United News of Bangladesh

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard has warned the United States that its forces remain on high alert, even as President Donald Trump said Tehran appears willing to enter negotiations. In a statement aired by state television on Thursday, Revolutionary Guard commander Gen Mohammad Pakpour said his forces have their “finger on the trigger,” cautioning both Washington and Israel against what he described as potential miscalculations. He urged the US and Israel to draw lessons from past conflicts, including what he called the “12-day imposed war,” and said the Guard stood fully prepared to carry out any orders from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Despite the sharp rhetoric, signs of immediate US military action appeared to ease this week. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the United States had struck Iranian uranium enrichment facilities last year to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. New Israeli settlement Yatziv inaugurated near Beit Sahour “We can’t let that happen,” Trump said, adding that Iran “does want to talk,” and that the US would engage in discussions. At the same time, Iran’s military leadership issued further warnings. Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, head of Iran’s joint command headquarters, said any US attack would make “all US interests, bases and centres of influence” legitimate targets. Earlier this week, Trump had warned Iran’s leaders that the United States would respond decisively if there were any attempt on his life, linking such a scenario to potential retaliation over actions targeting Khamenei. The heightened tensions come as Iran’s leadership deals with the fallout from nationwide protests that erupted in late December. Authorities have since suppressed the unrest through a forceful crackdown, alongside a sweeping internet blackout described by monitoring group NetBlocks as a “national kill-switch,” now in its second week. Hackers disrupt Iran state TV as protest crackdown death toll tops 4,000 On Wednesday, Iranian officials released their first official casualty figures from the protests, saying 3,117 people were killed. #With inputs from Agencies

Ten Indian soldiers were killed and several others injured on Thursday after an army vehicle skidded off a road and plunged into a deep gorge in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accident occurred around noon at Khanni Top, about 9,000 feet above sea level on the Bhaderwah–Chamba interstate road, when the driver of a bulletproof army vehicle heading to a high-altitude post reportedly lost control, causing it to fall into a nearly 200-foot-deep gorge. Indian Army and local administration teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations despite difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions. Four soldiers were found dead at the scene, while 11 others were rescued with injuries and provided first aid before being airlifted to Udhampur for specialised treatment. Six more soldiers later succumbed to their injuries, officials said. The vehicle was severely damaged in the crash, Indian media reported. “We have lost 10 soldiers with 11 others injured in the unfortunate accident involving army vehicle,” Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bhaderwah, Sumit Kumar Bhutyal told PTI. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic road accident in Doda”. He wrote on X, “... My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The injured soldiers are receiving medical care and all necessary directions have been given to ensure the best possible treatment. The nation stands with our Armed Forces and their families in this difficult hour.” Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief over the accident. The Chief Minister conveyed heartfelt condolences to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also lauded the swift rescue and evacuation efforts. Sinha, in a post on X, said he was “deeply saddened at the loss of lives of 10 of our brave Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate road accident in Doda. We will always remember the outstanding service and supreme sacrifice of our brave soldiers.” He expressed his deepest condolences to the grieving families. “In this moment of profound sorrow, the entire nation stands united with the bereaved families in solidarity and support. 10 injured soldiers have been airlifted to the hospital,” he said, adding that he had directed senior officials to ensure best possible treatment to the injured. “Praying for their speedy recovery,” he said.  

