United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus returned home on Thursday morning, concluding a nine-day visit marked by extensive engagements during the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). An Emirates Airlines commercial flight carrying the Chief Adviser and his small entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9am. Prof Yunus left New York on Tuesday night (US time) for Dhaka via Dubai. Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam and Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury saw him off at John F Kennedy International Airport, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. Prof Yunus began his UNGA tour on September 22 and concluded it by attending the high-level conference on the “Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities” held at the UN General Assembly Hall on Tuesday. Prof Yunus to return home Thursday morning He delivered his address at the 80th UNGA on September 26 and held a series of meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the session. BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP leader Humayun Kabir, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syeed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, Jamaat’s US spokesperson Mohammad Nakibur Rahman, National Citizen Party member secretary Akhter Hossen, and first senior joint member secretary Dr Tasnim Jara joined the delegation at Prof Yunus’s invitation. Speaking broadly at the UNGA, Prof Yunus warned, the “truth before us is frightening” and stressed that “extreme nationalism, geopolitics that thrive on the suffering of others, and indifference to human pain are destroying the progress humanity has built through decades of struggle”. This tragedy is most visible in Gaza, he said, adding that the two-State solution must be implemented now. Prof Yunus described three goals on which young people must be able to build the future: zero carbon, zero wealth concentration and zero unemployment. “Let the dream of a three-zero world be the dream of all nations.”  

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to deliver his speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday night (Bangladesh time), outlining Bangladesh’s positions and priorities in the context of complex and interconnected global challenges, Bangladesh’s democratic transition and the crucial February election. The chief adviser will address at the General Debate of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly between 9pm to 1am (Bangladesh time), Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB. His address will be broacast live on BTV, BTV News and Bangladesh Betar. The chief adviser's turn is expected to come at around 11:30am (NY time Friday), a senior official told UNB. Prof Yunus will convey Bangladesh’s commitment to holding a 'free, fair, peaceful and credible' election in the first half of February next during his upcoming speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “This will be a foundational election for Bangladesh. People will be able to exercise their voting rights peacefully. This message will be conveyed to the international community,” said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. The global attention is turning to the iconic green marble podium in the General Assembly Hall, where presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs are delivering national statements, setting out visions for peace, development, human rights and collective action amid mounting global challenges. Under the theme Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights, this milestone session is taking place amid rising global challenges and urgent calls for renewed multilateral action. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said Prof Yunus, in his speech, is expected to highlight the activities of the last year and the interim government’s commitment to true democracy through reforms and elections scheduled for February next year. He is expected to address a wide range of pressing global issues, including peacekeeping, climate change and climate justice, the Sustainable Development Goals, illicit financial flows, safe migration and migrant rights, sustainable technology transfer in the age of artificial intelligence, as well as a call for ceasefire and permanent peace in Palestine. Prof Yunus seeks Dutch cooperation in water management, ocean research Prof Yunus began the UNGA tour on September 22. The foreign adviser said this year’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) holds special significance for Bangladesh. On September 30, the UN will, for the first time, host a high-level conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar. The decision stems from a proposal made last year by Prof Yunus, which received unanimous support from UN member states. In preparation for the conference, Bangladesh organised the first-ever “Partners’ Dialogue” in Cox’s Bazar last month, bringing together international partners and Rohingya representatives. “This unprecedented high-level meeting, combined with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ visit to Bangladesh earlier this year, demonstrates that despite multiple global crises, the Rohingya issue remains firmly on the international agenda,” Foreign Adviser Hossain said. “This UNGA session offers Bangladesh a vital opportunity to present its reform process, democratic transition, and national priorities to the international community,” Hossain said. In his speech, the chief adviser is expected to focus on three key areas—reform, justice, and elections—highlighting initiatives taken over the past 14 months and the challenges faced in advancing the democratic process. “Prof Yunus also has some personal messages for global leaders, which he will share, addressing broader geopolitical and global issues,” the press secretary said. The Rohingya crisis will also feature prominently in his address, as he seeks stronger global support for a sustainable solution.  

