U.S. President Donald Trump said that it might be better for the United States not to reach any agreement with Iran after the latest round of discussions between the two countries stalled again. He made the comment on Friday during an event in Florida, emphasizing that the issue had dragged on for too long and could not continue in the same way.

Before leaving for Florida, Trump told CNN that he was not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal aimed at resolving ongoing tensions. Speaking to reporters about his options, he questioned whether to launch a severe attack on Iran or to continue pursuing a possible agreement.

The remarks highlight renewed uncertainty in U.S.-Iran relations as negotiations remain deadlocked, with no clear path forward indicated in Trump’s statements.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the United States might 'take over' Cuba after concluding its military operations in Iran. Speaking at an event in Florida last Friday, Trump made the remark in a joking tone while introducing a friend from Cuba, saying the country could be seized almost immediately. He indicated that action against Cuba could follow soon after the Middle East campaign ends.

Trump added that he prefers to finish one task before starting another, referring to the ongoing conflict with Iran. He further joked that a large U.S. warship, possibly the USS Abraham Lincoln, could approach the Cuban coast, prompting Cuban leaders to surrender. The audience reportedly laughed at his comments.

Just before making these remarks, Trump had signed an executive order expanding U.S. sanctions on the Cuban government and related institutions, according to the report sourced from CNN.

The BNP-backed Nationalist Lawyers Unity Panel, known as the Blue Panel, won all 23 posts in the Dhaka Bar Association election. The results were announced just after midnight on Friday by Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Md. Borhan Uddin. Anwar Zahid Bhuiyan was elected president and Mohammad Abul Kalam Khan became general secretary, defeating Jamaat and NCP-backed candidates S.M. Kamal Uddin and Abu Bakkar Siddique. No independent candidates or the rival Green Panel secured any positions.

Other winners from the Blue Panel include Rezaul Karim Chowdhury as senior vice president, Abul Kalam Azad as vice president, and Mohammad Anisuzzaman as treasurer. The election took place on April 29 and 30, with 7,169 of 20,785 registered voters casting ballots.

The complete victory of the BNP-supported panel underscores their dominance in the Dhaka Bar Association’s leadership for the upcoming term, following a competitive election process.

The United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has condemned Iran’s attacks on telecommunication infrastructure across several Middle Eastern countries. According to an AFP report, the ITU has been monitoring the impact on regional communication systems since the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States began in February. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan called for ITU intervention following attacks on networks in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The ITU Council’s governing body adopted a draft resolution on the issue last Friday.

An ITU spokesperson told AFP that the organization will prepare a detailed report on the causes of the disruptions and their broader effects on regional and global connectivity. During the same meeting, Iran submitted a separate proposal seeking assistance to rebuild its own telecommunication infrastructure damaged by U.S. and Israeli strikes. However, a diplomatic source said no decision was reached on Tehran’s request due to a lack of consensus among council members.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Sylhet today, marking his first trip to the region since assuming office. He is expected to arrive at Osmani International Airport at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Upon arrival, he will visit the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal (R.), followed by the foundation laying of a city corporation project to address waterlogging near Chandnighat by the Surma River. At 11:35 a.m., he will lay the foundation stone of the Bangladesh Overseas Center Sylhet.

Later in the day, at 12 p.m., the Prime Minister will inaugurate a canal excavation program at Kandigaon Union in Sylhet Sadar Upazila. In the afternoon, at 3 p.m., he will launch the 'Notun Kuri Sports' initiative at Sylhet District Stadium, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to identify young athletic talent. He is scheduled to attend a party meeting at 5 p.m. before returning to Dhaka.

The visit includes multiple development and youth engagement programs, reflecting the government’s focus on infrastructure and sports promotion in Sylhet.

China has called on Israel to immediately stop its bombings in Lebanon, describing the situation as one of continuing low-level conflict rather than a true ceasefire. The statement came from Fu Cong, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday. China assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for May, and Fu used the occasion to clarify Beijing’s stance on the Lebanon situation.

According to Lebanon’s state news agency NNA, Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon have caused a rising death toll, with at least 44 people killed in the past two days. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that since the new round of fighting began on March 2, Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,618 people. The information was cited from Al Jazeera.

The Chinese envoy’s remarks highlight Beijing’s call for restraint and its concern over escalating violence in the region, as civilian casualties continue to mount.

Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump has made Iran’s nuclear program the central issue in any future discussions with Tehran, according to Al Jazeera’s Washington correspondent Mike Hanna. The report states that Trump has identified several non-negotiable positions, describing them as his ‘red lines,’ though the exact details remain unclear. What is certain, however, is that Trump seeks a firm assurance that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons.

Trump’s position emphasizes that Iran must permanently refrain from pursuing nuclear arms, rejecting any temporary suspension or time-limited agreement. While other expectations from Iran have not yet been publicly disclosed, the nuclear issue stands as the core of his administration’s approach to Tehran.

Observers believe that Trump’s uncompromising stance could reshape the future of U.S.–Iran relations, potentially setting a new tone for diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing pressure over the ongoing ceasefire with Lebanon. Various groups within Israel are calling for the ceasefire to be canceled, while the military leadership has hinted at expanding operations in southern Lebanon. Israeli military chief Yaal Zamir stated this week that there is effectively no ceasefire in the south, though efforts continue to maintain it elsewhere in the country.

A large segment of the Israeli public and opposition parties are opposing the truce, arguing it harms national security. Senior military officials expressed frustration in media comments, saying the ceasefire is causing losses for Israeli forces. Soldiers have reportedly been injured in daily attacks by Hezbollah’s fiber-optic cable-controlled drones.

