United News of Bangladesh

U.S. forces have struck another vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people whom the Pentagon said were involved in drug trafficking. The U.S. Southern Command announced the strike in a social media post early Monday. The latest deaths bring the toll from the Trump administration’s campaign of strikes against boats off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific to more than 210, following over 60 attacks. The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific,” the statement said. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illegal drugs, it added. “We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists -- disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command. The latest strike came days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would expand its offensive to land operations in several Latin American countries. During a visit to Panama, Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to conduct joint military operations against criminal groups on their territory. Guatemala, however, denied reaching such an agreement. Ecuador began similar joint missions with the United States in March.

The United States will deploy a military hospital ship to Peru's Pacific coast next year to help the South American country respond to the potential impacts of the El Nino climate phenomenon, US Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro said Wednesday. The deployment is part of broader cooperation between Washington and Lima. Navarro made the announcement after meeting Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Espá in Miami to discuss bilateral cooperation. The move comes as the United States has increased humanitarian assistance following earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela and stepped up joint military activities in the region. Espá said the two countries had developed a road map that includes support through equipment, technical expertise and overflights aimed at preventing, reducing and responding to the effects of El Nino. The value of the US assistance was not disclosed. Espá also met with US business leaders who are interested in investing in Peru's mining and infrastructure sectors. Speaking in Spanish, Navarro said the meeting focused on understanding Peru's needs and determining how the United States could provide rapid assistance. He said the response to the recent earthquake in Colombia could have been quicker with better coordination between the countries. Navarro said the USNS Comfort, a military hospital ship that previously visited Peru in 2018 and 2019, is scheduled to arrive off Peru's northern Pacific coast in February 2027, when El Nino is expected to reach its peak. El Nino is a climate phenomenon caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that can disrupt weather patterns around the world. Meteorologists have warned that the developing phenomenon could become as strong as, or stronger than, the 1997 El Nino, which caused widespread damage through heat waves, heavy rainfall, flooding and wildfires. Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, who took office on July 28, has identified preparations for the potentially devastating climate phenomenon as a priority for her government.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington has no talks scheduled with Iran, while claiming that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating” despite sharply reduced shipping traffic and a reported attack on a vessel leaving the strategic waterway. Trump’s remarks came as Oman and Iran continued negotiations over arrangements to restore shipping through the strait. Iran has said the waterway will remain closed until the United States meets its demands. Two regional officials said Trump had earlier threatened to bomb Oman if Muscat interfered with US efforts, amid Omani attempts to reach an agreement with Tehran on managing maritime traffic through the strait. Trump said on social media that the US blockade of Iranian ports remained “in full force and effect.” He also claimed that all naval mines had been cleared and that other vessels were free to navigate the waterway. The US president posted a map portraying the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, drawing a sharp response from Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. Meanwhile, a projectile struck a vessel in the strait as negotiations continued. The incident added to concerns over the safety of one of the world's most important energy routes. Iran-backed Houthi rebels also claimed that they had launched drone attacks targeting an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions in the region. The Trump administration has reportedly raised objections to some provisions of a proposed Iranian-Omani agreement that has yet to be formally announced, according to officials familiar with Washington's position. Among the US concerns are plans for Iran and Oman to jointly manage the exit route of the strait and collect voluntary fees from vessels using the passage. The proposed fees would reportedly be used for maritime security and environmental protection. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly. The White House referred reporters to Trump's comments in the Oval Office and declined to provide additional details on the administration's position on the Omani-Iranian negotiations.

