“I Will Return To My Country This Year” Sheikh Hasina said in an exclusive Interview with NDTV on June 28^th. Journalist Neha Chandra  who wasd credited for the exclusive interview  wrote ‘But Sheikh Hasina was unfazed’ and just like decorated American General Douglas MacArthur declare,  “I’ll be back home this year.  “Any attack on the minorities is an attack on the independence of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina stressed, the interviewer wrote.

 “The Awami League is not a paper organization. It is a political force rooted in the soil of Bengal, in the people of Bengal, in the history of Bengal, and in the identity of the Bengali nation,” She said.

Sheikh Hasina told her party is not merely an organization but a “force”.

The regime change in Bangladesh however has never been faded from the international attention since and Sheikh Hasina became more relevant in the topic both in Bangladesh local politics and to the International media since the fall of her government in august 2024.

NDTV published the interview with Sheikh Hasina, readout as follow:  

It’s been almost two years since Sheikh Hasina was hounded out of the country that her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had carved out of a belligerent Pakistan. Facing death penalty and her Awami League party banned in Bangladesh, things can’t get worse for the former prime minister.

But she remains unfazed, just like decorated American General Douglas MacArthur. “I’ll be back home this year,” declared the Awami League leader from exile, asserting that her party is not merely an organization but a “force”. Any attack on the minorities is an attack on the independence of Bangladesh, she stressed.

Awami League marked its 77th Founding Day last Tuesday (June 23) in defiance of a nationwide ban. Dozens of its activists were arrested amid tight security.

The exiled leader, in an exclusive email interview with NDTV, spoke on all things Bangladesh. Here’s a transcript of the interview:

Question: You have often indicated-and your supporters are upbeat-about your possible return to Bangladesh soon, with some leaders suggesting it could happen within this year. How realistic is this, given the death penalty against you?

Sheikh Hasina: My return is not a question of personal ambition. It is tied to a far larger question: the political rights of the people of Bangladesh, the restoration of democracy, the rule of law, and the spirit of our Liberation War. I do not do politics for power. I do politics for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh and for the fulfilment of the dream of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to build a Sonar Bangla.

The verdict against me is not justice. It is part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process. The judiciary has been turned into an instrument of political revenge to make the Awami League leaderless. Such attempts have been made before. They failed then, and they will fail again.

“Highly Inaccurate”: Sheikh Hasina On UN Report On Bangladesh Protest Death Count

I do not fear death. In 1975, I lost my parents, my brothers, and almost my entire family. On 21 August, there was an attempt to kill me with grenades. Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy, I stood beside the people of Bangladesh. I was elected Prime Minister five times by the people’s vote and worked for the country’s unprecedented development. Almost my entire life has been tied to the people of Bangladesh, to the Awami League, to the democratic struggle, and to the development of Bangladesh. So, I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year.

Question: There are signs the Awami League may be regaining support amid perceived gaps in the Bangladesh government. Does the party have the organisational strength to turn this into political success?

Sheikh Hasina: The Awami League is not a paper organisation. It is a political force rooted in the soil of Bengal, in the people of Bengal, in the history of Bengal, and in the identity of the Bengali nation. In its 77-year journey, the Awami League has been attacked many times, has shed blood many times, and has been banned many times. But each time, it has risen again through the strength of the people.

The return of the Awami League does not depend on anyone else’s failure or weakness. The Awami League creates its own path with the people. Public support has always been with us. With that strength, when we were in government, we worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people. Anti-Bangladesh forces removed the Awami League from state power through a conspiratorial and meticulously designed movement by misleading a section of the people. But despite all their efforts, they could not erase the Awami League from the hearts of the people.

Under the illegal, unconstitutional, and occupying interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, and now under the BNP government formed through a staged election, people are seeing the reality with their own eyes. There is no democracy. There is no rule of law. There is no security. The economy has weakened. Minorities are under attack. Extremism is spreading. Awami League leaders and activists are facing unimaginable state persecution. People know how to compare. They understand that when the Awami League is in government, the country has stability, development, and security for people’s lives and property.

