INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4979, 4979, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The US has shot down a giant Chinese balloon that it says has been spying on key military sites across America.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Department of Defense confirmed its fighter jets brought down the balloon over US territorial waters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China\'s foreign ministry later expressed \"strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US\'s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Footage on US TV networks showed the balloon falling to the sea after a small explosion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An F-22 jet fighter engaged the high-altitude balloon with one missile - an AIM-9X Sidewinder - and it went down about six nautical miles off the US coast at 14:39 EST (19:39 GMT), a defence official told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Defence officials told US media the debris landed in 47ft (14m) of water - shallower than they had expected - near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military is now trying to recover debris which is spread over seven miles (11km). Two naval ships, including one with a heavy crane for recovery, are in the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US President Joe Biden had been under pressure to shoot the balloon down since defence officials first announced they were tracking it on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the balloon was shot down, Mr Biden said: \"They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement a few hours later, the Chinese foreign ministry said: \"The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure - it was completely an accident.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discovery of the balloon set off a diplomatic crisis, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken immediately calling off this weekend\'s trip to China over the \"irresponsible act\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chinese authorities have denied it is a spying aircraft, and instead said it was a weather ship blown astray.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reacting to the incident, Taiwan\'s foreign ministry said in a statement: \"The Chinese Communist Party government\'s actions that violate international law and violate the airspace and sovereignty of other countries should not be tolerated in a civilised international community.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China considers self-ruled Taiwan a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing\'s control. President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Taiwan sees itself as independent, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Biden first approved the plan to down the balloon on Wednesday, but the Pentagon said it had decided to wait until the object was over water so as not to put people on the ground at undue risk.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Groundwork for the operation was laid when the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly paused all civilian flights at three airports around the South Carolina coast on Saturday afternoon because of a \"national security effort\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The coast guard also advised mariners to leave the area due to military operations \"that present a significant hazard\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An eyewitness on the coast, Hayley Walsh, told BBC News she saw three fighter jets circling before the missile was fired, then \"we heard a huge boom, the house shook\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One senior military official told CNN the recovery of debris should be \"fairly easy\" and could take \"relatively short time\". The official added that \"capable Navy divers\" could be deployed to assist in the operation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Defence officials also revealed on Saturday the balloon had first entered US airspace on 28 January, before moving to Canadian airspace three days later, and re-entering the US on 31 January. The object was spotted in the US state of Montana, which is home to a number of sensitive nuclear missile sites.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relations between China and the US have been exacerbated by the incident, with the Pentagon calling it an \"unacceptable violation\" of US sovereignty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Blinken - America\'s top diplomat - told Beijing it was \"an irresponsible act\" ahead of his now-cancelled trip on 5-6 February - it would have been the first such high level US-China meeting there in years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But China sought to play down the cancellation of his visit, saying in a statement on Saturday that neither side had formally announced a plan for a trip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China\'s foreign ministry said Beijing \"would not accept any groundless conjecture or hype\" and accused \"some politicians and media in the United States\" of using the incident \"as a pretext to attack and smear China.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, the Pentagon said a second Chinese spy balloon had been spotted - this time over Latin America with reported sightings over Costa Rica and Venezuela.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China has so far made no public comments on the reported second balloon. 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, '2023-02-05 02:13:31', '2023-02-05 02:13:31'),
(4980, 4980, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As Wolverhampton Wanderers closed out the final few minutes of Saturday\'s hugely impressive dismantling of Liverpool, their fans responded to a lengthy spell of passing with chants of \"ole\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In recent seasons, that is something Reds fans were often able to inflict on their opponents - but those days feel like a long time ago as a season of disappointment continues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a 3-0 loss at Brighton last month felt like a significant low, then this 3-0 defeat at Molineux was arguably worse. After all, the Seagulls are chasing a top-seven finish while Wolves started Saturday in the relegation zone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This latest defeat also marked the first time since 2012 that Liverpool have lost three successive away games in the Premier League. Since the turn of the year, they have conceded nine goals in four games and scored just one - hardly ideal form with the Merseyside derby up next.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to change it immediately in the next game,\" accepted boss Jurgen Klopp.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Everton won today and they are in a good moment so we have to prove a point again.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The defeat leaves Liverpool in 10th, 11 points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For Klopp, the damage done against Wolves was self-inflicted with a dreadful opening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The home side, energetic and confident from the outset, capitalised on Liverpool\'s lethargic start to take the lead after five minutes. Hwang Hee-chan was allowed to get in behind on the right and his drilled cross deflected off Joel Matip into the back of the net.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While there was an element of bad luck about the opener, awful defending led to the second goal seven minutes later as Liverpool failed to clear inside their own box, allowing Wolves debutant Craig Dawson to drive in.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those mistakes led to goals, but there were plenty of other examples of error-ridden play by Liverpool in that nightmare start.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We caused the misery with the first 12 minutes,\" lamented a frustrated-looking Klopp in the post-match news conference. \"It cannot happen.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added: \"In a game like this it is not allowed. You can criticise and judge us and you are probably right because those 12 minutes are not allowed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Problems in all areas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Much has been made of Liverpool\'s struggles this season stemming from their midfield, an area the Reds have not strengthened in either of the last two transfer windows.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the defence and attack have also been well below par this campaign, despite the latter area having been significantly strengthened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Injuries, of course, have not helped, but Saturday\'s dreadful start was reminiscent of Liverpool\'s performances early in the campaign - when they conceded the opening goal in five of their first seven games.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Reds have now conceded three goals in each of their past three away games in the Premier League - at Brentford, Brighton and now Wolves - with the latest treble meaning they have conceded more goals (28 in 20 games) than they did in the whole of last season (26 in 38 games).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Liverpool did finish last year with four wins in a row, so have the capability to turn things around, but need their attack to start scoring again, having managed just one goal in their past 360 minutes of Premier League football.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked if he still believes in his players to rediscover the form that saw them challenge for multiple trophies last season, Klopp said: \"I don\'t lose confidence in the boys but we have to improve and that is what we are working on.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\'Sacked in the morning\' - can Klopp turn it around?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Towards the end of Saturday\'s game, Wolves fans took great joy in taunting Klopp with chants of \"you\'re getting sacked in the morning\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was tongue in cheek but Klopp is certainly facing the most difficult challenge of his eight years at Anfield.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For fans to be calling for Klopp\'s head is just funny,\" former Everton and Scotland forward James McFadden said on BBC Radio 5 Live.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Look at the job he has done at that club. The season hasn\'t even finished and already they are calling it a disappointment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Jurgen Klopp is a brilliant manager, as much as it pains me to say it with my Everton connections, but he obviously has enough in the bank to turn this around.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Liverpool face Everton at Anfield on 13 February, and a victory in that game could provide the boost they need to resurrect their fortunes. Eight days later they host holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, a repeat of last year\'s final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked if he believes in his own ability to turn things around for the Reds, Klopp responded: \"Yes. Absolutely.\"&nbsp; 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, '2023-02-05 02:17:46', '2023-02-05 02:17:46'),
(4981, 4981, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Oscar-nominated screenwriter Hanif Kureishi has told the BBC he \"saw death\" after being paralysed following a fall in December.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The award-winning author of My Beautiful Laundrette and The Buddha of Suburbia fell while on holiday in Rome on Boxing Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The episode left him unable to move his arms and legs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his first international broadcast interview, he told the World Service\'s Newshour how his life has changed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I saw Death; Death was chattering to me\" he told me, convinced he was going to die, and said he wanted to video-call his children to say goodbye, but was persuaded against it by his girlfriend, Isabella D\'Amico.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He eluded death but is now learning to live with his transformed circumstances. He has some feeling in his arms and legs but can\'t do anything.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A physiotherapist says he may be able to hold and use a fork in a few weeks. And then there is the surprise of a new and growing audience for his work: millions of people are reading the words he is dictating on his blog, about what has happened to him, but also what he is learning about himself and the human condition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He has never written like this before, preferring writing in a book with a fountain pen, and a computer for re-writes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now, he dictates his thoughts and has been amazed by the response; an accident that came out of an accident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He says he has often felt alone and sleeps little, listening to the World Service, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and has had some comfort from knowing people like his writing and are rooting for him, in the midst of what he describes as despair, all the time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The words he has been dictating have been life-affirming, dark, funny and alive to his reality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And shifted what he thinks about disabled people: \"Suddenly, I walked through the door of sickness, and I have been transformed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I had never really thought about the condition of disabled people and now I know. There isn\'t a family in the world that will not have some experience of a disabled person.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are living in a world of agony and pain that I never knew existed, and I want to see the world from these people\'s point of view.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I also want to set up a charity for writers who are disabled, called Metamorphosis, after the Kafka novel.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His friend the writer Salman Rushdie, who was attacked at a literary event in the summer last year, is in touch with him, regularly, sending amusing texts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Kureishi, Rushdie does not talk about what happened to him, saying that he\'s very private.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Whereas, I do talk about what happened to me. I need to remember my identity as a writer, in the only way I can.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When I asked him if he was a patient, he said he wasn\'t. But he had to be.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What he wants is for his hands to come back, so he can write and type. They will, he thinks, but it could take six months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He says of that question that sick people often ask themselves - why me? - the simple answer came from a school friend: why not me?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What makes any of us think that we will be the exception, that illness will not strike us down?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kureishi, who is nearly 70, says he is grateful that it has happened to him towards the end of his life. 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, '2023-02-05 03:51:12', '2023-02-05 03:51:12'),
(4982, 4982, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Liz Truss has said she was never given a \"realistic chance\" to implement her radical tax-cutting agenda by her party.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a 4,000-word essay in the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Truss stood by her plans to boost economic growth, arguing they were brought down by \"the left-wing economic establishment\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are the first public comments the ex-PM has made on her resignation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But she said she was not \"blameless\" for the unravelling of the mini-budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ms Truss was forced to quit after she and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng\'s £45bn package of unfunded tax cuts panicked the markets and tanked the pound to a record low.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her brief time in power - 49 days - made her the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ms Truss said that while her experience last autumn was \"bruising for me personally\", she believed that over the medium term her policies would have increased growth and therefore brought down debt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ex-PM said she had not been warned of the risks to the bond markets from liability-driven investments (LDIs) - bought up by pension funds - due to the mini-budget, which forced the Bank of England to step in to prevent them collapsing as the cost of government borrowing soared.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government did not tell the Bank of England about its tax cut plans before the mini-budget, one of its deputy governors said at the time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the ex-PM argued that the government was made a \"scapegoat\" for developments that had been brewing for some time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She wrote: \"While the government was focused on investigating what had happened and taking action to remedy the situation, political and media commentators cast an immediate verdict blaming the mini-budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Frankly, we were also pushing water uphill. Large parts of the media and the wider public sphere had become unfamiliar with key arguments about tax and economic policy and over time sentiment had shifted leftwards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Regrettably, the government became a useful scapegoat for problems that had been brewing over a number of months.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After 100 days of \"soul searching\" we have a version of events from the shortest serving UK Prime Minister in history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is Liz Truss\'s catastrophic time in office, described and defended in her own words.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At some length, she attempts to argue her case and answer for her actions. There is reflection and regret but not the apology which many might expect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What burns through this 4000 word essay is a sense from Liz Truss that almost everything was against her as she makes a case for what might have been.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The system, officials, Conservative MPs all played a part, she argues, in stopping her from achieving her aim of economic growth through tax cuts and de-regulation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are breath taking reminders of how high the stakes were as her policies sent shockwaves through the economy - Kwasi Kwarteng had to go to avoid \"a serious meltdown for the UK\" and \"the starkest of warnings\" came from officials that the country may have to default on its debt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite her downfall, Liz Truss argues many still share her enthusiasm for what she was trying to achieve.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1px transparent line</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And as Conservatives engage in open debate about whether her successor Rishi Sunak should move to cut taxes more quickly, she\'s promised more to come.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said she had not appreciated the strength of the resistance she would face to her plans - including plans to abolish the 45p top rate of income tax.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I assumed upon entering Downing Street that my mandate would be respected and accepted. How wrong I was. While I anticipated resistance to my programme from the system, I underestimated the extent of it,\" she writes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Kwarteng dropped the 45p income tax proposals 10 days after they were announced, telling the BBC it was \"a massive distraction on what was a strong package\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Less than a fortnight later, Ms Truss sacked Mr Kwarteng, something she said she was \"deeply disturbed by\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Kwasi Kwarteng had put together a brave package that was genuinely transformative - he is an original thinker and a great advocate for Conservative ideas. But at this point, it was clear that the policy agenda could not survive and my priority had to be avoiding a serious meltdown for the UK,\" she wrote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the benefit of hindsight, she writes that she would have acted differently during her premiership - but she still backs her plans for growth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I have lost track of how many people have written to me or approached me since leaving Downing Street to say that they believe my diagnosis of the problems causing our country\'s economic lethargy was correct and that they shared my enthusiasm for the solutions I was proposing,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"While I regret that I wasn\'t able to implement my full programme, I am still optimistic for the future, with the United Kingdom now able to steer its own course as a free nation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Liz Truss resigned as prime minister, she is still serving in parliament as the MP for South West Norfolk. 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, '2023-02-05 03:57:04', '2023-02-05 03:57:04'),
(4983, 4983, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka ranked worst in the AQI index with a score of 239 at 08:55 am today.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while 201–300 is ‘‘very unhealthy’, and 301–400 is \'hazardous\', posing severe health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s Mumbai and China’s Chengdu occupied the second and third spots in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air, with scores of 199 and 197, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to 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</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 04:09:32', '2023-02-05 04:09:32'),
(4984, 4984, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Most wealthy Gulf Arab nations followed Saudi Arabia’s lead in recent years and ostracized crisis-hit Lebanon because of the growing influence of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. The exception was Qatar.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Doha has been silently expanding its influence in Lebanon. It continued receiving Lebanese leaders and pumped tens millions of dollars into helping the country’s armed forces amid a historic economic meltdown.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The small, gas-rich nation in late January began seeing the fruits of its investment, when state-owned Qatar Energy replaced a Russian firm in an international consortium that will search for gas in the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon’s coast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And on Monday, Qatar will for the first time join a meeting in Paris along with officials from France, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. for discussions focusing on Lebanon’s political and economic crises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qatar portrays itself as a more neutral force in a country where for decades outside powers have used Lebanon’s sectarian divisions to fight their proxy battles. Saudi Arabia long backed Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim factions and tried to push out Iran’s influence through Shiite Hezbollah. The rivalry repeatedly pushed Lebanon to the brink of armed conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qatar, which has good ties with Iran, has been trying to advance negotiations between Tehran and Gulf nations. Its inclusion in the upcoming talks “is a signal that Iran will not be completely left out of that meeting and a recognition of the influence that Tehran has over Lebanon,” said Mohamad Bazzi, a professor and director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“With Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states less heavily involved in Lebanon, Qatar is trying to revive its mediator role in the country,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, Qatar – one of the richest countries in the world with its natural gas wealth – so far “has shown little sign of being willing to bail out Lebanon on its own,” Bazzi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since late 2019, Lebanon’s economy has collapsed under the weight of widespread corruption and mismanagement. The currency has lost more than 90% of its value, throwing most of the population into poverty. International donors, including Qatar, have been demanding the government implement reforms to release some $11 billion in loans and grants. But Lebanon’s politicians have resisted because reforms would weaken their grip in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qatar’s involvement in Lebanon is not new.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, Qatar helped rebuild several towns and villages that suffered major destruction in southern Lebanon. Giant billboards with signs reading “Thank You Qatar” popped up around Lebanon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In May 2008, after Hezbollah and its allies battled their Western-backed rivals in Beirut’s worst fighting since the 1975-90 civil war, Lebanese political leaders flew to Qatar, where they reached a deal known as the “Doha Agreement.” The deal ended an 18-month deadlock and brought the election of a new president and formation of a new government. In the calm that followed, massive foreign investment flowed in, and Lebanon’s economy grew at an average of 9% for three years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In December 2018, then-President Michel Aoun inaugurated the newly rehabilitated Lebanese National Library in Beirut, funded by Qatar at a cost of $25 million. The current emir’s mother, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, had laid the foundation stone for the project in the heart of Beirut in 2009.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia pulled back from Lebanon in recent years as Hezbollah’s power grew. Last year, the main Saudi ally in Lebanon, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a dual Lebanese-Saudi citizen, announced he is suspending his work in politics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2020, Riyadh banned imports of Lebanese products after a Lebanese official derided the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen. Several other Gulf countries followed suit, but Qatar did not.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qatar doubled down on its investment as Lebanon’s economy melted down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qatari investors bought the famous Beirut Le Vendome hotel overlooking the Mediterranean in 2020. There are reports that Doha plans to pump money into Lebanon’s struggling banking sector to buy one of the country’s lenders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In June, Qatar donated $60 million to support the salaries of members of the Lebanese army. It was already supporting the army with monthly supplies of food. Strengthening Lebanon’s military has long been a policy of the United States, which sees the force as a counterbalance to Hezbollah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A week ago, three months after Lebanon and Israel signed a U.S.-mediated maritime border agreement, Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi joined Lebanese officials in Beirut for a ceremony inking an agreement for Qatar to take a 30% share in a consortium for oil and gas exploration in Lebanese waters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“For us in Qatar, this important agreement gives us an opportunity to support economic developments in Lebanon during this critical turn,” al-Kaabi said at the event. “Qatar is always present to support a better future for Lebanon and its people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the agreement, Qatar Energy will take over the 20% stake vacated by Russia’s Novatek in addition to 5% each from Italy’s giant ENI and France’s TotalEnergies leaving the Arab company with a stake of 30%. Total and ENI will have 35% stakes each.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a win-win situation for Lebanon and Qatar,” said Lebanon’s former energy minister, Cesar Abi Khalil. Qatar gets a stake in the possible gas resources in Lebanese waters, while Lebanon gets the credibility of a Qatari company in the project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the political field, Qatar has not openly backed any party. But it reportedly supports the Lebanese Army commander, Gen. Joseph Aoun, to become the country’s next president. Aoun, who is not related to the outgoing president, was invited to visit Qatar in December and met with high-level officials. Hezbollah is believed to oppose him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As it often does, Qatar is advancing its economic and political interests together, said Lebanese economist Antoine Farah. It is ensuring income from its investments while gaining a political role in the country where it invests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Ali Hamade, a journalist with the Lebanese daily An-Nahar, said Qatar, like other Gulf nations, will want to see Lebanon’s political leaders enact serious reforms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Lebanon should help itself in order for Arabs to help Lebanon. Lebanese politicians cannot sit and wait for money to rain from the sky,” Hamade said. 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, '2023-02-05 04:55:47', '2023-02-05 04:55:47'),
(4985, 4985, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country — from late night to Monday morning.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy skies across the country, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in its bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 10.8 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga district, in 24 hours till 6 am today. The highest temperature was recorded at 31 degrees Celsius in Teknaf during this time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A ridge of sub-continental high extends up to India’s Bihar and adjoining areas. Seasonal low lies over south Bay. 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, '2023-02-05 05:37:57', '2023-02-05 05:37:57'),
(4986, 4986, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine fought off a fresh Russian assault on the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut, its leaders said Saturday, as it endured a fresh wave of shelling in the disputed Donetsk region.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials meanwhile recovered the bodies of two British volunteers, killed trying to help evacuate people from the eastern warzone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And the southern city of Odesa suffered a massive power cut affecting half a million households after an accident at a war-damaged electrical substation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This week, the Russian occupation forces threw all their efforts into breaking through our defence and encircling Bakhmut, and launched a powerful offensive in the Lyman sector,\" said Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But thanks to the resilience of our soldiers, they did not succeed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine\'s border guard service reported that its soldiers had stopped the latest attack, killing four and wounding seven of the opposing forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia unleashed a fresh wave of bombardment across the eastern front lines Saturday morning. Ukrainian officials reported shelling in the Chernigiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv Lugansk, Donetsk and Mykolaiv regions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the situation was getting tougher.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia, he said, was \"throwing more and more of its forces at breaking down our defence\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is very difficult now in Bakhmut, Vugledar, Lyman and other areas,\" he added, referring to the frontline cities in the east of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France, Italy and the United States on Friday all promised fresh deliveries of weapons to Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Germany\'s leader said in an interview Sunday there was agreement that weapons supplied by the West would not be used to attack Russian territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is a consensus on this point,\" Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with the weekly Bild am Sonntag.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv, while expressing its gratitude for the pledged weapons, is already pressing for more, including fighter jets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Foreign casualties -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Kyiv said Saturday that the bodies of the two Britons killed while trying to help people evacuate from the eastern warzone had been recovered in a prisoner swap.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chris Parry, 28, and Andrew Bagshaw, 47, were undertaking voluntary work in Soledar, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, when their vehicle was reportedly hit by a shell.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their bodies were returned to Ukraine authorities as part of a wider exchange, in which Kyiv got 116 prisoners and Russia 63.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We managed to return the bodies of the dead foreign volunteers,\" said Zelensky\'s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, naming them as the two British men.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concern had grown about their fates after the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which helped capture Soledar from Ukrainian forces, said on January 11 that one of the missing men\'s bodies had been found there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had also published online photographs of passports that appeared to belong to Parry and Bagshaw, which he claimed were found with the corpses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, news emerged of the death of an American medic killed in Bakhmut when his evacuation vehicle was hit by a missile.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Global Outreach Doctors, with whom he was working, said 33-year-old Pete Reed was a former US Marine Corps rifleman who also worked as a paramedic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Odesa power cut hit hundreds of thousands of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As of today, almost 500,000 customers have no electricity supply,\" said Maksym Marchenko, of the Odesa regional administration. Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said that came to \"about a third of consumers\" there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The situation is complex, the scale of the accident is significant,\" Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on messaging app Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrenergo, the country\'s energy operator, reported an accident at a substation supplying both the city and the region of Odesa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The power network there had been gradually degraded by repeated Russian bombardment in recent months, it added: \"As a result, the reliability of power supply in the region has decreased.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Fresh embargo -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday, Russia faces a fresh turn of the sanctions screw, with an embargo on ship deliveries of its refined oil products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The European Union, the Group of Seven industrialised nations and Australia will cap the price of Moscow\'s refined oil products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Already in December, the EU imposed an embargo on Russian crude oil coming into the bloc by sea and -- with its G7 partners -- imposed a $60-per-barrel cap on Russian crude exports to other parts of the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new embargo and price caps starting Sunday will target Russian refined oil products such as petrol, diesel and heating fuel arriving on ships.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin has warned that the measures will destabilise world markets. 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, '2023-02-05 05:47:47', '2023-02-05 05:47:47');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4987, 4987, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Lionel Messi scored a superb second-half winner as a Paris Saint-Germain side missing the injured Kylian Mbappe and Neymar came from behind to beat Toulouse 2-1 on Saturday and consolidate their lead at the top of Ligue 1.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dutch midfielder Branco van den Boomen gave mid-table Toulouse the lead at the Parc des Princes from a 20th-minute free-kick, only for Achraf Hakimi to curl in the equaliser with half-time approaching.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi then put PSG in front just before the hour mark with a glorious first-time strike on his left foot low into the corner of the net from just outside the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was Messi\'s 10th Ligue 1 goal of the season and his 15th for his club this campaign, as the World Cup winner stepped up in the absence of PSG\'s two other superstar attackers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Qatar-owned club are now eight points clear at the top of the table from Marseille, who play Nice on Sunday and then host PSG in the French Cup last 16 in midweek.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mbappe will miss that game and the Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich on February 14 after being ruled out for three weeks with a thigh injury suffered in the 3-1 win at Montpellier last Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neymar missed a second successive game with an apparently minor adductor problem, meaning it was left to Messi to lead the attack alongside the 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike with support from Vitinha and Carlos Soler.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- More injury problems -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Christophe Galtier\'s side have other issues, with Sergio Ramos unable to play, Marco Verratti suspended, and Renato Sanches forced to come off in tears just 12 minutes into the game.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Leo is holding the team together,\" Galtier told broadcaster Amazon Prime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is not just two players we are missing. There is Kylian and \'Ney\' but also Marco Verratti and Sergio Ramos.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He takes on the role of leader naturally, and he did so in midweek too. He was so important to the way we played. He takes the initiative. We need to give him the ball even more.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Portugal midfielder Sanches was starting for just the fifth time since joining from Lille at the start of the season but had to come off with what looked like a hamstring injury.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was replaced by teenage defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu, with Danilo Pereira moving up into the midfield, and the substitute was partly responsible when PSG fell behind.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bitshiabu was booked for bringing down Zakaria Aboukhlal 25 metres from goal, and Van den Boomen sent the resulting free-kick low into the left corner of the net with Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi hit the post from a corner and Toulouse had another goal disallowed for offside before the home side drew level seven minutes from half-time as Hakimi collected a Soler pass, cut in from the right flank and curled a shot on his left foot into the far corner from 20 metres.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hakimi then turned provider as he set up Messi to make it 2-1 on 58 minutes, the goal standing despite Toulouse coach Philippe Montanier feeling it should have been disallowed as Marquinhos blocked the goalkeeper\'s view while in an offside position.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Wins for Lyon, Lille -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The outcome was rarely in doubt after that with PSG -- who have had some recent wobbles -- deserved winners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anthony Rouault did force a good save from Donnarumma deep into injury time before Messi hit the post again right at the death.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile Rennes missed out on an 11th consecutive home league win as they went down 3-1 to fellow European hopefuls Lille.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amine Gouiri put the home side ahead inside 30 seconds but Edon Zhegrova, Remy Cabella and on-loan Everton midfielder Andre Gomes all scored in the second half for sixth-placed Lille, who are now just two points behind Rennes in fifth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elsewhere, Lyon boosted their outside hopes of European qualification with a 3-1 win at Troyes in which Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki both scored before Alexandre Lacazette netted his 16th goal of the season. 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, '2023-02-05 05:57:27', '2023-02-05 05:57:27'),
(4988, 4988, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Some 89.30 percent of the targeted 1,76,10,956 people of all eight districts in Rangpur have so far been vaccinated with the first doses of Covid-19 jabs.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Till Saturday, 1,53,99,277 persons or 89.30 percent against the targeted people got the first doses of Covid-19 jabs, and among them, 1,44,95,556 people or 82.31 percent got the second doses,\" Divisional Director (Health) Dr. ABM Abu Hanif said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the same time, 69,24,884 persons have been vaccinated with the booster doses and 2,12,303 people with the fourth doses of Covid-19 jabs in the division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, more 16,187 doses of Covid-19 jabs were administered on Saturday as the first, second, booster and fourth doses raising the total number of vaccinated jabs to three crore 73 lakh 59 thousand and 189 doses in the division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The total number of Covid-19 patients remained steady at 64,955 as no fresh Covid-19 cases were diagnosed after testing new samples on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The number of recovered Covid-19 patients remained steady at 63,662 as no more patients healed during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Besides, the number of casualties also remained steady at 1,293 as no new death was reported during the last 24 hours,\" Dr. Hanif added. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 06:19:18', '2023-02-05 06:19:18'),
