United News of Bangladesh

Prominent US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84, his family said on Tuesday. In a statement, the family said Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, died peacefully surrounded by relatives. The cause of death was not disclosed. Jackson had been suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare degenerative neurological condition. Tributes poured in for the veteran activist, who played a key role in the US civil rights movement and ran twice for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1980s. Former US President Barack Obama described Jackson as a giant of American history, saying his presidential campaigns helped pave the way for future generations of leaders. Obama said Jackson spent decades fighting for justice, dignity and equality in the United States and beyond. Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children, including Jesse Jackson Jr, a former US congressman. Born in 1941 in South Carolina, Jackson rose to national prominence in the 1960s as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and was present when King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. He later became a leading voice for poor and working-class Americans, advocating racial justice, voting rights and economic equality. US President Donald Trump said Jackson was a man of strong personality who truly cared about people. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton said Jackson devoted his life to expanding opportunity and human dignity. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said Jackson was a transformative figure who inspired generations to believe in justice and equality. Jackson’s family said his lifelong commitment to civil rights and social justice helped shape movements across the world and left a lasting mark on history.   With inputs from BBC

Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has accused the administration of President Donald Trump of deliberately delaying the release of files linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, alleging a “cover-up” in their handling. Speaking to the BBC in Berlin on the sidelines of the annual World Forum, Clinton said the documents should be made fully public without delay. “Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” she said, arguing that transparency is essential and that everyone should be treated equally. The White House rejected the accusation, saying the administration has released thousands of pages of material and has done “more for the victims than Democrats ever have,” while also cooperating with congressional requests. Asked whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before a US congressional committee, Clinton said anyone asked to testify should do so. She stressed that appearing in the files does not imply wrongdoing, noting that Andrew has consistently denied any misconduct. Millions of documents related to Epstein were made public earlier this month after Congress passed legislation requiring the US Department of Justice to release investigation materials. While the Justice Department says it has met the legal requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, several lawmakers argue the disclosures remain incomplete and have called for the release of internal decision-making memos. Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, more than a decade after a previous conviction involving a minor. His death came as scrutiny over his network of powerful associates intensified. Prince Andrew has faced renewed pressure from US officials and from the family of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, to testify about his links to Epstein. He has denied wrongdoing and settled a civil case in 2022 without admitting liability. Giuffre died in 2025. Both Clintons are due to testify before the House Oversight Committee later this month, with Bill Clinton scheduled to appear a day after Hillary Clinton. A planned contempt vote against the couple was dropped after they agreed to testify, marking the first time since 1983 that a former US president will appear before a congressional panel. Bill Clinton, who is mentioned multiple times in the Epstein files, has said he cut off contact with Epstein years ago. Neither of the Clintons has been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims, and both have denied knowing about his criminal activities at the time. Hillary Clinton said she and her husband have called for the hearings to be held publicly. “We have nothing to hide,” she said, adding that she believes the focus on the Clintons is being used to divert attention from Trump, who is also mentioned frequently in the files but has denied any wrongdoing. Clinton said she had met Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell on a few occasions, while reiterating her call for full disclosure of all relevant documents, saying public scrutiny remains the best safeguard.   With inputs from BBC

About 100 US troops, along with military equipment, have arrived in Nigeria to support training of the country’s armed forces, the Nigerian military said on Monday. In a statement, the military said the deployment came after the Nigerian government formally requested assistance from the United States for training, technical support and intelligence sharing. The move comes after a recent easing of tensions between the two countries, which had escalated when US President Donald Trump threatened action against Nigeria over claims that the government was failing to protect Christian communities.

