INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6874, 6874, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP on Sunday asked its leaders and activists at all levels to stand beside people in the coastal areas as the severe cyclonic storm Mocha has started crossing the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar at noon.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ve already instructed our leaders and activists at all levels to stand by the people at this time of extreme natural disaster and provide the coastal people with all possible assistance,” said party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also hoped that the country’s people will tackle the natural calamity with courage as they did in the past.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“At the same time, we also call upon the government to stand by all people rising above politicization,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">said people in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, and Chattaogram have started experiencing the peripheral effects of the cyclonic storm which may complete crossing Bangladesh coast in the afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the latest bulletin of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), cyclonic storm Mocha has started crossing the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar and the neighbouring country Myanmar’s north coast with a speed of up to 215 km per hour (kmph).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tariful Newaz Kabir, a meteorologist of the BMD, told UNB that the cyclone has started crossing Cox’s Bazar and “it will completely cross Bangladesh between afternoon and evening today (May 14, 2023).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drizzling, accompanied by a gusty wind, has started in St Martin’s Island and nearby Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar soon after the cyclonic storm Mocha started crossing Bangladesh’s coast this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BMD said the maximum sustained wind speed near the storm\'s center was about 190 kph, rising to 215 kph, in gusts or squalls. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 14:27:05', '2023-05-14 14:27:05'),
(6875, 6875, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Sunday said there is no possibility of tidal surge due to cyclone Mocha.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Low tide started in the morning and Mocha is now progressing with 65 km wind speed and maximum wind speed near the cyclone centre is about 220 km. So there is no possibility of tidal surge,” he said while talking to reporters at the secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>The authorities concerned have taken sufficient preparation this time, Enamur said adding that already seven lakh people have taken shelter in the cyclone shelters.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has taken all necessary measures at the cyclone shelters and already dry foods, pure drinking water, water purification tablets and cash money have been sent to the shelter homes while the beach area vacated after the announcement of great danger signal, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the announcement of great danger signal 10 in Cox’s Bazar, many people were seen taking selfie, said the minister. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked me over phone to take step to control people on the beach,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the presence of curious people on the beach, the minister said the law enforcement agencies drove them out and all tourist activities were suspended, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 16:05:57', '2023-05-14 16:05:57'),
(6876, 6876, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thousands of people hunkered down Sunday in monasteries, pagodas and schools, seeking shelter from a powerful storm that slammed into the coast of Myanmar, tearing the roofs off buildings and killing at least three people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The center of Cyclone Mocha made landfall Sunday afternoon in Myanmar\'s Rakhine state near Sittwe township wind speeds up to 209 kpm (130 mph), Myanmar\'s Meteorological Department said.</div><div><br></div><div>Myanmar\'s military information office said the storm had damaged houses, electrical transformers, cell phone towers, boats and lampposts in Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, and Gwa townships. It said the storm also tore roofs off of sport buildings on the Coco Islands, about 425 kilometers (264 miles) southwest of the country\'s largest city, Yangon.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 4,000 of Sittwe\'s 300,000 residents were evacuated to other cities and more than 20,000 people are sheltering in sturdy buildings such as monasteries, pagodas and schools located on the city\'s highlands, said Tin Nyein Oo, who is volunteering in shelters in Sittwe.</div><div><br></div><div>Many local people live in areas more than 3 meters above sea level, where residents believe the storm surge cannot reach, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The storm has not yet entered, so we don\'t have much difficulty. However, there are too many people in the shelters and not enough toilets,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Lin Lin, the chairman of a local charitable foundation, said earlier there was not enough food in the shelters in Sittwe after more people arrived than expected.</div><div><br></div><div>Titon Mitra, the U.N. Development Program representative in Myanmar, tweeted: \"Mocha has made landfall. 2m people at risk. Damage and losses are expected to be extensive. We are ready to respond and will need unhindered access to all affected communities.\"</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday morning, several deaths caused by wind and rain were reported in Myanmar. A rescue team from the country\'s eastern Shan state announced on its Facebook social media page that they had recovered the bodies of a couple who were buried when a landslide caused by heavy rain hit their house in Tachileik township. Local media reported that a man was crushed to death when a banyan tree fell on him in Pyin Oo Lwin township in the central Mandalay Region. In Sittwe, a cell phone tower collapsed under high wind and other buildings were damaged, local media reported.</div><div><br></div><div>In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar with a storm surge that devastated populated areas around the Irrawaddy River Delta. At least 138,000 people died and tens of thousands of homes and other buildings were washed away.</div><div><br></div><div>Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune city, said cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are becoming more intense more quickly, in part because of climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>Climate scientists say cyclones can now retain their energy for many days. Cyclone Amphan in eastern India in 2020 continued to travel over land as a strong cyclone and caused extensive devastation.</div><div><br></div><div>\"As long as oceans are warm and winds are favorable, cyclones will retain their intensity for a longer period,\" Koll said.</div><div><br></div><div>Cyclones are among the most devastating natural disasters in the world, especially if they affect densely populated coastal regions in South Asia. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 17:26:38', '2023-05-14 17:26:38'),
(6877, 6877, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that it will take two days to improve the power and gas supply situation in the country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“The current disruption in power and gas supply will improve as one of the two terminals will resume supply within two days,” he told reporters at his office in the ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that after the suspension of gas supply from two floating LNG terminals, one terminal left its place for safe location while another one remained stationed at its own location.</div><div><br></div><div>The suspension caused huge shortage in gas supply that triggered the current level of load shedding across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“But I hope, gas supply will resume from one terminal within two days which will improve the situation with the supply of 400 mmcfd gas,” he said adding that it will take 10-12 days to resume gas supply from the other LNG terminal, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said with the grace of Almighty Allah, no big disaster happened in the power and gas sector.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 19:18:44', '2023-05-14 19:18:44'),
(6878, 6878, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Sunday said there is no possibility of tidal surge due to cyclone Mocha.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Low tide started in the morning and Mocha is now progressing with 65 km wind speed and maximum wind speed near the cyclone centre is about 220 km. So there is no possibility of tidal surge,” he said while talking to reporters at the secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>The authorities concerned have taken sufficient preparation this time, Enamur said adding that already seven lakh people have taken shelter in the cyclone shelters.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has taken all necessary measures at the cyclone shelters and already dry foods, pure drinking water, water purification tablets and cash money have been sent to the shelter homes while the beach area vacated&nbsp; after the announcement of great danger signal, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the announcement of great danger signal 10 in Cox’s Bazar, many people were seen taking selfie, said the minister. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked me over phone to take step to control people on the beach,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the presence of curious people on the beach, the minister said the law enforcement agencies drove them out and all tourist activities were suspended, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 19:34:00', '2023-05-14 19:34:00'),
(6879, 6879, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government may allow import of onion anytime soon, said Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akhter.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“The import of onion has been suspended considering the interest of farmers. This year onion production in the country has been more than 34 lakh tonnes. Additionally, there are 18.30 lakh tonnes of onions in stock. Although there is no reason behind increase in onion price this time, we are seeing a hike in onion prices in the market.”</div><div><br></div><div>“The Ministry of Agriculture is always monitoring the onion market. If prices continue to rise, onion import will be considered soon,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>She made the remarks at a meeting held at the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>In the meeting, the Department of Agricultural Extension presented information on the production, demand and import of onion.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the DAE statistics, onion production in the country has increased by more than one million tonnes in the last two years.</div><div><br></div><div>This year alone, more than 34 lakh tonnes of onion has been produced in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>But due to lack of proper storage or adverse environment, 30-35% of onions are wasted.</div><div><br></div><div>The demand for onion in the country is 26 to 28 lakh tonnes per year, according to information provided by the DAE.</div><div><br></div><div>At present, the production cost of one kg of local onion is Tk 28-30. In 2021-22, the market price of local onion was low (Tk 30-35) due to open imports.</div><div><br></div><div>As the farmers did not get a fair price the Ministry of Agriculture temporarily suspended the import of onion this year to encourage the farmers in onion cultivation, according to the DAE.</div><div><br></div><div>Agriculture Ministry Additional Secretary Rabindra Shree Barua, Director General of The Department of Agricultural Extension Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Marketing Md Masud Karim and Deputy Secretary of the Extension Wing of the Ministry Munsur Alam Khan were present at the meeting. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 19:52:23', '2023-05-14 19:52:23'),
(6880, 6880, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has has been ruled out for around six weeks with a finger injury, the cricket board said on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Shakib hurt the tip of his right index finger attempting a catch during Friday\'s second one-day international against Ireland at Chelmsford, England, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"An X-ray today (Saturday) confirmed a fracture on the base of the index finger. Such injuries usually take around six weeks to heal,\" national team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said.</div><div><br></div><div>The injury means Shakib is not available for Sunday\'s final ODI against Ireland.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh currently lead the three-match series 1-0.</div><div><br></div><div>They won Friday\'s second match by three wickets, knocking off a target of 320 runs after the opening match of the series was rained off.</div><div><br></div><div>Sunday\'s ODI against Ireland is the final fixture of the ICC ODI Super League in the current cycle. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 20:42:44', '2023-05-14 20:42:44'),
(6881, 6881, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The “eye” or the centre point of most powerful cyclone Mocha in two decades made its landfall in south-eastern coastline ahead of the speculated timeline, making its way through the Naf River that divided Bangladesh and Myanmar.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“The ‘eye’ or the centre point of the cyclone made its landfall shortly after the midday today on the Teknaf shorelines, coming through the Naf River, ahead of the time what we had speculated,” Bangladesh met office spokesman AKM Nazmul Huda today BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>But, he said, the tail or the rest part of the severe storm, which was categorized as very dangerous Cat 5 cyclone, might take more time to land or cross the coastlines.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Quamruzzaman of Teknaf, which visibly bears the worst brunt of the cyclone, said the wind was blowing at a speed of over 200 kilometres per hour in Taknaf and its southernmost part Shahpori Dip along the Bay of Bengal.</div><div><br></div><div>“The weather is frightening because of the very high velocity of wind but we are yet to see the much feared massive tidal surges,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather officials said the Naf River was currently witnessing high-tide that began at 11 am and would continue until 5 PM, contrary to the low-tide in Cox’s Bazar, which started at 9 am and continued till 3 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>The officials and residents in Cox’s Bazar said cyclone Mocha was bringing with it heavy rain and winds of up to 195kph (120mph) and feared which could trigger dangerous flooding on land around the Bay of Bengal.</div><div><br></div><div>The storm surges of up to four metres could swamp villages in low lying areas but tensions grew about amid speculations that the storm could ravage the world’s largest refugee camp in Teknaf where over a million Rohingyas took makeshift refugees to evade persecution in their homeland in Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh authorities, however, moved to safety some half a million people while many of the Rohingyas living in risky foothills were relocated amid fears of mudslides. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 21:02:06', '2023-05-14 21:02:06'),
(6882, 6882, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations of all education boards scheduled for Monday (May 15) were postponed as cyclone Mocha is making landfall over Bangladesh-Myanmar coast .</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday, the SSC exams of the six education boards-Chattogram board, Cumilla board, Jashore board, Barishal board, Bangladesh Madrasa Education board and Technical Education board-for May 14 and 15 were postponed.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee issued a notice in this regard signed by its chairman Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar on Sunday (May 14, 2023).</div><div><br></div><div>The SCC exam for May 15 was postponed as it will be held on a single question in all boards, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The revised schedule of the postponed exams will be announced later and exams will continue as per schedule from May 16, it reads. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 21:04:17', '2023-05-14 21:04:17'),
(6883, 6883, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Polls have closed in the most pivotal elections in Turkey\'s modern history, to decide if Recep Tayyip Erdogan stays president after 20 years in power.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>His main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, promises to scrap many of the powers acquired by President Erdogan after he survived a failed coup in 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>Buoyed by a broad opposition alliance, he has a real chance of winning.</div><div><br></div><div>Two issues have troubled Turkey\'s 64 million voters more than anything: soaring inflation and two earthquakes.</div><div><br></div><div>But many voters are also looking for change after two decades.</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Kilicdaroglu promises this Nato member state a path back towards a pro-Western, more democratic stance, while President Erdogan\'s Islamist-rooted government has accused the West of plotting to bring him down.</div><div><br></div><div>The race has become febrile in recent days and voters queued at polling stations even before they opened.</div><div><br></div><div>In Antakya, one of the cities hardest hit by the February earthquakes, more than 100 buses arrived bringing people displaced by the disaster so they could vote. Eleven of the country\'s provinces have been affected.</div><div><br></div><div>To secure outright victory on Sunday, the winner needs more than 50% of the vote. Otherwise it goes to a run-off in two weeks\' time.</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Kilicdaroglu, 74, arrived at a packed polling station at an Ankara school to chants of \"everything will be all right\", while one voter shouted out \"grandpa\", which has become a term of affection for young voters.</div><div><br></div><div>Sima, who came with her friend Pilay to welcome him, said she was excited at the thought of change after more than 20 years. According to BBC reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 21:43:40', '2023-05-14 21:43:40'),
(6884, 6884, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the filing of a case involving Ziaur Rahman in the killing of three freedom fighter army officers, including Col Khondkar Nazmul Huda Bir Bikram, in November, 1975 is part of a \"far-reaching political conspiracy of the government\".</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“A complete omnipresent lie was brought to the fore again after 48 years. It’s totally intentional. The only purpose behind it is to mislead people when they (people) have started taking to the streets to restore their democratic rights,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said the case was filed also to confuse people as there is a strong national and international pressure on the government to hold the next election under an impartial government.”</div><div><br></div><div>\"An attempt is being made to mislead the nation by raising such a falsehood and a 48-year-old issue. They (govt) have a far-reaching political conspiracy behind this. This is part of their plot,” he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Thursday, Col Khondkar Nazmul Huda Bir Bikram’s daughter Naheed Izaher Khan filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka over the killing of her father on November 7, 1975.</div><div><br></div><div>In the case, Naheed made Maj (retd) Abdul Jalil of the 10th East Bengal Regiment accused and claimed that the killing was carried out as per Ziaur Rahman\'s instruction.</div><div><br></div><div>Protesting the filing of the case against their party founder, Fakhrul said Naheed, an MP of the current parliament formed through the night-time rigged voting and a beneficiary of the current ‘fascist‘ government led by Sheikh Hasina, may not have read the book written by her own mother Nilufar Huda about the incident happened on November 7, 1975.</div><div><br></div><div>In her book titled “The War of Colonel Huda and Me”, he said Nilufar Huda clearly mentioned that Ziaur Rahmann ordered Colonel Nawazish that day to protect Khaleda Musharraf, Col Nazmul Al-Huda and Major ATM Haider.</div><div><br></div><div>On page no. 134 of the book written by Nilufar Huda, the BNP leader said the involvement of Colonel Taher (Abu Taher) behind the killing (of three army officers) was described in clear language.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was also revealed (in the book) that JSD Ganobahini circulated among the members of the army that Col Huda and others were Indian spies as per the instruction of Col Taher, four days before the killing incident. “Major General Amin Ahmed Chowdhury also wrote the same in the introduction to the book,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul bemoaned the cruel irony of history is that Col Huda\'s daughter Naheed is raising her voice in the same tune with her father\'s ‘killers’ JSD- Ganobahini deputy chief Hasanul Haque Inu and Colonel Taher\'s brother Waresat Hossain Belal as MPs of a Parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>“She made Ziaur Rahman accused of ordering the killing of her father, who actually had given the order to save her father… In fact, Naheed Izaher Khan has filed a case against martyred President Ziaur Rahman mentioning him as order giver for her father\'s killing as she was used as a pawn of the fascist Awami quarter,” he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cohorts are continuing various conspiracies to divert the anti-fascist movement in a different direction. “This case is just a disgusting example of that conspiracy.”</div><div><br></div><div>He warned the party rank and file that such plots by the government will continue in the future, reports UNB. </div><div><br></div><div>He said, “We would like to say that we’ll foil all the plots together with people by establishing a non-partisan caretaker government ousting fascist regime.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 21:56:14', '2023-05-14 21:56:39'),
(6885, 6885, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 10,000 houses were damaged in Cox\'s Bazar, with 1,200 of them being on vulnerable St Martin\'s Island off the coast of Teknaf.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Despite the widespread damage, there were no reports of casualties as of filing this report.</div><div><br></div><div>Cox\'s Bazar city, Sadar upazila, Maheshkhali upazila, Kutubdia upazila, and Ramu upazila were all hit by the cyclone, and locals are fearful of the potential for massive losses being uncovered as people return to their daily lives at home.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran has confirmed that the cyclone\'s fury has ceased and that the 2.5 lakh people in shelters will be able to return home pending the authorities\' green light.</div><div><br></div><div>“However, the extent of the damage is still being assessed and will be reported later,” the DC said.</div><div><br></div><div>The cyclone caused extensive damage in Teknaf and St. Martin, with a lot of trees falling in isolated areas of St. Martin, Teknaf Sadar and Municipal areas, Sabrang, Dailpara, and Jadimura.</div><div><br></div><div>People have been seen removing trees from roads in different areas.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kamruzzaman, there are reports of extensive damage in Teknaf and Saint Martin, with trees being uprooted and houses being destroyed in some areas.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Chairman of St Martin union parishad, Mujibur Rahman, said that although the wind speed has decreased in St Martin since evening, many houses have been blown away, and some people have been injured.</div><div><br></div><div>More accurate, precise measures of the damage done by Mocha will have to wait till tomorrow, most probably. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-14 22:43:21', '2023-05-14 22:43:21'),
(6886, 6886, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A run-off between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his main challenger looks increasingly likely, after Turkey\'s most closely-fought election in decades.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey\'s Supreme Election Council says Erdogan is on 49.49% of the vote, with his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu on 44.79%, with nearly all the votes counted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">If neither men secure 50%, there will be a second poll in two weeks\' time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan has told his AK Party supporters in Ankara that he is ready for a run-off poll if necessary, but believes he can still win outright.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kilicdaroglu has vowed to win the election in a second round, saying his rival failed to get a vote of confidence from the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The election comes against the background of soaring inflation and in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 07:14:49', '2023-05-15 07:14:49'),
(6887, 6887, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine has no plans to hit targets in Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in Germany, where Kyiv secured a big new defence aid package.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are not attacking Russian territory,\" he said after talks in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are preparing a counterattack to de-occupy the illegitimately conquered territories,\" Mr Zelensky added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Scholz vowed to back Ukraine \"for as long as it is necessary\", promising €2.7bn (£2.4bn) worth of weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This includes advanced German Leopard tanks and more anti-aircraft systems to defend Ukraine from almost daily deadly Russian missile and drone attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Zelensky described the new tranche as \"the largest since the beginning of the full-scale aggression\" by Russia in February 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The war has transformed Germany\'s attitude towards Ukraine, moving from being a reluctant supplier of military hardware to virtually doubling its contribution overnight, the BBC\'s Jenny Hill in Berlin says.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia accuses Ukraine of repeatedly hitting targets inside Russia, including a reported drone attack on Moscow\'s Kremlin earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine denies the accusations, while also stressing that it has a legitimate right to use force and other means to fully de-occupy its territories currently under Russian control. These include four regions in the south and east, as well as the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later on Sunday, President Zelensky travelled to the western city of Aachen to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize awarded this year to him and the Ukrainian people. The honour is given for efforts to foster European unity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Ukraine incarnates everything the European idea is living for: the courage of convictions, the fight for values and freedom, the commitment to peace and unity,\" EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the award ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Previous winners include Winston Churchill, Pope Francis and Bill Clinton.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In other developments on Sunday:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine\'s air force says it destroyed 25 drones and three cruise missiles launched by Russia in yet another massive overnight attack</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Six people were killed and another 16 injured in the past 24 hours in Russian shelling of Ukraine-held areas in the eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One person was killed in Sunday\'s Russian artillery attack on the southern Kherson region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mobile internet is temporarily suspended in the Russian-seized areas of the eastern Luhansk region because of increased shelling by Ukrainian troops, Moscow-installed officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Zelensky flew to Germany from Italy overnight, his plane escorted by two German Air Force fighter jets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Rome, the Ukrainian leader met Italian President Sergio President Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He also had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Argentine pontiff said he was constantly praying for peace in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Pope also stressed the urgent need to help \"the most fragile people, innocent victims\" of the Russian invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Ms Meloni assured Mr Zelensky of Rome\'s support for united Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader arrived in Paris, where he went to the Élysée Palace for a working dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 07:19:12', '2023-05-15 07:19:12'),
(6888, 6888, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pacer Mustafizur Rahman bowled impeccably to claim 4-44 in his comeback match as Bangladesh overcame an Ireland scare to secure a thrilling four-run victory in the third and final ODI to take the series 2-0 at County Ground in Chelmsford, England today.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first game was washed out before Bangladesh win the rain-hit second ODI by three wickets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Put into bat first, Bangladesh were bowled out for 274 in 48.5 overs but held nerve to defend it, restricting Ireland to 270-9. By doing so, Bangladesh kept its record intact of not losing any ODI game to the Irish since 2010.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Ireland were again close to the victory, thanks to its resounding batting of the top order with Paul Striling leading the way with 60. Captain Andrew Balbirnie made 53 and Lorcan Tucker scored 50. Harry Tector who hit a century in the previous game added 45.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mustafizur broke through with the wicket of Stephen Doheny but Stirling and Balbrinie combined for 109-run for the second wicket that genuinely kept Ireland’s hope to get a victory finally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fast bowler Ebadot Hossain had Balbirnie caught by Rony Talukder to end the dangerous partnership before Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed the wicket of Stirling who struck four fours and two sixes in his knock.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker further resisted, adding 79-run for the fourth wicket as Ireland further appeared to close in on victory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Najmul Hossain Shanto’s occasional spin accounted Tector to give Bangladesh a crucial breakthrough and then Mustafizur got into act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Ireland were on course of the victory, Mustafizur who was overlooked in the first two matches, claimed three wickets in his next three overs at a stretch to rock the Ireland batting line up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ireland never recovered from that collapse as they fell agonizingly short. Hasan Mahmud grabbed 2-44 to play a perfect foil to Mustafizur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier skipper Tamim Iqbal finally hit a half-century after nine matches as Bangladesh posted a total not looked daunting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh were on course of a 300 plus total but tasted a sensational collapse that saw them losing five wickets for 13 runs toward the end to be wrapped up with seven balls still to play.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tamim who survived on just 1 after his opposite number Andrew Balbirnie put down a regulation catch at second slip off fast bowler Jos Little in the third over of finally made 69 off 82, hitting six fours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the Bangladeshi batters found their but simply failed to capitalize, a reason that resisted their chance to go past 300-run mark.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mushfiqur Rahim made 45 off 54 with three fours and one six while Najmul Hossain Shanto, the centurion of the previous game and Liton Das who moved down to No.4 position scored identical 35 runs.&nbsp; Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 37.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mark Adair was the most successful Irish bowler with 4-40 while George Dockrell and Andy McBrine claimed two wickets apiece.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rony Talukdar, one of the two debutants for Bangladesh alongside Mrittunjoy Chowdhory had a forgettable start to his ODI career as he replaced Liton in opening position with Tamim after the Tigers were asked to bat first.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a shaky start, he opened his account with a boundary in the 12th ball he faced but a rash shot saw him being dismissed just two balls later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fresh from his maiden century, Shanto started with some confident shots before Craig Young, the only change for Ireland, dismissed him, caught by Balbirnie at slip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tamim and Liton Das combined for a 70-run partnership for the fourth wicket to lay a platform, but failed to make it bigger as Andy McBrine struck to have him caught by Adair at mid-off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">George Dockrell gave the side a double delight, removing Towhid Hridoy (13) and Tamim Iqbal in quick succession to bring the side back into the contest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With Bangladesh at 186-5, it looked all gloomy but Mushfiqur and Miraz added 77-run for the sixth wicket to raise a prospect of 300 plus total.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However McBrine broke through again with the wicket of Mushfiqur and then Adair did the rest, running through the innings in impeccable fashion as Bangladesh lost last five wickets for just 13 runs. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 08:58:53', '2023-05-15 08:58:53'),
(6889, 6889, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Some 2,826 shanties were damaged in the Rohingya camps in Teknaf and Ukhiya due to the impact of Cyclone Mocha, according to a report prepared by the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the government\'s point man on the ground in Cox\'s Bazar.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report that was circulated around 11pm on Sunday also said 7 refugees were injured during the storm.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although fully reliable accounts may take at least another day to emerge, initial reactions and assessments from some officials on the ground and experts with a focus on the Rohingya situation indicate that the refugee camps close to the border with Myanmar, which bore the brunt of the \'very severe\' cyclonic storm, managed to escape the worst of Mocha.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNB was keeping an eye on a number of their accounts on social media, especially Twitter, which they use regularly to organize and coordinate and ‘get the word out’.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the Rohingyas currently housed in Bhasan Char were evacuated to the 53 cyclone shelters on the island as a preventive measure before the storm struck, those in the Cox’s Bazar camps mostly stayed put, with efforts leading up to the storm concentrating on fortifying their modest dwellings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNHCR BGD, the UN Refugee Agency’s office in Bangladesh, tweeted at about 9.30pm on Sunday: “Timely evacuations of people at risk to communal shelters in the refugee camps, led by Rohingya refugee first responders with the support of the Government of Bangladesh &amp; humanitarian agencies, helped save lives during #CycloneMocha.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The chief of mission of the IOM,&nbsp; Abdusattor Esoev, tweeted right as the storm was making landfall: “As one of the leading agencies of the #RohinygaResponse, IOM has taken all necessary initiatives to respond to the cyclone, in coordinating with #GoB &amp; other humanitarian actors.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Couple of hours later, he tweeted again: “Strong wind of #CycloneMocha, though milder than expected, is damaging facilities in #RohingyaRefugees&nbsp; camp. We will need to restore them along with all damaged shelters once the Cyclone is over.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The IOM is the coordinating agency behind the ISCG, or Inter Sector Coordination Group, aka Rohingya Refugee Response, an umbrella of numerous organisations involved in the effort over the last 6 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group’s principal coordinator, Arjun Jain, who is based in Cox’s Bazar, tweeted at about 10pm Sunday: “CycloneMocha has left Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar stands down from Signal 10 to 3. We escaped the eye of the storm, but the damage is still extensive.&nbsp; Rains continue. The risk of landslides is real. Thx to GoB and to #Rohingya #refugee volunteers. Data forthcoming.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Islamic Relief Bangladesh, a charity group involved in the humanitarian efforts in the camps, tweeted photos of IRB staffs and volunteers supporting the Rohingyas to repair their damaged shelters at camp 7 Ukhiya,&nbsp; immediately after the landfall of cyclone Mocha.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This isn’t to say there are no images or reports of roofs getting blown off, or caving in, trees getting knocked down onto the shelters,&nbsp; and what not.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Twitter account of Rohingyatographer Magazine, which showcases “ independent photography from a collective of Rohingya photographers in the world\'s largest refugee camp”, has been full of such images since Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet even they tweeted, seemingly in relief, around 11.15pm Sunday: “CycloneMocha left Bangladesh. #Rohingya Refugee Camp escaped from the Cyclone. Despite, huge numbers of shelters and facilities being damaged. Camps in Teknaf were severely affected.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides there have been no casualties reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We will see these claims get substantiated, or not, in the coming days. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 09:08:52', '2023-05-15 09:08:52'),
