INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7639, 7639, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Guatemalans go to the polls Sunday with two popular candidates disqualified and several prosecutors and journalists detained or in exile amid a government pushback on anti-corruption efforts.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twenty-two candidates are in the running with three in a clear lead: a former first lady, a UN diplomat, and an ex-dictator\'s daughter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All the candidates are the same and only come to rob (the people). I still don\'t know if I\'m going to vote,\" street vendor Nestor Figueroa told AFP in the capital Guatemala City.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Center-leftist Sandra Torres -- the ex-wife of deceased former leftist president Alvaro Colom -- leads with 21.3 percent, according to the most recent poll by the Prensa Libre newspaper, followed by centrist career diplomat Edmond Mulet with 13.4 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In third place, with 9.1 percent, is right-winger Zury Rios, daughter of former military strongman Efrain Rios Montt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The candidate of President Alejandro Giammattei\'s party, Manuel Conde, is fourth with 5.8 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The polls indicate a high possibility that the election will go to a runoff on August 20, with no single candidate likely to obtain the 50 percent minimum share of votes required to win in the first round.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two serious candidates have been ruled out of contention by the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), in decisions critics have condemned as flawed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carlos Pineda, who was the poll favorite at the time, lost a Constitutional Court appeal in May against his disqualification by the TSE for alleged irregularities in the registration of his candidacy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also out of the running, over allegations of financial impropriety against her vice-presidential running mate, is Thelma Cabrera -- a representative of the Mayan Indigenous group that makes up 40 percent of Guatemala\'s population.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Prensa Libre poll, distrust is high in the TSE and its perceived obscure decision-making, with more than one in ten saying they intended to cast a blank vote in protest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Manipulated\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 9.4 million of the country\'s 17.6 million people are eligible to take part in the election to replace conservative Giammattei, accused of increasing authoritarianism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About three-quarters of the population disapprove of his leadership of a country riddled with poverty, violence and graft.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country has a one-term presidential limit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Observers, rights activists, Indigenous groups and candidate Mulet have criticized what they perceive as increasingly iron State grip on institutions in a bid to protect a corrupt system benefiting those in power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under Giammattei, several former prosecutors of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN-backed entity closed by the government in 2019, have been arrested or forced into exile.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier this month, the founder of a newspaper critical of the government was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of money laundering dismissed as fake by press freedom groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The newspaper founded by Jose Ruben Zamora has been forced to close, and several of its journalists have fled the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Giammattei\'s Attorney General, Maria Consuelo Porras, is on a US list of \"corrupt actors.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All state institutions, including the electoral (body), are being manipulated by powerful groups linked to corruption and traditional oligarchal power,\" Edie Cux, director of the local chapter of NGO Transparency International, told AFP.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At stake Sunday, he added, was \"the rule of law, democracy and all guarantees and freedoms for the entire population.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Persecution\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For his part, Mulet had warned in an interview with AFP that the country was \"slowly sliding into an authoritarian model.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The persecution of media, journalists, justice operators, politicians... are worrying elements,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guatemala is one of the most unequal countries in Latin America, according to the World Bank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than half its inhabitants live in poverty and half of all children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, according to the UN.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Insecurity is another major election issue. Guatemala\'s homicide rate is 17.3 per 100,000 inhabitants -- almost three times the world average, according to the UN.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2022 there were 4,274 murders, half of them attributed to drug trafficking and gangs that are mainly engaged in extortion and contract killings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Torres and Rios have both evoked the tactics of Nayib Bukele in neighboring El Salvador in his controversial \"war\" on gangs which has won him adoration at home but opprobrium abroad over rights concerns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of Guatemalans flee the country every year in search of a better life abroad, many of them undertaking the dangerous, illegal journey to the United States only to be deported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Polling stations will open at 7:00 am Sunday and close 11 hours later, with the first results expected within hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There will also be voting for 160 members of Congress, 340 mayors and 20 delegates to the Central American Parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Voting is not compulsory. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 19:29:42', '2023-06-23 19:29:42'),
(7640, 7640, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin today left Dhaka for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on a 10-day visit to perform the holy Hajj as the Royal guest of the Saudi government.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Flight No: BG 331), carrying the President along with his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana and entourage members left the Hazrat Shahjalal (R) Internal Airport (HISA) at 2.30 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from president\'s family members, Prime Minister\'s Private and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Bangabhaban Secretaries and important senior officials concerned are accompanying the President during his visit to KSA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On his arrival at Jeddah airport at about 6:30 pm (Bangladesh Time), Mohammed Shahabuddin will be received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Bangladesh ambassador to KSA Dr. Mohammad Javed Patwary and embassy officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the schedule, the Head of the State will reside at Al Safa Royal Palace in Makkah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After performing all Hajj procedures, President Shahabuddin will move to Madinah for visiting (Ziyarah) the Mazar of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on July 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wrapping up his 10-day visit to the KSA for performing Hajj and Ziarat, the President is scheduled to leave the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah, for Dhaka on July 2 by a VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Flight No: BG 338). BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 19:52:33', '2023-06-23 19:52:33'),
(7641, 7641, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Indonesian livestreamer Christine Febriyanti stood in a room crammed with clothes in Jakarta, hawking colourful garments to hundreds of viewers on a TikTok livestream for a local fashion brand.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For the Vitamin C kind of girls, you\'ll fulfill all of your nutrient needs with these orange pants,\" the 25-year-old told the sales session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her pitch is part of a clamour for TikTok shopping in Indonesia, where users spent more money on the app than anywhere else in Southeast Asia over the past year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The region is a bright spot for TikTok, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, following months of intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations over users\' data security and the company\'s alleged ties to Beijing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew announced plans last week to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia, where it counts 325 million users, of whom 125 million are in Indonesia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As TikTok Shop grows in popularity, with Indonesians buying more than a third of goods sold in Southeast Asia over the past year, entrepreneurs are flocking to the platform to promote a range of tech, fashion and homemade products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are drawn to TikTok\'s e-commerce features that allow them to sell through livestreams or open online stores.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Febriyanti\'s 20-strong online retail employer Monomolly reported a 30 percent increase in revenue since kicking off a TikTok livestream drive last year, according to spokesperson Nadya Paramitha.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The platform\'s algorithm has jumpstarted the company\'s business, according to employees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has allowed sellers to \"reach new markets randomly\" instead of relying on interest-based search results on rival apps, said TikTok sales manager Chelvyana Onggo Winata.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Cookies and entertainment -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It isn\'t just companies that are using the platform.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DIY home streamers Panji Made Agung and his wife Astari Gita used to rely on their families to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they now sell as many as 1,000 cookie jars a month through TikTok livestreams, making 25 million rupiah ($1,700).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their viewers and sales ramped up because of their personalities, said Gita, who often flirts with her husband and makes him feel uncomfortable on camera.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We discovered selling products alone would not work. It has to touch people\'s emotions. It has to be entertaining,\" Gita said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They like our real-life humour as a couple and Agung being awkward.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TikTok Shop has capitalised on the Indonesian market, amassing more than two million sellers since it launched in 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It takes one percent commission and a charge of 20,000 rupiah ($0.13) for every item sold, building a growing market share against more established and bigger rivals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia represented 42 percent of TikTok\'s $4.4 billion regional gross merchandise value (GMV) last year, according to Singapore-based consultancy Momentum Works.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Virtual conversation\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Online shopper Aldi Alfarabi said he wasn\'t looking to spend money while scrolling through TikTok livestreams, but he often stumbled on items that took his fancy, such as a dinosaur backpack he recently bought.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is an engaging interaction through the virtual conversation,\" said the 29-year-old from Jakarta.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You can see exactly what you are buying.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts say TikTok\'s Indonesia strategy is catching on with shifting shopping habits as younger customers demand more engaging experiences to open their wallets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Indonesia\'s digital market is dominated by Generation Z,\" said Bhima Yudhistira, an analyst from Jakarta\'s Center of Economic and Law Studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As they are more adaptive to new things, the market patterns change swiftly.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So Southeast Asian online shopping -- pulled along by Indonesia -- is only going one way, he said, growing into what is predicted to become a $35 billion market next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That\'s only good news for sellers like Agung and Gita.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We asked our family to stop helping us. Now we can buy food and diapers for our child with our own money,\" said Gita.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We can also have fun a little bit.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 20:17:18', '2023-06-23 20:17:18'),
(7642, 7642, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A ship carrying 41,327 metric tonnes of coal has finally arrived at Payra Port 18 days after the Payra thermal power plant halted power generation due to coal shortage.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The MV Athena – the vessel which brought the first shipment since the closure of the plant – is scheduled to unload some of the coal that arrived while anchored in the channel by 3 pm on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vessel is scheduled to enter the jetty of the 1320 MW Payra thermal power plant on Friday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Four more coal-laden ships will arrive at Payra in the first week of July, according to plant officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plant Manager Md. Golam Mawla said the Payra thermal power plant is likely to resume power generation after storing about 2 lakh metric tons of coal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the official did not rule out the possibility of going into power generation from June 25.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country\'s largest thermal power plant, Payra, was completely shut down on June 5 due to fuel shortage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Due to the failure to pay the outstanding bills of $390 million caused by dollar shortage, production of a unit of the power plant was halted on May 25 as the companies involved stopped supplying coal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another unit\'s production continued until June 5 which was also shut down due to coal shortage. The shutdown of the country’s biggest thermal power plant led to weeks of nationwide load-shedding amid the hottest summer on record.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shah Abdul Hasib, superintending engineer (operation) of Payra Thermal Power Plant, said the opening of the LC was delayed due to the dollar crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outstanding bills worth “$100 million have already been cleared through the World Bank,” he said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 20:41:18', '2023-06-23 20:41:18'),
(7643, 7643, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine said Friday it had downed an entire barrage of 13 cruise missiles fired by Russian forces overnight targeting an airfield in the west of the country.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Thirteen of the occupiers\' cruise missiles were destroyed on June 23.... This time the attack was aimed at a military airfield in the Khmelnytskyi region,\" the Ukrainian air force said on social media. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 20:44:37', '2023-06-23 20:44:37'),
(7644, 7644, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US President Joe Biden\'s claim that he reduced the deficit by $1.7 trillion in a span of two years has been widely disputed by fact-checking organisations.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The analysis suggests that the reduction was primarily a consequence of the expiration of temporary pandemic-related spending measures rather than deliberate actions taken by the administration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Washington Post, renowned for its rigorous fact-checking process, has deemed Biden\'s claim “highly misleading,” and other fact-checkers have also disputed its accuracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A tweet from the verified account of US President Biden, on June 22, 2023, said: “I cut the deficit by 1.7 trillion dollars in two years – that\'s more than any president on record.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, according to the analysis provided by fact-checking reports, the $1.7 trillion reduction in spending touted by Biden was not a result of deliberate action taken by his administration but rather the expiration of pandemic emergency spending measures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These spending measures had automatic expiration provisions, meaning that the reduction in the deficit occurred due to the temporary nature of the pandemic-related spending, rather than intentional efforts by the president to address the national debt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In essence, the reduction was a consequence of the specific circumstances surrounding the pandemic emergency spending, rather than a testament to Biden\'s fiscal policies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Washington Post\'s assessment and other fact-checking organisations\' findings underscore the need to scrutinize political claims made by public figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The reports indicate that Biden\'s claim of a $1.7 trillion reduction in the deficit requires further examination and context to accurately understand the role played by his administration in this decline. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 21:18:42', '2023-06-23 21:18:42'),
(7645, 7645, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">One more person died from dengue in the 24 hours till Friday morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new number, the official death toll from dengue rose to 40 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, forty-six more people were hospitalised with dengue in the same period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the new patients, thirty-six were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1, 382dengue patients, including 1, 073 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far, the DGHS has recorded 6, 339 dengue cases, 4, 917 recoveries, and 40 deaths this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 22:40:25', '2023-06-23 22:40:25'),
(7646, 7646, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are ready to fight, offline.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a now-viral back-and-forth seen on Twitter and Instagram this week, the two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a \"cage match\" face off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It all started when Musk, who owns Twitter, responded to a tweet about Meta reportedly preparing to release a new Twitter rival called \"Threads.\" He took a dig about the world becoming \"exclusively under Zuck\'s thumb with no other options\" — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg\'s jiu jitsu training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'m up for a cage match if he is lol,\" Musk wrote late Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms, soon responded — and appeared to agree to Musk\'s proposal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Send me location,\" Zuckerberg wrote on a Wednesday night Instagram story, which showed a screenshot of Musk\'s tweet alongside another user\'s response urging the Twitter owner to \"start training.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts. The Facebook founder posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament last month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to Zuckerberg\'s location request on Wednesday, Musk proposed the Vegas Octagon. He then joked about his fighting skills and workout routine, suggesting that the fight may not be serious.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I have this great move that I call \'The Walrus\', where I just lie on top of my opponent &amp; do nothing,\" Musk wrote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But, even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter gained attention. An endless chain of memes and posts to \"choose your fighter\" have sprung up in response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The story speaks for itself,\" a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press. Zuckerberg has not commented further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the uncertainity of a cage match actually happening, bids are already being placed for a projected winner. DraftKings\' projected odds stood at 140+ for Musk and -160 for Zuckerberg on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Associated Press also reached out to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which owns the Octagon, and Twitter for statements. Twitter\'s press email responded with a poop emoji, its standard automated response to reporters. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 22:44:59', '2023-06-23 22:44:59'),
(7647, 7647, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Kajol will be next seen in the Netflix anthology film Lust Stories 2, in a segment directed by Amit R Sharma, which also stars Kumud Mishra. Amit has previously directed Kajol\'s actor-husband Ajay Devgn in their upcoming film Maidaan. In a recent interview when the director was asked about the similarities and differences between the two of them, Kajol jumped in and asked him to choose the better. This question left the director speechless.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Kajol in Lust Stories 2</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The trailer for Lust Stories 2 was released recently. In it we get a tease of Kajol\'s segment, where her character suspects her husband (played by Kumud Mishra) is lusting for their house help. She gets her replaced, much to his annoyance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Kajol\'s comment</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Now, during an interview with The Quint, Amit was asked about working with both Kajol and Ajay, and whether there were any similarities and differences in their approach. Before he could answer, Kajol interrupted with her question and quipped, “Ask him who is the better actor.\" Amit started giggling at this question and went on to point at Kajol. When asked again, Amit laughed and said, “I have answered.” Just when Amit started to answer and elaborate on the differences between the two, Kajol again quipped in and said, “I talk a lot more” in comparison to Ajay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Amit on Kajol and Ajay as actors</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amit said, “Both are punctual, on time, like dot on time. Both have no tantrums and both are amazing actors.” To this, Kajol said, “Only one of them certain phobias, the other one does not have those phobias. I have those phobias which he tapped in to and which he made full use of for the film.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ajay\'s Maidaan has been delayed number of times. The final date of release has not been revealed yet. Ajay Devgn was last seen in Bholaa, which was a box office success. Meanwhile, Kajol also has the release of her debut web series The Trial in the pipeline. The courtroom drama sees Kajol playing a housewife named Noyonika Sengupta, who is forced to return to work as a lawyer after her husband’s public scandal puts him behind bars. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-23 23:44:36', '2023-06-23 23:44:36'),
(7648, 7648, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the biggest achievement of the AL, which is involved in every achievement of the Bangalees, is bringing independence for the country.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL leader said these while exchanging views with journalists at his official residence here after placing wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in city\'s Dhanmondi-32 area on the occasion of the 74th founding anniversary of the Awami League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting the achievements and endeavors of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for developing the country, the minister said today, Bangladesh has been elevated to middle-income country from low-developed one under the leadership of Awami League president and the premier Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The country has also been upgraded from a food deficit country to a self-sufficient one and as a result, Bangladesh has earned a prestigious place in the world, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For that reason, if you want to write the history of the Bangalee, you have to write the name of Awami League,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib started the independence movement in 1966 through placing the six-point demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following that path of emancipation, Bangabandhu achieved his main goal of having an independent Bangladesh through the mass uprising of 1969, the elections of 1970 and the War of Liberation in 1971, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL joint general secretary recalled that the War of Liberation was conducted under the first official government of the People\'s Republic of Bangladesh (popularly known as the Mujibnagar Government), he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was declared the president of the new government, he said, adding that Syed Nazrul Islam was given the charge of Vice-President and Tajuddin Ahmed was made the Prime Minister of that government alongside appointing the sector commanders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"And when Bangabandhu was leading the war-ravaged country forward after independence, he was assassinated,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sun of Bengal\'s independence sat on June 23 in 1757 in the \'Battle of Palashi\', the information minister said, adding the establishment of Awami League on June 23, 1949 was to bring back that lost independence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And this AL\'s leadership brought the country\'s independence in 1971, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That\'s why this day is very important for the Bangalee nation and Bangladesh,\" he continued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Narrating the inception of Awami League to the journalists on this day, Dr Hasan said Awami Muslim League was formed on this day in 1949 in the Rose Garden in Dhaka with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani as president and Shamsul Huq as general secretary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The young leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the number one joint general secretary there, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the leadership of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh will move forward on the path of fulfilling the dreams of the father of the nation, great martyrs and freedom fighters, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He hoped the country will become a developed and prosperous country by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the inception of AL, he further said, in order to sharpen the non-communal spirit, the word \'Muslim\' was removed and the name of the party became Awami League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan Awami League was founded in 1950, with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy as its president while Bangabandhu was elected the president of Awami League in 1966, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Awami League has brought many achievements to the Bengali nation even before independence, Dr Hasan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the central government was formed under the leadership of Awami League President Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1956, the national celebration of Great Language Martyrs Day started on February 21.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 1952, the Pakistani government accepted the demand to make Bengali as the state language but did not establish it, he said, adding that rather, Awami League government did it.&nbsp; BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 00:01:47', '2023-06-24 00:01:47'),
(7649, 7649, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak today said it is the duty of all to reach the story of the glorious life of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the new generation and there can be no better option than an animation film in this regard.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister said this while inaugurating the premiere show of an animation film \'Mujib Bhai\', based on Bangabandhu\'s autobiography the \'Unfinished Memoirs\' at capital\'s Simanto Somvar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The film tried to depict the life struggle of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the synopsis of his achievements, how he became Mujib Bhai for all the people of Bangladesh from the boy Khoka. How he became a leader from a student of Dhaka University, how he made his place in the hearts of the masses,\" Palak added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister further said this movie will play an important role in taking forward the country\'s animation industry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Produced by ICT Division, the story of the film was written by Ajay Dasgupta, dialogue and screenplay by Adnan Adib Khan, and was directed by Chandan Kumar Barman and Sohel Mohammad Rana. The executive producers of the film are Jinat Farzana, Arif Mohammad and Md Shafiul Alam. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 00:07:13', '2023-06-24 00:07:13'),
(7650, 7650, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Friday alleged that the Hindus, the largest religious minority in Bangladesh, are gradually leaving the country for lack of security.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;“People of all classes and professions, regardless of religion and caste, came together in 1971 to fight for the independence of the country holding a spirit that persecution, exploitation and discrimination against caste and religion by Pakistanis are not conducive to a healthy political state,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, regretted that the members of the Hindus have gradually been leaving Bangladesh after independence.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Kalyan Front.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gayeshwar, the chief advisor of the platform, said the Hindus are not now leaving the country by marching together in groups like in the 1964 riots. “But they\'re leaving every day and we may not guess it. If we look at the statistics, we see that the number of Hindus is gradually decreasing.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said around 37% population of the territory of Bangladesh were Hindus in the 60s, but it has now come down to less than 10%. “That means the number of Hindus is decreasing gradually.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the reasons for the exodus of the minority community, the BNP leader said Hindus lack social security and are being deprived of their civil rights enshrined in the constitution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, he also said the administration does not give much importance to the complaints of religious minorities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The administration does not monitor the rights and security issues of the minorities. The sad fact is that the people of the minority communities in Bangladesh are neglected everywhere, including the court and administration,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gayeshwar said many Hindus of the country choose India as their second home as they fear they may not be able to stay in their birthplace.&nbsp; “They (Hindus) hold this mentality due to the failure of the administration and the state machinery. The state has failed to gain the trust of all communities that Bangladesh is for all of its citizens.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a written speech, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Kalyan Front Chairman Bijon Kanti Sarker said the scenario of persecution of religious minorities presented in the letter of six US Congressmen to US President Joe Biden is actually even direr in reality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The issue of insecurity of minorities during the last 15 years is much more grievous than what has been depicted in the letter. Though it appears that a partial scenario was portrayed in the letter of the Congressmen, we think it is the expression of truth. That\'s why we appreciate this initiative of the six US Congressmen.\" UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 00:16:38', '2023-06-24 00:16:38');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7651, 7651, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said if Awami League stays in power, the fate of the country’s people will improve further.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ve brought a massive change….....This change would never have happened if Awami League did not come to power. If the Awami League stays (in power), the fate of the people will be changed further,\" she said, highlighting her government’s successes and achievements in different sectors over the last 14 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said this while chairing a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Awami League on the occasion of the 74th founding anniversary of the ruling party at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said after the people voted for the AL election symbol ‘boat’ the people have witnessed the change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina, also the AL president, asked all to work for the country so that none can play ducks and drakes with the fate of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I know now many ploys and conspiracies continue. When AL is in government, the people get benefits and the fate of the people get changes. It is a proven fact” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said her government has been fulfilling every basic need –food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education-- of the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said AL was founded by the people and for the people. So, serving the people is the job of the party, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that her government has advanced a long way in implementation of the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said Bangladesh will attain the final status of a developing country in 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ll have to continue boosting production and increasing the literacy rate. Economically we need to increase our capacity,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pointing at the suffering of the people due to commodity price hikes, she said the people are now passing a tough time. “We are trying franticaly to ease the suffering of the people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM urged the affluent section of the society to stand by the poor in this tough time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She reiterated her firm commitment to improve the life of the people further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“No man will live unhealthily. We will provide everyone with a beautiful home and a beautiful life. This will be the promise of Awami League on its foundation anniversary day. We will fulfill the dream of the father of the nation,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said Awami League started making a planned development of Bangladesh, assuming power in 2009.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Focusing on her government\'s achievements in the country’s different sectors and social indexes, she drew a comparison between the fag end of BNP regime in 2006 and AL present regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the size of budget was Tk 761,785 crore in FY2023-24, only Tk 61,000 crore in 2006, the size of GDP increased to Tk 50.31 lakh crore now from only Tk 4.15 lakh crore, the economic growth rate to 7.25 percent (average 6pc) from 5.40 percent in 2006, the size of ADP to Tk 274,674 crore from TK 21,500 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said the nominal per capita income has increased to US$ 2,825 from only US$ 543 in 2006, though it now has dropped to US$ 2,765, while the reserve of foreign currencies to US$ 48 billion once during the Covid-19 period from only US$ 0.74 billion during the BNP regime. Still there is a reserve of US$ 30.83 billion now, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The volume of export earnings surged to US$ 52.97 billion from only US$ 10.05 billion in 2006, the annual remittance inflow to US$ 24.03 billion from only US$ 4.8 billion during the BNP period, the revenue collection to over Tk 500,000 crore from Tk 37,870 crore, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said the poverty rate declined to 18.7 percent now from 41.51 percent in BNP regime, while the extreme poverty rate to 5.6 percent from 25.1 percent, the child mortality rate to 21/1000 live births from 84/ 1000 live births, the maternal mortality rate to 161/100,000 now from 370/100,000 in 2006 and the dropout rate in primary education to 13 percent from 49 percent</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the average life expectancy increased to 73 years from 60 years, the electricity generation to 25,227 megawatt from 3078 megawatt, the beneficiaries under the electricity coverage to 100 percent of the population from only 28 percent in 2006, the sanitary latrine coverage to 97.32 percent from 43.28 percent, the access to drinking water to 98.8 percent from 55 percent, the allocation for social safely programmes to Tk 126,272 crore (16.58pc of the budget) from Tk 2,105 crore (4pc) and the number of beneficiaries under the social safety net to 1,8,123,554 from 21,49,357 during the BNP regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The literacy rate rose to 75 percent from 45 percent, the number of primary schools to 118,891 from 65,672, food production to 9.80 crore metric tons from 2.61 crore metric tons, food grains production to 4.92 crore metric tons from 1.80 crore metric tons, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The users of internet increased to 73.5 percent from 0.23 percent of the people, the number of mobile SIM subscription to 183 million from only 19 million, the number of freelancers to 670,000 from only 200, the number of digital services to 2,180 from a handful ones, the number of government websites to 51,678 from only 98 ones, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said the rural road network was increased to 89,874 km from 3,133km in the BNP regime. “That’s means we’ve brought a massive change in Bangladesh,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, its advisory council member Tofail Ahmed, its presidium members Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, organising secretaries Shafiul Alam Nadel and Afzal Hossain, health and family welfare affairs secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, central working committee member Akhtar Jahan, AL Dhaka south city unit president Abu Ahmed Mannafi and Dhaka north city unit president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman spoke at the discussion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and his deputy Syed Abdul Awal Shamim jointly moderated the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Awami League was founded on June 23, 1949. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 03:27:32', '2023-06-24 03:27:32'),
(7652, 7652, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian military contractor Wagner Group, has sparked an escalating war of words with his country’s military leaders, indicating that he was prepared to go “all the way” to confront them.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, Prigozhin posted an audio message on the social media app Telegram, claiming that his fighters had crossed from Ukraine into the Russian border city of Rostov-on-Don — and that they would fight anyone who tried to stop them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We crossed state lines into Russia,” Prigozhin said, describing a peaceful entry into the country. “Border guards came out to meet us and hugged our fighters.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was the latest provocation from Prigozhin since Russian authorities announced they would launch a criminal case against the mercenary chief, over threats he allegedly made to remove the country’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, Prigozhin accused Shoigu of ordering a rocket attack on Wagner’s field camps in Ukraine, where its soldiers are fighting on behalf of Russia. In an audio posted to Telegram, Prigozhin railed against the rocket blasts and the toll it has taken on Wagner forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Huge numbers of our fighters, of our combat comrades, have been killed,” he said. “The evil that the military leadership of the country bears must be stopped. They neglect the lives of soldiers. They forget the word justice.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin estimated that 2,000 of his fighter had been killed in the blasts, though he failed to provide evidence for that death toll. His message included a call to action that the Russian government has since interpreted as an appeal to mutiny.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are 25,000 of us, and we’re going to figure out why this chaos is happening in the country,” Prigozhin said, indicating that he had more forces in reserve and support from military members. “Everyone is welcome to join. We must end this disgrace.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin’s words were a significant escalation in his long-running standoff with the Russian defence ministry. In response, the ministry issued a statement saying Prigozhin’s accusations were “not true and are an informational provocation”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin said his actions did not amount to a military coup but were rather “a march of justice”. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 12:46:51', '2023-06-24 12:46:51'),
