United News of Bangladesh

Britain’s film academy and the BBC apologized to viewers after an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur during the British Academy Film Awards. The highly offensive word could be heard as “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual effects during Sunday’s ceremony. Host Alan Cumming had earlier told the audience that a guest at the ceremony was John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome, who inspired the BAFTA-nominated film “I Swear.” Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations, including the uttering of inappropriate words. Several shouts were audible during the first part of the ceremony, although what was said wasn't intelligible to an Associated Press reporter in the press room. After the slur was shouted during Jordan and Lindo's presentation, Cumming apologized to the audience at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the “strong and offensive language.” “Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language,” Cumming said. “We apologize if you were offended.” The British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred to Cumming’s statement when asked for comment on Monday. The epithet could be heard when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event. The broadcaster apologized for not editing it out before the broadcast, though the offensive word could still be heard on its iPlayer streaming service on Monday morning. The program was later removed, and the BBC said the slur would be edited out. “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards,” the BBC said in a statement. "This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. “I Swear” won two BAFTAs, including best actor for Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson. Ed Palmer, vice chair of the charity Tourettes Action, said the BBC should have considered bleeping out the slur. “This is really one of the most acute examples of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of offense to someone,” he told Times Radio. “So, if it’s being prerecorded now, then bleeping it out, for example, might be a reasonable compromise.”  

Kuwait is preparing to roll out a regulated freelance visa as part of broader efforts to restructure its labour market and end the long-running trade in residency permits. The plan, unveiled by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Al Yousef during a meeting with private sector stakeholders, would allow expatriates to work independently without a conventional sponsor, within a legally monitored framework. Officials say the proposed system aims to tackle problems stemming from unregulated employment, residency brokerage and unusually high daily wages in some low-skilled jobs, where workers can earn more than KD25 a day for basic services, report Gulf News. Observers of the existing system have blamed lax supervision for uneven service quality and weak accountability. Supporters of the new model argue it could boost transparency, protect workers from abuse and improve overall standards. Under initial guidelines, the scheme’s first phase would cover basic occupations. Annual fees are expected to be set between KD750 and KD1,000, with renewals contingent on meeting regulatory conditions.    

The bus was traveling from the tourist city of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu, when it plunged off the Prithvi Highway shortly after midnight, police said. The vehicle tumbled down a mountainside before coming to rest on the banks of the Trishuli River near Benighat, around 80 kilometers west of Kathmandu. Authorities said dozens of passengers were on board at the time of the crash. Among the victims was a 24-year-old British citizen, according to the Dhading district police office. So far, only nine of the deceased have been identified. Those injured include a Chinese national, who is receiving treatment at the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu, and a 27-year-old woman from New Zealand who sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a local hospital. China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, quoting the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, reported earlier that another Chinese national remained missing. Rescue teams reached the scene shortly after the accident and pulled survivors from the wreckage before transporting them to nearby hospitals, said government administrator Mohan Prasad Neupane. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Road accidents involving buses are frequent in Nepal, often attributed to poor road conditions and inadequate vehicle maintenance. The mountainous Himalayan nation relies heavily on narrow, winding roads for transportation. The bus came to rest along the bank of the fast-flowing Trishuli River. In 2024, two buses carrying 65 passengers plunged into the same river, with most of those on board either killed or still missing. The wreckage of one of those buses was recovered only this year after being buried deep under sand.

