United News of Bangladesh

More than 100 humanitarian and rights organizations issued a warning Wednesday that Israel’s blockade and continued military actions are driving Gaza’s population toward starvation. The alert came as local health officials reported 29 more Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes. At the same time, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet with a senior Israeli official to discuss ceasefire efforts, suggesting potential progress in long-stalled negotiations. Experts say the risk of famine in Gaza is rising, a crisis triggered by Israel’s blockade and its military campaign launched in response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described a surge in malnutrition-related deaths and diseases, stating that a large portion of Gaza’s two million residents are now starving. While Israel insists it has allowed sufficient aid into Gaza, it blames logistical issues on the U.N. and other delivery agencies. These groups counter that Israeli restrictions and dangerous conditions on the ground prevent effective aid distribution. Hamas Conditions for Hostage Release Hamas has stated that it will release the remaining 50 hostages—around 20 believed to still be alive—only in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli military withdrawal. Israel has pledged to continue military operations until Hamas is dismantled and all captives are recovered. Aid Groups Decry Conditions In a joint open letter, 115 aid organizations—including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, and Mercy Corps—condemned Israel’s restrictions and accused its forces of targeting aid distribution sites. The letter described the situation as “chaos, starvation, and death,” blaming Israel for both limiting humanitarian access and causing mass casualties. Witnesses, health officials, and the U.N. have accused Israeli troops of opening fire on civilians seeking aid, allegedly killing over 1,000 people. Israel disputes these claims, saying it uses warning shots and that casualty numbers are inflated. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed the concerns, saying treatment centers for malnutrition in Gaza are overwhelmed and undersupplied. He noted that over 10% of the population is acutely malnourished, with over 20% of pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from serious nutritional deficiencies. WHO officials also reported over 30,000 children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza, with at least 21 confirmed child deaths this year alone due to hunger-related conditions. Israel Pushes Back on Accusations Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the letter’s claims, accusing the aid groups of spreading Hamas propaganda. It said approximately 4,500 aid trucks have entered Gaza since May, although U.N. data shows this averages only about 70 trucks per day—far short of the 500 to 600 trucks the U.N. says are needed daily. U.N. agencies report that continued Israeli military restrictions, ongoing combat, and the collapse of civil order have severely hampered aid delivery. A separate system coordinated by Israel and a U.S. contractor has also been plagued by violence and mismanagement. High-Level Talks on Ceasefire and Hostage Deal White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Witkoff is traveling to Europe to meet Middle Eastern leaders and discuss a proposed ceasefire and potential hostage release. An anonymous official confirmed that Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet with Witkoff in Rome on Thursday. The developing plan reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, during which Hamas would release 10 surviving hostages and the remains of 18 others in stages, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Humanitarian aid would also be significantly increased, and talks toward a permanent truce would follow. Airstrikes Continue, Civilians Among the Dead Despite diplomatic efforts, Israeli airstrikes continued overnight, reportedly killing at least 29 people. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, a strike on a home in Gaza City killed 12, including six children and two women. The military said it had targeted an Islamic Jihad member and was reviewing the incident due to reports of civilian deaths. Other strikes included one that killed three children in Gaza City, another in northern Gaza that killed six—three of them children—and an attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp that left eight dead and 57 injured. The October 7 Hamas-led assault killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 hostages taken. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict. While the ministry does not separate civilian from militant deaths, it reports that more than half of those killed are women and children. The U.N. and humanitarian organizations consider the ministry’s figures the most reliable available.

Three police officers were wounded and a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire early Wednesday afternoon in an industrial area of Lorain, Ohio. Elyria Police Chief James Welsh told reporters officers on patrol were ambushed by a man firing a high-powered rifle. Officers returned fire, he said. He said it is unclear if the suspect, a 28-year-old man from Lorain whom Welsh did not name, was killed by the officers or shot himself. Welsh said the man is believed to have acted alone. “This was an ambush situation” on River Bend Drive about 1 p.m., Welsh said. Details about a possible motive were not disclosed. “At this point, we can confirm that he's a lone gunman.” New York to make phone calls free in its state prisons Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley said in a phone interview that Lorain officers will get counseling to help process the shooting of their colleagues. The wounded officers' names were not immediately released. Two officers were flown to a trauma center, while the third was initially treated at Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital, Bradley said.

