United News of Bangladesh

All Ukrainian troops have been forced from Russia's Kursk region, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff for Russia’s Armed Forces, gave Russian President Vladimir Putin the news in a meeting Saturday, Peskov told Russian state news outlet Interfax. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the claim, reports AP. In a statement, Putin congratulated the Russian soldiers and commanders and said that Kyiv’s incursion had “completely failed”. “The complete defeat of our enemy along Kursk’s border region creates the right conditions for further successes for our troops and in other important areas of the front," he said. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Vatican City on the sidelines of the pope's funeral. The presidents met at St Peter’s Basilica for about 15 minutes and agreed to continue negotiations later on Saturday, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also confirmed the meeting and said they “met privately today and had a very productive discussion.” Adieu to Pope Francis:  Global leaders unite in Vatican for historic funeral Shortly after arriving in Rome last Friday, Trump said on social media that Ukraine and Russia should meet for “very high-level talks” on ending the three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Friday, and Trump said both sides were “very close to a deal.” Meanwhile, in a statement Friday night, Zelenskyy said that “very significant meetings may take place” in coming days, and that an unconditional ceasefire was needed. “Real pressure on Russia is needed so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal — whichever one can truly work and ensure a reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and then — a dignified peace and security guarantees,” he said. “Diplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything to make diplomacy truly meaningful and finally effective.” Three people were killed overnight by Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials also said.

China's economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese exports, the government said Wednesday. Analysts are forecasting that the world’s second largest economy will slow significantly in coming months, however, as tariffs as high as 145% on U.S. imports from China take effect. Exports were a strong factor in China’s ability to attain a 5% annual growth rate in 2024 and the official target for this year remains at about 5%. Beijing has hit back at the U.S. with 125% tariffs on American exports, while also stressing its determination to keep its own markets open to trade and investment. In the near term, the tariffs will put pressure on China's economy, but they won't derail long-run growth, Sheng Laiyun, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, told reporters. “China’s economic foundation is stable, resilient and has great potential. We have the confidence, ability and confidence to cope with external challenges and achieve our established development goals,” Sheng said. Asian shares mostly gain as Trump temporarily eases tariffs In quarterly terms the economy grew 1.2% in January-March, slowing from 1.6% in the last quarter of 2024. Chinese exports surged more than 12% from a year earlier in March and nearly 6% in U.S. dollar terms in the first quarter, as companies rushed to beat Trump’s tariffs. That has supported robust manufacturing activity in the past several months. “Much of this was front-loaded — fueled by a burst of preemptive activity ahead of U.S. tariff escalations and an inventory binge stateside as importers scrambled to get ahead of the curve,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. Industrial production rose 6.5% from a year earlier in the last quarter, led by a nearly 11% increase in output of equipment manufacturing. The strongest growth was in advanced technologies, such as production of battery electric and hybrid vehicles, which jumped 45.4% year-on-year. Output of 3D printers soared almost 45% and of industrial robots surged 26%. But despite relatively fast growth by global standards, the Chinese economy has struggled to regain momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to a downturn in the property market resulting from a crackdown on excess borrowing by developers. Consumer prices fell 0.1% in the first quarter, suggesting that demand is not keeping up with supply for many industries. Investment in real estate also remained weak, falling nearly 10% from a year earlier despite government efforts to spur more lending for housing purchases. The tariffs crisis looms as another massive blow at a time when Beijing is striving to get businesses to invest and hire more workers and to persuade Chinese consumers to spend more. Those efforts appear to be bearing fruit. Retail sales rose 4.2% from a year earlier Both private and public sector economists have remained cautious about what to expect, given how Trump has kept switching his stance on the details of his trade war. “Given the events over the past two weeks, it is extremely difficult to predict how the U.S. and China tariffs on each other might evolve,” Tao Wang and other UBS economists said in a report. The International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank have stuck with more optimistic forecasts of about 4.6% growth this year. China’s exports surge while imports dip amid rising US tariffs After taking office, Trump first ordered a 10% increase in tariffs on imports from China. He later raised that to 20%. Now, China is facing 145% tariffs on most of its exports to the United States. UBS estimates that the tariffs, if they remain roughly as they are, could cause China’s exports to the United States to fall by two-thirds in coming months and that its global exports could fall by 10% in dollar value. It cut its forecast for economic growth this year to 3.4% from an earlier 4%. It expects growth to slow to 3% in 2026. China has stepped up efforts to spur more consumer spending and private sector investment over the past seven months, doubling down on subsidies for auto and appliance trade-ins and channeling more funding for housing and other cash strapped industries.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that he will introduce further tariffs on Chinese goods starting tomorrow if Beijing does not roll back its recently announced 34% retaliatory tariffs on the United States. Trump stated that the new tariffs on Chinese imports would be set at 50%. Trump defends tariffs as 'medicine' despite market turmoil This development follows China’s announcement on Friday that it would impose 34% tariffs on U.S. products, in response to the White House’s decision to apply the same rate of levies on all Chinese imports beginning April 9. Source: With input from agency .