The US Department of Justice has come under criticism from lawmakers after Attorney General Pam Bondi said all files required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act had been released. In a letter sent to members of Congress on Saturday, Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche said the department had disclosed all records in its possession related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, along with a list of names appearing in the documents. However, Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-author of the law, argued that the release was incomplete. He urged the justice department to make public internal memos, notes and emails explaining past decisions on whether to investigate or prosecute Epstein and his associates. Millions of files linked to Epstein were released earlier this month. In their letter, Bondi and Blanche said no documents were withheld due to embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity, and that the disclosure met all legal requirements. They noted that the names listed appeared in a wide range of contexts, from extensive direct communications with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to mere references in documents or media reports. Officials stressed that inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing. The list includes prominent figures such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Britain’s Prince Andrew, all of whom have previously acknowledged past contact with Epstein and have denied any involvement in his crimes. The names of long-deceased musicians Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley also appear, drawing further criticism. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who also co-wrote the law, accused the justice department of blurring the distinction between alleged perpetrators and individuals mentioned incidentally. He called the inclusion of unrelated or historically implausible names “absurd” and demanded the full release of files, with only victims’ identities redacted. In media interviews, Massie said the justice department was wrongly invoking deliberative process privilege to avoid releasing key internal documents, contrary to the intent of the law. The Department of Justice has yet to publicly respond to the latest criticism. Lawmakers and victims’ lawyers have previously accused the department of improper redactions and errors in earlier file releases, some of which were later withdrawn after complaints. The handling of the Epstein files continues to fuel bipartisan pressure on the justice department over transparency and accountability.   With inputs from BBC

Three people believed to be migrants died and another was hospitalized after two boats capsized off Panama’s Caribbean coast on Tuesday, authorities said. The Panama Maritime Authority said the incidents happened along a remote stretch of coast near the border with Colombia, a region that has seen more “reverse migration” in the past year as people try to return to their home countries in South America. The boats were headed to Puerto Obaldia in the Guna Yala Indigenous region, the authority said. The autonomous Indigenous leadership of the General Guna Congress posted on social media that those who died were on a boat that had left Miramar with 16 people aboard and that the passengers were migrants. According to the statement, the first rescuers to reach the overturned boat found four people trapped underneath. Two Venezuelan women and a Colombian man died, and another Venezuelan woman was taken to hospital. Twelve others were pulled to safety. Two babies among 53 dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes off Libya, UN reports Many migrants from countries such as Venezuela and Colombia are now choosing to pay for boat trips along the Caribbean Sea to return to northern Colombia rather than risk the dangerous journey through the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama. In a similar incident in February 2025, an 8-year-old Venezuelan boy died when another migrant boat bound for Colombia capsized in rough seas, though other passengers were rescued.

A former police chief in Florida told the FBI that Donald Trump called him in 2006 and said “everyone” knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s behaviour, according to a newly released FBI document. The document summarises a 2019 FBI interview with the former Palm Beach police chief, who said Trump contacted him after local authorities began investigating Epstein. According to the record, Trump said: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.” Although the officer’s name is blacked out in the document, it identifies the interviewee as the Palm Beach police chief at the time of the Epstein investigation. That position was held by Michael Reiter, who later told the Miami Herald that he received the call from Trump. President Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said he was unaware of his crimes. The reported call could raise fresh questions about what Trump knew at the time. In 2019, after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, Trump told reporters he had no suspicions about him. “No, I had no idea. I had no idea. I haven’t spoken to him in many, many years,” he said. According to the FBI interview summary, Reiter said Trump told him in July 2006 that he had expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club and that “people in New York knew he was disgusting.” Reiter also claimed Trump described Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein’s “operative” and said “she is evil and to focus on her.” Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for helping recruit underage girls for Epstein. The former police chief further told the FBI that Trump said he had been around Epstein when he was with teenage girls but “got the hell out of there.” The document also states that Trump was among the “very first people to call” Florida police after learning about the investigation. In 2006, Palm Beach police were investigating Epstein over allegations of sexually exploiting underage girls. The case was later transferred to federal prosecutors. In 2008, Epstein reached a controversial plea deal that included a non-prosecution agreement shielding him from more serious federal charges. In a statement to the BBC, a US Justice Department official said authorities were not aware of any evidence confirming that the president contacted law enforcement two decades ago. Epstein associate Maxwell refuses to testify, seeks clemency At a White House briefing on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the reported call “may or may not have happened in 2006” and that she did not know the answer. “What President Trump has always said is that he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club because Jeffrey Epstein was a creep,” she said. “And that remains true in this call. If it did happen, it corroborates exactly what President Trump has said from the beginning.” The BBC has contacted Reiter for comment. Trump and Epstein were seen together socially and photographed in the 1990s. The president and the White House have maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and ended contact with him around 2004, years before Epstein’s first arrest. Trump has said their relationship ended after he learned Epstein was trying to recruit employees from Mar-a-Lago. “When I heard about it, I told him, we don’t want you taking our people,” Trump said in July. “He was fine and then not too long after that he did it again and I said ‘outta here’.” The renewed attention comes after Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, testified virtually before the US House Oversight Committee on Monday. During the closed-door session, she declined to answer questions and invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, according to committee chairman James Comer. Maxwell’s lawyer said she would be willing to speak “fully and honestly” if granted clemency by President Trump. Trump has said he has not considered pardoning her.    #With inputs from BBC  

