United News of Bangladesh

Over recent weeks, many international students in the US have watched a concerning pattern unfold on social media: plainclothes officers arriving without warning and taking students away in unmarked vehicles to detention centers. These detained students, often seen in viral videos, have not been charged with any crimes. Instead, they appear to be singled out for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. The Trump administration has long emphasized that visas are a privilege that can be withdrawn for many reasons. However, the extent of the current crackdown appears broader than previously believed. According to Inside Higher Ed, over 1,000 international students or recent graduates across the country have either lost their visas or had their legal status altered. In many cases, the exact reasons for visa revocation remain unclear. Universities often discover these changes only by checking the government database that monitors international student status, reports BBC. The combination of targeted arrests and widespread visa cancellations has created an atmosphere of fear at institutions ranging from large public universities to elite Ivy League schools. "I could be next," said a Georgetown University student who has written about the Gaza conflict. He now carries a card outlining his constitutional rights in case he’s stopped by law enforcement. Another student in Texas said he avoids going outside, even for groceries. Some academic departments have also been affected, as foreign researchers are now hesitant to return to the US. Most students interviewed by the BBC requested anonymity, fearing media exposure could put them at risk. The BBC reached out to the Department of Education for comment. While some visa cancellations are reportedly tied to criminal records or minor infractions like speeding, many of those targeted have participated in pro-Palestinian protests, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The crackdown is part of a broader White House effort against campus protests officials claim have endangered Jewish students and allegedly shown support for Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization. Rubio stated in March, "Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas. We do it every day." Civil liberties groups have condemned the detentions and deportation efforts as unconstitutional. Students deny any connection to Hamas and argue they are being penalized for expressing political views on the Gaza war and US policy. At Georgetown, signs reading “protect our students” now appear in bathroom stalls, reflecting growing unease despite the usual springtime blooms. In one case, Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown, was taken by federal agents outside his Virginia home in March. Homeland Security accused him of promoting antisemitism online and having ties to a “known or suspected terrorist”—a reference to his wife’s father, a former adviser to deceased Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Suri’s legal team says he barely knows his father-in-law and is being targeted because of his wife's background.  

Vice President JD Vance and his family will travel to Italy and India this week and next to meet with leaders and visit cultural sites. Vance's office said Wednesday his trip from Friday to April 24 will include visits to Rome and New Delhi along with the Indian cities of Jaipur and Agra. The trip comes as Vance has taken on a prime role in the White House's engagements abroad. The Republican vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, traveled to Greenland last month, and he went to Paris and Munich in February. President Donald Trump is expected to make his first foreign trip in May to Saudi Arabia. In Rome this week, Vance is expected to meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is due to visit the White House on Thursday. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, will also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, according to his office, and is expected to participate in ceremonies around Easter Sunday. China's economy grows at a 5.4% annual pace in Jan-March quarter Vance's visit to India marks his first trip to the country, which has added significance for the second family. Usha Vance is the daughter of immigrants from South India. While in India next week, Vance is expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met with Trump at the White House in February.

A US judge has said he could hold the Trump administration in contempt of court for "willful disregard" of an order to halt the departure of deportation flights carrying more than 200 people to El Salvador last month. The administration had invoked a 227-year-old law meant to protect the US during wartime to carry out the mass deportation, BBC reports. "The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory," federal judge James Boasberg wrote. The decision to begin contempt proceedings escalates a clash between the White House and the judiciary over the president's powers. Harvard rejects Trump’s demands, faces multi-billion-dollar funding freeze The administration could avoid a contempt finding, or "purge" itself of contempt, if they provide an explanation of their actions and come into compliance with the original order issued last month, Boasberg said on Wednesday. That filing is due by 23 April, he said. Thursday's decision comes despite the Supreme Court's later finding that Donald Trump could in fact use the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to conduct the deportations to El Salvador. The Supreme Court's ruling against Boasberg's temporary restraining order "does not excuse the Government's violation", he said. If the administration does not provide the requested information by the 23 April deadline, Boasberg will then seek to identify the individual people who ignored the order to stop the deportations. He could then recommend prosecutions for those involved.

