[🇺🇸] USA News/Views

[Saif]

US to pull some personnel from the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday US personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because "it could be a dangerous place," adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the US is preparing a partial evacuation

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

US to pull some personnel from the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran

Published :
Jun 12, 2025 08:45
Updated :
Jun 12, 2025 08:45

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday US personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because "it could be a dangerous place," adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the US is preparing a partial evacuation of its Iraqi embassy and will allow military dependents to leave locations around the Middle East due to heightened security risks in the region, according to US and Iraqi sources.

The four US and two Iraqi sources did not say what security risks had prompted the decision and reports of the potential evacuation pushed up oil prices by more than 4.0 per cent, according to Reuters.

A US official said the State Department had authorised voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.

The State Department updated its worldwide travel advisory on Wednesday evening to reflect the latest US posture. “On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions,” the advisory said.

The decision by the US to evacuate some personnel comes at a volatile moment in the region. Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked and US intelligence indicates that Israel has been making preparations for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

"They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters. "We've given notice to move out."

Asked whether anything can be done to lower the temperature in the region, Trump said: "They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple, they can't have a nuclear weapon."

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if stuttering talks over its nuclear programme fail and in an interview released earlier on Wednesday said he was growing less confident that Tehran would agree to stop enriching uranium, a key American demand.

Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh also said on Wednesday that if Iran was subjected to strikes it would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region.

The US embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it had "not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational."​

 

[Saif]

The new reality: International students face rising uncertainty in the US

US international students face fear, silence, and rising threats in 2025.

www.thedailystar.net

The new reality: International students face rising uncertainty in the US

Demonstrators hold a banner during a "Stand Up for Internationals" rally on the campus of Berkeley University in Berkeley, California, April 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS

In the era of Trump 2.0, news has continually emerged providing backing to the claim that the US is "no longer a safe destination for international students". Indeed, too much has changed in the past few months, from random threats of deportation for actions labelled as 'un-American' to checking phones and personnel for any signs of 'un-American' ways of thinking. The lives of international students living in the US are in a precarious position.

In addition, there is also the looming fear of many students losing access to their funding or scholarships. New sorts of threats constantly pop up with new administrative decisions being taken by the government. Students, amidst all of this, manage to live life with growing panic and uncertainty.

Kibria*, an undergraduate student studying in the state of Alabama, shares her anxiety. "I haven't particularly had to go through anything severe, nor have I had to face any major cut in my scholarship. Yet, I have developed terrible anxiety by simply watching the news and trying to follow what's happening. I keep thinking that they will, someday, come for me. It has gotten to the point where the anxiety harms me on a daily basis."

There is, of course, a very legitimate reason for paranoia of this nature. It was March 8, 2025, when Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who graduated from Columbia University and holds an American green card, was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security without any warrants. As of writing this article, he remains imprisoned and is waiting for a hearing from the US Department of Justice that threatens to deport him on claims which, according to a video reported by CNN, have no merit or backing.

He is not the only victim either, as several other college students have reportedly been taken into custody in the weeks that followed. Their fault? Participating or helping in organising protests at their respective campuses for Palestine. Many of these students have thus far been let go of, but Mahmoud Khalil still remains confined and awaiting a hearing.

This wave of events has had a major impact on international students currently in the US. As Anusha*, a graduate student in the state of Georgia, puts it, "I have almost completely stopped talking about Palestine online in fear of deportation. Even when I am outside, I have to be extra careful and often delete all my social media apps if I think they will go through my phone. Travelling is completely out of the question at this point. I feel guilty because I often ask myself what I am even doing here if I can't exercise my right to free speech, let alone attend a protest. But then, I am terrified of what might happen if I do."

Tanvir*, an undergraduate student currently in Texas, shares a similar sort of panic. "From what I can tell, those of us who already have a scholarship or receive an aid of some kind are not all that likely to lose it due to any funding cuts. That may sound like a relief, but the rate at which new things are happening, I can't help but feel like that will change soon."

Tanvir bemoans, "I am also, basically, stranded here. I cannot go back to my country anytime soon because there's a huge chance I will just be denied re-entry to the US."

Afia*, a recent graduate living in New York, has also stated that there has been a notable lack of conversation around Palestine altogether. "Not just on social media, no matter where you go, college students have been silenced by the recent incidents."

She adds, "Very few large-scale protests have taken place in the last few months. College administrations have tightened their rules against these demonstrations, so it has become scarier to actually participate in any of them."

Since early May, reports of newly emerging pro-Palestine protests have emerged, particularly from Columbia University, Yale University, and the University of Washington. However, most of these protests were quickly met with mass arrests, suspensions, and, in other contexts, withholding of degrees. While Campus was unable to identify any international students amongst the numbers, it is entirely possible that internationals who may be present will end up facing repercussions if not worse.