The U.S. and Canada are negotiating in an effort to reach a truce on tariffs before a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. If no deal is reached, Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. ″We are negotiating,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Monday, speaking in French. “The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.” Carney and Trump spoke by phone Monday afternoon about the ongoing trade negotiations, Carney's office said, underscoring the last-minute push to reach a deal before Wednesday’s deadline. The two countries have wrangled for decades over trade, poking each other over sore spots like Canadian softwood lumber imports and U.S. access to Canada’s protected dairy market. Somehow they still managed to remain friends, allies — and trading partners. Canadian soldiers fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan after 9/11. The 5,525-mile U.S.-Canada border is undefended, and nearly 330,000 people and $2 billion dollars’ worth of goods cross it every day; 800,000 Canadians live in the United States. Trump’s belligerent approach to dealing with Canada marks an extraordinary departure from the traditionally cooperative relationship between the two countries. Trump has hit Canadian goods with tariffs — in a push to bring manufacturing back to the United States — and has repeatedly made inflammatory comments about turning Canada into America’s 51st state. The Canadian public is fed up. A petition to expel the U.S. ambassador, a Trump ally, has collected nearly 218,000 signatures since July 21. It accuses Ambassador Pete Hoekstra of having “normalized’’ Trump’s talk of annexing Canada, among other things. Looking for an off ramp Nearly 72% of Canadian goods exports last year went to the United States. And the Trump administration might be wary of imposing a hefty new tariff — paid by U.S. importers who try to pass along the cost to consumers via higher prices — ahead of November’s midterm elections. American voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living. “I don’t think either side really wants these tariffs to come into effect,’’ said Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “There’s a pretty strong push on both sides to find an off ramp here.’’ Majerus said the United States is aiming to get Canada to buy more U.S. military equipment, including F-35 fighters; to take part in Trump’s “Golden Dome’’ missile defense; and to give the United States more access to critical minerals, thereby reducing America’s reliance on tenuous supplies from geopolitical rival China. The Canadians would like relief from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as softwood lumber, which America says receives unfair government subsidies. Trump relies on Smoot-Hawley to go after Canada Trump has made tariffs the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda. Last year, he imposed double-digit import taxes on almost every country on earth, justifying them by declaring the longstanding U.S. trade deficit a national emergency. The Supreme Court in February ruled that he’d overstepped his authority, striking down those tariffs and setting the stage for the federal government to pay refunds to importers. Trump immediately looked for other ways to rebuild his tariff wall. Last month, he imposed import taxes of 10% to 12.5% on 59 countries and the European Union — which together account for 99% of U.S. imports — for allegedly failing to have or to enforce restrictions on imports made from forced labor. Then he reached back to the Great Depression to find a cudgel with which to whack Canada, one of his favorite targets. Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose 50% tariffs on products that account for about 5% of Canadian exports to the United States. Nearly a century ago, with the U.S. and world economies in collapse, Congress passed the 1930 tariff law, imposing hefty taxes on imports from around the world. Known as the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, for their congressional sponsors, they are notorious among economists and historians for limiting world commerce and making the Great Depression worse. Section 338 tariffs have never been used before. U.S. trade negotiators traditionally have favored another tool, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — the provision Trump invoked for last month’s forced-labor tariffs. Section 338 authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 50% on imports from countries that have discriminated against U.S. businesses. Unlike Section 301 sanctions, no investigation is required. Nor is there any limit on how long the tariffs can stay in place. In announcing the Section 338 tariffs, Trump claimed that Canada discriminates against American exports of autos, alcohol and cheese. Trump is angry because Canada and China were the only countries that punched back with retaliatory tariffs of their own when he slapped levies on their products last year. “If a country retaliates against us, we’re obviously not going to tolerate that,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters Friday at the Iowa State Fair. “We’ll take action. My sense is the Canadians, they want to have a more conciliatory approach, but we’ll see.” New leverage to renegotiate USMCA The U.S. is renegotiating a North American trade pact — the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — that Trump strong-armed America’s neighbors into accepting in his first term. The threat of Section 338 tariffs gives the United States leverage to seek fresh concessions from Ottawa. “From Carney's perspective, you need (USMCA) to be renegotiated,'' said Christopher Gundermann, fellow in the economics program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ”You can't renegotiate it with a massive trade war going on.'' But the Canadian public’s furor over Trump’s policies may limit Carney’s ability to cut a deal. Canada could retaliate again if the new 50% tariffs take effect, potentially aggravating a trade fight. Canada’s government “cannot look like it is simply caving to the Trump administration’s demands,’’ said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. “Making further concessions without getting something meaningful in exchange would probably lead to a strong backlash ... The risk is for the Carney government to make Canada look weak and, therefore, even more vulnerable to future trade and geopolitical bullying on the part of the Trump administration.” Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade, met with Greer on Monday. He was tight-lipped afterward. “The work is continuing,’’ he said. “We continue to do our job.’’

The Trump administration has temporarily halted construction of a controversial border wall project in Big Bend National Park in southern Texas while the head of the agency responsible for building the wall visits the area for an on-the-ground assessment. The project has drawn strong bipartisan opposition from critics who argue that the construction is damaging a pristine natural environment. They also say the rugged and remote terrain of the region already acts as a natural deterrent to migrants and smugglers. Rodney Scott, head of Customs and Border Protection, said on X that he was traveling to Texas to personally evaluate the project. “CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation,” Scott said. Congress approved $46 billion for the Trump administration last summer to build a border wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The administration has moved quickly to expand construction, waiving numerous regulations in an effort to speed up the project. Scott has said he expects the first layer of the wall to be completed by the end of next year. However, the administration has faced strong opposition in Texas, particularly over planned construction in and around Big Bend National Park and a state park farther west.