The federal government has announced it is suspending over $2.2 billion in grant funding and an additional $60 million in contracts to Harvard University following the institution's refusal to comply with the Trump administration’s directives aimed at curbing campus activism. This funding freeze marks the seventh instance in which the Trump administration has taken such action against a leading U.S. university, primarily within the Ivy League, as part of an effort to bring institutions in line with the administration’s political stance. Trump administration excludes smartphones, laptops from tariffs In a letter issued to Harvard on Friday, the administration demanded extensive changes, including reforms in university governance, admissions procedures, and a review of how diversity is addressed on campus. It also called for the disbandment of certain student organisations. Officials warned that close to $9 billion in total federal support was at risk if Harvard did not cooperate. Harvard President Alan Garber responded on Monday, affirming the university’s position against the government’s demands. “The University will not compromise its independence or constitutional protections,” Garber wrote in a message to the Harvard community. “No administration — regardless of political affiliation — has the authority to dictate whom private institutions admit or employ, what they teach, or what areas of research they pursue.” Just hours later, the federal government imposed the freeze on Harvard’s funding. Columbia University was the first to be targeted under this policy and eventually complied under threat of financial loss. Similar measures have since been taken against the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, and Northwestern. The Trump administration has made it increasingly routine to use federal funding as leverage to enforce political priorities within academic institutions. Officials claim that universities have failed to address antisemitism, particularly following last year’s protests opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. Garber stated that Harvard had already implemented significant reforms to tackle antisemitism, but argued that most of the administration's demands had little to do with that issue and instead appeared to be attempts to exert control over the university’s intellectual direction. He warned that withholding federal funds from Harvard — a global leader in scientific and medical research — could endanger public health and the nation’s economic stability. He also said the move violated Harvard’s First Amendment rights and overstepped the bounds of Title VI, which bans discrimination based on race, colour, or national origin. Trump admin halts $1b in federal funding for Cornell, $790m for Northwestern Among the government’s demands were the adoption of “merit-based” admissions and hiring practices and a review of faculty, students, and leaders regarding their stance on diversity. The administration also called for a ban on face coverings on campus — seemingly aimed at pro-Palestinian demonstrators — and urged Harvard to cut ties with any student group that endorses or promotes criminal activity, unlawful violence, or harassment. According to the federal antisemitism task force, Harvard’s refusal to comply highlighted a “troubling entitlement mentality” among elite institutions and a disregard for the responsibilities that come with federal funding. “The continued disruption of education on campuses is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students cannot be tolerated,” the task force stated Monday. Former President Donald Trump has pledged a stricter approach to combating campus antisemitism, accusing President Joe Biden of being too lenient. His administration has launched new investigations, detained foreign students linked to pro-Palestinian protests, and deported several of them. The administration’s demands led a group of Harvard alumni to issue a letter urging the university to legally challenge what they described as unlawful efforts that undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. “Today, Harvard took a stand for the principles, values, and freedoms that underpin higher education,” said Anurima Bhargava, one of the alumni who co-authored the letter. “Harvard reminded the world that learning, discovery, and transformative progress cannot be dictated by authoritarian force.” The government's pressure on Harvard has triggered a wave of resistance, including a weekend protest by students and Cambridge residents, as well as a lawsuit filed Friday by the American Association of University Professors. In their suit, the plaintiffs argue that the administration failed to follow the proper legal procedures under Title VI, which require notification to both the university and Congress before funding is withdrawn. “These sweeping and vague demands do not aim to resolve any legal violations,” the complaint states. “Rather, they openly seek to impose political ideologies and policy preferences of the Trump administration on Harvard University and require the institution to penalise speech that it disfavors.”