The U.S. warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against making changes to the troubled country’s government late Wednesday, as pressure mounts for the unelected body to move toward elections for the first time in a decade. In a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti wrote that “The United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly." The U.S. Embassy added that such a maneuver would undermine efforts to establish “a minimal level of security and stability” in Haiti, where gang violence is surging and poverty deepening. The statement came as some members of the council are at odds with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, although it wasn’t immediately clear why. The council met behind closed doors earlier Wednesday and again on Thursday. The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs wrote on X Thursday night that Haiti's chronic instability is a result of “corrupt Haitian politicians who use gangs and other armed groups to create chaos in the streets and then insist on a role in government to turn down the chaos they themselves have created.” “Real stability will come when political leaders get their power from the support of voters rather than their ability to sow chaos. The members of the (council) who have followed this path are not Haitian patriots. They are criminals like the gangs they conspire with,” the bureau wrote. A spokesman for the prime minister’s office said he could not comment on the situation. The council’s seven members with voting powers did not return messages asking for comment. Meanwhile, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the council's leader, said in a statement that he opposes any push to undermine government stability ahead of Feb. 7, when the council is provisionally scheduled to step down. “As major institutional deadlines for the Nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country," he wrote. “Haiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short-sighted political calculations that would compromise the stability and continuity of the State, as well as the well-being of the already sorely tested population.” Unelected council was put in charge to quell chaos It's the latest episode in years of political chaos that erupted after Haiti's last elected president, Jovenel Moïse, was slain at his home in July 2021. The council has been one of the country's top authorities since April 2024. It was created with the help of Caribbean leaders after powerful gangs forced the closure of Haiti’s main international airport and targeted key state infrastructure in a series of unprecedented attacks that eventually led former Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. The council was charged with selecting Haiti’s prime minister in a bid to quickly bring some stability to the beleaguered country. Fils-Aimé is the third person chosen by the council. A businessman and former head of Haiti's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he was appointed in November 2025 after the council fired previous leader Garry Conille. The council is supposed to step down by Feb. 7, but it’s unclear if that will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to stay in power longer, and many fear the move could unleash a fresh round of violent protests. The Feb. 7 deadline was approved in early 2024 on the assumption that Haiti would have held general elections to elect a new president. Gang violence has prevented officials from holding elections so far, although they are tentatively set for August, with a runoff to be held in December. UN Security Council meets to discuss Haiti A new U.N. report released Wednesday noted that “national stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance architecture that is to lead the country to elections.” Earlier on Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss the unraveling situation in Haiti. “Haiti has entered a critical phase in its process of restoring democratic institutions,” said Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, special representative of the U.N. Secretary General in Haiti. “The country no longer has time to waste in prolonged infighting.” Panamanian Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba noted at the meeting that Haiti is at a “critical juncture,” with only 18 days left for the transitional presidential council’s mandate to end. “The persistent nature of violence … remains of utmost concern,” he said. Several U.N. Security Council members noted that Haiti needs to quickly move toward a democratic transition as gangs continue to seize control of more territory. “There’s a need to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility … to sustain continuity of state and avoid any disruptions that may undermine the operation of national institutions,” said Ericq Pierre, permanent representative of Haiti to the United Nations. Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and they have seized swaths of land in the country’s central region. More than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti from January to November last year, “with figures likely underreported owing to limited access to gang-controlled areas,” according to the U.N. report. Haiti’s National Police has been trying to quell gang violence with help from a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that remains understaffed and underfunded. The mission is transitioning into a so-called “gang suppression force” that would have the power to arrest suspected gang members. Haiti’s government also has been working with a private military contractor to launch drone strikes targeting suspected gang members, but which have also killed civilians. The strikes killed more than 970 people from March to December last year, including 39 civilians, 16 of them children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Greenland’s location in the Arctic places it at the heart of global nuclear defense planning, a reality highlighted anew by U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed push for his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system. In any hypothetical nuclear conflict involving the United States, Russia and China, intercontinental ballistic missiles would likely travel along the shortest routes, over the Arctic. That trajectory makes Greenland a critical point for early detection and potential interception. Trump has argued that U.S. ownership of Greenland is essential for the success of the multibillion-dollar “Golden Dome,” a layered missile defense system he claims will be operational before 2029. He has said modern offensive and defensive weapons systems make control of the territory especially important, sparking alarm in Denmark and among Greenlanders. A key element of Greenland’s importance is the Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. Located above the Arctic Circle, the base hosts a powerful early-warning radar capable of detecting and tracking ballistic missile launches from thousands of kilometers away, including missiles fired from Russia or China toward the United States. Defense analysts note that the base gives Washington valuable extra minutes to assess and respond to potential attacks. The radar can monitor large swaths of the Arctic and detect objects as small as a car, according to the U.S. Air Force. However, experts question Trump’s claim that U.S. ownership of Greenland is necessary. The United States has operated at Pituffik for decades under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, without sovereignty over the island. Analysts also point out that other allied locations, such as early-warning radar sites in the United Kingdom, play similar roles without any U.S. ownership claims. Some experts argue that emerging space-based sensors planned under the “Golden Dome” could eventually reduce Greenland’s strategic importance. They also note that Denmark has historically been a highly cooperative U.S. ally, making expanded military access possible without drastic political steps. As debates continue, Greenland remains a pivotal, and sensitive, crossroads in global nuclear defense calculations.

