INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12458, 12458, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in Bangladesh’s \"extraordinary education sector success\" was praised at the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers held in London last week.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh was commended for its recent achievements and transformations in the education sector, in particular for a stronger emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) over the past decade, leading to higher employment of young people in the private industry, greater access to IT education and lifelong learning on digital platforms as well as ensuring gender parity in primary, secondary and tertiary education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, who led the Bangladesh delegation at the 22nd CCEM, has recommended that it is time for the global south to make greater financial investments in both hard and soft infrastructure in the education sector.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also emphasized the need to build robust innovative partnerships with the private sector, international financial institutions, and global funds, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his country statement, the Education Minister also briefed the Conference on the significant progress of Bangladesh in improving access to education, with efforts focused on enhancing quality and inclusivity across all levels of education.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, “SDG 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for our 60 million girls and boys and skill-based higher education for another 30 million has been at the heart of our Head of the Government Sheikh Hasina’s aspirations for an educated, healthy, inclusive and resilient Smart Bangladesh by 2041.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi addressed the event as the keynote speaker while the Education Minister provided an update of the SDG 4 progress on behalf of the Asian Commonwealth. He also co-chaired the ministerial roundtable on “Rethinking Education for Skills, Youth Employability, and Decent Work” with Gambia’s Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Professor Pierre Gomez.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:54:35', '2024-05-20 09:54:35'),
(12459, 12459, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Leader declared five days of national mourning over the high-level loss of lives.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stated that President Raisi spent his life in non-stop service to his country and Islam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his message, Ayatollah Khamenei remarked that President Raisi prioritized the well-being and satisfaction of the people, which equates to the satisfaction of God, above all other considerations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayatollah Khamenei also stated, \"With immense grief and sorrow, I received the bitter news of the passing of the diligent scholar, the competent and hardworking popular president, the servant of Imam Reza, Sayyid Ebrahim Raeisi, and his esteemed companions.\"&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The entire tenure of Ebrahim Raisi, whether during his short presidency or before that, was spent in tireless service to the people, the country, and Islam,\" the leader noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayatollah Khamenei also stated that the Iranian nation lost a sincere, devoted, and valuable servant; the ingratitude and criticism of some ill-wishers did not hinder his continuous efforts for progress and reform.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the end, the Leader declared five days of national mourning and extended his condolences to the dear people of Iran. - Tehran Times&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 10:29:44', '2024-05-20 10:29:44'),
(12460, 12460, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In accordance with Articles 130 and 131 of the first edition of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (adopted in 1979), the first vice president – who is now Mohammad Mokhber – steps in and assume the duties of the president if the president is unable to fulfill his legal duties due to dismissal, resignation, absence, illness, or death.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Constitution stipulates that these responsibilities are transferred to the First Vice President with the approval of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and in 50 days the country needs to go to an election to elect a new president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Iranian political hierarchy, the head of the state is the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, and the president is considered the head of the government, the second-in-command.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In case of sudden death, the first vice president is expected to guide the country through this transitional period until new presidential elections are held.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian constitution was amended in 1989, when important changes were instituted. - Tehran Times</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 10:49:09', '2024-05-20 10:49:09'),
(12461, 12461, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Oil prices spiked on Monday after Tehran confirmed the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash in the country\'s northwestern province.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">International benchmark Brent crude traded at $84.24 per barrel at 10.44 a.m. local time (0744 GMT), a rise of 0.31% from the closing price of $83.98 per barrel in the previous trading session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $79.81 per barrel at the same time, a 0.29% increase from the previous session that closed at $79.58 per barrel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter carrying the Iranian president, the country\'s foreign minister, and their entourage crashed in the East Azerbaijan region of northwest Iran on Sunday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a night-long search operation hampered by bad weather, Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said in a statement on X that all onboard, including the president, foreign minister, accompanying delegation, and helicopter crew, had died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Supply fears in favor of higher oil prices were stoked by worries about the political fallout in the oil-producing country and how it might affect decisions to be made at the June 1 meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the latest OPEC report, over 3 million barrels of oil are produced daily in Iran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, hope of the US Federal Reserve\'s (Fed) starting interest rate cuts this year continues to influence oil prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With a current 65% probability rating for a Fed interest rate decrease in September, financial markets are beginning to reflect this forecast in pricing, while bolstering trade and prices as a weak US dollar rate makes oil trade cheaper for other currency holders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, robust economic data from China, signaling high oil demand, is supporting price increases. The world\'s second-largest oil consumer and largest importer announced plans to start issuing subsidized bonds worth 1 trillion yuan last week. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:29:29', '2024-05-20 11:29:29'),
(12462, 12462, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that Türkiye is closely monitoring the helicopter crash involving the Iranian president, coordinating with Iranian authorities, and is ready to provide assistance as needed.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The President of Iran, my dear brother Mr. Ibrahim Raisi, and his delegation being involved in a helicopter accident deeply saddens us,\" said Erdogan on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As the Republic of Türkiye, we want to express that we are closely monitoring the situation and are in full contact and coordination with Iranian authorities. We are ready to provide any necessary assistance,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the people and government of our neighbor, friend, and brother Iran on behalf of our nation. I hope to hear positive news about Mr. Raisi and his delegation as soon as possible,\" Erdogan stressed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter carrying Raisi reportedly made a hard landing due to weather conditions while returning from a dam inauguration ceremony on the Azerbaijan border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian Red Crescent previously announced that the \"crash\" occurred between Kaleybar and Varzaqan. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi emphasized that rescue teams had not yet reached the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">East Azerbaijan Deputy Governor Jabbarali Zakiri stated that two of the three helicopters in Raisi\'s convoy had landed, while one had crashed. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:53:37', '2024-05-20 11:53:37'),
(12463, 12463, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Iranian President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the entourage in an Iranian helicopter accident.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the sad demise of President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and members of the entourage in the tragic accident of the helicopter carrying them,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina conveyed her condolence in a letter wrote to First Vice President of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, \"In this hour of grief, on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh and on my own behalf, I convey our deepest condolences to the Government and the brotherly people of Iran”. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier mentioned that President Seyyed Raisi was a wise and selfless leader who served his country with deep commitment and worked for the well-being of the People of Iran. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He was a great leader of international stature and his exemplary leadership and accomplishments will remain as a lasting legacy for us,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister offered her prayers for seeking divine blessing for the departed souls and for bestowing courage and fortitude on the bereaved family members and brotherly people of Iran to overcome the irreparable loss. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:56:08', '2024-05-20 12:01:08'),
(12464, 12464, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Amid drivers’ protest against ban on battery-run three-wheelers, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said these vehicles will be allowed to ply Dhaka roads only.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Considering the suffering of the low-income people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has permitted the movement of battery-run three-wheelers only on the Dhaka city roads, Quader said at a programme at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the battery-run rickshaws will not ply the 22 highways as per the earlier decision, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on May 15, the minister instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three-wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The ban on the three-wheelers sparked violent protests by drivers in different areas of the capital including Mirpur, Pallabi, Rampura and Demra on Sunday and Monday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Demanding the withdrawal of the ban, the drivers staged demonstrations blocking roads in different areas, vandalised some vehicles and set fire to a police box at Kalshi in Mirpur. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 12:44:05', '2024-05-20 12:44:05'),
(12465, 12465, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Israel had nothing to do with the accident involving the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, Israel’s Channel 13 reported yesterday, citing Israeli officials.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli channel quoted officials saying: “The message Israel is sending to the countries of the world is that Tel Aviv has nothing to do with the incident.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian television said that a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation was forced to make a “hard landing” in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iranian reports revealed yesterday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president had been on his way back from Azerbaijan where&nbsp; he had inaugurated a joint border dam and met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev yesterday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian media reported that the helicopter carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Imam of Tabriz Mosque, Imam Ayatollah Al Hashemi, and other officials, crashed and the passengers have been pronounced dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president’s helicopter was forced to land due to bad weather conditions, state media said, noting that the bad weather conditions also hindered relief teams. Source: MEM</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 13:21:45', '2024-05-20 13:21:45'),
(12466, 12466, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Karim Khan said that he believes Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prosecutor must request the warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges, who take on average two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel is not a member of the court, and even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But Khan\'s announcement deepens Israel\'s isolation as it presses ahead with its war, and the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza as Israel tries to hunt them down. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 14:07:10', '2024-05-20 14:07:10'),
(12467, 12467, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A 56-year-old woman was killed by a wild elephant in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram last night.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The incident occurred at 9 pm in Hanif\'s Para, near the western side of the Putibila Poharchanda Ashrayan Project in Lohagara Upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The deceased, Hamida Akter, was the wife of late Nazir Hossain from the area.</div><div><br></div><div>Local Union Parishad member Abdul Mannan said that the woman was walking to a shop after Esha prayers when she encountered the wild elephant on the road.</div><div><br></div><div>The elephant struck her with its trunk, causing severe injuries. Local residents attempted to rescue her, but she died on the way to the hospital, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Lohagara Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Rashedul Alam, confirmed the incident saying that a police team was sent to the scene upon receiving the news of the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 14:08:43', '2024-05-20 14:08:43'),
(12468, 12468, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday expressed deep shock and sorrow over the tragic deaths of Iranian President Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their entourage in a helicopter crash.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, he said the deaths of the Iranian President, Foreign Minister and other officials have deeply saddened the people of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The death of Ebrahim Raisi is an irreparable loss for the Muslim world. He was an extraordinary statesman,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He prayed for the salvation of the departed souls of the Iranian President and other officials and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved families and well-wishers of the deceased.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“May the Almighty Allah grant the families of the deceased, including President Raisi’s, and the people of Iran the ability to overcome the irreparable losses,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In another condolence message, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman also expressed profound shock over the demise of the Iranian President and other officials in the tragic helicopter crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in dense fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two crucial leaders during a time of extraordinary tension gripping the Middle East.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran has yet to provide an explanation for the crash or indicate any suspicion of sabotage causing the helicopter to go down. The aircraft descended into mountainous terrain amidst intense fog.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:10:47', '2024-05-20 15:10:47'),
(12469, 12469, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the State Minister for Commerce to start monitoring the market strictly.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She made this directive during an unscheduled discussion at the cabinet meeting chaired by her at PM\'s office here in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain briefed reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>“Some products have witnessed a trend of price hike even though there is no supply problem in the market. So, the prime minister directed the State Minister for Commerce to start monitoring the market strictly,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:20:13', '2024-05-20 15:20:13'),
(12470, 12470, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal against extradition to the United States on espionage charges, a London court ruled Monday — a decision likely to further drag out an already long legal saga.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>High Court judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson ruled for Assange after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided “blatantly inadequate” assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds of supporters cheered and applauded outside court as news of the ruling reached them from inside the Royal Courts of Justice.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange’s wife, Stella, said the U.S. had tried to put “lipstick on a pig — but the judges did not buy it.” She said the U.S. should “read the situation” and drop the case.</div><div><br></div><div>“As a family we are relieved but how long can this go on?\" she said. “This case is shameful and it is taking an enormous toll on Julian.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Australian computer expert has spent the last five years in a British high-security prison after taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years. Assange was not in court to hear the ruling because of health reasons, his lawyer said.</div><div><br></div><div>American prosecutors allege that Assange encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange’s lawyers have argued he was a journalist who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sending him to the U.S., they said, would expose him to a politically motivated prosecution and risk a “flagrant denial of justice.”</div><div><br></div><div>The U.S. government says Assange’s actions went way beyond those of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:30:12', '2024-05-20 15:30:12'),
(12471, 12471, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>On top of the $1 lakh cash, awardees would get an 18-carat gold medal weighing 50 grams, the cabinet decided at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the capital.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country is all set to launch next year an award with a price tag of $1 lakh (Tk1 crore 17 lakh) for people living anywhere in the world for their contributions to international peace, as per a cabinet approval.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Any organisation or individual from anywhere in the world is eligible for the award named \"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Peace Medal\" that would be handed over on or around 23 May every two years, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain told reporters in a post-meeting briefing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Last year, the country celebrated 50 years of achievement of Joliot-Curie Medal of Peace by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 23 May 1973. During last year’s celebrations, PM Hasina had announced the introduction of an international peace award named after Bangabandhu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:45:45', '2024-05-20 15:45:45'),
(12472, 12472, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Voting in the second phase of Upazila Parishad election began today at 8 am and it will continue until 4 pm.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Khulna district, among 138 polling centres in Terokhada, Dighalia and Fultala upazilas, police have identified 95 as important and 43 as general. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the total polling stations, 69 percent are considered important. Security has been beefed up at important centers. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Returning Officer\'s office, there are 43 polling centers in Terokhada upazila, 52 in Dighalia and 43 in Fultala. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khulna Superintendent of Police Mohammad Saidur Rahman said that there will be enhanced security and surveillance at important centres, but there will be no shortage of security at the general centres either. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Barishal, voting began at 121 centres in 13 unions of Hijla and Muladi upazilas.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, voter turnout is seemingly low. Agents at these centres say that although the voter turnout is low in the morning, it will change as the day progresses. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Barishal district Superintendent of Police Wahidul Islam said security has been ensured for the upazila election. Out of 121 centres, 73 have been identified as important.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, 4 platoons of BGB have been deployed, he added. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gangni Upazila Parishad election in Meherpur is being held smoothly. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Assistant Returning Officer, voting is being held in 107 polling centres. Of the polling stations, 30 have been identified as very important. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The district administration, police and the Election Commission have completed all preparations to make the election festive, neutral and free.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Voting is also being held in Katiadi, Nikli and Austagram upazilas of Kishoreganj and Biral, Bochaganj, Birganj and Kaharole upazilas of Dinajpur district. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ansar and police have been deployed at Kishoreganj polling centres to ensure a free and fair election, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Dinajpur, police, Ansar, RAB, BGB and executive magistrates have been deployed to the polling centers for the security of voters. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:24:16', '2024-05-21 07:48:49'),
(12473, 12473, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The U.S. Department of State has announced the public designation of former General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to what it says his involvement in \"significant corruption\".</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes, it said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh,\" said the US Department of State.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, the Srate Department claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This designation reaffirms the U.S. commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh,\" said the US government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States supports anticorruption efforts in Bangladesh through assistance to make government services more transparent and affordable, improve the business and regulatory environment, and build capacity in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and other financial crimes, reports UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These public designations are made under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:29:04', '2024-05-21 07:29:04'),
(12474, 12474, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you’re doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The software giant on Monday revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers as it confronts heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The announcements ahead of Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference centered on fusing its AI assistant, called Copilot, into the Windows operating system for PCs, where Microsoft already has the eyes of millions of consumers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new features will include Windows Recall, giving the AI assistant what Microsoft describes as “photographic memory” of a person’s virtual activity. Microsoft promises to protect users’ privacy by giving them the option to filter out what they don’t want tracked, and keeping the tracking on the device.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent,” Nadella said at an event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The conference that starts Tuesday in Seattle follows big AI announcements last week from rival Google, as well as Microsoft’s close business partner OpenAI, which built the AI large language models on which Microsoft’s Copilot is based.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Google rolled out a retooled search engine that periodically puts AI-generated summaries over website links at the top of the results page; while also showing off a still-in-development AI assistant Astra that will be able to “see” and converse about things shown through a smartphone’s camera lens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ChatGPT-maker OpenAI unveiled a new version of its chatbot last week, demonstrating an AI voice assistant with human characteristics that can banter about what someone’s wearing and even attempt to assess a person’s emotions. The voice sounded so much like Scarlett Johansson playing an AI character in the sci-fi movie “Her” that OpenAI dropped the voice from its collection Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OpenAI also rolled out a new desktop version of ChatGPT designed for Apple’s Mac computers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Next up is Apple’s own annual developers conference in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of Microsoft’s announcements Monday appeared designed to blunt whatever Apple has in store. The newly AI-enhanced Windows PCs will start rolling out on June 18 on computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft’s Surface line of devices. But they’ll be reserved for premium models starting at $999. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:42:28', '2024-05-21 07:42:28'),
(12475, 12475, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday on a two-day official visit to strengthen their bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and find ways to boost cooperation for regional peace and prosperity.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Minister Penny Wong was received at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by the Secretary, Maritime Affairs Unit, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md Khurshed Alam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M. Allama Siddiki was also present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia is working with Bangladesh to deepen their cooperation, including on trade and investment, and find practical solutions to shared challenges such as climate change, regional maritime security and human trafficking, said the Australian Foreign Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In Dhaka, I look forward to discussing these issues with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and other members of the Bangladesh government,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will meet Prime Minister Hasina at her official residence Gonobhaban at 4pm and will hold meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan at 5pm today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:47:23', '2024-05-21 07:47:23'),
(12476, 12476, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government of Bangladesh has taken a zero tolerance policy on combating corruption and will continue to work with the United States on this issue, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“For combating corruption, we are working with the US. We want to work together and will continue to do that,\" he told.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan was speaking at a “meet the reporters” programme today organised by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo and General Secretary Mohiuddin also spoke at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said the US decision against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed was not under the visa policy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was made under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh remains engaged with the US and the two countries are working together on combating terrorism, human trafficking and other issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the decision regarding the ex army chief was first conveyed to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday announced the public designation of General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to what it says was his involvement in \"significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entering the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes, the US State Department said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh,\" said the US Department of State.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, it claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This designation reaffirms the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh,\" said the US government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:03:48', '2024-05-21 08:03:48'),
(12477, 12477, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UN Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian draft resolution to counter military activity in space, as countries questioned Moscow\'s sincerity after it vetoed an American text in April against nuclear proliferation in the final frontier.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Russian text called on all states to \"take urgent measures to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force in outer space.\"</div><div><br></div><div>It received seven votes for -- including from China -- and seven against, including from the United States, United Kingdom and France, with Switzerland abstaining.</div><div><br></div><div>US envoy Robert Wood said the move was \"the culmination of Russia\'s campaign of diplomatic gaslighting.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Russia does not want the Security Council to focus on its dangerous actions in space,\" he said, citing US accusations that Moscow was attempting to put a nuclear weapon into orbit.</div><div><br></div><div>Russia\'s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya meanwhile said those on his side \"on the whole are pleased with the results of the vote.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"The vote has demonstrated a watershed -- a watershed between those who are striving towards peaceful use of outer space and those who are moving towards militarization of outer space,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Western countries have today essentially turned out to be isolated at the Security Council.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The text closely followed a draft resolution proposed by the United States and Japan in late April, which received 13 votes for but was vetoed by Russia, with China abstaining.</div><div><br></div><div>UN Security Council proposals need nine votes in favor to be adopted, and no opposition from the five veto-wielding members.</div><div><br></div><div>The American text called on \"all states, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race in outer space.\"</div><div><br></div><div>It affirmed \"the obligation of all States Parties to fully comply with the Outer Space Treaty, including not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Nebenzya claimed after the vote in April that the text hid a \"devious plan by our Western colleagues that has nothing to do with this noble objective.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He charged that Washington and Tokyo had a \"lack of interest\" in banning all weapons from space, instead trying to put the focus solely on nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:46:57', '2024-05-21 08:46:57'),
(12478, 12478, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin will accord a reception to Buddhist community leaders at the Credential Hall of Bangabhaban here tomorrow on Buddha Purnima that marks the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, known later as Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The reception for Buddhist leaders will commence at 4 pm . . . President Shahabuddin will deliver a speech to the Buddhist community across the country through media,\" President\'s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told BSS today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president and his wife Dr. Rebecca Sultana will greet Buddhist leaders on the occasion of the largest religious festival celebrated by the Buddhist community in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhists in Dhaka and throughout the country will celebrate the day with reverence and excitement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhist religious leaders will also offer the president a bouquet at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than a thousand individuals, including over 800 invited guests, are anticipated to attend the reception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the attendees, there will be Religious Affairs Minister Md. Faridul Haque Khan, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura, Buddhist community leaders, and Bangabhaban secretaries. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:49:49', '2024-05-21 08:49:49');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12479, 12479, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police recovered the body of a farmer from his house at Borokhari village in Magura\'s Sadar upazila on Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Hafizur Lashkar (63) of the village.</div><div><br></div><div>Magura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mehedi Hasan confirmed the matter.</div><div><br></div><div>Hafizur\'s body was found near his house around 4:00 am on Tuesday, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The deceased\'s son Tamim Lashkar, said that they all went to sleep after 10:00 pm and woke up to find their father\'s body in a corner of the room after Fazr.</div><div><br></div><div>Hearing their screams, the villagers came and informed the police.</div><div><br></div><div>Police recovered Hafizur\'s sandals from inside the canal and saw bloodstains near neighbour Harun\'s house on the other side of the canal, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Harun (40) and Faruk (38) were on suspicion of their involvement in the incident. A case has been filed at Magura Police Station in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>The body has been sent to Magura morgue for autopsy, the OC added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 09:07:34', '2024-05-21 09:07:34'),
(12480, 12480, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The European Union is providing EUR 175,000 (over Tk 2 crore 22 lakh) in humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable people exposed to the extreme temperatures as Bangladesh is facing record high temperatures, reaching over 42Â°C in some parts of the country in the past weeks.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent’s ongoing efforts to deliver relief assistance to 500,000 people affected by the heatwave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teams of volunteers disseminate awareness messages on heat-related illnesses and how to prevent them; run cooling stations; provide ambulance and first aid services, and distribute drinking water, umbrellas, and caps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The support will continue in 20 districts where the temperature has exceeded 38Â°C in the divisions of Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal and Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The funding is part of the EU\'s overall contribution of â‚¬8 million to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to respond to disasters around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and has seen more frequent, severe and longer heatwaves during the summer months in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">High temperatures can pose grave risks to newborns and infants, as they are less able to regulate their body temperatures than adults, people with chronic diseases, and older persons, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 09:29:13', '2024-05-21 09:29:13'),
(12481, 12481, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir asked his party colleagues not to be happy with the news of US sanctions on former Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed as he thinks they have to defeat the current government with their own strength instead of depending on others.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"If I can\'t manage my own house, no one else will do it for me. Many may be happy over the sanctions on Aziz. I think it’s misleading and we’re always getting confused,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader recalled that the US also imposed sanctions earlier on RAB and the officers of the elite force and the police but it could not stop the terrible journey of the current regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have to stand on our own feet, stand with our own strength and defeat them with our own strength,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A faction of Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) marking the seventh death anniversary of the party founder Shafiul Alam Prodhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday&nbsp; imposed sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his immediate family members due to “his involvement in significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 10:10:23', '2024-05-21 10:10:23'),
(12482, 12482, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh will observe one-day state mourning on Thursday showing respect to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a tragic helicopter crash on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>As a mark of respect, the national flag will be kept at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, and missions abroad, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Special prayers will be offered for the eternal peace of the departed soul.</div><div><br></div><div>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and others were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 10:32:59', '2024-05-21 10:32:59'),
(12483, 12483, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday evening criticized President Andrzej Duda after the latter offered condolences to Iran after the death of its President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials in a helicopter crash the previous day, and compared the event to a similar tragedy in Poland 14 years ago.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking with commercial television news TVN, Tusk said \"the president had unnecessarily crossed a certain line,\" referring to Duda\'s condolences, in which he referred to the Smolensk disaster, a plane crash in April 2010 that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 96 other leading Polish public figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Poles, who experienced the crash of the Polish plane in Smolensk, know the feeling of shock and emptiness that remains in people\'s hearts and in the country after the sudden loss of the political and social elite, after the sudden loss of loved ones and friends,\" the president wrote on X. \"Therefore, with special understanding, we join the relatives of the victims and the Iranian nation in prayer and grief.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Since the victim of this disaster is the president of another country, it is known that the president of Poland has certain diplomatic obligations, including expressing condolences,” Tusk said. “However, it seems to me that the president has unnecessarily crossed a certain line. I am particularly concerned about comparing Lech Kaczynski with the president of Iran.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lech Kaczynski was the twin brother of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party which ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anna Maria Zukowska, chairwoman of the Left parliamentary club, a governing coalition partner of Tusk and candidate for the European Parliament, also reacted critically to President Duda\'s words. \"Iran is the same source of evil as Russia, but in the Arab world. Stoning women and gays, murdering opponents, supporting Russia in its attack on Ukraine, financing terrorist networks. Raisi was called the Butcher of Tehran, accused of crimes against humanity,\" she wrote on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Is Andrzej Duda aware that with his today\'s post he spat in the faces of thousands of families of the victims of the butcher from Tehran?\" wrote attorney Roman Giertych, an MP of the Civic Platform, Tusk’s party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran\'s Raisi, his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others were on board the helicopter that went down on Sunday afternoon in northern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vice President Mohammed Mokhber has assumed the powers of the presidency until new elections are held on June 28. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:00:23', '2024-05-21 11:00:23'),