(7653, 7653, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday reached Jeddah of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to perform the holy Hajj as the Royal guest of the Saudi government.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines , carrying the President along with his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana and entourage members landed at Jeddah international airport this afternoon local time .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On arrival at Jeddah airport president Mohammed Shahabuddin was received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Bangladesh ambassador to KSA Dr. Mohammad Javed Patwary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From there, the VVIP delegation, as Royal guest, was driven to the place of residence at Safa Royal Palace in the Holy Makkah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, President Mohammed Shahabuddin exchanged greetings with the passengers in the flight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this afternoon .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the VVIP Lounge of the airport, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, dean of diplomatic corps, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other civil and military high officials concerned saw him off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After performing Holly Hajj , President Mohammed Shahabuddin will move to Madinah for visiting (Ziarat) the Mazar of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Shahabuddin is scheduled to return home on July 3. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 14:11:52', '2023-06-24 14:11:52'),
(7654, 7654, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Manchester United have had a third bid for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, worth about £55m, rejected.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United had warned they would walk away from negotiations with the Blues if the offer was not accepted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsea are thought to want at least £58m plus another £7m in possible add-ons for the England international.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, United feel that figure is excessive as Mount only has a year left on his contract and talks about an extension have stalled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United have previously had bids worth up to £40m and £50m for Mount rejected by their Premier League rivals. It is understood Chelsea have told United they are prepared to meet to resolve the matter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag wants Mount to be his first signing of the summer as he looks to strengthen his side following their qualification for next season\'s Champions League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Personal terms are not thought to be a problem and United are confident the player wants to make the move to Old Trafford.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mount, who has scored 33 goals in 195 appearances for Chelsea since making his debut in 2019, missed the end of the domestic season with injury as the Blues came 12th - their lowest finish for more than 25 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He won the Champions League in 2021 with Chelsea and started their 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final. He has also won the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup with the Blues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 24-year-old has been capped 36 times by England, scoring five goals, and was part of manager Gareth Southgate\'s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mount came through Chelsea\'s academy before joining Dutch side Vitesse on loan for the 2017-18 season, scoring nine goals in 29 Eredivisie appearances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The following campaign he was loaned to Derby County, scoring eight goals in 35 Championship games under manager Frank Lampard as the Rams suffered a 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa in the play-off final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon his return to Chelsea in 2019, Mount made his breakthrough under the newly appointed Lampard and became a key player at Stamford Bridge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month Chelsea appointed former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, replacing interim boss Lampard who took over after Graham Potter was sacked.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The situation with Mason Mount has been bubbling for some time and now looks to be coming to an end.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsea want to keep Mount but his contract situation, the lack of agreement and Manchester United\'s long pursuit suggest this is only going to end one way.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Todd Boehly and the Clearlake group took over they made a point of not wanting to let players get into the last two years of their contracts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They had been stung the previous season when they lost Antonio Rudiger on a free to Real Madrid, which left them with a lot to do in the transfer market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsea made two contract offers to Mount last year and the wages would have been comparable to other big-name players at Stamford Bridge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an attempt to try to find a resolution, Chelsea even discussed with Mount\'s camp the possibility of extending his contract for a year, increasing his money and giving everyone more time to find a solution - but like the other two offers, it was rejected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The main issue with these negotiations is that Chelsea and the player have not been able to agree on wages. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 14:17:42', '2023-06-24 14:17:42'),
(7655, 7655, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN Under Secretary General for Department of Peace Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on June 25-26.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He will be visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN Under-Secretary-General will join a preparatory discussion of the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting (UNPKM) during his stay in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial is an important opportunity for Member States to come together in a collective effort to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and their impact on the communities they serve, according to UN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2023, the Peacekeeping Ministerial will be hosted by Ghana in Accra on 5-6 December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is the latest in a series of meetings held at the Head of State, Government, or Ministerial level since 2014, including in Seoul in 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discussions will focus on concrete measures to improve operations in line with ongoing reform through Action for Peacekeeping, A4P+ and the Digital Transformation Strategy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With missions facing greater challenges than ever, the Ministerial will focus on protection of civilians, strategic communications (including addressing mis-disinformation and hate speech), safety and security, the mental health of peacekeepers, and women in peacekeeping as outlined in the Concept Note.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The South Asian nation first deployed uniformed personnel to serve with the Organization in 1988 when they were deployed to help monitor the armistice between Iran and Iraq.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the past three decades, the contributions of these brave men and women in the countries in which they serve have been immense, according to UN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Catherine Pollard, UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, arrived in Dhaka on Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh Stefan Liller welcomed her on behalf of the UN office in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two top UN officials are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the visit. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 14:21:27', '2023-06-24 14:21:27'),
(7656, 7656, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The head of the Wagner mercenary group vowed Saturday to \"go to the end\" to topple the Russian military leadership, whom he accused of launching strikes on his men, while the country\'s prosecutor general said he was under investigation for \"armed rebellion\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are going onwards and we will go to the end,\" Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, said in an audio message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will destroy everything that stands in our way,\" he added in the most audacious challenge to President Vladimir Putin since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He later claimed his forces had shot down a Russian military helicopter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A helicopter has just now opened fire at a civilian column. It has been shot down by units of PMC Wagner,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin earlier said his forces, who have spearheaded much of Russia\'s offensive, had entered the southern Russian region of Rostov but did not provide any proof and AFP could not independently verify his claims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Moscow, authorities have tightened security measures, with critical facilities \"put under reinforced protection\", the TASS state-run news agency reported, citing a law enforcement source.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The FSB security service urged Wagner fighters to \"take measures to detain\" Prigozhin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin was being given regular updates on the unfolding tensions between the Wagner group and the defence ministry, the Kremlin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov had informed Putin of \"the initiation of a criminal case in connection with an attempt to organise an armed rebellion,\" Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Missile strikes -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The extraordinary developments came after Prigozhin accused Moscow of targeting his forces with deadly missile strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They (Russia\'s military) conducted missile strikes at our rear camps. A huge number of our fighters, our comrades died,\" Prigozhin said in a series of furious audio messages released by his spokespeople.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The council of commanders of PMC Wagner has made a decision -- the evil that the military leadership of the country brings must be stopped.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He warned Russians against resisting his forces and called on them to join him, adding \"there are 25,000 of us\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We need to put an end to this mess,\" he said, adding, \"this is not a military coup, but a march of justice\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement, the FSB said: \"Prigozhin\'s statements and actions are in fact a call to start an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and a stab in the back to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Prigozhin\'s outfit has spearheaded much of Russia\'s offensive in Ukraine, he has in recent months engaged in a bitter feud with Moscow\'s military leadership and has repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters\' deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Provocation\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian defence ministry denied Prigozhin\'s claims of an attack on his forces, saying the statements \"do not correspond to reality\", and calling them a \"provocation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It later said Ukrainian troops were taking advantage of the infighting to ready an assault near the east Ukraine hotspot of Bakhmut.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A prominent Russian general urged Prigozhin to call off efforts to remove the leadership of Moscow\'s defence ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I urge you to stop,\" Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russia\'s aerospace forces, said in a highly unusual video address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country. Before it is too late, it is necessary... to obey the will and order of the popularly elected President of the Russian Federation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv said it was monitoring the infighting in Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are watching,\" the Ukrainian defence ministry tweeted, while Ukraine\'s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said rival Russian factions had begun to \"eat each other over power and money\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine was also on high alert after new Russian missile strikes Saturday, with explosions reported in Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Russia and Washington \"will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments\", National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, Prigozhin said Moscow\'s forces were retreating in Ukraine\'s east and south following the start of Kyiv\'s counteroffensive early this month. That directly contradicted Putin\'s account that Ukraine was suffering \"catastrophic\" losses and that there was a lull in fighting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are washing ourselves in blood,\" Prigozhin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No one is bringing reserves. What they tell us is the deepest deception,\" he added, referring to the Russian military and political leadership.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Questioning military operation -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After years of operating in the shadows, Prigozhin has now admitted to running the elusive mercenary group Wagner and even interfering in US elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His forces, bolstered by tens of thousands of prison recruits, played a central role in Russia\'s capture of the town of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk, the longest and bloodiest battle of the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, this week he accused Moscow\'s top brass of deceiving Russians about the offensive in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Why did the special military operation begin?\" he said. \"The war was needed for the self-promotion of a bunch of bastards.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rarely has such a controversial figure shot to this degree of prominence on the Russian political stage under Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin rose from a modest background to become part of the inner circle around Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He spent nine years in prison in the final period of the USSR after being convicted of fraud and theft. In the chaos of the 1990s, he began a moderately successful business selling hot dogs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From there he fell into the restaurant business and opened a luxury location in Saint Petersburg whose customers included Putin, then making the transition from working in the KGB to local politics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, in recent months, Prigozhin has become embroiled in a bitter power struggle with the defence ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He has accused the Russian military of attempting to \"steal\" victories in Ukraine from his forces, and slammed Moscow\'s \"monstrous bureaucracy\" for slowing military gains. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 15:52:03', '2023-06-24 15:52:03'),
(7657, 7657, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chelsea have embarked on a fire sale following their stunning spending spree, trimming their bloated squad in an effort to comply with financial regulations as they prepare for a new era under Mauricio Pochettino.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their first year under the ownership of an American consortium, Chelsea spent more on transfer fees than any club has ever done in a 12-month period, only to finish 12th in the Premier League -- their lowest placing since 1994.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The arrival of RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku this week has added to the outlay of more than o500 million ($635 million).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But most of Chelsea\'s business is focused on departures, with key players in the squad that won the Champions League just two years ago set to leave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France midfielder N\'Golo Kante has already said his goodbyes to join a wave of star footballers heading to Saudi Arabia, with other Chelsea players expected to follow him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A potential influx of Saudi cash could prove vital to Chelsea\'s chances of complying with the Premier League\'s financial fair play (FFP) rules.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clubs are allowed a maximum loss of o105 million over a three-year period, with deductions allowed for spending on infrastructure, youth and women\'s football.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsea looked set to be well over that limit, having posted o275 million worth of losses in the final two years of Roman Abramovich\'s reign, even before LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity group Clearlake Capital took charge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the club\'s new signings last season such as Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk were handed eight-year deals to minimise the impact of their transfer fees on the books.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For FFP purposes, transfer fees are spread over the number of years of the contract.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By contrast, sales can be registered in full as soon as they are completed and Chelsea are in a rush to get business done before the end of football\'s financial year on June 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Havertz, Kovacic on the move -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A number of Chelsea\'s Premier League rivals are circling, keen to take advantage of cut-price deals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Croatia international Mateo Kovacic is on the verge of joining English champions Manchester City for an initial o25 million.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">England\'s Mason Mount is the subject of serious interest from Manchester United, with just 12 months left on his deal at Stamford Bridge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Germany forward Kai Havertz is close to joining London rivals Arsenal for o65 million, while Marc Cucurella could reportedly join Newcastle for around half the o60 million he cost Chelsea to sign from Brighton year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi interest in Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech is making waves.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All three found themselves out of favour last season and getting their wages off the books along with receiving a significant transfer fee would come as a blessing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Business links between the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Clearlake have resulted in accusations of a conflict of interest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has called for an embargo on transfers from Premier League clubs to Saudi to \"ensure the integrity of the game isn\'t being damaged\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the Premier League reportedly investigated any links between Chelsea\'s ownership group and the PIF at the time of last year\'s takeover and was apparently happy there was no conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hard work in transforming Chelsea\'s fortunes on the field, though, still lies ahead for Pochettino on his return to English football.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The club\'s hierarchy are banking on the Argentine to develop the abundance of young talent at his disposal, much like he did as Tottenham boss between 2014 and 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the competition at the top of the Premier League is even tougher now with PIF-backed Newcastle joining the traditional top six of City, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in the battle for Champions League places.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And Chelsea\'s reckless splurge over the past year could end up strengthening their rivals should Havertz, Mount and Kovacic go on to shine at their new clubs. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 15:56:00', '2023-06-24 15:56:00'),
(7658, 7658, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that a new and glorious journey of the India-US ties has begun and the world is watching the two great democracies strengthening their bond to make the world better, as he wrapped up his four-day State Visit to the US.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing a boisterous gathering of Indian community members at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here on Friday, Modi said the full potential of the partnership between the two countries is yet to be realised.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the India-US partnership is all about making the world better again in the 21st century.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two countries have seen convergence on global issues and their growing ties will be a boost for \"make in India and make for the world\" efforts, he said, referring to a raft of agreements on technology transfer, boosting manufacturing and strengthening the industrial supply chain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India is the mother of democracy and the US is the champion of modern democracy, and the world is watching the strengthening of ties of two great democracies, the prime minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the diaspora will play a big role in helping realise the true potential of the two countries\' ties and this is the right time to invest more and more in India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Together we are not just forming policies and agreements. We are shaping lives, dreams and destinies,\" he said of the India-US ties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both countries are taking strong steps for a better future, he said at the event, which was the last engagement on his busy agenda in the US before leaving for Egypt on a State Visit at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lauding the diaspora for its conduct and contribution to the US, he credited them for strengthening bilateral ties and described the relations between the two countries as not only about commerce and trade but emotional as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He announced that people of Indian origin will not have to leave the US for H-1B visa renewal, drawing massive applause from people present in the hall and outside listening to him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">IT professionals will benefit greatly from this, he said, adding that a pilot project will begin this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This facility may also be extended to L-category visa (intra-company transfer visa) depending on experience, Modi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Boosting facilities for the diaspora is also a priority for India, Modi said, adding that the country will now open a new consulate in Seattle and two in other cities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US is also opening new consulates in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, the prime minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In the last three days, a new and glorious journey of the mutual relationship between India and the US has begun,\" Modi said of his visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His maiden State visit to the US was marked by his extensive talks with President Joe Biden in the White House on every day of his three-day stay in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also became the first Indian leader to have addressed the joint session of the Congress twice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also addressed young entrepreneurs and met top CEOs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his nearly 35-minute address to members of the Indian diaspora, Modi lauded Biden as a seasoned and sorted leader and praised his efforts in taking the ties between the countries to a new high.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I publicly praise his efforts,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that General Electric has decided to manufacture fighter plane engines in India, he said it will prove to be a milestone for India\'s defence sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this decision, the US will not only share technology but also mutual trust, he said, shining a light on the growing bonhomie between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this context, the prime minister spoke of several leading US companies\' decision to invest in India in a raft of sectors and said this will boost employment, technology and innovation in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As his visit to the US ended, Modi tweeted, \"Concluding a very special USA visit, where I got to take part in numerous programmes and interactions aimed at adding momentum to the India-USA friendship. Our nations will keep working together to make our planet a better place for the coming generations.\" In his address, Modi told the community members, \"You are filled with pride to see how India\'s strength is giving a new direction to the world\'s development. India today is among some countries where the economy is growing at such a fast pace. The world is looking at your India\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid chants of \'Modi, Modi\', he said the biggest reason behind India\'s progress is its self-confidence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of years of slavery had snatched its self-confidence but the new India has today got it back, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new India knows its path and direction and has no confusion about its decisions and resolve. It is now turning its potential into performance, Modi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He cited massive infrastructure projects going on in the country to assert that India\'s new growth story is being written in many tier-2 and tier-3 cities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The investment India is making in its infrastructure has never happened earlier and the digital revolution it has seen is unprecedented, Modi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said the affection he received during his visit has been wonderful and credited the diaspora\'s hard work, conduct and contribution to the US\' development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Google\'s Artificial Intelligence research centre will work on over 100 Indian languages, and it will be of a lot of help to those not conversant with English, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modi also announced that a Tamil studies chair will be established at the University of Houston with the Indian government\'s help and told the audience to be proud of the fact that Tamil is the \"world\'s oldest language\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also expressed his happiness at the US government\'s decision to return over 100 antiquities which found a way out of India through illegal means.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He praised the US government for respecting the feelings of India and Indians and said this further strengthens their ties. PTI</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 17:24:10', '2023-06-24 17:24:10');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7659, 7659, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The country’s maritime ports have been advised to hoist the local cautionary signal 3 as deep convection is taking place over the North Bay due to active monsoon, said the weather department on Saturday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Squally weather is likely to affect the maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra, said the Met office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice, it reads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maritime ports asked to hoist cautionary signal 3</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Met office forecast light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind at most places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maritime ports advised to lower signal</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also predicted rain or thunder showers may increase in 72 from 9 am on Saturday. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 17:30:17', '2023-06-24 17:30:17'),
(7660, 7660, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 95 at 8:57 am, Dhaka ranked 12th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, India’s Delhi and South Africa\'s Johannesburg occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 156, 155 and 154, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ Friday morning</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka’s air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups Saturday morning</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 17:32:24', '2023-06-24 17:32:24'),
(7661, 7661, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Vladimir Putin will \"soon\" address the nation, the Kremlin said Saturday, as Russia faced a rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group that has vowed to topple Moscow\'s military leadership.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Putin will make an address soon\", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 17:35:41', '2023-06-24 17:35:41'),
(7662, 7662, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least Seven people were burned dead after the gas cylinder of a microbus exploded on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Maligram in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district on Saturday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Couple who suffered burns in fire from ‘gas line leak’ in Dhaka\'s Tejgaon dies</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tayumul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police, said a fire broke out in the microbus as its gas cylinder went off, leaving five people dead on the spot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wari fire death toll rises to 2</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, police and fire service men rushed to the spot. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 18:54:07', '2023-06-24 20:42:29'),
(7663, 7663, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Denmark on Saturday hosts a meeting organised by Ukraine bringing together several nations -- including those who have remained neutral on the Russian invasion -- to discuss a path towards peace.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Few details have leaked about the meeting. However a Western official speaking on condition of anonymity said that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan would attend.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting in Copenhagen aims to discuss ways of achieving a \"just and lasting peace\" in Ukraine, the source said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The invitees include top security officials from the United States, the European Union and other countries that have backed Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those that have not condemned the invasion, the source added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They did not specify which countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have worked very hard inside (the) G7 on a peace formula,\" said a European diplomatic source, also speaking on condition of anonymity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"So the idea is to go beyond that and involve key actors like Brazil and India. We frankly expect and wish that China will be there.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting was first reported by the UK\'s Financial Times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It cited sources familiar with the plans as saying the meeting could include officials from Brazil, India and South Africa, although the list of attendees had not been finalised.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Path to peace summit -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those three states, along with China, are part of the BRICS bloc with Russia, and have not joined the West in sanctioning Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The FT cited a source saying that Kyiv had asked Washington to encourage Brazil, India and South Africa to attend, as well as China and Turkey -- a NATO member that has kept good ties with Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington on Thursday, where he said in a joint statement with US President Joe Biden, that he backed the \"territorial integrity\" of Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discussions in Denmark are expected to be informal, without a resulting official statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they are seen as a milestone on the path to a peace summit organised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A date has not yet been set for this summit, which could be held in Copenhagen or Paris in the coming months, but the EU has said \"substantial\" preparation was necessary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We consider that it is fundamental to have as broad support as possible from the international community,\" said the European diplomat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Obtaining new support is crucial for Kyiv, whose counteroffensive, which began in early June, has so far only seen modest gains.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This week, foreign donors at an international conference in London pledged 60 billion euros ($66 billion) in new financial support for the reconstruction of Ukraine. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 18:57:39', '2023-06-24 18:57:39'),
(7664, 7664, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">When it comes to flying, going green may cost you more. And it\'s going to take a while for the strategy to take off.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sustainability was a hot topic this week at the Paris Air Show, the world’s largest event for the aviation industry, which faces increasing pressure to reduce the climate-changing greenhouse gases that aircraft spew.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even the massive orders at the show got a emissions-reduction spin: Airlines and manufacturers said the new planes will be more fuel-efficient than the ones they replace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But most of those planes will burn conventional, kerosene-based jet fuel. Startups are working feverishly on electric-powered aircraft, but they won\'t catch on as quickly as electric vehicles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Global warming making flight turbulence worse, says UK study</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It\'s a lot easier to pack a heavy battery into a vehicle if you don\'t have to lift it off the ground,” said Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at New York University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That means sustainable aviation fuel has become the industry\'s best hope to achieve its promise of net zero emissions by 2050. Aviation produces 2% to 3% of worldwide carbon emissions, but its share is expected to grow as travel increases and other industries become greener.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plastic Pollution: Harmful effects on human health and environment</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sustainable fuel, however, accounts for just 0.1% of all jet fuel. Made from sources like used cooking oil and plant waste, SAF can be blended with conventional jet fuel but costs much more.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suppliers are “going to be able to kind of set the price,\" Molly Wilkinson, an American Airlines vice president, said at the air show. \"And we fear that at that point, that price eventually is going to trickle down to the passenger in some form of a ticket price.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With such a limited supply, critics say airlines are making overly ambitious promises and exaggerating how quickly they can ramp up the use of SAF. The industry even has skeptics: Nearly one-third of aviation sustainability officers in a GE Aerospace survey doubt the industry will hit its net zero goal by 2050.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Together, let us shape a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Delta Air Lines is being sued in U.S. federal court by critics who say the carrier falsely bills itself as the world’s first carbon-neutral airline, and that Delta\'s claim rests on carbon offsets that are largely bogus. The Atlanta-based airline says the charges are “without legal merit.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Across the Atlantic, a consumer group known by its French acronym, BEUC, filed a complaint this week with the European Union’s executive arm, accusing 17 airlines of greenwashing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group says airlines are misleading consumers and violating rules on unfair commercial practices by encouraging customers to pay extra to help finance development of SAF and offset future carbon emissions created by flying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In one case, the group\'s researchers found Air France charging up to 138 euros ($150) for the green option.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sustainable aviation fuels, they are indeed the biggest technological potential to decarbonize the aviation sector, but the main problem ... is that they are not available,” said Dimitri Vergne, a senior policy officer at BEUC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know that before the end of the next decade — at least — they won’t be available in massive quantities\" and won’t be the main source of fuel for planes, Vergne added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Producers say SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, compared with regular jet fuel, over its life cycle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Airlines have been talking about becoming greener for years. They were rattled by the rise of “flight shaming,” a movement that encourages people to find less-polluting forms of transportation — or reduce travel altogether.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The issue gained urgency this year when European Union negotiators agreed on new rules requiring airlines to use more sustainable fuel starting in 2025 and rising sharply in later years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States is pushing incentives instead of mandates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A law signed last year by President Joe Biden will provide tax breaks for developing cleaner jet fuel, but one of the credits will expire in just two years. Wilkinson, the American Airlines executive, said that was too short to entice sustainable fuel producers and that the credit should be extended by 10 years or longer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, estimates that SAF could contribute 65% of the emissions reductions needed for the industry to hit its 2050 net-zero goal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But very few flights are powered by SAF because of the limited supply and infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just before the Paris Air Show opened, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would contribute 200 million euros ($218 million) toward a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) plant to make SAF.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many airlines have touted investments in SAF producers such as World Energy, which has a plant in Paramount, California, and Finland’s Neste.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Airlines plans to triple its use of SAF this year, to 10 million gallons — but it burned 3.6 billion gallons of fuel last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some see sustainable fuel as a bridge to cleaner technologies, including larger electric planes or aircraft powered by hydrogen. But packing enough power to run a large electric plane would require a fantastic leap in battery technology.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hydrogen must be chilled and stored somewhere — it couldn\'t be carried in the wings of today\'s planes, as jet fuel is.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Hydrogen sounds like a good idea. The problem is the more you look into the details, the more you realize it’s an engineering challenge but also an economics challenge,\" Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace consultancy, said at the Paris Air Show. “It’s within the realm of possibility, (but) not for the next few decades.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 19:45:17', '2023-06-24 19:45:17'),
