United News of Bangladesh

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in remarks to The New York Times following the announcement of an agreement with Iran. Trump described Netanyahu as "a very difficult guy" and suggested that the Israeli leader should appreciate Washington’s role in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump argued that without U.S. intervention, Israel’s security would have been severely threatened if Iran had developed a nuclear arsenal. He also expressed frustration over Israeli military actions in Lebanon, saying they nearly undermined the negotiations that led to the agreement, reports Al Jazeera. The president warned that the United States could resume military strikes against Iran if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program ultimately break down. Trump maintained that previous U.S. missile and bombing attacks were a key factor in persuading Iran to negotiate, claiming that Tehran wanted to avoid further military action. According to Trump, the pressure created by those strikes played a major role in securing the deal, which he described as having a “huge impact” on bringing Iran to the negotiating table.  

President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday on Sunday by hailing an initial agreement to end the war in Iran and staging a once unfathomable cage-fighting show on the White House's storied South Lawn. Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks and the continuing conflict threatened to overshadow the UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants inside a wire-mesh octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission. Ahead of the fight starting, however, the president said an agreement to end the conflict “is now complete." He declared that the U.S. will end its blockade of Iran, and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. That could potentially ease high oil prices — but crucial details still need negotiating over the coming weeks. Top administration officials and Republican leaders attended the fights, including FBI Director Kash Patel and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Polish President Karol Nawrocki was also spotted at the White House. Trump and UFC chief Dana White walked together from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the Octagon, standing for the national anthem as fighter jets thundered overhead. More than 4,000 spectators were invited to a temporary arena under “ The Claw,” a spaceship-like metal arch fitted with lighting, sound equipment and large screens. Thousands more watched on big screens from the nearby Ellipse. “This event is a one of one event, incredible event,” said White, a close friend of the president's, during a Friday night hype session at the Lincoln Memorial, where pairs of fighters shoved and scuffled for the cameras under the stoic gaze of Honest Abe’s marble likeness. During a break in Sunday's action, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approached Trump and spoke with him for several minutes. First lady Melania Trump was also there. As Diego Lopes was defeating American Steve Garcia in the opening fight, the president could be seen speaking to the first lady while watching the knockout. After Bo Nickal knocked out Kyle Daukaus in the second fight, Nickal went over to Trump and kneeled down, chatting briefly. “I gotta thank President Trump for making this happen,” Nickal told White in a subsequent interview, as Trump grinned nearby. Nickal added that the president is a “special person,” before Trump-favorite “YMCA" played. The president sought to tie Sunday’s event to larger, monthslong celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But it was so geared toward himself that the G7 summit for leaders of industrialized nations pushed back their get-together so that the president could attend his cage-match party and then fly to Europe for the meetings. The weekend wasn't all smiles for Trump, though. Crews pried Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center about a mile from Trump’s birthday bash after a judge ruled naming it after the president had gone too far. And, before the fight began, UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland — an outspoken critic of Israel — was escorted out of the Ellipse by a crowd of law enforcement officers. It could have been worse. Despite forecasts predicting strong chances of thunderstorms that delayed the event briefly, rain wasn't an issue. A dramatic departure from how the last president marked his 80th The crowd repeatedly chanted, “USA! USA!” when an American fighter faced a foreign opponent. But that often didn’t help the American fighter prevail. After winning his fight, Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy proposed to his girlfriend who — in Trumpian fashion — flashed a thumb's up from the crowd. It was all a very long way from when Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, turned 80 in November 2022. Biden celebrated with a private family brunch at the White House, laying bare just how much and how quickly things have changed. Asked about the contrast, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster called the UFC event “one of the most entertaining nights in American history.” “Having this spectacle take place at the people’s house on Flag Day during our nations’ semiquincentennial anniversary is a fitting tribute,” Schuster said in a statement. When he turned 80, Biden was the oldest president in U.S. history, and was months away from launching a reelection bid that he would ultimately abandon after a disastrous debate against Trump and mutiny among Democrats concerned he was too old to handle a second term. Trump has now supplanted Biden as the oldest person to be elected U.S. president. He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion publicly. That’s despite polls showing rising public skepticism about Trump’s mental and physical health — recalling concerns Biden faced as he turned 80. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in April found that less than half of U.S. adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president. The White House countered with a lengthy statement from Trump's former White House physician, Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, saying Trump's “stamina, focus, and strength are exceptional and on display every day. Claims to the contrary are pure fiction.” Jackson added that polling concerns were “being propagated by the same biased, liberal, Trump-hating press that completely ignored the absolute cognitive and physical disaster that was President Biden.” ‘Bread and circuses’ — Trump-style The UFC is an apt metaphor for Trump's pugilistic political style. He is as big a fan of cage-match-style politics as he is of cage-fighting itself. But Trump has also long been a master of political misdirection, purposely presenting people with something other than his presidency to focus on when things aren’t going well. With the war in Iran having kept gas prices high and renewing concerns about inflation while Trump's job approval ratings fall, a White House birthday party unlike anything America has ever seen can certainly qualify as a diversion. “This is all distraction,” said Mike Fontaine, a classics professor at Cornell University, who likened it to the gladiatorial games of Imperial Rome, when combatants brutalized each other for public entertainment meant to bolster rulers’ popularity and quell potential unrest. “This is a classic strategy," Fontaine said. “In ancient Rome, the phrase would be, ‘bread and circuses.’” Trump says the UFC is paying for the event and while its full costs haven't been divulged, the National Park Service said in a court filing that $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor went into it, while seven government agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower.” UFC also announced that it was adding as an official partner for the event World Liberty Financial to create a special $250,000 athlete bonus pool for Sunday night’s winners. The cryptocurrency company is co-owned by the Trump family, founded with the president’s special diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son, Zach. The arrangement further blurs lines between the Trump family's financial interests and the events and construction projects the president has prioritized and used government resources to pull off. Still, Fontaine said that when it comes to a personal flair for pageantry, the president’s second-term tendency to lean into “hardcore masculinity and brute fighting” is marrying the UFC's blood sport with Trump's trademark humor and enduring sense of showmanship. “President Trump has a once-in-a-generation talent for this stuff,” he said.