(12484, 12484, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Police foiled the attempt of the leaders and activists of Ganosamhati Andolon to besiege Bangladesh Bank in Dhaka’s Motijheel area on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of their scheduled programme, the leaders and activists of the party led by its Chief coordinator Junaid Saki marched towards Bangladesh Bank around 11 am to lay siege to it demanding the government to publish the list of loan defaulter and money launderers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When they reached the Shapla Chattar area, a team of police obstructed them, said Assistant Commissioner of Motijheel Zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Golam Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Being obstructed, they later held a brief rally in front of Shapla Chattar foot over bridge and then left the place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:14:30', '2024-05-21 11:14:30'),
(12485, 12485, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan after a three-year hiatus.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An aircraft of the flag-carrier landed in the Kabul International Airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was welcomed with a ceremony by officials from the Turkish embassy in Kabul, representations of Turkish institutions in the country, and officials from the interim government, as well as members of local and international press.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Istanbul-Kabul flights will be operated four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkish Airlines had ceased flights to Afghanistan after the change of the country’s administration in August 2021. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:29:35', '2024-05-21 11:29:35'),
(12486, 12486, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The trial of nine accused smugglers opens on Tuesday, nearly a year after a derelict migrant trawler with hundreds on board sank off the coast of Greece in one of Europe’s deadliest shipwrecks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine Egyptian men – who were among the 104 survivors – will appear before a court in Kalamata, southwestern Greece, to answer charges including negligent homicide, participation in a criminal organisation and facilitating illegal entry into the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The men, aged 21 to 37 years old, have denied responsibility.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their lawyers say they are being scapegoated to obscure the responsibilities of the Greek coastguard, which failed to mount an effective rescue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspects, who have spent the past 11 months in pre-trial detention, face life imprisonment if convicted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the sinking occurred in international waters, 87km off the coast of Pylos, lawyers for the defendants say a Greek court is not competent to hear the case. - AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:39:35', '2024-05-21 11:39:35'),
(12487, 12487, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>“Even before this, a foreign mass media has staged a drama about me. There is a nexus between the drama and the sanction,” said the former chief of Bangladesh Army Staff in an impromptu reaction on Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Chief of Army Staff Aziz Ahmed expressed deep shock over the US sanctions imposed on him and his family members, saying that he has been a victim of injustice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Aziz for his indulgence in corruption, effectively restricting his entry into the world\'s most influential country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sanctions also apply to his immediate family members, according to a statement of the US State Department.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also rejected all allegations brought against him and sought evidences from the US States Department of his indulgence in corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is a blatant lie that I sent my younger brother abroad using my power. My younger brother had been staying abroad since before I became the Chief of Army Staff. So, the allegation is baseless,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz said he is ready to accept any consequences if anyone can prove that he gave any kind of contract to any of his brothers during his three years as Army Chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, In February 2021, Al-Jazeera published a report titled ‘All the Prime Minister’s Men’ levied various allegations, including corruption, against Aziz.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:49:00', '2024-05-21 11:49:00'),
(12488, 12488, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Employees who work under great leaders tend to be happier, more productive and more connected to their organization. And this has a ripple effect that reaches your business’s bottom line. Anyone can sit in a corner office and delegate tasks, but there is more to effective leadership than that. Not everyone is a natural-born leader.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, there are strategies you can use to improve your leadership. Similarly, there are a handful of mistakes to avoid if you want to be a good leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assessing whether you’re a good or bad leader</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Business News Daily spoke with CEOs, directors and leadership experts to learn what good leadership strategies are and how you can incorporate them in your own organization.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you look around and see your team members have become disengaged or stagnant in their work, it may be time to reassess and reform your strategies. According to Brownlee, the following behaviors are signs you may have a poor leadership strategy:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No one on your team has criticized one of your ideas in the past month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">You spend more time planning your own career progression than that of your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ You haven’t had at least three completely non-work-related conversations with a team member weekly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Different team members would provide different answers if asked your top three priorities for the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Team members are afraid to fail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to be a good leader</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every leader has their own style, but there are certain characteristics all great leaders share. The below practices are often the hallmarks of a successful leader.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1. Engage in honest, open communication.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the most important elements of effective leadership is creating an open line of communication with your team members. Sanjay Patoliya, founder of Teclogiq and software developer at NextBits Group, said your own honesty and transparency should serve as an example for your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When you are responsible for a team of people, it is important to be straightforward,” he said. “Your company and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior … a key value, your team will follow.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brownlee added that people with effective leadership language are able to customize their interactions and communication styles to suit each situation and team member. “This means they take the time to figure out which communication mode is preferred by each team member; e.g., are they a text person, email, phone or face-to-face? They’re also great listeners and are authentically interested in other people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Listening to your employees and displaying transparency can build trust among your team and boost overall morale. Ruslan Fazlyev, former CEO and founder of e-commerce solutions provider Ecwid and current board member at Seller Labs, said that in all your communications, it’s crucial to be genuine above all else.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are many leadership styles; there’s no right and wrong,” he said. “But there’s genuine, and there’s fake. There’s no following to fake leadership.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">2. Connect with your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and their team members. To achieve this, leaders should learn to connect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a leadership writer and consultant, said that being a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Building a real, personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance,” St. Marie said. “With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To build a connection with each of your team members, focus on getting to know their personalities, interests, strengths, weaknesses, hobbies and preferences. This can give you insight into their goals and motivations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patoliya said successful leaders allow their teams to develop autonomy and add value according to their own personal strengths. “Being able to recognize the strengths of individuals within their team, and allowing them to be responsible and accountable, not only increases employees’ confidence in themselves and their leader, but also increases their performance.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">3. Encourage personal and professional growth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Acting as your team’s cheerleader is an important part of being an effective leader. You should be invested in their success and growth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Keri Ohlrich, the CEO of HR consulting company Abbracci Group, said that leaders should set aside a budget, if only a small one, to dedicate to the growth of their employees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“With options as varied as on-demand, virtual [and] in-person options, there’s ample opportunity to continue learning new skills or further developing existing ones,” she said. “Empower your employees to take the time to learn and infuse that in the work they do.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition to investing in your employees’ growth financially, you should invest emotionally. John Rampton, founder and CEO of the app company Calendar, said that great leaders empower their employees to grow by giving them challenging opportunities and guiding them as needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“To motivate and inspire employees, leadership strategy is about empowering others to do their best and take on new challenges,” he said. “Employees like challenges and feeling the satisfaction of overcoming them. Whether it’s a tough client, a difficult sale, a hard situation or whatever the case, it’s always good to let them take on these challenges.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When leaders believe in their employees and give them the opportunity to learn and grow, they might be surprised at how much they can accomplish. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks and encourage freedom and creativity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>&nbsp;\'Leader\'</b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"36\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 12:26:48', '2024-05-21 12:26:48'),
(12489, 12489, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Manchester United set up another FA Cup final against fierce rival Manchester City in a way no one could ever have imagined.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a semifinal match on Sunday that will live long in the memory, United blew a three-goal lead against second-tier Coventry, was saved by the narrowest of offside calls by the VAR in stoppage time of extra time to keep the score at 3-3, then came from behind in a penalty shootout to advance to the May 25 title match back at Wembley Stadium.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United\'s celebrations after Rasmus Hojlund converted the clinching spot kick for a 4-2 win in the shootout were as much of relief as joy. Indeed, United\'s players looked sheepish — almost embarrassed — as they left the field at England\'s national stadium compared to their Coventry counterparts, who received the adulation of their proud, flag-waving, blue-clad fans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Advancing to the final in this manner will do nothing to quell the growing uncertainty around the position of United manager Erik ten Hag, whose job might not be saved even by beating City. United, the grandest club in England, is languishing in seventh place in the Premier League and the team\'s late collapse against Coventry followed a trend of similar performances in recent weeks that will alarm its new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who was in the crowd at Wembley after having run the London Marathon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The standard of the club is much higher than what we have been doing,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who could barely raise a smile despite his team getting to an FA Cup final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">City, which defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the first of the semifinals on Saturday, was a 2-1 winner over United in last year\'s final on its way to claiming a Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That was the first ever cup final between the fierce local rivals — and another has arrived 12 months later. Few will expect a different outcome in next month\'s match, by which time City will hope to have been crowned Premier League champion again.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s mixed feelings,\" Ten Hag said of beating Coventry. “The way we did it isn’t OK.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United has picked up a nasty habit of blowing leads and it happened again against an inspired Coventry team that is eighth in the Championship and managed by Mark Robins — a former Man United striker who might have saved Alex Ferguson from getting fired three years into his storied tenure as United manager.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes — with a shot that took a deflection before ricocheting into the net — scored to put United 3-0 up by the 58th minute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coventry, which was bidding to become the first non-Premier League club since Cardiff in 2008 to reach the final, fought back in remarkable fashion with goals from Ellis Sims in the 71st, Callum O\'Hare in the 79th and then Haji Wright with an equalizing penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coventry was arguably the stronger of the teams in extra time, with Sims hitting the crossbar and Victor Torp having a goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time ruled out because of a close offside call against Wright in the buildup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Had he cut his toe nail, it wouldn’t have gone to penalties,” Robins said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United midfielder Casemiro, who played out of position at center back in the match, missed the first penalty of the shootout but United recovered, with Coventry failing twice from the spot. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:24:54', '2024-05-21 13:24:54'),
(12490, 12490, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasized on enhancing sharing of intelligence with Bangladesh for the development of both the countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We have discussed about intelligence sharing and enhancing bilateral relations among the two friendly countries positively,” he said this after a meeting with an Australian delegation led by its Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kamal said Australia wants to advance bilateral relations and enhance activities for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia and Bangladesh have significant people-to-people links, with over 50,000 people in Australia born in Bangladesh, reports BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, she arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit today to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, and to find out practical solutions to shared challenges such as climate change, regional maritime security and smuggling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A small delegation including a Deputy Secretary, South and Southeast Asia Group and Head of the Office of Southeast Asia, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michelle Chan were accompanied by the Australian foreign minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:31:50', '2024-05-21 13:31:50'),
(12491, 12491, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said that the voter turnout in the second phase of upazila elections on Tuesday was estimated to be above 30 percent.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He revealed the figure while talking to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon in the afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>The CEC said the election was held in a fair and peaceful manner. Where there has been an attempt to rig the vote, the EC has taken action immediately. A total of 25 people have been arrested and 10 were sentenced to various terms instantly.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Awal said the exact figure of vote cast would be known Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>He said there no major violence was reported except a few separate incidents where several people were injured.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about low voter turnout, CEC said that he never considered 30 per cent voter turnout as significant.</div><div><br></div><div>According to CEC’s observation the main factor behind low voter turnout is the boycott of the polls by a large opposition political party which distributed leaflets to discourage people from going to the polling centres. It can happen in a democratic political system, he said adding there are may be pros and cons.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Awal said there is no crisis in “our voting system but it exists in our politics.”&nbsp; “I think if our politics returns to right track then the crisis regarding voter presence will be solved.”</div><div><br></div><div>Starting at 8:00 am the voting continued till 4:00 pm without any break. Balloting was held in 156 upazilas of the country.&nbsp; In the second phase of the elections the voting centres saw poor turnout of voters. Besides, some stray incidents violence happened in different places across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam told the media that voter turnout was approximately 17 per cent within the first four hours of the second phase of upazila elections.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 3.52 crore voters&nbsp; 1,79,05,464 males, 1,72,99,047 females and 237 transgender persons - are registered under 13,016 polling stations in the 156 upazilas, according to the factsheet provided by the Election Commission on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:35:30', '2024-05-21 13:35:30'),
(12492, 12492, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, who went to India for treatment, was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, near Kolkata, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The information we have so far is that the people of our country are involved in the killing,” he said while speaking at a press briefing held at his Dhanmondi residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Based on information, Indian police arrested three people while they are also trying to arrest others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked whether the murder of MP Anar would impact relations with India, the minister said, “We have friendly relations with India. They helped us in every way. There was nothing that would deteriorate the relationship with them. No one from India is involved.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question about recovery of the body, Asaduzzaman refused to reveal any information for the sake of the investigation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“All information including the motive of the murder, where the murder occurred, and who were involved in it, we will let you (journalists) know,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indian police confirmed that he was killed at a flat in Kolkata, said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The home minister said Jhenaidah is a violence-prone area and Anar was also elected MP in the recent election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The murder took place after he went to India for treatment, he said, adding, “Our police are investigating the matter. We will be able to unearth the motive of the murder soon. Indian police are also working to find out who is involved in the murder. We are taking measures that need to be adopted internationally.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then his phone remained switched off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19). According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:16:01', '2024-05-22 10:16:01'),
(12493, 12493, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, was found dead on Wednesday in a hotel in Kolkata of West Bengal, eight days after he had gone missing from there.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of MP Anwarul Azim, also president of Jhenaidah Kaliganj upazila unit Awami League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then his phone remained switched off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:20:36', '2024-05-22 10:20:36'),
(12494, 12494, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has proposed a standard VAT rate of 15 percent for many goods and services in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 budget. While there is a proposal to apply this VAT rate uniformly across all products and services, the Prime Minister has advised a phased implementation. This would result in a 15 percent VAT rate from production to the consumer level, which could increase consumer prices.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, the NBR collects VAT at rates of 2, 3, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 percent on various products and services. Plans are in place to phase out VAT exemptions in some sectors, moving towards a uniform VAT rate, according to Ministry of Finance sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Changes in Mobile Phone Call Costs</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister has given a positive nod to a proposal to increase the supplementary duty on mobile phone calls to boost revenue collection. Currently, consumers can talk for minutes worth Tk 73 when they recharge their mobile by Tk 100, with the rest deducted as VAT and supplementary duties. If the supplementary duty is increased by 5 percent, consumers will be able to talk for minutes worthTk 69.35 out of Tk 100.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Duty on Car Imports by MPs</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, MPs can import cars duty-free. However, the Prime Minister has agreed to cancel this benefit to reduce inequality. The proposed budget for FY 2024-25 includes a 25 percent supplementary duty and 15 percent VAT on car imports by MPs. Additionally, duties will be imposed on imported cars for hi-tech parks, which previously enjoyed duty-free benefits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Baggage Rules Remain Unchanged</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under current rules, a passenger can bring 117 grams of gold by paying a duty of Tk 4,000. The NBR proposed that this be limited to once a year, but the Prime Minister vetoed this. The tax will be collected each time gold is brought in, even if it exceeds once a year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Corporate Tax Rates</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The NBR has decided to reduce corporate tax rates conditionally. The Prime Minister agreed to reduce taxes in non-listed industries in the productive sector from 27.5 percent to 25 percent. However, taxes in all other sectors will remain unchanged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tariff Benefits on Agricultural Imports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister advised against increasing duties on the import of agricultural inputs and fertilizers, meaning the cost of importing these items will not increase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Return Assessment</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To reduce taxpayer harassment and increase revenue collection, all taxpayers, both individuals and companies, will be required to submit returns through the self-assessment method in the next budget. This method avoids return assessments, which are currently required for individual taxpayers and optionally for companies. Major changes to the income tax law are expected in the next budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No Increase in Tax-Free Income Limit</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite rising inflation, the tax-free income limit for individuals will not increase in the upcoming budget. Last year, this limit was raised from Tk 3 lakh to Tk 3.5 lakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Increased Taxes for the Wealthy</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To increase revenue collection, the NBR plans to impose additional taxes on the wealthy. The top tax rate for individual taxpayers is set to rise from 25 percent to 30 percent for annual incomes exceeding Tk 16 lakh. There are also plans to reduce tax exemptions in various sectors and eliminate tax exemptions on capital income from stock market investments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Revenue Collection Targets</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposed budget for FY 2024-25 sets a revenue collection target of Tk 4.80 lakh crore. The current budget set this target at Tk 4.30 lakh crore, later revised to Tk 4.10 lakh crore. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:39:01', '2024-05-22 10:39:01'),
(12495, 12495, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP on Wednesday announced a 15-day programme to observe the 43rd death anniversary of its founder and former president Ziaur Rahman on May 30.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programmes at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the observance of Zia’s death anniversary programme will begin on May 28 and will end on June 28 through various programmes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ziaur Rahman, who founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978, was assassinated by a group of army officers at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the programmes, black flags will be hoisted while the party flag will be kept at half-mast atop its offices, including its Nayapaltan headquarters, at 6 am on May 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, party leaders and workers will place wreaths at Zia\'s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 10 am the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They will also offer fateha at Zia’s grave and join a doa and milad mahfil there, praying for the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP founder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party will arrange a discussion meeting on May 29 at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in memory of Zia on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, a mass prayer programme will be organised in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on May 31 seeking eternal peace for Zia’s departed soul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP and its associate bodies will arrange different programmes, including seminars and discussions, on Zia’s activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party’s city, district, upazila, and municipality units will also observe the day with due respect by arranging different programmes, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders of the party’s Dhaka North and South city units will also distribute food items and clothes among the destitute in different parts of the city on May 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 11:08:22', '2024-05-22 11:08:22');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12496, 12496, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As many as 708 people died and 2,426 were injured in 683 road accidents across the country in the month of April, said a report of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 47 people were killed and 36 were injured in 44 railway accidents while eight people were killed, 10 injured, and one is still missing in six waterway accidents, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report was published on Wednesday analysing accident reports published in the country\'s national and regional dailies and online media during the period and a press release in this regard signed by its secretary general was also issued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 763 people were killed and 2, 472 were injured in 733 accidents on roads, waterways and railways across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 274 people died and 328 others were injured in some 305 motorbike accidents across the country last month which is 44.65 percent of the total accidents and 38.70 percent of the total fatalities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka division witnessed highest 155 road accidents with 179 fatalities and 305 injuries while Barishal witnessed the lowest 35 road accidents with as many deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among those killed in road accidents in April, 10 were members of law enforcement agencies,169 were drivers, 63 pedestrians, 58 transport workers, 46 students, six teachers, 119 women, 67 children, three journalists, two physicians, one lawyer, three engineers and eight activists of different political parties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the vehicles involved in the accidents were 34.71 percent motorbikes, 15.48 percent buses, 17.61 percent pick-up vans, covered vans and lorries, 6.27 percent private cars, SUVs and microbuses, 5.97 percent CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 13.15 percent battery-run human haulers and 6.78 percent three-wheeler vehicles, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the accidents, 35.28 percent occurred on national highways, 14.78 on regional roads and 42.45 percent on roads. Besides, 6.58 percent accidents occurred in Dhaka city, 0.43 percent in Chattogram city and 0.43 percent on rail tracks, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The association blamed reckless driving, motorbikes and three-wheelers on highways, lack of street lights, road marking or road sign, development of cracks and holes on highways during rainy season, movement of unfit vehicles, violation of traffic rules, unskilled drivers and helpers, collecting tolls and poor traffic management for the accidents and deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 11:38:13', '2024-05-22 11:38:13'),
(12497, 12497, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As founding members of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, Bangladesh and Australia have expressed concerns about the loss of life and exploitation of vulnerable people such as the Rohingyas, including women and children, at the hands of transnational criminal networks.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australian Minister Penny Wong noted that the Commander of Australia’s Maritime Border Command will visit Bangladesh to further discuss these issues.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Australian Minister and her Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud agreed on the importance of safe migration pathways in the region to curb irregular and unsafe migration patterns.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting the growth in the Bangladesh diaspora in Australia and the contributions made by the two peoples to deepening the bilateral relationship, the ministers affirmed the importance of preservation and promotion of arts and culture, and committed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Arts and Culture.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong held their first ministerial dialogue on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers noted the warm bilateral relationship founded on more than fifty years of diplomatic relations and deepening friendship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They recognised that high-level visits at the political level can help take the relationship to further new heights, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers recalled the constructive, positive bilateral discussions held at the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February 2024, following those during the Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka in 2023.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They noted ongoing collaboration and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and at the United Nations.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They appreciated the growing strategic depth and dimensions of the bilateral relations.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They noted the commonalities between Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook, the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Indo-Pacific Outlook and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They reaffirmed their shared vision and desire to work towards a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous, inclusive and free from intimidation, interference and coercion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers acknowledged the importance of building regional health security, promoting demographic resilience, enhancing multi-modal connectivity, and strengthening clean energy supply chains.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They agreed on the importance of promoting open channels of communication and confidence-building measures to reduce the risk of conflict in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers reaffirmed their support for sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Indo Pacific, democratic values, human rights, freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:00:26', '2024-05-22 13:00:26'),
(12498, 12498, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two children drowned in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified Romaisa Jannat, one and a half year old daughter of Abdullah Al Mamun Faisal of Chhnua union and Abir, 2, son of Abu Hamid of the ward No-4 under Banshkhali municipality.</div><div><br></div><div>Locals said Romaisa fell into a pond in the absence of her family members in Madhukhali area around 8:30am.</div><div><br></div><div>After recusing the girl, the family members took her to upazila health complex where physicians declared her dead, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>Moreover, Abir drowned in a water body in Neyazar para around 1pm, said his paternal uncle.</div><div><br></div><div>Hearing a sound from the pond, he was rescued and taken to the upazila health complex where physicians declared him dead upon arrival, the uncle said.</div><div><br></div><div>The health complex’s physician Dr Jannatul Ferdous confirmed the deaths of the children saying that they were brought dead.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:02:04', '2024-05-22 13:02:04'),
(12499, 12499, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia claimed on Wednesday that its troops have taken control of the village of Klishchiivka in Ukraine\'s eastern Donetsk region.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, its troops also caused damage and losses to Ukrainian forces near the settlements of Heorhiivka and Hostre, as well as the city of Kostiantynivka, located about 31 kilometers (19 miles) west of Klishchiivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The village, situated about 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) south of Bakhmut city, was captured by Russian forces in January 2023 but later retaken by Ukrainian forces in September 2023 during a large-scale counteroffensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement claimed that Russian forces on the Kharkiv front have advanced deeper into Ukraine\'s defenses, repelling three counterattacks near the settlements of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement that Russian military activities can be observed, particularly in the directions of Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, indicating that Russian troops are still trying to advance towards Lyptsi in the direction of Kharkiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said Russia launched attacks near Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Paraskoviivka, and Kostiantynivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv authorities have yet to comment on the claims concerning Klishchiivka village, and independent verification of Russia\'s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 10, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian forces attempted to breach the country’s defenses in the Kharkiv region, opening a new front in the over two-year-long conflict that is concentrated in the country’s east and south.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clashes in the region have intensified since then, particularly near Vovchansk, located about 74 kilometers (45 miles) from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia claims to have seized control of multiple border settlements since the start of its offensive on the Kharkiv front, as well as other fronts including Donetsk. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:17:29', '2024-05-22 13:17:29'),
(12500, 12500, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Twenty people were in intensive care in Bangkok hospitals on Wednesday after a terrifying high-altitude plunge on a flight from London during which an elderly passenger died and more than 100 were injured.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 hit “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar 10 hours into its journey to Singapore on Tuesday, abruptly rising and plunging several times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One passenger said people were thrown around the cabin so violently they put dents in the ceiling during the drama at 11,300m, leaving dozens with head injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photos from inside the plane show the cabin in chaos, strewn with food, drinks bottles, and luggage, and with oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The plane, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, made an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where medical staff used gurneys to ferry the injured to ambulances waiting on the tarmac.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I was flung up to the roof and then as the plane dropped forward so did I,” one passenger told Australian media on Wednesday after arriving in Sydney.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I then hit the floor quite hard and all the breakfast items and glass flew forward as well.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The poor crew was preparing breakfast for everyone, so they got the worst injuries.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 73-year-old British man died and 104 people were injured on the flight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A hospital in Bangkok said Wednesday its staff were treating, or had treated 85 of those injured, including 20 people who were currently in intensive care units.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 20 were from Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines, Samitivej hospital said, without specifying how many were passengers or crew.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A relief flight carrying 131 passengers and 12 crew landed at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Wednesday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relieved relatives greeted the arrivals with hugs, but all were too shaken to talk to waiting reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andrew Davies, a British passenger aboard the Boeing 777-300ER, told BBC radio that the plane “suddenly dropped” and there was “very little warning”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During the few seconds of the plane dropping, there was an awful screaming and what sounded like a thud,” he said, adding that he helped a woman who was “screaming in agony” with a “gash on her head”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separately, he told a BBC podcast he feared the plane was going to crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Remembering the plane now – the huge dents in the roof that people had obviously hit with their head. There was a water bottle stuck in a gap in the ceiling,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said on Wednesday that the carrier is “very sorry for the traumatic experience” endured by those on board, and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:26:51', '2024-05-22 13:26:51'),