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has written to US President Donald Trump, urging him to delay the implementation of reciprocal tariff measures on Bangladesh for three months. In a letter, Prof Yunus requested the postponement to allow the interim government sufficient time to implement its initiative aimed at significantly boosting US exports to Bangladesh. Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder confirmed to UNB regarding the letter. "We are the first country to take such a pro-active initiative", he said in his letter, citing the visit of High Representative Dr Khalilur Rahman to Washington DC in February. Ever since, the two sides have been working closely to identify specific actions, he said. Bangladesh is also the first country to enter into a multi-year agreement to import liquefied natural gas from the US. Govt initiates talks with US over newly imposed tariffs: Finance Adviser The centrepiece of Bangladesh's actions is to significantly increase the imports of US agricultural products such as cotton, wheat, corn and soybean which will offer benefits to US farmers. Bangladesh has the lowest tariff on most US exports in the South Asian region. The Chief Adviser indicated further tariff cuts on US products are being fashioned, including top US export items such as gas turbines, semiconductors and medical equipment. Bangladesh will build dedicated duty free bonded warehouses for cotton to improve speed to market. "We are eliminating certain testing requirements, rationalizing packaging, labelling and certification requirements and undertaking trade facilitation measures such as simplifying customs procedures and standards," the Chief Adviser added. "Bangladesh will take all necessary actions to fully support your trade agenda", Professor Yunus assured President Trump. NBR to decide response to 37% US counter-tariff in its Sunday’s meeting A separate letter detailing the actions by Bangladesh will be sent by the Commerce Advisor to the US Trade Representative soon.

Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk plan to rally across the US on Saturday to protest the administration's actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues. More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations have been planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organisations, labour unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and fair-elections activists. The protests are planned for the National Mall in Washington, DC, state capitols and other locations in all 50 states. The White House did not return an email message seeking comment about the protests. Trump has promoted his policies as being in the best interest of the US. Protesters are assailing the Trump administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs. Trump grants 2nd extension for TikTok to remain operational in US Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since the new administration took power. But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the Women's March in 2017, which brought thousands of women to Washington, DC, after Trump's first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities after George Floyd's killing in 2020. Organisers say they hope Saturday's demonstrations will be the largest since Trump returned to office in January.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is traveling to Greenland on Wednesday for a three-day trip aimed at building trust and cooperation with Greenlandic officials at a time when the Trump administration is seeking control of the vast Arctic territory. Frederiksen announced plans for her visit after US Vice President JD Vance visited a US air base in Greenland last week and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory. Greenland is a mineral-rich, strategically critical island that is becoming more accessible because of climate change. Trump has said that the landmass is critical to US security. It's geographically part of North America, but is a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. Frederiksen is due to meet the incoming Greenlandic leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after an election last month that produced a new government. She is also to meet with the future Naalakkersuisut, the Cabinet, in a visit due to last through Friday. “It has my deepest respect how the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic politicians handle the great pressure that is on Greenland," she said in government statement announcing the visit. On the agenda are talks with Nielsen about cooperation between Greenland and Denmark. Nielsen has said in recent days that he welcomes the visit, and that Greenland would resist any US attempt to annex the territory. “We must listen when others talk about us. But we must not be shaken. President Trump says the United States is ‘getting Greenland.’ Let me make this clear: The US is not getting that. We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,” he wrote Sunday on Facebook. Houthis claim downing American drone amid US strikes “We must not act out of fear. We must respond with peace, dignity and unity. And it is through these values that we must clearly, clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours.” For years, the people of Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, have been working toward eventual independence from Denmark. The Trump administration's threats to take control of the island one way or the other, possibly even with military force, have angered many in Greenland and Denmark. The incoming government wants to take a slower approach on the question of eventual independence. The political group in Greenland most sympathetic to the US president, the Naleraq party that advocates a swift path toward independence, was excluded from coalition talks to form the next government. Peter Viggo Jakobsen, associate professor at the Danish Defense Academy, said last week that the Trump administration’s aspirations for Greenland could backfire and push the more mild parties closer to Denmark. He said that “Trump has scared most Greenlanders away from this idea about a close relationship to the United States because they don’t trust him.”