(7665, 7665, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Vijay Varma has revealed that he thanked Tamannaah Bhatia when she told her during their first meeting that he would be the first person she will kiss onscreen, ahead of the shooting for their film Lust Stories 2.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vijay and Tamannaah have been dating each other for some time now. They officially confirmed being in a relationship only recently, after they started the promotions for their first film together.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Tamannaah\'s first onscreen kiss</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling his first meeting with her, Vijay told Instant Bollywood, “I met her [Tamanaah] for the reading at Sujoy Ghosh’s office. I think we broke the ice there. We shared our journey. She said, ‘I have been working for the last 17 years. I had a no-kiss policy in my contract.’ And then, she was like, ‘I have not done anything like this before.’ In the end, she told me that, ‘You are the first actor I am going to be kissing on screen’. I was like, ‘Thank you\'.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vijay and Tamannaah will be seen together onscreen for the first time in Sujoy Ghosh\'s short film that features in the Netflix anthology Lust Stories 2. The film will have a digital release on June 29.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Sujoy on Lust Stories 2</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about Lust Stories 2, Sujoy Ghosh recently said in a press statement, \"This time lust stories are all about the different shades of Lust. I am so glad that RSVP, Flying Unicorn and Netflix brought this opportunity to me, and that our lust story will be watched by audiences in 190 countries. Tamannah and Vijay brought the film to life just as I had imagined, and I hope the audience will enjoy seeing their chemistry on screen.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>More about Lust Stories 2</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Netflix anthology also features Neena Gupta, Kajol, Mrunal Thakur, Amruta Shubhash, Angad Bedi, Kumud Mishra and Tillotama Shome. It is produced by Ronnie Screwvala under RSVP banner and Ashi Dua under the banner Flying Unicorn Entertainment. The first film Lust Stories released on Netflix in 2018.&nbsp; HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 19:56:46', '2023-06-24 19:56:46'),
(7666, 7666, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Warnings over the safety of OceanGate\'s Titan submersible were repeatedly dismissed by the CEO of the company, email exchanges with a leading deep sea exploration specialist show.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>In messages seen by the BBC, Rob McCallum told OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush that he was potentially putting his clients at risk and urged him to stop using the sub until it had been certified by an independent agency.</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Rush responded that he was \"tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation\".</div><div><br></div><div>The tense exchange ended after OceanGate\'s lawyers threatened legal action, Mr McCallum said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I think you are potentially placing yourself and your clients in a dangerous dynamic,\" he wrote to the OceanGate boss in March 2018. \"In your race to Titanic you are mirroring that famous catch cry: \'She is unsinkable\'\".</div><div><br></div><div>In the messages, Mr Rush, who was among five passengers who died when the Titan experienced what officials believe was a \"catastrophic implosion\" on Sunday, expresses frustration with the criticism of Titan\'s safety measures.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have heard the baseless cries of \'you are going to kill someone\' way too often,\" he wrote. \"I take this as a serious personal insult.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mr McCallum told the BBC that he repeatedly urged the company to seek certification for the Titan before using it for commercial tours. The vessel was never certified or classed.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Until a sub is classed, tested and proven it should not be used for commercial deep dive operations,\" he wrote in one email.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I implore you to take every care in your testing and sea trials and to be very, very conservative,\" he added. \"As much as I appreciate entrepreneurship and innovation, you are potentially putting an entire industry at risk.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In his response a few days later, Mr Rush defended his business and his credentials.</div><div><br></div><div>He said OceanGate\'s \"engineering focused, innovative approach... flies in the face of the submersible orthodoxy, but that is the nature of innovation\". - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-24 21:38:08', '2023-06-24 21:51:16'),
(7667, 7667, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prices of almost all spices have doubled in a year, and consumers are particularly feeling the pinch ahead of Eid-ul-Azha when consumption of spices is high.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Despite sufficient stock and import of essential spices, traders at both wholesale and retail level hiked the prices of onion, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, turmeric, and coriander.</div><div><br></div><div>SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told UNB that prices of essential commodities have already gone up, and the hike in prices of spice will further burden the already hard-up low- and middle-income people.</div><div><br></div><div>Though there is enough stock of spices to meet the demands during Eid, traders are indiscriminately hiking the prices to make more profit – due to lack of proper monitoring, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), on June 22, 2022, cumin was sold at a minimum price of Tk 380 and a maximum of Tk 450 per kg. The price of cumin has increased more than twice in one year.</div><div><br></div><div>Before Eid-ul-Azha, other spices are also beyond the reach of low-income people. Prices of most spices, including locally grown onion, garlic, dried chillies, green chillies, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon have increased.</div><div><br></div><div>Among them, the prices of ginger and garlic have almost doubled. The UNB correspondent’s visits to Shyambazar, and Karwan Bazar – two major wholesale and retail markets in Dhaka – confirmed the latest prices today.</div><div><br></div><div>There were enough stocks of ginger imported from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia in Shyambazar on Friday. The wholesale price of ginger is Tk 120 to Tk 250 per kg depending on the quality. In Karwan Bazar, the retail price was Tk 250 to Tk 350 per kg.</div><div><br></div><div>TCB said that even a year ago, ginger was sold between Tk 60 to Tk 100 per kg at the retail level.</div><div><br></div><div>Traders say that China is the biggest supplier of ginger in the country. But due to its high price, Chinese ginger is not available in the country right now. Stock of Indian ginger is also low in the market. Mainly because of this, the price of ginger has more than doubled within a year.</div><div><br></div><div>The price of dried chilli has also increased. A year ago, dried chillies were sold at Tk 220 to Tk 250 per kg, but this year, it is being sold at Tk 300 to Tk 340 per kg. Indian dried chillies are being sold at a higher price of Tk 380 per kg. In retail markets, such as Karwan Bazar, the price of imported dried chillies has also gone up to Tk 480 per kg.</div><div><br></div><div>Coriander is being sold at Tk 165 to Tk 220 per kg, cloves at Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,600 and cinnamon at Tk 410 to Tk 480 per kg in Karwan Bazar, Shyampur and Sutrapur Bazar.</div><div><br></div><div>According to TCB, a year ago, coriander was sold at Tk 120 to Tk 150, cloves at Tk 1,050 to Tk 1,200 and cinnamon at Tk 400 to Tk 450 per kg.</div><div><br></div><div>Traders say that due to the dollar crunch, importers are not able to import enough spices. The prices of some species are high in the global market as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Import costs have also increased. Apart from that, the production cost of spices in the country has also gone up due to the increase in fertiliser, fuel, and labour costs. Also, the cost of transportation is high. Mainly due to these reasons, the price of spices has gone up. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 00:21:50', '2023-06-25 00:21:50'),
(7668, 7668, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Countries around the world were on Saturday closely watching events unfolding in Russia, where a mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group posed the most serious challenge yet to President Vladimir Putin\'s long rule.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Here is what governments and analysts are saying about the extraordinary situation taking place in nuclear-armed Russia:</div><div><br></div><div>- Ukraine -</div><div>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Wagner mutiny showed Russia was weak.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Russia\'s weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later,\" he said in statement on social media.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said it provided a \"window of opportunity\" for Kyiv on the battlefield.</div><div><br></div><div>- The United States -</div><div><br></div><div>US President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation in Russia and Washington and \"will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments\", National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Europe -</div><div>European Union chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc was \"closely monitoring the situation in Russia as it unfolds. In touch with European leaders and G7 partners.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is clearly an internal Russian issue,\" he wrote, adding that \"our support for Ukraine\" remains \"unwavering\".</div><div><br></div><div>The bloc\'s diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said the EU was in \"permanent contact with our ambassador in Moscow and continuing our internal consultations with our member states.\"</div><div><br></div><div>NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said only the alliance was \"monitoring the situation\".</div><div><br></div><div>British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged \"all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'re in touch with our allies as the situation evolves. I\'ll be speaking to some of them later today and the most important thing is for all parties to behave responsibly,\" he told the BBC.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Czech politicians used the mutiny as a moment to take a stab at Russian leadership.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I can see my summer holiday in Crimea is approaching,\" said Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, referring to the territory annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>\"So we finally know what the Russians mean by a Special Operation,\" said Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova.</div><div><br></div><div>\"After 16 months of the war in Ukraine, Russia is waging war on Russia. No surprise. It\'s a tradition over there. Failed wars end up with the Tsar being executed, with chaos and with a civil war supervised by snoopers. Congratulations,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who has met Putin since the launch of the Ukraine war, warned of the nuclear risks of the instability in Russia.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The operations of the Russian Federations are always of the utmost importance, because the Russian Federation has a great potential for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>In Berlin, \"the government is closely following the events in Russia\", a spokesman told AFP. The foreign ministry advised avoiding central Moscow and government and military buildings in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron is also keeping a close eye, the Elysee said. \"We remain focused on supporting Ukraine.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In Rome, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni\'s office said the events \"show how the aggression against Ukraine is causing instability also within Russia.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In Sweden, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom tweeted: \"The government is closely following the situation in Russia. The situation is serious.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In Norway, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said Oslo was \"closely following the dramatic situation in Russia and are in close contact with the embassy in Moscow.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder tweeted that the situation was \"serious\" and he was watching to see \"what impact it has on the conflict.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- Qatar-</div><div>Qatar\'s foreign ministry said it was following \"with great concern\" and urged restraint.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The worsening situation in Russia and Ukraine will have negative repercussions on international peace and security, and on food and energy supplies, which were mainly affected by the Russian-Ukrainian crisis,\" the ministry said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Analysts -</div><div>The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update that \"this represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia\'s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis plays out,\" it said in a tweet.</div><div><br></div><div>The US-based Institute for the Study of War said the armed rebellion was \"unlikely to succeed\" but that \"an armed Wagner attack against the Russian military leadership in Rostov-on-Don would have significant impacts on Russia\'s war effort in Ukraine.\" Source: AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 01:49:58', '2023-06-25 01:49:58'),
(7669, 7669, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Giving strong warning, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on Saturday said strict legal action will be taken if anyone stops transportation of sacrificial animals without specific complaints.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The IGP said if anyone faces such a problem, they should call the nearest police station or National Emergency Service 999.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He also requested the concerned to hang a banner in front of the animal transport with the name of the destination place/market of the animal.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after inspecting the traffic and traffic management at Gazipur Chowrasta, Chandra Mor and Bypile in Gazipur district on Saturday noon.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The chief of police said, in light of their experience last year, security plans of this time have been formulated as well. But this time the challenge is different than last Eid as last time only the passengers had to reach their destination. This time, there is also the sacrificial animal transport along with the passengers. Besides, there is seasonal fruit transportation. We have designed our security plan keeping everything in mind, the IGP added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP said that the specialized units of the police, including the Metropolitan Police, District Police, are working together to facilitate the Eid journey of the people.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He expressed hope that people\'s Eid journey will be comfortable this time too with the joint efforts of all.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Requesting the general passengers, IGP said, don\'t travel by bus, launch and train risking your life by being an extra passenger. Do not travel on the train roof, he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP said that the police have been ordered to take effective measures to stop the transport of passengers in cargo vehicles to prevent accidents during Eid journey.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Among others, Additional IGP (Highway Range) Md Shahabuddin Khan, DIG (Operations) Md Hyder Ali Khan, DIG (Highway Range) Md Mahfuzur Rahman, DIG Highway Range Md Mozammel Haque, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Mahbub Alam, Dhaka Range DIG Syed Nurul Islam, Tangail District Superintendent of Police Sarkar Mohammad Kaiser, Superintendent of Police of Dhaka District Md Asaduzzaman, Superintendent of Police of Gazipur District Kazi Shafiqul Alam and other senior officers were present. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 03:06:05', '2023-06-25 03:06:05'),
(7670, 7670, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said there is no alternative to removing the ‘illegitimate’ Awami League government for holding the next polls in a free, fair and acceptable manner.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We would like to say that we don’t accept the current illegal government. This is not a legitimate government as per the constitution,” he told a mammoth youth rally.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said their party wants a credible national election under an impartial government, not under Sheikh Hasina\'s regime. “There’s no other option, but to oust Sheikh Hasina\'s government for holding a free and fair election.”</div><div><br></div><div>He also urged the government to quit and dissolve parliament by handing over power to a non-party government to hold a fair election under a new Election Commission as per people’s hopes and aspirations.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP’s three associate bodies - Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal - arranged the rally at Bangabandhu Udyan popularly known as Bell\'s Park to drum up youth’s support for the opposition’s 10-point demand, including holding the next election under a non-party neutral government.</div><div><br></div><div>Thousands of leaders and activists of the three organisations from Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna and Pirojpur joined the rally with huge enthusiasm.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul said a strong movement is necessary to restore democracy and the country’s independence.</div><div><br></div><div>He called upon the youths to come forward to make the opposition’s ongoing movement a success.</div><div><br></div><div>“The youth will have to wake up and get united to defeat the fascist and illegal regime. We must turn victorious and establish a government of people in a true sense,” the BNP leader said.</div><div><br></div><div>He criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her recent remark that elections under her government were held in a free and fair manner. “No fair election was held under the Awami League government; the next election also won\'t be fair if it stays in power.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the recent elections to Barishal City Corporation, the BNP leader said the ruling party ‘cadres’ did not hesitate to attack even a revered Islamic scholar and Islami Andolon Bangladesh mayoral candidate Mufti Syed Faizul Karim.</div><div><br></div><div>He also condemned the Chief Election Commissioner’s comment on whether Mufti Syed Faizul Karim died in the attack. “Sheikh Hasina made such an election commission which doesn’t get peace if anyone is not killed (during polls).\"</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party leaders indulged in massive plundering and siphoned off huge money abroad, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul Islam said, \"No one can think of how much money they stole. A few days ago there was news that a huge amount of money was being deposited in Swiss banks by Bangladeshis. But suddenly the money of Bangladeshis disappeared after our illegal prime minister went to Switzerland. I don\'t know if her visit has any connection with it.”</div><div><br></div><div>He added that the entire world knows that those who are involved with the current government are thieves. \"The only aim of this government is to steal and plunder public money and siphon off it abroad.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 03:19:02', '2023-06-25 03:19:02'),
(7671, 7671, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rebel mercenaries advanced north towards Moscow after seizing a key military base Saturday, just as Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin\'s vowed to defeat the revolt and head off the threat of civil war.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The rapidly escalating events mark the most serious challenge yet to the Russian president\'s rule — and Russia\'s most serious security crisis since the strongman came to power in late 1999.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin\'s spokesman insisted the Russian leader was still at work in the Kremlin and had not fled Moscow, as regular forces launched a \"counter-terrorist operation\" to halt the rebel advance in the Voronezh region, on the Wagner force\'s route to the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>The governor of the Lipetsk region, whose capital is just 420 kilometers (260 miles) south of Moscow, said Wagner\'s private military force was \"moving across\" the territory and urged civilians not to leave their homes.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Ukrainian leaders, meanwhile, reveled in the outbreak of in-fighting among its Russian foes, with a deputy defense minister describing it as a \"window of opportunity\" for Kyiv\'s latest counteroffensive to rid its territory of Russian forces.</div><div><br></div><div>Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a close Putin ally, said his troops had taken control of the military command center and airbase in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, the nerve center of Russia\'s offensive in Ukraine, and vowed to topple Moscow\'s top military leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We got to Rostov. Without a single shot we captured the HQ building,\" he said, in an audio message on social media channels, claiming that local civilians had welcomed the operation.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Why does the country support us? Because we went on a march of justice,\" he said, claiming his men had not killed any soldiers despite having been hit with strikes from army \"artillery and after that from helicopters.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to the challenge in a televised address, Putin accused Prighozin — whose private army provided shock troops for Moscow\'s offensive in Ukraine — of a \"stab in the back\" that posed a threat to Russia\'s very survival.&nbsp; According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 03:25:54', '2023-06-25 03:25:54'),
(7672, 7672, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Lionel Messi turned 36 on Saturday (July 24), as he celebrated his birthday. The former Barcelona departed PSG after the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season as a free agent and signed a deal with MLS side Inter Miami. He had an unceremonious exit from Paris as PSG fans jeered him in his final fixture for the club. Despite that, the attacker will have plenty of positives, having led Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar, in December.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Messi led Argentina to a penalty shootout victory against France in the final, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. In what turned out to be a tightly-contested final, Argentina took the lead in the 23rd-minute, with Messi converting a penalty after Angel Di Maria was fouled in the box by Ousmane Dembele. Then a quick counter in the 36th-minute saw Messi flick a ball past his marker to pick out Alexis Mac Allister\'s run. The Brighton midfielder surged into the box, before squaring it to Di Maria, who beat a rushing Lloris with a bottom corner finish to make it 2-0 for Argentina.</div><div><br></div><div>It looked like Argentina were cruising to an easy win, but Kylian Mbappe had other plans and brought France back into the game with two goals in 97 seconds. In the 80th-minute, the PSG star converted a penalty to make it 1-2 after Kolo Muani was brought down in the Argentine box. Then the 23-year-old made it 2-2 with a stunning volley in the 81st-minute.</div><div><br></div><div>The match entered extra-time and both sides began to look for a winner and it looked like Messi found it for Argentina. The veteran tapped it in after a deflection off Hugo Lloris to make it 3-2, after a quick VAR check ruled in his favour in the 108th-minute. But Mbappe once again came to his side\'s rescue in the 118th-minute, converting another penalty in the 118th-minute after Gonzalo Montiel saw a shot by the Frenchman hit his arm.</div><div><br></div><div>After Mbappe\'s hat-trick, the score read 3-3 and it entered the penalty shootout. During the shootout, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez came out on top with stunning saves to block Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman\'s efforts. Gonzalo Montiel converted the winning penalty as Argentina won 4-2 in the shootout. For his performances in the tournament, he was also adjudged as the best player.</div><div>By HT Sports Desk</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><font style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);\" color=\"#0000ff\">&nbsp;Sportstar&nbsp;</font><br></p>', 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 03:36:32', '2023-06-25 03:36:32');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7673, 7673, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Troops from Russia\'s Wagner mercenary group have reportedly started leaving the city of Rostov-on-Don, less than 24 hours after attempting a rebellion.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the group\'s chief said he had told his fighters to return to Ukraine to avoid bloodshed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yevgeny Prigozhin will now move to neighbouring Belarus and charges against him and his troops will be dropped, Russian state media reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It signals the end of a chaotic and extraordinary day in Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tension had been growing between them over how the war has been fought, with Prigozhin launching vocal criticisms of Russia\'s military leadership in recent months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It came to a head on Saturday morning, when Wagner mercenaries crossed the border from their field camps in Ukraine and entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In developments that were breathlessly fast, they reportedly took over the regional military command and seized military facilities in Voronezh, another city further north, towards Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighters started to march toward the capital, prompting the Kremlin to introduced tighter security in many regions, including Moscow, where the mayor of the capital city had told residents to avoid travelling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were also warnings that thousands of elite Chechen troops were heading to Moscow to fight off the Wagner soldiers, if needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response, President Vladimir Putin had pledged to punish those who had \"betrayed\" Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agreement to suddenly de-escalate the situation came on Saturday evening, after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin, according to Russian TV channel Rossiya 24.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hours later, video emerged purportedly showing Wagner troops leaving Rostov, and their leader being driven away to the cheers and handshakes of supporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commenting on the day\'s events, Ukraine\'s President, Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation was \"complete chaos\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself. I am sure that he is no longer in Moscow,\" he said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He knows what he is afraid of, because he himself created this threat. All evil, all losses, all hatred - it is he who spreads it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were rumours that Mr Putin had fled Moscow, after flight tracking showed that two presidential planes had left the city on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the president was still in the Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Peskov added that the arrest warrant for Prigozhin would be dropped and criminal case against him and his troops would be closed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner mercenaries who wish to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence can still do so, the press secretary said. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 12:31:07', '2023-06-25 12:31:07'),
(7674, 7674, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canadian authorities on Saturday began a probe into the implosion of the Titan submersible, whose disappearance near the wreckage of the Titanic with five men aboard had set off a multinational search-and-rescue operation.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our mandate is to find out what happened and why and to find out what needs to change to reduce the chance or the risk of such occurrences in the future,\" said Transportation Safety Board (TSB) chair Kathy Fox.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We know everybody wants answers, particularly the families and the public,\" she told reporters in St. John\'s, Newfoundland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Th full probe could take between 18 months to two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TSB investigators on Saturday boarded the Canadian-flagged Polar Price cargo ship, which had set sail from St. John\'s last weekend to bring the ill-fated Titan to its launch point in the north Atlantic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Transportation Safety Board routinely probes air, rail, marine and pipeline accidents with the aim of improving transportation safety. It does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Coast Guard said Thursday that all five people aboard the submersible had died after the vessel suffered a \"catastrophic implosion.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A debris field was found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was looking into whether any criminal laws had been broken in the chain of events that led to the deaths of the Titan adventurers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The investigators\' job is to determine \"whether or not a full investigation by the RCMP is warranted,\" said Newfoundland and Labrador Superintendent Kent Osmond.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of circumstances indicate criminal federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 14:31:19', '2023-06-25 14:31:19'),
(7675, 7675, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out relatively peacefully Saturday after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dramatic if brief revolt shifted the landscape for the Kremlin and the 16-month-old war in Ukraine and prompted Russia to pull soldiers back from the battlefield to defend the capital, a stunning recognition of the threat posed by Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the deal announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus and charges of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government said it also would not prosecute fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege, whose forces seized a key military facility in southern Russia before advancing on the capital. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported, signaling the Kremlin’s desperation as the Wagner troops advanced to, according to Prigozhin, just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.” His troops were ordered back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin has demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, long the target of his withering criticism for his conduct of the war in Ukraine. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu\'s command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin did not say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand. Peskov said the issue could not have been discussed during the negotiations, which were conducted by the president of Belarus, and is the “exclusive prerogative of the commander in chief.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A nighttime video from the city posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they left Rostov-on-Don. Prigozhin was seen riding in one of the vehicles, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand as he lowered the window. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement. On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dramatic developments came exactly 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened and “these events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Switching into Russian in his daily video address, Zelenskyy said “the man from the Kremlin” was “very afraid.” He repeated his calls for the West to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin had vowed earlier that his fighters, whom he said number some 25,000, would not surrender because “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He posted video of himself at the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and claimed his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian media, however, reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. The Kremlin referred a question about the losses to the Defense Ministry, which has not commented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The short-lived rebellion came as Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future,” Putin said, with the West piling sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State-controlled TV networks led their newscasts with Putin’s statement and reported the tense situation in Rostov-on-Don. Broadcasters also carried statements from top Russian officials and lawmakers voicing support for Putin, condemning Prigozhin and urging him to back down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who in the past has sided with Prigozhin in his criticisms of Russia’s military, also expressed support for Putin’s “every word.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The mutiny needs to be suppressed,” Kadyrov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He gained attention in the U.S. when he and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rebellion appeared likely to further hinder Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces probed Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the infighting could create confusion and potential division among Russian military forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,″ Lutsevych said. “This creates a unique and unprecedented military opportunity for the Ukrainian army.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 14:39:02', '2023-06-25 14:39:02'),
(7676, 7676, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Vast crowds of robed pilgrims made solemn circles around the Kaaba, the black cube at Mecca\'s Grand Mosque, on Sunday as the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years began in the heat of the Saudi summer.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islam\'s holiest site is expected to host more than two million worshippers from 160 countries during the annual rites that could break attendance records, with 1.6 million foreigners already arrived by Friday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj began early on Sunday with the \"tawaf\" -- the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the large cubic structure draped in black cloth with gold trimmings that millions of Muslims pray towards every day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am living the most beautiful days of my life,\" said Abdel-Azim, a 65-year-old Egyptian as he performed the ritual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The dream has come true,\" said the retiree, who saved up for 20 years to pay the $6,000 fee to take part.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A series of rites are completed over four days in Mecca and its surroundings in the west of oil-rich Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday night, pilgrims will start moving to Mina, about five kilometres (three miles) from the Grand Mosque, ahead of the hajj\'s climax at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Great blessing\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside the Grand Mosque, thousands prayed on colourful carpets that adorned the pavement, with male pilgrims wearing a simple white robe. The area was dotted with ambulances, mobile clinics and fire trucks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj poses a considerable security challenge and has seen several disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There have been no major incidents since, and catastrophe was the last thing on pilgrims\' minds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I cannot describe my feelings,\" said 25-year-old Indonesian student Yusuf Burhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is a great blessing. I never imagined that I would perform the hajj this year.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year\'s summer timing for the hajj, which follows the lunar calendar, will test the endurance of worshippers during the mostly outdoor ritual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carrying white umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching sun, policemen in the mountainous city have conducted foot patrols and set up checkpoints to inspect hajj permits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Others splashed water on pilgrims as temperatures climbed towards 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inside the Grand Mosque, thousands of paramedics stood on standby. Saudi authorities said more than 32,000 health workers will be on hand to help fend off heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Not a single vacant bed\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj, with its hefty fees, makes billions of dollars a year for the world\'s biggest oil exporter, which is trying to diversify its economy beyond fossil fuels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year\'s will be the biggest since 2019, when about 2.5 million people took part. Only 10,000 were allowed in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, rising to nearly 59,000 in 2021. Last year\'s cap of one million has been removed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi businessman Samir Al-Zafni said all his hotels in Mecca and Madinah are at full capacity until the first week of July.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This year there is not a single vacant bed in our group of 67 hotels,\" he told AFP from his office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj also demonstrates social reforms in the deeply conservative country. This year\'s pilgrimage will be the biggest since Saudi Arabia scrapped rules in 2021 that banned women who weren\'t accompanied by a male relative.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leaving the Grand Mosque after evening prayers on Friday, Ramot Ali from Niger struggled to describe the feeling of performing hajj for the first time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am very happy,\" she said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:26:36', '2023-06-25 15:26:36'),
(7677, 7677, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning (June 25, 2023).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 107 at 8:35am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked sixth in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia’s Jakarta, Pakistan’s Lahore and Brazil’s Sao Paulo occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 168, 138 and 124, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘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.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:28:57', '2023-06-25 15:28:57'),
(7678, 7678, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian forces have launched several new offensives on their eastern front, confronting Russian troops in the Donbas region, and have claimed more ground, a minister said Saturday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said Ukrainian forces had assaulted Russian lines near the towns of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Bo?danivka, Yagidne, Klishchivka and Kurdyumivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is progress in all directions,\" she said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:32:13', '2023-06-25 15:32:13'),
(7679, 7679, '<div><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thousands of football fans marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday to mark 25 days before the Women\'s World Cup starts in Australia and New Zealand.</b><br></div><div><br></div><div>Football\'s governing body FIFA estimated around 4,000 braved chilly temperatures to take part in the early morning event on the famed bridge, which was temporarily closed to traffic.</div><div><br></div><div>Co-hosts Australia and New Zealand kick off the 32-team tournament on July 20 when the Matildas play Ireland in Sydney and the Football Ferns face Norway in Auckland.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA says more than one million tickets have been sold for the 64 games in nine host cities, surpassing total sales for the 2019 World Cup in France.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA official Rhiannon Martin told AFP she expected this year\'s tournament would be a \"milestone\" for women\'s football in Australia.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ve seen how women\'s football has developed here over the last years,\" added Martin, who is head of FIFA Women\'s World Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA has said each player at the World Cup will earn at least $30,000, with the winners taking home $270,000 apiece.</div><div><br></div><div>Martin said the boost to the prize money pot showed that \"women\'s football is really being valued\".</div><div><br></div><div>James Johnson, chief executive of Football Australia, told AFP it \"starts to bridge the gap\" between prize money for the men\'s and women\'s World Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We still have a bit of work to do over the next four years, but being the World Cup where the lift occurred makes us very proud,\" he added. AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 16:21:29', '2023-06-25 16:21:29'),