(12501, 12501, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The killers of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar were Bangladeshis, according to the Chief of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammad Harun or Rashid.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“An investigation is underway to ascertain the reason behind the murder. A few persons were arrested and others who were involved in the murder will be brought to justice. But the names can’t be disclosed now for the sake of the investigation,” the DB chief said while talking to reporters at his office on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are contacting the Indian police closely and receiving important information regarding the murder but can’t disclose anything now,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Replying to a question on why he was murdered, the DB chief said “Investigation is going on to know the reason behind the murder. Whether it is a family or financial or local issue or for raising voice against criminals, we’ll bring out everything through investigation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The daughter of MP Anwarul will file a case and officials are providing all-out support to her, he said, adding “We have asked her to file the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station as he was a resident of Sangshad Bhaban area.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar, who went missing from Kolkata on May 14, was found dead in Kolkata on Wednesday. He went there on May 11 for medical treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today said the lawmaker of Jhenaidah-4 was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, a suburb of Kolkata.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The information we have so far is that the people of our country are involved in the killing,” he said while speaking at a press briefing held at his Dhanmondi residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:43:25', '2024-05-22 13:43:25'),
(12502, 12502, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir  said, “This regime is responsible for the sanctions. This has happened as they tried to use the army unfairly. They used the army for various purposes.” </b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said that the government is responsible for the sanctions imposed by the United States on former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said sanctions imposed on a former army chief is a matter of great shame for the nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said there is no option but to remove the current regime from power to establish a pro-people government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday imposed sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his immediate family members due to “his involvement in significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said different media outlets, especially the international ones, carried out reports on irregularities by General Aziz. “But the government did not take any action, no one has the right to defame the nation and diminish its dignity and honour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stating that the military is the most trusted institution of the nation, he said the country’s people cannot accept that the army’s reputation was tarnished only because of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the US sanctions on the officials of the elite force RAB, the BNP leader said the government did not learn any lessons from it. “Instead, they promoted some of them to the post of IGP…I don\'t know how much impact this (sanctions) has.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also accused the government of using the other force of the country only to hang onto power by force. “This is not only unfortunate for Bangladesh, but also a matter of shame and embarrassment.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also said the government is trying to turn Bangladesh into a failed state in a planned way by annihilating democracy and resorting to corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Replying to a question about the upazila elections, the BNP leader said he did not see any enthusiasm among the people about the polls as they have no interest in voting. \"There is no discussion among the people about the polls anywhere since people have lost their confidence in the electoral system.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also alleged that the government is destroying the soul of the nation, turning Bangladesh into a dependent and subservient country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 14:23:45', '2024-05-22 15:32:14'),
(12503, 12503, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">&nbsp;Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday that a national election would be held in the second half of the year when asked about rumours in parliament that the British leader might call a vote to take place in the summer.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Sunak has repeatedly said an election will be held in the second half of 2024, and he stated that again when he was asked about the rumours in the House of Commons on Wednesday. October or November had been seen as the most likely timing by most pundits.</div><div><br></div><div>“Spoiler alert: there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year,” Sunak told parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>But rumours swirled around parliament on Wednesday, among lawmakers and journalists, that he could move earlier and call a national election in early July. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:06:30', '2024-05-22 15:06:30'),
(12504, 12504, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>At least five people sustained injuries after post-polls attacks allegedly by the supporters of a rival group in Satkhira’s Ashashuni upazila on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the attacks, the assailants also vandalised at least twenty houses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the injured, Anisur Rahman of Cheutia village of Khazra Union and Imran Hossain of Towardanga village were admitted to Satkhira Medical College Hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police detained 13 people in connection with the violence, Satkhira Superintendent of Police Matiur Rahman Siddiqui said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of them have been identified as Abdur Rahman, Abul Kalam Azad, and Jahangir Hossain of Pirojpur village, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Defeated chairman candidate Shah Newaz Dalim said that the supporters of the winning chairman ABM Mostakim led by Milan Parvez of Pirojpur village of Khazra Union attacked and vandalized Ripon Hossain\'s house in Pirojpur village on Tuesday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:08:27', '2024-05-22 15:08:27'),
(12505, 12505, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Students demonstrating at universities throughout the US, UK, and Europe have been urging their academic institutions to reveal financial holdings and to divest from Israeli-affiliated entities amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught in the Gaza Strip.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Universities responded by suspending and expelling student protesters, sometimes resorting to measures such as eviction from campus housing and limitations on on-campus resources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, some universities employed campus and local law enforcement to forcibly disband encampments, with police actions drawing criticism for their severity, particularly in the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With over 2,900 protesters arrested, including faculty members, on more than 60 campuses in the US, some universities have negotiated agreements with protesters to dismantle encampments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several universities have canceled graduation ceremonies due to ongoing protests, while additional demonstrations have unfolded at various graduation events throughout May 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, in the US, Union Theological Seminary became the first affiliated college at Columbia University to announce plans to divest from companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza. While specifics on the companies are not provided, the seminary aims to identify those benefiting from the Palestine situation, a report said on the Forbes website, citing Todd Ely, a professor at the University of Colorado-Denver.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other universities, like Northwestern in Illinois, have promised investment disclosure, while Harvard and Brown in Rhode Island have agreed to discuss proposals with protesters to halt protests, the report added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, at California State University\'s Sonoma State campus, President Mike Lee was placed on leave after expressing intent to pursue divestment from Israel without obtaining the necessary approvals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Australia, students also continued pro-Palestine encampment protests at universities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At Curtin University in Western Australia, students on Wednesday gathered at the engineering building and urged the administration to cut ties with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia has witnessed many pro-Palestine student demonstrations in recent months.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:12:45', '2024-05-22 15:12:45'),
(12506, 12506, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin has urged the representatives of the Buddhist community to work for the welfare of the country and its people, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Show people the way to light. Work for the welfare of the country and people. Don\'t just worry about being good for yourself or your family, think about being good for everyone,\" the President said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president was speaking at a reception ceremony at the credentials Hall of the Bangabhaban commemorating \"Holy Buddha Purnima 2024\" on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that thousands of years of Buddhist tradition are intertwined with the soil and people of Bangladesh, the President extended friendly greetings and congratulations to all the Buddhists of the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He asked Buddhist leaders to spread the noble teachings and ideals of Buddha to everyone to build a happy, prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh as dreamed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said human rights are being violated in many parts of the world now and vices like greed, jealousy, and revenge are increasing the exploitation and deprivation of society. Country-by-country wars have thrown the world economy out of balance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is also having a negative impact on the socio-economic sector of various countries of the world including Bangladesh,\" said Shahabuddin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this difficult time, the president also urged everyone to stand by each other.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both the president and his wife Rebeka Sultana celebrated the Buddha Purnima, the largest religious festival of the Buddhist community at Bangabhaban and exchanged greetings with Buddhist leaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhist religious leaders also presented flower bouquets to the president at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhists all over the country including Dhaka celebrate this day with due religious solemnity as it marks the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than eight hundred guests attended the reception at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Minister of Religion Faridul Haque Khan, state minister&nbsp; for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura, leaders of the Buddhist community and concerned secretaries of Bangabhaban were also present present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:16:56', '2024-05-22 15:16:56'),
(12507, 12507, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday got admitted to a hospital in India’s Ahmedabad city after suffering a heat stroke due to the area\'s 45-degree Celsius temperature.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actor was in Ahmedabad to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between his team Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, NDTV and the Hindustan Times reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The actor was suffering from dehydration amid a high temperature of 45-degree Celcius in Ahmedabad. He is under medical observation, although his health is stable. Security has been tightened around the hospital,\" news agency IANS reported, quoting sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the actor\'s close friends and Indian actress Juhi Chawla visited the actor at the hospital with her husband.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), celebrated the team\'s triumph on Tuesday night with a lap of honour at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Accompanied by his children, Suhana Khan and AbRam Khan, Shah Rukh Khan greeted the audience following KKR\'s impressive win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which secured their place in the IPL 2024 finals. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The official Instagram pages of KKR and the Indian Premier League (IPL) shared pictures and videos of the family\'s celebratory walk. SRK chants filled the stadium, and Shah Rukh delighted fans with his iconic open-arms pose. KKR\'s official Instagram page shared snapshots of Shah Rukh Khan thanking fans, captioning them with, \"Our lucky charm, our King Khan!\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:27:11', '2024-05-22 15:28:44'),
(12508, 12508, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said said there is still confusion over the disappearance of the Jhenaidah-4 constituency MP, who was brutally killed in Kolkata, India. In this situation, he said the BNP secretary general\'s statement blaming a friendly country is not justified.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said this at a meeting at the Awami League central office at Bangabandhu Avenue. Awami League\'s Cultural Affairs Sub-Committee organized the meeting titled \'Progress of Smart Bangladesh, Rich in Cultural Diversity\'.</div><div><br></div><div>“India is our friend, it is okay. When an MP goes for treatment, he does not inform the Indian government. And the security issue is seen only if the appropriate authorities are informed,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“But if they are an enemy state, how can Salahuddin, your MP be safe for so long? No one killed him, no life was lost. Why are you slandering a friendly country? It is not appropriate to make such a statement,” the AL leader also said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The Awami League government does not bother about the sanctions imposed by those who deny Israel\'s genocide in Gaza. Those who are killing 35,500 people indiscriminately by bombing and shooting them indiscriminately. What Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing now is worse than Hitler. Isn\'t it genocide to target and kill children? The President of the United States says that Israel did not commit genocide,” the minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who deny genocide and give us sanctions or visa policies, we don’t care about them,. The army follows its rules. Bangabandhu\'s daughter Sheikh Hasina is not the person to spare anyone who commits a crime,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:31:38', '2024-05-22 15:31:38'),
(12509, 12509, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Railways has initiated a comprehensive modernisation of its signal system, with the aim to transition entirely to broad gauge tracks by 2050. This initiative is expected to eliminate collisions and enhance overall safety.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In an exclusive interview with UNB, Sardar Shahadat Ali, Director General of Bangladesh Railway, elaborated on the ongoing and future projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have taken steps to modernise the signal system progressively across all areas. Though the traditional lamp signals are old, they are time-tested; implementing a digital system is a costly affair,” Ali stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Railway DG acknowledged the recent increase in train collisions, attributing them to faulty signal systems. “Until 2030, we will procure locomotives for meter gauge, but after that, we will cease their acquisition. By 2050, the complete transition to broad gauge will prevent such collisions,” he assured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Discussing the current locomotive scenario, Ali mentioned that the existing broad gauge locomotives sufficiently meet demand. “We plan to bring in 46 more locomotives for broad gauge and 50 for meter gauge. Additionally, the Chattogram-Dohazari project includes the acquisition of 30 more locomotives. However, we are facing a slight shortage of meter gauge locomotives.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Highlighting the advancements, Ali pointed out, “A tender for the digital signal system from Abdullahpur to Parbatipur has been issued and is under evaluation. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project will see a digital system operational by June. Areas like Tongi, Joydebpur, Dinajpur, and the eastern and western sides of the Bangabandhu Bridge, will transition to an interlocking system once the ongoing non-interlocking projects are completed.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ali also touched upon the challenges of maintaining meter gauge locomotives, which involve transporting them over the Jamuna Bridge to the central locomotive workshop that is facing workforce shortages. “We expect to resolve these issues by 2030 with the arrival of new locomotives,” he noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing locomotive defects, the railway DG said, “We have identified some issues with the 3000 series locomotives. Our service engineers are addressing these, and during the warranty period, we aim to rectify all identified problems.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:13:05', '2024-05-23 07:13:05'),
(12510, 12510, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The U.N. World Food Program said Wednesday that it has handed out in Gaza in recent days a “limited number” of high-energy biscuits that arrived from a U.S.-built pier, the first aid from the new humanitarian sea route to get into the hands of Palestinians in grave need.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The small number of biscuits came in the first shipments unloaded from the pier Friday, WFP spokesman Steve Taravella said. The U.S. Agency for International Development told The Associated Press that a total of 41 trucks loaded with aid from the more than $320 million pier have reached humanitarian organizations in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Aid is flowing” from the pier, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday in response to questions about the troubled launch of aid deliveries from the maritime project. “It is not flowing at a rate that any of us are happy with.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters Tuesday that he did not believe any of the aid from the pier had yet reached people in Gaza. Sullivan said a day later that some aid had been delivered “specifically to the Palestinians who need it.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">American officials hope the pier at maximum capacity can bring the equivalent of 150 truckloads of aid to Gaza each day. That’s a fraction of the 600 truckloads of food, emergency nutritional treatments and other supplies that USAID says are needed each day to bring people in Gaza back from the start of famine and address the humanitarian crisis brought on by the seven-month-old Israel-Hamas war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli restrictions on land crossings and a surge in fighting have cut deliveries of food and fuel in Gaza to the lowest levels since the first months of the war, international officials say. Israel’s takeover this month of the Rafah border crossing, a key transit point for fuel and supplies for Gaza, has contributed to bringing aid operations near collapse, the U.N. and relief groups say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All 2.3 million people of Gaza are struggling to get food, according to aid groups, with the heads of the WFP and USAID having said famine has begun in north Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The U.S. pier project to bring aid to Gaza via the Mediterranean Sea has had a troubled launch, with groups of people overrunning a convoy Saturday and taking most of the supplies and a man in the crowd who was shot dead in still-unexplained circumstances. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:16:37', '2024-05-23 07:16:37'),
(12511, 12511, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan made the sensational disclosure Wednesday (May 22, 2024) that Anwarul Azim Anar, MP for Jhenidah-4, had been murdered in West Bengal, while on a medical trip to India. He said the slain MP’s remains had been found in a flat in New Town, Kolkata.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Awami League MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who went missing in India, was murdered at a Calcutta flat,” Khan told journalists. “So far, we have come to know that all the killers involved are Bangladeshis. It was a planned murder.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police in Kolkata however have said no body has been found, and they are continuing their search in this regard. All that has been found are blood stains in a flat in suburban New Town where Azim was seen entering with three others on May 13.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What is known so far is that Azim went to Kolkata. He entered India through the Darshana border (connecting Bangladesh’s Khulna with Nadia) on May 12 for a medical consultation, and started staying with a friend, Gopal Biswas, a gold trader, in the Baranagar area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 1.40pm on May 13, he left Biswas’s house to meet a neurologist at a Kolkata hospital in a cab. According to The Telegraph, an influential Kolkata daily, the taxi driver who drove Azim around has told the police they had picked up another Bangladeshi national from the New Market area and from there proceeded to the flat in New Town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The medical appointment, had there been one in the first place, was not kept.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CCTV footage has revealed that apart from Azim, two men and a woman had entered the flat at Sanjeeva Gardens, an upmarket development in Rajarhat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the next four days, CCTV footage shows the other three leaving the building at different times, but there is no further sighting of the MP.&nbsp; Source:&nbsp; UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:21:02', '2024-05-23 07:21:02'),
(12512, 12512, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three individuals for making hand bombs at a house in Tekpara area of Badda, Dhaka.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The arrestees have been identified as Fahim Rahman Abdullah, 22; Md Limon, 20; and Md Akul Mia, 21. Acting on a tip-off, a team from RAB-3 conducted a raid around 9 pm on Wednesday, seizing 65 hand bombs and a large quantity of bomb-making materials, according to a media release issued by RAB on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During initial interrogation, RAB learned that Masum and Sajib – members of a group that makes hand bombs – from Narayanganj’s Signboard area, had ordered the bombs for robbery purposes 8-10 days prior. The arrested individuals were hired to manufacture the bombs, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspects rented a house in Tekpara, where they received Tk 26,000 to produce the bombs. Their target was to make 100 bombs, RAB stated. In total, five people, including the arrestees, were involved in the bomb-making operation, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:38:34', '2024-05-23 08:38:34'),
(12513, 12513, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted rain or thundershower in Chattogram and Sylhet divisions within 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Rain or thundershower accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country,” said a Met office bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a mild heatwave is sweeping over the districts of Madaripur, Gopalganj, Sylhet, Chattogram, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Bandarban, Khulna, Satkhira, Chuadanga, and Bhola and it may continue.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. Due to the increase in moisture incursion, the discomfort may increase.</div><div><br></div><div>The low pressure over south-west Bay and adjoining area now lies over west-central Bay. It is likely to intensify further.</div><div><br></div><div>Country’s highest temperature was recorded at 37.8 degrees Celsius in Rangamati on Wednesday while the lowest temperature was recorded at 23.4 degrees Celsius in Bogura on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:42:12', '2024-05-23 08:42:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12514, 12514, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Due to the use of untreated water, 80 percent of workers on vessels plying the inland waterways across the country are suffering from various types of complex intestinal diseases and skin infection.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This information was highlighted in a report of Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF). The organization on Thursday revealed the summary of the report in a media release.</div><div><br></div><div>In the report, SCRF recommended making it mandatory to install water treatment facilities on all public and private vessels carrying passengers and goods to protect the health of workers.</div><div><br></div><div>The media release said that the report had been prepared by conducting a year-long survey and research. During the survey, more than 100 workers of 10 types of vessels were spoken to along with specialist physicians.</div><div><br></div><div>These vessels included passenger-carrying launches, cargo vessels, excavators, dredgers, barges and houseboats.</div><div><br></div><div>According to SCRF, one fifth of the country is coastal area. The water of the rivers in the coastal areas are highly saline throughout the year. Besides, almost all the rivers of the country are suffering from severe pollution. The workers stay on the vessels day after day. But there is no water treatment facility on public and private vessels.</div><div><br></div><div>The low-paid workers are forced to use river water. As a result, they are suffering from serious diseases.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the SCRF report citing doctors, long-term use of saline and polluted river water can lead to many skin diseases including skin cancer. A variety of complex intestinal disorders can occur, including liver cirrhosis, bacillary dysentery, dysentery, stomach ulcers and regular diarrhoea.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Health Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:45:25', '2024-05-23 08:45:25'),
(12515, 12515, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Spain, Ireland and Norway said Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a step toward a long-held Palestinian aspiration that came amid international outrage over the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s offensive.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The almost simultaneous decisions by two European Union countries, and Norway, may generate momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state by other EU countries and could spur further steps at the United Nations, deepening Israel’s isolation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, seven member of the 27-nation European Union officially recognize a Palestinian state. Five of them are former east bloc countries who announced recognition in 1988, as did Cyprus, before joining the bloc. Sweden announced recognition in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Czech Republic, an EU member, says that the 1988 recognition by the former Czechoslovakia, of which it then formed a part, does not apply to the modern state. Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry says that the two sides confirmed their recognition as Slovakia was becoming independent in 1992-93, and that the Palestinian state has a fully-functioning embassy in Bratislava since 2006.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 140 of the about 190 countries represented in the U.N. have already recognized a Palestinian state. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:57:10', '2024-05-23 08:57:10'),
(12516, 12516, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israeli forces killed 35 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza Strip today and battled in close combat with Hamas-led fighters in areas of the southern city of Rafah, health officials and Hamas media said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli tanks advanced in Rafah’s southeast, edged towards the city’s western district of Yibna and continued to operate in three eastern suburbs, residents said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The occupation (Israeli forces) is trying to move further to the west, they are on the edge of Yibna, which is densely populated. They didn’t invade it yet,” one resident said, asking not to be named.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We hear explosions and we see black smoke coming up from the areas where the army has invaded. It was another very difficult night,” he told Reuters via a chat app.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Simultaneous Israeli assaults on the northern and southern edges of Gaza this month have caused a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing their homes, and have cut off the main access routes for aid, raising the risk of famine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel says it has no choice but to attack Rafah to root out the last battalions of Hamas fighters it believes are sheltering there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its troops have been slowly moving into the eastern outskirts of Rafah since the start of the month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The troops are currently operating based on information regarding terror targets in the areas of ‘Brazil’ and ‘Shaboura’ while making every effort to prevent harm to civilians and after the civilian population in the area was evacuated,” the Israeli military said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palestinian residents said there had been no incursion in Shaboura in the centre of Rafah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“IDF troops located a rocket launcher ready to fire at IDF troops. Moreover, the troops located and dismantled a number of terror tunnel shafts and launchers in the area, and eliminated several terrorists during close-quarters encounters,” the Israeli military statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNRWA, the main United Nations agency in Gaza, estimated as of Monday that more than 800,000 people had fled Rafah since Israel began targeting the city in early May, despite international pleas for restraint. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 09:58:36', '2024-05-23 09:58:36'),
(12517, 12517, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that investigation will determine whether the deceased MP of Jhenaidah-4 constituency, Anwarul Azim Anar, was involved in any illicit activities in India.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I cannot say anything before the investigation is complete. There is no place for criminals in the Awami League,” Quader asserted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made these remarks during an introductory meeting with the newly formed Youth and Sports Sub-committee members at the Dhaka district Awami League office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Anwarul Azim Anar, who was nominated for the third time due to his popularity, is under scrutiny following his death, with Indian media alleging his involvement in smuggling activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sheikh Hasina does not spare any wrongdoer, even if they are from the party. Her policy regarding crime is zero tolerance,” Quader emphasized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader also questioned the timing and scope of these allegations, saying, “Why did this issue not come up in any investigative report by journalists in our country before his death?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 10:31:19', '2024-05-23 10:31:19'),
(12518, 12518, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The UN’s top court said it will rule Friday on a request by South Africa to order Israel to implement a ceasefire in Gaza.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>South Africa has petitioned the International Court of Justice for emergency measures to order Israel to “cease its military operations in the Gaza Strip” including in Rafah city, where it is pressing an offensive.</div><div><br></div><div>The rulings of the ICJ, which rules on disputes between states, are binding but it has no power to enforce them — it has ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine to no avail, for example.</div><div><br></div><div>But a ruling against Israel would increase the international legal pressure after the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor said Monday he was seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>In hearings last week, South Africa charged that what it described as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza had hit a “new and horrific stage” with its assault on Rafah, the last part of Gaza to face a ground invasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The Rafah campaign is “the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people,” argued Vaughan Lowe, a lawyer for South Africa.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was Rafah that brought South Africa to the court. But it is all Palestinians as a national, ethnical and racial group who need the protection from genocide that the court can order,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Lawyers for Israel hit out at South Africa’s case as being “totally divorced” from reality that made a “mockery” of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention it is accused of breaching.</div><div><br></div><div>“Calling something a genocide again and again does not make it genocide. Repeating a lie does not make it true,” top lawyer for Israel Gilad Noam said.</div><div>“There is a tragic war going on but there is no genocide,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli troops began their ground assault on parts of Rafah early this month, defying international opposition including from top ally the United States, which voiced fears for the more than one million civilians trapped in the city.</div><div>Israel has ordered mass evacuations from the city, where it has vowed to eliminate Hamas’s tunnel network and its remaining fighters.</div><div>The UN says more than 800,000 people have fled. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 10:59:43', '2024-05-23 10:59:43'),
(12519, 12519, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mind-boggling number of shining galaxies, a purple and orange star nursery and a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way: new images were revealed from Europe’s Euclid space telescope today.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is the second set of images released by the European Space Agency since Euclid launched last year on the first ever mission to investigate the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scientific data from Euclid was also published for the first time in the six-year mission, which aims to use its wide view to chart two billion galaxies across a third of the sky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Euclid project scientist Rene Laureijs told AFP that he was “personally most excited” about the image of a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 2390.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The image of the cluster, which is 2.7 billion light years away from Earth, encompasses more than 50,000 galaxies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just one galaxy – such as our own – can be home to hundreds of billions or even trillions of stars, each of which could be bigger than the Sun.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Abell 2390, Euclid was able to detect the faint light of “orphan stars” drifting between galaxy clusters, said Jean-Charles Cuillandre, a French scientist working on Euclid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These stars are ejected from the galaxies, “creating a kind of cloud which surrounds the entire cluster”, Cuillandre told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to astronomers, this strange phenomenon points towards the presence of dark matter between the galaxies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up 95% of the universe – but we know almost nothing about them. According to AFP reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 11:11:17', '2024-05-23 11:11:17'),
(12520, 12520, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Thomas Andrews on Thursday appealed to the government of Bangladesh to “reverse its closed border policy” and demonstrate their humanitarian support for the Rohingya once again though Bangladesh is already overburdened with 1.3 million Rohingyas.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Once again, Bangladesh’s generosity may be their only hope as large groups of Rohingya are forcibly displaced and move towards the border,” said US-origin UN expert.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Special Rapporteur warned however that Bangladesh does not have the capacity to meet the demands of this crisis without the emergency intervention and support of the international community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rations cuts, inadequate infrastructure, spiraling violence, and reported forced recruitment by Rohingya militant groups have threatened the lives and wellbeing of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the expert observed in a statement issued from Geneva.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He urged all States to provide an emergency infusion of funds to help rescue and support desperate families fleeing conflict and address the current conditions in the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The choice of these States to either step up or step away from this horror could literally be a matter of life and death for countless Rohingya,” Andrews said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of innocent lives will be lost if the international community fails to respond to ominous signs of another Rohingya bloodbath in Rakhine State, the UN expert said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Once again, the world seems to be failing desperate people in their hour of peril while a hate-driven unnatural disaster unfolds in real time in Myanmar’s Rakhine State,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 11:14:03', '2024-05-23 11:14:03'),
(12521, 12521, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As Beijing’s ships and warplanes encircled Taiwan today, television anchors on the self-ruled island focused instead on a store razed by fire, a proposed ban on ambulance sirens, and a restaurant scandal involving an influencer.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coverage of these hyper-local news stories eclipsed that of China’s military drills, launched in response to what Beijing’s military called “separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The exercises come as a “punishment” three days after the island swore in President Lai Ching-te, who China regards as a “dangerous separatist”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Popular news channel TVBS reported on the drills, but flicked quickly back to breaking news of truck drivers for an online retail service complaining about “sweat-shop” conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Democratic Taiwan is accustomed to frequent threats from China, which claims the island as part of its territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beijing has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and has in recent years upped the rhetoric of “unification” being “inevitable”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Taiwan has its own government, military and currency, as well as a population of 23 million that increasingly considers its identity distinct from that of the Chinese.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Basically they want reunification, which means they (China) want to devour us (Taiwan). This is simple,” said Hung, a 65-year-old taxi driver in Taipei, who scoffed at the drills.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They are just raising a fuss. They won’t really stage a war,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If they really want to stage a war, it would be missiles that are flying over,” he said, adding that the drills were expected given that Lai is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has championed Taiwan’s sovereignty. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 12:13:41', '2024-05-23 12:13:41'),