(6890, 6890, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Following Cyclone Mocha passing through yesterday, Dhaka\'s air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 94 at 8:45 am, Dhaka ranked 17th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s Lahore, China’s Beijing and Chengdu occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 172, 162, and 157, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 10:08:10', '2023-05-15 10:08:10');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6891, 6891, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled his country with an increasingly firm grip for 20 years, was locked in a tight election race early Monday, with a make-or-break runoff against his chief challenger possible as the final votes were counted.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The results, whether they come within days or after a second round of voting takes place in two weeks, will determine if a NATO ally that straddles Europe and Asia but borders Syria and Iran remains under Erdogan\'s control or resumes the more democratic path promised by his main rival, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking to supporters in Ankara, Erdogan, 69, said he could still win but would respect the nation\'s decision if the race went to a runoff vote in two weeks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We don\'t yet know if the elections ended in the first round. ... If our nation has chosen for a second round, that is also welcome,\" Erdogan said early Monday, noting that votes from Turkish citizens living abroad still need to be tallied. He garnered 60% of the overseas vote in 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year\'s election largely centered on domestic issues such as the economy, civil rights and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. But Western nations and foreign investors also awaited the outcome because of Erdogan\'s unorthodox leadership of the economy and often mercurial but successful efforts to put Turkey at the center of international negotiations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the unofficial count nearly completed, voter support for the incumbent had dipped below the majority required for him to win reelection outright. Erdogan had 49.3% of the vote, while Kilicdaroglu, had 45%, according to the state-run news agency Anadolu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will absolutely win the second round ... and bring democracy\" Kilicdaroglu, 74, the candidate of a six-party alliance, said, arguing that Erdogan had lost the trust of a nation now demanding change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey\'s election authority, the Supreme Electoral Board, said it was providing numbers to competing political parties \"instantly\" and would make the results public once the count was completed and finalized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The majority of ballots from the 3.4 million eligible overseas voters still needed to be tallied, according to the board, and a May 28 runoff election was not assured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Howard Eissenstat, an associate professor of Middle East history and politics at St. Lawrence University in New York, said Erdogan was likely to have an advantage in a runoff because the president\'s party was likely to do better in a parliamentary election also held Sunday. Voters would not want a \"divided government,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan has governed Turkey as either prime minister or president since 2003. In the run-up to the election, opinion surveys had indicated the increasingly authoritarian leader narrowly trailed his challenger.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the partial results showing otherwise, members of Kilicdaroglu\'s center-left, pro-secular Republican People\'s Party, or CHP, disputed Anadolu\'s initial numbers, contending the state-run agency was biased in Erodgan\'s favor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Erdogan\'s Justice and Development, or AK, party, in turn accused the opposition of \"an attempt to assassinate the national will.\" He called the opposition claims \"irresponsible.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Erdogan hopes to win a five-year term that would take him well into his third decade as Turkey\'s leader, Kilicdaroglu campaigned on promises to reverse crackdowns on free speech and other forms of democratic backsliding, as well as to repair an economy battered by high inflation and currency devaluation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Voters also elected lawmakers to fill Turkey\'s 600-seat parliament, which lost much of its legislative power after a referendum to change the country\'s system of governance to an executive presidency narrowly passed in 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anadolu news agency said Erdogan\'s ruling party alliance was hovering around 49.3%, while Kilicdaroglu\'s Nation Alliance had around 35.2% and support for a pro-Kurdish party stood above 10%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That the election results have not been finalized doesn\'t change the fact that the nation has chosen us,\" Erdogan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 64 million people, including the overseas voters, were eligible to vote and nearly 89% voted. This year marks 100 years since Turkey\'s establishment as a republic — a modern, secular state born on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Voter turnout in Turkey is traditionally strong, despite the government suppressing freedom of expression and assembly over the years and especially since a 2016 coup attempt. Erdogan blamed the failed coup on followers of a former ally, cleric Fethullah Gulen, and initiated a large-scale crackdown on civil servants with alleged links to Gulen and on pro-Kurdish politicians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Internationally, the elections were seen as a test of a united opposition\'s ability to dislodge a leader who has concentrated nearly all state powers in his hands and worked to wield more influence on the world stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan, along with the United Nations, helped mediate a deal with Ukraine and Russia that allowed Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world from Black Sea ports despite Russia\'s war in Ukraine. The agreement, which is implemented by a center based in Istanbul, is set to expire in days, and Turkey hosted talks last week to keep it alive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Erdogan also has held up Sweden\'s quest to join NATO while demanding concessions, contending that nation was too lenient on followers of the U.S. based cleric and members of pro-Kurdish groups that Turkey considers national security threats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Critics maintain the president\'s heavy-handed style is responsible for a painful cost-of-living crisis. The latest official statistics put inflation at about 44%, down from a high of around 86%. The price of vegetables became a campaign issue for the opposition, which used an onion as a symbol.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In contrast with mainstream economic thinking, Erdogan contends that high interest rates fuel inflation, and he pressured the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey to lower its main rate multiple times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan\'s government also faced criticism for its allegedly delayed and stunted response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that left 11 southern provinces devastated. Lax implementation of building codes is thought to have exacerbated the casualties and misery.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his election campaign, Erdogan used state resources and his domineering position over media to try to woo voters. He accused the opposition of colluding with \"terrorists,\" of being \"drunkards\" and of upholding LGBTQ+ rights, which he depicts as threatening traditional family values in the predominantly Muslim nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a bid to secure support, the Turkish leader increased wages and pensions and subsidized electricity and gas bills, while showcasing Turkey\'s homegrown defense and infrastructure projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Paychecks, or putting food on the table doesn\'t necessarily surmount the identification one feels for one\'s own political party,\" Eissentat, the university professor, said. \"Erdogan\'s efforts at polarization, demonization of the opposition as traitors and as terrorists, the use of culture wars, ... that\'s all made to play on those dynamics.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kilicdaroglu\'s Nation Alliance pledged to return Turkey\'s governance system to a parliamentary democracy if it won both the presidential and parliamentary ballots. It also promised to restore the independence of the judiciary and the central bank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have all missed democracy so much. We all missed being together,\" Kilicdaroglu said after voting at a school in Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also seeking the presidency was Sinan Ogan, a former academic who had the backing of an anti-immigrant nationalist party and more than 5% of votes tallied so far. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 10:48:42', '2023-05-15 10:48:42'),
(6892, 6892, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As the effects of Cyclone Mocha have passed, regular flights are starting at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport this morning (May 15, 2023).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Director of the Airport, Group Captain Taslim Ahmed, said regular flights will depart from Shah Amanat International Airport from today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, due to inclement weather caused by Cyclone Mocha, the authority suspended flights at Shah Amanat International Airport from 6 am on May 13 after Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued the No. 8 disaster signal in Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, all activities of Chattogram port were suspended since May 12 night due to fear of damage from Cyclone Mocha. Ships were being brought back to the jetty and outer anchor early today.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Meteorological Department has asked Chattogram port to hoist local cautionary signal number 3 after the impact of Cyclone Mocha has passed. After the situation became normal, the Chittagong Port Authority decided to withdraw its alert-4 and normalise the port operations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The port will be fully operational from this morning, said Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Md. Omar Farouk. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 10:51:18', '2023-05-15 10:51:18'),
(6893, 6893, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 13 people were killed when a passenger van and a semi-truck collided on a highway in northeastern Mexico on Sunday, local authorities said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vehicles crashed on a road between the cities of Zaragoza and Hidalgo in the border state of Tamaulipas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Civil protection authorities are responding, and so far they are reporting 13 people deceased,\" Tamaulipas security officials said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Images shared by authorities showed the passenger van almost entirely destroyed by fire, with the semi-truck also severely burned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The number of victims could increase, said an official from the prosecutor\'s office, who did not want to be identified, as there were indications that the truck driver\'s family was with him and may have died too.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early indications were that the driver may have fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local media reported that more than 20 people may have died in the crash and resulting fire, but first responders were still working to fully understand the situation at the scene, the prosecutor\'s office official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victims may have all been members of one family who had rented the van to drive to the northern city of Monterrey in Veracruz, local media reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Road accidents have increased in recent years in Mexico, usually due to high speeds, poor vehicle conditions or driver fatigue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Civil organizations have demanded stricter regulations to curb the toll. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 10:54:10', '2023-05-15 10:54:10'),
(6894, 6894, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address a press conference this afternoon to brief the media about the outcome of her recent tri-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The press conference will be held at her official Ganabhaban residence at 4pm tomorrow (Monday) \"Prime Minister\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS yesterday .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On April 25, Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Tokyo on a four-day official visit to Japan on the first leg of her tri-nation visit. She went to Japan at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her stay in Tokyo, Sheikh Hasina and her Japanese counterpart witnessed the exchange of eight instruments, mostly memorandums of understanding, signed between Dhaka and Tokyo to boost cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, metro-rail, industrial up-gradation, ship-recycling, customs matters, intellectual property, defence, ICT and cyber security.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Premier had a courtesy call on the emperor of Japan Naruhito and held a bilateral meeting with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Premier also attended an investment summit and a community reception alongside handing over the \"Friends of Liberation War Honour\" to four Japanese nationals on April 27 for their contribution to Bangladesh\'s Liberation War in 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She, as well, attended several additional bilateral meetings with Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as well as leaders of JAICA, JETRO, JEBIC, JBPFL and JBCCEC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the second leg of her visit to Washington DC, the Prime Minister attended a programme marking the 50 years of Bangladesh-World Bank partnership and some side events that include a roundtable with US business leaders and several meetings with WB\'s incoming president Ajay Banga and managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva alongside a civic reception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the third leg of her visit to London, the Premier attended the coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as the King and the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms from Washington DC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In London, Sheikh Hasina had interaction with King Charles III, and a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">British foreign minister James Cleverly along with his wife Susannah Sparks also called on her at her place of residence, the Claridge Hotel in London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She had a meeting with Bhutanese king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and queen Jetsun Pema there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former prime minister of UK Tony Blair and Commonwealth secretary general Baroness Patricia Scotland also met the Bangladesh prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina returned home from London on May 9. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 13:02:27', '2023-05-15 13:02:27'),
(6895, 6895, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The budget session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad will begin from May 31, said a parliament secretariat release here today.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The session will begin at 5pm with Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President M Shahbuddin convened the 23rd session of the parliament exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the clause (1) of article 72 of the constitution, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 1, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will present the national budget of 2023-24 financial year during this session. The parliament will pass the proposed budget on June 25. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 13:12:06', '2023-05-15 13:12:06'),
(6896, 6896, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin today arrived here on a four-day official visit to his hometown.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Head of State reached Pabna Zila Stadium at about 12 noon by a helicopter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is his maiden visit to Pabna after assuming office as the 22nd President on April 24, 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President was received by Jatiya Sangsad\'s Deputy Speaker Advocate Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku, local lawmakers- Ahmed Firoz Kabir, Golam Faruk Prince and Nadira Yeasmin Joly, Awami League district unit President Rezaur Rahim Lal and senior officials of the local administration with a bouquet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Shahabuddin was given a guard of honour at the Pabna Circuit House premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President\'s spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana, son Mohammad Arshad Adanan Rony, senior civil and military officials and secretaries concerned to Bangabhaban accompanied the President. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 13:30:21', '2023-05-15 13:30:21'),
(6897, 6897, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary polls in Türkiye ended with another victory for incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party, according to unofficial results as of 2 a.m. on Monday</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adding another victory to his two decades of wins, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dominated the polls in presidential elections on Sunday, according to unofficial results. As of 2 a.m. on Monday, Erdoğan had 49% of the vote. His Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also secured a high number of seats in the simultaneous parliamentary polls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing his supporters after midnight at the AK Party headquarters in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan said they were waiting for the \"outcome of the national will,\" but they had a \"clear lead, though unofficial results have been announced.\" Erdoğan had secured 49% of the vote as he spoke according to the initial unofficial results. \"Türkiye has proven once again that it is among world\'s leading democracies with its commitment to superiority of national will, freedom of its citizens in their political choices,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We believe that we will win this election with more than 50% of the votes,\" Erdoğan also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdoğan and his main rival, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, did not secure more than 50% of the vote, setting up a runoff vote scheduled for May 28.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After an uneventful vote that ended at 5 p.m. local time, a tense night prevailed in Türkiye as ballot boxes were opened. The opposition bloc of six parties repeatedly opposed the vote count, claiming their candidate Kılıçdaroğlu was ahead of incumbent President Erdoğan. They contested the official results and cried foul over results announced by the public news agency Anadolu Agency (AA).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu called on their supporters to remain vigilant at the venues where votes were counted, “to stand guard at the ballot boxes.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the early hours of the vote count, Erdoğan criticized the opposition parties for claiming they were leading in the presidential and parliamentary elections while the vote count was still underway. Erdoğan slammed what he called a \"robbery of political will\" by the opposition in a tweet late Sunday. His statements came amid allegations from the opposition that the vote results were manipulated or delayed and amid pro-opposition media outlets publishing their own results. \"The May 14 elections were held in peace and have been a festival of democracy. It is a reflection of Türkiye\'s democratic maturity. As we carried out the elections in such a positive and democratic atmosphere and as the votes are still being counted, rushing the declaration of the results means robbery of political will,\" he said. Erdoğan said he was pleased with the reflection of the nation\'s will in the ballots and urged his supporters to stay at the venues where ballots are being counted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Some people are in the kitchen and here we are, on the balcony,\" Erdoğan told the vibrant crowd. A \"Balcony speech\" is a tradition of Turkish politicians emerging victorious in the elections. Erdoğan had earlier mocked Kılıçdaroğlu for shooting videos in his house\'s kitchen, instead of embracing people on the street.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our country wrapped up another festival of democracy. It seems like the count of votes across the country and abroad will take a little more time,\" he said. \"We are unlike those trying to deceive people. We know we have a clear lead but we await the manifestation of national will since official results are not clear yet,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president thanked \"brothers and sisters\" who voted for the People\'s Alliance. \"The winner is, undoubtedly, our country, our nation. Türkiye once again proved it is among the world\'s leading democracies thanks to its adherence to the supremacy of national will. We proved it through a record turnout. It is unique in the world. This is the highest turnout in our history,\" he highlighted. He said statements of CHP administrators and \"some mayors\" did not change this fact. \"In our political life, we have always respected the national will and we will do so in future elections too. The People\'s Alliance knows what to do, and we expect the same democratic maturity from others,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have 2.6 million more votes than our closest rival and I believe this will be far higher. We don\'t know if it is going to a runoff, but we will gladly accept it if our nation decided for a runoff; yet, we believe it will end in the first round,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Not having official results does not change the fact that we have a clear lead. Those who have seen the elections will tell the future generations the political climate Türkiye went through to reach the \'Century of Türkiye,\'\" he said, referring to his ambitious vision for a series of reforms and economic development. \"They will see this as a saga of the nation\'s will,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Supreme Election Council (YSK) head Ahmet Yener announced that 91.93% of the ballot boxes were opened as of 2:25 a.m. on Monday. He said 36.85% of the ballot boxes from overseas were opened so far. DS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 14:05:01', '2023-05-15 14:05:01'),
(6898, 6898, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Welcoming Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook, Australia has said it seeks a region where “no country dominates, and no countries are dominated,” and the country thinks building a region like that requires efforts by all countries in the region.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We welcome the Bangladesh government’s Indo-Pacific Outlook in that context. I particularly welcome the point in the Indo-Pacific Outlook that argues for an inclusive region,” Australian Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said while responding to a question from UNB in a group session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He laid emphasis on a “strategic equilibrium” where each country is able to make its own choices about its future -- “free from coercion”, and where sovereignty is respected. Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook echoes many of Australia\'s shared principles for the region, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Watts said Australia\'s vision for the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean region is “peaceful, prosperous, and resilient” -- a region that is governed by rules, norms and international law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think that reflects the Australian government\'s desire for a region where the interests of small nations are respected, and where all countries can make decisions for themselves, and where their sovereignty is respected,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Watts said they acknowledged that the Indo-Pacific faces significant challenges -- shifting geopolitics, climate change, maintaining the health of the blue economy, the source of millions of jobs across fishing, tourism, mining, and transport, and economic recovery in a post-Covid-19 world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he is very confident that with greater cooperation and partnership, they can create a region that meets the aspirations for being open, inclusive and secure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said the views of Bangladesh are particularly noteworthy because of its standing as a progressive and successful developing economy that is making its fullest contribution to regional growth and prosperity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to Bangladesh, which released its Indo-Pacific Outlook on April 24, 2023, he said, \"By doing so, Bangladesh joined a number of countries ranging from ASEAN and East Asia to Europe and North America in articulating its thinking on this important subject.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maritime Security</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a UNB question on maritime security cooperation, the Australian Assistant Foreign Minister said his country has recently sent a defence advisor to its High Commission in Dhaka and, reciprocally, they will welcome a defence advisor from Bangladesh in Australia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“From our perspective, that defence adviser is a symbol of our intention and willingness to cooperate on defence matters,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the maritime space in particular, Watts said, Australia supports study on the different elements of maritime governance, maritime domain awareness, and law of the sea training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But I think, the key point and the point that I really underlined in my contribution to the Indian Ocean conference this (last) week, is that if we want the region to operate in that way, all countries need to contribute to it,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Energy Cooperation</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Watts said Australia is a “trusted and reliable” energy supplier to many countries around the world, and as the world transitions to green economy and clean energy, Australia believes that they can be a renewable energy superpower.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So we are making very significant contributions and commitments within our own domestic market to transition our economy and our energy generation to renewable energy. A big part of that transition is investing in our green hydrogen industry,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Australian Assistant Foreign Minister said they believe that Australia has the solar and wind power resources, and space to generate enormous renewable energy that can be exported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia\'s proximity and the proximity of its green hydrogen hubs to Bangladesh, particularly on the northwest coast of Australia, create potential for green hydrogen to meet Bangladesh’s future energy needs, Watts said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has recently made an extensive visit to Australia, travelling to the four corners of Australia to see the scope of renewable energy assets that they have and the potential for green hydrogen exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So I think that visit is a good indicator of the potential for further cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh,” Watts said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 14:34:42', '2023-05-15 14:34:42'),
(6899, 6899, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked new Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre officers to work with patriotism and sincerity as country\'s development spree conducted by the government for the last 14 years isn\'t hampered in anyway.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You (BCS officers) should work sincerely as the change in development, we have made in the country for the last 14 years, cannot be hampered in anyway,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier was addressing the certificate-giving and closing ceremony of the 127th, 128th and 129th Law and Administration Training Courses for BCS admin cadres at BCS Administration Academy in city\'s Shahbagh this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She asked the fresh officers to imagine the condition of Bangladesh 14 years back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Isn\'t Bangladesh changed between 2009 and 2023 in every sector that include infrastructure development, food production, education, usage of digital system and others? Bangladesh has progressed a lot,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister, as well, directed the new officers to work with patriotism and devotion to continue the current development spree.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to assassination of the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975, she said Bangladesh had been advancing towards socio-economic development with over 9 percent GDP growth and stability at that time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the defeated force of 1971 is again hatching conspiracy to push the country back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also asked the fresh officers to expedite uplift works for ensuring country\'s overall development as it turned into a hunger-and-poverty free country as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said, \"In accordance with the article 21 (2) of the Constitution, the government employees are always bound to serve the people. So, I want you (new officers) to work as servants of the people\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said she became Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the footprint of her father (Bangabandhu).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I never think myself as a prime minister. I consider myself as a servant of people. My only duty is to serve them,\" Sheikh Hasina said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She called upon the new officers to go to the grassroots and work as servants of the people to ensure their welfare.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier also unveiled covers of three separate souvenirs--- Joy Bangla (127th), Rangin Bangladesh (128th) and Elated Bangladesh (129th) --- and a research paper under the supervision of the Prime Minister\'s Office (PMO) at the function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Senior Secretary of the Ministry Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury and Rector of the BCS Administration Academy Mominur Rashid Amin spoke at the programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A video documentary on the BCS Administration Academy was also screened. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 14:39:05', '2023-05-15 14:39:05'),
(6900, 6900, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have discovered novel gene mutations responsible for a rare illness that causes heart failure in youngsters. They were subsequently able to discover how the mutation works and apply medication to counteract its effects in cardiac muscle cells produced from the patient\'s stem cells.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The findings, published in late April in Circulation, suggest that treatments could be developed to manage the condition rather than requiring a heart transplant, which is the standard treatment for this condition in children.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Although much has been studied about heart failure in adults, there is still much to learn about the genetic causes of heart failure in infants,\" said Charles \"Chaz\" Hong, MD, PhD, Melvin Sharoky, MD Professor of Medicine and Physiology, Director of Cardiology Research, and Co-Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at UMSOM. \"Mutations in the gene we identified had been implicated in microcephaly in babies but not yet in human heart disease.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Infantile dilated cardiomyopathy is a common cause of heart failure -- responsible for about half of pediatric heart failure cases -- whose cause is most often unknown. Although relatively rare, occurring in about one in 200,000 births, infants with the condition have hearts that fail to contract as effectively, so they are not able to pump as much blood as they should.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This genetic mutation discovered by Dr. Hong and his colleagues was found to normally make a protein found in a cell structure, the centrosome, that functions as a tether for the cell\'s skeleton and is best known for its role during cell division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without this protein, muscle cells in the heart were unable to organize themselves neatly and did not contract as well, which in turn affected the heart\'s pumping, the researchers theorized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We originally dismissed our findings as artifacts that the cell division machinery would be involved in this kind of heart muscle dysfunction,\" said Dr. Hong. \"We thought that once the heart cells matured, this cell division machinery completely disappeared, but it turned out, it moves to a new location in the cell and takes on a new role in heart muscle function.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is the first human disease known to be caused by disrupting the transition in centrosome structure which normally occurs shortly after birth,\" said Matthew Miyamoto, the first co-author who worked on this project as a rising second-year medical student in Dr. Hong\'s laboratory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers then used the drug C19 that was known to organize centrosomes in developing heart muscle cells derived from the patient with infantile dilated cardiomyopathy. The drug restored organization of the developing heart muscle cells grown in a dish from the patient\'s stem cells and their ability to contract.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Because centrosomes play such a fundamental role in heart muscle development, specifically cell replication, structure, and function, a better understanding of this tissue-specific programmed process will be highly relevant to future cardiac regenerative therapy efforts,\" said UMSOM Dean, Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is also Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor.Dr. Hong added, \"It is only through collaborations between cardiologists, medical student trainees, and laboratory researchers that allowed this biomedical discovery which we hope will one day translate to medical treatments for children with this condition.\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 15:03:57', '2023-05-15 15:03:57'),
(6901, 6901, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As many as 10 people including three women died allegedly after consuming spurious liquor in Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu, officials said on Sunday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Six people hailing from Ekkiyarkuppam near Marakkanam in Villupuram district died on Sunday. In Maduranthagam in Chengalpattu district, two persons died on Friday and a couple died on Sunday, all caused due to illicit liquor consumption, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Currently, more than two dozen people are undergoing treatment and are said to be doing well,\" they said further.</div><div>Following the incident, Inspector General of Police (North) N Kannan assured proper actions and said that all 10 victims possibly consumed spurious liquor with ethanol-methanol substances in it.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that two separate incidents of spurious liquor deaths have been reported in the north zone of Tamil Nadu and as of now police don\'t found any evidence of a link between the two incidents but police are investigating from an angle to find any possible links between both the incidents.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Two spurious liquor incidents have been reported, one in Chengalpattu district and another one in Villupuram district. In Ekkiyarkuppam village under Villupuram district near Marakkanam, yesterday 6 were hospitalised with complaints of Vomiting, eye irritation, vomiting and giddiness. On information, a police team reached the village and admitted ill to the hospital. In this four have died as they didn\'t respond to the treatment while two are in the Intensive Care Unit. 33 are doing well with treatment,\" IG said while addressing a press conference at Villupuram on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, two more people died while undergoing treatment in ICU taking the death count to six in the Villupuram district and the overall death toll to 10.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In connection with the incident, a man identified as Amaran has been arrested and spurious liquor has also been seized from his possession. It has been sent to the lab to ascertain the presence of methanol in it,\" IG said further.</div><div><br></div><div>Detailing about the second incident in Chengalpattu district where 4 people died, IG N Kannan said, \"In the morning, one case was reported from Chithamur of Chengalpattu district where two persons of a family died. While another person was undergoing treatment in the hospital. Initially, we thought this could be a suicide attempt because of a family dispute but after watching their symptom we suspected it to be a spurious liquor incident.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Following this an alert was raised in the area. Later two more were admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. A total of four people died while the fifth is undergoing treatment. An autopsy has been done and in connection with the incident one accused named Ammavasai has been arrested,\" N Kannan added.</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned preliminary investigation and found that all deceased could possibly have consumed spurious liquor with ethanol and methanol mixed substances which could be the reason for death. \"In both incidents, a few accused are absconding and special teams are formed to trace and nab the accused,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that disciplinary actions have also been taken against the officials concerned. \"In the Villupuram Marakkanam, 2 inspectors and 2 sub-inspectors have been suspended. Likewise, in connection with the Chengalpattu incident, an inspector and 2 sub-inspector have been suspended,\" IG added. Source: ANI</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 16:12:36', '2023-05-15 16:12:36');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6902, 6902, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (May 15, 2023) apprehend that frequent climate-induced disasters may disrupt Bangladesh’s smooth transition from the LDC to developing country.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh has been recommended for graduation from the LDC by 2026. However, the frequent climate-induced disasters may disrupt our smooth transition. Climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction are, therefore, policy priorities of my government,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister expressed her apprehension in her pre-recorded video speech that was played in the 79th Annual Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on \"Accelerating Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific for Sustainable Development\" held in Bangkok, Thailand.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Bangladesh has been hosting 1.2 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals.</div><div><br></div><div>“Their overdue presence not only poses a serious security threat but also triggers a severe environmental degradation,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She reiterated her call to take concerted efforts to send them back to their homes in Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina put forward four proposals for UNESCAP for the betterment of the world to face the climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>The proposals are:</div><div>-Climate-vulnerable developing countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific, require adequate finances to implement their NAP as well as to achieve NDC targets.</div><div><br></div><div>-International Support Measures of knowledge sharing, technology transfer and innovation-driven trade and investment are to be placed for transition towards climate resilience growth for the graduating countries.</div><div><br></div><div>-Trade facilitation measures, digital trade and IT-enabled services should be available in the developing countries to deal with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and mitigate the challenges of climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>-Sub-regional cooperation is to be strengthened, especially accelerating the current partnership and developing new partnerships, for promoting the climate actions for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said that climate change is the real challenge of this time. The Asia and Pacific region, home to 60 percent of the world\'s population, is highly vulnerable to climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that this region is facing natural calamities like floods, cyclones, heat waves and droughts in an increased rate due to the impacts of climate change affecting lives and livelihoods.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world although its contribution to global emission is very negligible.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our development programs, therefore, focus on addressing climate-resilient development efforts,” she told the conference.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that her government has established \'Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009’ to help vulnerable communities. About 851 projects costing around half a billion US dollars have so far been executed under the fund.</div><div><br></div><div>In October 2022, she said, Bangladesh has submitted the National Adaptation Plan-NAP to UNFCCC. It has identified 113 interventions across 8 priority areas with a costing outlay of around 230 billion US dollar up to 2050.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh has also submitted an ambitious and updated Nationally Determined Contributions-NDC to the UNFCCC in 2021.”</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that the government has adopted the \'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100\', a 100-year strategic plan, for achieving a safe, climate-resilient prosperous delta.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Bangladesh is also implementing the \'Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan spanning from 2022 to 2041 with the vision of setting Bangladesh\'s development trajectory from vulnerability to resilience.</div><div><br></div><div>“Let us join our hands together to consolidate our partnership to fight against the perilous threats of Climate Change and make the world a safer and better place for our future generation,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 17:05:22', '2023-05-15 17:05:22'),
(6903, 6903, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations which were postponed due to cyclonic storm Mocha will be held after the completion of the written examinations, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The written test under nine general education boards, technical and madrasha boards will end on May 23 and the postponed examinations&nbsp; May 14 and May 15 will be held after the completion of the written test, she said while addressing a programme at Government Teachers’ Training College in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the&nbsp; SSC exams of the six education boards-Chattogram board, Cumilla board, Jashore board, Barishal board, Bangladesh Madrasa Education board and Technical Education board-for May 14 were postponed and then SSC exams of all education boards scheduled for 15 were postponed due to very severe cyclonic stom Mocha.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee issued two notices signed by its chairman Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar on Saturday and Sunday, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the new curriculum, Dipu Moni said the authorities have taken steps to implement the new curriculum to build a skilled and smart nation.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 17:18:25', '2023-05-15 17:18:25'),
(6904, 6904, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Launch services from Chandpur to all routes resumed on Monday morning after 60 hours of suspension due to Cyclone Mocha.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Shahadat Hossain said launch services resumed as per the decision of the higher authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>The launch services remained suspended from 11 pm on Friday.</div><div>Chnadpur ghat manager Faysal Alam Chowdhury said ferry operation from Harina ferry terminal in Chandpur and Alurbazar terminal in Shaiatpur resumed operation after 50 hours of suspension. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 20:06:28', '2023-05-15 20:06:28'),
(6905, 6905, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka has alone been experiencing more than 600 MW of load shedding during daytime when demand for electricity remains relatively low than nighttime.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>According to official sources, like the previous few days the country has been seeing over 2000 MW of power shortage.</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, consumers across the country are facing power outages for 6 to 7 hours in different spells during the day.</div><div><br></div><div>“After the evening, the situation will be deteriorating with the increase in demand,” said a top official of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) preferring anonymity.</div><div><br></div><div>He attributed the gas shortage for the severe situation in power supply.</div><div><br></div><div>“Actually, we have been getting lower supply of gas that forced us to keep at least 25 generation units across the country shut,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He, however, said that if the BPDB receives normal supply of gas, it can produce 6,500 MW of electricity from its gas-fired plants.</div><div><br></div><div>“But now we’re producing 4667 MW and about 1,833 MW of electricity is not available for gas shortage,” he noted.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, managing director Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) Md. Kausar Ameer Ali said that the area under the organization was experiencing a load shedding of 308 MW in the daytime.</div><div><br></div><div>“The Desco is receiving about 800 MW against a demand of 1111 MW,” he told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Desco is entrusted with the responsibility to distribute electricity in Dhaka city’s north, north-west and eastern parts while Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) is responsible for power supply in the south, southeast and central part of Dhaka city.</div><div><br></div><div>DPDC Managing director Bikash Dewan said that&nbsp; area under DPDC has been experiencing a shortage of about 340 MW which might be up after the evening.</div><div><br></div><div>said DPDC has been resorting to load shedding of more than 340 MW to manage a demand of more than 1600 MW as it has been receiving 1250 MW.</div><div><br></div><div>However, consumers are complaining that they have to experience a huge load shedding.</div><div><br></div><div>In some areas, people are allegedly experiencing power outages just in every alternative hour.</div><div><br></div><div>“Power cuts are frequent and we have been experiencing load shedding in every alternative hour,”&nbsp; said Abdus Selim, a resident in the city’s Niketan area.</div><div><br></div><div>The same experience was shared by Nazim Uddin who lives in Moghbazar area.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that it will take two days to improve the power and gas supply situation in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“The current disruption in power and gas supply will improve as one of the two LNG terminals will resume supply within two days,” he told reporters at his office in the ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that after the suspension of gas supply from two floating LNG terminals, one terminal left its place for safe location while another one remained stationed at its own location.</div><div><br></div><div>The suspension caused a huge shortage in gas supply that triggered the current level of load shedding across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“But I hope, gas supply will resume from one terminal within two days which will improve the situation with the supply of 400 mmcfd gas,” he said, adding that it will take 10-12 days to resume gas supply from the other LNG terminal. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 20:13:45', '2023-05-15 20:13:45'),