Amongst the onslaught of administrative processes becoming a reality, the most pressing one is the latest development with the US Government and Harvard. On May 23, the US Government announced that it would be halting Harvard's ability to enrol international students. Amidst the chaos this has created, many have wondered if a government is even allowed to do such a thing.

Campus reached out to Bangladeshi students currently at Harvard, and while they are currently too distressed and in the dark to make any comments to shed light on the situation, they have notified us that Harvard is working tirelessly to inform all their international students of any further developments. Most recently, Harvard made a public post announcing their decision to protect their international students. While that can seem hopeful, the future still looks grim as the onslaught of draconian laws persecuting international students for their stance against genocide seems to have no end in sight.

In this complete lack of a silver lining, students from Bangladesh and worldwide continue under enforced silence, with their futures largely uncertain.

References:

1. CNN (May 23, 2025). Judge denies request to terminate Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil's deportation proceedings.

2. Axios (May 8, 2025). Where Pro-Palestinian campus protests are emerging again.​

 

[Saif]

US government turmoil stalls thousands of export approvals, sources say

Thousands of license applications by U.S. companies to export goods and technology around the globe, including to China, are in limbo because turmoil at the agency in charge of approving them has left it nearly paralyzed, two sources said. While U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has become a

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

US government turmoil stalls thousands of export approvals, sources say

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 01, 2025 21:43
Updated :
Aug 01, 2025 21:43

An American flag flutters over a ship and shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro California, U.S., May 13, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake/Files
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Thousands of license applications by U.S. companies to export goods and technology around the globe, including to China, are in limbo because turmoil at the agency in charge of approving them has left it nearly paralyzed, two sources said.

While U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has become a familiar face touting President Donald Trump’s tariff and trade deals, sources said the export bureau under Lutnick’s command has failed to issue expected new rules, stifled communications with industry representatives, pushed out experts, and lost staff through buyouts and resignations.

Shipments of artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia to China are the most high-profile example of licenses not being swiftly approved. The company said July 14 the government assured it licenses would be granted for its H20 chip, and it hoped to start deliveries soon. Lutnick and other officials confirmed sales would be allowed.

But sources said this week no licenses have yet been issued, and billions of dollars of AI chip orders are at stake.

One U.S. official said the backlog of license applications is the lengthiest in more than three decades.

A spokesperson for Nvidia declined to comment. The Department of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment.

The turmoil and resulting inaction at an agency tasked with promoting overseas trade and safeguarding American technology are alarming both those seeking tougher restrictions on exports to China and companies trying to sell their wares abroad.

“Licensing is how the U.S. does business and competes globally,” said Meghan Harris, who served on the National Security Council in the first Trump administration and has worked at Commerce. “Delays and unpredictability put us at an unnecessary disadvantage.”

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security averaged 38 days per export license application in fiscal year 2023, the most recent data available, denying 2% of 37,943 applications.

The license process enforces U.S. export restrictions in an effort to make sure sensitive goods and technology do not reach countries or entities whose use of the items could harm U.S. national security.

Some staff have criticized Jeffrey Kessler, who became BIS undersecretary in March, saying he has micromanaged the bureau and failed to communicate adequately.

Kessler did not respond to a request for comment.

At a staff meeting soon after he took office, Kessler urged BIS staff to limit communications with company representatives and industry officials, according to two additional sources, who said he later asked for all meetings to be entered on a spreadsheet.

Getting approval from Kessler’s office to attend meetings with other government agencies has also been tricky, those sources said.

Sources spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

FRUSTRATION AMONG EXPORTERS

Frustration is growing within U.S. industry.

“We’re seeing whole sectors where there is no movement or indication if or when licenses will be issued,” including license applications for semiconductor manufacturing equipment worth billions of dollars, said Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council.

While the clock is ticking on license applications, “Chinese companies are exploring and doing deals with suppliers in China and other countries,” he said. “The longer we have the delay, the more market share we’re going to lose.”

Jim Anzalone, president of Compliance Assurance, a Florida-based trade consultancy, said he has seen delays in license approvals for sensors, radars, and sonar to Latin America and other parts of the world. “There’s nothing official about what the policy is and when the backlog would be cleared,” he said.

He has received denials sporadically after submitting some two dozen applications months ago to export semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, including four denials on Wednesday, he added.

Sources stressed that some licenses are getting approved, especially exports to allied countries, and they noted that some communication with companies continues, especially around license applications.

Commerce is also delaying regulatory changes. The agency said in May it would rescind and replace a Biden administration rule before it went into effect that month restricting where AI chips can be exported, but the agency has not done so yet.

Other rules, which sources said have been drafted for months, have not been published, including one to expand export restrictions to subsidiaries of companies already banned from receiving controlled U.S. exports.

