INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7673, 7673, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Troops from Russia\'s Wagner mercenary group have reportedly started leaving the city of Rostov-on-Don, less than 24 hours after attempting a rebellion.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the group\'s chief said he had told his fighters to return to Ukraine to avoid bloodshed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yevgeny Prigozhin will now move to neighbouring Belarus and charges against him and his troops will be dropped, Russian state media reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It signals the end of a chaotic and extraordinary day in Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tension had been growing between them over how the war has been fought, with Prigozhin launching vocal criticisms of Russia\'s military leadership in recent months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It came to a head on Saturday morning, when Wagner mercenaries crossed the border from their field camps in Ukraine and entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In developments that were breathlessly fast, they reportedly took over the regional military command and seized military facilities in Voronezh, another city further north, towards Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighters started to march toward the capital, prompting the Kremlin to introduced tighter security in many regions, including Moscow, where the mayor of the capital city had told residents to avoid travelling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were also warnings that thousands of elite Chechen troops were heading to Moscow to fight off the Wagner soldiers, if needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response, President Vladimir Putin had pledged to punish those who had \"betrayed\" Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agreement to suddenly de-escalate the situation came on Saturday evening, after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin, according to Russian TV channel Rossiya 24.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hours later, video emerged purportedly showing Wagner troops leaving Rostov, and their leader being driven away to the cheers and handshakes of supporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commenting on the day\'s events, Ukraine\'s President, Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation was \"complete chaos\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself. I am sure that he is no longer in Moscow,\" he said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He knows what he is afraid of, because he himself created this threat. All evil, all losses, all hatred - it is he who spreads it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were rumours that Mr Putin had fled Moscow, after flight tracking showed that two presidential planes had left the city on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the president was still in the Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Peskov added that the arrest warrant for Prigozhin would be dropped and criminal case against him and his troops would be closed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner mercenaries who wish to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence can still do so, the press secretary said. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 12:31:07', '2023-06-25 12:31:07'),
(7674, 7674, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canadian authorities on Saturday began a probe into the implosion of the Titan submersible, whose disappearance near the wreckage of the Titanic with five men aboard had set off a multinational search-and-rescue operation.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our mandate is to find out what happened and why and to find out what needs to change to reduce the chance or the risk of such occurrences in the future,\" said Transportation Safety Board (TSB) chair Kathy Fox.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We know everybody wants answers, particularly the families and the public,\" she told reporters in St. John\'s, Newfoundland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Th full probe could take between 18 months to two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TSB investigators on Saturday boarded the Canadian-flagged Polar Price cargo ship, which had set sail from St. John\'s last weekend to bring the ill-fated Titan to its launch point in the north Atlantic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Transportation Safety Board routinely probes air, rail, marine and pipeline accidents with the aim of improving transportation safety. It does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Coast Guard said Thursday that all five people aboard the submersible had died after the vessel suffered a \"catastrophic implosion.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A debris field was found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was looking into whether any criminal laws had been broken in the chain of events that led to the deaths of the Titan adventurers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The investigators\' job is to determine \"whether or not a full investigation by the RCMP is warranted,\" said Newfoundland and Labrador Superintendent Kent Osmond.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of circumstances indicate criminal federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 14:31:19', '2023-06-25 14:31:19'),
(7675, 7675, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out relatively peacefully Saturday after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dramatic if brief revolt shifted the landscape for the Kremlin and the 16-month-old war in Ukraine and prompted Russia to pull soldiers back from the battlefield to defend the capital, a stunning recognition of the threat posed by Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the deal announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus and charges of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government said it also would not prosecute fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege, whose forces seized a key military facility in southern Russia before advancing on the capital. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported, signaling the Kremlin’s desperation as the Wagner troops advanced to, according to Prigozhin, just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.” His troops were ordered back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin has demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, long the target of his withering criticism for his conduct of the war in Ukraine. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu\'s command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin did not say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand. Peskov said the issue could not have been discussed during the negotiations, which were conducted by the president of Belarus, and is the “exclusive prerogative of the commander in chief.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A nighttime video from the city posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they left Rostov-on-Don. Prigozhin was seen riding in one of the vehicles, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand as he lowered the window. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement. On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dramatic developments came exactly 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened and “these events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Switching into Russian in his daily video address, Zelenskyy said “the man from the Kremlin” was “very afraid.” He repeated his calls for the West to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin had vowed earlier that his fighters, whom he said number some 25,000, would not surrender because “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He posted video of himself at the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and claimed his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian media, however, reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. The Kremlin referred a question about the losses to the Defense Ministry, which has not commented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The short-lived rebellion came as Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future,” Putin said, with the West piling sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State-controlled TV networks led their newscasts with Putin’s statement and reported the tense situation in Rostov-on-Don. Broadcasters also carried statements from top Russian officials and lawmakers voicing support for Putin, condemning Prigozhin and urging him to back down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who in the past has sided with Prigozhin in his criticisms of Russia’s military, also expressed support for Putin’s “every word.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The mutiny needs to be suppressed,” Kadyrov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He gained attention in the U.S. when he and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rebellion appeared likely to further hinder Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces probed Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the infighting could create confusion and potential division among Russian military forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,″ Lutsevych said. “This creates a unique and unprecedented military opportunity for the Ukrainian army.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 14:39:02', '2023-06-25 14:39:02'),
(7676, 7676, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Vast crowds of robed pilgrims made solemn circles around the Kaaba, the black cube at Mecca\'s Grand Mosque, on Sunday as the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years began in the heat of the Saudi summer.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islam\'s holiest site is expected to host more than two million worshippers from 160 countries during the annual rites that could break attendance records, with 1.6 million foreigners already arrived by Friday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj began early on Sunday with the \"tawaf\" -- the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the large cubic structure draped in black cloth with gold trimmings that millions of Muslims pray towards every day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am living the most beautiful days of my life,\" said Abdel-Azim, a 65-year-old Egyptian as he performed the ritual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The dream has come true,\" said the retiree, who saved up for 20 years to pay the $6,000 fee to take part.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A series of rites are completed over four days in Mecca and its surroundings in the west of oil-rich Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday night, pilgrims will start moving to Mina, about five kilometres (three miles) from the Grand Mosque, ahead of the hajj\'s climax at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Great blessing\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside the Grand Mosque, thousands prayed on colourful carpets that adorned the pavement, with male pilgrims wearing a simple white robe. The area was dotted with ambulances, mobile clinics and fire trucks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj poses a considerable security challenge and has seen several disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There have been no major incidents since, and catastrophe was the last thing on pilgrims\' minds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I cannot describe my feelings,\" said 25-year-old Indonesian student Yusuf Burhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is a great blessing. I never imagined that I would perform the hajj this year.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year\'s summer timing for the hajj, which follows the lunar calendar, will test the endurance of worshippers during the mostly outdoor ritual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carrying white umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching sun, policemen in the mountainous city have conducted foot patrols and set up checkpoints to inspect hajj permits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Others splashed water on pilgrims as temperatures climbed towards 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inside the Grand Mosque, thousands of paramedics stood on standby. Saudi authorities said more than 32,000 health workers will be on hand to help fend off heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Not a single vacant bed\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj, with its hefty fees, makes billions of dollars a year for the world\'s biggest oil exporter, which is trying to diversify its economy beyond fossil fuels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year\'s will be the biggest since 2019, when about 2.5 million people took part. Only 10,000 were allowed in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, rising to nearly 59,000 in 2021. Last year\'s cap of one million has been removed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi businessman Samir Al-Zafni said all his hotels in Mecca and Madinah are at full capacity until the first week of July.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This year there is not a single vacant bed in our group of 67 hotels,\" he told AFP from his office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hajj also demonstrates social reforms in the deeply conservative country. This year\'s pilgrimage will be the biggest since Saudi Arabia scrapped rules in 2021 that banned women who weren\'t accompanied by a male relative.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leaving the Grand Mosque after evening prayers on Friday, Ramot Ali from Niger struggled to describe the feeling of performing hajj for the first time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am very happy,\" she said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:26:36', '2023-06-25 15:26:36'),
(7677, 7677, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning (June 25, 2023).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 107 at 8:35am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked sixth in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia’s Jakarta, Pakistan’s Lahore and Brazil’s Sao Paulo occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 168, 138 and 124, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:28:57', '2023-06-25 15:28:57'),
(7678, 7678, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian forces have launched several new offensives on their eastern front, confronting Russian troops in the Donbas region, and have claimed more ground, a minister said Saturday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said Ukrainian forces had assaulted Russian lines near the towns of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Bo?danivka, Yagidne, Klishchivka and Kurdyumivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is progress in all directions,\" she said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 15:32:13', '2023-06-25 15:32:13'),
(7679, 7679, '<div><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thousands of football fans marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday to mark 25 days before the Women\'s World Cup starts in Australia and New Zealand.</b><br></div><div><br></div><div>Football\'s governing body FIFA estimated around 4,000 braved chilly temperatures to take part in the early morning event on the famed bridge, which was temporarily closed to traffic.</div><div><br></div><div>Co-hosts Australia and New Zealand kick off the 32-team tournament on July 20 when the Matildas play Ireland in Sydney and the Football Ferns face Norway in Auckland.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA says more than one million tickets have been sold for the 64 games in nine host cities, surpassing total sales for the 2019 World Cup in France.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA official Rhiannon Martin told AFP she expected this year\'s tournament would be a \"milestone\" for women\'s football in Australia.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ve seen how women\'s football has developed here over the last years,\" added Martin, who is head of FIFA Women\'s World Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>FIFA has said each player at the World Cup will earn at least $30,000, with the winners taking home $270,000 apiece.</div><div><br></div><div>Martin said the boost to the prize money pot showed that \"women\'s football is really being valued\".</div><div><br></div><div>James Johnson, chief executive of Football Australia, told AFP it \"starts to bridge the gap\" between prize money for the men\'s and women\'s World Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We still have a bit of work to do over the next four years, but being the World Cup where the lift occurred makes us very proud,\" he added. AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 16:21:29', '2023-06-25 16:21:29'),
(7680, 7680, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Trade with India through the Chapainawabganj’s Sonamasjid land port will remain suspended from June 27 to July 2 for the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, port authorities said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, cross border travel will continue through the immigration check post of the port during this time, said Kamal Uddin, manager (operation) of Panama-Sonamasjid Port Link Limited, which operates the port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kamal said the matter has been reported to the Mahadipur Exporters’ Association and C&amp;F Agents Association of India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Trade activities will resume at the port from July 3,” he added. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 16:28:59', '2023-06-25 16:28:59'),
(7681, 7681, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">When I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their first comment was \"Eww.\" Their second comment was: \"How does it taste?\"</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The short answer (you\'ve probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The longer answer, which folds in the \"Eww\" response, is more nuanced. Yes, it\'s strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat — chicken that doesn\'t come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as \"cell-cultivated\" chicken after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the first time, US approves sale of ‘lab-grown’ chicken meat</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it\'s also interesting (and exciting!) to taste test the first offerings of a new era in meat production, which aims to eliminate harm to billions of animals slaughtered for food — and to dramatically reduce the environmental effects of grazing, growing feed for those animals and dealing with their animal waste.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">FACING UP TO THE \'MEAT PARADOX\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\'m a lifelong meat eater. I\'m also a victim of the \"meat paradox,\" a term scientists use to describe the psychological conflict that occurs in people who like to eat meat but don\'t like to contemplate the animals that died providing it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As someone who has reported on food-borne illness outbreaks and slaughterhouse safety, I\'m keenly aware that the chicken on my dinner plate probably suffered to get there. And that fact makes me uneasy if I dwell on it too much.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heatstroke killing chickens, wreaking havoc on Kurigram poultry farms&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So I was open to trying a different kind of meat — and also curious to see if it would taste like the real thing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\'ve tried plant-based options like the Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger and liked them, even though I didn\'t think they were perfect substitutes. To be honest, the Beyond Meat sausage tasted good, but a little mealy. And the Impossible Burger was dry, although I may have cooked it too long. In both cases, I enjoyed the taste of the products but was still aware that I wasn\'t actually eating pork or beef.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What about the artificiality of it all? It didn\'t bother me that this new cultivated meat is made from cells that grow to epic proportions in big steel vats, only to be shaped and formed — \"extruded\" is the somewhat unfortunate verb that came to mind — into familiar cutlets, filets and nuggets that would look right at home on the dinner table.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But as with all food, in the end it would come down to taste. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an impostor?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIME FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT MOUTH TEST</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In January, I traveled to the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, chef Jess Weaver sauteed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers and green onions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aroma was enticing, just like any filet cooked in butter would be. And the taste was light and delicate with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast I\'d make at home – if, that is, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Easy Durga Puja Vegetarian Recipes to Try at Home</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, I visited the Alameda, California, plant where Good Meat is poised to begin production of its chicken products. Chef Zach Tyndall was ready with a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins and walnuts. He followed it with a chicken \"thigh\" dish — darker meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets and tiny purple cauliflower florets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That, says Tyndall, is the whole point.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It needs to be as lifelike as possible for it to catch on,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While \"lifelike\" is an interesting word, from my side of the fork I think this will catch on. There are still huge hurdles — how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken — but if you\'re basing it on authentic taste, I\'ll leave you with this:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Please pass the \"chicken.\" AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"5\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 17:48:21', '2023-06-25 17:48:21'),
(7682, 7682, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pilgrims streamed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Saturday to perform their final rituals before heading to Mina in preparation for the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They moved through the white marble courtyards of Islam’s holiest site to perform the tawaf, the walking circuit around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, their fervent recitations ringing through the air.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People on the ground floor closest to the Kaaba shuffled due to the sheer number of participants. Those on the upper floors were able to walk more briskly, even run. Pilgrims raised their hands in supplication, took selfies or video, and phoned their relatives as they performed the tawaf.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They then walked or ran between two hills in a re-enactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pilgrims must enter a state of spiritual purity, known as ihram, for the Hajj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Men wear seamless white robes, a rule intended to promote unity among rich and poor. Women cover their body and hair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In between rituals and the five daily prayers, which bring the area to a solemn standstill, pilgrims sought out shade, snacked and flocked to the many shops and air-conditioned malls encircling the Grand Mosque to relax before the arduous days ahead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia has restored full pilgrim capacity for this year’s Hajj, following three years of dramatically reduced numbers due to the pandemic, with more than 2 million Muslims expected to take part.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think this year (the) crowd is too much” said Mahboub Morshed, a 42-year-old software engineer from Bangladesh, referring to the thinner attendance of previous years. “But the government and this management (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah) is trying to manage this very smoothly.” UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:14:28', '2023-06-25 18:14:28'),
(7683, 7683, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen today said Bangladesh looks forward to explore effective strategies to ensure that all peacekeepers, irrespective of gender, can thrive in a safe and supportive environment.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Discrimination and sexual abuse have no place in our Peacekeeping Missions, and we must collectively strive to eradicate such occurrences,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foreign Secretary was speaking at the opening session of the preparatory meeting of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said their collective presence here today is a testament to Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening peacekeeping efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I firmly believe that this preparatory meeting will set the stage for the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting, which would need to take into account emerging concerns of the member states about the security situations in some missions,” Masud Bin Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The commitments and recommendations that emerge from the discussions will constructively shape the future of peacekeeping, inspire all member states, and propel them towards a more inclusive, gender-responsive, and effective peacekeeping architecture, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let us work together to create a more inclusive and equitable peacekeeping environment, where the voices and contributions of women are recognised, valued, and celebrated,” the foreign secretary said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The theme of the preparatory meeting, ‘Women in UN Peacekeeping,’ resonates deeply with the values and principles that Bangladesh holds dear, he observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a leading Troop and Police Contributing Country to UN Peacekeeping Missions, the foreign secretary said, Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles and objectives of the United Nations in promoting peace, security, and gender equality. “We believe that, gender equality and empowerment of women are crucial for sustainable peace and development.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Nations Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under Secretary General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard joined the two-day meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will discuss how we can increase the number of women in peacekeeping and ensure they access all roles within our missions. It requires everyone’s commitment, including member states and partners,” the foreign secretary said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">USG Lacroix will join the site visit to Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Gazipur with other delegates on the second day of the conference. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:28:47', '2023-06-25 18:28:47'),
(7684, 7684, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Nations Under-Secretaries General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Catherine Pollard jointly paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Sunday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the meeting, they discussed different issues including the UN peacekeeping operations, climate change and women security, PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN officials said the world body has successfully completed 75 years of its peacekeeping operation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They highly praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their contribution to maintain peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this regard, the prime minister told the UN officials that Bangladesh has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping missions for three decades with dedication and professionalism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh is the largest troops contributing country for the UN peacekeeping missions. \"Some 7,500 Bangladeshi males and females are employed in nine UN peacekeeping missions around the globe,\" the press secretary quoted her as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Catherine Pollard thanked the prime minister for Bangladesh\'s contribution to the trust fund to check sexual exploitation and abuse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In reply, Hasina said Bangladesh is deeply committed to women security and increasing women\'s participation in UN peacekeeping.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She reiterated her government\'s zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh has taken serious punitive measures against the individuals who were found guilty through investigation in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about climate change, the PM said Bangladesh is a vulnerable country and her government is implementing mitigation and adaptation programmes with its own funds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Muhammad Abdul Muhith were present at the meeting. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 18:38:02', '2023-06-25 18:38:02');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7685, 7685, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the Padma Bridge has \"overshadowed\" BNP’s movement of last 14 years.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Padma Bridge, a symbol of Bangladesh\'s capabilities, has expanded the horizon of the country\'s economic potential,” he said at a press briefing at the Setu Bhaban in the capital this morning, marking the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of the bridge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The road, transport and bridges minister said Tk 798.23 crore was collected as toll from the Padma Multipurpose Bridge in one year since its inauguration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Since the inauguration of the bridge, a total of 56,75,000 vehicles have used the bridge till 12 am&nbsp; today,” he said. “On an average, 15,500 vehicles use the bridge daily.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister hoped the amount of toll collection would hit Tk 800 crore by this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Calling the bridge a “national treasure,” Quader called on everyone to protect and preserve it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the Bangladesh Bridge Authority will have to repay the loan in 35 years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Around Tk 632.94 crore in loan have already been repaid in four installments,” Quader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bridges Division Secretary Manzoor Hossain, Padma Bridge Project Director Shafiqul Islam, and senior officials of the Bridges Division, Bridge Authority, and Bridge Construction Project were present at the press briefing. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:32:14', '2023-06-25 19:32:14'),
(7686, 7686, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Shah Rukh Khan played the lead role of Major Samar Anand in Jab Tak Hai Jaan while Sharib Hashmi was seen as Zain Mirza, his best friend. However, another actor had also auditioned for the role of Zain but couldn\'t crack it. This actor also has a connection with Katrina Kaif, who was also part of the film.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) is a romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra and written and produced by his son Aditya Chopra under their banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Sarika among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Sharib on Vicky auditioning for Jab Tak Hai Jaan</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent interview with Aajtak, Sharib Hashmi revealed that it was Vicky Kaushal who had also auditioned to play Zain\'s role. However, the film\'s team did not find Vicky suitable for the role of Zain. This is the reason why he was rejected after giving an audition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Vicky\'s projects so far</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Vicky\'s first leading role was in the 2015 drama Masaan. He then starred in Anurag Kashyap\'s psychological thriller Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) followed by Raazi, Manmarziyaan, and Sanju. His role as a military officer in the 2019 war film Uri: The Surgical Strike garnered him praise. Fans also saw Vicky in Sardar Udham (2021), Govinda Naam Mera (2022) and Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat (2023).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was last seen in the romantic comedy film Zara Hatke Zara Bachke opposite Sara Ali Khan, helmed by Laxman Utekar. The film also starred Sharib Hashmi, Sushmita Mukherjee, Neeraj Sood, Rakesh Bedi among others. Vicky will next be seen in Sam Bahadur, helmed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. Sam Bahadur is the story of India\'s war hero and first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The film also stars Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh in the lead roles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Sharib on Zara Hatke Zara Bachke</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Sharib plays the role of the security guard. Recently, talking with news agency ANI, Sharib had said about his role, \"I was a bit hesitant when I was offered the part of Daroga in the film...I was also a little unsure to take up the role of security guard because his entry in the movie is post-interval.\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:39:50', '2023-06-25 19:39:50'),
(7687, 7687, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A record number of locally-reared sacrificial animals has flooded local markets in Rangpur division as sale has already got momentum when only three days are left before the Eid-ul-Azha festivity.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to BSS at different cattle markets, cattle farm owners and farmers said they reared local animals despite an increase of fodder price with a hope of getting better prices of sacrificial animals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders said sale of sacrificial animals might increase further during the next three days ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festivity when buyers would start purchasing&nbsp; animal en-masse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buyers at bigger cattle markets said they preferred the hygienically reared healthier and middle-sized local cattle-heads as sacrificial animals than artificially fattened and huge-sized ones.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divisional deputy director of the Department of Livestock Md. Abdul Hye Sarker said cattle farms and farmers have produced over 15.62-lakh sacrificial animals this time against demand of around 11.88-lakh in all eight districts of Rangpur division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result of various pragmatic steps taken by the government over the last 14 years, a revolution has taken place in the livestock and dairy sectors enhancing production of cattle heads and milk and cutting rural poverty in Rangpur division.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have over 3.74-lakh surplus sacrificial animals in Rangpur division. It proves that we do not need to import animals any more to meet local demand for ensuring fair price of locally reared cattle-heads,” Sarker added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle farm owners and farmers have produced bullocks, cows, oxen, calves, buffaloes, goats and sheep as sacrificial animals in addition to those reared by marginal farmers at homes and char people.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">District Livestock Officer for Rangpur Dr. Md. Sirajul Haque said cattle farms and farmers have produced 2.83-lakh sacrificial animals, including cows, against demand of 2.16-lakh with a surplus of 67,000 animals in Rangpur district alone this season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adequate numbers of livestock physicians’ teams are working in the sacrificial animal markets at the upazila and district levels to check health conditions of sacrificial animals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders expressed satisfaction over installing currency screening machines, taking sufficient security measures and patrols round the clock to ensure smooth trading and carrying of cattle heads on the roads and highways.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle traders Murshed Alim Kalim Uddin, Amirul Haque and Abdul Mazid at Lalbag Cattle Market in Rangpur city today said price of sacrificial animals is relatively higher due to high fodder price despite record supply of locally-reared healthier cattle-heads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Popular sized bullocks, calves and cows are selling at rates higher by Taka 40,000 to 80,000 on an average depending on size and quality than last year,” said cattle trader Nurul Amin at the same market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle trader Arman Hossain at the same market said the price of bullocks and cows marked a rise this time due to increase in fodder price in comparison with last year’s price.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Middle and medium-sized bullocks are being sold at rates between Taka 85,000 and Taka two-lakh while large-sized between Taka 2.10-lakh and Taka four-lakh and extra large-sized bullocks at rates between Taka five-lakh and Taka 10-lakh,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle trader Ramjan Mian at Taraganj Cattle Market in Rangpur said current market price of sacrificial animals might be even higher, but huge boost in the local animal husbandry sector with record supply has kept the price at this level.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cattle farmer Mohsin Ali of village Kathihara under Rangpur Sadar upazila said he expected to sell his reared large-sized bullock weighing 350 kilogram at Taka three- lakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But none of the buyers is ready to purchase my bullock at over Taka two-lakh so far in the local market,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, prices of goats are higher this year and goats are being sold at rates between Taka 10,000 and Taka 50,000 depending on sizes and varieties at different markets across the division. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 19:48:42', '2023-06-25 19:48:42'),
(7688, 7688, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said that the narrative of Bangladesh being a “small country” has changed globally with its growing economy, wider engagement with partners, and political stability.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh is seen as an example of good practice in multilateral forums,” he said while speaking at DCAB Talk.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted its flagship event at the Foreign Service Academy.</div><div><br></div><div>DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus moderated the discussion. DCAB General Secretary Emrul Kayesh also spoke on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said that Bangladesh’s importance has increased significantly and its level of cooperation internationally has also been enhanced.</div><div><br></div><div>He said Bangladesh has achieved continuity and stability, and this continuity will prevail.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, Alam said, the government is “not feeling any pressure” ahead of the national election as the Election Commission will proceed as per the constitution.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to events over 10 years ago, the state minister said that there is no word like “fear” in the dictionary of Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned a diplomatic call for a fresh election before monsoon in the past, saying, “That sounds too ambitious.”</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said the government will not accept or welcome any interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs but will welcome election observers.</div><div><br></div><div>He said there has been conspiracy against Bangladesh in the past.</div><div><br></div><div>Alam said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not take any step that goes against the interest of the people and the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, Alam said that there has been significant progress that leads to the need for withdrawing US sanctions on the elite force, RAB. \"We will realise the demand (withdrawal of sanctions).\"</div><div><br></div><div>In his remarks, DCAB President Rezaul Karim said they understand Bangladesh has emerged as an important country in geopolitics with its growing economy. He said Bangladesh’s extraordinary development, democratic stability, and geopolitical significance are undeniably matters of discussion at home and abroad. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 21:05:02', '2023-06-25 21:05:02'),