(6906, 6906, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Health and Family Planning Minister Zahid Maleque today said the government has recruited 70,000 healthcare professionals in the past three years to ensure better medical services to the people.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Among the newly recruited 70,000 medical professionals, 20,000 are physicians, 30,000 nurses and 20,000 are health workers,\" he told a conference at Nagasaki University School of Medicine memorial hall in Japan, an official release said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The conference titled \"International symposium, Advancing the global health agenda from Nagasaki\" was held at Nagasaki University School of Medicine.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Secretary of Medical Education Division Azizur Rahman and Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam also attended the conference.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The health minister said Bangladesh has made a remarkable progress in the past 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In order to improve overall healthcare system in the country, the government has upgraded 500 upazila hospitals to 50-bed ones with modern facilities, he added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the district hospitals has been upgraded to 250-bed ones while 22 healthcare institutes with 500-bed capacity have been established in Bangladesh, Maleque added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>There are 37 medical colleges with 1000-bed capacity in the country, he said, adding Bangladesh has established five medical universities.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Community clinics are marking significant contribution to providing medical services to the rural people, Maleque said, \"A total of 32 types of medicines are available in community clinics...Rural people are getting basic healthcare services from the community clinics.\" - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 20:20:43', '2023-05-15 20:20:43'),
(6907, 6907, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The maiden flight of EgyptAir left Dhaka on Sunday night at 8:30 pm with passengers filling all 309 seats.&nbsp; &nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Our inaugural flight, brand-new Boeing 787-9 aircraft having 309-seat with 30 business class left the capital city Dhaka for Egyptian capital Cairo,” Farhad Hossain, executive director and chief operating officer (COO) of Egypt Air Bangladesh office, told UNB.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said this was the first flight of the regular non-stop Dhaka-Cairo-Dhaka flight operations of the state-owned airline of Egypt.</div><div><br></div><div>Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Md. Mahbub Ali while addressing at the inaugural function on this occasion at the ShahJalal International Airport, said that the start of EgyptAir flight operations in Bangladesh is a milestone in the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.</div><div><br></div><div>It will help the tourists who would come to explore the multifaceted Egyptian tourism, he opined.</div><div><br></div><div>“As EgyptAir commences, its direct flights between Dhaka and Cairo will offer a great opportunity for different stakeholders intending to visit Egypt, Europe, and North America via Cairo, and would reflect exchanging businesses, cargoes, and also facilitate Bangladeshi students studying in Egyptian universities,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Farhad Hossain said as per the plan of EgyptAir, the airline will initially operate two weekly flights between Dhaka and Cairo.</div><div><br></div><div>The airline will operate flights to and from Dhaka twice weekly on Sunday and Wednesday with brand-new Boeing 787-9 aircraft.</div><div><br></div><div>Farhad Hossain said that commencing the flights on this route would boost tourism, trade, and business between the two countries.</div><div><br></div><div>He also informed that currently the ticket selling system is being conducted in a semi-digital system and travel agents are maintaining direct contact with EgyptAir’s Dhaka office in Safura Tower at 20, Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Banani.</div><div><br></div><div>He noted that EgyptAir is arranging different tour packages for passengers who want to visit historic places in the ancient Arab country.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, Egypt Air will become the sole operator of nonstop flights between Egypt and Bangladesh in the aviation history of Bangladesh, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Tourism industry insiders said that the launching of bilateral air connectivity between Egypt and Bangladesh will open an immense opportunity in the tourism sector for both the brotherly nations.</div><div><br></div><div>District manager of Egypt Air Mostafa Magdy Hussain said that the airline hopes the nonstop service will further boost leisure travel between the two countries and connect traffic through Cairo to the airline\'s onward destinations, such as the USA, Canada, Middle East, and Africa.</div><div><br></div><div>Highlighting his country as the cradle of modern civilization,&nbsp; he said: \"Egypt and EgyptAir welcome tourists and passengers from Bangladesh to enjoy the Egyptian hospitality and various cultural heritage,” reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, Egypt Air will become the sole operator of nonstop flights between Egypt and Bangladesh in the aviation history of Bangladesh, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 21:06:05', '2023-05-15 21:06:05'),
(6908, 6908, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said an election-time government could be formed with the parties in parliament although the next general election will be held in the country following the Westminster democracy of Britain.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We follow the Westminster type democracy. We\'ll hold the election as Britain does... Yes, we can show our liberality if anyone of the MPs (parties) in parliament expresses desire to join the election-time government. We are ready to welcome them,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier made this remark while addressing a press conference to brief the media about the outcomes of her recent tri-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom from April 25 to May 08, at Ganabhaban this afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that her party Bangladesh Awami League (AL) had shown such liberality earlier too, Sheikh Hasina said that before the national election in 2014, Khaleda Zia was asked to give her party\'s representation in that election-time government, but they didn\'t do that.</div><div><br></div><div>She added: \"Now they (BNP) are not in parliament. So, there is nothing to think about them,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, said that she has been working for the welfare of the people and if the people vote for her, she will stay in power, otherwise not.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, AL Presidium Members - Deputy Leader of the House Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Engineer Mosharraf Hossain - Planning Minister Abdul Mannan and PM\'s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, were present on the dais.</div><div><br></div><div>PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim moderated the press conference.</div><div>The Prime Minister said that the BNP is continuing their movement to oust the government, but the government is not doing anything over this.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But, whenever we were in the opposition, did they allow us to come to the street?\" she said, adding that they tried to kill her through grenade attack.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said that the government has no reservation on the movement of BNP, but it won\'t tolerate any arson violence.</div><div>\"If they wage movement, we\'ve no objection. But, if they resort to arson violence and burn any human being again, we\'ll not spare them. . . They can wage movement as much as they can,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>In this connection, the premier referred to the arson terrorism of BNP-Jamaat alliance in the past where they burnt over 500 schools, 3,800 vehicles, launches, 70 rails and 3,500 people as well.</div><div><br></div><div>She questioned whether anybody keeps the information of the people who received burn injuries during the arson terrorism of BNP-Jamaat.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I\'ve said that they can carry on their movement, but there is no reason to burn people . . . ,\" she said, adding: \"We wouldn\'t allow anyone to harm people.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the movement of BNP, Sheikh Hasina said that she knows who are getting benefit from the movement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They can wage movement as much as they can, it matters nothing to me as I am with the people. I am working for the people and people\'s trust and confidence is my big strength,\" she added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that she has nothing to lose, Sheikh Hasina said \"I\'ve lost my mother-father-brother. I am working for my people.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The AL chief noted that her party works a lot and that is why vested groups have become enemies of AL. \"It is natural, but I don\'t bother it as I am working for the country and want the people to stay well.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that her success is that she has been able to turn the country into a developing one but it would not be liked by those who opposed the country\'s independence, and killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I\'ve fulfilled my goal and the rest of it will be achieved, InshaAllah,\" she added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I would join election and the reason is that I didn\'t implement the full process of being a developing nation by 2024 due to Covid-19 and that is why my desire is to do it by 2026.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question if any talks will be held with those who (BNP) are now waging movement on the streets against the government, the Prime Minister said, \"Why would we go to call them for talks? Their demand is not specific as well.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question regarding the dollar crisis, she said that the dollar crisis is worldwide, not only in Bangladesh.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"There is no such crisis (in Bangladesh). The reserve of foreign currencies was only US$ 0.744 billion in 2006 during the BNP regime. That means less than one billion dollars. But, now we have a reserve of US$ 31.22 billion. So, there is not much reason to worry about it,\" she said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Replying to other questions, Sheikh Hasina said the IMF provided a loan to Bangladesh as the country has capacity to repay it and its economy didn\'t get poor yet.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She blasted a section of people who don\'t see any good side of the government, saying that they are blind despite having eyes.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She said now the rate of extreme poverty has come down to only 5 percent from 25 percent in the country.</div><div>The AL chief said they will declare developing \"Smart Bangladesh\" in her party\'s next election manifesto.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The premier ruled out any possibility of raising the age limit of entry to government jobs. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 22:08:43', '2023-05-15 22:08:43'),
(6909, 6909, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said she will always stand beside journalists as she always did in the past.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Tell me, what can I do for you (journalists)? I am always with you,\" she said</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said this while addressing a press conference on her tri-nation visit. Her comment was involved concerns regarding journalists’ welfare and announcement of dearness allowance against the backdrop of soaring inflation.</div><div><br></div><div>The press conference was held at her official residence—Ganabhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina returned home from London on May 9 after her 15-day official visit to Japan, the US and the UK.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said she has special feeling for the journalists as her father, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, worked as a journalist for some time.</div><div><br></div><div>She said her government has given a number of television channels and newspapers in private sectors aimed at generating employment for the journalists and ensuring their betterment.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said her government in 2015 announced dearness allowance for the government employees every year in line with the increased inflation.</div><div><br></div><div>She said they can do it as they are government employees.</div><div><br></div><div>But, she said, newspapers and TV channels are running under private ownership.</div><div><br></div><div>The owners of the media houses will take necessary measures to this end, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said she didn\'t know what the government can do in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>She, however, wanted to know from the journalist leaders what her government can do, assuring them of standing beside them.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said the owners of the media are rich and they have separate businesses, adding that they can take required measures to hike the salary of journalists.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 22:25:18', '2023-05-15 22:25:18'),
(6910, 6910, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Tayyip Erdogan led comfortably on Monday after the first round of Turkey\'s presidential election, with his rival facing an uphill struggle to prevent the president extending his rule into a third decade in a runoff vote on May 28.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Turkish assets weakened on the news, which showed Erdogan only just below the 50% threshold needed to avoid sending the NATO-member country to a second round of a presidential election viewed as passing judgment on his autocratic rule.</div><div><br></div><div>Erdogan\'s People\'s Alliance, comprising his Islamist-rooted AK Party and its nationalist partners, also appeared set to win a majority in Turkey\'s new parliament with 321 of the 600 seats, further boosting his chances in the presidential runoff.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The winner has undoubtedly been our country,\" Erdogan said in a speech to cheering supporters at the AKP headquarters in the capital Ankara overnight.</div><div><br></div><div>With most votes counted in the presidential contest, Erdogan had 49.51% and his main opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu 44.88%, High Election Board chairman Ahmet Yener told reporters. Turnout was a very high 88.8%.</div><div><br></div><div>Further boosting Erdogan\'s prospects, nationalist candidate Sinan Ogan, who placed third in Sunday\'s election, told Reuters in an interview he would only endorse Kilicdaroglu in the runoff if the latter ruled out any concessions to a pro-Kurdish party, parliament\'s third largest.</div><div><br></div><div>That party, the HDP, backs Kilicdaroglu but is accused of ties to Kurdish militants, which it denies.</div><div><br></div><div>The 2.8 million voters who backed Ogan in the first round could prove crucial for Kilicdaroglu if he is to defeat Erdogan.</div><div><br></div><div>Opinion polls had shown Erdogan, 69, trailing Kilicdaroglu, but the outcome suggested that the president and his AK Party were able to rally conservative voters despite a cost-of-living crisis and soaring inflation.</div><div><br></div><div>Kilicdaroglu, head of a six-party alliance, vowed to prevail in the runoff and accused Erdogan\'s party of interfering with the counting and reporting of results. He called on his supporters to be patient, but they were downcast on Monday. According to Reuters reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-15 22:33:04', '2023-05-15 22:33:04'),
(6911, 6911, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A long-awaited report has strongly criticised the FBI\'s handling of its investigation into alleged ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a 306-page report, special counsel John Durham said the agency\'s inquiry had lacked \"analytical rigor\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He concluded the FBI had not possessed \"actual evidence\" of collusion between Donald Trump\'s campaign and Russia before launching an inquiry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The FBI said it had addressed the issues highlighted in the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the report, Mr Durham - who was appointed by then-Attorney General William Barr in 2019 - accused the FBI of acting on \"raw, unanalysed and uncorroborated intelligence\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the investigative mistakes it made were repeated instances of \"confirmation bias\", in which it ignored information that undercut the initial premise of the investigation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report noted significant differences in the way the FBI had handled the Trump investigation when compared with other potentially sensitive inquiries, such as those involving his 2016 electoral rival Hillary Clinton.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Durham noted that Mrs Clinton and others had received \"defensive briefings\" from the FBI aimed at \"those who may be the targets of nefarious activities by foreign powers\". Mr Trump had not.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Department [of Justice] and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law,\" the report concluded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement, the FBI said it had \"already implemented dozens of corrective actions\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented,\" the statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The FBI investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, which was carried out by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, led to dozens of criminal charges against Trump campaign staff and associates for crimes including computer hacking and financial crimes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It did not, however, find that the Trump campaign and Russia had conspired together to influence the election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump said the Durham report showed that the \"American public was scammed\". He cited the report\'s conclusion that there had not been enough evidence to warrant a full investigation by the FBI. Mr Trump has long claimed that members of the \"Deep State\" are targeting him unfairly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year, Mr Trump said he believed the Durham report would provide evidence of \"really bad, evil, unlawful and unconstitutional\" activities and \"reveal corruption at a level never before seen in our country\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Durham report falls short of the blockbuster revelations and prosecutions that some Trump allies hoped for from the inquiry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The four-year investigation has resulted in three prosecutions. They include an FBI attorney who pleaded guilty to altering evidence while applying for permission to eavesdrop on a former Trump campaign official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two other people were acquitted on charges of lying to the FBI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former president cited some court filings by the Durham team as part of a lawsuit he filed against Mrs Clinton and several other Democrats and government officials, alleging that they had plotted to undermine his 2016 presidential bid by spreading rumours about his campaign\'s ties to Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A judge dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous in January and ordered Mr Trump to pay nearly a million dollars in penalties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Durham and his investigation are not likely to disappear from the national headlines in the immediate future.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shortly after news that the report would be publicly released, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan announced that he would be calling the US former attorney to testify before Congress about his work. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 07:30:04', '2023-05-16 07:30:04'),
(6912, 6912, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Curtis Jones scored twice as in-form Liverpool brushed aside hapless Leicester to maintain their recent winning streak and push the Foxes closer to Premier League relegation.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jurgen Klopp\'s side have won their past seven games to bolster their push for a top-four finish and now lie a point behind Newcastle and Manchester United, albeit having played a game more.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another dismal loss for Leicester leaves the 2016 Premier League champions firmly rooted in danger in 19th position, two points adrift of safety with only two games remaining.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Reds scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes through the same combination, Mohamed Salah twice feeding Jones who finished confidently to claim his first Premier League double.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It should have been 3-0 before half-time but home goalkeeper Daniel Iversen made a superb reaction save to deny Cody Gakpo from close range.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salah claimed his third assist in the second period by laying off a free-kick for Trent Alexander-Arnold to curl a sublime finish into the top corner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Liverpool maintain hunt for top-four finish</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Has Liverpool\'s charge for a Champions League spot come too late?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two Uniteds above them need two wins from their last three games to guarantee a top-four finish but Liverpool are right on their tails and poised to profit from any mishaps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Reds started slowly at Leicester, Luis Diaz smashing into the side-netting and Fabinho blazing over the pick of their early openings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they clicked into gear on the half-hour mark as midfielder Jones took his tally to three goals in his last four games.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His first was a controlled finish at the far post from Salah\'s deep cross and the second he thumped home following the Egyptian\'s through ball.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salah provided a hat-trick of assists by rolling the ball off for Alexander-Arnold\'s stunning second-half strike, but the Egyptian must wait for his 20th goal of the campaign after a remarkable miss late on, putting wide when through on goal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Liverpool face European-chasing Aston Villa at home on Saturday and round off their season against relegated Southampton knowing maximum points in those games may complete a stunning turnaround in an otherwise disappointing season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foxes continue wretched run</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leicester look doomed and are prime candidates to join Southampton in the Championship next season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foxes have collected just one win in their last 14 games - earning six points in total during that run - and lost at home for a club-record equalling 10th time this season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their frailties lie at the back where boss Dean Smith made another change by giving a start and handing the captain\'s armband to Jonny Evans, who has played one minute of top-flight football in the last seven months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it was ill-fated defensive partner Wout Faes - the scorer of two own goals in December\'s reverse fixture - who was culpable for both of Jones\' strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Belgian lost the flight of the ball for the first, failing to clear as the it dropped from the sky, and was caught out of position for the second, running out to intercept a pass without success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hosts had shown bright sparks early on but their confidence ebbed away alarmingly once they conceded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Harvey Barnes forced Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson into a fine flying save with a curling effort in the second half, but the sorry home side never looked like making a comeback.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foxes have fixtures remaining at Newcastle and home to West Ham as they bid to avoid the ignominy of relegation just seven years after their remarkable title triumph. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 07:39:04', '2023-05-16 07:39:04'),
(6913, 6913, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">There could only be one place for Thailand\'s youngest and most progressive party to celebrate its astonishing success in the election.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Move Forward and its supporters held their victory rally next to the art deco edifice known as Democracy Monument.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Situated right in the middle of the grandest boulevard running through Bangkok\'s historic royal quarter, it has long been a symbol of the country\'s frustrated democratic hopes, and the difficult relationship between those hopes and the exalted status of the monarchy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That relationship, once an unmentionable topic, is now on the agenda of the winning party. As is amending the lese majeste or 112 law, forbidding the insult of the monarchy, under which dozens of young protesters who often rallied at this same spot have been charged and jailed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lorries clad in the party\'s trademark orange circled the monument, its leaders waving at cheering supporters, many wearing orange ribbons in their hair and on their wrists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are so excited and happy,\" said Wiwan Sirivasaree, 35, and Narunphas Kornasavakun, 36, two women who stayed up all night to watch the results come in. \"We have waited four years for this, after what happened last time.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They were referring to Move Forward\'s previous incarnation Future Forward, which also performed well at the last election in 2019 on the back of a passionate young following, only to be dissolved by Thailand\'s Constitutional Court and have many of its MPs banned from politics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Move Forward has come back even stronger, and attracted the support of a much wider range of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think it is fair to say that the sentiment of the era has changed,\" said the Move Forward leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, at his first post-election press conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although the party\'s performance - giving it an estimated 151 seats - leaves it well short of a majority in parliament, it was so much stronger than predicted, and better than any other party, that it is being widely seen as a popular mandate for its reform agenda.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has now agreed with Pheu Thai, the second-largest party, which was also in opposition, to form a coalition government. With four smaller opposition parties, Mr Pita said, they do have a clear majority, and a mandate to govern.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people of Thailand have already spoken their wish, and I am ready to be the prime minister for all, whether you agree with me or disagree with me,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, this proposed coalition would not have sufficient seats to outvote its opponents and the unelected 250-seat senate - that, under the military-drafted constitution, is allowed to join the vote for the next prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the senators were appointed by incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, it is presumed that they will oppose a Move Forward-led administration. If that happens, there could be a long political stalemate in Thailand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Move Forward seems prepared to take that risk, as if daring the much-criticised senate to block them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"With the consensus which came out of the election there would be quite a hefty price to pay for someone who is thinking of abolishing the election result, or forming a minority government, and I think the people of Thailand would not allow that to happen,\" Mr Pita said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aside from the senators, the other unknown is whether the Election Commission or the Constitutional Court, two institutions notorious for their role in disabling previous elected governments, find some pretext for dissolving Move Forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In other countries when you have the largest two parties like this, combined, with control of more than half the lower chamber, you should be able to form a government,\" says Thitinan Pongsudhirak, from Chulalongkorn University. \"But in Thailand it is up to the referee agencies. And they have shown themselves not to be impartial.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As things stand, Move Forward says it is preparing for government, an unfamiliar experience for its new MPs, some of whom are young political activists with multiple criminal charges hanging over them for their street protests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If it is allowed to take office, the people of Thailand will have the youngest and most progressive government in their country\'s history. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 07:43:14', '2023-05-16 07:43:14');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6914, 6914, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Britain Monday won the promise of hundreds more missiles and drones -- and said his coveted goal of enlisting Western fighter jets was drawing nearer.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visit came as a Russian missile strike killed four people and hit a hospital in eastern Ukraine, but also as Zelensky\'s army readies a long-awaited counter-offensive against Russian troops with claimed gains around the flashpoint town of Bakhmut.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After meeting UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Zelensky said he was \"very positive\" about creating a \"jets coalition\" in the war against Russia, with a decision expected soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Western nations have balked so far at providing advanced jets to help Ukraine take command of the skies against Russia, although Sunak said the UK was preparing to open a flight school to train its pilots.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France, too, has now offered to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, President Emmanuel Macron said in Paris, but he ruled out sending war planes to Kyiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And while Russia\'s ally China vies to act as peace broker, sending an envoy to Kyiv this week, Zelensky drummed up hefty new packages of military aid on weekend visits to France and Germany.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He proceeded Monday to the UK prime minister\'s country estate of Chequers outside London. Sunak pledged air-defence missiles and long-range attack drones for Ukraine, both numbering in the hundreds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia said the new UK weapons would only cause \"further destruction\", and claimed to have downed a Storm Shadow cruise missile that Britain said last week it was providing, in the West\'s first deployment of long-range rocketry for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Spirit of Churchill -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sunak noted that the Chequers meeting was taking place in the buildup to a Council of Europe leaders\' meeting in Iceland and a G7 summit in Japan, as he hit out at Russian President Vladimir Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The front lines of Putin\'s war of aggression may be in Ukraine but the fault lines stretch all over the world,\" Sunak said, vowing: \"We must not let them down.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sunak hosted Zelensky in the same Chequers room used by Britain\'s World War II leader Winston Churchill to broadcast defiant speeches vowing victory over the Nazis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"And the same way today, your leadership, your country\'s bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all,\" he told Zelensky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dressed in his trademark fatigues, Zelensky gave a bear hug to Sunak after disembarking from a Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter, and thanked him for the latest UK aid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the crisis was a matter of \"security not only for Ukraine, it is important for all of Europe\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The timing and focus of Ukraine\'s high-stakes counter-offensive remain unclear, but Zelensky\'s tour of European capitals underscored the importance of securing Western heavy weapons and ammunition to press the fight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France offered dozens more light tanks and armoured vehicles, while Germany said it was preparing a new military package worth 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion) -- its biggest yet for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The British attack drones have a reach of more than 200 kilometres (125 miles), according to the UK government, complementing the long-range Storm Shadow missiles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In another sign of the tensions with the West, Russia said Monday it had scrambled a Su-27 fighter jet over the Baltic Sea to intercept two aircraft, one German and one French, which Moscow said had attempted to \"violate\" its airspace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After turning the foreign military planes away from the Russian Federation state border, the Russian fighter (jet) returned safely to its airbase,\" the Russian defence ministry said in a statement</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Chinese mediation -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighting on the ground appears poised to increase after months of stalemate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv said the southern region of Kherson came under \"massive enemy attack\", damaging several residential buildings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, seven people, including a Russian-installed senior official and a teenager, were injured in a blast in Russian-controlled Lugansk, local officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the search for an endgame continues, high-ranking Chinese diplomat Li Hui will start a two-day visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, a Ukrainian government official told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March and has been criticised for refusing to condemn Putin\'s war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the front line, Kyiv said Ukrainian forces had captured more than 10 Russian positions on the outskirts of Bakhmut, where a fierce battle for control began nearly a year ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia said two of its military commanders had been killed in combat near the town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The head of Russia\'s private Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin again accused the Russian army of inaction around Bakhmut.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Prigozhin dismissed as \"laughable\" a Washington Post report that he had offered information on Russian troop positions to Ukraine in January, in return for respite for Wagner forces near Bakhmut. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 09:58:46', '2023-05-16 09:58:46'),
(6915, 6915, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A fire ripped through a hostel in New Zealand’s capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee the four-story building in their pajamas in what a fire chief on Tuesday called his “worst nightmare.”</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fifty-two people had made it out of the building but firefighters were still trying to account for others, Wellington fire chief Nick Pyatt said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Loafers Lodge resident Tala Sili told news outlet RNZ that he saw smoke pouring through under his door and opened it find the hallway pitch black.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I was on the top floor and I couldn’t go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke, so I jumped out the window,\" Sili said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he fell onto a roof two floors below.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It was just scary, it was really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building,\" Sili told RNZ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he was rescued from the roof by paramedics and treated for a sprained ankle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Loafers Lodge offered basic, affordable rooms with shared lounges, kitchens and laundry facilities to people of a wide range of ages. Some were placed there by government agencies and were considered vulnerable because they had little in the way of resources or support networks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hostel is in an industrial area and features billboards on one side. Dark smoke stains extended up the exterior walls on the top story of the building.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pyatt said firefighters were called to the hostel at about 12:30 a.m. Emergency officials said the building had no fire sprinklers, which Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said was not required in New Zealand’s building code for older buildings that would have to be retrofitted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Residents told reporters that fire alarms would regularly sound in the building, possibly from people smoking or overly sensitive smoke monitors, so many had initially thought it was another false alarm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hipkins said the building was not currently safe for police to enter and it could take authorities some time to confirm the number of dead. He told the AM morning news program that he understood six people were dead and the number of fatalities would likely rise. Police said they did not have an exact count, although they believed the death toll was less than 10.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is an absolute tragedy. It is a horrific situation,” the prime minister told reporters. “In the fullness of time, of course, there will be a number of investigations about what has happened and why it happened. But for now, the focus clearly has to be on dealing with the situation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Health authorities said two people who had been in the building were being treated at hospitals and both were in a stable condition. Three others had been treated and discharged, while a sixth patient had chosen to leave before getting treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pyatt, the fire chief, said his thoughts were with the families of those who had perished and with the crews who had rescued those they could and tried to rescue those they couldn’t.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is our worst nightmare,\" Pyatt said. “It doesn’t get worse than this.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said city and government officials were helping about 50 people who escaped the fire and were at an emergency center the council set up at a running track that had showers and other facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said a number of elderly people had escaped the building with only the pajamas they were wearing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A lot are clearly shaken and bewildered about what happened,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Loafers Lodge is near Wellington Regional Hospital and has 92 rooms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hostel provided a combination of short-term and long-term rentals, MacLean said. He didn\'t have all the details, he said, but he believed it was used by various government agencies to provide clients with needed accommodation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters he\'d spoken with Hipkins and offered Australian assistance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a dreadful human tragedy,\" Albanese said. “I expressed my condolences on behalf of Australia to our friends in New Zealand at this very difficult time.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 10:50:19', '2023-05-16 10:50:19'),