(4989, 4989, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the newly constructed 12-storey building of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at Agargaon of Sher-e Bangla Nagar in the city.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She inaugurated the new Revenue Building through unveiling its plaque this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After inaugurating the building, the Prime Minister went round its different sections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Internal Resources Division Senior Secretary and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem and its Member Dr Abdul Mannan Shikder were present, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the opening of the new building, the NBR has got a new establishment with all modern facilities after 50 years of its inception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Public Works Department constructed the most modern and eye-catching building at a cost of Taka 412 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The building has an eco-friendly central air conditioning system, eight elevators, a 510-seat multipurpose hall, a revenue archive, a library, a record room and a central data processing centre and server space.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, it has a computer lab, training centre as well as other facilities like a full-time generator, building management system, access control security system, entry and exit for the physically challenged and senior citizens, cafeteria, day-care centre, media centre and separate prayer rooms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Each of the floors of the building has about 46,000 square feet of space, which is the largest floor space among all buildings in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Already many of the units, including Large Taxpayers Units (LTU) under VAT and the Income Tax wing of NBR, started shifting to the new building. The Tax Appellate Tribunal started its office on January 1, 2023 there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All shifting is set to be completed by the middle of February. From March 1, 2023, the revenue board will fully start office in the new building of NBR, official sources said. 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, '2023-02-05 06:25:24', '2023-02-05 08:07:20'),
(4990, 4990, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin did not threaten \"either me or Germany\" during telephone talks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No, Putin did not threaten either me or Germany,\" Scholz said. \"Absolutely different points of view\" of the current situation in Ukraine are traced very clearly in telephone conversations with the Russian leader, the German Chancellor noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Germany will keep a cool head and continue weighing in all the decisions in the future,\" Scholz noted, referring to the issue of tanks supplies to Kiev. \"All the other things would be careless and extremely dangerous,\" the Chancellor said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"The consensus is in place in this regard,\" he added, answering the question whether there had been an agreement with the Ukrainian president that the Western weapons would be used on the territory of Ukraine only. TASS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 06:54:36', '2023-02-05 06:54:36'),
(4991, 4991, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup and later led a reluctant Pakistan into aiding the U.S. war in Afghanistan against the same Taliban fighters his nation murkily backed even as Islamic militants twice targeted him for assassination, has died, an official said Sunday. He was 79.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf, a former special forces commando, became president through the last of a string of military coups that roiled Pakistan since its founding amid the bloody 1947 partition of India. He ruled the nuclear-armed state after his 1999 coup through tensions with India, an atomic proliferation scandal and an Islamic extremist insurgency. He stepped down in 2008 while facing possible impeachment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later in life, Musharraf lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid criminal charges, despite attempting a political comeback in 2012. But it wasn’t to be as his poor health plagued his last years. He maintained a soldier’s fatalism after avoiding a violent death that always seemed to be stalking him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I have confronted death and defied it several times in the past because destiny and fate have always smiled on me,” Musharraf once wrote. “I only pray that I have more than the proverbial nine lives of a cat.” Musharraf’s family announced in June 2022 that he had been hospitalized for weeks while suffering from amyloidosis, an incurable condition that sees proteins build up in the body’s organs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning,” the family said. They later said he also needed access to the drug daratumumab, which is used to treat multiple myeloma. That bone marrow cancer can cause amyloidosis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shazia Siraj, a spokeswoman for the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai, confirmed his death and said diplomats were providing support to his family.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan, a nation nearly twice the size of California along the Arabian Sea, is now home to 220 million people. But it would be its border with Afghanistan that would soon draw the U.S.′ attention and dominate Musharraf’s life a little under two years after he seized power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden launched the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks from Afghanistan, sheltered by the country’s Taliban rulers. Musharraf knew what would come next.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“America was sure to react violently, like a wounded bear,” he wrote in his autobiography. “If the perpetrator turned out to be al-Qaida, then that wounded bear would come charging straight toward us.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Sept. 12, then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told Musharraf that Pakistan would either be “with us or against us.” Musharraf said another American official threatened to bomb Pakistan ”back into the Stone Age” if it chose the latter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf chose the former. A month later, he stood by then-President George W. Bush at the Waldorf Astoria in New York to declare Pakistan’s unwavering support to fight with the United States against “terrorism in all its forms wherever it exists.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan became a crucial transit point for NATO supplies head to landlocked Afghanistan. That was the case even though Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency had backed the Taliban after it swept into power in Afghanistan in 1994. Prior to that, the CIA and others funneled money and arms through the ISI to Islamic fighters battling the 1980s Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan saw Taliban fighters flee over the border back into Pakistan, including bin Laden, whom the U.S. would kill in 2011 at a compound in Abbottabad. They regrouped and the offshoot Pakistani Taliban emerged, beginning a yearslong insurgency in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The CIA began flying armed Predator drones from Pakistan with Musharraf’s blessing, using an airstrip built by the founding president of the United Arab Emirates for falconing in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The program helped beat back the militants but saw over 400 strikes in Pakistan alone kill at least 2,366 people — including 245 civilians, according to the Washington-based New America Foundation think tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though Pakistan under Musharraf launched these operations, the militants still thrived as billions of American dollars flowed into the nation. That led to suspicion that still plagues the U.S. relationship with Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“After 9/11, then President Musharraf made a strategic shift to abandon the Taliban and support the U.S. in the war on terror, but neither side believes the other has lived up to expectations flowing from that decision,” a 2009 U.S. cable from then-Ambassador Anne Patterson published by WikiLeaks said, describing what had become the diplomatic equivalent of a loveless marriage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The relationship is one of co-dependency we grudgingly admit — Pakistan knows the U.S. cannot afford to walk away; the U.S. knows Pakistan cannot survive without our support.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it would be Musharraf’s life on the line. Militants tried to assassinate Musharraf twice in 2003 by targeting his convoy, first with a bomb planted on a bridge and then with car bombs. That second attack saw Musharraf’s vehicle lifted into the air by the blast before touching the ground again. It raced to safety on just its rims, Musharraf pulling a Glock pistol in case he needed to fight his way out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It wasn’t until his wife, Sehba, saw the car covered in gore that the scale of the attack dawned on him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“She is always calm in the face of danger,” he recounted. But then, “she was screaming uncontrollably, hysterically.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Born Aug. 11, 1943, in New Delhi, India, Musharraf was the middle son of a diplomat. His family joined millions of other Muslims in fleeing westward when predominantly Hindu India and Islamic Pakistan split during independence from Britain in 1947. The partition saw hundreds of thousands of people killed in riots and fighting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf entered the Pakistani army at age 18 and made his career there as Islamabad fought three wars against India. He’d launch his own attempt at seizing territory in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir in 1999 just before seizing power from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharif had ordered Musharraf’s dismissal as the army chief flew home from a visit to Sri Lanka and denied his plane landing rights in Pakistan, even as it ran low on fuel. On the ground, the army seized control and after he landed Musharraf took charge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet as ruler, Musharraf nearly reached a deal with India on Kashmir, according to U.S. diplomats at the time. He also worked toward a rapprochement with Pakistan’s longtime rival.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another major scandal emerged under his rule when the world discovered that famed Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, long associated with the country’s atomic bomb, had been selling centrifuge designs and other secrets to countries including Iran, Libya and North Korea, making tens of millions of dollars. Those designs helped Pyongyang to arm itself with a nuclear weapon, while centrifuges from Khan’s designs still spin in Iran amid the collapse of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf said he suspected Khan but it wasn’t until 2003 when then-CIA director George Tenet showed him detailed plans for a Pakistani centrifuge that the scientist had been selling that he realized the severity of what happened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan would confess on state television in 2004 and Musharraf would pardon him, though he’d be confined to house arrest after that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“For years, A.Q.’s lavish lifestyle and tales of his wealth, properties, corrupt practices and financial magnanimity at state expense were generally all too well known in Islamabad’s social and government circles,” Musharraf later wrote. “However, these were largely ignored. ... In hindsight that neglect was apparently a serious mistake.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf’s domestic support eventually eroded. He held flawed elections in late 2002 — only after changing the constitution to give himself sweeping powers to sack the prime minister and parliament. He then reneged on a promise to stand down as army chief by the end of 2004.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Militant anger toward Musharraf increased in 2007 when he ordered a raid against the Red Mosque in downtown Islamabad. It had become a sanctuary for militants opposed to Pakistan’s support of the Afghan war. The weeklong operation killed over 100 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident severely damaged Musharraf’s reputation among everyday citizens and earned him the undying hatred of militants who launched a series of punishing attacks following the raid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fearing the judiciary would block his continued rule, Musharraf fired the chief justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court. That triggered mass demonstrations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under pressure at home and abroad to restore civilian rule, Musharraf stepped down as army chief. Though he won another five-year presidential term, Musharraf faced a major crisis following former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in December 2007 at a campaign rally as she sought to become prime minister for the third time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The public suspected Musharraf’s hand in the killing, which he denied. A later United Nations report acknowledged the Pakistani Taliban was a main suspect in her slaying but warned that elements of Pakistan’s intelligence services may have been involved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musharraf resigned as president in August 2008 after ruling coalition officials threatened to have him impeached for imposing emergency rule and firing judges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I hope the nation and the people will forgive my mistakes,” Musharraf, struggling with his emotions, said in an hourlong televised address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afterward, he lived abroad in Dubai and London, attempting a political comeback in 2012. But Pakistan instead arrested the former general and put him under house arrest. He faced treason allegations over the Supreme Court debacle and other charges stemming from the Red Mosque raid and Bhutto’s assassination.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The image of Musharraf being treated as a criminal suspect shocked Pakistan, where military generals long have been considered above the law. Pakistan allowed him to leave the country on bail to Dubai in 2016 for medical treatment and he remained there after facing a later-overturned death sentence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it suggested Pakistan may be ready to turn a corner in its history of military rule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Musharraf’s resignation is a sad yet familiar story of hubris, this time in a soldier who never became a good politician,” wrote Patterson, the U.S. ambassador, at the time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The good news is that the demonstrated strength of institutions that brought Musharraf down — the media, free elections and civil society — also provide some hope for Pakistan’s future. It was these institutions that ironically became much stronger under his government.” 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, '2023-02-05 07:10:35', '2023-02-05 07:10:35'),
(4992, 4992, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon all to make investments in the country for building a developed Bangladesh.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Please everyone make investment (in the country). It will not only bring benefit for yourself, but also for the country,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made the call while inaugurating the newly constructed “Biniyog Bhaban” (Investment Building) of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) as chief guest in the city’s Agargaon area.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The multi-storey Investment Building would be used as the offices of three agencies –BIDA, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister laid emphasis on expansion of the export basket incorporating new export items alongside exploring new markets.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bangladesh will progress further through both local and foreign investment, and Bangladesh will be a developed country by 2041,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that the main target of her government is to develop the people of the grassroots level, she said “Their purchasing power is increasing, their per capita income is increasing and in this case our own market is being created.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, she also said that the government has established communication with the neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Nepal, India, Thailand and Myanmar as Bangladesh is geographically located in a good position.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She noted that South Asia is a market of 300 crore people and anyone can take the advantages of it.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina mentioned that an international airport is being constructed in Cox’s Bazar, besides establishing direct rail communication with Dhaka and developing roads.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bangladesh could be a bridge between the East and the West. We are developing Bangladesh in that way,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the geopolitical location is in favour of Bangladesh and that is why the government is establishing deep sea port in Matarbari, the development of Payra port alongside Chattogram and Mongla ports is going on and Bay terminal is being built along with and other facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I hope this forward march of Bangladesh will continue,” she added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister urged all the businessmen to work with confidence as the government will build the country as smart Bangladesh where people will be smart, economy will be smart, business will be smart and all works will be done digitally.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the government is setting up hi-tech parks and incubation centres where people are getting training and this is a huge place of investment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She opined that agriculture and ICT are very important for Bangladesh. “Our children are very meritorious and they learn so quickly. You (businessman) have to utilise it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister mentioned that her government has provided cent percent electricity across the country.&nbsp; She, however, said the users should pay the actual cost to avail themselves of gas and electricity supply.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The gas and electricity supply can be given, if all agree to pay the purchasing costs. How much subsidy can be given to it? And why should we give subsidies to it?” she said, adding that the government is providing subsidies to agriculture and food production in the greater interest of the common people.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said the production cost of per kilowatt electricity is Taka 12, but its price is only Taka 6. Despite this, the government is criticised for this electricity tariff, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In England, the electricity price has been increased by 150 percent. “We’ve not reached this stage (such a worse situation) yet,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina urged the country’s people to make investments in a larger way in the food and agro-processing industry, particularly in the 100 economic zones, now being developed throughout the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said there is high demand for food in the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war. The food prices soared significantly, she said.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, MP, in the chair, BIDA Executive Chairman Lokman Hossain Miah delivered the welcome address.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M Tofazzel Hossain Miah was also present, among others.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister sought foreign investments and wished that the country’s youths would turn themselves into investors.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We want foreign investment. But, simultaneously we want that our youth folk will be investors,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About developing entrepreneurship, she said that they have taken initiatives to develop entrepreneurship in the country and also launched start-up programme for the young generation with separate budgets.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ve revised company law so that single-person based company can be formed and the country’s young generation can move up,” she added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She observed that Bangladesh’s one of the advantages is that it’s young generation is very skilled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are setting up technical training centre in each Upazila for the skilled young generation and prepare themselves appropriately,” she added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said her government is working relentlessly to produce skilled Human Resources.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about environment friendly industries, she said the government has reduced taxes on equipment in the convenience of setting up environment friendly industries in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that they are also taking measures to ensure suitable atmosphere for the labourers in the factories.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To this end, measures have been taken to inspect factories by appointing inspectors, she added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She revealed that meanwhile over 5,000 factories have been inspected while measures have been taken to inspect another 10,000 factories.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will take all types of measures to make all our factories environment friendly in this way,” she added. 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, '2023-02-05 07:36:29', '2023-02-05 07:36:29'),
(4993, 4993, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated a two-day revenue conference-2023 aimed at developing the country\'s revenue management system.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">She opened the conference, first of its kind in the country, at a function held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Internal Resources Division Senior Secretary and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem and its Member Dr Abdul Mannan Shikder spoke at the function.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">A video documentary on the activities of the NBR was screened on the occasion.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Three seminars on value added tax (VAT), customs and income tax will be held marking the conference.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">There will be information booths on these issues to let the people know more about VAT, customs and income tax. At the same time, awareness about online services will also increase. BSS</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 08:03:08', '2023-02-05 08:03:08'),
(4994, 4994, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Shah Rukh Khan had beaten Aamir Khan in a crucial race of the blockbusters. His Pathaan has overtaken Aamir\'s Dangal as the highest grossing film of all time, released in Hindi. It has collected ₹729 crore worldwide.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That being said, the overall worldwide collection of Dangal is still legions ahead at ₹2000 crore, thanks to the insane run it had at the Chinese box office in 2017. Pathaan has only beaten Dangal in the Hindi version race, considering Dangal released in Mandarin in China, which collected approximately ₹1200 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid dating rumours, Salman Khan smiles bright as he attends Pooja Hegde\'s brother\'s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Film trade analyst Ramesh Bala tweeted the fresh figures, as did the film\'s producers, Yash Raj Films. A fresh poster with the latest collection spelled that worldwide, Pathaan has collected $88.92 million (approximately ₹730 crore). In India, it has collected ₹453 crore (gross) and overseas ₹276 crore (gross).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ramesh Bala tweeted, “#Pathaan early estimates for 2nd Saturday All-India Nett is ₹ 22 Crs. Crossing #Dangal to become All-time No.1 Straight Hindi movie in India.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analyst Taran Adarsh also tweeted trends from bigger theatre chains on second Saturday. “#Pathaan at *national chains*… Week 2: Saturday… #PVR: 5 cr [Fri: 2.95 cr] #INOX: 3.75 cr [Fri: 2.16 cr] #Cinepolis 2 cr [Fri: 1.20 cr] Total: ₹ 10.75 cr [Fri: 6.31 cr] 70.36% growth at *national chains*.” He later updated the figure to ₹11.01 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pathaan is a spy actioner that follows Shah Rukh\'s titular Indian intelligence agent, who resurfaces to thwart a terror attack planned by mercenary group Outfit X, led by Jim (John) on the Indian capital. The film also features Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana in pivotal roles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pathaan is Shah Rukh\'s first big screen release as a lead in four years. It is the fourth movie in producer Aditya Chopra\'s spy universe, following Salman Khan\'s Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai, and War, featuring Hrithik Roshan. Salman made a special appearance as Tiger in Pathaan. 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, '2023-02-05 08:18:01', '2023-02-05 08:18:01'),
(4995, 4995, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh is expected to get back the money borrowed by Sri Lanka from September this year as the country\'s economic situation is improving.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Sri Lanka is gradually doing better. They are recovering slowly,\" Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters at state guesthouse Padma on Sunday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank earlier granted Sri Lanka six more months to repay the $200 million loan after the Island nation requested to extend the repayment period due to its prolonged economic crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>In a friendly gesture, Bangladesh had extended the loan to cash-strapped Sri Lanka under a currency swap arrangement in 2021. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 10:11:47', '2023-02-05 10:11:47'),
(4996, 4996, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Cuba has warned drivers of state-owned cars to pick up people at bus stops or face prosecution, as Havana faces painful shortages of diesel fuel, authorities said this week.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Diesel has been in very short supply since being diverted in March to run oil-fueled power plants.</div><div><br></div><div>As Cubans sweat out the island\'s worst economic crisis in three decades, public transport has become an ordeal; nearly 50 percent of buses are out of operation \"for lack of tires and batteries,\" a ministry official told AFP last year.</div><div><br></div><div>So the Americas\' only one-party Communist government announced it has begun implementing the old but previously unenforced rule on picking up riders.</div><div><br></div><div>People in Havana routinely wait hours for a bus to get to their schools or jobs.</div><div><br></div><div>Betty Pairol, a Cuban military officer, recently got a big surprise while trying to get to work. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 10:46:49', '2023-02-05 10:46:49'),
(4997, 4997, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A 16-year-old girl died on Saturday after being mauled by a shark in a river in Western Australia\'s state capital Perth after she jumped in the water to swim with a pod of dolphins, Hindustan Times reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Police said they were called to the scene of the attack about 3:45 p.m. Saturday (0745 GMT) near a traffic bridge in the Swan River, in the Fremantle port area of Perth.</div><div><br></div><div>The girl was pulled from the water with critical injuries and she died at the scene, police said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Police believe the victim was with friends and jumped off a jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack occurred.</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities were not sure what kind of shark attacked the girl, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.</div><div><br></div><div>People were being urged to take extra caution in the Swan River around Fremantle in the wake of the mauling.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 11:08:57', '2023-02-05 11:08:57'),
(4998, 4998, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sixteen people were killed after five multi-vehicle rear-end collisions occurred in central China\'s Hunan Province, local authorities said.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The rear-end collisions, involving a total of 49 vehicles, happened at around 5 p.m. on Saturday on the Hunan section of an expressway, according to the high-way traffic police department of Hunan Province.</div><div><br></div><div>The accidents have also left 66 people injured, of whom eight people are seriously injured but are in stable condition for the time being. All the injured have been sent to hospital for treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>An investigation into the accident is underway. The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a working team to the site of the accidents to guide handling of the accidents. - XINHUA</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 12:16:19', '2023-02-05 12:16:19'),
(4999, 4999, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) price witnessed a record hike recently amid increase in prices of essentials and fuel. Consumers now say they are not getting LPG at the government-set price in Khulna city either.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>It has come as another blow to low- and middle-income groups as they have to pay Tk 100 to 150 more than the rate for a 12 kg LPG cylinder set by the government.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) increased the LPG price by Tk 22.15 per kg to Tk 124.85 for the month of February.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the new price, 12 kg LPG cylinder cost has been increased by Tk 266 as a retail consumer will get it at Tk 1498 instead of previous price of Tk 1,232 including VAT.</div><div><br></div><div>Consumers alleged that there was a supply crunch in the LPG market in the last two weeks.</div><div><br></div><div>Apprehending a possible hike in LPG price, the traders stockpiled gas cylinders instead of selling those, leading to shortage of LPG in market and the supply situation became normal after increase in gas price on February 2, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>A large number of people in Khulna city, municipality and adjacent villages depend on LPG.</div><div><br></div><div>Sohrab Hossain, a resident of Gobarchaka area of the city, said, “The government has fixed the price at Tk 1,498 for a 12 kg cylinder but the retailers are charging Tk 1700. After arguments, I bought a cylinder at Tk 1650.”</div><div><br></div><div>Visiting different areas in the city, this UNB correspondent found that there is no 12 kg gas cylinder below Tk 1600 anywhere. It is being sold either at Tk 1650 or Tk 1700 across the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Iqbal Hasan, a resident of Sheikhpara area of the city, said that the government set the price by keeping a profit of Tk 40/50 for wholesalers and retailers but they want to make more profit.</div><div><br></div><div>“The greed for more profit is emptying the pockets of the customers. But there is no one to address this,” Iqbal added.</div><div><br></div><div>Birendra Nath, a resident of Sir Iqbal Road, said, “Shopkeepers insult us when we ask about government-fixed prices. We are helpless.”</div><div><br></div><div>BERC officials said that the prices witnessed such an excessive rise due to huge increase in the prices of Saudi CP (contract price).</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, as per the Saudi CP, the LPG price was $599.59 per metric ton while the current month’s CP was set at $790 per MT with an increase by $190.25 per MT, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladeshi LPG operators normally import their products from the Middle-Eastern market on the basis of Saudi CP. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 12:46:44', '2023-02-05 12:46:44');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5000, 5000, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Manchester City striker Erling Haaland can improve by watching and learning from his Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Harry Kane, manager Pep Guardiola said before the Premier League champions travel to the north London club on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Norway\'s Haaland, 22, scored his fourth league hat-trick in City\'s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, taking his tally to 25 goals from 19 games as his sensational debut season in the English top-flight continues.</div><div><br></div><div>But Guardiola said Haaland can develop his all-round game by studying players like Kane, who became Tottenham\'s joint all-time record goalscorer on Jan. 23.</div><div><br></div><div>\"With Erling, one of the attributes that surprised me the most is how he is aware he can improve in many departments,\" Guardiola said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"And I\'m pretty sure maybe watching Harry Kane, but not necessarily Harry, other players too, he has the will to think, \'I can do better.\' With his age, this is the best thing he can believe. Otherwise, it would be boring.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Kane, who has 16 league goals, scored the winner in Tottenham\'s 1-0 win at Fulham two weeks ago to draw level with the late Jimmy Greaves on 266 goals for the club.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Harry Kane remains one of the best strikers I have ever seen in my life,\" Guardiola added. \"What an exceptional player - the numbers and, more than the goals, the quality.</div><div><br></div><div>\"That they didn\'t win a title (does not mean) he is not a good player. I think he proved that.\"</div><div><br></div><div>City came from two goals down to beat Spurs 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium last month. They are second in the league standings with 45 points, five behind leaders Arsenal, while Spurs are fifth with 36 points. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 13:07:59', '2023-02-05 13:07:59'),
(5001, 5001, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Fans were delighted to see the main cast of 3 Idiots reunite after 14 years on Instagram, Hindustan Times reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and R Madhavan joined their co-star Sharman Joshi ahead of the release of his Gujarati film Congratulations as he put up a video.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the 2009 Rajkumar Hirani film, they played the popular characters of Rancho (Aamir), Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman). A few fans also wished for a sequel that would bring their characters back.</div><div><br></div><div>On Friday, Sharman put up a video on Instagram in which he \'tried\' to speak about his Gujarati film Congratulations which he has also produced. He wrote, \"3 idiots are promoting \"congratulations\" film which is releasing today.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As the actor tries to introduce, his film, he is interrupted by Madhavan who comes up to him and asks about his film. They do a bit where Madhavan and later Aamir Khan both get confused about the film\'s title and instead think that Sharman is congratulating them.</div><div><br></div><div>He gets frustrated and later asks the camera to follow him to the side where he will try recording the promo again. The three actors are on a cricket pitch and dressed in matching red uniforms. Aamir and Madhavan have a black jacket over their uniforms and Aamir has also worn leg guards.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharman\'s co-star in Congratulations, Manasi Parekh, shared, \"This is epic !!!!\" While his sister Mansi Joshi Roy wrote, \"Haha awesome.\" Fans were happy to see them together. One fan said, \"So good to see you guys together after so long.\" Another commented, \"Sir isska aik part aur banna chahie (another film should be made).\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Another fan seconded the idea and said, \"We want #3idiotsagain #3idiotssequel.\" Yet another added, \"On my god the Greatest character of Indian cinema Rancho , Raju , Farhan.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Directed by Rehan Chaudhary, Congratulations features Sharman as a man who gets pregnant as his wife can\'t have a baby after a miscarriage. The actor was last seen in the Hindi film Babloo Bachelor (2021). Aamir\'s last project was Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), the official Hindi remake of Tom Hanks-starrer Forrest Gump (1994). Last year, R Madhavan made his directorial debut with Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, a biopic on scientist Nambi Narayanan in which he also starred in.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 13:34:36', '2023-02-05 13:34:36'),
(5002, 5002, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the war’s first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March.</div><div><br></div><div>While Bennett’s mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online late Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.</div><div><br></div><div>In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“I asked ‘what’s with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?’ He said ‘I won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ I then said to him ‘I have to understand that you’re giving me your word that you won’t kill Zelenskyy.’ He said ‘I’m not going to kill Zelenskyy.’”</div><div><br></div><div>Bennett said he then called Zelenskyy to inform him of Putin’s pledge.</div><div><br></div><div>“‘Listen, I came out of a meeting, he’s not going to kill you.’ He asks, ‘are you sure?’ I said ’100% he won’t kill you.’”</div><div><br></div><div>Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin dropped his vow to seek Ukraine’s disarmament and Zelenskyy promised not to join NATO.</div><div><br></div><div>There was no immediate response from the Kremlin, which has previously denied Ukrainian claims that Russia intended to assassinate Zelenskyy.</div><div><br></div><div>Bennett, a largely untested leader who had served as prime minister for just over six months when the war broke out, unexpectedly thrust himself into international diplomacy after he had positioned Israel into an uncomfortable middle ground between Russia and Ukraine. Israel views its good ties with the Kremlin as strategic in the face of threats from Iran but it aligns itself with Western nations and also seeks to show support for Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>An observant Jew and little known internationally, he flew to Moscow for his meeting with Putin during the Jewish Sabbath, breaking his religious commitments and putting himself at the forefront of global efforts to halt the war.</div><div><br></div><div>But his peacemaking efforts did not appear to take off and his time in power was short-lived. Bennett’s government, an ideologically diverse union that sent current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a brief political exile, collapsed in the summer over infighting. Bennett stepped away from politics and is now a private citizen. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 14:30:37', '2023-02-05 14:30:37'),
(5003, 5003, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that the electricity under the agreement with India\'s Adani\'s power will come into Bangladesh in the first week of March.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“There is no concern about Adani\'s electricity import and discussion on Adani\'s power is baseless,” he told the journalist at his ministry conference room.</div><div><br></div><div>Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh will get the electricity from the Indian company at competitive market price, adding: “There is no doubt about this. 750MW power will come from the first unit in March.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Another 750MW of power will come from the second unit of Adani\'s power in April.”</div><div><br></div><div>“There is nothing to worry about the electricity supply during the coming irrigation season. Several coal-based power plants will come into production soon,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said Rampal Power Plant has already come into production, while SS Power and Barisal Power Plant will come in generation soon.</div><div><br></div><div>“Efforts have been made to keep the supply of electricity normal. There is nothing to be panicked about the power supply during the irrigation season,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Nasrul Hamid informed about the import of eight cargos of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from sport market, while LNG import is going on so gas supply is being increased.</div><div><br></div><div>In March, 750MW electricity from Adani Power Plant in Jharkhand in West Bengal will connect to the national grid.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Bangladesh Power Development Board signed an agreement with Adani Group for importing electricity from Jharkhand, India. As per the agreement Adani Group has been constructing a 1600MW power plant having two units with 800MW generation capacities each at Godda, in Jhadkhand.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, Adani group constructed a dedicated transmission line to supply electricity from India to Bangladesh. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 14:41:26', '2023-02-05 14:41:26'),
(5004, 5004, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate in the country in the last fiscal year (FY22) reached a healthy 7.10 percent braving the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The GDP growth rate in the country in FY21 was 6.94 percent up from 3.45 percent notched in FY20. The GDP growth rate in the country in FY19 was a healthy 7.88 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the latest data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) issued today, the per capita income in the country in the last fiscal year (FY22) totaled $2,793 up from $2,591 recorded in FY21.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The per capita income in FY20 was $2,326 up from $2,209 in FY19.</div><div>Talking to BSS, Planning Minister MA Mannan today said that the latest GDP growth figures of Bangladesh was very good as he termed it as ‘outstanding’ considering the current global condition.</div><div><br></div><div>He said amid the current global situation mostly because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures were pretty good. “I was not surprised to see the figures amid the current global condition. The internal force has played its due role behind such performance,”</div><div><br></div><div>Mannan also noted that the strong labour force both domestically and in abroad has been continuing to give solid foundation to the economy.</div><div><br></div><div>He also hoped that the GDP growth rate in the current fiscal year and also in the next fiscal year would continue to keep up the current momentum despite the downward predictions by the development partners.</div><div><br></div><div>The BBS statistics showed that the GDP size of Bangladesh in constant prices in the last fiscal year (FY22) reached Taka 3,03,51,496 million&nbsp; up from Taka 2,83,39,444 million recorded in FY21.</div><div><br></div><div>Analyzing the sectoral share of GDP at constant prices, it was found that services sector still continue to enjoy the lion share with 51.48 percent followed by industry sector with 36.92 percent and agriculture sector with 11.61 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>If considered the sectoral growth rate of GDP at constant prices, the industry sector, however, witnessed the highest growth with 9.86 percent in the last fiscal year followed by services sector with 6.26 percent and agriculture sector with 3.05 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>The BBS figures also showed that the investment ratio to GDP in the last fiscal year increased to 32.05 percent compared to 31.02 percent in FY21. Out of that, the private investment ratio to GDP increased to 24.52 percent while the public investment ratio to GDP also enhanced to 7.53 percent in the last fiscal year. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-05 14:50:19', '2023-02-05 14:50:19'),