Meanwhile, important staff vacancies such as China-based export control officers have not been filled, and high-level career employees have resigned. A retirement party was held this week for Dan Clutch, acting director of the BIS Office of Export Enforcement, the latest experienced staff member to leave.​

 

[Saif]

US takes in $87b from tariffs in H1

The United States took in more revenue from tariffs in the first six months of 2025 than it did in all of 2024, according to data from the US Treasury compiled by AFP.

www.newagebd.net

US takes in $87b from tariffs in H1
Agence France-Presse . Paris 01 August, 2025, 23:23

The United States took in more revenue from tariffs in the first six months of 2025 than it did in all of 2024, according to data from the US Treasury compiled by AFP.

The more than $87 billion in tariff revenue taken in through the end of June, compared with $79 billion collected in all of 2024, according to the latest monthly data published on Wednesday.

Since his return to the White House US president Donald Trump tore up the US post-WWII economic policy playbook of favouring free trade, slapping tariffs on trading partners and on certain products like steel.

The US has subsequently reached deals with a number of countries that will see considerably higher tariffs apply than were in place, but for the most part also considerably lower than the highest rates that Trump threatened to impose.

The previous peak in tariffs was recorded in 2022 at $98 billion.

In June, tariff revenue came in at $26.6 billion, almost four times the amount collected in January.

Trump said Thursday that sweeping tariffs he has imposed on nations around the world were making the country ‘great & rich again’ as governments raced to strike deals with Washington less than 24 hours before an August 1 deadline.

‘ONE YEAR AGO, AMERICA WAS A DEAD COUNTRY, NOW IT IS THE ‘HOTTEST’ COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,’ he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The deals that the US reached with trading partners will also go into effect on August 1, as will a 50 per cent levy on copper imports.

For around 80 countries, including the 27 members of the European Union, rates of between 11 and 50 per cent are set to come into force.​

 

[Saif]

Trump takes over DC police in extraordinary move, deploys National Guard in capital

President Donald Trump said on Monday he was deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington and putting the city's police department under federal control, an extraordinary assertion of presidential power in the nation's capital. Trump's move, which bypassed the city's elected leaders, was embl

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Trump takes over DC police in extraordinary move, deploys National Guard in capital

REUTERS
Published :
Aug 12, 2025 00:41
Updated :
Aug 12, 2025 00:41

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, August 11, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

President Donald Trump said on Monday he was deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington and putting the city's police department under federal control, an extraordinary assertion of presidential power in the nation's capital.

Trump's move, which bypassed the city's elected leaders, was emblematic of his approach to his presidency, wielding executive authority in ways that have little precedent in modern US history and in defiance of political norms.

The president cast his actions as necessary to "rescue" Washington from what he described as a wave of lawlessness, despite statistics showing that violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024 and has continued to decline this year.

"I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC," Trump told a news conference at the White House. "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals."

It is the second time this summer that the Republican president has deployed troops to a Democratically governed city. Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June over the objections of state and local officials.

And Trump signaled at his news conference that another major US city with Democratic leadership could be next - Chicago, where violent crime was down significantly in the first half of the year.

"If we need to, we're going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster," Trump said at the White House, adding, "Hopefully LA is watching."

Trump has shown particular interest in taking over Washington, which is under the jurisdiction of Congress but exercises self-governance under a 1973 US law.

Hundreds of officers and agents from more than a dozen federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, DEA and ATF, have fanned out across the city in recent days. Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee the police force takeover, Trump said.

The Democratic mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, has pushed back on Trump's claims of unchecked violence, saying the city is "not experiencing a crime spike" and highlighting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year.

Violent crime, including murders, spiked in 2023, turning Washington into one of the nation's deadliest cities. Since then, however, violent crime dropped 35 percent in 2024, according to federal data, and it has fallen an additional 26 percent in the first seven months of 2025, according to city police.

The city's attorney general, Brian Schwalb, called Trump's actions "unprecedented, unnecessary and unlawful" in an X post, and said his office was "considering all of our options."

Bowser did not immediately comment on Trump's announcement, though other Democrats weighed in.

"Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost," House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X.

TRUMP RAMPS UP RHETORIC

Over the past week, Trump has intensified his messaging, suggesting he might attempt to strip the city of its local autonomy and implement a full federal takeover.

The District of Columbia, established in 1790, operates under the Home Rule Act, which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump said last week that lawyers are examining how to overturn the law, a move that would likely require Congress to revoke it.

In taking over the Metropolitan Police Department, Trump invoked a section of the act that allows the president to use the force for 30 days when "special conditions of an emergency nature" exist. Trump said he was declaring a "public safety emergency" in the city.

Under the statute, presidential control is "designed to be a temporary emergency measure, not a permanent takeover," University of Minnesota law professor Jill Hasday said.