(12522, 12522, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In the ever-growing Twenty20 cricket landscape, India boasts the richest and most-watched league in the world. Yet all that investment and attention hasn\'t translated into international success for India\'s national team.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rohit Sharma\'s India squad travels to the T20 World Cup in the United States and Caribbean in search of a second title to end a long drought.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Undoubtedly, the Indian Premier League is flush with cash and talent, attracting the best cricketers from across the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the advent of IPL, though, India hasn\'t lifted the World Cup trophy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, India has only reached one more final — losing to Sri Lanka in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The title drought crosses formats, too. India last won an International Cricket Council title in 2013 – the Champions Trophy in England. It last lifted the Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format in 2011.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year was an exceptional one in that sense – India lost the World Test Championship final to Australia in England and, a few months later, also lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia, this time on home soil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That caused major anguish in a cricket-mad country of 1.4 billion, considering India was on a 10-0 winning streak and a hot favorite going into the final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seven months later, Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli are leading the campaign in what in all probability will be their last T20 tournament in India\'s blue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharma has been a part of every Indian squad at the T20 World Cup. Kohli made his debut in the 2012 edition, making this his sixth attempt at the title.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kohli has scored 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50 and strike-rate 131.30 in his 27 games at the tournament. Sharma has scored 963 runs in 39 games at a strike rate of 127.88.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both players missed all of India\'s T20 internationals between the 2022 semifinal loss in Australia and January of this year, leading to some speculation they\'d miss out on the 2024 World Cup starting June 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That was dispelled by both BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Now, there will be big focus on their contributions – in terms of runs and strike-rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharma only managed 417 runs for Mumbai Indians in the club\'s unsuccessful 2024 IPL campaign. Kohli, meanwhile, topped the run charts for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with with 741 runs runs in 15 matches, avering 61.75. But his strike-rate earlier in the season was criticized by some TV broadcast analysts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a news conference to confirm the India squad, Agarkar brushed off any concerns regarding Kohli\'s strike-rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There\'s a difference between IPL and international cricket,\" Agarkar said. \"You need experience as the pressure of a World Cup game is different. You (only) try to take positives from what is happening in the IPL.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kohli opens the batting for his IPL franchise but goes in at No. 3 for India in T20s. It has led to a significant debate over his batting position for the World Cup because it holds the key to India\'s XI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Should Kohli continue to bat at No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings with Sharma. India will then have to play with only four specialist batters including Suryakumar Yadav, the world\'s top-ranked T20 batter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Allrounder Hardik Pandya and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant would slot in next, with bowling allrounders to follow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Kohli opens with Sharma, it allows for an extra batter in the middle order and likely makes room for Shivam Dube, who has impressed selectors with his power hitting in the IPL and strike rate of 162.29.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dube can also bowl useful medium pace if needed, and could provide backup to Pandya.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead a bowling attack that will contain four spinners, including left-arm all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzendra Chahal complete the line-up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I asked for four spinners,\" Sharma explained. \"Most of our matches will start at 10-11 a.m. (and) we expect all-rounders to do a job for us. It gives us a variety of combinations to explore depending on the opposition.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India begins its World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5, then faces fierce rival Pakistan in New York on June 9 in what could be the highlight of the group stage. India will play the U.S. on June 12 and Canada on June 15.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While it is a seemingly straight-forward road for India in the first round, the tension to end a prolonged title drought will grow once it reaches the West Indies for the Super Eight stage. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk s', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 12:28:48', '2024-05-23 12:28:48'),
(12523, 12523, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The body of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who was murdered in Kolkata, India, has not yet been recovered, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We have not been able to recover the body yet. Until we can recover everything, we cannot provide you with any information.I reiterate that the intelligence agencies of both countries are working on this,” said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the intelligence agencies of both countries have almost identified everything of the murder&nbsp; including&nbsp; the perpetrators, he said while talking to at the secretariat on Thursday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said, “We are very close to identifying those who committed the murder. Only the announcement remains. We will make the announcement once the intelligence agencies of both countries agree.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Home Minister also mentioned that they have not received anything new so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our police, intelligence, Indian police, and Indian intelligence are all working. We are certain that he was murdered. We have heard from those who killed him, but we have not yet recovered the body,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to a question about whether any Indian was involved, he said, “We have not ruled out the possibility of Indian involvement. We have said that the investigation is ongoing. We have not yet said who are involved. We have said that we have a general idea. We are working based on that idea. So far, we are working with the information we have received.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 13:01:04', '2024-05-23 13:01:04'),
(12524, 12524, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Humanity must change its lifestyle to cope with the environmental crisis brought about by climate change, a UN official warned.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an interview with Anadolu, Tatjana Hema, the coordinator of the UNEP-MAP (United Nations Environment Program-Mediterranean Action Plan) Barcelona Convention, who visited Istanbul for Mediterranean Green Week, shared her evaluations of climate change and its impact on the Mediterranean.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hema said that the measures under the Barcelona Convention and in collaboration among all contracting parties -- 21 Mediterranean countries and the EU -- address biodiversity conservation, the protection of the ecosystem, the establishment of marine protected areas, the protection of species in danger, the prevention of pollution from land-based sources or from shipping from the sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emphasizing the important decisions taken in their last two meetings, Hema said, “There is a very strong commitment, but in order for the decision to be implemented, there is a need for support. And this is why we, as UNEP-MAP, do our best in order to provide the necessary technical and financial assistance to the countries in order to implement.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 13:24:21', '2024-05-23 13:24:21'),
(12525, 12525, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Financial sector in Bangladesh suffers from lack of good governance and accountability, said Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Center for Policy Dialogue, a private think tank.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The central bank has closed its doors for journalists to facilitate the financial oligarchy, she said while speaking on a keynote at a dialogue on ‘What Lies Ahead for the Banking Sector in Bangladesh?’</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The country\'s financial sector depends on banks. The role of this sector is the most important in the development of the country. But fragility has appeared in that banking sector. There has been a loss of good governance and accountability,” she pointed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Fahmida said loan approval, rescheduling, write-off, and foreclosure are all being done in the banks whimsically. The central bank is not acting independently under external pressure not on their will. This situation should be changed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that when wrong information is published, the policy measures will be wrong depending on it. Real-time information has to be provided on the websites of the central banks for the development of the financial sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead, the central bank has decided to restrict media’s access to it making information and data gathering difficult for journalists, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Fahmida said it is difficult to restore the good governance of the banking sector when the regulatory body (BB) itself can’t work independently.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“They (central bank) themselves are being subordinated to a department of the Ministry of Finance, and they are not independent. In this situation, there is no alternative to form an independent banking commission to restore the health of the banking sector,” she suggested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The commission should have the power to work independently and highlight the overall health of the banks,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a paper presented at the dialogue, CPD illustrated that the total volume of non-performing loans (NPL) in the country has more than tripled in the last ten years, from Tk 42,725 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011-12 to Tk 1,45,633 crore in Q2 of FY24. Both public and private banks are in the same position.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, foreign sector banks are performing well in regard to bank management.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The liquidity crisis is gradually emerging in Islami Bank. Liquidity in Sharia sector banks was 39 percent from January 2011 to December 2016. However, from March 2017 to February 2024, the bank\'s liquidity fell to 25 percent after changing the operational leadership in January 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Professor Mostafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow of CPD said, that if the banking sector has to be pulled out of this situation, political decisions must be taken from the highest level, and transparency and accountability must be ensured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, “We have seen in the past that the privatization of profits and the nationalization of losses of the banking sector,” he pointed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MA Mannan, former minister of planning, Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, deputy leader of opposition in the parliament, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr Ahsan H. Mansur, executive director of PRI, Mohammad Nurul Amin, former chairman, Association of Bankers, Bangladesh, among others, spoke at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 14:16:43', '2024-05-23 14:16:43'),
(12526, 12526, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The pro-Palestine student protests in the US are an indicator of a pivotal shift in American public consciousness, particularly among the younger generation, and will have long-lasting impacts on the future, according to American Muslim scholar Yasir Qadhi.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“One of the most optimistic signs of change in America is that in over 100 campuses, we are seeing protests take place against the Israeli occupation and the bombing of Gaza,” Qadhi said in an interview with Anadolu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A key point, he emphasized, is that “the majority are non-Muslims who are protesting.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a change in the mindset and mentality. What is happening, the next generation is now seeing the reality of what is happening in Palestine,” said Qadhi, who is the dean of The Islamic Seminary of America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The older generation is the same, but the new generation, they are understanding.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the major demands of the protesters, he said the students want an end to links with Israel at all levels, from monetary ties of billions of dollars to technology and research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharing his firsthand experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he said the students came out because “MIT has a relationship with the IDF.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The students said they don’t want to do research for a genocidal regime or do research for an enabler of murder, pillaging and killing,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Student protests changed history</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qadhi pointed to the defining impact that student-led movements have had at various points in global and American history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stressed that the current protests mirror the student movements that brought about significant social and political change, such as those against the Vietnam war and South African apartheid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“America was involved completely in Vietnam and who changed it? The student protests. Civil rights movement in US, who changed it? The students. In the 1980s, South Africa was an ally of America and Nelson Mandela was called a terrorist. Who changed it? Student protests,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“These student protests were in the same Columbia, Yale and Princeton, all of these places, so they never learned from history.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the violent crackdown on student protests in the US, where thousands have been arrested over the past few weeks, Qadhi said it was an indicator of the thinking still prevalent among “the elders and the politicians.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In my city Dallas, we have a governor who is very anti-Muslim, anti-Palestine, and very, very pro-Zionist. He sent in the troops, the army against the students,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even if the students are wrong, you do not send in the army against the students, right? … Over 40 students were arrested for doing what? For protesting, for holding a peace sign.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the current bleak outlook, Qadhi is optimistic about impending change in the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In one generation, if not faster, the tide of America will change,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What’s going to happen in 10 years is that these students are going to be CEOs, politicians, congressmen or senators.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">‘The future is bright’</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his speeches at various universities, Qadhi has repeatedly emphasized the need for Muslims to take a leading role in social justice movements across the US, as well as the importance of education and advocacy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The future is bright. We as Muslims have to be involved. We have to be at the forefront. We have to encourage and teach and educate, we have to motivate,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qadhi said his main message to the protesters is for them to remember that they are on the “right side of history” and their efforts will eventually lead to significant changes in American policy and public opinion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My message to my fellow Americans, is why should our tax dollars go anywhere else?” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let’s take our tax dollars and spend them on education. Spend them on housing. Let’s stop funding wars overseas. Let’s stop bombing and pillaging.” - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 14:20:00', '2024-05-23 14:20:00'),
(12527, 12527, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that the government is dedicated to transforming Dhaka into a city that ensures a high quality of life for its residents.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people of this area (Old Dhaka) will benefit and can live a beautiful life. We are working toward this goal,\" she stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister made the remarks during a program inaugurating several development projects in Old Dhaka, including the construction of a new 10-storey Bangabazar Nagar Wholesale Market. The original market was destroyed by a devastating fire on April 4 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other projects include Valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Sarani (an 8-lane road), Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Shishu Udyan, and Nazrul Sarobor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina also highlighted the government\'s initiatives to improve connectivity between Dhaka and other districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want to build a ring road in Dhaka to facilitate easier inter-district communication,\" she said, acknowledging the previous lack of significant road infrastructure in the eastern and western parts of Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The government has already built a metro rail, expressway, and many other roads, with several more metro rail projects under construction to ease road communication,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She noted that the division of Dhaka into North and South aims to provide better services to the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For the betterment of the city dwellers, the government has relocated the Dhaka Central Jail to Keraniganj,\" she said. In its place, a museum, a school, and a children\'s park have been built. There are also plans to construct an amusement park there, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister mentioned the government\'s allocation of land to build a modern campus for Jagannath University. \"We have already prepared the design for Jagannath University, and the work in this regard will be completed quickly,\" she assured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina called upon Dhaka city residents to do their part in maintaining a beautiful and healthy environment. She urged everyone to keep their homes and surrounding areas clean to prevent waterlogging and the breeding of mosquitoes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 08:58:56', '2024-05-25 08:58:56'),
(12528, 12528, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Today marks the 125th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh\'s national poet, renowned as the \"rebel poet\" for his powerful literary contributions across various Bengali genres.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Born in Churulia village, West Bengal, on this day in 1899, Nazrul\'s works inspired resistance against injustice and oppression. His fiery poetry and creative genius have left an indelible mark on Bengali literature.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Government and non-government organizations, along with cultural platforms, are commemorating the day with various programs, including cultural performances and discussions about Nazrul\'s life and legacy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has organized numerous events to honor Nazrul nationally. Institutions such as Dhaka University are also hosting events. The poet\'s 125th birth anniversary will be observed in Mymensingh and Daulatpur, Cumilla, locations of special significance to him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">National broadcasting mediums, including Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, alongside private TV channels, will air the inaugural ceremony and special programs. Print media will publish special supplements to mark the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At Dhaka University, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. ASM Maksud Kamal led a gathering of teachers, students, and staff at Aparajeo Bangla at 6:15 am to lay floral wreaths at Nazrul\'s tomb. A discussion about Nazrul\'s life and works followed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Cultural Affairs Naheed Ezaher Khan and ministry officials also placed wreaths at the poet\'s grave at 6:30 am, followed by the ruling party Awami League at 7:30 am. Bangla Academy paid tribute by placing wreaths at Nazrul\'s grave and portrait at Nazrul Mancha at 8:00 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has planned a three-day program from May 25 to 27 at the National Museum in Shahbagh, to be inaugurated by Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Begum Matia Chowdhury at 4:00 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chhayanaut, a leading cultural institution, is hosting a three-day ‘Nazrul Uthsob 1431’ starting from May 25 at Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban, Dhanmondi. The festival, featuring performances of songs, dances, readings, and poetry recitations, will conclude with the unveiling of \"Nazrul Sangeet: Tothyo, Bhab O Shurashandhan,\" a publication on 50 Nazrul songs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazrul, who wrote 2,600 songs, 600 poems, three novels, and 43 articles, began his career while serving in the British Army in 1917. His famous poem ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel) was published in 1921. He later launched the magazine ‘Dhumketu’ (The Comet) in 1922. His active participation in the Indian Independence Movement led to multiple imprisonments by British authorities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazrul\'s works, rich in themes of freedom, humanity, love, and revolution, opposed religious, caste, and gender discrimination. His contributions to Bengali music include creating the genre ‘Nazrul Geeti,’ encompassing 4,000 songs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 1942, Nazrul began losing his voice and memory due to Pick\'s disease, a rare neurodegenerative ailment. In 1972, his family moved to Bangladesh at the government\'s invitation. Dhaka University awarded him an honorary post-doctoral degree in 1974, and he received the Ekushey Padak in 1976.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kazi Nazrul Islam passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976, but his legacy endures, celebrated today and always. According to unb reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'literature Desk', '[\"35\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 09:12:26', '2024-05-25 09:12:26');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12529, 12529, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman on Saturday (May 25, 2024) said cyclonic storm \'Remal\' is projected to make landfall in the coastal regions of Satkhira in Khulna and Cox’s Bazar in Chattogram by Sunday evening.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Almost 4,000 shelter centres have been prepared in the coastal districts,  equipped with adequate dry food, he said while speaking at a press briefing held at the Secretariat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) may issue  great danger signal number 10 between 12 am Saturday to 1 am Sunday, said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, the maritime ports have been asked to maintain local cautionary signal no one and No 3 signal will be issued within a few hours, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">80,000 volunteers are ready to tackle the situation and all necessary preparations have been taken, said Mohibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The State Minister also warned that parts of Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar could be significantly impacted by the cyclonic storm, with a potential 7-10 feet high tidal surge, heavy rainfall, and landslides in the hilly areas of Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 09:50:58', '2024-05-25 09:52:11'),
(12530, 12530, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The death of a British man and injuries impacting dozens of other people aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence Tuesday highlighted the potential dangers of flying through unstable air.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The exact cause of the 73-year-old man’s death is under investigation. Authorities said he may have suffered a heart attack, though that hasn’t been confirmed. Based on witness accounts, the number of injuries and the airliner’s sharp descent, experts point to the significant safety hazards that in-flight turbulence poses to airline passengers and crews.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most incidents of planes hitting bumpy air are minor, however, and airlines have made steady improvements to reduce accident rates from turbulence over time. Experts advise air travelers to stay vigilant, stressing the importance of wearing a seat belt whenever possible as a first line of protection. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 10:48:54', '2024-05-25 10:48:54'),
(12531, 12531, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Six people have died in separate road accidents in Mymensingh, Tangail and Chattogram districts.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Mymensingh, a couple died as a bus ran over them while they were crossing the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Bhaluka on Friday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Abbas Ali Dewan, 60, and his wife Hazera Khatun, 50, residents of Kalmegha village in Sakhipur Upazila of Tangail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to police, Abbas Ali and his wife came to visit his granddaughter’house.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A bus of Shahjalal Paribahan knocked down the couple when they were crossing the road, leaving them dead on the spot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shah Kamal Akanda, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhaluka Model Police Station, said the highway police recovered the bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police seized the bus but the driver managed to escape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Tangail, two people were killed in a road accident in Pauli area of Kalihati upazila on Saturday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. However, police said that the deceased were the driver and helper of the covered van.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mir Mohammad Sajedur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Elenga Highway Police Outpost, said a Dhaka-bound covered van crashed into a lorry on the south side of Pauli Bridge on the Dhaka-North Bengal highway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The front part of the covered van was smashed, leaving the driver and the helper of the covered dead on the spot, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Chattogram, two people were killed and two others injured in a collision between a bus and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram on Saturday noon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Abdul Motaleb Tuku, 70, and Md. Absar,55 of Hathazari upazila. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazirhat Highway Police Station Sub-Inspector Anisul Islam said the injured were taken to a hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 10:51:16', '2024-05-25 10:51:28'),
(12532, 12532, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The G7 will explore ways of using the future income from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, finance chiefs from the Group of Seven industrial democracies said on Saturday, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The G7 froze some $300 billion of Russian assets shortly after Moscow invaded its neighbor in February 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are making progress in our discussions on potential avenues to bring forward the extraordinary profits stemming from immobilized Russian sovereign assets to the benefit of Ukraine,” the draft statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement will not undergo significant changes before a final version to be released later on Saturday, a G7 source said. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 10:58:11', '2024-05-25 10:58:11'),
(12533, 12533, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Clashes in London between supporters and opponents of Iran’s government on Friday left four people with injuries, Sky News reported on Saturday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One person was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder following the clashes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Metropolitan Police officers were called to the scene at about 6 p.m. following reports of violence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pro-Tehran demonstrators had held an event to mark the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside the venue, anti-Tehran protesters held a counter-demonstration, and clashes broke out between the two sides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said four people were treated by paramedics for injuries. “Their injuries are not believed to be either life threatening or life changing,” the spokesperson added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Further inquiries will now follow to establish what further offences took place and to identify those involved.” - Arab News</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 11:03:13', '2024-05-25 11:03:13'),
(12534, 12534, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iran’s ageing helicopter fleet was pushed into the spotlight after a crash last week claimed the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anadolu correspondent compiled the information about the condition and maintenance of the helicopters in Iran\'s military inventory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decades-old fleet comprising various models all procured before the 1979 Islamic Revolution reportedly faces significant maintenance and parts supply challenges due to prolonged international sanctions. These issues have severely affected their operability, leaving the exact number of functional airframes unclear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US-made helicopters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A substantial portion of Iran’s helicopter fleet consists of American-made choppers, including Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings, RH-53D Sea Stallions, Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, and various Bell models. These helicopters were acquired before the 1979 revolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran operates eight Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings, initially designed for anti-submarine warfare but later adapted for VIP transport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rarely uses helicopters, preferring airplanes even for short domestic trips despite having a fleet capable of VIP transport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These helicopters were used by the US Navy from 1961 to 2006 when they were eventually retired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran also possesses several RH-53D Sea Stallions, primarily obtained for naval mine-laying tasks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter made its first flight in 1964 and entered service in 1966, before being retired from active duty in 2020.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tandem-rotor Boeing CH-47 Chinook, known for its heavy-lift capabilities, also features prominently in the Iranian fleet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran received over 100 Chinooks from the US before the revolution but several were lost during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, models like the Bell 206, Bell 212, and Bell 214 are part of Iran’s inventory, though their operational status remains uncertain due to maintenance challenges. A Bell 212 was carrying President Raisi and his entourage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian army currently has 32 Bell 212s and Bell 214s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran has two Bell 412 helicopters, an improved version of the Bell 212 that made its first flight in 1979.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finally, Iran holds 12 US-built Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopters, which initially flew in 1953 and were retired in the 1970s. There is no evidence as to whether Tehran actively uses them.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 11:18:41', '2024-05-25 11:18:41'),
(12535, 12535, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The newest song of Coke Studio Bangla season 3 celebrates 40 years of Warfaze with their rendition of the iconic Obak Bhalobasha.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The song was originally written and composed by the former lead vocal of Warfaze- Babna Karim. The Coke Studio Bangla rendition of the song is composed, arranged &amp; performed by Warfaze alongside the Coke Studio team. This track is produced by the producer of season 3 Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu and Samir Hafiz.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Originally a cornerstone of Bengali rock music, this iconic song was first brought to life by the legendary band Warfaze in 1994. As pioneers of rock music in Bangladesh, Warfaze has been instrumental in shaping the industry for nearly four decades.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now, they return to their masterpiece with a fresh rendition that pays homage to its iconic classic status. Babna Karim, the former lead vocalist of Warfaze penned the original lyrics amidst the serene yet powerful backdrop of crashing waves on a seashore, capturing the untamed beauty of nature.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This new version, a tribute to the timeless original, is a symphony of nostalgia and innovation. It features a choir, a string orchestra, and the distinctive heavily distorted guitar riffs that define Warfaze\'s sound. This rendition is not merely a reimagining but rather the true version of the song as it was always meant to be.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Joinning Babna Karim on vocals is Palash Noor, while Samir Hafiz and Kamal are on guitar, Shams on keys, Tipu on drums and Roger on bass.&nbsp; Coke Studio Bangla’s latest track promises to captivate the audiences with one of the classic hits of Bangla music industry while introducing this iconic song to the new listeners. The song is available on the official YouTube &amp; Spotify channel of Coke Studio Bangla.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/R/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 12:29:03', '2024-05-25 12:35:45'),
(12536, 12536, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A ruling by the top United Nations court ordering Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has deepened its disconnect with the United States over an operation that faces mounting international condemnation but that American officials describe, at least for now, as limited and targeted.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The decision Friday by the International Court of Justice in The Hague adds to the pressure facing an increasingly isolated Israel, coming just days after Norway, Ireland and Spain said they would recognize a Palestinian state, and the chief prosecutor of a separate international court sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as leaders of Hamas.</div><div><br></div><div>The Biden administration stands apart from the global community — though it is opposed to a major offensive in Rafah, the administration also insists that the steps its close ally Israel has taken so far have not crossed red lines.</div><div><br></div><div>Administration officials so far have appeared determined to press on with military and political support for Israel following the deadly Hamas attack it endured last October, while also pressuring its ally to avoid a full-scale military operation in densely populated Rafah.</div><div><br></div><div>\"What we have seen so far in terms of Israel\'s military operations in that area has been more targeted and limited, has not involved major military operations into the heart of dense urban areas,\" national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing this week.</div><div><br></div><div>But, he added, \"We now have to see what unfolds from here.\"</div><div><br></div><div>A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the administration\'s internal assessment of the situation, said the operation in Gaza had \"not yet moved into the core heart of Rafah that gets us to the densest of dense areas.\" - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 12:31:28', '2024-05-25 12:31:28'),
(12537, 12537, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said they have no agenda to send any political leader or worker to jail.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But, the persons who are miscreants, offenders and wrongdoers must land in jail. If anybody is involved with crimes, he or she must be indicted in cases and awarded punishment,\" he told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the minister placed wreath on the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on his 125th birth anniversary at Dhaka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader said the government did not think of sending any political leader or activist, including those of BNP, to jail after the elections. But cases were filed against miscreants who were involved in arson terrorism, used arms and killed innocent people, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL general secretary said communal evil forces are in active under the leadership of BNP. Awami League is determined to uproot the communal forces, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Paying rich tribute to Kazi Nazrul, Quader said the poet\'s fiery writings speak out for the rights of the exploited and deprived people and teach them to protest against injustice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From the songs and poems of the poet, people have been inspired in every democratic movement, including anti-British movement, language movement, mass upsurge of 1969 and the Liberation War, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Poet Nazrul has enriched the literature, music and culture of the country through his writings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader said the greatest Bangalee of all time, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was devoted to poet Nazrul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the post-independence period, the poet was brought from Kolkata to Bangladesh with the honor of National Poet as per the desire of Bangabandhu, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL Presidium Member Dr Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin, Joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, SM Kamal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, Publicity Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, and Science Affairs Secretary Abdus Sabur, among others, were present. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 12:59:22', '2024-05-25 12:59:22'),
(12538, 12538, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The UK’s Hay literary festival has dropped its main sponsor over a boycott criticizing its links to Israel and fossil fuel companies.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Speakers and performers at the festival pulled out from scheduled appearances in protest over investment firm Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the event, The Guardian reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, the festival said it was canceling its sponsorship deal with the firm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singer Charlotte Church and comedian Nish Kumar had earlier pulled out of appearing at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement on her social media channels, Church said she had taken part in the boycott “in solidarity with the people in Palestine and in protest of the artwashing and greenwashing that is apparent in this sponsorship.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fossil Free Books, the group that has led the campaign against Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the event, has demanded that the firm divest from companies “that profit from Israeli apartheid, occupation and genocide.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 700 writers and publishing professionals have signed a statement by FFB concerning the Hay festival campaign.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kumar shared the statement online in announcing the cancelation of his appearance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An FFB organizer said: “Hay festival is right to listen to the concerns of hundreds of book workers who are working to create fossil-free and genocide-free festivals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Hay must now develop a fundraising policy that rules out any future sponsorship by companies that invest or profit from the fossil fuel industry, Israeli occupation, apartheid or genocide, and any other human rights abuses.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hay CEO Julie Finch said the festival’s decision to cancel the sponsorship deal with the firm was taken “in light of claims raised by campaigners and intense pressure on artists to withdraw.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She added: “Our first priority is to our audience and our artists. Above all else, we must preserve the freedom of our stages and spaces for open debate and discussion, where audiences can hear a range of perspectives,” reports Arab News</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Baillie Gifford began its relationship with the festival in 2016 as a principal sponsor. A spokesperson said: “It is regrettable our sponsorship with the festival cannot continue.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 13:43:14', '2024-05-25 13:43:14'),
