WORLD NEWS

Here are the top US news stories from yesterday (September 30):

2026-10-01T12:23:44.886+06:00

Here are the top US news stories from yesterday (September 30):

Iraq withdrawal: The US pulled its last troops out of Iraq, 23 years after the invasion. It comes amid the ongoing Iran war.

Supreme Court: For now, the Court sided with the Trump administration on third-country deportations.

FBI data breach: The FBI says it is investigating a massive theft of its employees' sensitive data and is hunting the hackers.

Jack Smith hearing: Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his two prosecutions of Trump before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

ICE controversy: Interfaith clergy began a 96-mile pilgrimage in California demanding the shutdown of ICE jails. In Texas, federal charges were filed against a Venezuelan asylum seeker who was shot by an ICE agent.

Economy: Softer core PCE data lowered the odds of a Fed rate hike in October to under 40%. The 30-year Treasury yield is at its highest since 2002.

Other headlines: Trump announced $500 ACA checks, a Canada import ban, and a Pentagon data breach.

If you'd like, I can look up tech and web industry news too, such as AI or Google updates.

west indies cricket team vs india national cricket team match scorecard

2026-10-01T04:20:03.771+06:00

India 406 for 2 (Gill 223*, Rohit 101) beat West Indies 405 for 7 (Jangoo 114, Hope 104, Campbell 101, Kuldeep 2-65) by eight wickets

It seemed only a cramp or a painful neck could stop him. Shubman Gill scored the quickest double-century and the highest score in an ODI chase as India absolutely strolled to only the second successful chase of over 400 in ODI cricket in just 43.3 overs. His partner during India's biggest partnership in a chase - 255 - was Rohit Sharma, the only other man to have scored multiple double-centuries in ODIs. Gill's was every bit the innings to headline the first match in ODI history to feature five centuries, four of them among the five quickest in India-West Indies ODI cricket.

west indies vs india

shubman gill

west indies cricket team vs india national cricket team match scorecard

john campbell

amir jangoo

wi vs ind

ind vs wi

Zidane goes wild over Olise's wonder goal in France's late victory

2026-09-29T21:52:07.015+06:00

With Kylian Mbappé sidelined by injury and Zinedine Zidane fielding a heavily revamped attack, France needed a spark.

Substitute Michael Olise provided it, scoring a stunning late winner to secure a 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Belgium on Monday.

It took something special to break the Belgians down, and Olise delivered in the 88th minute. He received the ball deep inside his own half, he sprinted down the right flank, cut inside, and drove a fierce shot into the bottom left corner.

The brilliant solo effort prompted a wild reaction from Zidane, who sprinted down the touchline screaming before fiercely booting a loose ball out of his path.

"I went along with the play and I wanted to be part of it," Zidane said with a smile.

"I don't even know what I did, actually. What's for sure is that I followed Michael's [Olise] move, and because I sensed he was off on a dribble and he made an exceptional play, so I wanted to follow him. And then I saw the ball there, and I told myself I had to shoot it, it might be a little bit ridiculous, but it doesn't matter." More Info ..

bpl live match today, bpl live match, bpl live, bpl 2024

2024-01-20T16:25:00.006+06:00

Nuggets vs. Hornets Injury Report Today - December 23

2023-12-23T21:05:00.001+06:00

Goodbye from the blog

So, Manchester City claim a fifth title in 2023.

Pep Guardiola becomes the first manager to lift the Club World Cup with three different clubs. Matteo Kovacic takes the same record as a player.

https://suppressedbottlesenjoyable.com/syeurr4w04?key=5c141c300557fec5fa0078e413a53334

City are crowned champions of the world.

We hope you enjoyed our live blog of the game in Jeddah.

We’ll be back on Saturday with another live blog from Anfield as Liverpool enter

tain Premier League pace setters Arsenal.

All the build-up and full-text commentary on the live blog begins three hours before the kickoff at 17:30 GMT.

We do hope you can join us – for now, though it’s goodbye from the Al Jazeera Sport team.

https://suppressedbottlesenjoyable.com/syeurr4w04?key=5c141c300557fec5fa0078e413a53334

Walker lifts the Club World Cup

Manchester City are crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions.

The fireworks go off around the roof of the stadium in Jeddah as the trophy is lifted by the City captain in front of his players.

https://suppressedbottlesenjoyable.com/syeurr4w04?key=5c141c300557fec5fa0078e413a53334

UCF football

2023-12-23T19:51:00.005+06:00

2023 Gasparilla Bowl odds, spread, line: UCF vs. Georgia Tech picks, prediction, bets by expert on 85-32 roll

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and UCF Knights are set to square off in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl on Friday evening. Both of these teams finished the regular season with a 6-6 record. Georgia Tech enters Friday's bout having won three of its last five games, while the Knights secured a victory in three of their last four contests.

Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The latest Georgia Tech vs. UCF odds via SportsLine consensus list the Knights as 6-point favorites, while the over/under is 67, up 5.5 points from the opening line. Before making any UCF vs. Georgia Tech picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.