(5005, 5005, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Europe imposed a ban Sunday on Russian diesel fuel and other refined oil products, slashing energy dependency on Moscow and seeking to further crimp the Kremlin’s fossil fuel earnings as punishment for invading Ukraine.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ban comes along with a price cap agreed by the Group of Seven allied democracies. The goal is allowing Russian diesel to keep flowing to countries like China and India and avoiding a sudden price rise that would hurt consumers worldwide, while reducing the profits funding Moscow’s budget and war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diesel is key for the economy because it is used to power cars, trucks carrying goods, farm equipment and factory machinery. Diesel prices have been elevated due to recovering demand after the COVID-19 pandemic and limits on refining capacity, contributing to inflation for other goods worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new sanctions create uncertainty about prices as the 27-nation European Union finds new supplies of diesel from the U.S., Middle East and India to replace those from Russia, which at one point delivered 10% of Europe’s total diesel needs. Those are longer journeys than from Russia’s ports, stretching available tankers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prices also could be driven up by reviving demand from China as the economy rebounds after the end of draconian COVID-19 restrictions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The price cap of $100 per barrel for diesel, jet fuel and gasoline is to be enforced by barring insurance and shipping services from handling diesel priced over the limit. Most of those companies are located in Western countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It follows a $60-per-barrel cap on Russian crude that took effect in December and is supposed to work the same way. Both the diesel and oil caps could be tightened later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Once we have these price caps set, we can squeeze the Russian price and deny them, deny (President Vladimir) Putin money for his war without a price spike that’s going to hurt Western economies and developing economies,” said Thomas O’Donnell, a global fellow with the Washington-based Wilson Center.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The diesel price cap will not bite immediately because it was set at about what Russian diesel trades for. Russia’s chief problem now will be finding new customers, not evading the price ceiling. However, the cap aims to prevent Russian gains from any sudden price spikes in refined oil products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say there might be a price bump initially as markets sort out the changes. But they say the embargo should not cause a price spike if the cap works as intended and Russian diesel keeps flowing to other countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diesel fuel at the pump has been flat since the start of December, costing 1.80 euros per liter ($7.37 per gallon) as of Jan. 30, according to the weekly oil market report issued by the European Union’s executive commission. Pump prices in Germany, the EU’s largest economy, fell 2.6 cents to 1.83 euros per liter ($7.48 per gallon) as of Jan. 31.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ban provides for a 55-day grace period for diesel loaded on tankers before Sunday, a step aimed at avoiding ruffling markets. European Union officials say importers have had time to adjust since the ban was announced in June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia earned more than $2 billion from diesel sales to Europe in December alone as importers appear to have stocked up with added purchases ahead of the ban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Europe has already banned Russian coal and most crude oil, while Moscow has cut off most shipments of natural gas. 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, '2023-02-06 03:36:06', '2023-02-06 03:36:06'),
(5006, 5006, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Kara C. McDonald has shelved her planned visit to Bangladesh.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was scheduled to arrive for a three-day visit from February 7 to discuss labour rights issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB that the visit is not taking place now. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, there has been no official announcement regarding the visit - neither from the US side, nor from the Bangladesh side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">McDonald oversees the Bureau’s work on Europe, South and Central Asia, and the Multilateral and Global Affairs teams. 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, '2023-02-06 03:40:45', '2023-02-06 14:02:27'),
(5007, 5007, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) price witnessed a record hike recently amid increase in prices of essentials and fuel. Consumers now say they are not getting LPG at the government-set price in Khulna city either.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has come as another blow to low- and middle-income groups as they have to pay Tk 100 to 150 more than the rate for a 12 kg LPG cylinder set by the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) increased the LPG price by Tk 22.15 per kg to Tk 124.85 for the month of February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the new price, 12 kg LPG cylinder cost has been increased by Tk 266 as a retail consumer will get it at Tk 1498 instead of previous price of Tk 1,232 including VAT.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Consumers alleged that there was a supply crunch in the LPG market in the last two weeks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apprehending a possible hike in LPG price, the traders stockpiled gas cylinders instead of selling those, leading to shortage of LPG in market and the supply situation became normal after increase in gas price on February 2, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A large number of people in Khulna city, municipality and adjacent villages depend on LPG.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sohrab Hossain, a resident of Gobarchaka area of the city, said, “The government has fixed the price at Tk 1,498 for a 12 kg cylinder but the retailers are charging Tk 1700. After arguments, I bought a cylinder at Tk 1650.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visiting different areas in the city, this UNB correspondent found that there is no 12 kg gas cylinder below Tk 1600 anywhere. It is being sold either at Tk 1650 or Tk 1700 across the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iqbal Hasan, a resident of Sheikhpara area of the city, said that the government set the price by keeping a profit of Tk 40/50 for wholesalers and retailers but they want to make more profit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The greed for more profit is emptying the pockets of the customers. But there is no one to address this,” Iqbal added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Birendra Nath, a resident of Sir Iqbal Road, said, “Shopkeepers insult us when we ask about government-fixed prices. We are helpless.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BERC officials said that the prices witnessed such an excessive rise due to huge increase in the prices of Saudi CP (contract price).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, as per the Saudi CP, the LPG price was $599.59 per metric ton while the current month’s CP was set at $790 per MT with an increase by $190.25 per MT, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladeshi LPG operators normally import their products from the Middle-Eastern market on the basis of Saudi CP. 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, '2023-02-06 03:43:43', '2023-02-06 03:43:43'),
(5008, 5008, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">&nbsp;Ukraine\'s defence minister will be replaced by the chief of military intelligence ahead of an expected Russian offensive and following corruption scandals, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Kyrylo Budanov will head the defence ministry, which is absolutely logical in wartime,\" said senior lawmaker David Arakhamia, referring to the 37-year-old head of military intelligence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oleksiy Reznikov, 56, will be appointed minister for strategic industries, the lawmaker said without specifying a timeline for the planned reshuffle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"War dictates personnel policies,\" added Arakhamia, who is the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky\'s party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Time and circumstances require reinforcement and regrouping. This is happening now and will continue to happen in the future,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The enemy is preparing to advance. We are preparing to defend ourselves.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reznikov said in an interview with a local news site that he had not been told about his new appointment to the Ministry of Strategic Industries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I can comment that this is new information for me. I did not have any conversation about the Ministry of Strategic Industries with the president of Ukraine,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the best-known faces of Ukraine\'s war effort, Reznikov was appointed defence minister in November 2021 and has helped secure Western weapons to buttress Ukrainian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But his ministry has been beset by corruption scandals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reznikov\'s deputy was forced to resign in late January after the ministry was accused of signing food contracts at prices two to three times higher than current rates for basic foodstuffs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking to reporters earlier Sunday, Reznikov said only President Volodymyr Zelensky, who last week stepped up efforts to clamp down on corruption, could decide his fate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The stress that I have endured this year is hard to measure precisely. I am not ashamed of anything,\" Reznikov said. \"My conscience is absolutely clear.\" 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, '2023-02-06 03:47:41', '2023-02-06 03:47:41'),
(5009, 5009, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Beyonce on Sunday broke the record for the most Grammy wins of any artist, scoring her 32nd prize ever and fourth of the night to resounding applause.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She clinched the title by winning the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her smash \"Renaissance,\" thus surpassing the late classical conductor Georg Solti, who had 31 awards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'m trying not to be too emotional. And I\'m trying to just receive this night,\" Queen Bey said, wearing a shimmering, curve-hugging gown, with her hair in mermaid waves, as her peers stood to honor the 41-year-old in her history-making moment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyonce\'s \"Renaissance,\" her seventh solo studio album, is a pulsating, sweaty collection of club tracks aimed at liberating a world consumed by ennui.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its release over the summer landed Beyonce at number one on Billboard\'s top songs list for the first time in well over a decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyonce\'s soaring vocals have their place on \"Renaissance,\" but it\'s the rhythmic, urgent call to the dance floor that stands out, and the fusion of influences, paying homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'d like to thank my parents, my father, my mother, for loving me and pushing me. I\'d like to thank my beautiful husband, my beautiful three children who are at home watching,\" she told the crowd at the gala in Los Angeles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'d like to thank the queer community for your love, and for inventing this genre.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyonce was still up for several awards later Sunday, including album, record and song of the year. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 03:53:22', '2023-02-06 03:53:22'),
(5010, 5010, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of her party\'s Chattogram South Unit President, incumbent lawmaker from Chattogram-8 constituency and valiant freedom fighter Moslem Uddin.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a message of condolence, she said, \" Bangladesh Awami League has lost a dedicated leader with the demise of Moslem Uddin.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling his contribution to the AL, the Prime Minister said Moslem Uddin was elected Vice President (VP) of the Government Commerce College in 1969 and joined the Liberation War at the directive of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He performed responsibilities of different posts of the Chattogram City and District Chhatra League fom 1970 to 1982, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL President said that Moslem Uddin had shouldered responsibility of Chattogram South City AL as its General Secretary from 2005-2013 and as President from 2013 till date.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family. 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, '2023-02-06 03:56:54', '2023-02-06 03:56:54'),
(5011, 5011, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Moslem Uddin Ahmad, a valiant freedom fighter and MP from Chittagong-8 constituency. </b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, the prime minister said that \"Bangladesh Awami League has lost a dedicated leader in the death of Moslem Uddin.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lawmaker,  also the President of Chittagong South Awami League, was elected Vice President of Government Commerce College in 1969 and participated in the Great Liberation War responding to the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said that from 1970 to 1982, he performed various important duties in Chittagong city and district  Chhatra League. He served as General Secretary of Chittagong South District Awami League from 2005 to 2013 and President of Chittagong South District Awami League from 2013 until his death. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved members of his family. 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, '2023-02-06 04:21:15', '2023-02-07 08:55:03'),
(5012, 5012, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing dozens, levelling buildings while people were still in their sleep, and sending tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local officials in Turkey put the initial death toll at 53, although it threatened to climb substantially higher because it caught most people while they were still at home asleep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 42 people also died in government-controlled parts of northern Syria, state media said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Television images showed shocked people in Turkey standing in the snow in their pyjamas, watching rescuers dig through the debris of damaged homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake struck at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), the US agency said, with a 6.7-magnitude aftershock striking 15 minutes later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey\'s AFAD emergencies service centre put the first quake\'s magnitude at 7.4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake was one of the most powerful to hit the region in at least a century.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake,\" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake levelled dozens of buildings across major cities of southern Turkey as well as neighbouring Syria, a country gripped by more than a decade of violence that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Images on Turkish television and social media showed rescuers digging through the rubble of levelled buildings in the city of Kahramanmaras and neighbouring Gaziantep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A fire lit up the night sky in one image from Kahramanmaras, although its origin remained unclear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NTV television said buildings also crumbled in the cities of Adiyaman, Malatya and Diyarbakir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CNN Turk television said the quake was also felt across parts of central Turkey and the capital Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Biggest earthquake\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Syrian state television reported that a building near Latakia, on the west coast of Syria, had collapsed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pro-government media said several buildings had partially collapsed in Hama, central Syria, with civil defence and firefighters working to pull survivors out of the rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raed Ahmed, who heads Syria\'s National Earthquake Centre, told pro-government radio that this was \"historically, the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Naci Gorur, an earthquake expert with Turkey\'s Academy of Sciences, urged local officials to immediately check the region\'s dams for cracks to avert potentially catastrophic floodings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey is in one of the world\'s most active earthquake zones</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999 -- the worst to hit Turkey in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That quake killed more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A magnitude-6.8 quake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in October that year, a magnitude-7.0 quake hit Turkey\'s Aegean coast, killing 114 people and wounding more than 1,000. 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, '2023-02-06 04:36:37', '2023-02-06 04:36:37'),
(5013, 5013, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing dozens, levelling buildings while people were still in their sleep, and sending tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local officials in Turkey put the initial death toll at 53, although it threatened to climb substantially higher because it caught most people while they were still at home asleep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 42 people also died in government-controlled parts of northern Syria, state media said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Television images showed shocked people in Turkey standing in the snow in their pyjamas, watching rescuers dig through the debris of damaged homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake struck at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), the US agency said, with a 6.7-magnitude aftershock striking 15 minutes later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey\'s AFAD emergencies service centre put the first quake\'s magnitude at 7.4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake was one of the most powerful to hit the region in at least a century.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake,\" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake levelled dozens of buildings across major cities of southern Turkey as well as neighbouring Syria, a country gripped by more than a decade of violence that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Images on Turkish television and social media showed rescuers digging through the rubble of levelled buildings in the city of Kahramanmaras and neighbouring Gaziantep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A fire lit up the night sky in one image from Kahramanmaras, although its origin remained unclear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NTV television said buildings also crumbled in the cities of Adiyaman, Malatya and Diyarbakir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CNN Turk television said the quake was also felt across parts of central Turkey and the capital Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Biggest earthquake\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Syrian state television reported that a building near Latakia, on the west coast of Syria, had collapsed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pro-government media said several buildings had partially collapsed in Hama, central Syria, with civil defence and firefighters working to pull survivors out of the rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raed Ahmed, who heads Syria\'s National Earthquake Centre, told pro-government radio that this was \"historically, the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Naci Gorur, an earthquake expert with Turkey\'s Academy of Sciences, urged local officials to immediately check the region\'s dams for cracks to avert potentially catastrophic floodings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey is in one of the world\'s most active earthquake zones</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999 -- the worst to hit Turkey in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That quake killed more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A magnitude-6.8 quake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in October that year, a magnitude-7.0 quake hit Turkey\'s Aegean coast, killing 114 people and wounding more than 1,000. 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, '2023-02-06 05:31:01', '2023-02-06 05:31:01'),
(5014, 5014, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the \'very unhealthy\' zone on Saturday morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 199 at 10:45 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked second in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s Delhi Lahore and China’s Wuhan occupied the first and the third spots, with AQI scores of 232 and 191, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while between 201–300 is ‘‘very unhealthy’, and 301–400 is \'hazardous\', posing severe health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to 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, '2023-02-06 05:42:07', '2023-02-06 05:42:07');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5015, 5015, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Mali\'s ruling junta said Sunday that it was expelling the head of the human rights division of MINUSMA, the United Nations mission there, giving him 48 hours to leave the country.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decision comes after a Malian rights activist last month denounced the security situation in the country in a speech to a UN gathering, and accused the regime\'s new Russian military partners of serious rights violations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign ministry had declared Guillaume Ngefa Atonodok Andali, head of MINUSMA\'s human rights section, persona non grata, said a statement issued by government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This measure comes after the destabilising and subversive actions of Monsieur Andali,\" added the statement, which was also read out on national&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">television news.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andali had taken it upon himself to decide who were the representatives of civil society, ignoring the authorities and national institutions, the statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Andali\'s bias was even more evident during the last review of the United Nations Security Council on Mali\", the statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On January 27, rights activist Aminata Cheick Dicko criticised the regime at a special UN Security Council briefing on Mali.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then on January 31, UN rights experts in Geneva called for an independent probe into abuses and possible war crimes in Mali carried out by government forces and Russia\'s Wagner group, which has been operating alongside them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Growing tension -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MINUSMA was set up in 2013 to try to stabilise Mali in the face of the growing threat from jihadist fighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its mission also included the protection of civilians, contributing to peace efforts and defending human rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although its mandate was renewed in 2019, the deteriorating security situation has raised questions in Mali and abroad about thecontinuing usefulness of the UN mission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the countries that once contributed to it have either already pulled out or are planning to. They include France and Ivory Coast, both of which have had major diplomatic breaks with Mali\'s military regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other countries including Egypt, Germany and Sweden have either pulled out of the mission or announced that they are going to do so.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Germany\'s defence ministry said last Monday its soldiers would be pulling out by May 2024 because it made no sense to stay on when the troops could not fulfill their mission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions between the Malian authorities and the UN mission have increased with the arrival of the military junta, which seized power two years ago, promising to tackle the jihadist threat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the security situation has continued to deteriorate in the west African country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military regime has repeatedly blocked MINUSMA\'s attempts to investigate reports of human rights abuses carried out by the armed 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, '2023-02-06 07:03:48', '2023-02-06 07:03:48'),
(5016, 5016, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and triggering a frantic search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the area. At least 650 were killed and hundreds injured, and the toll was expected to rise.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy winter night, as buildings were flattened and strong aftershocks continued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescue workers and residents searched for survivors under the rubble of their homes in multiple cities, working through tangles of metal and chunks of concrete.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Turkish city of Adana, one resident said three buildings near his home collapsed. “I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble as rescue workers tried to reach him, said the resident, journalism student Muhammet Fatih Yavus. Further east in Diyarbakir, cranes and rescue teams rushed people on stretchers out of a mountain of pancaked concrete floors that was once an apartment building.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the Syrian side of the border, the quake smashed opposition-held regions that are packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of Syria by the country’s long civil war. Many of them live in decrepit conditions with little health care. Rescue workers said hospitals in the area were packed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Muheeb Qaddour, a doctor, said by phone from the town of Atmeh, referring to the entire rebel-held area. Raed Salah, the head of the White Helmets, the emergency organization in opposition areas, said whole neighborhoods were collapsed in some areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered about 90 kilometers (60 miles) from the Syrian border, just north of the city of Gaziantep, a major Turkish provincial capital of more than 2 million people. The region has been shaped by more than a decade of war in Syria. Millions of Syrian refugees live in Turkey. The swath of Syria affected by the quake is divided between government-held and opposition-held areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 20 aftershocks followed, some hours later during daylight, the strongest measuring 6.6, Turkish authorities said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency said at least 76 people in seven Turkish provinces. The agency said 440 people were injured. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 237 with more than 630 injured, according to Syrian state media. At least 47 people were reported killed in rebel-held areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buildings were reported collapsed in a swath from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Turkey, people trying to leave the quake-stricken regions caused traffic jams, hampering efforts of emergency teams trying to reach the affected areas. Authorities urged residents not to take to the roads. Mosques around the region were being opened up as a shelter for people unable to return to damaged homes amid temperatures that hovered around freezing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Diyarbakir, rescue teams called for silence as they tried to listen for survivors under the wreckage of an 11-story building. Rescue workers pulled out one man, carrying him on a stretcher through a dense crowd of hundreds of people anxiously watching the rescue efforts. A gray-haired woman wailed before being escorted away by a man, while a rescue worker wearing a white helmet tried to calm a crying girl, who was also being cuddled by two friends.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In rebel-held northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation as “disastrous” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the small Syrian rebel-held town of Azmarin in the mountains by the Turkish border, the bodies of several dead children, wrapped in blankets, were brought to a hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emergency rooms in the territory were full of injured, said Amjad Rass, president of the Syrian American Medical Society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep. It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake jolted residents in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake came as the Middle East is experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 18,000 were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report. 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, '2023-02-06 07:43:44', '2023-02-06 08:49:23'),
(5017, 5017, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">While Deepika Padukone has done action roles in films such as Chandni Chowk to China (2009) and XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), in Pathaan she plays a Pakistani spy Rubai, who is just as comfortable beating up the villains as her male co-stars. Shah Rukh Khan recently shared that Deepika had ‘the sexiest fight scene’ in the film.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He was speaking about the moment when Deepika beats up a bad guy; Shah Rukh added he wished to be in that man’s place. The actor added if it were him, he would have wanted Deepika to hit him more.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deepika made her acting debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om in 2007. They teamed up to work again in Rohit Shetty\'s Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014) with director Farah Khan once again. Pathaan is the fourth time they have worked together.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At an event to celebrate the success of the film, Shah Rukh had stated how he found a scene in the film, where she displays her action prowess as the ‘sexiest fight scene’ from the film. He explained, \"Many people have seen it and woh trailer mein bhi hai, ek admi se lipatkar, ghoomakar, usko neeche girake, uspe chadkar usko maarti hai... mere saath aisa karle... itna pyaar hai uske andar... I\'m toh jealous of that guy ki yaar itne kareeb se itni khoobsurati aur uske upper baitkar... main bolta \'aur maar aur maar\' (Many people have seen it already and it’s also in the trailer where [Deepika in the action scene], jumps onto someone, flips him, drops him to the floor and hits him, I wish she did that with me. I’m jealous of that guy for being so close to someone so beautiful. If it were me, I would have said \'hit me more, hit me more\'.)”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added, “If I may say so, I think it’s one of the sexiest action scenes that I have seen.” Directed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan also stars John Abraham as the antagonist along with Shah Rukh, Deepika, Dimple Kapdia and Ashutosh Rana. The action thriller has broken several box office records and has grossed over ₹700 crore worldwide in its second week. 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, '2023-02-06 07:55:30', '2023-02-06 07:55:30'),
(5018, 5018, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Israeli forces seeking to arrest suspects from a recent shooting attack killed on Monday \"a&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">number\" of armed men during a gunfight in the Palestinian city of Jericho in&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">the occupied West Bank, the army said.</span></b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">According to the Palestinian health ministry, \"three citizens were shot by&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">the Israeli occupation during the attack on Jericho,\" one of them in critical&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">condition.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Israeli army said in a statement that \"a number of armed assailants were&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">killed after firing toward IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers who were&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">operating in the area.\"</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The army did not say how many people were killed in the Aqabat Jabr camp at&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">the entrance to the city. It reported no casualties among its forces.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Monday raid was aimed at arresting \"the Hamas terrorist squad that&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">carried out the shooting attack\" on January 28, when two armed men approached&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">an Israeli restaurant near Jericho, the army said.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">One of the gunmen opened fire at the restaurant but his weapon jammed after&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">just one bullet that did not hurt anyone.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The two then fled to Jericho, and the army has since been conducting searches&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">in the area. AFP</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 08:23:50', '2023-02-06 08:23:50'),
(5019, 5019, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mathilde, the Queen of Belgium, landed in Dhaka on Monday for a three-day visit to Bangladesh in her capacity as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) advocate.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen received her upon her arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this morning. Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was also present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Belgian Queen plans to measure and support the progress made in Bangladesh in the areas of girls’ education, women’s economic empowerment, fight against domestic violence and mental health awareness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She is also interested in responses to environmental problems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She plans to visit Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world, which hosts more than a million Rohingyas, according to Belgian Royal Palace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As one of the 17 SDG Advocates of the UN, she will visit projects in Dhaka and Khulna districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is expected that Queen Mathilde (Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz) will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Seheli Sabrin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Agenda 2030 requires citizens, civil society, academia, scientists, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector to work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ownership and participation are key,” the UN quoted the queen as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The SDG advocates are 17 inspiring, influential people raising global awareness of the SDGs and the need for accelerated action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They use their unique global platforms to raise ambition around the SDGs and reach the most vulnerable first.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">SDG advocates are strong public figures dedicated to peace, prosperity and the planet, rallying behind the vision of a better world and inspiring others to do the same.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Queen Mathilde ascended the throne in 2013. She is the honorary president of Child Focus, a foundation for missing and sexually exploited children, and UNICEF Belgium.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2001, she established the Princess Mathilde Fund (now the Queen Mathilde Fund) to promote the care of vulnerable people. As an SDG advocate, she is particularly focused on mental health. 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, '2023-02-06 08:27:51', '2023-02-06 08:27:51'),
(5020, 5020, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Researchers at VTC\'s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute are investigating potential preventative and treatment methods for optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), a disorder that causes vision impairment in neonates.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the National Institutes of Health, the disorder arises when the optic nerves that convey information from the retina to the brain are undeveloped at birth, resulting in moderate to severe vision loss in children (NIH). It has no recognised cause, and families affected by it have limited medical options.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With support from a four-year, USD 1.56 million grant from the National Eye Institute of the NIH, Virginia Tech scientists, led by principal investigator Konark Mukherjee, will explore whether a prenatal deficiency of an important fatty acid known as arachidonic acid contributes to the disorder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If so, the discovery could explain why ONH in babies has been associated with factors such as young maternal age and prenatal exposures to smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, and other agents. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 08:45:50', '2023-02-06 08:45:50'),
(5021, 5021, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Harry Styles on Sunday won the coveted Grammy for Album of the Year, a surprising victory over heavy favorites Beyonce and Adele.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The pop sensation scored the award, usually seen as the night\'s most prestigious, for his third album \"Harry\'s House,\" his most intimate yet, which combined twangy synths and soft acoustics with very personal lyrics.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This doesn\'t happen to people like me very often, and this is so nice,\" he said onstage.</div><div><br></div><div>The album\'s release marked an evolution for the one-time boy band heartthrob to the teenage masses, who has steadily grown into a heartthrob for all.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Harry\'s House\" conjures the sonic equivalent of a warmly lit California afternoon by the pool, and showcases Styles\' developing songwriting skills.</div><div><br></div><div>But it was not necessarily tipped for Grammy gold, as it faced off against blockbuster releases from pop\'s titans.</div><div><br></div><div>Prior to Sunday, Styles had just one Grammy to his name, and was perhaps better known for his flamboyant style and campy stage presence than his musical chops.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in the night, he also scooped the award for Best Pop Vocal Album.</div><div><br></div><div>His Album of the Year triumph was sure to draw comparisons to the 2017 Grammys, when Beyonce lost out to Adele in the top category despite releasing the earth-shaking \"Lemonade.\"</div><div><br></div><div>This year, her album \"Renaissance\" was considered a near shoo-in for the night\'s top award, especially after she became the winningest artist of all time, with 32 lifetime Grammys.</div><div><br></div><div>But it was Styles who ended up with the golden statuette.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On nights like tonight, it\'s obviously so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as bests in music,\" he told his peers. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 10:20:36', '2023-02-06 10:20:36'),
(5022, 5022, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pakistan cricket team’s fast bowler Naseem Shah has been appointed as Goodwill Ambassador of Balochistan Police on Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Balochistan police appointed Shah as the “Honorary DSP” of the police. For this appointment, a ceremony was held at the IG Balochistan Police Office, Quetta, in which the pacer was formally dressed in police uniform and ranks were also installed.</div><div><br></div><div>During the ceremony, Shah took to the stage to share his thoughts on his appointment. Grinning with obvious joy, the cricketer expressed his gratitude to the Balochistan Police for the “honour”.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“As a child, I had been scared of policemen. My parents would scare me by mentioning the police. However, as I have grown up. I have come to realise the sacrifices they make to keep us safe,” he said. “They don’t just put their lives at risk for us, but I have a far more simple example of their service. Those appointed with us at the NCA stay awake at night to protect us. I cannot even function if I do not get a good night’s rest. I have immense respect for the police and am deeply grateful for their assistance.”</div><div><br></div><div>Soon after the announcement was made, fans of the cricketer took to Twitter to share their love and support for him. One user wrote: “National talented fast-bowler Naseem Shah has been awarded the post of honorary DSP by Balochistan Police. Naseem Shah has been made their brand ambassador by Balochistan Police. Masha Allah congratulations” Others commented him on looking “handsome” in the uniform, saying that he was “glowing”.</div><div><br></div><div>It should be noted that in July 2022, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police appointed Pakistani cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi as a goodwill ambassador to promote the soft image of the law enforcement agency among the citizens. Addressing the ceremony, Afridi had said that becoming a goodwill ambassador for the KP Police is an honour for him. The cricketer paid tribute to the martyrs of the police force. Highlighting the services of the force, he saluted the police. Source: Daily Times</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 10:36:23', '2023-02-06 10:36:23'),
