INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9045, 9045, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Google will confront a threat to its dominant search engine beginning Tuesday when federal regulators launch an attempt to dismantle its internet empire in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Over the next 10 weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will try to prove Google rigged the market in its favor by locking its search engine in as the default choice in a plethora of places and devices. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta likely won\'t issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google broke the law, another trial will decide what steps should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California-based company.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., as well as those from other powerful technology companies are expected to testify. Among them is likely to be Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page four years ago. Court documents also suggest that Eddy Cue, a high ranking Apple executive, might be called to the stand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Justice Department filed its antitrust lawsuit against Google nearly three years ago during the Trump administration, charging that the company has used its internet search dominance to gain an unfair advantage against competitors. Government lawyers allege that Google protects its franchise through a form of payola, shelling out billions of dollars annually to be the default search engine on the iPhone and on web browsers such as Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Regulators also charge that Google has illegally rigged the market in its favor by requiring its search engine to be bundled with its Android software for smartphones if the device manufacturers want full access to the Android app store.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Google counters that it faces a wide range of competition despite commanding about 90% of the internet search market. Its rivals, Google argues, range from search engines such as Microsoft\'s Bing to websites like Amazon and Yelp, where consumers can post questions about what to buy or where to go.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">From Google’s perspective, perpetual improvements to its search engine explain why people almost reflexively keep coming back to it, a habit that long ago made “Googling” synonymous with looking things up on the internet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The trial begins just a couple weeks after the 25th anniversary of the first investment in the company — a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that enabled Page and Sergey Brin to set up shop in a Silicon Valley garage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Today, Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Justice Department\'s antitrust case echoes the one it filed against Microsoft in 1998. Regulators then accused Microsoft of forcing computer makers that relied on its dominant Windows operating system to also feature Microsoft’s Internet Explorer — just as the internet was starting to go mainstream. That bundling practice crushed competition from the once-popular browser Netscape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Several members of the Justice Department\'s team in the Google case — including lead Justice Department litigator Kenneth Dintzer — also worked on the Microsoft investigation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Google could be hobbled if the trial ends in concessions that undercut its power. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Or the legal battle could cause Google to lose focus. That’s what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department. Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. Google capitalized on that distraction to leap from its startup roots into an imposing powerhouse. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 07:08:44', '2023-09-12 07:08:44'),
(9046, 9046, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After Virat Kohli and KL Rahul hit a century each in Monday\'s Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan, their proud wives-actors Anushka Sharma and Athiya Shetty, showered love on them. Not only them, KL Rahul\'s father-in-law, actor Suniel Shetty, also shared a post congratulating the cricketer for scoring an unbeaten 111.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anushka\'s shoutout to Virat</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anushka Sharma took to Instagram Stories as she reacted to Virat\'s 122 not out. Sharing a photo of her TV screen featuring Virat from the Asia Cup 2023 match, she wrote, \"Super knock, super guy (clapping and red heart emojis)!!\" She also praised KL Rahul\'s score in the same match, writing on Instagram Stories, “Congratulations KL Rahul (clapping emoji)...”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Athiya\'s post for KL Rahul</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Athiya, too, took to Instagram Stories to share a photo of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul from the match. She wrote along with it, \"Champions.\" The actor also shared a post on Instagram for her husband. Along with photos of him batting, she included a clip of the moment the cricketer hit a century. She wrote in her caption, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise… You are everything, I love you. #1.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tiger Shroff, Vaani Kapoor react to her post</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fans and celebs couldn’t stop praising the cricketer. One commented on Athiya\'s post, \"Classic knock brother.\" Another one said, \"Nice comeback!\" Actor Tiger Shroff commented, “Yayyyy (heart emojis).” Actor Vaani Kapoor dropped a bunch of clapping emojis in the comments section.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Actor Shibani Dandekar also dropped some red heart emojis. KL Rahul also commented on Athiya\'s post, writing, \"Love you (heart and flying kiss emojis).\" Suniel Shetty also reacted to Athiya\'s post, dropping a bunch of black heart emojis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suniel\'s message for KL Rahul</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Father-in-law, Suniel Shetty also shared a post congratulating KL Rahul. Taking to Instagram, the actor lauded his son-in-law as he shared a photo of the cricketer from the match with the caption, “A sublime performance – a triumphant return. Gratitude overflows. Grateful to the almighty for empowering all efforts...\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 07:13:53', '2023-09-12 07:13:53'),
(9047, 9047, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Estrangement is a complex and emotional experience that usually involves a person who was close to us becoming distant, physically or emotionally, or sometimes, both. \"Estrangement refers to a situation in which family members or close individuals, who were previously connected, have become emotionally and often physically distant from each other.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It involves a deliberate and usually prolonged distancing or separation that goes beyond the typical ups and downs of relationships. Estrangement can occur between parents and children, siblings, extended family members, close friends and former partners,\" wrote Therapist Lucille Shackleton.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reach out to dear ones: From friends, family or partner, we should reach out and seek help.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Respect the space: No matter who initiated the estrangement, we should be able to respect the decision and focus on our own wellbeing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Give yourself time: Let time take over and heal the wounds. We should not rush through the healing process. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 07:17:07', '2023-09-12 07:17:07'),
(9048, 9048, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UK\'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Philip Barton announced that Britain would provide £3,000,000 (around TK 42 crore) as new funding to support Rohingyas in Cox\'s Bazar and Bhasan Char.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am pleased to announce a further UK contribution of £3,000,000 to UNHCR, which will help ensure refugees in Cox\'s Bazar and Bhasan Char be able to access healthcare, clean water, hygiene and sanitation services and cooking fuel,\" said Barton, who is now visiting Bangladesh.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new funding will be channeled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said a press release issued by the British High Commission here today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Six years since the atrocities of 2017, which forced Rohingyas into Bangladesh, Barton said, the UK continues to stand with the Rohingyas in Bangladesh, and all those affected by this crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We continue to push for a long-term solution that will enable the refugees to return to Myanmar on a safe, voluntary and dignified basis, when the conditions there allow\" he said, adding that until that time, the UK is committed to supporting the Rohingyas and host communities in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since 2017, the UK has provided £365 million (over 5,000 crore taka) to support the Rohingyas and Bangladeshi host communities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sir Philip Barton is visiting Bangladesh for the fifth UK-Bangladesh Strategic Dialogue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Building on the UK and Bangladesh\'s historic links, the Strategic Dialogue reflects the two countries\' shared commitment to developing a modern economic, trade and security partnership,\" said the high commission here. 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, '2023-09-12 07:55:50', '2023-09-12 07:55:50'),
(9049, 9049, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Highlighting tremendous success achieved over the last 15 years, Prime Minister\'s Adviser Salman F Rahman on Tuesday laid emphasis on joint efforts to address the challenges ahead to avoid the middle-income trap.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If we fall into the middle-income trap, we will not be able to achieve our goal of becoming a developed nation by 2041,\" he said at a report launching ceremony at a city hotel.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report, titled \"Production Transformation Policy Review of Bangladesh: Investing in the Future of A Trading Nation\", was unveiled jointly by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, Director of OECD Development Centre Ragnhelour Elin Arnadottir, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, and Bangladesh Competition Commission Member Hafizur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivered special (video) remarks at the event.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at the opening session, Salman said there is a great risk after Bangladesh graduates from LDC status, if the challenges that come with the graduation are not addressed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the devaluation of taka and increase of energy and commodities\' prices&nbsp; have wreaked havoc on the Bangladesh economy like other economies in the world.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The adviser laid emphasis on domestic revenue mobilization, modernizing the tax collection system with wider tax net and, diversification of exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is a huge potential to diversify in the textile sector,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salman said Bangladesh needs to attract more domestic and foreign investment and there are efforts to do more in terms of easing doing business here.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the climate front, he said the international community needs to do more to address the challenges.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the political stability in the country over the last 15 years helped Bangladesh achieve many things.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Whiteley said the report marks a very remarkable collaboration which has made many useful recommendations.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the share of RMG is now much higher and there is potential to have diversification within the RMG sector.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report highlighted the importance of FDI into Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to report,&nbsp; &nbsp;Bangladesh needs to modernize its policy approach and it identified five priorities for policy reforms: fostering innovation, managing openness and regional integration, institutional streamlining and modernization of cutting red-tape, and updating the regulatory framework.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report suggested that Bangladesh needs a shift from price-led competitiveness model to a quality and innovation model to continue succeeding.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study “Production Transformation Policy Review of Bangladesh – Investing in the future of a trading nation” was coordinated by OECD Development Centre in collaboration with UNCTAD, and discussed its key policy recommendations in the presence of the Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and other key stakeholders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study’s findings show that, half a century after independence, Bangladesh has achieved impressive progress.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country has transformed from one of the poorest nations into a global textile manufacturing hub and it is capable of meeting its medical needs almost entirely through domestic pharmaceutical production.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh will graduate from the LDC category in 2026 and aspires to be a high-income nation by 2041.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meeting these objectives and addressing lingering challenges – such as climate change or boosting resource mobilisations – requires accelerating economic transformation through diversification and innovation, 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, '2023-09-12 08:50:37', '2023-09-12 08:50:37'),
(9050, 9050, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged that the government is buying 10 Airbus aircraft from France with an aim to get commission.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“It’s very nice thing that the President of France has arrived here…he is our big guest. You (govt) welcomed that guest very well with dance and song,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a programme in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Fakhrul said the people of the country who are struggling to manage food in the dire situation of the country presumed that something good was happening during the France President’s tour.</div><div><br></div><div>“What has happened? It’s said that 10 Airbus aircraft will be procured. Their (govt’s) real goal is to get kickbacks on this Airbus. Do you understand the kickbacks ? It means commission,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said there is no scope to get commission by procuring Boeing. “That is why 10 Airbus planes are being purchased.”</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul, also a former state minister for civil aviation, said the government is going to procure the Airbus aircraft though it cannot ensure food for people of the country, treatment for them and build hospitals and provide health services. “They (govt) also can’t ensure the people’s right to franchise.”</div><div><br></div><div>He also questioned the justification of buying 10 Airbus planes for Biman Bangladesh Airlines when the state-run organisation has collapsed. “Biman also can’t provide any service properly. “They’re purchasing the Airbus aircraft for creating scopes for stealing ( public money).</div><div><br></div><div>“They (govt) have probably cut the commission immediately.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the BNP Secretary General inaugurated the three-day leaflet distribution programme taken by Dhaka South city unit BNP for creating public awareness to control the dengue outbreak.</div><div><br></div><div>French President Emmanuel Macron arrived here on Sunday evening on a short tour at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>This was the first visit by any French president to Bangladesh in over last three decades.</div><div><br></div><div>President Macron held talks with PM Hasina at the Prime Minister\'s Office on Monday. He joined a banquet hosted by Hasina in his honour on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The two leaders witnessed the signing of a couple of bilateral instruments (agreements/MoUs) to enhance cooperation in different fields including infrastructure and satellite.</div><div><br></div><div>According to media reports, Bangladesh committed to procuring 10 A350 aircraft from Airbus. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 09:50:13', '2023-09-12 09:50:13'),
(9051, 9051, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and other concerned to frame development projects in coordination with the Delta Plan to avail funding from the $ 1 billion Climate Fund committed to Bangladesh.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister came up with the directive while chairing a meeting on the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the NEC Conference Room in the city\'s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area here.</div><div><br></div><div>Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the issue of availing $1 billion financing from climate fund was discussed recently between French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>While availing fund, the Sundarbans would get the highest priority, said the Minister.</div><div><br></div><div>While giving approval to a road rehabilitation project, Mannan said the Prime Minister asked the concerned ministry officials and engineers to build more bridges and culverts in the low lying areas and haors where the pressure of water is immense in order to ensure smooth flow of water.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina also directed the officials and engineers to remain cautious again on the designs and height of the infrastructures like bridges so that there is no need to demolish any structure after construction to save wastage of public fund.</div><div><br></div><div>Mannan said that the Premier asked the Ministry of LGRD and WASAs to take necessary steps to gradually come to recovery stage in their operations after coordinating with the production and distribution cost.</div><div><br></div><div>She stressed on creating massive public awareness to save misuse of water or pursing austerity in use of water.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Law to take necessary steps to speedily dispose of the tax related cases of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) with the Supreme Court within the legal procedures to enrich the state coffer.</div><div><br></div><div>Answering to a question, Mannan said that the ceiling of the financing for Bangladesh from the climate fund is $1 billion.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that $1 billion fund has already been earmarked for Bangladesh while necessary funding would be availed through devising projects in line with the Delta Plan to save the county from the adverse impacts of climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>Turning to the issue of general point to point inflation which increased in August, Mannan said that inflation has increased and the government is very much aware of it.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ll address it like in the past.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Hopefully, we\'ll be able to reach into the turning around point very soon. Inflation in last month increased mainly because of the high price trend of chickens and eggs which have impacted the other food items,\"&nbsp; He said that the inflationary situation in Bangladesh is not a \'runs away inflation\' as inflation in Bangladesh increases gradually and also declines at a slower pace.</div><div><br></div><div>The Planning Minister said in an effort to make recovery from the massive economic devastation, the people of Sri Lanka have adjusted their living standards at a lower level.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question, he said that austerity would not be pursued to ensure overall welfare of the people of the country and in pursuit of real development.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the remarks of Prime Minister\'s Adviser, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that the government might consider increasing the interest rate to tame the inflation rate.</div><div><br></div><div>He, however, observed that high interest rate might make slow the pace of investment which could lead into reduced growth.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Alam ruled out the allegation that the government is printing money massively to contain the inflation adding that the government needs to print money usually to replace the old and torn bank notes.</div><div><br></div><div>He said usually the country witnessed high inflation in the months of August and September while the country witnessed higher rainfall during this period which has hampered the production process and supply side to some extent.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But, there were no such damage of crops due to the flood this year. Hopefully, inflation will start to reduce again from November as there were no such supply side disruptions,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question, Dr Alam said that due to the policy interventions of the government, the general inflation remained within the double digit despite the global conditions, otherwise it could have reached to 13 to 14 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>He said when inflation increases, it could increase rapidly, but when it starts to come down, then price rigidity factor matters.</div><div><br></div><div>Citing example of Sri Lanka, the State Minister said Sri Lanka has increased the policy rate by 10 percent while their growth rate is negative. \"But, if our growth rate becomes negative, then growth will be chocked and many will lose their jobs...the economic structure of Sri Lanka is different to us,\"&nbsp; Listing various measures of the government to rein in inflation, Dr Alam said that the duty has been reduced in import of rice to 15 percent from 60 percent, policy rate has been increased twice, the cap on interest rate has been withdrawn, the amount of overall subsidies has been increased to strengthen the supply side, full distribution of agricultural credit has been ensured while the devaluation of the Taka has been ultimately working as \'incentive\' for the exporters.</div><div><br></div><div>Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said that the government has now sufficient capacity to take loans from the development partners against projects and thus repaying those timely.</div><div><br></div><div>At the very outset of the meeting, the Planning Minister said that the ECNEC warmly congratulated the Prime Minister for her bright and lively participation at the G20 Summit held in New Delhi since it has brighten further the image of the Prime Minister and the country abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>Mannan said the ECNEC also noted that the recent visit of French President to Bangladesh has brightened further the image of the country abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>The ECNEC meeting was also apprised about the report of Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) which has stated that Bangladesh would be among the top 20 economies by 2040.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier at the ECNEC meeting, Planning Minister handed over a publication titled \"State of the Development: Impact of Mega Projects\" to the Prime Minister. The publication was made by the Development Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (DJFB).&nbsp; According to BSS reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 12:13:35', '2023-09-12 12:13:35'),
(9052, 9052, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>More than 3,000 people have been killed and over 2,500 are injured in Morocco after a powerful 6.8 earthquake hit the country on Friday.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>While the epicenter was the highest in the Atlas Mountains about 70 kilometers south of Marrakesh in Al Haouz province, the tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira.</div><div><br></div><div>The rescue operations are still being carried out to remove people who are trapped under the rubble.</div><div><br></div><div>The deadly earthquake robbed Moroccan villagers of almost everything - loved ones, homes, and possessions. The rescue operations are still being carried out to remove people who are trapped under the rubble.</div><div><br></div><div>What caused the deadly earthquake?</div><div><br></div><div>According to geologist Jesús Galindo-Zaldivar, who has been carrying out research on the formation of the Atlas mountains and the geology of the area, the deadly earthquake resulted from a geological phenomenon called a “reverse fault”.</div><div><br></div><div>The phenomenon occurs when tectonic plates collide, causing the Earth’s crust to thicken, he told The Conversation. The stress along the fault lines can induce earthquakes as rocks abruptly shift to release accumulated stress, which is characteristic of a seismic fault, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the geologist, the massive magnitude implies that the fault responsible for this earthquake is probably around 30km long.</div><div><br></div><div>Naseeruddin Shah: \'It’s disturbing that films like Gadar 2, The Kashmir Files are so massively popular, it is harmful\'</div><div><br></div><div>Was the earthquake similar to the one in Turkey?</div><div>According to experts, the deadly earthquake in Turkey that claimed the lives of over 50,000 people had a horizontal movement. This was because the country is shifting to the West, moving towards Greece, hence causing a horizontal sliding of the tectonic plates, reported AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>However, in Morocco, there was a convergence between Africa and Eurasia or Iberia, the Spanish part, and overlapping faults.</div><div><br></div><div>Strongest earthquake in Morocco since 1960</div><div><br></div><div>The recent earthquake in the North African country was the deadliest since 1960 - when at least 12,000 were killed - and also the most powerful since at least 1900.</div><div><br></div><div>The quake led to massive damage, including to the country\'s heritage including buildings in Marrakesh Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the historically significant 12th-century Tinmel Mosque. Source: Hindustan Times&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 13:21:11', '2023-09-12 13:21:11'),
(9053, 9053, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>For the first time, world demand for oil, gas and coal is forecast to peak this decade due to the \"spectacular\" growth of cleaner energy technologies and electric cars, the International Energy Agency\'s chief said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The IEA\'s annual World Energy Outlook, due out next month, will show that \"the world is on the cusp of a historic turning point\", executive director Fatih Birol wrote in a column in the Financial Times.</div><div><br></div><div>The shift will have implications for the battle against climate change as it will bring forward the peak in greenhouse gas emissions, Birol said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Fossil fuels will be with us for many years to come -- but looking at our numbers, we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era,\" Birol said in separate comments released by the IEA.</div><div><br></div><div>Birol said the change is mostly driven by the \"spectacular growth\" of clean energy technologies and electric vehicles, along with structural changes in the Chinese economy and the fallout from the energy crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>Birol warned, however, that the projected declines in oil, gas and coal demand are \"nowhere near steep enough to put the world on a path to limiting global warming\" to 1.5 degrees Celsius -- the preferred target under the Paris Agreement.</div><div><br></div><div>Meeting this goal \"will require significantly stronger and faster policy action by governments\", he added.</div><div><br></div><div>- UN warning -</div><div><br></div><div>The fate of fossil fuels will be at the heart of the debates at the UN\'s COP28 climate summit in Dubai, a major oil producer, between November 30 and December 12.</div><div><br></div><div>In a progress report on Friday, the United Nations warned that the world was \"not on track\" to meet the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.</div><div><br></div><div>Global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 and drop sharply thereafter to keep the 1.5C target in view, the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>Phasing out fossil fuels whose emissions cannot be captured or compensated is also required to achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the UN said.</div><div><br></div><div>The IEA already predicted in a report in June that a peak global oil demand was \"in sight\" before the end of the decade, but it is the first time that it makes such an assessment for coal and gas.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our latest projections show that the growth of electric vehicles around the world, especially in China, means oil demand is on course to peak before 2030,\" Birol said Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>After staying \"stubbornly high\" for the past decade, coal demand is set to peak \"in the next few years\", he said.</div><div><br></div><div>And the \"Golden Age of Gas\" -- first called by the IEA in 2011 -- \"is now nearing an end\", with demand set to fall in advanced economies later this decade, Birol added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is the result of renewables increasingly outmatching gas for producing electricity, the rise of heat pumps and Europe\'s accelerated shift away from gas following Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Transition \'firmly advancing\' -</div><div><br></div><div>Simone Tagliapietra, a climate expert and senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, said that the IEA\'s new projections \"illustrate that while still to slow, the global energy transition is firmly advancing\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"As technologies like wind and solar are now cost competitive, the transition moves from being policy-driven to being technology-driven,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is a key feature, as it protects the process from political headwinds.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Analysts at Royal Bank of Canada said in a note that the IEA\'s new projections highlight the \"success in pro-renewables legislation\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"Despite this, there is still scope for policymakers to do more to accelerate the energy transition and the phase-out of fossil fuels, with debates continuing across major economies in areas such as renewable returns and affordability,\" the RBC analysts said. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 13:58:07', '2023-09-12 13:58:07'),
(9054, 9054, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Eleven more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 752 this year.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>During the period, 2,956 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 911 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 10,015 dengue patients, including 4,222 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, the DGHS has recorded 154,228 dengue cases, 143,461 recoveries.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first 10 days of September, the Aedes mosquito-borne Dengue has claimed the lives of 137 people across the country. 24,520 cases were reported during the same period. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 14:11:20', '2023-09-12 14:11:20'),
(9055, 9055, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A comet called Nishimura discovered just a month ago could be visible to the naked eye tonight, offering stargazers a once-in-a-437-year chance to observe the celestial visitor.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Scientists say that Nishimura will cross the Earth on Tuesday at a distance of 125 million kilometers from the Earth. At this time it will have a speed of 2 lac and 40 thousand miles per hour. Comet Nishimura will be visible from Earth again after 437 years.</div><div><br></div><div>The ball of rock and ice, whose exact size remains unknown, is named after the Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura who first spotted it on August 11.</div><div><br></div><div>It is rare that comets reach their moment of peak visibility so soon after being discovered, said Nicolas Biver, an astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Most are discovered months, even years before they pass closest to the Sun,\" he told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>The comet only swings by the Sun every 437 years, he said, a long orbital period which sees it spend much of its time in the freezing outer Solar System.</div><div><br></div><div>When comets approach the Sun from the vastness of space, the heat causes its ice core to turn into dust and gas, which form a long tail.</div><div><br></div><div>The Sun\'s light reflects off this tail, allowing us to view comets from Earth.</div><div><br></div><div>Nishimura, which has the scientific name C/2023 P1, will pass closest to the Sun on Tuesday night, scientists say.</div><div><br></div><div>It will be 33 million kilometres (20 million miles) from the Sun, which is less than a quarter of the distance between the Earth and the Sun, Biver pointed out.</div><div><br></div><div>The comet will then pass harmlessly by Earth at a distance of 125 million kilometres.</div><div><br></div><div>For stargazers, the comet will be easiest to observe this Saturday and Sunday, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The best thing to do is look at the sky before sunrise, in a northeastern direction to the left of Venus, in a clear sky, free of pollution,\" Biver advised.</div><div><br></div><div>People with small binoculars will easily be able to enjoy the spectacle. But, if conditions allow, the comet may also be visible by the naked eye.</div><div><br></div><div>The comet\'s tail is greenish, because it contains \"more gas than dust,\" Biver said. With inputs from AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 15:36:09', '2023-09-12 15:36:09'),
(9056, 9056, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday shared its expectation to see a \"free, fair and violence-free\" election in Bangladesh.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The UK side discussed the election issue with Bangladesh during the fifth Strategic Dialogue held between the two countries at Foreign Service Academy.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Since they are our old friend and a development partner, they have interest in our elections. We have reiterated our commitment (to hold fair polls). We had positive discussion,\" Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters in the evening.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, the foreign secretary said the word ‘participatory’ might have many meanings.</div><div><br></div><div>Exercising voting rights by all people is a kind of participatory election, he said adding that they do not know which party is thinking what.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have no disagreement over a free and fair election,\" Masud Momen said.</div><div><br></div><div>In discussions on democracy and human rights, the UK encouraged free, fair, participatory and peaceful elections so the people of Bangladesh can exercise their democratic rights, according to the UK side.</div><div><br></div><div>The UK also underlined the need to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh is also welcoming international observers which was also discussed.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the two countries agreed to sign Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to find ways to bring back those Bangladeshis who have become irregular.</div><div><br></div><div>A joint working group will also be formed as more students and workers are going to the UK, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Secretary said issues like climate change, economic development, mobility and migration, trade and investment, governance, human rights, Indo-Pacific strategy, cyber security and human right were discussed in the dialogue.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We explained our positions on those issues, \" he said, adding that they also discussed the Rohingya issue.</div><div><br></div><div>The two sided also discussed the issues of Digital Security Act and how the Cyber Security Act is progressing.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and UK Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office Sir Philip Barton co-chaired the dialogue, reflecting the two countries’ shared commitment to develop a modern economic, trade and security partnership.</div><div><br></div><div>The dialogue covered political and diplomatic relations, economic, trade and development partnerships, and global, regional and security issues, including the Rohingya crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>It provided an opportunity to boost economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, cooperation on COP28 and joint work on climate financing, adaptation and resilience to climate impacts, and showcase the UK’s substantial economic development investment offer.</div><div><br></div><div>The fourth Bangladesh-UK strategic dialogue was held in 2021 in London.</div><div><br></div><div>During the last strategic dialogue, the UK reiterated its commitment to support Bangladesh achieve a smooth and successful graduation and continue its export-led growth by providing duty-free, quota free access to the UK market until 2029.</div><div><br></div><div>The UK committed to work with Bangladesh to deliver free and fair trade by improving the functioning of the WTO and modernising global trade rules.</div><div><br></div><div>UK’s landmark Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) came into effect from June this year that simplifies trading rules and cuts tariffs on products entering the UK from 65 developing countries, including Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The DCTS will help grow trade, boost jobs, and drive sustained economic growth, said the UK government, adding that this new scheme demonstrates the UK’s commitment to a modern and mutually beneficial partnership with Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question on BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, the Foreign Secretary said so far they know he secured political asylum there. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-12 15:52:00', '2023-09-12 15:52:00');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9057, 9057, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rescue teams in Libya are struggling to retrieve the bodies of victims that have been swept out to sea in tsunami-like flood waters.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 2,300 have been killed, according to the ambulance authority in Derna, the worst affected city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two dams and four bridges collapsed in Derna, submerging much of the city when Storm Daniel hit on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About 10,000 people are reported missing, the Red Crescent says, and the death toll is expected to rise further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some aid has started to arrive, including from Egypt, but rescue efforts have been hampered by the political situation in Libya, with the country split between two rival governments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US, Germany, Iran, Italy, Qatar and Turkey are among the countries that have said they have sent or are ready to send aid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video footage recorded after dark on Sunday shows a river of floodwater churning through the city with cars bobbing helplessly in the current.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are harrowing stories of people being swept out to sea, while others clung onto rooftops to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I was shocked by what I saw, it\'s like a tsunami,\" Hisham Chkiouat, from Libya\'s eastern-based government, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He told BBC Newshour that the collapse of one of the dams to the south of Derna had dragged large parts of the city into the sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A massive neighbourhood has been destroyed - there is a large number of victims, which is increasing each hour.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Al-Dbeibah said rescue teams were struggling to recover some bodies, and that the navy and divers were trying to retrieve bodies from the sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kasim Al-Qatani, an aid worker in the town of Bayda, told the BBC\'s Newsnight programme it was difficult for rescuers to reach Derna as most of the main paths into the city were \"out of service because of huge damage\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An investigation has been launched into why the floods were able to cause such devastation, he said, adding that 2.5bn Libyan Dinar (£412m; $515m) would be given to help rebuild Derna and the eastern city of Benghazi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cities of Soussa, Al-Marj and Misrata were also affected by Sunday\'s storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Water engineering experts told the BBC it is likely the upper dam, around 12km (eight miles) from the city, had failed first, sending its water sweeping down the river valley towards the second dam, which lies closer to Derna - where neighbourhoods were inundated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"At first we just thought it was heavy rain but at midnight we heard a huge explosion and it was the dam bursting,\" Raja Sassi, who survived along with his wife and small daughter, told Reuters news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libyan journalist Noura Eljerbi, who is based in Tunisia told the BBC she only found out that around 35 of her relatives who all lived in the same apartment block in Derna were still alive after contacting a local rescue team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The house has been destroyed but my family managed to get out before things got worse. They are safe now,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescue worker Kasim Al-Qatani told BBC Newsnight that there is no clean drinking water in Derna, and a lack of medical supplies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that the only hospital in Derna could no longer take patients because \"there are more than 700 dead bodies waiting in the hospital and it\'s not that big.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libya has been in political chaos since long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 - leaving the oil-rich nation effectively split with an interim, internationally recognised government operating from the capital, Tripoli, and another one in the east.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libyan journalist Abdulkader Assad said the confusion around this was hampering rescue efforts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You have people who are pledging help but the help is not coming,\" he told the BBC. \"There are no rescue teams, there are no trained rescuers in Libya. Everything over the last 12 years was about war.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But despite the split, the government in Tripoli has sent a plane with 14 tonnes of medical supplies, body bags and more than 80 doctors and paramedics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brian Lander, the deputy director of emergencies at the UN\'s World Food Programme, said the organisation had food supplies for 5,000 families. 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, '2023-09-13 02:04:00', '2023-09-13 02:04:00'),