Trump's own Federal Emergency Management Agency is cutting security funding for the National Capital Region, an area that includes D.C. and nearby cities in Maryland and Virginia. The region will receive $20 million less this year from the federal urban security fund, amounting to a 44 percent year-on-year cut.

TRIAL BEGINS

A federal trial was set to begin on Monday in San Francisco on whether Trump's administration violated US aw by deploying 5,000 National Guard troops and US Marines without the approval of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

The troops were sent in response to protests over raids by federal immigration agents. State and local officials objected to Trump's decision as unnecessary, unlawful and inflammatory.

In a post on X, Newsom wrote, "Washington, DC - here's what you can expect now that the president wants to cosplay as dictator in your city, too: Soldiers sitting around with nothing to do; Lies from all levels of the federal government; No meaningful impact."

The president has broad authority over the 2,700 members of the DC National Guard, unlike in states where governors typically hold the power to activate troops. Guard troops have been dispatched to Washington many times, including in response to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.

During his first term as president, Trump sent the National Guard into Washington in 2020 to help quash mostly peaceful demonstrations during nationwide protests over police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. Civil rights leaders and city leaders denounced the deployment.

Since the 1980s, Trump has used rhetoric on crime, often with racial undertones, as a political tool. His 1989 call for the death penalty in the Central Park jogger case, involving five Black and Latino teens later exonerated of raping and beating a woman, remains among the controversial moments of his public life.

The "Central Park Five" sued Trump for defamation after he falsely said during a presidential debate last year that they had pleaded guilty.

Washington's population was about 40 percent Black as of 2020, according to US Census data. Chicago was about 29 pe Black and 30 percent Hispanic or Latino, while Los Angeles was about 47 percent Hispanic or Latino.​

 

[Saif]

Tensions flare between Musk, NASA over Moon mission

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk lashed out at NASA’s acting administrator on Tuesday after the space agency chief invited other companies to enter the race to help get humans back on the Moon...

www.newagebd.net

Tensions flare between Musk, NASA over Moon mission
Agence France-Presse . Washington 22 October, 2025, 22:28

Elon Musk. | AFP file photo

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk lashed out at NASA’s acting administrator on Tuesday after the space agency chief invited other companies to enter the race to help get humans back on the Moon.

‘Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!’ the billionaire entrepreneur said in a post on X, referring to Sean Duffy, who also serves as US transportation secretary.

On Monday, Duffy announced that NASA was seeking new bids to support its mission to return humans to the Moon, citing delays in the development of SpaceX’s Starship rocket amid a space race with China.

‘I love SpaceX. It’s an amazing company. The problem is, they’re behind. They pushed their timelines out and we’re in a race against China,’ Duffy said on Fox News.

The US space agency’s Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.

After several postponements, NASA is now planning the Artemis 3 mission for mid-2027, but experts say SpaceX must still clear complex technical challenges before its rocket is ready.

Duffy later said on X that the United States is ‘in a race against China so we need the best companies to operate at a speed that gets us to the Moon FIRST.’

He mentioned potential bids from Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, ‘and others.’

On X, Musk retorted, ‘SpaceX is moving like lightning compared to the rest of the space industry.

‘Starship will end up doing the whole Moon mission. Mark my words,’ he said.

The tension is ratcheting up amid questions over who will become the permanent leader of NASA.

Trump had originally tapped businessman Jared Isaacman, a Musk associate, but the White House suddenly withdrew the nomination in May, just before Musk’s relationship with Trump soured.

Media reports suggest that Trump is again considering Isaacman, while Duffy is hoping to hold on to the NASA position.​

 

[Saif]

White House steps up attacks on CNN

The White House on Thursday intensified its attacks on CNN, the news network at the centre of a financial battle that president Donald Trump is tied up in politically and through family.

www.newagebd.net

White House steps up attacks on CNN
Agence France-Presse . Washington 13 December, 2025, 01:33

The White House on Thursday intensified its attacks on CNN, the news network at the centre of a financial battle that president Donald Trump is tied up in politically and through family.

Echoing the president’s frequent anti-media barbs, senior members of his administration lashed out.

‘CNN = Chicken News Network,’ White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X Thursday, calling CNN cowardly for not inviting Trump advisor Stephen Miller to be interviewed ‘presumably because they are scared Stephen will school them.’

Vice president JD Vance then shared the post, adding: ‘If CNN wants to be a real news network it should feature important voices from our administration.’

A CNN spokesperson said Miller would be welcome back on the channel, Fox News reported Thursday.

‘As a news organisation, we make editorial decisions about the stories we cover and when, and that depends on the news priorities of the day. We look forward to having Stephen on again in the future as the news warrants,’ the CNN spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The harshest attack on CNN from the Trump administration came from an official White House account called Rapid Response 47, which went after Kaitlan Collins, one of the network’s most prominent correspondents, saying she ‘is not a journalist. She is a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.’

