New York — Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 28, a resident of Ontario, Canada, has been sentenced to an additional 50 years in federal prison for attacking two correctional officers at a Pennsylvania prison in 2020 while serving a separate sentence for plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS. According to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement dated Monday, October 19, 2026, the new sentence will run consecutively to the 40-year prison term Bahnasawy is already serving for his role in the 2016 New York City terror plot.

According to court records, Bahnasawy attacked two correctional officers at U.S. Penitentiary Allenwood on December 7, 2020, using a weapon made from part of a steel desk in his cell. He stabbed one officer in the head and face. When a second officer intervened to help, he stabbed her in the hand. The first officer eventually lost his right eye as a result of the attack.

After Bahnasawy was restrained, authorities discovered a note inside his sock stating, “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State.” Investigators also found a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, taped inside a locker door in his prison cell.

In November 2025, Bahnasawy pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including assault, assault with intent to commit murder, possessing contraband inside a prison, and providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said the additional sentence would help ensure that Bahnasawy remains in prison for a long time after carrying out another violent attack in the name of ISIS.

U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said the sentence reflects the government’s commitment to prosecuting people who commit violence in the name of ISIS, including those who carry out attacks behind prison walls.

Bahnasawy was arrested in May 2016 after traveling from Canada to the New York City area in preparation for a planned terrorist attack. At the time, he was 20 years old and had conspired with Talha Haroon and Russell Salic to plan bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The alleged plot was intended to cause mass casualties on behalf of ISIS.

An undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group by posing as an ISIS supporter willing to participate in the planned attacks. Bahnasawy has remained in custody since his arrest. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the prison attack case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur and Deputy Chief Larry Schneider of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.

Washington DC — The United States has imposed sanctions on five entities connected to Chinese national Linwei Ding over the theft of trade secrets belonging to U.S. persons, the State Department announced Monday. The sanctions were imposed under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA), as Washington steps up efforts to protect American innovation and counter intellectual property theft involving sensitive and emerging technologies.

According to the State Department, the action follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). On January 29, 2026, a U.S. federal jury convicted Ding on seven counts of theft of trade secrets. He was found guilty of stealing thousands of pages of confidential information containing Google’s trade secrets related to super intelligence (SI) technology, allegedly to benefit himself and technology companies based in China.

The State Department said the theft of trade secrets involving sensitive and emerging technologies poses a serious threat to U.S. economic, foreign policy and national security interests. Such activities can undermine American businesses, threaten jobs, discourage investment and cost U.S. industries billions of dollars annually, the department said.

The Trump administration reiterated its commitment to protecting American innovation and safeguarding U.S. businesses and individuals from intellectual property theft. The latest sanctions were imposed pursuant to the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, codified at 50 U.S.C. § 1709.

The State Department said additional details about the designations are available in its accompanying fact sheet. The action underscores Washington’s continued focus on protecting trade secrets and maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced technologies amid growing concerns over economic and technological security.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York – Nearly 200 countries are gathering in Armenia on Monday for crucial discussions on how to accelerate progress toward global nature protection targets, as governments face mounting pressure to deliver on a historic commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The United Nations conference, known as COP17, comes amid growing concerns that countries are falling behind on the goals agreed upon four years ago to protect and restore nature by the end of the decade.

Often described as the “Paris Agreement for nature,” the global biodiversity deal includes a landmark commitment to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. However, progress toward many of its targets remains slow, with limited advances on some of the most challenging commitments, including reducing subsidies for fossil fuels and other environmentally harmful industries.

Speaking ahead of the formal negotiations, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that countries needed to acknowledge the gap between their commitments and actual progress.

“We must honestly acknowledge that, collectively, we have not moved forward at the necessary pace,” he said.

The summit is taking place at a time when public funding is under pressure and political attention is increasingly focused on conflicts, geopolitical tensions and the global energy crisis. Only a small number of world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, attended a high-level session before the formal negotiations began. Most of the participating leaders were heads of state from neighboring Central Asian countries.

Despite the limited high-level attendance, Guterres stressed the importance of the conference, warning that humanity’s continuing “war” against nature threatens the planet’s habitability for future generations.

“We need more action, more speed and more goodwill,” he said. With the world halfway through the period leading to the 2030 targets, Guterres described the gathering in Yerevan as a critical moment for accountability.

“We must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough?” he said.

A United Nations assessment released ahead of COP17 found that progress was being made toward the 23 global biodiversity targets. However, the report warned that progress remained uneven and insufficient to achieve the goals by the 2030 deadline.