(9058, 9058, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In a rare testimony before US lawmakers, a Canadian politician has urged for co-operation between the two countries to combat foreign interference by Beijing.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Michael Chong was himself allegedly targeted by China for criticising its human rights record.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was invited to speak about his experience before a US Congressional committee tasked with monitoring China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Beijing\'s actions pose a \"serious, national threat\" to Canada.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"My experience is but one case of Beijing\'s interference in Canada,\" Mr Chong told the bipartisan committee on Monday. \"Many, many other cases go unnoticed and unreported, and the victims suffer in silence.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier this year, Canada accused China of targeting Mr Chong with a misinformation campaign on the popular messaging app WeChat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Chong said he also learned through Canadian intelligence that Beijing had been gathering information on him, as well as his relatives in Hong Kong, for the last three years. In 2021, Mr Chong put forward a motion in parliament that declared China\'s treatment of its Uyghur minority population a genocide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China has repeatedly denied any attempts to intimidate Mr Chong or interfere in Canadian affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his testimony, the Conservative politician detailed other ways in which he said China has been observed interfering in his country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This includes recruiting Chinese international students at Canadian universities, he said, who are then coerced by Beijing to spy on other students and activists seen as unfriendly to the Communist Party of China (CPC).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also raised the issue of Beijing-run \"police stations\" in Canada that have allegedly been used to coerce some Chinese nationals back to China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China has denied running overseas police stations, calling them \"service centres\" for its nationals overseas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a target of alleged intimidation himself, Mr Chong said that he had cut off contact with his family in Hong Kong \"out of an abundance of caution\" to preserve their safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Many, many other people have done the same thing,\" he said. \"This is one of the consequences of (China\'s) transnational repression.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mr Chong called on the US and Canada to work together on this issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this could be done through the sharing of intelligence and publicising China\'s interference attempts, \"to preserve our fundamental freedoms, democratic institutions and the rules-based international order\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Democratic and Republican US lawmakers on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China applauded Mr Chong\'s testimony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have seen relentless targeting of young activists who have spoken against the increasingly repressive conditions in Hong Kong and we have seen unrelenting pressure that continues to be directed at Uyghurs around the world,\" said Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The commission, which was established in 2000, keeps tabs on China\'s alleged intimidation tactics, and monitors a list of people who have vanished in China or taken as political prisoners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Canada-China relations have been fractured as of late, after the alleged intimidation attempts against Mr Chong were made public.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The issue led Canada to expel a Chinese diplomat in May. China then retaliated and ordered the removal of a Canadian diplomat in its Shanghai Consulate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Intelligence agencies have also claimed Beijing tried to interfere in federal elections in 2019 and 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, Canada launched a public inquiry into foreign interference by China and other countries. BCC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 02:08:15', '2023-09-13 02:08:15'),
(9059, 9059, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">World champions Argentina rested Lionel Messi but still enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Bolivia in La Paz on Tuesday to maintain their winning start to South American World Cup qualifying.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi, who has had a hectic schedule with his club Inter Miami, watched his teammates from the bench but was not listed as a substitute, having complained of tiredness after scoring the winner in Thursday\'s 1-0 victory over Ecuador.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the absence of their talisman, Lionel Scaloni\'s side had too much firepower for Bolivia with goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Tagliafico and Nicolas Gonzalez securing the victory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsea midfielder Fernandez went close with a wonderful effort from 30 yards out that was heading into the top corner before Bolivia keeper Guillermo Viscarra tipped it over.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Viscarra then did well again to keep out a near post drive from Julian Alvarez, who had taken advantage of some sloppy defending.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lively Alvarez had a hand in Argentina\'s opener in the 31st minute, feeding Angel Di Maria, whose low cross was turned in by Fernandez, who had made a perfectly timed run into the box.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eight minutes later, Bolivia\'s task got even tougher when Roberto Fernandez was sent off for an over-the-top challenge on Cristian Romero.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Argentina went in at the break with a 2-0 lead after Tagliafico met a floated Di Maria free-kick with a header that looped over Viscarra.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The three-time World Cup winners were in total control after the break with Alvarez hitting the post in the 70th minute and Viscarra kept busy by efforts from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fernandez wrapped up the victory seven minutes from the end with a left-footed drive after more hesitant defending from the home side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later on Tuesday, Ecuador host Uruguay, Venezuela take on Paraguay, Colombia travel to Chile and Brazil are in Peru. 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, '2023-09-13 02:13:37', '2023-09-13 02:13:37'),
(9060, 9060, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Libya\'s devastated eastern city of Derna was counting its dead on Wednesday with the toll from the floodwaters unleashed by Storm Daniel expected to rise even further.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two dams burst there on Sunday afternoon after the storm hit, releasing a surge of water that tore through the city, sweeping away buildings and the people inside them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By late Tuesday, the preliminary death toll from authorities in the politically fractured North African country was at least 2,300 dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emergency services said more than 5,000 people were missing and about 7,000 were injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The death toll is huge and might reach thousands,\" said Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Media reports quoted a spokesman for the interior ministry of Libya\'s eastern government as saying \"more than 5,200\" people had died in Derna.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city, 250 kilometres (150 miles) east of Benghazi, is ringed by hills and bisected by what is normally a dry riverbed in summer, but which became a raging torrent of mud-brown water that also swept away several major bridges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Derna was home to about 100,000 people, and many of its multi-storey buildings on the banks of the riverbed collapsed, with people, their homes and cars vanishing in the raging waters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With global concern about the disaster spreading, several nations offered urgent aid and rescue teams to help the war-scarred country that has been overwhelmed by what one UN official called \"a calamity of epic proportions\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elsewhere in Libya\'s east, aid group the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Tuesday \"entire villages have been overwhelmed by the floods and the death toll continues to rise\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Communities across Libya have endured years of conflict, poverty and displacement. The latest disaster will exacerbate the situation for these people. Hospitals and shelters will be overstretched.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oil-rich Libya is still recovering from years of war and chaos that followed the 2011 NATO-backed popular uprising which toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country is divided between two rival governments -- the UN-brokered, internationally recognised administration based in Tripoli, and a separate administration in the disaster-hit east.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescue teams from Turkey have arrived in eastern Libya, according to authorities. The United Nations and several countries offered to send aid, among them Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Qatar and Tunisia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France is sending a field hospital and around 50 military and civilian personnel able to treat 500 people a day, Paris said on Tuesday. 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, '2023-09-13 03:52:53', '2023-09-13 03:52:53'),
(9061, 9061, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The 69th birthday of Sheikh Rehana, younger daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, is being celebrate today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She was born on September 13 in 1955, at Mitford Hospital in Dhaka. She is the younger sister of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Bangabandhu\'s entire family except his two daughters was brutally assassinated by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of August 15, 1975. Sheikh Rehana was in West Germany with her elder sister Sheikh Hasina at that time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She was placed under house arrest in Dhanmondi along with her family by the Pakistan Army during Bangladesh Liberation War.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Sheikh Rehana, dubbed as \"Chhoto Apa\", inherits a simple lifestyle from her father Bangabandhu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She married Professor. Dr. Shafiq Ahmed Siddique and they have three children - a son and two daughters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Their son Radwan Mujib Siddiq is working in an international organization and a trustee of Awami League\'s research wing Centre for Research and Information (CRI), daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labour Party MP of British Parliament and youngest daughter Azmina Siddiq Ruponti is working as Global Risks Analysis Editor of London-based the Control Risks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Sheikh Rehana often accompanies Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her official trips including the state funeral of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom in 2022 and Coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023 and the G20 Summit in New Delhi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Sheikh Rehana is credited to make the first global call for justice against Bangabandhu killers for her 1979 speech.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She raised the demand at an international conference in 1979 in Sweden\'s Stockholm as the first international call for justice against the assassins of Bangabandhu and four national leaders who was killed in safe custody in Dhaka central jail on November 3, 1975.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On May 10, 1979, she turned the global attention to the darkest chapter in the country\'s history through a speech at an All-European Bakshal conference, participated by European country heads, the UN chief, and international NGO high-ups in Stockholm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">At that time, Sheikh Hasina was in Delhi and she had sent her younger sister who was in Europe to raise voice for global pressure on the then military backed Bangladesh government after Bangabandhu\'s assassination.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">That incident goes down in the annals of history as the voice for global pressure -- on the then-Bangladesh government -- was raised through that emotion-choked rendition. 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, '2023-09-13 04:51:00', '2023-09-13 04:51:00'),
(9062, 9062, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian drones damaged the Danube river port of Izmail in Ukraine, causing a fire and civilian injuries, the regional governor said Wednesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the collapse of the deal allowing grain shipments from Black Sea ports, Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukraine\'s southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, home to ports and infrastructure vital for agriculture exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia \"once again attacked the south of Odesa region\", Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Several groups of strike drones were directed to the Izmail district,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Damage to port and other civil infrastructure was recorded... rescuers are putting out the fire.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said six civilians were injured and taken to hospital, with three in a serious condition and three others in \"moderate condition\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, Kiper had urged people in the Izmail district to stay in a safe location until the air raid alerts stopped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Izmail, on the border with NATO member Romania, has become a main export route for Ukrainian products following Russia\'s withdrawal from a UN-brokered grain deal in July. 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, '2023-09-13 04:55:13', '2023-09-13 04:55:13'),
(9063, 9063, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as \'unhealthy for sensitive groups\' 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 119 at 8:49 am, Dhaka ranked 10th on the list of cities worldwide with worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s Jerusalem, Qatar’s Doha and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 256, 170 and 157 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and 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 grappled 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, '2023-09-13 05:15:10', '2023-09-13 05:15:10'),
(9064, 9064, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as \'unhealthy for sensitive groups\' 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 119 at 8:49 am, Dhaka ranked 10th on the list of cities worldwide with worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s Jerusalem, Qatar’s Doha and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 256, 170 and 157 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and 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 grappled 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, '2023-09-13 05:15:10', '2023-09-13 05:15:10'),
(9065, 9065, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The local administration has decided to bring Cox’s Bazar district town under CCTV surveillance to ensure tourists’ safety.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decision came from a views-exchange meeting, held at Tourist Police’s Cox’s Bazar Regional Office on Tuesday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abul Kalam Siddique, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Tourist Police, said the initiative has been taken to curb crime in the area. It will also help identify and arrest the criminals, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, he also urged owners of hotels and motels located in the district town not to rent out hotel rooms without national identity cards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Issuing a warning, the DIG of Tourist Police said legal action will be taken against owners of hotel and motels if they are found involved in violating the order.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional DIG of Tourist Police Bidhan Tripura, Superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police Mahfuzul Islam, President of Cox’s Bazar Hotel Owners Association Abul Kashem Shikdar and others 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, '2023-09-13 05:17:37', '2023-09-13 05:17:37'),
(9066, 9066, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday invited investors from the Commonwealth countries to come to Bangladesh in a bigger way.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Geographically, Bangladesh is at the center of a market of 3 billion people. We have 170 million people of our own. By 2030, the affluent population of Bangladesh will stand at 35 million. Therefore, Bangladesh will become the third largest market globally, leaving behind Germany and the United Kingdom,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while addressing the two-day \"Commonwealth trade and investment forum Bangladesh-2023\" at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, which is the Commonwealth\'s accredited business network, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Zi Foundation, a family-run foundation that offers support to vulnerable people, jointly organised the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aim is to promote innovation, trade, investment and economic growth, enhance partnerships and explore ways towards sustainable and inclusive economic development for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said that Bangladesh needs development partners for reaching its goal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We need more high-quality and sustainable investment to accelerate the economic progress of Bangladesh,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that as a prerequisite for Biniyog Bikash, or investment promotion, her government has prioritised organisational reforms, the formation of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), which offering attractive facilities for investors, and ensuring post-investment services.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that almost all sectors are open for investment in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But among those, she said, more investment is encouraged in agricultural goods and food processing, leather and leather goods processing, medical equipment, automobiles and shipbuilding, and ICT.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are promising investment facilities in these sectors, including the easy process of taking back dividends or benefits to your home country,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said that some 70 percent of Bangladesh\'s foreign direct investment comes from reinvestment, which is a proof of the excellent investment environment that Bangladesh offers to investors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that BIDA has started a one-stop fast-track delivery service to facilitate investors with the services of various departments of the government and through this one-stop service, 78 services from 26 departments can be received through one platform.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that the pre-requisite for investment is the development of infrastructure, she said that the government has established 100 economic zones, 109 hi-tech and software technology parks, and IT training and incubation centres across the country with attractive incentive packages to promote foreign investors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are developing our land, rail, and air connectivity. Almost all highways in the country have been elevated to four or more lanes,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, she said that the Padma Bridge has connected 21 south-western districts of Bangladesh directly with Dhaka and other parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There will be rail connectivity through the Padma Bridge between Dhaka and Khulna soon,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that soon the government will inaugurate the Karnaphuli underwater tunnel, the first such infrastructure not only in Bangladesh but in South Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Work on establishing rail link between Chattogram and tourism town Cox’s Bazar is progressing fast.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said that after winning the election in 2008 and forming the government in 2009, the government has started building the country based on short-, middle-, and long-term programmes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A democratic environment, political stability, continuity of government, and, above all, structured development programs have helped in the quick socio-economic development of Bangladesh,\" she stated</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that the government is working to build a Smart Bangladesh, which will be realised by building the pillars of smart government, smart citizens, a smart economy, and a smart society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our goal now is to become a knowledge-based and Developed Smart Country by 2041 and a Prosperous Delta by 2100. We are working relentlessly towards that goal through the Perspective Plan, the Five-Year Plan, and the Delta Plan 2100.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime minister\'s private industry and investment adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Lokman Hossain Miah, Strategic Advisor (Bangladesh) Of CWEIC Zillur Hussain And Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) Chairman Lord Marland also spoke at the programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Hasina also handed over Commonwealth Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Green Investment Award to EcoBricks from Uganda.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A video documentary was screened in the programme. 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, '2023-09-13 06:23:48', '2023-09-13 06:23:48'),
(9067, 9067, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the two-day Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum-2023 aiming to boost trade, commerce and investment of Bangladesh with other Commonwealth countries.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She opened the grand inauguration of forum as the chief guest in capital\'s Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) organized by Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) in partnership with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ZI Foundation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on the occasion, the premier hoped the two-day forum will help advance Bangladesh government\'s investment promotion goal showcasing unprecedented economic achievements and potentials of the dynamic industrial sectors and establishing long-term relations with promising local and foreign investors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are trying to sign FTAs with various countries, which, we believe, will make the business and investment environment in Bangladesh even more comfortable in the future,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CWEIC Chairman Lord Marland delivered the welcome address at the function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister\'s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, BIDA Executive Chairman Lokman Hossain Miah and Strategic Advisor of the Commonwealth Countries and Beyond Zillur Hussain, among others, also spoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the function, the second \"Commonwealth-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Green Investment Award\", which was introduced in 2022, was conferred with a view to promoting sustainable and environment friendly investment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eco Brixs of Uganda won the award as its chief technology officer received the award from the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina hoped that this award will play a pivotal role in ensuring eco-friendly investments in Commonwealth countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the outset, an audio-visual documentary on commonwealth business and opportunity in Bangladesh was screened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the two-day forum, business people and experts from different countries are taking part in over 12 sessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries united by common values and is a home to one-third of the world\'s population. Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth as its 34th member in 1972. 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, '2023-09-13 06:27:06', '2023-09-13 06:27:06'),
(9068, 9068, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK) have agreed to consider signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic cooperation as the two nations gained record-breaking bilateral trade of $6.4 billion in 2022-23.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two countries have also agreed to create new institutional cooperation to promote business, trade and investments while Bangladesh received 561 million US dollars Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the UK, the highest from any country in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decisions were made at the 5th Bangladesh-UK Strategic Dialogue held in Dhaka on Tuesday evening in a very warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere, a foreign ministry’s press release said here today.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Dialogue was led by&nbsp; Bangladesh foreign secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and UK FCDO permanent under-secretary Sir Philip Barton respectively when they&nbsp; reviewed the entire gamut of historic relations between the two Commonwealth Nations, including political, economic, security and defense, migration and mobility, climate and development partnerships.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK side commended the remarkable socio-economic progress and resilient economic growth achieved by Bangladesh over the past decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh foreign secretary commended the UK’s sustained market-access support to Bangladesh as its 3rd largest export destination and urged for its extension until 2029 and beyond following Bangladesh’s scheduled LDC graduation in 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh and the UK agreed on enhancing migration and mobility cooperation especially in gainful employment in the nursing, hospitality, agricultural, construction and masonry and other services sectors in the UK. Both sides agreed to constitute a ‘Joint Working Group’ to discuss migration, mobility and mutual recognition of qualifications.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also agreed to sign a SoP on returns of Bangladesh nationals in irregular situations in the UK. Bangladesh thanked the UK Government for a significant increase in issuance of student, visit and business visas in 2022. The two sides also discussed mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling the Climate Accord signed between Bangladesh and the UK in March this year, both sides expressed their determination to cooperate in climate action bilaterally and multilaterally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also agreed to sign a Joint Action Plan with time-bound activities under the Climate Accord towards a net-zero and nature-positive world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK side encouraged free, fair, violence-free and participatory elections in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He underlined the importance of media freedom for sustainable progress and prosperity of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh side expressed commitment to forge ahead with its national targets under SDG 16 for building a just, peaceful and inclusive society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary reiterated Bangladesh’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization. Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation and capacity building on global and regional security issues of mutual interest including maritime and aviation safety and security in the Indian Ocean as well as countering extremist and terrorist outfits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sides agreed to explore signing of a MoU on cooperation in cyber-security.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK commended Bangladesh’s leading contribution to world peace under UN peacekeeping missions, especially praising one of the highest contributions of female peacekeepers by Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two countries expressed satisfaction at the First Defense Dialogue held in 2022 and agreed to sign a MoU on defense cooperation during the 2nd Dialogue in London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK appreciated Bangladesh’s generous hosting of Rohingyas from Myanmar and Bangladesh appreciated UK’s humanitarian and political support to the Rohingya crisis including at the UN Security Council and Commonwealth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sides expressed concern over the protracted Rohingya crisis and reaffirmed commitment to working closely towards a voluntary, safe and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emphasizing the importance of international accountability of the atrocities committed on the Rohingyas by Myanmar , Bangladesh Foreign Secretary thanked the UK for joining the Rohingya justice case at the ICJ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK side welcomed Bangladesh’s recently announced ‘Indo-Pacific Outlook’.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sides agreed to forge new partnerships towards ensuring a free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific for shared prosperity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh and the UK agreed to intensify cooperation in different regional and multilateral fora including at the UN, Commonwealth, IMO and IORA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both sides acknowledged their long-standing value-based friendship since 1971 and recalled the historic visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to London on 8 January 1972.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK delegation expressed his deep appreciation for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s participation in the State Funeral of UK’s late Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and in the historic royal coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh side expressed hope that His Majesty King Charles III would reschedule his postponed visit to Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke joined to their respective delegations along with representatives from various ministries and agencies of the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The next round of strategic dialogue is expected to be held in London in 2024. 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, '2023-09-13 07:20:00', '2023-09-13 07:20:00');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9069, 9069, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directive, the Bangladesh government has taken steps to send relief materials as humanitarian aid to the people of eastern Libya those have been severely affected by Cyclone Daniel and flooding.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Prime Minister gave the directives in view of the humanitarian appeal of the Libyan President to the world; a foreign ministry oppresses release said here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A C-130 aircraft carrying relief materials, including medicines and dry food, for the flood-affected people of Libya is expected to depart from Dhaka as soon as possible, said the release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libyan Local Government Minister is expected to receive the relief materials to be sent by the Bangladesh government at Tobruk Airport in Libya.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 5,000 people are feared dead by the storm and flooding while thousands more are still missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has expressed condolence and sympathy to the people and government of Libya following the deadly storm. 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, '2023-09-13 07:23:29', '2023-09-13 07:23:29'),
(9070, 9070, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has expressed condolence and sympathy to the people and government of Libya following the deadly storm that struck some parts of the country, leaving thousands dead and missing.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am deeply saddened to learn of the destructive effects of Mediterranean Storm Daniel on eastern Libya, especially in Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Derna, Sahat, Al-Mari, and Jabel Al-Akhdar,” he said in a condolence message sent on Tuesday to the Libyan acting foreign minister Al Tahir Salem Mohamed Al Bour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh foreign minister offered his heartfelt condolences for the loss of more than 2,800 precious lives in this tragedy and the thousands more that are still unaccounted for.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who are going through this heartbreaking loss. It is truly upsetting to see the huge destruction, widespread flooding, and terrible cost to life and infrastructure,\" Dr Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am convinced that the nation\'s cohesion and fortitude will see it through these tough times. May the Almighty give them the strength and courage to endure this and the resilience to build a bright future,\" read the message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Momen wished his counterpart good health and happiness, and also extended his wishes for peace, progress, and prosperity to the friendly people of the State of Libya for the future. BSS&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 08:45:43', '2023-09-13 08:45:43'),
(9071, 9071, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States and Bangladesh share a vision to ensure that the Indo-Pacific region is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient, a US spokesperson has said.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That’s the intent of our Indo-Pacific strategy and that is our position,\" US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during a media briefing in Washington on September 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent comment in Dhaka is “not the most self-aware.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will work with our partners in the region to prevent any attempts to establish a dictate of countries that want to solely pursue their own interests and prescribe to others what they can and cannot do,” Lavrov told reporters while responding to a question during his recent visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I would say with respect to Russia, a country that has invaded two of its neighbors, is prosecuting an aggressive war where it bombs schools and hospitals and apartment buildings on a daily basis, should not be talking about any other country imposing dictates,\" Miller said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question, the spokesperson said journalists play an essential role in any democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Their work uncovers corruption, safeguards the public’s right to know information that affects their lives. They need to be able to make the public aware of the issues that they face in their daily lives. They need to ensure accountability for elected officials the way that you all show up and ensure accountability for what I say here every day,\" he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Miller said journalists must be able to do their jobs without fear of harassment, violence, or intimidation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"And we are concerned with the government of Bangladesh’s systematic and pervasive oppression of journalists and media personalities who attempt to hold the government accountable,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 08:51:06', '2023-09-13 08:51:06'),
(9072, 9072, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>One of the creators of the world\'s first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, has died at the age of 79.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Prof Sir Ian Wilmut\'s work, at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, laid the foundations for stem cell research.</div><div><br></div><div>That technology aims to cure many of the diseases of ageing by enabling the body to regenerate damaged tissue.</div><div><br></div><div>His legacy is the creation of a field known as regenerative medicine, which has huge potential to enable more people to live longer, healthier lives.</div><div><br></div><div>The creation of Dolly in 1996 was arguably one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 20th Century.</div><div><br></div><div>Prof Wilmut was among the leaders of a team that used a cell from the mammary gland of a dead adult sheep to create a living animal that was genetically identical to the donor. According to BBC reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 09:12:07', '2023-09-13 09:43:17'),
(9073, 9073, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Apple unveiled its much-awaited iPhone 15 series globally on Tuesday at its “Wonderlust” launch event. The tech giant has introduced four versions of iPhone 15 - iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The company has also launched the latest Apple Watch series and AirPods Pro with USB-C functionality. A few notable hardware upgrades in their latest handsets have intrigued the users.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from the latest features, users in every corner of the world are curious about the pre-booking dates and the price factor. Here\'s everything that you need to know about ordering the iPhone 15 series.</div><div><br></div><div>When will iPhone pre-booking start ?</div><div><br></div><div>Apple has announced that the pre-orders for the phones will begin on Friday (September 15).</div><div><br></div><div>When will the iPhone 15 hit markets in India?</div><div><br></div><div>The tech giant added that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will go on sale on September 22.</div><div><br></div><div>What is the price and specification of iPhone 15 series?</div><div><br></div><div>With 128GB base storage, the iPhone 15 will cost you Tk 105,275.97. The price of iPhone 15 Plus is 118,455.61.</div><div><br></div><div>It must be noted that after the launching of its latest handset, the price of the iPhone 14 will be Tk 92,102, while the cost of the iPhone 14 Plus will cost Tk 105,279.</div><div><br></div><div>It is also worth noting that after the “Wonderlust” launch event, the iPhone 14 Pro series has been discontinued. But you\'ll still be able to buy it via Apple\'s resellers.</div><div><br></div><div>This time, the company has ditched the gold hues for the iPhone 15 pro models and went with a “natural” shade including blue, white and black.</div><div><br></div><div>What is the price of the Apple Watch Series 9?</div><div><br></div><div>After replacing the Series 8, the Apple Watch Series 9\'s cost starts at Tk 55,208, while the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) will cost you Tk 39,397. Apple\'s latest watch will go on sale on September 22 in India. Source: NDTV</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p>iPhone 15<br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 10:22:24', '2023-09-13 10:22:24'),