(7689, 7689, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hikers found human remains in California\'s Mount San Antonio area, local authorities said, around the same area where British actor Julian Sands went missing five months ago.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The remains were discovered in the wilderness on Saturday morning, San Bernardino Sheriff\'s Department said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Civilian hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff\'s Station after they discovered human remains\" near the mountain, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>The body was taken to the coroner\'s office to be identified, with the process expected to be completed next week.</div><div><br></div><div>Sands, who shot to fame in 1985 for his role in \"A Room with a View\", went missing in January on the 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) Mount San Antonio, known locally as Mount Baldy, just outside the city of Los Angeles.</div><div><br></div><div>The 65-year-old is an experienced hiker who has previously described himself as happiest \"close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.\"</div><div><br></div><div>California was hit by a succession of heavy storms in December and January that brought heavy snow to mountain ranges, including to Mount San Antonio.</div><div><br></div><div>The peak where Sands disappeared is the highest in the San Gabriel Mountains and a popular destination for Los Angeles residents.</div><div><br></div><div>San Bernardino County Sheriff at the time said it was increasingly treacherous, with eight known deaths between 2017 and 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>The actor\'s brother, Nick, said two weeks after search efforts began that he had accepted Sands would not be found alive.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone,\" he had said, according to English local media in Yorkshire, where the brothers grew up. Accoridng to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 22:03:46', '2023-06-25 22:03:46'),
(7690, 7690, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Needing a win to stay alive in the competition, Bangladesh’s footballers pulled off a superb comeback win against Maldives in the second group game of the 14th SAFF CHampionship on Sunday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh started positively and dominated possession, but fell behind to a goal by Hamza Mohammed in the 17th minute - Maldives’ only shot on target in the game.</div><div><br></div><div>The Green and Reds looked frantically for the equaliser, and their efforts paid off just before half time, through Rakib Hossain.</div><div><br></div><div>The second half saw Bangladesh continue to dominate, and Tariq Kazi put the team ahead in the 67th minute from a goalmouth melee at the third attempt.</div><div><br></div><div>Morsalin added a third in the 90th minute, finishing nicely from the left of the box after being set up by Bishwanath Ghosh.</div><div><br></div><div>It puts Bangladesh level on points with Maldives with 1 game left, which they will play against Bhutan, while Maldives play Lebanon. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><font style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\" color=\"#397b21\"><b style=\"\">keep SAFF dream alive</b></font><br></p>', 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:19:58', '2023-06-25 23:19:58'),
(7691, 7691, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Surveying the hills covered with near bone-dry pines stretching to the Pyrenees in the distance, Asier Larrañaga has reason to be on guard.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This part of northeast Spain is, like large swaths of the Mediterranean country, braced for wildfires due to the lethal combination of a prolonged drought, record-high temperatures and increasingly dense woods unable to adapt to a fast-changing climate.</div><div><br></div><div>Larrañaga is one of the top fire analysts for the firefighters of Catalonia charged with safeguarding the region\'s homes and landscapes. While grateful that some desperately needed rain has finally fallen in recent weeks, he is ready for the worst — unless July and August buck Spain\'s historic trend of being the hottest and driest months of the year.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If we have a normal summer … and conditions of low humidity combined with high temperatures, then we will see fires that quickly expand beyond our extinction capacity. And for areas where it has not rained in May and this month, we could see these types of fires as early as next week,\" Larrañaga told The Associated Press in the rural town of Solsona, some two hours north of Barcelona.</div><div><br></div><div>Spain suffered the biggest losses from wildfires of any European Union country last year amid a record-hot 2022. Four people, including one firefighter, died in blazes that consumed 306,000 hectares. And with Spain sweltering under a record-hot spring, it is again leading the continent in 2023 with 66,000 hectares turned to ashes. Now firefighters like Larrañaga across Spain are preparing for a potential scorcher of a summer.</div><div><br></div><div>The fires coincide with Catalonia and a large part of Spain\'s south bearing the brunt of a drought that started last year and has only recently been somewhat alleviated by rain. The central reservoirs for Catalonia, which provide water for some six million people including Barcelona, are still only at 29% of capacity and water restrictions remain in place.</div><div><br></div><div>Climate change is playing a direct role in propagating these fires, experts agree. The increasing temperatures have made the plants that are used to more mild weather vulnerable to both plagues and fire. Spain, like the rest of the Mediterranean, is forecast to heat up faster than the global average. Spain saw fires that showed the virulence of a summer outbreak break out as early as March. Northern Europe is also battling blazes spurred by drought.</div><div><br></div><div>The 52-year-old Larrañaga is a member of Catalonia\'s GRAF, its elite wildfire fighting unit. Members of the Catalan firefighters are currently helping in Canada as part of a Spanish contingent sent to combat the massive fires that have sent smoke over the United States and as far as Europe.</div><div><br></div><div>Larrañaga was in Solsona to oversee a training session by the local fire brigade. Practice included simulating a last-resort protection maneuver used in cases when firefighters are trapped by the flames. They clear an area of vegetation and take refuge in their truck, which is equipped with sprinklers. The firefighters said that they hope it is a maneuver they will never have to use.</div><div><br></div><div>The Solsonès county, home to Solsona and its 9,000 residents, does not normally have large fires thanks to storms generated by the Pyrenees. But the downside is that its forests build up vegetation, or \"fuel\" for potential fires, that become vulnerable to a lightning strike, a spark from farm machinery, or arson. In 1998 a fire consumed 27,000 hectares in the country. Now Larrañaga is concerned that the landscape is primed to ignite again.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The fires in these conditions can be very intense like the enormous ones we are seeing in Canada,\" he said. Larrañaga added that his worst-case scenario is \"a situation where you have people, in a panic, trying to flee, who put themselves in danger because the access roads cross wooded areas,\" stirring up memories of a tragedy in neighboring Portugal when over 60 people perished in a fire disaster in 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>Catalonia\'s firefighters were tested last year by fires that erupted just when the official fire season started in mid-July.</div><div><br></div><div>That close call, fire chief David Borrell said, motivated their decision to increase the fire campaign to four months from three and start it a month earlier. That means more manpower and more aircraft for a longer period of time.</div><div><br></div><div>Borrell said that this new generation of more powerful fires has led to two changes in how they are fought. First, it is no longer possible to just \"attack\" a fire, firefighters have to wait for it, and, if need be, sacrifice unfavorable terrain – whether due to its position related to the wind, access or vegetation – if it means keeping the firefighters from wearing themselves out or even risking their lives.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The second change is how to deal with simultaneous fires without getting overwhelmed,\" Borrell told the AP at the Catalan firefighters\' high-tech headquarters near Barcelona. \"If you go all out against a fire, then you won\'t be able to handle a second one, and with a third fire you collapse. So to avoid that, we consider everything in one process. That is a potent strategy change we began last year. And for me it is a game changer.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The challenge, however, is still daunting with summer now here.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to turning the terrain into a tinderbox, drought is complicating the firefighters\' ability to work: some of Catalonia\'s reservoirs have been ruled unusable for water-dumping aircraft due to their lack of their low levels of water.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If we hadn\'t had the rain we saw in May, we would now already be in a campaign of large fires,\" Jordi Pagès, a wildfire expert for the Pau Costa Foundation, a Barcelona-based nonprofit organization for fire awareness.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But we still had a spring with below average rainfall, so we can expect an intense summer.\" - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:39:17', '2023-06-25 23:39:17'),
(7692, 7692, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday said that the government will provide 5kgs of rice at Tk 30 to the Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB) card holder families from July 1.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Currently one crore families are getting TCB products and from July 1 the cardholders will get 5 kgs of rice at Tk 30 along with other items. The open market sales (OMS) dealers will provide the rice,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting over the progress of Boro procurement at the Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the process of 5kgs of rice, the minister said when the cardholders will get their TCB items they will also get the rice through OMS dealers. That means rice has been included as a TCB item.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadhan Chandra&nbsp; said, “When the price of rice was slightly higher, we conducted the rice sale through 2,500 OMS dealers across the country and we also distributed additional 2 lakh metric tonnes of rice through OMS after taking approval from the Finance Ministry.”</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, we also provid rice to 50 lakh families regularly through conducting food-friendly programme and they are getting 30 kgs of rice each month.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the boro procurement, the minister said the government has procured 6,56,587 metric tonnes of rice and 1,15,272 metric tonnes of paddy till June 24 during the ongoing boro procurement season, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>“We had set a target to procure 12.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Our targets will be fulfilled this June,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-25 23:59:27', '2023-06-25 23:59:27'),
(7693, 7693, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam today said the government is still determined to go for a “small trial,” in terms of Rohingya repatriation, to understand the challenges before going for a full-on move.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We (will) continue our efforts. We are still determined for a small trial to understand the challenges. It has been well-explained to all stakeholders,” he said while responding to a question at DCAB Talk.</div><div><br></div><div>The state minister said they will go for the next stage — to begin a real repatriation — after examining the outcome of the trial.</div><div><br></div><div>“I will call upon everyone to support that process. The Rohingyas want to go back. We are committed to their safe and dignified return. We keep working on that front,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the talk at the Foreign Service Academy, moderated by its President Rezaul Karim Lotus. DCAB General Secretary Emrul Kayesh also spoke on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh has continued its call for smooth repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State, Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from seeking international community’s support, Bangladesh is also talking to Myanmar in good faith as the latter has expressed its willingness for repatriation of the Rohingyas, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh also sought genuine efforts to create an environment conducive to repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, continues to advocate for creating conducive conditions in Myanmar so that refugees can go back safely with dignity, and returns can be sustainable, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Refugees, who wish to return, should have access to clear, comprehensive, and factual information to be able to make a free and informed decision, UNHCR added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><font color=\"#ff00ff\"><b>Rohingya repatriation</b></font><br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 00:41:06', '2023-06-26 00:41:06'),
(7694, 7694, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The support of the people is enough for Awami League and it does not need foreign support, Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque has said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"People are with the Awami League... it will be proved in the next election,\" he said at the inauguration ceremony and discussion meeting of the teachers\' federation at the auditorium of the upazila parishad in Madhupur of Tangail on Saturday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the people\'s support for Awami League, the minister said that the incumbent government has made unprecedented development in all areas including construction of Padma bridge, four-lane road, schools-colleges, increase in food production and expansion of electricity coverage.</div><div><br></div><div>\"People are with the government because of these developments. No foreign power can overthrow us if we have the support of the people,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"BNP and anti-liberation forces are trying to create an unstable situation in the country ahead of the upcoming elections,\" he said, adding that they (BNP) want to create anarchy in the country again like in 2014-15.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They will not be allowed to do that. It is the sacred responsibility of the present government to protect the life and property of people. For the sake of the country and its people, we will deal with them with an iron hand,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Presided over by acting Principal of Madhupur Government College Sushil Kumar Das, Bangladesh Agricultural University teacher Abu Hadi Noor Ali Khan, Madhupur Municipality Mayor Siddique Hossain Khan, Upazila Executive Officer Shamima Yasmin, Upazila Awami League Vice President Yakub Ali, spoke on the ocassion. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 01:17:23', '2023-06-26 01:17:23'),
(7695, 7695, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Like perfidious years, a total of five Eid congregations (jamaats) will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital on the day of the holy Eid-ul-Azha on June 29.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The first Eid jamaat will be held at 7am while the next four Jamaats will be held at 8am, 9am, 10am and 10.45am respectively, an official release said.</div><div><br></div><div>Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Pesh Imam Hafez Maulana Ehsanul Haque will conduct the first Eid jamaat while the Mosque\'s Khadem Abdul Hadi will perform the duty of Muqabbir in the prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Pesh Imam Maulana Muhiuddin Kasem will conduct the second jamaat while other three jamaats will be led by Mawlana Dr Abu Saleh Patowari, Islamic Foundation Director and Imam Maulana Md Anisuzzaman Sikder and Islamic Foundation\'s Imam Maulana Mohammad Abdullah, Mufti respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>Maulana Zakir Hossain, Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation will act as an alternate Imam if any Imam fails to be present during the aforesaid five Eid-congregations.</div><div><br></div><div>In case of inclement or hostile weather, the main Eid congregation at the National Eidgah will be shifted from 7:30 am to 8:00 am in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 02:32:26', '2023-06-26 02:32:26'),
(7696, 7696, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sales of sacrificial animals began in the city\'s makeshift cattle markets today ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Adha, to be celebrated across the country on June 29.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Formal trading of sacrificial animals began in the city\'s makeshift cattle markets from today. It will continue till Eid-day on June 29,\" officials of both Dhaka south and north city corporations told BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Public Relations officer Mokbul Hossain said this year a total of 10 cattle markets have been set up in the DNCC area while the lease holders of the makeshift markets were asked to run the markets following the city corporation guidelines to ensure smooth trading of animals.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, 10 more cattle markets have been set up in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area this year, said DSCC Public Relations Officer Md Abu Naser.</div><div><br></div><div>He said sufficient security measures, including setting up CCTV cameras, installing ATM booths and deploying law enforcement agency members have been taken to ensure the safety of buyers and sellers of the sacrificial animals in the cattle markets.</div><div><br></div><div>Both the DNCC and DSCC officials said that the authorities of the city corporations did not designate any spot for slaughtering sacrificial animals this year rather they are encouraging the city dwellers to slaughter their animals in specific spots and manage the wastages properly.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The DSCC has not been arranging slaughtering spots for the last two-three years as people do not want to come to the designated spots. But the city corporation is repeatedly urging the city dwellers to slaughter their sacrificial animals on specific spots so that the wastage can be managed easily,\" said Abu Naser.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>DNCC official Mokbul also said they did not arrange slaughtering spots for in the last one or two years but the DNCC authorities are encouraging the residents of the city to slaughter their animals following the government guidelines and manage wastages appropriately.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the city corporations, the makeshift cattle market places are: open ground nearby Leather Technology Institute, open place at Postagola, open space at Khilgaon-Meradia Bazar, open place at Dania College at Jatrabari, open space at Dholaikhal truck terminal, open place at Rahmatganj club at Lalbagh, open space at Amulia Model town, North Shahjahanpur area, open space near Little Friends club, open place near Kamalapur Biswa Road area, open place at Badda Eastern Housing area, Open space near Kawla Shialdanga, open place at Sector-17, Uttara, Bhatara Saidnagar cattle market, open space at Rajdhani Housing and Basila Garden City, Gabtoli, Mirpur, open place near Eastern Housing at Mirpur section-6, open space near Kanchkura Beparypara Rahman Nagar Residential area, open ground of Dhaka Poly Technical Institute and open place of Jamalpur Properties at Khilkhet. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 03:01:34', '2023-06-26 03:01:34'),
(7697, 7697, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the people of Bangladesh need to keep Awami League in power to attain the final graduation of Bangladesh as a developing country by 2026.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“We know it is we who are needed to make the graduation of Bangladesh as a developing country,” she said, joining the general discussion on the national budget for 2023-24 fiscal year in Parliament on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, the Leader of the House, said today Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country.</div><div><br></div><div>“Who will be able to implement it if we don’t come (to power again)?&nbsp; Show me a person who will be able to do it. Show me a person who will work selflessly for the country. If you (can) show me such leadership, I have no objection,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Pointing at the people of the country, the PM said since the people voted Awami League to power time and again, the AL governments have been able to serve the country and bring it on the development track, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>She said her government has been able to reduce the poverty rate significantly. Today the unemployment rate is only 3 percent, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 03:19:23', '2023-06-26 03:19:23'),
(7698, 7698, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Teenager Suleman Dawood, who died in the Titan submersible, took his Rubik\'s Cube with him because he wanted to break a world record, his mother has told the BBC.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 19-year-old applied to the Guinness World Records and his father, Shahzada, who also died, had brought a camera to capture the moment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christine Dawood and her daughter were on board the Polar Prince, the sub\'s support vessel, when word came through that communications with the Titan had been lost.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I didn\'t comprehend at that moment what it meant - and then it just went downhill from there,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In her first interview, Mrs Dawood said she had planned to go with her husband to view the wreck of the Titanic, but the trip was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As well as Suleman and his father Shahzada Dawood, three other people died on board: Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate which owned the Titan, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver and renowned explorer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking of her son, Mrs Dawood said Suleman loved the Rubik\'s Cube so much that he carried it with him everywhere, dazzling onlookers by solving the complex puzzle in 12 seconds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He said, \'I\'m going to solve the Rubik\'s Cube 3,700 metres below sea at the Titanic\'.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, in the UK. Businessman Shahzada Dawood, who was British, was from one of Pakistan\'s richest families.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family, including daughter Alina, 17, boarded the Polar Prince on Father\'s Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood said they hugged and made jokes in the moments before her husband and son boarded the Titan submersible.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I was really happy for them because both of them, they really wanted to do that for a very long time,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood described her husband as infectiously curious about the world around him - the kind of person who made the family watch documentaries after dinner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He had this ability of childlike excitement,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood and her daughter stayed on board the Polar Prince as the search and rescue mission shifted from hopeful to desperate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think I lost hope when we passed the 96 hours mark,\" Mrs Dawood said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that\'s when she sent a message to her family. \"I said: \'I\'m preparing for the worst.\' That\'s when I lost hope.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alina held out a bit longer, she said. \"She didn\'t lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family returned to St John\'s on Saturday, and on Sunday held a funeral prayer for Shahzada and Suleman. Mrs Dawood said she was touched that the Imam said a prayer for all five of the men killed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood said she and her daughter will try to learn to finish the Rubik\'s Cube in Suleman\'s honour, and she intends to continue her husband\'s work.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He was involved in so many things, he helped so many people and I think I really want to continue that legacy and give him that platform... it\'s quite important for my daughter as well.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mrs Dawood declined to discuss the ongoing investigations into the tragedy. But when asked how she and her daughter would find closure she said: \"Is there such a thing? I don\'t know.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I miss them,\" she said, taking a deep breath. \"I really, really miss them.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 13:27:22', '2023-06-26 13:27:22'),
(7699, 7699, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After a weekend of mayhem, I\'m beginning to understand why Russia\'s national symbol is the double-headed eagle: two heads staring in opposite directions.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, Yevgeny Prigozhin declares he\'s ready to \"go all the way\" in his mutiny against the Russian military. Then he makes a sudden U-turn and orders his Wagner fighters back to base.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a TV address, President Vladimir Putin declares the rebellion \"a criminal adventure… a grievous crime… treason… blackmail and terrorism.\" Yet just a few hours later, as part of an agreement with Prigozhin, it\'s revealed that all criminal charges against the Wagner leader are being dropped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So much for \"grievous crime\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin leader\'s mixed messages have been raising eyebrows here and changing perceptions of President Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He definitely looks weaker,\" says Konstantin Remchukov, owner and editor-in-chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You can\'t make a public statement declaring people are criminals and then, on the same day, at the end of the day, let your press secretary disagree with you and say \'No, those people haven\'t broken the criminal code.\'\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s former minister for economic development, Andrei Nechaev, makes a similar point.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a post on social media, Mr Nechaev argues: \"The law has lost all power. Even grievous crimes won\'t be punished due to political expediency. In the morning, you might be declared a traitor. In the evening, you can be forgiven and the criminal case against you dropped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The country is so clearly on the threshold of big change.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Big change? Bold prediction. But if change is coming, might the Wagner rebellion be the trigger? A deal may have been done and the mutiny called off. But the fact the uprising happened on Mr Putin\'s watch is embarrassing for the president, who is also commander-in-chief of the Russian armed forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And keep in mind: Mr Putin\'s current presidential term runs out next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All elite groups will now begin to think about the 2024 presidential election,\" predicts Mr Remchukov. \"They will ask themselves whether they should rely on Vladimir Putin, as they have been doing until this military coup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Or should they think about someone new, who is capable of dealing with problems in a more contemporary manner?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Someone new\" for the presidency is not something you normally hear the Russian elite discussing openly. That doesn\'t mean a change of guard in the Kremlin is imminent. If there\'s one thing Vladimir Putin has perfected after 23 years in power, it is the art of political survival.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But his decision last year to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered widespread instability within his own country: everything from economic problems to drone attacks on Russian regions, from shelling of Russian border areas near Ukraine to cross-border incursions into Russia by saboteur groups, and now an armed uprising by Wagner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All of this ratchets up the pressure on the Kremlin leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Don\'t expect President Putin to concede that he got things wrong, though. Admitting mistakes and miscalculations is not his style.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So what will be the Russian president\'s next move? A clue, perhaps, came in the latest edition of Russian State TV\'s flagship Sunday night news show. Reporting on the Wagner uprising, the presenter played an extract from an old Putin interview.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Are you able to forgive?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Yes. But not everything.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"What can\'t you forgive?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Treachery.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I wonder if Yevgeny Prigozhin was watching. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 13:38:55', '2023-06-26 13:38:55');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7700, 7700, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Greek conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has trounced his centre-left rival in the second election in a month and said he has a \"strong mandate\" to move faster on the path of change.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His New Democracy party (ND) won 40.5% of the vote, almost 23 points ahead of Syriza, with most of the votes counted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He beat Syriza in May, but called new elections in a bid to win a majority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"ND is today the most powerful centre-right party in Europe,\" he told delighted supporters in Athens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Mitsotakis is credited with successfully returning the Greek economy to stability and growth after a severe debt crisis and three international bailouts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although many Greeks are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, voters chose to stick with the party promising lower taxes and improved public health.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vote came 11 days after a migrant boat tragedy off Greece in which about 500 people are thought to have died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three days of mourning were held, however the disaster had little effect on the campaign and Greeks voted to maintain economic stability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people have given us a safe majority,\" said Mr Mitsotakis as the extent of his victory became clear. \"Major reforms will go ahead quickly.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, his party fell just short of a majority in the 300-seat parliament and his decision to call an election in a bid to form a stable, single-party government was vindicated by Sunday\'s result.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under Greek rules for a second election, the biggest party is awarded a bonus of between 20 and 50 seats. With more than 40% of the vote, New Democracy won all 50.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Mitsotakis said he could not promise miracles, but that New Democracy had \"high goals\" to transform Greece with a better public health service and education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras\'s Syriza party had been soundly defeated in the first election and lost further ground in the second, with less than 18% of the vote. He dampened speculation that he would resign, saying that was a decision for his party members. One of the big stories of the election was the success of a newly created far-right Spartans party, which won almost 4.7% of the vote, crossing the 3% threshold to enter parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Spartans only emerged as a political force this month when the Supreme Court banned another far-right party, the Greeks, and its jailed founder, Ilias Kasidiaris, threw his weight behind the Spartans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kasidiaris had been the spokesman for neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which was banned as a criminal organisation and its leaders given long prison terms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Together with nationalist Greek Solution and ultra-conservative Niki (Victory), the three hard-right parties won close to 13% of the vote and 34 seats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victory secured by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, over Alexis Tsipras\'s Syriza is a rarity in Greek politics, as few parties increase their share after a first term in office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also succeeded in attracting more young voters than his rival.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His party was helped by the fragmentation of the left-wing vote; with Socialist PASOK set for more than 11% and the Communist KKE on around 7%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turnout slumped eight points from the first vote to less than 53%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The conservative leader has formed a reputation as a Teflon-coated leader, fending off a series of damaging crises in the past year, including a rail disaster and a wire-tapping scandal that brought down the intelligence chief and his own nephew, who worked as the prime minister\'s chief of staff.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Greece was being led by a caretaker government when the migrant boat sank off the south-west coast in the early hours of 14 June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the migrant crisis, the views of most Greek voters have shifted in favour of stricter, more conservative policies, says Panos Koliastasis, assistant professor of politics at the University of Peloponnese.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The reason is rooted in the 2020 migration crisis on the Evros [river], when Turkey tried to push thousands of migrants into Greek territory and the Mitsotakis government acted swiftly. So the greater part of the public perceives the migration issue as an external threat to national sovereignty.\" BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:07:01', '2023-06-26 14:07:01'),
(7701, 7701, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Eight people died Sunday in Ecuador in the third suspected gang-related shooting this month, police said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another five people were wounded in the violence outside a night club in the Pacific coast town of La Concordia, police told news outlets in a WhatsApp chat group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ecuador is enduring a surge in violence as rival cocaine trafficking gangs fight over turf and supply routes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Violence that is at times gruesome in nature, with people beheaded or set on fire, has left hundreds dead in recent years in the streets and in prisons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the latter, gangs have fought each other viciously in some of the worst prison massacres in all of Latin America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several other attacks Sunday left four people dead in the capital Quito, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last Monday, six people were killed and eight wounded in an apparent gang shootout in Guayaquil, a port city that is the hardest hit by the drug-related violence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guayaquil is the country\'s largest city, biggest port and economic hub.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The location of the city, home to three million of Ecuador\'s 18 million people, makes it a strategic launch point for shipments of drugs to the United States and Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 4, an attack at a home in the city left five dead, including a police officer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the world\'s top producers of cocaine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far this year, authorities have seized 100 tons of drugs in operations. For 2022, the haul was just over 200 tons, and in 2021, a record 210 tons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country\'s murder rate almost doubled between 2021 and 2022, from 14 to 25 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to official figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The authorities estimate that Ecuador has more than a dozen organized crime groups within its borders, some with several thousand members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some are believed to have links to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, both in Mexico.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since taking office in 2021, President Guillermo Lasso has issued repeated states of emergency to mobilize the military in the streets and implement curfews in the face of high crime rates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April, the government declared members of organized crime groups to be terrorists, a distinction that allows the military to pursue them with fewer restrictions. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:19:24', '2023-06-26 14:19:24'),
(7702, 7702, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">More than 17,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained by Britain and other allies over the last year to help Kyiv fight Russia\'s invasion, the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The recruits, from many different walks of life, all went through a \"gruelling\" five-week programme which the ministry said had transformed them \"from civilians to soldiers\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Britain and nine partner nations -- Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania and The Netherlands -- opened the initiative for new volunteer recruits to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in June last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK-led training programme dubbed Operation Interflex taught the recruits, who had little to no previous military experience, various skills including weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The determination and resilience of the Ukrainian recruits that arrive on British soil, from all walks of life, to train to fight alongside our British and international forces, is humbling to witness,\" UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The UK and our international partners will continue to provide this vital support, helping Ukraine defend against Russian aggression, for as long as it takes.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Britain initially offered to train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in battlefield skills, based on the UK\'s basic soldier training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The programme has now been extended and is on track to train some 30,000 recruits by 2024, according to the British defence ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said intelligence has shown that the training has made \"a significant difference to the combat effectiveness of Ukraine\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The UK Armed Forces maintains close communication with Ukraine to improve and evolve the course based on the skills most needed on the battlefield,\" the ministry added. AFp</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:44:41', '2023-06-26 14:44:41'),