(5023, 5023, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the authorities concerned not to destroy any land where three crops are planted and harvested a year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She issued this directive while chairing the Cabinet meeting held at her office here.</div><div><br></div><div>“The premier has given a clear directive that no triple cropping land can be destroyed. No project can be taken on triple cropping lands. Rather these lands will have to be protected,” said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain briefing reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat.</div><div>He said the government will now monitor the matter of protecting triple-cropping land regularly.</div><div><br></div><div>The directive came as different ministries received some proposals for using the triple cropping land for development works like solar installation and building construction. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 11:34:55', '2023-02-06 11:34:55'),
(5024, 5024, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is in touch with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara though it is “less likely” that any Bangladesh citizen will be affected due to the earthquake considering its location, said a spokesperson on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We are in touch with our mission,” MoFA spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area, reports AP.</div><div><br></div><div>On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy winter night, as buildings were flattened and strong aftershocks continued. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 12:03:03', '2023-02-06 12:03:03'),
(5025, 5025, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The crisis engulfing the Adani Group intensified on Monday (Feb 6) as dozens of members from India\'s main opposition party were detained by police during protests, and parliament was suspended again due to disruptions over the saga.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Adani shares continued their freefall, with the conglomerate\'s cumulative market value loss now topping US$110 billion.</div><div><br></div><div>The crisis was triggered by United States-based short-seller Hindenburg Research\'s report on Jan 24, accusing the Adani Group of stock manipulation, unsustainable debt and the use of tax havens.</div><div><br></div><div>The Adani Group, one of India\'s top conglomerates, has rejected the criticism and denied wrongdoing in detailed rebuttals, but that has failed to arrest the unabated fall in its shares.</div><div><br></div><div>ONGOING PROTESTS</div><div><br></div><div>In New Delhi\'s Jantar Mantar, a Mughal-era observatory that doubles up as a protest site for all causes, protesters held up banners and shouted slogans against Adani Group\'s billionaire founder Gautam Adani.</div><div><br></div><div>Some broke through barricades, forcing the police to detain them.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds of Congress Party members gathered to protest across the country, including outside several offices of state-owned insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and State Bank of India (SBI), both of which have exposure to Adani Group companies.</div><div><br></div><div>At Jantar Mantar, some members burnt a suitcase with an SBI logo on it.</div><div><br></div><div>Both houses of India\'s parliament were also adjourned on Monday, the third consecutive day, amid sloganeering and demands to launch an inquiry.</div><div><br></div><div>In the brutal fallout of Hindenburg\'s report, Adani Group flagship company Adani Enterprises was forced to abandon a US$2.5 billion share sale last week.</div><div><br></div><div>Adani has lost his crown as Asia\'s richest person and slipped down the global rankings of the wealthy.</div><div><br></div><div>Critics say he has close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they are both from the same Gujarat state.</div><div><br></div><div>But Adani has denied allegations by Modi\'s opponents that he had benefited from their close ties, and Modi\'s government has also denied those allegations.</div><div><br></div><div>CREDIT RATINGS WARNINGS</div><div><br></div><div>The stock market rout triggered a series of credit ratings warnings last Friday with Moody\'s saying the Adani Group may struggle to raise capital, and fellow credit rating firm S&amp;P cutting its outlook on two of its companies.</div><div><br></div><div>Even attempts by regulators and the Indian government to calm spooked investors do not appear to be working.</div><div><br></div><div>The Reserve Bank of India said last Friday the country\'s banking system remains resilient and stable. India\'s market regulator added on Saturday the country\'s financial markets remain stable and continue to function in a transparent and efficient manner.</div><div><br></div><div>SBI said last Friday it was not concerned about the exposure to the Adani group, but further financing to its projects would be \"evaluated on its own merit\".</div><div><br></div><div>India\'s divestment secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey told Reuters last Friday that LIC shareholders and customers should not be concerned about its exposure to the Adani Group.</div><div><br></div><div>Shares of Adani Enterprises sank 9.6 per cent on Monday, taking its market capitalisation losses to nearly US$28 billion since the release of the Hindenburg report.</div><div><br></div><div>Adani Transmission Ltd dropped 10 per cent, while Adani Green Energy, Adani Total Gas, Adani Power, and Adani Wilmar fell roughly 5 per cent.</div><div><br></div><div>Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone was the only stock to buck the trend, rising 1.2 per cent. Source: CNA</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 12:15:08', '2023-02-06 12:15:08'),
(5026, 5026, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Cabinet on Monday gave the final approval to the draft of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023 banning the sale of antibiotic drugs without prescription from a registered doctor.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The approval came from the weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office.</div><div><br></div><div>“As per the draft law, the antibiotic drugs can’t be sold without the prescription of any registered doctor and it\'ll be a punishable offence,” said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>He said if the antibiotic drug is sold without the prescription, the shopper will be fined Tk 20,000.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cabinet Secretary said the matters of monitoring and controlling the use of antibiotics were included in the proposed law as prevention of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has now emerged as a big challenge.</div><div><br></div><div>Now there are two drug laws, which are Drugs Act, 1940 and Drugs (Control) Ordinance, 1982.</div><div><br></div><div>But the two laws focused only on drug issues, not cosmetics. “In the proposed law, the cosmetics issue has been included,” said Mahbub Hossain.</div><div><br></div><div>In the proposed law, some 30 types of offences were cited and the maximum punishment would be life-term imprisonment for several offences like production of fake and adulterated drugs as well as creating artificial crisis of drugs, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Some new issues including development of drugs, vaccines and medical devices were incorporated in the draft law, he said adding that the WHO guidelines will have to be followed in case of drug issue.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahbub said the government will fix the prices of some drug items as per the draft law.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting also gave the final nod to the draft of the Copyright Act, 2023 keeping punitive provisions to check piracy. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 13:14:39', '2023-02-06 13:14:39'),
(5027, 5027, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Eleven more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours to Monday morning.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The four new patients were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest were at the outside of the capital, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Thirty dengue patients, including 18 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, the DGHS has recorded 604 dengue cases, 566 recoveries, and six deaths this year.</div><div><br></div><div>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><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 13:58:24', '2023-02-06 13:58:24'),
(5028, 5028, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh take on lowly Bhutan in their third and last league match of SAFF U-20 Women\'s Championship scheduled to be held tomorrow (Tuesday) at Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in the city\'s Kamalapur.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The match kicks off at 7 pm, following the day\'s other match between India and Nepal that begins at 3 pm at the same venue.</div><div><br></div><div>After a fabulous start to their SAFF U-20 Women\'s Championship campaign, title aspirant India were held to a goalless draw by Bangladesh. It was a close contest from the opening exchanges, with India creating more scoring chances despite a deluge of midfield traffic.</div><div><br></div><div>After the match, Bangladesh\' head coach Golam Rabbani Choton expressed his stratification over his girls\' performance against India. Custodian Rupna Chakma was superb under the bar foiling some real attacks and the head coach must be looking forward the same performance against Rupna in the Bhutan match.</div><div><br></div><div>After the two matches, Bangladesh have collected four points from two matches while Bhutan, who already eliminated from the title race, losing their first two matches, is yet to secure any points playing the same number of matches.</div><div><br></div><div>India, who also have a bright chance of making the final of the championship, also have four points from the same number of matches, however are ahead of Bangladesh in the points table in terms of goal difference.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh will play the final if they draw against Bhutan. In that case, a team between Nepal and India will be the next finalist. Even if Bangladesh loses against Bhutan, there will be also possibility of playing in final. In this case, Bangladesh will go through complex calculations.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Bangladesh beat Nepal by 3-1 goals in their opening match but played out to a goalless draw with arch-rival India in their second match.</div><div><br></div><div>While Bhutan were thrashed by India by 12-0 goals in their opening match and again suffered a 0-4 defeat to Nepal in their second match.</div><div>After the league based matches, the two top teams will play the final on February 9 at 6 pm at the same venue. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 15:21:48', '2023-02-06 15:21:48'),
(5029, 5029, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,500 people, according to media reports.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.</div><div><br></div><div>On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy night. Buildings were reduced to piles of pancaked floors, and major aftershocks or new quakes, including one nearly as strong as the first, continued to rattle the region.</div><div><br></div><div>Rescue workers and residents in multiple cities searched for survivors, working through tangles of metal and concrete. A hospital in Turkey collapsed, and patients, including newborns, were evacuated from facilities in Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>In the Turkish city of Adana, one resident said three buildings near his home were toppled. “I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble as rescue workers tried to reach him, said the resident, journalism student Muhammet Fatih Yavus.</div><div><br></div><div>“Because the debris removal efforts are continuing in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of dead and injured will rise,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. “Hopefully, we will leave these disastrous days behind us in unity and solidarity as a country and a nation.”</div><div><br></div><div>The quake, which was centered north of the Turkish provincial capital of Gaziantep, was felt as far away as Cairo. It sent residents of Damascus rushing into the street, and jolted awake people in their beds in Beirut.</div><div><br></div><div>It struck a region that has been shaped on both sides of the border by more than a decade of civil war in Syria. On the Syrian side, the swath affected is divided between government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey, meanwhile, is home to millions of refugees from that conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>The opposition-held regions in Syria are packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the fighting. Many of them live in buildings that are already wrecked from past bombardments. Hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization, called the White Helmets, said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Strained health facilities and hospitals were quickly filled with wounded, rescue workers said. Others had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.</div><div><br></div><div>The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in a similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday\'s quake at 7.8. At least 20 aftershocks followed, authorities said, including one that measured 7.5.</div><div><br></div><div>Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast. A hospital collapsed in the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskenderun, but casualties were not immediately known, his vice president, Fuat Oktay, said.</div><div><br></div><div>Televisions stations in Turkey aired screens split into four or five, showing live coverage from rescue efforts in the worst-hit provinces. In the city of Kahramanmaras, rescuers pulled two children alive from the rubble, while others tried to reach a relative.</div><div><br></div><div>Offers of help — from search-and-rescue teams to medical supplies and money — poured in from dozens of countries, as well as the European Union and NATO.</div><div><br></div><div>The damage evident from photos of the affected areas is typically associated with a significant loss of life — while bitterly cold temperatures and the difficulty of working in areas beset by civil war will only complicate rescue efforts, said Dr. Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University.</div><div><br></div><div>In Turkey, people trying to leave the quake-stricken regions caused traffic jams, hampering efforts of emergency teams trying to reach the affected areas. Authorities urged residents not to take to the roads. Mosques around the region were opened to provide shelter for people unable to return to damaged homes amid temperatures that hovered around freezing.</div><div><br></div><div>The quake heavily damaged Gaziantep’s most famed landmark, its historic castle perched atop a hill in the center of the city. Parts of the fortresses’ walls and watch towers were leveled and other parts heavily damaged, images from the city showed.</div><div><br></div><div>In Diyarbakir, hundreds of rescue workers and civilians formed lines across a mountain of wreckage, passing down broken concrete pieces, household belongings and other debris as they searched for trapped survivors while excavators dug through the rubble below.</div><div><br></div><div>In northwest Syria, the quake added new woes to the opposition-held enclave centered on the province of Idlib, which has been under siege for years, with frequent Russian and government airstrikes. The territory depends on a flow of aid from nearby Turkey for everything from food to medical supplies.</div><div><br></div><div>The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation there as “disastrous.”</div><div><br></div><div>Osama Abdelhamid, who was being treated for injuries at a hospital in Idlib, said most of his neighbors died. He said their shared four-story building collapsed just as he, his wife and three children ran toward the exit. A wooden door fell on them and acted as a shield.</div><div><br></div><div>“I was reborn, thank God,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>In the small Syrian rebel-held town of Azmarin in the mountains by the Turkish border, the bodies of several dead children, wrapped in blankets, were brought to a hospital.</div><div><br></div><div>The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums in Syira said the earthquake has caused some damage to the Crusader-built Marqab, or Watchtower Castle, on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. Part of a tower and parts of some walls collapsed.</div><div><br></div><div>The USGS said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep. It was 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 900 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with more than 5,400 injured, according to Turkey\'s president. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed over 330 people, with some 1,000 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In rebel-held areas, more than 200 people were killed, according to the White Helmets, though the SAMS medical organization put the toll at more than 135; both said hundreds were hurt.</div><div><br></div><div>Huseyin Yayman, a legislator from Turkey\'s Hatay province, said several of his family members were stuck under the rubble of their collapsed homes.</div><div><br></div><div>“There are so many other people who are also trapped,” he told HaberTurk television by telephone. “There are so many buildings that have been damaged. People are on the streets. It’s raining, it’s winter.” - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 15:34:00', '2023-02-06 15:34:00'),
(5030, 5030, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina has said that the death of Awami League lawmaker Moslem Uddin Ahmed is a great loss for the party.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"It is a big loss for the Awami League,\" she said while taking part in a condolence motion in the parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the motion in the House at the beginning of the session.</div><div> </div><div>Recalling his sincerity and dutifulness, she said the nation will remember him forever as he was a dedicated person for the party as well as for the nation.</div><div> </div><div>\"Despite his illness I made Moslem Uddin the president of Chittagong South Awami League, considering his contribution to the party,\" said Sheikh Hasina, also President of the AL.</div><div> </div><div>The Premier said that he joined politics during his student life and he was involved in the politics of the Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League. </div><div> </div><div>\"He was always active during the Liberation War in 1971 or the movements before it. He also participated in the Liberation War,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She recalled that Moslem Uddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Chowdhury were arrested during an operation in the Liberation War.</div><div> </div><div>Sheikh Hasina said that Moslem Uddin was with the people of Chittagong, who raised their voices against the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div> </div><div>\"He was active in all movements,\" she said.</div><div> </div><div>Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Whip Samshul Haque Chowdhury, Whip Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Jatiya Party lawmakers Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mosiur Rahman Rangan also spoke.</div><div> </div><div>A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat was offered seeking the eternal peace of the departed soul. Tarikat Federation MP Najibul Bashar Maijbhandari conducted the munajat.</div><div> </div><div>Later, due to the death of Moslem Uddin, the running lawmaker from the Chattogram-8 constituency, the meeting of the parliament was adjourned as per custom. According to BSS reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 16:11:22', '2023-02-07 08:47:28');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5031, 5031, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Detective branch (DB) of police today pleaded to acquit Amatullah Bushra in a case lodged over the death of her friend and BUET student Fardin Noor Parash, 24, as they filed final report in the case.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Investigation officer and DB inspector Yasin Shikder filed the report with general registration wing of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. The case is scheduled to be heard on February 14.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka 7th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Tehsin Iftekhar on January 8 granted bail to Amatullah Bushra.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier DB officials said they have found no involvement of Bushra in the death of Fardin, who they believe committed suicide.</div><div><br></div><div>Police on November 10, 2022, arrested Bushra from her Rampura flat and produced her before the court, pleading to place her on seven-day remand. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan had placed her on five-day remand on that day.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Fardin went missing on November 5 and his body was found in the Shitalakshya River on November 7, 2022. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-06 16:18:34', '2023-02-06 16:18:34'),
(5032, 5032, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rescuers in Turkey and war-ravaged Syria searched through the frigid night into Tuesday, hoping to pull more survivors from the rubble after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 4,000 people and toppled thousands of buildings across a wide region.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Authorities feared the death toll from Monday’s pre-dawn earthquake and aftershocks would keep climbing as rescuers looked for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across the region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Survivors cried out for help from within mountains of debris as first responders contended with rain and snow. Seismic activity continued to rattle the region, including another jolt nearly as powerful as the initial quake. Workers carefully pulled away slabs of concrete and reached for bodies as desperate families waited for news of loved ones.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“My grandson is 1 1/2 years old. Please help them, please. ... They were on the 12th floor,” Imran Bahur wept by her destroyed apartment building in the Turkish city of Adana on Monday.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Tens of thousands who were left homeless in Turkey and Syria faced a night in the cold. In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter, people took refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">U.S. President Joe Biden called Erdogan to express condolences and offer assistance to the NATO ally. The White House said it was sending search-and-rescue teams to support Turkey’s efforts.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">It piled more misery on a region that has seen tremendous suffering over the past decade. On the Syrian side, the area is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey, meanwhile, is home to millions of refugees from the civil war.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the rebel-held enclave, hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization known as the White Helmets said in a statement. The area is packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the war. Many live in buildings that are already wrecked from military bombardments.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Strained medical centers quickly filled with injured people, rescue workers said. Some facilities had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">More than 7,800 people were rescued across 10 provinces, according to Orhan Tatar, an official with Turkey’s disaster management authority.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday’s quake at 7.8, with a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). Hours later, a 7.5 magnitude temblor, likely triggered by the first, struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The second jolt caused a multistory apartment building in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa to topple onto the street in a cloud of dust as bystanders screamed, according to video of the scene.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Turkey alone, more than 5,600 buildings were destroyed, authorities said. Hospitals were damaged, and one collapsed in the city of Iskenderun.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Bitterly cold temperatures could reduce the time frame that rescuers have to save trapped survivors, said Dr. Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University. The difficulty of working in areas beset by civil war would further complicate rescue efforts, he said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Offers of help — from search-and-rescue teams to medical supplies and money — poured in from dozens of countries, as well as the European Union and NATO. The vast majority were for Turkey, with a Russian and even an Israeli promise of help to the Syrian government, but it was not clear if any would go to the devastated rebel-held pocket in the northwest.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the enclave as “disastrous.”</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The opposition-held area, centered on the province of Idlib, has been under siege for years, with frequent Russian and government airstrikes. The territory depends on a flow of aid from Turkey for everything from food to medical supplies.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said 224 buildings in northwestern Syrian were destroyed and at least 325 were damaged, including aid warehouses. The U.N. had been assisting 2.7 million people each month via cross-border deliveries, which could now be disrupted.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">At a hospital in Idlib, Osama Abdel Hamid said most of his neighbors died when their shared four-story building collapsed. As he fled with his wife and three children, a wooden door fell on them, shielding them from falling debris.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“God gave me a new lease on life,” he said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the small Syrian rebel-held town of Azmarin in the mountains by the Turkish border, the bodies of several dead children, wrapped in blankets, were brought to a hospital.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, rescuers pulled two children alive from the rubble, and one could be seen lying on a stretcher on the snowy ground. Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk said a woman was pulled out alive in Gaziantep after a rescue dog detected her.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Adana, 20 or so people, some in emergency rescue jackets, used power saws atop the concrete mountain of a collapsed building to open up space for any survivors to climb out or be rescued.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble of another building in Adana as rescue workers tried to reach him, said Muhammet Fatih Yavuz, a local resident.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Diyarbakir, hundreds of rescue workers and civilians formed lines across a huge mound of wreckage, passing down broken concrete pieces and household belongings as they searched for trapped survivors.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">At least 2,379 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with nearly 15,000 injured, according to Turkish authorities. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 656 people, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In the country’s rebel-held northwest, groups that operate there said at least 450 people died, with many hundreds injured.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Huseyin Yayman, a legislator from Turkey’s Hatay province, said several of his family members were stuck under the rubble of their collapsed homes.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“There are so many other people who are also trapped,” he told HaberTurk television by phone. “There are so many buildings that have been damaged. People are on the streets. It’s raining, it’s winter.” AP/UNB</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 03:31:59', '2023-02-07 03:31:59'),
(5033, 5033, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A Bangladeshi student named Md Golam Syed Rinku has been reported missing in the wake of the powerful earthquake that rocked Türkiye and Syria along their borders early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,800 people.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rinku is from Bogura, Mohammed Nore-Alam, consul general of Bangladesh in Istanbul, told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Nur, one of the two missing students, has been found. However, Rinku is still missing,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rinku\'s friends identified him as an undergraduate student but could not provide any more details.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is in touch with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are in touch with our mission,\" MoFA spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities feared the death toll would keep climbing as rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by more than a decade of Syria\'s civil war and a refugee crisis, AP reported. 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, '2023-02-07 03:36:39', '2023-02-07 03:36:39'),
(5034, 5034, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Months after being stabbed repeatedly as he prepared to give a lecture, Salman Rushdie is blind in his right eye, struggles to write and, at times, has “frightening” nightmares.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But, he said during his first interview since the attack, he still has a feeling of gratitude.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Well, you know, I’ve been better,” he told The New Yorker’s David Remnick during an interview published Monday. “But, considering what happened, I’m not so bad.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The big injuries are healed, essentially,” Rushdie went on to describe. “I have feeling in my thumb and index finger and in the bottom half of the palm. I’m doing a lot of hand therapy, and I’m told that I’m doing very well.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remnick, who spoke with Rushdie both in person at his agent’s office in Manhattan and via Zoom, wrote that the Booker Prize-winning author had lost more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and mostly reads through an iPad so he can adjust the lighting and font size.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is scar tissue on the right side of his face,” Remnick wrote. “He speaks as fluently as ever, but his lower lip droops on one side. The ulnar nerve in his left hand was badly damaged.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rushdie, 75, lived in hiding for years after Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death because of the alleged blasphemy of the novel “The Satanic Verses.” But he had long since moved about freely, with minimal security, and did not feel any sense of risk last August about appearing at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat center in western New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rushdie was on stage when approached by a young man dressed in black and carrying a knife. The alleged assailant, Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and attempted murder. During his New Yorker interview, Rushdie referred to Matar as an “idiot,” but otherwise said he felt no anger.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I’ve tried very hard over these years to avoid recrimination and bitterness,” he said. “I just think it’s not a good look. One of the ways I’ve dealt with this whole thing is to look forward and not backwards. What happens tomorrow is more important than what happened yesterday.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The interview came out on the eve of the publication of Rushdie’s new novel, “Victory City,” which he completed a month before he was attacked. Featuring a protagonist who lives to be 247, “Victory” is a characteristically surreal and exuberant narrative about an imagined ancient poem that has received highly favorable reviews, with The Washington Post’s Ron Charles writing that “Rushdie’s magical style unfurls wonders.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rushdie had been silent for months on social media, but now tweets on occasion and even responds to insults. When a tweeter last week told him he was living a “disgraceful life,” Rushdie answered, “Oh, another fan! So pleased.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During his interview, he noted ruefully that sales for his book had soared after the stabbing, as if he were more popular when in danger.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Now that I’ve almost died, everybody loves me,” he said. “That was my mistake, back then. Not only did I live but I tried to live well. Bad mistake. Get 15 stab wounds, much better.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, he tweeted a picture of himself, staring directly into the camera lens — his face thinner than in photos from before the stabbing, his right eye covered by a dark lens in his glasses frame.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He is otherwise still trying to recover. Rushdie has written that he initially had difficulty writing fiction after the fatwa, and he is having a hard time now, saying that he will sit down to work and “nothing happens,” just a “combination of blankness and junk.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One project he may attempt: a follow-up to his 2012 memoir “Joseph Anton,” which he wrote in the third person.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This doesn’t feel third-person-ish to me,” Rushdie said of a possible sequel. “I think when somebody sticks a knife into you, that’s a first-person story. That’s an ‘I’ story.” 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, '2023-02-07 03:42:48', '2023-02-07 03:42:48'),
(5035, 5035, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is now reviewing a submission for recognition of the \"genocide\" perpetrated by the Pakistani occupation forces in Bangladesh in 1971 to it last year.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CMHR is a federally-managed museum whose role includes preserving and promoting Canada’s heritage at home and abroad; contributing to the collective memory and sense of identity of all Canadians; and inspiring research, learning, and entertainment that belong to all Canadians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the review process, Jeremy Melvin Maron, curator of the Holocaust and Genocide Contest at CMHR and in charge of reviewing and recommending the submission to the concerned authorities of CMHR for acceptance, will be in Dhaka from February 6 to 12 this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During his stay in Dhaka, Maron would visit some of the sites where the genocide took place and meet the members of the families of the victims and the survivors. The Liberation War Museum, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and other museums.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> He will also meet senior officials and policymakers of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national experts in genocide issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Liberation War Museum will jointly organise and manage his visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once the submission is accepted, CMHR would permanently display the \"Evidences and Exhibits of Genocide\" in the museum.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the same time, the Year of the Birth of Bangladesh and the Portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would also be placed in the \"Time Stream\" of the museum.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Acceptance of the submission and permanent display of \"Evidences and Exhibits of Genocide\" in the CMHR is an important step towards raising awareness about the genocide in 1971 and its recognition in Canada, the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa said Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the Bangladesh mission in collaboration with the Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies in Canada, the Liberation War Museum Dhaka, the Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University and the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada made a submission for recognition of the genocide to CMHR.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the submission, the Bangladesh High Commission organised an international seminar at CMHR participated by international experts, intellectuals, diplomats and academicians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The seminar discussed the genocide in Bangladesh in 1971 and emphasised its global recognition. 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, '2023-02-07 03:50:07', '2023-02-07 13:59:38'),
(5036, 5036, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Burkina Faso has launched an investigation into the deaths of Nigerian Muslim pilgrims who were allegedly killed while travelling by bus to Senegal, foreign minister Olivia Rouamba said Monday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nigerian media reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had condemned the killing of Nigerian pilgrims who were travelling to Kaolack, Senegal. The incident had allegedly happened as the bus was passing through Burkina Faso.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a meeting with Nigerian ambassador Misitura Abdulraheem, Rouamba assured that \"investigations are opened to clarify the situation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For the moment, no concrete information or evidence has been recorded on the ground that proves the veracity of the facts,\" the minister said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rouamba added that Burkina Faso \"fundamentally disapproves of the accusations made against our defence and security forces\", referring to allegations made about its army being responsible for the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Burkina Faso is one of the poorest and most volatile countries in Africa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of troops, police and civilians have been killed and around two million people have fled their homes since jihadists launched an insurgency from neighbouring Mali in 2015.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than a third of the country lies beyond the control of the government, and frustration within the army at the mounting toll triggered two coups last year. 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, '2023-02-07 03:58:27', '2023-02-07 03:58:27'),
(5037, 5037, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The US economy\'s humming and President Joe Biden is optimistic, but brutal polls and the nation\'s collective freak-out over a mysterious Chinese balloon will overshadow his State of the Union speech Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Democrat\'s speechwriters certainly had their work cut out on the weekend as they huddled with the president at the Camp David retreat in the rural hills of Maryland, before flying back to Washington Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A photo posted by Biden on Twitter showed a binder with the speech, a coffee mug and biscuits. \"Getting ready,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On arrival back at the White House, Biden told reporters: \"I want to talk to the American people and let them know the state of affairs -- what\'s going on, what I\'m looking forward to working on.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the dramatic downing of a huge Chinese balloon by a US Air Force fighter jet Saturday left the dangerously unstable relationship with the communist superpower literally looming over the Biden administration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And, as two polls published Sunday and Monday show, well under half of Democrats want 80-year-old Biden to seek a second term in 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In other words, his personal sunniness, embodied by a constant refrain of never having \"been more optimistic\" about the country, is simply not penetrating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just last week, the script for Tuesday\'s big set piece event -- an address to a joint session of Congress, nearly the entire senior ranks of government, and a vast television audience -- had been almost writing itself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inflation, which just a few months ago seemed a near existential threat to the Biden presidency, is steadily ticking downward. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are starting to flow out into programs passed under Biden to spur high-tech manufacturing and repair infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then on Friday, new figures showed that a surge in job creation has driven unemployment to its lowest rate in 50 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his own mini-preview of the so-called SOTU speech, Biden told journalists: \"Next week, I\'ll be reporting on the state of the union. But today, I\'m happy to report that the state of the union and the state of our economy is strong.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even if Biden has yet to formally announce his 2024 candidacy, the SOTU -- followed by two very campaign-like trips Wednesday and Thursday to Wisconsin and Florida -- is expected to give him a big shove in that direction.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The question now is whether at his age, with an unenthusiastic party, ferociously aggressive Republican opponents, and increasingly Cold War-like confrontations with Russia and China, Biden can push hard enough.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Balloon, but no party? -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On his side will be massive advantages: an economy defying multiple predictions of recession and the power of incumbency which means he can spend this year and the next traveling on Air Force One to tout his successes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the weekend\'s news showed what he is up against, even before taking on whomever the Republicans choose as their candidate -- Donald Trump or someone new.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighter jet ordered into the sky by Biden efficiently dispatched the Chinese balloon, but the White House faces swirling questions over why the craft -- which China claims was studying weather -- was first allowed to trace a leisurely path across the entire country, passing directly over ultra-sensitive military bases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And polls show a very down-to-earth danger for Biden: his own side doesn\'t seem to want him anymore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, a paltry 37 percent of respondents said they back Biden running for a second term, which would end when he was 86 years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an ABC News-Washington Post Poll, 58 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said the party should find someone else for 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pressed about the disconnect between Biden\'s message, the macroeconomic data, and the apparent widespread dissatisfaction among ordinary Americans, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged that many voters remain worried about economic insecurity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s an incredibly complicated time,\" Jean-Pierre said, adding that the State of the Union will be an \"important moment\" in the battle to change Americans\' views.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think (at) the State of the Union he\'ll have an opportunity to talk directly to the American people, not just Congress, to talk about what we have done,\" she 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, '2023-02-07 04:18:05', '2023-02-07 04:18:05'),