President Donald Trump entered to a standing ovation and cheers from a crowd of thousands attending a UFC event on Saturday night, shaking hands with supporters against a backdrop of fans waving his trademark MAGA hats. Just as Trump entered, he greeted podcast host Joe Rogan, who sat to the right of the president. On the other side of Trump sat Elon Musk, billionaire and chief of the Department of Government Efficiency. Trump, who accented his dark suit with a bright yellow tie, pumped his fist in the air, prompting cheers to strains of “Taking Care of Business.” He brought along several members of his administration and White House team, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House communications aides Steven Cheung and Taylor Budowich. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also joined Trump for UFC 314. Trump entered the arena with UFC President Dana White, with whom he has been close for decades. He was also accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. The Republican president is a longtime UFC fan and sports enthusiast, who has frequently attended major fights. The mixed martial arts fight at Miami’s Kaseya Center was Trump's first UFC visit since he took office in January, and it came weeks after Trump attended the Saudi-sponsored LIV golf tournament at his golf club in Miami. In a further nod to his sports enthusiasm, Trump has also attended the Super Bowl and Daytona 500 since taking office. He sat cageside at a UFC championship fight in New York City last November, shortly after he won the 2024 election. Trump claims ‘very good shape’ after physical, but report delayed Aside from the president, the main event for the UFC 314 fight is a championship bout between Australian former champion Alexander Volkanovski and Brazilian fighter Diego Lopes, who are competing for the featherweight championship title. It's the fourth UFC event in Miami, in a county that supported the president by about 11 percentage points in the November election. The president arrived in West Palm Beach on Friday for his 10th visit to South Florida since he became president, spending the evening in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. He flew to Miami after playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach. “You know who’s going to win? Dana White. Dana White’s gonna win,” Trump told reporters Saturday night aboard Air Force One. His close affiliation with UFC helped boost his 2024 presidential campaign among young male voters prior to the November election, where he made promoting hypermasculine tones a signature of the campaign.

  WASHINGTON (AP/UNB)- President Donald Trump underwent his annual physical on Friday and declared himself fit, saying, “I did well,” while praising his heart, soul, and cognitive performance. However, the official medical report from White House doctors is not expected until the weekend. Trump, 78, who became the oldest person to assume the U.S. presidency when sworn in this January, spent nearly five hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He described it as undergoing “every test you can imagine.” “I was there for a long time,” Trump told reporters. “I think I did very well.” Although he has frequently questioned former President Joe Biden’s health, Trump has often withheld detailed information about his own. He said he expects the doctor’s report by Sunday, but historically such disclosures have offered limited detail and glowing assessments. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a summary from the White House physician would be made public “as soon as we possibly can” and implied it would be thorough. After the exam, Trump boarded Air Force One en route to Florida for the weekend. Midflight, he mentioned receiving “a little bit” of advice on lifestyle improvements from his doctors but didn’t share specifics. “Overall, I felt I was in very good shape. A good heart, a good soul, a very good soul," Trump said. He added that he took a cognitive exam. “I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right,” he said. He argued that mental fitness testing is what Americans want and criticized Biden again, saying, “Biden refused to take it.” This would be the first formal update on Trump’s health since the attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. At the time, instead of releasing records, Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson — a loyal ally and former White House physician — issued a memo noting a gunshot wound to Trump’s right ear. Trump had previously told CBS in August that he would “very gladly” release his medical records, but no documents were shared. Although three years younger than Biden, Trump was five months older than Biden was during his first inauguration, making him the oldest person to be sworn in as president. Like all Americans, presidents have a right to medical privacy and can choose what information to disclose. In recent decades, presidential physicals have offered the public some insight into their health, but Trump has typically offered only broad overviews. Prior to Jackson’s July memo, the last update came in November 2023, when Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald released a letter on Trump’s social media. It stated Trump was in “excellent” health but lacked specific data like weight, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels. Aronwald said Trump had “reduced his weight” and scored exceptionally on cognitive tests. Trump previously received treatment at Walter Reed for COVID-19 in 2020. Although his physician described an optimistic outlook, then-chief of staff Mark Meadows later said some of Trump’s vital signs were “very concerning.” Later reports indicated Trump was more seriously ill than initially acknowledged. In another instance, a 2019 visit to Walter Reed for a physical wasn’t disclosed in advance, breaking with protocol. The White House later called it a “planned interim checkup” that had been kept private due to scheduling. Trump’s cognitive ability became a talking point in 2020 when he recited “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV” during an interview to demonstrate his mental sharpness. When asked about the same test on Air Force One this Friday, he replied, “It’s a pretty well known test.”“Whatever it is, I got every one — I got it all right,” he said.