Kaylor is a NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years.

Kaylor has been red-hot all season, going 85-32-2 overall on his college football best bets for SportsLine this season so far. He is up over 51.1 units, returning a profit of $5,110 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his picks this season is way up

"Hochgradig verhaltensauffällig": Jens Lehmann liefert auch vor Gericht einen bizarren Auftritt ab

2023-12-23T18:59:00.002+06:00

Wie schon am ersten der zwei Prozesstage zeigte sich Lehmann wenig einsichtig und schien die Verhandlung nicht immer ernst zu nehmen. Kaum hat er den Saal im ersten Obergeschoss des Amtsgerichts Starnberg betreten, baut er sich mit eisigem Blick vor den Medienvertretern auf: "Wer von Ihnen ist von der 'Bild'-Zeitung?" Als niemand antwortet, fragt er ein zweites Mal, irgendwann hebt jemand die Hand. Lehmann erkundigt sich nach dem Namen, dann stapft er wutentbrannt an seinen Platz und legt den Wintermantel ab.

Ex-Nationaltorhüter Jens Lehmann ist vor dem Amtsgericht Starnberg für schuldig befunden worden – aber mit einer Geldstrafe davongekommen. 420.000 Euro muss er zahlen, wegen Beleidigung, Sachbeschädigung und versuchten Betrugs. Sein Anwalt fand, es wurde mit Kanonen auf Spatzen geschossen

Knapp fünf Stunden dauerte der zweite Prozesstag gegen Ex-Nationaltorwart Jens Lehmann, dann fällt das Urteil im Strafprozess gegen den 54-Jährigen. Das Gericht befindet ihn für schuldig und verurteilt ihn "aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Taten quer durchs Strafgesetzbuch" wegen Beleidigung, Sachbeschädigung und versuchten Betrugs zu einer Geldstrafe. 210 Tagessätze zu je 2.000 Euro soll Lehmann zahlen, 420.000 Euro insgesamt. Das ist viel Geld, angesichts der Forderung des Staatsanwalts jedoch ein mildes Urteil. Der hatte eine Freiheitsstrafe von zehn Monaten auf Bewährung und eine Geldstrafe beantragt. Weil Lehmann Polizisten beleidigt, den Dachbalken der Garage seines Nachbarn mit einer Kettensäge durchtrennt und am Münchner Flughafen zweimal Parkgebühren geprellt hätte.

UN resolution on Gaza aid criticised as ‘insufficient’, ‘meaningless’

2023-12-23T18:38:00.000+06:00

UN resolution on Gaza aid criticised as ‘insufficient’, ‘meaningless’

The US negotiated for days to weaken the language of the resolution to ensure there is no call for an immediate ceasefire.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on more aid for Gaza after several days of delays and weakened language that did not call for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prompting a backlash with some describing it as “woefully insufficient” and “nearly meaningless”.
The resolution merely called for steps “to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”, and was adopted on Friday with 13 votes in favour, none against, and the United States and Russia abstaining.
It also demanded that all parties “facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale” to Palestinian civilians.
It came after several postponements and difficult closed-door negotiations aimed at reaching a compromise in the language that would not be rejected by Washington, which vetoed another UNSC resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire earlier this month.
While UNSC resolutions are legally binding, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said that Israel and other countries have ignored them in the past.

US paramedics found guilty in 2019 death of Black man Elijah McClain

2023-12-23T18:20:00.003+06:00

US paramedics found guilty in 2019 death of Black man Elijah McClain

McClain fell unconscious after police put him in a chokehold before paramedics injected him with powerful sedative.

Two paramedics in the western US state of Colorado have been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide for their role in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died after police roughly detained him, put him in a chokehold, before the medics injected him with a powerful sedative.

A jury handed down its verdicts on Friday against Jeremy Cooper, 49, and Peter Cichuniec, 51, and also found the latter guilty of assault in the second degree for the administration of a high dose of the sedative ketamine.

The death of 23-year-old McClain was the first among several recent criminal prosecutions against medical first responders to reach trial, potentially setting the bar for prosecutors for future cases.

It was also the last of three trials against police and paramedics charged in the death of McClain, whom officers stopped after a suspicious person complaint. The first trial ended with one police officer being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and another acquitted. The second ended with a third officer being acquitted.

McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, wept outside the court on Friday as a supporter of the McClain family, MiDian Holmes, spoke with reporters on her behalf.“We do not know justice until we see sentencing,” Holmes said. “We are still seeking justice.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said accountability would not end with the convictions, and that much more work needs to be done to prevent the deaths of innocents at the hands of police and other first responders.

“Elijah did nothing wrong. His life mattered. He should be with us here today,” Weiser said.

George Conway makes prediction about election case following Supreme Court's decision

2023-12-23T18:09:00.002+06:00

In a discussion with CNN's Jake Tapper, conservative lawyer George Conway reacts to the US Supreme Court rejecting a request by special counsel Jack Smith to fast-track arguments on whether Donald Trump has any immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while in office.

