United News of Bangladesh

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said negotiations with Iran over extending the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz are expected to continue for several more days. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday before departing India, Rubio said discussions were ongoing regarding the wording of an initial agreement document following recent US strikes in southern Iran despite the existing ceasefire. “There is still a lot of back-and-forth over specific language in the draft document, so the process could take a few more days,” Rubio said. He stressed that President Donald Trump would not agree to any deal considered unfavorable to the United States. Rubio also highlighted the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strategic waterway must remain accessible for global shipping without interference or additional charges imposed by Iran. “The Strait needs to remain open and free for navigation, without any tolls,” he said.

The US military said on Monday that it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely.” The strikes were done “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” but the military was “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” Capt. Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement. Further details were not immediately available, including more specifics on the threats from Iran and what this means for negotiations. Earlier, Trump said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalising relations with Israel. The proposal came as the emerging Iran deal faced criticism from fellow Republicans who favor a harder line on Iran, and it could add new diplomatic complications to the negotiations. Trump pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as countries that should “immediately” sign on, alongside Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first countries to join in 2020. He wrote that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords.” Trump has long hoped Saudi Arabia would join, but the kingdom has maintained that any normalisation deal requires first establishing a clear path for Palestinian statehood. That’s also key for Pakistan, which is among the countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Islamabad-based analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said Pakistan’s position on Israel remains unchanged despite Trump’s latest proposal. The president said he brought up the Abraham Accords plan with leaders during negotiations on Saturday. He said he would accept “one or two” countries declining to sign, but said most should be willing. Egypt and Jordan already formally recognise Israel and have long-standing peace treaties. Turkey first recognised Israel in 1949. Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, said it remains to be seen how workable the proposal might be for the countries on Trump’s list. “The invocation of the Abraham Accords at this stage gives an altogether new dimension to the diplomatic and mediatory processes because this issue was not on the agenda,” he said, pointing to the domestic pressure Trump is facing to strike a favourable deal. Still, Khan said, “the diplomatic track is still working, and I believe Pakistan is very much at the centre of it, supported by regional countries.” It remains unclear when or how any deal with Iran might be completed. Trump suggested even Iran could eventually sign on to the accords, if an agreement is reached. The accords are a series of diplomatic, economic and security agreements created with U.S. influence during Trump’s first term, originally between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Sudan, Morocco, and, more recently, Kazakhstan. They were framed as an effort to promote cooperation among countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and the administration saw them as partly paving the way for full ties with Israel.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, officially began Monday. More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country, Saleh bin Saad Al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said Friday. The faithful have been pouring into the country for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related regional tensions and uncertainty. Egyptian pilgrim Samya Abdul Moneim said she was grateful to God that she made it to the Hajj, which is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. “I am in a state of blessing and happiness,” she said in Mecca on Sunday. “It’s an indescribable feeling, truly. I mean, thank God, I am in a blessing.” Typically on the first day, many pilgrims in Mecca converge on a vast tent camp in the nearby desert. Ahead of that, pilgrims have been circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in sweltering temperatures. For pilgrims, Hajj can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. Pilgrims perform the Hajj rituals over several days. Pilgrims brave intense heat Some spend many years hoping and praying to one day perform the Hajj or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade and carrying handheld fans. Volunteers hand out water bottles to help them stay hydrated and large fans spray fine mists of water. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran on the war, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region. He described it as a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE” that still must be finalized by the United States, Iran and the other countries that participated in the calls. That capped a week in which the U.S. weighed a new round of attacks on Iran.

A man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday was shot dead by U.S. Secret Service officers after they returned fire, authorities said. The incident occurred shortly after 6:00pm local time near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the White House complex. According to the Secret Service, the suspect pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing before officers responded, injuring him critically. He later died at a hospital. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best. Officials said a bystander was also injured during the shooting, although investigators have not yet confirmed whether the person was struck by bullets fired by the suspect or by officers responding to the attack. No Secret Service personnel were injured, and President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, was not harmed, the agency said. Court records show Best had previously been arrested in July 2025 after allegedly attempting to enter a White House checkpoint without authorization. Authorities said he ignored officers’ commands, claimed he was “Jesus Christ” and expressed a desire to be arrested. A court later issued a stay-away order against him, followed by a bench warrant over noncompliance. The shooting marked the third gunfire-related incident near Trump in the past month, following separate episodes during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and another near the Washington Monument earlier this month. FBI Director Kash Patel said FBI personnel were assisting in the investigation. The area around the White House was cordoned off following the incident as investigators collected evidence from the scene.

US federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by a Miami-based exile group, in a move that further increases pressure on Cuba’s socialist government under President Donald Trump. The indictment accuses Castro of ordering the destruction of two small aircraft flown by the exile organization Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, who will turn 95 next month, was Cuba’s defense minister at the time. The charges, filed secretly by a grand jury in April, include murder and destruction of an aircraft. Five Cuban military pilots were also charged. “For nearly 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a ceremony in Miami marking Cuban Independence Day. “They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits,” he said. Asked how far US authorities would go to bring Castro to the United States, Blanche said: “There was a warrant issued for his arrest. So we expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way.” Asked what could happen next in Cuba, Trump said: “We’re going to see.” He added that the United States is prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to what he described as a “failing nation.” Analysts said the charges could pose a serious threat, especially after US forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January to face drug charges in New York. “He’s going to have to keep his head pretty low from now on,” said Peter Kornbluh, a specialist on US-Cuba relations at the National Security Archive. Although it remains uncertain whether Castro will ever appear in a US courtroom, the murder and conspiracy charges carry the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty if he is convicted. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment, calling it a political stunt intended to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.” In a social media post, Díaz-Canel accused the United States of distorting the events surrounding the shootdown and ignoring repeated warnings from Cuban officials that they would respond to what he called “dangerous violations” of Cuban airspace by “notorious terrorists.” Among those attending the Miami ceremony was Marlene Alejandre-Triana, whose father, Armando Alejandre Jr., was killed in the incident. She said she had spoken with several federal investigators over the years and considered Castro “one of the main architects of the crime.” “It has been long overdue,” she said while standing before a large photograph of her father. Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Cuba since Maduro’s capture. Following that operation, the White House imposed a blockade that sharply reduced fuel shipments to Cuba, contributing to widespread blackouts, food shortages and a worsening economic crisis. Trump has also intensified calls for regime change after saying earlier this year that he would pursue a “friendly takeover” of Cuba unless its leaders opened the economy to American investment and expelled US adversaries. During Trump’s first term, the United States indicted Maduro on drug trafficking charges and later used those allegations to justify removing him from power and bringing him to New York for trial. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged Cubans to demand a free-market economy and new leadership. “In the U.S., we are ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our people,” Rubio said in a video message in Spanish. “Currently, the only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has warned Iran of possible military action on an unprecedented scale if Tehran does not agree to a deal acceptable to the United States. Speaking to Fox News, Miller said Iran’s current leadership faces a clear choice as negotiations remain stalled. “This new team in Iran has a choice to make,” Miller said. “They can either agree to a piece of paper that is satisfactory to the United States, or they can face a punishment from our military, the likes of which has not been seen in modern history. That’s the choice that they face,” he said.  #From Al Jazeera

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at a mosque in San Diego on Monday, killing three men before later taking their own lives, in what police are investigating as a possible hate crime. According to police, the attackers — aged 17 and 18 — targeted the Islamic Center of San Diego. Authorities said there had been no specific prior threat against the mosque, but evidence suggests the suspects were influenced by “generalized hate rhetoric.” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said more details about the motive would emerge as the investigation progresses. Police had already been searching for one of the teens after his mother reported him missing and expressed concerns that he was suicidal. Authorities said weapons were missing from the home and the teen had taken his mother’s vehicle. The search intensified when police learned the teen was armed, dressed in camouflage and accompanied by another individual. Officers were tracking the suspects using available technology when reports of gunfire at the mosque came in. Police arrived within minutes, Wahl said. Among the victims was a security guard at the mosque, whom police credited with preventing the attack from becoming more deadly. “It’s fair to say his actions were heroic. Undoubtedly he saved lives,” Wahl told reporters. Shortly after the mosque shooting, additional gunshots were reported a few blocks away. Police later found the two suspects dead inside a vehicle on a nearby road, in what appeared to be a suicide. The mosque, the largest in the county, also houses the Al Rashid School, which provides Islamic and Arabic education for children. Witness footage showed children being safely escorted out of the premises as police secured the area. Imam Taha Hassane condemned the attack, calling it “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.” “All the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,” he said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting. “No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” said CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam in a statement. “We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.” Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, including efforts to determine the full motive behind the attack.  

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that "the clock is ticking" for Iran, threatening again that the country would be left with nothing if its leadership failed to act quickly. "For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Earlier Sunday, Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran as the White House weighs options for renewed military action against Tehran, according to multiple media reports. Trump is expected to meet with his national security team at the White House on Tuesday to discuss military options, U.S. news outlet Axios reported Sunday, citing two U.S. officials. 

Thousands gathered Saturday in Montgomery, a historic centre of the Civil Rights Movement, to oppose efforts by conservative states to redraw congressional districts seen as key to Black political representation. The rally followed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act, prompting southern states to revise electoral maps. Speakers said the struggle rooted in Montgomery - site of the Bus Boycott and Selma march - continues today. Bernice King, speaking near where her father Martin Luther King Jr. addressed marchers in 1965, called the ruling a “moral disgrace” undermining sacrifices made for equal rights. Civil rights leaders, lawmakers and clergy addressed the “All Roads Lead to the South” rally outside the Alabama Capitol. Cory Booker termed Montgomery “sacred soil,” while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged voters to respond at the ballot box. The court decision, linked to a Louisiana case, further weakened protections already limited since 2013, enabling stricter voting laws. Affected districts include Alabama’s 2nd, now under legal dispute. Veteran activists warned that hard-won civil rights gains are being eroded, vowing continued resistance.

US President Donald Trump said American and Nigerian forces have killed a senior leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria during a joint mission carried out Friday. In a late-night social media post, Trump said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, whom he described as the group’s second-in-command globally, was killed while hiding in Africa. He claimed al-Mainuki was closely tracked through intelligence sources. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said al-Mainuki played a key role in IS operations and financing and had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests. Trump’s trip to China: Taiwan, a new framework for relationship and flattery for Xi Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the strike, saying al-Mainuki and several lieutenants were killed at a compound in the Lake Chad Basin. Military spokesperson Sani Uba described the raid as a complex air-land operation conducted over three hours without casualties. He called it the most significant counterterrorism success in the region since 2015. Born in Borno in 1982, al-Mainuki later led IS’s West Africa branch. Analysts say his global rank remains unverified, though some believe he rose within IS leadership this year. But He was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023. The operation follows a US-Nigeria security partnership launched last year to tackle militancy in the region.