(7703, 7703, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The rebellious mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow were gone Sunday, but the short-lived revolt has weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces are facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under terms of the agreement that ended the crisis, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his Wagner troops in the failed uprising, will go into exile in Belarus but will not face prosecution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it was unclear what would ultimately happen to him and his forces. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal, released few details. Neither Prigozhin nor Putin has been heard from, and top Russian military leaders have also remained silent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend’s events as “extraordinary,” recalling that 16 months ago Putin appeared poised to seize the capital of Ukraine and now he has had to defend Moscow from forces led by his onetime protege.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think we’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian façade,” Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is too soon to tell exactly where they go and when they get there, but certainly we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not yet clear what the fissures opened by the 24-hour rebellion would mean for the war in Ukraine. But it resulted in some of the best forces fighting for Russia being pulled from the battlefield: the Wagner troops, who had shown their effectiveness in scoring the Kremlin\'s only land victory in months, in Bakhmut, and Chechen soldiers sent to stop them on the approach to Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner forces\' largely unopposed, rapid advance also exposed vulnerabilities in Russia\'s security and military forces. The mercenary soldiers were reported to have downed several helicopters and a military communications plane. The Defense Ministry has not commented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I honestly think that Wagner probably did more damage to Russian aerospace forces in the past day than the Ukrainian offensive has done in the past three weeks,\" Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at the CNA research group, said in a podcast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting could create opportunities for their army, which is in the early stages of a counteroffensive to take back territory seized by Russian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Putin is much diminished and the Russian military, and this is significant as far as Ukraine is concerned,\" said Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the general staff of the British armed forces. “... Prigozhin has left the stage to go to Belarus, but is that the end of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under terms of the agreement that stopped Prigozhin’s advance, Wagner troops who didn’t back the revolt will be offered contracts directly with the Russian military, putting them under the control of the military brass that Prigozhin was trying to oust. A possible motivation for Prigozhin’s rebellion was the Defense Ministry’s demand, which Putin backed, that private companies sign contracts with it by July 1. Prigozhin had refused to do it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What we don’t know, but will discover in the next hours and days is, how many of his fighters have gone with him, because if he has gone to Belarus and kept an effective fighting force around him, then he ... presents a threat again” to Ukraine, Dannatt said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Sunday that the aborted rebellion in Russia had “exposed the weakness of Putin\'s regime.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their lightning advance, Prigozhin\'s forces on Saturday took control of two military hubs in southern Russia and got within 200 kilometers (120 miles) of Moscow before retreating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People in Rostov-on-Don cheered Wagner troops as they departed late Saturday, a scene that played into Putin’s fear of a popular uprising. Some ran to shake hands with Prigozhin as he drove away in an SUV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet the rebellion fizzled quickly, in part because Prigozhin did not have the backing he apparently expected from Russian security services. The Federal Security Services immediately called for his arrest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Clearly, Prigozhin lost his nerve,\" retired U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, said on CNN\'s “State of the Union.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This rebellion, although it had some applause along the way, didn’t appear to be generating the kind of support that he had hoped it would.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rostov appeared calm Sunday morning, with only tank tracks on the roads as a reminder of the Wagner fighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It all ended perfectly well, thank God. With minimal casualties, I think. Good job,” said a resident, who agreed only to provide his first name, Sergei. He said the Wagner soldiers used to be heroes to him, but not now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Lipetsk region, which sits on the road to Moscow, residents appeared unfazed by the turmoil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They did not disrupt anything. They stood calmly on the pavement and did not approach or talk to anyone,” Milena Gorbunova told the AP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Wagner forces moved north toward Moscow, Russian troops armed with machine guns set up checkpoints on the outskirts. By Sunday afternoon, the troops had withdrawn and traffic had returned to normal, although Red Square remained closed to visitors. On highways leading to Moscow, crews repaired roads ripped up just hours earlier in panic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anchors on state-controlled television stations cast the deal ending the crisis as a show of Putin’s wisdom and aired footage of Wagner troops retreating from Rostov to the relief of local residents who feared a bloody battle for control of the city. People there who were interviewed by Channel 1 praised Putin’s handling of the crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the revolt and the deal that ended it severely dented Putin’s reputation as a leader willing to ruthlessly punish anyone who challenges his authority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin had demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Prigozhin has long criticized in withering terms for how he has conducted the war in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. had intelligence that Prigozhin had been building up his forces near the border with Russia for some time. That conflicts with Prigozhin’s claim that his rebellion was a response to an attack on his field camps in Ukraine on Friday by the Russian military that he said killed a large number of his men. The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said Prigozhin\'s march on Moscow appeared to have been planned in advance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Now, being a military guy, he understands the logistics and really the assistance that he’s going to need to do that,” including from some Russians on the border with Ukraine who supported him, Turner said on CBS\' “Face the Nation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is something that would have had to have been planned for a significant amount of time to be executed in the manner in which it was,” he said. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 14:52:07', '2023-06-26 14:52:07'),
(7704, 7704, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 88 at 9:10 am, Dhaka ranked 14th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Canada\'s Montreal, Indonesia\'s Jakarta and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 196, 153 and 149, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 15:13:28', '2023-06-26 15:13:28'),
(7705, 7705, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Sunday assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lacroix made the assurance when he met acting Army Chief Lieutenant General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan at the military headquarters on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, they exchanged greetings and discussed various issues related to the UN peacekeeping mission. During the discussion, the current status of the Mali mission and the future activities of the said mission was given utmost importance, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Acting Army Chief requested the visiting UN Under Secretary General to recruit more Bangladeshi peacekeepers for the peacekeeping missions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lacroix highly praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers engaged in the UN missions and assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also thanked Bangladesh and especially the Bangladesh Army for sending the highest number of peacekeepers for a long time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, the appointment of Bangladeshis and especially women peacekeepers for important appointments in future peacekeeping missions was also discussed. The Acting Army Chief thanked the UN official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN Under Secretary General is on a visit to Bangladesh to attend the Peacekeeping Ministerial-2023 Preparatory Conference to be held in Ghana\'s capital Accra in December this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This conference titled “Women in Peace” is being organised jointly by Bangladesh, Canada and Uruguay. Bangladesh has been in a leading position in the dynamic trend, which the United Nations has developed in peacekeeping missions over the past few decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has also been standing the number one country for sending peacekeepers for the past few years. The number of members sent from Bangladesh is increasing every year. Bangladesh is also in a strong position in decision-making posts in peacekeeping missions. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 15:51:36', '2023-06-26 15:51:36'),
(7706, 7706, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden on Sunday discussed a brief revolt of mercenary troops in Russia that sparked Moscow\'s largest political crisis in decades.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I spoke with US President Joseph Biden. A positive and inspiring conversation,\" Zelensky tweeted.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia,\" he said, adding the two had also discussed long-range weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White House confirmed the talks in a separate statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored,\" Zelensky added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An armed rebellion by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had vowed on Friday to topple the Russian military leadership, sparked Russia\'s largest political crisis in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the weekend, Prigozhin ordered his forces to take over a key military headquarters in southern Russia and launch a march on Moscow, before suddenly telling his mercenaries to turn around after a deal with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aborted revolt has left many in Russia and abroad stunned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelensky also said that the two leaders also discussed more US aid \"with an emphasis on long-range weapons\" and coordinated the two countries positions on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius next month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also discussed the crisis in phone conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sharing \"Ukraine\'s assessments of the attempted coup in Russia and the impact of this situation on the course of hostilities\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in a separate conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, they discussed the situation on the battlefield and the threat to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, in southern Ukraine, held by Russian forces. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 16:39:15', '2023-06-26 16:39:15'),
(7707, 7707, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ten people were killed and six others injured when lightning struck parts of Pakistan\'s east Punjab province on Sunday, rescue officials said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The incidents happened in the Sheikhupura and Narowal districts of the province, where the lightning struck several houses after heavy rainfall, the state-run rescue organization Rescue 1122 said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The injured people were shifted nearby, whereas the rescue teams have been put on high alert across the province to meet any untoward situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;In a tweet on Sunday morning, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said that pre-monsoon rains are forecast across the country till June 30, during which strong winds, thunder, and heavy rain are expected in various cities of Punjab.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;She mentioned that the heavy rainfall has sparked concerns about flooding in urban areas and potential floods and landslides in mountainous regions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"All concerned and local institutions have been instructed to be alert and tourists to be cautious. Citizens are requested to stay away from vulnerable infrastructure, power poles, and rivers during strong winds and rains to avoid any untoward incident,\" Rehman added. Xinhua</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 17:39:38', '2023-06-26 17:39:38'),
(7708, 7708, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The parliament passed the Tk 7,61,785 crore national budget for FY 2023-24 -- with the goal of achieving 7.5 percent GDP growth rate and keeping annual inflation at around 6 percent.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal moved the Appropriations Bill 2023, seeking a budgetary allocation of Tk 11,10,840 crore which was passed by voice votes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier today, the parliament passed the Finance Bill 2023 with some changes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the proposal mooted in the House by the Finance Ministry for the parliamentary approval of the appropriation of funds for meeting necessary development and non-development expenditures of the government, the ministers concerned placed justifications for the expenditure by their respective ministries through 59 demands for grants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the parliament rejected, by voice votes, a total of only 503 cut-motions that stood in the name of opposition members on 59 demands for grants for different ministries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 10 MPs, including from Jatiya Party and Gono Forum, submitted their cut-motions on the budget. They are: Kazi Firoze Rashid, Rustam Ali Farazi, Mujibul Huq, Fakhrul Imam, Pir Fazlur Rahman, Shamim Haider Patwari, Begum Rawshan Ara Mannan, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Mokabbir Khan, and Rezaul Karim Bablu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They were, however, allowed to participate in the discussion on Commerce Ministry and Health Services Division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury quickened the process of passing the demands for grants for different ministries without giving a lunch break.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opposition and independent MPs were present in the House when the Appropriation Bill was passed, and they did not raise objection to passing the bill.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 1 placed a Tk 7,61,785 crore budget for Bangladesh for FY 2023–24, which is 15.2 percent of the GDP, with a philosophy of ensuring a hunger- and poverty-free, knowledge-based, and \'Smart Bangladesh\' by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">7.5% GDP growth rate with an expectation of keeping annual inflation at around 6%</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The allocation for operating and other sectors is Tk 4,36,247 crore, while Tk 2,63,000 crore will go to the Annual Development Programme.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The total revenue is estimated at Tk 5 lakh crore. Out of this, Tk 4,30,000 crore will be collected by the National Board of Revenue and Tk 70,000 crore from other sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The overall deficit in the proposed budget for FY 2023-24 will stand at Tk 2,61,785 crore, which is 5.2 percent of GDP. Out of the total deficit, Tk 1,55,395 crore will be financed from domestic sources and Tk 1,02,490 crore from external sources. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 18:20:53', '2023-06-26 18:20:53'),
(7709, 7709, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Malaika Arora was the life of the party at Arjun Kapoor\'s birthday celebration on Sunday. The yoga expert and reality TV personality danced her heart out to her hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya at the bash. Looking glamorous in a white gown with side slits, Malaika performed all her hooksteps while dancing in a circle of friends and stopped only after the song was over.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Malaika\'s dance video</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the guests at the party shared Malaika\'s dance video with the caption “Unreal”. The video is now going viral. Arjun\'s sister Anshula Kapoor, cousin Khushi Kapoor and their other friends also attended the party. Arjun turned 38 on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>More about Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chaiyya Chaiyya was sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi and had Malaika dancing along side Shah Rukh Khan on top of a train in the film Dil Se. It was choreographed by Farah Khan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Malaika on Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April, Malaika had spoken about the song at a promotional event for her new dance number Tera Ki Khayal with Guru Randhawa. She said, “It’s good that people rejected that song because it turned out to be beneficial for me. I am very happy. I believe in kismet (destiny). I think it was meant to happen. I got to work with the best, right from Farah Khan to Shah Rukh Khan, to Mani Ratnam to AR Rahman to Santosh Sivan. I had the opportunity to work with the best in the business.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even after 25 years, if you start to think of a song that created a huge impact on the big screen, everybody says that Chaiyya Chaiyya is one of those songs. Even today, people sing and dance on that song. I still get love for that song. So, I am very happy that I got to be a part of such a blockbuster song.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Who all had rejected Chaiyya Chaiyya</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Malaika and Farah were also seen talking about Chaiyya Chaiyya during Malaika\'s reality show, Moving In With Malaika. In the show, Farah told Malaika, “You’re the Chaiyya Chaiyya girl. But luckily for you, some five heroines had refused to climb on the train. Malaika was nowhere on the radar. We approached Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shilpa Shirodkar, and 2-3 other people. One had a phobia of climbing on the train, another one was not available.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She added, “Then the makeup person said, Malaika is a very good dancer. When she climbed on the train, we were completely curious whether she would pull it off or not. But the rest as we know is history.” HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 18:27:48', '2023-06-26 18:27:48'),
(7710, 7710, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is extending BRAC Bank Limited (BBL) a $50 million loan to aid small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) emerge from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This investment will contribute to the preservation of jobs and bring foreign exchange liquidity into BBL to help support the working capital and trade finance requirements of the Bank\'s SME importer- and exporter- clients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This investment, along with a similar loan to Prime Bank in February, will also send a positive signal to the market and contribute towards attracting additional international investors to support the foreign exchange financing needs of local banks and SMEs, said a press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The financing package is part of IFC\'s $8 billion global COVID-19 fast-track financing facility to support companies during the ongoing public health crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This new investment comes under the Working Capital Solutions (WCS) program of the COVID-19 response envelope, which is providing $2 billion globally to emerging-market banks, enabling them to support struggling firms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This project will also be supported by the International Development Association\'s Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility, which is also rendering aid to IFC\'s WCS program.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BBL is Bangladesh\'s third largest private bank and the only SME-focused bank in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our SME and corporate clients continue to confront challenges arising from the disruptive effects of COVID-19. The insufficient availability of foreign exchange has additionally impeded their regular trading operations,\" said Selim R. F. Hussain, the Managing Director and CEO of BBL.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global economic slowdown, influenced by a series of factors, including geo-political events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"IFC has been supporting the banking sector in export-driven economies like Bangladesh, which have been facing declines in foreign exchange reserves due to various macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds,\" said Joon Young Park, IFC\'s Portfolio Manager for South Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"IFC plans to continue providing its steadfast support to key banking partners in Bangladesh who have significant SME portfolios, such as BRAC, with whom IFC has had equity and debt commitments over the past 19 years.\" added Park.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">IFC has invested more than $3.6 billion to promote the growth of the private sector in Bangladesh since 2010, thereby creating job opportunities for the country\'s citizens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, IFC has provided over $360 million in working capital solutions and liquidity support to banks and companies in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After three long years of grappling with the impact of the pandemic, businesses in Bangladesh continue to face challenging market conditions,\" said Martin Holtmann, IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"By supporting BRAC Bank, we are continuing our efforts to help Bangladesh recover and foster a resilient post-pandemic economic landscape,\" added Holtmann. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:19:20', '2023-06-26 19:19:20');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7711, 7711, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the face of severe oppostion criticism in parliament for his alleged failure to control price hike of the essential commodities Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Monday offered to resign if&nbsp; the prime minister gives the responsibility of running the ministry to one of the opposition MPs.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan fired the first shot against Tipu Munshi during the discussion on proposed&nbsp; cut motion on the Ministry of Commerce in the budget for FY2023-24.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party MPs also criticised the commerce minister for the rising prices of daily products. They also raised the question whether the \'business\' minister, Tipu Munshi, is involved with the market syndicate or not.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cow rawhide price increases by 6 percent this year: Tipu Munshi</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rustam Ali Faraji of Jatiya Party said in the discussion on the retrenchment proposal, what does the monitoring cell of the ministry do?&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Such a big ministry. If the minister does not have dynamism then the price will increase. If only one person works and everyone sleeps, then the country will not run. Market syndicates should be broken up. It is certainly possible if desired. But if you think the business belongs to me then it is sad for the country and its people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party\'s Shamim Haider Patwari said that even though the commodity prices have decreased in global markets in the last few months, it is not affecting the country.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid excessive buying to keep markets stable: Commerce Minister</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Inflation in Bangladesh was 6 percent now it seems to be 10 percent. It is growing. Inflation is eating away people\'s income. Due to inflation, soap, bread are all getting smaller,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that making the government budget and household budget are not the same thing.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the budget of the government is decreasing and due to this rice, pulses, oil, chicken size and meat pitches are getting smaller.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The economy of Bangladesh is trapped in a vicious cycle of inflation. The government should take steps to overcome this,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are syndicates. There is no doubt about it. That syndicates are powerful. But are they stronger than the government? I don\'t think they can be stronger than the government. If there is a syndicate within the government, it must be identified,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh allows green chilli import as price keeps rising</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the minister has a vast business.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He is a successful businessman. I believe that if he is given the freedom to act, then he can definitely control it,\" said he.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan said that the most unsuccessful ministry of the current government is the Ministry of Commerce.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When you go to the market, you hear from people that the Ministry of Commerce is so unsuccessful that people call it a syndicate friendly ministry.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With higher spice prices, consumers feeling the pinch this Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alleging the involvement of a syndicate of traders to increase the price of goods, Mokabbir said that many people said that the commerce minister was involved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Why don\'t you resign after all this?” Mokabbir asked the the commerce minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mokabbir said that when the commerce minister says that the price of a product will decrease, the price of that product increases the next day.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that he knows that the minister will not give any answer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spice prices soar in Faridpur ahead of Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party Member of Parliament Roshan Ara Mannan said that people get upset when they go to the market.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Ministry of Commerce is not monitoring the market properly. The commerce minister is a freedom fighter. Why can\'t he control the market ?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiya Party lawmaker Pir Fazlur Rahman said that the minister of state for industries said that people cry when they go to market, and the only reason is the syndicate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People also understand this. The Russia-Ukraine war alone should not be blamed for the rise in commodity prices. The syndicate has looted thousands of rupees in the egg market. Chicken eggs do not come from Ukraine.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Forex reserves likely to increase due to govt steps: PM Hasina tells Parliament</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the commerce minister has said that some traders are taking advantage of the product prices.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our commerce minister can not arrest the syndicate people who raise prices. He himself is a businessman. He knows which businessmen are doing it. So are these businessmen close to him, which is why he can\'t catch the syndicate businessmen?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He demanded that the commerce minister should say publicly why he is not able to do that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pir Fazlu said that Tk 1500 crore has been looted in the onion market.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A few companies are looting Tk 17 crore daily in the sugar market. Thousands of crores of taka has been looted in boiler chicken market in a month and a half. The commerce minister can\'t do anything.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu Munshi said that it is possible to take actions against the market syndicate including jail and fine.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is talk of syndicate. It\'s just that big groups do a lot of business together. We need to focus - we jailed, fined. That might be possible. But it will be difficult for us to bear the sudden crisis. That\'s why we try to stay within the rules through discussion,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to his involvement in politics long before coming to business,&nbsp; Tipu said, \"One thing that comes up time and again is that I am a businessman and businessmen are taking advantage of me. I don\'t know how many years of experience they have in politics. But I have been in politics for 56 years. I have been in business for 40/42 years now.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to Mokabbir\'s demand, the minister said, \"Someone here asked me to resign. I will tell the honorable prime minister that if he (Mokabbir) takes responsibility, she can relieve me and give the responsibility to him. I have no problem.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu said that the price has increased and the prime minister repeatedly says that people are suffering.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that the global situation has affected the country, not the internal causes. “we have to take that into consideration.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the onion price, the minister said, there is no doubt that the price has increased. Onions have been mentioned. We discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture and decided that farmers should get a price that encourages them to grow.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that in onion, the country has a shortfall of 6 to 7 lakh tonnes every year.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Farmers will focus on production if the price is better. By this step our deficit is reduced by half. But it should not be exactly Tk 80 to 90 per kg. That is why we have arranged the import,\" he said&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the government did not want to import onion for ensuring fair price to the local farmers.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But we imported on the instructions of the prime minister. Imported Indian onions are now Tk 40/45 per kg. Today, the price of our desi onion is Tk 65. I think it should be reduced further. we are trying. Within 10/15 days it will come to within Tk 50 a kg”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said that everything is not fixed by the Ministry of Commerce.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I am still taking responsibility and we are trying our best to do what we can,\" he stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding sugar price surge, he said&nbsp; he has requested the prime minister to reduce the duty structure to bring down the price within Tk 100 a kg. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:22:58', '2023-06-26 19:22:58'),
(7712, 7712, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for continuing work to end drug abuse, noting that tens of millions of people suffer from drug use disorders.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As a global community, let’s continue our work to end drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigma endured by drug users around the world,” he said in a message marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drug users are doubly victimized: first by the harmful effects of the drugs themselves, and second by the stigma and discrimination they face.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People who use drugs can often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs,” said the UN chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination, and strengthening prevention, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences. It means upholding the human rights of people who use drugs, including by expanding prevention and treatment programmes and health services,” Guterres said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It means protecting people and communities alike by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Above all, it means governments leading the way. When I was Prime Minister of Portugal, we implemented non-criminal responses to drug possession for personal use, while cracking down on traffickers and re-allocating resources to prevention, treatment and harm-reduction measures,” said the UN chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, drug consumption and associated infectious disease rates plummeted, more drugs were seized by police and customs, and — most importantly — lives were saved, he said, adding that, “Today, Portugal has one of Europe’s lowest overdose and death rates from drug use.” UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bndb24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 19:45:10', '2023-06-26 19:45:10'),
(7713, 7713, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The main congregation of Eid-ul-Azha will be held at 7:30am at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises in the capital on the Eid day.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>All preparations have been taken to hold the Eid congregation, said Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh while visiting the Jatiya Eidgah ground on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the jamaat will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 8am in case of inclement weather.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 35,000 Muslim devotees can attend the Eid jamaat at a time inside the main pandal while several others will join the jamaat outside it.</div><div><br></div><div>Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Bangladesh on June 29. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 21:19:38', '2023-06-26 21:19:38'),
(7714, 7714, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A total of 10.74 lakh workers went abroad for employment till June of the current fiscal (2022-23), which is 15.59 percent more than the same period of the previous fiscal year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad told this in parliament replying to a tabled question from ruling Awami League MP elected from Bhola Ali Azam.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said that during the same period of last fiscal year (2021-22), a total of 9.7 lakh workers went abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a query of AL MP Habibar Rahman from Bogura, the Expatriates’ Welfare Minister said that there is a plan to sign agreements with new countries for manpower export.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said that process is underway to sign agreements with Libya, Malta, Albania, Romania and Serbia in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to the question of another AL MP Nurannabi Chowdhury from Bhola-4, the Minister said that since the establishment of Expatriate Welfare Bank, Tk 2081 crore have been distributed among around 1.14 lakh expatriate workers as loan for migration purposes.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a query from AL MP AKM Rahmatullah from Dhaka, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said earlier the domestic demand of tea in the country was less than the production and that’s why more tea was exported.</div><div><br></div><div>At present the demand of tea in the country is about 100 million kg, he said adding that as people\'s purchasing power increases, all the tea produced in the country is used to meet domestic demand, leaving little surplus for export.</div><div><br></div><div>In order to increase the export of tea, the government as well as the tea board has taken various steps to increase the production of quality tea.</div><div><br></div><div>In reply to a query from AL MP Nizam Uddin Hazari of Feni, the commerce minister said that there are trade missions of Bangladesh in 23 cities of 21 countries of the world.</div><div><br></div><div>They are: Canberra, Brussels, Beijing, Kunming, Paris, Berlin, New Delhi, Kolkata, Tehran, Tokyo, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Seoul, Singapore, Madrid, Geneva, Dubai, London, Washington DC and Los Angeles, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He added that in the near future, there are plans to set up commercial wing in Brasilia, Turkey, Ankara, Mexico, Mexico City and Africa. Besides, there are plans to set up missions in Indonesia and Thailand.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-26 22:09:54', '2023-06-26 22:09:54'),
(7715, 7715, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President of Latin America-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LABCCI) Md. Anwar Shawkat Afser and Robin Miah, Publicity Represent for Bangladesh of NR Sports and close friend of famous Brazilian footballer&nbsp; Neymar met the Ambassador of Brazil Paulo Fernando Dias Feres at his office on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Robin Mia discussed the Brazil football promo in Bangladesh and enhanced the bi-lateral cultural relationship between Brazil and Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>He handed over a Jersey of Neymar with his signature to the Ambassador.</div><div><br></div><div>Md. Anwar Shawkat Afser, President of LABCCI, assured all cooperation for the trade promotion and cultural cooperation between the two brotherly countries.</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned that as a part of trade promotion initiative, a high profile business delegation will visit Brazil during 1-12 August 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The delegation will be led by Executive Chairman of BIDA,&nbsp; Lokman Hossain Miah, Senior Secretary.</div><div><br></div><div>B2B and networking seminars will be held during the event. The proposed sectors are Agriculture, Food Processing, Coffee, Processing plant for soya beans, sunflower, oil seed, corn, cotton, iron ores, petroleum oils, wood log, export of RMG, jute, leather, pharmaceuticals &amp; plastic goods, setup shipping and maritime industry and Brazilian aviation industry in Bangladesh for export, etc.</div><div><br></div><div>Ambassador Paulo Fernando Dias Feres assured his all necessary cooperation for the relation with Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;He also expressed that Brazil is the friend of Bangladesh and they will ease the business environment for Bangladeshi. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:24:30', '2023-06-27 01:24:30'),
(7716, 7716, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In anticipation of Eid ul Adha, Bangladeshis abroad sent back $1.79 billion in inward remittances in the first 23 days of the current month (June), finally gaining some pace through official channels after a lacklustre few months.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The figure has already eclipsed the entire month of May figure, which was $1.69bn, with a full week still left. If the trend continues, remittances in June would exceed the $2bn mark by the end of the month. Although this mark was breached in March ($2.02 billion), the flow of remittances in April ($1.68bn) and May ($1.69bn) was again disappointing.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank officials noted that people spend more on the Eid festival. On occasion of Eid ul Adha, many expatriates would have their qurbani (sacrifice, usually of cattle) at home through their relatives. So a hike was to be expected in the last month of the 2022-23 fiscal. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:27:42', '2023-06-27 01:27:42'),