US President Donald Trump said a deal aimed at ending hostilities between the United States and Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, although Iran has cast doubt on the proposed timeline. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote. He also referred to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, saying that “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust,” which he said would later be destroyed. Trump warned that if the process did not proceed “quickly, easily and smoothly,” Washington had “the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again.” Pakistan, which has been playing a mediating role, also indicated that an agreement could be finalized soon. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the parties were closer than ever to reaching a deal. “With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week,” Sharif wrote on X. However, Iran appeared more cautious about the timing. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a memorandum of understanding was expected but suggested the signing would not take place immediately. “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” he said. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said an agreement with Washington was close and that it envisaged an end to the conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to Araghchi, the deal would also include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports, while discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin at a later stage. US officials have confirmed some elements of the proposed agreement, saying any economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran fulfilling its commitments. Reports have differed over whether Lebanon would be formally included in the arrangement, with some indications that Iran has pushed for its inclusion. The latest developments come after several previous attempts to finalize a deal stalled in the later stages of negotiations. The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes inside Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf region, as well as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although a ceasefire was reached in April, tensions have persisted, with the United States and Iran exchanging intermittent attacks, including two rounds of retaliatory strikes this week. Source: BBC

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told lawmakers on Wednesday that meeting disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was a “grave error in judgment,” as he testified voluntarily behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee.  Gates said he “should never have met with Epstein in the first place” and stressed that he never witnessed or had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. US lawmakers say Epstein file release falls short  He was introduced to Epstein through people involved in his professional and philanthropic work and initially believed Epstein could help mobilise billions of dollars for global health initiatives and he ended the relationship in 2014 after concluding that Epstein could not deliver on those promises, Gates added. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Gates was not accused of any wrongdoing and that the inquiry was focused on justice for Epstein’s victims and understanding government failures. Documents reviewed by lawmakers include meeting records, emails related to philanthropic projects and photographs showing Gates and Epstein at the same events. Their association began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and continued until at least late 2014. Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls and has previously described the relationship as “a huge mistake.” Both Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates, have said the association created strain in their marriage. The Gates Foundation acknowledged earlier this year that a small number of employees met Epstein because of his claims that he could attract major philanthropic support for global health projects. The foundation said it never established a charitable fund with Epstein and made no payments to him.