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order warning of additional tariffs on countries that continue doing business with Iran, escalating pressure amid renewed diplomatic talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The order, issued on Friday, does not fix a specific tariff rate but cites 25 percent as an example. It states that such duties could be imposed on goods imported into the United States from any country that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires” goods or services from Iran. Although Trump did not directly comment on the executive order, he reiterated his long-held position that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Friday. The move came shortly after talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman, the first such engagement in months, following weeks of sharp rhetoric from both sides. Trump had earlier warned of a 25 percent tariff on countries trading with Iran in a January post on his Truth Social platform, though details were not provided at the time. The White House said the new order reaffirmed the “ongoing national emergency with respect to Iran” and noted that the president could modify the measures if circumstances change. It said the administration was holding Iran accountable for pursuing nuclear capabilities, supporting terrorism, developing ballistic missiles and destabilising the region. Separately, the US State Department announced sanctions on 15 entities accused of trading in Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum and petrochemical products. Iran, already under sweeping US and Western sanctions, did not immediately respond. Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and denies accusations that it is seeking nuclear weapons. Under a 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, Iran was restricted from enriching uranium beyond 3.67 percent and barred from enrichment at the Fordo facility for 15 years. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, calling it insufficient, and reimposed sanctions that severely damaged Iran’s economy, including so-called secondary sanctions targeting countries trading with Tehran. Iran later began breaching key limits of the agreement, particularly on uranium enrichment. Last year, the United Nations reimposed economic and military sanctions after European powers accused Iran of continued nuclear escalation and poor cooperation. Despite sanctions, more than 100 countries still trade with Iran. China remains its largest export partner, importing more than $14 billion worth of Iranian goods in the year to October 2025, followed by Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. The Oman talks were led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also part of the US side. Trump described the discussions as “very good” and said Iran appeared eager to reach a deal, warning of “very steep” consequences if talks fail. Another round of talks is expected early next week. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the discussions helped clarify positions and identify possible areas of progress, while Araghchi called them “a good start” and said a positive atmosphere prevailed. Rising tensions have fuelled fears of a wider conflict, with Trump repeatedly warning that military action remains an option if Iran refuses to agree on its nuclear programme. Iran continues to reject such accusations, insisting its activities are for peaceful purposes only.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump said he did not see the racist portion of a social media video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes before it was shared from his account. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he had only watched the beginning of the 62-second video and was unaware that it ended with the offensive clip. Asked whether he would apologise, he said, “I didn’t make a mistake.” The video, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, included false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The racist clip appeared at the end. The post was later removed from Trump’s Truth Social account following widespread backlash. Trump said the video was posted by a staff member and claimed he did not know about the depiction of the Obamas. “If my people had looked at the whole thing, they probably would have had the sense to take it down,” he said, adding that it was removed as soon as the issue was discovered. The White House initially defended the post, calling it an “internet meme video,” but reversed course after criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. A White House official later said the video had been shared in error by a staffer. Republican Senator Tim Scott described the clip as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and called for its removal. Other Republican lawmakers, including Representatives Mike Lawler and Senators John Curtis, also condemned the post, calling it offensive and unacceptable. The clip appears to have originated from a meme video shared on X last year, which portrayed several Democratic leaders as animals. The Obamas have not commented publicly on the video. The incident has drawn strong reactions from civil rights groups and Democratic leaders. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the video “disgusting,” while several Democratic officials accused Trump of promoting racism. The controversy adds to Trump’s long history of attacks on Barack Obama, including past false claims questioning Obama’s birthplace, which Trump later acknowledged were untrue.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump’s social media account on Friday took down an AI-generated video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, following strong criticism from politicians and commentators. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said on X that he hoped the video was fake, calling it the most racist content he had seen from the White House and urging the president to remove it. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the post, saying the Obamas “represent the best of this country” and calling on all Republicans to denounce what he described as Trump’s “disgusting bigotry.” According to Axios, the clip was part of a longer video produced by a pro-MAGA meme account and was shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform at 11:44 pm Eastern Time on Thursday. The post remained online for about 12 hours before being removed. The longer video also featured other Democratic figures, including former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump endorses Japan’s PM Takaichi ahead of snap election Earlier, White House officials had defended the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it originated from an internet meme portraying President Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. US media outlets and commentators have repeatedly described Trump’s rhetoric and related content as racist.