(12539, 12539, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mushfiqur Rahim, former Bangladesh captain and no longer part of the T20 squad, along with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Saifuddin, have been included in the Bangladesh Tigers\' practice camp.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Miraz and Saifuddin were surprisingly overlooked from the T20 World Cup squad, which was announced earlier. The tournament is set to begin in the USA and West Indies next month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated in a media release that the camp, starting on May 26th in Mirpur, will focus on skill and strategic training for 21 players.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Along with Musfhqiur, Miraz, and Saifuddin, the squad also includes players like Taijul Islam, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Nayeem Hasan, Mominul Haque and Nurul Hasan Sohan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The squad, chosen by the national team selection panel, combines experienced and emerging players. The camp aims to refine players\' techniques and mental preparation for upcoming challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Training sessions will be held in phases across multiple locations, including Sylhet and Chittagong.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Tigers, a specialized unit, consists of players who stand just around the national team. Formation of this squad aims to provide them with top-tier facilities, ensuring their readiness for any upcoming challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 13:44:45', '2024-05-25 13:44:45'),
(12540, 12540, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna has urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to clarify which country is conspiring to create a Christian state taking parts of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) and Myanmar’s Rakhine.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing a sit-in program, he also expressed scepticism about whether any foreign nation actually approached the Prime Minister with such an offer or if it was merely a fabricated story.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jatiyatabadi Motor Chalak Dal organised the program in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding the unconditional release of BNP leaders and activists, including its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and the withdrawal of false cases against Tarique Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You (PM) had earlier said they (US) wanted Saint Martin\'s Island from me, but I didn\'t agree to it…then the US said we didn\'t want even an inch of Bangladesh\'s land, let alone Saint Martin’s. Then they (PM) didn\'t say that again,\" Manna said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said the Prime Minister now made up a story saying that she was offered a proposal by a white-skinned man to create a new Christian state, taking a portion from Myanmar’s Rakhine and another from the CHT.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Nagorik Oikya leader questioned, \"Who has given her the proposal? It won\'t do to say just any white-skinned person, as the British, Europeans, Canadians, and Japanese all have white skin, you need to specify which white-skinned individual has given you this proposal.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the Prime Minister would not be able to reveal the name of the individual who allegedly made such a proposal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want to know from the Prime Minister, which person, which government, and which country is asking for the CHT from you. It won’t happen that by creating this story you can make people cry and feel your sorrow and be appeased to tell you to stay in power. We’re not that kind of people,\" Manna said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Nagorik Oikya President also thinks the Prime Minister’s remarks were irresponsible.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, made it clear that they are against anyone seeking to establish another nation using Bangladesh\'s land.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina disclosed that she was offered a hassle-free reelection in the January 7 polls provided she allowed a foreign country to establish an air base in Bangladesh territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The offer came from a white man,” she said while delivering her introductory speech at the 14-party meeting held at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that there is a conspiracy to turn Bangladesh into another East Timor. “Like East Timor...they will create a Christian country taking a part of Bangladesh (Chattogram) and Myanmar with a base in the Bay of Bengal,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Manna said the Awami League government will not be able to stay in power for five years as it has become weak in every aspect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He warned that the fall of the current government will be ensured if people take to the streets properly in unison. \"People are ready, and they’re looking towards that path, people from all walks of life are waking up. InshaAllah, we will receive even better news in the future. I invite you all to join us in the street movement.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 14:29:43', '2024-05-25 14:29:43'),
(12541, 12541, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After a temporary gap, Chuadanga on Saturday again experienced the country\'s highest temperature at 41.7 degrees Celsius.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>People are experiencing the blistering heat as a mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and&nbsp; Sylhet divisions and it may continue.</div><div><br></div><div>Rakibul Hasan, senior observer of Chuadanga First Class Meteorological Observatory, said that from May 6 to May 24, the temperature was ranging from 34 degrees to 40.0 (zero) degrees Celsius.</div><div><br></div><div>“But today at 3pm, they recorded 41.7 Degrees Celsius,” he added. “Due to the increase of moisture incursion people feel discomfort.”</div><div><br></div><div>Along with this, load shedding has led to extreme discomfort in the public life of Chuadanga.</div><div><br></div><div>The people of the district, especially the low-income people are in dire straits due to the intense heat.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Waliar Rahman, health and family planning officer for Chuadanga Sadar upazila, advised the residents to stay indoors because of the risk of heatstroke.</div><div><br></div><div>He emphasised the importance of staying hydrated and consuming fruits as much as possible</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on April 30, Chuadanga recorded the highest temperature of this season at 43.8 degrees Celsius.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 14:44:00', '2024-05-25 14:44:00'),
(12542, 12542, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh set an instance of religious harmony in the world as her government wants to pull the country forward taking the people of all religious faiths, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said while exchanging pleasantries with the country\'s Buddhist religious leaders and eminent personalities of Buddhist community on the Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, at Ganabhaban here.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want our country to move forward. In Bangladesh, our journey for advancement is with the people of different religious faiths,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddha Purnima marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has set an example in the whole world by observing all festivals of the different religions together and building the country in a non-communal spirit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said many people tried to take Bangladesh to a different path but they couldn\'t.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Bangladeshi people are very generous. We love to walk together. That\'s how we go ahead,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Sheikh Hasina mentioned that her government wants to pull the country ahead further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, \"We want to build our country. There is no such thing as religions or castes here. We work for people. We work for the socio-economic development of people as well as overall development.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government also works for the development of the Buddhist people in the other parts of the country along with the Chattogram Hill Tracts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said there is a separate fund in the Prime Minister\'s Office and from there, special assistance is given to the people of other religious faiths not only for religious activities but also for other cultural activities and development as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister also referred to setting up of place of worships for different religious faiths apart from Muslim in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, \"Actually we need applied education for livelihood. . . Everyone can take religious education from the beginning. Sitting in the place of religious worship, they can also practice religious ritual and learn applied necessity. We have taken step for it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina said the basic principle of every religion, which Gautama Buddha also said, is welfare of the human beings that can make the world people happy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 14:59:28', '2024-05-25 14:59:28'),
(12543, 12543, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canada’s Deputy Minister of International Development Christopher MacLennan arrived in Dhaka on Saturday evening on a two-day visit.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Deputy Minister will meet with officials and development partners to discuss Canada’s evolving international assistance in the context of Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2026.</div><div><br></div><div>He will discuss opportunities to leverage Canada\'s Indo-Pacific Strategy in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The Deputy Minister will also have discussions about the ongoing response to the Rohingya refugee crisis and the situation at the border.</div><div><br></div><div>Australia, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States have reiterated their call on all States to prevent or to cease the flow of arms or military and dual-use material, including aviation fuel to the Myanmar military.</div><div><br></div><div>“We are deeply concerned by the escalating conflict in Myanmar and in particular the increasing harm to civilians, which is driving a worsening and devastating human rights and humanitarian crisis across the country,” said the countries in a joint statement issued by the US Department of State on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>The visit by Canada’s Deputy Minister will be a chance to strengthen Canada’s partnerships with some of Bangladesh’s world-class non-governmental and research organizations, said the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>Since January 2022, Christopher MacLennan has been deputy minister of international development where he leads on the international assistance and humanitarian response mandate of the Government of Canada. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 15:03:05', '2024-05-25 15:03:05'),
(12544, 12544, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said, Cyclonic storm \'Remal\' is likely to hit southern districts of Bangladesh by tomorrow evening.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Under the influence of cyclone, Bangladesh, particularly its southern and southeastern regions may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall,\" Director General of Department of Disaster Management Mizanur Rahman told BSS this evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the data of the Met Office, he said as large size of radius of the cyclone has been developed and significant rainfall may occur in 19 costal districts side by side central parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the cyclonic storm is approaching towards the coastal regions of Bangladesh, much of southern parts may witness rainfall from tonight, Mizanur added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the government has taken all necessary preparations to handle any destructive situation caused by the cyclone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The DG also said the authorities already directed all relevant organizations alongside involving 78,000 volunteers for launching massive evacuation drive to shift vulnerable populations to safer places.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox\'s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three lowering distant cautionary signal number in the wake of the deep depression over the North Bay, a special weather bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deep depression over East central bay and adjoining west central bay moved northwards over the same area (near lat: 18.2on, lon: 89.8oe) and was centered at 12 noon today about 500 kms southwest of Chattogram port, 435 kms southwest of Cox\'s Bazer port, 475 kms south of Mongla port and 425 kms south of Payra port, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to take shelter immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deep depression over eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards with a speed of 11 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 12noon of 25th may, 2024 over the same region near latitude 18.2on and longitude 89.7oe, about 420 km south of Khepupara, about 420 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 460 km south-southeast of canning ( West Bengal), according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is very likely to continue to move nearly northwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over Eastcentral and adjoining north bay of Bengal around May 25 evening. Continuing to move further northwards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by 26th may morning and cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara by May 26 midnight as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 110-1 20 gusting to 135 kmph.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Environment Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 15:10:25', '2024-05-25 15:10:25'),
(12545, 12545, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Cyclone ‘Remal’ is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cyclone Remal, a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal that intensified into a cyclonic storm, is expected to turn severe before making landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The cyclone will likely cross West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara with a wind speed of 110 to 120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, and make landfall on Sunday midnight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the weather department, the cyclone is forecast to significantly impact West Bengal, coastal Bangladesh, Tripura, and some other parts of northeastern states with heavy rainfall and strong winds. - Hindustan TImes</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 02:39:17', '2024-05-26 02:39:17'),
(12546, 12546, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, on Saturday, a day after the top UN court ordered it to halt military operations in the southern city as efforts get underway in Paris to seek a ceasefire in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The International Court of Justice (ICJ) also demanded the immediate release of all hostages still held by Palestinian militants, hours after the Israeli military announced troops had recovered the bodies of three more of the captives from northern Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>The Hague-based court, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also ordered Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which it closed earlier this month at the start of its assault on the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, insisting that the court had got it wrong.</div><div><br></div><div>“Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part,” National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman.</div><div><br></div><div>The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, welcomed the ICJ ruling on Rafah but criticized its decision to exclude the rest of war-torn Gaza from the order. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 02:43:04', '2024-05-26 02:43:04'),
(12547, 12547, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least six newborn babies have died out of the 12 who were rescued after a massive fire broke out at the New Born Baby Care hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar on Saturday night. One infant is on a ventilator and five others are being treated at a hospital.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The police said that the infants were rescued from the upper floors of the building. Officials said the fire broke out in the three-storey building and the whole building was in flames.</div><div><br></div><div>The DFS chief Atul Garg earlier said they received a call about the fire around midnight. “The call was about a fire at a baby care centre. There are multiple babies inside. The firemen are working there. The fire is being doused and the infants are being rescued,” he said soon after the fire broke out.</div><div><br></div><div>Fire officials reached the spot and doused the fire. News agency ANI reported that the fire was completely extinguished.</div><div><br></div><div>The infants were taken to the East Delhi Advance NICU hospital after the fire broke out.</div><div><br></div><div>Fire Officer Rajesh said to ANI, “At 11:32 pm, Fire Service Control Room received information that fire broke out at a hospital…fire tenders reached the spot and fire has been extinguished completely. 2 buildings were affected by the fire, one is the hospital building and 2 floors of a residential building on the right side also caught fire...11-12 people were rescued and they were taken to hospital. Further details will be shared later.” According to Hindustan TImes reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 03:04:11', '2024-05-26 03:04:11');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12548, 12548, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Moldova is now seeking extradition from Russia of an opposition politician convicted of mass fraud after he moved there from exile in Israel, the country’s justice minister said on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian business magnate, was sentenced last year in absentia to 15 years in prison in connection with the disappearance from the banking system of $1 billion in 2014, dubbed Moldova’s “theft of the century.”</div><div><br></div><div>Shor has organized noisy street demonstrations against pro-European President Maia Sandu and urged Moldovans to vote “no” in a referendum authorities have called for October on joining the European Union by 2030.</div><div><br></div><div>Justice Minister Veronica-Mihailov Moraru said Moldova would redirect its extradition appeals to Moscow after Shor said he had moved to Russia and announced he had been granted Russian citizenship.</div><div><br></div><div>“The justice ministry has not been informed of this by the Russian authorities,” she told TVR Moldova television.</div><div><br></div><div>“If we are advised officially that he holds Russian citizenship, we will analyze the circumstances and consider how to act in procedural terms.”</div><div><br></div><div>Moldova, an ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania, had repeatedly sought Shor’s extradition from Israel.</div><div><br></div><div>After his conviction, a party bearing Shor’s name was banned by the Constitutional Court and a new party, called “Chance,” was formed in its place.</div><div><br></div><div>Shor is the driving force behind the “Victory” electoral bloc launched last month — in Moscow — to oppose the EU referendum and Sandu’s bid for re-election at a poll to be held on the same date.</div><div><br></div><div>He said last week he wanted to become prime minister if a president favorable to his views would nominate him.</div><div><br></div><div>Sandu denounces Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and describes Russia and corruption as the biggest threats to her country.</div><div><br></div><div>The Victory bloc, made up of four parties, campaigns with the slogan “No to the EU” and calls for Moldova instead to join the Eurasian Economic Union — a Russian-led regional grouping.</div><div><br></div><div>It has not yet decided on a candidate to run against Sandu. The opposition Socialists and Communists, also friendly to Moscow, oppose the pro-EU referendum but have shown little inclination to cooperate with Shor and the Victory bloc. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 04:20:02', '2024-05-26 04:20:02'),
(12549, 12549, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In preparation for Cyclone Remal, 500 shelters and 290 medical teams have been kept prepared in Chattogram, said the District Disaster Management Committee.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decision to keep those shelters and teams prepared was made at an emergency meeting of the committee held last night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, the Fire Service and Civil Defense has canceled the leave of all officials and employees from nine stations, mobilizing 270 personnel for immediate response. A special control room has also been formed at Agrabad Fire Service Station in the port city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rakib Hasan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of Chattogram district administration, informed that around 500 shelters were being prepared, 290 medical teams were formed, and all executive officers and local union chairpersons and members in the coastal areas of Chattogram were on high alert.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Civil Surgeon’s Office, a medical team has been assigned to each union, five teams to each upazila health complex, and five teams are on standby at Chattogram General Hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Md. Elias Chowdhury, district Civil Surgeon, said that 200 teams at the union level, 75 teams across 15 upazila health complexes, nine teams at urban dispensaries, one team for school health, and five teams at the general hospital were formed to face the impact of the cyclonic storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, all doctors, officers, and employees under the Civil Surgeon’s Office have been instructed to remain at their posts while an emergency control room has also been opened, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dinmoni Sharma, Deputy Director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defense, informed that the fire service has started operations in various coastal areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Announcements are being made through loudspeakers urging residents to move to safe locations before the storm hits. Operations in the city will commence based on weather conditions, he said, adding that 270 fire personnel across nine stations are prepared, with all leaves canceled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm Saturday night, with the name \'Remal.\' The cyclone is predicted to make landfall today, affecting the coasts of Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Meteorological Department reported that the depression has been moving north and northeast at 15 kilometers per hour over the past six hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gaining strength over the sea before hitting the coast between Khepupara, Bangladesh, and Sagar Island, West Bengal, it will hit with speeds of 110 to 120 kilometers per hour, with wind gusts reaching up to 135 kilometers per hour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fs</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 04:50:19', '2024-05-26 04:50:19'),
(12550, 12550, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Shipping Ministry suspended launch services on all routes from 10pm on Sunday as the deep depression over east-central Bay and adjoining west-central Bay intensified into Cyclone Remal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>All launches of inland waterways from Dhaka River Ports will remain suspended until further notice, said Md. Jahangir Alam Khan, senior information officer of the ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the Met Office asked the Payra and Mongla maritime ports to hoist danger Signal 7 and danger Signal 6 for Cox\'s Bazar and Chattogram seaports.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the deep depression over east-central Bay and adjoining west-central Bay moved northwards, and intensified into a cyclonic storm \"Remal\" over northwest Bay and adjoining area on Saturday evening, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman on Saturday said cyclonic storm \'Remal\' is projected to make landfall in the coastal regions of Satkhira in Khulna and Cox’s Bazar in Chattogram by Sunday evening.</div><div><br></div><div>Almost 4,000 shelter centres have been prepared in the coastal districts, equipped with adequate dry food, he said while speaking at a press briefing held at the Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 05:04:26', '2024-05-26 05:04:26'),
(12551, 12551, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Hamas official Osama Hamdan has said that there is no need for new negotiations with Israel, amid Israeli media reports that there is an intention to renew Gaza truce talks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a phone interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Saturday, Hamdan said that the immediate requirement is for Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and for all aggression to stop.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We do not need new negotiations,” he said, adding that Hamas has already agreed to a ceasefire proposal that Israel has rejected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“There is no guarantee that it [Israel] will accept new proposals to go to negotiations … If there are no serious guarantees, this means giving Israel more time to continue the aggression,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier this month, Hamas approved a proposal for a ceasefire in the seven-month Gaza war put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt although Israel said the proposal falls short of its demands.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, according to Israeli media, officials involved in the negotiations said the Israeli government intended to renew talks for a Gaza captive release deal the in coming days, after a meeting with mediators in Paris.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the reports, Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea had agreed to a new framework for the stalled negotiations with mediators — CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new offer was drafted by the Israeli negotiating team and contains possible solutions to points of disagreement in previous discussions. But defence ministry officials believe that even if Israel agrees to a temporary ceasefire, it will be able to return to war again when needed after months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas has insisted that it is not willing to accept only a temporary ceasefire, but that an end to the fighting has to be permanent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has insisted that the war will not end before its goals are met, including the total defeat of Hamas. However, Israel is coming under growing international pressure to stop and is increasingly isolated. Among recent blows for Israel are an International Court of Justice order for it to stop its Rafah offensive, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and a decision by Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognise Palestine. According to Al Jazeera reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 05:37:19', '2024-05-26 05:37:19'),
(12552, 12552, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been asked to hoist the Great Danger Signal No. 10 as cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ over northwest Bay and adjoining area moved northwards and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The maritime ports of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar have been asked to hoist Great Danger Signal No. 9.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cyclone was centred at 6 am on Sunday about 400 kms southwest of Chattogram port, 360 kms southwest of Cox\'s bazar port, 330 kms south of Mongla port and 295 kms south of Payra port, said a bulletin issued at 8:30 am on Sunday signed by Kh. Hafizur Rahman, a meteorologist at BMD.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is likely to move in a northern direction and may cross Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara coast near Mongla by this evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Maximum sustained wind speed within 64 km of the severe cyclone centre is about 90 kph rising to 120 kph in gusts or squalls; sea will remain high near the severe cyclone centre.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The coastal districts of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagherhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali and their islands and chars will come under Great Danger Signal ten (r) ten, according to the bulletin.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The coastal districts of Chattogram, Cox\'s Bazar, Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur and their islands and chars will come under Great danger Signal nine (r) nine.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the peripheral effect of the severe cyclone and steep pressure gradient, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagherhat, Pirojpur Jhalakathi, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Cumilla, Chattogram, Cox\'s Bazar and their islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind driven surge of 08-12 feet height above normal, astronomical tide, it reads.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the influence of the cyclone Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions are likely to experience heavy (44-88 mm) to very heavy rainfall (289 mm) with gusty or squally wind. Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places in Cox\'s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All fishing boats and trawlers in north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 06:37:53', '2024-05-26 06:37:53'),
(12553, 12553, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A Russian strike on Saturday hit a store selling building materials in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing at least two people, its mayor said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know for sure about two dead,” Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov wrote on Telegram, saying that according to preliminary information the strike hit a hypermarket for construction materials in a residential area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said that “two Russian guided bombs hit a construction hypermarket” and “a fire broke out over 15,000 square meters.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Videos posted by witnesses on social media showed a huge column of black smoke billowing into the sky from the Epitsentr store, located in an area of large stores beside a car park. The chain of hypermarkets sells household and DIY goods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have a large number of people missing. There are many wounded,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Apparently, the attack was on a shopping center where there were many people — this is pure terrorism.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest, regularly comes under attack from Russian missiles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Strikes on the city killed at least seven people on Thursday, local authorities said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia launched a ground offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region on May 10, but Ukraine said Friday that it had managed to halt its progress. - AFP </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 06:58:18', '2024-05-26 08:37:47'),
(12554, 12554, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Hundreds of Muslims in eastern Pakistan went on a rampage over allegations that a Christian man had desecrated the pages of Islam’s holy book, ransacking and burning his house and beating him before police officers rescued the man and his father, officials said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident occurred Saturday in the Mujahid Colony residential area in Sargodha, a city in Punjab province, said district police chief Ijaz Malhi. He said police quickly responded and saved the lives of the two men.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Malhi said the situation was under control and officers were investigating the allegations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident brought back memories of one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan in August 2023, when angry mobs burned churches and attacked dozens in Jaranwala, a district in Punjab province.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslim residents claimed they saw a Christian and his friend tearing out pages from a Qur’an and throwing them on the ground. No one was killed. In 2009, six Christians were killed and some 60 homes burned down in the district of Gojra in Punjab following allegations of insults to Islam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Malhi said police on Saturday dispersed the crowds and were also seeking help from religious scholars to defuse tensions. The Punjab government condemned the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The man’s small shoemaking factory was also burned down, Malhi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can be sentenced to death. While no one has been executed for blasphemy, often just an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 07:31:33', '2024-05-26 07:31:33'),
(12555, 12555, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>High-octane setting, opponents fiercely glaring looking into each other\'s eyes with the sole intention to take them down, not by punching or grappling, but by slapping.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This was the scene at the first Slap Fighting Championship Arabia held in Space Arena Dubai on Saturday evening, where hundreds of residents gathered to witness a spectacle.</div><div><br></div><div>In this one-of-a-kind competition, opponents strike each other in the face until submission or knockout. The audience in the arena was captivated with its intensity and raw energy, leaving some thrilled and others feeling surreal.</div><div><br></div><div>“I had been watching this sport on social media and on television. I came here just to experience how it feels in real life. Watching the competition live was a different spectacle,” said Abdullah Saeed, a spectator and an extreme sports enthusiast.</div><div><br></div><div>The atmosphere was electrifying, with the audience cheering passionately for the athletes as they landed slaps on their opponent, knocking them out, increasing the tension between the competitors.</div><div><br></div><div>“The energy here is unreal,” said Ahmed Najeeb, who came along with his friends to watch the first slap competition held in Dubai.</div><div><br></div><div>“I\'ve never seen anything like this. I did not even watch it online. It\'s brutal but fascinating. You can feel the tension in the athletes eyes when the opponent gets ready to slap,\" said Najeeb.</div><div><br></div><div>As the first season of the Slap Fighting Championship Arabia unfolded, it was clear that this new addition to Dubai\'s sporting calendar had struck chords with the residents. They were on the edge of their seats, supporting their favourite fighters. Source : Khaleej Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 07:41:38', '2024-05-26 07:41:38'),
(12556, 12556, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin will start a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan on Sunday (May 26).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will discuss the current state and future prospects of strategic bilateral relations and exchange views on a number of regional issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A package of documents is expected to be signed during the visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders will also take part in the first meeting of the Russian-Uzbek Council of Regions. - Sputnik</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 07:44:26', '2024-05-26 07:44:26'),
(12557, 12557, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Emergency teams pulled three bodies from the rubble of Papua New Guinea’s massive landslide, the United Nations said on Sunday, warning the death toll of five would likely rise in the disaster where hundreds are feared dead.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Media in the Pacific nation north of Australia have said Friday’s landslide buried more than 300 people and over 1,100 houses when it levelled Kaokalam village in Enga Province, about 600km northwest of capital Port Moresby.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than six villages have been impacted by the landslide in the province’s Mulitaka region, said Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN migration agency IOM said more than 100 houses, an elementary school, small businesses and stalls, a guesthouse, and a petrol station were buried.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death toll stood at five as of Saturday night, IOM’s chief of mission in Papua New Guinea, Serhan Aktoprak, said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the “number of injured and missing are still not known”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN’s Papua New Guinea office said three bodies were retrieved from an area where 50 to 60 homes had been destroyed, while six people, including a child, were pulled from rubble alive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said many of those buried were yet to be located as search and rescue efforts continued in the mountainous area of the country, which shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aid group CARE Australia said late on Saturday that nearly 4,000 people lived in the impact zone but the number affected was probably higher as the area is “a place of refuge for those displaced by conflicts” in nearby areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 26 men were killed in Enga Province in February in an ambush amid tribal violence that prompted Prime Minister James Marape to give arrest powers to the country’s military.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The landslide left debris up to 8m deep across 200sq km, cutting off road access and making relief efforts difficult, CARE said. Helicopters were the only way to reach the area, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aid groups have said more homes could be at risk if the landslide continues down the mountain, as the terrain remains unstable.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Marape has said disaster officials, the Defence Force and the department of works and highways were assisting with relief and recovery efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Social media footage posted by villager Ninga Role showed people clambering over rocks, uprooted trees, and mounds of dirt searching for survivors. Women could be heard weeping in the background. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 07:49:14', '2024-05-26 07:49:14'),
(12558, 12558, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A volunteer firefighter and a Chilean forestry official have been formally accused by prosecutors with involvement in setting wildfires that engulfed central Chile this past February, killing over 130 people.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Implicated so far is volunteer firefighter Francisco Ignacio Mondaca, along with Francisco Pinto, an official from Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), part of the agriculture ministry that is responsible for preventing forest fires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prosecutor’s office in Valparaiso, a coastal city close to areas hardest hit by the fires, said on Saturday that both suspects were in pre-trial detention.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Attorneys for the two men could not immediately be reached.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities say Mondaca, the firefighter, carried out the plot, while citing the Conaf official as the mastermind behind it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prosecutors said they had access to evidence the shows Moncada and Pinto acted deliberately and that they had knowledge about the optimal weather conditions to start fires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have material that shows that they agreed to act jointly when the appropriate meteorological conditions arose to ensure that the fires occurred,” Claudia Perivancich, regional prosecutor of Valparaiso, told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials found that in each of the four places where fires first broke out on Feb 2 they also found devices made of cigarettes and matches that started them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The judge gave authorities six months to finish the investigation, saying that more work had to be done on the cases of missing victims and each suspect’s cell phone, according to a post on Valparaiso’s prosecutor office’s X account.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandon said authorities were able to link Mondaca to six previous fires that occurred in the area, according to a post on X from Valparaiso’s prosecutor’s office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fires were the worst natural disaster to strike the South American nation since the 2010 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 500 dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chile, Argentina and other parts of South America’s southern cone have faced a severe heat wave, something experts say will become more common during the southern summer months due to climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The extreme weather in Chile has also been exacerbated by the El Niño climate phenomenon, which warms the Pacific Ocean. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 08:35:52', '2024-05-26 08:35:52'),