(7680, 7680, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Trade with India through the Chapainawabganj’s Sonamasjid land port will remain suspended from June 27 to July 2 for the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, port authorities said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, cross border travel will continue through the immigration check post of the port during this time, said Kamal Uddin, manager (operation) of Panama-Sonamasjid Port Link Limited, which operates the port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kamal said the matter has been reported to the Mahadipur Exporters’ Association and C&amp;F Agents Association of India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Trade activities will resume at the port from July 3,” he added. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 16:28:59', '2023-06-25 16:28:59'),
(7681, 7681, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">When I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their first comment was \"Eww.\" Their second comment was: \"How does it taste?\"</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The short answer (you\'ve probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The longer answer, which folds in the \"Eww\" response, is more nuanced. Yes, it\'s strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat — chicken that doesn\'t come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as \"cell-cultivated\" chicken after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the first time, US approves sale of ‘lab-grown’ chicken meat</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it\'s also interesting (and exciting!) to taste test the first offerings of a new era in meat production, which aims to eliminate harm to billions of animals slaughtered for food — and to dramatically reduce the environmental effects of grazing, growing feed for those animals and dealing with their animal waste.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">FACING UP TO THE \'MEAT PARADOX\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\'m a lifelong meat eater. I\'m also a victim of the \"meat paradox,\" a term scientists use to describe the psychological conflict that occurs in people who like to eat meat but don\'t like to contemplate the animals that died providing it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As someone who has reported on food-borne illness outbreaks and slaughterhouse safety, I\'m keenly aware that the chicken on my dinner plate probably suffered to get there. And that fact makes me uneasy if I dwell on it too much.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heatstroke killing chickens, wreaking havoc on Kurigram poultry farms&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So I was open to trying a different kind of meat — and also curious to see if it would taste like the real thing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\'ve tried plant-based options like the Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger and liked them, even though I didn\'t think they were perfect substitutes. To be honest, the Beyond Meat sausage tasted good, but a little mealy. And the Impossible Burger was dry, although I may have cooked it too long. In both cases, I enjoyed the taste of the products but was still aware that I wasn\'t actually eating pork or beef.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What about the artificiality of it all? It didn\'t bother me that this new cultivated meat is made from cells that grow to epic proportions in big steel vats, only to be shaped and formed — \"extruded\" is the somewhat unfortunate verb that came to mind — into familiar cutlets, filets and nuggets that would look right at home on the dinner table.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But as with all food, in the end it would come down to taste. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an impostor?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIME FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT MOUTH TEST</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In January, I traveled to the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, chef Jess Weaver sauteed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers and green onions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aroma was enticing, just like any filet cooked in butter would be. And the taste was light and delicate with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast I\'d make at home – if, that is, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Easy Durga Puja Vegetarian Recipes to Try at Home</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, I visited the Alameda, California, plant where Good Meat is poised to begin production of its chicken products. Chef Zach Tyndall was ready with a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins and walnuts. He followed it with a chicken \"thigh\" dish — darker meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets and tiny purple cauliflower florets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That, says Tyndall, is the whole point.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It needs to be as lifelike as possible for it to catch on,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While \"lifelike\" is an interesting word, from my side of the fork I think this will catch on. There are still huge hurdles — how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken — but if you\'re basing it on authentic taste, I\'ll leave you with this:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Please pass the \"chicken.\" AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"5\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 17:48:21', '2023-06-25 17:48:21'),
(7682, 7682, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pilgrims streamed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Saturday to perform their final rituals before heading to Mina in preparation for the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They moved through the white marble courtyards of Islam’s holiest site to perform the tawaf, the walking circuit around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, their fervent recitations ringing through the air.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People on the ground floor closest to the Kaaba shuffled due to the sheer number of participants. Those on the upper floors were able to walk more briskly, even run. Pilgrims raised their hands in supplication, took selfies or video, and phoned their relatives as they performed the tawaf.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They then walked or ran between two hills in a re-enactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pilgrims must enter a state of spiritual purity, known as ihram, for the Hajj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Men wear seamless white robes, a rule intended to promote unity among rich and poor. Women cover their body and hair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In between rituals and the five daily prayers, which bring the area to a solemn standstill, pilgrims sought out shade, snacked and flocked to the many shops and air-conditioned malls encircling the Grand Mosque to relax before the arduous days ahead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia has restored full pilgrim capacity for this year’s Hajj, following three years of dramatically reduced numbers due to the pandemic, with more than 2 million Muslims expected to take part.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think this year (the) crowd is too much” said Mahboub Morshed, a 42-year-old software engineer from Bangladesh, referring to the thinner attendance of previous years. “But the government and this management (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah) is trying to manage this very smoothly.” UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:14:28', '2023-06-25 18:14:28'),
(7683, 7683, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen today said Bangladesh looks forward to explore effective strategies to ensure that all peacekeepers, irrespective of gender, can thrive in a safe and supportive environment.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Discrimination and sexual abuse have no place in our Peacekeeping Missions, and we must collectively strive to eradicate such occurrences,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foreign Secretary was speaking at the opening session of the preparatory meeting of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said their collective presence here today is a testament to Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening peacekeeping efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I firmly believe that this preparatory meeting will set the stage for the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting, which would need to take into account emerging concerns of the member states about the security situations in some missions,” Masud Bin Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The commitments and recommendations that emerge from the discussions will constructively shape the future of peacekeeping, inspire all member states, and propel them towards a more inclusive, gender-responsive, and effective peacekeeping architecture, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let us work together to create a more inclusive and equitable peacekeeping environment, where the voices and contributions of women are recognised, valued, and celebrated,” the foreign secretary said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The theme of the preparatory meeting, ‘Women in UN Peacekeeping,’ resonates deeply with the values and principles that Bangladesh holds dear, he observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a leading Troop and Police Contributing Country to UN Peacekeeping Missions, the foreign secretary said, Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles and objectives of the United Nations in promoting peace, security, and gender equality. “We believe that, gender equality and empowerment of women are crucial for sustainable peace and development.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Nations Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under Secretary General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard joined the two-day meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will discuss how we can increase the number of women in peacekeeping and ensure they access all roles within our missions. It requires everyone’s commitment, including member states and partners,” the foreign secretary said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">USG Lacroix will join the site visit to Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Gazipur with other delegates on the second day of the conference. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:28:47', '2023-06-25 18:28:47'),
(7684, 7684, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Nations Under-Secretaries General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Catherine Pollard jointly paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Sunday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the meeting, they discussed different issues including the UN peacekeeping operations, climate change and women security, PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN officials said the world body has successfully completed 75 years of its peacekeeping operation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They highly praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their contribution to maintain peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this regard, the prime minister told the UN officials that Bangladesh has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping missions for three decades with dedication and professionalism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh is the largest troops contributing country for the UN peacekeeping missions. \"Some 7,500 Bangladeshi males and females are employed in nine UN peacekeeping missions around the globe,\" the press secretary quoted her as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Catherine Pollard thanked the prime minister for Bangladesh\'s contribution to the trust fund to check sexual exploitation and abuse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In reply, Hasina said Bangladesh is deeply committed to women security and increasing women\'s participation in UN peacekeeping.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She reiterated her government\'s zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh has taken serious punitive measures against the individuals who were found guilty through investigation in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about climate change, the PM said Bangladesh is a vulnerable country and her government is implementing mitigation and adaptation programmes with its own funds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Muhammad Abdul Muhith were present at the meeting. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:38:02', '2023-06-25 18:38:02');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7685, 7685, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the Padma Bridge has \"overshadowed\" BNP’s movement of last 14 years.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Padma Bridge, a symbol of Bangladesh\'s capabilities, has expanded the horizon of the country\'s economic potential,” he said at a press briefing at the Setu Bhaban in the capital this morning, marking the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of the bridge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The road, transport and bridges minister said Tk 798.23 crore was collected as toll from the Padma Multipurpose Bridge in one year since its inauguration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Since the inauguration of the bridge, a total of 56,75,000 vehicles have used the bridge till 12 am&nbsp; today,” he said. “On an average, 15,500 vehicles use the bridge daily.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister hoped the amount of toll collection would hit Tk 800 crore by this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Calling the bridge a “national treasure,” Quader called on everyone to protect and preserve it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the Bangladesh Bridge Authority will have to repay the loan in 35 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Around Tk 632.94 crore in loan have already been repaid in four installments,” Quader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bridges Division Secretary Manzoor Hossain, Padma Bridge Project Director Shafiqul Islam, and senior officials of the Bridges Division, Bridge Authority, and Bridge Construction Project were present at the press briefing. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:32:14', '2023-06-25 19:32:14'),
(7686, 7686, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Shah Rukh Khan played the lead role of Major Samar Anand in Jab Tak Hai Jaan while Sharib Hashmi was seen as Zain Mirza, his best friend. However, another actor had also auditioned for the role of Zain but couldn\'t crack it. This actor also has a connection with Katrina Kaif, who was also part of the film.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) is a romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra and written and produced by his son Aditya Chopra under their banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Sarika among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Sharib on Vicky auditioning for Jab Tak Hai Jaan</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent interview with Aajtak, Sharib Hashmi revealed that it was Vicky Kaushal who had also auditioned to play Zain\'s role. However, the film\'s team did not find Vicky suitable for the role of Zain. This is the reason why he was rejected after giving an audition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Vicky\'s projects so far</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Vicky\'s first leading role was in the 2015 drama Masaan. He then starred in Anurag Kashyap\'s psychological thriller Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) followed by Raazi, Manmarziyaan, and Sanju. His role as a military officer in the 2019 war film Uri: The Surgical Strike garnered him praise. Fans also saw Vicky in Sardar Udham (2021), Govinda Naam Mera (2022) and Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat (2023).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was last seen in the romantic comedy film Zara Hatke Zara Bachke opposite Sara Ali Khan, helmed by Laxman Utekar. The film also starred Sharib Hashmi, Sushmita Mukherjee, Neeraj Sood, Rakesh Bedi among others. Vicky will next be seen in Sam Bahadur, helmed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. Sam Bahadur is the story of India\'s war hero and first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The film also stars Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh in the lead roles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Sharib on Zara Hatke Zara Bachke</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Sharib plays the role of the security guard. Recently, talking with news agency ANI, Sharib had said about his role, \"I was a bit hesitant when I was offered the part of Daroga in the film...I was also a little unsure to take up the role of security guard because his entry in the movie is post-interval.\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:39:50', '2023-06-25 19:39:50'),
(7687, 7687, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A record number of locally-reared sacrificial animals has flooded local markets in Rangpur division as sale has already got momentum when only three days are left before the Eid-ul-Azha festivity.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to BSS at different cattle markets, cattle farm owners and farmers said they reared local animals despite an increase of fodder price with a hope of getting better prices of sacrificial animals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders said sale of sacrificial animals might increase further during the next three days ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festivity when buyers would start purchasing&nbsp; animal en-masse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buyers at bigger cattle markets said they preferred the hygienically reared healthier and middle-sized local cattle-heads as sacrificial animals than artificially fattened and huge-sized ones.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divisional deputy director of the Department of Livestock Md. Abdul Hye Sarker said cattle farms and farmers have produced over 15.62-lakh sacrificial animals this time against demand of around 11.88-lakh in all eight districts of Rangpur division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result of various pragmatic steps taken by the government over the last 14 years, a revolution has taken place in the livestock and dairy sectors enhancing production of cattle heads and milk and cutting rural poverty in Rangpur division.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have over 3.74-lakh surplus sacrificial animals in Rangpur division. It proves that we do not need to import animals any more to meet local demand for ensuring fair price of locally reared cattle-heads,” Sarker added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle farm owners and farmers have produced bullocks, cows, oxen, calves, buffaloes, goats and sheep as sacrificial animals in addition to those reared by marginal farmers at homes and char people.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">District Livestock Officer for Rangpur Dr. Md. Sirajul Haque said cattle farms and farmers have produced 2.83-lakh sacrificial animals, including cows, against demand of 2.16-lakh with a surplus of 67,000 animals in Rangpur district alone this season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adequate numbers of livestock physicians’ teams are working in the sacrificial animal markets at the upazila and district levels to check health conditions of sacrificial animals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders expressed satisfaction over installing currency screening machines, taking sufficient security measures and patrols round the clock to ensure smooth trading and carrying of cattle heads on the roads and highways.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders Murshed Alim Kalim Uddin, Amirul Haque and Abdul Mazid at Lalbag Cattle Market in Rangpur city today said price of sacrificial animals is relatively higher due to high fodder price despite record supply of locally-reared healthier cattle-heads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Popular sized bullocks, calves and cows are selling at rates higher by Taka 40,000 to 80,000 on an average depending on size and quality than last year,” said cattle trader Nurul Amin at the same market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle trader Arman Hossain at the same market said the price of bullocks and cows marked a rise this time due to increase in fodder price in comparison with last year’s price.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Middle and medium-sized bullocks are being sold at rates between Taka 85,000 and Taka two-lakh while large-sized between Taka 2.10-lakh and Taka four-lakh and extra large-sized bullocks at rates between Taka five-lakh and Taka 10-lakh,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle trader Ramjan Mian at Taraganj Cattle Market in Rangpur said current market price of sacrificial animals might be even higher, but huge boost in the local animal husbandry sector with record supply has kept the price at this level.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle farmer Mohsin Ali of village Kathihara under Rangpur Sadar upazila said he expected to sell his reared large-sized bullock weighing 350 kilogram at Taka three- lakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But none of the buyers is ready to purchase my bullock at over Taka two-lakh so far in the local market,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, prices of goats are higher this year and goats are being sold at rates between Taka 10,000 and Taka 50,000 depending on sizes and varieties at different markets across the division. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:48:42', '2023-06-25 19:48:42'),
(7688, 7688, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said that the narrative of Bangladesh being a “small country” has changed globally with its growing economy, wider engagement with partners, and political stability.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh is seen as an example of good practice in multilateral forums,” he said while speaking at DCAB Talk.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted its flagship event at the Foreign Service Academy.</div><div><br></div><div>DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus moderated the discussion. DCAB General Secretary Emrul Kayesh also spoke on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said that Bangladesh’s importance has increased significantly and its level of cooperation internationally has also been enhanced.</div><div><br></div><div>He said Bangladesh has achieved continuity and stability, and this continuity will prevail.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, Alam said, the government is “not feeling any pressure” ahead of the national election as the Election Commission will proceed as per the constitution.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to events over 10 years ago, the state minister said that there is no word like “fear” in the dictionary of Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned a diplomatic call for a fresh election before monsoon in the past, saying, “That sounds too ambitious.”</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said the government will not accept or welcome any interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs but will welcome election observers.</div><div><br></div><div>He said there has been conspiracy against Bangladesh in the past.</div><div><br></div><div>Alam said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not take any step that goes against the interest of the people and the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, Alam said that there has been significant progress that leads to the need for withdrawing US sanctions on the elite force, RAB. \"We will realise the demand (withdrawal of sanctions).\"</div><div><br></div><div>In his remarks, DCAB President Rezaul Karim said they understand Bangladesh has emerged as an important country in geopolitics with its growing economy. He said Bangladesh’s extraordinary development, democratic stability, and geopolitical significance are undeniably matters of discussion at home and abroad. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 21:05:02', '2023-06-25 21:05:02'),
(7689, 7689, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hikers found human remains in California\'s Mount San Antonio area, local authorities said, around the same area where British actor Julian Sands went missing five months ago.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The remains were discovered in the wilderness on Saturday morning, San Bernardino Sheriff\'s Department said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Civilian hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff\'s Station after they discovered human remains\" near the mountain, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>The body was taken to the coroner\'s office to be identified, with the process expected to be completed next week.</div><div><br></div><div>Sands, who shot to fame in 1985 for his role in \"A Room with a View\", went missing in January on the 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) Mount San Antonio, known locally as Mount Baldy, just outside the city of Los Angeles.</div><div><br></div><div>The 65-year-old is an experienced hiker who has previously described himself as happiest \"close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.\"</div><div><br></div><div>California was hit by a succession of heavy storms in December and January that brought heavy snow to mountain ranges, including to Mount San Antonio.</div><div><br></div><div>The peak where Sands disappeared is the highest in the San Gabriel Mountains and a popular destination for Los Angeles residents.</div><div><br></div><div>San Bernardino County Sheriff at the time said it was increasingly treacherous, with eight known deaths between 2017 and 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>The actor\'s brother, Nick, said two weeks after search efforts began that he had accepted Sands would not be found alive.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone,\" he had said, according to English local media in Yorkshire, where the brothers grew up. Accoridng to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 22:03:46', '2023-06-25 22:03:46'),
(7690, 7690, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Needing a win to stay alive in the competition, Bangladesh’s footballers pulled off a superb comeback win against Maldives in the second group game of the 14th SAFF CHampionship on Sunday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh started positively and dominated possession, but fell behind to a goal by Hamza Mohammed in the 17th minute - Maldives’ only shot on target in the game.</div><div><br></div><div>The Green and Reds looked frantically for the equaliser, and their efforts paid off just before half time, through Rakib Hossain.</div><div><br></div><div>The second half saw Bangladesh continue to dominate, and Tariq Kazi put the team ahead in the 67th minute from a goalmouth melee at the third attempt.</div><div><br></div><div>Morsalin added a third in the 90th minute, finishing nicely from the left of the box after being set up by Bishwanath Ghosh.</div><div><br></div><div>It puts Bangladesh level on points with Maldives with 1 game left, which they will play against Bhutan, while Maldives play Lebanon. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><font style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\" color=\"#397b21\"><b style=\"\">keep SAFF dream alive</b></font><br></p>', 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:19:58', '2023-06-25 23:19:58'),
(7691, 7691, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Surveying the hills covered with near bone-dry pines stretching to the Pyrenees in the distance, Asier Larrañaga has reason to be on guard.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This part of northeast Spain is, like large swaths of the Mediterranean country, braced for wildfires due to the lethal combination of a prolonged drought, record-high temperatures and increasingly dense woods unable to adapt to a fast-changing climate.</div><div><br></div><div>Larrañaga is one of the top fire analysts for the firefighters of Catalonia charged with safeguarding the region\'s homes and landscapes. While grateful that some desperately needed rain has finally fallen in recent weeks, he is ready for the worst — unless July and August buck Spain\'s historic trend of being the hottest and driest months of the year.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If we have a normal summer … and conditions of low humidity combined with high temperatures, then we will see fires that quickly expand beyond our extinction capacity. And for areas where it has not rained in May and this month, we could see these types of fires as early as next week,\" Larrañaga told The Associated Press in the rural town of Solsona, some two hours north of Barcelona.</div><div><br></div><div>Spain suffered the biggest losses from wildfires of any European Union country last year amid a record-hot 2022. Four people, including one firefighter, died in blazes that consumed 306,000 hectares. And with Spain sweltering under a record-hot spring, it is again leading the continent in 2023 with 66,000 hectares turned to ashes. Now firefighters like Larrañaga across Spain are preparing for a potential scorcher of a summer.</div><div><br></div><div>The fires coincide with Catalonia and a large part of Spain\'s south bearing the brunt of a drought that started last year and has only recently been somewhat alleviated by rain. The central reservoirs for Catalonia, which provide water for some six million people including Barcelona, are still only at 29% of capacity and water restrictions remain in place.</div><div><br></div><div>Climate change is playing a direct role in propagating these fires, experts agree. The increasing temperatures have made the plants that are used to more mild weather vulnerable to both plagues and fire. Spain, like the rest of the Mediterranean, is forecast to heat up faster than the global average. Spain saw fires that showed the virulence of a summer outbreak break out as early as March. Northern Europe is also battling blazes spurred by drought.</div><div><br></div><div>The 52-year-old Larrañaga is a member of Catalonia\'s GRAF, its elite wildfire fighting unit. Members of the Catalan firefighters are currently helping in Canada as part of a Spanish contingent sent to combat the massive fires that have sent smoke over the United States and as far as Europe.</div><div><br></div><div>Larrañaga was in Solsona to oversee a training session by the local fire brigade. Practice included simulating a last-resort protection maneuver used in cases when firefighters are trapped by the flames. They clear an area of vegetation and take refuge in their truck, which is equipped with sprinklers. The firefighters said that they hope it is a maneuver they will never have to use.</div><div><br></div><div>The Solsonès county, home to Solsona and its 9,000 residents, does not normally have large fires thanks to storms generated by the Pyrenees. But the downside is that its forests build up vegetation, or \"fuel\" for potential fires, that become vulnerable to a lightning strike, a spark from farm machinery, or arson. In 1998 a fire consumed 27,000 hectares in the country. Now Larrañaga is concerned that the landscape is primed to ignite again.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The fires in these conditions can be very intense like the enormous ones we are seeing in Canada,\" he said. Larrañaga added that his worst-case scenario is \"a situation where you have people, in a panic, trying to flee, who put themselves in danger because the access roads cross wooded areas,\" stirring up memories of a tragedy in neighboring Portugal when over 60 people perished in a fire disaster in 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>Catalonia\'s firefighters were tested last year by fires that erupted just when the official fire season started in mid-July.</div><div><br></div><div>That close call, fire chief David Borrell said, motivated their decision to increase the fire campaign to four months from three and start it a month earlier. That means more manpower and more aircraft for a longer period of time.</div><div><br></div><div>Borrell said that this new generation of more powerful fires has led to two changes in how they are fought. First, it is no longer possible to just \"attack\" a fire, firefighters have to wait for it, and, if need be, sacrifice unfavorable terrain – whether due to its position related to the wind, access or vegetation – if it means keeping the firefighters from wearing themselves out or even risking their lives.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The second change is how to deal with simultaneous fires without getting overwhelmed,\" Borrell told the AP at the Catalan firefighters\' high-tech headquarters near Barcelona. \"If you go all out against a fire, then you won\'t be able to handle a second one, and with a third fire you collapse. So to avoid that, we consider everything in one process. That is a potent strategy change we began last year. And for me it is a game changer.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The challenge, however, is still daunting with summer now here.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to turning the terrain into a tinderbox, drought is complicating the firefighters\' ability to work: some of Catalonia\'s reservoirs have been ruled unusable for water-dumping aircraft due to their lack of their low levels of water.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If we hadn\'t had the rain we saw in May, we would now already be in a campaign of large fires,\" Jordi Pagès, a wildfire expert for the Pau Costa Foundation, a Barcelona-based nonprofit organization for fire awareness.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But we still had a spring with below average rainfall, so we can expect an intense summer.\" - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:39:17', '2023-06-25 23:39:17'),
(7692, 7692, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday said that the government will provide 5kgs of rice at Tk 30 to the Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB) card holder families from July 1.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Currently one crore families are getting TCB products and from July 1 the cardholders will get 5 kgs of rice at Tk 30 along with other items. The open market sales (OMS) dealers will provide the rice,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting over the progress of Boro procurement at the Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the process of 5kgs of rice, the minister said when the cardholders will get their TCB items they will also get the rice through OMS dealers. That means rice has been included as a TCB item.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadhan Chandra&nbsp; said, “When the price of rice was slightly higher, we conducted the rice sale through 2,500 OMS dealers across the country and we also distributed additional 2 lakh metric tonnes of rice through OMS after taking approval from the Finance Ministry.”</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, we also provid rice to 50 lakh families regularly through conducting food-friendly programme and they are getting 30 kgs of rice each month.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the boro procurement, the minister said the government has procured 6,56,587 metric tonnes of rice and 1,15,272 metric tonnes of paddy till June 24 during the ongoing boro procurement season, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>“We had set a target to procure 12.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Our targets will be fulfilled this June,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:59:27', '2023-06-25 23:59:27'),
(7693, 7693, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam today said the government is still determined to go for a “small trial,” in terms of Rohingya repatriation, to understand the challenges before going for a full-on move.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We (will) continue our efforts. We are still determined for a small trial to understand the challenges. It has been well-explained to all stakeholders,” he said while responding to a question at DCAB Talk.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said they will go for the next stage — to begin a real repatriation — after examining the outcome of the trial.</div><div><br></div><div>“I will call upon everyone to support that process. The Rohingyas want to go back. We are committed to their safe and dignified return. We keep working on that front,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the talk at the Foreign Service Academy, moderated by its President Rezaul Karim Lotus. DCAB General Secretary Emrul Kayesh also spoke on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh has continued its call for smooth repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State, Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from seeking international community’s support, Bangladesh is also talking to Myanmar in good faith as the latter has expressed its willingness for repatriation of the Rohingyas, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh also sought genuine efforts to create an environment conducive to repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, continues to advocate for creating conducive conditions in Myanmar so that refugees can go back safely with dignity, and returns can be sustainable, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Refugees, who wish to return, should have access to clear, comprehensive, and factual information to be able to make a free and informed decision, UNHCR added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><font color=\"#ff00ff\"><b>Rohingya repatriation</b></font><br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 00:41:06', '2023-06-26 00:41:06'),
(7694, 7694, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The support of the people is enough for Awami League and it does not need foreign support, Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque has said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"People are with the Awami League... it will be proved in the next election,\" he said at the inauguration ceremony and discussion meeting of the teachers\' federation at the auditorium of the upazila parishad in Madhupur of Tangail on Saturday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the people\'s support for Awami League, the minister said that the incumbent government has made unprecedented development in all areas including construction of Padma bridge, four-lane road, schools-colleges, increase in food production and expansion of electricity coverage.</div><div><br></div><div>\"People are with the government because of these developments. No foreign power can overthrow us if we have the support of the people,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"BNP and anti-liberation forces are trying to create an unstable situation in the country ahead of the upcoming elections,\" he said, adding that they (BNP) want to create anarchy in the country again like in 2014-15.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They will not be allowed to do that. It is the sacred responsibility of the present government to protect the life and property of people. For the sake of the country and its people, we will deal with them with an iron hand,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Presided over by acting Principal of Madhupur Government College Sushil Kumar Das, Bangladesh Agricultural University teacher Abu Hadi Noor Ali Khan, Madhupur Municipality Mayor Siddique Hossain Khan, Upazila Executive Officer Shamima Yasmin, Upazila Awami League Vice President Yakub Ali, spoke on the ocassion. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 01:17:23', '2023-06-26 01:17:23'),
(7695, 7695, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Like perfidious years, a total of five Eid congregations (jamaats) will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital on the day of the holy Eid-ul-Azha on June 29.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The first Eid jamaat will be held at 7am while the next four Jamaats will be held at 8am, 9am, 10am and 10.45am respectively, an official release said.</div><div><br></div><div>Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Pesh Imam Hafez Maulana Ehsanul Haque will conduct the first Eid jamaat while the Mosque\'s Khadem Abdul Hadi will perform the duty of Muqabbir in the prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Pesh Imam Maulana Muhiuddin Kasem will conduct the second jamaat while other three jamaats will be led by Mawlana Dr Abu Saleh Patowari, Islamic Foundation Director and Imam Maulana Md Anisuzzaman Sikder and Islamic Foundation\'s Imam Maulana Mohammad Abdullah, Mufti respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>Maulana Zakir Hossain, Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation will act as an alternate Imam if any Imam fails to be present during the aforesaid five Eid-congregations.</div><div><br></div><div>In case of inclement or hostile weather, the main Eid congregation at the National Eidgah will be shifted from 7:30 am to 8:00 am in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 02:32:26', '2023-06-26 02:32:26'),