(7717, 7717, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Minority community leaders have questioned Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy’s recent claim that Hindus – the largest religious minority in Bangladesh – are gradually “leaving the country due to lack of security.”</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>They also made the observation that BNP leaders’ attempt to endorse an “error-ridden projection” of the state of minorities in Bangladesh by six US congressmen in a letter to Biden can only have a negative impact ahead of the national election.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the wave of attacks on minorities in the run up to national elections held in 2014 and earlier, they also held BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami responsible.</div><div><br></div><div>Reiterating his previous stance against the US congressmen’s letter – calling it a “travesty of truth” – Advocate Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, said: “In 1977, under BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman’s watch, the core tenets of a non-communal polity was destroyed.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Following the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, successive regimes led by Gen Zia and Gen Ershad all went on an overdrive – introducing a Pakistan-style communal rule, and embracing communal forces,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>One must consider the widespread repression of minorities between 2001 and 2006 under the then BNP-Jamaat government, as well as spate of attacks during the war crimes trial, Dasgupta said. The trend of reduction in Hindu population in Bangladesh occurred over five decades, he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>Several noted minority community leaders, academics and anti-war crimes campaigners have pulled up the US congressmen for what they called “absolutely false projection” of the state of minorities. They also said it was a “threat to the existing communal harmony in Bangladesh.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Since Sheikh Hasina’s rise to power, the Hindu population has been halved… Sheikh Hasina’s government also has persecuted Bangladesh’s minority Christian population – burning and looting places of worship, jailing pastors, and breaking up families when religious conversion occurs,” reads the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Archbishop Emeritus Patrick D’Rozario, earlier, strongly criticised the portrayal of Bangladesh’s Christian community as “persecuted” under the present government. Calling such assertions “incorrect,” the former Archbishop of Dhaka insisted that the government has stood by the Christian community in Bangladesh against bigots.</div><div><br></div><div>A group of around 200 prominent Bangladeshi Americans released a statement saying that the letter from six US congressmen contains “false and misleading information.”</div><div><br></div><div>“The letter ignores the October 2001 post-national election violence unleashed on the Hindu community by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami led coalition,” the statement from the Bangladeshi Americans said. According UNB reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:42:27', '2023-06-27 01:42:44'),
(7718, 7718, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The largest Eid congregation of the country will be held at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj district at 9 am on Eid day.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Three-tier security measures have been taken in and around the Eidgah to ensure foolproof security, said deputy commissioner of Kishoreganj Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad on Monday after inspecting the maidan ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>The main Eid jamaat will be held at 9 am and Maulana Farid Uddin Masud will lead the Eid congregation, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>People will not be allowed to carry mobile phone sets and umbrellas on security grounds.</div><div><br></div><div>Law enforcers along with plainclothes police will be deployed. Apart from CCTV cameras, four watchtowers will be set up to keep an eye on the ground.</div><div><br></div><div>Six ambulances and 2 firefighting units will remain standby round-the-clock for any emergency.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, two special trains named Sholakia Express-1 and Sholakia Express-2&nbsp; will run on Bhairab-Kishoreganj and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj routes to ensure the safe participation of people at the largest Eid jamaat in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Sholakia Express- 1 will leave Bhairab at 6 am and reach Kishoreganj at 8 am while Sholakia Express-2 will leave Mymensingh at 6:30 am and reach Kishoreganj at 8:30 am.</div><div><br></div><div>The Eidgah is situated on the northern bank of the Norsunda river. Mannan Dad Khan, former Dewan of Haibatnagar in Kishoreganj, donated 4.35 acres of land through Waqf deeds in 1950 and now the Eidgah has an area of seven acres.</div><div><br></div><div>The waqf document mentions that Eid Jamaat was held at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan some 200 years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>During the 2016 Eid-ul-Fitr congregation, militants launched a surprise attack on a temporary police check post near the Eidgah, killing at least four people, including two policemen.</div><div><br></div><div>Every year, Sholakia Eidgha Maidan turns into a sea of people. People offer prayers and seek blessings from Allah for peace and happiness. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 01:56:13', '2023-06-27 01:56:13'),
(7719, 7719, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Indian trucks loaded with green chilli entered Bangladesh through Hili land port in Dinajpur on Monday as the government has allowed its import&nbsp; in the wake of surging prices in the local market ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>M/s Satata Banijyalay, BK Trade, Promi Enterprise and Royal Trade International-- have received import permits (IP). These organizations will import around 1,900 metric tons of green chilli.</div><div><br></div><div>Shakil, a retail trader of Hili market, said that the price of green chilli increased to Tk 160-200 per kg on Monday morning after 10 months. “Now it\'s being imported. The price of chilli may come down in 2-1 day.”</div><div><br></div><div>Center for Plant Disease Control assistant officer Yusuf Ali said that import of green chilli from India through Hili land port was suspended&nbsp; on August 24 last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Green chilli import has started through Hili land as the government again allowed it, the officer added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Ministry of Agriculture permitted 30 importing firms to import a total of 11,600 metric tonnes of green chillies, said an official release on Sunday.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, 68 companies have been granted permission to import 55,600 MT of tomatoes, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:03:34', '2023-06-27 02:03:34'),
(7720, 7720, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked or rode buses Monday to a giant tented city near Makkah for the climax of the annual hajj that Saudi officials say could break attendance records.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Makkah\'s Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards each day, worshippers set off for Mina, about seven kilometres (more than four miles) away, in suffocating heat.</div><div><br></div><div>Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air- conditioned buses provided by Saudi authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world\'s largest encampment, before the hajj\'s high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is said to have delivered his final sermon.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is an experience that is worth it,\" said Salim Ibrahim, a 39-year-old Nigerian, when asked about temperatures that have touched 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).</div><div><br></div><div>\"Even if the heat gets stronger, I will repeat the hajj again,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Saudi officials say this year\'s hajj -- one of the five pillars of Islam -- could be the biggest in history. After 2.5 million attended in 2019, numbers were capped in 2020, 2021 and 2022 because of the Covid pandemic.</div><div><br></div><div>The event has seen multiple crises over the years, including militant attacks, deadly fires and a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people. There have been no major incidents since.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of the safety measures, helicopters and AI-equipped drones have been deployed to monitor the flow of traffic towards Mina, which sits in a narrow valley flanked by rocky mountains.</div><div><br></div><div>A small fleet of self-driving buses, seating up to 11 people, is in operation between the sites of the rituals, including Makkha -- Islam\'s holiest city -- Mina and Muzdalifah.</div><div><br></div><div> \'Exhausted\' </div><div><br></div><div>One of the biggest risks this year at the hajj, which follows the lunar calendar, is heat, especially after maximum age restrictions were removed.</div><div><br></div><div>Habbia Abdel Nasser, a Moroccan woman who was performing the rituals with her husband, needed urgent medical treatment near the Grand Mosque because of the heat.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The weather is very hot here compared to Morocco, and we feel exhausted,\" said her husband, 62-year-old businessman Rahim Abdel Nasser, as he poured water on her head to cool her down.</div><div><br></div><div>The health ministry has recommended pilgrims use umbrellas during the day and has told the sick and elderly to stay indoors around midday to \"avoid sunstroke\".</div><div><br></div><div>Four hospitals and 26 clinics are ready to deal with ailing pilgrims in Mina, and more than 190 ambulances have been deployed, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, the pilgrims will pray and recite the Koran for several hours at Mount Arafat and spend the night nearby. The following day, they will gather pebbles and hurl them at three giant concrete walls for the symbolic \"stoning of the devil\" ritual.</div><div><br></div><div>The last stop is back in Makkha, where they will perform a final circumambulation of the Kaaba, which according to Muslim tradition had been built by Abraham and his son, Ishmael.</div><div><br></div><div>All Muslims who are capable are expected to form the hajj at least once. About 1.6 million foreigners had arrived for the pilgrimage by Friday evening, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>Many are overcome by the experience as they fulfil a lifelong dream at the sites where Islam began.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I still can\'t believe I\'m performing the hajj pilgrimage,\" Syrian merchant Mohammad Hajouj, 59, told AFP as he fought back tears. - AFP </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p>hajj <br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:27:25', '2023-06-27 02:48:32'),
(7721, 7721, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on Monday said his forces are firmly committed to make the Eid journeys smooth for all by keeping the traffic normal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We are determined to make the Eid journey smooth by keeping the traffic normal. Our senior officers are also on duty on the streets 24 hours a day in this regard,\" the IGP said.</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP came up with the remarks after visiting the Gabtoli bus terminal and cattle haat (temporary market) in the city on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>He spoke to the passengers and inquired from the traders about the safety of the sacrificial animals in the market. The IGP also distributed awareness leaflets among the passengers at the bus terminal.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We always want to serve people by their side,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters, the IGP&nbsp; said different police units, including Metropolitan Police, River Police, Tourist Police, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), RAB and other specialized units are working together to ensure smooth Eid journey of home bound people. Administration, transport owner-workers are also working with us. We are all continuing to work tirelessly to ensure people\'s reach their destination safely, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He requested the passengers to contact the nearest police station or 999 in case of any need.</div><div><br></div><div>About circulation of fake currency, the IGP said that strict legal action will be taken against anyone who tries to cheat by circulating fake money in the Qurbani cattle hats.</div><div><br></div><div>Campaign against fake money traders is continuing and operation against muggers, \'Oggyan party\', \'Malam party\' are being carried out too.</div><div><br></div><div>The IGP said that many people will leave the city and go to their village homes during the Eid holidays. Besides, there will be crowding in tourist centers. \"We have given allout instructions to the police keeping in mind all the issues for the safety of the general people.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He requested to employ a known and trusted person to guard the empty house during the Eid vacation.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, IGP visited Sadarghat launch terminal and spoke to the launch owners, drivers, and passengers and also inquired about the overall safety arrangements.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally IGP visited Kamalapur railway station and inquired about the passengers and also monitored the overall security arrangements of the railway station.</div><div><br></div><div>Senior police officers and other concerned senior officials were present during the IGP\'s visits in Gabtoli, Sadarghat river port and Kamalapur railway station. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 02:51:12', '2023-06-27 02:51:12'),
(7722, 7722, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Despite a significant quantity of sacrificial animals on the market, animal prices have remained high due to continuous economic pressure from inflation, and an increase in the price of animal feed.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The impact from multifaceted macroeconomic pressure can be seen in the country\'s Eid animal markets, especially in the capital, where the price of animals is at least 20% higher than last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, due to the enormous expansion in the number of cattle farms in the country, there is a trend in the market to sell animals in kilos, and ordinary consumers also want to buy in kilograms to coordinate their wants and budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Department of Livestock, the total number of reared animals to be sacrificed is 10.25 million 36 thousand and 333, a figure that is 411,944 higher than the previous year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the prospective demand for sacrificial animals this year is 10.03 million 94 thousand and 739, implying that more than 2.1 million animals will go unsold.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While visiting the Gabtoli cattle market, one of the capital\'s main cattle markets for sacrificial animals, we saw a lukewarm turnout of people. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Mohirul Islam, a cow salesman from Kushtia, there are no suitable customers for the animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are waiting for the momentum, currently people only come to the stall to ask prices and leave,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among his five cows, he has one cow for Tk9 lakh, for sale. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Dairy Farmers\' Association (BDFA) President Imran Hossain said that they had enough stock of sacrificial animals. However, the traders will have to wait till Eid to really see how sales will be. The prices for the sacrificial animals might increase by 5%-10%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cost of cattle feed, medicine and other ancillary costs have also increased pushing up the cattle prices, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the buyers from the Gabtoli cattle market said that the price has increased more than 20% from last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nahid Hossain, a buyer from the capital\'s Mohammadpur area said that the price of the animals increased abnormally this year, roughly more than 20%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I came here looking to buy a cow for around Tk70,000 but couldn\'t find one in that  price range,” he added, saying that it costs Tk90,000-100,000 to buy a similar cow he bought in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both buyers and sellers said that the demand for medium-sized animals increased due to inflation and other economic pressures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahidul Islam, a seller from Rajshahi, arrived with seven cows, including one of the biggest ones in the market, for which he is asking Tk15,00000. He says that demand for large animals is low and that customers prefer medium or small-sized animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sellers and buyers are looking for some momentum in the cattle markets on Tuesday and Wednesday, so they can get a good deal. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sellers stated that with only two days till Eid, the market may pick up because capital dwellers normally come to the market later because space is a major problem for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, so the number of buyers may increase in the coming days, they noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, some buyers said that as there are sufficient supplies of the reared animals, the price may go down in the coming days and they are waiting for this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Election year</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This Eid-ul-Azha will be the last Eid before the national election, thus market insiders anticipate that demand for sacrificial animals will rise as possible candidates purchase more animals for public relations purposes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the BDFA president, because it is an election year, the sale of animals is projected to be slightly higher than in previous years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Digital cattle market</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the Covid-19 pandemic, the online shop \"Digital Haat\" for sacrificial animals was launched and the site is expected to sell 50,000 sacrificial animals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This animal sale initiative was launched by the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-Cab), Ekshop, as part of the government\'s Aspire to Innovate (A2I) project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, the central bank has initiated \"cashless\" transactions in 10 cattle markets in Dhaka and Chittagong as part of the \"Smart Bangladesh, Smart Haat\" project to eliminate security concerns in areas where animals may be purchased using a credit card.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Measuring weight</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Setting prices according to the weight of the cattle is gaining popularity in recent years, according to the BDFA. The price was established by live weight or live animal weight in the previous year, ranging from Tk460 to a maximum of Tk475 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, it began at Tk 480-Tk500 per kg for a cow. Buyers can now purchase animals by live weight online as well as directly from the market, however, this is more common at farms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Consumers, on the other hand, stated that the price of a cow at live weight is Tk500-Tk550 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, city corporations have 19 animal markets in Dhaka city (10 in North and 9 in South). The markets like Meradia, Vatara, Bosila, Eastern Housing, Lalbagh, and Dania also provided similar information.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">breakingnews/ka </div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 13:21:42', '2023-06-27 22:35:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7723, 7723, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused Ukraine and its Western allies of wanting Russians to \"kill each other\" during a revolt by mercenaries of the Wagner group, which stunned the country with an aborted march on Moscow over the weekend.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his first address to the nation since the rebels pulled back, Putin said he had issued orders to avoid bloodshed and granted amnesty to the Wagner fighters whose mutiny served up the greatest challenge yet to his two-decade rule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"From the start of the events, on my orders steps were taken to avoid large-scale bloodshed,\" Putin said in a televised address, thanking Russians for their \"patriotism\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was precisely this fratricide that Russia\'s enemies wanted: both the neo-Nazis in Kyiv and their Western patrons, and all sorts of national traitors. They wanted Russian soldiers to kill each other,\" Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin also thanked his security officials for their work during the armed rebellion in a meeting that included Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a main target of the mutiny.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Civilian solidarity showed that any blackmail, any attempts to organise internal turmoil, is doomed to fail,\" Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that Wagner fighters could choose whether to join the Russian army or leave for Belarus, or even return to their homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today you have the possibility to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defence or other law enforcement agencies, or to return to your family and close ones... Whoever wants to can go to Belarus,\" Putin said in his address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had earlier defended his aborted mutiny as a bid to save his mercenary outfit and expose the failures of Russia\'s military leadership -- but not to challenge the Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rogue warlord\'s first audio message since calling off his troops\' advance on Moscow was released as Russian officials attempted to present the public with a return to business as usual.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Internal Russian affair\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said officials were monitoring \"very closely\" the turmoil in the nuclear-armed nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We did have and were able to have in real-time -- through diplomatic channels -- conversations with Russian officials about our concerns,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the State Department said Ambassador Lynne Tracy in Moscow had contacted Russian officials \"to reiterate what we said publicly -- that this is an internal Russian affair in which the United States is not involved and will not be involved\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fighting continued in Ukraine, where Kyiv\'s forces claimed new victories in their battle to evict Russian troops from the east and south of the country, but in the Russian capital, authorities stood down their enhanced security regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin, who did not reveal from where he was speaking, said in an online audio message that his revolt was intended to prevent his Wagner force from being dismantled, and bragged that the ease with which it had advanced on Moscow exposes \"serious security problems\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We went to demonstrate our protest and not to overthrow power in the country,\" Prigozhin said, boasting that his men had \"blocked all military infrastructure\" including air bases along their route towards a point less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Belarus option -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prighozin called off the advance and pulled out of a military base his men had seized in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, a nerve centre of the war in Ukraine, late on Saturday after mediation efforts from Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lukashenko was due to speak on the turmoil soon, according to his unofficial Telegram channel Pul Pervogo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prigozhin said Lukashenko had offered him a way of keeping the Wagner outfit -- a key element in Russia\'s military machine in Ukraine and in African and Middle East hotspots -- operational.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saturday\'s extraordinary sequence of events -- Russian military bloggers report that Wagner shot down six Russian helicopters and a command and control plane during their advance -- has been seen internationally as Russia\'s most serious security crisis in decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin was at pains to stress that there had been a return to normal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Wagner headquarters in Saint Petersburg said it remained open for business, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the firm would continue to operate in Mali and the Central African Republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Moscow and the Voronezh region south of the capital lifted \"anti-terrorist\" emergency security measures imposed to protect the capital from rebel assault.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Happy day\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a morale-boosting trip to troops fighting Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut, the site of some of the most intense battles in the conflict, and touted his force\'s military progress.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today, our soldiers made progress in all areas, and this is a happy day,\" Zelensky said Monday in his regular evening address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Military leaders said their forces were making progress in the south and east of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are knocking the enemy out of its positions on the flanks of the city of Bakhmut,\" eastern ground force commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said. \"Ukraine is regaining its territory. We are moving forward.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Near Bakhmut, residents in the frontline town of Druzhkivka, which is also in Donetsk, told AFP that four explosions had rocked a residential district overnight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blasts severed water and sewage pipes, shattered windows and threw up stones that hit yards and roofs, but municipal authorities said no one was hurt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"It was a \'fun\' night, we haven\'t had this for a long time, it\'s been quiet for a month or so,\" said 66-year-old Lyubov, showing off the new hole in her cement-shingled roof. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:37:54', '2023-06-27 16:37:54'),
(7724, 7724, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As Eid-ul-Azha holidays begin and the city streets see less traffic, Dhaka’s air quality is in the \'moderate\' zone this morning (June 27, 2023).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 68 at 9:20 am, Dhaka ranked 19th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Africa\'s Johannesburg, Pakistan\'s Lahore and USA\'s Chicago occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 169, 159 and 154, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:44:24', '2023-06-27 16:44:24'),
(7725, 7725, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, who pulled off an upset in Sunday elections by advancing to a run-off, declared Monday that if he wins, his priority will be fighting corruption.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without that \"we are not going to be able to rescue the institutions we need to generate national development,\" Arevalo told AFP at the close of a celebratory rally in the capital\'s Constitution Square.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guatemala \"needs honesty and decency to bring development,\" added the 64-year-old sociologist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The battle between Arevalo -- who unexpectedly ended in second place having polled at number eight -- and former first lady Sandra Torres means Guatemala will have its first leftist leader in more than a decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Torres, the ex-wife of late former president Alvaro Colom, came in first Sunday with about 15.8 percent of votes cast, followed by Arevalo with just under 12 percent, according to the near-complete count early Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The election saw low turnout and a high rate of invalid ballots cast, with few Guatemalans holding out hope that their next president will solve the problems of crushing poverty, violence and corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the emergence of this upstart candidate -- the son of reformist president Juan Jose Arevalo (1945-1951) -- ignited many disillusioned Guatemalans, and was the buzzing topic Monday in workplaces, cafes, restaurants, buses and taxis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are very excited, very enthusiastic. We have touched the hope of a people. The people have turned out (to back us), they have given us support that no one saw coming. And with that hope and that support, we are going to rescue the country\'s institutions,\" said Arevalo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are going to win the second round and we are going to give this country the future it deserves and not the swamp they have kept us in for the last 20 years,\" said the candidate born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where his father was exiled in 1954.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am convinced (that I will win) after what happened yesterday. We know we are on the right track,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of people attended the rally in the plaza, where Arevalo told supporters that the \"dirty politics\" in the country would be forgotten.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I love and want Guatemala. I want there to be a radical change and I think we are going to have it with this person,\" Manolo Garza, a 63-year-old machinery importer, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have lived for a long time with the burden of many governments that have really only been interested in their own welfare and the people definitely not at all. We really see hope in Bernardo,\" Eveling Zapata, a 51-year-old teacher, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Torres and Arevalo are social democrats. Both oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage and elective abortion in the staunchly Catholic Central American country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whoever wins the second round on August 20, it will mark an ideological shift in Guatemala after three right-wing presidents, including current President Alejandro Giammattei, due to leave office in January 2024. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:49:38', '2023-06-27 16:49:38'),
(7726, 7726, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A New Zealand school\'s \"cat hunt\" fundraiser has caused outcry after children dangled dead feral cats in front of animal rights activists while chanting \"meat, meat, meat\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North Canterbury Hunting Competition grabbed international headlines earlier this year when it announced children under 14 could sign up to shoot feral cats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The junior category was eventually scrapped following public uproar, with activists arguing novice hunters might accidentally take out someone\'s beloved pet instead of a feral pest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But an adults-only version of the feral cat section went ahead with a series of strict rules in place, alongside categories for wild pigs, possums, rats and deer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christchurch Animal Save spokesperson Sarah Jackson was part of a small group who turned up to protest the event over the weekend, as hopeful hunters brought their prized carcasses to be weighed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jackson said the group of six protesters were \"taunted\" by children, who \"began repeatedly chanting \'meat\' whilst swinging around dead cats\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Before this we had children telling us to go and eat carrots and grass and that we were going to die from a lack of protein and iron,\" Jackson told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The first thing we saw when we arrived was children having relay races with the deceased bodies of animals from their shoulders and backs. These included baby pigs, rabbits and possums.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Organisers told local media that the protesters had provoked the children, and that criticism of the competition ignored the devastating impact feral species have in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The competition was run as a fundraiser for a school in Rotherham, a small village on New Zealand\'s South Island.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Feral cats present a major headache to New Zealand\'s conservation department, which says they hunt and kill endangered birds as well as bats and lizards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They can be difficult to distinguish from short-haired tabbies, according to the government, but typically grow much bigger. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"> bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 16:54:23', '2023-06-27 22:34:37'),
(7727, 7727, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department\'s (BMD) weather forecast, rain may continue across the country, including in Dhaka, over the next 72 hours (starting from 9 am today). Eid-ul-Azha 2023 may see rain, as per the prediction.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places over Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions; at many places in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places acorss the country,\" the Met Office said.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest, 66 mm, rainfall was recorded in Barishal\'s Khepupara in 24 hours, till 6 am today.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may fall by 1-2°C in the country, the weather forecast added.</div><div><br></div><div>The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 36.5 degree Celsius on Monday in Sylhet. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 19:17:19', '2023-06-27 19:17:19'),
(7728, 7728, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>China is on course to achieve its five percent target for economic growth in 2023 set by Beijing earlier this year, premier Li Qiang said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"For the whole year, we are expected to achieve the target of about five percent economic growth set at the beginning of this year,\" Li said as he opened a meeting of global political and business leaders in northern China.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Recently, some international organisations and institutions have also raised their forecasts for China\'s economic growth this year, showing their confidence in China\'s development prospects,\" Li added at the World Economic Forum.</div><div>China is grappling with a slowing post-Covid recovery, with a number of lacklustre indicators in recent weeks signalling the rebound is running out of steam.</div><div><br></div><div>Beijing\'s central bank last week cut two key interest rates in a bid to counter the slowdown in the world\'s second-largest economy.</div><div><br></div><div>Reports this month have suggested Beijing is lining up a tranche of measures targeting multiple areas of the economy, particularly the real estate sector, which makes up a huge portion of gross domestic product.</div><div><br></div><div>Beijing set an economic growth target of \"around five percent\" in March, one of its lowest in decades as it emerged from strict zero-Covid rules that hammered business activity.</div><div><br></div><div>Premier Li at the time admitted the target would be \"no easy task\".</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:26:46', '2023-06-27 20:26:46'),
(7729, 7729, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined a post-budget dinner hosted by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On her arrival at the venue, the prime minister was received by Kamal.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, Sheikh Hasina accompanied by the finance minister went round different tables and exchanged pleasantries with the guests.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaker of the House, Deputy Leader of the House, cabinet members, PM\'s advisers, state ministers, whips and parliament members, among others, were present.</div><div><br></div><div>The Jatiya Sangsad today passed Taka 7,61,785 crore national budget for 2023-24 fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>The finance minister moved the Appropriations Bill-2023 passed unanimously by voice vote.</div><div><br></div><div>The House passed the Finance Bill-2023, with some major changes as proposed by the finance minister to the original one placed before the House at the time of the presentation of the budget for FY23-24 on June 1 last.</div><div><br></div><div>With the passage of both the Appropriation Bill-2023 and the Money Bill-2023, the national budget of Taka Tk 7,61,785 crore for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 will effect from July 1. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:31:35', '2023-06-27 20:31:35'),
(7730, 7730, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The pressure of vehicles has increased on Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Gazipur since morning as a four-day holiday began on Tuesday ahead of Eid-ul-Azha which is going to be celebrated on June 29.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Vehicles are moving slowly at different important points of the highways including Chandana Chowrasta, Bhogra Bypass Intersection, Boardbazar and Gazipura.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, slow movement of traffic was seen on Dhaka-Tangail highway, the gateway to the northern districts from the capital. At Chandra Trimor, vehicles were running slowly on about one kilometer road.</div><div><br></div><div>However, there has been no long traffic jam on Gazipur highways so far.</div><div><br></div><div>The home-bound people said that there is no long traffic congestion on the roads this year. But transport workers are charging extra fare, they alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mahbub Alam said that efforts are being made to ensure a comfortable Eid journey by deploying additional law enforcers at various important points on the highway from Tongi to Chandana Intersection.</div><div><br></div><div>Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said in addition to the law enforcement agencies, 12 teams of the district administration led by executive magistrates are working to deal with traffic situation, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>These teams are also taking action if anyone takes extra fare, he told.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><b style=\"\"><font color=\"#00ff00\">Eid journey</font></b><br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 20:41:36', '2023-06-27 20:41:36'),
(7731, 7731, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India will host Pakistan\'s cricket team for the first time in seven years for the 50-over World Cup, the International Cricket Council said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The tournament will begin on October 5 with holders England taking on New Zealand at the world\'s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also host the final.</div><div><br></div><div>The schedule was announced after weeks of delay due to Pakistan\'s refusal to travel to India, but a truce was called after Pakistan agreed to host the Asia Cup in September in a hybrid model.</div><div><br></div><div>The most-awaited clash between rivals India and Pakistan will be played in Ahmedabad on October 15, after the hosts kick off their campaign against Australia on October 8.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Each team plays the other nine in a round robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals,\" the ICC said in a statement 100 days before the tournament begins.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries and only play cricket against each other in international tournaments, usually at neutral venues, due to longstanding political tensions, most recently during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Any match between the South Asian neighbours therefore becomes one of the most-watched events on the global sporting calendar, and any victory is used to promote nationalism at home.</div><div><br></div><div>When they do play, cricket fans around the world are glued to their TV screens in a multi-billion-dollar bonanza for broadcasters.</div><div><br></div><div>The 2019 50-over World Cup clash between India and Pakistan drew 273 million viewers.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan have not met on either side\'s soil in a bilateral series since 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>They have also not played a Test against each other since 2007, instead meeting only in the shorter versions of the game.</div><div><br></div><div>This year\'s World Cup will mark Pakistan\'s first cricket trip to India since the T20 World Cup in 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>India and Pakistan share deep cultural and linguistic links but their history has been mired in violence and bloodshed.</div><div><br></div><div>The two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars since the subcontinent\'s partition in 1947.</div><div><br></div><div>India last won the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2011. Since then, Australia and England have won the title in their own backyards in 2015 and 2019 respectively. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:18:30', '2023-06-27 21:18:30'),