At least five people have died in Indiana after severe storms and flooding battered the state this week, while rescuers used boats Saturday to evacuate residents from neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis. Heavy rains pushed rivers to record levels, forcing residents to higher ground. More than a dozen counties declared local disasters, with much of the latest damage reported along river corridors from Hamilton County to northern Indianapolis suburbs. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration, making federal disaster assistance available, Federal Emergency Management Agency said. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city was facing its worst flooding in more than 30 years. Hundreds of homes were evacuated, while the Indianapolis Fire Department rescued 95 people and 45 pets by late afternoon. Hundreds of emergency calls were received. More than 350 evacuations occurred in Delaware County, while a senior mobile home community in Tipton County was evacuated. Rescues and welfare checks continued in Fayette County. The five deaths included a boy killed when a tree fell on his home, a woman swept away after driving into floodwaters and a teen who went missing after jumping into a river Wednesday. Gov. Mike Braun expressed condolences and urged residents to avoid floodwaters. The National Weather Service said some areas received more than 11 inches of rain in two days. The White River rose above 24 feet in Anderson and Noblesville, breaking records set in 1913. Flood warnings remained across central Indiana, with the river expected to crest in Indianapolis Saturday evening. National Guard vehicles assisted rescue operations. Severe weather earlier in the week also caused tornadoes, heavy rain and flash flooding across the Midwest, with damage reported from the Chicago area to western Pennsylvania. Some Indiana residents remained without power. In Noblesville, floodwaters submerged homes, vehicles, roads, parking lots, cornfields, a memorial and a flower garden. Historic Potter's Bridge remained standing. Matt Doudt, City photographer, said the flooding resulted from heavy rainfall upstream. Despite extensive damage, he said no lives were lost in Noblesville and everyone was rescued.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory in the near future. Addressing a rally in Garden City, New York, Trump linked the move to the ongoing  geopolitical conflict with Iran. "After we finish defeating Iran — which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said. The statement follows a period of heightened regional volatility, characterized by increased drone activity and military confrontations in the Middle East.

Tropical Storm Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before reaching Hawaii’s Big Island this weekend, potentially bringing torrential rain, damaging winds, flooding and increased wildfire risks. The National Hurricane Center said Lala could reach hurricane strength as it nears the Big Island early Saturday. If the storm makes landfall, it would mark the island’s first hurricane landfall since 1871, when a Category 3 hurricane struck its northeastern area. A hurricane warning has been issued for the Big Island, while Maui County—including Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe—is under a tropical storm warning. Authorities have prepared shelters and canceled several events as residents brace for the storm. Forecasters expect 8 to 12 inches of rain across Maui and the Big Island, with some parts of the Big Island potentially receiving up to 25 inches. Other islands could see 4 to 6 inches. Officials warned of life-threatening flooding, mudslides, storm surge, dangerous surf and rip currents. State Rep. Jeanné Kapela urged residents, particularly those living in rural and remote areas, to take the threat seriously and move to safer locations before conditions worsen. She expressed concern for people living in off-grid or unauthorized structures in southern areas of the Big Island. Farmers are also worried about the possibility of heavy rainfall arriving in a short period, especially those still recovering from severe flooding earlier in the year. Coffee and cattle operations in rural parts of the island could face additional damage. Strong winds may also increase wildfire concerns. Although no red flag warnings were in effect Friday, officials said the dry and windy conditions could still create dangerous fire conditions. Residents remain especially alert after the devastating 2023 Lahaina wildfire, which occurred during powerful winds associated with a hurricane passing south of Hawaii. By Friday afternoon, Lala was about 275 miles east-southeast of South Point on the Big Island. The storm had sustained winds of around 65 mph and was moving west-northwest at approximately 14 mph. A Category 1 hurricane requires sustained winds of at least 74 mph. University of Hawaii professor Steven Businger, whose research identified historical evidence of the 1871 hurricane, advised residents not to panic but to remain prepared. He said Lala could still produce damaging winds, although forecasts had been shifting the storm’s path farther south. The Big Island is particularly vulnerable because of its position at the southeastern end of the Hawaiian island chain. Historically, however, Kauai has experienced more hurricane landfalls. In 1992, Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai as a Category 4 storm. That year, like the current year, was influenced by El Niño, a Pacific warming pattern associated with increased hurricane activity.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve in the position, will leave the Trump administration at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family. Leavitt, 28, described the decision as “bittersweet” in a social media post Wednesday, shortly after President Donald Trump announced that she would step down. She recently returned to the White House podium following the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May. She also has a 2-year-old son. “The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary,” Leavitt wrote, explaining her decision to leave the administration and begin a new chapter in her life. Trump did not say who might replace Leavitt in the high-profile position. In his own social media post, he said he understood and respected her decision and suggested she would remain involved in his political orbit. “Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party,” Trump wrote, adding that she would work with him to “conclusively win the Midterm Elections.” Before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign, Leavitt worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC. She previously ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing the general election to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. During Trump’s first term, Leavitt served as an aide in the White House press office. She later became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. Leavitt held White House press briefings less frequently than some of her recent predecessors. Trump, who often speaks with reporters at White House events and while traveling, frequently sent Leavitt to Fox News and other conservative media outlets to promote his agenda and criticize Democrats and the mainstream media. Trump’s first-term press secretaries included Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, both of whom were known for frequent clashes with reporters. Stephanie Grisham, another press secretary, never held a formal briefing, while her successor, Kayleigh McEnany, often sharply criticized the news media during appearances in the White House briefing room.