The military claims it lacks effective defenses against these drones and argues for deeper incursions into Lebanon to target drone production centers. This has led to renewed calls within the defense establishment for broader military operations.

The US Department of State has announced new sanctions targeting the oil trade between Iran and China. According to an official statement, the sanctions cover several companies, one individual, and a vessel involved in the trade of Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemicals. Among those sanctioned is Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co. Ltd., a Chinese oil terminal operator accused of importing millions of barrels of crude oil despite existing US restrictions.

The statement further alleged that Haiye facilitated large financial transfers to Tehran and used complex ship-to-ship transfer methods to evade sanctions. In response, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told the South China Morning Post that Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions and extraterritorial jurisdiction not grounded in international law.

US sanctions on Iran’s oil sector were first introduced during the Trump administration. The report also notes that the US has previously sanctioned several Chinese refineries and Hong Kong-based shipping firms accused of involvement in Iranian oil trade.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday. The move comes as relations between President Donald Trump and European allies continue to strain over the ongoing Iran war. The decision marks a significant shift in US military posture toward a key NATO ally.

The withdrawal order follows a period of heightened tension between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Earlier, Trump had threatened to remove troops after a heated exchange with Merz. The German leader had criticized the United States, saying Iran was ‘insulting’ Washington during peace talks aimed at ending the two-month-long conflict. Analysts believe this remark contributed to Washington’s decision.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Reuters that the troop withdrawal process is expected to be completed within six to twelve months, signaling a gradual but deliberate reduction of the US presence in Germany.

Fourteen soldiers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed and two others injured while attempting to defuse unexploded ordnance in Zanjan province in northwestern Iran. The incident occurred on Friday, March 1, according to Iran’s military and the Fars News Agency. The explosives were remnants of earlier cluster bomb and aerial mine attacks that had contaminated about 1,200 hectares of farmland in the region.

IRGC specialists had been working for an extended period to clear the area of unexploded weapons, successfully neutralizing more than 15,000 explosive devices before the fatal blast. Iran has previously accused the United States and Israel of using cluster bombs, which disperse smaller explosives that can remain active for long periods.

Iran, Israel, and the United States have not joined the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of such weapons.

At least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across several areas of southern Lebanon, including Nabatieh and Sidon, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health and the National News Agency. The attacks took place in multiple locations, with the highest casualties reported in the town of Habboush in Nabatieh, where eight people, including a child and two women, were killed. Another 21 people were reported injured in that strike.

In a separate attack on the town of Zarairiyah near Sidon, four more people were killed, including two women, and four others were injured. The incidents mark a deadly escalation in the region, with Lebanese authorities confirming the tolls and injuries.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not specify the timing or motive of the strikes, and no immediate response from Israeli officials was mentioned.

The Bangladesh Lawyers Council has alleged that the Dhaka Bar Association election was neither fair nor acceptable due to widespread irregularities and fake voting. In a statement sent to the media on Friday, the council’s secretary, Matiur Rahman Akand, claimed that inconsistencies in forming the election commission allowed fake votes to be cast, which the commission failed to prevent. He said some voters found their votes had already been cast, and incidents of vote tampering occurred inside several booths.

According to the statement, irregularities and bias were present at every stage of the election process. Traditionally, the chief election commissioner is selected by mutual consent of both panels, and the commission is formed with equal representation. However, this procedure was reportedly not followed this time. The council alleged that the commission was dominated by the BNP-backed blue panel, making the election questionable.

The statement further claimed that improper voter verification, ballot distribution without voter slips, and pre-cast votes undermined credibility. It concluded that due to overall irregularities and bias, the election lost trust among lawyers.

A new public opinion poll in the United States shows that a majority of Americans believe the country's military attack on Iran was a mistake. According to the Washington Post survey, 61 percent of respondents said launching military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while 36 percent viewed it as the right move. The poll also noted that the joint U.S.-Israel offensive, which began in late February 2025, has led to thousands of deaths across the Middle East and caused instability in global energy markets, affecting living costs in the United States.

The survey further revealed that rising prices have changed consumer behavior. About 44 percent of respondents said they have reduced driving, and 42 percent reported cutting daily expenses. Among lower-income groups earning under $50,000 annually, these rates were even higher, at 56 percent and 59 percent respectively. The poll also indicated a decline in President Donald Trump’s popularity, as many voters viewed the Iran attack as inconsistent with his campaign pledge to avoid unnecessary foreign wars.

Additionally, 46 percent of respondents said the decision to attack Iran did not align with Trump’s previous policy positions.

Thousands of people across the United States joined coordinated May Day demonstrations and economic boycotts under the banner “May Day Strong.” The movement, held on International Workers’ Day, called for “no school, no work, no shopping,” with walkouts, marches, rallies, and block parties organized in multiple cities. In New York, Amazon workers, Teamsters members, and local politicians marched from the public library to Amazon’s corporate office, urging the company to end its contracts with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

In Washington, D.C., activists from “Free DC” blocked intersections carrying banners reading “Workers vs. Billionaires” and “Healthcare, not war.” Six young members of the Sunrise Movement were arrested in Minneapolis for blocking a bridge, while others staged a sit-in at a Portland hotel reportedly housing DHS officials. Labor unions, immigrant rights groups, political organizations, and student activists united around demands for immigration reform, anti-war policies, and higher taxes on the wealthy.

Teachers and students also joined the movement, with several school districts closing and unions declaring strikes. Organizers described the day as preparation for a potential general strike, with the United Auto Workers president calling for a major labor action in 2028.