(12559, 12559, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday witnessed the draft copy of the documentary \'Mujib in Calcutta\' made depicting the Kolkata life of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She reviewed the draft documentary at her official residence Ganabhaban in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kolkata city had a great role in the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as he had spent four years there from 1942 when he studied in Islamia College (later renamed Maulana Azad College).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The documentary titled \'Mujib in Calcutta\' has been produced by Indian acclaimed film director Goutam Ghose.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon said the Prime Minister viewed the draft of documentary \'Mujib in Calcutta\' and gave her opinion and necessary instructions to those who are involved in its production.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The life of Bangbanahdu in Islamia College in Kolkata, his days in Bekar Hostel, his involvement in the Calcutta University student movement, his night in Alimuddin Street, walk around the park, his charismatic speech at Brigade Maidan and many more such things have been depicted in the documentary by Goutam Ghose.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 09:37:39', '2024-05-26 09:37:39'),
(12560, 12560, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>More than eight lakh people have taken refuge in cyclone shelters as the severe cyclonic storm Remal is set to make landfall on the southern coasts of Bangladesh and parts of India by midnight today, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibbur Rahman.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that while talking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“As per the information we have, more than eight lakh people have taken shelter so far. Since great danger signals have been issued, we have asked the law enforcement agencies to bring them to shelters as soon as possible,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister also requested all to take refuge in cyclone shelters without any delay. “We have prepared 8,000-9,000 shelters [in the coastal areas]. Adequate dry food, water, and medical supplies have also been sent there.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, all educational institutions have been prepared as shelters and those involved in the management of the institutions should assist people in taking refuge, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the government has cancelled the leave of officials and employees of all ministries, divisions, and departments along with city corporations and municipalities to tackle the aftermath of the severe cyclonic storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been asked to hoist the Great Danger Signal No. 10 as cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ over northwest Bay and adjoining area moved northwards and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 09:51:04', '2024-05-26 09:51:04'),
(12561, 12561, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Strong winds, torrential downpours and storm surges are three elements of a cyclone that wreaks havoc in case you do not take sufficient precautionary steps. Natural disasters like cyclones are not easy to control.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">However, one can stay prepared to combat the situation. Considering this, we present this piece on cyclone precautions, focusing on the do\'s and don\'ts before, during and after a cyclone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the event of a natural disaster like a severe cyclonic storm, individuals are often unsure about the safety measures to be taken. To that cause, you will find the cyclone do\'s and don\'ts in the following sections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Here are some precautions of cyclone one should follow to stay prepared for the disaster -</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Ensure good structural condition of your house so that it can withstand strong winds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Seal off all door and windows securely.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Trim down trees to make sure they do not fall over telephone or electricity lines during the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Keep your mobile phone fully charged and other appliances like torches handy as there may be power cuts during a cyclone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Store essential items like groceries and medicines in advance. It is vital to ☼ keep dry foods that are not perishable during emergencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Prepare an emergency first-aid kit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Store water because the water supply may be disrupted during and after cyclones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Given below is a list of safety measures to be taken during a cyclone&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Be aware of the official cyclone warning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Follow the official website of Indian Meteorological Department to remain informed about the latest updates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Install storm shutters or board up glass windows.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Keep all the doors and windows closed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Take proper care of adults or children who need attention.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Switch off the electrical mains in your house.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Park your vehicles beneath a solid shelter with a hand brake or in gear to guard them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b><font color=\"#3984c6\">Precautionary steps</font></b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"36\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 10:21:28', '2024-05-26 10:21:28'),
(12562, 12562, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Severe cyclonic storm Remal has started to make landfall on Bangladesh’s coast with strong wind and heavy rainfall, according to the Met Office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It began to make landfall at 9pm and it will take five to six hours to cross the coast,” meteorologist Dr Mohammad Abul Kalam Mollik told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cyclone Remal: Coastal areas in Khulna experiencing rain, tidal surge</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The coastal areas are experiencing heavy rainfall due to the influence of cyclonic storm Remal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has evacuated more than 800,000 people from the coastal areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have already prepared 8,000 to 9,000 shelters. Adequate dry food, biscuits, water and medical supplies have reached all the shelters,” said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Youth swept away in tidal surge dies in Patuakhali</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maritime ports of Payra and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisting Great Danger Signal 10 while Cox\'s Bazar and Chattogram have been advised to keep hoisted great danger signal number 9.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-26 19:25:41', '2024-05-26 19:25:41'),
(12563, 12563, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Heavy rains and strong winds brought by Cyclone Remal  have lashed the costal districts in the country, leaving at least eight people dead, flooding villages and uprooting  trees.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Eight people died in Patuakhali, Barishal, Bhola and Satkhira districts on Sunday night and Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>The violent storm disrupted power supply to coastal districts, leaving over 2 crore people without power since Sunday night.</div><div><br></div><div>Power supply to 2.22 crore consumers of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), out of its total 3.58 crore, has been suspended following the landfall of cyclone Remal on Sunday, according to a BREB official.</div><div><br></div><div>He said mainly the power transmission was halted to those cyclone-hit areas as part of a cautionary measure to avoid any accident.</div><div><br></div><div>According to primary report received from Bagerhat, the cyclone\'s fury has damaged homes, uprooted trees, broken electric poles and severed power lines, leaving nearly 500,000 residents without electricity since Sunday night.</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday night, embankments in several areas were breached, inundating villages with tidal waters.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Commissioner Md. Khalid Hossain confirmed the preliminary data, indicating that 10,000 families have been stranded and 45,000 homes have been destroyed.</div><div><br></div><div>In Khulna over 100 shrimp enclosures in Khulna\'s Koyra, Dacope and Paikgacha upazilas were washed away by tidal surges.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, at least 30 villages were inundated after the collapse  of dams in 9 places in these upazilas.</div><div><br></div><div>In Bhola, Dhal char, char Kukrimukri and Monpura went under 4/5 feet water, leaving over 25000 people marooned, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh has evacuated more than 800,000 people from the coastal regions. </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 09:44:39', '2024-05-27 14:13:07'),
(12564, 12564, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended an invitation to US business leaders to explore business opportunities in Bangladesh and partner with the country in its journey towards becoming a developed, prosperous, and smart nation by 2041.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“I invite you to invest in our many vibrant and high-potential sectors, such as renewable energy, shipbuilding, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, light and heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers, ICT, marine resources, and medical equipment, among others,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said this during her opening speech at a meeting with the US-Bangladesh Business Council at her official residence, Ganabhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>She expressed optimism that economic engagement through the US-Bangladesh Business Council would deepen in the coming days. “The United States will become our long-term partner in achieving our development goals through trade, investment, technology transfer, and by creating a smooth and predictable supply chain for mutual benefits,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>While briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam said that Sheikh Hasina informed members of US-Bangladesh Business Council that with her personal initiative after forming the government in 1996, US investment in Bangladesh increased manifold.</div><div><br></div><div>Nazrul Islam said that the US investors expressed high expectations regarding their investments in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>“But they pointed out some challenges which needed to be addressed for more investments in Bangladesh,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>US-Bangladesh Business Council Chairman Steven Kobos delivered the welcome speech while the Council President Ambassador (retd) Atul Keshap gave the vote of thanks.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina hoped that the US-Bangladesh Business Council would continue to play a significant role in advancing trade and investment cooperation between the two friendly countries.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our focus is now on promoting economic and commercial relations with not only regional but also global partners, including the United States,” she said.</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 09:47:38', '2024-05-27 09:47:38'),
(12565, 12565, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Residents of Dhaka can expect continuous rainfall throughout the day as Cyclone Remal impacts the region, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid reported to UNB that Dhaka saw 35mm of rain by 9 am today, with more expected throughout the day.</div><div><br></div><div>The incessant rain has flooded parts of some streets, slowing down traffic, and disrupting commute for officer workers and students in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>Cyclone Remal, which began making landfall on Bangladesh’s coast on Sunday night, has moved northward and weakened. Initially a severe cyclonic storm, it has diminished to a cyclonic storm and further to a land-deep depression over Jashore and surrounding areas, according to the latest BMD bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Maritime ports in Payra and Mongla have been advised to lower their danger signal from 10 to local cautionary signal number three. Similarly, Cox\'s Bazar and Chattogram are advised to lower their danger signal from nine to local cautionary signal number three.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 09:50:13', '2024-05-27 09:50:13'),
(12566, 12566, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Power supply to 2.22 crore consumers of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), out of its total 3.58 crore, has been suspended following the landfall of cyclone Remal on Sunday (May 26, 2024).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a top official of the BREB, these consumers are living in the areas belonging to 61 Palli Biduyt Samities (PBSs), out of a total 81.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The areas where power supply remained off till Monday since the hit of the cyclone are mainly located in the coastal belt of the country,” he told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, said mainly the power transmission was halted to those cyclone-hit areas as part of a cautionary measure to avoid any accident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the improvement of the situation, gradually the power transmission and distribution system will be checked and restored, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He noted that it’s still not clear how much damages were caused by cyclone Remal. “We’re now receiving information from the cyclone affected areas,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources took some measures including opening control rooms on Sunday to deal with the cyclone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 10:56:09', '2024-05-27 10:56:09');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12567, 12567, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The severe cyclonic storm Remal affected four lakh people, damaging 50,000 homesteads, uprooting trees, breaking electric and telephone poles, causing a wind-driven surge inundating a vest area of Sundarbans and embankments in low-lying regions, an official said.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"At least four lakh people of 68 unions in nine upazilas of Khulna have been affected by \'Remal\',\" said District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Abdul Karim.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Hundreds of shrimp enclosures have been washed away, a huge number of thatched houses and standing crops were damaged while trees, electricity and telephone poles were uprooted. Many villages were also submerged by the tidal surge,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khulna District Administration, Mongla Port Authority, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) of Mongla West Zone, Fire Service and Civil Defence are working to rehabilitate the affected coastal people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the immediate response, more than 2 lakh people were successfully evacuated and moved to 604 cyclone centres before the \'Remal\' hit the region, said Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Khondokar Yasir Arefin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over 5,500 volunteers from different organisations, including Red Crescent and CPP, are working in different regions, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that 1,100 more volunteers from non-government organizations (NGOs) are also in action as 168 medical teams with health workers are working at cyclone-affected upazilas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdul Karim said the \"fear of major disaster” due to severe cyclonic storm is mostly over as the district administration took appropriate precautionary measures to cope with the disaster.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, said in some places, fallen trees have halted traffic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No casualty is reported due to the storm as a few people were injured in coastal areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdul Karim said about 2.5-lakh metric tonnes of rice, Taka 5-lakh in cash and 2,000 packets of dry food have, so far, been distributed in Koyra, Dakop and Paikgachha upazilas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The operation of Mongla Port has already resumed, said Md Makruzzaman, Secretary of Mongla Port Authority (MPA).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No damage took place as the port authority has taken massive preparation earlier,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to BSS, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, DFO of Sundarban West, said the intensity of damage in Sundarban could not be known immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 61 kilometers of embankments in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat have been damaged partially, Water Development Board (WDB) officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of villages in Koyra, Paikgachha and Dakop upazilas of Khulna were inundated due to heavy rain and saline water that entered by breaking embankments in different points, sub-divisional engineer Liakat Ali of WDB confirmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNO of Koyra Tarik Uzzaman and UP Chairman Abdullah Al Mamun of Bedkashi of Koyra said villagers are voluntarily trying to repair embankments to stop intruding saline water, reports BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Electricity supply was hampered in different coastal villages till the filing of this report, sources said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 11:02:32', '2024-05-27 11:02:32'),
(12568, 12568, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Election Commission on Monday postponed the elections to 19 out of 109 Upazila Parishads slated for May 29 due to the landfall of cyclone Remal on Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said this at a press conference in the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the EC and the field-level administration took preparations to conduct elections to 109 upazila parishads in the third phase of the sixth upazila parishad election on May 29 next.</div><div><br></div><div>But the Commission postponed the elections to 19 upazila parishads considering the severe brunt of the cyclone Remal in the election areas, said the EC Secretary, adding that the decision was taken depending on information so far gathered from the field.</div><div><br></div><div>The 19 Upazilas where election won’t be held on May 29 include 18 ones in&nbsp; the coastal districts and one in Rangamati district.</div><div><br></div><div>The 19 upazilas are&nbsp; Sarankhola, Morrelganj and Mongla upazilas in Bagerhat district; Koira, Paikgaccha and Dumuria in Khulna; Gournadi and Agailjhara in Barishal; Patuakhali Sadar, Mirzaganj and Dumki in Patuakhali; Mothbaria in Pirojpur; Tazmuddin and Lalmohon in Bhola;Rajapur and Kathalia in Jhalakati; Bamna and Patharghata in Barguna, and Baghaichhari in Rangamati.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In reply to a question, the EC Secretary said the polls to other upazila parishads might&nbsp; be suspended, if&nbsp; information on devastation is received from other upazilas.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, a total of 90 upazila parishads will go to polls in the third phase election on May 29.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 11:14:23', '2024-05-27 11:14:23'),
(12569, 12569, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Amazon Prime Video continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its diverse selection of original shows, movies, local language productions, and strategic global licensing. With a robust cloud infrastructure, regular content updates, and data-driven user insights, the OTT (over-the-top) platform ensures a consistent stream of engaging content. Viewers eagerly anticipate the monthly line-up tailored to their interests and preferences.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This June, Amazon Prime Video offers an array of exclusive films, web series, and shows that promise to entertain and engage. Here’s a closer look at the must-see releases on this digital platform.</div><div><br></div><div>10 Must-See Amazon Prime Shows Streaming This June</div><div>Marlon Wayans: Good Grief / Stand-up Comedy Special / June 4, 2024</div><div>Marlon Wayans, the multi-talented actor and comedian, returns to the stage with his latest comedy special, “Marlon Wayans: Good Grief”. Directed by Troy Miller, this special, filmed at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem, showcases Wayans’ unique comedic style, blending physical humor and witty commentary with heartfelt moments.</div><div><br></div><div>The special delves into Wayans\' journey of coping with the loss of both of his parents, touching on themes of family and resilience. Wayans shares poignant anecdotes about his father\'s teachings and the unexpected challenges of caring for aging parents, providing a touching and hilarious exploration of grief.</div><div><br></div><div>Counsel Culture / Talk Show / June 6, 2024</div><div>Hosted by Nick Cannon, “Counsel Culture” is a podcast-turned-talk show set to premiere on Prime Video and Amazon Freevee. The show aims to destigmatize discussions around male mental health by addressing topics such as grief, emotional vulnerability, financial security, loyalty, marriage, and trust.</div><div><br></div><div>Cannon is joined by various guest co-hosts, including comedian Howie Mandel, former NBA star Lamar Odom, NFL receiver DeSean Jackson, and multi-talented artist Ray-J. The guest panelists also include singer-songwriter August Alsina, therapist Stephan Speaks, psychic medium John Edward, grief expert David Kessler, and comedian Tim Chantarangsu, among others.</div><div><br></div><div>Mothers’ Instinct / Psychological Thriller Film / June 7, 2024</div><div>Directed by Benoit Delhomme, \"Mothers\' Instinct\" features a star-studded cast including Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Anders Danielsen Lie, and Josh Charles. This film is a remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse\'s 2018 French-language movie and is based on the 2012 novel \"Mothers\' Instinct.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The plot revolves around Alice and Celine, whose peaceful lives are shattered by a tragic incident, unraveling their sisterly bond amidst paranoia, guilt, and suspicion. Delhomme\'s directorial debut promises a gripping and emotional thriller that explores the depths of maternal love and the consequences of tragedy.</div><div><br></div><div>Poolman / Comedy Mystery Movie / June 7, 2024</div><div>Chris Pine makes his directorial debut with \"Poolman,\" in which he also serves as producer, co-writer, and lead actor. The film stars DeWanda Wise, Annette Bening, Stephen Tobolowsky, John Ortiz, Clancy Brown, Ray Wise, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Juliet Mills, Danny DeVito, and Ariana DeBose.</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 11:22:51', '2024-05-27 11:22:51'),
(12570, 12570, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The European Union aims to agree in principle to press ahead with an EU border mission at Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip abutting Egypt, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking before a monthly meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell also accused Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using false claims of antisemitism against the International Criminal Court for his own political ends.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bloc is considering reviving its European Union Border Assistance Mission (Eubam) at Rafah, which has not been operational since 2007, when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas seized full control of Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Rafah crossing is the main entry point for aid from Egypt, and has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it from the Gazan side nearly three weeks ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Today we can have a political decision and then it needs to be implemented technically,” Borrell told reporters, adding it would require approval from Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The civilian mission would need unanimous approval from the 27 EU member states. It was not immediately clear what the role of a revived Eubam would be, and it would have to be adapted to reflect the potentially dangerous nature of such an operation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Austria’s foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said it would take some time for any decision on the mission to be put in place. Diplomats have said the mission was unlikely to be in place before hostilities in Rafah stopped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Israel has yet to consolidate a ‘day-after’ plan for Gaza, so there is no formal position on this initiative,” said an Israeli official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of war planning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But it is worth remembering that the (Israeli) defence minister, in his Jan 4 proposal, outlined a multinational force that would be one of the four prongs for managing Gaza once Hamas is defeated. An EU mission in Rafah could potentially dovetail with that,” the official added. - Reuters </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 11:40:22', '2024-05-27 14:13:34'),
(12571, 12571, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Papua New Guinea informed the UN today that more than 2,000 people were buried in a massive landslide that swept over a remote village, according to a copy of the letter obtained by AFP.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction,” the country’s national disaster centre told the UN office in the capital Port Moresby.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A once-bustling remote hillside village in Enga province was almost wiped out when a chunk of Mount Mungalo collapsed in the early hours of Friday morning, burying scores of homes and the people sleeping inside them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The landslide caused “major destruction to buildings, food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country”, the disaster office said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The main highway to Porgera Mine was “completely blocked”, it said in the letter, which was received by UN officials on Monday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continue to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The scale of the catastrophe required “immediate and collaborative actions from all players”, it said, including the army, and national and regional responders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It called on UN to inform Papua New Guinea’s development partners “and other international friends” of the latest situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assistance should be coordinated through the disaster centre, it said. - AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 12:11:59', '2024-05-27 12:11:59'),
(12572, 12572, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people Sunday and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and “numerous” others were trapped in flaming debris. Gaza’s Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the dead and dozens of wounded.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population had sought shelter before Israel’s incursion earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Footage from the scene of the largest airstrike showed heavy destruction. Israel’s army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants. It said it was investigating reports that civilians were harmed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the “deepening of operations” there, his office said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, said on Monday that reports of attacks on families seeking shelter in Rafah in the southern tip of the Gaza Strip were \"horrifying\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Information coming out of Rafah about further attacks on families seeking shelter is horrifying,\" UNRWA wrote on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are reports of mass casualties including children and women among those killed. Gaza is hell on earth. Images from last night are yet another testament to that.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palestinian health and civil emergency service officials said on Sunday Israeli air strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians and wounded dozens in an area in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah designated for the displaced.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound in Rafah, and that the incident was under review.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafah’s Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood about two kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the city center.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The society asserted that the location had been designated by Israel as a “humanitarian area.” The neighborhood is not included in areas that Israel’s military ordered evacuated earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel’s massive air, sea and ground offensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility. Israel’s military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah and “a number” were intercepted, and the launcher was destroyed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier Sunday, dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. Israel’s military said 126 aid trucks entered via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid — including medical supplies — because of fighting. The crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israel’s offensive in Rafah. United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The World Health Organization last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have “disastrous” impact.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasizes that the Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pickup and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom,” the spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, Gaza’s main cargo terminal, after a call between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.Egypt on Monday condemned what it called the \"deliberate bombardment by Israeli forces of displaced peoples\' tents\" in Rafah, in strikes which Gaza\'s civil defence agency said killed at least 45 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on Israel to \"implement the measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning an immediate cessation of military operations\" in Rafah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas’ remaining battalions and achieve “total victory” over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The war has also heightened tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities on Sunday said Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old boy near the southern West Bank town of Saeer. The Israeli army said the Palestinian male was shot dead after trying to stab Israeli forces at Beit Einun Junction. - Arab News</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 12:42:27', '2024-05-27 12:42:27'),
(12573, 12573, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Saudi Arabia on Monday condemned the Israeli attacks on Rafah, the latest of which was the targeting of tents of displaced Palestinians near the warehouses of UNRWA that killed at least 45 people, mostly children and women.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign ministry, in a statement on social media X, also affirmed the Kingdom’s rejection of the blatant violations by the Israeli occupation forces of all international and humanitarian laws.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also called on the international community to intervene immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Monday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is completely unacceptable.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prince Faisal stressed that the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains the foundation for permanent peace and security in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also noted that there are several European countries planning to officially recognize the State of Palestine to follow Spain, Ireland and Norway, in an attempt to implement the two-state solution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jordan also strongly condemned the “ongoing war crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza,” particularly the ‘latest incident involved the bombing of a refugee camp near the UNRWA headquarters in western Rafah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This act defies the rulings of the International Court of Justice and constitutes a severe violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” a statement from the Jordanian foreign ministry said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jordan reiterates its ‘unequivocal condemnation of these actions’, embassy spokesperson Sufian Qudah said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qudah described them as blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law, contravening all human and moral values.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These actions were war crimes that the international community must confront, ensuring accountability for those responsible, he said, calling for an immediate and effective international action to hold Israel accountable for its practices and violations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qudah urged the international community to “stop Israel’s continuous breaches of international law and international humanitarian law, to ensure the protection of unarmed civilians in Gaza, and to safeguard aid organizations and their staff, particularly UNRWA.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkiye will ‘do everything possible’ to hold ‘barbaric’ Israel to account over Rafah strikes, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will do everything possible to hold these barbarians and murderers accountable who have nothing to do with humanity,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he was “outraged” over Israel’s latest strikes on Rafah that killed dozens of displaced persons. According to Arab News reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 13:19:00', '2024-05-27 13:19:00'),
(12574, 12574, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman said that the cyclonic storm Remal which made landfall in Bangladesh\'s coastal area on Sunday night has so far claimed 10 lives.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 1,50,457 houses were damaged during the storm. Of these, 35,483 houses were fully damaged in 107 unions and 914 municipalities, said the state minister while speaking at a press briefing held at the Secretariat on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deaths were reported from Khulna, Satkhira, Barishal, Patuakhali, Bhola and Chattogram districts. Among the deceased, three died in Bhola and Barishal districts each, and one each in Satkhira, Khulna, Chattogram and Patuakhali districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nineteen districts have been affected during the storm, he said. These are Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Barishal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Barguna, Bhola, Feni, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Narail, Gopalganj, Shariatpur and Jashore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 9424 shelters have been opened in the coastal districts of the country and over 8 lakh people took shelter there, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 52,146 domestic animals were also housed there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also claimed that no major damage had occurred due to massive preparation taken by the ministry following the directives of the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, a total of 1,471 medical teams were formed to provide treatment to the people in the cyclone-hit areas and of them, 1,400 remain active.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tk 6.85 crore has been allocated to the affected people. Tk 3.85 crore, 5,500 tonnes of rice, 5,000 dry foods, Tk 1.50 crore for baby food and Tk 1.50 crore for fodder have been distributed in 15 districts, said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 14:10:52', '2024-05-27 14:10:52'),
(12575, 12575, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The World Health Organization chief on Monday urged countries to nail down a landmark global agreement on handling of future pandemics after they missed a hard deadline.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Scarred by COVID-19 — which killed millions, shredded economies and crippled health systems — nations have spent two years trying to forge binding commitments on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.</div><div>Negotiators failed to clinch a deal ahead of this week’s World Health Assembly — the annual gathering of WHO’s 194 member states — the deadline for concluding the talks.</div><div><br></div><div>WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus opened the assembly Monday, saying he was confident that an agreement would be secured.</div><div><br></div><div>“Of course, we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and crossed the finish line,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“But I remain confident that you still will, because where there is a will, there is a way.”</div><div><br></div><div>Tedros said the task before negotiators had been “immense, technically, legally, and politically,” and that they had been “operating on a very ambitious time line.”</div><div><br></div><div>“You have demonstrated a clear commitment to reaching an agreement,” he said, adding that negotiators had “worked long days and nights,” closing meetings as late as 4:00 a.m.</div><div><br></div><div>He hailed their dedication to push forward despite “a torrent of misinformation that was undermining your negotiations.”</div><div><br></div><div>While missing Friday’s deadline, countries have voiced a commitment to keep pushing for an accord.</div><div><br></div><div>Negotiators are due on Tuesday to present the outcome of the talks to the assembly, which runs until June 1, and the assembly will take stock and decide what to do next.</div><div><br></div><div>“I know that there remains among you a common will to get this done, so, there must always be a way,” Tedros said.</div><div>“Meaning the solution is in your hands,” he stressed.</div><div><br></div><div>Parallel talks have also taken place on revising the International Health Regulations, which were first adopted in 1969 and constitute the existing international legally binding framework for responding to public health emergencies around the world.</div><div><br></div><div>The proposed amendments to the IHR, including adding more nuance to a system meant to alert countries to potential health emergencies of global concern, might have a better chance of being adopted during this week’s assembly, observers said. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 14:27:50', '2024-05-27 14:27:50'),