President Donald Trump has said the United States “must respond” after blaming Iran for shooting down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that has further escalated already rising tensions in the Gulf region. The helicopter went down early Tuesday off the coast of Oman during a patrol mission, according to U.S. Central Command. Both crew members were rescued safely after an unmanned vessel located them in the water, officials said. Trump, writing on social media, said military officials informed him that Iran had shot down a “highly sophisticated Apache helicopter” and confirmed that the two service members were unharmed. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he said. Iran has not officially confirmed involvement in the incident. However, the event comes amid heightened military and political tensions in the region, where a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been repeatedly tested by fresh exchanges of fire. The U.S. military said the cause of the crash is under investigation. Officials described the rescue operation as the first known use of a drone boat to recover downed aircrew in the area, carried out by an unmanned vessel operated under the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59. Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in a post on X, warned that Tehran could respond forcefully if its commitments are broken, saying Iran was prepared to use “other languages” beyond diplomacy. The incident also comes as diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes to prevent further escalation. Mediators, including Pakistan, have been working to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Before the helicopter incident, Trump had expressed optimism about a potential deal with Iran, saying an agreement could be reached within days, though he provided no details. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global shipping route, and tensions in the area have contributed to rising energy prices and broader economic uncertainty as the conflict in the region continues.

US President Donald Trump has rejected criticism that the ongoing conflict with Iran contradicts his campaign promise of “no new wars,” arguing that he never guaranteed his presidency would be free of military conflicts. In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he had not promised there would be no wars if he returned to office. “First of all, I didn’t guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” Trump said. The president also defended a now-abandoned $1.8 billion fund that was intended to compensate political allies and repeated his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in California’s prolonged vote-counting process following last week’s primary election. Trump, who campaigned in 2024 portraying himself as a leader who started “no new wars” and accusing Democratic rivals of being warmongers, maintained that the conflict with Iran does not amount to an extended military engagement. “I don’t like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We’ve been doing this for three months,” he said, referring to the conflict with Iran that began on February 28. He argued that US actions were necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, saying he was “doing the world a service” and “doing our country a service.” At the same time, Trump reiterated his claim that US strikes last year had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities, despite also citing the need to stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump further defended his decision during his first term to withdraw from the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, a deal he has long criticized while promising to secure a better alternative. “It takes years to do these things,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump increasingly appears to be boxed in. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement a week ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump, however, has called for unspecified changes, and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing to the deal. The fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south while saying it targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, also challenges efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extends to Lebanon. The Trump administration has touted the latest ceasefire agreed to earlier in the week by the Lebanese government and Israel after U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. However, Hezbollah has rejected the agreement. Meanwhile, Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait that were intercepted early Saturday, Bahrain’s government said, and called on Tehran to halt attacks on Gulf neighbors that test a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Iran said that it targeted American military assets in both countries, after the U.S. attacked surveillance facilities on Qeshm Island and near Sirik that Iran said were used to protect borders and “ensure the security of navigation in international waters.” Tehran called the attack a ceasefire violation. Later Saturday, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had shot down two Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz. The latest exchanges came as the Trump administration presses Iran to make a deal to end the war, which has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.  