(9074, 9074, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Taylor Swift cleaned up at Tuesday\'s MTV Video Music Awards and won the evening\'s top trophy, as Shakira accepted the night\'s prestigious Video Vanguard honor with a hip-shaking, career-spanning performance.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Swift continued her global reign by scooping awards including Best Song, Best Pop and Best Direction, as well as the top competitive award for Video of the Year, which she won for her hit \"Anti-Hero.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Turn-of-the-millennium teen heartthrobs NSYNC reunited onstage for the first time in a decade to present her with the Best Pop award, leaving Swift, who is poised to post the first billion-dollar tour, fanning her cheeks.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is unbelievable,\" Swift said as she accepted the night\'s top prize, which she also took home in 2022. \"I just want to say that the fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me.\"</div><div><br></div><div>But she didn\'t perform on the night known far more for its spectacle than its awards, instead sipping her drink as artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Anitta and Doja Cat took the stage.</div><div><br></div><div>The made-for-broadcast show, held this year in Newark\'s Prudential Center, frequently panned to Swift who was seated near the main stage next to Ice Spice, the viral Bronx rapper who has collaborated with the pop phenom and who won the evening\'s prize for Best New Artist.</div><div><br></div><div>A camera operator was reportedly tasked with filming Swift for the show\'s entire duration.</div><div><br></div><div>The nearly four-hour show that included some 20 performances ended without handing out awards in a number of categories, however, including for Artist of the Year, which for the first time was an all-women slate including Swift, Shakira and Beyonce.</div><div><br></div><div>Lil Wayne opened the show in a nod to this year\'s 50th anniversary of hip hop, and Sean Combs -- known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy -- delivered a career-spanning performance as he accepted the night\'s Global Icon lifetime achievement award.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is so surreal,\" said the 53-year-old from Harlem. \"I started out as a paper boy.\"</div><div><br></div><div>And it was Shakira who scored the night\'s most prestigious honor for lifetime achievement, the Video Vanguard award that celebrates music video innovations.</div><div><br></div><div>The Colombian performer, 46, stole the show as she performed her signature hip swings and pops, singing a bilingual medley including \"She Wolf,\" \"Te Felicito,\" \"Objection (Tango),\" \"Whenever, Wherever\" and \"Hips Don\'t Lie.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Wearing a glittering, nude ensemble, the artist finished her set by crowd-surfing to a platform that then elevated her high above a screaming crowd of fans and peers.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Thank you MTV. Thank you for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Afrobeats and Bongos -</div><div><br></div><div>Rapper Nicki Minaj hosted the event for the second consecutive year, also debuting live her newest single, \"Last Time I Saw You,\" which is slated for release on her album \"Pink Friday 2\" in November.</div><div><br></div><div>She won the night\'s award for Best Hip Hop, for \"Super Freaky Girl.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Minaj also participated in the evening\'s tribute to five decades of hip hop, which also saw Lil Wayne return to the stage for a medley performance that included pioneers Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, LL Cool J, DMC of Run-DMC, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier Doja Cat ignited the crowd as she performed a medley of \"Attention,\" \"Paint The Town Red\" and \"Demons,\" donning a sexy skirtsuit situation she slowly loosened as she danced, meanwhile unfurling a long blonde mane.</div><div><br></div><div>Best R&amp;B went to SZA, who did not attend, while South Korea\'s Stray Kids won the award for Best K-pop and later performed.</div><div><br></div><div>Nigeria\'s Rema won the prize for Best Afrobeats, a new category, for his remixed single \"Calm Down\" featuring Selena Gomez.</div><div><br></div><div>The song surpassed a billion streams on Spotify over the weekend.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big,\" Rema said while accepting the trophy.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazil\'s Anitta dropped a booty-shaking dance party of a show with hits including \"Funk Rave,\" which earned the evening\'s prize for Best Latin.</div><div><br></div><div>Colombian Karol G was also among the evening\'s top performers, and she scored a prize with Shakira for Best Collaboration.</div><div><br></div><div>Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion debuted their live performance of \"Bongos,\" their latest collaboration that follows the resounding success of \"WAP.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Cardi entered the stage from the ceiling on a disco ball, her hair in loose waves a la Donna Summer. Megan joined her from another stage, and after their respective verses the pair led the audience through a high-energy, twerkified dance breakdown.</div><div><br></div><div>Pop-punk band Fallout Boy rounded out the millennial nostalgia tour that began the night with NSYNC.</div><div><br></div><div>The emo rockers performed their updated version of Billy Joel\'s \"We Didn\'t Start The Fire,\" hitting major moments of the past three decades in a revamp that includes the line: \"YouTube killed MTV.\" - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 10:55:49', '2023-09-13 10:55:49'),
(9075, 9075, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>For decades, preventing dengue fever in Honduras has meant teaching people to fear mosquitoes and avoid their bites. Now, Hondurans are being educated about a potentially more effective way to control the disease — and it goes against everything they’ve learned.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Which explains why a dozen people cheered last month as Tegucigalpa resident Hector Enriquez held a glass jar filled with mosquitoes above his head, and then freed the buzzing insects into the air. Enriquez, a 52-year-old mason, had volunteered to help publicize a plan to suppress dengue by releasing millions of special mosquitoes in the Honduran capital.</div><div><br></div><div>The mosquitoes Enriquez unleashed in his El Manchen neighborhood — an area rife with dengue — were bred by scientists to carry bacteria called Wolbachia that interrupt transmission of the disease. When these mosquitoes reproduce, they pass the bacteria to their offspring, reducing future outbreaks.</div><div><br></div><div>This emerging strategy for battling dengue was pioneered over the last decade by the nonprofit World Mosquito Program, and it is being tested in more than a dozen countries. With more than half the world\'s population at risk of contracting dengue, the World Health Organization is paying close attention to the mosquito releases in Honduras, and elsewhere, and it is poised to promote the strategy globally.</div><div><br></div><div>In Honduras, where 10,000 people are known to be sickened by dengue each year, Doctors Without Borders is partnering with the mosquito program over the next six months to release close to 9 million mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria.</div><div><br></div><div>“There is a desperate need for new approaches,” said Scott O’Neill, founder of the mosquito program.</div><div><br></div><div>DENGUE DEFIES TYPICAL PREVENTION</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists have made great strides in recent decades in reducing the threat of infectious diseases, including mosquito-borne viruses like malaria. But dengue is the exception: Its rate of infection keeps going up.</div><div><br></div><div>Models estimate that around 400 million people across some 130 countries are infected each year with dengue. Mortality rates from dengue are low – an estimated 40,000 people die each year from it – but outbreaks can overwhelm health systems and force many people to miss work or school.</div><div><br></div><div>“When you come down with a case of dengue fever, it’s often akin to getting the worst case of influenza you can imagine,” said Conor McMeniman, a mosquito researcher at Johns Hopkins University. It’s commonly known as “breakbone fever” for a reason, McMeniman said.</div><div><br></div><div>Traditional methods of preventing mosquito-borne illnesses haven’t been nearly as effective against dengue.</div><div><br></div><div>The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that most commonly spread dengue have been resistant to insecticides, which have fleeting results even in the best-case scenario. And because dengue virus comes in four different forms, it is harder to control through vaccines.</div><div><br></div><div>Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are also a challenging foe because they are most active during the day – meaning that’s when they bite – so bed nets aren’t much help against them. Because these mosquitoes thrive in warm and wet environments, and in dense cities, climate change and urbanization are expected to make the fight against dengue even harder.</div><div><br></div><div>“We need better tools,” said Raman Velayudhan, a researcher from the WHO’s Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Program. “Wolbachia is definitely a long-term, sustainable solution.”</div><div><br></div><div>Velayudhan and other experts from the WHO plan to publish a recommendation as early as this month to promote further testing of the Wolbachia strategy in other parts of the world.</div><div><br></div><div>SCIENTISTS SURPRISED BY BACTERIA</div><div><br></div><div>The Wolbachia strategy has been decades in the making.</div><div><br></div><div>The bacteria exist naturally in about 60% of insect species, just not in the Aedes aegypti mosquito.</div><div><br></div><div>“We worked for years on this,” said O’Neill, 61, who with help from his students in Australia eventually figured out how to transfer the bacteria from fruit flies into Aedes aegypti mosquito embryos by using microscopic glass needles.</div><div><br></div><div>Around 40 years ago, scientists aimed to use Wolbachia in a different way: to drive down mosquito populations. Because male mosquitoes carrying the bacteria only produce offspring with females that also have it, scientists would release infected male mosquitoes into the wild to breed with uninfected females, whose eggs would not hatch.</div><div><br></div><div>But along the way, O’Neill’s team made a surprising discovery: Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia didn’t spread dengue — or other related diseases, including yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya.</div><div><br></div><div>And since infected females pass Wolbachia to their offspring, they will eventually “replace” a local mosquito population with one that carries the virus-blocking bacteria.</div><div><br></div><div>The replacement strategy has required a major shift in thinking about mosquito control, said Oliver Brady, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.</div><div><br></div><div>“Everything in the past has been about killing mosquitoes, or at the very least, preventing mosquitoes from biting humans,” Brady said.</div><div><br></div><div>Since O’Neill’s lab first tested the replacement strategy in Australia in 2011, the World Mosquito Program has run trials affecting 11 million people across 14 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Fiji and Vietnam.</div><div><br></div><div>The results are promising. In 2019, a large-scale field trial in Indonesia showed a 76% drop in reported dengue cases after Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were released.</div><div><br></div><div>Still, questions remain about whether the replacement strategy will be effective – and cost effective – on a global scale, O’Neill said. The three-year Tegucigalpa trial will cost $900,000, or roughly $10 per person that Doctors Without Borders expects it to protect.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists aren\'t yet sure how Wolbachia actually blocks viral transmission. And it isn’t clear whether the bacteria will work equally well against all strains of the virus, or if some strains might become resistant over time, said Bobby Reiner, a mosquito researcher at the University of Washington.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s certainly not a one-and-done fix, forever guaranteed,” Reiner said.</div><div><br></div><div>SPECIAL MOSQUITOES BRED IN COLOMBIA</div><div>Many of the world’s mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia were hatched in a warehouse in Medellín, Colombia, where the World Mosquito Program runs a factory that breeds 30 million of them per week.</div><div><br></div><div>The factory imports dried mosquito eggs from different parts of the world to ensure the specially bred mosquitoes it eventually releases will have similar qualities to local populations, including resistance to insecticides, said Edgard Boquín, one of the Honduras project leaders working for Doctors Without Borders.</div><div><br></div><div>The dried eggs are placed in water with powdered food. Once they hatch, they are allowed to breed with the “mother colony” — a lineage that carries Wolbachia and is made up of more females than males.</div><div><br></div><div>A constant buzz fills the room where the insects mate in cube-shaped cages made of mosquito nets. Caretakers ensure they have the best diet: Males get sugared water, while females “bite” into pouches of human blood kept at 97 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius).</div><div><br></div><div>“We have the perfect conditions,” the factory’s coordinator, Marlene Salazar, said.</div><div><br></div><div>Once workers confirm that the new mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, their eggs are dried and filled into pill-like capsules to be sent off to release sites.</div><div><br></div><div>DOCTORS ENLIST HELP IN HONDURAS</div><div>The Doctors Without Borders team in Honduras recently went door-to-door in a hilly neighborhood of Tegucigalpa to enlist residents’ help in incubating mosquito eggs bred in the Medellin factory.</div><div><br></div><div>At half a dozen houses, they received permission to hang from tree branches glass jars containing water and a mosquito egg-filled capsule. After about 10 days, the mosquitoes would hatch and fly off.</div><div><br></div><div>That same day, a dozen young workers from Doctors Without Borders fanned out across Northern Tegucigalpa on motorcycles carrying jars of the already hatched dengue-fighting mosquitoes and, at designated sites, released thousands of them into the breeze.</div><div><br></div><div>Because community engagement is key to the program’s success, doctors and volunteers have spent the past six months educating neighborhood leaders, including influential gang members, to get their permission to work in areas under their control.</div><div><br></div><div>Some of the most common questions from the community were about whether Wolbachia would harm people or the environment. Workers explained that any bites from the special mosquitoes or their offspring were harmless.</div><div><br></div><div>María Fernanda Marín, a 19-year-old student, works for Doctors without Borders in a facility where Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are hatched for eventual release. She proudly shows neighbors a photo of her arm covered in bites to help earn their trust.</div><div><br></div><div>Lourdes Betancourt, 63, another volunteer with the Doctors Without Borders team, was at first suspicious of the new strategy. But Betancourt – who has been sickened by dengue several times -- now encourages her neighbors to let the “good mosquitoes” grow in their yards.</div><div><br></div><div>“I tell people not to be afraid, that this isn’t anything bad, to have trust,” Betancourt said. “They are going to bite you, but you won’t get dengue.” - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 11:15:30', '2023-09-13 11:15:30'),
(9076, 9076, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday slammed BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, for spreading lies about French President Emmanuel Macron\'s visit to Bangladesh and the country\'s diplomatic gains at the recently held BRICS and G20 summits.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"BNP has been carrying out a deep-rooted conspiracy to isolate Bangladesh from the international community through continuous slander and lies against the country by appointing lobbyist firms for millions of dollars,\" the AL General Secretary said in a press statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister highlighted the democratic advancement under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our Prime Minister has brought unparalleled prestige and honour to our nation through her participation in the recent BRICS Summit in South Africa and the G20 Summit in India,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The presence of PM Hasina in these international conferences has garnered significant attention from world leaders, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader said the participation in these international conferences has underscored Sheikh Hasina\'s standing as a successful stateswoman on the global stage and is further recognition of her skilled leadership.</div><div><br></div><div>\"At a time when global leaders are strengthening their friendly relations as development partners with Bangladesh, both BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are actively engaged in propagating a deep conspiracy against the country. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir\'s statement is a testament to this,\" he remarked.</div><div><br></div><div>“How bankrupt a political party can be to harbour jealousy towards development projects under the Awami League Government that have significantly improved people’s lives,” he questioned.</div><div><br></div><div>\"BNP is grappling with their resounding failures on one hand, while on the other, they find themselves sinking deeper into a sea of disappointment as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s development initiatives and her global leadership acclaim continue to rise,\" said the AL general secretary.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader also accused BNP of disseminating inaccurate, fabricated, and distorted information about development projects in an attempt to misguide the public. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 12:06:04', '2023-09-13 12:06:04'),
(9077, 9077, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh\'s star batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, will be absent from the crucial Asia Cup Super Four encounter against India on Friday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has extended his leave to be with his wife and newborn child.</div><div><br></div><div>Jalal Yunus, the Chairman of BCB Cricket Operations, stated that Mushfiqur\'s wife is still in the recovery phase and he wishes to stand by her side.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Mushfiqur has informed us that his wife is still recovering, and he needs to be by her side and with their children at this time,” Jalal said. “We fully understand his situation and have decided to permit him to skip the game.”</div><div><br></div><div>Initially, Mushfiqur, who returned to Bangladesh to witness the birth of his second child, was expected to rejoin the team in Colombo for the match against India. However, he will now remain in Dhaka with his family.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh has faced defeats in both of their Super Four matches thus far. In the group stage, they suffered a loss against Sri Lanka but secured victories against Afghanistan, securing a spot in the Super Four.</div><div><br></div><div>They, however, failed to impress in the Super Four stage of the ongoing edition of the Asia Cup. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 12:13:55', '2023-09-13 12:13:55'),
(9078, 9078, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The National Local Government Day will be observed tomorrow in a befitting manner for the first time in the country with the theme \'Efficient Architect of Service and Improvement, Local Government in Development-Innovation\'.</span><br></b></div><div><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div>In separate messages on the eve of the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today wished all the successes of the programmes taken in connection with the observance of National Local Government Day.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In his message, the President said there are five levels of local government system starting from city corporation, district, upazila, municipality and union.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Elected local representatives and officials of the local government institutions are working tirelessly to provide better civic services and to build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the head of the state added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The President hoped that by observing the day, the bond between the local government and mass people will be strengthened and service delivery will become easy and hassle-free.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: \"I am very happy to know that \'September 14\' is being celebrated this year for the first time as \'National Local Government Day\'.\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>On this auspicious occasion, the Premier extended her best wishes and congratulations to all the members of local government division and local government institutions and the people of this country.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She firmly believed that this day will open new doors to get closer to the land and people, apart from serving the people in the country in days to come.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The foundation of local government was laid in the country through the development philosophy of the greatest Bangalee of all time and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The local government was clarified in Articles 59 and 60 of the country\'s constitution as well as the First Five Year Plan, she added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>One of the plans of the First Five Year Plan was - \'The new local government institutions will be responsible for the construction and maintenance of road, drain and irrigation infrastructure, public health, sanitation, education and provision of social welfare services\', she continued.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In continuation of that, all local government institutions across the country are active and dedicated to multi-dimensional welfare activities, she said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, the Awami League-led government has developed the country\'s rural sector in the last 14.5 years by improving 75,825 kilometers (km) of roads and construction/reconstruction of 4,35,307 meters of new bridges/culverts.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The government developed and rehabilitated 1, 21, 623 km paved roads and 1, 58, 579 bridge meters / culvert, she said, adding that construction/expansion of 1, 767 Union Parishad Complex Buildings and 406 Upazila Parishad Complex Buildings have been made.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"Our greatest asset is the people of the country,\" she said, adding that people should be more involved in the development activities of the government.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She also emphasised listening to people\'s demands and problems to ensure development in future.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>By 2041, the local government should be made smart and service-oriented to build a developed and prosperous Smart Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina hoped, reports BSS</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"With the combined efforts of all, we will be able to build a hunger-poverty-free and developed Sonar Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation, Insha Allah,\" she continued.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 12:59:29', '2023-09-13 12:59:29'),
(9079, 9079, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Today marks the 69th birthday of Sheikh Rehana, the younger daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Rehana Siddiq was born on September 13, 1955, at Mitford Hospital in Dhaka. She is the younger sister of the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the Bangladesh Liberation War, she and her family were placed under house arrest in Dhanmondi by the Pakistan Army. On the fateful night of August 15, 1975, most of Bangabandhu\'s family members were brutally assassinated, but Sheikh Rehana and her elder sister Sheikh Hasina were abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government of Bangladesh assigned Rehena a government residence in Dhanmondi for \"Token\" 100 taka in 2001. Her personal crew was housed in the building. When the Bangladesh Nationalist Party came to power, the allocation was canceled. After the Awami League came to power in 2014, she was given a house in Gulshan for a token fee of 1001 taka. In 2015, the government of Bangladesh granted her and her children lifelong security through the Special Security Forces. The government also promised her and her family free utilities for the rest of their lives.In 2016, she was appointed to the Awami League Dhaka South unit\'s council.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She married Professor Dr. Shafiq Ahmed Siddique. They have three children: a son named Radwan Mujib Siddiq and two daughters, Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq Ruponti. Radwan Mujib Siddiq is a trustee of Awami League\'s research wing Centre for Research and Information (CRI). Tulip Siddiq is a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom House of Commons for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Rehana, also known as \"Chhoto Apa,\" inherited a basic way of living from her father, Bangabandhu.She often accompanies Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on official trips, including significant international events like the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022,the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla and the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She drew global attention to the country\'s darkest episode in 1979 with a speech at an All-European Bakshal summit in Stockholm on May 10, 1979, attended by European country heads, the UN chief, and international NGO high-ups. She is credited with making the first global call for justice against the assassins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders in her 1979 speech. She made the demand at an international conference in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1979, as the first international plea for justice against the assassins of Bangabandhu and four other national leaders, who were slain in Dhaka central jail on November 3, 1975, while in safe custody.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Nirodh Kumar Barman', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-13 14:53:16', '2023-09-13 14:53:16'),
(9080, 9080, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Several hundred traders at Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Krishi Market are lamenting losing goods worth several crores of taka in the massive fire.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thursday is the weekly holiday for the market and all traders went to their respective homes closing their shops at night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After learning about the fire early today, the traders started thronging the market — only to see their shops and goods burn.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saiful Islam Sharif, a trader of the market said, “I have two shops in the market. Of these, one is rented while the other is my own. I reached the spot early this morning but I couldn\'t do anything. My shops have just turned into ashes. There were clothes worth Tk one crore in my shops.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharif also said he left Tk 6 lakh in the cash box of the shop, and that too is now gone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The massive fire broke out at the market around 3:43 am and spread soon, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters (Media Cell).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seventeen firefighting units are working to fully douse the blaze. It was brought under control around 9:25 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Smoke is still billowing from the site, making it difficult for the firemen to work.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No casualties were reported at the time of filing this report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Traders at the site said that there were 500 shops in the market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior Station Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters (Media Cell), said that WASA, Bangladesh Air Force, Army, Navy, BGB, and police are all assisting the fire service men. 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, '2023-09-14 06:02:50', '2023-09-14 06:02:50'),
(9081, 9081, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as ‘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 72 at 8:56 am, Dhaka ranked 22nd on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Arab Emirates’ Dubai, Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 173, 161 and 154, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, AQI between 101 and 150 is considered \'unhealthy\', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-14 06:05:47', '2023-09-14 06:05:47');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9082, 9082, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korea’s Kim Jong Un vowed “full and unconditional support” for Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as the two leaders isolated by the West held a summit that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting, which lasted over four hours at Russia’s spaceport in the Far East, underscores how the two countries\' interests are aligning: Putin is believed to be seeking one of the few things impoverished North Korea has in abundance -– stockpiles of aging ammunition and rockets for Soviet-era weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Such a request would mark a role reversal from the 1950-53 Korean War, when Moscow gave weapons to support Pyongyang’s invasion of South Korea — and in the decades that followed, when the Soviet Union sponsored North Korea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reporting on the meeting Thursday, North Korea\'s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at a “convenient time” and that Putin accepted with “pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward” the history of friendship between the nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s most important launch center on its own soil, suggests Kim is seeking Russian help in developing military reconnaissance satellites. He has previously said that is crucial to enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles, and North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin met Kim’s limousine, brought from Pyongyang in the North Korean leader’s armored train, at the launch facility, greeting his guest with a handshake of about 40 seconds. Putin spoke of the Soviet Union’s wartime support for North Korea and said the talks would cover economic cooperation, humanitarian issues and the “situation in the region.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim, in turn, pledged continued support for Moscow, making an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Russia is currently engaged in a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, analysts say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Washington has accused North Korea of providing Russia with arms, including selling artillery shells to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Russian and North Korean officials deny such claims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But either buying arms from or providing rocket technology to North Korea would violate international sanctions that Russia has previously supported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would both underscore and deepen Russia’s isolation in the 18 months after its invasion of Ukraine drew increasing sanctions that have cut off Moscow’s economy from global markets and shrunk the circle of world leaders willing to meet with Putin. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are also at their highest point in years as the pace of both Kim’s weapons demonstrations and the United States’ combined miliary exercises with South Korea have intensified. There are concerns the North would seek advanced weapons technologies from Russia that would increase the threat posed by Kim’s military nuclear program in exchange for fueling Putin’s war on Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said Seoul was closely monitoring the diplomacy between Moscow and Pyongyang and urged Russia to “properly follow” U.N. Security Council resolutions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When asked whether North Korean arms shipments to Russia would inspire Seoul to change its policy of limiting its support of Ukraine to non-lethal supplies, Jeon said “there’s no change in the government’s stance of not providing lethal weapons” to Kyiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow\'s priority is success in Ukraine, “and it would do pretty much anything in order to achieve that,” said James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Russia possibly wants to settle in for a longer war, but it can’t meet the necessary industrial capacity,\" he said. In return, Pyongyang is likely to get food and missile technology from Moscow, “a relatively easy gift\" for the Kremlin, Nixey said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the leaders toured a Soyuz-2 rocket launch facility on Wednesday, Kim peppered a Russian space official with questions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim and Putin met together with their delegations and later one-on-one, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. After the talks, there was an official lunch for Kim, Russian state media reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim has described space-based reconnaissance capabilities as crucial for enhancing the threat of nuclear-capable missiles designed to target the United States and its Asian allies, South Korea and Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following repeated failures, North Korea may want to launch a spy satellite on a Russian space launch vehicle, said Yang Uk, a military expert at South Korea’s Asian Institute for Policy Studies. He said North Korea could also ask Russia to build a more powerful spy satellite than the one it has been trying to launch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s possible that North Korea pushes to participate in the production process of the satellite, rather than just acquiring a finished product, to set up a natural transfer of technologies,” Yang said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin told Russian state TV that Kim will visit two more cities in the Far East on his own after the summit, flying to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he will visit an aircraft plant, and then go to Vladivostok to view Russia’s Pacific Fleet, a university and other facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia and North Korea have “lots of interesting projects” in spheres like transportation and agriculture, Putin said. Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid, but there also are opportunities for “working as equals,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He dodged the issue, however, of military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from Pyongyang. “There are certain restrictions, Russia is following all of them. There are things we can talk about, we\'re discussing, thinking. Russia is a self-sufficient country, but there are things we can bring attention to, we\'re discussing them,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">James O’Brien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department, said Russia was “scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because it’s having trouble sustaining its military,”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A deal between the countries would violate existing sanctions, O\'Brien said, and would trigger the U.S. to try to identify the individuals and the financial mechanisms used to “at least limit their ability to be effective.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a news conference that “any form of cooperation of any country with North Korea must respect the sanctions regime that was imposed by the Security Council.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wednesday\'s meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in testing since 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by war in Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said they landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zones and there were no reports of damage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official photos showed Kim was accompanied by Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea’s space science and technology committee, and Adm. Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim also brought Jo Chun Ryong, who heads munitions policies and had joined him on tours of factories producing artillery shells and missiles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it was the first time the North launched a missile while Kim was abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim could have ordered them to show he is in control of military activities even while outside the country, said Moon Seong Mook of the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked whether Moscow will help North Korea build satellites, Putin was quoted by Russian media as saying “that’s why we have come here. The DPRK leader shows keen interest in rocket technology. They’re trying to develop space, too,” using the acronym for North Korea’s formal name. Asked about military cooperation, Putin said: “We will talk about all issues without a rush. There is time.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-14 06:09:17', '2023-09-14 06:09:17'),
(9083, 9083, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Firefighters had to struggle quite a lot to bring the fire under control due to the huge crowd in front of Mohammadpur Krishi Market, said Director of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) Lt Col Md Tajul Islam on Thursday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“It took time to douse the flame due to overcrowding and the police and BGB have faced difficulties in controlling the crowd of onlookers,” he said while talking to reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Replying to a question, the fire department director said the fire might have originated from a grocery shop and an investigation will be carried out to identify the reason behind the fire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Two people were slightly injured but no casualty was reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He also claimed that there is no adequate water supply at the market and no primary fire controlling equipment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Besides, there is no safety plan at the market. The authorities concerned have issued notices several times, and public awareness programmes were carried out at different times but there was no response from the market authorities, said Tajul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Talking about the surroundings of the market, Tajul said it is like Bangabazar and the small alleys were blocked by piles of goods, and collapsible gates were closed which created a problem for the firefighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The night guards of the market were not present during the fire, forcing the firefighters to break the collapsible gates, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“When we reached the spot, we saw that fire engulfed almost three-quarters of the market and the firefighting units worked hard to contain it,” said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The fire broke out at the market around 3:43 am and spread soon, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters (Media Cell).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Seventeen firefighting units are working to fully douse the blaze. It was brought under control around 9:25 am. 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, '2023-09-14 07:24:06', '2023-09-14 07:24:06'),
(9084, 9084, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 217 shops burnt down in the devastating fire that broke out at Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Krishi Market early today, said Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Selim Raza.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We allocated space for 317 shops in the market but among these, 217 were damaged by the fire,” he said while talking to reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have prepared a list of affected shop owners and we will assist them,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman, said a list of affected traders at the market will be prepared and assistance will be provided following the list from the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A committee will be formed to look into the fire incident, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The massive fire broke out at the market around 3:43 am and spread soon, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters (Media Cell).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seventeen firefighting units are working to fully douse the blaze. It was brought under control around 9:25 am. 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, '2023-09-14 07:54:20', '2023-09-14 07:54:20'),