(12576, 12576, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iran’s acting President Mohammad Mokhber addressed the country’s new parliament Monday in his first public speech since last week’s helicopter crash that killed his predecessor and seven others.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His speech comes as Iran prepares for a presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi in just a month, a vote that could see the previously behind-the-scenes bureaucrat potentially run alongside others. Meanwhile, Iran’s new hard-line parliament is expected to select its new speaker Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his remarks, Mokhber praised Raisi’s time in office, noting that Iran’s crude oil production— a key source of hard currency for the country — climbed to more than 3.6 million barrels a day. That comes after Oil Minister Javad Owji said Sunday that Iran was now exporting around 2 million barrels a day, despite Western sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mokhber also asserted that the country’s economy remained stable under Raisi when Iran took military actions in Iraq, Israel and Pakistan in recent months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Three countries were hit. We hit Israel, people find that figures and indexes are the same in the morning when they wake up, price of hard currency is the same, inflation is the same, liquidity is the same and the market is full of people’s needs,” Mokhber claimed. “This strength, this settlement and this power is not a usual thing, they all were because of guidance by the supreme leader and the sincere efforts of Ayatollah Raisi.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian rial has tumbled from a rate of 32,000 rials to $1 at the time of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Today, it stands around 580,000 to $1 in the wake of the US’ unilateral withdrawal from the accord and a series of attacks on shipping in the Mideast, first attributed to Iran and later involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels as Israel’s war against Hamas on the Gaza Strip began over seven months ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 20, rescuers recovered the bodies of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others in a mountainous region in northwestern Iran following a fatal helicopter crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran will hold presidential elections on June 28 to replace Raisi. On Thursday, a five-day registration period for candidates will open. Analysts have suggested that Mokhber could be one of those to register.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Monday marked the first day for Iran’s newly elected parliament, following a March election that saw the country’s lowest turnout since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Of those elected to the 290-seat body, hard-liners hold over 230 seats, according to an Associated Press survey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran’s parliament plays a secondary role in governing the country, though it can intensify pressure on a presidential administration when deciding on the annual budget and other important bills. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, has the final say in all important state matters. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bn/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 14:32:00', '2024-05-27 14:32:00'),
(12577, 12577, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in gunbattles with Islamist militants in the country’s northwest bordering Afghanistan on Monday, the Pakistan Army said.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement said the deaths were in addition to two other soldiers, including an officer, who were killed the previous day in an operation against the militants on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said a total of 23 militants had also been killed in the last two days in what it described as three intelligence-based operations on their hideouts in northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The militants were “involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as the innocent civilians,” the army said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The five soldiers were killed in Khyber district, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military didn’t identify what group the militants belonged to.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lawless tribal regions along the Afghan border have long been a safe haven for the Islamist and sectarian militants who operate under an umbrella group called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The TTP aims to overthrow the government and replace it with a harsh brand of Islamic law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islamabad says TTP leaders have taken refuge in neighboring Afghanistan where they run camps to train Islamist militants to launch attacks inside Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kabul has previously said rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday, Pakistan said it had arrested 11 Islamist militants who were involved in a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers, alleging the attack was planned by the TTP on Afghan soil, a charge Kabul has previously denied. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 14:39:01', '2024-05-27 14:39:01'),
(12578, 12578, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit the cyclone-hit areas once the weather situation improves.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina monitored the situation of the cyclonic storm \'Remal\' remaining sleepless throughout the (last) night. Once the weather situation gets normal, she will visit the cyclone affected areas,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said this at a press conference on the contemporary issues at AL President Sheikh Hasina\'s political office in the city\'s Dhanmondi area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said other party leaders will accompany the Prime Minister during her visit to the cyclone-hit areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that he heard about the death of some people due to cyclone \'Remal\', the AL general secretary said the coastal areas witnessed high tide during the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cyclone \'Remal\' caused massive damages to households and infrastructures in the coastal areas, he said, adding that the public representatives and AL leaders and activists have been instructed to stand beside the cyclone-affected people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the government has provided dry foods and fresh water while work is underway to assess the extent of the damage, added Quader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-27 15:08:41', '2024-05-27 15:08:41');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12579, 12579, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The tent camps stretch for more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) along Gaza’s coast, filling the beach and sprawling into empty lots, fields and town streets. Families dig trenches to use as toilets. Fathers search for food and water, while children look through garbage and wrecked buildings for scraps of wood or cardboard for their mothers to burn for cooking.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Over the past three weeks, Israel’s offensive in Rafah has sent nearly a million Palestinians fleeing the southern Gaza city and scattering across a wide area. Most have already been displaced multiple times during Israel’s nearly 8-month-old war in Gaza, which is aimed at destroying Hamas but has devastated the territory and caused what the United Nations says is a near-famine.</div><div><br></div><div>The situation has been worsened by a dramatic plunge in the amount of food, fuel and other supplies reaching the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute to the population. Palestinians have largely been on their own to resettle their families and find the basics for survival.</div><div><br></div><div>“The situation is tragic. You have 20 people in the tent, with no clean water, no electricity. We have nothing,” said Mohammad Abu Radwan, a schoolteacher in a tent with his wife, six children, and other extended family.</div><div><br></div><div>“I can’t explain what it feels like living through constant displacement, losing your loved ones,” he said. “All of this destroys us mentally.”</div><div><br></div><div>Abu Radwan fled Rafah soon after the Israeli assault on the city began on May 6 as bombardment neared the house where he was sheltering. He and three other families paid $1,000 for donkey carts to take them to the outskirts of Khan Younis, about 6 kilometers (3.6 miles) away, where it took a day living outside before they could assemble the materials for a makeshift tent. Next to the tent, they dug a toilet trench, hanging blankets and old clothes around it for privacy.</div><div><br></div><div>Families usually have to buy the wood and tarps for their tents, which can run up to $500, not counting ropes, nails and the cost of transporting the material, the humanitarian group Mercy Corps said.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli authorities controlling all entry points into Gaza have been letting greater numbers of private commercial trucks into the territory, the U.N. and aid worker say. More fruits and vegetables are found in markets now, and prices on some have fallen, Palestinians say.</div><div><br></div><div>Still, most homeless Palestinians can’t afford them. Many in Gaza have not received salaries for months and their savings are depleting. Even those who have money in the bank often can’t withdraw it because there is so little physical cash in the territory. Many turn to black market exchanges that charge up to 20% to give cash for transfers from bank accounts.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, humanitarian convoys with supplies for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute for free have fallen to nearly their lowest levels in the war, the U.N. says.</div><div><br></div><div>Previously, the U.N. was receiving several hundred trucks a day. That rate has dropped to an average of 53 trucks a day since May 6, according to the latest figures from the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA on Friday. Some 600 trucks a day are needed to stave off starvation, according to USAID.</div><div><br></div><div>In the past three weeks, most of the incoming aid has entered through two crossings from Israel in northern Gaza and via a U.S.-built floating pier taking deliveries by sea. The two main crossings in the south, Rafah from Egypt and Kerem Shalom from Israel, are either not operating or are largely inaccessible for the U.N. because of fighting nearby. Israel says it has been letting hundreds of trucks through Kerem Shalom, but the U.N. has only been able to collect about 170 of them on the Gaza side over the past three weeks because it can’t reach the crossing.</div><div><br></div><div>Entry of fuel has fallen to about a third of what it was before the Rafah offensive, according to OCHA. That reduced amount has to be stretched between keeping hospitals, bakeries, water pumps and aid trucks working.</div><div><br></div><div>The American humanitarian group Anera “is having difficulty distributing what we are able to bring in to the people who need it because there’s so little fuel for trucks,” its spokesperson Steve Fake said.</div><div><br></div><div>Most of those fleeing Rafah have poured into a humanitarian zone declared by Israel that is centered on Muwasi, a largely barren strip of coastal land. The zone was expanded north and east to reach the edges of Khan Younis and the central town of Deir al-Balah, both of which have also filled with people.</div><div><br></div><div>“As we can see, there is nothing ‘humanitarian’ about these areas,” said Suze van Meegen, head of operations in Gaza for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which has staff operating in Muwasi.</div><div><br></div><div>Much of the humanitarian zone has no charity kitchens or food market, no hospitals operating, only a few field hospitals and even smaller medical tents that can’t handle emergencies, only pass out painkillers and antibiotics if they have them, according to testimony from Mercy Corps. “It’s just a matter of time before people begin to suffer greatly from food insecurity,” the group said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Muwasi area is mostly coastal dunes with no water resources or sewage systems. With human waste deposited near the tents and garbage piling up, many people suffer from gastrointestinal diseases such as hepatitis and diarrhea, as well as skin allergies and lice, Mercy Corps said.</div><div><br></div><div>One aid worker who fled Rafah said he was lucky and could afford to rent a house in Deir al-Balah. “You can’t walk” in the town from all the tents that have arisen, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because his agency had not authorized him to speak.</div><div><br></div><div>Many people he sees in the street are yellow with jaundice or hepatitis, and “the stench is disgusting” from the sewage and piles of garbage.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel says its offensive in Rafah is vital to its war aim of destroying Hamas in Gaza after the group’s Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others from southern Israel. Israel’s campaign in Gaza triggered by the attack has killed some 36,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>Aid groups have warned for months that an attack on Rafah will worsen Gaza’s humanitarian disaster. So far, Israel’s operations have been short of its planned all-out invasion, though fighting has expanded over the past three weeks from the eastern parts of Rafah to central districts of the city. A strike Sunday hit a tent camp in a western part of Rafah, causing a large fire and killing at least 45 people, according to health officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a “tragic mistake” had occurred.</div><div><br></div><div>From the exodus the assault has caused, satellite photos taken last week show dense new tent camps running the length of the coast from just north of Rafah to outside Deir al-Balah. The ramshackle tents and shelters are densely packed in mazes of corrugated metal and plastic sheets, blankets and bedsheets draped over wooden sticks for privacy.</div><div><br></div><div>Tamer Saeed Abu’l Kheir said he goes out at 6 a.m. every day to find water, usually returning around noon to the tent outside Khan Younis where he and nearly two dozen relatives live. His three children, aged 4 to 10, are always sick, but he said he has to send them out to collect wood for the cooking fire, though he worries they’ll come across unexploded bombs in the wrecked houses, reports AP</div><div><br></div><div>His aging father has trouble moving so has to use the bathroom in a bucket, and Abu’l Kheir has to regularly pay to transport him to the nearest hospital for kidney dialysis.</div><div><br></div><div>“Wood costs money, water costs money, everything costs money,” said his wife, Leena Abu’l Kheir. She broke down in sobs. “I’m afraid I’ll wake up one day and I’ve lost my children, my mother, my husband, my family.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 09:47:39', '2024-05-28 09:47:39'),
(12580, 12580, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Cyclone Remal has damaged crops on 3,074 hectares of land in Jashore, according to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Heavy rains and strong winds lashed Jashore throughout the day on Sunday under the influence of Cyclone Remal. The intensity of the rain and winds increased at night. Crops of various types were affected by the storm and rain.</div><div><br></div><div>According to information from the district agricultural office, vegetables, banana, mango, sesame, papaya, mug, chilli, jute, litchi, and lemon were affected by the cyclone. This season, 14,220 hectares of vegetables, 587 hectares of banana, 3,924 hectares of mango, 1,680 hectares of sesame, 559 hectares of papaya, 515 hectares of mug, 435 hectares of chilli, 23,550 hectares of jute, 641 hectares of litchi, and 148 hectares of lemon have been cultivated in Jashore.</div><div><br></div><div>Of these, crops on 3,074 hectares of land have been affected by the cyclone. This includes vegetables on 1,429 hectares of land, bananas on 67 hectares of land, mangoes on 114 hectares of land, sesame on 331 hectares of land, papaya on 26 hectares of land, moong dal on 36 hectares of land, chilli on 60 hectares of land, jute on 972 hectares of land, litchi on 36 hectares of land, and lemon on three hectares of land.</div><div><br></div><div>It may take another day or two to assess the extent of the damage to these affected crops, said DAE Deputy Director Dr Sushanta Kumar Tarapdar. He said that the first step is to determine how much land was affected by the cyclone. The extent of the damage is then determined from this.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, farmers say that this year has been a disaster for crops. With the exception of paddy, all other crops have been damaged. The intense heat wave for more than a month has caused extensive damage to fruits, especially mangoes and litchis. They have also lost their juiciness. The second round of damage has been caused by the storm.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Hasan Ali said that the scaffolding of various crops, including bitter gourd, pumpkin, and bottle gourd, has collapsed. These scaffolds will have to be rebuilt.</div><div><br></div><div>Sellers fear that the heatwave has already had a one-time impact on the vegetable market and that the storm could have a second-time impact. As a result, prices could also rise. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 10:02:24', '2024-05-28 10:02:24'),
(12581, 12581, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gas supply will remain suspended for 10 hours from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Wednesday (May 29) in different areas of Narayanganj for gas pipeline relocation and installation.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, the areas where gas supply will remain halted include Panchabati, Panchabati BSCIC, Bholai, Isdair, Kashipur, Goganpur , Char Syedpur, and Mukta.</div><div><br></div><div>Regretting the temporary inconvenience to consumers, the Titas Gas authority said the adjoins areas may experience low pressure in gas supply.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 10:15:43', '2024-05-28 10:15:43'),
(12582, 12582, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) has awarded playwright Rajib Moni Das with the ATN Bangla-AJFB Star Award.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the AJFB Star Award 2023-2024, Rajib Moni Das has been honored as the best playwright. The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) organized a grand ceremony on Sunday, 26 May, 2024, at the ATN Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to recognize outstanding contributions in various branches of culture, presenting lifetime honors and awards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event organized by the Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) was attended by chief guest Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman of ATN Bangla and ATN News, and renowned film director Kazi Hayat. During the event, Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman presented the Best Playwright Award to Rajib Moni Das for his special contributions to the field of drama.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rajib Moni Das expressed his gratitude by respectfully greeting and thanking everyone present for deciding to honor him. He also extended his continuous love to his countless well-wishers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the honor, he further stated that an honor is a commemorative recognition of a person\'s work, which encourages them to perform better and increases their responsibility towards their work. He committed to contributing to meeting the expectations of everyone and the audience.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event was also attended by former successful Railway Minister Mujibul Haque Mujib, AJFB\'s founding president Abul Hossain Majumder, AJFB President Faruq Hossain Majumder, General Secretary actor Nirab, among many others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ceremony awarded lifetime honors and recognition for outstanding contributions in various cultural branches. Lifetime honors were awarded to theater and film personality Dilara Zaman and music personality Ferdous Wahid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special honors were received by film personalities Rozina, Shabnam Parvin, Amit Hasan, Nirab Hossain, Elina Shammi, Shirin Shila, and singer Balam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 10:27:36', '2024-05-28 10:27:36'),
(12583, 12583, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka\'s air quality has turned \"good\" due to the incessant rain triggered by Cyclone Remal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>With an air quality index (AQI) score of 38 at 9 am this morning (May 28, 2024), Dhaka anked 77th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div><br></div><div>When the AQI score is between 0 and 50, air quality is considered to be ‘good’, while between 50 and 100 is ‘moderate’, between 101 and 150 ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>India\'s Delhi, Indonesia\'s Jakarta and Pakistan\'s Lahore occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 216, 173 and 162, respectively.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.</div><div><br></div><div>Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 10:45:12', '2024-05-28 10:45:12'),
(12584, 12584, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Spain moved to formally recognize a Palestinian state with Ireland and Norway to follow suit on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations. Israel slammed the diplomatic move that will have no immediate impact on its grinding war in Gaza but adds to international pressure on Tel Aviv to soften its devastating response to last year\'s Hamas-led attack.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the Spanish Cabinet will recognize a Palestinian state at its Tuesday morning meeting as a European Union rift with Israel widens. Ireland and Norway were also to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state later in the day.</div><div><br></div><div>“This is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace,” Sánchez, standing at the gates of the prime minister\'s palace in Madrid, said during a televised speech.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz lashed out at Spain on X, saying Sánchez\'s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”</div><div><br></div><div>While dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so. Still, the adherence of three European countries to the group represents a victory for Palestinian efforts in the world of public opinion.</div><div><br></div><div>Relations between the EU and Israel nosedived Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that the EU should take action against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 10:47:41', '2024-05-28 10:47:41'),
(12586, 12586, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A total of 3.70 lakh positions out of 19.151 lakh government jobs remain vacant, Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain said today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister revealed this information during a dialogue organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing a question about women lagging behind in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), the minister noted that out of 84 secretaries, 11 are women. Additionally, there are 658 senior assistant secretaries, seven female deputy commissioners, 151 female UNOs, and 88 female AC land officers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are making progress in women empowerment, with women constituting 29 percent of government job holders,” he stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question about allegations against 351 government officials from grade-1 to grade-9 over the past ten years, Farhad Hossain said that 41 received severe punishment and 140 received light punishment. In total, 181 officials were punished, while 170 were discharged, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding concerns about not maintaining policy in promotions, the minister assured, “Promotions and postings are conducted following proper policies. We have a well-ordered system. It’s important to consider various factors such as officers studying abroad under government scholarships, assignments in embassies abroad, and health issues of some officers. We take all these factors into account.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 11:18:44', '2024-05-28 11:18:44'),
(12587, 12587, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An Indian climber rescued from Everest has died in hospital, a Nepali tourism official said today, taking the number of fatalities this season on the world’s highest mountain to eight.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Banshi Lal, 46, was plucked from the mountain last week and taken to a hospital in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.</div><div><br></div><div>“He died at the hospital yesterday,” Rakesh Gurung of the tourism department told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>Three people — a British climber and two Nepali guides — among the eight are listed as missing but presumed dead.</div><div><br></div><div>The latest fatality comes as the Everest mountaineering season nears its end, with the death toll relatively low compared to other years.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year was the deadliest season on the mountain with 18 fatalities.</div><div><br></div><div>Three others died climbing other Nepali peaks including a Romanian aiming for Lhotse, neighbouring Everest, and a French and a Nepali climber on Makalu, the fifth highest peak.</div><div><br></div><div>Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring, when temperatures are warm and winds typically calm.</div><div><br></div><div>All the Everest deaths occurred in areas above 8,000m, known as the ‘death zone’, where thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.</div><div><br></div><div>Nepal has issued more than 900 permits for its mountains this year, including 419 for Everest, earning more than US$5 million in royalties.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 600 climbers and their guides have already reached the summit of Everest after a rope-fixing team reached the peak last month.</div><div><br></div><div>China also reopened the Tibetan route to foreigners this year for the first time since closing it in 2020 because of the pandemic. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 12:09:00', '2024-05-28 12:09:00'),
(12588, 12588, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ireland’s Ambassador to Bangladesh and India Kevin Kelly has said they have a “renewed commitment” to Bangladesh, noting that they have a new Asia Pacific strategy that was launched last year.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The significance and sustained economic growth which we have seen in Bangladesh must be applauded. We are very interested in understanding more about your economic model. Bangladesh in many ways, we see, is standing as an example of what can be achieved by hard work and strategic planning,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador, who submitted his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday, was delivering his keynote speech at a roundtable discussion in Dhaka as part of Cosmos Dialogue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Bangladesh is situated between two colossal markets in this region between India and China, and they see it as a “crucial gateway” to ASEAN, much as they see Ireland as being a very good gateway for Bangladesh into the European Union market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On easing visas for Bangladeshis, the ambassador said with Masud Khan, Honorary Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh and his team they are going to look into the issue. “That’s a commitment. We are going to do that. Definitely that’s on our agenda. We are working with Masud and his team.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, hosted the discussion titled \"Bangladesh-Ireland Relations: Prognosis for the Future.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The session was chaired by Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, a renowned scholar-diplomat and former advisor on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Caretaker Government while Masud Khan, Honorary Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh delivered welcome remarks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lailufar Yasmin, professor, Department of International Relations, Dhaka University and Parvez Karim Abbasi, assistant professor, Department of Economics, East West University spoke as discussants. Cosmos Foundation Chairman Enayetullah Khan delivered closing remarks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the global matrix today, Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury said, Ireland has established itself as a state actor and he expressed his optimism that Ireland will help shape the European policy in a way so as to use them for Bangladesh in the aftermath of the LDC graduation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign affairs expert said both Bangladeshis and Irish are bonded by strong values, including a passion for freedom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both the Bengalis and Irish struggled for decades in achieving their sovereign identities, Dr Chowdhury said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A second shared value is the desire and the ability to express individual and societal emotions through the medium of literature, he mentioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Masud Khan said indeed, both sides have been able to identify the areas in which potential cooperation between Bangladesh and Ireland could deepen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I would add to this list sports, in particular cricket. This is an activity which engages both the youth and adults of both countries, in one way or another. As the Honorary consul of Bangladesh, I shall make every possible effort to contribute to these efforts,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Masud said this year has been a remarkable one in terms of bilateral relations with a “successful” ministerial visit from Ireland to Bangladesh, a very rewarding courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thereafter, earlier this month, Bangladesh and Ireland held their first ever Foreign Office Consultations in Dublin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Enayetullah Khan said he is absolutely persuaded that there is a great deal that Bangladesh and Ireland can achieve by working together.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A good beginning has been made by the establishment of a Consulate in Dhaka. Already some benefits are coming to light. Public interest in Ireland has been growing in Bangladesh. The first ever foreign office consultations between the two sides held in Dublin recently was yet another milestone along our journey of bilateral cooperation,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As an important member of the European Union, Khan said, he has no doubt that Ireland will render Bangladesh every support in smoothening Bangladesh’s transition to a post LDC -phase of development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Ireland can take pride in its excellent citadels of learning in their universities which will continue to attract Bangladeshi students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Kelly said one has to admit that the current economic ties between Bangladesh and Ireland are too small with just over 540 million euros in bilateral trade per annum.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“That\'s the figure we have from last year. But the good news is that figure is on an upward trajectory, and we believe that those figures can be greatly increased,” he said, adding that they support Bangladesh’s efforts to diversify goods and services trade beyond the traditional predominance of readymade garments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador referred to the recent opening of the Honorary Consul in Dhaka and said, “It gives me great pride to see the Irish flag. It\'s a small start but it is an indication of our growing commitment to Bangladesh.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About renewing their commitment to engage with the region wider than China, he said, “I think in the past, there\'s an acknowledgement that perhaps a huge amount of our focus in the wider Asia Pacific region went to China. And now there is a real attempt to rebalance that and to look to other countries such as Bangladesh. I won\'t go through the details of that strategy. But there are over 100 different actions, opening up whole new areas for collaboration, people to people links, economic and political ties.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador said their trade policy plays a very important role in promoting their values and standards, including the positive contribution that trade and investments can make to sustainable development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We managed to attract a huge amount of international multi multinational investment. One of our greatest assets is our highly skilled, educated, and increasingly multicultural population. It\'s also one of the youngest in Europe. We have one of the best education systems in the world,” said the Irish envoy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that the Irish dairy sector has enjoyed strong exports to Bangladesh in recent years, the envoy said they are open to exploring further areas for economic engagement with Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Kelly said they would like to be a friend for Bangladesh. “I\'m encouraged to see that the relations between the EU and Bangladesh are growing ever stronger.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said they support the negotiations and the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Bangladesh and the EU.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know that\'ll recast a much more modern relationship in terms of political and trade engagement, moving away from aid. We also see real potential in the Global Gateway Initiative, which aims to support climate action and renewable energy projects in Bangladesh,” said the ambassador.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said they support the graduation of Bangladesh to the GSP plus scheme and Ireland is supportive of measures to minimize any economic shocks that may arise from graduation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The envoy said they are committed to the collective response to this long running humanitarian catastrophe – the Rohingya crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Lailufar Yasmin said Island comes into play being the wealthiest country within the European Union and it has a lot to offer for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She laid emphasis on people to people contact as they are talking about academic collaboration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about skilled migration, Prof Lailufar said, “We can have dual degree programs. And these dual degrees will work in Ireland and in many other countries, where there is a real shortfall of educated and skilled sort of graduates.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Abbasi said Ireland can get a steady supply of skilled IT professionals as the country has at least 600,000 IT professionals. “So Ireland being the hub of the IT sector, we could actually engage with them,” reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also talked about the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Free Trade Agreement issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship as was the final line of the movie Casablanca. So let us take time to nurture this. And again, only good things will result,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 13:14:22', '2024-05-28 13:14:22'),
(12589, 12589, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said, “I don\'t feel like talking about this government anymore. How much can I say? They\'ve become too thick-skinned that they’re least bothered about criticism...their only goal is to plunder public money.\"&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He urged the government to step down without any manoeuvring as its existence has already been tainted by widespread corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a discussion, he also warned that their party will intensify the movement to ensure the ouster of the government despite all obstacles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, the freedom fighters\' wing of BNP, organised the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), commemorating the 43rd death anniversary of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the exposure of various graft incidents involving ruling party leaders and former officials, he said the government has earned a serious bad reputation for unbridled corruption and plundering.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They have become completely tainted with corruption. No matter how much they talk, whatever they say, in reality, they have no existence. The evidence of that is visible everywhere. I say their time is over. So, stop manoeuvring so that you can receive a proper burial and funeral, and people can remember you,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also questioned who promoted former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed and ex-IGP Benazir Ahmed to engage in irregularities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Who nurtured Aziz? Where was Aziz’s position and where was he elevated? Now the history of Benzir Ahmed’s countless misdeeds and plundering are also being exposed,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should step down, taking responsibility for the graft incidents involving her party colleagues and former government officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There aren\'t just one or two incidents like this; there are countless. There’s nothing but corruption around them…all their so-called elected representatives in the local government elections, or the MPs elected in the midnight elections are extremely involved in corruption. They are all drowning under the weight of ill-gotten money.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He also said ruling party leaders are building second homes abroad with their illegal money. “A former State Minister for Land had 365 houses in London.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the circumstances, the BNP leader said opposition parties must move forward to protect the country with new strategies, considering the geo-political situation and the new world order.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said all patriotic individuals, all political forces, especially the young generation who love the country, must unite now and step forward to protect the country from the clutches of the dreadful monster and safeguard the nation from peril. “We’ll be eliminated if we get defeated in the struggle for saving the country.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said it is now dangerous for opposition leaders and workers to raise their voices and carry out movements in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Everything is dangerous here. Amidst this peril, we must gather the courage to stand firm. We must realise our justified demand for holding an impartial election. For that, we must intensify our movement,” he added</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 13:29:41', '2024-05-28 13:29:41'),
(12590, 12590, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Former Dutch intelligence chief Dick Schoof will be presented today as the proposed prime minister of the Netherlands’ incoming right-wing government.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The four parties that will form the new government, led by Geert Wilders’ nationalist PVV, announced a press conference with Schoof for 1500 GMT today.</div><div><br></div><div>Election winner Wilders earlier this month reached an agreement on forming a new government with three other conservative parties, after ruling himself out for the top job in the cabinet.</div><div><br></div><div>Schoof, 67, is currently the senior official at the Dutch ministry of justice, after having led the country’s intelligence agency AIVD and anti-terrorism agency NCTV for years.</div><div><br></div><div>He would head a cabinet that the four parties have said would have looser ties to parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>That government will, however, have to stick to the agreement reached by the four parties, which aims for a clampdown on migration and exceptions on EU asylum and environmental rules.</div><div><br></div><div>Far-right leader Wilders last week said he expected the new government to be operational by end June. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:10:18', '2024-05-28 14:10:18'),
(12591, 12591, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Pope Francis, widely quoted as having used a highly derogatory word to describe the LGBT community, did not intend to use homophobic language and apologises to anyone offended by it, the Vatican said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologises to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in an emailed statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Italian media had reported on Monday that Francis used the Italian term ‘frociaggine’, roughly translating as ‘faggotness’ or ‘faggotry’, as he told Italian bishops he remained opposed to admitting gay people into the priesthood.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Italian political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report the alleged incident, said to have happened on May 20 when the pontiff met Italian bishops behind closed doors. Bruni said Francis was “aware” of the reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Vatican spokesman reiterated that the pope remained committed to a welcoming Church for all, where “nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, (where) there is room for everyone.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Francis, who is 87, has been credited with making substantial overtures towards the LGBT community during his 11-year papacy, but his reported comments caused shock and consternation, even among his supporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2013, at the start of his papacy, he famously said: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Last year he allowed priests to bless members of same-sex couples, triggering substantial conservative backlash. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:12:49', '2024-05-28 14:12:49'),
(12592, 12592, '<div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Twenty-one Palestinians were killed, at least twelve of them women, while dozens wounded in new Israeli strikes on an area of tents housing displaced people West of Rafah today, Palestinian medical officials said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The new Israeli strikes targeted tents of displaced families in the designated humanitarian area in Mawasi in western Rafah, according to medics and residents. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:17:10', '2024-05-28 14:17:10'),