Nato said the issue of Greenland’s sovereignty was not discussed in a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, after Trump claimed a “framework of a future deal” had been discussed. Trump said the United States is exploring a potential deal on Greenland following the talks with Nato. He also dropped planned tariffs on eight European countries and repeated that he would not use force to take the island. Diplomatic sources, cited by US media, said there was no agreement for American control or ownership of Greenland. Rutte said he did not discuss Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland during his meeting with Trump. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark is open to talks on security, investment and the economy, but sovereignty is not negotiable. She said decisions on issues related to Denmark and Greenland can only be taken by Denmark and Greenland. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said allies have been working on ideas to strengthen Arctic security, including an “Arctic sentry” plan under Nato. She said the UK has stayed firm in supporting Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to meet Frederiksen for talks later.   With inputs from BBC

The restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant was halted Thursday, just hours after resuming for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), operator of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in north-central Japan said, the suspension of the No. 6 reactor was caused by a technical glitch involving control rods, which are crucial for safely starting and shutting down reactors. TEPCO confirmed there was no safety risk and said it was assessing the situation, but did not provide a timeline for when operations would resume. The restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility is being closely watched, as TEPCO also manages the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered meltdowns following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Japan, which has limited domestic energy resources, is accelerating its use of nuclear power to meet rising electricity demand. All seven reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa have been offline since 2012, a year after the Fukushima disaster, which left surrounding areas contaminated with radioactive fallout. TEPCO continues to manage the ongoing cleanup at Fukushima, with costs estimated at 22 trillion yen ($139 billion), while also working to restore public trust after investigations highlighted the company’s poor safety culture and collusion with regulators. Since 2011, 14 other nuclear reactors have resumed operations across Japan. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, marks the first TEPCO-run unit to restart. The No. 6 reactor alone could produce 1.35 million kilowatts of electricity, enough for over a million households in the capital region. Read More: Power restored to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after monthlong outage With a combined capacity of 8 million kilowatts, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa remains the world’s largest nuclear plant, though TEPCO plans to gradually bring only two of its seven reactors back online in the coming years.    

Seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, have agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, according to a joint statement. Israel had earlier confirmed its participation. Trump on Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin had also accepted the invitation, though Moscow later clarified it was still under consideration. The board, initially linked to ending the two-year Israel-Hamas conflict and overseeing Gaza reconstruction, does not specifically mention Palestine in its charter and appears aimed at taking on functions similar to the UN. Saudi Arabia said the Muslim-majority nations – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Qatar – support efforts for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, reconstruction, and what they called a “just and lasting peace”. The body’s charter will take effect once three states formally agree, with member nations holding renewable three-year terms. Contributions of $1 billion will secure permanent seats. Trump will serve as chairman and US representative with authority to appoint executive board members. The White House last week named seven founding Executive Board members, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov. Phase one of the plan involved a ceasefire, partial prisoner exchange, limited Israeli withdrawal, and increased humanitarian aid. Israel says the second phase, including reconstruction and demilitarisation, will proceed only after the return of the last hostages. Humanitarian conditions remain fragile. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports over 460 Palestinian deaths from Israeli strikes since the ceasefire, while Israel reports three soldiers killed in Palestinian attacks. The board faces challenges, as Hamas has resisted disarming without recognition of a Palestinian state, and Israel has not fully committed to withdrawing from Gaza.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump said the United States and Nato have discussed a “framework of a future deal” linked to Greenland and the wider Arctic region, as he backed off a threat to impose new tariffs on several European allies. In a social media post after meeting Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, Trump described the talks as “very productive” and claimed they produced a framework for an agreement concerning Greenland and the Arctic, without offering specific details. Nato also termed the meeting “very productive” and said discussions among allies would focus on strengthening Arctic security through collective efforts, including the seven Arctic allies. Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would report directly to him as discussions continue. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen welcomed what he described as a better end to the day, while stressing Denmark’s “red lines” and the need to respect sovereignty as talks address US security concerns in the Arctic. Trump later told US media the possible arrangement could involve mineral rights and elements tied to his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence concept, while repeating that he would not use military force to pursue the territory. The US president had threatened to impose a 10% tariff from Feb 1 — and raise it to 25% from June 1 — on imports from several European countries unless a deal was reached related to Greenland. After the Nato talks, he said those tariffs would not go into effect.   With inputs from BBC

Six members of a family were killed in a house fire in northern Mongolia’s Selenge province on Wednesday, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. The fire broke out in a residential building in the morning, leaving two parents and their four children dead, the agency said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The agency noted that incidents of house fires tend to rise during winter as households, particularly in rural areas, use heating fires to stay warm.  

