Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday ordered 10% flight cuts to start on Friday at 40 major US airports, including in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, affecting both commercial and cargo services. The FAA cited a safety assessment of air traffic controllers in ordering the unprecedented cuts, but officials insisted it is safe. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford reiterated on Thursday that the agency would not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe. During the closure, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay. But even before the new flight cuts went into effect, customers said flight delays and cancellations were causing misery.

The storm made landfall in central Vietnam late on Thursday, uprooting trees, damaging homes, and triggering power outages, before weakening as it moved inland. Authorities warned of continuing heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimetres (8 inches) in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri. As the storm's death toll climbed in the Philippines, officials there said another 135 people remained missing and 96 had been injured. In Vietnam, no official casualty figures had been released but state-run Vietnam News Agency reported one fatality in Dak Lak province in a collapsed house. Vietnam and the Philippines are highly vulnerable to tropical storms and typhoons due to their locations along the Pacific typhoon belt, regularly experiencing damage and casualties during peak storm seasons.

Senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has insisted that the national election and the referendum must take place on the same day. On Thursday at a memorial meeting in Jashore, Fakhrul said the party is in “agreement” on this. “No referendum will be allowed before the parliamentary election.”Addressing the interim government, he added: “Stop the delays and arrange to announce the election schedule. Otherwise, you will turn into a failed government.”Accusing some political parties of conspiring to derail the elections, Fakhrul said: “Some political parties are staging sit-ins and trying to destabilise the country. “Are political parties supposed to be mere toys for others?

A Mymensingh court has sentenced both members of a police couple to death for the murder of a fellow policeman over an extramarital affair. After a lengthy investigation and trial, Additional Sessions Judge Court Judge Harun-or Rashid delivered the verdict in the sensational murder case on Wednesday afternoon. After the incident, Saiful's mother Muleda Begum filed a murder case with the Kotwali Police Station in Mymensingh on Aug 13, 2014, accusing Alauddin, Neli, and two other unidentified people. ANOTHER DEATH SENTENCEOne man has also been sentenced to death, and a second to life in prison, in a separate murder case filed at Tarakanda Police Station in 2002. Convict Rubel Mia was sentenced to death, while convict Deen Islam was sentenced to life in prison.

Trump gets new review of New York criminal hush money caseA federal appeals court on Thursday said Donald Trump deserves another chance to show his New York state hush money criminal case belonged in federal court, providing a fresh opportunity for the US president to try to erase his conviction. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Trump of trying to influence the 2016 presidential election by covering up $130,000 of hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump was sentenced shortly before his Jan 20 inauguration for a second White House term. Trump's lawyer Jeffrey Wall told the 2nd Circuit in June that the criminal case fundamentally concerned federal campaign finance law, and prosecutors' emphasis on Hicks' testimony showed that Trump's official acts were central to their case. Steven Wu, a lawyer for Bragg's office, countered that Trump's White House discussions about "unofficial behavior" did not "transform those private conversations about private behavior into evidence of official acts."

The High Court has granted bail to expelled Awami League leader and former minister Abdul Latif Siddique, and journalist Monjurul Alam Panna, both arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Following the hearing, lawyer ZI Khan Panna said: “The court has granted bail to freedom fighter Latif Siddique and Monjurul Alam Panna. We will not allow anyone to speak against the Liberation War, independence, or the 1972 Constitution.”In the same briefing, Kader Siddique, brother of Latif Siddique, said: “The people of this country have faith in the judiciary. The following day, they were shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Shahbagh Police Station and sent to jail. Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam of Shahbagh Police Station filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act the following day.

Revised Power of Attorney regulations allow overseas Bangladeshis to manage property without passportSyedur Rahman, a Bangladeshi who left the country nearly 20 years ago and acquired US citizenship, had surrendered his Bangladeshi passport. In February, the interim government revised the Power of Attorney rules, removing the mandatory requirement for a Bangladeshi passport to complete the process. He said, “Under the 2015 Power of Attorney rules, anyone wishing to grant authority had to possess a passport. FIRST REFORM IN 130 YEARS CAME IN 2012The Powers of Attorney Act, 1882, was enacted in undivided India, consisting of six sections. Later in September that year, the old Powers of Attorney Act, 1882, was repealed and replaced by the Powers of Attorney Act, 2012.