On Wednesday, the president confronted another CNN journalist similarly, and said ‘you know you work for the Democrats, don’t you? You are basically an arm of the Democrat Party.’

CNN has yet to comment publicly on those allegations. In the past, the network has responded to criticism of political bias by asserting that it is committed to objective journalism and fairness.

Founded in 1980 to provide global television news coverage, CNN is currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the media conglomerate at the heart of a bidding war between streaming giant Netflix and Paramount Skydance, the latter of which is led by CEO David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison.

The president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has joined Paramount’s bid through his investment firm.

And Trump has already indicated he intends to get involved in the government’s decision to approve or block a sale, which would typically involve the Justice Department.

Under Paramount’s offer, CNN would fall into Ellison’s hands.

Under the Netflix deal, Warner Bros. Discovery would sell off CNN and other cable news properties separately before closing the sale of its studio and streaming operations.

The 79-year-old president said Wednesday he wants to ensure CNN gets new ownership as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery sale, seeming to favour a Paramount purchase.

‘I don’t think the people that are running that company right now and running CNN, which is a very dishonest group of people, I don’t think that should be allowed to continue. I think CNN should be sold along with everything else,’ Trump said.​

 

[Bilal9]

There has been a shooting on the Brown University campus, two people confirmed deceased.

Live updates: 2 dead, 9 wounded in Brown University shooting; manhunt underway for shooter

An active shooter was reported on or near the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, the university’s public safety department said this afternoon.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Bilal9]

Person of interest in custody over Brown University deadly shooting, police say​

Nation Updated on Dec 14, 2025 8:02 AM EST — Published on Dec 14, 2025 7:19 AM EST
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police in Rhode Island said early Sunday that they had a suspect in custody after a shooting that rocked the Brown University campus during final exams, leaving two people dead and nine others wounded.

Col. Oscar Perez, chief of the Providence police, confirmed at a news conference that the detained suspect was in their 30s. Perez did not say where the suspect was arrested or whether the suspect was connected to the university.

LIVE UPDATES: Deadly shooting at Brown University

The shooting erupted in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams. Hundreds of police officers had scoured the Brown University campus along with nearby neighborhoods and pored over video in pursuit of a shooter who opened fire in a classroom.

Providence leaders warned that residents will notice a heavier police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced they would remain closed and expressed shock and heartbreak as the community continued to process the news of the shooting.

“Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson said at the news conference.

Surveillance video released by police showed the suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away from the scene. His face was not visible and investigators said it wasn’t clear whether the suspect is a student.

The suspect was last seen leaving the engineering building and some witnesses told police the suspect may have been wearing a camouflage mask, Providence Police Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said.

Earlier, Paxson said she was told 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting but it was not clear if the victim was a student, she said.

WATCH: Trump calls deadly shooting at Brown University ‘a terrible thing’ and ‘a shame’

The search for the shooter paralyzed the campus, the nearby neighborhoods filled with stately brick homes and the downtown in Rhode Island’s capital city. Streets normally bustling with activity on weekends were eerily quiet.

Students sheltered in place for hours into the night. Officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.

Mayor advised people to stay home​

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom. Outer doors of the building were unlocked but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

He encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside or not return home until a shelter-in-place order was lifted.

“The Brown community’s heart is breaking and Providence’s heart is breaking along with it,” Smiley said.

Hours before the press conference, authorities said they believed the shooter used a handgun, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S.

Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were not getting worse and two were stable, hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan said.

Exams were underway during shooting​

Engineering design exams were underway when the shooting occurred in the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she sheltered for several hours.

Former ‘Survivor’ contestant just left the building​

Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was working on a final research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside.

“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as armed officers surrounded his dorm.

Students hid under desks​

Students in a nearby lab turned off the lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert about the shooting, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away from the scene.

Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City, was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.

Brown, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing and other fees run to nearly $100,000 per year, according to the university.

Associated Press journalists Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

 

[Saif]

BBC says will fight Trump’s $10b defamation lawsuit

The BBC said on Tuesday it would fight a $10-billion lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump against the British broadcaster over a documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot.

www.newagebd.net

BBC says will fight Trump’s $10b defamation lawsuit
Agence France – Presse . London, United Kingdom 16 December, 2025, 18:52

Donald Trump | AFP photo

The BBC said on Tuesday it would fight a $10-billion lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump against the British broadcaster over a documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot.

‘As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case,’ a BBC spokesperson said in a statement sent to AFP, adding the company would not be making ‘further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.’

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, seeks ‘damages in an amount not less than $5,000,000,000’ for each of two counts against the British broadcaster, for alleged defamation and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The video that triggered the lawsuit spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021 in a way that made it appear he explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

The lawsuit comes as the UK government on Tuesday launched the politically sensitive review of the BBC’s Royal Charter, which outlines the corporation’s funding and governance and needs to be renewed in 2027.

