United News of Bangladesh

US President Donald Trump has said American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following large-scale strikes, marking a dramatic escalation in Washington’s long-running confrontation with Caracas. The Trump administration accuses Maduro of fueling illegal migration, drug trafficking and organised crime affecting the United States. Trump has repeatedly blamed the Venezuelan leader for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants, amid an economic collapse that has driven nearly eight million people to flee the country since 2013. Trump has also alleged that Venezuela plays a major role in drug trafficking to the US. He designated Venezuelan criminal groups Tren de Aragua and the so-called Cartel de los Soles as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, claiming Maduro leads the latter — an allegation Maduro strongly denies. Analysts note the cartel is not a structured organisation but a term referring to corrupt officials enabling drug transit. Since Trump began his second term, pressure on Maduro intensified. The US doubled rewards for information leading to Maduro’s capture, imposed a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil exports and authorised covert CIA operations inside the country. US forces also carried out dozens of strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific. However, counter-narcotics experts say Venezuela is mainly a transit country and plays a relatively minor role in global drug trafficking. Most cocaine entering the US comes via the Pacific, while fentanyl — now the leading cause of overdose deaths — is largely produced in Mexico and smuggled across the US southern border. Maduro, in power since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chávez, has rejected US accusations, calling them a pretext to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, though production has fallen sharply due to sanctions, mismanagement and underinvestment. The Venezuelan military has vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty as tensions continue to escalate. With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being taken to New York after being captured by US forces. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said Maduro and Flores have been indicted in New York and are being transported to the state by helicopter and ship. He alleged that the Venezuelan leader was responsible for the deaths of many people, including American citizens. Trump said the operation to capture Maduro had been planned earlier but was delayed due to weather conditions. “The weather has to be perfect,” he said, adding that the mission was launched once conditions improved. Describing the raid, Trump said Maduro was captured from a location “more like a fortress than a house,” with heavy steel fortifications. He claimed no US soldiers were killed in the operation, though a few were injured and are now in stable condition. The US president also said he had spoken with Maduro about a week before the operation, urging him to surrender. When that did not happen, Trump said the US carried out what he described as a “surgical and powerful” action. Trump added that the United States would now be “strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil sector. He said Maduro’s capture sent a message that the US would no longer allow itself to be “pushed around,” particularly over drug trafficking. Asked about the political future of Venezuela, Trump said Washington would consider its position regarding opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. He also questioned the legitimacy of Maduro’s election. Trump claims Maduro captured as US launches major strikes on Venezuela US Vice President later said in a post on X that the operation showed Trump’s resolve, praising US special forces and reiterating claims about drug trafficking and oil theft. Earlier, US Attorney General Pam Bondi who says that Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro, she says, has been charged with "Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States". "They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Bondi adds but does not say what his wife has been charged with. "A huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers," she adds. Earlier on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said the United States has carried out “large scale strikes” against Venezuela and claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country. In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies and that further details would be announced at a news conference scheduled later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago residence. With inputs from BBC

Residents of Venezuela’s capital reported hearing at least seven explosions along with the sound of aircraft flying at low altitude around 2 a.m. local time on Saturday. The cause of the blasts was not immediately known. Venezuelan authorities, as well as the Pentagon and the White House, did not respond right away to requests for comment. Following the loud sounds, people in several neighborhoods poured out into the streets. From different parts of the city, residents said they could see activity in the distance, though details remained unclear. The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States. In recent days, the U.S. military has been carrying out strikes on vessels it claims are involved in drug trafficking. On Friday, Venezuelan officials said the country was willing to explore a possible agreement with Washington aimed at tackling narcotics smuggling. President Nicolás Maduro, meanwhile, has accused the United States of attempting to overthrow his government. In a prerecorded interview broadcast Thursday, Maduro said Washington’s pressure campaign, which began with a large U.S. military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August, was intended to force political change and secure access to Venezuela’s extensive oil resources. Maduro faces U.S. charges related to narco-terrorism. Last week, a drone strike targeted a docking area believed to be used by Venezuelan drug trafficking groups. The CIA was behind the operation, marking what appeared to be the first direct U.S. strike on Venezuelan territory since attacks on suspected smuggling boats began in September. For months, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that strikes on Venezuelan land were a possibility. The United States has also seized oil tankers operating under sanctions near Venezuela’s coast and imposed a blockade on others, moves widely seen as efforts to further tighten economic pressure on the country. Since early September, U.S. forces have been striking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to figures released by the Trump administration, at least 35 vessels have been hit, with a reported death toll of no fewer than 115 people as of Friday. Those operations followed a significant buildup of U.S. military power near South America, including the deployment in November of the country’s most advanced aircraft carrier. The move brought thousands of additional troops to the region, marking the largest American military presence there in decades. Trump has defended the attacks as necessary to curb the flow of drugs into the United States, insisting that Washington is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Iranian state television also reported on the explosions in Caracas on Saturday, airing footage of the city. Iran has maintained close ties with Venezuela for years, largely due to their shared opposition to U.S. policies.