New York will eliminate charges for phone calls made from state prisons beginning August 1, state officials announced Tuesday. Currently, incarcerated individuals are allowed three free 15-minute calls per week, after which they are charged 2.4 cents per minute. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement that removing the cost aims to strengthen family connections, which helps reduce tensions and conflicts inside correctional facilities. Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein coverage Daniel Martuscello, commissioner of the department, emphasized the importance of maintaining family ties during incarceration. “Strong family support plays a vital role in improving outcomes both during incarceration and after release, ultimately helping to lower recidivism,” he said. While New York City jails have provided free phone calls since 2019, New York now joins Connecticut and several other states that have adopted similar statewide policies. The corrections department confirmed that the funding for the initiative has been incorporated into its existing operating budget.

The UK and Germany are co-chairing a high-level virtual meeting on Monday to discuss President Donald Trump’s push for NATO allies to supply weapons to Ukraine, a week after he announced that military deliveries would reach Ukraine within days. British Defence Secretary John Healey and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will lead the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, are expected to join the discussion. The talks come amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting around 300 drone strikes on Saturday alone. Analysts warn that such assaults are likely to escalate further. In a shift of tone last week, President Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face harsher sanctions. Under Trump’s new arms plan, European nations will send U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine via NATO—either from their current stockpiles or by purchasing and donating new equipment. A key focus is on advanced Patriot air defense systems. Although Trump said deliveries would begin “within days,” officials last week indicated that transfers had not yet started. Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein coverage Gen. Grynkewich told the Associated Press on Thursday that “preparations are underway,” while U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said he could not confirm a timeline. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany would finance two new Patriot systems for Ukraine and may supply additional systems from its own inventory, to be replaced by the U.S. However, he noted delivery could take “days, perhaps weeks.” Switzerland may also contribute, as its defence ministry said five previously ordered Patriot systems would be reprioritized for Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO continues coordinating other military aid, including artillery and ammunition, some of which had been briefly paused. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said peace talks were proposed this week, with Istanbul likely as host. Russia has yet to set a date but remains open to negotiations

President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch Friday, a day after the newspaper published a story reporting on his ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. The move came shortly after the Justice Department asked a federal court on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s sex trafficking case, as the administration seeks to contain the firestorm that erupted after it announced that it would not be releasing additional files from the case, despite previously pledging to do so. The controversy has created a major fissure between Trump and his loyal base, with some of his most vocal supporters slamming the White House for the way it has handled the case, and questioning why Trump would not want the documents made public. Trump had promised to sue the Wall Street Journal almost immediately after the paper put a new spotlight on his well-documented relationship with Epstein by publishing an article that described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The suit, filed in filed in federal court in Miami, accuses the paper and its reporters of having “knowingly and recklessly” published “numerous false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleges, caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the president. In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump cast the lawsuit as part of his efforts to punish news outlets, including ABC and CBS, which both reached multimillion-dollar settlement deals with the president after he took them to court. “This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media,” he wrote. A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal’s publisher, responded Friday night, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.” The letter revealed by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump. The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper. Trump denied writing the letter and promised to sue. He said he spoke to both to the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its top editor, Emma Tucker, before the story was published and told them the letter was “fake.” “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” the president insisted. The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely or provide details on how it came to learn about it. In the lawsuit, Trump takes issue with that fact. The defendants, it attests, “failed to attach the letter, failed to attach the alleged drawing, failed to show proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how this purported letter was obtained.” “The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists,” it goes on to charge, alleging that the “Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.” Earlier Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed motions in a separate federal court urging them to unseal the Epstein transcripts as well as those in the case against Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest while awaiting trial. The Justice Department’s announcement that it would not be making public any more Epstein files enraged parts of Trump’s base in part because members of his own administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier. The Justice Department said in the court filings that it will work with with prosecutors in New York to make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personally identifying information before transcripts are released. “Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,” Blanche wrote. But despite the new push to release the grand jury transcripts, the administration has not announced plans to reverse course and release other evidence in its possession. Attorney General Pam Bondi had hyped the release of more materials after the first Epstein files disclosure in February sparked outrage because it contained no new revelations. A judge would have to approve the release of the grand jury transcripts, and it’s likely to be a lengthy process to decide what can become public and to make redactions to protect sensitive witness and victim information. The records would show testimony of witnesses and other evidence that was presented by prosecutions during the secret grand jury proceedings, when a panel decides whether there is enough evidence to bring an indictment, or a formal criminal charge.