As part of the review, it launched a public consultation on issues including the role of ‘accuracy’ in the BBC’s mission and contentious reforms to the corporation’s funding model, which currently relies on a mandatory fee for anyone in the country who watches television.

Minister Stephen Kinnock stressed after the lawsuit was filed that the UK government ‘is a massive supporter of the BBC’.

The BBC has ‘been very clear that there is no case to answer in terms of Mr Trump’s accusation on the broader point of libel or defamation. I think it’s right the BBC stands firm on that point,’ Kinnock told Sky News on Tuesday.

Trump, 79, had said the lawsuit was imminent, claiming the BBC had ‘put words in my mouth’, even positing that ‘they used AI or something.’

The documentary at issue aired last year before the 2024 election, on the BBC’s ‘Panorama’ flagship current affairs program.

‘The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election,’ a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said in a statement to AFP.

‘The BBC has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda,’ the statement added.

The British Broadcasting Corporation, whose audience extends well beyond the United Kingdom, faced a period of turmoil last month after a media report brought renewed attention to the edited clip.

The scandal led the BBC director general, Tim Davie, and the organisation’s top news executive, Deborah Turness, to resign.

Trump’s lawsuit says the edited speech in the documentary was ‘fabricated and aired by the Defendants one week before the 2024 Presidential Election in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election’s outcome to President Trump’s detriment.’

The BBC has denied Trump’s claims of legal defamation, though BBC chairman Samir Shah has sent Trump a letter of apology.

Shah also told a UK parliamentary committee last month the broadcaster should have acted sooner to acknowledge its mistake after the error was disclosed in a memo, which was leaked to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The BBC lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal actions Trump has taken against media companies in recent years, several of which have led to multi-million-dollar settlements.​

 

[Saif]

CNN’s future unclear as Trump applies pressure

CNN is heading into an uncertain future with its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery destined for a takeover..

www.newagebd.net

CNN’s future unclear as Trump applies pressure
Agence France-Presse . New York 18 December, 2025, 23:39

CNN is heading into an uncertain future with its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery destined for a takeover — and US president Donald Trump hoping the change will allow him to influence the iconic news network’s programming.

WBD has urged shareholders to reject a hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, in favour of a deal offered by streaming giant Netflix.

Paramount’s CEO David Ellison — whose father is Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a close Trump ally — has assured the US president that he would retool CNN’s editorial stance and line-up if his bid were successful, The Wall Street Journal reported.

That could put on-air talent such as Kaitlan Collins and Jake Tapper, who have both drawn Trump’s ire, in jeopardy.

And Trump appears ready to use the situation to his advantage, saying openly that he will be involved in the government’s decision on an eventual deal, instead of leaving it to the Justice Department.

‘I don’t think the people that are running that company right now and running CNN, which is a very dishonest group of people, I don’t think that should be allowed to continue,’ Trump told business leaders last week at the White House.

‘I think CNN should be sold along with everything else.’

Trump has long had a hostile relationship with CNN and other major news organisations, branding them ‘fake news’ and attacking them repeatedly on social media.

His insistence that CNN end up in friendly hands appears to favour the Paramount bid — even though the Netflix deal would also involve selling off the news network to an as-yet-unknown buyer.

Ellison’s group obtained regulatory approval in July for a merger between Paramount and Skydance after committing to modify the editorial direction of CBS network.

‘President Trump has publicly put a bullseye on the television news network,’ University of Maryland broadcast journalism professor Mark Feldstein said.

‘I think this is a very perilous time for CNN both politically and economically,’ he said.

‘Paramount’s craven tilt to the right would clearly pose a threat to CNN’s editorial independence, but it’s not clear that the news network would be much better off if Netflix buys Warner Brothers and leaves CNN out of the deal, either.’

CNN is popular with left-leaning viewers but is regularly watched by 20 per cent of Republicans, according to a Pew Research study.

Under Netflix’s deal, WBD would likely spin off CNN and its other television networks into a separate company called Discovery Global.

CNN would thus wind up part of a highly-indebted public company with weak growth prospects and still on cable television, which has been losing millions of subscribers in the United States each year.

In that context, it would be tough for Discovery Global to justify investing money in CNN because it will need to focus on its overall bottom line, said Madison and Wall consulting firm chief executive Brian Wieser.

Under the leadership of former New York Times and BBC head Mark Thompson, CNN is undergoing a major strategic reorientation to reduce its dependence on traditional television audiences.

In October, it launched a subscription service (at $6.99 per month) that includes streaming access to most programmes as well as the CNN.com website, which introduced a paywall nearly a year ago.