(7696, 7696, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sales of sacrificial animals began in the city\'s makeshift cattle markets today ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Adha, to be celebrated across the country on June 29.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Formal trading of sacrificial animals began in the city\'s makeshift cattle markets from today. It will continue till Eid-day on June 29,\" officials of both Dhaka south and north city corporations told BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Public Relations officer Mokbul Hossain said this year a total of 10 cattle markets have been set up in the DNCC area while the lease holders of the makeshift markets were asked to run the markets following the city corporation guidelines to ensure smooth trading of animals.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, 10 more cattle markets have been set up in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area this year, said DSCC Public Relations Officer Md Abu Naser.</div><div><br></div><div>He said sufficient security measures, including setting up CCTV cameras, installing ATM booths and deploying law enforcement agency members have been taken to ensure the safety of buyers and sellers of the sacrificial animals in the cattle markets.</div><div><br></div><div>Both the DNCC and DSCC officials said that the authorities of the city corporations did not designate any spot for slaughtering sacrificial animals this year rather they are encouraging the city dwellers to slaughter their animals in specific spots and manage the wastages properly.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The DSCC has not been arranging slaughtering spots for the last two-three years as people do not want to come to the designated spots. But the city corporation is repeatedly urging the city dwellers to slaughter their sacrificial animals on specific spots so that the wastage can be managed easily,\" said Abu Naser.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>DNCC official Mokbul also said they did not arrange slaughtering spots for in the last one or two years but the DNCC authorities are encouraging the residents of the city to slaughter their animals following the government guidelines and manage wastages appropriately.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the city corporations, the makeshift cattle market places are: open ground nearby Leather Technology Institute, open place at Postagola, open space at Khilgaon-Meradia Bazar, open place at Dania College at Jatrabari, open space at Dholaikhal truck terminal, open place at Rahmatganj club at Lalbagh, open space at Amulia Model town, North Shahjahanpur area, open space near Little Friends club, open place near Kamalapur Biswa Road area, open place at Badda Eastern Housing area, Open space near Kawla Shialdanga, open place at Sector-17, Uttara, Bhatara Saidnagar cattle market, open space at Rajdhani Housing and Basila Garden City, Gabtoli, Mirpur, open place near Eastern Housing at Mirpur section-6, open space near Kanchkura Beparypara Rahman Nagar Residential area, open ground of Dhaka Poly Technical Institute and open place of Jamalpur Properties at Khilkhet. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 03:01:34', '2023-06-26 03:01:34'),
(7697, 7697, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the people of Bangladesh need to keep Awami League in power to attain the final graduation of Bangladesh as a developing country by 2026.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“We know it is we who are needed to make the graduation of Bangladesh as a developing country,” she said, joining the general discussion on the national budget for 2023-24 fiscal year in Parliament on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, the Leader of the House, said today Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country.</div><div><br></div><div>“Who will be able to implement it if we don’t come (to power again)?&nbsp; Show me a person who will be able to do it. Show me a person who will work selflessly for the country. If you (can) show me such leadership, I have no objection,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Pointing at the people of the country, the PM said since the people voted Awami League to power time and again, the AL governments have been able to serve the country and bring it on the development track, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>She said her government has been able to reduce the poverty rate significantly. Today the unemployment rate is only 3 percent, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 03:19:23', '2023-06-26 03:19:23'),
(7698, 7698, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Teenager Suleman Dawood, who died in the Titan submersible, took his Rubik\'s Cube with him because he wanted to break a world record, his mother has told the BBC.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 19-year-old applied to the Guinness World Records and his father, Shahzada, who also died, had brought a camera to capture the moment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christine Dawood and her daughter were on board the Polar Prince, the sub\'s support vessel, when word came through that communications with the Titan had been lost.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I didn\'t comprehend at that moment what it meant - and then it just went downhill from there,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In her first interview, Mrs Dawood said she had planned to go with her husband to view the wreck of the Titanic, but the trip was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As well as Suleman and his father Shahzada Dawood, three other people died on board: Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate which owned the Titan, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver and renowned explorer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking of her son, Mrs Dawood said Suleman loved the Rubik\'s Cube so much that he carried it with him everywhere, dazzling onlookers by solving the complex puzzle in 12 seconds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He said, \'I\'m going to solve the Rubik\'s Cube 3,700 metres below sea at the Titanic\'.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, in the UK. Businessman Shahzada Dawood, who was British, was from one of Pakistan\'s richest families.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family, including daughter Alina, 17, boarded the Polar Prince on Father\'s Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood said they hugged and made jokes in the moments before her husband and son boarded the Titan submersible.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I was really happy for them because both of them, they really wanted to do that for a very long time,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood described her husband as infectiously curious about the world around him - the kind of person who made the family watch documentaries after dinner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He had this ability of childlike excitement,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood and her daughter stayed on board the Polar Prince as the search and rescue mission shifted from hopeful to desperate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think I lost hope when we passed the 96 hours mark,\" Mrs Dawood said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that\'s when she sent a message to her family. \"I said: \'I\'m preparing for the worst.\' That\'s when I lost hope.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alina held out a bit longer, she said. \"She didn\'t lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family returned to St John\'s on Saturday, and on Sunday held a funeral prayer for Shahzada and Suleman. Mrs Dawood said she was touched that the Imam said a prayer for all five of the men killed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood said she and her daughter will try to learn to finish the Rubik\'s Cube in Suleman\'s honour, and she intends to continue her husband\'s work.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He was involved in so many things, he helped so many people and I think I really want to continue that legacy and give him that platform... it\'s quite important for my daughter as well.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood declined to discuss the ongoing investigations into the tragedy. But when asked how she and her daughter would find closure she said: \"Is there such a thing? I don\'t know.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I miss them,\" she said, taking a deep breath. \"I really, really miss them.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 13:27:22', '2023-06-26 13:27:22'),
(7699, 7699, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After a weekend of mayhem, I\'m beginning to understand why Russia\'s national symbol is the double-headed eagle: two heads staring in opposite directions.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, Yevgeny Prigozhin declares he\'s ready to \"go all the way\" in his mutiny against the Russian military. Then he makes a sudden U-turn and orders his Wagner fighters back to base.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a TV address, President Vladimir Putin declares the rebellion \"a criminal adventure… a grievous crime… treason… blackmail and terrorism.\" Yet just a few hours later, as part of an agreement with Prigozhin, it\'s revealed that all criminal charges against the Wagner leader are being dropped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So much for \"grievous crime\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin leader\'s mixed messages have been raising eyebrows here and changing perceptions of President Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He definitely looks weaker,\" says Konstantin Remchukov, owner and editor-in-chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You can\'t make a public statement declaring people are criminals and then, on the same day, at the end of the day, let your press secretary disagree with you and say \'No, those people haven\'t broken the criminal code.\'\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s former minister for economic development, Andrei Nechaev, makes a similar point.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a post on social media, Mr Nechaev argues: \"The law has lost all power. Even grievous crimes won\'t be punished due to political expediency. In the morning, you might be declared a traitor. In the evening, you can be forgiven and the criminal case against you dropped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The country is so clearly on the threshold of big change.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Big change? Bold prediction. But if change is coming, might the Wagner rebellion be the trigger? A deal may have been done and the mutiny called off. But the fact the uprising happened on Mr Putin\'s watch is embarrassing for the president, who is also commander-in-chief of the Russian armed forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And keep in mind: Mr Putin\'s current presidential term runs out next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All elite groups will now begin to think about the 2024 presidential election,\" predicts Mr Remchukov. \"They will ask themselves whether they should rely on Vladimir Putin, as they have been doing until this military coup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Or should they think about someone new, who is capable of dealing with problems in a more contemporary manner?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Someone new\" for the presidency is not something you normally hear the Russian elite discussing openly. That doesn\'t mean a change of guard in the Kremlin is imminent. If there\'s one thing Vladimir Putin has perfected after 23 years in power, it is the art of political survival.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But his decision last year to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered widespread instability within his own country: everything from economic problems to drone attacks on Russian regions, from shelling of Russian border areas near Ukraine to cross-border incursions into Russia by saboteur groups, and now an armed uprising by Wagner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All of this ratchets up the pressure on the Kremlin leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Don\'t expect President Putin to concede that he got things wrong, though. Admitting mistakes and miscalculations is not his style.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So what will be the Russian president\'s next move? A clue, perhaps, came in the latest edition of Russian State TV\'s flagship Sunday night news show. Reporting on the Wagner uprising, the presenter played an extract from an old Putin interview.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Are you able to forgive?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Yes. But not everything.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"What can\'t you forgive?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Treachery.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I wonder if Yevgeny Prigozhin was watching. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 13:38:55', '2023-06-26 13:38:55');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7700, 7700, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Greek conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has trounced his centre-left rival in the second election in a month and said he has a \"strong mandate\" to move faster on the path of change.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His New Democracy party (ND) won 40.5% of the vote, almost 23 points ahead of Syriza, with most of the votes counted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He beat Syriza in May, but called new elections in a bid to win a majority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"ND is today the most powerful centre-right party in Europe,\" he told delighted supporters in Athens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Mitsotakis is credited with successfully returning the Greek economy to stability and growth after a severe debt crisis and three international bailouts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although many Greeks are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, voters chose to stick with the party promising lower taxes and improved public health.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vote came 11 days after a migrant boat tragedy off Greece in which about 500 people are thought to have died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three days of mourning were held, however the disaster had little effect on the campaign and Greeks voted to maintain economic stability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people have given us a safe majority,\" said Mr Mitsotakis as the extent of his victory became clear. \"Major reforms will go ahead quickly.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, his party fell just short of a majority in the 300-seat parliament and his decision to call an election in a bid to form a stable, single-party government was vindicated by Sunday\'s result.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under Greek rules for a second election, the biggest party is awarded a bonus of between 20 and 50 seats. With more than 40% of the vote, New Democracy won all 50.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Mitsotakis said he could not promise miracles, but that New Democracy had \"high goals\" to transform Greece with a better public health service and education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras\'s Syriza party had been soundly defeated in the first election and lost further ground in the second, with less than 18% of the vote. He dampened speculation that he would resign, saying that was a decision for his party members. One of the big stories of the election was the success of a newly created far-right Spartans party, which won almost 4.7% of the vote, crossing the 3% threshold to enter parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Spartans only emerged as a political force this month when the Supreme Court banned another far-right party, the Greeks, and its jailed founder, Ilias Kasidiaris, threw his weight behind the Spartans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kasidiaris had been the spokesman for neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which was banned as a criminal organisation and its leaders given long prison terms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Together with nationalist Greek Solution and ultra-conservative Niki (Victory), the three hard-right parties won close to 13% of the vote and 34 seats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victory secured by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, over Alexis Tsipras\'s Syriza is a rarity in Greek politics, as few parties increase their share after a first term in office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also succeeded in attracting more young voters than his rival.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His party was helped by the fragmentation of the left-wing vote; with Socialist PASOK set for more than 11% and the Communist KKE on around 7%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turnout slumped eight points from the first vote to less than 53%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The conservative leader has formed a reputation as a Teflon-coated leader, fending off a series of damaging crises in the past year, including a rail disaster and a wire-tapping scandal that brought down the intelligence chief and his own nephew, who worked as the prime minister\'s chief of staff.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Greece was being led by a caretaker government when the migrant boat sank off the south-west coast in the early hours of 14 June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the migrant crisis, the views of most Greek voters have shifted in favour of stricter, more conservative policies, says Panos Koliastasis, assistant professor of politics at the University of Peloponnese.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The reason is rooted in the 2020 migration crisis on the Evros [river], when Turkey tried to push thousands of migrants into Greek territory and the Mitsotakis government acted swiftly. So the greater part of the public perceives the migration issue as an external threat to national sovereignty.\" BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:07:01', '2023-06-26 14:07:01'),
(7701, 7701, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Eight people died Sunday in Ecuador in the third suspected gang-related shooting this month, police said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another five people were wounded in the violence outside a night club in the Pacific coast town of La Concordia, police told news outlets in a WhatsApp chat group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ecuador is enduring a surge in violence as rival cocaine trafficking gangs fight over turf and supply routes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Violence that is at times gruesome in nature, with people beheaded or set on fire, has left hundreds dead in recent years in the streets and in prisons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the latter, gangs have fought each other viciously in some of the worst prison massacres in all of Latin America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several other attacks Sunday left four people dead in the capital Quito, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last Monday, six people were killed and eight wounded in an apparent gang shootout in Guayaquil, a port city that is the hardest hit by the drug-related violence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guayaquil is the country\'s largest city, biggest port and economic hub.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The location of the city, home to three million of Ecuador\'s 18 million people, makes it a strategic launch point for shipments of drugs to the United States and Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 4, an attack at a home in the city left five dead, including a police officer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the world\'s top producers of cocaine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far this year, authorities have seized 100 tons of drugs in operations. For 2022, the haul was just over 200 tons, and in 2021, a record 210 tons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country\'s murder rate almost doubled between 2021 and 2022, from 14 to 25 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to official figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The authorities estimate that Ecuador has more than a dozen organized crime groups within its borders, some with several thousand members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some are believed to have links to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, both in Mexico.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since taking office in 2021, President Guillermo Lasso has issued repeated states of emergency to mobilize the military in the streets and implement curfews in the face of high crime rates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April, the government declared members of organized crime groups to be terrorists, a distinction that allows the military to pursue them with fewer restrictions. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:19:24', '2023-06-26 14:19:24'),
(7702, 7702, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">More than 17,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained by Britain and other allies over the last year to help Kyiv fight Russia\'s invasion, the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The recruits, from many different walks of life, all went through a \"gruelling\" five-week programme which the ministry said had transformed them \"from civilians to soldiers\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Britain and nine partner nations -- Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania and The Netherlands -- opened the initiative for new volunteer recruits to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in June last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK-led training programme dubbed Operation Interflex taught the recruits, who had little to no previous military experience, various skills including weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The determination and resilience of the Ukrainian recruits that arrive on British soil, from all walks of life, to train to fight alongside our British and international forces, is humbling to witness,\" UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The UK and our international partners will continue to provide this vital support, helping Ukraine defend against Russian aggression, for as long as it takes.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Britain initially offered to train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in battlefield skills, based on the UK\'s basic soldier training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The programme has now been extended and is on track to train some 30,000 recruits by 2024, according to the British defence ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said intelligence has shown that the training has made \"a significant difference to the combat effectiveness of Ukraine\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The UK Armed Forces maintains close communication with Ukraine to improve and evolve the course based on the skills most needed on the battlefield,\" the ministry added. AFp</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:44:41', '2023-06-26 14:44:41'),
(7703, 7703, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The rebellious mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow were gone Sunday, but the short-lived revolt has weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces are facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under terms of the agreement that ended the crisis, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his Wagner troops in the failed uprising, will go into exile in Belarus but will not face prosecution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it was unclear what would ultimately happen to him and his forces. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal, released few details. Neither Prigozhin nor Putin has been heard from, and top Russian military leaders have also remained silent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend’s events as “extraordinary,” recalling that 16 months ago Putin appeared poised to seize the capital of Ukraine and now he has had to defend Moscow from forces led by his onetime protege.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think we’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian façade,” Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is too soon to tell exactly where they go and when they get there, but certainly we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not yet clear what the fissures opened by the 24-hour rebellion would mean for the war in Ukraine. But it resulted in some of the best forces fighting for Russia being pulled from the battlefield: the Wagner troops, who had shown their effectiveness in scoring the Kremlin\'s only land victory in months, in Bakhmut, and Chechen soldiers sent to stop them on the approach to Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner forces\' largely unopposed, rapid advance also exposed vulnerabilities in Russia\'s security and military forces. The mercenary soldiers were reported to have downed several helicopters and a military communications plane. The Defense Ministry has not commented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I honestly think that Wagner probably did more damage to Russian aerospace forces in the past day than the Ukrainian offensive has done in the past three weeks,\" Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at the CNA research group, said in a podcast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting could create opportunities for their army, which is in the early stages of a counteroffensive to take back territory seized by Russian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Putin is much diminished and the Russian military, and this is significant as far as Ukraine is concerned,\" said Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the general staff of the British armed forces. “... Prigozhin has left the stage to go to Belarus, but is that the end of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under terms of the agreement that stopped Prigozhin’s advance, Wagner troops who didn’t back the revolt will be offered contracts directly with the Russian military, putting them under the control of the military brass that Prigozhin was trying to oust. A possible motivation for Prigozhin’s rebellion was the Defense Ministry’s demand, which Putin backed, that private companies sign contracts with it by July 1. Prigozhin had refused to do it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What we don’t know, but will discover in the next hours and days is, how many of his fighters have gone with him, because if he has gone to Belarus and kept an effective fighting force around him, then he ... presents a threat again” to Ukraine, Dannatt said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Sunday that the aborted rebellion in Russia had “exposed the weakness of Putin\'s regime.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their lightning advance, Prigozhin\'s forces on Saturday took control of two military hubs in southern Russia and got within 200 kilometers (120 miles) of Moscow before retreating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People in Rostov-on-Don cheered Wagner troops as they departed late Saturday, a scene that played into Putin’s fear of a popular uprising. Some ran to shake hands with Prigozhin as he drove away in an SUV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet the rebellion fizzled quickly, in part because Prigozhin did not have the backing he apparently expected from Russian security services. The Federal Security Services immediately called for his arrest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Clearly, Prigozhin lost his nerve,\" retired U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, said on CNN\'s “State of the Union.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This rebellion, although it had some applause along the way, didn’t appear to be generating the kind of support that he had hoped it would.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rostov appeared calm Sunday morning, with only tank tracks on the roads as a reminder of the Wagner fighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It all ended perfectly well, thank God. With minimal casualties, I think. Good job,” said a resident, who agreed only to provide his first name, Sergei. He said the Wagner soldiers used to be heroes to him, but not now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Lipetsk region, which sits on the road to Moscow, residents appeared unfazed by the turmoil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They did not disrupt anything. They stood calmly on the pavement and did not approach or talk to anyone,” Milena Gorbunova told the AP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Wagner forces moved north toward Moscow, Russian troops armed with machine guns set up checkpoints on the outskirts. By Sunday afternoon, the troops had withdrawn and traffic had returned to normal, although Red Square remained closed to visitors. On highways leading to Moscow, crews repaired roads ripped up just hours earlier in panic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anchors on state-controlled television stations cast the deal ending the crisis as a show of Putin’s wisdom and aired footage of Wagner troops retreating from Rostov to the relief of local residents who feared a bloody battle for control of the city. People there who were interviewed by Channel 1 praised Putin’s handling of the crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the revolt and the deal that ended it severely dented Putin’s reputation as a leader willing to ruthlessly punish anyone who challenges his authority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin had demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Prigozhin has long criticized in withering terms for how he has conducted the war in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. had intelligence that Prigozhin had been building up his forces near the border with Russia for some time. That conflicts with Prigozhin’s claim that his rebellion was a response to an attack on his field camps in Ukraine on Friday by the Russian military that he said killed a large number of his men. The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said Prigozhin\'s march on Moscow appeared to have been planned in advance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Now, being a military guy, he understands the logistics and really the assistance that he’s going to need to do that,” including from some Russians on the border with Ukraine who supported him, Turner said on CBS\' “Face the Nation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is something that would have had to have been planned for a significant amount of time to be executed in the manner in which it was,” he said. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:52:07', '2023-06-26 14:52:07'),
(7704, 7704, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 88 at 9:10 am, Dhaka ranked 14th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Canada\'s Montreal, Indonesia\'s Jakarta and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 196, 153 and 149, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 15:13:28', '2023-06-26 15:13:28'),
(7705, 7705, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Sunday assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lacroix made the assurance when he met acting Army Chief Lieutenant General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan at the military headquarters on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, they exchanged greetings and discussed various issues related to the UN peacekeeping mission. During the discussion, the current status of the Mali mission and the future activities of the said mission was given utmost importance, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Acting Army Chief requested the visiting UN Under Secretary General to recruit more Bangladeshi peacekeepers for the peacekeeping missions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lacroix highly praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers engaged in the UN missions and assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also thanked Bangladesh and especially the Bangladesh Army for sending the highest number of peacekeepers for a long time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, the appointment of Bangladeshis and especially women peacekeepers for important appointments in future peacekeeping missions was also discussed. The Acting Army Chief thanked the UN official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN Under Secretary General is on a visit to Bangladesh to attend the Peacekeeping Ministerial-2023 Preparatory Conference to be held in Ghana\'s capital Accra in December this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This conference titled “Women in Peace” is being organised jointly by Bangladesh, Canada and Uruguay. Bangladesh has been in a leading position in the dynamic trend, which the United Nations has developed in peacekeeping missions over the past few decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has also been standing the number one country for sending peacekeepers for the past few years. The number of members sent from Bangladesh is increasing every year. Bangladesh is also in a strong position in decision-making posts in peacekeeping missions. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 15:51:36', '2023-06-26 15:51:36'),
(7706, 7706, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden on Sunday discussed a brief revolt of mercenary troops in Russia that sparked Moscow\'s largest political crisis in decades.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I spoke with US President Joseph Biden. A positive and inspiring conversation,\" Zelensky tweeted.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia,\" he said, adding the two had also discussed long-range weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White House confirmed the talks in a separate statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored,\" Zelensky added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An armed rebellion by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had vowed on Friday to topple the Russian military leadership, sparked Russia\'s largest political crisis in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the weekend, Prigozhin ordered his forces to take over a key military headquarters in southern Russia and launch a march on Moscow, before suddenly telling his mercenaries to turn around after a deal with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aborted revolt has left many in Russia and abroad stunned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelensky also said that the two leaders also discussed more US aid \"with an emphasis on long-range weapons\" and coordinated the two countries positions on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius next month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also discussed the crisis in phone conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sharing \"Ukraine\'s assessments of the attempted coup in Russia and the impact of this situation on the course of hostilities\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in a separate conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, they discussed the situation on the battlefield and the threat to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, in southern Ukraine, held by Russian forces. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 16:39:15', '2023-06-26 16:39:15'),
(7707, 7707, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ten people were killed and six others injured when lightning struck parts of Pakistan\'s east Punjab province on Sunday, rescue officials said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The incidents happened in the Sheikhupura and Narowal districts of the province, where the lightning struck several houses after heavy rainfall, the state-run rescue organization Rescue 1122 said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The injured people were shifted nearby, whereas the rescue teams have been put on high alert across the province to meet any untoward situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;In a tweet on Sunday morning, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said that pre-monsoon rains are forecast across the country till June 30, during which strong winds, thunder, and heavy rain are expected in various cities of Punjab.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;She mentioned that the heavy rainfall has sparked concerns about flooding in urban areas and potential floods and landslides in mountainous regions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"All concerned and local institutions have been instructed to be alert and tourists to be cautious. Citizens are requested to stay away from vulnerable infrastructure, power poles, and rivers during strong winds and rains to avoid any untoward incident,\" Rehman added. Xinhua</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 17:39:38', '2023-06-26 17:39:38'),
(7708, 7708, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The parliament passed the Tk 7,61,785 crore national budget for FY 2023-24 -- with the goal of achieving 7.5 percent GDP growth rate and keeping annual inflation at around 6 percent.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal moved the Appropriations Bill 2023, seeking a budgetary allocation of Tk 11,10,840 crore which was passed by voice votes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier today, the parliament passed the Finance Bill 2023 with some changes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the proposal mooted in the House by the Finance Ministry for the parliamentary approval of the appropriation of funds for meeting necessary development and non-development expenditures of the government, the ministers concerned placed justifications for the expenditure by their respective ministries through 59 demands for grants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the parliament rejected, by voice votes, a total of only 503 cut-motions that stood in the name of opposition members on 59 demands for grants for different ministries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 10 MPs, including from Jatiya Party and Gono Forum, submitted their cut-motions on the budget. They are: Kazi Firoze Rashid, Rustam Ali Farazi, Mujibul Huq, Fakhrul Imam, Pir Fazlur Rahman, Shamim Haider Patwari, Begum Rawshan Ara Mannan, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Mokabbir Khan, and Rezaul Karim Bablu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They were, however, allowed to participate in the discussion on Commerce Ministry and Health Services Division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury quickened the process of passing the demands for grants for different ministries without giving a lunch break.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opposition and independent MPs were present in the House when the Appropriation Bill was passed, and they did not raise objection to passing the bill.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 1 placed a Tk 7,61,785 crore budget for Bangladesh for FY 2023–24, which is 15.2 percent of the GDP, with a philosophy of ensuring a hunger- and poverty-free, knowledge-based, and \'Smart Bangladesh\' by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">7.5% GDP growth rate with an expectation of keeping annual inflation at around 6%</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The allocation for operating and other sectors is Tk 4,36,247 crore, while Tk 2,63,000 crore will go to the Annual Development Programme.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The total revenue is estimated at Tk 5 lakh crore. Out of this, Tk 4,30,000 crore will be collected by the National Board of Revenue and Tk 70,000 crore from other sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The overall deficit in the proposed budget for FY 2023-24 will stand at Tk 2,61,785 crore, which is 5.2 percent of GDP. Out of the total deficit, Tk 1,55,395 crore will be financed from domestic sources and Tk 1,02,490 crore from external sources. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 18:20:53', '2023-06-26 18:20:53'),
(7709, 7709, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Malaika Arora was the life of the party at Arjun Kapoor\'s birthday celebration on Sunday. The yoga expert and reality TV personality danced her heart out to her hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya at the bash. Looking glamorous in a white gown with side slits, Malaika performed all her hooksteps while dancing in a circle of friends and stopped only after the song was over.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Malaika\'s dance video</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the guests at the party shared Malaika\'s dance video with the caption “Unreal”. The video is now going viral. Arjun\'s sister Anshula Kapoor, cousin Khushi Kapoor and their other friends also attended the party. Arjun turned 38 on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>More about Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chaiyya Chaiyya was sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi and had Malaika dancing along side Shah Rukh Khan on top of a train in the film Dil Se. It was choreographed by Farah Khan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Malaika on Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April, Malaika had spoken about the song at a promotional event for her new dance number Tera Ki Khayal with Guru Randhawa. She said, “It’s good that people rejected that song because it turned out to be beneficial for me. I am very happy. I believe in kismet (destiny). I think it was meant to happen. I got to work with the best, right from Farah Khan to Shah Rukh Khan, to Mani Ratnam to AR Rahman to Santosh Sivan. I had the opportunity to work with the best in the business.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even after 25 years, if you start to think of a song that created a huge impact on the big screen, everybody says that Chaiyya Chaiyya is one of those songs. Even today, people sing and dance on that song. I still get love for that song. So, I am very happy that I got to be a part of such a blockbuster song.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Who all had rejected Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Malaika and Farah were also seen talking about Chaiyya Chaiyya during Malaika\'s reality show, Moving In With Malaika. In the show, Farah told Malaika, “You’re the Chaiyya Chaiyya girl. But luckily for you, some five heroines had refused to climb on the train. Malaika was nowhere on the radar. We approached Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shilpa Shirodkar, and 2-3 other people. One had a phobia of climbing on the train, another one was not available.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She added, “Then the makeup person said, Malaika is a very good dancer. When she climbed on the train, we were completely curious whether she would pull it off or not. But the rest as we know is history.” HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 18:27:48', '2023-06-26 18:27:48'),