(7732, 7732, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Earth lost an area of carbon-absorbing rainforest larger than Switzerland or the Netherlands in 2022, most of it destroyed to make way for cattle and commodity crops, an analysis of satellite data released Tuesday revealed.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>That is nearly a football pitch of mature tropical trees felled or burned every five seconds, night and day, and 10 percent more than the year before, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).</div><div><br></div><div>Tropical forests destroyed last year released 2.7 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, equivalent to the fossil fuel emissions of India, the world\'s most populous nation, the WRI\'s Global Forest Watch unit reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazil accounted for 43 percent of the loss, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bolivia responsible for about 13 and nine percent, respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The more than 41,000 square kilometres (nearly 16,000 square miles) decimated globally last year makes 2022 the fourth most devastating year for primary forests in two decades.</div><div><br></div><div>The accelerating loss comes a year after world leaders vowed at the Glasgow COP26 summit in 2021 to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Since the turn of the century, we have seen a haemorrhaging of some of the world\'s most important forest ecosystems despite years of efforts to turn that trend around,\" Mikaela Weisse, director of WRI\'s Global Forest Watch told journalists in a briefing.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are rapidly losing one of our most effective tools for combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, and supporting the health and livelihoods of millions of people.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Globally, vegetation and soil have consistently absorbed about 30 percent of CO2 pollution since 1960, even as those emissions increased by half.</div><div><br></div><div>- 90 billion tonnes -</div><div><br></div><div>Some 1.6 billion people, nearly half of them members of indigenous groups, rely directly on forest resources for their food and livelihoods.</div><div><br></div><div>Deforestation in Brazil surged during the four-year rule of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and increased 15 percent last year compared to 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>Bolsonaro\'s administration gutted environmental policies, turned a blind eye to illegal deforestation, and weakened protections of the rights of indigenous peoples proven to be effective stewards of healthy forests.</div><div><br></div><div>President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, sworn in at the start of this year, has vowed to end deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030 but will face many challenges in doing so, experts say.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists fear that climate change and deforestation combined could trigger the accelerating transition of the Amazon basin from tropical forest to savannah, which could profoundly disrupt weather not just in South America but across the globe.</div><div><br></div><div>Some 90 billion tonnes of CO2 is stored in the Amazon basin\'s forest, twice worldwide annual emissions from all sources.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Halting and reversing forest loss is one of the most cost-effective mitigation options available to us today,\" said Frances Seymour, WRI\'s distinguished senior fellow for forests.</div><div><br></div><div>High rates of primary forest loss also continued in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which saw more than half a million hectares destroyed in 2022, the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Cocoa, gold &amp; fires -</div><div><br></div><div>Unlike in Brazil, the main drivers were subsistence-agriculture and the small-scale production of charcoal made by cutting and burning timber, a reflection of the country\'s poverty.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 80 percent of the population lacks electricity.</div><div><br></div><div>A half-billion dollar agreement signed by the DRC in 2021 to protect its forests has been undermined by the recent auctioning of permits for oil and gas exploration.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has also indicated it would lift a moratorium on new logging concessions.</div><div><br></div><div>Bolivia, meanwhile, saw the third largest loss of primary forests (nearly 4,000 sq km) in 2022 and a 32 percent increase in the rate of deforestation compared to 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The majority of the loss occurred within protected areas, which cover the last patches of primary forest in the country,\" the Global Forest Watch report said.</div><div><br></div><div>Cocoa production, gold-mining and fires were the main drivers.</div><div><br></div><div>Just over five percent of global tropical forest loss last year occurred in Indonesia (2,300 sq km), which has seen deforestation levels drop more than four-fold since 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>Other countries rounding out the \'top ten\' in tropical forest loss worldwide last year are Peru (3.9 percent), Colombia (3.1), Laos (2.3), Cameroon (1.9), Papua New Guinea (1.8) and Malaysia(1.7).</div><div><br></div><div>The rest of the world combined accounted for just under 15 percent of forest lost in 2022. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:41:38', '2023-06-27 21:41:38'),
(7733, 7733, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia has executed 77 civilians being held in arbitrary detention in Ukraine, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We documented the summary execution of 77 civilians while they were arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation,\" Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told a press briefing in Geneva. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 21:57:41', '2023-06-27 21:57:41'),
(7734, 7734, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>About 77.5 percent work of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has been completed, and it is expected to be operational next year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB), said this during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the under-construction terminal.</div><div><br></div><div>Mafidur Rahman said that construction of the third terminal is currently in its final stages.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our goal is to achieve 90% completion of the project before October, and we are optimistic that the work will be finished ahead of schedule. Currently, 77.5% of the project has been completed,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has prioritised the completion of this project and has decided to partially open the new terminal, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>While the soft opening is planned for October, the new terminal will be fully functional by 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>“To ensure timely progress, construction work is being carried out day and night -- even during the ongoing Eid holidays. We hope to hold the soft opening in the first week of October, as per the government decision,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Samsung Construction and Trading (C&amp;T) Corporation, a construction unit of the Samsung Group, is overseeing the third terminal\'s construction project.</div><div><br></div><div>“The company has an impressive portfolio, having constructed iconic buildings such as Burj Khalifa, Petronas Twin Towers, Taipei 101, Singapore Changi Airport\'s Terminal 4, South Korea\'s Incheon International Airport, and Abu Dhabi\'s Cleveland Clinic,” said Mafidur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>The terminal\'s interior has been designed by renowned architect Rohani Baharin, who has previously worked on projects including Terminal 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore, the ATC Tower Building in Guangzhou, China, Ahmedabad International Airport in India, and the Terminal Building of Islamabad International Airport.</div><div><br></div><div>The Dhaka Airport expansion project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 24, 2017, with financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Initially estimated to cost Tk 13,610 crore, the budget for the large-scale third terminal project was later increased by an additional Tk 7,788.59 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>Once completed, the new terminal, spanning an area of 5,42,000 square metres, will feature a parking apron capable of accommodating 37 aircraft. However, the main highlight will be the modern terminal building, integrating state-of-the-art technologies within its 2,30,000 square metre of interior space. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 22:34:07', '2023-06-27 22:34:07'),
(7735, 7735, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted countrymen as well as the Muslims across the globe on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha to be observed on June 29.</b></span><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>On the eve of the day, they issued separate messages praying that the holy Eid-ul-Azha brings good for all with the rise of the ideology of sacrifice.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In his message, the President said: \"Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) has set an incomparable example of love, obedience and sacrifice to Almighty Allah by taking steps to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) at the directive of Allah.\"</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div>\"Azha means Qurbani (sacrifice),\" he said, adding that sacrifice instills the spirit of self-sacrifice into all and also teaches them the spirit of sharing happiness and sorrow with relatives and neighbors.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Global inflation is on the rise due to the impact of the Corona pandemic and war-conflicts in different parts of the world, the head of the state said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In this context, low-income people around the world are facing various obstacles, he added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>He urged the affluent people of the country to stand by the people affected by these hardships so that they can enjoy the holy Eid this year.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The President also called upon the citizens to sacrifice their animals in government designated places.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Shahabuddin hoped that everyone will try to prevent the environment pollution by removing the waste of sacrificial animals after Qurbani.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: \"On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, I am extending my greetings to all the Muslims across the globe, including Bangladesh. I want to say \'Eid Mubarak\' (to all).\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also said: \"Let us all keep the message of the holy Eid-ul-Azha in our hearts and participate in public welfare based work from our own positions to build a non-discrimination, happy-prosperous and peaceful smart Bangladesh.\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She said the unique instance set by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) by sacrificing his dearest thing for the satisfaction of Allah will be imitated and followed forever.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Through the festival, the capable Muslims establish the bonding of sympathy and equality among mankind by distributing meat of their sacrificial animals among relatives and neighbors, the premier added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She greeted the countrymen and the Muslims in the world on the occasion and hoped that like every year, this Eid will bring happiness and joy to all irrespective of the rich and the poor.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Sheikh Hasina prayed to Allah for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country and Muslim Ummah on the holy day. According to BSS reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:01:50', '2023-06-27 23:01:50'),
(7736, 7736, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three people including two children were killed and two others injured when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a human hauler on Naogaon-Bogura-regional highway in Kahalu upazila of Bogura district on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as auto-rickshaw driver Aminur Rahman Tota, 24, Ashamoni, 7 and Khadiza, 3, two daughters of Rashed Sheikh of Bibirpukur area.</div><div><br></div><div>Md Shahinuzzaman, Bogura sadar police station officer-in-charge , said the accident occurred around 9 am when the Gaibandha-bound CNG-run auto-rickshaw hit the fish-laden human hauler, leaving two dead on the spot and two others injured, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The injured- Rashed Sheikh and his wife Josna Begum and one of their children were taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared the child dead.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:17:34', '2023-06-27 23:17:34'),
(7737, 7737, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday lauded Russian servicemen and security services for “stopping civil war” during the Wagner mercenary group’s aborted insurgency this weekend.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“You have de-facto stopped the civil war, you acted in a clear and well-coordinated manner in a difficult situation,” Putin said at a ceremony on the Kremlin\'s Cathedral Square.</div><div><br></div><div>Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a short-lived insurrection on Saturday that ended with an agreement for the Kremlin to drop criminal mutiny charges if he went into exile in neighboring Belarus.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin boasted that Wagner’s lightning-fast advance toward Moscow from southern Russia did not weaken the military’s positions on the Ukrainian frontline.</div><div><br></div><div>“We did not have to remove combat detachments from the special military operation zone,” he said, using the Kremlin-preferred term for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>CNN, citing an anonymous Western official, reported that Kyiv’s Western allies had allegedly cautioned the Ukrainian forces against taking advantage of Russia’s crisis to avoid the impression of the West helping Prigozhin and threatening Russian sovereignty.</div><div><br></div><div>“Make hay of opportunities on Ukrainian territory but don’t get drawn into internal matters or strike at offensive military assets inside Russia,” CNN quoted an anonymous Western official as saying.</div><div><br></div><div>Still, Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov told the ceremony he “did not rule out” Western involvement in Wagner’s rebellion.</div><div><br></div><div>Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attended the ceremony alongside 2,500 soldiers and members of the National Guard, Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) intelligence agency and the Federal Guard Service (FSO).</div><div><br></div><div>A minute of silence was held in memory of the at least 12 Russian pilots killed during Wagner’s march toward Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>“The airmen didn’t flinch and performed their orders and military duty with honor,” Putin said, without specifying how many pilots were killed in the standoff with Wagner fighters. - The Moscow Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-27 23:23:31', '2023-06-27 23:23:31'),
(7738, 7738, '<div><br></div><div><b>Intermittent rains, triggered by active monsoon, may continue on Eid-ul-Azha day (tomorrow) across the country, including in Dhaka, said the Met office today.</b></div><div><br></div><div>“The Met Office has recorded 15 mm of rainfall across the country from 6 am Tuesday till 6 am Wednesday, but between 6 am to 12 pm on Wednesday, it has recorded 42 mm of rainfall,” said Tariful Newaz Kabir, a meteorologist.</div><div><br></div><div>The continued rainfall may prolong through Thursday morning and it may abate in the afternoon,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>People who left for village homes to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones are facing traffic congestion and other problems due to the rain.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, those who are yet to purchase their sacrificial animals are facing inconveniences at the cattle market.</div><div><br></div><div>Rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws are charging extra fare, taking advantage of the inclement weather.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Met Office bulletin, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-28 19:43:42', '2023-06-28 19:43:42'),
(7739, 7739, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>One of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims Eid-ul-Azha, are being celebrated across the country today with due solemnity, a sense of sacrifice. After offering prayers at the eidgahs, devotee Muslims are now sacrificing animals.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department\'s (BMD) weather forecast, rain may continue across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The main jamaat of Eid-ul-Azha has been held at National Eidgah ground at 7:30am today seeking peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In the congregation, chief justice of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, a number of ministers, mayors of Dhaka\'s two city corporations, MPs, political leaders, senior government officials, diplomats from various Muslim countries and people of all walks of life offered Eid prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>At the end of the prayers, special prayers were offered for the continued peace and development of the country, welfare of the people and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah.</div><div><br></div><div>Five Eid jamaats are being held at the Baitul Mukarram national mosque.</div><div>The first and second Eid congregation have been held at 7:00am and 8:00am, while the next three jamaats will be held at 9:00am, 10:00am and 11:00am respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the biggest Eid congregation will be held at the historic Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj district town at 9:00am.</div><div><br></div><div>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, greeted the people of Bangladesh as well as the Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>In his message, the President urged the affluent people of the country to stand by the people affected by hardships so that they can enjoy the Eid this year.</div><div><br></div><div>He also called upon citizens to sacrifice their animals in government designated places.</div><div><br></div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended greetings to all Muslims across the globe, including Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>She hoped that like every year, this Eid will bring happiness and joy to all irrespective of the rich and the poor.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina prayed to Allah for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country and the Muslims on the day.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-29 14:34:43', '2023-06-29 14:34:43');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7740, 7740, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 77 people have been arrested in France during a second night of unrest triggered by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old driver by police.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The teenager, named as Nahel M, was shot at point-blank range as he refused a traffic stop and drove away.</div><div><br></div><div>Videos shared on social media showed cars being set alight and shops ransacked on Wednesday.</div><div>In Nanterre, the suburb Nahel came from, police were forced to partially withdraw, Le Monde reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Protesters across Paris were seen targeting police stations with fireworks.</div><div><br></div><div>Demonstrators also clashed with police in the northern city of Lille. Footage posted online showed people inside the town hall of the Mons-en-Barœul suburb setting documents and chairs alight.</div><div><br></div><div>In the western town of Rennes, about 300 people gathered to pay tribute to the teen - some of whom also lit fires and were dispersed by police.</div><div><br></div><div>Analysis: Why French government backed shot teenager\'s family</div><div>On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the shooting of Nahel was \"unforgivable\".</div><div><br></div><div>But his comments drew an angry reaction from police unions, who accused him of rushing to judge the officers involved.</div><div>The Alliance Police union called for them to be presumed innocent until found guilty, while the rival Unité SGP Police also spoke of political interventions that encouraged \"anti-cop hatred\".</div><div><br></div><div>Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would be taking legal action against another group, France Police, after it published what he called an \"unacceptable and abject\" tweet seeking to justify the teenager\'s killing.</div><div><br></div><div>The now deleted tweet said \"bravo\" to the officers who \"opened fire on a young criminal\" and blamed the teen\'s parents for his death, claiming they had been \"unable to educate their son\".</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Nahel\'s mother Mounia, speaking in a social media video, said they had taken away her baby and urged people to join a march in remembrance of her son.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He was still a child. He needed his mother,\" she said. \"He kissed me goodbye in the morning and said, \'I love you mum\'.</div><div><br></div><div>\"An hour later, I was told that someone shot my son. What shall I do? He was my life. He was everything to me.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The officer accused of killing him, who said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger, is in custody on charges of voluntary manslaughter.</div><div><br></div><div>Nahel, who a neighbour says came from a French-Algerian family, is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop. Last year, a record 13 people died in this way.</div><div><br></div><div>Rights groups have criticised a 2017 law change which broadened the framework for when officers can use firearms.</div><div><br></div><div>Citing official statistics, Le Monde newspaper reported that the annual number of police shootings at moving vehicles has consistently been higher since the change.</div><div><br></div><div>Campaigner Rokhaya Diallo told BFMTV that more shots fired meant a higher risk of being hit, especially for people of colour.</div><div><br></div><div>Reuters news agency found that a majority of victims of lethal police shootings during traffic stops since 2017 were black or Arab.According to French media, police initially suggested the teen drove his car towards them with the intention of hurting them.</div><div><br></div><div>But footage posted online and verified by the AFP news agency shows an officer pointing his weapon at the driver through his window and appearing to fire at point-blank range as he tries to drive off.</div><div><br></div><div>The agency also reports that a person in the video can be heard saying: \"You\'re going to be shot in the head\" - but it is unclear who says it.</div><div><br></div><div>Two others were in the car at the time of the shooting. One fled while another, also a minor, was arrested and held by police.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Nothing justifies the death of a young person,\" President Macron told reporters in Marseille, calling for \"calm for justice to be done\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"I would like to express the feelings of the entire nation at what has happened and the death of young Nahel, and to tell his family of our solidarity and the nation\'s affection.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have a teenager who has been killed. It\'s inexplicable, unforgivable,\" he said, adding that the the case was immediately referred to the courts where he hoped justice would \"do its job quickly\".</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities have opened two separate investigations following the teen\'s death - one into a possible killing by a public official, and another into the driver\'s failure to stop his vehicle and the alleged attempt to kill a police officer. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p>France shooting:&nbsp;<br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-29 14:40:59', '2023-06-29 14:40:59'),
(7741, 7741, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh has strongly condemned the despicable act of burning a copy of the holy Quran&nbsp; outside a mosque in Stockholm.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh expressed grave concern over such heinous acts of insulting the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims in the name of ‘freedom of expression’.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh yet again urged all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam\'s holy book outside Stockholm\'s central mosque on Wednesday, according to BBC.</div><div><br></div><div>The Quran burning was condemned by many Muslim-majority countries. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bmbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 04:48:53', '2023-06-30 04:48:53'),
(7742, 7742, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday alleged that the government has stepped up the level of repression in fear of losing power.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>He warned that their party will intensify the ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy by ousting the current government soon.</div><div><br></div><div>“The government has increased its repressive acts and the level of repression as the regime is fearing that it faces ouster,” the BNP leader said.</div><div><br></div><div>Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, made the comments while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at party founder Ziaur Rahman\'s grave on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the Awami League government has no possibility to sustain this time, no matter how much repression it resorts to.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Abbas said there is no joy of Eid among the people of the country due to soaring prices of daily essentials.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Can you say whether the prices of goods and the joy of the Eid are the same now as it was 15 years ago?…the situation is not the same now,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Also read: BNP associate bodies to showcase plight of wage-earners by marching in six districts&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;The BNP leader said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia must be freed and democracy and the people’s ownership of the country will have to be restored to bring back the past glory of the country.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said BNP has not stopped its movement but it has slowed down due to the Eid.</div><div><br></div><div>After the Eid, the BNP leader said they’ll continue their agitation with a fresh vigour to realise the demands of the nation and the people.</div><div><br></div><div>Also read: BNP\'s movement to boil down to single point \'soon\': Fakhrul</div><div><br></div><div>\"Inshallah, we’ll restore the democracy that has been hijacked and robbed through the movement. “People have already extended their support for us. People are supporting our movement, processions and meetings,” Abbas said.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;He said their party\'s founder Ziaur Rahman started developing the country with many real development activities.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“The development that is happening now can’t be called development as it’s nothing but a money laundering project. That\'s why the country is now facing a dollar crisis, money crisis and food crisis,” the BNP leader observed.</div><div><br></div><div>He alleged that all the crises that exist in the country now are only because of&nbsp; corruption and looting by the government.</div><div><br></div><div>On behalf of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman, the BNP leader wished Eid Mubarak to the country’s people.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas along with BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Chairperson Advisory Council members Amanullah Aman, Abdus Salam and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and other party leaders and activists went to Zia’s grave around 11:30am and paid homage to him by placing wreaths there. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 14:31:43', '2023-06-30 14:31:43'),
(7743, 7743, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Protests over the fatal police shooting of a teenager rocked France for a third straight night on Thursday, with cars burned, buildings vandalised and hundreds arrested in cities across the country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The nighttime unrest followed a march earlier on Thursday in memory of the 17-year-old, named Nahel, whose death has revived longstanding grievances about policing and racial profiling in France\'s low-income and multiethnic suburbs.</div><div><br></div><div>An internal security note indicated authorities were expecting a \"theatre of urban violence\", with around 40,000 police and gendarmes -- along with elite Raid and GIGN units -- deployed in several cities.</div><div>At least three cities around Paris had issued curfews, while bans on public gatherings were instated and helicopters and drones mobilised in the neighbouring cities of Lille and Tourcoing in the country\'s north.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the massive security deployment, violence and damage were reported in multiple areas. As of around 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on Friday, at least 421 people had been arrested across the country over the course of the night, according to the team of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There aren\'t any very violent confrontations in direct contact with the police, but there are a number of vandalised stores, looted or even burned businesses,\" a senior national police officer said.</div><div><br></div><div>Public buildings were also targeted, with a police station in the Pyrenees city of Pau hit with a Molotov cocktail, according to regional authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;\'An Arab face\' -</div><div><br></div><div>France has been rocked by successive nights of protests since Nahel was shot point-blank on Tuesday during a traffic stop captured on video.</div><div>In her first media interview since the shooting, Nahel\'s mother, Mounia, told the France 5 channel: \"I don\'t blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She said the 38-year-old officer responsible, who was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday, \"saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life\".</div><div><br></div><div>The memorial march for Nahel, led by Mounia, ended with riot police firing tear gas as several cars were set alight in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the teenager lived and was killed.</div><div><br></div><div>Cars, bins, schools and government offices were torched Wednesday night around Paris and in other cities, while some 150 people were arrested nationwide.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of measures to restore calm on Thursday, Paris bus and tram services were halted after 9:00 pm (1900 GMT), the region\'s president said.</div><div><br></div><div>But the measures and heightened security appeared to do little to deter unrest on Thursday night.</div><div><br></div><div>In the city centre of Marseille, a library was vandalised, according to local officials, and scuffles broke out nearby when police used tear gas to disperse a group of 100 to 150 people who allegedly tried to set up barricades.</div><div><br></div><div>Multiple public buildings were also targeted in Seine-Saint-Denis, in the Paris metro area, according to a police source.</div><div><br></div><div>In Nanterre, the epicentre of the unrest, tensions rose around midnight, with fireworks set off in the Pablo Picasso district, where Nahel had lived, according to an AFP journalist.</div><div><br></div><div>President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm and said the protest violence was \"unjustifiable\".</div><div><br></div><div>The riots are a fresh challenge for Macron, who had been looking to move past some of the biggest demonstrations in a generation sparked by a controversial rise in the retirement age. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 14:35:24', '2023-06-30 14:35:24'),
(7744, 7744, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, is believed to have been detained days after mercenaries staged a revolt inside Russia, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday, citing U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence assessments.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s not clear whether Surovikin faces any charges or where he is being held, reflecting the opaque world of the Kremlin’s politics and uncertainty after the revolt.</div><div><br></div><div>But his reported detention comes days after Wagner Group mercenaries took over the military headquarters in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were heading toward Moscow in what appears to have been an aborted insurrection.</div><div><br></div><div>Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin has spoken positively of Surovikin while criticizing the country’s military brass and suggested that he should be appointed the General Staff chief to replace Gen. Valery Gerasimov. The New York Times this week reported that U.S. officials believe Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s plan to stage the revolt.</div><div><br></div><div>The White House and the Kremlin declined to comment.</div><div><br></div><div>Surovikin, who has longtime links to Prigozhin, hasn’t been seen since the start of the rebellion when he posted a video urging an end to it.</div><div><br></div><div>A Russian military blogger, the Moscow Times, and the Financial Times reported that Surovikin, who is also the commander of the Russian air force, has been arrested.</div><div><br></div><div>There has been intense speculation that some top military officers may have colluded with Prigozhin and may now face punishment for the mutiny that briefly sent a virtually unchallenged march toward Moscow that Putin has labeled treason and a “stab in the back.” According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-06-30 17:39:15', '2023-06-30 17:39:15'),
(7745, 7745, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country, according to the evening bulletin of the BMD</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The low over North Madhya Pradesh and adjoining area has become unimportant.</div><div><br></div><div>The axis of monsoon trough runs through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across northern part of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, added the bulletin. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 01:21:32', '2023-07-01 01:21:32'),
(7747, 7747, '<div><br></div><div>A tire blowout caused a bus to lose control and crash into a road divider and burst into flames, killing 25 people in western India early Saturday, police told local media.</div><div><br></div><div>Police officer Sunil Kadasne told the Press Trust of India news agency that 33 people were on the bus when the crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. on a highway in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra state. The eight survivors were taken to a hospital, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The private travel bus was headed to Pune city from Nagpur, another city in the state.</div><div><br></div><div>Deadly road accidents are common in India, often due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police. -AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 16:56:40', '2023-07-01 16:56:40'),
(7748, 7748, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday sought vote for her party\'s electoral symbol \'boat,\' in the upcoming general election.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Awami League has brought the country\'s independence, given its economic emancipation, socio-economic development and arranged food, clothes and accommodation for the people of the country. So, vote for boat in the next election,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier made this call while exchanging greetings with local leaders of Awami League and its associate bodies, local public representatives at AL Kotalipara upazila office here in the district on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>The next general election in Bangladesh is likely to be held end of this year or early next year.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina, also the AL president, said her goal is to change the fate of the people of this country. \"Our goals are to ensure education, healthcare services, to make socio-economic development of the people and infrastructural development,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Throwing a challenge to those who never wanted AL to come to power, the PM said she must fulfill the goals for which her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made the country independent.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that her government has brightened the image of the country throughout the world, the PM blasted those who don\'t notice any development.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I have nothing to say about those who are blind despite having eyes. They don\'t see but enjoy these (the benefits of development),\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, she opened the newly constructed office of Kotalipara Upazila Awami League.</div><div><br></div><div>On arrival at the office the premier planted three saplings of Mango, Bakul (Spanish Cherry) and Neem (Margosal) trees.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina arrived at Kotalipara by road at 11:27am amid sunny weather.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier she started from her official residence Ganabhaban in the morning on a two-day visit to her home district Gopalganj.</div><div><br></div><div>PM\'s ICT Affairs Adviser and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy accompanied her</div><div><br></div><div>Gopalganj district wore a festive look with colourful posters, banners and placards adorning particularly the road she used to reach the programme venues.</div><div><br></div><div>During exchange of the Eid greetings, many local AL leaders and public representatives expressed their heartfelt thanks to the prime minister for giving them chances to share their feelings before her.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They also wished her victory in the next election to become five-time prime minister for the sake of the further development of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In response, the premier asked them to pray for her so that she can serve the people.</div><div><br></div><div>AL Advisory Council Member Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed was present on the dais while Kotalipara Upazila AL General Secretary Aynal Hossain Sheikh conducted the function.</div><div><br></div><div>After attending the events the PM departed Kotalipara for Tungipara in the afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>At Tungipara, she paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at his mausoleum. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-01 22:38:26', '2023-07-01 22:38:26'),