At least 12 people were injured in a shooting near a crowded street festival in Ohio on Saturday, prompting panic among attendees as some sought cover while others rushed to assist the wounded. Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said no suspects had been arrested several hours after the incident and urged festivalgoers to provide photos or videos that could aid the investigation. Tens of thousands protest austerity in Brussels, police use tear gas The shooting occurred near the Old West End Festival, an annual event featuring live music and home tours. Heffernan said preliminary information indicated that at least two individuals exchanged gunfire and were “probably shooting at each other.” Two victims remained in critical condition. The injured ranged in age from 14 to 61, with most in their early 20s. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine expressed concern, saying summer festivals should be safe places for families. Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said road closures and heavy traffic complicated access to hospitals, but all victims were transported from the scene within an hour. Witness Kevin Berry, who was attending the festival, said he heard several gunshots and later saw multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds. City officials were considering whether the two-day festival would continue after the violence.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting US military operations against Iran, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of President Donald Trump as several Republicans joined Democrats in the vote. The measure passed by a narrow 215-208 margin and reflects growing political opposition in Congress to the ongoing conflict, which has reshaped domestic and international politics over the past three months. House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously attempted to block the measure, briefly halting floor proceedings two weeks ago when it was close to passing. However, support for the resolution increased amid rising dissatisfaction with the prolonged conflict. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the push for the resolution. “Enough is enough,” Meeks said, adding, “It is time for the president to do the right thing. The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice — suffering at the gas pump, suffering at the supermarkets.” Although the resolution passed the House, its future remains uncertain. President Trump is expected to reject any congressional effort that limits his authority as commander-in-chief. Nonetheless, the vote was seen as a significant political setback, drawing applause in the chamber. Opposition to the conflict has been gradually increasing, with this marking the fourth attempt by the House to limit US military involvement in Iran. The Senate also advanced a similar measure last month, with some Republican senators breaking ranks with the administration. The conflict began after US forces joined Israel in launching strikes on Iran on February 28. Since then, tensions have persisted, with intermittent military exchanges continuing despite a declared ceasefire in April that remains fragile. House Speaker Johnson said he had recently met President Trump and that the administration is focused on restoring stability in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route disrupted by the conflict. He added that reopening the waterway is a priority due to its importance for global energy supplies. The prolonged conflict has contributed to rising fuel prices and broader inflationary pressures in the United States, according to lawmakers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned lawmakers that restricting presidential authority could weaken diplomatic leverage, arguing that Iran might interpret congressional action as a sign that Washington’s response options are limited. While the House also advanced other foreign policy-related measures, including support for Ukraine and a potential resolution concerning Lebanon, none have yet been finalised. Under the US Constitution, Congress holds the authority to declare war, while the president serves as commander-in-chief, creating ongoing legal and political tensions over war powers. The White House has argued that a declared ceasefire means active hostilities have ended, complicating the applicability of the War Powers Act timeline.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy” during a phone conversation earlier this week, expressing frustration that Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon were complicating ongoing efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran. In an interview released Wednesday on The New York Post’s “Pod Force One,” Trump acknowledged tensions with Netanyahu but emphasized that their relationship remains strong. “We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” Trump said, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname. Trump said he was “a little bit perturbed” by Israel’s actions in Lebanon, which he believes have hindered diplomatic progress with Tehran. The remarks come as the US administration faces increasing pressure to end the regional conflict amid concerns over rising energy prices, economic uncertainty and their potential political impact ahead of midterm elections. Despite the challenges, Trump said negotiations involving Iran were continuing, although he declined to provide a clear timeline for a resolution. He noted that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could remain closed through the US Labor Day holiday on Sept. 7 but expressed confidence that the situation would likely be resolved sooner. “I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” Trump said. The US president also said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a role in ongoing peace discussions despite reportedly suffering injuries in an earlier airstrike. According to Trump, Iranian officials continue to seek Khamenei’s approval on key decisions. Meanwhile, tensions remained high in Lebanon. An Israeli strike hit a vehicle on a busy highway south of Beirut on Wednesday, just hours before a second round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington. It was not immediately clear whether the targeted individual was killed. The strike came days after Lebanon and Israel reached a US-mediated understanding under which Israel agreed not to target Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hezbollah pledged to halt attacks on northern Israel. The arrangement was reached shortly after Israel had announced plans for major strikes near the Lebanese capital. The US State Department said progress had been made during the first day of talks on Tuesday. Lebanon is seeking a broader nationwide ceasefire, while Israel is demanding the immediate disarmament of Hezbollah before ending military operations and withdrawing troops from several Lebanese towns and villages. Shortly after Wednesday’s strike, the Israeli military reported intercepting what it described as a hostile aircraft originating from southern Lebanon, though it did not directly blame Hezbollah. The group has not claimed responsibility for any cross-border attacks since the recent agreement was reached.