(9085, 9085, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Meteorology Department (BMD) today forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers along with temporary gusty wind in all eight divisions of the country in the next 24 hours commencing 9am today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions; at a few places over Mymensingh and Dhaka divisions and at one or two places over Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over southern part of the country over the country in next 24 hours till 9am tomorrow,\" it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and strong elsewhere over North Bay, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the bulletin predicted that the day temperature may rise slightly over northern part and it may fall slightly elsewhere over the country. And the night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded 35.1degrees Celsius at Chuadanga, while today\'s minimum temperature was 25.2 degrees Celsius at Tangail and Kutubdia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The highest rainfall in the last 24 hours till 6am today was recorded 48 mm at Sylhet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sun sets at 6:04 pm today and rises at 5:45 am tomorrow in the capital. 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, '2023-09-14 08:03:53', '2023-09-14 08:03:53'),
(9086, 9086, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Acknowledging Bangladesh’s “impressive” economic growth and social progress, Director of the OECD Development Centre Ragnheiour Elin Arnadottir has said she sees strong political commitment in Bangladesh to address the challenges that come with graduation.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Graduation like any other graduation in life should be a joyous occasion. So, continuing on that path with the right policies, I have full confidence that Bangladesh’s graduation will indeed be joyous,” she told UNB in an exclusive interview during her recent visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir, who served as Minister of Industry and Commerce in Iceland from 2013-2017, said Bangladesh is moving from one place up to another and advancing; and highlighted the importance of getting international partners’ support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question, she said political commitment is definitely there and they see it from the highest level.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir has been the Director of OECD Development Centre since 16 August 2021. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In March 2023, at the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Qatar, development partners reaffirmed their commitment to lift LDCs from the cycle of extreme poverty, instability and vulnerability that limits their development prospects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Doha Programme of Action outlines a ten-year plan to support LDC development efforts through enhanced international partnerships.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is the largest country graduating from the LDC category, with graduation scheduled for the end of 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I was there (in Doha) and participated in three panel discussions on Bangladesh, two of which the Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina) was herself and a lot of ministers in all of this process,” Arnadottir said, adding that, “I can see nothing but strong commitment from the government.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said policy-making at its best when it is built on evidence such as the report that they presented (Production Transformation Policy Review of Bangladesh: Investing in the Future of a Trading Nation).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think the most important thing is to remember not to try to cling on to the preferential treatment, but to get, with the help of the international community, the tools to be able to advance. We need to put them in the right order,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir said it is very important to realize that all need to be aware of the challenges and the danger; and take preventive measures. “Don’t shy away from it.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And we have a lot of tools and policies to choose from to prevent it from happening. And if all come together, there are more chances of success instead of failure,” she said, highlighting the importance of joint efforts taking international partners onboard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir said some of the challenges that Bangladesh is facing including inflation and high prices of energy and essential commodities are indeed global challenges. “These are not challenges that are unique to Bangladesh. These are global challenges. So, in terms of everything that is going on in the world, I think Bangladesh is on the right track.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir thinks there is cause for optimism and she very much looks forward to following Bangladesh\'s progress.” And throughout this process, the OECD Development Center of course is ready to continue its support towards Bangladesh’s journey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh has come a very long way and it is very impressive to see the commitment and the dedication that the authorities and all the stakeholders have put into this process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What we see going forward is to build on these successes that have been achieved. And to make sure that despite outward challenges (that we have everywhere) we have a roadmap. It is a roadmap for action,” Arnadottir said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh was granted an extended preparatory period of five years to enable it to recover from and reverse the socio-economic damage incurred by COVID-19 and other external shocks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh’s impressive economic growth and social progress, achieved amidst a multitude of challenges, are commendable, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country has turned into a global garment manufacturing hub and is now also among the few developing nations, and the only LDC, capable of meeting its essential pharmaceutical needs through domestic production, Arnadottir said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In doing so, she said, Bangladesh has also demonstrated its adaptability and willingness to address pressing concerns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Advancements in workers’ safety and rights have been made through a combination of legislative reforms and improvements in private-sector practices, she mentioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is also transforming its economy and society through information and communications technology.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Notwithstanding, significant challenges remain. The constraints facing developing economies that are not LDCs are in some areas even tighter and will need close attention from policy makers and international partners,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arnadottir said Bangladesh needs to diversify its economy and export structure. “Climate change, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events, will affect socio-economic development.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, she said, strengthening institutional productive capacities, boosting resource mobilisation, and enhancing the business environment will be essential to achieve the nation’s ambition to graduate successfully and reach high income status by 2041. 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, '2023-09-14 08:42:03', '2023-09-14 08:42:03'),
(9087, 9087, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh aim to end the Asia Cup mission on a high note when they take on India in their last match of the Super Four phase tomorrow (Friday) at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The match which starts at 3.30PM will be aired live on Gazi TV and T Sports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Tigers had already been eliminated from the race of the final following their seven-wicket and 21-run defeat to Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the first two matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still there were slim hopes of making it to the final of the tournament and it hinged entirely on other results going their way coupled with favorable net run-rates. But the complex equation was even shattered when India beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victory propelled India to the final, making Pakistan and Sri Lanka game an unofficial semifinal. And therefore, Bangladesh made an exit to the tournament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However for India, the tomorrow\'s match is a mere formality and naturally they would take this match to test their bench strength by resting some of their crucial players.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And naturally for Bangladesh, the match is to restore some pride as they didn\'t want to return to the country with empty hands. With India planning to test their bench strength, it\'s the best chance for Bangladesh to win a game.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India so far played near perfect cricket in Asia Cup to make them hot favourite to win the trophy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But in the last series between the two sides, Bangladesh emerged out as the winner, winning the three-match ODI series at home by 2-1. That was Bangladesh\'s consecutive second series victory over India at home indeed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As disappointing as it is, apart from in 2007 World Cup in West Indies, Bangladesh could never beat India outside of the country. In Asia Cup too, Bangladesh\'s head to head record against India is dismal one as they won just one game and lost 13 in 14 matches between the two sides. Bangladesh\'s only victory in Asia Cup came in 2012 when they hosted the tournament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although they came close to beat India several times in Asia Cup, couldn\'t sign it off properly, either due to India\'s brilliance or due to their own shortcomings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After Bangladesh\'s defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim returned to country. Mushfiqur though returned to country to be with this wife, expecting their second baby, Shakib came back for personal affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shakib though joined the side ahead of the India match, Mushfiqur, who is blessed with a baby girl, got an extension of leave to be with his wife and newborn daughter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So Bangladesh will be without the service of their most inform player.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"No Mushfiqur bhai, of course it will be a challenge for us because he is an experienced player. We, the rest of us, or who will play in his place will try to recover it as much as possible,\" Bangladesh young batter Towhid Hridoy said, underlining the importance of Mushfiqur in the team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He further said that the team will play to win as they want to end the tournament on a high.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We always play to win, no matter whether we are in the tournament or not. It\'s disappointing that we are not in the race of the final but despite that, we would like to end the tournament on a high.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After tasting defeat to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh spent three days in the hotel room. The players spent their time working out at the gym and had recovery sessions at the hotel. Ahead of the India game, they however start practice session. In between head coach Chandika Hathurusingha had one on one session with the players as he tried to give everyone some message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He just sat with me and said that I should play without fear, that I usually do, and he said that I won\'t get runs in every game and won\'t perform in every matches but that cannot change character,\" Hriody disclosed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Squad</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Liton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Naim Sheikh, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Anamul Haque Bijoy</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve). 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, '2023-09-14 08:58:53', '2023-09-14 08:58:53'),
(9088, 9088, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office (FCDO) Professor Adnan Khan has said they consider Bangladesh as a major \"unsung\" development success story with \"miraculous\" growth that is often not told around the world.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"It\'s a major unsung development success story. It\'s a miracle story. But it\'s also a story that is often not told around the world. I\'ve also been telling the story of the miraculous growth wherever I have been in my career,\" he told UNB in an interview at the residence of the British High Commissioner on Wednesday.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prof Adnan, who has focused his career on advancing the understanding of development economics, political economy, entrepreneurship, and public sector reform, said they hold Bangladesh’s accomplishments as a great example for other developing countries.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"From extremely challenging circumstances, Bangladesh has grown to be a miracle story. And the miracle is not just in terms of economic growth, we all know the story, but also reflected in other dimensions - human development and access to education help other dimensions,\" he said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The chief economist said in some areas Bangladesh has done extremely well compared to all of South Asia and most developing countries like access to education and female labor force participation and marginalised sections.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prof Adnan who has taught at Harvard Kennedy School and has also been an Academic Director at the School of Public Policy, said big success brings its own challenges to future success.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"It brings huge opportunities, not just challenges. So, to make further prprogress, it requires meeting new development challenges,\" he mentioned.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">To make further progress, Prof Adnan laid emphasis on having quality education and quality healthcare services.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said future growth will require highly skilled population, not just educated population, future progress requires identifying a targeted social protection programme that efficiently identifies who is in poverty and who needs what kind of support.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"To efficiently deliver this is the next stage of challenge. Similarly, readymade garments, we all know the story. There are still potential to make further progress with scaling up value chain,\" said the economist.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"So, if Bangladesh has the potential to become either a Malaysia or a Vietnam, it needs to do a little more to meet these challenges,\" he added.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prof Adnan said domestic revenue mobilisation is one of the major challenges that needs to be addressed.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"It is also about spending that money on the right type of public projects, what we call public investment,\" he said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prof Adnan said the average tax to GDP ratio of developing countries around the world is 10 to 15% of GDP.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The average tax to GDP ratio of developed countries is 30 to 35% of GDP.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The tax to GDP ratio in Bangladesh is around 7.6% which is below the average of 10.7% for middle-income countries.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">As Bangladesh is going to be an upper-middle income country, it will need high levels of revenues to deliver high-quality public services, he said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The British economist said the key to improving taxation lies in the effectiveness of the state in providing public services.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"So it\'s good for fiscal macro balance. It is also important for making high quality public investments, roads, bridges, infrastructure, health, education,\" said the economist.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prof Adnan believes that Bangladesh has huge potential rght now though it is also hit by global shocks.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"So the circumstances are also tougher outside. However, in my opinion, the opportunities far outweigh the risks,\" he added.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The economist said the government realizes the nature of the challenges and it remains very open. \"They\'re also keen to also learn from other countries through knowledge sharing.\"</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Responding to a question on development partners\' role, he said the emphasis is shifting because the needs of Bangladesh growth are also changing.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"For a country that is graduating has done so well. What it needs is less direct financial support, the more in terms of policy and technical support, because with the right policies, right institutions, Bangladesh is one of those countries, one of the few countries in the developing world that can attract a lot of international investment,\" Prof Adnan said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">He was also part of the UK delegation that held 5th Strategic Dialogue with Bangladesh in Dhaka this week.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Bangladesh and the United Kingdom are considering signing a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on economic cooperation.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, did not elaborate on it.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expressing satisfaction at the record-breaking bilateral trade of $6.4 billion in 2022-23 and $561 million FDI from the UK, the highest from any country in 2022, Bangladesh and the UK agreed to create new institutional cooperation to promote business, trade and investments. UNB</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-14 09:57:33', '2023-09-14 09:57:33'),
(9089, 9089, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the public representatives of the local government bodies to stand against drug abuse, terrorism and militancy.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;“You will have to stand against drug abuse, terrorism and militancy. You will have to pay special attention so that none can engage in drug, terrorism and militancy,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier was addressing a programme arranged on the premises of her official residence Ganabhaban, marking the National Local Government Day-2023 for the first time in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 8,000 public representatives of the country’s 5,474 local government bodies—12 city corporations, 61 zila parishads, 329 municipalities, 495 upazila parishads and 4,577 union parishads—joined&nbsp; the event organised by the Local Government Division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said the government is constructing 560 model mosques and providing money for renovating temples. The government will do whatever is necessary for the development of mosques, temples, churches and pagodas, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also asked the public representatives to pay attention so that the community clinics render proper services, and create awareness,&nbsp; the overseas job seekers are not deceived by the middlemen and rather they can avail loans from the banks particularly the Probashi Kallyan Bank which offers them loans with collaterals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The PM asked the public representatives to work for food production and encourage the people not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;“We’ll have to take the country forward using whatever resources we have. I would like to request everyone to work accordingly,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Hasina said her government has been able to work for the development of the country and continue the democratic trend, maintaining a stable situation after forming the government for three consecutive terms since 2009. “This is why we\'ve been able to develop the country upto the village-level,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that there are still mud roads in many villages, she said if her party gets the scope to serve the people again, they will develop these roads as well. “Every village will be developed like a town,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Awami League, asked the public representatives to win the trust and confidence of the people by serving them properly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You are the people from the grassroots, elected representatives with the votes of the people, and responsible to serve the people. So, working for the welfare of the people is the responsibility for you, me and all (public representatives).&nbsp; You should go forward gaining the trust and confidence of the people by working for and serving them. You will have to gain the trust and confidence so that the people will again vote for you,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that today’s development success is the outcome of the long hard work, the PM asked the people, including local public representatives to be alert so that none can destroy the success anymore as the achievement of the 1996-2001 regime was marred.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The progress of Bangladesh, what was obtained from 2009 to 2023, should be continued,” she said, expressing her firm conviction to take the country to a more dignified position on the global stage by building ‘Smart Bangladesh’ and implementing the SDGs 2030.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam presided over the event, while State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee and Local Government Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim spoke on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, mayors of five city corporations --Dhaka south, Rajshahi, Narayanganj, Khulna and Sylhet; chairmen of two Zila Parishads --Chattogram and Pirojpur; chairmen of four Upazila Parishads –-Dumki of Patuakhali and Raozan of Chattogram, Guimara of Khagrachhari and Rangpur Sadar; mayors of two municipalities --Nilphamari sadar and Nator Sadar; two councilors from Dhaka south and north city corporations; two members from Brahmanbaria and Gopalganj zila parishads; two vice chairmen from Juri Upazila (Moulvibazar) and Mohammadpur Upazila (Magura); chairmen of eight union parishads --Noajishpur Union (Raozan Upazila, Chattogram), Patgati at Tungipara in Golapganj, Bagadi in Chandpur Sadar, Borokashia Birampur at Mohonganj Upazila in Netrokona, Sonabaria at Kalaroa in Satkhira, Telegati at Morrelganj in Bagerhat, Lalabazar at Dakkhin Surma in Sylhet and Paratali Union at Raipura in Narsingdi, among local public representatives, spoke at the event. 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, '2023-09-14 11:37:52', '2023-09-14 11:37:52'),
(9090, 9090, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will reach New York on September 17 to attend the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA78).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will lead the Bangladesh delegation at the UNGA, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, who will accompany the PM, told reporters on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">World leaders will gather in New York for the opening of the 78th session of the General Assembly (UNGA 78) under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first day of the high-level General Debate will be held on September 19, Momen said in a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like previous years, this time also the prime minister will deliver a speech on behalf of Bangladesh in the General Debate on September 22.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In her speech, she will shed light on Bangladesh\'s incredible development progress, inclusive economic development, and success in the health sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, issues related to world peace, security, safe migration, forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens’ crisis, establishment of climate justice will come up in her speech.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, like every year, this year also there is a possibility of holding several high-level meetings (High-level Meeting/High-level Debate) during the general debate phase in which the Prime Minister may participate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Active participation of the delegation of Bangladesh led by the Prime Minister in the 78th session of the United Nations is expected to strengthen Bangladesh\'s position in multilateral forums and broaden the field of international cooperation in matters related to Bangladesh\'s interests, Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam also spoke. MoFA Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin and DGs of relevant wings were present. 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, '2023-09-14 11:41:12', '2023-09-14 11:41:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9091, 9091, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Ministry of Commerce for the first time in the country has fixed the prices of three agricultural produces - potato, onion and egg.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi disclosed this at a press briefing at the ministry\'s conference room after a review meeting on the production, demand and price situation of essential products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said that in order to monitor whether these agricultural products are being sold at the fixed prices, the officials of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) alongside the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Fisheries and Livestock will work in the field in addition to the concerned district and upazila administrations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Those responsible for the price manipulation will be punished according to law,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture, the maximum retail price of potato has been fixed at Taka 35-36 per kilogram (kg) while the maximum retail price of local onion at Taka 64-65 per kg. On the other hand, according to the information of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the price of each egg has been fixed at Taka 12 per unit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from this, the price of packaged soybean oil and loose soybean oil has been reduced by Taka 5 to Taka 169 and Taka 149 respectively while the price of palm oil has been reduced by Taka 4 to Taka 124.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu Munshi said that the prices of these products have been fixed by taking into consideration the cost and profit at the producer, wholesale and retail levels so that no one is affected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Strict action will be taken against those who would illegally stockpile products to gain more profit,\" he cautioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tipu said that the government would allow import of egg if the item is not sold in the market as per the set price.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Initially, imports will be allowed in a limited scale. However, if the prices do not come under control, then there will be large-scale imports,\" he said, adding that the ministry has already received several applications for importing eggs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to a question, the minister said that the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection will start its drives from today or from tomorrow in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, strict instructions will be given to the deputy commissioners of all districts and the divisional and district level officials of the concerned ministries to strictly monitor the selling of such essential items at the fixed prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Mobile courts will be conducted all over the country and punishment will be given according to law if there is any deviation,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to another question about the export of Hilsha to India, Tipu said that Hilsha is not exported to India throughout the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A small portion of the country\'s overall production of the national fish is exported to India as \"complimentary gift\" to Indian Bengalees on the occasion of Durga Puja, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed that the overall annual export of Hilsha fish to India would total around four to five thousand tons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Secretary of Agriculture Wahida Akhter, and other officials concerned were present, among others. 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, '2023-09-14 12:28:50', '2023-09-14 12:28:50'),
(9092, 9092, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In order to increase the capacity of gas and fuel import, processing and storage, an \'Oil and Gas Terminal\' will be constructed in the Bay-Terminal area under Chattogram Port Authority.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was informed in a meeting regarding the construction of \'Oil and Gas Terminal\' in the meeting room of the Ministry of Shipping here today with State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair, a press release said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This terminal will help increase the \'storage capacity\' of gas and fuel and improve supply system of liquid fuel and edible oil at affordable prices to meet the crisis of fuel in the country, the release added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Secretary of Shipping Ministry Md Mustafa Kamal, Chairman of Chattogram Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail, Chairman of the Payra Port Authority Rear Admiral Golam Sadeq and Chairman of Mongla Port Authority Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali attended the meeting, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State minister Khalid said the government is positive about the construction of \'Oil and Gas Terminal\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Considering the overall economy of the country, this terminal should be constructed quickly. Other ports will also get benefit if it is built,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He directed the chairman of Chittagong Port to take immediate action for the construction of \'Oil and Gas Terminal\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">East Coast Holdings Limited (ECHL), a strategic asset management company under the umbrella of East Coast Group, has expressed interest in building the terminal, the release said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Chattogram Port Authority and the East Coast Group for the establishment of an \'Oil and Gas Terminal\' in the Chattogram port area to encourage foreign and domestic investments. 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, '2023-09-14 12:31:15', '2023-09-14 12:31:15'),
(9093, 9093, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thakurgaon University Bill, 2023 was placed today in the Jatiya Sangsad in an attempt to create and enhance opportunities of modern knowledge practice and studies in different phases and attaining equality with the advance world in different spheres of higher education.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni placed the bill in the House with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Huq Tuku in the chair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Piloting the bill, the minister said the establishment of the university is necessary and reasonable in view of developing education, research, training and extension programme at the graduate and post-graduate levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this new university, the number of public universities will reach 51. The country now has 108 private universities as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move to set up a public university in Thakurgaon is in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s promise to establish full-fledged public universities in all the districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the cabinet approved the draft of \'Thakurgaon University Act, 2022\' in principle on February 28, this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similar to other public universities, the President will act as the Chancellor and will appoint Vice-Chancellors for a term of four years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The university will have a vice-chancellor and a treasurer, said the meeting insider.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said that the draft law set out the rules and regulations for conducting the activities and curriculum of the university.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The number of universities, both public and private, is increasing in the country every year, but many of them are unable to provide quality education as per world standard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts said that the government should pay more attention to ensuring quality education in the existing universities to cope with rising world standards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the Strategic Plan for Higher Education (SPHE) in Bangladesh: 2017-2030, new universities will be set up as enrolment in the universities would increase. SPHE 2006 projected that between 1,84,548 and 3,69,095 students would be enrolled in the public universities by 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In view of a fast growing number of graduates, it was proposed that the higher education participation rate of 20 per cent in contrast to the existing 4.04 per cent would be the target to be achieved by the year 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister urged the house to send the bill to the concerned parliamentary standing committee for providing report within a month after scrutinizing the bill. 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, '2023-09-14 12:35:14', '2023-09-14 12:35:14'),
(9094, 9094, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A five member committee has been formed to investigate the massive fire that gutted hundreds of shops at Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Krishi Market early Thursday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The committee headed by Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) department’s Director (Operations and maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury was asked to submit a report within 15 working days, confirmed Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of FSCD headquarters (media cell).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The names of the other members of the committee could not be known immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fire broke out at the market around 3:43 am on Thursday and spread soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seventeen firefighting units worked to fully douse the blaze. It was brought under control around 9:25 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read: Firefighters faced difficulties dousing fire at Krishi Market due to overcrowding: Fire Service Director</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WASA, Bangladesh Air Force, Army, Navy, BGB, and police assisted the firefighters in dousing the fire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No casualties were reported until Thursday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Traders at the site said that there were 500 shops in the market. 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, '2023-09-15 05:38:08', '2023-09-15 05:38:08'),
(9095, 9095, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has highlighted the imperative of tapping into unexplored trade opportunities between Bangladesh and African countries.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He attended at an interaction session held on Thursday at the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum Bangladesh 2023 in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Momen underscored the critical need to establish robust trade and investment relations with African countries, particularly in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, energy, blue economy and information and communication technology (ICT).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The session also shed light on Bangladesh\'s visionary \'Look Africa\' policy, which represents a strategic commitment to bolster relations with African nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This outlines various areas of cooperation, including trade and the economy, education, IT and ICT, air and maritime connectivity, healthcare, contract farming, people-to-people contact and visa waivers for diplomatic and official passport holders. This multifaceted approach demonstrates Bangladesh\'s dedication to fostering deeper connections with the African continent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister also stated that Bangladesh is one of the world\'s fastest-growing economies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country\'s focus on enhancing engagement with African nations aligns with its ambitious economic and social development trajectory, aimed at achieving Vision 2041 and creating a Smart Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also highlighted that new African markets have opened doors for Bangladeshi enterprises, leading to diversification in export destinations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite challenges, the potential for economic cooperation between Bangladesh and African nations remains promising, Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also stated that Bangladesh will welcome any election observers from African countries in our upcoming National Parliament Election scheduled to be held in early January 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ministers from several African countries, High level government delegates and business entities attended this event. 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, '2023-09-15 05:43:27', '2023-09-15 05:43:27'),
(9096, 9096, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll in Libya\'s coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 as search efforts continue following a massive flood fed by the breaching of two dams in heavy rains, the Libyan Red Crescent said Thursday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Marie el-Drese, the aid group\'s secretary-general, told The Associated Press by phone that a further 10,100 people are reported missing in the Mediterranean city. Health authorities previously put the death toll in Derna at 5,500. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flooding swept away entire families in Derna on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Here\'s a look at where things stand:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A U.N. official said Thursday that most casualties could have been avoided.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings,\" World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva. \"The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out the evacuation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The WMO said earlier this week that the National Meteorological Center issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all governmental authorities by email and through media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in eastern Libya warned the public about the coming storm, and on Saturday, they ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams collapsing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The startling devastation reflected the storm’s intensity, but also Libya’s vulnerability. Oil-rich Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade — one in the east, the other in the capital, Tripoli — and one result has been the widespread neglect of infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two dams that collapsed outside Derna were built in the 1970s. A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million euros for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libya\'s Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, acknowledged the maintenance issues during a Cabinet meeting Thursday and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the dams\' collapse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the Tobruk-based government of eastern Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Derna has begun burying its dead, mostly in mass graves, said eastern Libya’s health minister, Othman Abduljaleel on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 3,000 bodies were buried by Thursday morning, the minister said, while another 2,000 were still being processed, He said most of the dead were buried in mass graves outside Derna, while others were transferred to nearby towns and cities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read: Bangladesh sends humanitarian aid to flood-affected Libya</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abduljaleel said rescue teams were still searching wrecked buildings in the city center, and divers were combing the sea off Derna.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Untold numbers could be buried under drifts of mud and debris, including overturned cars and chunks of concrete, that rise up to 4 meters (13 feet) high. Rescuers have struggled to bring in heavy equipment as the floods washed out or blocked roads leading to the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libya\'s eastern based parliament, The House of Representatives, on Thursday approved an emergency budget of 10 billion Libyan dinars — roughly $2 billion — to address the flooding and help those affected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of Thursday, the Libyan Red Crescent said that 11,300 people have been killed, and a further 10,100 are reported missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, local officials suggested that the death toll could be much higher than announced.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In comments to the Saudi-owned Al Arabia television station on Thursday, Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi said the tally could climb to 20,000 given the number of neighborhoods that were washed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm also killed around 170 people in other parts of eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, the health minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dead in eastern Libya included at least 84 Egyptians, whose remains were transferred to their home country on Wednesday. More than 70 came from one village in the southern province of Beni Suef. Libyan media also said dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The floods have displaced at least 30,000 people in Derna, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration, and several thousand others were forced to leave their homes in other eastern towns, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The floods damaged or destroyed many access roads to Derna, hampering the arrival of international rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. Local authorities were able to clear some routes, and humanitarian convoys have been able to enter the city over the past couple of days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.N. humanitarian office issued an emergency appeal for $71.4 million to respond to urgent needs of 250,000 Libyans most affected. The office, known as OCHA, estimated that approximately 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas directly affected by the rain and flooding.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has provided 6,000 body bags to local authorities, as well as medical, food and other supplies distributed to hard-hit communities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">International aid started to arrive earlier this week in Benghazi, 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Derna. Several countries have sent aid and rescue teams, including neighboring Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Italy dispatched a naval vessel on Thursday carrying humanitarian aid and two navy helicopters to be used for search and rescue operations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Joe Biden said the United States would send money to relief organizations and coordinate with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to provide additional support. 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, '2023-09-15 06:38:53', '2023-09-15 06:38:53'),