The United States has agreed to a prisoner exchange following rare talks with Taliban authorities in Kabul, the group’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday. According to the ministry, Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage response, and former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. “Adam Boehler, referring to the issue of detained citizens between Afghanistan and the United States, said that both countries will exchange prisoners,” said a statement from the office of Taliban deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. Washington has not issued an immediate comment, and Khalilzad did not respond to requests from Reuters. Among those detained is Mahmood Habibi, a naturalised US citizen and businessman who previously worked in Afghanistan’s telecommunications sector. The US has offered a $5 million reward for information on Habibi’s whereabouts, though Taliban officials deny involvement in his 2022 disappearance. The Taliban has reportedly sought the release of Muhammad Rahim, the last Afghan held at Guantanamo Bay since 2008 without charge. The deal, mediated by Qatar, was described by the Taliban as a “humanitarian” step and a “gesture of goodwill.” In January this year, the two sides also carried out a prisoner swap in which US citizens Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty were freed in exchange for Afghan national Khan Mohammad, who had been serving two life terms in the United States. Both sides have agreed to continue discussions over their nationals held in each other’s custody, the Taliban statement added. Source: Al Zazeera

The Americans marked 24 years since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on Thursday with ceremonies, volunteer work, and other tributes honoring nearly 3,000 victims. Commemorations took place in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, with family members, dignitaries, and politicians attending. Many also observed the day privately, reflecting on the lasting impact of the attacks. James Lynch, who lost his father Robert Lynch at the World Trade Center, said he and his family attended a local ceremony in New Jersey before spending time at the beach. “Any kind of grief never really goes away,” Lynch said while volunteering at a 9/11 charity event in Manhattan. “Finding the joy in that grief has been a huge part of my growth.” The anniversary came amid heightened political tensions, a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a college in Utah. Authorities said additional security measures were in place for the ceremonies, including the World Trade Center event in lower Manhattan. At Ground Zero, family members read aloud the names of victims, while moments of silence marked the times the planes struck and the towers fell. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance attended the service. At the Pentagon, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump joined a service honoring 184 people killed when hijackers crashed a jet into the military headquarters. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins participated in a memorial for passengers of Flight 93, who attempted to retake control of the hijacked plane. Across the country, many observed a national day of service, participating in food and clothing drives, blood donations, park cleanups, and other community projects. The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people, including financial workers at the World Trade Center and first responders. They reshaped U.S. domestic and foreign policy, leading to the Global War on Terror and U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Legal proceedings against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks, remain unresolved. Meanwhile, the U.S. government continues to provide health care and compensation to thousands affected by the toxic dust from the collapsed towers, with more than 140,000 people still enrolled in monitoring programs.

Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump’s extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowd. Some police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities including a detention center where some immigrants were taken in recent days. Police declared an unlawful assembly, and by early evening many people had left. But protesters who remained grabbed chairs from a nearby public park to form a makeshift barrier, throwing objects at police on the other side. Others standing above the closed southbound 101 Freeway threw chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles that were parked on the highway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. It was the third day of demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurred anger and fear among some residents. Sunday’s protests in Los Angeles, a city of 4 million people, were centered in several blocks of downtown. 

The person killed in a shooting at a Las Vegas fitness center last week was a longtime employee who had no known connection to the shooter, police said Monday. Edgar Quinonez, 31, of Las Vegas, was shot and killed Friday at the Las Vegas Athletic Club, police said. Arriving officers fired at the suspected shooter, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, as he exited the gym after firing 24 rounds, police said. Ortega, a gym member, died of gunshot wounds, according to police. Three other people were injured at the gym on the city’s west side as gunfire erupted. They were transported to local hospitals, with one in critical condition. Their conditions weren't released on Monday. Officials are still investigating a motive, saying they have found no connection between the two men.  Residents dig out from tornado damage after storms kill 28 in Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia Jamie Prosser, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assistant sheriff, said at a media briefing on Monday that Ortega entered the gym with a rifle on Friday afternoon. She said he approached an employee at the front desk and paced around before briefly exchanging words with another employee. Then he lifted the rifle and shot the employee as he fled into the gym, she said. Ortega followed and continued firing, Prosser said, and at some point Ortega returned to the lobby and fired until the weapon malfunctioned. An arriving officer fired at Ortega when he opened the entrance door and he was shot by officers as he left the building with the rifle. He died at a nearby hospital, police said.  Severe weather leaves at least 27 dead, including 18 in Kentucky She said Ortega worked out at the gym but at this time there was no known connection to the victim.