(7749, 7749, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her target is to change the fate of the countrymen.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"My target is to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh,\" she said in an introductory speech at Tungipara Upazila Awami League office while exchanging greetings and views with people of all strata of lives of Tungipara on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said the independence of the country was achieved under the leadership of her father, Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu wanted to bring smiles on the faces of the countrymen for which he announced the programme for second revolution, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Expressing her resentment over assassination of the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975 and killed four national leaders inside the Dhaka Central Jail on the same year\'s November 3, she said the target of killings is to halt the country\'s progress.</div><div><br></div><div>She continued that Bangabandhu was assassinated at a time when the country was advancing towards economic emancipation.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said her government has made massive development of the country with implementing \"My House, My Firm\", Community Clinic, Digital Bangladesh, \"My Village, My Town,\" and giving cent percent electricity.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, lawmaker from Tungipara-Kotalipara constituency, credited the people of her constituency as they have shouldered the responsibility of her as she had to give more time to make sure overall development of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Usually, the lawmakers from other constituencies only look after their respective constituency while I have to work for development in all 300 constituencies. I have been able to do so, as the Kotalipara and Tungipara inhabitants have taken the charge of her constituency,\" she said.</div><div>The premier said she roamed very parts of the country after returning to country from her six years forced exile to change the fortune of the countrymen.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There is no region in Bangladesh that I have not travelled. I made ride on boat, sampan, launch and rickshaw-van to reach the remotest areas of the country,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She continued: \"I have travelled the country in such ways and I took Bangladesh in such a dignified position using experiences that I had achieved roaming around the country.\"</div><div><br></div><div>During the view exchange, the Prime Minister wanted to hear experiences of local Awami League and associate organisations\' leaders and activists and local representatives about the development of Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>As Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire to retire on the plea of being aged at the view exchange, the local people requested her to stay as the Prime Minister for the welfare of the country and its people.</div><div><br></div><div>They expressed their desire to see Sheikh Hasina as the next Prime Minister and reiterated their strong commitment to work help wished that Sheikh Hasina will be the next Prime Minister of the country and reiterated their commitments to work helping AL in the next general election.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP, and Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel were present, among others, at the view exchange meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>Tunipara Upazila Awami League President Abul Khayer was present on the dais while General Secretary Md Babul Sheikh moderated the function.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the Prime Minister reached Kotalipara around 11.27am yesterday (on July 1) after crossing the Padma Bridge following over three-hour car ride from her official Ganabhaban residence as part of her two-day visit to Kotalipara and Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister\'s ICT Affairs Adviser and only son Sajeeb Wazed Joy accompanied her.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister\'s presence at Tungipara has added additional joy, enthusiasm and festivity among the local people.</div><div><br></div><div>The entire Gopalganj has been decorated with colourful posters, banners and placards to welcome the Premier.</div><div><br></div><div>On her arrival at the Kotalipara Upazila Awami League office on Saturday, the premier planted three wood, fruit and herbal saplings of Neem (margosal), Bakul (Spanish Cherry) and mango trees.</div><div><br></div><div>She also inaugurated the newly constructed Kotalipara Upazila Awami League office.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League (AL), later exchanged greetings with local AL and its associate organisations\' leaders and activists, local representatives and masses of Kotalipara Upazila at the Upazila AL office, on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.</div><div><br></div><div>After completion of the programmes, the premier went to Tungipara on Saturday afternoon and paid rich tribute and offered Fateha and joined a munajat at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier spends Saturday night at Tungipara.</div><div><br></div><div>She is scheduled to leave Tungipara for Dhaka this afternoon. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:21:00', '2023-07-02 21:21:00'),
(7750, 7750, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">On a visit to spotlight violence and chaos in Haiti, the UN secretary-general on Saturday called for a robust international effort to help the country\'s beleaguered police in fighting rampant criminal gangs.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>For months, Antonio Guterres has raised the alarm bell about the situation in the Western Hemisphere\'s poorest country, which has been wracked by spiralling violence, a worsening public health situation and political instability.</div><div><br></div><div>But he traveled to Port-au-Prince -- his first visit to Haiti as head of the United Nations -- to make his point on the ground.</div><div>\"We must put Haiti on the international political map, and make the tragedy of the Haitian people the international community\'s top priority,\" Guterres told a press conference.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I met Haitians, and I felt the exhaustion of a population that has been facing a cascade of crises and unbearable living conditions for too long,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is not the time to forget about Haiti,\" Guterres said after meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Henry, and other political and civil society leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres urged the UN Security Council, which is due to discuss the Haiti situation later this month, \"to authorize the immediate deployment of a robust international security force.\"</div><div><br></div><div>In October, he relayed Henry\'s request for a non-UN force to support the overwhelmed national police force.</div><div><br></div><div>But the call has gone unheeded. A few countries have indicated their willingness to participate, but none has volunteered to lead an operation in a country where multiple past foreign interventions have become mired.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I call on those states that have the capacity to provide a robust security force to stop hesitating and be ready to follow a Security Council decision,\" Guterres said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Every day counts. If we don\'t act now, instability and violence will have a lasting impact on generations of Haitians.\" - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:41:07', '2023-07-02 21:41:07'),
(7751, 7751, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police and rioters have clashed in the French city of Marseille as the country battles with a fifth night of unrest after the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range, reports BBC.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Videos show police using tear gas, as officials say at least 56 arrests have been made in the southern city.</div><div><br></div><div>But a heavy police presence in central Paris seems to have deterred protests.</div><div>Large crowds turned out for the funeral of Nahel M, 17, who was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop.</div><div><br></div><div>Many French cities have descended into chaos since Tuesday after the killing happened in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.</div><div><br></div><div>Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that there had been 427 arrests overnight and praised law enforcement for their \"resolute action\" which had led to a \"calmer night\".</div><div><br></div><div>Around 45,000 police were deployed across the country for a second night on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 1,300 arrests were made on Friday night and more than 900 on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>In Marseille, heavy clashes have been taking place between police and rioters throughout Saturday evening.</div><div>In footage circulating online, police can be seen using tear gas against people in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>The video shows the clashes taking place on La Canebière, the main avenue in the heart of Marseille.</div><div><br></div><div>French media reports that fighting has been taking place between a large group of rioters and officers in the area for more than an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>In Paris, large numbers of police were seen along the iconic Champs-Élysées.</div><div><br></div><div>There had been calls on social media for protesters to gather there but the police presence seems to have kept most of them away.</div><div><br></div><div>The capital\'s police said they made 126 arrests. The Paris region stopped all buses and trams after 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) for a second night running.</div><div><br></div><div>French PM Elisabeth Borne reportedly attended the command room of the national police in Paris to observe efforts at maintaining order.</div><div><br></div><div>In the northern city of Lille, police special forces have been seen taking to the streets.</div><div><br></div><div>Images from the city overnight showed firefighters extinguishing blazes in car that had been set alight by rioters.</div><div><br></div><div>Officials told local media that 21 people had been arrested in the city of Lyon. Clashes were also reported in Nice and Strasbourg.</div><div><br></div><div>The funeral for 17 year-old Nahel was held in Nanterre earlier on Saturday. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:43:41', '2023-07-02 21:43:41'),
(7752, 7752, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three siblings drowned as a boat sank in a haor at Gobindapur in Sadar upazila of Sunamganj district on Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as Chandni, 12, Rabiul, 3 and Tanni, 8—three children of Sohel Mia of the upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The three children were in Kharcha haor in the morning.</div><div><br></div><div>At one stage, the boat carrying them sank in the Haor due to strong current, said Ikhtier Uddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-02 21:46:37', '2023-07-02 21:46:37'),
(7753, 7753, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh received inward remittances of USD $21.61 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23 through official channels, which is the second-highest ever.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country received a record amount of remittances $24.77 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21, when travel was banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh Bank (BB) revealed the updated statistics on Sunday (July 2).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remittances pick up pace ahead of Eid-ul-Azha</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Different research organizations including CPD think that a big volume of inward remittances also came through illegal channel like Hundi. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In June 2023, the last month of the outgoing fiscal year, the expatriates sent $2.19 billion in remittances during the time of the biggest festival of Eid-UL-Azha. Buoyed by this the inward remittances collection stood at $21.61 billion in FY23, which was $21.03 billion in FY22.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the highest expatriate income in a single month in nearly three years. Earlier, the highest expatriate income was $2.59 billion in July of FY21.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remittances from Saudi Arabia can increase further: Ambassador Javed Patwary</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those concerned with the sector say that due to various reasons including the dollar crisis, the government took various initiatives to bring more remittances or expatriate income through legal channels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, remittances did not increase at the rate expected by the central bank, or proved rather inconsistent. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 03:53:38', '2023-07-03 13:28:31'),
(7754, 7754, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Visiting Joint Commander of French Force Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars on Sunday evening paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s official residence Ganabhban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Different issues, including defense cooperation, drydock cooperation and seaway movement came up for discussion in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina welcomed and congratulated on commanding the French frigate ‘FH Surcouf’ for its port call to Chattogram from 2-6 July 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She recalled with appreciation that France extended support to the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and accorded recognition of Bangladesh as a sovereign country as early on 14 February, 1972.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM also recalled with profound gratitude the remarkable manner the leading French Intellectuals like Andre Malraux and Bernard-Henri Levy stood by our people and freedom fighters in 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said there is a scope for both countries to carry out cooperation on drydock.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars said France is a nation of the Indo-Pacific and they are in favour of freedom of navigation and the freedom to fly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The law of the sea should be respected,” he was quoted as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said human trafficking, particularly women trafficking, is also a major issue for the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and French ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy were present at the time. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 03:58:56', '2023-07-03 03:58:56'),
(7755, 7755, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The cost of food, fuel, and fertilizer in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities has escalated due to the food and energy crisis, which is attributed to the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new study conducted by the international humanitarian organization ActionAid.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cost of living in Bangladesh has gone up across multiple parameters, hitting the marginalized communities the hardest, the report suggests.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report found that in Bangladesh, price of fertilizer has increased by 105%, sugar’s price by 60%, petrol’s price by 47%, and sanitary pads by 23%.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No hike in fertilizer price in coming years: Agri Minister</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, communities are facing multiple challenges, particularly women, girls and children have, who been hit hard, according to the report.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are compromising on their education, nutrition, and on the health .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A survey of more than 1,000 community members and leaders in 14 countries across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean found that prices of fertilizer rose by more than 115% over the period monitored, while costs of petrol and sanitary pads increased by 80% or more, leading to soaring child marriage rates, deteriorating women’s health and worsening mental health.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is despite the latest UN Food and Agriculture Organization Food Price Index showing an 11.7% decline in global prices since February 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Balanced use of fertilizer can raise crop production by 8-14 percent : Researchers</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alberta Guerra, Global Policy Analyst for ActionAid, said this pioneering research shows that since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the most vulnerable people around the world are bearing the brunt of skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices, with women and girls the hardest hit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They are disproportionally affected by multiple crises that impact their food intake, education, their right to live free from child marriage, and their mental health and wellbeing.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">School dropout rates have increased for both girls and boys in 10 of the 14 countries surveyed, which includes Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The economic pressure created by price hikes has also resulted in increased rates of child marriage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the respondents in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh laid it out clearly, “Education is far less important than securing food for survival. Boys have to work in Bangladesh in the stone quarry or in sand extraction for BDT 300/day in the Jadukata River. That’s why they skip school.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report highlights that Bangladesh is facing intersecting impacts of multiple crises, ranging from climate disasters, the Ukraine-Russia war, COVID-19, debt stress and currency depreciation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most notable among these factors mentioned above are climate disasters, COVID-19, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Govt to import 1.5 lakh tonnes of fertilizer from Tunisia</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said, “The fuel price instability has had a far-reaching impact on all sectors, especially on food, which affects women and marginalized communities on a greater scale.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our national reporting (Bangladesh Bank) indicates we have an inflation of 9.5%. However, if we look in real terms, the marginalized community are now having to pay almost double the previous price for essential food items like rice and eggs. As such, there has been a serious drop in food consumption, affecting the nutritional balance ofcommunities. On the other hand, our energy sector is highly fuel-dependent and therefore, high fuel prices have made a significant impact on our foreign reserves and national expenditure.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“ActionAid is advocating for a holistic approach and adequate funding that tackles all interconnected crises exacerbating the price crisis, including climate change, debt stress, and the profound repercussions of the Russian invasion in Ukraine”, she added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farah Kabir continues, “Social protection measures need to be urgently adjusted to match the changed reality and current needs of the community. One recommended measure is to incentivize families with children, encouraging them to prioritize and continue their education. Dependency on food imports needs to be addressed with higher investments made in agroecology farming. A just transition to renewable energy and agroecological farming practices is needed now more than ever, both to protect communities from shocks and also to offer resilience against the climate crisis. There is no time to waste.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">International community urged to address triple challenge of food, fuel, fertilizer shortages</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,010 community members in 69 communities in 14 countries took part in the perception-based survey between 1st March and 23rd April.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The survey prioritized women participants, who constituted 63% of the respondents. Participants were asked about the current prices (on the day of the survey) of wheat products, cooking oil, petrol, gas for cooking, fertilizer, and sanitary pads, which were then compared with the prices collected by ActionAid before February 2022 (prior to Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Participants were also asked about the impact of these price rises on their lives and the lives of others in their communities and they were encouraged to choose at least one response from a series of options.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 14 countries which took part in the survey were Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 04:24:25', '2023-07-03 04:24:25'),
(7756, 7756, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed today paid courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter\'s official Ganabhaban residence here.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting had discussion on the worldwide economic crisis created from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine and put emphasis on collective efforts to overcome it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed newsmen after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the issues of SDGs, climate change and Rohingya repatriation also discussed in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said her government has been taking various timely measures to overcome the international food crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her government, she said, has been working to bring all the fallow land under cultivation to ward off the crisis. The premier also put emphasis on rooftop cultivation of food and vegetables.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her government has been given topmost priority to research in agriculture sector, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said they have already developed saline and flood tolerance rice varieties and are working to improve those further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About Rohingya issue, she said they have given Rohingyas shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. \"But, they have become a big burden for us. It has also created social problem,\" she continued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amina J. Mohammed said 52 countries are now on the verge of the crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to face the crisis together. It is a big challenge for the developing nations,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers to maintain world peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, PM\'s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Muhammad Abdul Muhith were present in the meeting. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 04:32:34', '2023-07-03 04:32:34');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7757, 7757, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The award-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina has died from her injuries after a Russian missile hit a pizza restaurant in the eastern city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The war crimes researcher becomes the 13th person to have died in the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The writers\' association PEN Ukraine said doctors \"did everything they could to save her life, but unfortunately the wound was fatal\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Human rights activists have called the attack a war crime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kramatorsk is under Ukrainian control but is close to Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amelina, 37, was dining with a delegation of Colombian journalists and writers in the city\'s popular Ria Lounge when the missile hit. Around 60 others were injured in the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was rushed to hospital in Dnipro, but succumbed to her injuries on Friday, PEN Ukraine said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is with great pain that we inform you that the heart of the writer Victoria Amelina stopped beating on 1 July,\" the group said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In the last days of Victoria\'s life, her family and friends were by her side.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amelina was one of Ukraine\'s most celebrated young writers who started documenting war crimes after Russia\'s full-scale invasion last year. She also started working with children near the frontline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year she unearthed the diary of children\'s writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was abducted and killed by Russian troops in the city of Izyum soon after the invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her first non-fiction book in English, War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War, is due to be published.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an earlier statement confirming that Amelina had been injured in the attack, PEN Ukraine and war crimes watchdog Truth Hounds said that members of both groups had travelled to the frontlines with Amelina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Now, Victoria has become a victim of a war crime herself,\" they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A post pinned to her Twitter profile shows Amelina taking a photo of a bombed building in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s me in this picture,\" the post reads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'m a Ukrainian writer. I have portraits of great Ukrainian poets on my bag. I look like I should be taking pictures of books, art, and my little son. But I document Russia\'s war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems. Why?\" 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, '2023-07-03 13:26:14', '2023-07-03 13:26:14'),
(7758, 7758, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to visit Beijing this week, the United States said Sunday, marking the second trip by a cabinet official to China since ties between the world\'s top two economies deteriorated earlier this year.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yellen is expected to discuss with her counterparts the importance for both countries \"to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges,\" said the Treasury Department in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yellen\'s planned July 6-9 trip comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China\'s top leader President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blinken was the highest-ranking US official to visit the Chinese capital in nearly five years, and Xi said on the rare trip that he saw headway in the strained relationship between Washington and Beijing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Beijing, Yellen will discuss how the United States views its economic relationship with China, a senior Treasury official said Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will meet with senior Chinese officials and leading US firms, the American spokesperson said without providing specifics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the US seeks to secure its national security interests and protect human rights, actions to this effect are \"not intended to gain economic advantage over China,\" the official added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Washington also looks towards \"healthy\" ties with Beijing and does not seek to decouple the economies, while pursuing cooperation on urgent challenges like climate change and debt distress, the American official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States does not expect \"significant breakthrough\" from this initial trip, but it does aim to build longer-term channels of communication with China, the Treasury official added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Restarting engagement -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think the US government is clearly trying to put some floor under the deterioration of the economic relationship,\" Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP, speaking on the Treasury secretary\'s intentions to visit China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Yellen trip could \"restart a steady pattern of engagement at lower levels,\" he said, adding that the US has shifted from being ambiguous about how far it was supporting decoupling to explicitly adopting a strategy of \"derisking\" instead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This means \"focusing on a narrower range of items that have strategic importance, trying to build fences around those items, but otherwise trying to continue to nurture a reasonably robust US-China economic relationship,\" Alden said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But observers do not expect a quick resolution to tensions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Joe Biden\'s administration is considering a program to restrict certain US outbound investments involving sensitive technology with key national security implications -- an issue that has riled Chinese officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other possible sticking points include amendments to China\'s anti-espionage law which recently broadened the definition of spying while banning the transfer of information relating to national security -- a move that has spooked foreign and domestic businesses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The senior Treasury official told reporters Sunday that Washington intends to communicate its concerns over the law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While significant disagreements may not be resolved in a single trip, the US seeks to deepen and increase the frequency of communication with China and to \"stabilize the relationship,\" avoiding miscommunication and expanding collaboration where possible, the official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Global growth, debt problems -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the US, discussions with officials from the world\'s second biggest economy \"are important to help spur stronger global economic growth and to tackle the mounting debt problem of the Global South,\" said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, discussing a prospective Yellen visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Beijing\'s part, officials are \"looking for concrete steps taken by the US to show that \'decoupling\' and holding back China is not the ultimate goal of the United States,\" Cutler added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But despite US policies that have drawn ire from Beijing, officials likely have an awareness of China\'s continued export dependence and the importance of the US market, CFR\'s Alden said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think that there\'s a growing awareness in Beijing that China also needs to play a role in nurturing this economic relationship with the United States, because it\'s simply too important to China as well,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Washington and Beijing recently have clashed over trade, human rights and other issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relations came under further stress this year when the United States shot down a Chinese balloon it said was used for surveillance -- a claim China strongly denied.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Blinken\'s reception in Beijing has been seen as a symbolic sign of lowering temperatures. 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, '2023-07-03 13:55:33', '2023-07-03 13:55:33'),
(7759, 7759, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Ukrainian writer and war crimes investigator wounded in a Russian missile strike on a restaurant last week has died, the freedom of expression group PEN said on Sunday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Victoria Amelina, 37, was wounded when a Russian missile destroyed the Ria Pizza restaurant in the eastern city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, killing 12 people, including children, and wounding dozens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"With our greatest pain, we inform you that Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina passed away on July 1st in Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro,\" PEN Ukraine said in a statement on its Facebook page.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amelina had been in the city with a delegation of Colombian journalists and writers, PEN said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was hospitalised with \"multiple skull fractures\", according to a surgeon treating the wounded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her novel \"Dom\'s Dream Kingdom\" was published in 2017 and shortlisted for the UNESCO City of Literature Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature, according to PEN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her poems, prose and essays have been translated into English, German, Polish and other languages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since 2022 she had been working to document Russian war crimes since the invasion and advocate for accountability, PEN said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ria Pizza in Kramatorsk -- one of the largest cities still under Ukrainian control in the east -- was popular with soldiers, journalists and aid workers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amelina\'s death takes the toll of the strike to 13. 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, '2023-07-03 14:23:36', '2023-07-03 14:23:36'),
(7760, 7760, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government has undertaken a series of medium-term (2025-26) reforms aimed at bolstering macroeconomic stability and promoting long-term growth apart from immediate policy responses due to the global and national economic contexts.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The main objectives of these reforms include enhancing revenue generation, reducing the borrowing costs of the public sector, curbing subsidies, and improving spending efficiency through fiscal institutional reforms, according to an official budgetary document.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>These reform initiatives have been developed through consultations and negotiations with the stakeholders.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The overarching strategy is to strengthen the external balance and rebuild reserves while gradually easing the measures implemented for demand and import management on a temporary basis.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Moreover, the document mentioned, fiscal sustainability will be reinforced by maintaining the budget deficit and public debt within acceptable limits.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“This will be achieved through the introduction of more efficient expenditure management practices and increased investment in priority sectors such as social welfare and development spending,” it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The document said that Bangladesh will continue to pursue a prudent fiscal policy stance keeping a careful eye on the budget deficit (both primary and overall), financing mix, and public and publicly guaranteed debt level.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the medium term, the policy will be anchored by the target to keep the primary fiscal deficit (including grants) within around 3.3 percent of GDP to contain public debt below 45 percent of GDP.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to raising expenditures on development and social safety net programs, there will be initiatives to rationalise subsidies and domestic debt financing costs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The reform initiatives in the governance of social safety net programs, such as improvement in targeting, rationalisation of coverage, use of the government-to- person (G2P) systems, the introduction of a universal pension system, etc., will continue in the medium term.</div><div><br></div><div>The Universal Pension Management Bill, 2023 has already passed in parliament aimed at bringing the country’s growing elderly population under a universal pension scheme</div><div><br></div><div>Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in his budget speech said that the government&nbsp; has planned to launch a universal pension system from FY2023-24. Under the proposed scheme, a beneficiary can enjoy pension benefits subject to the payment of subscription up to the age of 60 years if s/he enrolls at the age between 18 to 50 years, whereas those who enroll at their age of more than 50 years have to pay subscription for a minimum of 10 years.</div><div><br></div><div>The expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to participate in this scheme. If the pensioner dies before attaining the age of 75 years while on pension, the nominee of the pensioner will be entitled to the pension for the remaining period of the pensioner\'s completion of 75 years.</div><div><br></div><div>If the subscriber dies before paying the subscription for at least 10 years, the deposited money will be returned to the nominee along with the profit. Besides, the amount received as a monthly pension will be exempted from income tax.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh’s tax-GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the world.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“This is working as a strong constraint in expanding the budget allocation in critical sectors and exploiting the growth potential to the fullest,” the document said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hence, the government has initiated several policy and administrative reforms on the revenue side focusing on the modernisation of the system of income tax and VAT following the best practices.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Key areas for policy reforms include modernizing tax laws, rationalizing tax expenditures, simplifying the tax rate structure, and broadening the tax base as part of an overarching strategy of shifting the tax burden from trade-related taxes toward income and value-added taxes.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>On the administrative side, key reforms include establishing compliance risk management units within the National Board of Revenue and implementing a compliance improvement plan, strengthening information sharing between the income tax, VAT, and customs wings of NBR, progressively expanding and integrating automation in tax administration, increasing at-source tax collection, etc.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The reforms are expected to generate additional revenue by 0.5 percent of GDP annually in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 and 0.7 percent of GDP in FY 2025-26.</div><div><br></div><div>The document said that the government has taken steps to rationalise energy subsidies and allocate required funds for social and development expenditures.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The increase in petroleum prices in August 2022 was intended to match international prices, and to reduce the amount of subsidy.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>To ensure a systematic approach, the government is going to introduce a periodic formula-based automatic fuel price adjustment mechanism, which is expected to eliminate the need for subsidies on petroleum products. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 18:48:27', '2023-07-03 18:48:27'),
(7761, 7761, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked public representatives to serve the people and meet their needs when working in their respective areas.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You will have to fulfil the needs and wants of the people who elected you with their votes,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Newly elected Barishal, Khulna and Gazipur city mayors take oath</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said this at the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected mayors&nbsp; and councillors of Barishal, Khulna and Gazipur city corporations at Shapla Hall of her office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing the newly elected public representatives, she said, “You, being elected with votes of the people, have the scope to serve people. I want you to work in your own areas as public servants.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister administered the oaths of newly elected mayors of three city corporations — Abul Khair Abdullah of Barishal, Talukder Abdul Khaleque of Khulna and Jayeda Khatun of Gazipur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, 157 newly elected councillors of general wards and female councillors of the reserved seats of three city corporations were also sworn in at the same venue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL not embarrassed by results of Gazipur city election: Agri Minister Razzaque</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam administered the oaths of the councillors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the oath-taking ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee was also present on the dais.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 12, Awami League mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah (Khokon Serniabat) won the Barishal City Corporation election with 87,807 votes.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL-backed mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah wins Barishal City Corporation election</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque won the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) election with 1,54,825 votes on June 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 25, independent candidate Jayeda Khatun won the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls with 238,934 votes. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 18:58:42', '2023-07-03 18:58:42'),
(7762, 7762, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Newly elected mayors of three city corporations — Abul Khair Abdullah of Barishal, Talukder Abdul Khaleque of Khulna and Jayeda Khatun of Gazipur — took oath this morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath at a ceremony held in Shapla Hall of her office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, 157 newly elected councillors of general wards and female councillors of the reserved seats of the three city corporations also took oath at the same venue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL-backed mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah wins Barishal City Corporation election</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam administered the councillors’ oaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the oath-taking ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee was present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL-backed mayor candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque wins Khulna City polls</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 12, Awami League mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah (Khokon Serniabat) won the Barishal City Corporation election with 87,807 votes. His nearest rival Islami Andolon Bangladesh candidate Mufti Syed Mohammad Faizul Karim bagged 33,828 votes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque won the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) election with 1,54,825 votes. His nearest rival Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md Abdul Awal got 60,064 votes in the polls held on June 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL not embarrassed by results of Gazipur city election: Agri Minister Razzaque</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On May 25, independent candidate Jayeda Khatun won the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls with 238,934 votes, defeating her nearest rival Awami League-nominated candidate Azmat Ullah Khan who bagged 222,737 votes. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-03 19:09:53', '2023-07-03 19:09:53'),
