United News of Bangladesh

Suspected suicide bombers carried out coordinated attacks in Maiduguri on Monday night, killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 100, police said Tuesday. The incident is considered one of the deadliest in the city in recent years. Residents and emergency responders reported three nearly simultaneous explosions in crowded locations, including a major market and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed that 23 people were killed and 108 others were injured, attributing the attacks to suspected suicide bombers. No group has claimed responsibility so far, but suspicion has fallen on Boko Haram, which has led an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria since 2009 in an attempt to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Over time, the group has grown stronger and split into factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is linked to the Islamic State. Although Maiduguri has long been a center of militant violence, it has seen relative calm in recent years, even as attacks continue in surrounding rural areas. The bombings occurred less than 24 hours after Nigerian forces repelled militant attacks on the outskirts of the city. Some residents believe the earlier assault may have been intended as a diversion. By Tuesday morning, security had been tightened across affected areas and major roads, while many public places remained closed due to fear. Police said investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the attacks and bring those responsible to justice. Explosions struck crowded areas within minutesThe first blast occurred around 7:30 p.m. at the hospital entrance. Minutes later, two more explosions hit the busy Monday Market and a nearby commercial hub near the post office, about 4 kilometers away. Witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion, as security forces and emergency responders rushed to assist victims. Volunteer security member Mohammed Hassan said the attack was among the deadliest in years and highlighted an urgent need for blood donations. In recent weeks, militant groups have intensified attacks on Nigerian military bases, killing several officers and soldiers and seizing weapons and ammunition. Analysts say the coordinated attacks represent a significant development for insurgents, striking a city often viewed as relatively secure. Security researcher Malik Samuel said an attack on Maiduguri carries symbolic importance, showing that no place is beyond the reach of militant groups.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has described last night’s strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island as a “large-scale precision strike,” targeting multiple military facilities while sparing the country’s oil infrastructure. In a brief statement on X, CENTCOM said the operation “destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.” The statement added that more than 90 Iranian military targets were hit during the strike. An Iranian official earlier confirmed that oil exports from Kharg Island continue uninterrupted, with activities of oil companies reported to be “fully under way.” Sources- Al Jazeera Iran reports nearly 43,000 civilian units damaged in US-Israeli strikes

US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran will end “when I feel it,” speaking in an interview with Fox News that aired Friday. Trump said he senses the end of the conflict “in my bones” but did not give a specific timeline. About Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said, “I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form,” noting that Khamenei has not appeared publicly. On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the US would escort oil tankers through the waterway “if we need to,” but added, “hopefully things are going to go very well. We’ll see what happens.” He also warned that the US would strike Iran hard over the coming week and claimed, “We’ve already damaged them so badly it would take years for them to ever rebuild.” Trump praised Gulf allies, saying “the unity is tremendous,” adding that he has spoken to most of them and that they are “doing a very good job in protecting themselves.”   With inputs from BBC

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that drones from Iran pose “no threat” to the US mainland. Her statement came after ABC News reported that the FBI had warned police departments in California that Iran could retaliate for US attacks by launching drones from a vessel off the West Coast. Leavitt said on X that the report was based on a single, unverified email sent to local law enforcement. “TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” she added. California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday that he was “not aware of any imminent threats” to the state but remained in “constant coordination” with security and intelligence officials.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump has suggested that the ongoing conflict with Iran could end “pretty quickly,” while also stressing that the United States is seeking an “ultimate victory.”   Speaking to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, Trump said the US military campaign is “ahead of schedule.” He indicated that the conflict may be nearing its conclusion, noting that the war is “very complete, pretty much.” However, he also acknowledged that the US has “not won enough yet,” signalling that operations could continue to secure a decisive outcome.   Meanwhile, Israel said it had carried out a second wave of airstrikes on Tehran on Monday as tensions in the region escalated further.   Several countries in the region reported intercepting Iranian missiles. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar said their defence systems had successfully intercepted projectiles, while Israeli authorities said additional attacks had been detected.   The conflict is also raising concerns about its global economic impact. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned that the war in the Middle East could place “upward pressure on inflation,” following discussions at a meeting of G7 finance ministers.   Oil markets reacted sharply to the escalating tensions, with the global benchmark crude price rising above $100 a barrel on Monday for the first time since 2022.   In a separate development, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said a drone that struck a British military base in Cyprus last week likely originated from either Lebanon or Iraq, highlighting the widening security risks linked to the conflict.