(5038, 5038, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pakistan\'s prime minister on Monday ordered authorities to unblock Wikipedia, the government announced, just days after the online encyclopedia was restricted for \"blasphemous content\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and social media giants Facebook and YouTube have previously been banned for publishing content deemed sacrilegious.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted a copy of the order that stated: \"The Prime Minister is pleased to direct that the website (Wikipedia) may be restored with immediate effect.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wikimedia Foundation -- the non-profit fund managing Wikipedia -- told AFP on Monday that it \"was made aware that the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had been directed to restore access to Wikipedia\" and hoped to see online traffic in Pakistan \"resume soon.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, the PTA gave Wikipedia 48 hours to remove content deemed \"blasphemous\", before it ultimately blocked the website.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An agency spokesman had said Saturday that Wikipedia would \"remain blocked until they remove all the objectionable material\", without specifying what content was at issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Unintended consequences\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the order published Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed a committee made up of three government ministers to examine the PTA\'s decision to block Wikipedia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The committee found that the \"unintended consequences of this blanket ban... outweigh its benefits\", the document, signed by principal secretary to the prime minister Syed Tauqir Shah, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another ministerial committee would be established to further examine the issue, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people of Pakistan rely on Wikipedia both as a knowledge resource and as a pathway to share their knowledge with others\", a Wikimedia spokesperson said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Lifting this ban means that the people of Pakistan can continue to benefit from and participate in its growth within a global movement that strives to spread and share knowledge that is verified, reliable and free.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The organisation did not immediately respond to an AFP query on if it had taken any action to remove certain content.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said in a previous statement that \"the Wikimedia Foundation does not make decisions around what content is included on Wikipedia or how that content is maintained.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We respect and support the editorial decisions made by the community of editors around the world,\" it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Free speech campaigners have highlighted what they say is a pattern of rising government censorship of Pakistan\'s printed and electronic media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan blocked YouTube from 2012 to 2016 after it carried a film about the Prophet Mohammed that led to violent protests across the Muslim world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In recent years, the country has also blocked the wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok several times over \"indecent\" and \"immoral\" content. 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, '2023-02-07 04:49:38', '2023-02-07 04:49:38'),
(5039, 5039, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Results of 2022 HSC and equivalent exams will be published on February 8  (Wednesday).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Dhaka Education Board, the coordinator of the inter-education board, issued an office order on Monday to publish the results.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tapan Kumar Sarker, convener of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and Dhaka Education Board Chairman, confirmed the information.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is informed that the results of ‘HSC Exam 2022’ will be published simultaneously from the respective institutions and online at 11:30 am on February 8. The result sheet of each institution can be downloaded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Institution-wise result sheets can be downloaded by entering the EIIN of the educational institution by clicking on the result corner on the website of Dhaka Education Board (www.dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd). Besides, the result sheet can be downloaded by clicking on the www.dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd website by the roll and registration number.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the release of the exam result, the result can be collected by SMS. Type HSC<>Board name (first 3 letters)<>Roll<>Year and send to 16222. Eg: HSC Dha 123456 2022 and send to 16222</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The office order also informed that the concerned institutions are advised to download the result by EIIN of the board and institution by clicking on the result corner of www.dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd website to publish the results obtained online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSC and equivalent exams were held from November 6 to December 13 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,203,407 examinees completed their registration to sit for the exams. Of them, 6,22,769 were boys and 5,80,611 were girls. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 05:05:58', '2023-02-07 13:55:30'),
(5040, 5040, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australian men\'s Twenty20 captain Aaron Finch retired from international cricket on Tuesday, ending his 12-year career as one of the most prolific run scorers in limited-overs formats.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A destructive opening batter at his peak, Finch\'s position had been under a cloud since Australia failed to make the knockout stage of last year\'s T20 World Cup at home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not immediately clear who would replace the Victoria-born batter, who has captained the team in 76 of the 103 T20s he has played since debuting against England in 2011.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Realising that I won\'t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment to step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event,\" he told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honour.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 36-year-old was in 2018 crowned the best T20 batter in the game, and captained Australia to their maiden T20 World Cup victory in Dubai in 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Only five players have scored more runs than Finch in T20 internationals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finch retired as Australia\'s one-day skipper last September, replaced by 29-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cummins also leads Australia\'s Test squad, but selectors may be reluctant to add the T20 captaincy to his workload.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finch said winning the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup in 2015 were the two cricket memories he would \"cherish the most\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He holds the record for the highest score in a T20 international -- 172 runs off 76 balls against Zimbabwe in 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also hit the third-highest T20 international score -- 156 against England in 2013.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- An Australian \'great\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson said Finch was one of Australia\'s \"finest white-ball players\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"While he was a tough competitor on the field, Aaron always played the game with a smile on his face and in the right spirit,\" Henderson said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As one of only four men\'s players to captain Australia to a World Cup victory, Aaron will always have a special place in Australian cricket\'s history.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finch\'s Melbourne Renegades club called him a \"great of Australian cricket\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although prolific in limited-overs formats -- he scored 5,406 ODI runs and 3,120 in T20 internationals -- Finch failed to make an impact in Tests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He played five Tests for Australia in 2018 but was dropped after failing to impress selectors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finch is expected to continue playing T20 cricket in Australia\'s domestic league. 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, '2023-02-07 05:23:13', '2023-02-07 05:23:13'),
(5041, 5041, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Tourism recovery in Asia and Pacific region has picked up speed and might rebound to the pre-pandemic level by 2024, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Asian Economic Integration Report 2023 said international tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region rose by 399 percent year-on-year for the first eight months of 2022, but only to 10.3 percent of the 2019 numbers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The variation is largely driven by differences in the pace of border reopening, public health protocols, and people\'s confidence in overseas travel,\" the report noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report added that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict also continued to pose a downside risk to Asian tourism, a potential loss of about one-third of Russia\'s outbound tourists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Higher fuel prices translating to higher airfares and travel expenses, alongside weak global growth prospects, are dampening the recovery momentum,\" the report said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For post-pandemic recovery, the report believed that economies in the region need to look at several policy options to build sustainability and resilience while addressing pre-pandemic challenges such as narrow source markets, lack of infrastructure, and high informality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Greater regional cooperation is needed to deal with the prolonged challenges,\" added the report. Xinhua/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, '2023-02-07 06:51:42', '2023-02-07 06:51:42');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5042, 5042, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Many governments and aid groups have rushed to dispatch personnel, funds and equipment to help the rescue efforts in quake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria. Here’s a glance at what’s being provided so far:</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— The European Union has mobilized search and rescue teams to help Turkey, while the 27-nation bloc’s Copernicus satellite system has been activated to provide emergency mapping services. At least 13 member countries have offered assistance. The EU said it’s also ready to offer help to Syria through its humanitarian assistance programs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— The United States is coordinating immediate assistance to NATO-member Turkey, including teams to support search and rescue efforts. U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria. In California, nearly 100 Los Angeles County firefighters and structural engineers, along with a half-dozen specially trained dogs, were being sent to Turkey to help with rescue efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Russian rescue teams from the Emergencies Ministry are preparing to fly to Syria, where Russian military deployed in that country already has sent 10 units comprising 300 people to help clear debris and search for survivors. The Russian military has set up points to distribute humanitarian assistance. Russia also has offered help to Turkey, which has been accepted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">War-ravaged Syria is calling on the United Nations and all member states to help with rescue efforts, health services, shelter and food aid. The affected area in Syria is divided between government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— The Israeli army says it’s sending a search and rescue team of 150 engineers, medical personnel and other aid workers to Turkey. The army said they would provide “immediate assistance in life-saving efforts.” The two countries, once close regional allies, are in the process of mending ties after years of tensions. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has also approved a request for humanitarian aid for Syria, received through a diplomatic official. Israel and Syria do not have diplomatic relations and the two countries have fought several wars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Neighbor and historic regional rival Greece is sending Turkey a team of 21 rescuers, two rescue dogs and a special rescue vehicle, together with a structural engineer, five doctors and seismic planning experts in a military transport plane.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it is coordinating its aid response with EU partners and readying deliveries of emergency generators, tents, blankets and water treatment equipment. It also has offered to send teams from the THW civil protection agency to Turkey to help with the response. The group International Search and Rescue Germany was also preparing to fly dozens of doctors and rescue experts to Turkey late Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— South Korea says it will dispatch a 60-person search and rescue team and also send medical supplies to Turkey. The regional government of Gyeonggi Province, near the capital Seoul, said it plans to provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance to Turkey to support rescue efforts and the medical response. Announcing the plan, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described Turkey as a “brother nation” that swiftly sent troops to fight alongside South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Britain is sending 76 search-and-rescue specialists with equipment and dogs, as well as an emergency medical team, to Turkey. The U.K. also says it’s in contact with the U.N. about getting support to victims in Syria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is sending soldiers, Red Cross and Civil Defense first responders, and firefighters to Turkey to help with its rescue efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Jordan is sending emergency aid to Syria and Turkey on the orders of King Abdullah II.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Egypt has pledged urgent humanitarian aid to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— India is sending two search and rescue teams from its Natural Disaster Response Force to Turkey, comprising 100 personnel, as well as specially trained dog squads and equipment for relief efforts. Medical teams with trained doctors, paramedics and essential medicines are also ready, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Swiss rescue dog service REDOG is sending 22 rescuers with 14 dogs to Turkey. The government said it would also send 80 search and rescue specialists to the country, including army disaster experts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— The Czech Republic is sending Turkey a team of 68 rescuers, including firefighters, doctors, structural engineers and also experts with sniffer dogs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Japan is sending a group of about 75 rescue workers to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary said the country will send equipment and rescue specialists to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Austria has offered to send 84 soldiers from a military disaster relief unit to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Spain was preparing to send two Urban Search and Rescue teams to Turkey with 85 personnel, and a contingent of volunteer firefighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Italy’s Civil Protection Agency has offered assistance to Turkey. A firefighting team was preparing to leave from Pisa, and the Italian military says transport flights will carry equipment as well as health and other personnel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— France is dispatching rescue teams to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Poland is sending Turkey 76 firefighters and eight trained dogs, with equipment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Romania is sending specialized personnel and material to Turkey on two military aircraft.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Croatia is sending 40 men and 10 dogs, rescue equipment and vans to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Serbia is sending 21 rescuers and three liaison officers to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Montenegro is sending at least 24 firefighters to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— Moldova’s president says 55 rescue workers have been sent to Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— New Zealand is providing $632,000 to the Turkish Red Crescent and $316,000 to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver items such as food, tents and blankets, as well as provide medical assistance and psychological support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">— China’s Red Cross Society is providing the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Red Crescent with $200,000 each in cash humanitarian assistance. The society said Tuesday it will send further humanitarian aid if needed. 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, '2023-02-07 07:01:48', '2023-02-07 07:01:48'),
(5043, 5043, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The overall number of Covid-19 cases around the world has now crossed 676 million.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the latest global data, the total Covid-19 case count was 676,396,299 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,773,261 this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US has recorded 104,509,261 Covid-19 cases so far, while 1,136,448 people have died from the virus in the North American country — both highest around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India on Monday reported 91 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 4,46,83,454 in the South Asian country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Union Health Ministry, the daily positivity rate in India stands at 0.14%, and active cases comprise 0.01% of total infections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The active case tally remained at 1,817, with no rise or decline in such cases, while Covid-related death count stands at 5,30,745.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Tokyo reported 1,105 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, down 713 from a week before.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twelve new fatalities were newly confirmed, while the number of severely ill coronavirus patients under Tokyo’s criteria rose by two from Sunday to 41, the metropolitan government said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh reported 13 more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Monday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new number, the country\'s total caseload rose to 2,037,622, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,443 as no new fatalities were reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The daily Covid-19 test positivity rose to 0.58 percent against the 2,247 samples tested. 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, '2023-02-07 07:18:19', '2023-02-07 07:18:19'),
(5044, 5044, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Belgium Queen Mathilde will visit different projects at Dacope upazila here tomorrow, deputy commissioner Khondokar Yasir Arefin said today.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Queen will visit Water Treatment Plant of UNDP at Sutarkhali Union of the upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will also visit flood related project at Jhulantapara of Kalabogi area under Sutarkhali Union and exchange views with beneficiaries of the project later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Belgium\'s Queen is now on a three-day visit to Bangladesh in her capacity as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) advocate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dacope upazila administration has taken massive preparation ahead of Belgium Queen\'s visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dacope Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mintu Biswas told BSS that tight security measures have been taken at the upazila on her visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Law enforcement personnel including RAB and Police members have already been deployed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A helipad has already been prepared and speed boats have been kept ready, the UNO said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local administration, high officials of law enforcement agencies and a special team of Special Security Force (SSF) have already visited Water Treatment Plant and Flood project area ahead of the Queen\'s visit. 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, '2023-02-07 07:22:26', '2023-02-07 07:22:26'),
(5045, 5045, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A massive fire broke out at a textile mill in Dhaka\'s Shyampur area this morning, officials said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No casualties were reported till the filing of this report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blaze started around 11:23 am at the ground floor of the four-storey building of Pakiza Textile, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters\' media cell.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, five firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 12:10pm, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire,\" the officer 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, '2023-02-07 07:25:17', '2023-02-07 07:25:17'),
(5046, 5046, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP will again march in the capital on February 9 and 12 to press home their 10-point demand,&nbsp; including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the two-pay fresh programme at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As part of our ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy, unconditional release of our leader Khaleda Zia, the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament and realising the 10-point demand, BNP Dhaka South and North city units have decided to march again,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the programme, he said BNP’s Dhaka South City unit will march towards the Jatiya Press Club from Gopibagh Brothers Union Club ground at 2pm on February 9 while its Dhaka North City unit will march towards Bosila Saat Rasta intersection from Shyamoli playground at 2pm on February 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, leaders and activists of the party’s Dhaka north and south city units observed the march programme on January 28, 31, 30 and February 1 respectively to push for their 10-point demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later on February 4, BNP announced another march programme in all unions across the country on February 11 (Saturday) to mount pressure on the government to accept their 10-point demand. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 08:09:39', '2023-02-07 08:09:39'),
(5047, 5047, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rakhi Sawant\'s husband Adil Khan Durrani has been reportedly arrested and taken to the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai after the actor filed an FIR against him.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, the actor had alleged that Adil was mishandling her funds, while she was participating in Bigg Boss Marathi last year, and she had asked him to look over her ailing mother Jaya Sawant, who died on January 29 after a long battle with cancer. Rakhi also alleged that Adil was responsible for her mother\'s death as he did pay money on time for her surgery.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharing an update on his arrest on Tuesday, Rakhi said she was reaching the station, too, to address the matter. He was arrested after he came home to meet her. She shared in a media statement, \"Yeh koi media ya natak nahi hai.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meri zindagi kharab ki hai issne. Mujhe mara hai, mera paisa loota hai Quran pe haath rakh ke bhi. Issne mere saath cheating kiya hai (This is not drama. He has ruined my life. He has beaten me up and stolen my money even as he put his hand on the Quran. He has cheated me).\" She said she had submitted all the proofs to find out the truth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, Rakhi had also revealed to the media that Adil was having an extramarital affair; she recently also shared the name of his alleged girlfriend via Instagram and paparazzi videos.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, Rakhi and Adil were seen during a dinner outing with friends. In the video, shared on a paparazzo account, Adil can be seen feeding Rakhi while she reluctantly accepted. She commented on the paparazzo video with tear emoji, writing, \"Ji ha woh maafi magne aya thye lekin mai kabhi maff nahi karungi (Yes, he had come to apologise but I will never forgive him).\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, when speaking to the media, Rakhi said, \"Main ussko hamesha ghar mein khana khilati thi. Kya pata yeh aaj ke meri zindagi ka aakhri nivala ho. Haan, maine aaj aakhri nivala khilaya. Dushman ko bhi, jab aata hai na ghar mein, toh paani pilate hain. Yeh toh mera shohar hain.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chahti rahungi marte dum tak, lekin no maafi. No maafi, maafi mushkil hain (I have always fed him at home. Who knows if this will be the last time I feed him. Yes, I have fed him today. Even enemies when they come home, you give them water. He\'s my husband. I will love him till I die, but no apology. No apology, to forgive is hard).\" 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, '2023-02-07 08:29:14', '2023-02-07 08:29:14'),
(5048, 5048, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rescuers raced Tuesday to find survivors in the rubble of thousands of buildings brought down by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks that struck eastern Turkey and neighboring Syria, with the discovery of more bodies raising the death toll to 5,000.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Countries around the world dispatched teams to assist in the rescue efforts, and Turkey’s disaster management agency said more than 24,400 emergency personnel were now on the ground. But with such a wide swath of territory hit by Monday’s earthquake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed in Turkey alone, their efforts were spread thin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Attempts to reach survivors were also impeded by temperatures below freezing and close to 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nurgul Atay told The Associated Press she could hear her mother’s voice beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in the city of Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, but that her and others efforts to get into the ruins had been futile without any rescue crews and heavy equipment to help.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If only we could lift the concrete slab we’d be able to reach her,” she said. “My mother is 70-years-old, she won’t be able to withstand this for long.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Across Hatay province, just southwest of the earthquake’s epicenter, officials say as many as 1,500 buildings were destroyed and many people reported relatives being trapped under the rubble with no aid or rescue teams arriving.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In areas where teams worked, occasional cheers broke out through the night as survivors were brought out of the rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake, which was centered in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus and Beirut rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders confirmed Tuesday that one of its staff members was among the dead after his house in Syria’s Idlib province collapsed, and that others had lost family members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are very shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people touched by it, including our colleagues and their families,” said Sebastien Gay, the group’s head of mission in Syria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter, people took refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 3,381 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with more than 20,000 injured, according to the latest figures from Turkish authorities on Tuesday. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 769 people, with some 1,450 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In the country’s rebel-held northwest, groups that operate there said at least 450 people died, with many hundreds injured. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities fear the death toll will keep climbing as the rescuers look for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across the region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis. AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 08:45:36', '2023-02-07 08:45:36'),
(5049, 5049, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia was pouring reinforcements into eastern Ukraine ahead of a possible new offensive, said a Ukrainian governor, but British intelligence said on Tuesday it was unlikely that Russia would have enough forces to significantly affect the war within weeks.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Desperate for Western military aid to arrive, Ukraine anticipates a major offensive could be launched by Russia for “symbolic” reasons around the Feb. 24 anniversary of the invasion, which Moscow persists in calling “a special military operation.”</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine is itself planning a spring offensive to recapture lost territory, but it is awaiting delivery of promised longer-range Western missiles and battle tanks, and some analysts say the country was months away from being ready.</div><div><br></div><div>“We are seeing more and more (Russian) reserves being deployed in our direction, we are seeing more equipment being brought in...,” said Serhiy Haidai, Ukraine’s governor of the mainly Russian-occupied Luhansk province.</div><div><br></div><div>“They bring ammunition that is used differently than before — it is not round-the-clock shelling anymore. They are slowly starting to save, getting ready for a full-scale offensive,” Haidai told Ukrainian television.</div><div><br></div><div>“It will most likely take them 10 days to gather reserves. After Feb. 15 we can expect (this offensive) at any time.”</div><div><br></div><div>The war is reaching a pivotal point as its first anniversary approaches, with Ukraine no longer making gains as it did in the second half of 2022 and Russia pushing forward with hundreds of thousands of mobilized reserve troops.</div><div><br></div><div>Britain’s Defense Intelligence said in its daily report that Russia’s military has likely attempted since early January to restart major offensive operations aimed at capturing Ukraine-held parts of Donetsk.</div><div><br></div><div>However, Russian forces have gained little territory as they “lack munitions and maneuver units required for a successful offensive,” it said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Russian leaders will likely continue to demand sweeping advances. It remains unlikely that Russia can buiild up the forces needed to substantially affect the outcome of the war within the coming weeks.”</div><div><br></div><div>In his Monday evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said personnel changes on the border and frontline will bolster Ukraine’s military efforts amid uncertainty over the future of his defense minister, just as Russia advances in the east for the first time in six months.</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky said he wanted to combine military and managerial experience in local and central government but did not directly address confusion about whether his defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, would be replaced.</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday, David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky’s parliamentary bloc, said Reznikov would be transferred to another ministerial job, but on Monday he wrote that “there will be no personnel changes in the defense sector this week.”</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky says he needs to show that Ukraine was a safe steward of billions of dollars of Western military and other aid, and his government is engaged in the biggest political and administrative shake-up since Russia’s invasion nearly a year ago.</div><div><br></div><div>“In a number of regions, particularly those on the border or on the front line, we will appoint leaders with military experience. Those who can show themselves to be the most effective in defending against existing threats,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The European Union said Zelensky has been invited to take part in a summit of EU leaders, amid reports he could be in Brussels as soon as this week, in what would be only his second known foreign trip since the invasion began.</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky’s office did not respond to a request for comment.</div><div><br></div><div>NEW RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Ukrainska Pravda on the weekend that intelligence suggested any new Russian offensive would likely come from the east or south.</div><div><br></div><div>“Their dream is to expand the land corridor to Crimea in order to continue supplies. Therefore, of course, the key risks are: the east, the south, and after that the north,” he said. Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukrainian defense analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko said a new Russian offensive could come from one of four directions; the eastern Luhansk region, the Donetsk region, the Zaporizhzhia region and the city and port of Mariupol.</div><div><br></div><div>“Things are more serious in Donetsk region, particularly around Bakhmut and Avdiivka. And the Russians will be boosting their contingents there as well as equipment and paratroops,” Kovalenko, from the “Information Resistance group” think tanks, told Ukrainian radio NV.</div><div><br></div><div>For months Russia’s main target in eastern Ukraine has been Bakhmut, where its state media said the Wagner mercenary group had gained a foothold. Ukraine said on Monday evening that Russian forces had trained tank, mortar and artillery fire there in the past 24 hours.</div><div>Kovalenko said Mariupol, captured by Russian forces last May, could be used by the Russians to bring in troops and equipment for a new offensive.</div><div><br></div><div>“It could serve as a transport hub for the Russian occupation forces,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Kovalenko said Ukraine’s counter-offensive would not happen any time soon and Ukrainian forces would be assuming a defensive position, particularly in Donetsk.</div><div><br></div><div>“It may be an active defense, but a defensive position nonetheless. The idea will remain to block any Russian advance,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Things could change more quickly in other sectors. But this situation could go on for two to two-and-a-half months — that is the time required for providing the tanks for brigades, training and getting everything outfitted.” - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 10:08:48', '2023-02-07 10:08:48'),
(5050, 5050, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Fahim Tajwar Joy, a prominent activist of the ruling party student front Bangladesh Chhatra League Masterda Surja Sen Hall Chhatra League of Dhaka University has been accused of molesting a woman and her husband and looting money from them in front of central Shahid Minar.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In this regard, a case has been filed accusing Fahim and 10-12 unnamed people who participated in the looting.</div><div><br></div><div>Principal administrative Officer, Md. Abdul Motaleb, of Masterda Surja Sen Hall lodged the case against Fahim at the Shahbagh police station as his niece and her husband were the victims.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the complaint letter, \"Riya and her husband Rasel were on the way to visit Abdul Motaleb\'s house from nearby Chawkbazar at 11 pm of February 4. When they were crossing throughout the frontier road of Shahid Minar, Fahim and his friends blocked their way, abused them verbally and beat them with sticks. At one point they took Rasel at the backside of Shahid Minar and snatched all money from him which counts TK 22000 and then they snatched ATM cards from him.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"They also molested my niece,\" the complaint said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Being informed, when my son Mehrab went to rescue them, Fahim and his friends beat me badly. Later, surrounding people came and saved us from them.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Contacted, OC of Shahbagh police station, Noor said, \"We have received the case and we will investigate the matter.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioned, Fahim is a posted member of Masterda Surja Sen Hall Chhatra League and follower of Abdulla Khan Shoisob who is a follower of Dhaka University Chhatra League General secretary Tanbir Hasan Saikat. Moreover, he is a student of department of History of 2021-22 session. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 10:32:33', '2023-02-07 10:32:33'),
(5051, 5051, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ghana national player and former Newcastle midfielder Christian Atsu has been found alive in the rubble of an earthquake that killed more than 5000 people in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, Ghana\'s ambassador to Turkey said today.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Christian Atsu, 31, joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor in September, based in the southern province of Hatay near the epicentre of Monday\'s massive quake.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I have good news coming. I am just getting information from the president of the Ghana association that Christian Atsu has been found in Hatay,\" Francisca Ashietey-Odunton told Accra-based Asaase Radio, referring to a local Ghanaian community association.</div><div>The envoy gave no further details on his condition.</div><div><br></div><div>Hatayspor official Mustafa Ozat told Play Spor streaming channel on Monday that Christian Atsu was still in the rubble and was trying to escape.</div><div><br></div><div>Christian Atsu spent five seasons at Newcastle after an initial campaign on loan before leaving for Saudi Arabia in 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>He won the last of his 60 Ghana national caps in September 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We pray for Ghana International Christian Atsu and victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria,\" the Ghana Football Association said on Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>Dozens of nations have offered aid since the 7.8-magnitude quake struck early on Monday as people were sleeping. Freezing weather has hampered emergency efforts.</div><div><br></div><div>Multi-storey apartment buildings full of residents were among the more than 5,600 structures reduced to rubble in Turkey, while Syria announced dozens of collapses. ‍Source: AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 12:09:59', '2023-02-07 12:09:59'),