As for organizational strength, the Awami League knows every lane and by lane of Bangladesh’s politics like the palm of its hand. Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this party gave birth to Bangladesh. We have led every democratic movement in the country. The ability to turn people’s support and aspirations into political reality is in the DNA of the Awami League. Gold becomes purer in fire. In the same way, oppression and persecution by rulers are making the Awami League stronger every day.

Sheikh Hasina Slams ‘Engineered Vote’ As BNP Sweeps Bangladesh Polls

My message to our leaders, activists, and supporters on the party’s 77th year is simple: stay united and stand beside the people. Deepen your bond with people in every village, every neighbourhood, every ward, and every union. Stand beside the persecuted. Be uncompromising on the security and dignity of minorities, women, children, working people, the poor, and the marginalised. The politics of the Awami League is not for revenge. It is the politics of rights, security, dignity, and development. The Awami League was with the people, is with the people, and will remain with the people. Through the strength of the people, the Awami League will rise again.

Question: With the ban on the Awami League still in place and thousands of cases reportedly filed against its leaders and workers, how feasible is a political recovery for the party in the near term?

Sheikh Hasina: The political recovery of the Awami League does not depend on the favour of any government. It depends on the people. Through an illegal ban, they may have kept the Awami League out of a staged election. They may have closed party offices. They may have temporarily suppressed political activities. But they have not been able to erase the Awami League from the hearts of the people. That is why the Awami League has already begun to rise again.

Despite all the torture and repression by law enforcement agencies, processions in support of the Awami League are taking place every day in different districts, upazilas, unions, and localities across the country. Alongside Awami League workers and supporters, ordinary people are joining these processions spontaneously. Mothers are standing beside their children, giving them courage and support. These are signs that the Awami League is rising again.

The conduct of the present government itself proves that they fear the organisational strength of the Awami League. That is why they deployed the army, BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh), and police to stop the Awami League’s founding anniversary programmes. This is a sign of their weakness. The Awami League cannot be suppressed by force. A party that can create a people’s awakening cannot be stopped through fear and intimidation. History teaches us that the Awami League never fears the angry glare of rulers. It defies that glare and raises the flag of victory.

To ensure a proper democratic environment and stability in Bangladesh, the illegal ban on the Awami League must be withdrawn. False cases must be withdrawn. Political prisoners must be released. Peaceful political activity must be allowed. But if those now occupying power continue to block even this minimum democratic path, the anger, pain, and democratic aspirations accumulating among the people will create a new path for the Awami League.

Question: You have said that, following your removal from power, Bangladesh has lost its foundational character and moved towards a model similar to Pakistan. Could you elaborate on what you mean by this transformation?

Sheikh Hasina: I have never opposed normal diplomatic relations with any country. For the welfare of the people, Bangladesh will maintain friendly relations with all. Our foreign policy has always been clear: friendship to all, malice to none. But that relationship must be maintained while keeping intact the fundamental principles of the state and the spirit of the Liberation War.

Bangladesh was born through a struggle against military rule, discrimination, repression, communal politics, and the denial of democracy. Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the state we built was founded on nationalism, democracy, social justice, and secularism. To weaken that foundation is to strike at the very identity of Bangladesh.

“Voterless, Illegal”: Sheikh Hasina Wants Bangladesh Election Cancelled

After August 5, we saw an all-out assault on the spirit of the Liberation War. Freedom fighters were humiliated with garlands of shoes. Liberation War memorials were vandalised across the country. The slogan ‘Joy Bangla’ was treated as a crime. The residence of the Father of the Nation was attacked repeatedly. Minority communities came under attack. Temples were vandalised. Sufi shrines and cultural institutions were targeted. Anti-terrorism activities were weakened, creating space for extremism to spread. In other words, every arrangement has been made to turn Bangladesh into a failed state.

On the other hand, during the Awami League’s time in government, we built a Bangladesh of stability, confidence, and measurable progress. In 2023, Bangladesh recorded GDP growth of 7.25 per cent and per capita income reached USD 2,793. Bangladesh became the 35th largest economy in the world, advancing by 29 places. Foreign exchange reserves increased 36 times. Investment as a share of GDP reached 32.05 per cent. Foreign direct investment rose fivefold to USD 3.48 billion.