Prime Minister Netanyahu Visits Israeli Troops in Gaza

2023-11-27T20:51:00.001+06:00

Prime Minister Netanyahu Visits Israeli Troops in Gaza

A photo released by the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the Gaza Strip on Sunday.Credit...Israeli Government, via Reuters

On the third day of a pause in fighting that was expected to continue until Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu vowed to fight on “until victory.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visited his country’s troops in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, three days into a pause in fighting there, and vowed that “we are continuing until the end — until victory.”

“Nothing will stop us,” he said in a video statement in which he wore protective gear and was surrounded by Israeli soldiers.

It was not immediately clear exactly when Mr. Netanyahu conducted his visit — information about the trip was withheld by the government until he had exited the Palestinian enclave — or precisely where he was, although he most likely traveled to the northern part of Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has established control.

The trip was Mr. Netanyahu’s first to Gaza since the Israeli ground invasion began almost a month ago, according to officials. Those who traveled with him included his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi; his military secretary, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil; and the Israeli military’s deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram.

Photographs released by the Israeli government showed Mr. Netanyahu — wearing a T-shirt, jeans and a khaki flak jacket and helmet — looking at a map, consulting with commanders and standing just inside a tunnel that his office said the Israeli military had recently exposed.

The pause, which began on Friday, is part of a deal that includes the release by Hamas of at least 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and increased aid for Gaza. Israel has offered to extend the pause by one day for every additional 10 hostages released. Hamas announced on Sunday evening, after Mr. Netanyahu’s visit, that it was seeking to extend the truce, which was slated to end on Tuesday.

“We are making every effort to bring back our hostages and eventually we will return them all,” Mr. Netanyahu said. Israeli officials have said about 240 people were taken to Gaza as hostages by Hamas and its allies on Oct. 7 in an attack that also killed about 1,200 people.

Some analysts have argued that the longer the cease-fire, the harder it may be for Israel to go back to fighting. But the prime minister emphasized that rooting out Hamas remained a central objective for Israel.

“We have three goals in this war: Eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and ensure that Gaza will not go back to being a threat to the state of Israel,” he said.

He added: “We are convinced that we have the force, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all of our goals for the war.”

Foster renewal of the American spirit of E Pluribus Unum (from many, one)

2022-05-02T04:28:00.005+06:00

Foster renewal of the American spirit of E Pluribus Unum (from many, one)

In the name American we find our national identity, memory, and unity. George Washington, father of our country, spoke candidly

Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. – The name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism…

We are reminded through an array of media of the many ways in which Americans are divided.

Yet after 9/11, we saw a resurgence of patriotism, a reminder that first and foremost, we came together acknowledging that we are free Americans, blessed by our shared heritage and national identity, and prepared to safeguard and defend our country.

Even in the vigorous exercise of our political processes, may we be reminded again of our overarching national unity and purpose, our kinship with one another as Americans.

Let us together be the “we” in “We the people” and devote an appropriate amount of our time and talent fulfilling the highest office in America: that of citizen.

Evacuations underway in Mariupol; Pelosi visits Ukraine..

2022-05-02T03:39:00.001+06:00

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — The long-awaited effort to evacuate civilians from a steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was underway Sunday, as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed she visited Ukraine’s president to show unflinching American support for the country’s defense against Russian aggression.

U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the operation to bring civilians out of the sprawling Azovstal steel plant was being carried out with the International Committee of the Red Cross and in coordination with Ukrainian and Russian officials.

Video posted online by Ukrainian forces showed elderly women and mothers with small children bundled in winter clothing being helped as they climbed up a steep pile of debris from the plant’s rubble, and then eventually boarding a bus.

The evacuation operation drew praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said more than 100 civilians — primarily women and children — were expected to arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Pelosi, in surprise Kyiv trip, vows unbending US support

Live updates l Zelenskyy calls US visit 'powerful' signal

Look for

he orange vest: Ukrainians in Romania help others

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“Today, for the first time in all the days of the war, this vitally needed (humanitarian) corridor has started working,” he said in a pre-recorded address published on his Telegram channel.

Later Sunday, one of the plant’s defenders said Russian forces resumed shelling the plant as soon as the evacuation of a group of civilians was completed Sunday.

Denys Shlega, the commander of the 12th Operational Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, said in a televised interview Sunday night that several hundred civilians remain trapped alongside nearly 500 wounded soldiers and “numerous” dead bodies.

“Several dozen small children are still in the bunkers underneath the plant,” Shlega said. “We need one or two more rounds of evacuation.”

An aide to Mariupol’s mayor said he also had received reports of renewed shelling. “The cannonade is such that even (on the opposite side of the river) the houses are shaking,” Petro Andryushenko wrote in a Telegram post.

Pelosi makes unannounced trip to Kyiv, becoming highest-ranking US official to meet with Zelensky since the war began

2022-05-02T03:19:00.002+06:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Saturday, becoming the most senior US official to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky since the war broke out more than two months ago.