(6916, 6916, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The mortal remains of renowned actor Akbar Hossain Pathan, popularly known as Farooque, arrived in Dhaka from Singapore this morning (May 16, 2023), a day after his demise.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The body was taken to his Uttara residence in the capital from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8:15 am, according to family members.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The body will be kept at Central Shaheed Minar from 11 am to 1 pm for all to pay their last respects to the beloved actor.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After that, the body will be taken to the premises of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and his first namaz-e-janaza will be held there after Zuhr prayer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 3:30 pm, the body will be taken to Channel i from BFDC, and finally it will be taken to Gazipur’s Kaliganj where Farooque will be buried after another janaza at Gulshan Azad Mosque in Dhaka at 5 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The actor breathed his last at the age of 75 while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Monday morning. He had been undergoing treatment there.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farooque was elected an MP from Dhaka-17 constituency in the last national election. He made his debut on the big screen in H Akbar\'s film \"Jolchhobi\". His performance in \"Lathiyal\" earned him a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1975.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was fondly known as \"Mia Bhai\" to the masses. He appeared in over 150 films in a career spanning more than five decades. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 11:04:50', '2023-05-16 11:04:50'),
(6917, 6917, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka’s air has been ranked the third most polluted in the world this morning (May 16, 2023).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 167 at 8:30 am, Dhaka’s air is deemed ‘unhealthy’.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and China’s Chengdu occupied the first, second and fourth places with an AQI of 917, 189 and 165 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 11:08:20', '2023-05-16 11:08:20'),
(6918, 6918, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States publicly released data on its nuclear arsenal Monday and pressed Russia to do the same after Moscow said it was suspending participation in New START, the last arms control treaty between the two powers.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The disclosure amounts to a quick shift by the United States, which said in March it would no longer share information under New START, reciprocating the move by Russia whose invasion of Ukraine has led to a nosedive in relations with the West.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The United States continues to view transparency among nuclear weapon states as extremely valuable for reducing the likelihood of misperception, miscalculation and costly arms competitions,\" a State Department statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The United States calls on the Russian Federation to comply with its legally binding obligations by returning to full implementation of the New START Treaty and all the stabilizing transparency and verification measures contained within it,\" it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing the data release as voluntary, the State Department said that the United States had 1,419 deployed nuclear warheads as of March 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The figure was down from 1,515 in March 2022 and within the 1,550 limit set by the treaty signed in 2010. Last year, Russia said it had deployed 1,474 nuclear warheads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US warheads are on 662 intercontinental ballistic missiles and other deployed delivery systems, down from 686 a year earlier and within the New START limit of 700. Russia reported 526 a year earlier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States again said it retained a total stock of 800 delivery systems, including those not deployed, the same as a year before and the maximum allowed by the treaty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">New START, a legacy of the Cold War, was signed by former presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev at a warmer point in relations and had the dual aims of limiting nuclear weapons and increasing transparency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Vladimir Putin, in a February address on the anniversary of his invasion of Ukraine, announced that Russia was suspending participation in the treaty although he stopped short of withdrawing from it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Joe Biden extended New START, which was set to expire, by five years immediately after entering office in 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The previous US administration of Donald Trump had held off on the treaty, saying it was unfair by making no demands of China, whose nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States but is expected to grow quickly. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 11:57:47', '2023-05-16 11:57:47'),
(6919, 6919, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Use of information and communication technology expanded significantly in all spheres of life in Rajshahi division to supplement the efforts of reaching the services to the peoples doorsteps.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public in general are getting e-services related to various emergency issues including payment of utility services, national identity card, land documents, training, education and health.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like many other sectors, the education sector has witnessed revolutionary changes including introduction of multimedia classrooms and imparting education through developing digital content.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Jafarullah said that 563 union digital centres, 61 municipality digital centres and 30 city digital centres were functioning in eight districts under the division in order to reach the public services to the doorsteps of grassroots people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said more than 5,828 multimedia classrooms were installed in educational institutions in the division, opening up a new door of expediting the process of modernisation in the education system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Multimedia classrooms were installed in 484 colleges, 2,415 secondary schools and 2,929 primary schools. Sheikh Russel Digital Laboratories were established in 102 colleges, 375 secondary schools and 12 primary schools in order to create skilled workforces in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commissioner Jafarullah said use of ICT, particularly introduction of multimedia classrooms, was making classrooms more interesting among the students. Multimedia had made difficult texts easily understandable to the students through visual contents, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He further added that digital Bangladesh was one of the 10 special initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is a multimedia classroom in BCSIR Laboratory High School at Binodpur in Rajshahi city where classes are being held through a projector regularly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students are getting education in an easy method of seeing pictures and video through multimedia. \"We are being benefited enormously by this modern method,’ said Hamida Akter, a student of class nine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alamgir Hossain, a teacher of the school, said the students were becoming more attentive for the multimedia classes in comparison to the conventional ones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like other parts of the country, e-commerce has been promoted in the Rajshahi region significantly. Learning and earning, freelancing, outsourcing, e-shopping, b-cash, nagad and rocket have created massive scopes of financial transaction and income generation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sowmik Sen Gupta, 26, a resident of Ghoramara area in the city, is doing outsourcing through development of various online and IT sector-based software and web page designs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, ‘I earn more money than that of any regular job by dint of the efforts of building digital Bangladesh.’ He attributed that the present government opened up new doors for the young generation through the flourishing of the ICT sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">‘I’m doing outsourcing. I have learnt how to earn money through outsourcing. Now, I’m self-reliant. My incomes meet up my educational expenses side by side with helping my family,’ said Labony Akter, a student of Rajshahi College.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ziaul Haque, entrepreneur of Huzripara Union Digital Centre (UDC) of Paba, has become a successful freelancer who earns more than Tk 85,000-90,000 per month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the people of remote and obscure sleepy little hamlets here now have easy access to essential public services resulting from expansion of advantages of Digital Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like the city residents, the villagers are seen deriving the benefits of modern information and communication technologies (ICT) to get a number of important public services, easily adding a new dimension to the rural life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The existing UDCs and many private online entrepreneurs are playing pioneering roles towards reaching the public services to the grass root level after the best use of ICT knowledge and devices</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Professor Shamim Ahmed of computer science and engineering department in Rajshahi University said many trained youths were earning handsome amounts of money from the outsourcing sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the one-stop service centre ekSheba has been acting as a platform for providing all digital government services. Any service seeker is able to submit an online application by paying the fees online and checking the latest status of his or her demand. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 12:52:41', '2023-05-16 12:52:41'),
(6920, 6920, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The study was published in the journal, \'Nature Communications\'.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It can help doctors prevent or better manage kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This study provides a glimpse into the powerful future of predictive diagnostics,\" says co-senior author Kevin Yip, Ph.D., a professor and director of Bioinformatics at Sanford Burnham Prebys. \"Our team has demonstrated that by combining clinical data with cutting-edge technology, it\'s possible to develop computational models to help clinicians optimize the treatment of type 2 diabetes to prevent kidney disease.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide. In the United States, 44% of cases of end-stage kidney disease and dialysis are due to diabetes. In Asia, this number is 50%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There has been significant progress developing treatments for kidney disease in people with diabetes,\" says co-senior author Ronald Ma, MB BChir, FRCP, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. \"However, it can be difficult to assess an individual patient\'s risk for developing kidney disease based on clinical factors alone, so determining who is at greatest risk of developing diabetic kidney disease is an important clinical need.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new algorithm depends on measurements of a process called DNA methylation, which occurs when subtle changes accumulate in our DNA. DNA methylation can encode important information about which genes are being turned on and off, and it can be easily measured through blood tests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our computational model can use methylation markers from a blood sample to predict both current kidney function and how the kidneys will function years in the future, which means it could be easily implemented alongside current methods for evaluating a patient\'s risk for kidney disease,\" says Yip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers developed their model using detailed data from more than 1,200 patients with type 2 diabetes in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register. They also tested their model on a separate group of 326 Native Americans with type 2 diabetes, which helped ensure that their approach could predict kidney disease in different populations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This study highlights the unique strength of the Hong Kong Diabetes Register and its huge potential to fuel further discoveries to improve our understanding of diabetes and its complications,\" says study co-author Juliana Chan, M.D., FRCP, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who established the Hong Kong Diabetes Register more than two decades ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Hong Kong Diabetes Register is a scientific treasure,\" adds first author Kelly Yichen Li, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scientist at Sanford Burnham Prebys. \"They follow up with patients for many years, which gives us a full picture of how human health can change over decades in people with diabetes.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers are currently working to further refine their model. They are also expanding the application of their approach to look at other questions about human health and disease--such as determining why some people with cancer don\'t respond well to certain treatments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The science is still evolving, but we are working on incorporating additional information into our model to further empower precision medicine in diabetes,\" adds Ma. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 12:55:29', '2023-05-16 12:55:29'),
(6921, 6921, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States has said the safety and security of their diplomatic personnel and facilities are of utmost importance.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So, I’m not going to get into the specifics about security details concerning the U.S. embassy or its personnel,” Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, said during a press briefing on May 15 (US time) at the State Department while responding to a question.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, noted that as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, any host country “must uphold its obligations to ensure the protection of all diplomatic mission premises and personnel and take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on personnel.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patel made the remarks after Bangladesh decided not to provide additional security escorts for a number of foreign diplomats, including the US and UK envoys, in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday said, “If they want it, they can get it in exchange for payment. We won’t provide this extra (security) escort service with taxpayers’ money.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In developed countries, no government provides such extra facilities,” Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said there has been no deterioration of the law and order situation that such service is required. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 12:57:40', '2023-05-16 12:57:40'),
(6922, 6922, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The prime minister said this while outgoing Ambassador of Republic of Korea Lee Jang-keun called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that PM Hasina admired Korean success in transformation of the country into a developed country within a generation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that this success inspired Bangladesh in its endeavour to steer the nation towards development and prosperity. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM recalled her two visits to South Korea saying that in the second visit she witnessed the amazing development there. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Lee Jang-keun emphasised on the enhancement of trade, official development assistance (ODA), employment and investment between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that in 2020 the trade volume between Bangladesh and South Korea was USD 1.5 billion which is now stands at USD 3 billion. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also mentioned that the ODA was USD 500 million in 2020 whereas it  now stands at USD 3 billion. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador said that Korea is interested to take skilled manpower from shipbuilding sector. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He highly appreciated the remarkable development of Bangladesh under the leadership of PM Hasina in the last 14 years. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expressing satisfaction with his tenure in Bangladesh, he said Bangladesh people are in his heart.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister\'s Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister\'s Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present at the meeting. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 13:50:37', '2023-05-16 22:49:39'),
(6923, 6923, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands is trying to subpoena billionaire Elon Musk for documents in its lawsuit seeking to hold JPMorgan Chase liable for sex trafficking acts committed by businessman Jeffrey Epstein.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musk has never been publicly accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 as he awaited sex trafficking charges in a federal jail in Manhattan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But over the years, there had been unconfirmed speculation — encouraged by Epstein himself — that Epstein had advised Musk on certain business matters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spokespeople for Musk have denied those reports, but the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands said in a court filing that it believes Epstein may have referred or tried to refer Musk to JPMorgan as a potential client.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Virgin Islands, where Epstein had an estate, sued JPMorgan last year, saying its investigation has revealed that the financial services giant enabled Epstein’s recruiters to pay victims and was “indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lawyers for JPMorgan did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the past, they have said victims are entitled to justice but litigation attempting to blame the financial institution for Epstein’s actions were legally meritless, directed at the wrong party and should be dismissed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities alleged that Epstein recruited and sexually abused dozens of underage girls at his mansions in New York and Palm Beach, Florida, in the early 2000s. He had pleaded not guilty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lawyers for the Virgin Islands told a federal judge Monday that they haven\'t been able to locate Musk to serve him with the subpoena.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They asked the court to serve Tesla, his electric vehicle company, instead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They said they hired an investigative firm to search public records databases for possible addresses for Musk and reached out to one of his lawyers by email, but received no response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A message sent to a lawyer for Musk seeking comment Monday was not immediately returned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The subpoena — one of several sent to prominent business figures — sought documents from Jan. 1, 2002, to the present reflecting communications between Musk and JPMorgan or Musk and Epstein regarding Epstein or Epstein’s role in Musk’s accounts, transactions or financial management.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also sought all documents reflecting or regarding Epstein’s involvement in human trafficking and his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And it sought information about fees Musk might have paid to Epstein or JPMorgan and any documents concerning communications between Musk, Epstein and JPMorgan regarding accounts, transactions or the relationship at JPMorgan. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 13:56:06', '2023-05-16 13:56:06'),
(6924, 6924, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sixteen people were killed over a decades-long land dispute between two tribes in Pakistan\'s coal-rich northwest, police said Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Akhorwal tribe opened fire on the Suni Khel tribe from an elevated position on Monday, police said, as the latter marked the boundaries of their territory in the mountainous area of Darra Adam Khel, less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Afghan border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The tribes were equipped with powerful firearms, and within a matter of minutes, the violent clash had resulted in a significant number of casualties,\" Farhan Khan, a senior police official, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan said the clash followed several previous jirgas -- tribal councils of elders responsible for settling disputes -- that had failed to yield any resolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The clash left 12 individuals from the Suni Khel tribe and four individuals from the Akhorwal tribe dead, while an additional four people sustained injuries,\" local police spokesman Fazal Naeem told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inter-family feuds are common in Pakistan, but in the mountainous northwestern region -- where communities abide by traditional tribal honour codes -- they can be particularly protracted and violent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Darra Adam Khel is a part of the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, home to the largest coal reserves in the region, with disputes over deposits common between tribes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite safety concerns and a lack of regulatory oversight, mining is a vital source of employment and income for the local community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The police said that since the shooting, the situation in the area had been brought under control with the involvement of a local jirga.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Darra Adam Khel is part of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-autonomous region in northwestern Pakistan that was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018, bringing it into the legal and administrative mainstream. AFSixteen people were killed over a decades-long land dispute between two tribes in Pakistan\'s coal-rich northwest, police said Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Akhorwal tribe opened fire on the Suni Khel tribe from an elevated position on Monday, police said, as the latter marked the boundaries of their territory in the mountainous area of Darra Adam Khel, less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Afghan border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The tribes were equipped with powerful firearms, and within a matter of minutes, the violent clash had resulted in a significant number of casualties,\" Farhan Khan, a senior police official, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan said the clash followed several previous jirgas -- tribal councils of elders responsible for settling disputes -- that had failed to yield any resolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The clash left 12 individuals from the Suni Khel tribe and four individuals from the Akhorwal tribe dead, while an additional four people sustained injuries,\" local police spokesman Fazal Naeem told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inter-family feuds are common in Pakistan, but in the mountainous northwestern region -- where communities abide by traditional tribal honour codes -- they can be particularly protracted and violent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Darra Adam Khel is a part of the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, home to the largest coal reserves in the region, with disputes over deposits common between tribes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite safety concerns and a lack of regulatory oversight, mining is a vital source of employment and income for the local community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The police said that since the shooting, the situation in the area had been brought under control with the involvement of a local jirga.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Darra Adam Khel is part of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-autonomous region in northwestern Pakistan that was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018, bringing it into the legal and administrative mainstream.AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 14:03:01', '2023-05-16 14:03:01'),
(6925, 6925, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States said it is looking forward to deepening relationship and cooperation with Bangladesh on a number of key issues, “regardless of political party or candidates.”</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our hope for any election taking place around the world is that they are free and fair and accessible,\" Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, said during a press briefing on May 15 (US time) at the State Department while responding to a question.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But beyond that, he said, he has nothing else to offer insight on when it comes to “political parties or candidates or anything like that.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, last year the two countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter visited Bangladesh and attended the 6th Indian Ocean Conference on May 12-13.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to learn more about Bangladesh’s struggle for freedom and democracy,\" she tweeted, mentioning that the Liberation War Museum movingly conveys what Bangladeshis experienced during that time. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 14:46:28', '2023-05-16 14:46:28');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6926, 6926, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll in cyclone-hit villages of Myanmar\'s Rakhine state rose to at least 41 on Tuesday, local leaders told AFP.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Packing winds of up to 195 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, Mocha made landfall on Sunday, downing power pylons and smashing wooden fishing boats to splinters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We can confirm there are 17 deaths,\" Karlo, the administrator of Bu Ma village near the state capital Sittwe, told an AFP reporter at the scene.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There will be more deaths, as more than a hundred people are missing.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The village is inhabited by the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bu Ma number was on top of a death toll of 24 given to AFP by a Rohingya village leader in nearby Khaung Doke Kar village.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That leader requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals from the country\'s junta.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The junta said on Monday that five people had been killed, without specifying exactly where they had died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not clear whether the junta\'s death toll included any of those killed in Bu Ma and Khaung Doke Kar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AFP has contacted a junta spokesman for comment on the new death toll.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bu Ma on Tuesday morning, residents walked the seashore searching for family members swept away by a storm surge that accompanied the cyclone, AFP correspondents said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'No one has come to ask\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Widely viewed as interlopers in Myanmar, the Rohingya are denied citizenship and healthcare and require permission to travel outside of their villages in western Rakhine state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many others live in camps after being displaced by decades of ethnic conflict in the state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations refugee office said it was investigating reports that Rohingya living in displacement camps had been killed in the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"UNHCR is saddened at hearing reports of deaths at displacement camps in Rakhine State in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha,\" it said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It added that it was \"attempting to conduct detailed assessments at displacement camps and sites to get a clearer picture of the situation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Tuesday, contact was slowly being restored with Sittwe, which is home to around 150,000 people, AFP reporters said, with roads being cleared and internet connections re-established.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, state media footage showed troops unloading aid from planes at Sittwe airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Rohingya villagers told AFP that they were yet to receive any assistance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No government, no organisation has come to our village,\" said Kyaw Swar Win, 38, from Bu Ma village.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We haven\'t eaten for two days... We haven\'t got anything and all I can say is that no one has even come to ask.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 14:52:54', '2023-05-16 14:52:54'),
(6927, 6927, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Met Office has predicted rain or thunder showers in parts of the country including Dhaka in 24 hours from 9am on Tuesday.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at many places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions,” said the Met Office bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>A Mild heat wave is sweeping over Khulna division and Rajshahi district and it may continue, according to the bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, said the bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature was recorded at 36.7 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi while the lowest temperature was recorded at 20.2 degrees Celsius in Rajarhat of Rangpur on Monday.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The weather office recorded the highest 33 mm rainfall in Dimla of Rangpur.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a trough of westerly low lies over West Bengal and adjoining area. Accoridng to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 15:33:33', '2023-05-16 15:33:33'),
(6928, 6928, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP on Tuesday chalked out a 13-day programme to observe the 42nd death anniversary of its founder and&nbsp; leader Ziaur Rahman with due respect.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The observance of the anniversary will begin on May 29 and end on June 10.</div><div><br></div><div>The programmes were finalized at a joint meeting of the party and its associate bodies held at its Nayapaltan central office with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>After the meeting, Fakhrul announced the programmes that include discussion meetings, seminars, photo exhibitions and wearing black badges, paying homage to Zia, and distributing food and relief materials among the destitute.</div><div><br></div><div>Ziaur Rahman, a military-ruler-turned-president, founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978. He was assassinated by a group of army officers at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of the programmes, black flags will be hoisted and party flags kept at half-mast atop the offices of the party, including its Nayapaltan headquarters, at 6am on May 30.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, party leaders and activists, led by senior leaders, will place wreaths at Zia\'s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the morning.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP and its associate bodies will arrange discussions on Zia’s activities, from May 29 to June 10 as part of the death anniversary programmes.</div><div><br></div><div>The party leaders of Dhaka\'s south and north city units will distribute food and relief materials among the destitute in different parts of the city on May 30.</div><div><br></div><div>The party\'s all district, city and thana units will also observe the day with various programmes. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 16:37:10', '2023-05-16 16:37:10'),
(6929, 6929, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The release of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan\'s film “Pathaan” in Bangladesh on Friday was greeted by sold-out tickets.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The moment finally arrived for Bangladesh fans. The movie was released at 41 movie theaters around the country. Every day, there will be 206 shows of the film.</div><div><br></div><div>“Pathaan” has been released in Bangladesh under SAFTA agreement. According to the import conditions, Shakib Khan\'s “Panku Jamai” has been exported to India. “Pathaan” has been imported in Bangladesh by Action Cut Entertainment.</div><div><br></div><div>Another Bollywood star John Abraham shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in Siddharth Anand\'s “Pathaan”. Deepika Padukone has once again shown glimpses against the King of Bollywood.</div><div><br></div><div>“Pathaan” has already made history in Bollywood. It has broken the records of many films of the past. And even in the international arena, “Pathaan” was the result of a long wait for Shah Rukh fans.</div><div><br></div><div>With “Pathaan”, the box office is opening for the first time in some halls of Bangladesh. Ananya Mamun, owner of Action Cut Entertainment, said initially 15 halls will be arranged for the box office. There will be an extension from the second week. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 17:54:22', '2023-05-16 17:54:22'),
(6930, 6930, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Tuesday said the government will offer the services of the Ansar – a paramilitary auxiliary force – to the foreign missions in Dhaka as alternatives as the withdrawal of “additional security escort” for four diplomats came into effect.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters, the foreign secretary said they are likely to hold a meeting with the Director General of the Ansar on Wednesday to know about the facilities they can offer and build a connection with those missions who are willing to take this service.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“We will talk to Ansar and will let the missions know officially,” Masud Momen said, adding that additional escort was mainly used for traffic clearance purposes.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, the FS said the government is aware of the responsibilities as a host country under the Vienna Convention and regular security measures for foreign missions and their personnel remain unchanged.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said they don’t see any security deficit in the country and militancy and the law and order situation is fully controlled.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said there is shortage or constraint of police personnel.</div><div><br></div><div>Asked about using flags by the diplomats in their vehicles, he said this is something that depends mainly on individual’s discretion and he thinks the diplomats have the sense where they will use flags or not.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharing his own experience as a diplomat, Momen said there were no systems to use flags when he was in New York but in many countries flags are used while attending any state function.</div><div><br></div><div>“If I go to a market or a personal event of a colleague I will not use the flag at that time. It depends on the individual.”</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Monday said, “If they (foreign missions) want it, they can get it on payment. We won’t provide this extra (security) escort service with taxpayers’ money.”</div><div><br></div><div>“In developed countries, no government provides such extra facilities,” the foreign minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said there has been no deterioration of the law and order situation that such service is required.</div><div><br></div><div>The United States has said the safety and security of their diplomatic personnel and facilities are of utmost importance.</div><div><br></div><div>“So, I’m not going to get into the specifics about security details concerning the U.S. embassy or its personnel,” Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, said during a press briefing on May 15 (US time) at the State Department while responding to a question.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He, however, noted that as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, any host country “must uphold its obligations to ensure the protection of all diplomatic mission premises and personnel and take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on personnel.”</div><div><br></div><div>Patel made the remarks after Bangladesh decided not to provide additional security escorts for a number of foreign diplomats, including the US and UK envoys, in Dhaka, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the United States is looking forward to deepening relationship and cooperation with Bangladesh on a number of key issues, “regardless of political party or candidates.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 18:44:55', '2023-05-16 18:44:55'),
(6931, 6931, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gas has been found again in new gas well named Ilisha-1</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>BAPEX, the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, successfully extracted gas from a separate third level of the well today.</div><div><br></div><div>BAPEX extracted gas experimentally from the well for the first time on 28th April.</div><div><br></div><div>The well is capable of yielding 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas daily which may not sound like much in a country where the daily demand runs into the billions, but in the current situation where the government is having to import LNG cargoes every month from the international spot market.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has taken various steps to increase domestic gas production to eliminate the energy crisis in the country. The discovery of the Ilisha-1 gas field in Bhola brings hope amidst the high global fuel gas prices and the crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>International company Gazprom of Russia conducted the well drilling based on the BAPEX design and location, which was successfully completed through Drill Stem Test at a depth of 3,436 meters.</div><div><br></div><div>BAPEX\'s General Manager of Geophysical Department, Alamgir Hossain, estimates that initially, 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas can be available from this well daily, with 180 to 220 BCF of gas reserves.</div><div><br></div><div>However, further testing will be conducted to determine the actual production per day. The gas reserves in these wells are 1.7 TCF cubic feet.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, only four wells are extracting gas, with 140 MMcf of gas being extracted per day but not fully utilised. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 19:11:05', '2023-05-16 19:11:05'),
(6932, 6932, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP has called upon the country’s people to boycott the upcoming elections to five city corporations under the current government.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>BNP standing committee at their virtual meeting on Monday made the call to votes to implement the party’s earlier decision of not participating in the five city polls to be conducted by the current Election Commissioner under the Awami League government.</div><div><br></div><div>“The meeting feels that the City Corporation elections announced by the Election Commission under the government ahead of the National Assembly elections are motivated,” said a press release signed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Stating that no election can be neutral, free and fair under the Awami League government, the BNP policymakers said the forthcoming city polls will also be controlled by the government and public opinion will be reflected.</div><div><br></div><div>“BNP has decided not to participate in this meaningless election. The BNP National Standing Committee sincerely urges people not to participate in this farcical election,” the press release reads.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting also discussed the issue of bringing all the democratic forces to the field in the ongoing movement of the party.</div><div><br></div><div>The elections to five city polls will begin with voting in Gazipur City Corporation on May 25.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the schedules announced by the Election Commission, the voting will be held in Khulna and Barishal on June 12 and in Rajshahi and Sylhet on June 21, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, BNP announced that it would not go to the city elections and the party threatened to expel its leaders in five cities if they participated in the polls.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 21:33:57', '2023-05-16 21:33:57'),
(6933, 6933, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said historically, BNP holds a sordid record of refraining from standing beside people especially during mighty disasters that swept across the county.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“It can be safely said the party is more focused on ballot stuffing and capturing state power than on public safety,” he said in a Facebook post from his verified account.</div><div><br></div><div>As the cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh fiercely, the entire state machinery, alongside Awami League, undertook an all-out evacuation scheme, Joy said.</div><div><br></div><div>But, Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists turned a blind eye to safety of people in the costal belt who were prone to the disaster, he mentioned.</div><div><br></div><div>“And such apathy to public welfare is nothing new on part of BNP,” Joy said in his Facebook post that contained a video, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>“Take a look at this video and decide if BNP really takes public safety into account,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-16 22:48:35', '2023-05-16 22:48:35'),