The U.S. Justice Department has requested a judge to unseal documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following heavy criticism over the Trump administration's handling of the case. The request involves transcripts from the grand jury that oversaw the government’s 2019 sex trafficking case against Epstein. These materials are generally protected by law and kept confidential. The court filing came as President Trump launched a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, its owner Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters over a report alleging he sent a “bawdy” personal note to Epstein in 2003. Trump has dismissed the note—reportedly sent for Epstein’s 50th birthday—as “fake.” On Thursday, he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the release of documents tied to Epstein’s confidential grand jury proceedings. The Justice Department officially made the request in a New York court, arguing that the case—where Epstein was accused of trafficking dozens of girls as young as 14—falls under “a matter of public interest.” The department is also seeking disclosure of materials connected to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, who was convicted in the child sex trafficking conspiracy. Trump faces renewed controversy over Epstein letter as transparency promises falter Grand juries—panels that determine whether sufficient evidence exists to indict someone—can hear from secret informants and individuals whose identities are shielded for safety. Normally, grand jury materials remain sealed under law, but a judge can allow them to be unsealed if public interest outweighs the need for secrecy. However, it remains uncertain when or if the documents will be released, or whether they include the type of details Trump’s supporters have been demanding. • Why the Epstein case looms large in MAGA world• Trump’s voters want to see the Epstein files – but have faith in their president Also on Friday, Trump filed a $10 billion (£7.5 billion) lawsuit in Miami against Dow Jones, News Corp, and conservative media magnate Rupert Murdoch. He claims the Wall Street Journal defamed him and violated libel laws in publishing a story that alleged he sent a “bawdy” birthday greeting to Epstein in 2003, before the financier was charged with sex crimes. “We have just filed a powerhouse lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, fake news ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is, The Wall Street Journal,” Trump posted on social media. “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case,” he added. Trump said both the newspaper and Murdoch—who has had a decades-long, on-and-off relationship with him—were warned they would face legal action if they ran the story. Murdoch, who appeared with Trump at the FIFA World Cup last Sunday, built a media empire credited by many with helping Trump win the presidency. Trump flip-flops over whether he’ll fire the Fed’s Powell According to the Journal, the letter bearing Trump’s name “contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.” “Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person,” the paper said. The message reportedly included a playful reference—“Enigmas never age”—and ended with the phrase: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump, after the article was published Thursday, denied authorship of the note, writing: “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.” Friday’s developments came amid a rocky week for the president, as even some of his staunchest backers pushed for increased transparency and full public disclosure regarding the Epstein case. Some of Trump’s loyalists have called for Attorney General Bondi’s resignation after she changed course on releasing certain Epstein-related documents. Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told the BBC that Trump’s handling of the Epstein files was “not what I was expecting,” adding that “millions” of Trump supporters are disillusioned. “We feel like we’re being talked down to like stupid children.” Meanwhile, lawmakers in Congress are pushing a “discharge petition” that would compel Bondi to release a broad set of Epstein-related records held by the Justice Department. The initiative has united unlikely allies, with both Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supporting the effort. Source: BBC

U.S. President Donald Trump is facing fresh controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein after The Wall Street Journal reported on a letter allegedly written by Trump and included in Epstein’s 2003 birthday album. The letter, described as sexually suggestive and accompanied by a drawing of a nude woman, has sparked backlash and further complicated Trump’s efforts to manage the fallout from the long-running Epstein investigation. Trump has denied writing the letter, calling it “false, malicious, and defamatory,” and vowed to sue the newspaper. “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” Trump said in a lengthy social media post. He also claimed to have contacted WSJ owner Rupert Murdoch and editor Emma Tucker to protest the publication. The controversy comes amid growing frustration within Trump’s administration over the stalled release of promised Epstein case records. Attorney General Pam Bondi, under pressure from lawmakers and Trump supporters, now says she will seek court approval to release grand jury information—though other investigative materials will remain sealed. The Journal reported that the letter was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, years before his 2006 arrest and long before his relationship with Trump ended. Trump’s Vice President JD Vance criticized the report, questioning its authenticity and accusing the newspaper of publishing it without proper verification. The administration’s reversal on transparency has angered Trump’s political base. Supporters who had long demanded disclosure of Epstein’s alleged elite connections feel betrayed. In response, Trump blamed Democrats and former U.S. officials, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for creating what he called a “hoax.” Trump flip-flops over whether he’ll fire the Fed’s Powell Tensions within the administration have grown, with reports of a dispute between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino over the handling of the files. The White House has ruled out appointing a special counsel to further investigate the Epstein case. Earlier Thursday, House Democrats used procedural tactics to delay a $9.4 billion spending rollback bill, demanding a vote on releasing Epstein-related documents. Some Republicans proposed a resolution supporting the release of credible Epstein files as a compromise. Trump’s ties to Epstein, though widely documented, have not resulted in any accusations of misconduct against the president. A 1992 video shows Trump and Epstein socializing at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by young women. Trump has downplayed the relationship, saying he distanced himself from Epstein over 15 years ago. Previously released documents include a 2016 deposition in which one Epstein accuser mentioned visiting Trump’s Atlantic City casino but made no direct allegations against him. Source: Agency 