(5052, 5052, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Structural engineers, soldiers, paramedics and handlers with trained search dogs are heading to Turkey and Syria to help locate and rescue survivors of Monday’s earthquake. Here\'s a glance at the assistance that\'s being provided:</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>— The European Union has mobilized search and rescue teams to help Turkey, while the bloc\'s Copernicus satellite system has been activated to provide emergency mapping services. At least 13 member countries have offered assistance.</div><div><br></div><div>— The United States is coordinating immediate assistance to Turkey, including teams to support search and rescue efforts. In California, nearly 100 Los Angeles County firefighters and structural engineers, along with six specially trained dogs, were being sent to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Russian rescue teams from the Emergencies Ministry were sent to Syria, where Russian military deployed in that country already has sent 10 units comprising 300 people to help clear debris and search for survivors. The Russian military has set up points to distribute humanitarian assistance. Russia also has offered help to Turkey, which has been accepted.</div><div><br></div><div>— War-ravaged Syria called for the United Nations and its members to help with rescue efforts, health services, shelter and food aid. Both government-held territory and the last opposition-held enclave were damaged by the earthquake.</div><div><br></div><div>— The International Committee of the Red Cross has sent enough surgical material to treat 100 people to one of the public hospitals in the Syrian city of Aleppo. More medical equipment is on its ways to Aleppo, Latakia and Tartous. The Red Cross also is donating canned food, blankets, mattresses and other essential items for distribution in the many shelters being set-up in affected areas.</div><div><br></div><div>— The Israeli army is sending a search and rescue team of 150 engineers, medical personnel and other aid workers to render lifesaving aid in Turkey. The two countries are mending ties after years of tensions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has also approved a request for humanitarian aid for Syria. Israel and Syria do not have diplomatic relations.</div><div><br></div><div>— Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the Palestinian Authority will dispatch two humanitarian missions to assist in Syria and Turkey. The aid missions will include civil defense and medical teams.</div><div><br></div><div>— Neighbor and historic rival Greece is sending Turkey a team of 21 rescuers, two rescue dogs and a special rescue vehicle, together with a structural engineer, five doctors and seismic planning experts in a military transport plane.</div><div><br></div><div>— The Lebanese army says it will send a team of 15 members of the miltiary’s engineering regiment to neighboring Syria to help in rescue operations in government-held parts of the country. Tuesday’s announcement came a day after the army sent 20 members of the same regiment to Turkey to help rescuers there who are racing to find survivors.</div><div><br></div><div>— One of Libya’s rival governments said it will dispatch a 55-member team to Turkey to help in rescue efforts. The government of Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah said the team would include rescuers, medical members along with four dogs.</div><div><br></div><div>— Spanish medical workers will set up a field hospital in Turkey to treat the wounded. Spain has mobilized troops and drones from the country’s Military Emergency Unit to Malatya airport, where the Turkish authorities have installed an international aid center. Spain will also contribute to aid efforts through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Spain will also contribute to rescue efforts in Syria through NGOs operating there.</div><div><br></div><div>— Germany’s THW civil protection agency is sending a 50-member rescue team to Turkey on Tuesday. A team from the group International Search and Rescue Germany, with 42 experts and seven dogs, has arrived in Turkey and is heading to Kirikhan, near the Syrian border. Germany also has been readying deliveries of emergency generators, tents, blankets and water treatment equipment.</div><div><br></div><div>— South Korea will dispatch a 60-person search and rescue team and 50 troops and send medical supplies to Turkey. The government also says it is providing an initial $5 million in humanitarian support, and the Gyeonggi provincial government plans to provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance.</div><div><br></div><div>— Pakistan has sent one flight of relief supplies and another carrying a 50-member search and rescue team. The government says daily aid flights to Syria and Turkey will start Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>— Britain is sending 76 search-and-rescue specialists with equipment and dogs, as well as an emergency medical team, to Turkey. The U.K. also says it’s in contact with the U.N. about getting support to victims in Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>— India is sending 100 search and rescue personnel from its Natural Disaster Response Force to Turkey, as well as specially trained dog squads and equipment for relief efforts. Medical teams with trained doctors, paramedics and essential medicines are also ready, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>— Taiwan is sending 130 rescue squad members, five search dogs and 13 tons of equipment to Turkey. Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang said the first group left for Turkey late Monday and another was sent Tuesday. Taiwan earlier said it would donate $200,000 to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Swiss rescue dog service REDOG is sending 22 rescuers with 14 dogs to Turkey. The government said it would also send 80 search and rescue specialists to the country, including army disaster experts.</div><div><br></div><div>— The Czech Republic is sending Turkey a team of 68 rescuers, including firefighters, doctors, structural engineers and also experts with sniffer dogs.</div><div><br></div><div>— Japan is sending a group of about 75 rescue workers to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Austria has offered to send 84 soldiers from a military disaster relief unit to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Poland is sending Turkey 76 firefighters and eight trained dogs, with equipment.</div><div><br></div><div>— Romania is sending specialized personnel and material to Turkey on two military aircraft.</div><div><br></div><div>— Croatia is sending 40 personnel and 10 dogs, rescue equipment and vans to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Serbia is sending 21 rescuers and three liaison officers to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Montenegro is sending at least 24 firefighters to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Moldova\'s president says 55 rescue workers have been sent to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— France is dispatching rescue teams to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Jordan is sending emergency aid to Syria and Turkey on the orders of King Abdullah II.</div><div><br></div><div>— Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary said the country will send equipment and rescue specialists to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Egypt has pledged urgent humanitarian aid to Turkey.</div><div><br></div><div>— Italy’s Civil Protection Agency has offered assistance to Turkey. A firefighting team was preparing to leave from Pisa, and the Italian military says transport flights will carry equipment as well as health and other personnel.</div><div><br></div><div>— New Zealand is providing $632,000 to the Turkish Red Crescent and $316,000 to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver items such as food, tents and blankets, as well as provide medical assistance and psychological support.</div><div><br></div><div>— China’s Red Cross Society is providing the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Red Crescent with $200,000 each in humanitarian assistance. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 12:22:32', '2023-02-07 12:22:32'),
(5053, 5053, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The foreign assistance for the national budget has declined to US$ 2.23 billion in the current fiscal year from US$ 3.26 billion in the last fiscal year (2021-22).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday placed this statistics in Parliament while replying to a scripted question from Awami League lawmaker Morshed Alam (Noakhali-2).</div><div><br></div><div>In the written answer, the minister said the government received assistance equivalent to some US$ 3.26 billion from different development partners for the budget in the last fiscal year. But there is a possibility to get the assistance equivalent to US$ 2.23 billion in the current fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to questions from ruling party MPs Kazim Uddin Ahmed (Mymensingh-11), the Finance Minister said there is currently no plan to increase the interest rate on family savings certificates. But the interest rate on savings certificates may be revised considering the investment situation, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a question from Mamunur Rashid Kiran (Noakhali-3), Mustafa Kamal said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been working to accomplish 100 percent of the revenue collection target.</div><div><br></div><div>The NBR expects that the target will be fully achieved by the end of the fiscal year, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 13:37:43', '2023-02-07 13:37:43'),
(5054, 5054, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori said his country will continue support in development activities of Bangladesh.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div>\"JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) will work on capacity building for human resource development of Bangladesh,\" he said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The ambassador paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at his ministry office.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>During the call on, they discussed various issues related to mutual interest.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Japanese ambassador thanked the state minister for 100 percent electrification of the country and said Japan will always cooperate in the development activities of Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Realizing the success of the Japanese company ONUDA in making gas meters, he said more small and large Japanese companies will come to work in Bangladesh, adding, \"The concept of \'Smart Bangladesh\' will transform Bangladesh into a developed one by 2041.\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Welcoming the ambassador of Japan, Nasrul Hamid said the government has undertaken projects as per the plan, which will require more $30 billion in the next 5 years.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"A joint operation and maintenance company can be formed, which will save both money and time for Bangladesh. JICA can support Bangladesh Power Management Institute to make it an international standard institution,\" he said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The state minister said smart power and energy master plan is needed for a smart Bangladesh, which will take all sectors forward behind the scene. \"Japan can assist in adopting and implementing energy sector (gas and oil) master plans,\" he added.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Besides, they also discussed about Matarbari power hub, underground cables and sub-stations, prepaid meters, smart meters, gas meters and upcoming projects in the power and energy sector. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 13:49:53', '2023-02-07 13:49:53'),
(5055, 5055, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali today said Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport\'s third terminal will be inaugurated in October this year as 60 percent construction work of the terminal has already been completed.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The aesthetic terminal building is now visible. Now works of different machinery installation and interior designing is going on,\" he said while talking to journalists after visiting the construction work of the terminal and passenger services at the current terminal-1 and 2.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahbub Ali said works of enhancing strength of runways at all airports, new terminal building construction and modernization of security system are going on to ensure safe flight operations and enhancing passenger services.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, silent revolution of development has taken place in the country\'s aviation sector, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said flight operations at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) are being kept closed for five hours every night as the work is underway to update the instrumental landing system (ILS) of the runway to category-2 from category-1.</div><div><br></div><div>He said they are making their efforts so that passengers do not face any problem for the development works.</div><div><br></div><div>Once the ILS is updated, the limitations of flight operations due to thick fog in winter will be removed, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md. Mokammel Hossain, Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam were present during the visit. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 15:00:07', '2023-02-07 15:00:07');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5056, 5056, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Tuesday claimed that for lack of any other issue, a vested quarter is spreading misinformation on the new curriculum textbooks to create confusion ahead of the election.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“its purpose is to incite people against the government through misusing religion and creating instability and anarchy,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Minister said this while participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President\'s speech in Parliament.</div><div>She said that most of the propaganda about textbooks is false.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that Awami League has never done anything against Quran and Sunnah and never will.</div><div><br></div><div>Education Minister Dipu Moni said that these are being spread purposely through photoshopping the pictures of various books, editing the text.</div><div><br></div><div>“Non-curriculum books are being spread by referring to the books of this country.&nbsp; These books are being criticised by using fictional subjects and images,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also mentioned that fake and offensive news about the content is being spread.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Offensive, nasty statements are being made about book authors, ministers and academics.&nbsp; They are being threatened.”</div><div><br></div><div>The education minister informed that two committees regarding the errors in the textbooks have formed.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that those who are attacking these textbooks are not involved in teaching at any of their academic institutions.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“The experimental books are published with the opinion of those who teach in their institutions. Any errors in the book are being and will be corrected.”</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Dipu Moni said that the intention of those who are criticising is not to correct mistakes.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“If their intentions were honest, they would have suggested correcting mistakes through constructive criticism.&nbsp; He would not lie. They would not have done this kind of lying by photoshopping and editing.”</div><div><br></div><div>Addressing the critics, the education minister said that she believes in her religion, sense of religion, message of religion and religious discipline.</div><div><br></div><div>“I pray that Allah gives guidance to those who make these ugly statements.&nbsp; Allow them to tell the truth, avoid lying, and refrain from trying to destabilise the country.”</div><div><br></div><div>Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid said that there is extreme corruption in the financial sector.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Bank money is being freely looted and is siphoned abroad. Corruption is taking a totalitarian form in today\'s society.&nbsp; The middle class is disappearing day by day.&nbsp; The disparity between the rich and the poor is glaring.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the President cannot say anything about these things.&nbsp; The president does not have the scope to say these things.&nbsp; “That\'s the rule.”</div><div><br></div><div>He questioned Can the president say that the Awami League is plunged by hybrid leaders through hiring them in exchange of money.</div><div><br></div><div>Jatiya Party MP Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud said that the prescriptions given by the IMF are nothing new, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He urged to look into the reports of various national and international organizations without dismissing them.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the report given by CPD is very high standard. “You can disagree with that.&nbsp; But rather than ignoring these reports, one should take a good look at what is there.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 15:14:30', '2023-02-07 15:14:30'),
(5057, 5057, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The sole border crossing used to shuttle life-saving aid from Turkey into conflict-ravaged Syria has seen its operations disrupted by the deadly earthquake that struck the two countries, the UN said Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The 7.8-magnitude quake and its aftershocks struck Turkey and Syria on Monday and killed more than 5,000 people.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The cross-border operation has itself been impacted,\" Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told reporters in Geneva.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is a disaster zone,\" he said, appealing for politics to be put aside to allow desperately needed aid to get through.</div><div><br></div><div>Disaster agencies said several thousand buildings were flattened across an area plagued by war, insurgency, refugee crises and a recent cholera outbreak.</div><div><br></div><div>Concerns have been running particularly high for how aid might reach all those in need in Syria, devastated by more than a decade of civil war.</div><div><br></div><div>Humanitarian aid in rebel-held areas usually arrives through Turkey via a cross-border mechanism created in 2014 by a UN Security Council resolution.</div><div><br></div><div>But it is contested by Damascus and its ally Moscow, who see it as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.</div><div><br></div><div>Under pressure from Russia and China, the number of crossing points has been reduced over time from four to one.</div><div><br></div><div>And now areas surrounding that one border crossing have suffered significant infrastructure damage, while the aid workers on the ground have been hit by the catastrophe.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Lives are at stake\' -</div><div><br></div><div>\"Every effort is being done to overcome these logistical hurdles, which are created by the earthquake,\" Laerke said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There is a window of about seven days\" when survivors are generally found, Laerke said, adding that it was \"critical\" to get teams to those in immediate need as soon as possible.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is imperative that everybody sees it as a humanitarian crisis where lives are at stake,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Please don\'t politicise this. Let\'s get the aid out to the people who so desperately need it.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He said the UN was intent on using \"any and all means to get to people, and that includes the cross-border operation and the cross-line operation from inside Syria\".</div><div><br></div><div>But Laerke said access by road was \"a challenge\" and pointed out that the quake had impacted the UN\'s \"own staff, our own contracting partners, our truck drivers that we work with, our national staff\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"They\'re looking for their families in the rubble... That has had an impact on that operation in the immediate,\" he acknowledged.</div><div><br></div><div>At the same time, he said, partners that deliver aid in northwestern Syria had indicated they were \"operational and they are asking for supplies, and they are also asking for funding\".</div><div><br></div><div>For now though, the specific Syria cross-border humanitarian fund is empty, he warned. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 15:23:57', '2023-02-07 15:23:57'),
(5058, 5058, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government’s successful negotiation of a $4.7 billion, approved at the Executive Council of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will raise confidence in the macroeconomy amid a volatile foreign exchange market, analysts said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>They said that the IMF loan program can help bring stability to the macroeconomic situation in two ways- increasing the US dollar supply and igniting a process of reform in the financial sector.</div><div><br></div><div>Economist and adviser to the last caretaker government Dr ABM Mirza Azizul Islam told UNB that the IMF loan works as a standard for the economic strength of a country. Other international financial organisations would be encouraged to provide loans and in other financial dealings with Bangladesh now.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the loan will contribute to a stable exchange rate by strengthening the foreign exchange reserve for the short term.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the IMF loan will work as a remedy while inward remittance flow and repatriation of export income have slightly decreased, Mirza Aziz said.</div><div><br></div><div>The government will be implementing reforms in the financial sector as per the advice of the IMF, which will bring good results in the long run for the macroeconomy, he pointed out.</div><div><br></div><div>Many countries are seeking IMF’s loan support to face the foreign exchange crisis due to the fall of global economic growth.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh’s process for securing the loan has been much smoother than some other countries, which is a good endorsement of Bangladesh’s macroeconomic stability.</div><div><br></div><div>Economist and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) Dr Atiur Rahman told UNB that the IMF board decision indicates strong confidence in Bangladesh\'s macroeconomic management and willingness to undertake necessary reforms for inclusive and sustainable growth.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides budget support, the approval of a new loan of $1.4 billion from the Resilience and Sustainable Fund (RSF) also demonstrates the IMF\'s recognition of Bangladesh\'s capacity to address climate change challenges, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The loan, of course, is focused on addressing high inflation and falling foreign exchange reserves. Indeed, Bangladesh, though not in the same club as Sri Lanka and Pakistan, has still made this pre-emptive move of asking for long term low-cost funding support from the IMF, to avoid future pressures on its macroeconomic indicators that have already been affected to some extent by the ongoing global economic crisis,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Atiur said the state-of-the-art technical knowledge of IMF experts in Bangladesh will certainly benefit from this program in undertaking necessary reforms in the financial sector for raising revenue and foreign exchange reserve, improving governance of the banking sector to reduce non-performing assets, and targeting better social protection for the extreme poor.</div><div><br></div><div>These reforms are, however, already in place as a part of the indigenous development strategy of Bangladesh. The program will only further consolidate their implementation process, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Other development partners like the World Bank, ADB, and JICA will be encouraged to come forward with additional support for infrastructural development in Bangladesh. FDI will also flow at a faster pace to take advantage of the conducive investment environment in Bangladesh which will be further strengthened by the presence of the IMF program,\" said Dr Atiur, also a professor of economics at Dhaka University, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The IMF also said that the loan will help stabilise Bangladesh\'s macroeconomy, implement the necessary reforms to build capacity for social and development spending, strengthen the financial sector, modernise policy frameworks, and address climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 15:41:14', '2023-02-07 15:41:14'),
(5059, 5059, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Most faults in the Earth’s crust don’t move for a long time. But in some cases, the rock on either side of a fault slowly deforms over time due to tectonic forces.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Earthquakes are usually caused when underground rock suddenly breaks and there is rapid motion along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. During and after the earthquake, the plates or blocks of rock start moving—and they continue to move until they get stuck again.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The spot underground where the rock first breaks is called the focus, or hypocenter of the earthquake. The place right above the focus (at the ground surface) is called the epicenter of the earthquake.</div><div><br></div><div>Try this little experiment:</div><div>Break a block of foam rubber in half.</div><div><br></div><div>Put the pieces on a smooth table.</div><div><br></div><div>Put the rough edges of the foam rubber pieces together.</div><div><br></div><div>While pushing the two pieces together lightly, push one piece away from you along the table top while pulling the other piece toward you.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>See how they stick?</div><div>Keep pushing and pulling smoothly.</div><div><br></div><div>Soon a little bit of foam rubber along the crack (the fault) will break and the two pieces will suddenly slip past each other. That sudden breaking of the foam rubber is the earthquake. That\'s what happens along a strike-slip fault.</div><div><br></div><div>Seismic waves can also be caused by natural processes other than earthquakes and by human activities. Some are geological like the Menominee Crack.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When magma moves toward the surface prior to volcanic eruptions, it produces seismic waves that can be used to forecast an eruption.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Ocean and lake wave activity, mining operations, subway construction, and other underground explosions can cause seismic waves, too.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Nuclear warhead explosions create seismic waves very much like large earthquakes—one of the reasons for the global nuclear test ban is that no nuclear warhead can be detonated on Earth without producing seismic waves. - Michigan Tech</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-07 15:53:17', '2023-02-07 15:53:17'),
(5060, 5060, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Four men were arrested at Gandharbyopur village in Haziganj upazila of Chandpur district over gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The crime occurred on Monday night, said Zubayer Syed, officer-in-charge of Haziganj Police Station.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police arrested Nimai Chandra Das, 24; Momin, 32; Mamun, 30; and Mizan, 45 in this connection.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A complaint was lodged with Haziganj Police Station on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the complaint, Nimai developed a relationship with the girl, hailing from Darbeshpur village in Ramganj upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nimai invited the girl to his village. On Monday, Nimai took the girl to his village.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At one point, Nimai along with three other men took the girl to an abandoned place and raped her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hearing screams, locals rescued the girl and informed police who arrested the four men.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The arrestees were sent to jail after being produced before the court on Tuesday, said OC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The girl is now undergoing treatment at Chandpur General Hospital. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 05:48:57', '2023-02-08 05:48:57'),
(5061, 5061, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The wait of some 1,203,407 students will come to an end as results of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations of 2022 will be published today.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The results will be officially announced at the International Mother Language Institute at Segunbagicha in the capital at 12:30pm, said Mohammad Abul Khayer, information and public relations officer of the Education Ministry on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSC and equivalent exams were held from November 6 to December 13 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The HSC, equivalent exams were held at 2,649 centers and 9,181 institutions across the country. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 05:51:51', '2023-02-08 05:51:51'),
(5062, 5062, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last two days have brought dramatic rescues, including small children emerging from mounds of debris more than 30 hours after Monday\'s pre-dawn quake. But there was also widespread despair and growing anger at the slow pace of rescue efforts in some areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s like we woke up to hell,” said Osman Can Taninmis, whose family members were still beneath the rubble in Hatay, Turkey\'s hardest-hit province. “We can’t respond to absolutely anything. Help isn’t coming, can’t come. We can’t reach anyone at all. Everywhere is destroyed.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Syria, residents found a crying newborn still connected by the umbilical cord to her mother, who was dead. The baby was the only member of her family to survive a building collapse in the small town of Jinderis, relatives told The Associated Press.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Search teams from nearly 30 countries and aid pledges poured in. But with the damage spread across several cities and towns — some isolated by Syria\'s ongoing conflict — voices crying for help from within mounds of rubble fell silent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Monday\'s magnitude 7.8 quake and powerful aftershocks cut a swath of destruction that stretched hundreds of kilometers (miles) across southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria. The shaking toppled thousands of buildings and heaped more misery on a region wracked by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey is home to millions of refugees from the war. The affected area in Syria is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, where millions rely on humanitarian aid to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unstable piles of metal and concrete made the search efforts perilous, while freezing temperatures made them ever more urgent, as worries grew about how long trapped survivors could last in the cold. Snow swirled around rescuers in parts of Turkey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The scale of the suffering — and the accompanying rescue effort — were staggering.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adelheid Marschang, a senior emergencies officer with the World Health Organization, said up to 23 million people could be affected in the entire quake-hit area, calling it a “crisis on top of multiple crises.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 13 million of the country\'s 85 million people were affected, and he declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces. More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Turkey, and some 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, authorities said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But authorities faced criticism from residents of hard-hit Hatay, sandwiched between Syria and the Mediterranean Sea, who say rescue efforts have lagged. Erdogan\'s handling of the crisis could weigh heavily on elections planned for May, and his office has already dismissed the criticism as disinformation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nurgul Atay told The Associated Press she could hear her mother’s voice beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in the Turkish city of Antakya, the capital of Hatay province. But rescuers did not have the heavy equipment needed to rescue her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If only we could lift the concrete slab, we’d be able to reach her,” she said. “My mother is 70 years old, she won’t be able to withstand this for long.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 1,647 people were killed in Hatay alone, the highest toll of any Turkish province. At least 1,846 people had been rescued there as of Tuesday evening, he said. Hatay’s airport was closed after the quake destroyed the runway, complicating rescue efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Syria, meanwhile, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces. Syria itself is an international pariah under Western sanctions linked to the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets have years of experience rescuing people from buildings destroyed by Syrian and Russian airstrikes in the rebel-held enclave, but they say the earthquake has overwhelmed their capabilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mounir al-Mostafa, the deputy head of the White Helmets, said they were able to respond efficiently to up to 30 locations at a time but now face calls for help from more than 700.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Teams are present in those locations, but the available machinery and equipment are not enough,” he said, adding that the first 72 hours were crucial for any rescue effort.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations said it was “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to the rebel-held northwest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the road leading to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing — the only terminal through which U.N. aid is allowed to enter the rebel-held area — was damaged by the quake, disrupting deliveries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dujarric said the U.N. was preparing a convoy to cross the conflict lines within Syria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.N. already delivers aid across conflict lines to the rebel-held enclave. But it can’t move the quantities needed because of difficulties in arranging convoys with opposing parties, making aid deliveries from Turkey critical.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government has pressed for years for all humanitarian aid to be sent from within Syria, including to the opposition-held enclave. The U.N. has increased cross-conflict line deliveries but not enough for the millions in need.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey has large numbers of troops in the border region and has tasked the military with aiding its rescue efforts, including setting up tents for survivors and a field hospital in Hatay province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A navy ship docked Tuesday at the province’s port of Iskenderun, where a hospital collapsed, to transport people in need of medical care to a nearby city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A large fire at the port, caused by containers that toppled over during the earthquake, sent thick plumes of black smoke into the sky. The Defense Ministry said the blaze was extinguished with the help of military aircraft, but live footage broadcast by CNN Turk showed it was still burning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vice President Fuat Oktoy said at least 5,894 people have died from the earthquake in Turkey, with another 34,810 injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death toll in government-held areas of Syria has climbed to 812, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry. At least 1,020 people have died in the rebel-held northwest, according to the White Helmets, with more than 2,300 injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 06:00:48', '2023-02-08 06:00:48'),
(5063, 5063, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A New Zealand pilot has been taken hostage by separatist fighters in Indonesia\'s Papua region who have threatened to kill him.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The man was taken after his plane was set alight when it landed in the mountainous district of Nduga.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Five passengers who were on board, including a young child, are thought to have been released.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The separatists want Indonesia to recognise the independence of the province of West Papua.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police have said they are investigating the incident - but say this is logistically difficult as the area can only be reached by air.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pilot has been named as Philip Merthens, although different spellings for his name have been given.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The West Papua National Liberation Army - which Indonesia has designated as a terrorist group - has claimed responsibility for the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group\'s spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, has said the pilot will be executed if Indonesia \"is obstinate\" and fails to negotiate over the independence of West Papua.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The New Zealand government has said that it is aware of the situation and its consulate in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, is providing assistance to the pilot\'s family.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The plane, which belonged to Susi Air, was carrying supplies from the mining town of Timika in the neighbouring district, according to the Associated Press. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 06:05:04', '2023-02-08 06:05:04'),
(5064, 5064, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Joe Biden called on Republicans in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he sought to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The backdrop of the annual address was markedly different from the previous two years, with a Republican speaker sitting behind Biden and GOP lawmakers in the audience preparing to scrutinize both his administration and his policies. He sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship of the country has delivered results both at home and abroad, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine, growing tensions with China and more. And signs of the past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, were unavoidable, with a large fence encircling the complex as lawmakers and those in attendance faced tighter-than-usual security measures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America\'s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,\" he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states\' vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing. And he says, \"There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We’ve been sent here to finish the job!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president took to the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He sought to confront those sentiments head-on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away, I get it,” Biden said. “That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was seated behind Biden urged his conference to be respectful ahead of Biden\'s address and in turn asked Biden to refrain from using the phrase “extreme MAGA Republicans,” which the president deployed on the campaign trail in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I won’t tear up the speech, I won’t play games,” McCarthy told reporters, a reference to Pelosi’s dramatic action after President Donald Trump’s final State of the Union address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who gained a national profile as Trump’s press secretary, was to deliver the Republican response to Biden’s speech.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was to focus much of her remarks on social issues, including race in business and education and alleged big-tech censorship of conservatives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“While you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” she was to say, according to excerpts released by her office. “Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties invited guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those seated with first lady Jill Biden. Other Biden guests included the rock star/humanitarian Bono and the 26-year-old who disarmed a gunman in last month’s Monterey Park, California, shooting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Members of the Congressional Black Caucus invited family members of those involved in police incidents, as they sought to press for action on police reform in the wake of Nichols\' death. The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden was shifting his sights after spending his first two years pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package, legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate measures. With Republicans now in control of the House, he is turning his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The switch is largely by necessity. The newly empowered GOP is itching to undo many of his achievements and vowing to pursue a multitude of investigations — including looking into the recent discoveries of classified documents from his time as vice president at his home and former office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the same time, Biden will need to find a way to work across the aisle to keep the government funded by raising the federal debt limit by this summer. He has insisted that he won’t negotiate on meeting the country’s debt obligations; Republicans have been equally adamant that he must make spending concessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the eve of the president\'s address, McCarthy challenged Biden to come to the negotiating table with House Republicans to slash spending as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must move towards a balanced budget and insist on genuine accountability for every dollar we spend,” McCarthy said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While hopes for large-scale bipartisanship are slim, Biden reissued his 2022 appeal for Congress to get behind his “unity agenda” of actions to address the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and cancer. He announced new executive action and call for lawmakers to act to support new measures to support cancer research, address housing needs and suicide among veterans, boost access to mental health care, and move to further crack down on deadly trafficking in fentanyl.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president also called for extending the new $35 per month price cap on insulin for people on Medicare to everyone in the country. And he pushed Congress to quadruple the 1% tax on corporate share buybacks that was enacted in the Democrats\' climate and health care bill passed last year known as the Inflation Reduction Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The speech comes days after Biden ordered the military to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew brazenly across the country, captivating the nation and serving as a reminder of tense relations between the two global powers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year\'s address occurred just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and as many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to withstand the onslaught. Over the past year, the U.S. and other allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now, Biden must make the case — both at home and abroad — for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 06:12:41', '2023-02-08 06:12:41'),
(5065, 5065, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The air quality in Dhaka showed no signs of improvement, as it continued to be in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 178 at 9:12 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked fifth in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Poland’s Krakow, China’s Chongqing and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 211, 193 and 185 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to 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, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 06:18:09', '2023-02-08 06:18:09'),