(9097, 9097, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The treatment of dengue patients in Khulna is being hampered due to shortage of IV saline over the past week.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though the saline is found at one or two pharmacies, the patients and relatives have to count twice to thrice of normal price.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Normally a one litre IV saline is sold at Tk 87 which now has jumped to Tk 150 to 200.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The shortage of saline aggravated after the Directorate of National Consumers\' Right Protection conducted drives against the price hike in the district on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the dengue patients take treatment from Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) which could not provide any saline to the patients for the past one week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the KMCH on Thursday received 3,000 litres of IV saline which is too little compared to the demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Physicians said the watery part of the blood decreases in the human body when people are infected with dengue, resulting in an increase of density of blood and reduced blood pressure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The patients must be given saline to maintain blood liquidity and keep blood pressure stable and a patient needs to be given one to two liters daily, in some cases more than this, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An under-treatment patient, 0.9 percent sodium chloride saline has to be pushed into the body, they observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazmul Hoque, who has been hospitalised with dengue at the KMCH for the last six days, said the hospital provided them with no medicines and they were bound to take saline and other medicines from pharmacies at high prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visiting several pharmacies at the Khulna city’s Moilapota, Sonadanga and in front of the KMCH, the UNB’s Khulna correspondent found the scarcity of the saline used for the dengue-infected patients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The druggists said due to lack of a low supply the saline is hardly available in the pharmacies. An extra amount of money is to be paid once found at one or two pharmacies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They said managing the saline is mostly impossible despite paying an advance payment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Sheikh Baharul Alam, president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Khulna chapter, said the shortage of saline increases along with the number of dengue patients as the saline is effective for remedy of dengue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Dr Mostafa Kamal, director of private Khulna City Medical College Hospital, held businesspeople responsible for the artificial shortage of saline to cut a good profit. 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', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-15 06:41:48', '2023-09-15 06:41:48'),
(9098, 9098, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka’s air ranked sixth most polluted among cities around the world on Friday morning , according to Air Quality Index (AQI).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The air in Dhaka city was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, with an AQI score of 139 at 8:35 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Arab Emirates’ Dubai, Indonesia’s Jakarta and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 180, 163, and 154 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 150 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 winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-15 06:44:30', '2023-09-15 06:44:30'),
(9099, 9099, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin will return home tomorrow evening wrapping up his 13-day visit to Indonesia and Singapore.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the President along with his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana and other entourages, is scheduled to land at the Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport (HSIA) here from Singapore at about 6pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on September 8, the Head of the State flew to Singapore for cheek up from Indonesian capital Jakarta, where he attended the 43rd \'ASEAN Summit\', 18th \'East Asia Summit\' and other related programmes with some sidelines bilateral meetings on September 5-7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Chair for 2023 Joko Widodo (Jokowi), President Shahabuddin left Dhaka for Jakarta on September 4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Winding up his five-day Indonesia tour, the President reached Singapore in the afternoon of September 8.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He had his check up in Singapore and will depart Singapore Changi Airport tomorrow. 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, '2023-09-15 07:53:24', '2023-09-15 07:53:24'),
(9100, 9100, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it is expecting the European Union (EU) to lift all restrictions on the imports of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products after Friday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Such a step would stop violations of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, as well as the principles and norms of the EU single market,\" the ministry said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The ministry welcomed Bulgaria\'s decision to resume importing Ukrainian grain and called for other EU member states to follow the example.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In May, the European Commission imposed a ban on grain exports from Ukraine to five European countries, namely Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. The restrictions are due to expire on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Earlier this week, officials from Poland and Hungary said their countries plan to extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports. XINHUA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-15 07:55:59', '2023-09-15 07:55:59'),
(9101, 9101, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United Nations is urgently seeking more than $71 million to assist those most in need after deadly flash floods swept Libya over the weekend.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hurricane-strength Storm Daniel slammed into Libya on September 10, killing at least 4,000 people, with thousands more still missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a flash appeal Thursday, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said it expects the toll to rise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city of Derna, one of the hardest-hit locations, was reduced to a wasteland after two upstream dams burst Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OCHA said estimates suggest 30 percent of the city may have disappeared and with most roads collapsed local authorities are calling for a sea corridor to be established for relief and evacuations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The entire seaside town of Sousse meanwhile remains submerged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Calling the situation \"catastrophic\", OCHA said its humanitarian partners need $71.4 million to respond to the \"most urgent needs of 250,000 people targeted out of the 884,000 people estimated to be in need\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, UN OCHA head Martin Griffiths had announced an immediate emergency fund of $10 million.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Entire neighbourhoods have been wiped off the map. Whole families, taken by surprise, were swept away in the deluge of water,\" he said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Getting lifesaving supplies to people, prevent a secondary health crisis, and swiftly restore some kind of normality must override any other concern at this difficult time for Libya.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States, European Union, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and several other countries have also already sent or pledged aid, while foreign rescue teams have been deployed to search for survivors and recover bodies. 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, '2023-09-15 09:43:19', '2023-09-15 09:43:19'),
(9102, 9102, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl against Bangladesh in the last Super Four match of the Asia Cup on Friday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The match is a tune-up for India, who are already guaranteed to face Sri Lanka during Sunday\'s final in Colombo, ahead of the ODI World Cup at home next month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India have handed up-and-coming batsman Tilak Varma, 20, an ODI debut in the five changes from their previous Super Four win over Sri Lanka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twenty20 star Suryakumar Yadav also made the team alongside fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Medium-pace bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 20, has been handed his ODI cap for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh have won just one group match in this tournament and skipper Shakib al Hasan said his team\'s performance had been an \"eye-opener\" before the World Cup begins on October 5.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teams</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh: Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Umpires: Asif Yaqoob (PAK), Richard Illingworth (ENG)</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TV umpire: Paul Wilson (AUS)</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Match referee: David Boon (AUS) 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, '2023-09-15 09:46:38', '2023-09-15 09:46:38'),
(9103, 9103, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh is participating in the 19th Malaysia International Halal Showcase,known as the biggest halal showcase in the world.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fair is organised by Ministry of Investment, Malaysia, Trade, and Industry, and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), according to a press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It began on Tuesday at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre and will end on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,040 companies are participating with 1,800 booths in various clusters, including food and drinks,modest fashion,e-commerce,Islamic finance, and fintech, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sixteen Bangladeshi companies participated with nine booths in the Bangladesh pavilion in the fair under the overall supervision of Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh, the Export Promotion Bureau, and the Bangladesh High Commission in Kualalampur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammad Golam Sorowar, Bangladesh\'s high commissioner to Malaysia, visited the Bangladesh pavilion on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the business of halal goods is an increasing sector. Bangladesh lags far behind in the trade of halal products,although it is a majority Muslim country, said the release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Halal trade around the world currently stands at $2.3 trillion, with trade expected to rise to $3.6 trillion in 2030. If Bangladesh can capture 10% of its market, then 360 billion dollars of trade opportunities will be created; even if we hold 1%, then 36 billion dollars of trade opportunities will be created. We have to work towards that goal,\" said the high commissioner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anwar Ibrahim,prime minister of Malaysia, and Dr Ahmed Zahid Hamidi,deputy prime minister of Malaysia, visited the Bangladesh pavilion earlier. They described Bangladeshi products as promising.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bombay Sweets and Company Limited, Agroverse Limited, Tahminas, Peoples’ Leather Industries, KMR Craft, Karupannya, Bandhan Noors, Albatros Fashion,Pashra Leather and Jute, Jutex,Bidora Bag and Handicrafts, Techsolution, Prink, Trina’s Closet,Diana’s Glamour, and Kalpataru are the companies that took part in different categories including food,garment industry, jute and jute products, leather and leather and leather products, IT, and handicrafts from Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 19th MIHAS put emphasis on innovation and sustainable initiatives to lead the local and international business community to stable growth for the halal economy. The fair is not limited to the ASEAN region but will feature participation from various trade commissions, government agencies, industry, and business leaders, including participation from countries around the world in the international pavilion, the release 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, '2023-09-15 09:50:43', '2023-09-15 09:50:43'),
(9104, 9104, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh has sent emergency relief goods as humanitarian assistance to flood victims in Libya.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A C-130J aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force left Dhaka for Libya at 8pm on Thursday with necessary relief materials and medicines to help the people affected by cyclone Daniel and floods, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Vice Marshal AHM Fazlul Haque briefed the media after the aircraft departed for Libya. Ambassador of Libya to Bangladesh Abdulmutalib S M Sulaiman was also present at that time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Dry food, water purification tablets and emergency life-saving medicines are being sent as relief items provided by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in the said transport aircraft. In addition, medicine and other medical supplies needed by the army are being sent to Libya by the mentioned aircraft,\" the ISPR added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier in the afternoon, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Department, Lieutenant General Wakar-uz-Zaman inspected the loading activities of the materials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flight is scheduled to return on September 17, 2023. 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, '2023-09-15 09:55:18', '2023-09-15 09:55:18');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9105, 9105, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society actors in the Asia and the Pacific region, on Friday recommitted to enhanced collaboration to work towards sustainable solutions for the forcibly displaced and stateless.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In collaboration with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and the Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR), UNHCR’s Regional NGO Consultations for 2023 were held in Bangkok, Thailand on 14 and 15 September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The in-person and virtual event brought together over 180 participants, representing 161 organizations from 19 countries in the Asia and the Pacific to discuss topics around the central theme of “Promoting Inclusion for Sustainable Solutions.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Currently, there are over 7 million refugees or asylum-seekers and 5 million conflict-affected internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region, as recorded at the end of 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Most of those displaced live in increasingly protracted situations in countries where they have found refuge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Inclusion is a complex subject, often misinterpreted, but when dissected covers many of the key issues we collectively work on to find local solutions for refugees: education, livelihoods, skills and healthcare,” said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR Director for Asia and the Pacific.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The consultations provided an opportunity for humanitarian partners in Asia and the Pacific to discuss best practices and approaches on how including displaced populations and stateless people in all aspects of life contributes to resilience and long-lasting solutions for the benefit of the whole society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Meaningful inclusion requires a shift in thinking that those forcibly displaced are not beneficiaries of support but are assets. They make important contributions to the communities that they are a part of and by extension require supportive policies and protections to really enable their inclusion,” said Keya Saha Chaudhury, ICVA Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Among the specific topics discussed were how UNHCR, NGOs, and community-based organizations can cooperate with and support member States to promote inclusion in national systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Empowering refugee-led organizations is essential. These organizations possess an intimate understanding of the communities they represent and can serve as valuable intermediaries, bridging communication gaps, and facilitating community-driven solutions. Secondly, promoting gender balance is imperative. Member states should actively work to ensure equitable representation of women in decision-making processes at all levels, both within refugee communities and in engagements with government bodies,” said Najeeba Wazefadost, APNOR Executive Director.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Throughout the Consultations, participants also acknowledged the important role that refugee-led organizations and civil society play in the refugee response; how to further encourage countries in the region to engage in resettlement and complementary pathways; social-economic inclusion as well as the need for predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We need to think of innovative ways to incorporate the skills that refugees bring to the host communities. We need to ensure that refugees have a platform to utilize those skills and be able to contribute to society so that they can go from vulnerable groups to capable communities,” said Hafsar Tameesuddin, APRRN Co-Secretary General of Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Recommendations from the discussions will be presented at UNHCR Executive Committee in October 2023 and inform and support the global NGO consultations in Geneva in June 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The first UNHCR-NGO Regional Consultations were held in July 2021, and focused on the social-economic inclusion of refugees in the context of Covid-19. 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, '2023-09-15 11:26:08', '2023-09-15 11:26:08'),
(9106, 9106, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Apple will update the iPhone 12 in France after regulators raised concerns over electromagnetic radiation emitted by&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">the devices, the country\'s digital minister and the firm said on Friday.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France had ordered a halt to sales of the device, released in 2020, on Tuesday after finding that the model emitted more electromagnetic waves than permitted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Apple has assured me that it will implement an update for the iPhone 12 in the next few days,\" said digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot in a statement to AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both the firm and Barrot insisted there was no danger to public health from the radiation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern,\" Apple said in a statement, adding that the device complied with rules on emissions all around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Tuesday, Barrot gave the US tech giant two weeks to issue an update to its phone, which was coming to the end of its career as a front-line Apple product.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the agency in charge of testing, the ANFR, would quickly assess the update and he would then decide whether to lift the ban on sales.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The World Health Organization has said several studies have been conducted in the field and \"no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use\".&nbsp; AFP</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', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-15 11:31:29', '2023-09-15 11:31:29'),
(9107, 9107, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Children\'s film \'Mike\' famed director FM Shahin declared his next venture \'Jashore Road\', promising to narrate the stories of estimated 10 million Bangladeshi refugees, who took shelter in India during the War of Liberation.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Based on the historic poem \'September on Jessore Road\' by American poet and activist Allen Ginsberg, the new film is set to tell the agonies, sacrifices, dreams of thousands of refugees, who were fleeing the country through Jashore Road, which linked Bangladesh\'s Jashore with India\'s West Bengal\'s Kolkata, witness of many untold stories.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It would be my tribute to the refugees. Even after so many years of the independence, no significant movies were made on their plight. So, I am making the movie so that the new generation can learn about the real history of the War of Liberation,\" Shahin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">FM Shahin\'s first moview \'Mike\', a government granted children film, was released on August 11, 2023, with uncut censor certificate. The film revolved around Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman\'s historic March 7 speech. 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, '2023-09-15 11:40:04', '2023-09-15 11:40:04'),
(9108, 9108, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Advocate Anisul Huq has said that there is no scope to arrest without a warrant under the Cyber Security Act.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the Cyber Security Act, the technical offence is 14 years for hacking or if someone destroys anything inside the computer. However, the provisions of the Digital Security Act that the journalist community had objected to have been radically changed, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister was replying to questions from journalists after a special extended meeting of South Union Awami League in Akhaura upazila of Brahmanbaria on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the arrest without warrant, the minister said there are only four sections of the Cyber Security Act. No law enforcement agency has the opportunity to make arrests without a warrant except for a cognizable offense. The questions raised are misinterpretations of the Cyber Security Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upazila Awami League President Mohammad Ali Chowdhury, General Secretary Takzil Khalifa Kajal and upazila and union Awami League leaders were present at the meeting held at Hirapur Shaheed Noab Memorial High School premises with Acting General Secretary Majnu Mia in the chair. 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, '2023-09-15 13:01:30', '2023-09-15 13:01:30'),
(9109, 9109, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A vibrant civil society is essential to the prosperity of every nation, according to a joint Franco-German statement.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France and Germany are \"deeply attached to respect for the rule of law as well as to the democratic acquis in Bangladesh,” it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They will continue to support defenders of human rights in Bangladesh, like throughout the world, reads the joint statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We regret the Bangladeshi court\'s decision regarding Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan,\" said the statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have expressed our concern to the authorities on this situation and will maintain our dialogue with them on this case,\" the joint statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two countries recalled that Adilur Rahman Khan, on behalf of the human rights organization Odhikar, was the 2017 recipient of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law. 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, '2023-09-16 06:06:24', '2023-09-16 06:06:24'),
(9110, 9110, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Libyan authorities limited access to the flooded city of Derna on Friday to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing and presumed dead following a disaster that has already claimed more than 11,000 lives.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The staggering death toll could grow further due to the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance that was swept up when two dams collapsed early Monday and sent a wall of water gushing through the city, officials warned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The disaster has brought some rare unity to oil-rich Libya, which after years of war and civil strife is divided between rival governments in the country’s east and west that are backed by various militia forces and international patrons. But the opposing governments have struggled to respond to the crisis, and recovery efforts have been hampered by confusion, difficulty getting aid to the hardest-hit areas, and the destruction of Derna\'s infrastructure, including several bridges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aid groups called on authorities to facilitate their access to the city so they can distribute badly needed food, clean water and medical supplies to survivors. Four days into the crisis, the lack of central oversight was apparent, with people receiving supplies and resources in some parts of Derna but being left to fend for themselves in others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Manoelle Carton, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Libya, described waiting in line for hours to get into the city and, once inside, finding volunteers from around the country who had flocked to Derna getting in the way of humanitarian workers at times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Everybody wants to help. But it is becoming chaotic,” she said. “There is an enormous need for coordination.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teams have buried bodies in mass graves outside the city and in nearby towns, Eastern Libya’s health minister, Othman Abduljaleel, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But officials worried that thousands more have yet to be found.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bodies “are littering the streets, washing back up on shore and buried under collapsed buildings and debris,” said Bilal Sablouh, regional forensics manager for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divers are also searching the waters off the Mediterranean coastal city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carton said later Friday that most of the dead bodies had been cleared from the streets in the areas of the city the Doctors Without Borders team visited, but there were other grim signs, including that one of the three medical centers they went to was out of service “because almost all of the medical staff died.\" Thousands of people displaced by the flooding are staying in shelters or with friends or relatives, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adel Ayad, who survived the flood, recalled watching as the waters rose to the fourth floor of his building.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The waves swept people away from the tops of buildings, and we could see people carried by floodwater,” he said. Among them were neighbors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salam al-Fergany, director general of the Ambulance and Emergency Service in eastern Libya, said late Thursday that residents would be evacuated from Derna and that only search-and-rescue teams would be allowed to enter. But there were no signs of such an evacuation on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Health officials warned that standing water opened the door to disease — but said there was no need to rush burials or put the dead in mass graves, as bodies usually do not pose a risk in such cases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You’ve got a lot of standing water. It doesn’t mean the dead bodies pose a risk, but it does mean that the water itself is contaminated by everything,” Dr. Margaret Harris, spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva. “So you really have to focus on ensuring that people have have access to safe water.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imene Trabelsi, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned that another danger lurked in the mud: landmines and other explosives left behind by the country’s protracted conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are leftover explosives in Libya dating back to World War II, but most are from the civil conflict that began in 2011. Between 2011 and 2021, some 3,457 people were killed or wounded by landmines or other leftover explosive ordnance in Libya, according to the international Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even before the flooding, Trabelsi said the ability to detect and remove mines from areas was limited. After the floods, she said, explosive devices may have been swept to “new, undetected areas\" where they could pose an immediate threat to search teams and a longer-term threat to civilians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carton echoed the concerns about an outbreak of water-related diseases in the city. Beyond that, she said, there is a “huge need in mental health support” among survivors, witnesses and medical workers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Libyan Red Crescent, there were 11,300 flooding deaths in Derna as of Thursday. Another 10,100 people were reported missing, though there was little hope many of them would be found alive, the aid group said. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Libyan media reported that dozens of Sudanese migrants were killed in the disaster. The country has become a major transit point for Middle Eastern and African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to seek a better life in Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flooding often happens in Libya during the rainy season, but rarely with this much destruction. Scientists said the storm bore some of the hallmarks of climate change, and extremely warm sea water could have given the storm more energy and allowed it to move more slowly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials have said that Libya\'s political chaos also contributed to the loss of life. Khalifa Othman, a Derna resident, said he blamed authorities for the extent of the disaster.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My son, a doctor who graduated this year, my nephew and all his family, my grandchild, my daughter and her husband are all missing, and we are still searching for them,” Othman said. “All the people are upset and angry — there was no preparedness.” 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, '2023-09-16 06:17:43', '2023-09-16 06:17:43'),
(9111, 9111, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">‘Tarunner road march’ from Rangpur to Dinajpur announced by BNP’s three associate bodies- Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal and Swechchasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal- will begin on Saturday noon to mount pressure on the government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party caretaker government</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders and activists of the three BNP’s associate bodies thronged the party office premises in Rangpur town in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP’s associate bodies announce road march on Sept. 16-17</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They will start the road march programme from Rangpur town via Syedpur Dashmile to Dinajpur at 12 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will inaugurate the march programme as the chief guest while senior BNP leaders will also join.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku announced the road march programme on September 13 to press home their one-point demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pave the way for holding the next national election under a neutral government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The road march will continue till September 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 17, the road march will begin from Bogura via Santahar, Naogaon and will end in Rajshahi while on September 21, the road march will begin from Bhairab via Brahmanbaria, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sylhet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, on September 26, the road march will begin from Jhenaidah via Jashore, Noapara and Khulna while on September 30, the road march will begin from Cumilla via Feni, Mirsarai and Chattogram. 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, '2023-09-16 06:43:42', '2023-09-16 06:43:42'),
(9112, 9112, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Aid groups have warned of growing risk posed by the spread of disease that could compound the humanitarian crisis in Libya, as hopes of finding more survivors fade days after deadly flooding.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sunday\'s flood submerged the port city of Derna, washing thousands of people and homes out to sea after two upstream dams burst under the pressure of torrential rains triggered by the hurricane-strength storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Conflicting death tolls have been reported, with officials in the east of the divided country giving different estimates, and one speaking of at least 3,840 dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aid organisations like Islamic Relief and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have warned that the upcoming period could see the spread of disease as well as grave difficulties in delivering aid to those most in need.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islamic Relief warned of a \"second humanitarian crisis\" after the flood, pointing to the \"growing risk of water-borne diseases and shortages of food, shelter and medicine\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Thousands of people don\'t have anywhere to sleep and don\'t have food,\" said Salah Aboulgasem, the organisation\'s deputy director of partner development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In conditions like this, diseases can quickly spread as water systems are contaminated,\" he added. \"The city smells like death. Almost everyone has lost someone they know.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MSF meanwhile said it was deploying teams to the east to assess water and sanitation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"With this type of event we can really worry about water-related disease,\" said Manoelle Carton, MSF\'s medical coordinator in Derna, who described efforts to coordinate aid as \"chaotic\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the Red Cross and the World Health Organization pointed out that contrary to widespread belief, the bodies of victims of natural disasters rarely pose a health threat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Appeals for aid -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AFP journalist in Derna said central neighbourhoods on either side of the river, which normally dries up at this time of year, looked as if a steam roller had passed through, uprooting trees and buildings and hurling vehicles onto the port\'s breakwaters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stephanie Williams, a US diplomat and former UN envoy to Libya, urged global mobilisation to coordinate aid efforts in the wake of the flood in a social media post.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She warned of the \"predilection of Libya\'s predatory ruling class to use the pretext of \'sovereignty\' and \'national ownership\' to steer such a process on their own and in a self-interested manner\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a Friday night news conference, Ahmed al-Mesmari, the spokesman for east-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar pointed to \"enormous needs for reconstruction\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations launched an appeal for more than $71 million to assist hundreds of thousands in need and warned the \"extent of the problem\" remains unclear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We don\'t know the extent of the problem,\" UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said Friday in Geneva, as he called for coordination between Libya\'s two rival administrations -- the UN-backed, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teams from the Libyan Red Crescent are \"still searching for possible survivors and clearing bodies from the rubble in the most damaged areas\" of Derna, its spokesman Tawfik Shoukri told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other teams were trying to deliver much-needed aid to families in the eastern part of the city, which had been spared the worst of the flooding but was cut off by road, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He pointed to the \"very high\" level of destruction in the city, but refused to give figures for the number of victims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While most fear the death toll will be much higher, Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said there was still hope of finding survivors but also declined to give a figure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Organization for Migration meanwhile said \"over 38,640\" people had been left homeless in eastern Libya, 30,000 of them in Derna alone. 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, '2023-09-16 06:55:12', '2023-09-16 06:55:12'),
(9113, 9113, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman have decided to end their marriage after 27 years and two children.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,” they said in the joint statement. Their separation was first reported by People magazine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They said the statement would be their only one on their breakup. They added that their family is their highest priority and that they’ll undertake “this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The couple met in 1995 on the set of an Australian television show where both were actors. Deborra-lee Furness at the time was the more established of the two. They married in 1996 and had two children: Oscar, now 23, and Ava, now 18. Jackman also ascended to major stardom in Hollywood and on Broadway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The couple have been red carpet mainstays for years, posing together at the Oscars, at Broadway events and at the Met Gala, including the most recent edition in May. They attended Wimbledon together in July.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In April, Jackman celebrated their 27th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furness, 67, is an advocate for orphans and adoption, especially in her native Australia, and one of the founding members of National Adoption Awareness Week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jackman, 54, who played the superhero Wolverine in several movies, is reprising the role in “Deadpool 3,” which is on hold due to the actors strike. AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-16 07:01:52', '2023-09-16 07:01:52'),