Oman has confirmed that the next round of talks between the United States and Iran will be held in Geneva on Thursday, as tensions remain high amid a growing US military build-up in the region. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a social media post that the negotiations were set for Geneva, expressing hope for a “positive push to go the extra mile” towards finalising a deal. The announcement came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was ready to establish a full monitoring mechanism to guarantee the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme and ease international concerns. Speaking to CBS News, Araghchi said Iran was currently negotiating “only nuclear” issues and remained confident that an agreement could be reached. He stressed that uranium enrichment was a matter of national dignity, saying Iran had developed the technology independently and at great cost. Araghchi said Iran would not abandon its nuclear programme as long as it remains peaceful and under safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said Tehran was fully prepared to cooperate with international inspectors while insisting on its right to peaceful nuclear energy, including enrichment. US officials, including President Donald Trump, have previously pushed for Iran to halt enrichment entirely, while Washington has also raised concerns about Iran’s missile programme and regional activities. Araghchi rejected widening the scope of the talks, saying no other issues were under discussion at this stage. The latest Geneva meeting follows a second round of indirect US-Iran talks held there on February 17, as well as earlier discussions hosted by Oman. Iranian officials said they were preparing a draft proposal aimed at accommodating the concerns of both sides to reach a swift agreement. Araghchi suggested that any new deal could improve on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, noting that stronger guarantees on the peaceful nature of Iran’s programme could be paired with wider sanctions relief. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran remained committed to peace and stability in the Middle East, while also preparing for all possible scenarios as negotiations continue. Analysts remain divided over the prospects of a breakthrough, with some warning that sharply differing expectations between Washington and Tehran could still derail a deal despite renewed diplomatic momentum.   With inputs from ALJAZEERA

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has firmly rejected an offer by Donald Trump to send a US hospital ship to the Arctic island, saying Greenland’s public healthcare system already provides free treatment for all citizens. Trump said in a post on social media that he planned to dispatch a hospital boat carrying medical supplies to Greenland, claiming that many people there were sick and “not being taken care of”. The post included an image resembling the USNS Mercy, one of two hospital ships operated by the US Navy. Responding on Facebook, Nielsen said the proposal was unnecessary and added that healthcare in Greenland is publicly funded and free, unlike in the United States. “It’s going to be a no thanks from us,” he said, while stressing that Greenland remains open to cooperation with Washington. The Greenland leader also urged Trump to engage through direct dialogue rather than what he described as “random outbursts on social media”. Trump has long expressed interest in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, though he said in January he would not attempt to take the island by force. He later announced a vague “framework for a future deal” involving Greenland, after Denmark and NATO allies rejected any suggestion of relinquishing sovereignty. It was unclear what prompted Trump’s latest remarks. They came shortly after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said a crew member from a US submarine near Nuuk had been evacuated for urgent medical treatment, though no official link was confirmed. Despite the public rebuff, Nielsen said Greenland was willing to work with the United States, provided discussions are held respectfully and through proper channels.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump is questioning why Iran has not yet “capitulated” despite an expanding US military build-up in the Middle East, his special envoy Steve Witkoff has said. Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, Witkoff said Trump was “curious” about Tehran’s stance after warning that Washington could carry out a limited military strike if no agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear programme. The United States and its European allies suspect Iran of moving towards developing a nuclear weapon, a claim Tehran strongly denies. Witkoff said the president was not frustrated but puzzled as to why Iran had not responded positively despite what he described as overwhelming US naval and military pressure in the region. He said Washington wanted Iran to clearly state it does not seek nuclear weapons and outline what steps it is prepared to take. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday there was still a chance to resolve the dispute diplomatically through what he called a “win-win” approach. He told CBS News that negotiators were working on the core elements of a possible deal and that Tehran was preparing a draft proposal to share with the US side. US and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Geneva on February 17, reporting progress afterward. Oman, which mediated the discussions, said the next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in Geneva later this week. Despite diplomatic movement, Trump said recently that it would become clear within days whether a deal would be reached or whether the US would resort to military action. In recent weeks, Washington has significantly increased its military presence near Iran and across the wider Middle East, including deploying major naval assets such as the aircraft carriers USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, along with destroyers, combat ships and fighter jets. Meanwhile, Iran has seen a renewed wave of anti-government protests at universities in Tehran and other cities, marking the largest student demonstrations since a deadly crackdown by authorities in January. Human rights groups say thousands were killed during that period, while Iranian officials have disputed those figures. The renewed unrest comes as pressure mounts on Tehran both domestically and internationally, against the backdrop of heightened US military readiness and uncertain prospects for a nuclear agreement.   With inputs from BBC