(6934, 6934, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After emergency talks at the White House, Republican congressional leaders have begun to sound hopeful that a deal to raise the US debt ceiling is within reach.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters the two sides are still far apart.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The standoff has forced President Joe Biden to cut short a foreign trip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without a deal, the US could enter a calamitous default on its $31.4tr (£25tr) debt as soon as 1 June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Biden said Tuesday\'s hour-long Oval Office meeting was \"good, productive\", sounding upbeat about the prospects of an agreement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr McCarthy told reporters he believed a deal was possible by the end of this week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He told reporters a Biden-appointed representative would negotiate directly with his staff, which he said was a sign that \"the structure of how we negotiate has improved\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A number of senior Democrats were also at the talks, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In exchange for support for raising the debt ceiling, Republican leaders are demanding budget cuts. They also want tougher work requirements on government aid recipients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Citing sources familiar with the talks, the Associated Press news agency reports that this idea was \"resoundingly\" rejected by House Democrats at another meeting earlier on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Biden has repeatedly said that a potential debt default and budgetary issues should be separate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president is due to fly to the G7 summit in Japan on Wednesday. He was then expected to head to Papua New Guinea for talks on regional security and to Australia for a meeting of the \"Quad\" alongside leaders from India, Japan and Australia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he will now return after the 19-21 May summit in Hiroshima ends to \"ensure that Congress takes action\" to avert a default, the White House said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reaching the debt ceiling would mean the US government is unable to borrow any more money.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This means the government would no longer be able to pay the salaries of federal and military employees, tax refunds and Social Security cheques - payments that millions of pensioners in the US rely on - would stop.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every so often the US Congress votes to raise or suspend the ceiling so it can borrow more.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A default - which would be a first in US history - could upend global financial markets and shatter trust in America\'s political ability to pay its bills.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts have warned it could also see the US spiral into recession and stoke unemployment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at an event on Tuesday that \"a US default would generate an economic and financial catastrophe\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: \"There\'s countries like Russia and China that would love nothing more than for us to default.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A deal to avoid this scenario has so far proven elusive. In April, Republicans proposed an agreement that would suspend the debt limit by $1.5tn or until 31 March, whichever comes first.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In exchange, they would maintain spending at key government agencies at 2022 levels for the next financial year and limit spending growth to 1% annually over the next 10 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They argued this would lead to $4.8tn in savings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposal, however, would scupper several of Mr Biden\'s legislative priorities, including student loan forgiveness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last time the US was approaching a default in 2011, lawmakers struck a deal hours before the deadline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That standoff led to a downgrade in the US credit rating, sent the stock market plummeting and increased the government\'s borrowing costs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Nobody should use default as a hostage,\" Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the US Capitol on Tuesday. \"The consequences would be devastating for America.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US debt ceiling has been raised, extended or revised 78 times since 1960. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 07:36:40', '2023-05-17 07:36:40'),
(6935, 6935, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">When Muaz Razaq left Pakistan for the first time in 2019 to study for his computer science master’s degree in South Korea, he never expected to become the lightning rod of a bitter battle putting the country’s religious tolerance to the test.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“South Korea stands out as a leader in software engineering and Kyungpook National University was my first choice owing to the positive things I had heard from my seniors and the presence of a mosque nearby,” the 27-year-old, who is now studying for a doctorate, told Al Jazeera.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Some locals were curious about my traditional attire and beard, which reminded them of Korea’s past aristocrats, but I never felt animosity or direct discrimination.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">All that changed when the university’s approximately 150 Muslims decided to renovate the mosque they established in 2014 near the school’s west gate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The dispute over the plan has turned the construction site into a target of virulent Islamophobia</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Officially known as Dar-ul-Emaan Kyungpook and Islamic Centre, the mosque is located in the Buk district of Daegu, South Korea’s third-largest city and a conservative stronghold about 240km (149 miles) from the capital Seoul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">There are about a dozen mosques around Daegu, mainly in the suburbs, catering to migrant labour populations of practising Muslims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Students raised the funds to demolish their old building next to the university, which was too cramped and lacked proper heating, and put up a new two-storey structure. To secure the necessary planning permission, they had to buy the house next door, which now serves as a temporary prayer hall.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Soon after the new beams were erected in early 2021, the Buk district office abruptly issued an administrative order halting construction, citing complaints from local residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The concerns were apparently related to the smell from the students’ cooking inside the mosque, noise and obstruction of traffic – things Razaq says had not previously been mentioned as problems. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 07:42:55', '2023-05-17 07:42:55'),
(6936, 6936, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Novak Djokovic eased into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after breezing past Cameron Norrie although there was tension with the Briton after the top seed was hit by a smash.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Djokovic dispatched Norrie 6-3, 6-4, Monte Carlo Masters winner Andrey Rublev and home hope Jannik Sinner both crashed out in Rome.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Djokovic has reached the last eight in each of his previous 16 appearances in the Italian capital and he did it again, getting past Norrie on centre court to set up a clash with Holger Rune in a tournament which is a key warmup for the French Open.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It will be a rematch of last year\'s Paris Masters final, when the 20-year-old Dane won his first Masters 1000 title by beating Djokovic in a thrilling match.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Even though he\'s really young, I know his game quite well. He\'s been on the tour now for last few years playing some great tennis, particularly in the last I would say six to eight months,\" said Djokovic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He\'s in very good form and I look forward to a challenge. I think it\'s going to be a very physical match.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Djokovic is gunning for a seventh title on clay in Rome and his chances have been made a little easier by the shock elimination of Carlos Alcaraz on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alcaraz, who won two consecutive tournaments at Barcelona and Madrid, will take world number one spot from Djokovic on May 22 but it is the 22-time Grand Slam champion who could go into Roland Garros with yet another title under his belt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Djokovic won the first three games against Norrie and closed out the first set with little fuss, without needing to be at his best.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 35-year-old then took the second set to 2-1 with a break, but in the next game Norrie broke back while angering Djokovic with a smash which hit him on the back of his left leg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Norrie had the whole court to put the ball away as Djokovic had given up on the point and was walking back to the service line.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Bringing the fire -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Briton raised his hand to apologise but at the changeover after Norrie moved to 3-2, Djokovic gave him another long stare as he passed him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And after Djokovic sealed victory with his second match point he gave Norrie a cursory handshake at the net, while avoiding eye contact and without exchanging a single word with his dispatched opponent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Djokovic later explained that he had been irritated by Norrie\'s on-court behaviour since the start of the match, doing \"things that we players know in the locker room it\'s not fair play\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He\'s very nice guy off the court, so I don\'t understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest. But it is what it is. He brought the fire, and I responded to that,\" said Djokovic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'m not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. I\'m going to respond to that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That\'s all it is. What happens on the court, we leave it on the court, and we move on.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Third seed Daniil Medvedev came through 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) against Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud dispatched Laslo Djere, and Croatian Borna Coric prevailed in three sets over Fabian Marozsan, the Hungarian outsider who shocked Carlos Alcaraz in the third round.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in a third-round match which was suspended on Monday due to the rain to set up a meeting with another Italian, Lorenzo Musetti.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rublev, seeded six, was upset 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 by the world\'s 101-ranked player, German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And Italian eighth seed Sinner was sent packing by Argentina\'s Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-2.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the women\'s draw, Iga Swiatek took her Rome winning streak to 14 matches with a 6-3, 6-4 success over Donna Vekic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">World number one Swiatek will take on Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals after coming through the toughest match of her tournament so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her bid for a third title in as many years has been boosted by seeds two to six all being eliminated. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 09:22:46', '2023-05-17 09:22:46'),
(6937, 6937, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US President Joe Biden cut back a major upcoming trip to Asia and will return to Washington early for talks to avert a potentially catastrophic debt default, the White House said Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Biden flies to Japan on Wednesday for a G7 summit, but subsequent stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia were scrapped to deal with the domestic stand-off over raising US borrowing limits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"President Biden will return to the United States on Sunday, following the completion of the G7 summit, in order to be back for meetings with Congressional leaders to ensure that Congress takes action by the deadline to avert default,\" the White House said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The President and his team will continue to work with Congressional leadership to deliver a budget agreement that can reach the President\'s desk.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the G7 summit, Biden was due to attend a Quad leaders\' meeting in Sydney, bringing together the United States, Australia, Japan and India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the White House said that Biden had called Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to inform him the visit was canceled, and had invited him for state visit to Washington at an undecided date.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US president was also scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea on a \"historic\" first trip for a sitting US president, as Washington vies with Beijing for influence in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The South Pacific was seen as a diplomatic backwater after World War II, but it is an increasingly important arena for powers to compete for commercial, political and military influence. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 09:26:56', '2023-05-17 09:26:56'),
(6938, 6938, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The head of Russia\'s private Wagner mercenary group on Tuesday said a US volunteer had died fighting alongside Ukrainian troops in the country\'s east.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a video shared by Russian military bloggers, Yevgeny Prigozhin showed the body of what he said was an American laying in the rubble of a building.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The clip shows the Wagner chief walking with his men at night, and explosions can be heard -- but it is not clear where or when it was filmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Standing beside the body, which appears to have suffered a stomach wound, Prigozhin said: \"He came to meet us. Citizen of the United States of America\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin shows the camera what appears to be the soldier\'s identity documents, without giving a full name.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will return him to the United States. We will put him in a coffin (with) the American flag. With respect, because he didn\'t die in a grandfather\'s bed but in the war,\" the Wagner boss said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin\'s paramilitary group is fighting on the front line in the bloody battle for Bakhmut, a flashpoint town in eastern Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AFP could not independently verify Prigozhin\'s claims. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 10:05:24', '2023-05-17 10:05:24'),
(6939, 6939, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gunmen attacked a US convoy in southeast Nigeria\'s Anambra State on Tuesday, police and a US official said, killing four people and abducting three others.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separatists who operate in the region have escalated their attacks in recent years, usually targeting police or government buildings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No US citizen was in the convoy,\" said police spokesman Ikenga Tochukwu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The gunmen \"murdered two of the Police Mobile Force operatives and two staff of the consulate,\" he said, before setting their vehicle \"ablaze\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attack took place on Tuesday at \"3:30pm (14:30 GMT) along Atani, Osamale road\" in Ogbaru district, according to the police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Joint security forces deployed to the scene, said Tochukwu, but the gunmen managed to abduct two police operatives and a driver.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A \"rescue/recovery operation\" was underway Tuesday evening, he added in his statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed the attack during a briefing with reporters in Washington DC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A US convoy of vehicles was attacked. What I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved,\" Kirby said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The State Department also confirmed the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"U.S. Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate,\" a spokesperson said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organizing trips to the field.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Outlawed group -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nigerian officials often blame attacks in the southeast on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra movement (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">IPOB has repeatedly denied responsibility for the violence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group\'s leader Nnamdi Kanu is in government custody and faces trial for treason after being detained overseas and brought back to Nigeria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separatism is a sensitive issue in Nigeria, where a declaration of an independent Biafra Republic by Igbo army officers in the southeast in 1967 triggered a three-year civil war that left more than one million dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Violence in the southeast is just one of the many issues facing president-elect Bola Tinubu, who takes the helm of Africa\'s most populous nation later this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military is also battling a 14-year-old jihadist insurgency in the northeast, gangs who kidnap and kill in the northwest and central states and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a brief calm period during February and March elections for the presidency and governorships, attacks have been on the rise in the last few weeks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who ran and lost in the February 25 presidential election, is one of those contesting Tinubu\'s victory, claiming fraud.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The electoral commission has recognised \"glitches\" during the vote but has dismissed claims that the process was not free and fair. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 10:08:06', '2023-05-17 10:08:06'),
(6940, 6940, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United Nations has unanimously adopted the first-ever resolution on community-based health care.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resolution, titled “Community-based primary health care: a participatory and inclusive approach to universal health coverage,” acknowledged the important role community clinics play in promoting primary health care, women’s empowerment, community engagement and mobilization towards achieving universal access to health.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resolution, in recognition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stellar contribution in establishing model community clinics in Bangladesh, highlighted “the Sheikh Hasina Initiative” as an exemplary innovative model of public-private partnership, said the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By introducing the “Community Clinic Model of Bangladesh’, the resolution asks member states to explore measures to scale up and reference best practices to benefit from successful national experience.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It reflects Bangladesh’s commitment to improve health and well-being of its citizens and to contributing to global health equity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith introduced the resolution in the General Assembly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resolution, the first of its kind in the United Nations or the World Health Organization, was co-sponsored by 70 countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Muhith highlighted the impact of this resolution on achieving universal health coverage through inclusive community-based primary health care. Referring to today’s adoption of the resolution as a watershed moment in global efforts for universal and equitable access to health for all, he said that implementation of the resolution can make a world of difference to the lives of billions and their families and communities around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It has a far-reaching impact in promoting international cooperation for universal health coverage as it invites international financial institutions, multilateral and regional development banks and donors to provide appropriate resources, especially for developing countries, to strengthen community-based health services towards the full implementation of the SDGs,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To bring all people of Bangladesh under primary health care coverage, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina introduced this unique community clinic model in Bangladesh in 1998 which has revolutionized the health care delivery to reach the doorsteps of people all over the country, particularly those in under-served areas and hard-to-reach populations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government has so far established more than 14,000 community clinics all over the country, with each clinic serving 6000 population.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adoption of the resolution is a great recognition of the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in accelerating the progress to universal health coverage and implementation of SDGs by 2030, said the Bangladesh Mission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On behalf of the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York, the resolution was facilitated by Dr. Md. Monwar Hossain, Deputy Permanent Representative.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Mission has been playing a key role in global health diplomacy over the last few years and as a continuation of its effort, this resolution was conceptualized and initiated by the Mission earlier this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After four months of intensive negotiations among the Member States, the resolution was adopted unanimously. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 10:50:40', '2023-05-17 10:50:40');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6941, 6941, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Today marks the 43rd Homecoming Day of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 17, 1981, Sheikh Hasina returned home from India, after nearly six years in exile, following the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members by some misguided army officers on August 15, 1975.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both daughters of Bangabandhu -- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana -- survived as they were in Germany at the time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina was elected president of Awami League in her absence at the party\'s national council held on February 14-16, 1981.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League and its associate bodies have chalked out various programmes to mark the day. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 11:10:31', '2023-05-17 11:10:31'),
(6942, 6942, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States is providing $250,000 to assist Cyclone Mocha emergency relief efforts in the most severely affected areas.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The people of the United States stand with the people of Bangladesh and the Rohingya refugees affected by the cyclone,” US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas said today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 14, Cyclone Mocha moved through the Bay of Bengal, making landfall in Myanmar and Bangladesh, affecting over nearly half a million Bangladeshis living in coastal areas and almost one million Rohingyas in refugee camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm was one of the strongest in recent years causing significant tidal surges, heavy rain, and wind speeds of up to 140 km per hour in Bangladesh, resulting in widespread wind damage, flooding, and landslides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States has worked closely with Bangladesh to improve disaster preparedness and response over the past five decades of partnership.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through the US Agency for International Development, the US government has built 900 multi-purpose disaster shelters in the most vulnerable areas of Bangladesh since 2001 and invested in early warning systems that keep hundreds of thousands of people safe from cyclones, flooding, and other emergencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States is also the largest contributor to Rohingya refugee relief efforts, said the Embassy. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 11:27:52', '2023-05-17 11:27:52'),
(6943, 6943, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The crowd of thousands in central Bangkok erupted into deafening cheers at the arrival of Pita Limjaroenrat, the politician who led his party to a stunning victory over the military-backed groups that have dominated Thai politics for nearly a decade.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Smiling and waving from the back of a pick-up truck, the charismatic 42-year-old businessman led a short victory rally on Monday from Bangkok’s Democracy Monument to a plaza in front of the capital’s Metropolitan Administration Office, where he declared a “new day, bright with hope” for the people of Thailand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Anything is possible in our country when we all work together,” he told a sea of supporters clad in the party’s signature orange. “The next prime minister of Thailand will be named Pita Limjaroenrat and soon, we will change this country together.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hours before, the Elections Commission had declared Pita’s Move Forward Party the biggest winner in the general election held on Sunday. The progressive party, contesting elections for the first time, took 151 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives after campaigning on a bold platform of reforms to the monarchy and the military.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The populist opposition Pheu Thai came in second with 141 seats. The two parties have now agreed to begin coalition talks. But even with their stunning majority, it remains unclear if the royalist-military elite — who have staged two coups in the past 20 years — will hand over power easily.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several roadblocks lie in Move Forward’s path to Bangkok’s Government House.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chief among them are parliamentary rules that allow a military-appointed Senate an outsized role in choosing the next prime minister. But the ambitions of Move Forward’s potential coalition partner, Pheu Thai, may also yet prove to be an obstacle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">‘Hard times’</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts foresee a long and drawn-out process that could end in deadlock and say they fear this may trigger new instability in a country that has seen multiple coups followed by waves of protests — potentially paving the way for the military to step in again.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If Move Forward cannot form a government, we have to worry about party dissolution and even a military coup,” said Punchada Sirivunnabood, associate professor of social sciences and humanities at the Mahidol University in Bangkok. “Thailand faces hard times ahead. My hope is that the process of government formation will go smoothly and that there is no more conflict. Everyone is sort of sick of it, this cycle of protests, coups and protests.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is reason for concern.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Already, several senators have said they would not support a Move Forward-led coalition. Appointed during military rule, the 250-member upper chamber is allowed to vote on the prime minister, and any candidate for the top job must secure 376 votes across the combined chambers. If they wish to overrule the Senate, that number must come from the lower chamber alone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The biggest issue for the Senate is the party’s pledge to reform laws related to the monarchy — an institution revered in Thailand’s constitution. The plans include amending Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law, known as Article 112, which punishes insults to the monarchy with up to 15 years in jail. Move Forward has accused the current ruling coalition of using the law to stifle dissent, noting that at least 242 members of a huge youth-led protest movement that backed the party in Sunday’s elections are currently facing charges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The youngest of them is only 15 years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Move Forward and Mr Pita once announced they will scrap Article 112, which will affect the monarchy. This is unacceptable.” said Senator Jadet Insawang in an interview with the Bangkok Post. “If Mr Pita is nominated [for prime minister], I will reject it because I will observe the constitution and keep my oath,” he added. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 12:09:28', '2023-05-17 12:09:28'),
(6944, 6944, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><div><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The world\'s most famous shipwreck has been revealed as never seen before.</b><br></div><div><br></div><div>The first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, has been created using deep-sea mapping.</div><div><br></div><div>It provides a unique 3D view of the entire ship, enabling it to be seen as if the water has been drained away.</div><div><br></div><div>The hope is that this will shed new light on exactly what happened to the liner, which sank in 1912.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 1,500 people died when the ship struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There are still questions, basic questions, that need to be answered about the ship,\" Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst, told BBC News.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the model was \"one of the first major steps to driving the Titanic story towards evidence-based research - and not speculation.\"</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img src=\"https://i.postimg.cc/TY3Djqhn/jjjjjj.jpg\" style=\"width: 600px;\"></div><div><br></div><div>The Titanic has been extensively explored since the wreck was discovered in 1985. But it\'s so huge that in the gloom of the deep, cameras can only ever show us tantalizing snapshots of the decaying ship - never the whole thing.</div><div><br></div><div>The new scan captures the wreck in its entirety, revealing a complete view of the Titanic. It lies in two parts, with the bow and the stern separated by about 800m (2,600ft). A huge debris field surrounds the broken vessel.</div><div><br></div><div>The scan was carried out in summer 2022 by Magellan Ltd, a deep-sea mapping company, and Atlantic Productions, who are making a documentary about the project.</div><div><br></div><div>Submersibles, remotely controlled by a team on board a specialist ship, spent more than 200 hours surveying the length and breadth of the wreck.</div><div><br></div><div>They took more than 700,000 images from every angle, creating an exact 3D reconstruction.</div><div><br></div><div>Magellan\'s Gerhard Seiffert, who led the planning for the expedition, said it was the largest underwater scanning project he\'d ever undertaken.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The depth of it, almost 4,000m, represents a challenge, and you have currents at the site, too - and we\'re not allowed to touch anything so as not to damage the wreck,\" he explained.</div><div><br></div><div>\"And the other challenge is that you have to map every square centimetre - even uninteresting parts, like on the debris field you have to map mud, but you need this to fill in between all these interesting objects.\"</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img src=\"https://i.postimg.cc/dt6gpvqz/kkkk.jpg\" style=\"width: 600px;\"></div><div><br></div><div>The scan shows both the scale of the ship, as well as some minute details, such as the serial number on one of the propellers.</div><div><br></div><div>Parks Stephenson, who has studied the Titanic for many years, said he was \"blown away\" when he first saw the scans.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It allows you to see the wreck as you can never see it from a submersible, and you can see the wreck in its entirety, you can see it in context and perspective. And what it\'s showing you now is the true state of the wreck.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He said that studying the scans could offer new insight into what happened to the Titanic on that fateful night of 1912.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We really don\'t understand the character of the collision with the iceberg. We don\'t even know if she hit it along the starboard side, as is shown in all the movies - she might have grounded on the iceberg,\" he explained.</div><div><br></div><div>Studying the stern, he added, could reveal the mechanics of how the ship struck the sea floor.</div><div><br></div><div>The sea is taking its toll on the wreck, microbes are eating away at it and parts are disintegrating. Historians are well aware that time is running out to fully understand the maritime disaster.</div><div><br></div><div>But the scan now freezes the wreck in time, and will allow experts to pore over every tiny detail. The hope is the Titanic may yet give up its secrets. BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/kh</div></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 12:20:52', '2023-05-17 12:29:53'),
(6945, 6945, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality remained unhealthy for sensitive groups, despite the rain last evening and this morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 110 at 8:43 am, Dhaka ranked 7th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 303, 179 and 154, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 12:40:59', '2023-05-17 12:40:59'),
(6946, 6946, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A senior US State Department official has said Washington does not define its relationship with Bangladesh taking into account Dhaka’s ties with Russia, China or any other country.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“US-Bangladesh relationship isn’t defined by China, by Russia and any other country,” US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter told BSS diplomatic correspondent Tanzim Anwar in an exclusive interview this week in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She said that Washington had a broad range in multifaceted, multi-dimensional relationship with Bangladesh found lots of synergies as Dhaka recently released its Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO) as many of its elements were common with US Indo Pacific Strategy (IPS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Broadly, we see lot of synergies between our two documents, our strategy, and your (Bangladesh’s) outlook. We both are focused on building economic prosperity in the region and through infrastructure, through our substantial development projects,” the senior state department official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh last month released its IPO envisioning a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive indo-pacific region that appeared Dhaka’s expression its cohesion with the IPS which has been pursuing by the US in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The State department official’s comments came months after US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas said Washington does not force countries to choose sides over relations with other countries and particularly with Beijing as “we don’t expect every country to have the same exact assessment of China as we do”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Haas, however, said the Russian actions in Ukraine currently appeared as the “most pressing strategic challenge” for the US vision for an “open, interconnected prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-pacific”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to BSS Akhter pointed out with note of thanks Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent joint statement with Japanese premier Fumio Kishida “condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a violation of an International law and the UN charter”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I just want to say Prime Minister (Sheikh) Hasina’s recent statement on Russia . . . we really welcome it very positively,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Indo Pacific Outlook (IPO)</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US diplomat welcomed Dhaka’s announcement of IPO and said the two documents – US’s IPS and Bangladesh’s IPO – share “tremendous amount in common”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from the US, the other members of QUAD - an informal strategic forum of the US, Australia, India and Japan – welcomed Bangladesh IPO with Indian external affair minister Dr S Jaishankar this week saying “we are glad” about Bangladesh’s Outlook.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Akhter said Bangladesh’s IPO laid emphasis on “maritime security” issue which was a key focus of the US and the other QUAD partners and “so we will look for opportunities to continue to collaborate on that”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said economic growth is a key component of Bangladesh IPO while the US is the top export destination for Bangladesh as well as the top investor in Bangladesh and “so again we really look to build that out in the years to come”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Security cooperation:</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US official said that the US was currently working “very closely” with Bangladesh government on the remaining elements of General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a foundational government-to-government agreement that permits greater collaboration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We hope that (GSOMIA) will be signed in the coming months,” she said without any elaboration further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">GSOMIA is a reciprocal legally-binding agreement between US and other governments to protecting classified military information regarding their security cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Akhter said that the US embassy defense attaché in Dhaka was in very regular consultation with concerned Bangladesh authorities on security cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the US planned to provide radar technology in countries throughout the Indo-pacific region to develop a common operating picture in the maritime domain under its Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative (IPMDA).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>RAB Sanction</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US deputy assistant secretary said Washington was pleased to see “a substantial decrease of extra judicial killings” after its sanction on Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We welcome that decrease (of in extra judicial killing) . . . (but) we need to see a long time sustained trend, positive changes of behavior (in RAB),” she said adding that Washington focused on ensuring accountability, reform and transparency of RAB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I would say that with respect to lifting sanctions on the RAB, we need to see long term systemic change for sanctions to be considered to be removed,” the state department official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deputy assistant secretary also said Washington was concerned about the application Bangladesh’s Digital Security and particularly “where the Digital Security Act has been applied”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Rohingya Issue</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state department official said that her country was working to find out a longer term durable solution to the crisis through repatriation of Rohinyas to Myanmar under the right condition, a task she termed as “difficult and challenging”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We believe very firmly that the conditions in Myanmar right now do not warrant a safe voluntary dignified return and so we would oppose any effort to forcibly repatriate individuals to Myanmar,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Akhter said the US might take more Rohingyas to the USA in future under its third country resettlement initiative which has started last December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We started a very small pilot programme to relocate some of the most vulnerable Rohingya refugees to the US . . . we are hoping for increase the number of third country relocation,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Akhter said the US was the largest donor by far to the Rohingya crisis and regretted that other members of the UN Security Council “have not provided a Dime (as humanitarian support for the Rohingyas)”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Investment Plans</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Akhter said that the US government was giving priority on Bangladesh’s clean energy sector for investment. “We will be looking for opportunities to collaborate with Bangladesh on and looking forward (about energy sector cooperation).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the US private sector’s relationships with Bangladesh was incredibly strong though Bangladesh’s regulatory environment needed to be improved to attract US business.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our trade attaché here is working with the government of Bangladesh for making Bangladesh economy more transparent and more attractive for the US private sector investors”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, Akhter said that the US embassy’s labor attaché here is also working very closely with Bangladesh government on improving labor conditions with respect of union registration and uniform application of the labour laws.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Akhter led the US delegation at the 6th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) hosted by Dhaka from May 12 to 13. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 12:47:43', '2023-05-17 12:47:43'),
(6947, 6947, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Arab Emirates (UAE) new ambassador here Ali Abdulla Khaseif AlHmoudi today assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of continued cooperation over development of Bangladesh\'s infrastructure and sea port as he called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"UAE will continue cooperation in development of Bangladesh\'s infrastructure and sea port for mutual benefit,\" PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the UAE envoy as telling the premier at their courtesy meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chattogram port authority officials said a G to G deal has already signed between Bangladesh and UAE on particularly Chattogram port development cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They said the UAE also want to operate a jetty of the bay terminal and New Mooring container terminal at Chattogram port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While briefing newsmen after the meeting, Karim said the UAE envoy also assured that his county will carry forward the friendship of cooperation with Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UAE ambassador, as well, apprised the prime minister of his meeting with the state minister of civil aviation and tourism regarding the issue of cooperation in the aviation sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the foundation of the bilateral relation between Bangladesh and the UAE was laid by Fathers of the two nations Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan through the visit of Bangabandhu in 1974.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan also visited Dhaka in 1984 and played very pivotal role in establishing solid foundation of the bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, the prime minister highly appreciated the UAE leadership as they are going to host the COP-28 summit in Dubai in November next.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While talking about Bangladeshi expatriates working in the UAE, Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on learning Arabic language for those willing to go to the UAE and other Arab Countries for seeking job.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Welcoming the new envoy of the UAE in Dhaka, the prime minister assured him of providing all cooperation during his stay in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also conveyed her best wishes to the UAE leadership through the ambassador.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister\'s Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister\'s Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah was present. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 14:44:49', '2023-05-17 14:44:49'),