Former US special counsel Jack Smith has said the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol would not have happened without Donald Trump, characterizing the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. A transcript and video of Smith’s closed-door deposition were released on Wednesday by the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee. During the testimony, Smith defended the basis of his investigations and rejected claims that they were politically motivated. Smith said the evidence showed that Trump fuelled false claims of election fraud, summoned supporters to Washington and directed them toward the Capitol. He added that once violence broke out, Trump failed to act promptly to stop it and instead made statements that further escalated the situation and endangered then Vice President Mike Pence. Trump had been indicted for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and for illegally retaining classified documents at his Florida residence. However, both cases were abandoned after Trump won the 2024 presidential election, in line with US Justice Department policy barring prosecution of a sitting president. Smith said the January 6 case relied heavily on testimony from Republican allies who acknowledged the illegality of the actions and chose loyalty to the Constitution over party interests.

Dozens of people are presumed dead and around 100 others injured, most seriously, after a fire broke out at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss Alps resort town of Crans-Montana during New Year celebrations, police said Thursday. Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said the exact number of victims is still being confirmed and authorities are working to identify the dead and notify families. Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said the cause of the fire is not yet known, and officials have ruled out any attack. Witnesses described a lit candle in a bottle igniting the wooden ceiling, causing flames to spread rapidly. People panicked, smashing windows and rushing up narrow stairs to escape. Emergency teams rushed helicopters and ambulances to the scene, and the local hospital’s intensive care unit quickly reached full capacity. Crans-Montana, a major winter sports destination in Switzerland’s Alps, is hosting thousands of tourists for skiing and upcoming World Cup and Olympic events. Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed condolences and delayed his New Year address out of respect for the victims.

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four Venezuelan oil companies and designated four additional oil tankers as blocked property, accusing them of supporting President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named the ships Nord Star, Lunar Tide, Rosalind, and Della, along with their ownership companies, in the sanctions. The move bars the firms and vessels from accessing any property or financial assets in the U.S., and violations could trigger further penalties. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the action continues President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Maduro and his allies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that the U.S. “will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs.” The sanctions come amid a broader U.S. crackdown that has included the seizure of two oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast, strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, and a recent CIA drone attack on a suspected cartel docking area. Trump has also ordered a “blockade” of all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and demanded the return of assets previously seized from U.S. oil companies, accusing Maduro’s government of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.

Zohran Mamdani is set to take office as New York City’s next mayor at the stroke of midnight ushering in 2026, beginning a day-long series of inaugural events. The Democrat will participate in two separate swearing-in ceremonies on Thursday. The first will be a private, family-only oath shortly after midnight at a long-abandoned subway station beneath Manhattan. A second, public ceremony is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, culminating in a block party outside City Hall. Because a mayor’s term officially begins on January 1, it has long been customary for incoming mayors to hold both a symbolic overnight oath and a larger daytime celebration. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams took his initial oath in Times Square following the New Year’s Eve ball drop, while former Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn in at his Brooklyn home. Mamdani’s midnight ceremony will take place at the former City Hall subway station, a historic stop known for its ornate arches and vaulted ceilings. Once the centerpiece of the city’s first subway line, the station was closed in 1945 and is now accessible mainly through guided tours or by remaining on a downtown-bound No. 6 train as it loops north. New York Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath. Mamdani’s office said the underground location reflects his dedication to working-class New Yorkers and symbolizes a time when the city invested heavily in infrastructure to improve daily life. The formal public swearing-in will be held at 1 p.m. on the steps of City Hall, where U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will administer the oath. Opening remarks will be delivered by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In both ceremonies, Mamdani — the city’s first Muslim mayor — will take the oath with his hand on Qurans, marking the first time New York’s top elected official has been sworn in using Islam’s holy book. His inaugural committee includes actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola, novelist Colson Whitehead, along with advocates, small business owners and campaign staff. The public ceremony will feature music, performances and interfaith elements, with thousands expected to attend. Mamdani’s election also prompted historians to revise the city’s mayoral count, concluding he is the 112th mayor after correcting a long-standing archival error. He has spent recent weeks finalizing his administration, announcing several key appointments as recently as Wednesday, just hours before taking office. Source: AP 