(5067, 5067, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The overall civil work progress of metro rail Agargaon-Motijheel section is now over 92 percent as 88.22 percent installation work of electrical and mechanical system and rolling stock depot equipment collection has already been completed, an official said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Under the package-5, the viaduct construction on 3.195 km Agargaon-Karwan Bazar route and building 3 stations is on as construction of other viaducts and platforms of the stations has already been completed,\" said Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) MAN Siddique.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to BSS, he said the construction of entry/exit and stations, plumbing (MEP) as well as architectural, mechanical and electrical work are in progress under the package.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Roof-sheet installation was completed at the Farmgate and Karwan Bazar stations while the roof-sheet installation work of the Bijoy Sarani station is going on, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The overall progress of the package from Agargaon to Karwan Bazar has stood 91.98 percent,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Siddique said the actual work of the package-6 (from Karwan Bazar to Shahbagh) had started on August 1, 2018 and construction of the viaducts and platforms of the stations has been completed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The construction of Entry/exit and stations as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and architectural work are progressing, he said, adding that roof-sheet installation work of Shahbagh, University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Secretariat stations have been completed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the roof-sheet installation work is going on at the Motijheel station and the overall progress of the package is 92.14 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the package-7, the overall progress of the electrical and mechanical system delivery and construction work is 90.93 percent, while the work of the package started on July 11, 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Laying of railway tracks and electrical and machinery installation work in the depot area has been completed and commissioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Construction of Motijheel Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) building, installation of all electrical equipment and 132 KV cable laying work have been completed, Siddique said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Construction of 16.19-km track of the rail line and OCS (OSIsoft Cloud Services) portal has already been accomplished from Agargaon to Motijheel part as out of 19.89 km of OCS wiring, 15.65 km of wiring has been completed, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the package-8, the MRT authority brought 21 sets of train out 24 sets, while 22nd and 23rd sets are on the way to Bangladesh from Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The procurement and equipment collection work of this package started on September 13, 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the last 24th set of train is likely to start journey from Kobe seaport in Japan in the second week of February this year, which will arrive at Mongla port in the last week of March 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The project details said the metro rail is likely to carry 60,000 passengers per hour after opening the entire route of 21.26 km from Uttara to Motijheel-Kamalapur Railway Station in less than 40 minutes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The total 21.26-kilomtere metro rail - Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) - is being built under eight packages from Uttara to Kamlapur, Siddique said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actual work of the package-1 started from September 8 2016, which was completed on January 31, 2018, 9 months before the scheduled date. The project authority saved the government exchequer of Tk 70.58 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Following the instructions of the prime minister, contract for construction of the extension of MRT Line-6 from Motijheel to Kamalapur (1.16 km) was signed with construction firm on November 28, 2022,\" said a project official familiar with the process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actual work of the package-2 began on September 13, 2017 and all the 52 infrastructures inside the depot were completed on June 20, 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the project details, under the package-3 and 4, contractors stated work on 1 August 2017 for 11.73 km viaduct from Uttar to Agargaon and construction of 9 stations while the combined actual progress of the two packages were 99.25 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Construction work of entry/exit of Shewrapara Station is going on while road repair from Pallabi to Agargaon and tree plantation work is also going on in the median. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 06:49:07', '2023-02-08 13:36:17'),
(5068, 5068, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday unveiled the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations results.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Releasing the results of 11 education boards after pressing button at her office here this morning, she extended her wholehearted gratitude to the education ministry and other concerned for holding examinations and publishing results timely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury spoke at the function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the education minister handed over the summary of the combined results to the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, the chairmen of 11 education boards - nine general boards, one madrasah education board and one technical education board - handed over their respective boards’ results to the premier</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Suleman Khan conducted the result handover function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Educational institutions can download the result sheets clicking the result corner in www.dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd website by using EIIN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Results can also be downloaded from www.educationboardresults.gov.bd writing roll number and registration number.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, students will be able to collect their result through sending SMS to 16222 and for this, they will need to write first HSC, board\'s name (first three letters), roll number and year (for example: HSC Dha 123456 2022).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The HSC and equivalent examinations were held between November 6 and December 22 in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,203,407 examinees appeared in the examinations. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 07:05:07', '2023-02-08 07:06:36');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5069, 5069, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria rose above 8,300 on Wednesday, official data showed, with rescue workers still searching for trapped survivors.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials and medics said 5,894 people have died in Turkey and 2,470 in Syria, bringing the total to 8,364. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 07:09:32', '2023-02-08 07:09:32'),
(5070, 5070, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Results of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations were published today. The pass percentage is 85.95 percent.</b></span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina published the results of HSC and equivalent exams for 2022. </p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">HSC and equivalent exams were held from November 6 to December 13 last year. The exams were held at 2,649 centers and 9,181 institutions across the country. UNB</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 07:39:53', '2023-02-08 13:37:28'),
(5071, 5071, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Just like Shah Rukh Khan has once again won the hearts of his fans with his role in Pathaan, John Abraham too is enjoying the attention coming his way for playing the antagonist Jim in the film. The actor now hopes that producer Aditya Chopra brings Jim back and tell the world his backstory. He said it would be \"great if Aditya Chopra wants to tell the world how good a super-spy he was and how he became a ruthless mercenary later”.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a patriot-turned mercenary Jim, John Abraham had the best action sequences in the film as he gave Shah Rukh\'s Pathaan a tough fight. He plays the leader of notorious Outfit X, a band of deadly gun-toting mercenaries on hire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on the response for his role in Pathaan, John said, “It is incredible the amount of love that I have been receiving for playing Jim in Pathaan! As an actor, I only work for the love of audiences and fans. Records and milestones are a huge bonus and I’m grateful that Pathaan is such a historic blockbuster. I didn’t expect that people would love my character so much that they want more of Jim to be given to them.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added, “I’m astounded by the number of messages I’m getting daily on my social media about how there should be a prequel to Jim. When people almost always root for the hero, and that hero is Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan, it is hugely gratifying that people are rooting for the anti-hero too! I’m fortunate that my work in Pathaan has spoken loudly and hopefully, I have managed to give people an anti-hero that they will always remember. That was my intent when I heard Pathaan.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking about what he loves about Jim, John says, “Jim is a refreshingly suave villain, with very well etched out characterisation that dives into why he became what he became! Imagine the pain he endured, imagine the hurt that broke him and turned him into the man he became. To me, Jim was a very powerful character and yes, it would be great if Aditya Chopra wants to bring him back and tell the world how good a super-spy he was and how he became a ruthless mercenary later!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He adds, “As Luthra says in Pathaan, Jim and Kabir are the best in business. So, there could be lots to explore if a film is made on Jim. I don’t know what Aditya Chopra has in mind. As of now, I’m relishing the love that’s coming my way and I’m thankful that I have entertained people thoroughly.” HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 07:45:38', '2023-02-08 07:45:38'),
(5072, 5072, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked students to acquire special training on skills development on different subjects, especially on ICT, for taking advantage of the immense opportunities in the job market.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is the digital era; you have to keep your eyes on this. If you do that, you will get more opportunities in the job market,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this on the occasion of publishing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exam results at her office (PMO).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina asked students to take skills development trainings, particularly on ICT, during their free time – to make them better prepared for the digital age.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bachelor’s or master’s alone won’t be enough; you need special knowledge in any subject to expand job opportunities at home and abroad,” the PM said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She asked students not to waste their time and get trainings that the government is providing across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina asked concerned persons and authorities to put more attention on research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our research work on agriculture is going well; I will ask you to give more attention to other subjects,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that without research it would not be possible to attain knowledge on the latest developments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said that no country can be developed without having a literate nation. “We want a poverty-free Bangladesh. And for that we urgently need literate people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, she said that the government has diversified education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have given special attention on education so that our children can cope with the continuously developing world. We are providing scopes to get higher education in every district. This will ensure employment too,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that the government has set up subject-focused universities which are required to keep up with the rest of the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She highly praised students for continuing their studies during the coronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter-sanctions – that have created a restless situation across the globe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Within this situation, our children continued their education, sat for exams, and passed the exams – this is no small achievement.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She congratulated those who have passed in the exams and their guardians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And those who did not manage to pass the exams, I would urge them not to be depressed. Start preparing for the next exam with determination.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Considering the pass rate for female students is higher than their male counterparts, she asked the latter to be more attentive in their studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said that children of the country are brilliant, and if they are given the opportunities, they can achieve anything.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni handed over the result summary to the prime minister. After that chairmen of different education boards handed over the results of their respective boards to the PM. The education minister, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury and Secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Division Suleman Khan also spoke at the programme. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 07:58:19', '2023-02-08 07:58:19'),
(5073, 5073, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>According to a study published online in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, people who live with a partner have a higher possibility of being healthy in terms of keeping lower blood sugar levels, regardless of how amicable or combative their relationship is. According to researchers, having a spouse or cohabiting partner may be a significant relationship and source of social support and/or strain for persons in their mid to late-life health.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the effects of each specific social health dimension are complex, so a team of researchers from Luxembourg and Canada set out to investigate if there was an association between marital status and marital quality with average glycemic levels in older adults. They used biomarker data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) - a population-based sample of adults aged 50 years and older and their partners, who live in England, from whom data are collected every second year, with biomarker data collected every other wave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The data used for the study was on 3,335 adults aged 50 to 89 years old without previously diagnosed diabetes over a period from 2004 to 2013. The sample was people without pre-existing diabetes between the ages of 50 and 89 years in wave 2 (2004-05) - when biomarker data were first available in ELSA. Pre-existing diabetes was determined by self-reporting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Participants were invited to have a nurse visit following the main interview in waves 2 (2004-05), 4 (2008-09) and 6 (2012-13) and blood samples were taken to measure their HbA1c (average glycemic or blood glucose) levels. Respondents were also asked if they had a husband, wife, or partner with whom they lived and asked questions designed to measure the level of social strain and social support within the marital/cohabitating relationship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Information on several factors was also gathered such as details about age, income, employment, smoking, being physically active, depression, body mass index (BMI), and having other social relationship types in their social network (child, another immediate family, friend). The data showed that in wave 2 (2004-05), about three-quarters (76 per cent) of the respondents were married/cohabiting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysis of the data over time showed that people who experienced marital transitions (eg. divorce) also experienced significant changes in their HbA1c levels and odds of pre-diabetes. However, the quality of the relationship did not make a significant difference to the average levels of blood glucose, suggesting that having a supportive or strained relationship was less important than just having a relationship at all.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This was an observational study, and as such, it can\'t establish cause. Indeed, the study had some limitations such as the fact that there was a sizeable number of people who dropped out of the ELSA between waves with biomarker data. More than half of the wave 2 sample had no follow-up data so were excluded. There was also the possibility that those people in worse health were more likely to get divorced.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nevertheless, the authors argued that their study\'s strengths included the use of HbA1c as an outcome measure versus self-reported diagnoses - the former being a more accurate and precise measure when used in population-based surveys than diagnosed medical conditions, which are dependent on participants having accessed appropriate healthcare prior to study enrollment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers concluded: \"Overall, our results suggested that marital/cohabitating relationships were inversely related to HbA1c levels regardless of dimensions of spousal support or strain. Likewise, these relationships appeared to have a protective effect against HbA1c levels above the pre-diabetes threshold.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Increased support for older adults who are experiencing the loss of a marital/cohabitating relationship through divorce or bereavement, as well as the dismantling of negative stereotypes around romantic relationships in later life, maybe starting points for addressing health risks, more specifically deteriorating glycemic regulation, associated with marital transitions in older adults.\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 08:34:29', '2023-02-08 13:39:26'),
(5074, 5074, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is tirelessly working to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'re making all-out efforts to implement the SDG agendas by incorporating its targets to the eighth fifth year plan and the perspective plan from 2021-2041,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Premier said this when visiting Queen of Belgium and UN SDG Advocate Mathilde Marie Christine paid a courtesy call on her at her office here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed the newsmen after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Prime Minister said the entire world has become instable and the inflation rate has gone up due to war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Russia-Ukraine war should be stopped immediately as the people\'s suffering has been mounting across the globe due to the war,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visiting Queen highly praised the Prime Minister for tremendous development in Bangladesh\'s various sectors particularly in women empowerment, development of women and children and female education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am very happy to see the progress,\" she said. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 08:37:30', '2023-02-08 08:37:30'),
(5075, 5075, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A total of 1,76,282 students got the highest Grade Point Average (GPA-5) in the HSC and equivalent examinations 2022 under 11 education boards.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the result published here today, among the GPA-5 holders, 80,561 are male students and 95,721 are female.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,59,755 students achieved GPA-5 under nine general education boards, 9,423 students under madrasah education board and 7,104 under technical education board. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 08:50:45', '2023-02-08 08:50:45'),
(5076, 5076, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The results of (HSC) Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent examinations of 2022 have been published on Wednesday (February 8).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">This year, the HSC and equivalent examinations were held at a total of 9,139 institutions across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not a single student passed from 50 institutions in the HSC and equivalent examinations, according to the results published today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The number is 10 times higher than that in the previous year’s HSC and equivalent examinations. In the 2021 HSC and equivalent examinations, only five educational institutions across the country had zero pass rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, the average pass rate is 85.95 per cent across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pass rate in Dhaka is 87.80 per cent, while 78.76 per cent in Chattogram, 80.32 per cent in Mymensingh, 81.59 per cent in Rajshahi, 81.4 per cent in Sylhet, 83.32 per cent in Jashore and 85.95 per cent in Barishal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Total 1,78,443 students achieved GPA 5 in the HSC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni held a press conference to brief the details of the results at International Mother Language Institute in the capital’s Shegun Bagicha at 12:30pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni handed over the copies of results to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, the Prime Minister published the results of HSC and its equivalent examinations by pressing a button on the computer around 11:45 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 12,03,407 candidates took part in the examination under nine general education boards, madrasa board and technical education board.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Candidates can get their results online or through SMS, board officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To get the results under general boards through SMS, candidates have to type HSC, the first three letters of the board name, followed by the candidate’s roll number and the year, and send it to 16222.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They can download individual result sheets by entering roll and registration number.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 09:18:16', '2023-02-08 09:18:16'),
(5077, 5077, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The overall civil work progress of metro rail Agargaon-Motijheel section is now over 92 percent as 88.22 percent installation work of electrical and mechanical system and rolling stock depot equipment collection has already been completed, an official said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Under the package-5, the viaduct construction on 3.195 km Agargaon-Karwan Bazar route and building 3 stations is on as construction of other viaducts and platforms of the stations has already been completed,\" said Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) MAN Siddique.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to BSS, he said the construction of entry/exit and stations, plumbing (MEP) as well as architectural, mechanical and electrical work are in progress under the package.</div><div><br></div><div>Roof-sheet installation was completed at the Farmgate and Karwan Bazar stations while the roof-sheet installation work of the Bijoy Sarani station is going on, he said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"The overall progress of the package from Agargaon to Karwan Bazar has stood 91.98 percent,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Siddique said the actual work of the package-6 (from Karwan Bazar to Shahbagh) had started on August 1, 2018 and construction of the viaducts and platforms of the stations has been completed.</div><div><br></div><div>The construction of Entry/exit and stations as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and architectural work are progressing, he said, adding that roof-sheet installation work of Shahbagh, University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Secretariat stations have been completed.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the roof-sheet installation work is going on at the Motijheel station and the overall progress of the package is 92.14 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the package-7, the overall progress of the electrical and mechanical system delivery and construction work is 90.93 percent, while the work of the package started on July 11, 2018.</div><div><br></div><div>Laying of railway tracks and electrical and machinery installation work in the depot area has been completed and commissioned.</div><div><br></div><div>Construction of Motijheel Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) building, installation of all electrical equipment and 132 KV cable laying work have been completed, Siddique said.</div><div><br></div><div>Construction of 16.19-km track of the rail line and OCS (OSIsoft Cloud Services) portal has already been accomplished from Agargaon to Motijheel part as out of 19.89 km of OCS wiring, 15.65 km of wiring has been completed, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the package-8, the MRT authority brought 21 sets of train out 24 sets, while 22nd and 23rd sets are on the way to Bangladesh from Japan.</div><div><br></div><div>The procurement and equipment collection work of this package started on September 13, 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the last 24th set of train is likely to start journey from Kobe seaport in Japan in the second week of February this year, which will arrive at Mongla port in the last week of March 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The project details said the metro rail is likely to carry 60,000 passengers per hour after opening the entire route of 21.26 km from Uttara to Motijheel-Kamalapur Railway Station in less than 40 minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>The total 21.26-kilomtere metro rail - Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) - is being built under eight packages from Uttara to Kamlapur, Siddique said.</div><div><br></div><div>The actual work of the package-1 started from September 8 2016, which was completed on January 31, 2018, 9 months before the scheduled date. The project authority saved the government exchequer of Tk 70.58 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Following the instructions of the prime minister, contract for construction of the extension of MRT Line-6 from Motijheel to Kamalapur (1.16 km) was signed with construction firm on November 28, 2022,\" said a project official familiar with the process.</div><div><br></div><div>The actual work of the package-2 began on September 13, 2017 and all the 52 infrastructures inside the depot were completed on June 20, 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the project details, under the package-3 and 4, contractors stated work on 1 August 2017 for 11.73 km viaduct from Uttar to Agargaon and construction of 9 stations while the combined actual progress of the two packages were 99.25 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>Construction work of entry/exit of Shewrapara Station is going on while road repair from Pallabi to Agargaon and tree plantation work is also going on in the median. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 09:48:29', '2023-02-08 09:48:29'),
(5078, 5078, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thinly stretched rescue teams worked through the night in Turkey and Syria, pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll rose Wednesday to more than 9,400, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade.</b></span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Turkey\'s disaster management agency said the country\'s death toll had risen to 6,957, bringing the overall total to 9,487, including fatalities reported in neighboring Syria, since Monday\'s earthquake and multiple aftershocks.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The death toll in government-held areas of Syria has climbed to 1,250, with 2,054 injured, according to the Health Ministry. At least 1,280 people have died in the rebel-held northwest, according to volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, with more than 2,600 injured.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">That surpassed the 8,800 killed in a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Amid calls for the government to send more help to the disaster zone, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to travel to town of Pazarcik, the epicenter of the quake, and to the worst-hit province of Hatay on Wednesday.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Turkey now has some 60,000 aid personnel in the quake-hit zone, but with the devastation so widespread many are still waiting for help.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Nearly two days after the magnitude 7.8 quake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, rescuers pulled a 3-year-old boy, Arif Kaan, from beneath the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Kahramanmaras, a city not far from the epicenter.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">With the boy\'s lower body trapped under slabs of concrete and twisted rebar, emergency crews lay a blanket over his torso to protect him from below-freezing temperatures as they carefully cut the debris away from him, mindful of the possibility of triggering another collapse.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The boy\'s father, Ertugrul Kisi, who himself had been rescued earlier, sobbed as his son was pulled free and loaded into an ambulance.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“For now, the name of hope in Kahramanmaras is Arif Kaan,” a Turkish television reporter proclaimed as the dramatic rescue was broadcast to the country.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">A few hours later, rescuers pulled 10-year-old Betul Edis from the rubble of her home in the city of Adiyaman. Amid applause from onlookers, her grandfather kissed her and spoke softly to her as she was loaded on an ambulance.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">But such stories were few more than two days after Monday\'s pre-dawn earthquake, which hit a huge area and brought down thousands of buildings, with frigid temperatures and ongoing aftershocks complicating rescue efforts.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Search teams from more than two dozen countries joined the Turkish emergency personnel, and aid pledges poured in.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">But with devastation spread multiple several cities and towns — some isolated by Syria’s ongoing conflict — voices crying from within mounds of rubble fell silent, and despair grew from those still waiting for help.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Syria, the shaking toppled thousands of buildings and heaped more misery on a region wracked by the country\'s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">On Monday afternoon in a northwestern Syrian town, residents found a crying newborn still connected by the umbilical cord to her deceased mother. The baby was the only member of her family to survive a building collapse in the small town of Jinderis, relatives told The Associated Press.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Turkey is home to millions of refugees from the war. The affected area in Syria is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, where millions rely on humanitarian aid.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">As many as 23 million people could be affected in the quake-hit region, according to Adelheid Marschang, a senior emergencies officer with the World Health Organization, who called it a “crisis on top of multiple crises.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Many survivors in Turkey have had to sleep in cars, outside or in government shelters.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We don’t have a tent, we don’t have a heating stove, we don’t have anything. Our children are in bad shape. We are all getting wet under the rain and our kids are out in the cold,” Aysan Kurt, 27, told the AP. “We did not die from hunger or the earthquake, but we will die freezing from the cold.”</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Erdogan said 13 million of the country\'s 85 million people were affected, and he declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces. More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Turkey, and some 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, authorities said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Syria, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces. Syria itself is an international pariah under Western sanctions linked to the war.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The United Nations said it was “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to the rebel-held northwest.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">In addition to the thousands killed in Turkey, another 37,011 have been injured.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. UNB</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 09:58:57', '2023-02-08 09:58:57'),
(5079, 5079, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Did they, or didn\'t they? For a surreal moment -- just as Joe Biden prepared to deliver his State of the Union speech -- his wife Jill Biden stole the show by appearing to plant a kiss smack on the lips of the vice president\'s husband.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>It happened in a heartbeat: after sweeping into Congress to cheers, the first lady made her way over to the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and clasped his hand.</div><div><br></div><div>Then, in a moment destined to go viral, they leaned in for a friendly embrace -- but at least one of them appears to have miscalculated and the result was a kiss either on, or very, very close, to the lips.</div><div><br></div><div><iframe frameborder=\"0\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/bX8t_1dBuZ8\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"note-video-clip\"></iframe><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Smooch of the Union,\" teased the New York Post tabloid -- zooming in on photos of what it declared without a doubt to have been a kiss on the mouth.</div><div><br></div><div>Other close-ups of the embrace seemed to show Biden\'s kiss landing just to one side of Kamala Harris\'s husband\'s mouth.</div><div><br></div><div>But Fox News -- a frequent critic of Biden\'s administration -- pounced on the apparent slip-up without the shadow of a doubt.</div><div><br></div><div>And Donald Trump\'s former advisor Kellyanne Conway shared a picture of the smooch with similar delight, quipping: \"Wow, Covid really is over.\" - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 10:09:01', '2023-02-08 10:09:01'),
(5080, 5080, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Many Muslim majority countries bear the brunt of climate change, but their cultural awareness of it and climate action are often staggeringly limited.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A movement of “Islamic environmentalism” based on Islamic tradition – rather than imported “white saviour” environmentalism based on first-world political campaigns – can address both. And the post-COVID-19 lull in emissions is an opportunity to fast-track this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is a movement we sorely need. My home country Turkey, for example, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as temperatures are rising and rainfall is decreasing year on year, causing serious problems with water availability. In Bangladesh, it is estimated that by 2050 one in seven will be displaced by climate change, creating millions of climate refugees. In the Middle East, large areas are likely to become uninhabitable due to heatwaves likely to sweep over the region in the next few decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, despite their vulnerability, many Muslim countries are contributing to the problem. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, is the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and is doing little to curb emissions. Bangladesh and Pakistan are the two most polluted countries in the world, but have taken no serious measures to address pollution. Inaction in the Muslim world persists despite a declaration by Muslim countries in 2015 to play an active role in combatting climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">You would think that those most affected by climate change would be the most eager to stop it. This is not always the case. Many Muslim countries are reluctant to impose Western concepts of environmentalism, or to bow to pressure from countries which have already gone through industrialisation without having to address pollution or curb emissions. Environmental colonialism is not the answer.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What would work, and has been proven to work, is using the principles of Islam to encourage conservation in Muslims.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islam teaches its followers to take care of the earth. Muslims believe that humans should act as guardians, or khalifah, of the planet, and that they will be held accountable by God for their actions. This concept of stewardship is a powerful one, and was used in the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change to propel change in environmental policy in Muslim countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In fact, Muslims need to look no further than the Quran for guidance, where there are approximately 200 verses concerning the environment. Muslims are taught that “greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth”. The reality is that nothing could be more Islamic than protecting God’s most precious creation: the earth.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is this approach that can reach the hearts and minds of the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, and it must be integrated with, rather than neglected by, the climate movement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also demonstrated kindness, care and general good principles for the treatment of animals, which form a benchmark for Muslims. He outlawed killing animals for sport, told people not to overload their camels and donkeys, commanded that slaughtering an animal for food be done with kindness and consideration for the animal’s feelings and respect for Allah who gave it life, he even allowed his camel to choose the place where he built his first mosque in the city of Medina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 2013 study in Indonesia showed that including environmentalist messages in Islamic sermons led to increased public awareness and concern for the environment. In 2014, Indonesia issued a fatwa (or Islamic legal opinion) to require the country’s Muslims to protect endangered species.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are also organisations dedicated to using religion to pass on the message of conservation, such as the Alliance for Religions and Conservation (ARC). One of its most successful projects used Islamic scholars to convince Tanzanian fishermen that dynamite, dragnet and spear fishing goes against the Quran – and they listened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This case also tells us that remote, top-down moralising is unlikely to be effective. The fishermen had previously resisted bans from the government, but were persuaded once they were told that they were acting un-Islamically. One fisherman said: “This side of conservation isn’t from the mzungu [“white man” in Swahili], it’s from the Quran.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clearly, we need to speak the language of those whose behaviour we are seeking to change, particularly if that language is naturally averse to unsustainable policies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some Muslim thought leaders are aware of this and are eager to develop a “homegrown” environmental movement to emerge as thought leaders in their own right. For example, the Dhaka Forum this month ran a panel on post-COVID-19 environmental issues with the majority of speakers coming from the Muslim world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslim countries have a head start in the climate race. They have a framework and a belief system which mandates protection of the earth and its natural resources. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent proponent of the religion and environmentalism movement, argues, the desacralisation of the West has resulted in an ideology that humans have dominion over the earth, rather than stewardship of it, which is the Islamic view.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslims must become guardians of the earth once more, for the sake of their environments and for the sake of God. Aljazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 10:35:52', '2023-02-08 10:37:57'),
(5081, 5081, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Containing and cleaning up environmental pollution, especially in waterways, is crucial to controlling increasingly bullet-proof superbugs which could kill tens of millions by mid-century, a new UN report said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Superbugs — strains of bacteria resistant to antibiotics — are estimated to have killed 1.27 million people in 2019, and the World Health Organization says antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global health threats on the near-term horizon.</div><div><br></div><div>Up to 10 million deaths could occur every year by 2050 because of AMR, the UN says.</div><div><br></div><div>The disinfectants, antiseptics and antibiotics that can help microbes become stronger are everywhere, from toothpaste and shampoo to cow’s milk and wastewater.</div><div><br></div><div>A new report Tuesday said pollution is a key driver in the “development, transmission and spread” of AMR, calling for urgent action to clean up the environment.</div><div><br></div><div>“With increasing pollution and lack of management of sources of pollution, combined with AMR in clinical and hospital settings and agriculture, risks are increasing,” said the report from the UN Environment Programme.</div><div><br></div><div>Antimicrobial resistance is a natural phenomenon, but the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and plants has made the problem worse.</div><div><br></div><div>This means antibiotics may no longer work to fight the very infections they were designed to treat.</div><div><br></div><div>The UN report Tuesday said that pollution in the environment from key economic sectors has exacerbated the problem, namely from the pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing sectors, along with agriculture and health care.</div><div><br></div><div>Herbicides to control weeds on farms may also increase AMR, while heavy metals are also contributing to the problem.</div><div><br></div><div>Once antimicrobials enter the environment they seep into the food chain — they’ve been found in fish and cattle — and loop back into factories making everyday toiletries, for example.</div><div><br></div><div>Antimicrobial resistant genes are in waterways across the globe, from the Ganges River in India to the Cache la Poudre River in the US state of Colorado, the UN study found.</div><div><br></div><div>“This is a real issue, because rivers are often the source of our drinking water,” Jonathan Cox, senior lecturer in microbiology at Britain’s Aston University, told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s already the silent pandemic,” warned Cox, who is not linked to the UN study. “It is becoming the next pandemic without us really recognizing it.”</div><div><br></div><div>Prevention is key, the UN said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Fuelled by population growth, urbanization and growing demand for food and health care, we can expect an increase in the use of antimicrobials and in pollutant releases into the environment,” it said.</div><div>The UN urged governments and international groups to address “key pollution sources,” including sewage, city waste, health care delivery, pharmaceutical manufacturing and intensive crop sectors.</div><div><br></div><div>Cox said solutions need to be global, since AMR is so pervasive.</div><div><br></div><div>One answer is to focus on clinical approaches, such as improving rapid testing for infections so that antibiotics are not incorrectly prescribed.</div><div><br></div><div>Another is improving wastewater management to remove antimicrobials. But such processes are complicated and costly, reports AFP</div><div><br></div><div>“The technology is out there, it just isn’t being employed because governments don’t care so much about the environment as they do about the bottom line,” Cox said.</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 11:05:04', '2023-02-08 11:05:04'),