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that it was “highly unlikely” he would fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “unless he has to leave for fraud.” The statement came less than 24 hours after Trump indicated in a private meeting that he is leaning in favor of dismissing the head of the U.S. central bank. Trump confirmed that he discussed the “concept” of dismissing Powell in a meeting with about a dozen House Republicans, who had gathered at the White House on Tuesday to discuss crypto legislation in the House. “Almost every one of them said I should,” Trump said Wednesday during an Oval Office meeting. U.S. stocks were shaky after the news broke, as such a move could help Wall Street get the lower interest rates that it loves but would also risk a weakened Fed unable to make the unpopular moves needed to keep inflation under control.

A worsening mental health crisis is unfolding among American teenagers, with two out of every five high school students reporting persistent sadness or hopelessness, according to new data underscoring the harmful effects of screen addiction on youth well-being. The 74, a U.S.-based nonprofit news outlet focused on education, published a commentary Tuesday highlighting the alarming scope of the crisis. Citing new research from the Coalition to Empower our Future, the piece noted that nearly 60 percent of parents rate their children’s mental health as "very or somewhat poor." Experts cited in the report emphasized that the nature of screen engagement—such as compulsive use of social media or smartphones—poses a greater threat than the overall amount of time spent online. These patterns are believed to be a significant source of deep psychological stress among adolescents. Suicide bomber kills 9 in Syria Scientific support for this concern emerged in June, when a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association tracked around 4,300 American children over four years. The research found that teens who exhibited addictive behavior with social media, smartphones, or video games were twice as likely to engage in suicidal behavior compared to peers with lower levels of addictive use. Lead researcher Dr. Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, stressed that the key issue is addictive use, rather than screen time alone. The study showed that approximately 31 percent of the participants developed increasingly addictive social media use, while 25 percent displayed similar patterns with mobile phones. Challenging long-held assumptions about screen time limits, the study found no link between total screen time at age 10 and future suicide-related outcomes. However, children who exhibited compulsive behavior—such as inability to stop using devices, anxiety when disconnected, or relying on screens to avoid problems—faced notably higher risks. These trends begin early. About half of the children reported consistently high levels of mobile phone addiction from the start of the study into early adolescence. In the case of social media, around 40 percent showed either high or escalating addictive use. The study also uncovered disparities in mental health consequences. Highly addictive video game use was linked to the greatest increase in internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, rising addiction to social media was associated with the most serious externalizing behavioral issues. Children with peak levels of social media addiction had two to three times higher risk of suicidal behavior. This problem is not confined to isolated individuals. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that one in five high school students seriously considered attempting suicide.

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot use its travel ban to prevent 80 already-vetted refugees from entering the United States, marking a significant setback for the policy. In a decision issued late Monday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle stated that President Donald Trump's June executive order — which restricted entry from 12 countries — does not apply to refugees seeking asylum. “In other words, by its plain terms, the Proclamation excludes refugees from its scope,” the judge wrote. Whitehead ruled that denying entry to refugees would undermine their ability to apply for asylum, contradicting the very language of the presidential order. He directed the government to immediately resume processing the 80 “presumptively protected refugees” who had been rejected under the travel ban. The U.S. State Department has not issued a comment on the ruling. US manufacturing struggles persist despite subsidies and tariffs Whitehead also outlined a vetting framework for refugees from the 12 banned countries and others who were denied entry after the Trump administration suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program just hours after taking office on January 20. This suspension had left thousands of refugees — many already cleared after years of security screening — stranded in various parts of the world. Among them were family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel and over 1,600 Afghans who supported American forces during the war. Several refugees and aid organizations, whose funding was frozen by the administration, filed lawsuits. They later sought class-action status to extend the court’s ruling to similarly affected refugees. In May, Judge Whitehead said the suspension likely nullified Congress’s intent, noting that Congress had created and funded the refugee admissions program. He issued a preliminary injunction in February, halting the administration’s suspension of refugee processing and aid. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused much of that ruling in March, saying the administration was likely to prevail as the president holds broad authority over immigration decisions.