(12593, 12593, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government is not embarrassed about former Army chief Aziz Ahmed and former IGP Benzir Ahmed issue as the government has the courage to bring them to justice, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The government didn’t give them a chance to go scot-free. The government is uncompromising on corruption, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He made the remarks at a press conference at the Awami League president\'s office in Dhanmondi in the capital on Tuesday noon, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is known as an honest Prime Minister worldwide, and her popularity in Bangladesh stems from her integrity and hard work. The government is always ready to take action against corruption,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating the issue, Quader said, “ACC is independent. Sheikh Hasina has given ACC the freedom. ACC has informed that investigations into the illegal assets of Benzir Ahmed are still ongoing and further investigations will be conducted.”</div><div><br></div><div>“As an investigation is ongoing, they will have to face trial. No criminal will be spared under Sheikh Hasina\'s rule. Former army chief Aziz Ahmed - if he is a criminal, ACC can investigate him. If he is a criminal, he must face punishment. Whoever he may be,” Quader said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:19:59', '2024-05-28 14:19:59'),
(12594, 12594, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Hong Kong court will deliver verdicts this week in the biggest case brought against pro-democracy campaigners since China imposed a national security law to crush dissent.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Forty-seven people from a cross-section of Hong Kong’s then-opposition face life in prison on subversion charges for political activities in 2020, following democracy protests that saw millions take to the streets.</div><div><br></div><div>Thirty-one members of the group — which includes democratically elected lawmakers, union members and academics — have pleaded guilty.</div><div><br></div><div>Three judges handpicked by the government to try national security cases are scheduled to deliver verdicts against the remaining 16 on Thursday and Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>Cases under the national security law and related crimes, such as sedition, have a 100% conviction rate, with 114 people found guilty since the legislation came into force in 2020.</div><div><br></div><div>Rights groups say the law undermines civil liberties that were meant to be enshrined under a 1997 agreement to hand the former British colony back to China.</div><div><br></div><div>The government says the law is needed to crack down on major crimes such as collusion and secession after the massive, and at times violent, pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>Beijing’s Hong Kong Affairs Office had said the defendants staged “a severe challenge against Hong Kong’s constitutional order” by organising and joining an unofficial primary election in July 2020.</div><div><br></div><div>The primary was meant to shortlist some pro-democracy candidates for the city’s official legislature election — which was later cancelled by authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>Prosecutors said the defendants planned to seize a legislative majority to force Hong Kong authorities to meet five demands raised by protesters in 2019. - AFP </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:33:11', '2024-05-28 14:34:00');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12595, 12595, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today urged the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to show commitment to human rights and press freedom making and broadcasting documentary on the genocide orchestrated by Israeli forces in Gaza.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made the call while talking about the recent documentary of the DW on Bangladesh\'s human rights situation comparing with the context of Sri Lanka at a workshop here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister inaugurated the workshop titled \'Right to Information for the Marginalized and disadvantaged Citizen\' at the Information Commission (IC) conference room in the city\'s Agargaon area this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Very recently, the DW released a report on human rights tagging Bangladesh with Sri Lanka that witnessed a civil war in recent past. I don\'t want to criticize it rather I appreciate commitment of any organization towards human rights,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But I would like to ask the DW to prove its commitment to human rights and press freedom by making documentary on the human rights violation and genocide in Gaza,\" Arafat added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the DW could not do it, he said, the documentary will be treated as motivated and a part of anti-Bangladesh conspiracy being carried out by a vested quarter, which does not talk about the problems and development of the marginalized people in real sense and try to tarnish the country\'s image at the global stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Information Commission and Advancing Women\'s Right of Access to Information Project of The Carter Centre jointly organized the workshop with Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Dr Abdul Malek in the chair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aroma Dutta, MP, Information Commissioners Shahidul Alam Jhinuk and Masuda Bhatti and USAID Office Director Alena Tansey spoke at the function as special guests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earler, on May 25, the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) issued a rejoinder protesting the DW documentary titled \"Torturers deployed as UN peacekeepers\" and terming it \"false and fallacious one\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This documentary presents a misleading portrayal of Bangladesh Army personnel in UN Peacekeeping Missions,\" said the ISPR rejoinder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking about the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Arafat said the law was passed in parliament in 2009 with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the Leader of the House that reflected her commitment to transparency and accountability of the government, the governance and democracy at large.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the law involves two sides - information providers and information seekers, he said, adding, \"But we noticed a bit of lack of understanding between the two sides over the proper use of the law. I would like to thank the CIC and his entire team for working relentlessly to make the both sides understand about the law by giving trainings\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government officials should realize that they are not the owners of information but custodians, so they are bound to give the information when it is sought by the people or media on behalf of the people, the state minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that this law has been enacted to ensure the access to information, he said there is no alternative to providing training to the both sides - information seekers and providers - to yield the maximum result of the law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s one of the ten special initiatives \'Ashrayan Prakalpa\', Arafat said Bangabandhu\'s daughter has rehabilitated the landless poor people, including the bede community like Manta, under her housing project, which is a matter of human rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She ensured the citizenship and voting rights of the Hijra (third gender) and bede people, he said, adding, the government is working giving the highest priority to the protection of the human rights, voting right and freedom of expression of the marginalized, the landless and the destitute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The protection of the human rights was always ignored in the country, no one paid attention to it, the state minister said, adding that Bangabandhu\'s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at first thought about it and ensured it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to march forward by involving all people in the inclusive development. Otherwise, the development will not be sustainable,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting Bangladesh\'s progress in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Arafat said the country secured the first position among all the countries across the world six years in a row in terms of achieving the SDG targets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pointing that about Taka 120,000 crore is allocated in the budget for social safety net programme to help the poor and underprivileged people, he said this information should be reached to the people who are entitled to get the assistance under this programme so that they can get the benefits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Information Commission can work to ensure the access of the marginalized people to information regarding the government\'s social safety net programme, the state minister said, adding, if anyone creates obstacles in providing these information, the commission should take actions against him or her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, Arafat unveiled the RTI News Letter published by the Information Commission. Source: BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:46:11', '2024-05-28 14:46:11'),
(12596, 12596, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities to speedily repair the embankments damaged by cyclone Remal in the coastal areas.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The damaged embankments must be repaired speedily as monsoon is approaching,\" she was quoted as telling the meeting, according to a media briefing by Planning Minister Abdus Salam.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina made this directive while chairing the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the Prime Minister also directed for ensuring safe water in the cyclone-affected areas so that water-borne diseases could not spread.</div><div><br></div><div>Abdus Salam said the prime minister monitored the cyclone situation throughout the night and issued necessary directives to the relevant agencies for tackling the situation.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Planning Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were also present at the briefing.</div><div><br></div><div>Planning Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said the Ecnec meeting approved 11 development projects involving a total of Tk 14,337 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>“The total estimated cost of 11 projects approved in the meeting is Tk 14,337.38 crore (only additional costs of revised projects were counted here),” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Of the cost, Tk 6,541.52 crore&nbsp; will be financed from the national exchequer, while Tk 7,879.15 crore from the foreign sources and the remaining Tk 83.29 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 14:50:57', '2024-05-28 14:50:57'),
(12598, 12598, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) has awarded director Polash Moni Das with the ATN Bangla-AJFB Star Award.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the AJFB Star Award 2023-2024, Polash Moni Das has been honored as the best director. The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) organized a grand ceremony on Sunday, 26 May, 2024, at the ATN Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to recognize outstanding contributions in various branches of culture, presenting lifetime honors and awards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event organized by the Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) was attended by chief guest Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman of ATN Bangla and ATN News, and renowned film director Kazi Hayat. During the event, Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman presented the Best Director Award to Polash Moni Das for his special contributions to the field of drama.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Polash Moni Das expressed his gratitude by respectfully greeting and thanking everyone present for deciding to honor him. He also extended his continuous love to his countless well-wishers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the honor, he further stated that an honor is a commemorative recognition of a person\'s work, which encourages them to perform better and increases their responsibility towards their work. He committed to contributing to meeting the expectations of everyone and the audience.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event was also attended by former successful Railway Minister Mujibul Haque Mujib, AJFB\'s founding president Abul Hossain Majumder, AJFB President Faruq Hossain Majumder, General Secretary actor Nirab, among many others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ceremony awarded lifetime honors and recognition for outstanding contributions in various cultural branches. Lifetime honors were awarded to theater and film personality Dilara Zaman and music personality Ferdous Wahid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special honors were received by film personalities Rozina, Shabnam Parvin, Amit Hasan, Nirab Hossain, Elina Shammi, Shirin Shila, and singer Balam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 16:18:12', '2024-05-28 16:18:12'),
(12599, 12599, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) has awarded director Momin Sarkar with the ATN Bangla-AJFB Star Award.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the AJFB Star Award 2023-2024, Momin Sarkar has been honored as the best director. The Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) organized a grand ceremony on Sunday, 26 May, 2024, at the ATN Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to recognize outstanding contributions in various branches of culture, presenting lifetime honors and awards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The event organized by the Artist Journalist Foundation of Bangladesh (AJFB) was attended by chief guest Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman of ATN Bangla and ATN News, and renowned film director Kazi Hayat. During the event, Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman presented the Best Director Award to Momin Sarkar for his special contributions to the field of drama.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Momin Sarkar expressed his gratitude by respectfully greeting and thanking everyone present for deciding to honor him. He also extended his continuous love to his countless well-wishers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Regarding the honor, he further stated that an honor is a commemorative recognition of a person\'s work, which encourages them to perform better and increases their responsibility towards their work. He committed to contributing to meeting the expectations of everyone and the audience.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The event was also attended by former successful Railway Minister Mujibul Haque Mujib, AJFB\'s founding president Abul Hossain Majumder, AJFB President Faruq Hossain Majumder, General Secretary actor Nirab, among many others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The ceremony awarded lifetime honors and recognition for outstanding contributions in various cultural branches. Lifetime honors were awarded to theater and film personality Dilara Zaman and music personality Ferdous Wahid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Special honors were received by film personalities Rozina, Shabnam Parvin, Amit Hasan, Nirab Hossain, Elina Shammi, Shirin Shila, and singer Balam.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-28 16:22:41', '2024-05-28 16:22:41'),
(12600, 12600, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to end the arms race and instead spend the money for eradication&nbsp; of poverty and easing the adverse impacts of climate change.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The money for arms development and competition can be provided to the climate fund for the countries that are now going to be affected by climate changes in order to protect mankind from climate adversities. And the money can also be used on food for the poor children, as well as education and health of the underprivileged children,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister was addressing a programme arranged in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2024 and pay tributes to the fallen peacekeepers and those who had been wounded while peacekeeping duty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pointing to the countries which are spending a huge amount of money on arms development and arms race, she said, “We talk about peace. But why do you engage in conflicts?”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Had this money spent for arms race been spent on foods for hungry people, education and medical treatment for the poor, then peace would have beeb established in this world. The living standard of people would have improved and the people could live in a decent manner, said Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Conflicts and wars in different parts of the world are disrupting world peace today,” she said citing Russia-Ukraine war, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the forcibly displaced Rohingya people of Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The wars and conflicts have created a dire situation for the mankind, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As the arms race continues to rise, the lives of people become more and more miserable,” she said, adding that the women and children are suffering the most and young people are losing their lives due to conflicts and wars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier stressed the need for solving problems and disputes through negotiation.&nbsp; “We don\'t want war, we want peace. We want to solve everything through dialogue. A large number of people in the world still live below the poverty line,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh has become a role model for global peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Bangladesh is a dependable name in the efforts of protecting peace and safety alongside establishing global peace. We are acknowledged by all as we have become a role model on the global stage,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said currently 6,092 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, including 493 women, are deployed in 13 UN missions around the world and they have already successfully completed 63 missions in different countries in the world.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, the PM said, is now observing 36 years since it started contributing troops to the UN peacekeeping missions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh is currently the largest troops-contributing country to UN peacekeeping. \"They (Bangladeshi peacekeepers) have been working with fame and glory,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said leaders of the countries where Bangladeshi peacekeepers are now working have highly praised them. \"I feel really proud of the compliments,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said Bangladesh is actively participating in other international forums alongside the UN peacekeeping missions to establish global peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Overall, our professionalism, efficiency and commitment in establishing global peace have set an example for others,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 09:15:31', '2024-05-29 09:15:31'),
(12601, 12601, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Fish and shrimp farmers in Bagerhat district are reeling from a devastating blow after Cyclone Remal washed away 35,000 enclosures, resulting in losses estimated at Tk 70 crore.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent visit to Rampal upazila of the district, this UNB Correspondent found many embankments broken by the tidal surge, transforming once-productive areas into vast water bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It looks like there is only one enclosure over a large area. Many could not protect their shrimp in the end, even after raising the height of the net in the embankment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The situation is equally dire in Sadar, Rampal, Mongla, and Morrelganj upazilas. Farmers report that the combination of tidal surges and heavy rains devastated their enclosures. Additionally, shrimp are succumbing to drought and viral infections, compounding their losses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Natural disasters have repeatedly struck this region, with Cyclone Remal being only the latest. Previous storms like Yaas, Bulbul, Aila, and Sidr have also wreaked havoc, causing substantial financial losses and discouraging shrimp farming.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Samir Baran, a shrimp farmer with two decades of experience, shared his plight: “Water entered my eight bigha of shrimp enclosures due to the tidal surge caused by Cyclone Remal, leading to losses amounting to several lakhs.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anwar Hossain, another farmer from Chanditala in Rampal, echoed this sentiment, saying, “This year, I have lost everything.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shrimp farmers in Rampal, Mongla, Morrelganj and Bagerhat’s Sadar upazilas said that once upon a time, shrimp farming was a profitable business. But now, shrimp farming is not so profitable for various reasons, including natural disasters. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to Cyclone Remal, they said, they have not seen such a tidal surge in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The shrimp industry in Bagerhat is now facing an unprecedented crisis. Mohitul Islam Sumon, president of the Shrimp Farmers Association, estimated the total loss at Tk 300 crore. “Almost all small and large shrimp enclosures have been washed away,” he stated, calling for interest-free loans and life insurance for farmers to support the struggling industry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ASM Russel, the district fisheries officer, confirmed the widespread damage: “A total of 35,000 fish and shrimp enclosures were washed away, with preliminary estimates showing losses of Tk 70 crore for shrimp and Tk 3 crore for infrastructure.” He emphasized the urgent need for financial assistance and loans on favorable terms to help farmers recover.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fisheries department reported that Bagerhat district hosts 74,700 fish enclosures on 56,000 hectares, supporting 55,000 fish farmers. With their livelihoods at stake, the call for support and sustainable solutions has never been more critical.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 09:49:59', '2024-05-29 09:49:59'),
(12602, 12602, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Flash floods are likely to hit some parts of the northeastern region of the country as major rivers keep swelling due to heavy rainfall, Flood Forecasting and Warning Center of Water Development Board said on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>There is a probable risk of flash floods in the areas adjoining to Surma, Kushiyara, Manu, Sarigowain rivers at different places in the north-eastern region of the country in 24 hours commencing&nbsp; 9 am on Wednesday as those may cross the danger level, said a bulletin of FFWC.</div><div><br></div><div>The major rivers in the northeastern region of the country are in rising trend, which may continue in 48 hours, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and foreign weather-related organizations, medium to heavy rain are expected in different places of the northern, northeastern and adjoining upstream regions of the country in the next 24-48 hours.</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, the water level for the main rivers in the northern region may rise slowly and water level may rise rapidly depending on time for northeastern part of the country, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Flood Forecasting and Warning Center observed 110 water level stations and found that the water level of 53 rivers has increased in the last 24 hours while decreased in 51 rivers.</div><div><br></div><div>The Brahmaputra river is in rising trend while the Jamuna and Ganges-Padma rivers are in falling trend.</div><div><br></div><div>The rise in water level for Brahmaputra river may continue and the water level may increase slowly in Jamuna river in next 48 hours.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 10:01:47', '2024-05-29 10:01:47'),
(12603, 12603, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>People in northern India have been struggling with an unrelenting, weekslong heat wave that has forced schools to close in some places and raised the risk of heatstrokes for laborers working outdoors.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s weather department expects the high temperatures to persist across the region for the next few days and has put several states on high alert.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some parts of India’s capital reported up to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with the weather bureau saying the temperatures were 9 degrees higher than expected. The nearby states of Punjab and Haryana also saw temperatures soar, with one place in Rajasthan topping the 50 C (122 F) mark.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 45 C (113 F).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The extreme heat in northern India has coincided with a 6-week general election, increasing health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their vote. The voting ends on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sizzling temperatures are also taking a toll on animals, putting them at risk of dehydration and heatstroke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sitaram, an animal conservationist in the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan who goes by one name, said that endangered chinkaras — also known as Indian gazelle — are facing a shortage for water. His rescue center has been looking after the sick and injured chinkaras and providing them shelter and water to beat the heat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">April, May and June are always hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India, with the warm weather getting more intense in the past decade and typically accompanied by severe water shortages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people lack running water. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 10:10:16', '2024-05-29 10:10:16'),
(12604, 12604, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A farmer was killed in a lightning strike in Balaganj upazila of Sylhet on Tuesday night.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Sajid Mia, 45, a resident of Mokbelpur village of Balaganj upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>According to locals, lightning hit Sajid Mia when he was fishing in a haor around 1 am.</div><div><br></div><div>He was taken to the Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 10:15:49', '2024-05-29 10:15:49'),
(12605, 12605, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-6 has provided aid and assistance to the cyclone-affected residents of Koyra in Khulna and Mongla in Bagerhat, following the devastating impact of Cyclone Remal.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The information was shared in a notification sent from RAB-6 Khulna office on Tuesday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 26 and 27, Cyclone Remal caused extensive damage in coastal areas of Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira, leaving many including farmers and workers helpless.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before the cyclone\'s landfall, RAB-6, in collaboration with local administrations and community leaders, alerted residents and actively participated in rescue operations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the cyclone, RAB-6 initiated distribution efforts, providing essential supplies including rice, pulses, flour, oil, beaten rice, jaggery, saline, and potable water to cyclone victims in Mongla and Koyra.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, the mobile medical team of RAB is providing necessary medical services to the cyclone victims.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The assistance efforts aim to mitigate the impact of food shortages, water scarcity, and the spread of water-borne diseases exacerbated by Cyclone Remal\'s aftermath.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 10:39:20', '2024-05-29 10:39:20'),
(12606, 12606, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the first five months of 2024, Bangladesh\'s readymade garment (RMG) industry has achieved a significant milestone in sustainable fashion, with 12 factories earning LEED certification.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized green building rating system that emphasizes environmental responsibility and energy efficiency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This recent accomplishment brings Bangladesh\'s total to 218 LEED-certified green factories, underscoring the country\'s commitment to green initiatives within the garment sector, according to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director Mohiuddin Rubel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the 218 certified factories, 84 have achieved the highest, platinum rating, 120 have earned gold, 10 silver, and 4 are certified, as reported by the BGMEA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the first five months of 2024, eight of the newly certified factories received the platinum rating, while the remaining four were awarded gold. Notable performers include S.M. Sourcing with 106 points and Green Textiles Limited Unit 4 with 104 points. Other high scorers include Integra Dresses and Knit Asia Limited, both achieving 99 points, Remi Holdings Ltd with 97 points, and Fatullah Apparels, also scoring 97 points.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh’s achievement positions the country as a leader in the global sustainable fashion movement, with 56 out of the 100 LEED-certified green factories worldwide located here, according to BGMEA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This includes 9 of the top 10 and 18 of the top 20 LEED-certified factories globally, based on BGMEA data.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The geographic distribution of these certifications within Bangladesh illustrates the RMG industry\'s widespread commitment to sustainability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By proactively achieving LEED ratings, Bangladesh\'s garments industry is setting a benchmark for environmental stewardship, positioning the country as a key player in the global push for more sustainable manufacturing practices. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 11:04:46', '2024-05-29 11:04:46'),
(12607, 12607, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Biman Bangladesh Airlines could be expanding its fleet with new aircraft from Airbus. Outgoing Managing Director and CEO of the national flag carrier, Shafiul Azim, made the indication during a views exchange meeting with the Aviation and Tourism Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting, held in Dhaka, saw the participation of ATJFB members led by their president, Tanzim Anwar. Addressing the forum, the outgoing Biman MD said that Airbus had proposed two offers to Biman for aircraft procurement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Initially, Airbus offered us two cargo planes, but we decided we do not need them at the moment. Instead, we expressed our interest in expanding our passenger fleet. Subsequently, Airbus proposed four passenger aircraft, which was a better offer. This proposal has been evaluated by the committee and forwarded to the board for approval,” Azim explained.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He emphasized the importance of diversifying their fleet, noting that currently, 16 out of 21 large aircraft in Biman’s fleet are from Boeing. “We are considering Airbus’s offers seriously. Diversifying our aircraft will not only mitigate risk but also appeal to passengers who appreciate newer models,” Azim said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding Boeing, Azim mentioned that they also received an offer from Boeing, which will be evaluated. “We have a longstanding relationship with Boeing, not just in terms of aircraft procurement but also their technical support and credit facilities. We are working well together,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Azim highlighted Biman’s advantageous position due to the competitive proposals from both Airbus and Boeing. He assured that regardless of the manufacturer chosen, Biman stands to benefit as a customer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When asked about the financial status of Biman, Azim confidently stated that Biman has been “profitable for eight out of the last ten years.” The two years of losses included one year heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and another due to significant payment obligations. “Despite challenges such as dollar shortages and ongoing global conflicts, we have remained profitable,” the Biman MD said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He further defended Biman’s financial health, pointing out that regular audits have confirmed their profitability. “We continue to hire, pay salaries and bonuses, including profit bonuses. If Biman wasn’t profitable, where would this money come from? To those who doubt our success, I pray they find guidance,” he remarked.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reflecting on his tenure, Azim expressed satisfaction with his management approach. “During my time, I never hesitated to reward deserving employees or to impose necessary disciplinary actions. I have used my authority to the fullest and believe that with effort, Biman can compete with the world’s leading airlines,” he stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing the frequent changes in Biman’s leadership, Azim underscored the need for a stable management system. “Our human and technical resources are competent. If systems and structures are in place, the organization won’t rely on any single individual. I have focused on establishing these systems,” he noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also recommended retaining experienced personnel in technical fields, regardless of age, as experience grows with time. “Biman should not function with the mindset of a government office; it is a commercial entity and should be managed commercially,” Azim advised.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He expressed a slight regret, wishing that four new aircraft could have been added to Biman’s fleet during his tenure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 26, the Ministry of Public Administration announced Md. Jahidul Islam Bhuiyan as the new Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. In a separate announcement, Shafiul Azim was promoted to Secretary of the Election Commission, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 11:24:04', '2024-05-29 11:24:04'),
(12608, 12608, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three soldiers have been killed in Rafah, the Israeli military said Wednesday. Israeli media reported that the soldiers were killed when a booby trap exploded Tuesday, and three other soldiers were wounded. The military says at least 290 soldiers have been killed since the ground operation in Gaza began in October.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel says it is carrying out limited operations in eastern Rafah along the Gaza-Egypt border. Palestinians in Rafah reported heavy fighting Wednesday as Israeli forces pressed their assault on the border town once seen as the territory’s last refuge. The United States and other allies of Israel have warned against a full-fledged offensive in the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli leaders say their forces must enter Rafah to dismantle Hamas and return hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fighting in Rafah has caused more than 1 million Palestinians to flee, most of whom had already been displaced in the war between Israel and Hamas. They now seek refuge in squalid tent camps and other war-ravaged areas, where they lack shelter, food, water and other essentials for survival, the U.N. says.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli bombardments and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 11:33:40', '2024-05-29 11:33:40'),
(12609, 12609, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A former chairman of Meherpara union was stabbed to death by miscreants at Bhagirathpur in Sadar upazila of Narsingdi district on Tuesday night.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Mahbubul Hasan, 40, general secretary of the Meherpara union unit of Awami League.</div><div><br></div><div>Quoting witnesses, Mostafizur Rahman, superintendent of Narsingdi Police, said that 7/8 miscreants swooped on Mahbubul around 12:15 am last night and stabbed him indiscriminately with sharp weapons, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>The miscreants carried out the attack when Mahbubul along with 8-10 of his followers was returning home from the AL office.</div><div><br></div><div>Two more people were injured in the attack as they tried to save the local Awami League leader. They were taken to Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared Mahbubul dead.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 12:01:27', '2024-05-29 12:01:27'),
(12610, 12610, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The motive behind the killing of MP Anwarul Azim Anar is yet to be ascertained as the mastermind is still in abroad, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman on Wednesday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What is the motive behind the killing of MP Anar? Neither the Bangladesh police nor the Indian police have been able to unearth it so far,” he said while talking to reporters after attending a programme at the DMP headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, police will try to bring back mastermind of the killing to the country through diplomatic efforts, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The motive will be known once the mastermind of the murder is arrested, said DMP Commissioner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime accused in the MP murder case Shaheen is now in the US and there is no extradition treaty between US and Bangladesh, he said adding “Police will try its level best to bring back him with utmost importance.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar went to Kolkata on May 11 for medical treatment and he remained untraced since May 14.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on May 22 said the MP was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, near Kolkata. A case was filed on May 22 following the death of MP Anar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 12:24:56', '2024-05-29 12:24:56'),
(12611, 12611, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States has said peacekeeping operations play an \"essential role\" in promoting international peace and security, and it is essential that peacekeeping personnel protect human rights.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"In accordance with the UN Due Diligence Policy, the UN relies on troop and police contributing countries to self-certify that they are not sending troops or police who are implicated in committing human rights violations or violations of international humanitarian law,\" said US Department of State Spokesperson Mathew Miller in a regular briefing.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He made the remarks when Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, former assistant press secretary to the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, raised Bangladesh specific questions at the briefing.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In a video of the media briefing shared by the US Department of State, Ansarey was seen reading out written questions.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the United Nations said it follows a three-step screening process when deploying troops in peacekeeping missions, to meet the highest standards of efficiency and integrity, including respect for and commitment to human rights.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Look, there are three parts to the screening. One thing involves self-certification; the other one involves the certification by the sending country, and obviously, there’s a procedure also by the High Commissioner’s Office for Human Rights,” Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, told a regular briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on May 22.</div><div><br></div><div>Ansarey has been referred to by Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud as someone “paid by BNP” to ask questions “purposefully for generating negative responses.”</div><div><br></div><div>“There’s someone who used to work for Khaleda Zia\'s press wing. He is paid by BNP. He asks questions purposefully to try and get negative answers about Bangladesh. He asks questions intentionally,\" Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters recently, apparently referring to Ansarey’s activities at the US State Department briefings.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to peacekeeping operations and the UN appreciates Bangladesh for its “steadfast and remarkable contribution” to peacekeeping operations over the years.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to another question on May 28, US State Department Spokesperson Miller said that they believe corruption saps economic growth, hinders development, destabilizes government, and undermines democracy, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have made anti-corruption a core national security interest since the outset of this administration, and our detailed implementation plan for this strategy has been articulated at a number of senior levels,\" Miller said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-29 12:48:19', '2024-05-29 12:48:19');