Thompson said recently that a study commissioned by CNN showed that some 18 million Americans who had ditched cable television since the coronavirus pandemic would be ‘very interested’ in paying for standalone subscriptions.

‘To continue to keep CNN strong in the future,’ the executive argued, ‘we better get after our audiences where they currently are.’

Fox News, CNBC, Newsmax and even NBC News have attempted streaming-only products, but all of them are add-ons.

Once the leading all-news network, CNN now attracts fewer than 5,00,000 viewers on average per day — far behind rivals MSNBC and Fox News, but also the home improvement channel HGTV—but maintains it is still profitable.

CNN nevertheless ‘still holds an important place within the broader news media landscape, especially given its brand power and global reach,’ said University of Pennsylvania media policy professor Victor Pickard.

For Wieser, ‘the best thing for CNN would be to sell it separately. But the problem is there’s almost no way that will happen without the Trump administration involving itself.’​

 

[Saif]

US triples stipend offer to migrants who 'self-deport' to $3,000

"Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport," says DHS secretary

www.thedailystar.net

US triples stipend offer to migrants who 'self-deport' to $3,000

"Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport," says DHS secretary

Photo: Reuters

The Trump administration has tripled its stipend offer to migrants who choose to voluntarily "self-deport" from the United States to $3,000, the Department of Homeland Security said today

The stipend would be given to people in the US illegally who sign up to leave the country by the end of the year, DHS said. The offer would include a free flight back to their home countries, it said.

"Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don't, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

The Trump administration, in March, launched a rebranded app called CBP Home to make it easier for people to self-deport. The app, previously called CBP One, was used by the Biden administration to allow migrants to enter the US legally.

DHS said in May that the average cost to arrest, detain, and deport someone without legal status was around $17,000.

US President Donald Trump, who took office in January promising record levels of deportations, has ramped up a crackdown on immigration despite backlash. While he has promised to remove 1 million immigrants each year, his administration has so far managed to deport some 622,000 immigrants this year.

The administration is preparing for a more aggressive push against immigration in 2026 with billions in new funding, and U.S. officials say they plan to hire thousands more immigration agents, open new detention centers, and partner with outside companies to track down people without legal status.​

 

[Saif]

Trump says US needs Greenland 'for national security'

President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the United States needed Greenland for "national security" after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish Arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen.

en.prothomalo.com

Trump says US needs Greenland 'for national security'

AFP Copenhagen
Published: 23 Dec 2025, 12: 27

Donald TrumpReuters file photo

President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the United States needed Greenland for "national security" after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish Arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly said the United States "needs" the resource-rich autonomous territory for security reasons and has refused to rule out using force to secure it.

Trump on Sunday appointed Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, prompting anger from Denmark, which summoned the US ambassador.

"We need Greenland for national security. Not for minerals," Trump told a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday.

"If you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," he said.

"We need it for national security. We have to have it," the president said, adding that Landry "wanted to lead the charge".

On his appointment, Landry immediately vowed to make the Danish territory "a part of the US".

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen earlier Monday said in a joint statement that Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.

"You cannot annex another country," they said. "We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he was "deeply angered" by the move and warned Washington to respect Denmark's sovereignty.

The European Union later offered its "full solidarity" to Denmark.

The Danish foreign minister earlier told TV2 television the appointment and statements were "totally unacceptable" and, several hours later, said the US ambassador had been called up to the ministry for an explanation.

"We summoned the American ambassador to the foreign ministry today for a meeting, together with the Greenlandic representative, where we very clearly drew a red line and also asked for an explanation," Lokke Rasmussen told public broadcaster DR in an interview.

Strategic location

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa stressed on social media that territorial integrity and sovereignty were "fundamental principles of international law".

Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that the vast island is not for sale and that it will decide its own future.

Most of Greenland's 57,000 people want to become independent from Denmark but do not wish to become part of the United States, according to an opinion poll in January.

Lokke Rasmussen said Trump's appointment of a special envoy confirmed continued US interest in Greenland.

"However, we insist that everyone -- including the US -- must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he said in a statement emailed to AFP.

Washington argues Greenland, located between North America and Europe, can give it an economic edge over its rivals in the Arctic region.

The island has untapped rare earth minerals and could be a vital player as the polar ice melts and new shipping routes emerge.

Greenland's location also puts it on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States.

The United States has its Pituffik military base in Greenland and opened a consulate on the island in June 2020.

In August, Denmark summoned the US charge d'affaires after at least three US officials close to Trump were seen in Greenland's capital Nuuk trying to find out how people felt about deepening US ties.