A 30-year-old woman in Georgia, USA, Adriana Smith, has been on life support for the past three months after being declared brain dead — a situation complicated by the state’s stringent abortion law. Smith, who was pronounced brain dead in February following a medical crisis, remains on life support because doctors say they are legally barred from ending treatment due to her ongoing pregnancy. Her mother, April Newkirk, said that under Georgia's restrictive "heartbeat law" — which bans abortions after cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks — removing life-sustaining care could result in the fetus’s death, which the law seeks to prevent. Currently 21 weeks into the pregnancy, Smith’s fetus faces uncertain prospects. "He may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born," said Newkirk, voicing fears about her grandson’s future. The case underscores the legal and ethical complexities of Georgia’s abortion restrictions, which grant fetuses legal personhood. State Senator Ed Setzler, a Republican who authored the 2019 law, supports the hospital’s stance, saying it aligns with the law’s intent to protect fetal life. However, reproductive justice advocates argue the law strips families of vital medical decision-making rights. Monica Simpson of SisterSong, an organization supporting women of color, said the family has suffered greatly during the three-month ordeal, facing emotional trauma and financial strain while being denied closure, reports NDTV. 2 dead and at least 3 injured in Las Vegas gym shooting, police say Critics also point to broader consequences of the abortion ban, citing the deaths of Georgia women Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who suffered fatal complications after taking abortion pills but were reportedly denied adequate care. Vice President Kamala Harris has linked these tragedies to post-Dobbs abortion restrictions in Georgia and other states.  

US chip maker Nvidia will partner with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund-owned AI startup Humain and will ship 18,000 chips to the Middle Eastern nation to help power a new data center project. The partnership was revealed Tuesday as part of a White House trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been working to develop its artificial intelligence capacity and strengthen its cloud computing infrastructure with the help of foreign investment. “AI, like electricity and internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” said Jensen Huang, founder of Nvidia. “Together with Humain, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realize the bold vision of the Kingdom.” US, Saudi sign $142bn weapons deal during Trump visit The cutting-edge Blackwell chips will be used in a 500 megawatt data center in Saudi Arabia, according to remarks at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. The California company said its first deployment will use its GB300 Blackwell chips, which are among Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips at the moment, and which were only officially announced earlier this year.

A former US official has claimed that the government secretly diverted $21 trillion in taxpayer funds between 1998 and 2015 to build a vast underground network of bunkers for the elite and high-ranking officials to survive a potential “near-extinction event”. Catherine Austin Fitts, who served as assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Housing under then President George HW Bush, made the startling allegation during an episode of “The Tucker Carlson Show,” hosted by former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson. She stated that between fiscal year 1998 and fiscal year 2015, undocumented adjustments totalling $21 trillion were made, with public funds being used to build an extensive network of underground facilities. According to her, the project includes approximately 170 bases, some of which are located beneath the ocean and are connected by a sophisticated transportation network. Trump proposes $1,000 for undocumented migrants to self-deport “We systematically went through and tried to estimate ... how many underground bases, both underground in the United States, but also underground under the ocean around the United States,” she said. “And our estimate was 170 with a transportation network connecting them.” While underground bunkers maintained by the US government are not unheard of—such as Mount Weather in Virginia, Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, and Raven Rock in Pennsylvania—Fitts claimed that the actual scale of underground infrastructure is far greater than officially acknowledged.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris used a high-profile speech to sharply criticize President Donald Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor. In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January following her defeat to Trump, Harris said Wednesday she’s inspired by Americans fighting Trump’s agenda despite threats to their freedom or livelihood, reports AP. “Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” Harris said a day after Trump reached 100 days in office. Before Wednesday, Harris had barely mentioned Trump by name since she conceded defeat to him in November. In a 15-minute speech, she spoke to the anxiety and confusion that have gripped many of her supporters since Trump took office but discouraged despair. “They are counting on the notion that if they can make some people afraid, it will have a chilling effect on others. But what they have overlooked is that fear is not the only thing that’s contagious,” Harris said. “Courage is contagious.” Trump went after Harris in a campaign-style rally Tuesday marking his 100th day in office. He sarcastically called her a “great border czar" and a “great candidate," and repeated some of the applause lines he routinely delivered during the campaign. Kamala Harris plans speech sharply criticising Trump's policies Until Harris replaced Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket last summer, Trump said, “I knew nothing about her." Harris cautioned Americans against viewing Trump’s administration as merely chaotic, casting it instead as a “high-velocity event,” the culmination of extensive work on the right to remake government. “A vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making," Harris said. “An agenda to slash public education. An agenda to shrink government and then privatize its services. All while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.” Harris chose a friendly audience for her return to the political arena, addressing the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America, an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office. It grew in part from Harris’ run for San Francisco district attorney in the early 2000s. The speech was delivered below luminous chandeliers in a gold-trimmed ballroom in the landmark Palace Hotel. Harris is ramping up her public presence as Democrats nationally search for a path forward after November's election, in which Republicans also won control of Congress. While a slate of high-profile Democrats — from governors to businessmen — seek leadership roles within the party, the former vice president retains unique influence and would reshape any future race she chooses to enter.