We reduced poverty to 18.7 per cent and extreme poverty to 5.6 per cent. Food grain production increased four times. Infant mortality declined four times. Power generation capacity increased eight times, and 100 per cent of the population received electricity. The literacy rate reached 78.5 per cent. Women’s participation in the workforce rose to 43.44 per cent. We established 14,984 community clinics to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people.

We rehabilitated landless and homeless families with dignity. About 42,80,115 people were given ownership of houses with two decimals of land completely free of cost. Through mega projects such as the Padma Bridge, the metro rail, the Karnaphuli Tunnel, expressways, Digital Bangladesh, the Bangabandhu Satellite, we turned Bangladesh into a global role model of development. We proved that if the Bengali nation gets opportunity, a peaceful environment, and honest leadership, it can stand tall on its own strength.

After August 5, the way Bangladesh’s development journey has been destroyed, and the way a reign of militancy and terror has been established, only the Awami League can free the country from that situation. The people have understood this. The Awami League would win if allowed to contest in a free, fair, and inclusive election. Yunus and anti-Bangladesh political forces know this very well. That is why illegal interim government knowingly and deliberately banned the activities of the Awami League, kept it outside the election process, and destroyed the democratic political tradition of the country. This is the failed-state model that has been established in Bangladesh after August 5.

As Bangladesh Readies For Polls, Worry Among Sheikh Hasina Supporters

Question: There have been reports of backchannel discussions between BNP leadership and you regarding lifting the ban on the Awami League and ensuring a fair trial. Is there any truth to these claims?

Sheikh Hasina: Conspirators often spread such propaganda deliberately to confuse the people. My position is very clear. Bangladesh’s democracy, the political rights of the Awami League, the voting rights of the people, and justice are not matters for secret bargaining. They are constitutional rights of the people.

Withdrawing the ban on the Awami League is not a favour. It is a minimum requirement in any democratic state. Justice is not charity either. It is a fundamental right. If there is a case against a citizen, a political leader, or a political party, it must proceed through an independent, impartial, and lawful judicial process. Justice cannot be delivered through politically directed tribunals, fabricated cases, forced testimony obtained through intimidation, or pressure on the judiciary.

I have always supported a political solution. But that solution must be open, principled, and based on the aspirations of the people. It cannot be based on secret deals. The Awami League does not seek political mercy from anyone. The Awami League will do politics on the basis of constitutional rights, public support, and the strength of the people.

Question: How do you view the recent reports of attacks on temples and members of the Hindu minority community, along with protests and threats from certain Islamist groups?

Sheikh Hasina: This is extremely painful and deeply worrying. Sadly, it is not an isolated matter. In Bangladesh, whenever the forces of the Liberation War have been weakened, whenever communal forces have captured or influenced state power, terrible persecution has descended upon minority communities. Their homes, places of worship, businesses, lives, and dignity have all come under threat.

Since August 5, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, indigenous communities, Ahmadis, and people associated with Sufi shrines have all been unsafe. Temples have been vandalised. Idols have been broken. Homes have been looted. Extortion, violence against women, and obstruction of religious ceremonies have continued. The most frightening part is that, like the illegal interim government, the current BNP government has also denied these incidents or dismissed them as political propaganda. This culture of denial has emboldened the criminals. Chinmoy Krishna Das, who spoke for minority rights, is still in prison in a false case. This itself proves that although the government has changed, the fate of minorities in Bangladesh has not changed.

‘Yunus A Murderous Fascist’: Sheikh Hasina In 1st Public Address In Exile

I want to say clearly: minorities are not a vote bank. They are citizens of Bangladesh with equal dignity. In the great Liberation War of 1971, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and people of all communities fought shoulder to shoulder, rising above religion, caste, and identity, to make the country independent. Bangabandhu dreamt of a non-communal Bangladesh where people of all religions would live with equal rights. That Bangladesh cannot be allowed to become hostage to communal aggression and extremism.

Those who attack minorities, vandalise temples, or threaten people in the name of religion are not merely enemies of one community. They are the enemies of the spirit of Bangladesh’s independence. A state fails when a citizen lives in fear because of his or her religious identity. Today, many minority families are living with that fear. They are being forced to protest simply to demand security. This is a shame for independent Bangladesh.