(7710, 7710, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is extending BRAC Bank Limited (BBL) a $50 million loan to aid small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) emerge from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This investment will contribute to the preservation of jobs and bring foreign exchange liquidity into BBL to help support the working capital and trade finance requirements of the Bank\'s SME importer- and exporter- clients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This investment, along with a similar loan to Prime Bank in February, will also send a positive signal to the market and contribute towards attracting additional international investors to support the foreign exchange financing needs of local banks and SMEs, said a press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The financing package is part of IFC\'s $8 billion global COVID-19 fast-track financing facility to support companies during the ongoing public health crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This new investment comes under the Working Capital Solutions (WCS) program of the COVID-19 response envelope, which is providing $2 billion globally to emerging-market banks, enabling them to support struggling firms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This project will also be supported by the International Development Association\'s Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility, which is also rendering aid to IFC\'s WCS program.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BBL is Bangladesh\'s third largest private bank and the only SME-focused bank in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our SME and corporate clients continue to confront challenges arising from the disruptive effects of COVID-19. The insufficient availability of foreign exchange has additionally impeded their regular trading operations,\" said Selim R. F. Hussain, the Managing Director and CEO of BBL.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global economic slowdown, influenced by a series of factors, including geo-political events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"IFC has been supporting the banking sector in export-driven economies like Bangladesh, which have been facing declines in foreign exchange reserves due to various macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds,\" said Joon Young Park, IFC\'s Portfolio Manager for South Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"IFC plans to continue providing its steadfast support to key banking partners in Bangladesh who have significant SME portfolios, such as BRAC, with whom IFC has had equity and debt commitments over the past 19 years.\" added Park.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">IFC has invested more than $3.6 billion to promote the growth of the private sector in Bangladesh since 2010, thereby creating job opportunities for the country\'s citizens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, IFC has provided over $360 million in working capital solutions and liquidity support to banks and companies in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After three long years of grappling with the impact of the pandemic, businesses in Bangladesh continue to face challenging market conditions,\" said Martin Holtmann, IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"By supporting BRAC Bank, we are continuing our efforts to help Bangladesh recover and foster a resilient post-pandemic economic landscape,\" added Holtmann. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:19:20', '2023-06-26 19:19:20');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7711, 7711, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the face of severe oppostion criticism in parliament for his alleged failure to control price hike of the essential commodities Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Monday offered to resign if&nbsp; the prime minister gives the responsibility of running the ministry to one of the opposition MPs.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan fired the first shot against Tipu Munshi during the discussion on proposed&nbsp; cut motion on the Ministry of Commerce in the budget for FY2023-24.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party MPs also criticised the commerce minister for the rising prices of daily products. They also raised the question whether the \'business\' minister, Tipu Munshi, is involved with the market syndicate or not.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cow rawhide price increases by 6 percent this year: Tipu Munshi</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rustam Ali Faraji of Jatiya Party said in the discussion on the retrenchment proposal, what does the monitoring cell of the ministry do?&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Such a big ministry. If the minister does not have dynamism then the price will increase. If only one person works and everyone sleeps, then the country will not run. Market syndicates should be broken up. It is certainly possible if desired. But if you think the business belongs to me then it is sad for the country and its people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party\'s Shamim Haider Patwari said that even though the commodity prices have decreased in global markets in the last few months, it is not affecting the country.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid excessive buying to keep markets stable: Commerce Minister</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Inflation in Bangladesh was 6 percent now it seems to be 10 percent. It is growing. Inflation is eating away people\'s income. Due to inflation, soap, bread are all getting smaller,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that making the government budget and household budget are not the same thing.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the budget of the government is decreasing and due to this rice, pulses, oil, chicken size and meat pitches are getting smaller.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The economy of Bangladesh is trapped in a vicious cycle of inflation. The government should take steps to overcome this,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are syndicates. There is no doubt about it. That syndicates are powerful. But are they stronger than the government? I don\'t think they can be stronger than the government. If there is a syndicate within the government, it must be identified,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh allows green chilli import as price keeps rising</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the minister has a vast business.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He is a successful businessman. I believe that if he is given the freedom to act, then he can definitely control it,\" said he.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan said that the most unsuccessful ministry of the current government is the Ministry of Commerce.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When you go to the market, you hear from people that the Ministry of Commerce is so unsuccessful that people call it a syndicate friendly ministry.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With higher spice prices, consumers feeling the pinch this Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alleging the involvement of a syndicate of traders to increase the price of goods, Mokabbir said that many people said that the commerce minister was involved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Why don\'t you resign after all this?” Mokabbir asked the the commerce minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mokabbir said that when the commerce minister says that the price of a product will decrease, the price of that product increases the next day.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that he knows that the minister will not give any answer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spice prices soar in Faridpur ahead of Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party Member of Parliament Roshan Ara Mannan said that people get upset when they go to the market.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Ministry of Commerce is not monitoring the market properly. The commerce minister is a freedom fighter. Why can\'t he control the market ?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party lawmaker Pir Fazlur Rahman said that the minister of state for industries said that people cry when they go to market, and the only reason is the syndicate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People also understand this. The Russia-Ukraine war alone should not be blamed for the rise in commodity prices. The syndicate has looted thousands of rupees in the egg market. Chicken eggs do not come from Ukraine.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Forex reserves likely to increase due to govt steps: PM Hasina tells Parliament</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the commerce minister has said that some traders are taking advantage of the product prices.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our commerce minister can not arrest the syndicate people who raise prices. He himself is a businessman. He knows which businessmen are doing it. So are these businessmen close to him, which is why he can\'t catch the syndicate businessmen?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He demanded that the commerce minister should say publicly why he is not able to do that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pir Fazlu said that Tk 1500 crore has been looted in the onion market.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A few companies are looting Tk 17 crore daily in the sugar market. Thousands of crores of taka has been looted in boiler chicken market in a month and a half. The commerce minister can\'t do anything.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu Munshi said that it is possible to take actions against the market syndicate including jail and fine.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is talk of syndicate. It\'s just that big groups do a lot of business together. We need to focus - we jailed, fined. That might be possible. But it will be difficult for us to bear the sudden crisis. That\'s why we try to stay within the rules through discussion,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to his involvement in politics long before coming to business,&nbsp; Tipu said, \"One thing that comes up time and again is that I am a businessman and businessmen are taking advantage of me. I don\'t know how many years of experience they have in politics. But I have been in politics for 56 years. I have been in business for 40/42 years now.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to Mokabbir\'s demand, the minister said, \"Someone here asked me to resign. I will tell the honorable prime minister that if he (Mokabbir) takes responsibility, she can relieve me and give the responsibility to him. I have no problem.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu said that the price has increased and the prime minister repeatedly says that people are suffering.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that the global situation has affected the country, not the internal causes. “we have to take that into consideration.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the onion price, the minister said, there is no doubt that the price has increased. Onions have been mentioned. We discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture and decided that farmers should get a price that encourages them to grow.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that in onion, the country has a shortfall of 6 to 7 lakh tonnes every year.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Farmers will focus on production if the price is better. By this step our deficit is reduced by half. But it should not be exactly Tk 80 to 90 per kg. That is why we have arranged the import,\" he said&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the government did not want to import onion for ensuring fair price to the local farmers.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But we imported on the instructions of the prime minister. Imported Indian onions are now Tk 40/45 per kg. Today, the price of our desi onion is Tk 65. I think it should be reduced further. we are trying. Within 10/15 days it will come to within Tk 50 a kg”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said that everything is not fixed by the Ministry of Commerce.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I am still taking responsibility and we are trying our best to do what we can,\" he stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding sugar price surge, he said&nbsp; he has requested the prime minister to reduce the duty structure to bring down the price within Tk 100 a kg. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:22:58', '2023-06-26 19:22:58'),
(7712, 7712, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for continuing work to end drug abuse, noting that tens of millions of people suffer from drug use disorders.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As a global community, let’s continue our work to end drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigma endured by drug users around the world,” he said in a message marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drug users are doubly victimized: first by the harmful effects of the drugs themselves, and second by the stigma and discrimination they face.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People who use drugs can often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs,” said the UN chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination, and strengthening prevention, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences. It means upholding the human rights of people who use drugs, including by expanding prevention and treatment programmes and health services,” Guterres said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It means protecting people and communities alike by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Above all, it means governments leading the way. When I was Prime Minister of Portugal, we implemented non-criminal responses to drug possession for personal use, while cracking down on traffickers and re-allocating resources to prevention, treatment and harm-reduction measures,” said the UN chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, drug consumption and associated infectious disease rates plummeted, more drugs were seized by police and customs, and — most importantly — lives were saved, he said, adding that, “Today, Portugal has one of Europe’s lowest overdose and death rates from drug use.” UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bndb24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:45:10', '2023-06-26 19:45:10'),
(7713, 7713, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The main congregation of Eid-ul-Azha will be held at 7:30am at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises in the capital on the Eid day.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>All preparations have been taken to hold the Eid congregation, said Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh while visiting the Jatiya Eidgah ground on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the jamaat will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 8am in case of inclement weather.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 35,000 Muslim devotees can attend the Eid jamaat at a time inside the main pandal while several others will join the jamaat outside it.</div><div><br></div><div>Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Bangladesh on June 29. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 21:19:38', '2023-06-26 21:19:38'),
(7714, 7714, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A total of 10.74 lakh workers went abroad for employment till June of the current fiscal (2022-23), which is 15.59 percent more than the same period of the previous fiscal year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad told this in parliament replying to a tabled question from ruling Awami League MP elected from Bhola Ali Azam.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said that during the same period of last fiscal year (2021-22), a total of 9.7 lakh workers went abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a query of AL MP Habibar Rahman from Bogura, the Expatriates’ Welfare Minister said that there is a plan to sign agreements with new countries for manpower export.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said that process is underway to sign agreements with Libya, Malta, Albania, Romania and Serbia in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to the question of another AL MP Nurannabi Chowdhury from Bhola-4, the Minister said that since the establishment of Expatriate Welfare Bank, Tk 2081 crore have been distributed among around 1.14 lakh expatriate workers as loan for migration purposes.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a query from AL MP AKM Rahmatullah from Dhaka, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said earlier the domestic demand of tea in the country was less than the production and that’s why more tea was exported.</div><div><br></div><div>At present the demand of tea in the country is about 100 million kg, he said adding that as people\'s purchasing power increases, all the tea produced in the country is used to meet domestic demand, leaving little surplus for export.</div><div><br></div><div>In order to increase the export of tea, the government as well as the tea board has taken various steps to increase the production of quality tea.</div><div><br></div><div>In reply to a query from AL MP Nizam Uddin Hazari of Feni, the commerce minister said that there are trade missions of Bangladesh in 23 cities of 21 countries of the world.</div><div><br></div><div>They are: Canberra, Brussels, Beijing, Kunming, Paris, Berlin, New Delhi, Kolkata, Tehran, Tokyo, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Seoul, Singapore, Madrid, Geneva, Dubai, London, Washington DC and Los Angeles, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He added that in the near future, there are plans to set up commercial wing in Brasilia, Turkey, Ankara, Mexico, Mexico City and Africa. Besides, there are plans to set up missions in Indonesia and Thailand.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 22:09:54', '2023-06-26 22:09:54'),
(7715, 7715, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President of Latin America-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LABCCI) Md. Anwar Shawkat Afser and Robin Miah, Publicity Represent for Bangladesh of NR Sports and close friend of famous Brazilian footballer&nbsp; Neymar met the Ambassador of Brazil Paulo Fernando Dias Feres at his office on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Robin Mia discussed the Brazil football promo in Bangladesh and enhanced the bi-lateral cultural relationship between Brazil and Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>He handed over a Jersey of Neymar with his signature to the Ambassador.</div><div><br></div><div>Md. Anwar Shawkat Afser, President of LABCCI, assured all cooperation for the trade promotion and cultural cooperation between the two brotherly countries.</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned that as a part of trade promotion initiative, a high profile business delegation will visit Brazil during 1-12 August 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The delegation will be led by Executive Chairman of BIDA,&nbsp; Lokman Hossain Miah, Senior Secretary.</div><div><br></div><div>B2B and networking seminars will be held during the event. The proposed sectors are Agriculture, Food Processing, Coffee, Processing plant for soya beans, sunflower, oil seed, corn, cotton, iron ores, petroleum oils, wood log, export of RMG, jute, leather, pharmaceuticals &amp; plastic goods, setup shipping and maritime industry and Brazilian aviation industry in Bangladesh for export, etc.</div><div><br></div><div>Ambassador Paulo Fernando Dias Feres assured his all necessary cooperation for the relation with Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;He also expressed that Brazil is the friend of Bangladesh and they will ease the business environment for Bangladeshi. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:24:30', '2023-06-27 01:24:30'),
(7716, 7716, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In anticipation of Eid ul Adha, Bangladeshis abroad sent back $1.79 billion in inward remittances in the first 23 days of the current month (June), finally gaining some pace through official channels after a lacklustre few months.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The figure has already eclipsed the entire month of May figure, which was $1.69bn, with a full week still left. If the trend continues, remittances in June would exceed the $2bn mark by the end of the month. Although this mark was breached in March ($2.02 billion), the flow of remittances in April ($1.68bn) and May ($1.69bn) was again disappointing.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank officials noted that people spend more on the Eid festival. On occasion of Eid ul Adha, many expatriates would have their qurbani (sacrifice, usually of cattle) at home through their relatives. So a hike was to be expected in the last month of the 2022-23 fiscal. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:27:42', '2023-06-27 01:27:42'),
(7717, 7717, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Minority community leaders have questioned Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy’s recent claim that Hindus – the largest religious minority in Bangladesh – are gradually “leaving the country due to lack of security.”</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>They also made the observation that BNP leaders’ attempt to endorse an “error-ridden projection” of the state of minorities in Bangladesh by six US congressmen in a letter to Biden can only have a negative impact ahead of the national election.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the wave of attacks on minorities in the run up to national elections held in 2014 and earlier, they also held BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami responsible.</div><div><br></div><div>Reiterating his previous stance against the US congressmen’s letter – calling it a “travesty of truth” – Advocate Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, said: “In 1977, under BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman’s watch, the core tenets of a non-communal polity was destroyed.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Following the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, successive regimes led by Gen Zia and Gen Ershad all went on an overdrive – introducing a Pakistan-style communal rule, and embracing communal forces,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>One must consider the widespread repression of minorities between 2001 and 2006 under the then BNP-Jamaat government, as well as spate of attacks during the war crimes trial, Dasgupta said. The trend of reduction in Hindu population in Bangladesh occurred over five decades, he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>Several noted minority community leaders, academics and anti-war crimes campaigners have pulled up the US congressmen for what they called “absolutely false projection” of the state of minorities. They also said it was a “threat to the existing communal harmony in Bangladesh.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Since Sheikh Hasina’s rise to power, the Hindu population has been halved… Sheikh Hasina’s government also has persecuted Bangladesh’s minority Christian population – burning and looting places of worship, jailing pastors, and breaking up families when religious conversion occurs,” reads the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Archbishop Emeritus Patrick D’Rozario, earlier, strongly criticised the portrayal of Bangladesh’s Christian community as “persecuted” under the present government. Calling such assertions “incorrect,” the former Archbishop of Dhaka insisted that the government has stood by the Christian community in Bangladesh against bigots.</div><div><br></div><div>A group of around 200 prominent Bangladeshi Americans released a statement saying that the letter from six US congressmen contains “false and misleading information.”</div><div><br></div><div>“The letter ignores the October 2001 post-national election violence unleashed on the Hindu community by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami led coalition,” the statement from the Bangladeshi Americans said. According UNB reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:42:27', '2023-06-27 01:42:44'),
(7718, 7718, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The largest Eid congregation of the country will be held at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj district at 9 am on Eid day.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Three-tier security measures have been taken in and around the Eidgah to ensure foolproof security, said deputy commissioner of Kishoreganj Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad on Monday after inspecting the maidan ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>The main Eid jamaat will be held at 9 am and Maulana Farid Uddin Masud will lead the Eid congregation, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>People will not be allowed to carry mobile phone sets and umbrellas on security grounds.</div><div><br></div><div>Law enforcers along with plainclothes police will be deployed. Apart from CCTV cameras, four watchtowers will be set up to keep an eye on the ground.</div><div><br></div><div>Six ambulances and 2 firefighting units will remain standby round-the-clock for any emergency.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, two special trains named Sholakia Express-1 and Sholakia Express-2&nbsp; will run on Bhairab-Kishoreganj and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj routes to ensure the safe participation of people at the largest Eid jamaat in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Sholakia Express- 1 will leave Bhairab at 6 am and reach Kishoreganj at 8 am while Sholakia Express-2 will leave Mymensingh at 6:30 am and reach Kishoreganj at 8:30 am.</div><div><br></div><div>The Eidgah is situated on the northern bank of the Norsunda river. Mannan Dad Khan, former Dewan of Haibatnagar in Kishoreganj, donated 4.35 acres of land through Waqf deeds in 1950 and now the Eidgah has an area of seven acres.</div><div><br></div><div>The waqf document mentions that Eid Jamaat was held at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan some 200 years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>During the 2016 Eid-ul-Fitr congregation, militants launched a surprise attack on a temporary police check post near the Eidgah, killing at least four people, including two policemen.</div><div><br></div><div>Every year, Sholakia Eidgha Maidan turns into a sea of people. People offer prayers and seek blessings from Allah for peace and happiness. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:56:13', '2023-06-27 01:56:13'),
(7719, 7719, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Indian trucks loaded with green chilli entered Bangladesh through Hili land port in Dinajpur on Monday as the government has allowed its import&nbsp; in the wake of surging prices in the local market ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>M/s Satata Banijyalay, BK Trade, Promi Enterprise and Royal Trade International-- have received import permits (IP). These organizations will import around 1,900 metric tons of green chilli.</div><div><br></div><div>Shakil, a retail trader of Hili market, said that the price of green chilli increased to Tk 160-200 per kg on Monday morning after 10 months. “Now it\'s being imported. The price of chilli may come down in 2-1 day.”</div><div><br></div><div>Center for Plant Disease Control assistant officer Yusuf Ali said that import of green chilli from India through Hili land port was suspended&nbsp; on August 24 last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Green chilli import has started through Hili land as the government again allowed it, the officer added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Ministry of Agriculture permitted 30 importing firms to import a total of 11,600 metric tonnes of green chillies, said an official release on Sunday.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, 68 companies have been granted permission to import 55,600 MT of tomatoes, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:03:34', '2023-06-27 02:03:34'),
(7720, 7720, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked or rode buses Monday to a giant tented city near Makkah for the climax of the annual hajj that Saudi officials say could break attendance records.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Makkah\'s Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards each day, worshippers set off for Mina, about seven kilometres (more than four miles) away, in suffocating heat.</div><div><br></div><div>Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air- conditioned buses provided by Saudi authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world\'s largest encampment, before the hajj\'s high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is said to have delivered his final sermon.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is an experience that is worth it,\" said Salim Ibrahim, a 39-year-old Nigerian, when asked about temperatures that have touched 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).</div><div><br></div><div>\"Even if the heat gets stronger, I will repeat the hajj again,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Saudi officials say this year\'s hajj -- one of the five pillars of Islam -- could be the biggest in history. After 2.5 million attended in 2019, numbers were capped in 2020, 2021 and 2022 because of the Covid pandemic.</div><div><br></div><div>The event has seen multiple crises over the years, including militant attacks, deadly fires and a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people. There have been no major incidents since.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of the safety measures, helicopters and AI-equipped drones have been deployed to monitor the flow of traffic towards Mina, which sits in a narrow valley flanked by rocky mountains.</div><div><br></div><div>A small fleet of self-driving buses, seating up to 11 people, is in operation between the sites of the rituals, including Makkha -- Islam\'s holiest city -- Mina and Muzdalifah.</div><div><br></div><div> \'Exhausted\' </div><div><br></div><div>One of the biggest risks this year at the hajj, which follows the lunar calendar, is heat, especially after maximum age restrictions were removed.</div><div><br></div><div>Habbia Abdel Nasser, a Moroccan woman who was performing the rituals with her husband, needed urgent medical treatment near the Grand Mosque because of the heat.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The weather is very hot here compared to Morocco, and we feel exhausted,\" said her husband, 62-year-old businessman Rahim Abdel Nasser, as he poured water on her head to cool her down.</div><div><br></div><div>The health ministry has recommended pilgrims use umbrellas during the day and has told the sick and elderly to stay indoors around midday to \"avoid sunstroke\".</div><div><br></div><div>Four hospitals and 26 clinics are ready to deal with ailing pilgrims in Mina, and more than 190 ambulances have been deployed, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, the pilgrims will pray and recite the Koran for several hours at Mount Arafat and spend the night nearby. The following day, they will gather pebbles and hurl them at three giant concrete walls for the symbolic \"stoning of the devil\" ritual.</div><div><br></div><div>The last stop is back in Makkha, where they will perform a final circumambulation of the Kaaba, which according to Muslim tradition had been built by Abraham and his son, Ishmael.</div><div><br></div><div>All Muslims who are capable are expected to form the hajj at least once. About 1.6 million foreigners had arrived for the pilgrimage by Friday evening, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>Many are overcome by the experience as they fulfil a lifelong dream at the sites where Islam began.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I still can\'t believe I\'m performing the hajj pilgrimage,\" Syrian merchant Mohammad Hajouj, 59, told AFP as he fought back tears. - AFP </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p>hajj <br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:27:25', '2023-06-27 02:48:32'),
(7721, 7721, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on Monday said his forces are firmly committed to make the Eid journeys smooth for all by keeping the traffic normal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We are determined to make the Eid journey smooth by keeping the traffic normal. Our senior officers are also on duty on the streets 24 hours a day in this regard,\" the IGP said.</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP came up with the remarks after visiting the Gabtoli bus terminal and cattle haat (temporary market) in the city on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>He spoke to the passengers and inquired from the traders about the safety of the sacrificial animals in the market. The IGP also distributed awareness leaflets among the passengers at the bus terminal.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We always want to serve people by their side,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters, the IGP&nbsp; said different police units, including Metropolitan Police, River Police, Tourist Police, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), RAB and other specialized units are working together to ensure smooth Eid journey of home bound people. Administration, transport owner-workers are also working with us. We are all continuing to work tirelessly to ensure people\'s reach their destination safely, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He requested the passengers to contact the nearest police station or 999 in case of any need.</div><div><br></div><div>About circulation of fake currency, the IGP said that strict legal action will be taken against anyone who tries to cheat by circulating fake money in the Qurbani cattle hats.</div><div><br></div><div>Campaign against fake money traders is continuing and operation against muggers, \'Oggyan party\', \'Malam party\' are being carried out too.</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP said that many people will leave the city and go to their village homes during the Eid holidays. Besides, there will be crowding in tourist centers. \"We have given allout instructions to the police keeping in mind all the issues for the safety of the general people.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He requested to employ a known and trusted person to guard the empty house during the Eid vacation.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, IGP visited Sadarghat launch terminal and spoke to the launch owners, drivers, and passengers and also inquired about the overall safety arrangements.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally IGP visited Kamalapur railway station and inquired about the passengers and also monitored the overall security arrangements of the railway station.</div><div><br></div><div>Senior police officers and other concerned senior officials were present during the IGP\'s visits in Gabtoli, Sadarghat river port and Kamalapur railway station. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:51:12', '2023-06-27 02:51:12'),
(7722, 7722, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Despite a significant quantity of sacrificial animals on the market, animal prices have remained high due to continuous economic pressure from inflation, and an increase in the price of animal feed.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The impact from multifaceted macroeconomic pressure can be seen in the country\'s Eid animal markets, especially in the capital, where the price of animals is at least 20% higher than last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, due to the enormous expansion in the number of cattle farms in the country, there is a trend in the market to sell animals in kilos, and ordinary consumers also want to buy in kilograms to coordinate their wants and budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Department of Livestock, the total number of reared animals to be sacrificed is 10.25 million 36 thousand and 333, a figure that is 411,944 higher than the previous year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the prospective demand for sacrificial animals this year is 10.03 million 94 thousand and 739, implying that more than 2.1 million animals will go unsold.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While visiting the Gabtoli cattle market, one of the capital\'s main cattle markets for sacrificial animals, we saw a lukewarm turnout of people. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Mohirul Islam, a cow salesman from Kushtia, there are no suitable customers for the animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are waiting for the momentum, currently people only come to the stall to ask prices and leave,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among his five cows, he has one cow for Tk9 lakh, for sale. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Dairy Farmers\' Association (BDFA) President Imran Hossain said that they had enough stock of sacrificial animals. However, the traders will have to wait till Eid to really see how sales will be. The prices for the sacrificial animals might increase by 5%-10%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cost of cattle feed, medicine and other ancillary costs have also increased pushing up the cattle prices, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the buyers from the Gabtoli cattle market said that the price has increased more than 20% from last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nahid Hossain, a buyer from the capital\'s Mohammadpur area said that the price of the animals increased abnormally this year, roughly more than 20%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I came here looking to buy a cow for around Tk70,000 but couldn\'t find one in that  price range,” he added, saying that it costs Tk90,000-100,000 to buy a similar cow he bought in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both buyers and sellers said that the demand for medium-sized animals increased due to inflation and other economic pressures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahidul Islam, a seller from Rajshahi, arrived with seven cows, including one of the biggest ones in the market, for which he is asking Tk15,00000. He says that demand for large animals is low and that customers prefer medium or small-sized animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sellers and buyers are looking for some momentum in the cattle markets on Tuesday and Wednesday, so they can get a good deal. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sellers stated that with only two days till Eid, the market may pick up because capital dwellers normally come to the market later because space is a major problem for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, so the number of buyers may increase in the coming days, they noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, some buyers said that as there are sufficient supplies of the reared animals, the price may go down in the coming days and they are waiting for this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Election year</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This Eid-ul-Azha will be the last Eid before the national election, thus market insiders anticipate that demand for sacrificial animals will rise as possible candidates purchase more animals for public relations purposes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the BDFA president, because it is an election year, the sale of animals is projected to be slightly higher than in previous years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Digital cattle market</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the Covid-19 pandemic, the online shop \"Digital Haat\" for sacrificial animals was launched and the site is expected to sell 50,000 sacrificial animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This animal sale initiative was launched by the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-Cab), Ekshop, as part of the government\'s Aspire to Innovate (A2I) project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, the central bank has initiated \"cashless\" transactions in 10 cattle markets in Dhaka and Chittagong as part of the \"Smart Bangladesh, Smart Haat\" project to eliminate security concerns in areas where animals may be purchased using a credit card.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Measuring weight</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Setting prices according to the weight of the cattle is gaining popularity in recent years, according to the BDFA. The price was established by live weight or live animal weight in the previous year, ranging from Tk460 to a maximum of Tk475 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, it began at Tk 480-Tk500 per kg for a cow. Buyers can now purchase animals by live weight online as well as directly from the market, however, this is more common at farms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Consumers, on the other hand, stated that the price of a cow at live weight is Tk500-Tk550 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, city corporations have 19 animal markets in Dhaka city (10 in North and 9 in South). The markets like Meradia, Vatara, Bosila, Eastern Housing, Lalbagh, and Dania also provided similar information.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">breakingnews/ka </div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 13:21:42', '2023-06-27 22:35:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7723, 7723, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused Ukraine and its Western allies of wanting Russians to \"kill each other\" during a revolt by mercenaries of the Wagner group, which stunned the country with an aborted march on Moscow over the weekend.