(9114, 9114, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia\'s Primorye region, a TASS correspondent reported.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North Korean leader\'s train arrived at the Artyom railway station, 45 kilometers from Vladivostok. Russia\'s Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, and the Governor of the Primorye region Oleg Kozhemyako met him at the platform. Schoolchildren from school No 7 in the settlement of Artemovsky greeted the North Korean leader with flowers. Mathematics teacher Evgenia Shelupaiko told reporters that these are the children and grandchildren of power engineers and employees of the Artemovsk Thermal Power Plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Artyom is a major transport center of the Primorye region, both an airport and a railway station are located here,\" Alexey Starichkov, head of the Primorye region international cooperation agency, told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leader of the DPRK came to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On September 13, at the Vostochny spaceport, they held negotiations both with the participation of delegations and one-on-one. On September 15, Kim Jong Un arrived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he visited the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Yury Gagarin Aviation Plant as well as the site of the production center of the parent company of the civilian division of UAC Yakovlev.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia is the first state that Kim Jong-un has visited since the beginning of the pandemic, during which the country\'s borders were closed. Before this, the leader of the DPRK came to Russia in April 2019. Then, in particular, he and Putin held negotiations in Vladivostok, this was their first meeting. 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, '2023-09-16 07:14:07', '2023-09-16 07:14:07'),
(9115, 9115, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh national cricket team returned to the country today after completing their Asia Cup mission.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh secured two victories in the tournament-one against Afghanistan in the group phase and the last one against India in their last match of the Super Four phase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before that victory against India, Bangladesh was eliminated from the race of the final, following their seven-wicket and 21-run defeat to Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coming to play the tournament with high expectation, they stumbled at the very beginning when they suffered a five-wicket defeat to an injury-depleted Sri Lanka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However an 89-run win against Afghanistan paved their way to the Super Four.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their performance in the first two matches in Super Four was below par but against India, they showed what they are capable of. Bangladesh came up with six changes in contrast of India\'s five changes in the match which went down to the wire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh held the nerve and showed the mental strength to finally seal the deal by only six runs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Captain Shakib Al Hasan, who was instrumental in the victory with a superb all-round performance that saw him scoring 80 runs and taking one wicket for 43 runs in 10 overs said a victory against India will be a mental boost for them ahead of the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victory indeed made him confident that the Tigers will be a dangerous team in the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A lot of players injured and some going in and out, that didn\'t help us (during Asia Cup). I think we will be a dangerous side in the World Cup (if we can put up performance like this),\" Shakib said during the post-match presentation after beating India in the thriller.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later head coach Chandika Hathurusingha echoed the captain\'s sentiment, saying Bangladesh got the mental boost for the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The victory, no doubt, will boost us mentally ahead of the World Cup. Today was the day when we came up with the performance that we wanted to show throughout the tournament. But it didn\'t happen in the last two matches.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh hardly gets any rest as they would have to gear up for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home. The matches are scheduled to be held on September 21, 23 and 26 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BCB is yet to announce the squad for the series but Shakib earlier hinted that some of the players, who had already cemented their place for the World Cup, could be rested, keeping the injury concern in the mind. Shakib also himself may skip one or two matches. 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, '2023-09-16 07:46:41', '2023-09-16 07:46:41'),
(9116, 9116, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">World leaders meeting in New York next week will try to revive key goals meant to improve the lot of humanity by 2030, plans that are in doubt today as hunger, poverty and other crises persist.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Leave no one behind -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In 2015, UN member-states adopted 17 wide-ranging development goals to be met by 2030, which included eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, providing access to drinking water, ensuring gender equality and health care for all.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In thriving economically in the 21st century, you cannot any longer try to do so at the expense of nature, or at the expense of people who are left behind,\" the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Achim Steiner, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the 2030 Agenda is in trouble, according to the UN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Sustainable Development goals are in peril,\" the UN said in a report published in July.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to meet these goals, governments coming together at the UN General Assembly on Monday are slated to commit to \"act with urgency... for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, leaving no one behind,\" according to the draft declaration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Poverty and hunger -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Progress has been slow and, in some cases, things are even worse now than they were in 2015.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Covid-19 pandemic has halted progress in combating extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 per day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Far from the hoped-for eradication, at the current rate 575 million people will still be living in such conditions in 2030, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And the world has returned to levels of hunger not seen since 2005.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, 1.1 billion people live in urban areas in slum-like conditions, more than two billion still do not have access to drinking water, 38 out of 1,000 children die before their fifth birthday and the impacts of climate change are increasingly devastating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Debt burden -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Crippled by various world crises, from Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine, many countries are crumbling under the weight of their debt and do not have the means to change course.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Countries are not able to pursue the development they want right now, but they can only opt for a recovery, where they go for the growth they can get,\" Steiner said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That, however, is a risky path.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That growth takes us back to the fossil fuel dependency and to greater inequalities, precisely the things that have led to so many tensions, protests on our streets,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why the draft declaration that will be discussed on Monday talks about reforming international financial institutions, over which, however, the UN has no control.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for investing an additional $500 billion per year by 2030 in order to meet the ambitious goals. His plan received support at the recent G20 summit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Vicious or virtuous circle? -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Getting out of poverty, having access to education, drinking water or clean energy, being in good health and living in peace -- all these development goals are largely interdependent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Global warming and the extreme weather events it causes undermine most of the development goals as they destroy crops, infrastructure and livelihoods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why change must be comprehensive, Steiner said..</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We can use $1 to deliver more than $1 of impact. If you address poverty, you can also address access to electricity or vice versa,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If you address access to electricity and combine it with the objective of decarbonization, you can achieve both poverty reduction\" and address climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Steiner has worked with 95 countries to identify priorities to modify the growth model, such as policies aimed at creating decent jobs and investing in sustainable cities that offer basic services and affordable housing and infrastructure. 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, '2023-09-16 08:35:57', '2023-09-16 08:35:57'),
(9117, 9117, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A freight train of Bangladesh Railway successfully completed a test run from Faridpur’s Bhanga station crossing the Padma Bridge on Saturday (September 16, 2023).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The goods train left Bhanga station at 7:40 am and reached the Mawa Station via Padma Bridge and again returned to Bhanga Station, said Project director of Faridpur Rail Project, Brig: General Syed Ahmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“ Five bogies carried 350 metric tonnes of stone during the trial run and the speed limit was 80 kilometers per hour,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Locals block Hili rail track demanding restoration of stopover of all trains</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President of Faridpur Chamber of Commerce Nazrul Islam said people will be able to transport their goods using the train service at a low cost.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the test run of a passenger train from Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station to Faridpur’s Bhanga Station was successfully completed on September 7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the rail link on October 10. 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, '2023-09-16 09:54:25', '2023-09-16 09:54:25'),
(9118, 9118, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Six people were killed and 10 others injured in separate road crashes on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Raipura and Shibpur upazilas of Narsingdi district on Friday night and early Saturday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Shibpur upazila, three people were killed and seven others injured when a truck rammed a microbus on the highway at Srifulia in Shibpur upazila around 2 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Efazul Haque, 50, son of Abul Kashem, Mostakim, 18, son of Efazul and Sagar Chandra, 32, son of Subhas Chandra of Chandpur district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abul Kaheyr, sub-inspector of Itakhola Highway Police said the accident occurred around 2 am when the speedy truck hit the Narayanganj-bound microbus from Sylhet, leaving three people dead and three others injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The injured were taken to Narsingdi 100- bed Hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victims went to a shrine in Sylhet and met the tragedy accident while returning home by&nbsp; the microbus.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Raipura upazila, three people were dead and three&nbsp; injured when a truck hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Shimultoli in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Dolna Begum, wife of Kashem; Arian, Dolna’s grandson, of Borochar village in Raipura upazila; and Rana Mia of Belabo upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quoting witnesses, Tapar Uddin, sub-inspector of Raipura Police Station, said the accident occurred at 9:45 pm when the truck crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying five people, leaving three dead on the spot and three others injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The injured were taken to a local hospital. 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, '2023-09-16 09:56:41', '2023-09-16 09:56:41');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9119, 9119, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the road march programme that started from Rangpur demanding the next general election under a neutral government will continue until the government resigns.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Rangpur’s farmers’ leader Nuruldin called people to stand up against injustice during the British rule. Now youths are calling upon the people the country from Rangpur to put up strong resistance against the current dictatorship, fascism and looters,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said this while inaugurating the youth road march in Rangpur town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our demand is clear, the&nbsp; people of the country no longer want to see Sheikh Hasina in power. Dissolve parliament and hold elections under a non-partisan neutral government. We need to form an impartial Election Commission. This commission will oversee the electoral process and pave way for people to vote for their chosen representatives freely,” said the BNP leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said thousands of people are joining the BNP\'s programmes and the government will be swept away by the collective will of the people, paving the way for a people\'s government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Today, the people of Bangladesh cannot elect their own representatives. Today, the people of Bangladesh have become helpless due to soaring prices of essentials. The prices of rice, pulses, salt, oil&nbsp; and all other essentials have gone out of control. We do not have access to electricity. All (money) are being siphoned of the country due to corruption. You will see that the reserve is falling. They are stealing from the reserve.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These young people are the brightest children of Bangladesh but they have no jobs, he said. He also alleged&nbsp; that youths face trouble in doing business if is known that they are somehow associated with the BNP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking about the physical condition of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, who has been undergoing treatment at the capital\'s Evercare Hospital for more than a month, Mirza Fakhrul said, \"Yesterday, on Friday night, I went to see Begum Khaleda Zia, the mother of democracy, in the hospital. She is very sick. All the doctors (medical board members) were there. They are very worried; the country\'s leader has become very ill. We are urging to allow&nbsp; her go abroad for treatment, but the government is not listening.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“After&nbsp; 1/11, this Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina) was imprisoned. On parole, she went abroad for treatment. Now she is not allowing Khaleda Zia to receive better treatment abroad,” Fakhrul added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The youth road march programme started from Rangpur at 11:15 am and was attended by top leaders&nbsp; of BNP’s three associate bodies including Jubo Dal President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Acting General Secretary Shafiqul Islam Milton, Volunteers Dal President SM Jilani, General Secretary Rajeev Ahsan, Chhatra Dal Acting President Rashed Iqbal Khan, and General Secretary Saif Mahmud Jewel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leaders, activists, and supporters from across Rangpur division also joined road march. 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, '2023-09-16 11:54:32', '2023-09-16 11:54:32'),
(9120, 9120, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka for New York on Sunday morning to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:45am, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flight is scheduled to land at the JKF International Airport, New York at 10:50pm (New York time) on September 17 after a four-hour stopover at the Heathrow Airport in London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran will receive the prime minister at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her stay in New York from September 17-22, the premier will attend the first day of the high-level General Debate of the 78th UNGA session at the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters on September 19 while she will address it on September 22 between 1pm to 2pm local time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina has also been invited to join a dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 19 as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the sidelines of the UNGA session, she will also attend a number of high-level side events including Rohingya and climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universal health, and finance alongside taking part in several bilateral and courtesy meetings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on Thursday the PM in her address at the General Debate will highlight Bangladesh\'s incredible development advancement, inclusive economic progress, success in the health sector and issues like global peace, security, safe migration, Rohingya crisis and climate justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world leaders will gather in New York for attending the 78th UNGA session under the theme, \"Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister is expected to deliver a keynote speech at a high level conference titled \"Thought for Food -Collaborating for Food Supply Chain Innovation to accelerate the SDGs\" organised by the UNIDO and Deloittte at Rockefeller Center, New York on September 18.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will also address another conference titled \"SDG Summit -Leaders\' Dialogue 4 (strengthening integrated policies and public institutions for achieving the SDGs) at the Trusteeship Council Chamber on the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the evening, the premier is likely to attend a high-level private dinner to mark the United Nations\' 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit hosted by Gordon Brown, UN Secretary General\'s Special Envoy for Global Education and WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing and Sarah Brown Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education at Lexington Venue, New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 19, she will also address a High Level Roundtable titled \"Towards a Fair International Financial Architecture\" convened by the Spanish prime minister and President of the European Council and European Union (EU) at CR-16, UN Headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will also attend a High-Level Side Event on Community Clinic based on Medical Services co-organised by Bangladesh, Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Chatham House and Suchona Foundation at CR-11, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 20, the prime minister will address as keynote speaker along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a High-level Debate on Financing for Development (FfD) titled \"Scaling up affordable and accessible international public financing for sustainable development and ensuring efficiency\" at the Trusteeship Council Chamber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, she will also attend Secretary General\'s Climate Ambition Summit, High Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Annual Meeting of UNGA Platform of the Women Leaders, High-Level Thematic Session of Climate Ambition Summit alongside signing the agreement under the UN Convention on the law of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 21, she will attend a High-Level side event on Rohingya Crisis hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, Gambia, Malaysia, Turkey, UK, and USA alongside joining Breakfast Summit on \"Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-level Rise\" and High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the visit, UN Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Secretary-General\'s Genocide Adviser, newly elected International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General will pay courtesy call on the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh premier is likely to hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe at Bilateral Booth, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After attending the events, she will leave New York for Washington DC at 9am (New York time) on September 23 where she will stay on 23-29 September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then, she will leave Washington DC for London at 10.45pm (Washington time) by a flight (BA-292) of the British Airways on September 29 and will arrive at London\'s Heathrow Airport at 11am on September 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Saida Muna Tasneem will receive her at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister will depart from London\'s Heathrow Airport for Dhaka by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG 208) at 8:35pm (London time) on October 3 and will arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 12:30 pm (Bangladesh time) on October 4. 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, '2023-09-16 11:57:17', '2023-09-16 11:57:17'),
(9121, 9121, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Britain announced Friday it had granted 21 carbon storage permits, in a first licensing round for the still largely experimental technology that the government hopes will help reach net zero.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 14 companies were awarded 21 licences to utilise depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers which cover around 12,000 square kilometres, the North Sea Transition Authority said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agency regulates and influences the oil, gas and carbon storage industries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The locations could store up to 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year by 2030 -- approximately 10 percent of UK annual emissions which were 341.5 million tonnes in 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shell, Perenco and ENI were among the companies to receive permits for the sites off the coast of Norfolk, eastern England.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other sites are being considered off Aberdeen, Scotland and Liverpool on England\'s northwest coast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Carbon storage will play a crucial role in the energy transition, storing carbon dioxide deep under the seabed and playing a key role in hydrogen production and energy hubs,\" NSTA Chief Executive Stuart Payne said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, many experts and environmental groups question the extent that the government is planning to rely on this technology, which is still largely unproven at large scale and costly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"CCS (Carbon capture and storage) is expensive, illustrated by oil companies not going it alone but demanding the government co-fund all these projects,\" Erik Dalhuijsen, co-founder and director of Aberdeen Climate Action CIC, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Not emitting the stuff is far, far, far cheaper already,\" he said, adding the technology \"is by no means certain to be able to work at all\". 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, '2023-09-16 12:01:26', '2023-09-16 12:01:26'),
(9122, 9122, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for New York on Sunday morning to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:10am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flight is scheduled to land at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York at 10:50pm (New York time) on September 17 after a four-hour stopover at the Heathrow Airport in London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran will receive the prime minister at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her stay in New York from September 17-22, the premier will attend the first day of the high-level General Debate of the 78th UNGA session at the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters on September 19 while she will address it on September 22 between 1pm to 2pm local time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina has also been invited to join a dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 19 as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the sidelines of the UNGA session, she will also attend a number of high-level side events including Rohingya and climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universal health, and finance alongside taking part in several bilateral and courtesy meetings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister is expected to deliver a keynote speech at a high level conference titled \"Thought for Food -Collaborating for Food Supply Chain Innovation to accelerate the SDGs\" organised by the UNIDO and Deloittte at Rockefeller Center, New York on September 18.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will also address another conference titled \"SDG Summit -Leaders\' Dialogue 4 (strengthening integrated policies and public institutions for achieving the SDGs) at the Trusteeship Council Chamber on the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the evening, the premier is likely to attend a high-level private dinner to mark the United Nations\' 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit hosted by Gordon Brown, UN Secretary General\'s Special Envoy for Global Education and WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing and Sarah Brown Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education at Lexington Venue, New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 19, she will also address a High Level Roundtable titled \"Towards a Fair International Financial Architecture\" convened by the Spanish prime minister and President of the European Council and European Union (EU) at CR-16, UN Headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will also attend a High-Level Side Event on Community Clinic based on Medical Services co-organised by Bangladesh, Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Chatham House and Suchona Foundation at CR-11, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 20, the prime minister will address as keynote speaker along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a High-level Debate on Financing for Development (FfD) titled \"Scaling up affordable and accessible international public financing for sustainable development and ensuring efficiency\" at the Trusteeship Council Chamber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, she will also attend Secretary General\'s Climate Ambition Summit, High Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Annual Meeting of UNGA Platform of the Women Leaders, High-Level Thematic Session of Climate Ambition Summit alongside signing the agreement under the UN Convention on the law of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 21, she will attend a High-Level side event on Rohingya Crisis hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, Gambia, Malaysia, Turkey, UK, and USA alongside joining Breakfast Summit on \"Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-level Rise\" and High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the visit, UN Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Secretary-General\'s Genocide Adviser, newly elected International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General will pay courtesy call on the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh premier is likely to hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe at Bilateral Booth, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After attending the events, she will leave New York for Washington DC at 9am (New York time) on September 23 where she will stay on 23-29 September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then, she will leave Washington DC for London at 10.45pm (Washington time) by a flight (BA-292) of the British Airways on September 29 and will arrive at London\'s Heathrow Airport at 11am on September 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Saida Muna Tasneem will receive her at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister will depart from London\'s Heathrow Airport for Dhaka by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG 208) at 8:35pm (London time) on October 3 and will arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 12:30 pm (Bangladesh time) on October 4. 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, '2023-09-17 05:14:42', '2023-09-17 05:14:42'),
(9123, 9123, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A small passenger plane crashed in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest Saturday, killing all 14 people on board, Amazonas state Gov. Wilson Lima announced.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday,” Lima said on X, formerly known as Twitter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embraer PT-SOG aircraft had taken off from Manaus, the Amazonas state capital and the biggest city in the Amazon, and was attempting to land in heavy rain when it crashed, local media reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The passengers were Brazilian tourists on their way to fish, the reports said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video footage posted by the Globo television network showed the plane lying on a muddy dirt track with the front part of the aircraft in green foliage. A couple of dozen people are seen standing nearby holding umbrellas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Brazilian air force sent a team from Manaus to collect information and preserve any evidence that could be used for the investigation into the crash, an air force statement 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, '2023-09-17 05:36:37', '2023-09-17 05:36:37'),
(9124, 9124, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as \'unhealthy for sensitive groups\' 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 114 at 8:40 am, Dhaka ranked 13rd on the list of cities worldwide with worst air quality, according to the AQI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Arab Emirates’ Dubai, China’s Beijing and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 160, 160, and 154 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 150 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 winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 05:38:57', '2023-09-17 05:38:57'),
(9125, 9125, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said that despite negative campaign, his party will be voted to power again through a free and fair election, and the country’s development journey will continue.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while exchanging views with expatriate Bangladeshis at the AL office in Toronto, Canada on Saturday (local time).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Those who don’t appreciate Bangladesh’s development are running negative campaigns at home and abroad. However, regardless of the negative campaigns, Awami League will be voted to power again through a free and fair election and will continue the country’s development,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Urging expat Bangladeshis to counter all the propaganda, the AL leader said most of the negative campaigns are being run from abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan Mahmud said conspiracies could not stop Bangladesh’s emergence as an independent country back in 1971, and conspiracies will not deter its development led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Terming expatriate Bangladeshis as “envoys,” the minister said they have made significant contributions to the advancement of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chaired by Toronto chapter AL President Mostafa Kamal, General Secretary Liton Masud conducted the event. 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, '2023-09-17 07:20:23', '2023-09-17 07:20:23'),
(9126, 9126, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The heat is about to be turned up on fossil fuels, the United States and President Joe Biden.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a record-smashing and deadly hot summer draws to a close, the United Nations and the city that hosts it are focusing on climate change and the burning of coal, oil and natural gas that causes it. It features a special U.N. summit and a week of protests and talk-heavy events involving leaders from business, health, politics and the arts. Even a royal prince — William — is getting in on the action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The annual Climate Week, which coincides with the U.N. General Assembly, kicks off Sunday with tens of thousands of people expected in the “March to End Fossil Fuels” Manhattan rally, one of hundreds of worldwide protests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This week “is the start of an incredible pressure cooker that we are all part of,” said Jean Su, a march organizer and energy justice director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “It is coming from the top down, from that chief of the United Nations and now it is coming from bottom up in over 400 distributed actions across the world.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Much of the heat is coming from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is convening a new Climate Ambition Summit on Wednesday that has a special twist: Only leaders from nations that bring new and meaningful action will be allowed to speak. And the U.N. isn’t saying yet who will get that chance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It won’t be Biden, who is speaking Tuesday at the U.N., the White House said. Nor will it be the leaders of China, the United Kingdom, Russia or France – all major players in the development and use of fossil fuels -- who won’t even be in New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres has repeatedly aimed his criticism at fossil fuels, calling them “incompatible with human survival.” He and scientific reports out of the United Nations have emphasized that the only way to curb warming and meet international goals is to “phase out” fossil fuels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Phase-out is a term that world leaders in past climate negotiations and meetings of large economic powers have refused to back, instead opting for watered-down phrases such as “phase down” of unabated coal, allowing fossil use if its emissions are somehow captured and stored. The president of the upcoming international climate negotiations in Dubai is an oil executive from the United Arab Emirates and will be speaking at Wednesday’s summit, though his dual role has upset activists and some scientists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This really is an unprecedented soft power moment where the U.N. chief is throwing fossil fuels into the limelight and forcing heads of states to respond,” Su said. “Whether it’s yes or no, he’s at least forcing them to respond as to will you commit to no new fossil fuel development in line with climate science?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But U.N. chiefs have little real power, said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a climate scientist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They can talk. They can persuade. They can from time-to-time constructively criticize and that’s all the tools that he’s got,” Hare said. “The U.N. secretary-general has moral authority and he’s using that.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres “can shame leaders who show up with pitiful offers in terms of climate action,” said Power Shift Africa Director Mohamed Adow, a longtime climate diplomacy observer. “We’ve got to a point where we can no longer be able to afford the velvet glove diplomacy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres will ask nations to accelerate their efforts to rid themselves of carbon-based energy, with the richest nations that can afford it going first and faster, and providing financial aid to the poorer nations that can’t afford it, said Selwin Hart, Guterres’ special adviser for climate action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know the use of fossil fuels is the main cause of the climate crisis, coal, oil and gas,” Hart said Friday. “We need to accelerate the global transition away from fossil fuels. But it must be just, fair and equitable.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the same 20 richest economies who promise to slice carbon emissions “are now issuing new oil and gas licensing at a time when the (International Energy Agency and the science-based Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has clearly stated that this is incompatible with the 1.5 degree (Celsius, 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) goal of the Paris Agreement,” Hart said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet speeding to net zero emissions of carbon requires rapid and huge reshaping of the energy landscape that “could inflict serious harm on the economy,” American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle said last month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Environmental activists calculate that five rich northern countries – the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom – that talk about cutting back emissions are responsible for more than half of the planned expansion of oil and gas drilling through 2050. The United States accounts for more than one-third.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So activists and protesters at Sunday’s march say they are aiming their frustration – and pressure - at Biden and America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Biden has repeatedly trumpeted last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $375 billion to fight climate change, mostly on solar panels, energy efficiency, air pollution controls and emission-reducing equipment for coal- and gas-fueled power plants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They want to be seen as the good guys, but the fact is they have very little to back it up,” said Brandon Wu, policy director at ActionAid USA. He pointed to the new drilling plans and said the United States has failed to deliver on its promised climate-based financial aid to poor countries and has not increased its money pledges like other nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“How much carnage does the planet have to suffer for global leaders to act?” Su said. “We want President Biden and other major oil gas producers to phase out fossil fuels.” 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, '2023-09-17 07:26:58', '2023-09-17 07:26:58'),
(9127, 9127, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A member of Iran\'s Basij paramilitary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shot dead during events falling on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini\'s death, state media reported Sunday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic\'s strict dress code for women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her death triggered months-long demonstrations which saw hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran labelled as \"riots\" fomented by foreign governments and \"hostile media\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"One person was martyred and three people were injured\" on Saturday evening in a \"blind shooting\" by two unknown assailants towards Basij guards in the city of Nurabad in Southern Fars province, state news agency IRNA reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The news agency did not immediately elaborate on the assailants\' identity or the motivation for the shooting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies of the province are trying to arrest the assailants\" who fled after the shooting, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Revolutionary Guards meanwhile announced that a dual national was arrested over \"attempts to organise riots and vandalism\" in Karaj city west of the capital Tehran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Guards did not elaborate further on the suspect\'s identity or other nationality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, authorities arrested several groups over accusations of \"planning to create chaos\" and producing content to serve \"hostile media\", according to IRNA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many of the arrests were made in Amini\'s home province of Kurdistan, as well as Iran\'s northwest and south, the agency added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Others were arrested in the northeastern province of North Khorasan for instigating \"riots\", according to the Mehr news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities in the central city of Isfahan have \"identified 97 people\" and blocked 15 Instagram pages for attempting to stir up \"public opinion\" on the anniversary of the protests, IRNA 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, '2023-09-17 08:03:15', '2023-09-17 08:03:15'),