The European Union's executive arm requested “full clarity” from the United States and asked its trade partner to fulfill its commitments after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down some of President Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs. Trump has lashed out at the court decision and said Saturday that he wants a global tariff of 15%, up from the 10% he announced a day earlier. The European Commission said the current situation is not conducive to delivering "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” trans-Atlantic trade and investment, as agreed to by both sides and spelled out in the EU-U.S. Joint Statement of August 2025. American and EU officials sealed a trade deal last year that imposes a 15% import tax on 70% of European goods exported to the United States. The European Commission handles trade for the 27 EU member countries. A top EU lawmaker said on Sunday he will propose to the European Parliament negotiating team to put the ratifying process of the deal on pause. “Pure tariff chaos on the part of the U.S. administration,” Bernd Lange, the chair of Parliament’s international trade committee, wrote on social media. “No one can make sense of it anymore — only open questions and growing uncertainty for the EU and other U.S. trading partners.” The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. “A deal is a deal,” the European Commission said. “As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the U.S. to honor its commitments set out in the Joint Statement — just as the EU stands by its commitments. EU products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed." Jamieson Greer, Trump’s top trade negotiator, said in a CBS News interview Sunday morning that the U.S. plans to stand by its trade deals and expects its partners to do the same. He said he talked to his European counterpart this weekend and hasn’t heard anyone tell him the deal is off. “The deals were not premised on whether or not the emergency tariff litigation would rise or fall,” Greer said. “I haven’t heard anyone yet come to me and say the deal’s off. They want to see how this plays out.” Europe’s biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits. Among the biggest U.S. exports to the bloc are professional and scientific services like payment systems and cloud infrastructure, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, aerospace products and cars. “When applied unpredictably, tariffs are inherently disruptive, undermining confidence and stability across global markets and creating further uncertainty across international supply chains,” the commission added. As primarily a trading bloc, the EU has a powerful tool at its disposal to retaliate — the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. It includes a raft of measures for blocking or restricting trade and investment from countries found to be putting undue pressure on EU member nations or corporations. The measures could include curtailing the export and import of goods and services, barring countries or companies from EU public tenders, or limiting foreign direct investment. In its most severe form, it would essentially close off access to the EU’s 450-million customer market and inflict billions of dollars of losses on U.S. companies and the American economy.  

Officials in northern Thailand are working urgently to control a disease outbreak that has killed 72 captive tigers in Chiang Mai this month. The animals, housed in facilities across the region, began showing symptoms earlier in February. Authorities have since launched emergency measures, including disinfecting enclosures and preparing vaccinations for the remaining tigers. While the precise cause of death remains under review, a statement from the Chiang Mai Region 5 Livestock Office said the tigers were infected with canine distemper virus, with mycoplasma bacteria identified as a secondary infection. However, Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director-general of the Department of Livestock Development under Thailand’s agriculture ministry, previously told local media outlet Matichon that the animals had contracted feline panleukopenia. He noted that diagnosing and treating tigers is far more complex than caring for domestic pets. “Dogs and cats live closely with humans, so when symptoms appear, treatment can begin immediately. Tigers do not. By the time signs of illness are detected, the disease may already be severe,” he said. The outbreak has impacted facilities in two Chiang Mai districts — Mae Rim and Mae Taeng — both known for their mountainous terrain. Reports indicate that dozens of tigers first fell ill on 8 February. Following the deaths, Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai — a well-known tourist destination where visitors can interact closely with tigers — has temporarily shut its doors. Kritsayarm Kongsatri, director of Chiang Mai’s wildlife conservation office, described the scale of the deaths as highly unusual. Similar incidents have occurred in the region in recent years. Between August and October 2024, 47 tigers and three leopards died in southern Vietnam after contracting bird flu. In October 2004, an avian influenza outbreak at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, led to the deaths or euthanasia of 147 out of 441 tigers, with contaminated chicken carcasses believed to be the source of infection. Authorities are continuing efforts to prevent the virus from spreading further while investigations into the outbreak remain ongoing. Source: The Guardian    