The security of minorities must be ensured. Attacks on temples and places of worship must be brought to justice. The state must take a firm stand against the threats of communal groups. Those who peacefully speak for minority rights should not face false cases or harassment. They should be heard. Ensuring religious freedom, equal rights, and security is a fundamental duty of the state. Failure in this duty is not only an internal problem for Bangladesh. It is also a concern for the stability and human values of South Asia.

Question: Your stay in India-how have you been managing this phase personally? Do you get to see your daughter often, or has life in exile been largely constrained?

Sheikh Hasina: For a very long time, I have hardly had anything called a personal life. I have dedicated my life to the people of Bangladesh. In 1975, I lost everything. Even then, I had to spend a long period in exile. Later, I returned to the country and fought to establish democracy. Today, Bangladesh is once again passing through a difficult moment. It pains me deeply that at this critical time for the country, I could not be there. I was not allowed that opportunity.

I have normal contact with my family members. But my heart remains in Bangladesh: in the land where my father rests, in the country where the blood of my family is mixed with the soil, in the country whose people I have served all my life. To be away from the people of my country, away from the smell of my soil, and to hear every day of the suffering of my leaders and workers is deeply painful.

Today, the rights of the people of Bangladesh matter far more than my personal life. Even from afar, I follow the situation in the country every day. I keep track of our leaders and workers. I listen to the stories of persecuted families. I try to present the state of democracy and human rights in Bangladesh before the international community. My struggle has not stopped.

My strength is the people of Bangladesh, the leaders and workers of the Awami League, and the ideals of the Father of the Nation. With that strength, I continue to work every day to restore democracy in Bangladesh and to unite the people. I believe the people of Bangladesh will restore democracy again. The Awami League will rise again through the strength of the people. I am with that struggle, and I will remain with it until my last day.

The post “I Will Return To My Country This Year” Sheikh Hasina appeared first on NEWSMAN.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said its team was “officially activated” by the State Department earlier Friday.

“From the moment we learned of this tragedy, our team has remained on standby, ready to respond. Many in our community have family, friends, and loved ones in Venezuela, making this mission especially meaningful,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a statement.

The team from Florida will consist of 80 personnel and six canine teams.

The two federal search and rescue teams that were sent to Venezuela at max deployment levels are currently on the ground there pulling people from collapsed buildings, ABC News reported on  Saturday.

“We heard that survivors were found in the last few hours, and they’re going to work as hard as they can over the next few days out in the field,” the official told ABC News.

The official then said that two teams from Miami-Dade, Florida, had been activated and federalized; marking the first time in over a decade the State Department had deployed USAR teams beyond USA-1 and USA-2.

The senior administration official announced that U.S. teams had repaired one of the runways at Simón Bolivar airport.

In addition to $150 million already committed to the Venezuela earthquakes response, the official said the Trump administration was preparing “an additional package right now of nine figures that we’re going to announce in the next day or so.”

“They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the response efforts by sending rescue workers, specialist equipment, support for temporary shelters and humanitarian aid for the affected families. We are deeply grateful for this gesture of friendship and cooperation,” Rodriguez added.

US search teams arrive in Venezuela

The first plane with U.S. search and rescue crews arrived in Venezuela Friday, according to officials.

The 80-member team includes firefighters, doctors and structural engineers as well as search and rescue canines, according to Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1.

Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue members are en route to Venezuela deploying 79 Urban Search and Rescue personnel, six K9 teams, and more than 70,000 pounds of specialized rescue and medical equipment.

Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue

The team will being sent to the “hardest-hit areas,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.

“Priorities include establishing a base of operations & working with the Venezuelan authorities to ensure our operations meet their needs,” Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1 said in an X post.

US ‘surging’ military assets to assist in Venezuela

U.S. Southern Command said it is “surging” military forces in the region to assist in earthquake relief efforts.

Two U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in the Caribbean have been assigned to support the U.S. quake relief operations in Venezuela that are being led by the State Department, the command said.

The amphibious ships USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ships USS Billings are being moved closer to Venezuela to provide assistance.

Residents search for victims through the rubble of a collapsed building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state,

In addition, transport aircraft and helicopters are being sent.

“These forces will provide specialized mobility services and support to U.S. government personnel, search and rescue teams, and U.S. interagency partners as they assess damage, locate the injured, and deliver critical, life-saving assistance,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement.