(9128, 9128, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Twenty-four flights have been delayed in Moscow airports overnight into Sunday, according to data from the Yandex.Schedule website.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of 02:26 a.m. Moscow time, nine flights were delayed and two canceled at the Vnukovo Airport, seven flights were delayed at the Sheremetyevo Airport, and eight flights at the Domodedovo Airport. 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, '2023-09-17 08:05:27', '2023-09-17 08:05:27'),
(9129, 9129, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Another light earthquake jolted parts of Dhaka today, just six days after a mild tremor.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake, measuring 4.2 magnitude on the Richter Scale, was felt at 12:49 pm -- lasted only for a few seconds, according to a Bangladesh Meteorological Department update signed by Assistant Meteorologist Farzana Sultana.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The epicentre of the earthquake was in Tangali district, 59 km northwest of the BMD Seismic Centre in Dhaka’s Agargaon, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No casualties were reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, on September 9, a mild earthquake jolted parts of Sylhet region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The earthquake, measuring 4.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale, originated in the Cachar district of India\'s Assam and lasted for a few seconds. 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, '2023-09-17 08:07:16', '2023-09-17 08:07:16'),
(9130, 9130, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">People in Jhenaidah district are demonstrating the power of unity in their efforts to co-create their city.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Award-winning architect couple Khondakar Hasibul Kabir and Suhailey Farzana, who are based in Jhenaidah, are motivating local communities to get engaged. Both the current and former mayors of the district town are also supporting them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through consistent community participation and appropriation, extensive involvement of women, marginalised groups, and a local workforce, the seemingly simple undertaking of cleaning up the access to the Nabaganga river in Jhenaidah led to a thoughtful and minimal landscaping project with local materials and construction techniques.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thus, came about the transformation of a derelict informal dump site into an attractive and accessible multifunctional space that is valued by Jhenaidah’s diverse communities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The project managed to reverse the ecological degradation of the river and its banks and health hazards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Future phases focus on public use of the river area with walkways, gardens, cultural facilities and environmental efforts to enhance biodiversity in the river.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Urban River Spaces project in Jhenaidah, created by the local architect couple was the winner of 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“I will be helping you in your future plan for Jhenaidah. Rivers are the best resources for any city and it is a blessing for us that we have a river in the city,” said Jhenaidah Municipality Mayor Md. Quayum Shahrear Zahedee Hizawl.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mayor Zahedee said he, along with his predecessor Saidul Karim Mintu, will work together to complete the unfinished work and develop a modern and beautiful Jhenaidah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A delegation of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) visited Jhenaidah on September 14, 15 and celebrated the success story together with the local communities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Farrokh Derakhshani, who was part of the delegation, said that he was elated to be in the district town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are thousands of cities across the world like Jhenaidah. Now the whole world will know this city due to the AKDN award,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Egyptian architect and CEO of Takween Integrated Community Development Kareem Ibrahim said that he sees much hope and encouragement among the local communities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I realised that everyone here is involved in this initiative. A sense of ownership really matters. Many are getting encouraged by such initiative as its impact is huge,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former mayor Mintu said they did not undertake this project for an award; they did it for themselves, for the people of Jhenaidah town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former mayor said people are coming to the site to enjoy music, to cycle, for their morning exercise, regular group studies, and the youngsters are also coming here to spend quality time with their friends. “We are proud of our local architects Suhailey and Kabir.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zainab Faruqui Ali, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Architecture, said Suhailey and Kabir have accomplished much for Jhenaidah and the locals. “I am sure they will get required support to continue their work.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the Occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signing of a protocol of co-operation between the Government of Bangladesh and the Aga Khan Development Network, a programme is scheduled to be held on September 17 in Dhaka. 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, '2023-09-17 10:23:26', '2023-09-17 10:23:26'),
(9131, 9131, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Calling BNP to stop their so called one-point demand of toppling government, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the party should&nbsp; concentrate on how to appear in the upcoming national elections; otherwise it will fall in deep crisis.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“BNP should to pay attention on how to take part in the coming national elections by suspending their game of ousting the government …otherwise it [BNP] will have to pay for their ‘political error”, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The ruling party leader told the journalists after holding meeting with his party leaders at his&nbsp; residence at PTI road here this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Hanif said : “the national elections will be held in time as per the&nbsp; constitution&nbsp; and&nbsp; following&nbsp; the rules …if BNP does not participate in the elections, then it would&nbsp; be&nbsp; a repetition&nbsp; of their immature political wisdom.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;Criticizing BNP’s&nbsp; top leaders including Mirza Fakhrul, Hanif said it has been waging one-point movement of ousting the government for last two years and&nbsp; even every month they are predicting that the government will collapse a month later.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">But the government remains in power with its utmost capacity, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Putting emphasize on holding free, fair and neutral elections, Hanif said “our foreign allies have a liberty to send election observers here to oversee the elections whether the polling are free fair or not as the government is ready to congratulate them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Upazila Parishad Chaiman Ataur Rahman Ata, District Awami League Organizing Secretaries Mazharul Alam Suman and Amjad Hossain Raju, Information and Research Secretary Rashedul Islam Biplob, District Women Awami League Organizing Secretary Afroza Akhter Dew, among others, were present. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 10:25:08', '2023-09-17 10:25:08'),
(9132, 9132, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><div>Colombo\'s Premadasa Stadium was packed on Sunday for the Asia Cup final stage. However, their celebration was ruined at the very beginning of the host team. Mohammad Siraj, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah bowled Sri Lanka for just 50 runs. He managed to bat only 15.1 overs.</div><div><br></div><div>There have been fewer runs in ODI history and only 9. Sri Lanka were all out for the second highest total in their history.</div><div><br></div><div>Siraj took 6 wickets for 21 runs in 7 overs to crush the Lankans. Out of which he took 4 wickets in one over. The right-handed pacer took 5 wickets in his first 10 balls. However, Bumrah took the first wicket. Hardik came and closed the innings with 3 wickets for 3 runs.</div></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 10:51:52', '2023-09-17 11:52:18');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9133, 9133, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A local journalist was killed as a truck crushed his motorcycle in Aditmari upazila of the district last night.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The deceased was identified as Yunus Ali, district correspondent of Daily Swadesh Pratidin, hailed from Poshchim Basegram village in Hatibandha upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Local people said the accident occurred around 8:30 pm last night in Palli Bidyut area on Patgram-Lalmonirhat Highway. Yunus Ali died on the spot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Aditmari Thana Mozammel Haque confirmed the incident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Police seized the truck but none was arrested in this connection.</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 10:59:45', '2023-09-17 10:59:45'),
(9134, 9134, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Sonu Sood, and Varun Dhawan among others wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday as he clocked his 73rd birthday. The Bollywood celebrities took to social media platforms to extend their good wishes to the PM.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan wish PM Modi</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Shah Rukh wrote, \"Happy Birthday to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji!!! Have a healthy and joyful day. May u get some time off from work and have a bit of fun too. Best wishes.\" Salman Khan tweeted, \"Wishing Hon PM Shri Narendra Modi ji a very Happy Birthday….@narendramodi.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Varun Dhawan, Sonu Sood, Rajkummar Rao wish PM Modi</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Varun Dhawan shared a picture with PM Modi as they shook hands and smiled. He wrote on X, \"Dear sir, You have the love and adulation of not just our glorious nation! You roar like a lion and the world stands in ovation! Happy birthday PM Narendra Modiji. Jaihind! @narendramodi @PMOIndia.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sonu Sood shared a picture of PM Modi on X. He said, \"Wishing our Honourable PM Shri @narendramodi ji a very happy birthday. May you pave the way for the holistic development of Bharat with your strong leadership and far-reaching vision.\" Ananya Panday wished, \"Happy Birthday to our Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi ji. You inspire billions of us!\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rajkummar Rao also posted a photo with PM Narendra Modi in which they shook hands. He wrote in Hindi, \"Happy birthday to you dear @narendramodi ji and many congratulations on the immense success of G20. May God grant you long life and all the happiness. Like this, you keep inspiring us all. Jai Hind.\" Tiger Shroff tweeted, \"A very Happy Birthday to our honourable PM @narendramodi ji, you are an ultimate leader and the pride of our nation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohanlal and Rakesh Roshan post messages for PM</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan said the prime minister\'s dedication towards building \"a strong &amp; prosperous India\" inspires citizens of the country. \"Wishing our Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji a very Happy Birthday- May god bless you with great health and long life Sir … #HappyBirthdayModiJi,\" actor Riteish Deshmukh wrote on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Actor Mohanlal tweeted, \"Sending our Hon. Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi Ji love and best wishes on his birthday! Here\'s to crossing more milestones and making the nation prouder! @narendramodi @PMOIndia.\" Akshay Kumar posted a picture with the Prime Minister on X. \"Happy Birthday @narendramodi ji. Keep inspiring us, year after year. Wishing you great health, prayers and happiness always,\" he wrote. 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, '2023-09-17 11:06:41', '2023-09-17 11:06:41'),
(9135, 9135, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Dhaka court today allowed a prosecution plea to produce three foreigners, including a former FBI agent, to testify in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and seven others.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The three foreigners are- former supervisory special agent Debra LaPrevotte Grifith of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the USA, and Kevin Duggan and Liyod Skuip of Royal Canadian Mounted Police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Special Judge\'s Court-9 at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj passed the order after holding hearing on a plea filed by Attorney General AM Amin Uddin. The attorney general filed the plea on September 12 and the court had set today for holding hearing on the matter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court at the end of today\'s proceedings adjourned the hearing till October 10.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on March 19, 2023, the court framed charges against the accused.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now on bail, pleaded not guilty through her lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder on that day and demanded justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other accused in the case are- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Eusuf Hossain, Mir Moinul Haque, Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Selim Bhuiyan, and Kashem Sharif.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The anti-graft body filed the case against five including Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9, 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ACC on May 5, 2008, submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia. The ACC accused them of causing the incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand crore to state exchequer by signing that deal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As three accused- Barrister Moudud Ahmed, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, and Md Shafiur Rahman died of natural causes, they were discharged from the case, leaving the eight other accused to face the justice. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 11:55:37', '2023-09-17 11:55:37'),
(9136, 9136, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">India chased down a modest target of 51 in a mere 6.1 overs against Sri Lanka, securing their record eighth Asia Cup title in Colombo on Sunday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coming into this match, India might not have anticipated such a smooth ride to victory in the final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sri Lanka had little to offer with only 50 runs on the board. As India took to the field for their chase, a handful of Sri Lankan fans remained in the gallery at Colombo. They departed, carrying with them the sting of a defeat that may linger for years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ishan Kishan contributed a solid 23, while Shubman Gill notched an unbeaten 27, ensuring a comprehensive 10-wicket victory for India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the earlier innings, Mohammad Siraj dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order, claiming six wickets for a mere 12 runs. India swiftly bundled out Sri Lanka for a paltry 50 runs in just 15.2 overs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, fortune did not favor them. The home side lost their first wicket in the opening over, with four more tumbling in the third over.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Siraj\'s performance in that critical third over was nothing short of spectacular, as he clinched four wickets. Though a hat-trick narrowly eluded him, that one over effectively extinguished India\'s competition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His remarkable figures of six for 12 now stand as the second-best bowling performance for India in ODIs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">For Sri Lanka, a staggering nine batters were dismissed with single-digit scores, with five of them enduring a duck each. It was a day the Sri Lankan team will undoubtedly wish to expunge from their memory.</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-17 13:18:05', '2023-09-17 13:18:05'),
(9137, 9137, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A masked doctor leans down into a black plastic body bag, and gently manipulates the legs of the man inside. \"First we determine age, sex and length,\" he explains.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He\'s in the putrefaction stage now, because of the water.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a hospital car park in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, the final details of one of its many victims are being carefully checked and logged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is now one of the most vital jobs here, and one of the most distressing. The man is unrecognisable after spending a week in the sea. His body washed ashore that morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expert hands gently probe, looking for identifying marks and taking a DNA swab. That\'s important, in case there\'s a family still alive to claim him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 10,000 people remain officially missing, according to figures from the UN\'s Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Red Crescent has been issuing its own numbers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN says the death toll so far stands at some 11,300. The final total remains unclear - although the one thing that is certain is the sheer scale of this catastrophe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammed Miftah knows in his heart his family are among the victims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When he went to find his sister and her husband at their home after the floods, it had been washed away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He\'s heard nothing from them since. He shows me a video he took as the torrent rose, brown water pouring in through his front door.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A car is carried on the current and wedges into the open space, blocking it completely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I saw cars coming down and I came out running,\" he recalls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I thought that was it, that I was going to die. We could see our neighbours waving flashlights. In just a few moments, the lights went out, and they had disappeared.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That was the hardest thing.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As international aid begins to arrive in earnest, the Health Minister of Libya\'s eastern government has announced that four Greek rescue workers were killed in an accident on the road to Derna.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fifteen more were injured. They were on their way to join teams already on the ground from France and Italy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also flown in tons of extra supplies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The next step is making sure they\'re used properly and fairly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdullah Bathily, the Head of the UN\'s International Support Mission in Libya, told BBC Arabic the country now needs to create a transparent mechanism to manage all of its international donations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s a concern borne from the well-known challenges of coordinating between the government in Tripoli which is internationally recognised, and the eastern Libyan government, which isn\'t.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Back in the centre of Derna there are some points of light amid the mud and debris that has enveloped this city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On one street corner, hundreds of colourful clothes lie scattered in piles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Across the road a huge queue forms as fuel is handed out to survivors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the donations keep coming, one man arrives and places a box of warm scarves at the feet of an elderly woman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He kisses her head tenderly, as she smiles and begins to choose one.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These are Libyans helping Libyans in one of their worst moments of crisis. 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, '2023-09-18 01:41:08', '2023-09-18 01:41:08'),
(9138, 9138, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine\'s generals say they have \"broken through\" Russia\'s first line of defence in the south.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We\'ve assessed how far Ukrainian forces have really progressed, and what signs there are of further breakthroughs along the frontline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine began its big counter-offensive in early June to push Russian forces back from land they seized. It attacked at three points along the 600-mile-plus (965km) frontline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The area to the south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia is by far the most strategically important.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Striking out in this direction towards the Sea of Azov, if successful, could cut off Russia\'s supply lines that connect the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don to Crimea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There hasn\'t been much progress on this front, except for the area around the villages of Robotyne and Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region, as seen highlighted in purple in the map above.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Ukraine can sever this main supply route then Russia will find it all but impossible to maintain its huge garrison in Crimea which it annexed in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite significant obstacles, there are now confirmed sightings of Ukrainian troops breaching Russia\'s defensive structures along the southern front.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We have verified nine social media videos along the frontline near Verbove.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Four of the videos show Ukrainian forces breaching Russian defences north of Verbove.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, these show incursions, not that Ukraine has managed to take control of the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far it has only been Ukrainian infantry getting through, and we\'re not seeing Ukrainian armoured columns pouring through, exploiting the gap and holding the ground taken. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 01:59:04', '2023-09-18 01:59:04'),
(9139, 9139, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Filmmaker Atlee\'s latest film Jawan has been earning very well at the domestic as well as global box office. As per film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan on Monday, Jawan has entered the ₹800 crore club at the worldwide box office. Jawan stars Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jawan worldwide box office collection</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taking to X, previously known as Twitter, Manobala wrote, \"Jawan enters the elite ₹800 cr club at the WW Box Office. The film has sold 1390142 tickets from tracked shows alone in India on the 11th day. ||#ShahRukhKhan| #Nayanthara| #Jawan| #Atlee| #Jawan2|| Hindi shows - 13317, gross - ₹ 35.18 cr, per show collection - ₹ 26,417.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also added, \"Telugu-Shows - 682, Gross - ₹ 0.85 cr, Per Show Collection - ₹ 12,463. Tamil Shows - 461, Gross - ₹ 0.81 cr, Per Show Collection - ₹ 17,570, Total - ₹ 36.84 cr. National Multiplex Chains--PVR - 2,22,026 - ₹ 10.11 cr, INOX - 1,78,793 - ₹ 7.66 cr, Cinepolis - 82,909 - ₹ 3.85 cr.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jawan box office collection in India till day 10</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In India, according to Sacnilk.com, Jawan earned ₹90 crore gross on day one of its release, ₹64 crore gross on day two, ₹93.5 crore gross on day three, ₹96.3 crore gross on day four, ₹40 crore gross on day five, ₹31.2 crore gross on day six, ₹28 crore gross on day seven, ₹25.9 crore gross on day eight and ₹23 crore gross on day nine. Jawan minted ₹31.50 crore nett in India on day ten (second Saturday), as per early estimates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jawan is a high-octane action thriller that outlines \"the emotional journey of a man who is set to rectify the wrongs in the society\". Starring Shah Rukh in the dual role of Vikram Rathore and his son Azad, the movie addresses social and political issues through its protagonist. It also stars Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt in special appearances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Jawan also features Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, Aaliyah Qureshi, Ridhi Dogra, Sunil Grover and Mukesh Chhabra in key roles. A Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, Jawan is produced by Gauri Khan and co-produced by Gaurav Verma. 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, '2023-09-18 02:42:07', '2023-09-18 02:42:07'),
(9140, 9140, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way home Sunday from Russia, ending a six-day trip that triggered global concerns about weapons transfer deals between the two countries locked in separate standoffs with the West.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim’s armored train departed to the sound of the Russian patriotic march song “Farewell of Slavianka” at the end of a farewell ceremony at a railway station in Artyom, a far eastern Russian city about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the border with North Korea, Russia’s state news agency RIA reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior officials including Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov and Primorye regional Gov. Oleg Kozhemyako were present at the ceremony, which featured a Russian military band playing both North Korean and Russian national anthems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was Kim\'s longest foreign travel since he took power in late 2011. Observers said Kim was expected to return to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, around Monday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first overseas trip in more than four years, Kim had met President Vladimir Putin and visited key military and technology sites, underscoring the countries’ deepening defense cooperation in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the U.S. and its allies. Foreign officials and experts have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Moscow’s war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Kim’s nuclear ambitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, analysts say, even though its old artillery systems have a reputation for poor accuracy. Both sides have been reportedly firing thousands of artillery rounds a day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">U.N. Security Council resolutions — which Russia, a permanent member, previously endorsed — ban North Korea from exporting or importing any arms. Observers say Russia’s alleged attempts to receive ammunitions and artillery shells from North Korea suggest Moscow’s desperation to refill its arsenal exhausted in the war with Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions,” South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses Sunday to questions from The Associated Press. “The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In return for supplying conventional arms to Russia, experts say North Korea would seek Russian economic and food aid but also transfers of technologies to build powerful missiles, a nuclear-propelled submarine and a spy satellite. North Korea has publicly sought to introduce such high-tech weapons systems citing what it called intensifying U.S.-led hostilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier Sunday, Kim was in a lighter mode, touring a university and watching a walrus show at a Russian aquarium. Russia’s state media released videos of Kim, accompanied by his top officials, talking with Russian officials through translators at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Russky Island.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the island’s Primorsky Aquarium, Russia’s largest, Kim watched performances featuring beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and “Misha” the walrus, which he seemed to particularly enjoy, according to Russian media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kozhemyako, the Primorye governor, said a delegation from Russia’s Far East would visit North Korea. According to Russian state media, Kozhemyako said he’ll be part of the delegation that will travel with specialists from trade, tourism and agricultural sectors. The exact timing for the visit to North Korea hasn’t been announced.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, Kim traveled to an airport near Vladivostok, where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russia’s strategic bombers and other warplanes. Kim and Shoigu later in the day went to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, Kim visited an aircraft plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur that produces Russia’s most powerful fighter jets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen action in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles. During Kim’s visit, Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, confirmed for the first time that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Russia’s latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea’s state media reported that Kim and Shoigu talked about the regional security environment and exchanged views on “practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim’s summit with Putin was held at Russia’s main space launch site, a location that pointed to his desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies. In recent months, two North Korean launches to send a spy satellite into space ended in failure, and the North vowed to conduct a third attempt in October.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting with Putin, Kim said his country would offer its “full and unconditional support” for Russia’s fight to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at “a convenient time,” and Putin accepted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was Kim’s second summit meeting with Putin. The previous meeting took place in Vladivostok in April 2019, two months after Kim’s high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart during their second summit in Vietnam. 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, '2023-09-18 02:46:39', '2023-09-18 02:46:39'),
(9141, 9141, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh and the United States will discuss a range of issues this week in Dhaka impacting the bilateral trade relationship between the two countries, including market access, labor rights, trade policies, intellectual property issues and investment climate.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and acting Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch will co-chair the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) Council on September 20.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both delegations will include officials from trade, labor, agriculture, and other relevant ministries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is going to be the 7th round of TICFA meetings between Bangladesh and the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States and Bangladesh have formally engaged on trade issues since the U.S.-Bangladesh TICFA entered into force in 2013.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last meeting was held in Washington on December 6, 2022. In that meeting, Bangladesh proposed zero tariff on finished apparel products — made with American cotton — being exported to the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is likely to reiterate its request for preferential market access during the meeting, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US Ambassador Peter Haas has recently said Bangladesh and the United States can “go fastest together” in building trade and investment relationship between the two countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I truly believe it. This is not just talk,” he said, noting that the United States is willing to go as fast as Bangladesh is prepared to, towards deepening and expanding the bilateral partnership.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has achieved steady growth over the past decade and is set to graduate into a developing country by 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With surging domestic demand, growing service and industry sectors and steady investment in digitization, the country will continue to attract foreign investments,” he said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 02:52:10', '2023-09-18 02:52:10'),
(9142, 9142, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today arrived here in USA to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A flight of the British Airways (BA 1593) carrying the premier and her entourage members landed at the JKF International Airport, New York at 10:42 pm (New York time) on September 17 after a four-hour stopover at the Heathrow Airport in London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran received the prime minister at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourages departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for London en route to New York at 10:12am (BD time).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On her way, the premier went round every nook and cranny of the Biman Bangladesh flight and exchanged pleasantries with the passengers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her stay in New York on September 17-22, she will attend the first day of the high-level General Debate of the 78th UNGA session at the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters on September 19 while she will address it on September 22 between 1pm to 2pm local time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina was also invited to join a dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 19 as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the sidelines of the UNGA session, she will also attend a number of high-level side events including Rohingya and climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universal health, and finance alongside taking part in several bilateral and courtesy meetings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the curtain raiser press briefing at foreign ministry here on Thursday said, \"In her address at the General Debate, the premier will highlight Bangladesh\'s incredible development advancement, inclusive economic progress, success in the health sector and issues like global peace, security, safe migration, Rohingya crisis and climate justice.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world leaders are gathering in New York for attending the 78th UNGA session under the theme, \"Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister is expected to deliver a keynote speech at a high level conference titled \"Thought for Food -Collaborating for Food Supply Chain Innovation to accelerate the SDGs\" organised by the UNIDO and Deloittte at Rockefeller Center, New York on September 18.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will also address another conference titled \"SDG Summit -Leaders\' Dialogue 4 (strengthening integrated policies and public institutions for achieving the SDGs) at the Trusteeship Council Chamber on the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the evening, the premier is likely to attend a high-level private dinner to mark the United Nations\' 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit hosted by Gordon Brown, UN Secretary General\'s Special Envoy for Global Education and WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing and Sarah Brown, Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education at Lexington Venue, New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 19, she will also address a High Level Roundtable titled \"Towards a Fair International Financial Architecture\" convened by the Spanish prime minister and president of the European Council and European Union (EU) at CR-16, UN Headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will also attend a High-Level Side Event on Community Clinic based on Medical Services co-organised by Bangladesh, Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Chatham House and Suchona Foundation at CR-11, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 20, the prime minister will address as keynote speaker along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a High-level Debate on Financing for Development (FfD) titled \"Scaling up affordable and accessible international public financing for sustainable development and ensuring efficiency\" at the Trusteeship Council Chamber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the same day, she will also attend Secretary General\'s Climate Ambition Summit, High Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Annual Meeting of UNGA Platform of the Women Leaders, High-Level Thematic Session of Climate Ambition Summit alongside signing the agreement under the UN Convention on the law of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 21, she will attend a High-Level side event on Rohingya Crisis hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, Gambia, Malaysia, Turkey, UK, and USA alongside joining Breakfast Summit on \"Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-level Rise\" and High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the visit, UN Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Secretary-General\'s Genocide Adviser, newly elected International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General will pay courtesy call on the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh premier is likely to hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe at Bilateral Booth, UNHQ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After attending the events, she will leave New York for Washington DC at 9am (New York time) on September 23 where she will stay on 23-29 September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then, she will leave Washington DC for London at 10.45pm (Washington time) by a flight (BA-292) of the British Airways on September 29 and will arrive at London\'s Heathrow Airport at 11am on September 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Saida Muna Tasneem will receive her at the airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister will depart from London\'s Heathrow Airport for Dhaka by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG 208) at 8:35pm (London time) on October 3 and will arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 12:30pm on October 4. 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, '2023-09-18 04:26:14', '2023-09-18 04:26:14'),
(9143, 9143, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russia said it repelled Ukrainian drone attacks over several parts of Crimea, outer Moscow and two border regions on Sunday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Crimea has been targeted by Ukraine throughout Russia\'s offensive but attacks there have recently intensified as Kyiv vows to recapture the Black Sea peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in early June, Russia has weathered waves of drone attacks that have sporadically damaged buildings, including in the capital Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian officials have downplayed their significance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Drones were intercepted over the western, southwestern, northwestern and eastern parts of the Crimean peninsula; Istra and Domodedovo districts of Moscow region, Belgorod and Voronezh regions,\" Russia\'s defence ministry said on Telegram in the round-up of Sunday\'s attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drones \"have been thwarted\", it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the attacks were early Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Late Sunday, three drones were destroyed over southwestern Crimea, as was a solitary drone over the Belgorod border region, defence ministry updates said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Telegram updates throughout the day totalled 13 drones destroyed, including nine over Crimea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They did not say whether there had been any casualties or damage in the attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their Sunday round-up, the Russian ministry claimed that production workshops at a military vehicle repairs plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv had been hit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The buildings, \"where the repair and restoration of armoured vehicles of the armed forces of Ukraine were carried out, were hit by a missile strike,\" it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov had said earlier in his own Sunday round-up that shortly after midnight, Russia \"launched a missile attack on the city of Kharkiv\", but claimed it was a civilian business that had been hit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Missiles hit the building of a civilian enterprise. There was a fire,\" he said on Telegram. 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, '2023-09-18 04:34:28', '2023-09-18 04:34:28'),