President Donald Trump is not the first US president to want more space at the White House for entertaining guests, according to the longest serving top aide in the executive residence, lending support to Trump’s justification for building a new ballroom. Gary Walters, who served more than two decades as White House chief usher under presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, said every president he worked with raised concerns about the limited space for hosting large events. “All the presidents that I had an opportunity to serve always talked about some possibility of an enlarged area” for entertaining, Walters said in an interview with The Associated Press, referring to his recently published memoir. Trump has spoken for years about building a ballroom at the White House, even before entering politics. In July, the White House announced plans for a 90,000 square foot ballroom on the east side of the complex, initially designed to seat 650 guests at an estimated cost of $200 million. Trump has said the project will be funded through private donations, including his own. The Republican president later increased the proposed capacity to 999 guests. By October, the two story East Wing of the White House was demolished to make way for the project, and in December Trump revised the estimated cost to $400 million, double the original figure. The demolition of the East Wing alarmed historians and preservationists, but Walters said construction and demolition have long been part of the White House’s history. He noted that earlier structures such as conservatories, greenhouses and stables were removed to build the West Wing in 1902, while the residence itself was expanded with a third floor and later the East Wing during World War II. “There’s always been construction going on around the White House,” Walters said. Walters said that when a new president took office, one of his first discussions with the president, first lady and social secretary focused on how many people the White House could accommodate. He noted that even at full capacity, the State Dining Room can seat about 130 guests for a state dinner, while the East Room can hold roughly 300 chairs, fewer if space is needed for television equipment. Trump has frequently complained that both rooms are too small and has also criticized the long standing practice of using large tents on the South Lawn for major events. Walters said the tents created problems, particularly during rain, and often damaged the grass, requiring repeated reseeding. While Walters acknowledged it was jarring to see the East Wing torn down, he said he had fond personal memories of the space. He met his wife, Barbara, at the White House, where she worked in the East Wing as a receptionist during the Nixon and Ford administrations. The couple recently marked 48 years of marriage. Walters’ long White House career began by chance after he broke an ankle in 1970 while serving with the Executive Protective Service, a forerunner of the US Secret Service. Unable to perform regular patrol duties, he was assigned to a control and appointments center inside the White House, a move he later said changed the course of his career. After joining the Usher’s Office in 1976, Walters rose to become chief usher under President Reagan a decade later, overseeing maintenance, construction, renovations, food service and a staff of about 90 employees. He retired in 2007 after 37 years at the White House, including a record 21 years as chief usher, having served under seven presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush.

The CIA carried out a drone strike last week on a dock in Venezuela believed to be used by drug cartels, according to sources familiar with the classified operation. The strike, the first known direct U.S. action on Venezuelan soil since September, represents a major escalation in Washington’s campaign against President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan authorities have not commented on the attack. President Donald Trump confirmed the operation in a radio interview and during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, saying the strike targeted a dock where drugs were loaded onto boats. Trump declined to specify whether the military or CIA conducted the attack. Special Operations Command stated it did not support the operation. The strike follows a months-long U.S. buildup in the Caribbean, including at least 30 strikes on suspected drug boats and a quasi-blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers. Trump has repeatedly threatened land-based strikes in Venezuela and publicly acknowledged authorizing covert CIA operations to counter drug trafficking and security threats. Maduro and his inner circle remain under U.S. indictment for narcoterrorism, with a $50 million reward now offered for information leading to his arrest.  

President Donald Trump indicated Monday that the U.S. has struck a dock facility along a shore linked to drug trafficking as part of its escalating campaign against Venezuela, though officials provided few details. Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the facility was used to load boats accused of carrying drugs destined for the U.S. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he said. “They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It’s the implementation area. And that is no longer around.” The move signals a potential expansion of U.S. operations from strikes on drug boats in international waters toward actions closer to shore. The U.S. military conducted another strike Monday in the eastern Pacific, killing two people, and has killed at least 107 individuals in 30 strikes since September. Trump did not confirm whether the dock strike was conducted by the military or CIA, nor its exact location, though he said it was “along the shore.” The administration has previously deployed warships, built up forces in the region, seized oil tankers, and suggested the possibility of future land strikes in Venezuela or elsewhere in South America. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. actions, asserting the operations aim to remove him from power. The White House has framed the campaign as an effort to disrupt drug trafficking into the United States. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently told Vanity Fair that Trump intends to continue strikes on boats until Maduro “cries uncle.”