Trump's determination to take over Greenland has stunned Denmark, a fellow member of NATO that has fought alongside the US in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In January, Copenhagen announced a USD 2.0-billion plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region.​

 

[Saif]

New York Mayor Mamdani vows to enact democratic socialist agenda

Democrat Zohran Mamdani became New York City's mayor on Thursday, vowing during a public swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall to enact an aggressive agenda aimed at making the nation's largest city more affordable for working people. Mamdani, a member of his party's left-wing democratic

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

New York Mayor Mamdani vows to enact democratic socialist agenda

REUTERS
Published :
Jan 02, 2026 23:20
Updated :
Jan 02, 2026 23:20

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech during his inauguration ceremony in New York City, US, Jan 1, 2026. Photo : REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

Democrat Zohran Mamdani became New York City's mayor on Thursday, vowing during a public swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall to enact an aggressive agenda aimed at making the nation's largest city more affordable for working people.

Mamdani, a member of his party's left-wing democratic socialist faction, was elected last November in a prominent victory that could influence this year's midterm elections that will determine control of the US Congress. Some Democrats have embraced his style while Republicans portray him as a foil on the national political stage.

The 34-year-old campaigned heavily on cost-of-living issues and was sharply critical of Republican President Donald Trump, whose approval rating has fallen over the past year amid economic concerns.

Many of New York's 8 million residents - some with hope, some with trepidation - expect him to be a disruptive political force. In a speech following his public swearing-in, Mamdani promoted core campaign promises of universal childcare, affordable rents and free bus service.

"We will answer to all New Yorkers, not to any billionaire or oligarch who thinks they can buy our democracy," he said. "I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist."

CROWD CHANTS 'TAX THE RICH'

The programme for Mamdani's inauguration included remarks by US Senator Bernie Sanders and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, fellow democratic socialists at the vanguard of the Democratic Party's liberal wing.

Sanders, whom Mamdani calls his inspiration, defended Mamdani's agenda.

"Making sure that people can live in affordable housing is not radical," Sanders said. "It is the right and decent thing to do."

The crowd of several thousand cheered loudly when Sanders called on America's millionaires and billionaires to pay more in taxes, breaking into a chant of "tax the rich."

Even with temperatures well below freezing, the city set up a viewing area along Broadway to allow thousands more to watch a livestream of the ceremony, which included musical performances.

Mae Hardman-Hill, 27, volunteered for Mamdani's campaign and said it felt like his political momentum was growing.

"I'm a native New Yorker. I've watched the city like you just become less and less affordable, less and less livable," Hardman-Hill said. "I'm really excited for ... regular people to get some power back again."

Prior to the public ceremony, Mamdani was privately sworn in as New York City's mayor in the first minutes of the New Year on Thursday at the historic City Hall subway station, which was decommissioned decades ago and is accessible only a few times a year through guided tours.

Reflecting his Muslim faith, he used a Quran, Islam's holiest book, for his swearing-in, a first for a New York City mayor.

REPUBLICANS BLAST MAMDANI

Hours after Mamdani took office, the lead group tasked with electing Republicans to the US House of Representatives sought to portray him as a "radical socialist."

"Every time Mamdani opens his mouth or swipes his pen, he tattoos the Democrat Party’s failures onto every House Democrat facing voters in 2026," spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement that signalled the sizable role Mamdani is likely to play on the national campaign stage.

Mamdani, a former state lawmaker, promised a freeze on rents and free buses and childcare, building a campaign around affordability issues that some have seen as a path forward for the Democratic Party around the country ahead of November midterm elections.

Dean Fuleihan, the incoming deputy mayor, told the Financial Times that Mamdani will move ahead with plans to increase taxes on millionaires to pay for his campaign promises and balance New York's budget. He added that he doesn't expect rich people to leave the city as a result of potentially higher taxes.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said she opposes raising personal income taxes but is considering raising corporate taxes to pay for a potential budget shortfall amid federal cuts.

In one early reversal, Mamdani said on Wednesday that he would no longer seek to end mayoral control of New York City's public school system, the largest in the US, naming veteran educator Kamar Samuels as chancellor.

Mamdani inspired a record-breaking turnout of more than 2 million voters and took 50% of the vote in November, nearly 10 points ahead of Andrew Cuomo running as an independent and well ahead of Republican Curtis Sliwa.

INAUGURATION OF A NEW ERA

The Uganda-born Mamdani has been a sharp critic of Trump on issues such as immigration and said his differences with the president were numerous after a warm White House meeting.

Mamdani raised $2.6 million for the transition and celebrations from nearly 30,000 contributors, more than other mayors on record this century, both by the total and single donations, according to official campaign data that presents disclosures of inaugural expenses beginning with Michael Bloomberg's first term in 2001.

As mayor, Mamdani will move from his one-bedroom Astoria apartment, protected from sharp price hikes by the city rent-stabilisation programme, to Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City mayors on Manhattan's upscale Upper East Side.

Bankers and others in New York, the nation's financial capital, had expressed concern about Mamdani, but since his election many have explored how to work with him.​

 

[Bilal9]