Financing is expected to emerge as one of the most contentious issues during the negotiations. The assessment highlighted a substantial funding gap for biodiversity conservation, with efforts to mobilize the necessary resources lagging far behind requirements.

Developed countries, including European nations and other wealthy economies, have financial responsibilities under international biodiversity commitments. However, they have also called on major emerging economies, including China, to contribute more toward conservation financing.

Discussions may increasingly focus on how private-sector investment can help bridge the funding gap as governments struggle to provide sufficient public resources. One of the summit’s priorities is expected to be encouraging corporations to contribute a portion of their profits to a United Nations fund intended to support nature conservation in developing countries, which currently has very limited resources.

Reforming government subsidies for extractive industries is another major issue expected to feature prominently at the summit. Guterres criticized governments for continuing to direct public money toward environmentally damaging activities despite their commitments to reform harmful subsidies. Referring to fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, he said: “Subsidizing fossil fuels is subsidizing suicide.”

He warned that fossil fuels are heating the planet and posing a serious threat to biodiversity. Environmental advocates argue that redirecting public funds away from harmful industries and toward conservation could help countries make faster progress toward their international commitments.

For Armenia, the mountainous country in the Caucasus region, COP17 represents one of the largest international events it has hosted. Thousands of delegates and visitors are expected to arrive over the next two weeks for discussions on biodiversity protection, conservation financing and implementation of global environmental commitments. Organizers have emphasized that the success of COP17 will depend not on announcing new promises, but on delivering concrete action to fulfill existing commitments.

Speaking on Friday, Adil Najam, Global President of WWF International, said the world already had the necessary vision for protecting nature.

“The world does not need a new vision. We have one. What we need now is to implement it,” he said. As negotiations begin, countries face growing pressure to translate their biodiversity commitments into measurable results before the 2030 deadline, with financing, accountability and the reform of harmful subsidies likely to remain central to the discussions.

DHAKA: Bangladesh has expressed its desire to build a stronger, more effective and results-oriented partnership with UNICEF to improve maternal and child health, ensure quality education, empower adolescent girls, strengthen child protection and enhance climate resilience. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam conveyed the government’s expectations during a meeting with visiting UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

The meeting discussed various aspects of the longstanding cooperation between Bangladesh and UNICEF in promoting the development and welfare of women and children. Shama Obaed praised UNICEF’s contributions to the advancement and well-being of women and children in Bangladesh since the country’s independence. She said the government was committed to building an inclusive society that ensures dignity, equal opportunities and access to essential services for women and children.

She also highlighted the government’s priority initiatives, including the Family Card and Farmer Card programmes, noting that financial assistance to women-headed households would help strengthen women’s economic empowerment.

The State Minister outlined several government initiatives in education, including school feeding programmes, free textbook distribution and free education opportunities for female students up to the undergraduate level. Highlighting Bangladesh’s significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality, Shama said the government had nearly doubled budget allocations for the health sector to strengthen healthcare services.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to improving educational standards, she said investment in education would gradually increase, with the aim of raising education spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). On child marriage, she stressed the importance of addressing its underlying socioeconomic causes, including poverty, social norms, school dropouts and limited opportunities for girls.

The meeting also discussed gender-related risks arising from climate change, violence against women, including online harassment, and juvenile crime. In this connection, Shama referred to her recent meeting with Meta officials in New York, where discussions included the possibility of establishing a local office of the company in Bangladesh to ensure faster responses to complaints. She also outlined various government measures aimed at addressing juvenile crime.

The State Minister expressed appreciation for UNICEF’s assistance in ensuring education, healthcare, nutrition and protection for Rohingya children in Bangladesh. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell praised Bangladesh’s progress in reducing child mortality and stunting, increasing school attendance and birth registration, and expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Russell expressed gratitude for the government’s cooperation and reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continuing its support for Bangladesh. Among those attending the meeting from UNICEF were UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Gillian Mellsop, Deputy Representative Emmanuel Abiru and Child Protection Specialist Shabnaz Zaherin Catherine.

Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam and Director General Kazi Ehsanul Haque were also present. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Bangladesh and UNICEF to advancing the rights, protection and well-being of women and children through stronger cooperation and targeted development initiatives.

DHAKA: The government is stepping up efforts to curb juvenile gang activities across Bangladesh, with the Home Ministry deciding to establish anti-juvenile gang committees in all upazilas across the country. Under the decision, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) will serve as presidents of the committees, while the officers-in-charge (OCs) of the respective police stations will act as member-secretaries.

The initiative aims to strengthen coordination between local administration and law enforcement agencies to address juvenile gang activities more effectively at the grassroots level. With administrative officials and police working under a unified framework, the committees are expected to improve monitoring, enhance information sharing and support preventive measures to keep young people away from gang-related activities.