Pelosi's office said Sunday that the speaker had led an official congressional delegation to Ukraine -- the first since Russian invasion of the country began on February 24.

President Joe Biden spoke with Pelosi on Sunday to discuss her trip to Ukraine and her meeting with Zelensky, according to a statement from the White House shared by the press pool.

Zelensky shared a video Sunday of his meeting with the congressional delegation and thanked the US for its support of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

In the clip, Pelosi is seen telling Zelensky, "We are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom, that we're on a frontier of freedom and that your fight is a fight for everyone. And so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done."

Pelosi was joined by several senior House Democrats on the trip, including Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Adam Schiff of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence panel, and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, who leads the House Rules Committee. Democratic Reps. Bill Keating of Massachusetts, Barbara Lee of California and Jason Crow of Colorado were also part of the delegation, according to Pelosi's office.

The lawmakers spent just over three hours on the ground in Kyiv, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said. The lawmakers later landed in Poland, where they were to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other senior officials.

Speaking to reporters Sunday at a news conference in Rzeszow, Poland, Pelosi said her discussions with Zelensky centered around security, humanitarian and economic assistance, and eventually rebuilding Ukraine.

"We were proud to convey to him a message of unity from the Congress of the US. A message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration to the people of Ukraine for their courage," she said. "America stands with Ukraine, we stand with Ukraine until victory is won, and we stand with NATO."

Promote Public Regard for the Constitution and America’s Charters of Freedom

2022-05-01T19:23:00.000+06:00

Our country faces growing national amnesia of the constitutional foundations of our freedom and self-government.

On most school days at the American Village students step into roles as delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. They discover a remarkable document that begins with the words "We the People..." They gaze at the "Rising Sun Chair" and perhaps realize that individually as citizens and leaders they will help decide whether the sun is still a rising sun for our country.

The American Village aims to broaden and enhance the impact of its programs based on the Constitution and America's Charters of Freedom. The centerpiece of this facility and educational program expansion will be Independence Hall and Congress Hall Classrooms.

Inspired by America's Independence Hall and adjoining Congress Hall of Philadelphia, the American Village's expansion will be an extraordinary setting for both student and public programs with a compelling focus on America's great Charters of Freedom:

The Declaration of Independence
The United States Constitution
The Bill of Rights

These documents are more than historic relics on old parchment. They represent what Jefferson called "the creed of our political faith; the text of civic instruction." They remain our Nation's fundamental principles that "secure the blessings of liberty" to this and future generations.

Engage Citizens and Leaders in the Stewardship of Liberty

Our country faces growing national amnesia of the constitutional foundations of our freedom and self-government.

When the framers of the Constitution adjourned the convention and left the Pennsylvania Statehouse on September 17, 1787, they had no assurance their work would succeed. The framers had done their work. Now their work was in the hands of the American people.

George Washington declared the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty (which was the object of the American Revolution) and the destiny of the republican model of government are staked on the experiment in the hands of the American people.

The American experiment has been tested throughout American history, in times of poverty and prosperity, war and peace, division and unity. It is tried and tested anew in each generation. Circumstances of the present time now offer new challenges that test whether the experiment will remain successful.

We must be good stewards of the liberty our founding generation secured for us. To each generation falls the task to choose to form a more perfect union and to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. Through example and education, the American Village encourages citizens and leaders in the stewardship of our American liberty.

Honda Loyalty Benefits

2022-05-01T04:45:00.006+06:00

Honda Loyalty Benefits

Greater Options, Fewer Worries. That’s the beauty of leasing.

Not only can you get a brand-new Honda vehicle, but the terms and your mileage allowance are both flexible – giving you plenty of options on making sure every part of the lease fits you best.

Plus, you can feel secure knowing that your investment is protected with Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) coverage and an Excessive Wear-and-Use or Damage Waiver. Your Honda dealer will happily work with you to find the best lease for your needs.

Abhishek Bachchan reviews Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn starrer Runway 34, calls it ‘genuine cinematic experience’

2022-05-01T03:10:00.003+06:00

Abhishek Bachchan reviews Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn starrer Runway 34, calls it ‘genuine cinematic experience’

Abhishek Bachchan took to Twitter convey his feelings about the film. Abhishek remarked on Twitter, “What's up, AJ? I'm proud of the way you've behaved yourself. I can't believe how successful #Runway34 has been. I recently left a movie theatre having had a genuine cinematic experience. Congratulations to the entire crew on a job well done. There is no other way to put it. Keep an eye out, gentlemen. Thank you to everyone involved, especially @ajaydevgn, @SrBachchan, @Rakulpreet, and @bomanirani.”

Runway 34 is a suspenseful film based on the true tale of a Jet Airways flight from Doha to Kochi that crashed on the runway. Because of the extreme weather and lack of visibility, the pilot, in this case Vikrant, was forced to try an impossible landing. The film stars Rakul Preet Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Angira Dhar, and Aakanksha Singh. It was released in theatres on April 29th.