The post US State Department launches rare step to help in Venezuelan appeared first on NEWSMAN.

 “Why would we reject this option, which costs the city as little as $54 a day, when the cost of homeless shelters is $270 per day,” New York City council Speaker Julie Menin said.

“What is the point of electing a super progressive if they abandon the city’s most needed in the budget process,” Former Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn said from the steps of City Hall Friday.

Former Speaker Christine Quinn rallied with current Speaker Julie Menin and  many city council members say they will not sign on to a budget until the mayor drops a lawsuit initiated by Mayor Adams that has slowed the expansion of housing vouchers, and the Mayor pledges hundreds of millions of dollars to the housing voucher program.

The Mayor’s Office said the program’s $1.8 billion price tag must be brought under control, especially with the city facing fiscal problems, and that the voucher program must first be reformed so it’s not hemorrhaging money.

By law, the New York City budget must be negotiated before July 1st.

The post NY City Council clashes with mayor over housing vouchers appeared first on NEWSMAN.

President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Iran shot at least four attack drones and hit a cargo ship, but the ship was able to proceed despite the damage. He said the U.S. knocked down the other three drones.

“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement,” Trump wrote.

Iranian state TV said June 26 that three foreign tankers attempting what it called an “unauthorized passage” of the strait were turned back after a warning from its military. The TV report gave no further details.

Iran said it was responding to what it called an “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” joint statement by the United States and six countries that rejected Iran’s insistence that it could charge tolls on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X.

Trump told attendees of a conservative Christian conference later in the day that Iran still has some capability, but not much. “They’re not winning or anything. But they have some capability,” he said, bringing up the drones.

Marco Rubio announces framework for Israel-Lebanon deal

The dispute unfolded just before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the framework of a new peace deal between Israel and Lebanon, which has long grappled with militants of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, especially since the U.S. attacked Iran in March.

“Israel deserves to live in peace and security,” Rubio said. “The people of northern Israel, in particular, who have been targeted repeatedly by terrorist attacks launched from the territory of Lebanon but not by the Lebanese people, not by the Lebanese government, but by an outside actor who has sought to use that territory to target innocent civilians.”

Describing the deal as the “beginning of the beginning,” Rubio said Lebanon deserves to have “a prosperous and peaceful country” that “in many ways was the envy of the region and of the world.”

The post U.S. launches airstrikes, accuses Iran of ceasefire violation appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The death toll has risen to 920 and more than 3,300 people are injured, according to Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly of Venezuela.

More than 50,000 people are listed on the website set up to track missing individuals.

The two quakes — a 7.2 magnitude one followed just seconds later by a 7.5 — struck the coast of Venezuela, knocking down buildings in Caracas, the capital, and sending residents racing into the street.

Responders are undertaking “intensive rescue operations” on Thursday, searching for people thought to be under the rubble, acting President Delcy Rodriguez said.

Emergency response teams from Venezuelan and other countries were working early on Saturday, combing the rubble for survivors after two powerful earthquakes struck the capital and nearby cities on Wednesday evening. Search for quake’s survivors continues, approaches 72 hours, acting president says.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguiz said in an update at 1 a.m. local time that electric services had been restored to about 60% of what they had been prior to the quakes.

More than 14,000 officials were working in La Guaira, a hard-hit area north of Caracas, the capital, Rodriguiz said. Access to that area remained restricted as military and other officials searched the wreckage, she said.

A “saturation” of food and water had been surging into areas where supplies were needed, she added.

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said on social media Friday that President Donald Trump and Sec. of State Marco Rubio have reached out in support following the deadly earthquakes.

“I received a call from President Donald Trump and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who reaffirmed the United States Government’s support during this difficult time for Venezuela,” Rodriguez said.

At least 30 search teams from various countries were searching the rubble in Venezuela on Friday, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which said it had organized at least 17 teams.

The foreign teams included more than 1,600 personnel and more than 100 dogs, the agency said.

“After an earthquake, the first 72 hours are critical to saving lives,” the agency said on Friday, adding that in the search for survivors “every second matters.”

The post Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela: Death toll rises appeared first on NEWSMAN.

John Bolton indicted on classified documents charges. The guilty plea makes Bolton thus far the only successfully prosecuted case in Trump’s campaign of retribution against those he perceives to be his political enemies.