(6948, 6948, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two soldiers of Bangladesh Army were killed and two officers injured in an attack by armed terrorists of Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) in Ruma upazila of Bandarban district on Tuesday, said an ISPR press release issued on Wednesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were Altaf Ahmed and Md Touhid while the injured were Major Monwar and Captain Ishtiak Ahmed Shawkat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the ISPR release, tipped off about a hideout of armed terrorists, a team of army, led by Major Monwar from Susingpara Army camp, conducted a drive at Jarulchharipara on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When they reached near a water fountain at Jarulchhari around 1:55 pm, the armed KNA members opened fire on them and hurled improvised explosive device (IED) targeting the army personnel, leaving four of them injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, the wounded army personnel were airlifted to Chattogram Combined Military Hospital (CMH) where two soldiers succumbed to their injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The injured army officers were undergoing treatment at the hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, on March 13, a senior army warrant officer was killed and two soldiers suffered injuries when members of the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) opened fire on a patrol team in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban district. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 14:58:26', '2023-05-17 14:58:26'),
(6949, 6949, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine denied on Wednesday that a Russian hypersonic missile had destroyed a US-made Patriot missile defense system during an air strike on Kyiv.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Russia’s defense ministry made the assertion on Tuesday after an overnight air attack on the Ukrainian capital. Two US officials later said a Patriot system had probably suffered damage but that it did not appear to have been destroyed.</div><div><br></div><div>“I want to say: do not worry about the fate of the Patriot,” Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television.</div><div><br></div><div>He ruled out the possibility of a Russian “Kinzhal” missile knocking out a Patriot system.</div><div><br></div><div>“Destroying the system with ‘Kinzhal’, it’s impossible. Everything that they say there, it can remain in their propaganda archive,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Patriot system is one of an array of sophisticated air defense units supplied by the West to help Ukraine repel Russian air strikes following Moscow’s invasion last year.</div><div><br></div><div>It is considered one of the most advanced US air defense systems, including against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, and typically includes launchers along with radar and other support vehicles.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian president Vladimir Putin has touted the Kinzhal missile as proof that his country has world-beating military hardware.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine said it had shot down six Kinzhal missiles on Tuesday, but Russia denied this. It was not clear which Western weapon Ukraine used, and the Pentagon had no immediate comment. According to Reuters reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 15:44:07', '2023-05-17 15:44:07'),
(6950, 6950, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan secured an extension to his protective bail until May 31, his lawyer said on Wednesday, as an official announced people involved in violent protests over his arrest would be tried in military courts.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Khan had been bailed by the Islamabad High Court last Friday following his May 9 arrest, which sparked violent protests across the country that killed at least eight people.</div><div><br></div><div>The court extended the bail, which had been due to expire on Wednesday, because the prosecutor requested more time to produce details of the case against him, Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told Reuters.</div><div><br></div><div>The arrest of the former prime minister, who was ousted in a parliamentary confidence vote in April last year, has deepened political instability in the South Asian nation of 220 million.</div><div><br></div><div>Pakistan was already facing its worst ever economic crisis, with a long delay in securing an IMF funding which is critical to avert a balance of payment crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>Thousands of Khan supporters had attacked and set on fire scores of government and public buildings, including the army’s headquarters, following his arrest.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday the information minister for Punjab province, Amir Mir, said those accused of attacks on the army would be tried by military courts.</div><div><br></div><div>Rights groups have previously voiced concerns that military courts often conduct summary trials hearing only abridged evidence.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan, who is facing graft allegations he denies, has disowned those involved in arson, demanding an impartial inquiry.</div><div><br></div><div>The military has said the May 9 attacks against the army were “pre-planned” and ordered by Khan party’s leaders. Khan has denied the allegation and demanded an investigation. According to Reuters reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 16:32:53', '2023-05-17 16:32:53'),
(6951, 6951, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United Nations is racing to extend a deal that has allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, helping ease a global food crisis exacerbated by the war Russia launched more than a year ago.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The breakthrough accord that the U.N. and Turkey brokered with the warring sides last summer came with a separate agreement to ease shipments of Russian food and fertilizer that Moscow insists hasn\'t been applied.</div><div><br></div><div>Russia set a Thursday deadline for its concerns to be ironed out or it\'s bowing out. Such brinkmanship isn\'t new: With a similar extension in the balance in March, Russia unilaterally decided to renew the deal for just 60 days instead of the 120 days outlined in the agreement.</div><div><br></div><div>U.N. officials and analysts warn that a failure to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative could hurt countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia that rely on Ukrainian wheat, barley, vegetable oil and other affordable food products, especially as drought takes a toll. The deal helped lower prices of food commodities like wheat over the last year, but that relief has not reached kitchen tables.</div><div><br></div><div>“If you have a cancellation of the grain deal again, when we’re already at a pretty tight situation, it’s just one more thing that the world doesn’t need, so the prices could start heading higher,” said William Osnato, a senior research analyst at agriculture data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. “You don’t see relief on the horizon.”</div><div><br></div><div>U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Monday that the deal was “critical” and talks were ongoing.</div><div><br></div><div>Negotiators who gathered in Istanbul last week made little apparent headway. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the grain deal “should be extended for a longer period of time and expanded” to “give predictability and confidence\" to markets.</div><div><br></div><div>Moscow says it opposes broadening or indefinitely expanding the deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that there\'s an “intense session of contacts” but that ”a decision is yet to be made.”</div><div><br></div><div>Russia, meanwhile, is rapidly shipping a bumper harvest of its wheat through other ports. Critics say that suggests Moscow is posturing or trying to wrest concessions in other areas — such as on Western sanctions — and claim it has dragging its heels on joint inspections of ships carried out by Russian, Ukrainian, U.N. and Turkish officials.</div><div><br></div><div>Average daily inspections — meant to ensure vessels carry only food and not weapons — have steadily dropped from a peak of 10.6 in October to 3.2 last month.</div><div><br></div><div>Russia denies slowing the work, with shipments of Ukrainian grain also declining in recent weeks.</div><div><br></div><div>“We cannot agree that the role of the Russian representative (inspector) should be reduced to automatic rubber-stamping, or approval, or appeals submitted by Kyiv,” Russia’s ambassador in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, told reporters last month.</div><div><br></div><div>Asked whether a blockade of Ukraine\'s coast or more attacks on its ports could follow any withdrawal from the agreement, Gatilov said Russian authorities were “considering all possible scenarios if the deal is not extended.”</div><div><br></div><div>Russia has five main asks, according to Gatilov:</div><div>A restoration of foreign supplies of farm machinery and replacement parts.</div><div><br></div><div>— A lifting of restrictions on insurance and access to foreign ports for Russian ships and cargo.</div><div><br></div><div>— Resumed operation of a pipeline that sends Russian ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer, to a Ukrainian Black Sea port.</div><div><br></div><div>— An end to restrictions on financial activities linked to Russia\'s fertilizer companies.</div><div><br></div><div>— Renewed access to the international SWIFT banking system for the Russian Agricultural Bank.</div><div><br></div><div>The U.N. says it\'s doing what it can, but those solutions mainly rest with the private sector, where it has little leverage.</div><div><br></div><div>The deal has allowed over 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain to be shipped, with more than half going to developing nations. China, Spain and Turkey are the biggest recipients, and Russia says that shows food isn\'t going to the poorest countries.</div><div><br></div><div>U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Ukrainian corn for animal feed has headed to developed countries, while “a majority” of grain for people to eat has gone to emerging economies.</div><div><br></div><div>Even if a “meaningful part” of the shipments goes to developed nations, that “has a positive impact to all countries because it brings prices down,\" Guterres told reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, this month. \"And when you bring prices down, everybody benefits.”</div><div><br></div><div>Osnato, the analyst, said markets aren\'t reacting to Russia’s threats to exit the deal, with wheat recently hitting two-year lows. If the agreement isn’t extended or negotiations drag on, the “loss of Ukraine grains wouldn’t be a disaster” for a month or two, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He says there is “bluster” coming from Russia to push for easing some sanctions because it\'s shipping record amounts of wheat for the season, and its fertilizers are flowing well, too.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s more about trying to get a little leverage, and they’re doing what they can to put themselves in a better negotiating position,” Osnato said.</div><div><br></div><div>Trade flows tracked by financial data provider Refinitiv show that Russia exported just over 4 million tons of wheat in April, the highest volume for the month in five years, following record or near-record highs in several previous months.</div><div><br></div><div>Exports since last July reached 32.2 million tons, 34% above the same period from last season, according to Refinitiv. It estimates Russia will ship 44 million tons of wheat in 2022-2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The issue is more pressing with Ukraine’s wheat harvest coming up in June and the need to sell that crop in July. Not having a Black Sea shipping corridor in place at that point would “start taking another large chunk of wheat and other grains off the market,” Osnato said.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine can send its food by land through Europe, so it wouldn’t be completely cut off from world markets, but those routes have a lower capacity than sea shipments and have stirred disunity in the European Union.</div><div><br></div><div>Uncertainties like drought in places including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria and East Africa — big importers of food — are likely to keep food prices high, and an end to the U.N. deal wouldn\'t help.</div><div><br></div><div>“Any shock to the markets can cause massive harm with catastrophic ripple effects in countries balancing on the brink of famine,\" said Shashwat Saraf, emergency director for East Africa at the International Rescue Committee.</div><div><br></div><div>“The expiration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is likely to trigger increased levels of hunger and malnutrition, spelling further disaster for East Africa,” Saraf said. According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 18:38:35', '2023-05-17 18:38:35'),
(6952, 6952, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy today said the nation can enjoy the fruits of freedom because Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s daughter Sheikh Hasina returned to the country on May 17, 1981.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“On May 17, 1981, Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, returned to the country with a sad heart, tearful eyes, and deep sorrow after losing her parents and siblings. Today we can enjoy the fruits of freedom because she returned to the country,” he wrote in his verified Facebook post.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Marking the Homecoming Day of Sheikh Hasina, now Prime Minister, he wrote that return of Sheikh Hasina began a new era in Bangladesh and shared a video documentary.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>With the elimination of the politics of violence, Joy wrote, “Today we have become wealthy, and we can breathe a sigh of peace in a clean and green Bangladesh”.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that the Awami League government has completed revolutionary work in changing people\'s living standards from village to village, city-suburb-downtowns, Joy wrote even through the modernization of the education sector with information technology, the new generation is getting the opportunity to develop themselves as humane and smart citizens, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>“With the visionary plan of Bangabandhu and Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Smart Bangladesh is gradually being developed by the hands of the smart generation,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 19:49:17', '2023-05-17 19:49:17'),
(6953, 6953, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh Awami League has successfully been able to retain its popularity even though it has been in power for a long time.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Staying in power for a long time, very few parties or men can sustain popularity or work for the welfare of the people continuously, But Awami League has been able to do so. We’ve proved it,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said this when leaders of AL and its associate bodies greeted her at Ganabhaban on the occasion of her 43rd homecoming day.</div><div><br></div><div>On May 17, 1981, AL President Sheikh Hasina returned home from India, after nearly six years in exile, following the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members by some misguided army officers on August 15, 1975.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about AL’s steps to establish democracy and voting rights, and reform the electoral system,&nbsp; Hasina said those who were once vote riggers are now vocal on democracy and voting rights in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who were the thieves and dacoits of votes (in the past) now want democracy and are talking about the voting rights. They were born in an illegal way. But we are to hear such words (lesion) from them,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The AL chief asked her party men not to consider such political rhetoric seriously rather stay beside the people, work for them to change their fortune and thus maintain the public trust and confidence in their party.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’ll have to retain the confidence of the people. The trust of the people is our only (source of) power. We’ve no other power except it.</div><div><br></div><div>She asked the party members to reorganize the party and its associate bodies stronger from the grassroots and stay alert so that the parties of terrorism, killing or war criminals can’t play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people anymore</div><div><br></div><div>She said AL is the only party that thinks for the welfare of Bangladesh and others are the parties of plunderers.</div><div><br></div><div>“So, I would request you all to pay attention so that the parties of terrorism, killings or war criminals can’t play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of Bangladesh anymore,”</div><div><br></div><div>The PM said Bangladesh has gained success in every area including saving the environment, food production or protection of human rights, curbing militancy and terrorism.&nbsp; Bangladesh has also been able to display this success before the whole world, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Since we’ve truly made development with limited resources, a small land and a large population, Bangladesh is now getting dignity as a role model for development internationally ,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>So, anti-liberation elements, war criminals, their successors and their local and international patrons would not like this progress of Bangladesh, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the 2008 general election, she said the BNP-Jamaat alliance secured only 29 seats out of 300, while the AL-lead grand alliance gained the remaining others, proving the public perception wrong that the Awami League and BNP are the same and both are equally big parties.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina recalled her early days when she returned home from the 6-year exile and recollected the persons who assisted her in the tough days, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Since then (1981), the people of the country and the Awami League have been my family,\" she added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-17 23:10:23', '2023-05-17 23:10:23');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6954, 6954, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Myanmar’s military has imported arms worth at least $1bn since seizing power in February 2021, despite “overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes”, a United Nations expert has said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the weapons came from Russia, China and companies in Singapore, Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar said in a report [PDF] released on Wednesday in New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The exports cover weapons, dual-use technology and materials used to manufacture weapons exported from the day of the coup on February 1, 2021, to December 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“These weapons, and the materials to manufacture more of them, have continued to flow uninterrupted to the Myanmar military despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes,” said the report. It identified more than 12,500 unique purchases or recorded shipments directly to the Myanmar military or known Myanmar arms dealers working on the military’s behalf.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The diversity and volume of goods provided to the Myanmar military since the coup is staggering,” it added, saying the military had taken delivery of weapons and equipment from fighter jets to drones, communications equipment and components for navy ships.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Myanmar was plunged into crisis by the coup, which triggered mass protests. A deadly crackdown ignited armed resistance, with ethnic armed groups that have long been fighting the military joining forces with so-called People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) to fight against the generals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PDFs are aligned with the National Unity Government (NUG) established by legislators removed in the coup and others opposed to military rule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN and rights groups have accused the military of human rights abuses in its attempts to suppress opposition, saying some incidents may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his report to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Andrews pointed to last month’s attack on Pazigyi village in the central Sagaing region, where reports indicate near-daily confrontations between resistance forces and soldiers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As some 300 villagers, including children, gathered to mark the opening of a new NUG office, a Russian-made Yak-130 fighter jet dropped two 250kg (550 pounds) bombs on the crowd.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The ordinance detonated with deadly impact – ripping the bodies of men, women, and children open, turning their skin to ash, and inflicting critical shrapnel wounds,” the report said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid the carnage, the attack continued as two Mi-35 attack helicopters fired on the survivors and those trying to help the wounded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 160 people were killed and the remains of only 59 people were identifiable, the report noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The attack is yet another example of the Myanmar junta’s probable crimes against humanity and war crimes against the people of Myanmar,” it said. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 08:11:26', '2023-05-18 08:11:26'),
(6955, 6955, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ukraine’s foreign minister told a top Chinese envoy that Kyiv would not accept any proposals to end the war with Russia that involved Ukraine losing territory or the of the placing the conflict on hold, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made the remarks during a meeting in Kyiv with Li Hui, who is China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba discussed with Li “ways to stop Russian aggression”, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his meeting, Kuleba “emphasised that Ukraine does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Restoring a “just peace” in Ukraine depended on “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, Kuleba said, according to the statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There was no word on how Li responded to Kuleba.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Li was in Kyiv on Tuesday and Wednesday seeking to promote Beijing-led negotiations to resolve the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Li is the highest-ranking Chinese diplomat to visit Ukraine since Moscow invaded in February 2022 and his arrival in Kyiv comes three weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by telephone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelenskyy also appointed a new Ukrainian ambassador to China on the same day, the Kyiv Independent media organisation reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Kyiv had warned ahead of the Chinese visit that Ukraine did not need “mediation for the sake of mediation”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Ending the war with a compromise at the expense of Ukraine will not work,” a senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the French news agency Agence France-Presse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beijing said the aim of the visit was to “communicate with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Li is now expected to visit Moscow, according to the Chinese government, and also Poland, Germany and France to discuss a possible political solution to the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Xi, who visited Moscow in March and has aimed to position China as a neutral mediator, has been criticised for refusing to condemn the Kremlin’s attack on its neighbour and the now 15-month-long war. China has also supported Moscow politically.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Beijing recently ordered foreign embassies to remove so-called “propaganda” on display at diplomatic missions in what is being interpreted as an apparent reference to shows of support for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A spokesperson for the European Union said the Protocol Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry circulated a note on May 8 to all diplomatic missions to the effect that they should “respect Chinese laws and regulations” and “not to use the external walls of embassies to carry out politicised propaganda to avoid causing disputes between countries”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The note does not specify what might constitute “politicised propaganda”, nor communicates further on the matter, said the EU spokesperson.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to diplomats in Beijing, Ukrainian flags and placards set up by the embassies of Canada, France, Germany and other governments are the only public displays by most foreign missions other than tourism advertisements.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Countries supporting Ukraine see little current prospect for a negotiated peace, particularly owing to Russia’s insistence on achieving its war aims and the Kremlin’s demand that Kyiv acknowledge Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, which most nations have denounced as illegal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine has rejected those demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops pull back from all occupied territories.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelenskyy’s own 10-point peace plan also includes an international tribunal to prosecute crimes of aggression, which would enable Russia to be held accountable for its invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelenskyy told reporters during his recent visit to Italy that there was little point in efforts by certain countries to attempt to “mediate between Ukraine and Russia to end the war”, what was needed was a “just peace” based on Ukraine’s formula for peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Russia started the war. Russia took lives. The war is on our land. We know all the crises that have happened, the challenges: nuclear, environmental, food, energy. Only we know what it is like,” Zelenskyy said in respone to questions regarding China or the Vatican’s possible role in a peace efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have not proposed an artificial plan – we have proposed how to get out of this situation, to end the war – according to the law, respecting the UN Charter, international law, people, values,” he said, according to a transcript on President of Ukraine’s website.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several African countries as well as Brazil and the Vatican have spoken out in favour of peace talks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to host “an African leaders peace mission” in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ramaphosa did not give a time frame or outline any parameters for the possible peace talks which would involve a delegation of leaders from six African countries to discuss a possible peace plan. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 08:24:55', '2023-05-18 08:24:55'),
(6956, 6956, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Leaders of seven of the world’s most powerful democracies will gather this weekend for the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, the location of the world’s first atomic attack at the end of World War II.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">From the emergence of crucial developing countries to security worries, including growing aggression from China, North Korea and Russia, here’s a look at the G-7, who will attend and some of the key issues:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHAT IS THE G-7 SUMMIT?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialized nations. It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year is Japan’s turn to host, but the presidency of G-7 summits revolves among the seven members. Two representatives of the European Union also join.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As is customary in recent years, leaders from some non-G-7 countries and international organizations will also participate in some sessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders discuss a wide range of issues, including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and gender.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first summit was in 1975, when France hosted what was then a Group of Six meeting to discuss tackling a recession that followed an Arab oil embargo. Canada became the seventh member a year later. Russia joined to form the G-8 in 1998 but was expelled after Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHO ELSE IS COMING?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam are invited, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stresses the importance of reaching out to developing countries in the so-called Global South and U.S. allies and partners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The invitations to leaders outside the G-7 are meant to extend cooperation to a broader range of countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The G-7 countries’ share of global economic activity has shrunk to about 30% from roughly 50% four decades ago. Developing economies such as China, India and Brazil have made huge gains, raising questions about the G-7′s relevance and its role in leading a world economy that’s increasingly reliant on growth in less wealthy nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leaders of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization are also invited.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHY HIROSHIMA?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hiroshima is Kishida’s hometown. His choice of venue underscores a determination to put nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation at the top of the agenda of this year’s summit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A path to nuclear disarmament has appeared more difficult with Russia’s recent nuclear weapon threats in Ukraine, as well as nuclear and missile development by China and North Korea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan, which is protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella, has also faced criticism that its nuclear disarmament pledge is an empty promise. Kishida is trying to forge a realistic roadmap between the current harsh reality and the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kishida on Friday will welcome arriving leaders at the Hiroshima Peace Park. He also plans to escort the leaders to the A-bomb museum, in the first group visit by heads of nuclear states. There might also be a meeting with atomic bomb survivors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I believe the first step toward any nuclear disarmament effort is to provide a first-hand experience of the consequences of the atomic bombing and to firmly convey the reality,” Kishida said Saturday during a visit to Hiroshima to observe summit preparations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHAT ARE THE TOP ISSUES?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">G-7 leaders are expected to strongly condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine while pledging their continuing support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the session via the internet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There will also be a focus on Beijing’s escalating threats against Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island Beijing claims as its own, and ways to reduce Western democracies’ economic and supply chain dependency on China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To address the rise of Global South nations, including many former colonies of Western powers with varied views on and ties to Russia and China, the G-7 will offer these countries more support in health, food security and infrastructure to develop closer ties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a closely watched event on the sidelines of the summit, Kishida will meet together with President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss closer security cooperation, possibly including stronger nuclear deterrence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kishida and Yoon will pay their respects together at a Hiroshima memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in a trust-building gesture as the two countries repair ties strained by disputes stemming from Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 09:04:21', '2023-05-18 09:04:21'),
(6957, 6957, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A high school student who killed three women in northwestern New Mexico with an indiscriminate spray of gunfire left a cryptic note presaging “the end of the chapter” and wore a bulletproof vest that he discarded before being shot to death by police, authorities said Wednesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police added new details to the profile of the lone gunman and the weaponry he used as he walked through his residential neighborhood before being confronted by officers and fatally shot outside a church. The shooter discharged more than 190 rounds during the rampage, according to authorities, most of them from the home he shared with his father.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said in a news conference that 18-year-old Beau Wilson was wearing what appeared to be a modified vest with steel plates and that the note was found in his pocket. Handwritten in green lettering, the message said in part, “if your reading this im the end of the chapter.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wilson began shooting with an AR-15 rifle just outside his home, from the front porch area, but quickly dropped that into some bushes even though it still held more live ammunition, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The gunman continued firing with two pistols, discarding a .22-caliber gun and then depleting rounds from a 9-mm handgun in the final shootout with police, during which he let off at least 18 rounds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Slain by the shooter were longtime Farmington residents Gwendolyn Schofield, 97, her 73-year-old daughter, Melody Ivie, and 79-year-old Shirley Voita, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The women were well known in the community, in part through participation in faith-based groups. Ivie ran a preschool for four decades that was attended by several generations of residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those wounded in the attack include Farmington police Sgt. Rachel Discenza and New Mexico State Police Officer Andreas Stamatiadas. The officers were treated at a local hospital and released.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police are probing Wilson’s access to weapons and concerns about his prior mental health, and efforts are underway to subpoena medical and school records that might shed light on any issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also read: New Mexico high school student killed 3 women in \'random\' shooting rampage, police say</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have been talking with family members and trying to do more investigation into his mental health that appears to — early on — to be a factor,” Hebbe said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the same time, Hebbe said, “there did not appear to be significant indications that ... something was going to happen that day.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">New Mexico enacted a so-called red flag law in 2020 that can be used to seize guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. Judicial records show the Farmington Police Department has petitioned successfully for the removal of guns in other instances, most recently in February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In November, after he turned 18, Wilson legally purchased the assault-style weapon used Monday, according to police. They believe two of the three weapons he carried were owned by relatives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two days before the attack, Wilson purchased additional ammunition magazines, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities said it appears he shot indiscriminately at vehicles, and bullets struck 11 of them along with seven homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional weapons and ammunition were found at the home Wilson shared with his father, but Hebbe said he did not appear to have organized those before he left the house. The suspect had access to over 1,400 rounds of ammunition and 10 other weapons at the time of the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He planned to use the three weapons he had,” Hebbe said, “and he went outside and he did just that.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police say evidence shows that at least 176 rounds were fired by Wilson from an assault rifle near his house at the outset of the rampage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A community vigil was planned for Wednesday night at the Farmington Museum, the latest in a series of gatherings to remember and mourn victims of the shooting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wilson was a senior at Farmington High School and had been scheduled to graduate the next day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the school’s commencement ceremony Tuesday, speakers talked of resilience and hope.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A chair was left empty with a bouquet of white roses “in memory of those we lost throughout the years,” school district spokesperson Roberto Taboada said. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 09:07:57', '2023-05-18 09:07:57'),
(6958, 6958, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Netflix on Wednesday wooed marketers with word that its nascent ad-supported plan has grown to nearly five million users globally.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The streaming television star touted its shows, viewer demographics, and more at a virtual \"Upfront\" presentation to advertisers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Since early this year, our ads member base has more than doubled),\" Netflix cochief Greg Peters said as the event kicked off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"On average, more than a quarter of our sign-ups now choose the ads plan in countries where it\'s available.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As growth at Netflix cooled last year, the Silicon Valley-based streaming company focused on creating a lower priced subscription tier with advertising.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Membership in its ad-supported tier has more than doubled since early this year, growing to nearly five million, according to Netflix.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Netflix in April said that its total number of subscribers hit a record high 232.5 million.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We share a common goal,\" Peters told advertisers during Upfront.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You want to connect consumers with your amazing brands, and we want to connect them with amazing entertainment they\'ll love.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 70 percent of those subscribing to the ad-supported plan at Netflix range in age from 18 to 49, according to the company.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Netflix shows and movies are generating global audiences that are many times bigger than our closest competitors,\" said Netflix cochief Ted Sarandos.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During Upfront, Netflix touted its line-up of shows including new productions such as “Griselda\" with Sofia Vergara and new seasons of hit originals including \"Stranger Things.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 09:47:34', '2023-05-18 09:47:34'),
(6959, 6959, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine\'s capital Kyiv has been attacked from the air by Russia for the ninth time this month.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking before the all-clear was given, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a fire in one district had been caused by falling debris.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blasts were also heard in central Ukraine in the regions of Vinnitsa, Khmelnitsky and Zhytomyr.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv\'s military administration said preliminary information indicated all incoming missiles had been destroyed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Writing on Telegram, Mr Klitschko said the fire had broken out in a garage in the Darnitsya area of Kyiv, but added no one had been injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The head of Kyiv\'s civilian military administration said a heavy missile attack had been launched from Russian strategic bombers over the Caspian sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Serhiy Popko said the attack probably included cruise missiles, adding that Russia had deployed reconnaissance drones over Kyiv after unleashing its wave of air strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, at least eight people were reportedly killed - including a five-year-old boy near Kherson - and 17 injured by shelling in Ukraine, as both sides traded accusations of striking civilian areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Western officials say Ukraine\'s army is at \"an increased state of readiness\" ahead of a long-awaited counter- offensive against Russia\'s invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The officials said many of Kyiv\'s military capabilities were now \"coming together\" - including its ability to deploy tanks, fighting vehicles and combat engineers, as well as clearing mines, bridging rivers and striking long-range targets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They said Russian troops were in a parlous state but warned that Moscow\'s defensive lines in Ukraine were \"potentially formidable\" and guarded by \"extensive minefields\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So the officials argued the success of any Ukrainian offensive should be measured not just by territorial gains but also by whether it convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to rethink his strategy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \"cognitive effect on the Kremlin\", they claimed, was more important than Ukrainian forces cleaving through Russian lines all the way to the border. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 09:53:33', '2023-05-18 09:53:33'),