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his first address to the nation since the rebels pulled back, Putin said he had issued orders to avoid bloodshed and granted amnesty to the Wagner fighters whose mutiny served up the greatest challenge yet to his two-decade rule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"From the start of the events, on my orders steps were taken to avoid large-scale bloodshed,\" Putin said in a televised address, thanking Russians for their \"patriotism\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was precisely this fratricide that Russia\'s enemies wanted: both the neo-Nazis in Kyiv and their Western patrons, and all sorts of national traitors. They wanted Russian soldiers to kill each other,\" Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin also thanked his security officials for their work during the armed rebellion in a meeting that included Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a main target of the mutiny.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Civilian solidarity showed that any blackmail, any attempts to organise internal turmoil, is doomed to fail,\" Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that Wagner fighters could choose whether to join the Russian army or leave for Belarus, or even return to their homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today you have the possibility to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defence or other law enforcement agencies, or to return to your family and close ones... Whoever wants to can go to Belarus,\" Putin said in his address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had earlier defended his aborted mutiny as a bid to save his mercenary outfit and expose the failures of Russia\'s military leadership -- but not to challenge the Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rogue warlord\'s first audio message since calling off his troops\' advance on Moscow was released as Russian officials attempted to present the public with a return to business as usual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Internal Russian affair\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said officials were monitoring \"very closely\" the turmoil in the nuclear-armed nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We did have and were able to have in real-time -- through diplomatic channels -- conversations with Russian officials about our concerns,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the State Department said Ambassador Lynne Tracy in Moscow had contacted Russian officials \"to reiterate what we said publicly -- that this is an internal Russian affair in which the United States is not involved and will not be involved\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fighting continued in Ukraine, where Kyiv\'s forces claimed new victories in their battle to evict Russian troops from the east and south of the country, but in the Russian capital, authorities stood down their enhanced security regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin, who did not reveal from where he was speaking, said in an online audio message that his revolt was intended to prevent his Wagner force from being dismantled, and bragged that the ease with which it had advanced on Moscow exposes \"serious security problems\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We went to demonstrate our protest and not to overthrow power in the country,\" Prigozhin said, boasting that his men had \"blocked all military infrastructure\" including air bases along their route towards a point less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Belarus option -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prighozin called off the advance and pulled out of a military base his men had seized in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, a nerve centre of the war in Ukraine, late on Saturday after mediation efforts from Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lukashenko was due to speak on the turmoil soon, according to his unofficial Telegram channel Pul Pervogo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin said Lukashenko had offered him a way of keeping the Wagner outfit -- a key element in Russia\'s military machine in Ukraine and in African and Middle East hotspots -- operational.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saturday\'s extraordinary sequence of events -- Russian military bloggers report that Wagner shot down six Russian helicopters and a command and control plane during their advance -- has been seen internationally as Russia\'s most serious security crisis in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin was at pains to stress that there had been a return to normal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner headquarters in Saint Petersburg said it remained open for business, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the firm would continue to operate in Mali and the Central African Republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Moscow and the Voronezh region south of the capital lifted \"anti-terrorist\" emergency security measures imposed to protect the capital from rebel assault.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Happy day\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a morale-boosting trip to troops fighting Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut, the site of some of the most intense battles in the conflict, and touted his force\'s military progress.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today, our soldiers made progress in all areas, and this is a happy day,\" Zelensky said Monday in his regular evening address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Military leaders said their forces were making progress in the south and east of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are knocking the enemy out of its positions on the flanks of the city of Bakhmut,\" eastern ground force commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said. \"Ukraine is regaining its territory. We are moving forward.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Near Bakhmut, residents in the frontline town of Druzhkivka, which is also in Donetsk, told AFP that four explosions had rocked a residential district overnight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blasts severed water and sewage pipes, shattered windows and threw up stones that hit yards and roofs, but municipal authorities said no one was hurt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"It was a \'fun\' night, we haven\'t had this for a long time, it\'s been quiet for a month or so,\" said 66-year-old Lyubov, showing off the new hole in her cement-shingled roof. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:37:54', '2023-06-27 16:37:54'),
(7724, 7724, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As Eid-ul-Azha holidays begin and the city streets see less traffic, Dhaka’s air quality is in the \'moderate\' zone this morning (June 27, 2023).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 68 at 9:20 am, Dhaka ranked 19th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Africa\'s Johannesburg, Pakistan\'s Lahore and USA\'s Chicago occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 169, 159 and 154, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:44:24', '2023-06-27 16:44:24'),
(7725, 7725, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, who pulled off an upset in Sunday elections by advancing to a run-off, declared Monday that if he wins, his priority will be fighting corruption.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without that \"we are not going to be able to rescue the institutions we need to generate national development,\" Arevalo told AFP at the close of a celebratory rally in the capital\'s Constitution Square.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guatemala \"needs honesty and decency to bring development,\" added the 64-year-old sociologist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The battle between Arevalo -- who unexpectedly ended in second place having polled at number eight -- and former first lady Sandra Torres means Guatemala will have its first leftist leader in more than a decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Torres, the ex-wife of late former president Alvaro Colom, came in first Sunday with about 15.8 percent of votes cast, followed by Arevalo with just under 12 percent, according to the near-complete count early Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The election saw low turnout and a high rate of invalid ballots cast, with few Guatemalans holding out hope that their next president will solve the problems of crushing poverty, violence and corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the emergence of this upstart candidate -- the son of reformist president Juan Jose Arevalo (1945-1951) -- ignited many disillusioned Guatemalans, and was the buzzing topic Monday in workplaces, cafes, restaurants, buses and taxis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are very excited, very enthusiastic. We have touched the hope of a people. The people have turned out (to back us), they have given us support that no one saw coming. And with that hope and that support, we are going to rescue the country\'s institutions,\" said Arevalo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are going to win the second round and we are going to give this country the future it deserves and not the swamp they have kept us in for the last 20 years,\" said the candidate born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where his father was exiled in 1954.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am convinced (that I will win) after what happened yesterday. We know we are on the right track,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of people attended the rally in the plaza, where Arevalo told supporters that the \"dirty politics\" in the country would be forgotten.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I love and want Guatemala. I want there to be a radical change and I think we are going to have it with this person,\" Manolo Garza, a 63-year-old machinery importer, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have lived for a long time with the burden of many governments that have really only been interested in their own welfare and the people definitely not at all. We really see hope in Bernardo,\" Eveling Zapata, a 51-year-old teacher, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Torres and Arevalo are social democrats. Both oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage and elective abortion in the staunchly Catholic Central American country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whoever wins the second round on August 20, it will mark an ideological shift in Guatemala after three right-wing presidents, including current President Alejandro Giammattei, due to leave office in January 2024. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:49:38', '2023-06-27 16:49:38'),
(7726, 7726, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A New Zealand school\'s \"cat hunt\" fundraiser has caused outcry after children dangled dead feral cats in front of animal rights activists while chanting \"meat, meat, meat\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North Canterbury Hunting Competition grabbed international headlines earlier this year when it announced children under 14 could sign up to shoot feral cats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The junior category was eventually scrapped following public uproar, with activists arguing novice hunters might accidentally take out someone\'s beloved pet instead of a feral pest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But an adults-only version of the feral cat section went ahead with a series of strict rules in place, alongside categories for wild pigs, possums, rats and deer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christchurch Animal Save spokesperson Sarah Jackson was part of a small group who turned up to protest the event over the weekend, as hopeful hunters brought their prized carcasses to be weighed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jackson said the group of six protesters were \"taunted\" by children, who \"began repeatedly chanting \'meat\' whilst swinging around dead cats\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Before this we had children telling us to go and eat carrots and grass and that we were going to die from a lack of protein and iron,\" Jackson told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The first thing we saw when we arrived was children having relay races with the deceased bodies of animals from their shoulders and backs. These included baby pigs, rabbits and possums.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Organisers told local media that the protesters had provoked the children, and that criticism of the competition ignored the devastating impact feral species have in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The competition was run as a fundraiser for a school in Rotherham, a small village on New Zealand\'s South Island.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Feral cats present a major headache to New Zealand\'s conservation department, which says they hunt and kill endangered birds as well as bats and lizards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They can be difficult to distinguish from short-haired tabbies, according to the government, but typically grow much bigger. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"> bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:54:23', '2023-06-27 22:34:37'),
(7727, 7727, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department\'s (BMD) weather forecast, rain may continue across the country, including in Dhaka, over the next 72 hours (starting from 9 am today). Eid-ul-Azha 2023 may see rain, as per the prediction.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places over Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions; at many places in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places acorss the country,\" the Met Office said.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest, 66 mm, rainfall was recorded in Barishal\'s Khepupara in 24 hours, till 6 am today.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may fall by 1-2°C in the country, the weather forecast added.</div><div><br></div><div>The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 36.5 degree Celsius on Monday in Sylhet. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 19:17:19', '2023-06-27 19:17:19'),
(7728, 7728, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>China is on course to achieve its five percent target for economic growth in 2023 set by Beijing earlier this year, premier Li Qiang said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"For the whole year, we are expected to achieve the target of about five percent economic growth set at the beginning of this year,\" Li said as he opened a meeting of global political and business leaders in northern China.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Recently, some international organisations and institutions have also raised their forecasts for China\'s economic growth this year, showing their confidence in China\'s development prospects,\" Li added at the World Economic Forum.</div><div>China is grappling with a slowing post-Covid recovery, with a number of lacklustre indicators in recent weeks signalling the rebound is running out of steam.</div><div><br></div><div>Beijing\'s central bank last week cut two key interest rates in a bid to counter the slowdown in the world\'s second-largest economy.</div><div><br></div><div>Reports this month have suggested Beijing is lining up a tranche of measures targeting multiple areas of the economy, particularly the real estate sector, which makes up a huge portion of gross domestic product.</div><div><br></div><div>Beijing set an economic growth target of \"around five percent\" in March, one of its lowest in decades as it emerged from strict zero-Covid rules that hammered business activity.</div><div><br></div><div>Premier Li at the time admitted the target would be \"no easy task\".</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:26:46', '2023-06-27 20:26:46'),
(7729, 7729, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined a post-budget dinner hosted by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On her arrival at the venue, the prime minister was received by Kamal.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, Sheikh Hasina accompanied by the finance minister went round different tables and exchanged pleasantries with the guests.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaker of the House, Deputy Leader of the House, cabinet members, PM\'s advisers, state ministers, whips and parliament members, among others, were present.</div><div><br></div><div>The Jatiya Sangsad today passed Taka 7,61,785 crore national budget for 2023-24 fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>The finance minister moved the Appropriations Bill-2023 passed unanimously by voice vote.</div><div><br></div><div>The House passed the Finance Bill-2023, with some major changes as proposed by the finance minister to the original one placed before the House at the time of the presentation of the budget for FY23-24 on June 1 last.</div><div><br></div><div>With the passage of both the Appropriation Bill-2023 and the Money Bill-2023, the national budget of Taka Tk 7,61,785 crore for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 will effect from July 1. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:31:35', '2023-06-27 20:31:35'),
(7730, 7730, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The pressure of vehicles has increased on Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Gazipur since morning as a four-day holiday began on Tuesday ahead of Eid-ul-Azha which is going to be celebrated on June 29.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Vehicles are moving slowly at different important points of the highways including Chandana Chowrasta, Bhogra Bypass Intersection, Boardbazar and Gazipura.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, slow movement of traffic was seen on Dhaka-Tangail highway, the gateway to the northern districts from the capital. At Chandra Trimor, vehicles were running slowly on about one kilometer road.</div><div><br></div><div>However, there has been no long traffic jam on Gazipur highways so far.</div><div><br></div><div>The home-bound people said that there is no long traffic congestion on the roads this year. But transport workers are charging extra fare, they alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mahbub Alam said that efforts are being made to ensure a comfortable Eid journey by deploying additional law enforcers at various important points on the highway from Tongi to Chandana Intersection.</div><div><br></div><div>Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said in addition to the law enforcement agencies, 12 teams of the district administration led by executive magistrates are working to deal with traffic situation, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>These teams are also taking action if anyone takes extra fare, he told.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><b style=\"\"><font color=\"#00ff00\">Eid journey</font></b><br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:41:36', '2023-06-27 20:41:36'),
(7731, 7731, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India will host Pakistan\'s cricket team for the first time in seven years for the 50-over World Cup, the International Cricket Council said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The tournament will begin on October 5 with holders England taking on New Zealand at the world\'s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also host the final.</div><div><br></div><div>The schedule was announced after weeks of delay due to Pakistan\'s refusal to travel to India, but a truce was called after Pakistan agreed to host the Asia Cup in September in a hybrid model.</div><div><br></div><div>The most-awaited clash between rivals India and Pakistan will be played in Ahmedabad on October 15, after the hosts kick off their campaign against Australia on October 8.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Each team plays the other nine in a round robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals,\" the ICC said in a statement 100 days before the tournament begins.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries and only play cricket against each other in international tournaments, usually at neutral venues, due to longstanding political tensions, most recently during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Any match between the South Asian neighbours therefore becomes one of the most-watched events on the global sporting calendar, and any victory is used to promote nationalism at home.</div><div><br></div><div>When they do play, cricket fans around the world are glued to their TV screens in a multi-billion-dollar bonanza for broadcasters.</div><div><br></div><div>The 2019 50-over World Cup clash between India and Pakistan drew 273 million viewers.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan have not met on either side\'s soil in a bilateral series since 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>They have also not played a Test against each other since 2007, instead meeting only in the shorter versions of the game.</div><div><br></div><div>This year\'s World Cup will mark Pakistan\'s first cricket trip to India since the T20 World Cup in 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan share deep cultural and linguistic links but their history has been mired in violence and bloodshed.</div><div><br></div><div>The two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars since the subcontinent\'s partition in 1947.</div><div><br></div><div>India last won the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2011. Since then, Australia and England have won the title in their own backyards in 2015 and 2019 respectively. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:18:30', '2023-06-27 21:18:30'),
(7732, 7732, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Earth lost an area of carbon-absorbing rainforest larger than Switzerland or the Netherlands in 2022, most of it destroyed to make way for cattle and commodity crops, an analysis of satellite data released Tuesday revealed.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>That is nearly a football pitch of mature tropical trees felled or burned every five seconds, night and day, and 10 percent more than the year before, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).</div><div><br></div><div>Tropical forests destroyed last year released 2.7 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, equivalent to the fossil fuel emissions of India, the world\'s most populous nation, the WRI\'s Global Forest Watch unit reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazil accounted for 43 percent of the loss, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bolivia responsible for about 13 and nine percent, respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The more than 41,000 square kilometres (nearly 16,000 square miles) decimated globally last year makes 2022 the fourth most devastating year for primary forests in two decades.</div><div><br></div><div>The accelerating loss comes a year after world leaders vowed at the Glasgow COP26 summit in 2021 to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Since the turn of the century, we have seen a haemorrhaging of some of the world\'s most important forest ecosystems despite years of efforts to turn that trend around,\" Mikaela Weisse, director of WRI\'s Global Forest Watch told journalists in a briefing.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are rapidly losing one of our most effective tools for combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, and supporting the health and livelihoods of millions of people.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Globally, vegetation and soil have consistently absorbed about 30 percent of CO2 pollution since 1960, even as those emissions increased by half.</div><div><br></div><div>- 90 billion tonnes -</div><div><br></div><div>Some 1.6 billion people, nearly half of them members of indigenous groups, rely directly on forest resources for their food and livelihoods.</div><div><br></div><div>Deforestation in Brazil surged during the four-year rule of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and increased 15 percent last year compared to 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>Bolsonaro\'s administration gutted environmental policies, turned a blind eye to illegal deforestation, and weakened protections of the rights of indigenous peoples proven to be effective stewards of healthy forests.</div><div><br></div><div>President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, sworn in at the start of this year, has vowed to end deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030 but will face many challenges in doing so, experts say.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists fear that climate change and deforestation combined could trigger the accelerating transition of the Amazon basin from tropical forest to savannah, which could profoundly disrupt weather not just in South America but across the globe.</div><div><br></div><div>Some 90 billion tonnes of CO2 is stored in the Amazon basin\'s forest, twice worldwide annual emissions from all sources.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Halting and reversing forest loss is one of the most cost-effective mitigation options available to us today,\" said Frances Seymour, WRI\'s distinguished senior fellow for forests.</div><div><br></div><div>High rates of primary forest loss also continued in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which saw more than half a million hectares destroyed in 2022, the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Cocoa, gold &amp; fires -</div><div><br></div><div>Unlike in Brazil, the main drivers were subsistence-agriculture and the small-scale production of charcoal made by cutting and burning timber, a reflection of the country\'s poverty.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 80 percent of the population lacks electricity.</div><div><br></div><div>A half-billion dollar agreement signed by the DRC in 2021 to protect its forests has been undermined by the recent auctioning of permits for oil and gas exploration.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has also indicated it would lift a moratorium on new logging concessions.</div><div><br></div><div>Bolivia, meanwhile, saw the third largest loss of primary forests (nearly 4,000 sq km) in 2022 and a 32 percent increase in the rate of deforestation compared to 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The majority of the loss occurred within protected areas, which cover the last patches of primary forest in the country,\" the Global Forest Watch report said.</div><div><br></div><div>Cocoa production, gold-mining and fires were the main drivers.</div><div><br></div><div>Just over five percent of global tropical forest loss last year occurred in Indonesia (2,300 sq km), which has seen deforestation levels drop more than four-fold since 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>Other countries rounding out the \'top ten\' in tropical forest loss worldwide last year are Peru (3.9 percent), Colombia (3.1), Laos (2.3), Cameroon (1.9), Papua New Guinea (1.8) and Malaysia(1.7).</div><div><br></div><div>The rest of the world combined accounted for just under 15 percent of forest lost in 2022. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:41:38', '2023-06-27 21:41:38'),
(7733, 7733, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia has executed 77 civilians being held in arbitrary detention in Ukraine, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We documented the summary execution of 77 civilians while they were arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation,\" Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told a press briefing in Geneva. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:57:41', '2023-06-27 21:57:41'),
(7734, 7734, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>About 77.5 percent work of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has been completed, and it is expected to be operational next year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB), said this during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the under-construction terminal.</div><div><br></div><div>Mafidur Rahman said that construction of the third terminal is currently in its final stages.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our goal is to achieve 90% completion of the project before October, and we are optimistic that the work will be finished ahead of schedule. Currently, 77.5% of the project has been completed,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has prioritised the completion of this project and has decided to partially open the new terminal, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>While the soft opening is planned for October, the new terminal will be fully functional by 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>“To ensure timely progress, construction work is being carried out day and night -- even during the ongoing Eid holidays. We hope to hold the soft opening in the first week of October, as per the government decision,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Samsung Construction and Trading (C&amp;T) Corporation, a construction unit of the Samsung Group, is overseeing the third terminal\'s construction project.</div><div><br></div><div>“The company has an impressive portfolio, having constructed iconic buildings such as Burj Khalifa, Petronas Twin Towers, Taipei 101, Singapore Changi Airport\'s Terminal 4, South Korea\'s Incheon International Airport, and Abu Dhabi\'s Cleveland Clinic,” said Mafidur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>The terminal\'s interior has been designed by renowned architect Rohani Baharin, who has previously worked on projects including Terminal 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore, the ATC Tower Building in Guangzhou, China, Ahmedabad International Airport in India, and the Terminal Building of Islamabad International Airport.</div><div><br></div><div>The Dhaka Airport expansion project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 24, 2017, with financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Initially estimated to cost Tk 13,610 crore, the budget for the large-scale third terminal project was later increased by an additional Tk 7,788.59 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>Once completed, the new terminal, spanning an area of 5,42,000 square metres, will feature a parking apron capable of accommodating 37 aircraft. However, the main highlight will be the modern terminal building, integrating state-of-the-art technologies within its 2,30,000 square metre of interior space. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 22:34:07', '2023-06-27 22:34:07'),
(7735, 7735, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted countrymen as well as the Muslims across the globe on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha to be observed on June 29.</b></span><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>On the eve of the day, they issued separate messages praying that the holy Eid-ul-Azha brings good for all with the rise of the ideology of sacrifice.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In his message, the President said: \"Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) has set an incomparable example of love, obedience and sacrifice to Almighty Allah by taking steps to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) at the directive of Allah.\"</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div>\"Azha means Qurbani (sacrifice),\" he said, adding that sacrifice instills the spirit of self-sacrifice into all and also teaches them the spirit of sharing happiness and sorrow with relatives and neighbors.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Global inflation is on the rise due to the impact of the Corona pandemic and war-conflicts in different parts of the world, the head of the state said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In this context, low-income people around the world are facing various obstacles, he added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>He urged the affluent people of the country to stand by the people affected by these hardships so that they can enjoy the holy Eid this year.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The President also called upon the citizens to sacrifice their animals in government designated places.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Shahabuddin hoped that everyone will try to prevent the environment pollution by removing the waste of sacrificial animals after Qurbani.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: \"On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, I am extending my greetings to all the Muslims across the globe, including Bangladesh. I want to say \'Eid Mubarak\' (to all).\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also said: \"Let us all keep the message of the holy Eid-ul-Azha in our hearts and participate in public welfare based work from our own positions to build a non-discrimination, happy-prosperous and peaceful smart Bangladesh.\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She said the unique instance set by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) by sacrificing his dearest thing for the satisfaction of Allah will be imitated and followed forever.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Through the festival, the capable Muslims establish the bonding of sympathy and equality among mankind by distributing meat of their sacrificial animals among relatives and neighbors, the premier added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She greeted the countrymen and the Muslims in the world on the occasion and hoped that like every year, this Eid will bring happiness and joy to all irrespective of the rich and the poor.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Sheikh Hasina prayed to Allah for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country and Muslim Ummah on the holy day. According to BSS reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:01:50', '2023-06-27 23:01:50'),
(7736, 7736, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three people including two children were killed and two others injured when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a human hauler on Naogaon-Bogura-regional highway in Kahalu upazila of Bogura district on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as auto-rickshaw driver Aminur Rahman Tota, 24, Ashamoni, 7 and Khadiza, 3, two daughters of Rashed Sheikh of Bibirpukur area.</div><div><br></div><div>Md Shahinuzzaman, Bogura sadar police station officer-in-charge , said the accident occurred around 9 am when the Gaibandha-bound CNG-run auto-rickshaw hit the fish-laden human hauler, leaving two dead on the spot and two others injured, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The injured- Rashed Sheikh and his wife Josna Begum and one of their children were taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared the child dead.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:17:34', '2023-06-27 23:17:34'),
(7737, 7737, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday lauded Russian servicemen and security services for “stopping civil war” during the Wagner mercenary group’s aborted insurgency this weekend.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“You have de-facto stopped the civil war, you acted in a clear and well-coordinated manner in a difficult situation,” Putin said at a ceremony on the Kremlin\'s Cathedral Square.</div><div><br></div><div>Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a short-lived insurrection on Saturday that ended with an agreement for the Kremlin to drop criminal mutiny charges if he went into exile in neighboring Belarus.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin boasted that Wagner’s lightning-fast advance toward Moscow from southern Russia did not weaken the military’s positions on the Ukrainian frontline.</div><div><br></div><div>“We did not have to remove combat detachments from the special military operation zone,” he said, using the Kremlin-preferred term for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>CNN, citing an anonymous Western official, reported that Kyiv’s Western allies had allegedly cautioned the Ukrainian forces against taking advantage of Russia’s crisis to avoid the impression of the West helping Prigozhin and threatening Russian sovereignty.</div><div><br></div><div>“Make hay of opportunities on Ukrainian territory but don’t get drawn into internal matters or strike at offensive military assets inside Russia,” CNN quoted an anonymous Western official as saying.</div><div><br></div><div>Still, Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov told the ceremony he “did not rule out” Western involvement in Wagner’s rebellion.</div><div><br></div><div>Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attended the ceremony alongside 2,500 soldiers and members of the National Guard, Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) intelligence agency and the Federal Guard Service (FSO).</div><div><br></div><div>A minute of silence was held in memory of the at least 12 Russian pilots killed during Wagner’s march toward Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>“The airmen didn’t flinch and performed their orders and military duty with honor,” Putin said, without specifying how many pilots were killed in the standoff with Wagner fighters. - The Moscow Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:23:31', '2023-06-27 23:23:31'),
(7738, 7738, '<div><br></div><div><b>Intermittent rains, triggered by active monsoon, may continue on Eid-ul-Azha day (tomorrow) across the country, including in Dhaka, said the Met office today.</b></div><div><br></div><div>“The Met Office has recorded 15 mm of rainfall across the country from 6 am Tuesday till 6 am Wednesday, but between 6 am to 12 pm on Wednesday, it has recorded 42 mm of rainfall,” said Tariful Newaz Kabir, a meteorologist.</div><div><br></div><div>The continued rainfall may prolong through Thursday morning and it may abate in the afternoon,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>People who left for village homes to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones are facing traffic congestion and other problems due to the rain.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, those who are yet to purchase their sacrificial animals are facing inconveniences at the cattle market.</div><div><br></div><div>Rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws are charging extra fare, taking advantage of the inclement weather.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Met Office bulletin, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-28 19:43:42', '2023-06-28 19:43:42'),
(7739, 7739, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>One of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims Eid-ul-Azha, are being celebrated across the country today with due solemnity, a sense of sacrifice. After offering prayers at the eidgahs, devotee Muslims are now sacrificing animals.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department\'s (BMD) weather forecast, rain may continue across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The main jamaat of Eid-ul-Azha has been held at National Eidgah ground at 7:30am today seeking peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In the congregation, chief justice of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, a number of ministers, mayors of Dhaka\'s two city corporations, MPs, political leaders, senior government officials, diplomats from various Muslim countries and people of all walks of life offered Eid prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>At the end of the prayers, special prayers were offered for the continued peace and development of the country, welfare of the people and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah.</div><div><br></div><div>Five Eid jamaats are being held at the Baitul Mukarram national mosque.</div><div>The first and second Eid congregation have been held at 7:00am and 8:00am, while the next three jamaats will be held at 9:00am, 10:00am and 11:00am respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the biggest Eid congregation will be held at the historic Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj district town at 9:00am.</div><div><br></div><div>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, greeted the people of Bangladesh as well as the Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>In his message, the President urged the affluent people of the country to stand by the people affected by hardships so that they can enjoy the Eid this year.</div><div><br></div><div>He also called upon citizens to sacrifice their animals in government designated places.</div><div><br></div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended greetings to all Muslims across the globe, including Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>She hoped that like every year, this Eid will bring happiness and joy to all irrespective of the rich and the poor.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina prayed to Allah for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country and the Muslims on the day.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-29 14:34:43', '2023-06-29 14:34:43');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7740, 7740, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 77 people have been arrested in France during a second night of unrest triggered by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old driver by police.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The teenager, named as Nahel M, was shot at point-blank range as he refused a traffic stop and drove away.</div><div><br></div><div>Videos shared on social media showed cars being set alight and shops ransacked on Wednesday.</div><div>In Nanterre, the suburb Nahel came from, police were forced to partially withdraw, Le Monde reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Protesters across Paris were seen targeting police stations with fireworks.</div><div><br></div><div>Demonstrators also clashed with police in the northern city of Lille. Footage posted online showed people inside the town hall of the Mons-en-Barœul suburb setting documents and chairs alight.</div><div><br></div><div>In the western town of Rennes, about 300 people gathered to pay tribute to the teen - some of whom also lit fires and were dispersed by police.</div><div><br></div><div>Analysis: Why French government backed shot teenager\'s family</div><div>On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the shooting of Nahel was \"unforgivable\".</div><div><br></div><div>But his comments drew an angry reaction from police unions, who accused him of rushing to judge the officers involved.</div><div>The Alliance Police union called for them to be presumed innocent until found guilty, while the rival Unité SGP Police also spoke of political interventions that encouraged \"anti-cop hatred\".</div><div><br></div><div>Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would be taking legal action against another group, France Police, after it published what he called an \"unacceptable and abject\" tweet seeking to justify the teenager\'s killing.</div><div><br></div><div>The now deleted tweet said \"bravo\" to the officers who \"opened fire on a young criminal\" and blamed the teen\'s parents for his death, claiming they had been \"unable to educate their son\".</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Nahel\'s mother Mounia, speaking in a social media video, said they had taken away her baby and urged people to join a march in remembrance of her son.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He was still a child. He needed his mother,\" she said. \"He kissed me goodbye in the morning and said, \'I love you mum\'.</div><div><br></div><div>\"An hour later, I was told that someone shot my son. What shall I do? He was my life. He was everything to me.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The officer accused of killing him, who said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger, is in custody on charges of voluntary manslaughter.</div><div><br></div><div>Nahel, who a neighbour says came from a French-Algerian family, is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop. Last year, a record 13 people died in this way.</div><div><br></div><div>Rights groups have criticised a 2017 law change which broadened the framework for when officers can use firearms.</div><div><br></div><div>Citing official statistics, Le Monde newspaper reported that the annual number of police shootings at moving vehicles has consistently been higher since the change.</div><div><br></div><div>Campaigner Rokhaya Diallo told BFMTV that more shots fired meant a higher risk of being hit, especially for people of colour.</div><div><br></div><div>Reuters news agency found that a majority of victims of lethal police shootings during traffic stops since 2017 were black or Arab.According to French media, police initially suggested the teen drove his car towards them with the intention of hurting them.</div><div><br></div><div>But footage posted online and verified by the AFP news agency shows an officer pointing his weapon at the driver through his window and appearing to fire at point-blank range as he tries to drive off.</div><div><br></div><div>The agency also reports that a person in the video can be heard saying: \"You\'re going to be shot in the head\" - but it is unclear who says it.</div><div><br></div><div>Two others were in the car at the time of the shooting. One fled while another, also a minor, was arrested and held by police.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Nothing justifies the death of a young person,\" President Macron told reporters in Marseille, calling for \"calm for justice to be done\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"I would like to express the feelings of the entire nation at what has happened and the death of young Nahel, and to tell his family of our solidarity and the nation\'s affection.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have a teenager who has been killed. It\'s inexplicable, unforgivable,\" he said, adding that the the case was immediately referred to the courts where he hoped justice would \"do its job quickly\".</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities have opened two separate investigations following the teen\'s death - one into a possible killing by a public official, and another into the driver\'s failure to stop his vehicle and the alleged attempt to kill a police officer. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p>France shooting:&nbsp;<br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-29 14:40:59', '2023-06-29 14:40:59'),