Bolton had faced 18 counts of unlawful transmission and retention of national defense information for allegedly sharing notes with his wife and daughter — some of which contained information classified as high as “Top Secret” — during his time serving in the first Trump administration.

Bolton changed his plea to guilty with respect to count 12 of his indictment.

Sitting in court Friday alongside his attorney Abbe Lowell, Bolton answered a series of questions from Judge Chuang, acknowledging his rights and his voluntary decision to plead guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

When asked if he was pleading guilty because he is, in fact, guilty, Bolton responded to Chuang: “I am, Your Honor, I’m sorry for it.”

Judge Chuang set Bolton’s sentencing hearing for Oct. 28.

According to terms of the plea agreement outlined by prosecutors in court, the government will not seek a sentence of more than 60 months and Bolton has agreed to forfeit approximately $2.2 million to resolve the case.

Judge Chuang will ultimately have final discretion over how much time Bolton could serve, if any.

Bolton also agreed to serve 100 hours of community service and is forfeiting any retirement pay tied to his time in federal service.

The count he pleaded guilty to involves keeping classified national security information in diaries, according to sources. Bolton was expected to maintain that he did not take documents with classification markings out of government offices.

“Mr. Bolton knew how to handle classified information, where it should be stored, how it should be stored, and with whom he could share that information,” U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes told reporters outside court following Bolton’s guilty plea. “He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information. Nevertheless, as Mr. Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law.”

Hayes said the specific count Bolton pleaded guilty to involved Bolton’s unlawful retention of intelligence about an adversary’s plans for an attack conducted against U.S. forces in another country.

“It contained human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods, and it discussed a covert action program,” Hayes said.

Prosecutors had accused Bolton of using a non-government personal email account and messaging application to transmit to two unauthorized family members at least eight documents that contained information classified at levels ranging from “Secret” to “Top Secret.”

The post John Bolton pleads guilty of mishandling classified information appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The board voted 7-1 in favor of the rent freeze on Thursday night, as tenants, packed inside El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem, unleashed unbridled joy and relief through delivering on a signature campaign promise for Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The decision will freeze rent increases on one- and two-year leases on rent-stabilized apartments.

The vote considered issues including taxes, wages and inflation when making the decision.

Rent-stabilized apartments are in buildings built between 1947 and 1974 with more than six units, or through a tax incentive program which protects tenants from unpredictable annual rent hikes. It, however, only applies to roughly 41 percent of the city’s rental housing stock.

Mamdani had campaigned on freezing the rent when he ran for mayor last year, one of the key issues that catapulted his candidacy into City Hall to lead the most populous city in the United States.

“This is a historic victory for New York City tenants. After reviewing the data and hearing from New Yorkers across the city, the independent RGB has delivered a freeze on one-year leases, and the first-ever freeze on two- year leases in our city’s history. This is the relief that working people across our city deserve,” Mayor Mamdani said in a statement.

Mayor   has insisted that landlords can weather a rent freeze, but landlords lambasted the decision, who say they are struggling with rising costs, like fuel, oil and insurance. They say a rent freeze would hurt their ability to maintain buildings.

Mamdani also has insisted that the board is independent and that its members would make up their own minds.

“I look forward to the outcome, the decision that they will make,” Mamdani said. “It’s an independent Board, and we trust them to make the decision they come to.”

In a statement following the vote, James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), said, “Tonight’s vote may be politically popular, but it will make New York’s housing crisis worse.”

Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association (NYAA) said the freeze will “destroy the living conditions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.”

While the outcome seemed like a foregone conclusion, it did not come without drama.

On Thursday morning, hours before the vote, Christina Smyth, a board member appointed by the landlords, abruptly resigned, claiming the outcome was never in doubt.

“The Rent Guidelines Board has stopped being a fact-finding body,” she said in her letter. “This rebuilt board was required to deliver a rent freeze. Everything since has been theater.

The hearings, the reports, the public comment, the data. None of it was ever going to change the result.”

Under the Adams administration, landlords received 12% rent increases, while their net operating incomes rose by 30%.

Renters who struggle with affordability said they can’t afford an increase.