Also Read: Abhishek Bachchan reveals his Dhoom co-star John Abraham taught him to ride a bike; says John’s motivation technique made him gain 7 kgs

More Pages: Runway 34 Box Office Collection , Runway 34 Movie Review

Tags : Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Angira Dhar, Features, Rakul Preet Singh, reviews, Runway 34, Social Media, Twitter

Live updates l Rocket attack destroys Odesa airport runway

2022-05-01T02:19:00.000+06:00

A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraine’s third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday.

In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack.

Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that “several” explosions were heard in Odesa.

Odesa’s regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries.

Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the country’s industrial heartland, and capture the country’s Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

The White House is considering excluding high earners from being eligible for student-loan relief, a report says

2022-05-01T02:02:00.001+06:00

High earners could be excluded from qualifying for student-loan relief, The Washington Post reported.
"There's different proposals floating around about how to structure this," a source told the paper.
Relief for loans that were taken out for medicine and law degrees could also reportedly be excluded.
Sign up for our weekday newsletter, packed with original analysis, news, and trends — delivered right to your inbox.
The White House is weighing up the possibility of using income caps to exclude high earners in its eligibility criteria for student-loan relief.
The Washington Post reported the news on Saturday.

Officials are thinking about ways to write off student loans as President Biden indicated that he is considering waiving the debt, Congress lawmakers told various news outlets on Wednesday.

Top Biden aides are looking at capping the relief to people earning less than $125,000 to $150,000, or $250,000 to $300,000 for couples that file joint taxes, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post. But they said that no final decision has been made on the plans.
"There's different proposals floating around the administration about how to structure this," one person told the Washington Post.
They added that administration and Congressional staff have centered their discussion on "how to best meet the president's desire to ensure the most economically vulnerable people with student debt benefit from any action."

The US administration is discussing the amount that will be cut from student-loan debt but this could be at least $10,000 for eligible individuals, the people briefed on the matter told The Washington Post.

The people added that the White House is also considering excluding relief for loans that were taken out for professional degrees like medicine and law, and could limit the aid to undergraduate loans.

Biden has taken a number of actions since taking office to help Americans who have mounting student loan debts totalling $1.7 trillion. Biden said this week that he would make a decision on student-loan relief in the coming weeks.

Musk Engages in Twitter Spat After Rebuttal From Ocasio-Cortez

2022-04-30T08:10:00.001+06:00

Elon Musk engaged in a Twitter spat with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she rebuked billionaires and delivered an indirect rebuttal to the Tesla Inc. chief executive’s tweet saying that the Democratic Party “has been hijacked by extremists.”

Musk, who has agreed to buy Twitter Inc. for $44 billion, tweeted about Democrats to his nearly 89 million followers Thursday, hours after tweeting a cartoon showing liberals sprinting far to the left since 2008.

Ocasio-Cortez, a leader of young progressive Democrats who has 12.9 million Twitter followers of her own, never named Musk. She rejected his assertion about the party. In a separate tweet, she blamed hate crimes on “some billionaire with an ego problem” who “unilaterally controls a massive communication platform,” though she didn’t make clear to whom she was referring.

But Musk responded to that tweet, saying “Stop hitting on me, I’m really shy” followed by a smiley-face emoji. Ocasio-Cortez replied on Twitter: “I was talking about Zuckerberg, but ok,” in an apparent reference to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and then deleted

that response 57 seconds later, per an archive of deleted politician tweets kept by ProPublica.

She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UN works to broker civilian evacuation from Mariupol

2022-04-30T07:56:00.006+06:00

The United Nations doggedly sought to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol on Friday, while Ukraine accused Russia of showing its contempt for the world organization by bombing Kyiv when the U.N. leader was visiting the capital.

The mayor of Mariupol said the situation inside the steel plant that has become the southern port city’s last stronghold is dire, and citizens are “begging to get saved.” Mayor Vadym Boichenko added: “There, it’s not a matter of days. It’s a matter of hours.”

Ukraine’s forces, meanwhile, fought to hold off Russian attempts to advance in the south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to capture the country’s industrial Donbas region. Artillery fire, sirens and explosions could be heard in some cities. And a senior U.S. defense official said the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of Ukrainian resistance.

In other developments:

— A former U.S. Marine was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, his family said in what would be the war’s first known death of an American in combat. The U.S. has not confirmed the report.

— Ukrainian forces are cracking down on people accused of helping Russian troops. In the Kharkiv region alone, nearly 400 have been detained under anti-collaboration laws enacted after Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion.

— The international sanctions imposed on the Kremlin over the war are squeezing the country. The Russian Central Bank said Russia’s economy is expected to contract by up to 10% this year, and the outlook is “extremely uncertain.”

On Thursday, Moscow’s forces launched a missile attack on a residential high-rise and another building in Kyiv, shattering weeks of relative calm in the capital following Russia’s retreat from the region early this month.