(7741, 7741, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh has strongly condemned the despicable act of burning a copy of the holy Quran&nbsp; outside a mosque in Stockholm.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh expressed grave concern over such heinous acts of insulting the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims in the name of ‘freedom of expression’.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh yet again urged all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam\'s holy book outside Stockholm\'s central mosque on Wednesday, according to BBC.</div><div><br></div><div>The Quran burning was condemned by many Muslim-majority countries. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bmbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 04:48:53', '2023-06-30 04:48:53'),
(7742, 7742, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday alleged that the government has stepped up the level of repression in fear of losing power.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>He warned that their party will intensify the ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy by ousting the current government soon.</div><div><br></div><div>“The government has increased its repressive acts and the level of repression as the regime is fearing that it faces ouster,” the BNP leader said.</div><div><br></div><div>Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, made the comments while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at party founder Ziaur Rahman\'s grave on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the Awami League government has no possibility to sustain this time, no matter how much repression it resorts to.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Abbas said there is no joy of Eid among the people of the country due to soaring prices of daily essentials.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Can you say whether the prices of goods and the joy of the Eid are the same now as it was 15 years ago?…the situation is not the same now,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Also read: BNP associate bodies to showcase plight of wage-earners by marching in six districts&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;The BNP leader said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia must be freed and democracy and the people’s ownership of the country will have to be restored to bring back the past glory of the country.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said BNP has not stopped its movement but it has slowed down due to the Eid.</div><div><br></div><div>After the Eid, the BNP leader said they’ll continue their agitation with a fresh vigour to realise the demands of the nation and the people.</div><div><br></div><div>Also read: BNP\'s movement to boil down to single point \'soon\': Fakhrul</div><div><br></div><div>\"Inshallah, we’ll restore the democracy that has been hijacked and robbed through the movement. “People have already extended their support for us. People are supporting our movement, processions and meetings,” Abbas said.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;He said their party\'s founder Ziaur Rahman started developing the country with many real development activities.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“The development that is happening now can’t be called development as it’s nothing but a money laundering project. That\'s why the country is now facing a dollar crisis, money crisis and food crisis,” the BNP leader observed.</div><div><br></div><div>He alleged that all the crises that exist in the country now are only because of&nbsp; corruption and looting by the government.</div><div><br></div><div>On behalf of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman, the BNP leader wished Eid Mubarak to the country’s people.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas along with BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Chairperson Advisory Council members Amanullah Aman, Abdus Salam and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and other party leaders and activists went to Zia’s grave around 11:30am and paid homage to him by placing wreaths there. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 14:31:43', '2023-06-30 14:31:43'),
(7743, 7743, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Protests over the fatal police shooting of a teenager rocked France for a third straight night on Thursday, with cars burned, buildings vandalised and hundreds arrested in cities across the country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The nighttime unrest followed a march earlier on Thursday in memory of the 17-year-old, named Nahel, whose death has revived longstanding grievances about policing and racial profiling in France\'s low-income and multiethnic suburbs.</div><div><br></div><div>An internal security note indicated authorities were expecting a \"theatre of urban violence\", with around 40,000 police and gendarmes -- along with elite Raid and GIGN units -- deployed in several cities.</div><div>At least three cities around Paris had issued curfews, while bans on public gatherings were instated and helicopters and drones mobilised in the neighbouring cities of Lille and Tourcoing in the country\'s north.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the massive security deployment, violence and damage were reported in multiple areas. As of around 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on Friday, at least 421 people had been arrested across the country over the course of the night, according to the team of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There aren\'t any very violent confrontations in direct contact with the police, but there are a number of vandalised stores, looted or even burned businesses,\" a senior national police officer said.</div><div><br></div><div>Public buildings were also targeted, with a police station in the Pyrenees city of Pau hit with a Molotov cocktail, according to regional authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;\'An Arab face\' -</div><div><br></div><div>France has been rocked by successive nights of protests since Nahel was shot point-blank on Tuesday during a traffic stop captured on video.</div><div>In her first media interview since the shooting, Nahel\'s mother, Mounia, told the France 5 channel: \"I don\'t blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She said the 38-year-old officer responsible, who was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday, \"saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life\".</div><div><br></div><div>The memorial march for Nahel, led by Mounia, ended with riot police firing tear gas as several cars were set alight in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the teenager lived and was killed.</div><div><br></div><div>Cars, bins, schools and government offices were torched Wednesday night around Paris and in other cities, while some 150 people were arrested nationwide.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of measures to restore calm on Thursday, Paris bus and tram services were halted after 9:00 pm (1900 GMT), the region\'s president said.</div><div><br></div><div>But the measures and heightened security appeared to do little to deter unrest on Thursday night.</div><div><br></div><div>In the city centre of Marseille, a library was vandalised, according to local officials, and scuffles broke out nearby when police used tear gas to disperse a group of 100 to 150 people who allegedly tried to set up barricades.</div><div><br></div><div>Multiple public buildings were also targeted in Seine-Saint-Denis, in the Paris metro area, according to a police source.</div><div><br></div><div>In Nanterre, the epicentre of the unrest, tensions rose around midnight, with fireworks set off in the Pablo Picasso district, where Nahel had lived, according to an AFP journalist.</div><div><br></div><div>President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm and said the protest violence was \"unjustifiable\".</div><div><br></div><div>The riots are a fresh challenge for Macron, who had been looking to move past some of the biggest demonstrations in a generation sparked by a controversial rise in the retirement age. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 14:35:24', '2023-06-30 14:35:24'),
(7744, 7744, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, is believed to have been detained days after mercenaries staged a revolt inside Russia, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday, citing U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence assessments.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s not clear whether Surovikin faces any charges or where he is being held, reflecting the opaque world of the Kremlin’s politics and uncertainty after the revolt.</div><div><br></div><div>But his reported detention comes days after Wagner Group mercenaries took over the military headquarters in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were heading toward Moscow in what appears to have been an aborted insurrection.</div><div><br></div><div>Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin has spoken positively of Surovikin while criticizing the country’s military brass and suggested that he should be appointed the General Staff chief to replace Gen. Valery Gerasimov. The New York Times this week reported that U.S. officials believe Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s plan to stage the revolt.</div><div><br></div><div>The White House and the Kremlin declined to comment.</div><div><br></div><div>Surovikin, who has longtime links to Prigozhin, hasn’t been seen since the start of the rebellion when he posted a video urging an end to it.</div><div><br></div><div>A Russian military blogger, the Moscow Times, and the Financial Times reported that Surovikin, who is also the commander of the Russian air force, has been arrested.</div><div><br></div><div>There has been intense speculation that some top military officers may have colluded with Prigozhin and may now face punishment for the mutiny that briefly sent a virtually unchallenged march toward Moscow that Putin has labeled treason and a “stab in the back.” According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 17:39:15', '2023-06-30 17:39:15'),
(7745, 7745, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country, according to the evening bulletin of the BMD</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The low over North Madhya Pradesh and adjoining area has become unimportant.</div><div><br></div><div>The axis of monsoon trough runs through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across northern part of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, added the bulletin. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 01:21:32', '2023-07-01 01:21:32'),
(7747, 7747, '<div><br></div><div>A tire blowout caused a bus to lose control and crash into a road divider and burst into flames, killing 25 people in western India early Saturday, police told local media.</div><div><br></div><div>Police officer Sunil Kadasne told the Press Trust of India news agency that 33 people were on the bus when the crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. on a highway in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra state. The eight survivors were taken to a hospital, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The private travel bus was headed to Pune city from Nagpur, another city in the state.</div><div><br></div><div>Deadly road accidents are common in India, often due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police. -AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 16:56:40', '2023-07-01 16:56:40'),
(7748, 7748, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday sought vote for her party\'s electoral symbol \'boat,\' in the upcoming general election.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Awami League has brought the country\'s independence, given its economic emancipation, socio-economic development and arranged food, clothes and accommodation for the people of the country. So, vote for boat in the next election,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier made this call while exchanging greetings with local leaders of Awami League and its associate bodies, local public representatives at AL Kotalipara upazila office here in the district on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>The next general election in Bangladesh is likely to be held end of this year or early next year.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina, also the AL president, said her goal is to change the fate of the people of this country. \"Our goals are to ensure education, healthcare services, to make socio-economic development of the people and infrastructural development,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Throwing a challenge to those who never wanted AL to come to power, the PM said she must fulfill the goals for which her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made the country independent.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that her government has brightened the image of the country throughout the world, the PM blasted those who don\'t notice any development.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I have nothing to say about those who are blind despite having eyes. They don\'t see but enjoy these (the benefits of development),\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, she opened the newly constructed office of Kotalipara Upazila Awami League.</div><div><br></div><div>On arrival at the office the premier planted three saplings of Mango, Bakul (Spanish Cherry) and Neem (Margosal) trees.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina arrived at Kotalipara by road at 11:27am amid sunny weather.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier she started from her official residence Ganabhaban in the morning on a two-day visit to her home district Gopalganj.</div><div><br></div><div>PM\'s ICT Affairs Adviser and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy accompanied her</div><div><br></div><div>Gopalganj district wore a festive look with colourful posters, banners and placards adorning particularly the road she used to reach the programme venues.</div><div><br></div><div>During exchange of the Eid greetings, many local AL leaders and public representatives expressed their heartfelt thanks to the prime minister for giving them chances to share their feelings before her.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They also wished her victory in the next election to become five-time prime minister for the sake of the further development of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In response, the premier asked them to pray for her so that she can serve the people.</div><div><br></div><div>AL Advisory Council Member Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed was present on the dais while Kotalipara Upazila AL General Secretary Aynal Hossain Sheikh conducted the function.</div><div><br></div><div>After attending the events the PM departed Kotalipara for Tungipara in the afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>At Tungipara, she paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at his mausoleum. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 22:38:26', '2023-07-01 22:38:26'),
(7749, 7749, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her target is to change the fate of the countrymen.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"My target is to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh,\" she said in an introductory speech at Tungipara Upazila Awami League office while exchanging greetings and views with people of all strata of lives of Tungipara on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said the independence of the country was achieved under the leadership of her father, Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu wanted to bring smiles on the faces of the countrymen for which he announced the programme for second revolution, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Expressing her resentment over assassination of the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975 and killed four national leaders inside the Dhaka Central Jail on the same year\'s November 3, she said the target of killings is to halt the country\'s progress.</div><div><br></div><div>She continued that Bangabandhu was assassinated at a time when the country was advancing towards economic emancipation.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said her government has made massive development of the country with implementing \"My House, My Firm\", Community Clinic, Digital Bangladesh, \"My Village, My Town,\" and giving cent percent electricity.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, lawmaker from Tungipara-Kotalipara constituency, credited the people of her constituency as they have shouldered the responsibility of her as she had to give more time to make sure overall development of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Usually, the lawmakers from other constituencies only look after their respective constituency while I have to work for development in all 300 constituencies. I have been able to do so, as the Kotalipara and Tungipara inhabitants have taken the charge of her constituency,\" she said.</div><div>The premier said she roamed very parts of the country after returning to country from her six years forced exile to change the fortune of the countrymen.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There is no region in Bangladesh that I have not travelled. I made ride on boat, sampan, launch and rickshaw-van to reach the remotest areas of the country,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She continued: \"I have travelled the country in such ways and I took Bangladesh in such a dignified position using experiences that I had achieved roaming around the country.\"</div><div><br></div><div>During the view exchange, the Prime Minister wanted to hear experiences of local Awami League and associate organisations\' leaders and activists and local representatives about the development of Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>As Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire to retire on the plea of being aged at the view exchange, the local people requested her to stay as the Prime Minister for the welfare of the country and its people.</div><div><br></div><div>They expressed their desire to see Sheikh Hasina as the next Prime Minister and reiterated their strong commitment to work help wished that Sheikh Hasina will be the next Prime Minister of the country and reiterated their commitments to work helping AL in the next general election.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP, and Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel were present, among others, at the view exchange meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>Tunipara Upazila Awami League President Abul Khayer was present on the dais while General Secretary Md Babul Sheikh moderated the function.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the Prime Minister reached Kotalipara around 11.27am yesterday (on July 1) after crossing the Padma Bridge following over three-hour car ride from her official Ganabhaban residence as part of her two-day visit to Kotalipara and Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister\'s ICT Affairs Adviser and only son Sajeeb Wazed Joy accompanied her.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister\'s presence at Tungipara has added additional joy, enthusiasm and festivity among the local people.</div><div><br></div><div>The entire Gopalganj has been decorated with colourful posters, banners and placards to welcome the Premier.</div><div><br></div><div>On her arrival at the Kotalipara Upazila Awami League office on Saturday, the premier planted three wood, fruit and herbal saplings of Neem (margosal), Bakul (Spanish Cherry) and mango trees.</div><div><br></div><div>She also inaugurated the newly constructed Kotalipara Upazila Awami League office.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League (AL), later exchanged greetings with local AL and its associate organisations\' leaders and activists, local representatives and masses of Kotalipara Upazila at the Upazila AL office, on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>After completion of the programmes, the premier went to Tungipara on Saturday afternoon and paid rich tribute and offered Fateha and joined a munajat at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier spends Saturday night at Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>She is scheduled to leave Tungipara for Dhaka this afternoon. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:21:00', '2023-07-02 21:21:00'),
(7750, 7750, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">On a visit to spotlight violence and chaos in Haiti, the UN secretary-general on Saturday called for a robust international effort to help the country\'s beleaguered police in fighting rampant criminal gangs.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>For months, Antonio Guterres has raised the alarm bell about the situation in the Western Hemisphere\'s poorest country, which has been wracked by spiralling violence, a worsening public health situation and political instability.</div><div><br></div><div>But he traveled to Port-au-Prince -- his first visit to Haiti as head of the United Nations -- to make his point on the ground.</div><div>\"We must put Haiti on the international political map, and make the tragedy of the Haitian people the international community\'s top priority,\" Guterres told a press conference.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I met Haitians, and I felt the exhaustion of a population that has been facing a cascade of crises and unbearable living conditions for too long,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is not the time to forget about Haiti,\" Guterres said after meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Henry, and other political and civil society leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres urged the UN Security Council, which is due to discuss the Haiti situation later this month, \"to authorize the immediate deployment of a robust international security force.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In October, he relayed Henry\'s request for a non-UN force to support the overwhelmed national police force.</div><div><br></div><div>But the call has gone unheeded. A few countries have indicated their willingness to participate, but none has volunteered to lead an operation in a country where multiple past foreign interventions have become mired.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I call on those states that have the capacity to provide a robust security force to stop hesitating and be ready to follow a Security Council decision,\" Guterres said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Every day counts. If we don\'t act now, instability and violence will have a lasting impact on generations of Haitians.\" - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:41:07', '2023-07-02 21:41:07'),
(7751, 7751, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police and rioters have clashed in the French city of Marseille as the country battles with a fifth night of unrest after the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range, reports BBC.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Videos show police using tear gas, as officials say at least 56 arrests have been made in the southern city.</div><div><br></div><div>But a heavy police presence in central Paris seems to have deterred protests.</div><div>Large crowds turned out for the funeral of Nahel M, 17, who was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop.</div><div><br></div><div>Many French cities have descended into chaos since Tuesday after the killing happened in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.</div><div><br></div><div>Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that there had been 427 arrests overnight and praised law enforcement for their \"resolute action\" which had led to a \"calmer night\".</div><div><br></div><div>Around 45,000 police were deployed across the country for a second night on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 1,300 arrests were made on Friday night and more than 900 on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>In Marseille, heavy clashes have been taking place between police and rioters throughout Saturday evening.</div><div>In footage circulating online, police can be seen using tear gas against people in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>The video shows the clashes taking place on La Canebière, the main avenue in the heart of Marseille.</div><div><br></div><div>French media reports that fighting has been taking place between a large group of rioters and officers in the area for more than an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>In Paris, large numbers of police were seen along the iconic Champs-Élysées.</div><div><br></div><div>There had been calls on social media for protesters to gather there but the police presence seems to have kept most of them away.</div><div><br></div><div>The capital\'s police said they made 126 arrests. The Paris region stopped all buses and trams after 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) for a second night running.</div><div><br></div><div>French PM Elisabeth Borne reportedly attended the command room of the national police in Paris to observe efforts at maintaining order.</div><div><br></div><div>In the northern city of Lille, police special forces have been seen taking to the streets.</div><div><br></div><div>Images from the city overnight showed firefighters extinguishing blazes in car that had been set alight by rioters.</div><div><br></div><div>Officials told local media that 21 people had been arrested in the city of Lyon. Clashes were also reported in Nice and Strasbourg.</div><div><br></div><div>The funeral for 17 year-old Nahel was held in Nanterre earlier on Saturday. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:43:41', '2023-07-02 21:43:41'),
(7752, 7752, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three siblings drowned as a boat sank in a haor at Gobindapur in Sadar upazila of Sunamganj district on Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as Chandni, 12, Rabiul, 3 and Tanni, 8—three children of Sohel Mia of the upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The three children were in Kharcha haor in the morning.</div><div><br></div><div>At one stage, the boat carrying them sank in the Haor due to strong current, said Ikhtier Uddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:46:37', '2023-07-02 21:46:37'),
(7753, 7753, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh received inward remittances of USD $21.61 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23 through official channels, which is the second-highest ever.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country received a record amount of remittances $24.77 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21, when travel was banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh Bank (BB) revealed the updated statistics on Sunday (July 2).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remittances pick up pace ahead of Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Different research organizations including CPD think that a big volume of inward remittances also came through illegal channel like Hundi. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In June 2023, the last month of the outgoing fiscal year, the expatriates sent $2.19 billion in remittances during the time of the biggest festival of Eid-UL-Azha. Buoyed by this the inward remittances collection stood at $21.61 billion in FY23, which was $21.03 billion in FY22.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the highest expatriate income in a single month in nearly three years. Earlier, the highest expatriate income was $2.59 billion in July of FY21.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remittances from Saudi Arabia can increase further: Ambassador Javed Patwary</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those concerned with the sector say that due to various reasons including the dollar crisis, the government took various initiatives to bring more remittances or expatriate income through legal channels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, remittances did not increase at the rate expected by the central bank, or proved rather inconsistent. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 03:53:38', '2023-07-03 13:28:31'),
(7754, 7754, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Visiting Joint Commander of French Force Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars on Sunday evening paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s official residence Ganabhban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Different issues, including defense cooperation, drydock cooperation and seaway movement came up for discussion in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina welcomed and congratulated on commanding the French frigate ‘FH Surcouf’ for its port call to Chattogram from 2-6 July 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She recalled with appreciation that France extended support to the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and accorded recognition of Bangladesh as a sovereign country as early on 14 February, 1972.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM also recalled with profound gratitude the remarkable manner the leading French Intellectuals like Andre Malraux and Bernard-Henri Levy stood by our people and freedom fighters in 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said there is a scope for both countries to carry out cooperation on drydock.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars said France is a nation of the Indo-Pacific and they are in favour of freedom of navigation and the freedom to fly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The law of the sea should be respected,” he was quoted as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said human trafficking, particularly women trafficking, is also a major issue for the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and French ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy were present at the time. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 03:58:56', '2023-07-03 03:58:56'),
(7755, 7755, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The cost of food, fuel, and fertilizer in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities has escalated due to the food and energy crisis, which is attributed to the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new study conducted by the international humanitarian organization ActionAid.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cost of living in Bangladesh has gone up across multiple parameters, hitting the marginalized communities the hardest, the report suggests.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report found that in Bangladesh, price of fertilizer has increased by 105%, sugar’s price by 60%, petrol’s price by 47%, and sanitary pads by 23%.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No hike in fertilizer price in coming years: Agri Minister</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, communities are facing multiple challenges, particularly women, girls and children have, who been hit hard, according to the report.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are compromising on their education, nutrition, and on the health .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A survey of more than 1,000 community members and leaders in 14 countries across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean found that prices of fertilizer rose by more than 115% over the period monitored, while costs of petrol and sanitary pads increased by 80% or more, leading to soaring child marriage rates, deteriorating women’s health and worsening mental health.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is despite the latest UN Food and Agriculture Organization Food Price Index showing an 11.7% decline in global prices since February 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Balanced use of fertilizer can raise crop production by 8-14 percent : Researchers</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alberta Guerra, Global Policy Analyst for ActionAid, said this pioneering research shows that since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the most vulnerable people around the world are bearing the brunt of skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices, with women and girls the hardest hit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They are disproportionally affected by multiple crises that impact their food intake, education, their right to live free from child marriage, and their mental health and wellbeing.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">School dropout rates have increased for both girls and boys in 10 of the 14 countries surveyed, which includes Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The economic pressure created by price hikes has also resulted in increased rates of child marriage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the respondents in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh laid it out clearly, “Education is far less important than securing food for survival. Boys have to work in Bangladesh in the stone quarry or in sand extraction for BDT 300/day in the Jadukata River. That’s why they skip school.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report highlights that Bangladesh is facing intersecting impacts of multiple crises, ranging from climate disasters, the Ukraine-Russia war, COVID-19, debt stress and currency depreciation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most notable among these factors mentioned above are climate disasters, COVID-19, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Govt to import 1.5 lakh tonnes of fertilizer from Tunisia</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said, “The fuel price instability has had a far-reaching impact on all sectors, especially on food, which affects women and marginalized communities on a greater scale.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our national reporting (Bangladesh Bank) indicates we have an inflation of 9.5%. However, if we look in real terms, the marginalized community are now having to pay almost double the previous price for essential food items like rice and eggs. As such, there has been a serious drop in food consumption, affecting the nutritional balance ofcommunities. On the other hand, our energy sector is highly fuel-dependent and therefore, high fuel prices have made a significant impact on our foreign reserves and national expenditure.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“ActionAid is advocating for a holistic approach and adequate funding that tackles all interconnected crises exacerbating the price crisis, including climate change, debt stress, and the profound repercussions of the Russian invasion in Ukraine”, she added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farah Kabir continues, “Social protection measures need to be urgently adjusted to match the changed reality and current needs of the community. One recommended measure is to incentivize families with children, encouraging them to prioritize and continue their education. Dependency on food imports needs to be addressed with higher investments made in agroecology farming. A just transition to renewable energy and agroecological farming practices is needed now more than ever, both to protect communities from shocks and also to offer resilience against the climate crisis. There is no time to waste.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">International community urged to address triple challenge of food, fuel, fertilizer shortages</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,010 community members in 69 communities in 14 countries took part in the perception-based survey between 1st March and 23rd April.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The survey prioritized women participants, who constituted 63% of the respondents. Participants were asked about the current prices (on the day of the survey) of wheat products, cooking oil, petrol, gas for cooking, fertilizer, and sanitary pads, which were then compared with the prices collected by ActionAid before February 2022 (prior to Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Participants were also asked about the impact of these price rises on their lives and the lives of others in their communities and they were encouraged to choose at least one response from a series of options.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 14 countries which took part in the survey were Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 04:24:25', '2023-07-03 04:24:25'),
(7756, 7756, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed today paid courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter\'s official Ganabhaban residence here.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting had discussion on the worldwide economic crisis created from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine and put emphasis on collective efforts to overcome it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed newsmen after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the issues of SDGs, climate change and Rohingya repatriation also discussed in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said her government has been taking various timely measures to overcome the international food crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her government, she said, has been working to bring all the fallow land under cultivation to ward off the crisis. The premier also put emphasis on rooftop cultivation of food and vegetables.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her government has been given topmost priority to research in agriculture sector, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said they have already developed saline and flood tolerance rice varieties and are working to improve those further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About Rohingya issue, she said they have given Rohingyas shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. \"But, they have become a big burden for us. It has also created social problem,\" she continued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amina J. Mohammed said 52 countries are now on the verge of the crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to face the crisis together. It is a big challenge for the developing nations,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers to maintain world peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, PM\'s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Muhammad Abdul Muhith were present in the meeting. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 04:32:34', '2023-07-03 04:32:34');