Students from several Iranian universities have staged anti-government demonstrations—the largest since last month’s deadly security crackdown. The BBC has verified footage showing protesters marching across the campus of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on Saturday. Clashes were later reported between demonstrators and pro-government supporters. Other demonstrations included a sit-in at Shahid Beheshti University in the capital and a rally in the northeast city of Mashhad. Students were commemorating those killed in mass protests in January. Meanwhile, the US has been increasing its military presence near Iran, and President Donald Trump has indicated that a limited military strike is under consideration. The US and European allies have expressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Tehran continues to deny. US and Iranian officials met in Switzerland on Tuesday, reporting progress in negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program. Nevertheless, Trump later warned that the world would know within about ten days whether a deal would be reached or if military action would follow. He has previously expressed support for Iranian protesters, even suggesting that “help is on its way.” Verified footage from Sharif University shows hundreds of students, many waving Iranian flags, marching peacefully while chanting slogans such as “death to the dictator,” directed at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nearby, supporters of a pro-government rally were also present, and confrontations reportedly broke out between the two groups. Similar demonstrations were verified at Amir Kabir University of Technology, and in Mashhad, students reportedly shouted “Freedom, freedom” and “Students, shout for your rights.” Additional protests were reported in other locations, with calls for further rallies on Sunday. There are no immediate reports of arrests. The protests last month, initially sparked by economic grievances, escalated into the largest demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), at least 6,159 people were killed during that period, including 5,804 protesters, 92 children, and 214 government-affiliated individuals, with investigations continuing into another 17,000 reported deaths. Iranian authorities have acknowledged more than 3,100 deaths, mostly security personnel or bystanders, blaming “rioters” for the fatalities. Saturday’s protests come amid heightened tensions, with Iranian authorities preparing for potential conflict with the US. Exiled opposition groups have urged Trump to take action against the Iranian government, while other factions oppose foreign intervention. Both sides have also engaged in social media campaigns, attempting to shape international narratives about the will of the Iranian people. Source: BBC

Pakistan announced early Sunday that it had conducted strikes along its border with Afghanistan, targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it holds responsible for a recent wave of deadly attacks inside the country. While Pakistan did not specify the exact locations of the strikes or provide further details, reports circulating on social media indicated that the operations took place within Afghan territory. Kabul has yet to comment on the strikes. In a statement posted on X before dawn, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the military’s actions as “intelligence-based, selective operations,” aimed at seven camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as its affiliates. He also confirmed that an affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS) group was targeted in the border region. Earlier in October, Pakistan had conducted similar strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting militant hideouts. Trump's Afghanistan claim sparks anger in UK Tarar emphasized that Pakistan “has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region,” but affirmed that the safety and security of its citizens remained a top priority. These latest strikes follow a surge in violence, including a suicide bombing earlier in the week in Bajaur district, which borders Afghanistan. A vehicle laden with explosives was rammed into a security post, collapsing part of the compound and killing 11 soldiers and a child. Authorities later identified the attacker as an Afghan national. Just hours before the cross-border strikes, another suicide bombing targeted a security convoy in nearby Bannu district, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. Following the violence, Pakistan’s military issued a stern warning, stating it would not “exercise any restraint” and would continue operations against those responsible, “irrespective of their location,” signaling growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Tarar further stated that Pakistan had “conclusive evidence” linking the recent attacks — including a suicide bombing that killed 31 worshippers at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad earlier this month — to militants operating under the direction of Afghanistan-based leaders. He claimed that despite repeated requests for action, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers had failed to take meaningful steps to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to stage attacks on Pakistan. Pakistan has urged the international community to press the Taliban in Afghanistan to honor their commitments under the Doha Agreement, specifically the pledge not to allow Afghan territory to be used for attacks against other countries. The surge in militant violence in Pakistan has largely been attributed to the TTP and banned separatist groups from Balochistan. While the TTP is not directly affiliated with Afghanistan’s Taliban, the two share close ties. Pakistan accuses the TTP of operating from safe havens inside Afghanistan, a claim that both the group and Kabul deny. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained since October, when deadly border clashes resulted in numerous casualties, including soldiers, civilians, and militants. These clashes followed bombings in Kabul, which Afghan officials blamed on Pakistan. Though a ceasefire mediated by Qatar has mostly held, talks in Istanbul failed to reach a formal agreement, and tensions between the two countries remain high.