U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said one of its journalists, Vira Hyrych, was killed in the bombardment. Ten people were wounded, one of them losing a leg, authorities said.

The missile strike came barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.

“This says a lot about Russia’s true attitude toward global institutions, about attempts of the Russian leadership to humiliate the U.N. and everything the organization represents,” Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s way of giving “his middle finger” to Guterres.

In an apparent reference to the Kyiv bombing, Russia’s military said it had destroyed “production buildings” at the Artem defense factory.

The missile strike came just as life in Kyiv seemed to be getting back a little closer to normal, with cafes and other businesses starting to reopen and growing numbers of people going out to enjoy the arrival of spring.

Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst and head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center think tank, said the attack carried a message: “Russia is sending a clear signal about its intention to continue the war despite the international pressure.”

Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in the east has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels fighting in the east also have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone.

But so far, Russia’s troops and the separatist forces appear to have made only minor gains.

The U.S. believes the Russians are “at least several days behind where they wanted to be” as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said the senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American military’s assessment.

As Russian troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been “slow and uneven and certainly not decisive,” the official said.

In the bombed-out city of Mariupol, around 100,000 people were believed trapped with little food, water or medicine. An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian defenders and 1,000 civilians were holed up at the Azovstal steel plant.

The Soviet-era steel plant has a vast underground network of bunkers able to withstand airstrikes. But the situation has grown more dire after the Russians dropped “bunker busters” and other bombs.

“Locals who manage to leave Mariupol say it is hell, but when they leave this fortress, they say it is worse,” said Boichenko, the mayor.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to create safe passage.

This time, “we hope there’s a slight touch of humanity in the enemy,” the mayor said. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the real problem is that “humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals.” Moscow has repeatedly claimed right-wing Ukrainians are thwarting evacuation efforts and using civilians as human shields.

Also Friday, two towns in central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region were hit by Russian rockets, the regional governor said. There was no immediate word on casualties or damage.

Fighting could be heard from Kramatorsk to Sloviansk, two cities about 18 kilometers (11 miles) apart in the Donbas. Columns of smoke rose from the Sloviansk area and neighboring cities. At least one person was reported wounded in the shelling.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there.

The constant attacks “show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people,” he said.

“If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones, as they did with Mariupol.”

The governor of Russia’s Kursk region said that a border post came under mortar attack from Ukraine and that Russian border forces returned fire. He said there were no casualties on the Russian side.

In the village of Ruska Lozava, near Kharkiv, hundreds of people were evacuated after Ukrainian forces retook the city from Russian occupiers, according to the regional governor. Those who fled to Kharkiv spoke of dire conditions under the Russians, with little water or food and no electricity.

“We were hiding in the basement. It was horror. The basement was shaking from the explosions. We were screaming, we were crying and we were praying to God,” said Ludmila Bocharnikova.

A video posted by Ukraine’s Azov battalion showed troops raising the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag over the government building in the center of the village, though fighting continued on the outskirts.

Former U.S. Marine Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed Monday while working for a military contracting company that sent him to Ukraine, his mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN.

“He wanted to go over because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for,” she said, “and he wanted to be a part of it to contain it there so it didn’t come here, and that maybe our American soldiers wouldn’t have to be involved in it.”

The Marine Corps said Cancel served four years but was given a bad-conduct discharge and sentenced to five months’ confinement for violating orders. No details on the offense were given.

At least two other foreigners fighting on the Ukrainian side, one from Britain and the other from Denmark, have also been killed.

Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.

‘নিপুণ আমাদের মা, ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চন বাবা’

2022-04-11T03:09:00.002+06:00

সদস্যপদ ফিরে পেয়ে উচ্ছ্বসিত বিএফডিসি’র বেশ কয়েকজন অভিনয়শিল্পী। বিশেষ করে সমিতির নতুন সভাপতি ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চন ও সাধারণ সম্পাদক পদের অন্যতম দাবিদার নিপুণ আক্তারের ভূয়সী প্রশংসা করেছেন তারা। শিল্পী সমিতির পূর্ণ সদস্যপদ হারিয়েছিলেন ১৮৪ জন। তাদের মধ্যে ১০৩ জন সদস্যপদ ফিরে পেয়েছেন।

বুধবার (৬ এপ্রিল) শিল্পী সমিতিতে ইফতার করতে আসেন প্রায় ৬০-৭০ জন শিল্পী। এ সময় তারা সদস্যপদ ফিরে পাওয়ার সুখবর পান। এ খবরে আনন্দের জোয়ার বয়ে যায় এফডিসি পাড়ায়। এ সময় সদস্যপদ ফিরে পাওয়ার খবরে উল্লাস করেন শিল্পী শাবনূর রতন, জামাল পাটোয়ারীসহ আরও অনেকে।