A growing number of Americans now view Israel unfavorably, with more than half expressing distrust in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The poll, conducted from March 24 to 30 among 3,605 U.S. adults, found that 53% of Americans now have an unfavorable opinion of Israel, a sharp rise from 42% in 2022. The shift crosses political and generational lines. Among Republicans, negative views of Israel rose to 37%, up from 27% two years ago. Among Democrats, unfavorable sentiment surged to 69%, compared to 53% in 2022. Younger Americans, regardless of party affiliation, are particularly critical: 71% of Democrats under 50 and 50% of Republicans under 50 now view Israel unfavorably. ‘Shame on you all’: Indian-American engineer resigns over Microsoft’s Israel ties The survey also showed a widening trust gap when it comes to Netanyahu. Over half (52%) of respondents said they have little or no confidence in him to handle global affairs appropriately, compared to 32% who expressed confidence. Among Democrats, trust in Netanyahu is especially low — just 15% said they believe he will do the right thing, compared to 51% of Republicans. Even among American Jews, views on Netanyahu are divided: 53% said they lack confidence in him, while 45% expressed support. White evangelical Protestants were the only U.S. religious group where a majority expressed confidence in the Israeli leader. The poll also explored attitudes toward former President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to have the U.S. take control of the Gaza Strip. A strong majority — 62% — opposed the idea, including 49% who said they “strongly oppose” it. Only 15% supported the proposal, which Trump floated again during a recent meeting with Netanyahu. Bangladesh condemns Israeli killings, human rights violations in Gaza Despite the low support, nearly half of Americans (46%) believe Trump is likely to pursue the policy if re-elected. Within the Republican Party, 44% oppose the idea, while 27% support it. Public interest in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict appears to be waning. Just 54% of Americans said the war is personally important to them, down from 65% in January. However, the issue remains deeply significant to U.S. Jews, with 93% calling it important and 74% labeling it “very important.” Israel seizes 50% of Gaza by destroying land to extend buffer zone The Pew findings align with a February Gallup poll that also documented declining favorability toward Israel, reflecting broader shifts in public sentiment following the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Gaza conflict. Source: With inputs from agencies  

A New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair Thursday and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists in the latest U.S. aviation disaster, officials said. The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and three children, in addition to the pilot, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press. The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Photos posted on the helicopter company’s website showed the couple and their children smiling as they boarded just before the flight took off. Mayor Eric Adams said the flight began at a downtown heliport around 3 p.m. and the bodies — had been recovered and removed from the water. The flight north along the Manhattan skyline and then back south toward the Statue of Liberty lasted less than 18 minutes. Video of the crash showed parts of the aircraft tumbling through the air into the water near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey. A witness there, Bruce Wall, said he saw it “falling apart” in midair, with the tail and propeller coming off. The propeller was still spinning without the helicopter as it fell. Dani Horbiak was at her Jersey City home when she heard what sounded like “several gunshots in a row, almost, in the air.” She looked out her window and saw the chopper "splash in several pieces into the river.” The helicopter was spinning uncontrollably with “a bunch of smoke coming out” before it slammed into the water, said Lesly Camacho, a hostess at a restaurant along the river in Hoboken, New Jersey. Passenger jet with 60 aboard, army helicopter collide while landing at Reagan airport in US Rescue boats circled the submerged aircraft within minutes of impact near the end of a long maintenance pier for a ventilation tower serving the Holland Tunnel. Recovery crews hoisted the mangled helicopter out of the water just after 8 p.m. using a floating crane. The flight was operated by New York Helicopters, officials said. No one answered the phones at the company’s offices in New York and New Jersey. A person who answered the phone at the home of the company’s owner, Michael Roth, declined to comment. Roth told the New York Post he was devastated and had “no clue” why the crash happened. “The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” the Post quoted him as saying. He added that he had not seen such a thing happen during his 30 years in the helicopter business, but noted: “These are machines, and they break.” Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys who have represented Roth in the past. The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, including by sightseeing companies, TV news stations and police. It was initially developed for the U.S. Army before being adapted for other uses. Thousands have been manufactured over the years. The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate. Escobar worked for the tech company Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, according to his LinkedIn account. In late 2022 he briefly became president and CEO of Siemens Spain. In a post about the position, he thanked his family: “my endless source of energy and happiness, for their unconditional support, love ... and patience.” Escobar regularly posted about the importance of sustainability in the rail industry and often traveled internationally for work, including journeying from India to the UK in the past month. He also was vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain since 2023. Camprubi Montal worked in Barcelona, Spain, for energy technology company Siemens Energy for about seven years as its global commercialization manager, according to her LinkedIn account. Video of the crash suggested that a “catastrophic mechanical failure” left the pilot with no chance to save the helicopter, said Justin Green, an aviation lawyer who was a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps. It is possible the helicopter’s main rotors struck the tail boom, breaking it apart and causing the cabin to free fall, Green said. Russian officials recover the bodies of all 22 people killed in a helicopter crash in the Far East “They were dead as soon as whatever happened happened,” Green said. “There’s no indication they had any control over the craft. No pilot could have prevented that accident once they lost the lifts. It’s like a rock falling to the ground. It’s heartbreaking.” The skies over Manhattan are routinely filled with planes and helicopters, both private recreational aircraft and commercial and tourist flights. Manhattan has several helipads from which business executives and others are whisked to destinations throughout the metropolitan area. At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977. A collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson in 2009 killed nine people, and five died in 2018 when a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights went down into the East River. New York Helicopters also owned a Bell 206 that lost power and made an emergency landing on the Hudson during a sightseeing tour in June 2013. The pilot managed to land safely, and he and the passengers — a family of four Swedes — were uninjured. The National Transportation Safety Board found that a maintenance flub and an engine lubrication anomaly led to the power cutoff. Thursday’s crash was the first for a helicopter in the city since one hit the roof of a skyscraper in 2019, killing the pilot. The accidents — and the noise caused by helicopters — have repeatedly led some community activists and officials to propose banning or restricting traffic at Manhattan heliports. Other recent crashes and close calls have already left some people worried about the safety of flying in the U.S. Seven people were killed when a medical transport plane plummeted into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January. That happened two days after an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair in Washington in the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation.