The U.S. military said it killed six men Sunday in a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, part of the Trump administration’s ongoing operations against alleged traffickers. Since the campaign began in early September, at least 157 people have died in similar attacks on small vessels the U.S. labels “narcoterrorists.” Most of the over 40 known strikes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have targeted boats along recognized smuggling routes, according to U.S. Southern Command. The military, however, has not provided proof that the vessels were carrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a small boat exploding while afloat. President Donald Trump has described the fight against Latin American cartels as an “armed conflict,” framing the attacks as necessary to curb drug flows into the United States. At a meeting with Latin American leaders on Saturday, he urged countries to join the U.S. in military action against cartels and transnational gangs, which he called a major threat to regional security. Ecuador recently partnered with the U.S. on operations against organized crime in the country. Critics question the legality and effectiveness of the boat strikes, noting that much of the fentanyl behind U.S. overdose deaths is trafficked over land from Mexico rather than by sea. The attacks also sparked controversy after reports revealed that survivors of the first strike were killed in a follow-up attack. Republican officials defended the operations as lawful and necessary, while Democrats and legal experts called the killings potentially criminal or even a war crime.  

President Donald Trump said Friday that dealing with the war in Iran was “easy” compared with the complicated challenge of regulating college sports and controlling the rising salaries of football players — a remark he later appeared to reconsider. Trump hosted a roundtable discussion with several sports figures, including former Nick Saban, commissioner Greg Sankey, and Pete Bevacqua. During the meeting, participants spent more than an hour discussing how large payments to top athletes, along with newer developments like the transfer portal, have disrupted college athletics. US looking at potential leaders for Iran: White House Presidents often have to deal with numerous complex issues at the same time. However, the timing of this discussion stood out because the United States and Israel had launched military strikes on Iran just a week earlier. When a reporter began asking about Iran at the end of the event, Trump interrupted, saying the situation there was “an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here.” Another journalist asked about Trump’s decision to dismiss Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem the previous day. Trump responded with frustration, asking reporters to stay focused on the topic of college sports. Later, he acknowledged that the issue might seem minor compared with global conflicts. Nevertheless, he said college athletics mattered greatly to him and that he wanted to resolve its problems if possible. Trump says US evacuating ‘thousands’ from Middle East Trump briefly addressed the Iran situation later, rating U.S. military actions there extremely highly, saying they scored between “12 and 15” on a scale of 1 to 10. College athletics—especially football—remains hugely popular in the United States, but managing the system has become increasingly complicated. Trump has repeatedly criticized the growing salaries athletes receive under the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules, arguing that the changes have harmed the traditional structure of college sports. According to Trump, major revenue sports such as football are putting pressure on smaller programs and women’s athletics. He also claimed that some universities are paying athletes so much that it could push institutions toward financial trouble. The roundtable followed several hours of private meetings with senior officials, during which Trump likely discussed Iran and other major matters. He later announced he had also met with defense contractors who agreed to expand weapons production. Despite those pressing global concerns, Trump — alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — devoted considerable time to the college sports debate. During the meeting, Saban jokingly downplayed his role by saying he was “just a football coach.” Other participants, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Ron DeSantis, expressed their passion for college football and concern about its future. Former Urban Meyer and Randy Levine also contributed to the discussion, though no current college athletes were present. Trump assured attendees he was willing to spend as much time as necessary on the issue. The group also included former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who once served on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Ultimately, Trump urged lawmakers to pass the SCORE Act or similar legislation to impose new regulations on college sports. Critics argue the proposal mainly benefits the National Collegiate Athletic Association and its most powerful programs. When told the bill was unlikely to pass Congress, Trump said he might instead issue an executive order on college sports. “If this doesn’t work, colleges are going to be destroyed,” he warned. It remains unclear how such an order would differ from one he signed in July directing federal authorities to clarify whether college athletes should be classified as university employees. Trump also expressed nostalgia for the system that existed before NIL rules were introduced. At one point he asked whether it might be possible to return to the earlier scholarship-based model, while still allowing athletes to receive smaller forms of compensation.