তাৎক্ষণিক প্রতিক্রিয়ায় শাবনূর রতন বলেন, ‘আমরা শিল্পী সমিতির সদস্য ছিলাম দীর্ঘদিন। অকারণে আমাদের বাদ দেয়া হয়েছিল। আমরা এতিম হয়ে গিয়েছিলাম। নিপুণ আপার জন্য তা ফিরে পেয়েছি। ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চন বাবা, নিপুণ আপা আমাদের মা।’

জামাল পাটোয়ারী বলেন, ‘এই আনন্দের আসলে সীমা নাই৷ অনেক অপমান করে আমাদের বাদ দেয়া হয়েছিল। যারা আমাদের সাথে অন্যায় করেছিল তাদের বিচার আল্লাহ করবেন। ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চন, নিপুণসহ আমাদের বর্তমান কমিটির শ্রদ্ধেয় সবাইকে ধন্যবাদ ও কৃতজ্ঞতা জানাই।’

এ সময় চিত্রনায়িকা নিপুণ বলেন, আদালতের নির্দেশেই আমরা সবার সদস্যপদ ফিরিয়ে দিতে পেরেছি। এ জন্য আমি ব্যক্তিগতভাবে আনন্দিত।

এদিকে শিল্পী সমিতিতে কার্যকরী পরিষদের সদস্য পদে অন্তর্ভুক্ত হয়েছেন চিত্রনায়ক রিয়াজ।
বুধবার বিকালে শপথ নিয়েছেন তিনি। সমিতির স্টাডিরুমে তাকে শপথ পড়ান চলচ্চিত্র শিল্পী সমিতির সভাপতি ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চন। শপথ নেয়ার পরে ইলিয়াস কাঞ্চনের পায়ে হাত রেখে সালাম করেন এই চিত্রনায়ক। রিয়াজ সমিতির সদস্য পদে চিত্রনায়িকা রোজিনার স্থলাভিষিক্ত হয়েছেন।

ইউএইচ/

তাহসান-মিমের ‘হঠাৎ বিয়ে’

2022-04-05T04:15:00.001+06:00

গায়ক অভিনেতা তাহসান খান ও চিত্রনায়িকা বিদ্যা সিনহা মিম ‘হঠাৎ বিয়ে’ শিরোনামে একটি ওয়েব ফিল্মে অভিনয় করলেন। এটি পরিচালনা করেছেন ওসমান মিরাজ। ঈদুল আজহায় ওয়েব ফিল্মটি বেসরকারি একটি টেলিভিশনে প্রচার হবে।

বর্তমান সময়ের জনপ্রিয় জুটি তাহসান খান ও বিদ্যা সিনহা মিম একসঙ্গে বেশ কয়েকটি বিজ্ঞাপনচিত্রেও কাজ করেছেন। করোনাকালীন তাদের দুজনের শর্টফিল্ম ‘কানেকশান’ ব্যাপক জনপ্রিয়তা পায়। এছাড়াও এই জুটির গ্রামীণফোনের বিজ্ঞাপনগুলো প্রশংসা কুড়ায়।

আরও পড়ুন: তাহসানের সঙ্গে সাফা কবিরের বিটার লাভ স্টোরি

‘হঠাৎ বিয়ে’ প্রসঙ্গে বিদ্যা সিনহা মিম সময় সংবাদকে জানান, ওয়েব ফিল্মটির কাজ আমরা গত বছরে শেষ করেছিলাম। ওয়েব ফিল্মটির কাজ শেষ করলেও জটিলতার কারণে এটি মুক্তি দিতে কিছুটা সময় লেগেছে নির্মাতার। অবশেষে এবারের ঈদে ওয়েব ফিল্মটি টেলিভিশনে প্রচারিত হচ্ছে।<

নির্মাতা সূত্রে জানা যায়, ‘হঠাৎ বিয়ে’ ওয়েব ফিল্মটি প্রচারিত হবে আসন্ন কোরবানি ঈদে বাংলাভিশনের বিশেষ ঈদ আয়োজনে।<

বিদ্যা সিনহা মিম শুরুটা করেছিলেন লাক্স সুপারস্টার হিসেবে। গ্ল্যামার দিয়ে বাজিমাত করা মিম তার ক্যারিয়ার শুরু করেন প্রয়াত কথাসাহিত্যিক ও চলচ্চিত্রকার হুমায়ূন আহমেদের ‘আমার আছে জল’ সিনেমা দিয়ে। এরপর থেকে তিনি নিয়মিতই কাজ করছেন।

অন্যদিকে গায়ক হিসেবে জনপ্রিয়তা পাওয়া তাহসান খানও গেল কয়েক বছর ধরে পুরোদস্তুর অভিনয়ের মানুষ। তাকে দেখা গেছে বিজ্ঞাপন, নাটক ও সিনেমায়।