(7763, 7763, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said there is no other way for the government but to resign to end the political deadlock and hold a credible national election.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our statement is very clear…resign immediately and dissolve Parliament. If you buy time unnecessarily, the country and its people will be affected and the democracy will be damaged,” he told an anti-government rally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader called upon the current regime to take steps for establishing a polls-time neutral government for holding the next election in a credible way by forming a new Election Commission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This’s the only way, there is no other way. So, do it as fast as you can. Otherwise, you won’t find a way to escape. Your time is up,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also warned that their party will force the government to resign through the ongoing movement by involving the people in it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He slammed the government for what he said was continuing the arrest of BNP leaders and activists and repressing them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our 386 leaders and activists were arrested in the last one month…so we have no option, but to put up a resistance against this regime,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He urged the opposition leaders and activists to get ready for making more sacrifices to defeat the current government on the streets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP’s Dhaka South city unit along with its different associate bodies organised the programme in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office to protest against the arrest of the opposition leaders and activists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of leaders and workers of the party and its different front organisations joied the programme and brought out a procession that ended after parading through Kakrail and Shantinagar intersections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said Awami League has been in power by holding stage-managed elections in 2014 and 2018, resorting to repressive acts and arresting BNP leaders and activists, including party chief Khaleda Zia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the country’s people want a free and fair election. “They (people) want to vote in that election. That election must be held under an impartial government. It has been proven that no election will be acceptable if Hasina is in power and her party is in government.\" 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, '2023-07-04 04:07:02', '2023-07-04 04:07:02'),
(7764, 7764, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN Secretary General’s Special Representative (SRSG) on Disaster Risk Reduction Mami Mizutori on Monday urged Bangladesh to share some of the country’s best practices with other countries vulnerable to floods, cyclones and other natural disasters.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She suggested that Bangladesh has internationally championed in the areas of disaster-related legislations, inter-agency coordination for disaster preparedness while the nation is successfully practising inclusiveness, especially for persons with disabilities during disasters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mami Mizutori met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister requested the UN to help raise public awareness about earthquake preparedness.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, while the SRSG commended the government’s contributions to the Framework’s mid-term stocktaking exercise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mizutori confirmed the UN’s readiness to work together with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief on developing an earthquake modeling for the whole of Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Momen underscored the importance of early warning, particularly for flash floods in the northeastern region of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN Special Representative offered support for conducting a gap analysis for the country with a view to mobilising international financing for further strengthening the multi-hazard early warning system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister offered to receive delegations from other interested countries to showcase the community engagement model for cyclone preparedness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mizutori suggested replicating Bangladesh’s community volunteers-based cyclone preparedness model in a complex context in other parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Both regretted the dearth of adequate international financing and technologies for developing disaster-resilient infrastructures in vulnerable settings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They agreed to work together to further sensitise the international financial institutions to this issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mizutori is in Bangladesh on a four-day visit when she is expected to visit some field-level projects being implemented by the UN and its partners. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 04:12:24', '2023-07-04 04:12:24'),
(7765, 7765, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the lead-up to the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, Bangladesh has been elected as vice chair of the ministerial meeting during the NAM preparatory meetings being held in Baku – Azerbaijan’s capital.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meetings, which commenced on July 3 and will conclude on July 6, 2023, have attracted delegates from various countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen is leading the Bangladesh delegation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NAM is attaining renewed prominence in the backdrop of the emerging polarisations and shifting balance of global power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The next NAM Summit is scheduled to take place in Uganda from January 19 to 20, 2024. During this summit, South Sudan is expected to be officially welcomed as the newest member of the Non-Aligned Movement, further expanding the organization\'s reach and representation. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 04:20:18', '2023-07-04 04:20:18'),
(7766, 7766, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">There have been intense exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and armed Palestinian militants in Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military began what appears to be one of its most extensive operations in the territory in years with drone strikes early on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine Palestinians have been killed and 100 injured, health officials say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel said it was putting a stop to Jenin being \"a refuge for terrorism\". Palestinians accused it of a war crime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military said there was no specific timeline for ending the operation, but that it could be \"a matter of hours or a few days\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jenin has become a stronghold of a new generation of Palestinian militants who have become deeply frustrated by the Palestinian Authority\'s aging leadership and the restrictions of the Israeli occupation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city has seen repeated Israeli military raids in the past year as local Palestinians have carried out deadly attacks on Israelis. Other Palestinian attackers have hidden there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2002, during the second Palestinian intifada, Israeli forces launched a full-scale incursion in Jenin. At least 52 Palestinian militants and civilians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed during 10 days of intense fighting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As well as the hum of drones overhead, regular bursts of gunfire and the loud thuds of explosions came throughout the day from the densely populated refugee camp, which is home to some 18,000 people and is now declared a closed Israeli military zone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Acrid smoke from burning tyres lit during protests also hung in the air above the city centre. A few young Palestinians were out on the streets, standing close to shuttered shops and staring nervously in the direction of the camp.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military has cut off telephone communications and the electricity supply to the camp, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening. Palestinian medics have also been struggling to reach the dozens of injured there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the Palestinian hospital by the main entrance to the camp the mood was grim.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One man told the BBC: \"I met my brother\'s friend. I went up to him and had barely said a few words when he dropped on the ground. I went to run away, then I got hit by two bullets.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another man said there was a \"massacre\" in the camp.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are children and civilians and they\'re not letting them out,\" he added. \"Our electricity is cut, they have dug up all our roads. The camp will be destroyed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jovana Arsenijevic of the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières told the BBC she was at a hospital that had seen more than 90 patients wounded by gunfire or shrapnel from explosive devices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military said it was acting on precise intelligence and did not to seek to harm civilians, but many have been caught in the crossfire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military allowed about 500 Palestinian families to leave the camp on Monday night. Some raised their hands or waved makeshift white flags in a gesture of surrender.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People told the BBC that some men and teenaged boys had been stopped by soldiers, and kept behind.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first drone strike overnight targeted an apartment that the military said was being used as a hideout for Palestinians who had attacked Israelis and as a \"joint operational command centre\" for the Jenin Brigades - a unit made up of different Palestinian militant groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drones were used for further air strikes and a brigade-size force of troops was deployed in what a military spokesman described as a \"counter-terrorism operation\" focused on seizing weapons and breaking \"the safe haven mindset of the camp, which has become a hornet\'s nest\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the past year and a half, Palestinians behind some 50 attacks targeting Israelis have come from Jenin, according to the military.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As armed Palestinians began fighting back from inside the camp, the Jenin Brigades said: \"We will fight the occupation [Israeli] forces until the last breath and bullet, and we work together and unified from all factions and military formations.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Palestinian health ministry said nine Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, including three in the overnight drone strike. They all appeared to be young men or in their late teens - some confirmed as belonging to armed groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministry warned that the death toll might rise because 20 of the injured were in a critical condition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire during a related protest near the West Bank city of Ramallah, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military said the Palestinians killed in Jenin were affiliated to militant groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Troops had also apprehended some 50 militants during the operation, and seized weapons and ammunition, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday evening, Israel\'s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised its forces for entering what he called the \"nest of terrorists\" and asserted that they were doing so \"with minimal injury to civilians\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will continue this action as long as necessary in order to restore quiet and security,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There was a furious response to the operation from the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"What\'s going on is an attempt to erase the refugee camp completely and displace the residents,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neighbouring Jordan said the operation was \"a clear violation of international humanitarian law\", but the US expressed its support for what it called \"Israel\'s security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the plan was not to expand the military operation outside Jenin, but already Palestinian protests have reached the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip. And the longer this action goes on in Jenin, the greater the risk of another dangerous, wider escalation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jenin Brigade group has said its militants will fight back with their \"last breath and bullet\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There has been a surge of violence in the West Bank in recent months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On 20 June, seven Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin which saw the military\'s first use of an attack helicopter in the West Bank in years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The next day, two Hamas gunmen shot dead four Israelis near the settlement of Eli, 40km (25 miles) to the south.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Palestinian man was later shot dead during a rampage by hundreds of settlers in the nearby town of Turmusaya.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That week also saw three Palestinian militants from Jenin killed in a rare Israeli drone strike.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the start of the year, more than 140 Palestinians - both militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while another 36 have been killed in the Gaza Strip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twenty-four Israelis, two foreigners and a Palestinian worker have been killed in attacks or apparent attacks by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank. All were civilians except one off-duty serving soldier and a member of the Israeli security forces. 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, '2023-07-04 13:58:40', '2023-07-04 13:58:40');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7767, 7767, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A pro-democracy campaigner who fled Hong Kong has told the BBC his life has become more dangerous because of a bounty offered for his arrest.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nathan Law, who lives in the UK, is among eight exiled activists wanted by the territory\'s police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities are offering rewards of HK$1 million (£100,581; $127,637) for information leading to their capture.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Law said he needed to be \"more careful\" about divulging his whereabouts as a result of the bounty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The eight activists targeted are accused of colluding with foreign forces - a crime that can carry a sentence of life in prison. The offence comes under Hong Kong\'s draconian security law, which was imposed three years ago after widespread pro-democracy protests took place in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK\'s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would \"not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We call on Beijing to remove the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy,\" he said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the national security law, hundreds of pro-democracy campaigners have been arrested and convicted in Hong Kong.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beijing has said the law is needed to bring stability to the city, but critics say it is designed to squash dissent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The eight named in this announcement are all based in the UK, the US and Australia - countries which do not have extradition treaties with China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They have committed very serious offences that endanger national security,\" Steven Li, chief superintendent of the national security department, said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that while Hong Kong police could not arrest them while they remained abroad, they would not stop chasing them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Law, one of the most prominent figures in the pro-democracy movement, said that while he felt his situation was \"relatively safe\" in the UK, he would have to be more vigilant as a result of the bounty\'s announcement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There could possibly be someone in the UK - or anywhere else - to provide informations of me to (the Hong Kong authorities). For example, my whereabouts, where they could possibly extradite me when I\'m transiting in certain countries,\" Mr Law said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All these things may put my life in to dangerous situations if I\'m not careful enough of who I meet or where I go. It makes me have to live in a more careful life.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nathan Law: Hong Kong pro-democracy activist reveals he\'s in London</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Writing on Twitter, Mr Law urged others not to cooperate with the authorities on the matter and said: \"We should not limit ourselves, self-censor, be intimidated, or live in fear.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This sentiment was echoed by one of the other exiled activists - Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council - who said the bounty was aimed at intimidating her and her fellow activists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are united in our fight for freedom and democracy in our home, Hong Kong,\" she said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia\'s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was \"deeply disappointed\" by the announcement and said Australia \"remains deeply concerned by the continuing erosion of Hong Kong\'s rights, freedoms and autonomy.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other six activists named in the announcement are Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok, Mung Siu-tat, Elmer Yuen, Finn Law and Kevin Yam. 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, '2023-07-04 14:04:39', '2023-07-04 14:04:39'),
(7768, 7768, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a \"text based conversation app\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, the pair agreed to a physical fight, though it is unclear how serious the two men were about actually holding a bout.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Thank goodness they\'re so sanely run\", Mr Musk responded to a tweet about Threads, in an apparent fresh swipe at Mr Zuckerberg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Twitter has said that the popular user dashboard, TweetDeck will go behind a paywall in 30 days time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move is the latest push by Mr Musk as he tries to get users to sign up to Twitter\'s subscription service, Twitter Blue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, the multi-billionaire restricted the number of tweets users could see, citing extreme \"data scraping\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It appears from Meta\'s Threads app that it will be a free service - and there will be no restrictions on how many posts a user can see.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what\'ll be trending tomorrow\" the description on the App Store says.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pictures show screengrabs from the app, that look almost identical to Twitter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It being a Meta app, Threads will also hoover up data on your phone, including location data, purchases and browsing history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several apps that bear a striking resemblance to Twitter have sprung up in recent years - such as Donald Trump\'s Truth Social and Mastodon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another similar app, Bluesky claimed to have seen \"record\" traffic after Mr Musk\'s move to restrict usage at the weekend.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Threads could be the biggest threat faced by Twitter to date.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mark Zuckerberg has a history of borrowing other company\'s ideas - and making them work.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meta\'s Reels is widely seen as a TikTok copy, while Stories looks similar to Snapchat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meta has the resources to compete with Twitter. Threads will be part of the Instagram platform, so it will also be connected to hundreds of millions of accounts. It\'s not starting from zero, as other would-be rivals have had to do.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although Mr Musk has been praised in some quarters for his commitment to free speech, he has also alienated some users.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Zuckerberg will hope he can pull enough disenchanted users away from Twitter to create a genuine alternative. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 14:13:28', '2023-07-04 14:13:28'),
(7769, 7769, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Moon has left people gazing up at the sky after appearing brighter and larger than usual on Monday evening.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">July\'s supermoon is appearing full for up to three days, according to Nasa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Known as a Buck Moon, it is closer than normal in its orbit around the Earth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is because the Moon\'s orbit is not a perfect circle due to the Earth\'s gravitational pull; instead it is elliptical, like an elongated circle or oval.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Because of this, there are times in the Moon\'s 27.32-day orbit when it is closer to the Earth and other times when it is further away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A supermoon happens when the Moon is at the closest point to Earth in its orbit and also in its full Moon phase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The full Moon in July was given the Native American name of Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer are in full growth mode in July, according to the Royal Observatory. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Moon reached peak illumination at 12:39 BST (07:39 Eastern Time) on Monday, according to the Old Farmer\'s Almanac.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Almanac, which has published astronomical data for centuries, said the Buck Moon would orbit closer to the Earth than full Moons we have already had this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">August\'s full Moon will be the only supermoon closer to the Earth this year, the publication said. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"5\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 14:19:07', '2023-07-04 14:19:07'),
(7770, 7770, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for international support for Haitian police to deal with the country\'s \"unprecedented\" wave of violence in recent months.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"I have come here from Haiti, where the security situation is rapidly deteriorating, and humanitarian needs are soaring,\" Guterres said in Trinidad and Tobago, where the Caricom summit for Caribbean countries was opening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I reiterate my call on all partners to increase support for Haiti\'s national police -- in the form of financing, training, or equipment,\" the UN chief said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres traveled to Haiti at the weekend to spotlight violence and chaos in the country, where he has been calling for a robust international effort to help the beleaguered police in fighting rampant criminal gangs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For months he has raised the alarm about the situation in the Western Hemisphere\'s poorest country, which has been wracked by spiralling violence, worsening public health conditions and political instability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We must collectively do more to help the Haitian people chart a path towards elections and a political solution,\" Guterres said, calling for \"a drastic improvement in the security situation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said support for the police was needed to \"dismantle the gangs that have created this unprecedented violence.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UN officials have offered increasingly grim assessments of the impact of gang shootings, kidnappings and rapes on the Haitian population.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said after a trip to Port-au-Prince that the world was \"failing the Haitian people.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been seeking international intervention for nearly a year, but no country has yet stepped up although Brazil and Canada are the most involved in the discussions. 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, '2023-07-04 14:42:09', '2023-07-04 14:42:09'),
(7771, 7771, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Around 3,000 Palestinians residing in the Jenin refugee camp have fled since the Israeli army launched a major operation in the area in the occupied West Bank Monday, a Palestinian official said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are about 3,000 people who have left the camp so far,\" Jenin deputy governor Kamal Abu al-Roub told AFP, adding that arrangements were being made to house them in schools and other shelters in the city of Jenin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said about 18,000 Palestinians reside in the camp.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, confirmed to AFP that residents of the camp were leaving.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the early hours of Monday, Israeli forces launched a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank that involved air strikes and hundreds of troops.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Palestinian health ministry said eight people were killed in the operation and at least 80 others were injured. 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, '2023-07-04 14:51:01', '2023-07-04 14:51:01'),
(7772, 7772, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 70 at 8:45 am, Dhaka ranked 21st 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, Chile’s Santiago, and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 154, 144 and 143, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, an AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 14:58:20', '2023-07-04 14:58:20'),
(7773, 7773, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Japan on Tuesday to present a review of Tokyo\'s plans to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head will meet Japan\'s prime minister and foreign minister in Tokyo on Tuesday before heading to Fukushima on Wednesday to visit the devastated plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several of the nuclear facility\'s reactors went into meltdown after cooling systems were overwhelmed by a massive 2011 tsunami.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resulting nuclear accident was the worst since Chernobyl, and the clean-up has lasted more than a decade, with most areas declared off-limits due to radiation now reopened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Decommissioning the plant itself will take decades, but the facility\'s operator TEPCO faces the immediate problem of more than 1.33 million cubic metres of water accumulated on the site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The water is a mixture of groundwater, rain that seeps into the area, and water used for cooling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is processed through a facility that TEPCO says removes almost all radionuclides but tritium, which commonly remains in waste water discharged into the sea by nuclear plants globally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan plans to dilute the treated water and release it over decades via a pipe extending around a kilometre from the eastern coast where the plant is located.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposal has already been endorsed by the IAEA, but the government has said the release will only begin after a \"comprehensive review\" that Grossi will present Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A review by IAEA, given how authoritative it is in the management and application of nuclear safety standards, is critical to our efforts to foster international understanding,\" top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, the release remains controversial, with Beijing vocally criticising the plans, and some in South Korea panic-buying salt over fears of contamination after the discharge begins.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fishing communities in Fukushima are also worried customers will shun their catches, despite strict testing protocols for food from the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan has said the release will start this summer, without giving further details, and Matsuno said that was still the plan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will thoroughly explain and communicate, both domestically and internationally, details of the IAEA report, our effort to ensure safety and measures against reputational damage,\" he 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, '2023-07-04 15:02:12', '2023-07-04 15:02:12'),
(7774, 7774, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A prosecutor in Brazil fined soccer star Neymar 16 million reais ($3.3 million) for building a lake at his mansion on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro without an environmental license, authorities said Monday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The town council in Mangaratiba issued four fines for \"environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake at the player\'s mansion,\" the council secretariat said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The sanctions add up to more than 16 million reais,\" the statement said, a sum set out by the prosecutor\'s office in Mangaratiba, a tourist area around 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Rio where the Paris Saint-Germain star has his mansion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among \"dozens of infractions\" detected, the authorities listed \"carrying out work subject to environmental control without authorization,\" capture and diversion of river water without authorization, and \"removal of land and suppression of vegetation without authorization.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Neymar has 20 days to appeal the penalty, the amount of which had initially been set at five million reais, close to one million dollars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 22, after complaints based on social media posts, authorities found several environmental violations at the luxury property, where workers were building an artificial lake and beach.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities cordoned off the site and ordered all activity to cease, but Brazilian media reported that Neymar threw a party there and bathed in the lake.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neymar\'s press office in Brazil did not respond to an AFP request for comment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neymar, 31, is currently recovering from surgery on his right ankle, which he underwent in Doha in March.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The striker has not played since February and doubts have arisen about his staying at PSG.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neymar bought the Mangaratiba mansion in 2016. According to Brazilian media, it sits on 10,000 square meters (107,000 square feet) of land and features a heliport, spa and gym. 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, '2023-07-04 15:07:38', '2023-07-04 15:07:38'),
(7775, 7775, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Four people were killed, and four others wounded in a mass shooting Monday night in Philadelphia in the latest chapter of America\'s gun violence crisis, news reports said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Philadelphia police spokesman Miguel Torres confirmed to AFP there were multiple gunshot victims but gave no numbers or details.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Philadelphia Enquirer, CNN and other news outlets reported that a suspect in the shooting in the eastern city\'s Kingsessing neighborhood had been detained.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Enquirer said at least two juveniles were among those shot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said police detained a man wearing a bullet-proof vest and recovered a rifle and a handgun and additional magazines of ammunition in an alleyway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The paper described the crime scene as sprawling, with people shot at different locations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the weekend two people were killed and 28 were wounded in a shooting at a block party in Baltimore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">America has now endured 339 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines these as shootings in which four people are killed or wounded. 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, '2023-07-04 15:11:08', '2023-07-04 15:11:08'),
(7776, 7776, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Asian markets struggled for direction on Tuesday as investors weighed signs of a slowing US economy against hopes the Federal Reserve\'s interest rate hiking cycle could be nearing its end.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Data showing a sharp drop in the central bank\'s preferred gauge of inflation for May fuelled a rally across equities in New York last week and Asia on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The readings followed a series of indicators suggesting the economy remained in rude health, putting pressure on the Fed to keep tightening monetary policy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bank boss Jerome Powell has warned more hikes are in the pipeline owing to still-elevated inflation and the strong labour market, though analysts question whether it will follow through with that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, while traders take the view that \"bad news is good news\" as it gives the bank room to hold rates, the possibility of a contraction was keeping the optimism in check.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, a closely watched survey of US factory activity showed the sector shrank again in June and hit its lowest level since May 2020.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The reading from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) also indicates the ongoing contraction in the sector is picking up pace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wall Street limped to a positive close -- with business thinned by traders winding down for the July 4 holiday -- but Asia was unable to maintain Monday\'s momentum</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hong Kong and Shanghai edged up, along with Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta, though Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul and Manila dipped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Jim Bianco, president and founder of Bianco Research, warned that while inflation was still falling, the Fed should be on alert as it could begin to climb again after getting to as low as three percent -- still above the bank\'s two percent target.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If the inflation rate bottoms at three and starts drifting higher, the Fed\'s going to find this unacceptable, and that two rate hikes that we have priced in for the rest of the year will happen, if not three,\" he told Bloomberg Television.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oil prices edged up on Tuesday, a day after dropping more than one percent as an initial rally sparked by Saudi Arabia and Russia\'s announcement of further output cuts faded away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the cuts will mean tighter supplies, rising interest rates and the lingering threat of recession are weighing on demand expectations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was not too surprising that Saudi Arabia decided to roll over its additional, voluntary cuts,\" Warren Patterson, at ING Groep NV, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Fundamentals are not having as much influence on price direction as one would expect. Instead, the uncertain macro outlook is what the market is focused on.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Investors are keeping tabs on China-US relations after Beijing on Monday imposed export controls on two rare metals essential for the manufacture of semiconductors, citing security concerns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move comes as the two tussle over the global market for chips and follows US moves to blacklist some Chinese companies in recent years aimed at cutting them off from access to American technologies, including the most advanced chips. 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, '2023-07-04 15:42:29', '2023-07-04 15:42:29'),
(7777, 7777, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Actor Kangana Ranaut seemingly took a dig at the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2. She, however, didn\'t name the Salman Khan-hosted show. Taking to Instagram Stories on Monday, Kangana also praised her film, Tiku Weds Sheru.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kangana shared a screenshot of an article, which had Tiku Weds Sheru at the number 3 position with 3.8 million views on a list of \'five most-viewed streaming shows and movies of the week\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharing it Kangana wrote, \"We will cross one crore views mark soon, which is equivalent to ₹100 crore theatrical film\'s footfall, even though one TV has many viewers watching content in one house... it\'s an estimated comparison (smiling face emoji).\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Bigg Boss OTT 2</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bigg Boss OTT 2, hosted by Salman Khan, started streaming on Jio Cinema on June 17. Falaq Naaz, Akanksha Puri, Anjali Arora, Avinash Sachdev, Palak Pursvani, Pooja Bhatt, Jiya Shankar, Puneet Superstar, Aaliya Siddiqui, Bebika Dhurve, Jad Hadid, Cyrus Broacha, Manisha Rani, and Abhishek Malhan entered the house as contestants. Several of them including Puneet Superstar, Akanksha and Aaliya have been evicted so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first season of Bigg Boss OTT was streamed on Voot and it was hosted by Karan Johar. Divya Agarwal was announced as the winner of the last season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Tiku Weds Sheru</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Kangana\'s recent production venture Tiku Weds Sheru has been helmed by Sai Kabir Srivastav. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur in the lead roles. It released on Prime Video on June 23. At the trailer launch of Tiku Weds Sheru, Kangana revealed that the project was earlier titled Divine Lovers and she was supposed to do it with Irrfan Khan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Kangana\'s upcoming films</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kangana also has her period drama film Emergency in the pipeline. The movie, which revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and features Kangana in the titular role of the late politician, will be out in theatres on November 24. Emergency also marks Kangana\'s directorial debut. Apart from Kangana, the film stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will also headline Chandramukhi 2, helmed by P Vasu. The film is the sequel to the blockbuster hit Tamil horror comedy Chandramukhi which starred Rajinikanth and Jyothika in the lead roles. In the upcoming months, the audience will also see Kangana in Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda, Tejas and The Incarnation: Sita. 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, '2023-07-04 16:17:12', '2023-07-04 16:17:12'),