The U.S. labor market showed unexpected weakness in February as employers cut 92,000 jobs, pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.4%, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists had forecasted a gain of 60,000 jobs after January’s 126,000 increase. Payroll revisions also reduced December and January figures by 69,000 jobs. The February downturn comes amid uncertainty from the war with Iran, which has spiked oil prices and raised costs for businesses and consumers. Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said companies are likely to hold off hiring until the conflict ends and consumer spending stabilizes. Job losses were broad-based. Healthcare shed 28,000 jobs following a four-week nurses’ strike at Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii. Restaurants and bars lost nearly 30,000 positions, administrative and support services 19,000, and courier services 17,000. Construction cut 11,000 jobs, and factories lost 12,000 positions, marking 14 of the last 15 months of declines. Financial firms added 10,000 jobs. Average hourly wages rose 0.4% from January and 3.8% year-on-year. Analysts note companies remain cautious due to geopolitical uncertainty, inflation, and investments in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, which allow higher productivity with fewer workers. Many firms are adopting a “no-hire, no-fire” approach, hesitant to expand staff until the economic and geopolitical outlook stabilizes, leaving the labor market under strain despite past hiring growth. This report highlights the fragility of the U.S. economy amid global shocks and rising costs.

The U.S. House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the Justice Department’s handling of records linked to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The subpoena passed Wednesday in a rare bipartisan vote, 24-19, with five Republicans joining Democrats in support. The committee seeks clarity on how sensitive files were archived, handled, or potentially withheld during the long-running probe into Epstein’s illicit network. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who introduced the motion, said on X, “AG Bondi will testify about missing Epstein evidence. The videos, the audio, the documents the DOJ is hiding. The American people deserve transparency. Survivors deserve justice. Accountability is coming.” The move comes over a year after Bondi faced criticism for releasing “no-reveal” binders containing little new information. A bipartisan congressional mandate in July 2025 required the full release of Epstein-related documents, but the administration has been criticized for over-redacting files. Justice officials say they are legally vetting millions of sensitive pages. Criticism has also come from within Trump’s party. Congressman Thomas Massie called for transparency on whether taxpayer money was used in private settlements involving Congress members. The committee’s actions follow news reports that some records, including uncorroborated accusations involving former President Trump, were not publicly released. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently gave closed-door depositions before the committee regarding their connections to Epstein. Bondi has defended the Justice Department’s process, accusing Democrats of politicizing the documents.

US Senate Republicans on Thursday rejected a war powers resolution seeking to halt the President Donald Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran, signaling early GOP support for the expanding conflict. The resolution failed on a 47-53 vote, largely along party lines. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky broke with his party to vote in favor of the measure, while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against it. The legislation aimed to require congressional approval before any further U.S. military action against Iran could proceed. Supporters argued that Congress must assert its constitutional authority over war powers, particularly as hostilities intensify across the Middle East without a clearly defined U.S. exit strategy. The vote compelled lawmakers to publicly state their position on a conflict that is increasingly shaping the fate of American service members, affecting regional stability and carrying significant global consequences. A similar resolution in the Republican-controlled House faces long odds when it comes up for a vote Thursday morning. The Senate decision reflects growing political divisions in Washington as the war widens, with critics warning of prolonged military engagement and supporters defending the administration’s actions as necessary for national security.