Dhaka, Apr 10 (UNB)-The European Commission announced Thursday it will delay its planned retaliatory tariffs against the United States for 90 days, mirroring President Donald Trump’s temporary pause on newly imposed tariffs. The move is intended to allow time for negotiations. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that the tariff freeze wasn't triggered by recent market turmoil, but rather to accommodate countries seeking dialogue. Trump later told reporters that public anxiety over the tariffs prompted his decision to ease up.

More than $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and around $790 million for Northwestern University has been frozen while the government investigates alleged civil rights violations at the schools, the White House said. It's part of a broader push to use government funding to get major academic institutions to comply with President Donald Trump's political agenda. The White House confirmed the funding pauses late Tuesday night but offered no further details on what they entail or what grants to the schools are being affected, AP reports. The moves come as Trump's Republican administration has increasingly begun using governmental grant funding as a spigot to try to influence campus policy, previously cutting off money to schools including Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. That has left universities across the country struggling to navigate cuts to grants for research institutions. In a statement, Cornell said that it had received more than 75 stop work orders earlier Tuesday from the Defense Department related to research “profoundly significant to American national defense, cybersecurity, and health” but that it had not otherwise received any information confirming $1 billion in frozen grants. “We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions,” said the statement from Michael I. Kotlikoff, the university president, and other top school officials. China raises retaliatory tariff on US to 84% as it vows to 'fight to the end' Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates said Tuesday evening the school had not received any notice from the federal government. Yates said the school has fully cooperated with investigations by both the Education Department and Congress. “Federal funds that Northwestern receives drive innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development by Northwestern researchers of the world’s smallest pacemaker, and research fueling the fight against Alzheimer’s disease,” Yates said. “This type of research is now at jeopardy.” Last month, the Education Department sent letters to more than 60 universities, including Cornell and Northwestern, warning of “potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations” under federal law to “protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.” The Trump administration has threatened to cut off federal funding for universities allowing alleged antisemitism to go unchecked at campus protests last year against Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza — accusations the universities have denied. The funding freezes have jeopardized science and research without advancing the goal of creating campuses free of antisemitism, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. ”This was wrong last week, it is wrong this week, and it will be wrong next week,” he said. A spokesperson for the Education Department did not respond to a request for comment.