black and sunglasses. The vice president was a few steps behind in a dark suit. Air Force Two arrived in Phoenix after a short flight from Salt Lake City, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Orem, Utah, where Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. Vance helped carry Kirk's casket with a group of uniformed service members as it was loaded onto the plane. On Wednesday night, Vance wrote on social media that his relationship with Vance began several years ago after he appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News. Kirk reached out to compliment him, “and that moment of kindness began a friendship.” Last year, Kirk advocated for Vance to be Donald Trump’s choice for vice president and frequently checked in on his family. Vance described him as “a true friend.” Kirk was co-founder and CEO of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, based in Phoenix.

A suspect on trial for attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump last year lost the right to continue his opening statement on Thursday after veering off topic to discuss Adolf Hitler and wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Ryan Routh, 59, representing himself, was warned by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to stay on topic. His 10-minute initial statement was cut short for discussing unrelated matters. Prosecutors said Routh had plotted for weeks to kill Trump while he played golf in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024. A Secret Service agent spotted him and fired, forcing him to drop his rifle and flee without harming anyone. Routh faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations. He has pleaded not guilty. The trial, expected to last two to three weeks, began with a 12-member jury and four alternates sworn in on Wednesday.

Americans are observing the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with solemn ceremonies, volunteer activities, and tributes to the victims. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a service at the Pentagon Thursday morning. Later in the evening, the president planned to travel to the Bronx to watch a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. This marked Trump’s first public appearance since Wednesday’s fatal shooting in Utah of his supporter Charlie Kirk. At 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 military personnel and civilians. In other news, Harvard University has begun receiving notifications that many federal grants previously terminated under the Trump administration will be reinstated after a federal judge ruled the cuts illegal. The decision may signal the return of federal research funding to Harvard after months of a funding deadlock with the White House, though no payments have yet been made. Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said the university is “monitoring funding receipts closely.” Last week, a federal judge in Boston ordered the government to reverse more than $2.6 billion in cuts, describing them as unconstitutional and saying antisemitism was used as a cover for ideological attacks. The White House has announced plans to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, the U.S. labor market shows signs of softening. The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits rose by 27,000 last week to 263,000, the highest weekly filings in nearly four years and above the 231,000 applications economists had expected. Weekly claims are considered an indicator of layoffs and have generally remained between 200,000 and 250,000 since the post-pandemic recovery. The four-week average of claims increased by 9,750 to 240,500. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of Aug. 30 remained at 1.94 million.

Yemen’s national museum and other historical sites in the capital Sanaa were damaged during Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 35 people and injured more than 130, the Houthi-run Ministry of Culture said Thursday. The ministry warned that thousands of historical artifacts inside the museum could be at risk, though their current condition remains unclear. Photos and video from the strike site showed damage to the building’s facade. The ministry called on the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to condemn the attack and intervene to protect the museum and its collections. Most of the casualties occurred in Sanaa, where a military headquarters and a fuel station were struck, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Israel has previously launched airstrikes in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks on its territory. The Iran-backed Houthis have expressed support for Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza and recently sent a drone that breached Israel’s air defenses, hitting a southern airport. Israeli airstrikes kill at least 35 in Yemen: Houthi officials Israeli Strikes in Lebanon In a related development, Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah sites in the Bekaa Valley and southern Zrariyeh, the Israeli military said Thursday. Lebanon’s health ministry reported one death from a drone strike near Tyre and said Israeli forces entered the border village of Aita al-Shaab to demolish a building that had formerly served as a school for special needs students. Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict in November, Israel has continued near-daily strikes in Lebanon, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities. Lebanese officials have condemned these attacks as violations of the ceasefire. The recent strikes in Yemen and Lebanon highlight escalating tensions in the region and growing international concern over civilian and cultural heritage casualties.

Speculation has recently surfaced on social media in Bangladesh claiming that Charyapada manuscripts, regarded as the earliest surviving evidence of  Bangla language, were destroyed in a fire at Nepal’s Singha Durbar amid recent anti-government protests. However, the claim is yet to be confirmed by reliable sources and there is no verifiable evidence that ancient Bengali manuscripts—including Charyapada—were destroyed in Nepal during the protests.  The Charyapada, a collection of mystical Buddhist verses believed to date back over a thousand years, was rediscovered in 1907 by scholar Haraprasad Shastri at the Nepal Royal Court Library. Scholars have long regarded the discovery as a milestone in tracing the early history of Bangla literature. Posts circulating on Facebook allege that demonstrators, who recently set fire to sections of the Singha Durbar complex, also destroyed the rare manuscripts along with other medieval Bengali literary works. Ancient writers such as Alaol, Shah Muhammad Sagir, Daulat Kazi, Qureshi Magan Thakur and others were among those whose works had been preserved there. However, the reality suggests that the original palm-leaf manuscript of the Charyapada is currently preserved at the National Archives of Nepal. Nepal has long witnessed public anger over corruption, unemployment, inequality, and nepotism among politicians. Recently, the government decided to block 26 social media platforms, further intensifying public frustration. On Monday, September 8, anti-government protests over allegations of corruption and mismanagement turned violent. Demonstrators set fire to the Parliament building, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said thousands of protesters entered the Parliament premises chanting slogans. The building was engulfed in gray and black smoke as demonstrators carried out acts of vandalism. Protesters also broke through the western gate of Singha Durbar and entered the premises, setting the gate itself on fire.  Nepal army deployed as protesters demand former chief justice as interim leader Singha Durbar is the central administrative complex housing Nepal’s key ministries and government offices. The complex had been repaired and reopened after being damaged in the 2015 earthquake. While the speculation about the destruction of the Charyapada has caused concern among netizens in Bangladesh, authorities in Nepal have not issued any statement confirming damage to the manuscripts or other archival holdings.