The move reflects the government’s tougher approach to tackling juvenile gangs amid growing concerns over youth violence, criminal activities and public safety across the country. The formation of committees in every upazila is expected to bring local authorities closer to communities and help strengthen efforts to prevent juvenile delinquency. The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on coordinated action, regular monitoring and the implementation of preventive measures at the local level.

Dhaka: A political controversy has emerged in Bangladesh following reports that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed State Minister Ishraque Hossain to resign from the cabinet. According to media reports, the reported directive came after controversy surrounding Ishraque Hossain’s participation in an anti-drug operation in Dhaka while carrying a firearm.

The issue reportedly came into focus following a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday. However, an official government confirmation and confirmation that a formal resignation has been submitted are necessary to establish the latest status of the matter. The reports have sparked discussion in Bangladesh’s political circles. Further clarification is expected if the government or the individuals concerned issue an official statement.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York – The United Nations’ 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) is set to begin on Monday, October 19, in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, bringing global attention to efforts to halt biodiversity loss and protect nature by 2030.

Running through October 30, the conference is expected to serve as a critical milestone in assessing global progress toward the ambitious targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. World leaders will face growing pressure to demonstrate how far their countries have progressed in translating environmental commitments into concrete action.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned against humanity’s destructive impact on nature and called for urgent action to reverse biodiversity loss. The Yerevan conference is expected to place accountability, implementation and international cooperation at the centre of discussions.

Adopted in 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides a global roadmap for protecting and restoring nature. One of its most prominent goals is to conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land, inland waters and marine areas by 2030, an objective widely known as the “30 by 30” target. The framework also calls for restoring degraded ecosystems, reducing pollution, reforming environmentally harmful subsidies and increasing financial resources for biodiversity conservation.

Under the agreement, countries have committed to mobilising at least $200 billion annually from public and private sources for biodiversity-related initiatives by 2030. It also sets a target of increasing international biodiversity finance for developing countries, which often face significant funding and technical constraints.

Despite growing international commitments, progress towards the 2030 biodiversity targets remains uneven, raising concerns about whether countries can meet their obligations within the remaining timeframe.

Assessments of conservation efforts indicate that current progress is insufficient to achieve the 30 by 30 target. Funding shortages, limited technical capacity, gaps in monitoring and data collection, and economic incentives that contribute to environmental damage continue to undermine conservation efforts.

According to a Reuters report, existing commitments and current progress could bring approximately 27 percent of the world’s land and inland waters under conservation by 2030. For marine areas, the projected figure is around 12 percent.

The gap between global commitments and implementation is expected to be a major focus of discussions in Yerevan, with delegates examining how governments can accelerate action and strengthen accountability.

Securing adequate funding for biodiversity protection is expected to be a key issue at COP17. The global target of mobilising $200 billion annually by 2030 will require stronger international cooperation, increased financial flows to developing countries and reforms to subsidies that harm nature.

Another important issue is the implementation of the Cali Fund, established to support the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercial use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.

The initiative aims to ensure that a portion of the benefits generated through the use of such information contributes to biodiversity conservation, including in countries and communities that play an important role in protecting natural resources. Developing effective mechanisms to distribute these benefits fairly will be important in building trust and ensuring that conservation efforts receive sustainable financial support.

Turning Commitments into ActionCOP17 is expected to provide an opportunity for countries to assess progress, identify implementation gaps and determine what additional measures are needed to achieve the 2030 targets.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, has stressed the importance of coordinated international action to address existing shortcomings and accelerate implementation.

The conference will also test the willingness of governments to move beyond declarations and establish practical measures that can deliver measurable results. The outcome of COP17 could help shape international cooperation, biodiversity financing and accountability in the years leading up to 2030.

Ultimately, however, achieving the global biodiversity targets will depend on political commitment, adequate funding, effective monitoring and the ability of governments to translate promises into action before the deadline.

DHAKA: Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have reaffirmed their support for the Rohingya genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), expressing hope that the legal proceedings will help pave the way for a lasting solution to the prolonged crisis. The commitment was reiterated at a meeting of the OIC Ministerial Ad-Hoc Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations Against the Rohingya, held on the sidelines of the 52nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Baghdad, Iraq, according to a Foreign Ministry press release issued on Sunday.

Addressing the meeting as co-chair, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir called on OIC member states to strengthen unity and take proactive steps to resolve the longstanding Rohingya crisis. Kobir, who is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the ministerial conference, stressed that justice and accountability through international legal mechanisms are essential to achieving a sustainable solution to the humanitarian crisis.