Tiger Woods has publicly confirmed his relationship with Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, by sharing two photos on social media with the message, “Love is in the air.” Woods and Vanessa, who was married to Donald Trump Jr., were recently spotted together at Torrey Pines in San Diego, where Woods was present for the final round of the Genesis Invitational to award the trophy as the tournament host. Vanessa’s daughter, Kai Trump, attends the same school as Woods' children, Sam and Charlie. Kai and Charlie also participated in a prestigious junior golf tournament this week. Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, qualifies for first USGA event at age 15 Woods shared on X, where he has 6.4 million followers: “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together.” He further requested privacy for their loved ones during this time. One of the photos shows Woods and Vanessa posing together, while the other captures them lounging in a hammock, with Vanessa’s arm resting on his chest as he looks up. The couple had been the subject of media speculation for several weeks. Vanessa was married to Donald Trump Jr. for 12 years, with whom she has five children. Woods had previously announced on March 11 that he had ruptured his left Achilles tendon, which would keep him out of the Masters and likely the rest of the year. It’s unclear why Woods, who is known for keeping his personal life private, decided to confirm the relationship by posting photos. This move recalls a similar situation in 2013, when Woods and Lindsey Vonn shared pictures of themselves together to confirm their relationship. At the time, Woods expressed his desire to reduce media intrusion, saying they wanted to avoid the "stalkarazzi" and limit paparazzi access to their private moments. Tiger Woods returns to Florida to recover from car crash Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren, whom he divorced in 2010 following revelations of multiple extramarital affairs. His only other public relationship was with Erica Herman, which ended in October 2022 after about seven years. Their breakup was complicated, and Herman eventually dropped lawsuits against Woods and the trust that owns his South Florida estate, where she had been residing.

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the US Education Department, according to a White House official, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before an announcement. Trump has derided the Department of Education as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, finalizing its dismantling is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The Trump administration has already been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress. Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal. Trump, Putin to seek limited ceasefire on energy, infrastructure in Ukraine war “This isn’t fixing education. It’s making sure millions of children never get a fair shot. And we’re not about to let that happen without a fight,” the National Parents Union said in a statement. The White House has not spelled out formally which department functions could be handed off to other departments, or eliminated altogether. At her confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would preserve core initiatives, including Title I money for low-income schools and Pell grants for low-income college students. The goal of the administration, she said, would be "a better functioning Department of Education.” The department sends billions of dollars a year to schools and oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, from school meals to support for homeless students. The agency also plays a significant role in overseeing civil rights enforcement. Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools. Colleges and universities are more reliant on money from Washington, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined Truth Social, the social media platform owned by former US President Donald Trump, making him one of the few global leaders on the site. In his first post on Monday, Modi shared a photograph with Trump from his 2019 visit to Houston, Texas, expressing his pleasure at joining the platform, reports BBC. Trump launched Truth Social in February 2022 after being temporarily banned from major platforms like Twitter and Facebook following accusations of inciting violence during the 2021 Capitol riots. As of 03:30 GMT, Modi had 21,500 followers and was following only Trump and US Vice President JD Vance. On Monday, Trump posted a link to Modi’s interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, in which the Indian leader discussed his personal journey, the 2002 Gujarat riots, and India's ties with China. Hindu temple desecrated with anti-India, anti-Hindu graffiti in Southern California Truth Social operates similarly to X, formerly Twitter, allowing users to post ‘truths’, ‘retruths’, and send direct messages. Advertisements on the platform are termed ‘sponsored truths’. The platform is owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which went public in March 2024. Trump holds a 57 percent stake, while Kuwaiti investment firm ARC Global Investments and former contestants from The Apprentice also own shares, though some of these are tied up in legal disputes. Trump has 9.28 million followers on Truth Social, significantly fewer than the 87 million on X. Despite a $4.45 billion market valuation, TMTG reported losses of $400 million in 2024, with revenue of just $3.6 million.

“The Apprentice,” the long-running reality TV show that boosted Donald Trump’s profile, will begin streaming on Amazon's Prime Video, the company announced Monday. The show’s first seven seasons will be available on Amazon's streaming platform, with the first season premiering Monday and subsequent seasons arriving every week until late April. Debuting in 2004, “The Apprentice” and a spinoff, “Celebrity Apprentice,” propelled Trump to national stardom following a string of bankruptcies and bad business deals in the 1990s that had splintered his New York-based real estate empire. The series, meant to showcase Trump’s business acumen, was a major hit, and Trump’s name became a global brand that helped launch his political career. The show featured contestants taking part in various challenges for a $250,000 salary and a job with The Trump Organization. Trump expressed enthusiasm for the news on Truth Social and in a statement included in Amazon’s statement. “I look forward to watching this show myself — such great memories, and so much fun, but most importantly, it was a learning experience for all of us!” Trump said in Amazon’s release. Amazon's decision to stream “The Apprentice” is the latest indication the company is attempting to strengthen its relationship with Trump, which was testy during his first term. Jury rules Disney didn’t copy Moana from surfer story In January, Amazon said it would release a new documentary about first lady Melania Trump, promising an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at her life. Weeks before the November election, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced that The Washington Post, which he owns, would not endorse a presidential candidate, sparking a wave of resignations and thousands of subscription cancellations. On Monday, a columnist who has worked at the Post for four decades resigned after she said the newspaper’s management decided not to run her commentary critical of Bezos’ new editorial policy. The policy, announced last month, narrows the topics covered by the paper’s opinion section to personal liberties and the free market. In December, Amazon said it would donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. The company also streamed the inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another $1 million.