(7778, 7778, '<p>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday stressed the need for flourishing the Bengali culture upholding its uniqueness in the age of technology.</p><p>“The attitude of our children is changing in the age of technology. So, we’ll have to flourish our culture keeping consistency with their thoughts and spirit so that they won’t forget our Bengali culture,” she said.</p><p>Fazilatunnesa Mujib Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum in the city’s Shahbagh area through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.</p><p>In the event, she unveiled the foundation stones of six development projects of the Cultural Affairs Ministry, including the multi-storied building for the Department of Public Libraries.</p><p>Besides, she opened the newly constructed 12-storey Copyright Bhaban in the city for the Copyright Office of Bangladesh.</p><p>&nbsp;Hasina said her government will continue working towards building the cultural-minded, creative and talented nation through promotion of the heritage of Bengali nation, local culture and history, the spirit of the Liberation War and preservation of arts and literature, research and development.</p><p>“Now it is the world of technology. So, we want to impart technological knowledge and skills to our generation as well as use technology in our cultural practices in a bid to build a modern nation equipped with the latest knowledge. Our government has been working to this end,” she said adding that some projects are being implemented in this regard.</p><p>The PM said the government has taken initiatives to promote the Bengali language by enriching and expanding its every branch including literature, music, film, arts, creativity and publication.</p><p>She said the Cultural Affairs Ministry arranges cultural fairs in every district, which paves the way to get grassroots hidden talents flourished.</p><p>She said now Bangladesh doesn’t lag behind. There are wifi connections throughout Bangladesh. Her government provided electricity connection to every house. Now the condition of the people even at union-level has radically changed, she added.</p><p>Putting emphasis on reaching cultural practices up to the grassroots people, she said, “We’ve many hidden talents at the grassroots. We’ll have to promote them and evaluate them on the national stage. So, we’ll have to take our cultural practices even to the grassroots level, not keeping it only at the district-level.</p><p>The premier said the people of Bangladesh are liberal-minded and embodied with non-communal spirit. So, it needs to take measures to flourish these mentality and spirit further, she said.</p><p>She said her government has already taken many necessary steps to flourish and enrich the cultural practices of Bangladesh and will continue to take further steps in this regard.</p><p>My aim is to change fate of the people of Bangladesh: PM Hasina says at Tungipara</p><p>“We are improving the socio-economic condition of Bangladesh. So, we will go forward in case of cultural practice and protection of intellectuality in the same way,” said the PM.</p><p>The five other projects are Rose Garden in old Dhaka city, Kabi Nazrul Institute Bhaban in Dhaka, President Md Abdul Hamid Shilpakala Academy and Regional Cultural Centre at Mithamain in Kishoreganj, Muktagacha Cultural Centre in Mymensingh, and Children Library in the National Museum.</p><p>State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid chaired the function, while Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed delivered the welcome speech. UNB</p><p>bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 18:48:54', '2023-07-04 18:48:54'),
(7779, 7779, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Monday for the extension of a landmark deal that allows grain from Ukraine to reach the global market, which is set to expire soon.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a phone call, the two leaders \"called for the grain agreement under the aegis of the United Nations to be extended beyond July 17\", the chancellor\'s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deal, brokered by the UN a year ago and renewed on several occasions since then, \"is helping to improve the global food situation\", he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concern about the deal has grown after Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that he was \"thinking about\" exiting the agreement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the accord that grants safe passage for Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea, demanding guarantees for Russian fertiliser exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A parallel agreement between Moscow and the UN aims to facilitate exports of Russian food and fertilisers, which are exempt from Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, but Russia claims this deal is not being upheld.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s envoy to the UN in Geneva said earlier Monday that there were currently no grounds to maintain the \"status quo\" of the deal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Western capitals were blocking progress on reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT banking system, Gennady Gatilov told the state-backed Izvestia newspaper.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"What we are seeing now does not give us grounds to agree to maintaining the status quo\" on the deal, he said in the interview.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 saw Ukraine\'s Black Sea ports blocked by warships until the deal, signed in July 2022, allowed for the passage of critical grain exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine was one of the world\'s top grain producers, and the deal has helped soothe the global food crunch triggered by the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 32.4 million tonnes have been exported so far under the agreement, according to the UN. Just over half of the exports have been corn, while more than a quarter was wheat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The initial 120-day agreement struck with the UN and Turkey last July has been extended three times: in November, March and in May. 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, '2023-07-04 18:54:08', '2023-07-04 18:54:08'),
(7780, 7780, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After winning the one-off Test by a record 546-run margin, Bangladesh vowed to dominate the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, who are bolstered by the return of star spinner Rashid Khan.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The series opening game will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium with Bangladesh looking to take the early lead. The match starts at 2 PM. All of the matches of the ODI series will be taken place at the same venue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan was a force in the ICC ODI Super League, winning 11 out of 15 matches but their ODI record against Bangladesh was not dominating one. The Tiger won the seven and lost four matches in 11 encounters between the two teams.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two teams met last year in Bangladesh with the hosts taking the series by 2-1, despite facing a stern challenge from the Afghans. Bangladesh in fact have been such a dominating force in ODI format at own backyard that they only lost two series at home since 2015 and all of those two defeats came against World Champions England who beat them in 2016 and this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even though this series is not the part of ICC ODI Super League, for Bangladesh it will be hugely significant. A 3-0 victory over the Afghans, which is an extremely tough task, would help Bangladesh move to fifth place in ICC ODI rankings for the first time in their history. Also their rating points will go past 100 for the first time in case of a clean sweep.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While it is important to get a ranking boost, it similarly crucial for the team management to rotate players as much as they can to find out their best combination for the upcoming World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh will get Asia Cup and a three-match ODI series against New Zealand apart from this Afghanistan series before the cricket\'s biggest extravaganza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are trying to give some players game time. That doesn\'t mean they know and we know the supporting role, what we want to do, what areas we need to look forward to the players,\" Hathurusingha said in Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"That means sometimes we won\'t have depth in case of an emergency close to the Asia Cup and World Cup. So keep the reason in mind we want to give players a chance.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh however has been monitoring captain Tamim Iqbal\'s progress closely after he complained of waist pain, a problem that ruled him out of the one-off Test. Hathurusingha said they have opener and captain ready in case Tamim is unable to take the field. Tamim was seen doing his training in the last two days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan meanwhile are elated to have Rashid Khan in the team. Their skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed his delight at the star man\'s presence, saying that he can make the difference single-handely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"Of course, he (Rashid) is a big man for us. When he is with us, as a captain, I feel very confident,\" Shahidi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s a positive sign for us. He didn\'t play the Test for us but now he is available in the ODI series. And I know he will do good for us,\" he said adding that they have learnt their lesson in the Test series.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Test game gave us a lot of lessons. So we are well prepared now. We had a camp in Abu Dhabi for the last 14 days. So we are prepared for everything that was missing in the Test. Still, some of the ODI players were not part of the Test team. We don\'t know what is going to happen. We have prepared for everything.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh squad: Tamim Iqbal (capt), Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Afif Hossain and Naim Sheikh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Shahidullah, Zia-ur-Rehman, Wafadar Momand, Mohammad Saleem, Sayed Shirzad</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan Back-up players: Karim Janat, Zubaid Akbari, Qais Ahmad, Ihsanullah Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Naveen-ul-Haq, Farid Malik, Darwish Rasooli, Ishaq Rahimi. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-04 19:03:28', '2023-07-04 19:03:28');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(7781, 7781, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Bank (BB) has introduced a \'market-based\' US dollar exchange rate, setting a cap on the maximum rate for H1 of the new fiscal year 2023-24.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The central bank is selling dollars to commercial banks at Tk108.85 per dollar, increasing Tk2.85 from the previous rate.</div><div><br></div><div>Through the regulator selling dollars at a market-based rate, the price of dollars in interbank transactions has also been fixed at a maximum of Tk 109.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the foreign exchange market is still volatile and banks are selling US dollars at different rates to clients on Tuesday (July 4), importers paid Tk112 per dollar for LCs, which is against the competitive exchange rate formula.</div><div><br></div><div>Banks are taking higher rates for import LCs and the traders raised questions regarding whether the exchange rate is market-based or setting the willingness of banks.</div><div><br></div><div>A businessman, Rubayet Hossain, who went to open LCs at a private bank in Motijheel on Tuesday to import raw materials for an export-based industry, had to pay Tk112 per dollar for LCs.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the higher rate, Rubayet got half the amount of dollars that he required, and described to UNB the situation as annoying for business.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder said that Bangladesh Bank will not sell any more dollars to the banks at a discount rate from FY 24. So, the dollars will be sold at market-based rates, at the highest price in the interbank transaction.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, Bangladesh Foreign Exchange Dealers Association (BAFEDA) has fixed the maximum dollar rate of Tk 109 under the interbank exchange rate.</div><div><br></div><div>According to BAFEDA, from now on dealer banks will add one taka to the rate at which they buy dollars and will give the BC (bills for collection) selling rate.</div><div><br></div><div>However, this rate cannot be more than Tk109. Banks now buy export bills at Tk 107.50 and remittances at Tk108.50.</div><div><br></div><div>BAFEDA and the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh, or ABB, fixed the import price by adding a maximum of one taka to the average dollar buying price. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 02:48:21', '2023-07-05 02:48:21'),
(7782, 7782, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A 40-year-old killed one man in a house before fatally shooting four others on the streets of a Philadelphia neighborhood, then surrendering to police officers after being cornered in an alley with an assault rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were also wounded in the Monday night violence that made the working-class area of Kingsessing the site of the nation\'s worst violence around the July Fourth holiday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police called to the scene found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire and chased the firing suspect. Officers ultimately arrested the assailant in an alley, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. The shooter had no connection to the victims before the shooting, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random,” she said Tuesday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, the homicide unit commander, said witness interviews and video indicated that the suspect went to several locations in a ski mask and body armor, carrying an AR-15-style rifle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The suspect then began shooting aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked,” he said. The vehicles included a mother driving her 2-year-old twins home, and one was wounded in the legs and the other hit in the eyes by shattered glass.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Philadelphia police on Tuesday afternoon identified the victims as 20-year-old Lashyd Merritt, 29—year-old Dymir Stanton, 59-year-old Ralph Moralis and 15-year-old Daujan Brown, all pronounced dead shortly after the Monday night gunfire; and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah Jr., who was found in a home early Tuesday, also with multiple bullet wounds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Investigators believe Wamah was the first victim killed, but he wasn\'t found by family members until hours later, Ransom said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 2-year-old boy shot four times in the legs and a 13-year-old shot twice in the legs were in stable condition, as were a 2-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman injured by shattered glass.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and there was no reason to believe anyone else was involved. Police and prosecutors said no charges were planned at this point against a second person taken into custody who is believed to have obtained a gun somewhere and fired back at the shooter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When you are under fire in a mass shooting, there are rights to protect others and rights to protect yourself,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities asked for patience as they investigate every aspect of the shooting. That investigation, Outlaw said, \"includes the ‘why.’”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Krasner said the suspect would face multiple counts of murder, as well as aggravated assault and weapons charges, and was expected to be denied bail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outlaw praised the bravery of officers who tended to victims and rushed them to hospitals as others “fearlessly ran toward the sounds of gunfire,” and captured the suspect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Their swift actions undoubtedly saved additional lives,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the southwest of Philadelphia, two people were killed and 28 others were wounded in a shooting. More than half of the victims were 18 or younger, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About four hours after the Philadelphia shooting, gunfire at a neighborhood festival in Fort Worth, Texas, killed three people and wounded eight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney renewed his oft-repeated call to “do something about America’s gun problem.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A person walking down the city street with an AR-style rifle and shooting randomly at people while wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines is a disgraceful but all-too-common situation in America,” Kenney said. “I was today at Independence Hall where they wrote that Constitution, and the 2nd Amendment was never intended to protect this.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Krasner said that the morning after the shooting, he saw “completely empty streets” in the traumatized neighborhood on an otherwise beautiful morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I saw every porch empty. I saw every door closed. I saw every curtain where there was a curtain pulled. I saw no kids playing,” he said, describing a bicycle left on a corner, apparently untouched for 12 or more hours, “as if everybody understood what happened here was so horrible that for right now this is a desert, and for right now everything that we associate with celebrating Fourth of July is off.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tim Eads said that on Monday night he heard fireworks, then gunshots, and saw police cars “flying by.” His wife was on the second floor “looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eads saw the other man with a pistol who, he said, may have been firing at the shooter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street,” Eads said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Everybody thought it was fireworks but ... been around here about three years so I heard it enough,” he said. “I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he heard about four more shots and “thought it was the end of it.” Ten minutes later, he said, police came “flying down here,” and about five minutes later he heard rapid gunfire open up right outside the house.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Philadelphia violence was the country’s 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the highest on record by this time in the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The number of people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There have been more than 550 mass killings since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been hurt. 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, '2023-07-05 15:08:54', '2023-07-05 15:08:54'),
(7783, 7783, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is ‘good’ this morning as monsoon is fairly active in Bangladesh.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 41, the capital of Bangladesh ranked 68th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality at 9 am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Africa’s Johannesburg, the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 175, 154, and 151, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’ while an AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. Meanwhile, an AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person\'s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With less traffic as Eid holidays begin, Dhaka\'s air quality \'moderate\' this morning</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 16:13:01', '2023-07-05 16:13:01'),
(7784, 7784, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The European Union will be sending an Election Exploratory Mission (ExM) to Bangladesh next week, to assess the situation on the ground ahead of the country\'s next national election.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The delegation is likely to begin its visit on July 9.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The main objective of the ExM is to assess the \"advisability, usefulness and feasibility\" of a possible EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to the EU Mission in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This includes an assessment of the political environment and electoral framework, in close partnership and consultation with all relevant stakeholders - government authorities, political parties, civil society organisations and academics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley had a series of meetings in the last couple of months including with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his meeting with Momen, they discussed the proposed deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh ahead of the next election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Momen welcomed observers from the EU and other countries during the elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister reiterated that the government wants \"free, fair and credible\" general elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed the ambassador of the steps taken to empower the Election Commission to enable it to conduct a \"free and fair\" election. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 16:30:51', '2023-07-05 16:30:51'),
(7785, 7785, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Water in the Teesta river may cross the danger level at Dalia point over 24 hours, causing a short-term flood in the low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), in its regular bulletin, said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma rivers are in a rising trend, which may continue over 48 hours and water in the Dhalai river may cross danger level at Kamalganj point for a short period over 24 hours, starting from 9 am on today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, major rivers in the northeastern region of the country are in a falling trend except Khowai, Someswari and Dhalai, which may continue over 48 hours, the bulletin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ongoing flood situation in Sunamganj and Netrokona districts may remain unchanged in 24 hours, it said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 17:40:22', '2023-07-05 17:40:22'),
(7786, 7786, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia was planning \"dangerous provocations\" at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His statement came after Kyiv and Moscow traded accusations of preparing an incident at the plant, which is Europe\'s largest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fears over the safety risks for the nuclear plant have persisted throughout Russia\'s invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I warned Emmanuel Macron that the occupation troops are preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhzhia plant,\" Zelensky said in a statement after a phone call with his French counterpart.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his evening address, Zelensky said Russia had \"installed objects similar to explosives\" on the plant, according to Ukrainian intelligence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Perhaps to simulate the hit on the plant. Maybe they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees it,\" the Ukrainian leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Radiation is a threat to everyone in the world.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The claim about the explosives was earlier made by the Ukrainian army, which warned of the \"possible preparation of a provocation on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the near future\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It claimed that \"external objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors\" at the site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Their detonation should not damage power units, but may create a picture of shelling from the Ukrainian side,\" it said, alleging that Moscow would \"misinform on this\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Moscow, an advisor to Russia\'s Rosatom nuclear agency, Renat Karchaa, accused Kyiv of planning an attack on the plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today, we got information that I am authorised to announce... On July 5, literally at night, in the dark, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,\" Karchaa told Russian state television.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He claimed that Ukraine planned to use \"high-precision, long-range weapons\" as well as drones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused each other of putting the plant\'s safety at risk since the outbreak of the war in February 2022. 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, '2023-07-05 17:49:24', '2023-07-05 17:49:24'),
(7787, 7787, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Michael Leask helped Scotland to a stunning 31-run victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday to set up a winner-takes-all clash with the Netherlands for a place at the World Cup.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sri Lanka became the first of the top two teams in the Super Six table to have qualified for the October-November World Cup in India when they beat Zimbabwe on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hosts could have clinched the second spot with victory over Scotland in Bulawayo, but it was not to be after Scottish quick Chris Sole (3-33) ripped through their top order, eventually bowled out for 203 chasing down 234.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our boys have been fantastic. Credit to the way the lads played today,\" said Scotland captain Richie Berrington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The way we came out and showed faith in the second innings and get those early wickets was fantastic.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Berrington added: \"It\'s a quick turnaround to the game against the Netherlands. We\'ll take a lot of confidence but it\'s going to be a tough game.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s a very difficult pill to swallow,\" Berrington\'s Zimbabwe counterpart Craig Ervine acknowledged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I thought we did well to restrict them to 230. Unfortunately that first initial spell from Sole really put us on the back foot and just made it hard for us to recover from that position.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leask top scored with a 34-ball 48 as Scotland racked up 234 runs for eight wickets off their allotted 50 overs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coming in at number eight, he combined with Mark Watt (21 not out) for an invaluable eighth-wicket partnership of 46 after the Scots had been left reeling at 170-7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three other batsmen -- Matthew Cross (38), Brandon McMullen (34) and George Munsey (31) -- all got into the 30s, but failed to build on their time at the crease.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sean Williams grabbed 3-41 off his 10 overs, but failed to shine with the bat as Zimbabwe were quickly reduced to 37/4 in the run chase, under intense pressure from Sole.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wessly Madhevere hit 40 and the dangerous Sikandar Raza 34 as Zimbabwe fought back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ryan Burl gave the host nation most hope, however, hitting 83 off 84 balls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Burl crucially fell to the offbreak of Leask, who also had a smart catch off his own bowling to dismiss Richard Ngarava.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Scotsman ended with 2-33 off six overs and his team left the field knowing that a victory over the Dutch on Thursday would see them headed for India in the Autumn.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For Zimbabwe it was a case of deja vu after a similar failure in 2018 qualifiers when they also needed to win only one of their last two matches to qualify for the World Cup. They lost in both games in both 2018 and 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s always nice to put those demons from 2018 behind us and had we gotten over the line today, nobody would have been asking about that but unfortunately, we didn\'t,\" said Ervine. 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, '2023-07-05 18:06:29', '2023-07-05 18:06:29'),
(7788, 7788, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Saudi Arabia has said it enjoys \"full rights\" along with Kuwait to a disputed gas field in the resource-rich Gulf, pushing back against claims by Iran, state media reported late Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The field, known as Arash in Iran and Dorra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, falls under \"joint ownership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait, and they alone have full rights\", the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a foreign ministry source.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Saudi statement appeared one day after Kuwait reinvited Iran to participate in talks on their sea borders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dispute over the field -- whose recoverable reserves are estimated at some 220 billion cubic metres (seven trillion cubic feet) -- dates back to the 1960s, when Iran and Kuwait awarded overlapping offshore concessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to develop the field, despite objections from Iran which branded the deal as \"illegal\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohsen Khojsteh Mehr, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company, said last week that \"there is full preparation to start drilling in the joint Arash oil field\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Considerable resources have been allocated to the board of directors of the National Iranian Oil Company for the implementation of the development plan for this field,\" he said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran and Kuwait have held unsuccessful talks for many years over their disputed maritime border area, which is rich in natural gas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia is also a part of the dispute since it shares with Kuwait maritime gas and oil resources in the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian drilling of the field in 2001 spurred Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to agree on a maritime border deal which stipulated that they jointly develop the offshore zone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal, agreeing to restore ties after a seven-year rift, raising hopes for reduced tensions between the Middle East heavyweights. 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, '2023-07-05 18:52:59', '2023-07-05 18:52:59'),
(7789, 7789, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Representatives of a number of foreign states will take part in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) that will be held in Russia\'s Vladivostok on September 10-13, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev told reporters.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The work is already underway on arrival confirmation. A whole number of countries, I would even say dozens of countries have confirmed their participation in the EEF,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Eastern Economic Forum is a key international platform for establishing and strengthening ties within the Russian and global investment communities, and for comprehensive expert evaluation of the economic potential of the Russian Far East, the investment opportunities it offers, and business conditions within advanced special economic zones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Eastern Economic Forum was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia\'s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. 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, '2023-07-05 18:55:18', '2023-07-05 18:55:18'),
(7790, 7790, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi sent Bangladesh into bat first after winning the toss in the three-match ODI series opening game today at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh got a Shakib Al Hasan boost after the ace allrounder missed the last ODI against Ireland due to injury.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hosts also included Afif Hossain, a middle order batter who played his last ODI against England in March. Pacer Taskin Ahmed who missed out away series against Ireland due to injury is back in the side as it was expected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rony Talukdar, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury and Ebadot Hossain were the three players out of the last match.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan also had a thing to cherish as the star spinner Rashid Khan returned to the squad after being rested in the one-off test, which Bangladesh won by a record 546-run margin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visitors handed debut to pacer Saleem Safi for the only change from their last ODI against Sri Lanka. Gulbadin Naib who was the part of that series that Afghanistan lost by 2-1 was out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Line Ups:</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Bangladesh:</b> Tamim Iqbal(c), Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Afghanistan: </b>Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Saleem Safi. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 19:48:01', '2023-07-05 19:48:01'),
(7791, 7791, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Moscow said Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory would \"not be possible\" without US and NATO help, escalating its rhetoric after reporting it had downed five drones near the capital on Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine meanwhile accused Russia of planning \"dangerous provocations\" at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Russia in turn claimed Kyiv was planning to attack the facility, Europe\'s largest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow said the West had enabled Ukraine to carry out the drone attacks, after earlier condemning what it called a \"terrorist act\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"These attacks would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies,\" the Russian foreign ministry said, claiming the West was \"training drone operators and providing the necessary intelligence to commit such crimes.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It marks the latest in a series of recent drone attacks -- including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine -- that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian military said it had downed all five drones and that there was no damage or casualties from the early-morning attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emergency services cited by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said one of the drones was \"neutralised\" at Kubinka, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Vnukovo international airport, where air traffic was briefly disrupted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In early May, two drones were shot down above the Kremlin, and later the same month drones hit Moscow high-rises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Zaporizhzhia accusations -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia was planning \"dangerous provocations\" at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA\" UN nuclear watchdog, he added after his phone call with the French leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ukrainian health ministry urged residents to be ready for a \"possible evacuation\" if there is an explosion at the site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused each other of putting the plant\'s safety at risk since the start of the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv claimed \"objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors\" at the site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his evening address, Zelensky said the idea was \"perhaps to simulate the hit on the plant.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Maybe they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees it,\" the Ukrainian leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Radiation is a threat to everyone in the world.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Moscow, an advisor to Russia\'s Rosatom nuclear agency, Renat Karchaa, told state television: \"On July 5, literally at night, in the dark, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He claimed Ukraine planned to use \"high-precision, long-range weapons\" as well as drones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Burning, overturned cars -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine said 43 people, including 12 children, were injured in a Russian strike on the town of Pervomaisky in the eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The strike hit a parking lot outside a residential building in the town of around 28,000 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The head of Kyiv\'s presidential office Andriy Yermak distributed images of burned and destroyed cars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegubov, posted a video from the scene, showing smoke rising from burnt cars near a Soviet-era housing block.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities also announced that Russian shelling on a residential area in the southern frontline city of Kherson had killed two people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early Tuesday Ukraine said Russia had launched 22 Iranian \"Shahed\" attack drones and three missiles at the Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its forces had \"destroyed\" 16 of the drones, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Journalist attacked -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Chechnya, an award-winning Russian investigative journalist was beaten by armed assailants and taken to hospital, her newspaper and a rights group said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attack happened early on Tuesday as well-known journalist Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were travelling from the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a video of Milashina in hospital with her head shaven and covered in a green-coloured dye -- used to target Kremlin critics -- and her hands bandaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the attack, which included having a gun held to her head, was linked to her \"professional activity in Chechnya.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Milashina has for years covered rights abuses in the Caucasus republic ruled by former warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Kyiv, around 200 people attended a ceremony on Tuesday in St Michael\'s cathedral for the Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who died of her wounds in a Russian strike on a restaurant in eastern Ukraine. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bndb24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 20:22:03', '2023-07-05 20:22:03'),
(7792, 7792, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the armed forces to maintain the dignity they have earned by standing beside the people.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our every force always stands beside the people alongside safeguarding the country\'s independence and sovereignty…. So, they get respect from everyone. We\'ll have to go forward keeping up this dignity,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said this while addressing a programme marking the 48th founding anniversary of President Guard Regiment (PGR) at its headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the armed forces serve the local people simultaneously with discharging the responsibility bestowed on them even in the peacekeeping mission in other countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM appreciated the members of the PGR for professionalism, dedication, dutifulness and sincerely in performing their duties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She asked the PGR members to perform their duty with patriotism and honesty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the premier went around different tables and exchanged pleasantries with the PGR members after arriving at the venue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL govt has proved it holds free, fair elections: PM Hasina at oath-taking of five city mayors</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She handed over gifts to the family members of the PGR members who lost their lives and sustained severe injuries while on duty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Security Affairs Adviser Major General (rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed and President\'s Military Secretary Major General S M Salahuddin Islam were on the dais.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">My aim is to change fate of the people of Bangladesh: PM Hasina says at Tungipara</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PGR Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Khaled Kamal delivered the welcome speech. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-07-05 21:19:56', '2023-07-05 21:19:56');