(6960, 6960, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka saw light rainfall this morning, which helped improve the air quality and provide relief from the heat.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The weather department recorded 50 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, till 6 am today, said Bazlur Rashid, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several districts had rain since last night, and Dhaka will likely be drenched again in the afternoon and tonight, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rain in the morning, however, caused gridlock on several major streets in Dhaka, and city dwellers were stuck on the road during rush hour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People, especially office and school goers, struggled to reach their destinations in the rain due to lack of public transport in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw-pullers were seen charging fares higher than usual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People were seen heading towards schools to drop their children with umbrellas and raincoats while traffic police were seen struggling to control vehicle movement during the rain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Met Office bulletin, “Rain or thundershower accompanied by temporary west/northwesterly squally wind at the speed of 60-80 kph is likely to occur over the regions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Pabna, Bogura, Jashore, Kushita, Tangail, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Cumilla and Sylhet wherein riverports should hoist riverine warning signal two.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rain or thundershower with temporary west/northwesterly gusty or squally wind at the speed of 45-60 kph is likely to occur elsewhere over the country wherein river ports shall hoist cautionary signal 1, or said. The inland river port warning is valid till 1 pm on May 18. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 09:58:54', '2023-05-18 09:58:54'),
(6961, 6961, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Manchester City produced a landmark performance to reach the Champions League final as Bernardo Silva\'s double put Real Madrid to the sword in a 4-0 thrashing that secured a 5-1 aggregate win for the English champions on Wednesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eder Militao\'s own goal and Julian Alvarez\'s strike in stoppage time rounded off a memorable night for Pep Guardiola\'s men as they moved to within three wins of matching Manchester United\'s treble in 1998/99.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"To play like that against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals is a huge satisfaction,\" said Guardiola.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A fifth Premier League title in six seasons appears a formality with City needing just three points from their final three games, while United await in the FA Cup final on June 3.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it is a first ever Champions League that City crave the most and they will be strong favourites to finally conquer Europe against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seven years into Guardiola\'s reign as City boss, the home fans were sent into seventh heaven by the quality of a display that rivalled the former Barcelona boss\' Champions League final wins in charge of the Catalan giants in 2009 and 2011.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Madrid dashed City\'s dreams at this stage last season with a remarkable comeback from two goals down in the dying seconds of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Carlo Ancelotti\'s men this time had no answer to City\'s excellence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I had the feeling we had the pain of last year in our stomach,\" added Guardiola.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today it all came out in our energy and desire. Sport always give you a second chance to take revenge. We had the luck to get that chance this year and we took it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Were it not for Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the defending champions would have been on the end of a hiding before half-time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The giant Belgian needed all of his two-metre (6ft 7in) frame to claw Erling Haaland\'s header round the post.Haaland had already been denied his 53rd goal of the season by Courtois with another downward header.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rodri, John Stones and Jack Grealish also saw pot shots fly off target from the edge of the area, but Madrid\'s luck finally ran out on 23 minutes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kevin De Bruyne unpicked the lock as his pass found Silva inside the area, and he smashed high past Courtois\' left hand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- No \'drama\' for Ancelotti –</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visitors had barely registered a touch inside the City half for the opening half hour, but were inches away from an equaliser 10 minutes before half-time when a piledriver from Toni Kroos rattled the crossbar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just as Madrid were beginning to settle, City grabbed the second goal their first half dominance deserved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The in-form Ilkay Gundogan was denied a fifth goal in May by Militao\'s block, but the ball looped up kindly for Silva to head into an unguarded net.City had to show a different side to their game early in the second-half to weather Madrid\'s reaction and ensure there was no repeat of last season\'s late drama between the sides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have played against a team that deserved to win,\" said Ancelotti.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We don\'t have to make a drama of it. This squad did very well this year, did very well last year and we weren\'t able to reach another final.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The closest Real came to a lifeline was a dipping free-kick from David Alaba that Ederson tipped over.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the other end Courtois continued to win his personal battle with Haaland by turning the Norwegian\'s shot onto the bar when one-on-one.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But City won the war to move within one match of completing a transformation in the club\'s fortunes since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The next blow to the Spanish giants was self-inflicted as Militao deflected Manuel Akanki\'s header past Courtois 15 minutes from time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Haaland was replaced by Alvarez two minutes from the end and that was all the Argentine World Cup winner needed to make his mark as he slotted home from Phil Foden\'s pass. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 10:26:22', '2023-05-18 10:26:22'),
(6962, 6962, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russia and Ukraine agreed Wednesday to extend a deal allowing grain exports across the Black Sea, a rare example of cooperation as the war rages and one of Kyiv\'s valuable Patriot anti-missile systems was confirmed to be damaged.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The grain deal was welcomed by the United Nations and United States, though both called for more certainty over the exports as Russia has threatened to end the pact, which is crucial to global food security.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agreement came as Ukraine\'s foreign minister met China\'s special envoy in Kyiv, and insisted that the war-torn country would not accept any peace plan that relied on giving up territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China, a close ally of Moscow, has not publicly condemned Russia\'s invasion, and envoy Li Hui sought to promote Beijing-led negotiations to resolve the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his meeting with Li, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed \"Ukraine does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict\", his ministry said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since Russia invaded, Western arms -- mostly from the United States -- have poured into Ukraine, including Patriot systems to help shield against relentless missile strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of only two Patriot systems confirmed to be in Ukraine was damaged by an unspecified projectile landing nearby, US officials confirmed Wednesday, though they said it was still functioning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian defense ministry said Tuesday that its forces had struck a Patriot system in Kyiv with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile, but the claim was not confirmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine\'s air defenses have played a key role in protecting the country from strikes and preventing Moscow\'s forces from gaining control of the skies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But as Russia faced increasing setbacks on the ground, it began air attacks that have disrupted electricity, water and heat to millions of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Key Ukrainian ports -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which has a central role in the grain deal, announced the two-month extension, saying Russia had agreed not to block ships from leaving two Ukrainian ports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"These agreements matter for global food security; Ukrainian and Russian products feed the world,\" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I hope we will reach a comprehensive agreement to improve, expand and extend the initiative.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the deal, which was meant to expire on May 18, and again on Wednesday denounced \"disparities\" in how it is implemented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv has accused Russia of effectively still blocking its ships by refusing to register them and conducting lengthy inspections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s a good thing that (the deal) has been extended,\" said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. \"Unfortunately, Russia continues even in a moment of extension to rhetorically hold it hostage in various ways.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the ground, fighting continued for control of the eastern town of Bakhmut.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine is seeking to take back territory occupied by Russian forces in the wake of the February 2022 invasion and also areas seized by Russia in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The battle for Bakhmut has turned into the longest standoff of the war. Ukraine is now saying it is advancing in the area, retaking Russian positions in Bakhmut\'s suburbs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a sign of the conflict\'s toll on Russia\'s economy, the statistics agency Rosstat said Wednesday that the country\'s gross domestic product shrank by 1.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The economy was weighed down by another wave of Western sanctions, including a ban by the European Union on Russian petroleum products, on top of an oil price cap agreed with the G7 and Australia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in Iceland, a meeting of European leaders agreed to establish a \"register of damages\" to record the destruction wrought by Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Created by the 46-nation Council of Europe, it sets up a record ahead of possible prosecutions of Russian leaders, laying the groundwork for potential compensation. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 10:56:16', '2023-05-18 10:56:16');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6963, 6963, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Farmers are all smiles thanks to the bumper production of mango in Chapainawabganj district.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Mango is the main cash crop in Chapainawabganj, and this year the price of mango seems profitable in the local market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The mango farmers are busy nurturing their orchards in the district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After meeting local demand, a huge quantity of different varieties of mangoes are being supplied to other parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the district’s Department of Agriculture Extension, there are 37,588 hectares of mango orchards and the government has set a target to produce 4,40,956 metric tonnes of mango this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Production of mango this year has exceeded that in the previous years. Last year, 3.25 lakh metric tonnes of mango were produced in the district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This correspondent spoke to some mango farmers. They said, due to the hot temperatures and inadequate rain, the average size of mangoes are a tad small, but ripe, juicy mangoes will start flooding the local markets within next week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Serajul Islam, a mango farmer of Nashipur area in Sadar upazila, said, “This year we have seen a good yield of mango, though a drought-like situation is going on. We sprayed water on the trees to deal with the situation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He expected a bumper yield of mangoes if no hailstorm happens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdur Rakib, another mango farmer, said, “We are happy with the local administration’s decision over not fixing the day for harvesting mangoes. We hope we will be able to provide our mangoes when they are fully matured.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also claimed that the market price of mango is good and if it remains so, farmers will make profit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Azizul, another mango farmer, said that this year, the farmers saw a good yield of four varieties of mango including Fazli, Khirsapat, Bombay Khirsa and Langra.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, the farmers will be harvesting Guti and Gopalbhog varieties of mango then the market will be flooded with Khirsapat, Langra, Fazli, Amrapali, Bari-4 and Aswina mangoes in phases, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palash Sarkar, deputy director of the district DAE, said, “This year, mango trees in the district were blessed with an abundance of blossoms, and the yield of mango is also good.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During drought-like situations, we asked the mango farmers to spray water on their trees,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, the local administration has not fixed any schedule for harvesting mangoes in Chapainawabganj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There will be no fixed time for plucking and marketing mangoes. The fruits can be harvested only when they are matured, said Chapainawabganj Deputy Commissioner AKM Galiv Khan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They have decided to take strict action if anyone tries to pluck and market mangoes that have not fully matured, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local administration also decided to conduct mobile court drives to check use of chemicals on mangoes, and a monitoring team will remain in force to ensure safe and chemical-free mangoes. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 11:50:47', '2023-05-18 11:50:47'),
(6964, 6964, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin today urged lawyers to play their due role to establish good governance in the country.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The incumbent government wants to ensure good governance in the country ... Lawyers must perform their assigned duties in a proper manner,\" he told a view-exchange meeting with the lawyers at Pabna District Bar here this evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Head of State added: \"The present government believes in the rule of law. So the independence of judiciary has been ensured in the country\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A former district and sessions judge Shahabuddin said the independence of the judiciary depends on the coordination of judges and lawyers.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If there is a good relationship between lawyers and judges . . . the rule of law will be established then,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President said purification strategy is very urgent here and the lawyers cannot assist the bench where corruption taints society.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Lawyers not only assist judges in their legal profession but also sometime guide them,\" the former lawyer observed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President said laws are introduced for the welfare of common people and it is the job of lawyers to present the law naturally and give a clear and correct interpretation of the law.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bar association leaders and senior lawyers were present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the President unveiled the portrait plaque of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - \"Bangabandhu Corner\" - at the Pabna District and Sessions Judge Court premises.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, he visited the District and Sessions Judge Court Museum there.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, on his arrival there, the President was welcomed by judges led by District and Sessions Judge Begum Shamim Ahmed with a flower of bouquet.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, the President visited \"Valiant Freedom Fighter Shahabuddin Chupu Amusement Park\".&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He spent some time there and exchanged greetings with all concerned.&nbsp; BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 12:04:39', '2023-05-18 12:04:39'),
(6965, 6965, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Four Indigenous children, including an 11-month-old baby, have been found alive in the dense Colombian Amazon after a plane crash more than two weeks ago, President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday, declaring \"joy for the country.\"</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro said on Twitter the children were found after \"arduous search efforts\" by the military, which has yet to confirm the rescue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 100 soldiers had been deployed with sniffer dogs to search for the minors who were traveling in an airplane that crashed on May 1, leaving three adults including the pilot and the children\'s mother dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers had said they believed the children -- who in addition to the 11-month-old include a 13, nine and four-year-old -- were wandering through the jungle in the southern Caqueta department since the crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro did not provide any details on where the children had been rescued or how they survived alone in the jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avianline Charters, owner of the crashed aircraft, said that one of its pilots in the search area was told the children had been found and that they \"were being transported by boat downriver and that they were all alive.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the company also said that \"there has been no official confirmation\" that the children were completely out of danger, and thunderstorms in the area still posed a risk to them reaching safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The armed forces had earlier said their search efforts intensified after rescuers came across a \"shelter built in an improvised way with sticks and branches,\" leading them to believe there were survivors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In photographs released by the military, scissors, shoes, and hair ties could be seen among branches on the jungle floor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A baby\'s drinking bottle and half-eaten pieces of fruit had been spotted before the shelter\'s discovery.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday and Tuesday, soldiers found the bodies of the pilot and two adults who had been flying from a jungle location to San Jose del Guaviare, one of the main cities in Colombia\'s Amazon rainforest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the dead passengers, Ranoque Mucutuy, was the mother of the four children.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inaccessible region</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Giant trees that can grow up to 40 meters tall and heavy rainfall made the \"Operation Hope\" search difficult.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three helicopters were used to help, one of which blasted out a recorded message from the children\'s grandmother in their native Huitoto language telling them to stop moving through the jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities have not indicated what caused the plane crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pilot had reported problems with the engine just minutes before the airplane disappeared from radars, Colombia\'s disaster response body said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is a region with few roads and is also difficult to access by river, so airplane transport is common.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children are from the Indigenous Huitoto community, also spelled Witoto, who are known for living in harmony with the remote jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The community develops skills in hunting, fishing and gathering, which may have helped the children to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Exploitation, disease and assimilation have reduced the population sharply over many decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro, who announced the rescue, is Colombia\'s first leftist president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">4 Children, Including Baby, Found Alive In Amazon After Plane Crash</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities have not indicated what caused the plane crash. (Representatinal Image)</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bogot, Colombia: Four Indigenous children, including an 11-month-old baby, have been found alive in the dense Colombian Amazon after a plane crash more than two weeks ago, President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday, declaring \"joy for the country.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro said on Twitter the children were found after \"arduous search efforts\" by the military, which has yet to confirm the rescue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 100 soldiers had been deployed with sniffer dogs to search for the minors who were traveling in an airplane that crashed on May 1, leaving three adults including the pilot and the children\'s mother dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers had said they believed the children -- who in addition to the 11-month-old include a 13, nine and four-year-old -- were wandering through the jungle in the southern Caqueta department since the crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro did not provide any details on where the children had been rescued or how they survived alone in the jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avianline Charters, owner of the crashed aircraft, said that one of its pilots in the search area was told the children had been found and that they \"were being transported by boat downriver and that they were all alive.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the company also said that \"there has been no official confirmation\" that the children were completely out of danger, and thunderstorms in the area still posed a risk to them reaching safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The armed forces had earlier said their search efforts intensified after rescuers came across a \"shelter built in an improvised way with sticks and branches,\" leading them to believe there were survivors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In photographs released by the military, scissors, shoes, and hair ties could be seen among branches on the jungle floor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A baby\'s drinking bottle and half-eaten pieces of fruit had been spotted before the shelter\'s discovery.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday and Tuesday, soldiers found the bodies of the pilot and two adults who had been flying from a jungle location to San Jose del Guaviare, one of the main cities in Colombia\'s Amazon rainforest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the dead passengers, Ranoque Mucutuy, was the mother of the four children.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inaccessible region</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Giant trees that can grow up to 40 meters tall and heavy rainfall made the \"Operation Hope\" search difficult.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three helicopters were used to help, one of which blasted out a recorded message from the children\'s grandmother in their native Huitoto language telling them to stop moving through the jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities have not indicated what caused the plane crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pilot had reported problems with the engine just minutes before the airplane disappeared from radars, Colombia\'s disaster response body said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is a region with few roads and is also difficult to access by river, so airplane transport is common.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children are from the Indigenous Huitoto community, also spelled Witoto, who are known for living in harmony with the remote jungle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The community develops skills in hunting, fishing and gathering, which may have helped the children to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Exploitation, disease and assimilation have reduced the population sharply over many decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petro, who announced the rescue, is Colombia\'s first leftist president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He came to power last August but has been unable to usher in the fundamental reforms in labor law, healthcare, pensions and the judiciary that he promised during his campaign. NDTV</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 12:32:55', '2023-05-18 12:32:55'),
(6966, 6966, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the election of Md Shahabuddin as president of the country.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The eight-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order and fined the writ petitioner Advocate MA Aziz Tk one lakh “for wasting the court’s time” by filling an “illogical writ petition.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The other members of the bench are: Justice Md. Nuruzzaman, Justice Obaidul Hassan, Justice Borhanuddin, Justice M. Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam, Justice Md. Abu Zafor Siddique, Justice Jahangir Hossain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Advocate MA Aziz Khan stood for the petitioner while Attorney General MA Amin Uddin represented the state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 7, a writ petition was filed challenging the legality of the process for electing Md Shahabuddin as president and publication of the gazette notification by the Election Commission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The writ petition also sought a stay order of the operation of the gazette notification issued by the Election Commission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 15, the High Court rejected the writ petition. On March 21, an appeal petition was filed against the HC order that has rejected the writ petition. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 12:58:32', '2023-05-18 12:58:32'),
(6967, 6967, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with her mother Doria Ragland, were involved in a car chase while they were being pursued by paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night. Now a witness to the car chase has called out the hyperbolic description of the incident as \"near catastrophic\" to be nothing more than \"sensational.\"&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement, \"Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved,\" it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now, according to a report by People, a photographer on the scene has shared their opinion calling out the description of the incident. They said that it is \"sensational\" to term the car chase as \"near catastrophic.\" They said, \"Nobody got a ticket or arrested... I don\'t see how it was near catastrophic other than crazy hyperbole.\" The source also reports, \"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\'s driver gets pulled over after he was observed by NYPD swerving and almost hitting pedestrians while trying to evade the paparazzi.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trio were attending the Ms. Foundation\'s Women of Vision Awards at Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan where Meghan was honored with the Women of Vision award from feminist icon Gloria Steinem. “It\'s never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life... There is still so much work to be done,\" she said in her acceptance speech. It was the first public event which was attended by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle together since King Charles\' coronation. Only Prince Harry was present at the ceremony, as Meghan Markle did not attend it. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 13:33:27', '2023-05-18 13:33:27'),
(6968, 6968, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka Metro Rail will run for 12 hours – from 8am to 8pm – on the Uttara-Agargaon route, starting from May 31.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique confirmed the information at a press conference today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">According to the new schedule, Dhaka Metro Rail will not operate on Friday instead of Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 12-hour schedule will be split into 4 segments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the new schedule, Dhaka Metro Rail will leave the station every 10 minutes during the peak hours (from 8 am to 11 am and from 3:01 pm to 6 pm). During off-peak hours (from 11:01 am to 3 pm and from 6:01 pm to 8 pm), the metro rail will leave the station every 15 minutes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Dhaka Metro Rail services will be closed on,, the DMTCL Managing Director said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 13:56:50', '2023-05-18 13:56:50'),
(6969, 6969, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said her government has been able to provide healthcare services at the door steps of the common people up to the rural areas due to the community clinics.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The community clinics set up across the country have been able to reach health care services to the door steps of the common people up to rural areas,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this at the weekly Cabinet meeting held at her office (PMO).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations on Tuesday unanimously adopted the first-ever resolution on community-based health care. The resolution, titled “Community-based primary health care: a participatory and inclusive approach to universal health coverage,” acknowledged the important role community clinics play in promoting primary healthcare, women’s empowerment, community engagement and mobilisation towards achieving universal access to health.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh can share its experience of the community clinics with other UN member states to ensure primary healthcare services in those countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She thanked people of Bangladesh for giving her Awami League party chance to remain in the power since 2009 that resulted this achievement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If they had not voted us again and again, and given me the opportunity to serve, I would not have come here,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that coming to power in 1996 after long 21 years following the 15th August killing in 1975, the Awami League government took up programnes to reach health services to the doorsteps of the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She particularly mentioned the steps of her government taken during 1996-2001 tenure for construction of 11000 community clinics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The activities of providing services were introduced from four thousand such clinics during the time,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said that survey had revealed that up to 70 percent successes were achieved in those community clinics, while now the people in villages particularly females including pregnant women are getting quality health services from there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elaborating role of the community clinics in achieving targets of ensuring primary health care, she said, these played crucial role in reducing child and maternal mortality rate, and women are also getting health services during their maternity period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that the people are now getting 30 types of medicines from there free of cost, while these facilities have created medicare opportunities for the marginal and poor people including rural women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Besides, job opportunities have also been created in rural areas centering the community clinics,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Hasina regretted that coming to power in 2001, the BNP-Jamat government closed the community clinics fearing that the beneficiaries might cast their votes for Awami League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I felt very sad that only Awami League people would not take treatment at the clinics we established. The common people get service there.There are also supporters of other parties in those areas. Then why did it stop?” She questioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The government has also formed a trust so that none can stop the activities of the community clinics even after the change of the government,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also thanked Almighty Allah as she is still alive after repeated attempts to kill her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“…and able to work for the people of the country despite facing grenades, bombs and bullets. This is the most important thing,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While talking about the UNGA resolution on “The Sheikh Hasina Initiative”, the prime minister said, some 70 member countries of the UN were co-sponsors&nbsp; of the resolution and it was unanimously adopted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister conveyed thanks and gratitude to the co-sponsors and member states of the UN which played significant role in adopting Bangladesh’s community Clinics model “The Sheikh Hasina Initiative” at the UNGA on Tuesday. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 14:56:52', '2023-05-18 14:56:52'),
(6970, 6970, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After observing a similar programme in Dhaka, BNP on Thursday announced to stage marches in 10 other metropolitan cities on May 23 and 28 to press home its 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the programme was also meant for registering the party’s protest against the filing of ‘ghost’ cases against opposition leaders and activists, soaring prices of essentials, frequent power cuts and the all-pervasive corruption by the Awami League government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We staged marches in Dhaka city’s north and south areas on Wednesday. Our programme was successful. A similar programme will be observed by BNP in all metropolitan cities, except Dhaka south and north cities, on May 23 and 28,” Rizvi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Wednesday, BNP’s Dhaka South and North City units staged spate marches towards Malibagh from Basabo and Shahjadpur areas in the capital respectively to realise the same demands.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the marches, carrying banners, festoons and portraits of the party\'s top leaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before the Eid-ul-Fitr, BNP observed the march programme across the country including the capital in several phases to press home their 10-point demand. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 15:04:20', '2023-05-18 15:04:20'),
(6971, 6971, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>One person died and two were wounded by a Russian missile that got through and struck an industrial building in the southern region of Odesa, according to Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the region\'s military administration.</div><div><br></div><div>Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv as the Kremlin\'s forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month in a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons.</div><div><br></div><div>Debris fell on two Kyiv districts, starting a fire at a garage complex. There was no immediate word about any victims, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration, said in a Telegram post.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine also shot down two Russian exploding drones and two reconnaissance drones, according to authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>The missiles were launched from Russian sea, air and ground bases, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian commander in chief, wrote on Telegram.</div><div><br></div><div>Several waves of missiles were aimed at areas of Ukraine between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 5.30 a.m. Thursday, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian forces used strategic bombers from the Caspian region and apparently fired X-101 and X-55-type missiles developed during Soviet times, Kyiv authorities said. Russia then deployed reconnaissance drones over the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>In the last major air attack on Kyiv, on Tuesday, Ukrainian air defenses bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems shot down all the incoming missiles, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>That attack used hypersonic missiles, which repeatedly have been touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a key strategic advantage. The missiles, which are among the most advanced weapons in Russia\'s arsenal, are difficult to detect and intercept because of their hypersonic speed and maneuverability.</div><div><br></div><div>But sophisticated Western air defense systems, including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country\'s east and south.</div><div><br></div><div>While the ground fighting is largely deadlocked along that front line, both sides are targeting each other\'s territory with long-range weapons.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Kremlin-installed authorities in occupied Crimea reported the derailment of eight train cars Thursday due to an explosion.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian state media reported the train was carrying grain.</div><div><br></div><div>Quoting a source within the emergency services, state news agency RIA Novosti said that the incident occurred not far from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway reported that the derailment was caused by \"the interference of unauthorized persons\" and that there were no casualties.</div><div><br></div><div>The Russia-installed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that train services on the affected section of the line were suspended.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, two people were wounded in a drone attack in Russia\'s southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor reported Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>In a Telegram post, Roman Starovoit claimed Ukrainian forces dropped an explosive device from a drone on a sports and recreation complex. Accoridng to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 17:07:32', '2023-05-18 17:07:32'),
(6972, 6972, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>River ports in some regions have been asked to hoist ‘warning signal no. 2’ as temporary west or north westerly squally wind is likely to hit many parts of the country, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to the Met Office bulletin, “Rain or thundershower accompanied by temporary west/north westerly squally wind at the speed of 60-80 kph is likely to occur over the regions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Pabna, Bogura, Jashore, Kushita, Tangail, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Cumilla and Sylhet wherein riverports should hoist riverine warning signal number two.”</div><div><br></div><div>Rain or thundershower with temporary west/north westerly gusty or squally wind at the speed of 45-60 kph is likely to occur elsewhere over the country wherein river ports should hoist cautionary signal 1, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The warning for inland river ports is valid till 1 pm on May 18, starting at 5 am today, according to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 17:50:30', '2023-05-18 17:50:30'),
(6973, 6973, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has stressed on the exchange of high level visits between Bangladesh and South Korea to tap the full potential of the existing bilateral relations.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>State Minister Alam expressed his happiness for the ongoing development activities between the two countries.</div><div><br></div><div>Outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun had a farewell meeting with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs at his office on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>They exchanged views on furthering the bilateral cooperation in the sectors of trade &amp; investment, skilled labour, connectivity, Indo Pacific, high level visits, people to people contact etc.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Ambassador Lee highlighted on four major milestones that have been achieved during his tenure in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>These are: increase of bilateral trade (from USD 1.5 billion to USD 3 billion), ODA (USD 700 million to USD 3 billion), EPS Workers (from 1,500 to 10,000 per year) and FDI (USD 1.4 billion in 2022).</div><div><br></div><div>He also expressed his satisfaction for the ongoing Dhaka-Seoul direct flight and the inauguration of the assembling plants of 2 Korean giant companies - Hyundai and Samsung in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The State Minister thanked the Ambassador for his successful tenure in Bangladesh and wished him success for his future assignment. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 18:07:28', '2023-05-18 18:07:28'),