In March, the Mamdani administration launched a new programme to expedite that process and speed up the construction of affordable housing on city-owned properties by cutting red tape. The city created a pool of pre-approved developers that shortened the process by eight months, as well as faster land-use approvals that could speed up construction projects by as much as two years.

The post New York City has passed a rent freeze for nearly 1 million rent-regulated apartments appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The transcript of Bill Gates’ testimony was released. Gates told lawmakers he believed the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was preparing to blackmail him over his extramarital affairs. The Department of Justice said last year it found no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.

Bill Gates tells Oversight panel that meeting with Epstein was a ‘grave error in judgment’

“I was not blackmailed, but, you know, as you look at these emails, you know, it looks like Mr. Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction,” Gates said about materials from the Epstein files released earlier this year by the Department of Justice. “It appears that in many cases he, at least in emails to himself, was sort of rehearsing how either he or he coaching someone else might choose to blackmail me, but none of those messages were ever sent to me.”

After Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tried to end his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender attempted to use compromising information about Gates’ extramarital affairs to force his way back into Gates’ life — but never explicitly threatened him, Gates told the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, according to a transcript of the closed-door session released Tuesday.

Gates, according to the transcript, said Epstein used an adviser to send him “veiled” threats, appeared to coach Gates’ adviser on how to potentially blackmail him, and mixed fact and fiction to leverage compromising information against the software billionaire.

During the interview, Gates acknowledged having at least three extramarital affairs, though he said that Epstein was involved with none of the women and that Epstein only learned about them after he and Epstein had cut ties.

Gates told lawmakers that his interactions with Epstein were limited to business, that he never witnessed Epstein commit a crime, and that he did not suspect that the women who were traveling with the disgraced financier were victims of sex trafficking. Asked about photos showing him with some of Epstein’s victims, Gates said Epstein occasionally asked to take photographs of Gates with women who Gates said he believed were Epstein’s assistants.

“I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates told lawmakers.

Gates told the Oversight panel that he first began to meet with Epstein in 2011 because he thought the financier’s purported connections with the wealthy could help advance the Gates Foundation’s global health work. When they first began to meet, Gates said he was aware of Epstein’s “bad reputation stemming from his criminal conviction,” but continued to see Epstein.

“I was aware that he had a criminal conviction,” Gates said. “I knew that it was of a sexual nature, but, no, I don’t think I knew, dug into the specifics, although I probably should have.” 

Gates said he only became aware of the full extent of Epstein’s crimes in 2018 after the Miami Herald’s in-depth reporting on Epstein’s lenient deal with federal prosecutors.

Gates said he thought the other high-profile individuals with whom Epstein socialized helped create an “image of legitimacy,” acknowledging that his own relationship with Epstein likely bolstered that image.

“I was so focused on the possibility of raising funds for global health that I allowed that goal to override my better judgment,” Gates said. “If the time I spent with Epstein lent him credibility, I am deeply sorry. I’ve learned a significant lesson and am now far more careful about who I engage with, even in a limited capacity.” 

Describing Epstein as a “dilettante” with a surface-level knowledge of science and academics, Gates said that Epstein suggested he “provided advice to lots of billionaires” who might be able to advance philanthropic causes.

“He talked about Wall Street billionaires, he talked about Middle East billionaires. He made it sound very extensive … maybe for me to have a good impression of him,” Gates said.

While Gates insisted that his meetings with Epstein “weren’t social,” he recounted that some of those dinners involved “wide ranging discussion” with academics and bankers, including one dinner that included entertainment from magician David Blaine. Gates also said that Epstein repeatedly invited him to his private island, as well as an erotic show in Paris — invites that Gates said he refused.

According to Gates, his science adviser claimed they could likely go backstage to meet some of the performers that Epstein had dated, but Gates said he did not want to be spotted at an erotic show with Epstein.

“It wasn’t consistent with the relationship I had with Epstein,” Gates said. “I guess not only is my appearing at an erotic event a risk to my reputation, it would be compounded by appearing with somebody who, although I didn’t know the full extent of it, had been convicted of a sexually related crime.”

After occasionally meeting with Epstein for about three years, Gates said he began to express concerns that Epstein was “stringing” him along with his claims that he could deliver “meaningful philanthropic support.” According to Gates, Epstein set up a series of meetings in 2014 with high-profile individuals including hotel billionaire Thomas Pritzker, media billionaire Mort Zuckerman, and private equity investor Leon Black to demonstrate his connections to purportedly help Gates’ philanthropy work, though Gates said the meetings were a “dead end.”