Describing the Rohingya crisis as a major challenge facing the Muslim Ummah, he urged OIC member states to pursue coordinated efforts to strengthen humanitarian assistance and support ongoing legal proceedings.

He also emphasised the need for sustained international engagement to keep the Rohingya crisis high on the global agenda. The state minister highlighted the five-point action plan presented by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Referring to the plan, Kobir called for urgent and decisive international action, particularly to ensure justice and accountability through established legal frameworks. He urged OIC member states to turn their solidarity with the Rohingya people into concrete initiatives to address the crisis and support efforts towards a durable solution.

At the meeting, OIC member states reiterated their commitment to supporting the case before the ICJ and expressed optimism that the judicial process could contribute to resolving the protracted crisis.

The discussions underscored the importance of collective international efforts to ensure accountability for human rights violations against the Rohingya and advance prospects for a lasting resolution. Bangladesh continues to host approximately 1.4 million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar while pursuing diplomatic efforts to secure their safe, voluntary and sustainable return.

DHAKA: Japanese investors have announced plans for an initial investment of $1.2 billion in Bangladesh’s tourism and hospitality sector, signaling potential new opportunities for foreign investment in the country’s tourism industry. The announcement was made during a meeting with Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday afternoon.

According to a ministry press release, the Japanese delegation expressed strong interest in investing in Bangladesh’s tourism industry and working with the government to develop tourism infrastructure and hospitality facilities. Welcoming the initiative, Minister Millat assured the investors of the government’s cooperation, saying necessary steps would be taken once formal investment proposals were submitted.

The minister said the government was keen to attract foreign investment through mutually beneficial public-private partnerships (PPPs), ensuring positive outcomes for both investors and Bangladesh. Highlighting the country’s tourism potential, Millat pointed to the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, Cox’s Bazar’s extensive natural sea beach and the scenic tea gardens of Sylhet.

He said international investment, alongside improvements in tourism infrastructure and services, could help unlock the sector’s potential. Describing Japan as a longstanding development partner, the minister highlighted its contributions to Bangladesh’s major infrastructure projects. He expressed optimism that Japanese investment and expertise could support the growth of the country’s tourism industry.

Millat also instructed the relevant authorities to arrange visits for the Japanese delegation to potential tourism destinations so they could assess investment opportunities. A delegation from the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) is expected to facilitate visits to prospective sites and help investors identify suitable projects.

The Japanese representatives reaffirmed their interest in building a long-term partnership with Bangladesh in tourism and hospitality. The proposed $1.2 billion investment will move forward for consideration once the investors submit formal proposals to the government.

Washington DC — Democrats are seeking to capitalize on shifting campaign strategies as Republican-aligned groups scale back spending in several competitive U.S. House races ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. According to an Associated Press report published this week, the leading Republican House super PAC, Congressional Leadership Fund, has canceled planned spending in four congressional races while increasing investments in 16 others. A separate super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump has also reduced spending in a competitive district in the Las Vegas area.

The changes suggest that Republican campaign organizations are concentrating their resources on races they consider more winnable as they work to preserve the party’s narrow House majority. The spending changes cover several competitive districts across the country, including contests in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Republican campaign officials familiar with the plans told the AP that the decisions reflect shifting priorities during the final weeks of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Democrats are expanding their efforts to challenge Republican-held seats. Their House campaign committee is looking to raise additional money for advertising and has identified more districts as potential targets. Democratic strategists believe that forcing Republicans to defend a wider range of seats could stretch the opposition’s financial resources and create opportunities for unexpected victories.

The political environment has become challenging for Republicans amid voter dissatisfaction with economic conditions and President Trump’s approval ratings. Issues including household expenses, fuel prices and federal spending have become important themes in competitive races.

Republican strategists, however, argue that Democrats may be spreading their resources too widely by targeting districts where Trump won comfortably in the 2024 presidential election. The campaign spending decisions illustrate a familiar feature of U.S. elections: parties and outside political groups frequently move money between districts as polling, fundraising and assessments of candidates change.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are being contested in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans are seeking to retain control, while Democrats need to win a net gain of seats to take the chamber. The outcome will determine how easily the White House can advance its legislative agenda during the remainder of Trump’s term. A change in control could also bring greater congressional scrutiny of the administration and alter negotiations over federal spending and domestic policy.

With Election Day approaching, campaign spending decisions are offering clues about which races political organizations consider most competitive. However, changes in advertising budgets alone do not determine the outcome, and the results will ultimately depend on voter turnout and support in individual districts.