With the parliamentary polls approaching, the Election Commission is now waiting to hold dialogue with political parties, a crucial step before launching large-scale election campaigns. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Mashud told bdnews24.com on Tuesday, “The registration process for political parties is almost complete. According to the roadmap:• The dialogue with political parties and stakeholders was planned for the last week of September and began on Sep 29. “The code of conduct gazette has been sent for publication under the revised RPO ordinance. Amid debates among political parties over the timing, the government has asked parties to hold internal discussions to reach a unified position.

British House of Lords member Alexander Charles Carlile has cautioned that Bangladesh’s next national election must avoid repeating “past mistakes”. He also called for urgent reforms to elevate the International Crimes Tribunal to international standards, which is currently conducting the trial of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. After returning to power with a landslide in 2008, the Awami League ruled Bangladesh for over 15 years through three contentious elections. Among the three elections held under the Awami League, most major opposition parties boycotted two of them, raising questions over their inclusivity. Lord Carlile said, “The International Crimes Tribunal process is under way.

Abdul Hakim, a businessman and BNP activist from Chattogram, has been shot dead by “hired killers” amid disputes over control of the local sand market and regional dominance. According to the statement, the arrested suspects confessed in court to their involvement in the killing. On the evening of Oct 7, a group of men stopped Hakim near Madunaghat Bridge in Hathazari Upazila and shot him. Hakim was the owner of Hamim Agro Farm in Raozan and was actively involved in local BNP politics. The arrested suspects include Abdullah Khokon, alias Lengra Khokon, Maruf, and Saklayen Hossain.

Earlier, a taskforce had recommended a minimum of six months’ experience and investments of at least Tk 1 million to qualify for margin loans. KEY RESTRICTIONS• Investors without regular income -- such as homemakers, students, and retired persons -- will not be eligible for margin loans. • Margin funds cannot be invested in companies whose production has ceased, or those categorised as “B”, “Z”, or “G”. • Investment using margin funds is prohibited in firms listed on SME, ATB, and OTC boards. • Shares that are locked, blocked, pledged, or held by directors cannot be used as collateral for margin loans.

Trump to meet Central Asian presidents as US seeks to counter China, Russia influenceUS President Donald Trump will host the leaders of five Central Asian nations at the White House on Thursday as the US seeks to gain influence in a region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China. In particular, the US is pursuing new partnerships to secure critical minerals, energy supplies, and overland trade routes that circumvent its geopolitical rivals. Their leaders will also attend a dinner with Trump at the White House on Thursday. Rich in minerals and energy, the five nations remain economically tied to Russia, their former Soviet ruler, while neighboring China has expanded its influence through large-scale infrastructure and mining investments. China at times has leveraged its dominance by restricting exports, underscoring Washington’s urgency to secure alternative sources.

The interim government has approved a draft ordinance to prevent and remedy enforced disappearances, mandating that trials be completed within 120 working days after charges are framed. Once promulgated, the ordinance will authorise the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to receive and investigate complaints related to enforced disappearances. It also stipulates the death penalty for establishing or operating secret detention facilities, known locally as “Ayna Ghor” (Mirror House). “They had hundreds of Ayna Ghor where victims were held. The NHRC will have the authority to receive and investigate complaints related to enforced disappearances.

Santal murder trial in Gaibandha remains pending after nine yearsThe trial of the murder of three Santals in Gobindaganj Upazila, Gaibandha, has yet to take place after nine years, as the government’s promised action remains unfulfilled. On Thursday, marking the ninth anniversary of the killings, speakers at separate events in Gaibandha and Gobindaganj called for justice, saying the Santal community continues to live in “fear and insecurity”. On Nov 6, 2016, authorities from Rangpur Sugar Mill in Gobindaganj Upazila attempted to evict the ethnic community from their homes. Clashes broke out between the Santals and police, along with sugar mill workers and employees, leaving 30 Santals injured. In the morning, wreaths were laid and candles lit at a temporary martyr’s altar in Joypur village of Gobindaganj Upazila, marking the anniversary of the killings.

The Election Commission has registered 66 local organisations as observers for the next parliamentary election. “A total of 66 local election observers have been granted final registration. Election observers were introduced for the first time before the ninth parliamentary election. 75 local organisations observed the ninth parliamentary election. The commission led by Kazi Habibul Awal registered 96 observer organisations before the 12th parliamentary election.