(6974, 6974, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After observing a similar programme in Dhaka, BNP on Thursday announced to stage marches in 10 other metropolitan cities on May 23 and 28 to press home its 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the programme was also meant for registering the party’s protest against the filing of ‘ghost’ cases against opposition leaders and activists, soaring prices of essentials, frequent power cuts and the all-pervasive corruption by the Awami League government.</div><div><br></div><div>“We staged marches in Dhaka city’s north and south areas on Wednesday. Our programme was successful. A similar programme will be observed by BNP in all metropolitan cities, except Dhaka south and north cities, on May 23 and 28,” Rizvi said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Wednesday, BNP’s Dhaka South and North City units staged spate marches towards Malibagh from Basabo and Shahjadpur areas in the capital respectively to realise the same demands.</div><div><br></div><div>Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the marches, carrying banners, festoons and portraits of the party\'s top leaders, according to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 18:17:08', '2023-05-18 18:17:08'),
(6975, 6975, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In an effort to enhance the skills of staff members and improve the well-being of at-risk street children, Caritas Bangladesh Alokito Shishu Project organized a two-day training program on Anger and Street Management. The program, held at the Caritas Bangladesh central office, concluded on Wednesday with great success.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Sukleash George Costa, Director (Program) of Caritas Bangladesh, inaugurated the training program on Tuesday morning with a warm welcome speech. The sessions were led by Dr. Lipy Gloria Rozario, the Director of Healing Heart Counseling Unit and adjunct faculty at Dhaka University\'s Educational and Counseling Psychology Department. The program was moderated by Gregory, Program Officer of the project.</div><div><br></div><div>Throughout the two-day program, Dr. Rozario covered a wide range of important topics, including case management, self-care, ways to improve positive hormones, professional and personal life balancing, and non-violent communication. The training aimed to equip the staff members of the Alokito Shishu Project with effective strategies to manage anger and effectively address the unique challenges faced by street children.</div><div><br></div><div>The Alokito Shishu Project, which commenced its activities in January 2021, focuses on improving the perspectives of at-risk street children in Bangladesh. By enhancing their access to better-coordinated care and protection systems, the project aims to improve their health, education, and overall well-being.</div><div><br></div><div>The program witnessed active participation from a total of 26 staff members from Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh regions associated with the Alokito Shishu Project.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 19:43:05', '2023-05-18 19:43:05'),
(6976, 6976, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the Qatar Economic Forum, the Middle East\'s leading voice dedicated to global business and investment, to be held in Doha on May 23-25.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister will attend the Forum titled “3rd Qatar Economic Forum: A New Global Growth Story” at the invitation of Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told reporters at a weekly briefing on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>The main objective of this forum is to find a solution by increasing mutual cooperation among the international community to deal with the multi-faceted challenges and crises going on globally and the adverse economic consequences arising from them.</div><div><br></div><div>Strategically located in Doha, the Forum draws on Qatar’s ability to link Asia with Africa and beyond, as well as its position as a key global diplomatic hub and a leader in LNG energy technologies.</div><div><br></div><div>With its laser-like focus on the major economic issues facing international CEOs, Heads of State, and money markets, the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, provides fresh and unique perspectives on the issues driving global boardroom conversations.</div><div><br></div><div>The forum features a curated group of global leaders and innovators exploring solutions for some of today’s more pertinent challenges as they draw up a blueprint for our shared future, said the organisers.</div><div><br></div><div>Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Akbar Al-Baker, Group CEO of Qatar Airways, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Minister of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, State of Qatar, President &amp; CEO of QatarEnergy are among the guests.</div><div><br></div><div>The organisers of the event put Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s name as one of the guests among Heads of State and Government.</div><div><br></div><div>Qatar Economic Forum 2023 will focus on prominent global challenges that affect societies and economies around the world.</div><div><br></div><div>The 2023 edition will revolve around global growth and establishing a new roadmap for global growth in this challenging economic environment.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister will be heading for Doha on May 22 and will return home on May 26. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-18 19:49:38', '2023-05-18 19:49:38'),
(6977, 6977, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the Hajj Programme-2023 (1444 Hijri) at the Hajji Camp in the capital\'s Ashkona area.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opening the Hajj Programme, the Premier sought doa from the Hajj pilgrims for the people of Bangladesh so that none could play ducks and drakes with the fate of people of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first hajj flight is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Saudi Arabia at 2:45am on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, a total of 122,221 pilgrims from Bangladesh are going to perform the holy hajj. The number of hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh was 57,585 last year due to Covid-19 restriction.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh performed hajj in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Hajj is expected to be held on June 27 depending on the sighting of the moon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With State Minister for Religious Affairs Md. Faridul Haque Khan, MP, in the chair, secretary of the ministry Kazi Enamul Hassan delivered welcome address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Habib Hasan, MP, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan and president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Shahadat Hossain Taslim also spoke on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the outset of the ceremony, a video documentary on Hajj Management was screened. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 14:05:00', '2023-05-19 14:05:00');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6978, 6978, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the Hajj pilgrims and Alem-Ulema (Islamic scholars) to move forward to contribute in building a modern and knowledge-based developed nation by keeping the children away from militancy and terrorism.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"I urge you (Hajj pilgrims) and Alem-Ulema to stand boldly against militancy and terrorism so our children can stay aside from it and equip with modern-technology to build a developed Bangladesh,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The premier made this call while inaugurating Hajj Programme-2023 (1444 Hijri) at the Hajji Camp in the capital\'s Ashkona area as the chief guest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;She said Islam is a religion of peace and it is always a religion of welfare of people which ensures the rights of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that Islam is being denounced because of few people, who perpetrate militancy and terrorism in Islam, she said, \"Actually those people who create militancy and terrorism they have no religion.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Sheikh Hasina noted that the people who are creating militancy and terrorism exist in all religions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"If someone thinks they will go to heaven by killing innocent people, it will never happen. Almighty Allah didn\'t say it, and our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) also didn\'t say it,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina continued that \"Our Islam is the best religion of the world and these few people are becoming the reason for denouncement of Islam.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She opined that everybody has to take initiative to stop these people from doing this (heinous) job.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All of us have to be aware of our children,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister also sought doa from the hajj pilgrims for her younger daughter Sheikh Rehana and other family members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"My biggest demand to you (hajj pilgrims) is that you people will pray for my people of Bangladesh so that none could play ducks and drakes with the fate of them,\" the premier said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;She also urged the hajj pilgrims to pray for keeping Bangladesh and its people protected from any manmade or natural disaster.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I would like to request you to pray so that any disaster or crisis -either it manmade or natural calamity- can\'t damage Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh,\" Sheikh Hasina said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said manmade disaster alongside natural calamity happens in Bangladesh as the people are killed here by resorting to arson violence and setting transport vehicles on fire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;She asked the pilgrims to pray so that the development and the current progress of Bangladesh would continue in the future.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first hajj flight is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Saudi Arabia at 2:45am on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, a total of 122,221 pilgrims from Bangladesh are going to perform the holy hajj. The number of hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh was 57,585 last year due to Covid-19 restriction.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh performed hajj in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Hajj is expected to be held on June 27 depending on the sighting of the moon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With State Minister for Religious Affairs Md. Faridul Haque Khan, MP in the chair, secretary of the ministry Kazi Enamul Hassan delivered welcome address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Habib Hasan, MP, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan and president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Shahadat Hossain Taslim also spoke on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;At the outset of the ceremony, a video documentary on Hajj Management was screened. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 14:26:33', '2023-05-19 14:26:33'),
(6979, 6979, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Nearly 337 million life years were lost in the two first years of the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions of people died prematurely, the World Health Organization said on Friday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The UN health agency\'s annual world statistics report also showed a swelling&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">threat from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">and diabetes.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The most dramatic finding, based on data up to 2022, was the estimate of how&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">many years of life Covid had taken, WHO said.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The pandemic has wreaked global devastation and officially killed nearly&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">seven million people, with the true figure believed to be closer to 20&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">million.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><br></span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The WHO report lays bare how the virus itself and the broader impact of the&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">crisis abruptly cut short the lives of millions of people.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">While the WHO officially registered 5.4 million Covid deaths in 2020 and&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">2021, its excess mortality data shows around 14.9 million people actually&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">likely died due to the crisis over that period.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even more striking, perhaps, it said the statistics show that during those</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">two years alone, Covid resulted in the loss globally of 336.8 million years&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">that otherwise would have been lived.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s like losing 22 years of life for every excess death,\" Samira Asma,</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WHO\'s assistant chief for data and analytics, told reporters ahead of the</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">launch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Off-track -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Significant inequities underpin the distribution of Covid-19 cases and</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">deaths, as well as access to vaccinations,\" the report said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The WHO warned that the pandemic had helped throw off-track many health-&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">related indicators that had been improving for years.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the first two decades of the century, the world saw significant</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">improvements in maternal and child health, with deaths falling by one-third&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">and one-half respectively.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The incidence of infectious diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria also&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">declined significantly, as did the risk of premature death from NCDs.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Global life expectance rose from 67 years in 2000 to 73 in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But after the pandemic hit, existing inequalities in access to high-quality&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">health care, routine immunisations and financial protection deepened, among&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">other things sending the long improving trends on malaria and TB in the&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">opposite direction.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Stark message\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">And while the world still enjoys health progress overall, the share of deaths&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">caused each year by NCDs has grown, the study showed.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In 2000, around 61 percent of global deaths annually were linked to NCDs. By&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">2019, almost 74 percent were.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"If this trend continues, NCDs are projected to account for about 86 percent&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">of the 90 million annual deaths by mid-century,\" WHO said in a statement.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The report sends a stark message on the threat of noncommunicable diseases,&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">which take an immense and increasing toll,\" WHO chief Tedros Adhanom&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ghebreyesus said.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The findings, he said, show the need for \"a substantial increase in</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">investments in health and health systems to get back on track towards the&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sustainable Development Goals.\"</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">NCD deaths were increasing despite a reduction in exposure to many health&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">risks, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption and unsafe water and&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">sanitation, WHO said.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Exposure to other risks like air pollution however remained high, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The report warned in particular that the prevalence of obesity was growing&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">with no sign of reversal. AFP</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 15:55:40', '2023-05-19 15:55:40'),
(6980, 6980, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee will be held tomorrow (Saturday) to review the information on the appearance of the new moon of the holy month of Zilqad of 1,444 Hijri, the 11th month of the Islamic calendar.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting will be held at the Islamic Foundation Conference Room at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque here at 6.45pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Religious Affairs and National Moon Sighting Committee President M Faridul Huq Khan will chair the meeting, according to an IF press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People have been requested to inform the concerned district administrator or the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) over telephone or fax if the moon of the holy Zilkad month is seen anywhere on the sky of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The telephone numbers are 02-223381725, 02-41050912, 02-41050916 and 02-41050917. The fax numbers are 02-223383397 and 02-9555951. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 15:57:32', '2023-05-19 15:57:32'),
(6981, 6981, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The official death toll from the powerful cyclone that struck Myanmar has burgeoned to at least 145, including 117 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority, state television reported Friday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said the figure applied to the western state of Rakhine, where Cyclone Mocha did the most damage, but did not say how many storm-related deaths there have been in other parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accounting of casualties from the cyclone has been slow, in part due to communication difficulties in the affected areas and the military government\'s tight control over information. The military government has said that unofficial death tolls surpassing 400 are false, but in the absence of independent confirmation, uncertainly remains about the actual extent of casualties and destruction.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mocha made landfall near Sittwe township in Rakhine state on Sunday afternoon with winds of up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour before weakening inland. The cyclone, the nation\'s most destructive in at least a decade, brought widespread flash floods and power outages, while high winds tore roofs off buildings and crumpled cellphone towers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Millions of people live in the path of the cyclone and a massive effort is now underway to clear debris and provide shelter to those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed,\" the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday. \"Coastal Rakhine took the heaviest hit from the cyclone with severe impacts across the northwest and some damage in Kachin (state) also reported.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Friday\'s report on MRTV state television said four soldiers and 24 local residents in Rakhine, in addition to the 117 Rohingya, had been killed, blaming the deaths on people refusing to evacuate their homes despite warnings from the authorities before the storm hit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The authorities evacuated 63,302 of the 125,789 Rohingya sheltering in 17 camps in 17 townships including Sittwe, starting last Friday, MRTV said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its reports identified the Rohingya as \"Bengali,\" the official designation given the minority group to suggest they are illegal immigrants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations, but they are not recognized as an official minority in Myanmar and denial citizenship and other basic rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Rohingyas caught in the storm lived mostly in crowded displacement camps, to which they were moved after losing their homes in a brutal 2017 counterinsurgency campaign led by Myanmar security forces. Their ramshackle housing on low-lying land was battered Sunday by a storm surge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 700,000 other Rohingya fled in 2017 to refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, which also had damage from the cyclone but reported no deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OCHA\'s report did not give a death toll for the storm, but said casualties and missing people were still being documented, including internal displaced people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Theinn Shwe, a teacher from Headway education center for the Rohingya community in the camps, said Friday that the bodies of at least 116 people from 15 camps and villages, including 32 children and 46 women, had been given burial rites. He said that reports that some had declined to evacuate were correct.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although the authorities have provided some food and shelter assistance, there is still the need for more, he said, adding that aid from international organizations and private donors have not yet arrived.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If the authorities give travel authorization to international organizations as soon as possible, the Rohingyas here will get help quickly. If the travel authorization is limited, the people here are likely to suffer more,\" Theinn Shwe said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OCHA said there is an urgent need for fuel to ensure the running of key public services, notably health and water treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Clean water supplies are a concern. Other critical needs include shelter, food aid, medical supplies, and healthcare services. In flooded areas, concerns persist about the spread of waterborne disease and the movement of landmines,\" a legacy of decades of civil conflict in Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations in the impacted areas is critical,\" it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rakhine state spokesperson and attorney-general Hla Thein said Thursday that there were no restrictions on local or international organizations sending aid, an assertion that could not be independently confirmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A previous military government was badly discredited when it delayed the acceptance of outside aid in 2008, when Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar with a storm surge that devastated populated areas around the Irrawaddy River delta. At least 138,000 people died and tens of thousands of homes and other buildings were washed away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stare media this week had carried extensive coverage of domestic efforts to provide disaster relief by the current military government, which came to power in 2021 by seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. It is engaged over much of the country in warfare against armed resistance forces opposed to military rule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several nations, including India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States have already earmarked monetary or material assistance to aid in recovery from Sunday\'s cyclone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three Indian navy ships carrying relief material reached Yangon, Myanmar\'s largest city, on Thursday and a fourth ship was to arrive Friday, said India\'s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Yangon is southeast of the cyclone-hit area and has a major international port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The ships are carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators, clothes, sanitary and hygiene items,\" Jaishankar said in a message posted on Twitter. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 16:00:10', '2023-05-19 16:00:10'),
(6982, 6982, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka and other divisions may experience rain or thundershowers in 24 hours from 9 am on Friday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at many places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram &amp; Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi divisions with hails at isolated places over the country,” said a bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 33.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday while the highest rainfall was recorded at 57mm in Mongla. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 16:02:58', '2023-05-19 16:02:58'),
(6983, 6983, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has accused the ruling coalition of planning a plot to put the army against the \"largest\" political party and incite animosity among Pakistanis, saying that this might lead to the country\'s dissolution.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is high time that the powers that be should sensibly rethink otherwise the country might face an East Pakistan-like situation,” Pakistani news outlet Dawn quoted him as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The PDM leaders and Nawaz Sharif, who is absconding in London, are least concerned whether the country’s constitution is desecrated, state institutions are destroyed or even Pakistan Army earns a bad name. They are looking for their vested interests of saving the looted wealth alone,” said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief during a speech via video link from his Lahore residence on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I am seeing a frightening dream that the country is heading towards an imminent disaster,” he claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elections were the only way to remove political instability, he also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan asserted that he had supported the Pakistan Army in foreign media throughout his political career, saying, “When I reprimand the army, it is like I am criticising my kids.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I have repeatedly stated that I do not interfere in state institutions’ internal matters. I did not interfere when I had confirmed reports that the former army chief was conspiring against me,” he said, stating that several politicians told the present army chief that Imran Khan will de-notify him if elected, according to the Dawn report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan strongly reacted to the Punjab government\'s assertion that 40 terrorists were hiding at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, saying the authorities must inspect the house lawfully after getting a search warrant since his own life was at risk in the presence of terrorists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But don’t make this an excuse to launch a crackdown on the country’s largest political party PTI,” he warned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Observing that 25 PTI workers had been killed, 700 had been injured by bullets, and over 7,500 had been imprisoned, the PTI chairman warned that this would result in a \"big backlash\" harming the country\'s interests. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 16:05:01', '2023-05-19 16:05:01'),
(6984, 6984, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Iranian authorities on Friday executed three men convicted of involvement in the deaths of members of the security forces during protests triggered by Mahsa Amini\'s death last year, the judiciary said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were convicted of \"moharebeh\", or \"war against God\", for drawing a gun during a demonstration in the central city of Isfahan, the judiciary\'s website Mizan Online said. AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 16:07:31', '2023-05-19 16:07:31'),
(6985, 6985, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">More than 100 people in central Nigeria have died in several days of intercommunal violence that have destroyed hundreds of homes and caused thousands to flee, local officials said on Friday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The clashes between cattle herders and farming communities in Plateau State are the worst in years in a region that has long struggled with ethnic and religious tensions and reprisal attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death toll from attacks by gunmen on farming villages in and around the district of Mangu since the start of the week has passed the 100 mark, after earlier reports said 85 people were killed, a local official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plateau state security forces had said on Thursday that calm had been restored, but local sources said several villages were still struggling with violence and residents were fleeing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The number of people killed has exceeded 100 people from those attacks,\" Mangu district chairman Daput Minister Daniel told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Up till now there were reports of attacks and burning of houses in many places within the local government area.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A lawmaker representing Mangu and neighbouring Bokkos in the House of Representatives also said around 100 people had been killed and more than a dozen communities ravaged by attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lawmaker Solomon Maren told AFP on Friday that the situation was now calm but access to some communities was still complicated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plateau State government has so far not given any death toll, only saying the violence \"left many dead.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state government convened an emergency meeting over the attacks and said security forces would maintain a presence on the ground to stem further violence, a statement said on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said more than 3,000 people had been displaced and hundreds of houses destroyed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said five people had been arrested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Violence across Nigeria has been on the rise in the last few weeks after a brief calm period during the February presidential and March state elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders have killed 33 people in an attack on a farming village in northwestern Kaduna state, where intercommunal herder-farmer violence is also common.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nigeria\'s security forces in the northwest are also battling heavily armed bandit militias, as well as a 14-year-old jihadist insurgency in the northeast and separatist tensions in the southeast. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 17:48:42', '2023-05-19 17:48:42'),
(6986, 6986, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister\'s Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman today underscored the need for resuming commercial flights between Dhaka and Tashkent to boost bilateral trade, investment and business among the two countries.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are huge potentialities to export Bangladeshi products, specially textile, to Uzbekistan. Moreover, Afghanistan, a neighbouring country of Uzbekistan, can be a large market for Bangladesh,\" he told reporters after a meeting with visiting Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Bakhrom Aloev at Prime Minister\'s Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser\'s office in the city\'s Gulshan area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, they discussed various issues, including IT, pharmaceutical, tourism, trade and investment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salman said the government has been developing 100 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) across the country where the Uzbek businesses can invest in different sectors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed that Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies have been sending medicines to 152 countries, including the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia, after meeting the domestic demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So, there is an ample scope for bilateral cooperation in business arenas like pharmaceuticals and IT, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, Aloev said he will take measures so the direct flight is established between the two countries soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed that Bangladesh and Uzbekistan can work together in the field of tourism, specially religious tourism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salman assured Aloev to work together for developing the tourism sector of both countries and informed that Uzbek people can come to Bangladesh to see many attractive places of Bangladesh, including the world largest sea beach in Cox\'s Bazar, tea gardens in Sylhet and hills of Chittagong Hill Tracts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the 2021-22 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported goods worth $26.33 million to Uzbekistan and imported goods worth $8.80 million, according to the commerce ministry data. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 19:21:55', '2023-05-19 19:21:55'),
(6987, 6987, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 30 people including police personnel were injured in a clash between the law enforcers and BNP supporters over holding a pre-scheduled rally of the party in front of Khulna Press Club in the city on Friday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shafiqul Islam Tuhin, member secretary of Khulna Metropolitan Unit BNP, claimed that at least 20 leaders and activists of their party were injured in the attack by the police.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several party men including their leaders Mujibur Rahman and Jahidul Rahman also sustained bullet injuries, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, 10 people were detained from the rally venue, he said, adding that the injured were admitted to several hospitals of the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader alleged that police opened fire on them, charged batons and used teargas to spoil the rally without any provocation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Party insiders said there was a scheduled rally in front of the Press Club on Friday afternoon to press home their 10-point demand including resignation of the government, stoppage of fake cases and mass arrest and protest of the government’s corruption among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party men from different areas of the district and city started gathering at the venue at noon. A clash broke out when police obstructed a procession heading towards the rally venue, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Md Tajul Islam, deputy commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), said, “We were forced to use teargas when the BNP men threw brickbats targeting us without any excuse”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said they detained 10 BNP men from the spot and some cops were injured in the incident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An additional number of the law enforcing agencies were deployed to avert any unexpected incident, he said, adding that the situation was now under their control. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 19:25:55', '2023-05-19 19:25:55'),
(6988, 6988, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad back to the Arab League on Friday, over a decade after the war-torn country was suspended from the bloc.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are pleased today by the attendance of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in this summit,\" Prince Mohammed, the kingdom\'s de facto ruler, said in a speech, adding he hoped the return would lead to \"stability\" in Syria. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 19:29:44', '2023-05-19 19:29:44'),
(6989, 6989, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman on Thursday attended at a two-day high-level international meeting on disaster risk reduction begun at the United Nations headquarters in New York and highlighted the relentless work of the Bangladesh Government to address the disaster risk reduction challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the first day of the meeting on Thursday, the state minister highlighted its achievements, challenges and future commitments on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pointing out that Bangladesh become a role model in the world in terms of disaster management activities and the government has allocated 8.8 percent of the national budget for disaster risk reduction in the last seven years, Dr Enamur Rahman said, \"The disaster risk reduction strategy has been included in the standing order on disasters and the national plan for disaster management 2021-2025.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Eighth five-year plan of 2021 to 2025, about 9 to 11% of the national budget is allocated for disaster risk reduction, the state minister added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The high-level international meeting on disaster risk reduction will end on Friday (May 19). State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman is leading a five-member Bangladesh delegation to the meeting. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 21:09:10', '2023-05-19 21:09:10'),
(6990, 6990, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Youth activists in Bangladesh have called on global leaders from G7 countries to immediately halt the financing of fossil fuel-based power projects and prioritize investments in renewable energy.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a climate strike held Today (19th May) in front of the National Press Club in the capital, Fridays for Future Bangladesh and YouthNet for Climate Justice pledged to end fossil fuel financing and reduce the country\'s dependence on fossil fuel imports, primarily liquefied natural gas (LNG).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speakers said Oxfam\'s latest analysis reveals that the Group of Seven (G7) nations have an outstanding debt of $13.3 trillion (€12.3 trillion) to low- and middle-income countries in unpaid aid and funding for climate action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This urgent plea comes ahead of the 49th G7 Summit, scheduled to take place on May 19–21, 2023, in Hiroshima, Japan. The summit will address regional and global crises, including the pressing climate crisis.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bangladesh, as a developing country, is deeply concerned about the transition to renewable energy and urges developed nations to sever their ties with fossil fuels,” they said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their passionate plea, the youth activists also emphasize the importance of loss and damage financing while cautioning against false solutions such as hydrogen and ammonia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladeshi youth activists demand that the G7 countries prioritize energy security and clean energy, particularly by refraining from investing in fossil fuels within Bangladesh and by providing support for renewable energy financing.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They shed light on the existing ambiguity, delays, and instability surrounding discussions on fossil fuel and renewable energy financing within the G7.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unfortunately, commitments from member countries are currently stagnant or even moving in opposite directions, youth activists opined.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The passionate youth of Bangladesh call upon critical stakeholders to address the electricity crisis in their nation, highlighting the detrimental consequences of importing expensive fossil fuels like LNG, which burden the country financially.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They further emphasize the compounding challenges posed by escalating living costs, inflation, and frequent power outages. Their strong advocacy for a higher proportion of renewable energy in the new power sector master plan aims to ensure national energy security and promote equitable transitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, the Bangladeshi youth demand that developed nations adhere to the Paris Agreement, strictly limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and discourage multinational corporations from investing in fossil fuel power generation, thereby reducing harmful carbon emissions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet for Climate Justice, declares, \"We cannot afford to wait for tomorrow to realize the urgent need to phase out harmful and expensive fossil fuels. The time for action is now.’’ He added, The world is already suffering from the climate and energy crisis, and substantial investments in renewable energy and fair compensation from global leaders like the G7 nations are imperative. We cannot afford any further delays; they must awaken to the urgency of this moment.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The young activists also emphasize the need to substantially increase global commitment to climate financing, advocating for an annual commitment of $100 billion, with at least 50 percent allocated specifically for renewable energy financing.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, they firmly demand that G7 countries, including Japan, refrain from imposing untested, debatable, and expensive technologies like hydrogen fuel and ammonia upon developing nations like Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof. Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Chairman at the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), adds, \"We must act promptly to combat climate change and curb air pollution, for there are two interrelated challenges. Let us unite as individuals, businesses, and financial institutions to facilitate investments in renewable energy and pave the way toward a sustainable future. Each breath we take and every heatwave we endure is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof. Saleemul Huq, COP28 President\'s adviser and Director of the International Centre for Climate Change &amp; Development (ICCCAD), asserts, \"The climate crisis is not a distant threat confined to the future; it is already wreaking havoc on vulnerable communities in Bangladesh and worldwide, despite their minimal contribution to its creation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is high time for wealthy nations and fossil fuel corporations, the main culprits, to take responsibility and compensate for the damage they have caused, ensuring a just and sustainable future for all. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to act decisively now before it is too late,\" he added. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-05-19 21:11:18', '2023-05-19 21:11:18');