President Donald Trump’s renewed push to acquire Greenland has triggered resistance from Republicans in Congress, with lawmakers increasingly uneasy about US military involvement overseas. However, it remains uncertain whether enough Republicans would join Democrats to stop a takeover of the island territory, or whether Trump would ignore Congress and move ahead on his own, as he has done repeatedly during a second term marked by deeper US entanglements abroad. What began as a debate over Greenland has now widened into a broader argument over the Trump administration’s unilateral use of military force, as well as diplomatic and economic pressure, to project American power in places such as Venezuela, Iran and beyond. Read More: Pro-Greenland protesters mock Trump's MAGA slogan with 'Make America Go Away' caps Republicans have largely supported Trump’s foreign policy since his return to the White House. But a growing number are now siding with Democrats in Congress and Nato allies who say that any attempt to take over Greenland would breach both US and international law, reports BBC. In recent days, several senior Republicans have said there is little appetite in Washington for buying Greenland or seizing it by force. Some GOP lawmakers have also joined Democrats in opposing Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on countries that refuse to back his bid for the territory, which is self-governing but remains under Danish control. The proposed tariffs would be “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies,” Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote on social media, warning that the move would benefit China and Russia. “It’s great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see Nato divided.” Other Republicans said Trump’s ambition to annex Greenland risked weakening the Nato alliance, of which both the United States and Denmark are members, at a time of growing strain between Washington and its European partners. Read More: US forces seize seventh Venezuela-linked oil tanker amid Trump oil crackdown “Respect for the sovereignty of the people of Greenland should be non-negotiable,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus. Trump has argued that the US must control the territory to compete more effectively with China and Russia in the Arctic and has vowed to take it “one way or another”. On Tuesday, he brushed aside concerns that the issue could damage Nato. Asked by the BBC whether he was prepared to see the decades-old security alliance collapse over Greenland, Trump repeated his view that ownership of the island was vital for US and global security. “We need [Greenland] for national security and even world security,” he said. Despite Trump’s insistence, the plan is becoming increasingly unpopular on Capitol Hill. If Republicans and Democrats decide to confront the president, Congress has several tools at its disposal. Lawmakers control federal spending and, in theory, would have to approve any funding used to buy Greenland, according to experts. Denmark and Greenland have both made clear that the island is not for sale. “If Trump wants to buy Greenland it would require an act of Congress to provide the funds to do so,” said Daniel Schuman, executive director of the American Governance Institute and a specialist in congressional procedure. He added that it would be unlikely for Congress to redirect existing funds for such a purchase. At the same time, the administration has expanded its use of executive power to implement Trump’s immigration and tariff agenda. Schuman said the White House might attempt to claim new authority to seize Greenland in a way that bypasses congressional opposition. Read More: Greenland, tariffs and Trump dominate Davos talks Lawmakers worried about a possible military move have signalled support for measures that would ban any US action in Greenland without congressional approval. But it is unclear whether those proposals have enough Republican backing to pass in either chamber. Earlier this month, five Senate Republicans joined Democrats to advance a bill aimed at blocking further US military action in Venezuela, following the December attack that removed former president Nicolás Maduro. That war powers resolution ultimately failed in the Senate, but it highlighted growing frustration among both Republicans and Democrats over Trump’s use of military force abroad, after he campaigned in 2024 on a pledge to scale back US involvement in foreign conflicts. Last week, a bipartisan congressional delegation visited Denmark in a symbolic show of support for Greenland. Questions also remain over how the Senate would respond if Washington and Copenhagen reached an agreement over part or all of Greenland. The US already has a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark allowing it to expand its military presence on the island. Murkowski and other Republicans argue that this arrangement is sufficient to meet US security needs in the region. The Senate could also try to block Trump by rejecting any treaty with Denmark. Treaties require a two-thirds majority for ratification, a threshold Republicans currently fall well short of. Some Republicans have already indicated they may break with Trump over Greenland. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former Senate majority leader, told reporters that a US takeover of the territory would “shatter the trust of allies”. Faced with growing unease within his own party, Trump could attempt to strike a deal that stops short of a formal treaty and avoids Senate approval. But analysts say it is unclear whether a president has the authority to conclude such an agreement without Congress. “Plenty of international agreements are concluded in forms other than treaties,” said Josh Chafetz, a law professor at Georgetown University, but added, “I’m sceptical that something of this magnitude could be concluded as a pure executive agreement.” On Tuesday, Trump declined to say whether he believed there were any limits on his pursuit of Greenland. Asked how far he was willing to go, he told reporters to wait and see. “I think something is going to happen that’s going to be very good for everybody,” Trump said.