United News of Bangladesh

Democrats in the US Senate are set to force a fifth vote on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations against Iran. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will continue pressing the issue, urging Republicans to take a clear stance, reports Al Jazeera. “Senate Republicans cannot sit on the sidelines while our service members are risking their lives on the frontlines,” Schumer said. “We will continue putting them on the record until the war ends or until enough of them find the courage to vote with us to end this war,” he added. Under the United States Constitution, Congress holds the authority to declare war, not the president. Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives have repeatedly introduced war powers resolutions seeking to require Trump to obtain congressional authorisation before launching military action against Iran. However, the efforts have so far been blocked by Republicans, who hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.

The US military said it carried out another strike on a boat suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people on Sunday. The attack is part of an ongoing campaign by the administration of Donald Trump targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels in Latin American waters since early September. The operations have so far killed at least 181 people, with similar strikes also reported in the eastern Pacific Ocean. ([euronews][1]) Despite the ongoing conflict with Iran, the pace of these strikes has increased again in recent days, indicating that Washington’s efforts against what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the region are continuing. However, the US military has not provided evidence confirming that the targeted boats were carrying drugs. The campaign began as the United States expanded its military presence in the region. It also followed a January operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who was taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. In Sunday’s strike, US Southern Command said it targeted suspected traffickers moving along known smuggling routes and shared a video showing the boat being destroyed in a large explosion. President Trump has described the situation as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels in Latin America and defended the strikes as necessary to curb drug flows and overdose deaths in the United States. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the legality of the operations and questioned the lack of clear evidence supporting the claims that those targeted were involved in drug trafficking.

Iran’s military headquarters says the U.S. attack and seizure of an Iranian-flagged tanker marks a ceasefire violation. Iran’s state broadcaster reported that the country’s military denounced the U.S. action as “maritime piracy” and said that “Iran will respond soon.” The U.S. says it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings. Earlier, the United States attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship it said had tried to evade its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. It was the first interception since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, during an early morning attack on his family Sunday that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood left shaken by one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years, police said. Two women, including the gunman's wife who was the mother of their children, were also shot and critically injured, according to Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon. Officials said the children — who were all killed in the same house — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old. The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, died after a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him, according to Bordelon. Authorities did not say what may have set off the violence but Bordelon said detectives were confident the shooting was “entirely a domestic incident.” The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years. “I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.” Bordelon said police were familiar with Elkins, who had been arrested in a 2019 firearms case, but he said officials were not aware of any other domestic violence issues. Police said the attacks began before sunrise in a neighborhood south of downtown Shreveport when the suspect shot a woman at one home and then drove to the other location “where this heinous act was carried out.” Seven children were killed inside the second house, and one was found dead on the roof after apparently trying to escape, Bordelon said. Another child jumped off the roof and was expected to survive after being taken to a hospital. State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to get away through the back door. “I can't even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said at a news conference. Family member says suspect was separating from his wife The victims were three boys and five girls, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s office. Shamar Elkins and his wife were in the middle of separating and were due in court Monday, said Crystal Brown, who is a cousin of one of the wounded women. Brown said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting. “He murdered his children," Brown said. “He shot his wife.” Elkins shared four children with his wife and three children with another woman who lived close by and who was also shot, according to Brown. All the children were together at one house, she said. Brown described all the children as “happy kids, very friendly, very sweet.” A neighbor wakes up to a mass shooting Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots. “That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said. Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof. She said she did not know the gunman’s name. “He looks like the dad that comes over here,” she said, adding that he was just with the children a few days ago. Pastor Marty T. Johnson Sr., of nearby St. Gabriel Community Baptist Church, who owns one of the homes where the shootings occurred, said a person who works for him had rented it to the family, but he never had dealings with them. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office released a statement on Sunday saying it was not yet releasing any of the children’s names because identification of the victims was pending. “What began as a domestic dispute has ended in irreversible harm,” the parish's district attorney’s office said in a statement. Shreveport is overwhelmed by grief It was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes. “This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It’s a terrible morning.” Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to help investigate. In a statement, state police said no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning. State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Shreveport, said in separate statements that they were heartbroken and praised law enforcement for their response. “We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Johnson said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump has indicated that military attacks could resume if a ceasefire with Iran expires next week without a deal. Speaking to reporters, Trump said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place and warned that bombing could restart if negotiations fail. “I don’t know. Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain,” Trump said. “Unfortunately, we may have to start dropping bombs again.” At the same time, he expressed hope for a diplomatic outcome, saying he believes an agreement is still possible. Iran earlier said it had reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping but warned it could shut it again if the US continues its blockade on Iranian vessels and ports. Uncertainty remains over how freely ships can pass through the vital waterway, which handles about 20% of global oil shipments. The development comes as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon appears to be holding. The recent conflict has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab countries. Thirteen US service members have also been killed. Trump also rejected any possibility of Iran imposing tolls or restrictions on ships using the Strait of Hormuz. “No way,” he said, making it clear that such measures would not be accepted.