(9144, 9144, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, was transferred to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) from a cabin in the early hours of Monday (September 18, 2023).</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Khaleda Zia was transferred to the CCU at 1:30 am as per the recommendation of her medical board,” Shamsuddin Didar, a member of the BNP chairperson\'s media wing, confirmed to the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since her conditional release in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years\' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. 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, '2023-09-18 04:39:26', '2023-09-18 04:39:26'),
(9145, 9145, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The air quality in Dhaka was marked as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning (September 18, 2023), despite rain in parts of the capital last night.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 108 at 8:30 am, Dhaka ranked 8th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, Kuching of Malaysia and China\'s Shanghai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 158, 156 and 134, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered \'moderate\', AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and 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. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 05:06:24', '2023-09-18 05:06:24');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(9146, 9146, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The air quality in Dhaka was marked as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning (September 18, 2023), despite rain in parts of the capital last night.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 108 at 8:30 am, Dhaka ranked 8th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, Kuching of Malaysia and China\'s Shanghai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 158, 156 and 134, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered \'moderate\', AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and 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. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 05:06:24', '2023-09-18 05:06:24'),
(9147, 9147, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Manchester City begin their defence of the Champions League on Tuesday when the group stage kicks off in the last season in its current format as Europe\'s elite club competition gets ready for a radical change.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unveiled by UEFA in 2021 at the height of the crisis which saw a group of 12 clubs announce a breakaway Super League before promptly abandoning the project, the new-look Champions League will begin next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It will see the number of clubs involved in the competition proper increase from 32 to 36, with all participants going into a single league in which teams will play eight games -- up from the current six -- in what is known as</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">the \"Swiss system\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is therefore the last campaign, after two decades, in which the Champions League will begin with a group stage featuring eight sections of four teams, with the top two in each advancing to the last 16.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are convinced that the format chosen strikes the right balance and that it will improve competitive balance,\" said Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European football\'s governing body, when the changes to the Champions</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">League were confirmed in May last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The format that is on its way out was brought in for the 2003/04 season, ending an experiment with a second group stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In terms of symmetry and simplicity it cannot be bettered, with half the teams advancing from the group stage to the last 16.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But this is an era in which major club and international competitions keep expanding. In addition, there has been a recognition that the Champions</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">League group stage has gone somewhat stale.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Growing gulf -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The financial gulf between the continent\'s most powerful clubs and the rest is growing all the time, accentuated in particular by the decision to award a portion of prize money based on the position of teams in UEFA\'s own club</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ranking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That means the team placed at number one gets over 36 million euros ($38.4m) just for being the top-ranked side, with the amount dropping progressively so the lowest-ranked team receive only just over one million euros.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even at this elite level, there are plenty of teams who are doing little more than make up the numbers, albeit while being handsomely rewarded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is hard to imagine Swiss side Young Boys or Serbia\'s Red Star Belgrade making a big impact alongside Pep Guardiola\'s City and RB Leipzig in Group G.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">City should stroll through to the last 16, racking up goals in the process, and they begin as favourites to retain a trophy they won in June by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final in Istanbul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That success saw City finally win the competition they had been chasing since the Abu Dhabi-led takeover of 2008 that transformed the club.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This project is to want more, more ambition,\" said Spanish midfielder Rodri after scoring the winner for City in last season\'s final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So who can stop them?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It surely will not be the champions of Switzerland or Serbia, or a Leipzig team who lost their star defender, Josko Gvardiol, to City during the close</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Record 14-time winners Real Madrid are always contenders in the Champions League, although Carlo Ancelotti\'s team find themselves in a difficult group alongside Napoli, Braga and newcomers Union Berlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bayern Munich have reinforced in attack with the signing of Harry Kane, while Paris Saint-Germain have lost Neymar and Lionel Messi but kept Kylian Mbappe and strengthened around him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both of their seasons will be defined, as ever, by their performances in the Champions League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arsenal will hope to make an impression on their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, while Saudi ownership has propelled Newcastle United back into the competition after two decades away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, they find themselves in a section along with PSG, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UEFA might have been less inclined to change the format of the Champions League format if their competition featured groups like that more often.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s hard and challenging but I think there\'s some great European games for us to experience and great places to visit for our supporters,\" said the Newcastle manager Eddie Howe after the draw.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His team begin away to seven-time European champions Milan on Tuesday. 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, '2023-09-18 05:41:19', '2023-09-18 05:41:19'),
(9148, 9148, '<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen stated that&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh welcomes the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">favor of Guyana.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made this comment while chairing the virtual meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana (CMGG) held on the sidelines of the 78th UNGA on Sunday in New York, according to a press release received here today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I look forward to our usual discussions, camaraderie, and, in accordance with the consistent views of Heads, our expression of unwavering support for Guyana\'s territorial integrity,\" said the foreign minister at the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He mentioned that Bangladesh is pleased to continue in the role of the substantive chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland delivered opening remarks while Consul General at the Guyana Consulate General in New York Ambassador</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Michael E. Brotherson provided an update on recent developments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministers of CMGG took part in the discussion session and agreed to prepare a concluding statement to convey to the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting, to be held on 21st September 2023. 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, '2023-09-18 06:11:41', '2023-09-18 06:11:41'),
(9149, 9149, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) launched its bus service on the Uttara-Farmgate route via Dhaka Elevated Expressway on Monday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Road Transport and Highways Division secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri inaugurated the bus service at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. Chairman of BRTC Md Tajul Islam was also present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the inauguration, the first bus left from Farmgate\'s Khejur Bagan Golchattar for Uttara Jasimuddin Road at 11:25 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Initially, a total of eight buses will carry passengers and commuters can board the buses from both ends of the expressway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The buses will run all day from 7am in the morning and will continue as long as passengers are available.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Airport-Farmgate segment of Dhaka Elevated Expressway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About 80,000 vehicles will be able to use Dhaka Elevated Expressway every day once it is completed, project officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When fully completed, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway will run from the capital’s Kawla to Kutubkhali area of Dhaka-Chattogram highway via Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Moghbazar-Kamalapur-Sayedabad-Jatrabari, according to Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader. 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, '2023-09-18 06:50:29', '2023-09-18 06:50:29'),
(9150, 9150, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gas supply will remain suspended for 12 hours in different areas in Narayanganj and Munshiganj districts on Tuesday for pipeline installation work.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a public notice of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, the areas where gas supply will remain off from 10 am to 10 pm on Tuesday for all kinds of consumers include Godhnail, Enayetnagar, Boubazar, Lakibazar, Hajiganj, Wabdapul, Kaiyumpur, Fatulla, Santapur, Jail Khana area, from Hajiganj Junction to Shibu Market to Post Office Road in Narayanganj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, Panchbati, Maizdair, Izdair, Chajara, Khanpur, Killarpool, Talla, Qutubail, Dharmaganj, Takkarmath, Pagla, Chitashal, Delpara, Jalkuri, Nayamati, Dapa Idrakpur, Bhuigarh, Qutubpur Union and surrounding areas, Dhaka Match, Senpur, Moktarpur, Narayanganj Bscic area, area from Kashipur Union to Moktarpur via Panchabati, area from Dharmaganj, Shirangaon, Siddhirganj, Adamji, Sahebpara, Mijmiji&nbsp; areas will have no gas during the period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regretting the temporary inconvenience, the Titas gas said apart from the mentioned areas, the adjoining areas Siddhirganj and Fatulla police stations, around Munshiganj and Narayanganj cities may experience low pressure in gas supply as well. 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, '2023-09-18 07:54:48', '2023-09-18 07:54:48'),
(9151, 9151, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Health departments in India and Bangladesh have swung into action after dengue cases surge amidst heavy rainfall this monsoon, with over 7,000 dengue cases reported in Karnataka, nearly 3,475 dengue cases in Punjab, Ambala’s dengue cases climbing to 173, Lucknow crossing the 300-mark, two notified dengue deaths in Navi Mumbai and suspected dengue cases pegged at 126, another suspected dengue death in Ghaziabad and an uptick in dengue cases in Delhi where doctors warn that numbers may increase. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported that neighbouring country, Bangladesh, is facing its worst-ever dengue outbreak with the climate crisis being cited as a key factor in the increased transmission of these mosquito-borne diseases.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This viral infection is caused by the dengue virus (DENV) which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes and while many DENV infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash, DENV can occasionally cause more severe cases and even death. Hence, health experts insist that early detection and access to proper medical care greatly lower fatality rates of severe dengue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Divya Singh, Senior Surgeon at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Director at Maaiya Social Change Front Foundation, asserted that protection against dengue is crucial, especially in Delhi where cases are rising. She suggested some top tips to help you prevent dengue -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eliminate breeding sites: The Aedes mosquitoes that transmit dengue breed in stagnant water. Regularly check and eliminate any standing water around your home, such as in flower pots, discarded containers, and gutters. Do not allow water to stagnate in or around the household.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regular screening of the house – Regular screenings by local authorities, building associations and on your own is a must to remain vigilant and present any breeding spots from being missed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Use mosquito nets and screens: Sleep under mosquito nets, especially during daytime when Aedes mosquitoes are most active. Use window and door screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wear protective clothing: When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes to minimize exposure to mosquitoes. Light-colored clothing can also help as mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Use mosquito repellents: Apply mosquito repellents on exposed skin and clothing. Look for products containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Follow the instructions on the label.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Keep your environment clean: Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness in and around your home. Trim bushes and shrubs, and keep grass short to reduce mosquito resting areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Keep the house and surrounding areas airy and well lit: Mosquitoes usually breed in dark places. Dimly lit areas and neglected spots harbour mosquitoes and may be overseen during sanitation checks which causes pooling of water and a fertile ground for larvae to grow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid peak mosquito activity: Aedes mosquitoes are most active during early morning and late afternoon. If possible, stay indoors during these times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid smells that attract mosquitoes: Growing lemongrass, eucalyptus and peppermint around the house will aid in fending off mosquitoes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Promote community action: Work together with your neighbors to eliminate breeding sites in your community. Mosquitoes can travel short distances, so collective efforts are important.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Support vector control measures: Cooperate with local health authorities and their efforts to control mosquito populations through fogging, spraying, and larvicidal treatments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stay informed: Stay updated on dengue-related information from local health authorities and government agencies. Follow their recommendations for prevention and control.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seek medical attention: If you experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, rash, or bleeding, seek medical attention promptly. Early diagnosis and proper medical care are essential for managing dengue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emphasising the importance of collective efforts, the health expert urged everyone to actively engage in dengue prevention by adopting these measures and inspiring others within the community. Through united action, we can significantly diminish the spread of dengue and safeguard the well-being of our neighbourhoods. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 08:00:13', '2023-09-18 08:00:13'),
(9152, 9152, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">India celebrated the 10-wicket thrashing of Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final as \"a booster shot\" Monday for the one-day World Cup starting on home soil in a fortnight.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj got four wickets in one over to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 50 on Sunday, a total the Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill surpassed in 6.1 overs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was India\'s eighth Asia Cup crown but first major tournament title since winning the same competition in 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Siraj\'s dream spell ended India\'s five-year title drought,\" The Times of India wrote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The India Express called it a \"Booster shot before World Cup\" and praised what it called the team\'s \"clinical and ruthless\" performance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Triumph lifts India\'s morale... just in time for the mega-event,\" it added, referring to the World Cup, which starts on October 5.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where the final took place, the mood was gloomy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Abject surrender of Asia Cup by Sri Lanka,\" said a headline in the daily FT newspaper.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The home team were bowled out in just 15.2 overs with Siraj ripping through the Sri Lankan batting with his 6-21.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sri Lanka were playing their 11th Asia Cup final but the 116-minute humiliation left fans disappointed and angry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One fan complained in a video post on social media that Sri Lanka were all out even before he could get to his seat at the 35,000-capacity Premadasa stadium.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another on social media said the Sri Lankan innings lasted less than the time taken to drink a bottle of arak, the island nation\'s firewater spirit made from fermented coconut or sugarcane.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Colombo\'s Daily Mirror said the final was a \"mismatch between two opponents in completely different weight classes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As heavyweights India completely battered, bruised, bloodied and bashed-in Sri Lanka\'s flyweight batting line-up for an emphatic 10-wicket win.\" 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, '2023-09-18 08:02:40', '2023-09-18 08:02:40'),
(9153, 9153, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 20 employees of mining giant De Beers have been killed in a road accident in South Africa, local officials said Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The bus involved was ferrying staff from the Venetia mine, one of the biggest diamond mines in the country, said a transport official in Limpopo province, in the north of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The bus came into collision with a lorry,\" said Vongani Chauke.</div><div><br></div><div>Chauke told AFP the accident happened at around 1600 GMT, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the mine, at the village of Musian on the border with Zimbabwe.</div><div><br></div><div>The cause of the accident has not been established.</div><div><br></div><div>South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but also has one of the worst road safety records.</div><div><br></div><div>The Venetia mine, which lies near the borders with Botswana and Zimbabwe, has been run by the De Beers group for more than 30 years.</div><div><br></div><div>It accounts for more thatn 40 percent of the country\'s annual diamond production, employing more than 4,300 staff including many local people.</div><div><br></div><div>It was once the country\'s largest open-cast mine, before De Beers invested $2 billion in a major underground project to access the less easily available diamonds . The group aims to produce four million carats a year.</div><div><br></div><div>In July, De Beers announced the start of underground diamond production from the new seams opened underneath the open-cast mine. According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 09:03:39', '2023-09-18 09:03:39'),
(9154, 9154, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, was shifted to the cabin again from the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) on Monday morning.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Khaleda Zia was taken back to the cabin from CCU around 11 am,” AZM Zahid Hossain, medical board member of the former Prime Minister, told media.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Khaleda Zia was transferred to the CCU at 1:30 am as per the recommendation of her medical board.</div><div><br></div><div>The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.</div><div><br></div><div>Since her conditional release in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.</div><div><br></div><div>Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years\' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.</div><div><br></div><div>Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 11:46:45', '2023-09-18 11:46:45'),
(9155, 9155, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Bank (BB) has observed that as a trade balance is prevailing now in the country, dollar price should not be high.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Now there is a trade balance here, the dollar price should not be high. Bangladesh Foreign Exchange Dealer\'s Association (BAFEDA) and Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) set the dollar rate. We work with the rates they offer,\" said BB Executive Director and Spokesperson Md Mezbaul Haque.</div><div><br></div><div>Mezbaul Haque today told reporters following a meeting between BB Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President Mahbubul Alam at BB headquarters in the city.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After the meeting, Mahbubul Alam said many traders have to open Letters of credit (LCs) by buying dollars at a higher price than the fixed rate.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We drew the governor\'s attention to the dollar market, who gave assurance that everyone will get dollars at the fixed rate,\" he added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said the central bank\'s governor has been urged not to increase the interest rate of bank loans.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In view of this, the governor said the loan interest is now fixed according to the smart rate, there is no chance of the interest rate being increased at an abnormal rate. According to the current system, there may be a slight rise only,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the opening of LCs, the FBCCI president said, \"We have talked about the small and medium businessmen and the governor has assured them that they can open LCs and the banks have been instructed accordingly.\" According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 12:10:44', '2023-09-18 12:10:44'),
(9156, 9156, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the Agargaon-Motijheel part of Dhaka Metro Rail on October 20, 2023, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told UNB.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On that day, the PM will inaugurate the Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations of metro rail.</div><div><br></div><div>There are seven stations on the Agargaon to Motijheel part of Dhaka Metro Rail. These are: Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, TSC, Press Club and Motijheel.</div><div><br></div><div>Once the Agargaon-Motijheel part of Metro Rail opens, commuters will be able to travel from Uttara to Motijheel in just 38 minutes — a miracle by Dhaka standards.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially, five trains will run from Agargaon to Motijheel every 15 minutes and the number of trains will be increased gradually by reducing the time interval, the minister informed.</div><div><br></div><div>MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), said that Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations are being opened on October 20.</div><div><br></div><div>All work involving the stations have been completed. Now, work on the passenger walkways at the station is going on and it will be finished by October 15, Siddique hoped.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially all trains will not go up to Motijheel. Trains will have numbers assigned to them. According to the number, which train will go to Agargaon and which will go to Motijheel, can be identified.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the DMTCL MD, a three-step test run is conducted on the line before a train runs commercially. The first step in the trial run is the proficiency test or performance test. The second step will be the \'System Integration Test\'.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The final stage will be \'trial run\' or experimental movement.</div><div>Siddique also said, “Now we are in the second step and all tests will be completed five days before the inauguration.”</div><div><br></div><div>According to the Metro Rail authorities, when the entire system is operational, service will be available from 7 am to 10 pm initially and then it will be extended to 11:30 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>The cost of the country’s first ever metro rail project stands at Tk 33,472 crore. Notably, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided Tk 19,719 crore in the form of a loan to support the project, while the Government of Bangladesh funded the remaining amount.</div><div><br></div><div>In the beginning, the estimated cost of this project was about Tk 21,000 crore. The cost has increased due to the construction of an additional 1.6 km section from Motijheel to Kamalapur, acquisition of new land for each station, and the addition of various new facilities.</div><div><br></div><div>The main construction work of the project started in 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2025.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister formally inaugurated the Uttara-Agargaon section of MRT-6 line of the Dhaka Metro Rail on December 28 last year.</div><div><br></div><div>At first, only three stations on this route were open to the public. Later, all nine stations on the Uttara-Agargaon route became operational in phases. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 15:09:24', '2023-09-18 15:09:24'),
(9157, 9157, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Dr Abdur Razzaque on Monday again reminded the BNP that the government won’t be ousted through any movement, fight, demonstration, blockade or sit-in programme.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“You (BNP) didn’t succeed in the movement of ousting the government for the past 14 years and won’t succeed in the next one and half months - you will fail and even fall into depression. I am cordially requesting you to come back from the wrong path, the government won’t be toppled by staging movement, demonstration, blockade and sit-in-programme,” Razzaque, also agriculture minister to the government, said.</div><div><br></div><div>He came up with the remark while addressing a seminar styled ‘Agricultural Revolution and Impacts of Climate Change’ organized jointly by Bangladesh Climate Change Journalist Forum (BCCJF) and Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) as chief guest at the IDEB Auditorium in Dhaka on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Criticizing the BNP’s 15-day programme and announcement of snapping links to Dhaka from other parts of the country, he suggested the BNP joining the next national election and conceding the mandate of the people, instead of taking blame for failure.</div><div><br></div><div>Razzaque, also agriculture minister, said, “We want a very strong opponent party which is very important for accountability in any country’s government.”</div><div><br></div><div>He stressed the need for political stability for continuation of development of the country as Bangladesh has already been recognised as a role model of development across the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Putting forward the agricultural success by the government, he said the country is being governed with the highest priority in agriculture and it will play a pivotal role in the overall development of the country\'s future.</div><div><br></div><div>He called upon scientists to discover technologies to cope with the impacts of climate change as this problem added to the existing ones. The crop producing lands are decreasing due to construction of houses on those lands.</div><div><br></div><div>Terming farmers as the main hero of changing days of the country, Bangladesh Bank’s former Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said today’s inflation would increase more unless success was achieved in agriculture.</div><div><br></div><div>Agriculture is playing a role in materialising the dream of a developed country and agriculture is the safeguard of the country, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Chaired by IDEB Acting President Engineer Md Fazlur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Director General Md Shahjahan Kabir presented the keynote paper at the seminar.</div><div><br></div><div>BCCJF President Kawsar Rahman moderated the event where its General Secretary Motahar Hossain delivered a welcome speech and put forward the ways of facing the impacts of climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>People involved with agriculture and climate change activities spoke at the event. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 15:12:46', '2023-09-18 15:12:46'),
(9158, 9158, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Five prisoners sought by the U.S. in a swap with Iran flew out of Tehran on Monday, officials said, part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Despite the deal, tensions are almost certain to remain high between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in various disputes, including over Tehran\'s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.</div><div><br></div><div>The planned exchange has unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of U.S. troops boarding and guarding commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass.</div><div><br></div><div>Two people, including a senior Biden administration official, said that the prisoners left Tehran on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the exchange was ongoing.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to the five freed Americans, two U.S. family members flew out, according to the Biden administration official.</div><div><br></div><div>Flight-tracking data showed a Qatar Airways flight take off from Tehran\'s Mehrabad International Airport, which has been used for exchanges in the past. Several of the former prisoners could be seen climbing the stairs to the flight in video released by Iranian media.</div><div><br></div><div>The plane was expected to land in Doha, Qatar. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran\'s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners had arrived in Doha for the swap.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the exchange would take place Monday after nearly $6 billion in once-frozen Iranian assets reached Qatar.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Fortunately Iran\'s frozen assets in South Korea were released and God willing today the assets will start to be fully controlled by the government and the nation,\" Kanaani said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On the subject of the prisoner swap, it will happen today and five prisoners, citizens of the Islamic Republic, will be released from the prisons in the U.S.,\" he added. \"Five imprisoned citizens who were in Iran will be given to the U.S. side.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S.</div><div><br></div><div>Mohammad Reza Farzin, Iran\'s Central Bank chief, later came on state television to acknowledge the receipt of over 5.5 billion euros — $5.9 billion — in accounts in Qatar. Months ago, Iran had anticipated getting as much as $7 billion.</div><div><br></div><div>The planned exchange comes ahead of the convening of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week in New York, where Iran\'s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi will speak.</div><div><br></div><div>The deal has already opened U.S. President Joe Biden to fresh criticism from Republicans and others who say that the administration is helping boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to American troops and Mideast allies. That could have implications in his reelection campaign as well.</div><div><br></div><div>On the U.S. side, Washington has said the planned swap includes Siamak Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. All of their charges have been widely criticized by their families, activists and the U.S. government.</div><div><br></div><div>U.S. officials have so far declined to identify the fourth and fifth prisoner.</div><div><br></div><div>The five prisoners Iran has said it seeks are mostly held over allegedly trying to export banned material to Iran, such as dual use electronics that can be used by a military.</div><div><br></div><div>The two that Nour News said were in Doha were: Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear, and Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran.</div><div><br></div><div>The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.</div><div><br></div><div>Iranian government officials have largely concurred with that explanation, though some hard-liners have insisted, without providing evidence, that there would be no restrictions on how Tehran spends the money.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution. Their most recent major exchange happened in 2016, when Iran came to a deal with world powers to restrict its nuclear program in return for an easing of sanctions.</div><div><br></div><div>The West accuses Iran of using foreign prisoners — including those with dual nationality — as bargaining chips, an allegation Tehran rejects.</div><div><br></div><div>Negotiations over a major prisoner swap faltered after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear deal in 2018. From the following year on, a series of attacks and ship seizures attributed to Iran have raised tensions.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Iran\'s nuclear program now enriches closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. While the head of the United Nations\' nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran now has enough enriched uranium to produce \"several\" bombs, months more would likely be needed to build a weapon and potentially miniaturize it to put it on a missile — if Iran decided to pursue one.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. intelligence community has kept its assessment that Iran is not pursuing an atomic bomb.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran has taken steps in recent months to settle some issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency. But the advances in its program have led to fears of a wider regional conflagration as Israel, itself a nuclear power, has said it would not allow Tehran to develop the bomb. Israel bombed both Iraq and Syria to stop their nuclear programs, giving the threat more weight. It also is suspected in carrying out a series of killings targeting Iran\'s nuclear scientists.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran also supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to target sites in Ukraine in its war on Kyiv, which remains another major dispute between Tehran and Washington. According to AP/UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 15:22:53', '2023-09-18 15:22:53'),
(9159, 9159, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Five US detainees released by Iran took off for Doha in a prisoner swap Monday, an informed source told AFP, after $6 billion in frozen funds were transferred to Iranian accounts in Qatar.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The five, who include a businessman and a conservationist, and who left Iran on a Qatari plane accompanied by two relatives, were freed in exchange for five Iranians held by the United States.</div><div><br></div><div>\"A Qatari jet has taken off with the five prisoners and two relatives accompanied by the Qatari ambassador,\" a source with knowledge of the situation told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>The trigger for the exchange was the release of the $6 billion in funds, long frozen by US ally South Korea under sanctions against Iran, to the Iranian accounts.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Iranian media, two of the freed Iranians have arrived in Doha. The other three have chosen to remain in the United States or a third country, Tehran said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We hope to have total access to the Iranian assets today,\" Iran\'s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani had earlier Monday told a Tehran press conference.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The prisoner exchange will take place on the same day and five Iranian citizens imprisoned in America will be released.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Iran generated the $6 billion through oil sales to South Korea, which froze the funds after the United States under former president Donald Trump reimposed sanctions as he withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran\'s central bank governor said Iran would seek damages from South Korea for withholding the funds. The equivalent of 5.57 billion euros ($5.95 billion) was deposited in six Iranian accounts with two Qatari banks on Monday, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'re making a complaint on behalf of Iran against South Korea for not giving access to these funds and the reduction in value of these funds in order to receive damages,\" Mohammadreza Farzin said on state TV.</div><div><br></div><div>- Spying charges -</div><div>As the prisoners were released, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Iran\'s ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country\'s intelligence ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>Biden also granted clemency to the five Iranian ex-detainees.</div><div><br></div><div>The five Americans -- all considered Iranian nationals by Tehran, which rejects dual nationality -- were released to house arrest when the deal was agreed last month.</div><div><br></div><div>Among the Americans is Siamak Namazi, a businessman arrested in 2015 on spying charges which his family has rejected.</div><div><br></div><div>The others are wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz, venture capitalist Emad Sharqi, and two others who wished to remain anonymous.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, the official IRNA news agency identified the five Iranian prisoners.</div><div><br></div><div>They include Reza Sarhangpour and Kambiz Attar Kashani, both accused of having violated US sanctions against Tehran.</div><div><br></div><div>A third prisoner, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, was detained at his home near Boston in 2021 and charged with being an Iranian government agent, according to US officials.</div><div><br></div><div>The two others, Mehrdad Moein Ansari and Amin Hasanzadeh, were said to have links to Iranian security forces.</div><div><br></div><div>- Nuclear dispute -</div><div>The White House has denied that the unfreezing of the Iranian funds was effectively a ransom payment.</div><div><br></div><div>Biden\'s administration has insisted that Iran will only be allowed to use the money to buy food, medicine and other humanitarian goods.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran, which has been deeply hostile to the US since the 1979 Islamic revolution overthrew the pro-Western monarch, has denied restrictions have been placed on the spending of funds.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran\'s Kanani has insisted that the money will allow Tehran to \"purchase all non-sanctioned goods\", not just food and medicine.</div><div><br></div><div>Biden took office with hopes of restoring the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, under which Iran promised to constrain its contested nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.</div><div><br></div><div>But months of talks failed to produce a breakthrough.</div><div><br></div><div>Prospects for resolving the dispute sank further after protests broke out in Iran last year following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the country\'s Islamic dress code.</div><div><br></div><div>The release of the prisoners comes just days after the first anniversary of her death, and as Biden and Iran\'s president, Ebrahim Raisi, are in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, although they are not expected to meet. According to AFP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-09-18 16:00:50', '2023-09-18 16:00:50');