বরকত ও রুবেল সিআইডির হেফাজতে

2020-07-19T19:55:00.001+06:00

ফরিদপুর শহর আওয়ামী লীগ থেকে অব্যাহতিপ্রাপ্ত সাধারণ সম্পাদক সাজ্জাদ হোসেন বরকত ও তাঁর ভাই ফরিদপুর প্রেসক্লাবের অব্যাহতিপ্রাপ্ত সভাপতি ইমতিয়াজ হাসান রুবেলকে জিজ্ঞাসাবাদের জন্য হেফাজতে নিয়েছে পুলিশের তদন্ত বিভাগ (সিআইডি)। রোববার ভোরে সিআইডির একটি দল ওই দুই ভাইকে ফরিদপুর জেলা কারাগার থেকে ঢাকার মালিবাগে সিআইডির কার্যালয়ে নিয়ে আসে।

ওই দুই ভাইয়ের বিরুদ্ধে মানি লন্ডারিংয়ের মামলা করে সিআইডি। সিআইডির পরিদর্শক এস এম মিরাজ আল মাহমুদ বাদী হয়ে গত ২৬ জুন ঢাকার কাফরুল থানায় মানি লন্ডারিংয়ের অভিযোগ এনে মামলাটি করেন। সিআইডি এ মামলায় ১০ দিনের রিমান্ড প্রার্থনা করে ঢাকার মেট্রোপলিটন ম্যাজিস্ট্রেট আদালতে। ১৩ জুলাই এ রিমান্ডের ভার্চ্যুয়াল শুনানি হয়। ফরিদপুর কারাগারে থাকা অবস্থায় ভার্চ্যুয়াল শুনানি শেষে ঢাকার মেট্রোপলিটন ম্যাজিস্ট্রেট আতিকুল ইসলাম দুদিনের রিমান্ড মঞ্জুর করেন।

চট্টগ্রামে বেড়েছে পাসের হার ও জিপিএ-৫

2020-05-31T18:30:00.002+06:00

চট্টগ্রাম শিক্ষাবোর্ডে এ বছর মাধ্যমিক স্কুল সার্টিফিকেট ও সমমানের পরীক্ষায় বেড়েছে পাসের হার ও জিপিএ-৫। এ বছর পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৮৪.৭৫ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ-৫ পেয়েছে ৯ হাজার ৮ জন শিক্ষার্থী। গত বছর চট্টগ্রাম শিক্ষাবোর্ডে পাসের হার ছিল ৭৮.১১ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ-৫ পেয়েছিল ৭ হাজার ৩৯৩ জন শিক্ষার্থী। সে হিসেবে গত বছরের তুলনায় পাসের হার বেড়েছে ৬.৬৪ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ ৫-এর সংখ্যা বেড়েছে ১ হাজার ৬১৫টি।

রোববার চট্টগ্রাম শিক্ষাবোর্ডের পরীক্ষা নিয়ন্ত্রক নারায়ন চন্দ্র নাথ এসব তথ্য জানান।

চট্টগ্রাম শিক্ষাবোর্ড সূত্রে জানা যায়, ২০২০ সালের এসএসসি পরীক্ষায় চট্টগ্রাম শিক্ষাবোর্ডের অধীনে ১ হাজার ৪৩টি শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানের শিক্ষার্থীরা ১৯৬টি কেন্দ্রে থেকে পরীক্ষায় অংশগ্রহণ করেছে। এবারের পরীক্ষায় পরীক্ষার্থী ছিল ১ লাখ ৪৪ হাজার ৯৬ জন। উপস্থিত ছিল ১ লাখ ৪৩ হাজার ৮২৩ জন। এরমধ্যে পাস করেছে ১ লাখ ২১ হাজার ৮৮৮ জন শিক্ষার্থী। এদের মধ্যে ছাত্র সংখ্যা ৫৫ হাজার ৮৩৯ জন এবং ছাত্রী সংখ্যা ৬৬ হাজার ৪৯ জন।

এ বছর বিজ্ঞান বিভাগে পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৯২.২৩ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ-৫ পেয়েছে ৮ হাজার ৯৯ জন। ব্যবসায় শিক্ষা শাখায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৮৮.৬৭ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ-৫ পেয়েছে ৮৪৯ জন শিক্ষার্থী। এছাড়া মানবিক বিভাগে পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৭৫.৮৪ শতাংশ এবং জিপিএ-৫ পেয়েছে মাত্র ৬০ জন শিক্ষার্থী।

এ বছর নগরীতে পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৯০.৩৪ শতাংশ। যা গতবছরের তুলনায় ৫.৯৬ শতাংশ বেশি। মহানগর ছাড়াও চট্টগ্রাম জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৮৫.১৪ শতাংশ। যা গত বছরের তুলনায় ৬.৫৪ শতাংশ বেশি। মহানগরসহ চট্টগ্রাম জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৮৭.২৪ শতাংশ। যা গত বছরের তুলনায় ৬.৬৬ শতাংশ বেশি। কক্সবাজার জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৮৪.৫৫ শতাংশ, রাঙামাটি জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৭৮.৬৪ শতাংশ, খাগড়াছড়ি জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৬৮.৫৭ শতাংশ, বান্দরবান জেলায় পাসের হার হচ্ছে ৭৩.২৮ শতাংশ।