(5082, 5082, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The High Court ordered authorities concerned to immediately allocate stall to publishing house Adarsha Prokashoni in Amar Ekushey Boi Mela on conditions of not to sell or display three books, about which Bangla Academy raised objections.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>A High Court division bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order after holding hearing on a writ filed by Adarsha Prokashoni proprietor Mahabub Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Barrister Aneek R Haque moved the plea before the court, while Assistant Attorney General Selim Azad stood for the state.</div><div><br></div><div>The three books, about which the Bangla Academy raised objections, are: Mediocrityr Sandhane written by Faham Abdus Salam, Unnayan Bivram written by Zia Hasan and Aprotiroddho Unnayaner Ovabanio Kothamala by Fayej Ahmed Taiyab.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 11:13:41', '2023-02-08 11:13:41');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5083, 5083, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Representative in Bangladesh Johannes van der Klaauw has said the visit of the Queen of the Belgians will help keep the attention on the Rohingya situation, which continues to be one of the largest refugee crises in the world.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Queen’s visit comes as the crisis is well in to its sixth year of displacement, and against the backdrop of a serious decline in available funding,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh said the Queen’s visit is a significant support to their ongoing efforts to mobilize sufficient funding for life-saving and life-sustaining assistance but also for key protection services, especially for women and children, such as preventing gender-based violence and addressing mental health problems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On her second day of visiting Bangladesh, the Queen of the Belgians traveled to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She met with Rohingya women, men, and youths to learn about their challenges, opportunities, anxieties, hopes and dreams.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visit to the Rohingya camps was organized on the occasion of the Queen’s visit to Bangladesh in her capacity of the UN Secretary General’s Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 940,000 Rohingya refugees are generously hosted by the Bangladesh Government and people in Cox’s Bazar district, but living in congested camps in an area regularly hit by multiple natural disasters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her visit to the camps, the Queen met children and their teachers in one of the learning centres in the camps, where she was briefed about the important steps being taken to introduce the Myanmar Curriculum and the challenges in identifying and training more Rohingya refugees as teachers and the need for additional space to accommodate more students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Myanmar curriculum will lead the way towards a more formal education and nurture the hope that children will be able to continue their education once they can safely return home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Young adolescent Rohingya climate activists also explained their role in taking care of the environment and raising awareness in their communities to prevent deforestation and protect the flora and fauna.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNHCR briefed on various activities to protect the environment and manage waste, enhance the resilience of refugees and host communities to respond to and prevent shocks as a result of climate change and natural hazards, while investing in infrastructure and regreening efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Queen met with, Rohingya women volunteers working to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and participated in a discussion with Rohingya refugee psychosocial counsellors to learn more about the mental health situation of their community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the visit, the delegation was welcomed in various facilities managed by UNHCR and its partners, including national organizations, such as BRAC, CODEC, GK, IUCN, NGO Forum, as well as UNICEF and UN Women. 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, '2023-02-08 11:34:16', '2023-02-08 11:34:16'),
(5084, 5084, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said smart connectivity is needed to build \'Smart Bangladesh\'.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Smart roads are needed to build a smart Bangladesh. Smart connectivity is required,\" he told a contract signing ceremony here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The contract of Lot No. DS-5 of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Investment Project was signed at a city hotel. The length of the road under Taka 17,000-crore project is 209 km.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expressing dissatisfaction over the poor road condition before completion of the project, Quader said the work of the project must be completed within specific timeframe maintaining its quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said from the beginning, the Dhaka-Sylhet highway should have been a four-lane one, while such mistakes should not be made in taking projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The road transport and bridges minister said there is no new project right now but the works of the ongoing project must be completed maintaining its standard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Now the people of Sylhet region are eagerly waiting (for implementation of the project). The Sylhet people are very happy in development of the road. Those who are benefited from it are happy. The project must be completed within timeframe. Quality first, pay heed to it,\" he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chairmen of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Rowshan Ara Mannan, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Edimon Ginting and Project Director of SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Investment Project AK Mohammad Fazlul Karim were, among others, were present at the signing ceremony. 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, '2023-02-08 12:15:34', '2023-02-08 12:15:34'),
(5085, 5085, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The High Court (HC) on Wednesday granted&nbsp; permanent bail to BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas in a case over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year that left one dead.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>An HC bench of Justice Md Selim Azad and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the order after hearing a rule in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocates Jainul Abedin and Sagir Hossain stood for the BNP leaders while Additional Attorney General SM Munir and Deputy Attorney General SM Golam Mostafa represented the state.</div><div><br></div><div>The rule as absolute, the HC granted permanent bail to them, said counsel Sagir.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, state counsel Munir said they would take a decision on appeal against the HC order after discussion.</div><div><br></div><div>On December 9 last year, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, they were shown arrested in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas.</div><div><br></div><div>On January 3, the High Court granted six months bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas in the case.</div><div><br></div><div>On the following day, the government filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay on the High Court order granting bail to the BNP leaders in the case.</div><div><br></div><div>On January 8, A four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Hasan Foyez Siddiqui upheld the High Court order granting bail to the BNP leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>Just after a month of their arrest, Fakhrul and Abbas were freed from jail on bail on January 9 evening. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 12:36:30', '2023-02-08 12:36:30'),
(5086, 5086, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ratib Matar’s family was growing. They needed more space.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Before his granddaughters, now 4 and 5, were born, he built three apartments on an eastern slope overlooking Jerusalem’s ancient landscape. The 50-year-old construction contractor moved in with his brother, son, divorced daughter and their young kids — 11 people in all, plus a few geese.</div><div><br></div><div>But Matar was never at ease. At any moment, the Israeli code-enforcement officers could knock on his door and take everything away.</div><div><br></div><div>That moment came on Jan. 29, days after a Palestinian gunman killed seven people in east Jerusalem, the deadliest attack in the contested capital since 2008. Israel’s new far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called not only for the sealing of the assailant\'s family home, but also the immediate demolition of dozens of Palestinian homes built without permits in east Jerusalem, among other punitive steps.</div><div><br></div><div>Mere hours after Ben-Gvir\'s comments, the first bulldozers rumbled into Matar\'s neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber.</div><div><br></div><div>For many Palestinians, the gathering pace of home demolitions is part of the new ultranationalist government\'s broader battle for control of east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of a future independent state.</div><div><br></div><div>The battle is waged with building permits and demolition orders — and it is one the Palestinians feel they cannot win. Israel says it is simply enforcing building regulations.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our construction is under siege from Israel,” Matar said. His brothers and sons lingered beside the ruins of their home, drinking bitter coffee and receiving visitors as though in mourning. “We try really hard to build, but in vain,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, Israel demolished 39 Palestinian homes, structures and businesses in east Jerusalem, displacing over 50 people, according to the United Nations. That was more than a quarter of the total number of demolitions in 2022. Ben-Gvir posted a photo on Twitter of the bulldozers clawing at Matar\'s home.</div><div><br></div><div>“We will fight terrorism with all the means at our disposal,” he wrote, though Matar\'s home had nothing to do with the Palestinian shooting attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>Most Palestinian apartments in east Jerusalem were built without hard-to-get permits. A 2017 study by the U.N. described it as “virtually impossible\" to secure them.</div><div><br></div><div>The Israeli municipality allocates scant land for Palestinian development, the report said, while facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements. Little Palestinian property was registered before Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967, a move not internationally recognized.</div><div><br></div><div>Matar said the city rejected his building permit application twice because his area is not zoned for residential development. He\'s now trying a third time.</div><div><br></div><div>The penalty for unauthorized building is often demolition. If families don\'t tear their houses down themselves, the government charges them for the job. Matar is dreading his bill — he knows neighbors who paid over $20,000 to have their houses razed.</div><div><br></div><div>Now homeless, Matar and his family are staying with relatives. He vows to build again on land he inherited from his grandparents, though he has no faith in the Israeli legal system.</div><div><br></div><div>“They don\'t want a single Palestinian in all of Jerusalem,” Matar said. Uphill, in the heart of his neighborhood, Israeli flags fluttered from dozens of apartments recently built for religious Jews.</div><div><br></div><div>Since 1967, the government has built 58,000 homes for Israelis in the eastern part of the city, and fewer than 600 for Palestinians, said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli lawyer specializing in the geopolitics of Jerusalem, citing the government’s statistics bureau and his own analysis. In that time, the city’s Palestinian population has soared by 400%.</div><div><br></div><div>“The planning regime is dictated by the calculus of national struggle,” Seidemann said.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel\'s city plans show state parks encircling the Old City, with some 60% of Jabal Mukaber zoned as green space, off-limits to Palestinian development. At least 20,000 Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem are now slated for demolition, watchdogs say.</div><div><br></div><div>Matar and his neighbors face an agonizing choice: Build illegally and live under constant threat of demolition, or leave their birthplace for the occupied West Bank, sacrificing Jerusalem residency rights that allow them to work and travel relatively freely throughout Israel.</div><div><br></div><div>While there are no reliable figures for permit approvals, the Israeli municipality set aside just over 7% of its 21,000 housing plans for Palestinian homes in 2019, reported Ir Amim, an anti-settlement advocacy group. Palestinians are nearly 40% of the city\'s roughly 1 million people.</div><div><br></div><div>“This is the purpose of this policy,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim. “Palestinians are forced to leave Jerusalem.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Arieh King, a Jerusalem deputy mayor and settler leader, acknowledged that demolitions help Israel entrench control over east Jerusalem, home to the city\'s most important religious sites.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s part of enforcing sovereignty,\" King said. “I\'m happy that at last we have a minister that understands,\" he added, referring to Ben-Gvir.</div><div><br></div><div>Ben-Gvir is now pushing for the destruction of an apartment tower housing 100 people. Trying to lower tensions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the eviction that was planned for Tuesday, Israeli media reported.</div><div><br></div><div>King contended it was possible for Palestinians to secure permits and accused them of building without authorization to avoid an expensive bureaucracy.</div><div><br></div><div>When the al-Abasi family in east Jerusalem found a demolition order plastered on their new breeze-block home last month, they contemplated their options.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The government had knocked down their last apartment, built on the same lot, eight years ago. This time, Jaafar al-Abasi decided, he would tear it down himself.</div><div><br></div><div>Al-Abasi hired a tractor and invited his relatives and neighbors to join. The destruction took three days, with breaks for hummus and soda. His three sons borrowed pickaxes and jackhammers, angrily hacking away at the walls they had decorated with colored plates just last month.</div><div><br></div><div>“This place is like a ticking time bomb,” said his brother in law, 48-year-old Mustafa Samhouri, who helped them out.</div><div><br></div><div>Protests over the demolitions have roiled east Jerusalem in recent days. Two weekends ago, Samhouri said, the family\'s 13-year-old cousin opened fire at Jewish settlers in the neighborhood of Silwan just across the valley, wounding two people before being shot and arrested.</div><div><br></div><div>“The pressure just grows more and more,” Samhouri said. “And at last, boom.\" Source: AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 13:23:06', '2023-02-08 13:23:06'),
(5087, 5087, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes, 15 million people across the globe live under the threat of a sudden and deadly outburst flood, a new study finds.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>More than half of those living in the shadow of the disaster called glacial lake outburst floods are in just four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China, according to a study in Tuesday’s Nature Communications. A second study, awaiting publication in a peer-reviewed journal, catalogs more than 150 glacial flood outbursts in history and recent times.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s a threat Americans and Europeans rarely think about, but 1 million people live within just 6 miles (10 kilometers) of potentially unstable glacial-fed lakes, the study calculated.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the more devastating floods was in Peru in 1941 and it killed between 1,800 and 6,000 people. A 2020 glacial lake outburst flood in British Columbia, Canada, caused a tsunami of water about 330 feet (100 meters) high, but no one was hurt.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A 2017 glacial outburst flood in Nepal, triggered by a landslide, was captured on video by German climbers. Alaska’s Mendenhall glacier has had annual small glacial outburst floods in what the National Weather Service calls “suicide basin,” since 2011, according to study lead author Caroline Taylor, a researcher at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.</div><div><br></div><div>Heavy rains and a glacial lake outburst flood combined in 2013 in India to kill thousands of people. A 2021 deadly flood in India that was initially attributed to a glacial lake outburst wasn’t caused by one, studies later found.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists say so far it doesn’t seem like climate change has made those floods more frequent, but as glaciers shrink with warming, the amount of water in the lakes grows, making them more dangerous in those rare situations when dams burst.</div><div><br></div><div>“We had glacier lake outburst floods in the past that have killed many many thousands of people in a single catastrophic flooding event,” said study co-author Tom Robinson, a disaster risk scientist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. “And with climate change glaciers are melting so these lakes are getting bigger, potentially getting more unstable.”</div><div><br></div><div>Dan Shugar, a geoscientist at the University of Calgary who wasn’t part of the two studies, said much of the threat depends simply on how many people live in a glacial flood zone.</div><div><br></div><div>“In a warming world we certainly expect more and larger glacial lakes,” Shugar said in an email. “But the threat that these lakes might pose critically depends on where people are living and what their vulnerabilities might be.”</div><div><br></div><div>Robinson said what’s different about his study is that it’s the first to look at the climate, geography, population, vulnerability and all these factors to get “a good overview of where in the world is the most dangerous places″ for all 1,089 glacial basins.</div><div><br></div><div>At the top of the list is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa basin in Pakistan, north of Islamabad.</div><div><br></div><div>“That’s particularly bad,” Robinson said. “Lots of people and they’re very, very vulnerable” because they live in a valley below the lake.</div><div><br></div><div>The trouble is that scientists are focusing too much attention on the Pakistan, India, China and the Himalayas, often called High Mountain Asia, and somewhat ignoring the Andes, Robinson said. The second and third highest risk basins are in Peru’s Santa basin, and Bolivia’s Beni basin, the paper said.</div><div><br></div><div>After the deadly Andes flood in the 1940s that region “was sort of a leader” in working on glacial flood outburst threats, but in the last decade or so, High Mountain Asia has taken over because of the high population, said University of Dayton geology professor Umesh Haritashya, who wasn’t part of the studies.</div><div><br></div><div>India ranks high in the threat list not so much because of the physical setup but because of “a huge number of people downstream.”</div><div><br></div><div>Three lake basins in the United States and Canada rank high for threats, from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska, but aren’t nearly as high as areas in Asia and the Andes with few people in the danger zone. They are in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula — distinct from the Mendenhall glacier near Juneau — northeast Washington and west central British Columbia.</div><div><br></div><div>“This ranking is a good checklist for further research,” said Oliver Korup of the University of Potsdam in Germany, who co-authored the list of glacial lake outburst floods. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 14:54:25', '2023-02-08 14:54:25'),
(5088, 5088, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said no one should raise any concern about the election being free and fair under the AL government following the recent by-elections in six parliamentary seats&nbsp; and Rangpur City Corporation.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“These have proved that fair elections are held during the Awami League period,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said this while participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on President\'s speech in parliament.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She said that six by-elections were held just a few days ago where Jatiya Party won in one seat.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that in another seat, the BNP MP who resigned from the parliament returned as an independent candidate.</div><div><br></div><div>“Moreover, we left one to Rashed Khan Menon’s party where the Jatiya Party candidate won. Another was given to Hasanul Haque Inu’s party and it won in Bogra,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that AL candidate won only in Bogra and Chapainawabganj.</div><div><br></div><div>“No one could complain about Rangpur mayor election.&nbsp; But Jatiya Party won that election, Awami League lost.”</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, she said, “we have been able to prove that the election has been fair, free and impartial during the Awami League government.”</div><div><br></div><div>“I hope no one gets a chance to raise anything about the election after this (by-elections and mayor election).”</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that AL always has fought for people\'s right to vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“I think it is our responsibility to ensure the right to vote.”</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina said that the government has built the Padma Bridge with its own funding, which was a challenging job.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“This one decision has changed the image of Bangladesh internationally. Those who earlier thought that Bangladesh will never be able to stand up proved wrong. Those who seized power after 1975 tragedy (assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) had wanted that,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said that the international status of Bangladesh has increased as the country has proved that it can.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that digital services are being launched in all areas and now the documents of land can be taken at home while any bill can be paid from home.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the government is working for the overall development of the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier recalled the election during Ziaur Rahman\'s tenure.&nbsp; &nbsp;The people had seen how the presidential election of 1981 was rigged, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said that during his time General Ershad (founder of Jatiya Patty) changed the election results by withholding the counting for 48 hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She recalled that no party could form the government in the 1991 elections on its own and so BNP joined hands with Jamaat to form the government.&nbsp; And they held a election without participation of voters on February 15, 1996. People don\'t let go if votes are stolen.&nbsp; Khaleda Zia had to resign on March 30.”</div><div><br></div><div>The PM said that there was a conspiracy in 2001 regarding the sale of country’s gas, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said that Bangladesh is sending medical teams, medicines, dry food to help the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 15:29:58', '2023-02-08 15:29:58'),
(5089, 5089, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi reiterated that there would be no crisis of essential commodities in the country during the Holy month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"There will be no crisis of essential commodities during the month of Ramadan as the consumers will be able to get their desired essential items due to pragmatic measures taken by the government,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Commerce Minister made these comments emerging from a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) held at the Cabinet Division at Bangladesh Secretariat with Agriculture Minister Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting approved separate proposals for procuring some 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil through the local open tendering method and 8,000 metric tons of lentils through the international open tendering method.</div><div><br></div><div>Tipu said the government usually has to procure essentials for the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) while it has to procure more ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The soybean oil and lentil will be sold among nearly one crore family card holders. Apart from this, LCs are being opened to procure other essential items as the importers are now being able to open up LCs although there were some difficulties in the initial stage,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Answering to a question, he said that the import of fruits is being discouraged to save the foreign currency reserve as the country is now also producing enough fruits.</div><div><br></div><div>\"So, import of fruits is being discouraged so that pressure is not put on the foreign currency reserve side by side the farmers get fair price of their local produces,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan said that the day\'s CCGP meeting approved a total of 15 proposals.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the TCB would procure some 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil with Taka 194.56 crore whereas per litre soybean oil would cost Taka 176.88 against the previous price of Taka 177. Meghna Edible Oil Refinery will supply this edible oil.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the TCB would procure some 8,000 metric tons of lentils with Taka 73.28 crore whereas per kg lentil would cost Taka 91.60. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 15:47:12', '2023-02-08 15:47:12'),
(5090, 5090, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In a circular on Wednesday Bangladesh Bank said that obtaining banking diploma is a must to get promoted to a senior officer post in banks.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“One has to pass both phases of the banking diploma. This rule will be applicable to promote the officers’ level of all scheduled banks operating in the country,” the circular stated.</div><div><br></div><div>The banking regulation and policy department of BB issued the circular on Wednesday and sent it to the top executives of banks. This directive will be effective from January 1, 2024. At the same time, the central bank canceled the instructions given on October 13, 2022, in this regard.</div><div>The notification said the new requirement won’t be applicable for those not directly involved in banking activities. The exceptions are for doctors, engineers (civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>According to the central bank, the syllabus of the Diploma in Banking includes all the theoretical and practical knowledge of banking subjects.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first phase, basic and fundamental subjects related to banking are taught, and in the second phase, advanced banking knowledge and skills are tested. The Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh (IBB) offers this two-phase Banking Diploma degree.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB circular stated that the importance of the banking sector in the country\'s overall development is immense.</div><div><br></div><div>Such a directive has been issued considering the need to create skilled human resources with basic banking knowledge in this sector and increase the capacity of officials in decision-making. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-08 16:23:26', '2023-02-08 16:23:26'),
(5091, 5091, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkey\'s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended his government\'s response to two catastrophic earthquakes, saying it was impossible to prepare for the scale of the disaster.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 15,000 people are confirmed dead in Turkey and northern Syria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Critics claimed the emergency services\' response was too slow and the government was poorly prepared.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Erdogan accepted the government had encountered some problems, but said the situation was now \"under control\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leader of Turkey\'s main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu disagreed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If there is one person responsible for this, it is Erdogan,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president rejected the accusation and said unity was required in the aftermath of the disaster, \"In a period like this, I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns for political interest,\" he told reporters in Hatay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In nearby Syria, relief efforts have been complicated by years of conflict that has destroyed the nation\'s infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bab al-Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria has been closed since the earthquake as the roads were badly damaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While a senior UN official said the road may soon be accessible, Turkey\'s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed the country was working to open two more border gates to help get aid into the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are some difficulties in terms of Turkey\'s and the international community\'s aid [reaching Syria]. For this reason, efforts are being made to open two more border gates,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The EU has confirmed it will send €3.5m (£3.1m) in aid to Syria following a government request for assistance, but said the aid must be delivered to both government- and rebel-controlled areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 1,500 people have died in Idlib province alone and an adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said sanctions were stopping Syria from receiving the aid it needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We don\'t have enough bulldozers, we do not have enough cranes, we do not have enough oil due to European and American sanctions,\" Bouthaina Shabban 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, '2023-02-09 03:15:07', '2023-02-09 03:15:07'),
(5092, 5092, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday urged the senior politicians to come forward to highlight the authentic history in front of the new and future generations to enrich them with the spirit of Liberation War and independence.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If we want to enrich our new and future generations with the spirit of Liberation War and independence, we should tell them the authentic history of these things. And this is the responsibility of all of us,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President made the statement while delivering his speech at the publication festival of his two books \'Amar Jiban Niti, Amar Rajniti and \'Swapna Jayer Ichcha\'. The event was organised at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was present as the chief guest while Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique spoke as special guests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that independence is the biggest achievement of the Bengali nation.&nbsp; Struggle of independence and liberation war is the most important chapter in the history of Bengali nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two-time president referred to himself as a common man born in the remote areas of Hoar region and raised in the mud of Hoar, and said that he never did politics with the aim of getting or becoming something. His politics started from his school life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I have not seen Bangabandhu yet. But the noble call of the great man always exposed me to the spirit of the independence movement. The first meeting with Bangabandhu was&nbsp; in 1964. And from then on, my activities in the politics began.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Bangabandhu\'s political philosophy and ideology became my path.&nbsp; He was one and only sources of the ideal and inspiration in the language movement of 1952, Anti-military movement of 1958,&nbsp; six points of 1966, 11 points of the Chhatra League,&nbsp; &nbsp;uprising of 1969, general election of 1970 and liberation war of 1971. And he is the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This senior politician also commented that Bangabandhu\'s ideals and inspiration have given him strength to face all the ups and downs in life, including facing extreme situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I prefer to think of myself as a worker of Bangabandhu. Please pray for me so that I can uphold Bangabandhu\'s teachings and ideals and live as a soldier of Bangabandhu\'s ideals till the end of my life,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also thanked everyone who was directly or indirectly associated with the publication of his autobiographical books.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After inaugurating the Book Fair this year, the Prime Minister unveiled the autobiographical book \'Amar Jiban Niti, Amar Rajniti\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning \'Bangabandhu is my political&nbsp; spiritual guide, my journey to the politics started under his guidance\', the President said that he started writing the autobiographical book with the intention of presenting the history of his political life to the next generation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am very grateful to my wife for inspiring me to start writing. Late Mainuddin Uddin Khandkar also played a significant role in this regard,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to spread the ideals of Bangabandhu from generation to generation, Hamid called on all those who came close to Bangabandhu to write autobiographies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, the first and second volume of the book entitled \'Swapna joyer Ichcha\' is basically a collection of speeches given on various occasions during 2013-2018. The book was compiled and edited by the Press Wing of Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the welcome speech, Bangabandhu\'s close companion and longtime political colleague of the President, a member of the advisory council of Bangladesh Awami League Tofail Ahmed discussed the two books. First Lady Rashida Khanam gave the vote of thanks.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Director General of Bangla Academy Mohammad Nurul Huda delivered the welcome speech in the publication ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, the visual documentary on the glorious history of Bangabhaban was displayed on two side screens of the stage. Then, a brief cultural soiree was held by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the occasion of the conclusion of the first session of the 11th National Parliament in 2023, a cultural programme and dinner was organized in honour of the Prime Minister, Speaker, Ministers, Members of Parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For more than a long month, a discussion was held on the President\'s speech in the National Parliament. In the discussion, the parliamentarians gave their well hought--out views on various issues related to the interests of the country and the people.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamid asked all to continue the development work in their respective areas with more sincerity and compassion for the welfare of the people. 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, '2023-02-09 03:24:39', '2023-02-09 03:24:39'),
(5093, 5093, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Joe Biden said Wednesday the United States is not looking for conflict with China despite heightened tensions over last week\'s downing of a Chinese balloon that US officials say was part of a spy fleet spanning five continents.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'re going to compete fully with China, but... we\'re not looking for conflict -- and that\'s been the case so far,\" he said in a televised interview with PBS.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pointing to global ramifications of the balloon incident that has animated the United States, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that the United States was giving data to allies as it assesses recovered debris.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We already shared information with dozens of countries around the world, both from Washington and through our embassies,\" Blinken said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'re doing so because the United States was not the only target of this broader program, which has violated the sovereignty of countries across five continents,\" he told a joint news conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking separately to reporters on Air Force One, described the balloons as part of a fleet and said they had been spotted around the world for several years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A huge white balloon carrying sophisticated equipment traversed the continental United States last week before Biden ordered the military to shoot it down just off the east coast in the Atlantic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China insists that the balloon was merely conducting weather research, but the Pentagon described it as a high-tech spying operation. The balloon floated at an altitude far higher than most airplanes and crossed directly over at least one sensitive US military site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Pattern\' by China -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The NATO secretary-general, whose visit to Washington followed a trip to Japan and South Korea, said the balloon showed the need for countries across the alliance to protect themselves.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Chinese balloon over the United States confirms a pattern of Chinese behavior where we see that China over the last years has invested heavily in new military capabilities,\" Stoltenberg said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'ve also seen increased Chinese intelligence activities in Europe. They use satellites, they use cyber and, as we\'ve seen over the United States, also balloons. So we just have to be vigilant,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stoltenberg also issued a new warning that China was drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, which NATO countries have been supporting as it fights back Russian invaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"What happens in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow,\" Stoltenberg said, pointing to China\'s pressure on Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Washington Post, quoting US officials, reported that the Chinese surveillance program has been run partly out of the southern island of Hainan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Updating old technology, the balloons have been used to monitor the military assets of nearby rivals such as Japan, India and Taiwan, the newspaper said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, said that his orders to shoot down the balloon showed that the United States would not hesitate to act when needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he also stressed that the United States did not want conflict with China. The balloon episode led Blinken to postpone a trip to China in which he had hoped to work at easing tensions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China, which voiced regret about the air intrusion but later denounced the US decision to down it, responded to Biden that it would also \"firmly defend\" its interests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US officials said they took measures to prevent the balloon\'s instruments from collecting confidential information during its flight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They say that the decision to wait until the balloon reached water was the only way to ensure the safety of people on the ground.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden\'s Republican rivals say he should have ordered the balloon to be destroyed as soon as it was identified. 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, '2023-02-09 03:28:37', '2023-02-09 03:28:37'),
(5094, 5094, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thousands of Twitter users on Wednesday reported problems using the platform as the Elon Musk-owned social network began letting paying users post tweets as long as 4,000 characters.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Twitter may not be working as expected for some of you,\" the company said in a tweet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Sorry for the trouble. We\'re aware and working to get this fixed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reports of Twitter troubles spiked at website Downdetector early afternoon in Silicon Valley, and continued for about two hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Users complaints shared online included being unable to post messages, being told they had exceeded a daily limit of tweets, and inability to send direct messages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A daily limit of 2,400 tweets per day was put in place at Twitter to reduce strain on its operations, according to US media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People also reported that TweetDeck, the popular dashboard for managing and viewing Twitter accounts, had stopped working.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The disruptions came on the same day Twitter added a length perk to its Blue subscription service costing $8 monthly in the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twitter Blue subscribers can now post tweets of up to 4,000 characters, far beyond the 280-character limit imposed on non-paying users, the tech firm said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But don\'t worry, Twitter is still Twitter,\" the tech firm said in a lengthy tweet announcing the perk.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We know longer Tweets could mean a lot of scrolling, so they\'ll be capped at 280 characters on your timeline and you\'ll see a \'Show more\' prompt to click and read the whole Tweet.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musk slashed Twitter\'s workforce late last year after he became owner of the San Francisco-based company, raising concerns about having enough engineering talent on hand to keep the platform running smoothly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US tech media reported Wednesday that Musk put out word to Twitter staff to put aside work on new features to focus on troubleshooting. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"5\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-02-09 03:32:09', '2023-02-09 03:32:09');