“At that point, I concluded Epstein would never deliver on his promises. I told him we would go no further and stopped communicating or meeting with him,” Gates told the panel. 

After Gates tried to cut ties with Epstein in 2014, he said the disgraced financier attempted to force his way back into his life, including by leveraging his knowledge of Gates’ extramarital affairs.

While Gates said he never disclosed the affairs to Epstein, he speculated that Epstein learned about the indiscretions through his relationship with Gates’ science adviser Boris Nikolic. Gates said that Nikolic was aware of the affairs because of their close relationship, including at least one instance when he used meeting with Nikolic as an alibi to rendezvous with one of the women.

“One time it was a scheduling thing, when we were in London, where I said to him I was going to disappear and wanted him to show that I was meeting with him at that time,” Gates said.

When Nikolic began the process of leaving the Gates Foundation, he engaged Epstein to help him negotiate the terms of his departure, Gates said. Epstein traveled to Seattle at one point to assist in Nikolic’s negotiation, Gates said, and Nikolic eventually began to make “veiled” threats via email.

“It’s hard to characterize the Epstein stuff because there was never a direct threat of any kind. There was always this veiled language like ‘we should remain friends,’ you know, which made me wonder what Dr. Nikolic had shared with him,” Gates said.

Asked about two draft emails released by the Department of Justice seemingly written by Epstein on behalf of Nikolic, Gates said the notes — which vaguely referenced the affairs and suggested that Gates has contracted a sexually transmitted disease — appeared to be part of a plot to attempt to “blackmail” him.

While Gates acknowledged at least three affairs, he explicitly denied contracting a sexually transmitted disease from the affairs, suggesting Epstein mixed falsehoods with known compromising information to use as leverage.

“If those emails that contained some truth and some false things were ever sent, then we could say there was an attempt at blackmail that never happened,” Gates said.

After he severed his relationship with Epstein, Gates claimed that the disgraced financier attempted to force his way back into his orbit, including by seeking reimbursement for money he claimed to have paid a woman with whom Gates had an affair. He told lawmakers that Epstein had nothing to do with the relationship and said he was unaware of any money that Epstein may have paid the woman, telling lawmakers that he believed the requests for payment were a “tactic [for Epstein] to reengage” him.

“I’d never asked him to do anything with respect to the person we’re discussing, so I was rather surprised. That was the first time I knew explicitly that he’d become aware of that affair,” Gates told lawmakers.

The post Bill Gates told House panel Epstein was plotting to blackmail him about extramarital affairs appeared first on NEWSMAN.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch issued a statement confirming the searches, saying the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau was working alongside the FBI in executing search warrants “as part of a criminal investigation being pursued by the NYPD, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.”

“The investigation is ongoing and concerns conduct by former and current members of the NYPD,” she said.

The investigation is targeting current and former police executives, according to a report by ABC News.

The investigation is examining, among other things, promotions and assignments and how they were carried out ABC report also mentioned.  

Commissioner Tisch in her statement did not identify potential suspects or charges.

“When I became Police Commissioner, I promised New Yorkers that under my leadership the NYPD would conduct itself with integrity and that there would be a thorough investigation of any claim that members of service failed to meet that standard,” Tisch said. “This investigation and our actions this morning are part of the ongoing effort to fulfill that commitment and hold the Department to its highest ideals.”

The investigation was targeting the current chief of Manhattan South, Jimmy McCarthy, who has been placed on modified duty, according to the NYPD. Another target is the department’s former chief spokesman, Tarik Sheppard, according to ABC news.

The post FBI, NYPD search sites around New York City appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The case centers on a city contract issued during the Adams administration, according to the ABC News.

Carone and the others were expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday. Their indictment remained sealed on Wednesday, so the exact charges were not immediately known.

Carone helped with Adams’ transition into office in January 2022 and served as the mayor’s chief of staff until that December, when he departed the administration. He said as he departed that it had been an “honor keeping the trains running for this administration,” according to a press release from the time.

The post Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams to aid arrested appeared first on NEWSMAN.