A British comedian wearing a rubbish bin on his head is hoping to turn political satire into votes in what could be one of Britain's most unusual parliamentary elections. Count Binface, who describes himself as an intergalactic space warrior, is among nearly three dozen candidates contesting a special election in Clacton-on-Sea in southeastern England on Thursday. The contest was already being described as unusual after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage resigned from Parliament and announced that he would seek re-election to address allegations over his finances. Binface quickly announced his candidacy, challenging Farage with his trademark humour. "Game on, Nige," he said after Farage accused the political establishment of targeting him. The major political parties have criticized Farage's decision and decided not to contest the election, leaving Binface with a prominent position as one of his most colorful challengers. Since then, he has been busy giving interviews and promoting his campaign. "I'm the only fresh thing on the menu," Binface told The Associated Press. "You're all sick of these politicians ... but you need something different." Even senior politicians have joined in the jokes. Rachel Reeves, then Britain's Treasury secretary, quipped after accepting Farage's resignation: "If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him." Comedian behind the maskBehind the black cape, rubbish bin and science-fiction-style protective gear is Jon Harvey, a middle-aged comedian who prefers to keep his identity separate from his political character. Harvey never appears in public as Binface without the costume and refuses to reveal what is beneath the helmet. Asked by a BBC presenter to remove the headgear, he referred to the "Star Wars" character Darth Vader and joked that nobody would want to see what was underneath. Harvey is a married father of two who grew up in London and studied classics at Oxford University. He has worked as a writer for political comedy programmes including "The Thick of It" and "Have I Got News for You." He has also written books, including Binface's fictional political memoir, "What on Earth? An Alien's Guide to Fixing Britain." From Buckethead to BinfaceHarvey's political career began nearly a decade ago when he ran for Parliament under the name Lord Buckethead against then-Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May. The character became popular, but a copyright dispute over the name forced Harvey to create a new identity. Thus, Count Binface was born. Since then, he has challenged former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Khan defeated Binface twice and joked after his 2024 victory that he was the first politician to beat him in consecutive elections. Binface also contested a parliamentary special election in June but lost to Andy Burnham. Britain has a long tradition of unusual political candidates, and the Clacton ballot includes three candidates from the Monster Raving Loony Party, including Nick the Incredible Flying Brick and Baron von Thunderclap. Tax cuts, hand dryers and unicyclesBinface's campaign platform mixes serious-sounding promises with deliberately absurd ideas. Among his proposals are cutting voters' taxes while raising taxes for everyone else, building an affordable home and nationalizing singer Adele. He also wants to move a hand dryer in the men's bathroom of a pub in Uxbridge, arguing that its current position is too close to the urinals. His campaign takes several indirect jabs at Farage, including a promise that he would not accept multimillion-pound gifts from cryptocurrency billionaires. Binface also wants MPs who resign during their terms to be barred from contesting the immediate by-election that follows. He has promised to spend more time in Clacton than in Washington, a reference to Farage's frequent trips to the United States and his close ties with President Donald Trump. A 'galactic union' with USBinface said he has little interest in dealing directly with Trump, describing the US president as "awful." However, he said he would like to strengthen the relationship between Britain and the United States through what he jokingly called a "galactic union." Despite his campaign, Binface admits he does not expect to win. If he does pull off a surprise victory, however, he may have to leave his famous costume outside the House of Commons because parliamentary rules require MPs to dress appropriately and prohibit costumes. Binface said some MPs have discussed making an exception for him. His manifesto also includes proposals such as price controls on croissants and forcing cyclists who break traffic rules to ride unicycles. For now, Count Binface appears less interested in becoming Britain's next major political figure than in adding a dose of humour to an already unusual election.