Senior officials from the United States and Iran are expected to hold direct talks in Oman later, as tensions between the two adversaries continue to raise fears of a possible military confrontation. The discussions follow a significant US military build-up in the Middle East, which Washington says was prompted by Iran’s violent crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests last month. Human rights groups claim the repression resulted in thousands of deaths. Uncertainty over the venue and scope of the talks had earlier threatened to derail the meeting. The dialogue is part of a broader diplomatic push by regional mediators to ease escalating tensions between the two countries. Despite the talks, Washington and Tehran remain sharply divided. Officials hope that if the meeting proves successful, it could pave the way for a broader framework for future negotiations. The United States has demanded that Iran freeze its nuclear programme and abandon its stockpile of enriched uranium. US officials have also said the discussions should address Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its backing of armed groups across the region, and its human rights record. Iran, however, has insisted that the talks will focus solely on its nuclear programme, and it remains unclear whether the differing positions have been reconciled. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached. The US has deployed thousands of additional troops to the region, along with what Trump described as an “armada,” including an aircraft carrier, other warships and fighter jets. Iran has warned it would retaliate forcefully against any attack, threatening strikes on US military assets in the Middle East and on Israel. Trump administration launches TrumpRx website to promote discounted drugs The Iranian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who last week said Iran’s armed forces were “with their fingers on the trigger.” The US side will be represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The meeting will be the first direct engagement between US and Iranian officials since last June’s war between Israel and Iran, during which the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities. Iran says its uranium enrichment activities ceased following those attacks. For Iran’s embattled leadership, analysts say the talks may represent a last opportunity to avert US military action that could further destabilise the regime, which is seen as being in its weakest position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Trump’s threats have coincided with Iran’s forceful suppression of widespread protests sparked by a worsening economic crisis, during which demonstrators called for the end of the Islamic Republic. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed at least 6,883 deaths, warning the toll could be higher, and reported that more than 50,000 people had been arrested. The current crisis has renewed focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, a long-standing source of dispute with Western powers. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear activities are peaceful, while the US and Israel accuse it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists it has the right to enrich uranium on its own territory and has rejected demands to transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated at 400kg (880lb), to another country. Iranian officials have signalled openness to certain concessions, including the possible creation of a regional uranium enrichment consortium, an idea previously discussed in talks that collapsed when Israel launched a surprise war last year. At the same time, Iran has firmly rejected demands to curb its ballistic missile programme or end its support for regional allies – an alliance it calls the “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen – saying such demands violate its sovereignty. On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed Araghchi to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” with the US, provided that appropriate conditions exist. Iran is also expected to press for the lifting of economic sanctions that have severely damaged its economy. Critics of the regime argue that sanctions relief would provide a crucial lifeline to Iran’s clerical rulers. For the United States, the talks could offer a way out of Trump’s military threats, depending on the outcome. Regional countries have warned that a US strike could trigger a wider conflict or prolonged instability in Iran, and cautioned that air power alone would be unlikely to topple the country’s leadership. Asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be concerned, Trump told NBC News on Wednesday, “I would say he should be very worried.” US-Russia nuclear arms pact expires, ending limits US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any meaningful outcome would require the talks to extend beyond the nuclear issue. “I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try,” he said, adding that there was no harm in exploring possible solutions. The talks were initially planned to take place in Istanbul as part of mediation efforts led by Egypt, Turkey and Qatar. However, Iran requested at the last moment that the venue be shifted to Oman – which hosted talks last year – and that the meeting be limited to Iranian and American officials only.   #With inputs from BBC