Iranian state media reported that the commander of Iran’s joint military command warned that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the United States does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports. “Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” said Ali Abdollahi. He added that the U.S. blockade is “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.” Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz when Israel and the United States launched strikes against it more than a month ago. The United States on Monday began blockading ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports and said it would not impede the freedom of navigation of other vessels in the Persian Gulf.

US President Donald Trump has said a second round of talks between the United States and Iran could resume within days. In a phone call with The New York Post, Trump said a second round of talks with Iran “could be happening over next two days.” He initially indicated the discussions would likely take place somewhere in Europe, but later said they could instead be held in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, reports AP. An initial round of negotiations ended without any agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which the White House has identified as a key sticking point. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said it is “highly probable” that US-Iran negotiations will restart. He made the remarks after meeting Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister on Tuesday, praising Islamabad’s efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. Guterres expressed “enormous admiration” for Pakistan’s initiative and stressed the importance of continued dialogue. “I consider it essential that these negotiations go on,” Guterres told UN reporters, noting it would be “unrealistic” for long-standing and complex issues between the US and Iran to be resolved in a single round of talks. “We need negotiations to go on, and we need a ceasefire to persist as negotiations go on,” the secretary-general said.

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has hinted at a possible run for the 2028 presidential election, saying she is “thinking about it” following her defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 race. Speaking at the National Action Network (NAN) annual convention in New York, Harris responded to a direct question from civil rights leader Al Sharpton about whether she would run again, reports Al Jazeera. “Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it,” Harris said, without committing to a formal announcement. She added that her experience in the White House had prepared her for the role of president. “I know what the job is, and I know what it requires,” she said, referring to her tenure as vice president under Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025. Harris noted that she had spent extensive time working in the West Wing, the Oval Office, and the Situation Room, describing herself as being “a heartbeat away from the presidency” during her time in office. Harris became the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election after Biden stepped aside following a widely criticised debate performance. She ultimately lost to Trump, who secured 312 Electoral College votes against her 226. Despite the defeat, Harris received more than 75 million votes, making her one of the highest vote-getters in US presidential history. Her remarks came amid growing speculation over potential Democratic contenders for 2028, with several party figures also attending the event, including governors and senior lawmakers considered possible candidates. Harris also used her speech to criticise Trump’s foreign policy record, describing the US and Israeli war against Iran as a “war of choice” and warning that America’s global influence had weakened under his leadership. She said any future decision about running would depend on who could best serve the American people, adding: “I’ll keep you posted.”

US Vice President JD Vance has said that President Donald Trump has issued “pretty clear guidelines” for upcoming negotiations with Iran, adding that he expects the talks to be “positive” as he departs for Pakistan. Speaking to reporters in Washington DC before travelling to Islamabad, Vance said he is “looking forward” to the discussions and believes diplomatic engagement with Tehran can make progress if conducted in good faith, reports Al Jazeera. He said, “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand. That’s one thing.” However, he warned that Washington would not be “receptive” if Iran attempted to manipulate the process. “If they’re going to try to play us, they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” he said. Pakistan has yet to announce an official schedule for the talks, although the White House had previously indicated that discussions could take place on Saturday morning. Islamabad continues to wait for the delegations’ arrival. The comments come ahead of high-level talks in Pakistan aimed at addressing tensions following weeks of conflict and a recently announced ceasefire framework involving the United States and Iran.

US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised NATO and renewed his controversial remarks about Greenland, following talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. Trump accused the alliance of failing to support the United States during the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, saying, “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them and they won’t be there if we need them again.” In a post on his Truth Social platform, he added, “Remember Greenland, that big, poorly run, piece of ice,” reviving his earlier threats to seize the territory from NATO ally Denmark — a move that has alarmed European partners. The remarks came shortly after a closed-door meeting between Trump and Rutte. Speaking to CNN, Rutte declined to directly answer whether Trump had indicated any intention to withdraw from NATO. “Let me be absolutely clear. He is clearly disappointed, and with many NATO allies. And I can see his point,” Rutte said. He, however, stressed that most European nations have supported NATO operations through basing, logistics and overflight arrangements, and have sought to meet their commitments. Rutte also noted broad support among allies for efforts to weaken Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, adding that only the United States currently has the capacity to carry out such actions. Describing the meeting, Rutte said the discussion with Trump was “very frank” and “open.”