INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(3996, 3996, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China’s industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her mother-in-law had COVID-19 and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals nearby were full.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They say there’s no beds here,” she barked into her phone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As China grapples with its first-ever national COVID-19 wave, emergency wards in small cities and towns southwest of Beijing are overwhelmed. Intensive care units are turning away ambulances, relatives of sick people are searching for open beds, and patients are slumped on benches in hospital corridors and lying on floors for a lack of beds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yao’s elderly mother-in-law had fallen ill a week ago with the coronavirus. They went first to a local hospital, where lung scans showed signs of pneumonia. But the hospital couldn’t handle serious COVID-19 cases, Yao was told. She was told to go to larger hospitals in adjacent counties.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Yao and her husband drove from hospital to hospital, they found all the wards were full. Zhuozhou Hospital, an hour’s drive from Yao’s hometown, was the latest disappointment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yao charged toward the check-in counter, past wheelchairs frantically moving elderly patients. Yet again, she was told the hospital was full, and that she would have to wait.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I’m furious,” Yao said, tearing up, as she clutched the lung scans from the local hospital. “I don’t have much hope. We’ve been out for a long time and I’m terrified because she’s having difficulty breathing.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over two days, Associated Press journalists visited five hospitals and two crematoriums in towns and small cities in Baoding and Langfang prefectures, in central Hebei province. The area was the epicenter of one of China’s first outbreaks after the state loosened COVID-19 controls in November and December. For weeks, the region went quiet, as people fell ill and stayed home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many have now recovered. Today, markets are bustling, diners pack restaurants and cars are honking in snarling traffic, even as the virus is spreading in other parts of China. In recent days, headlines in state media said the area is “ starting to resume normal life.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But life in central Hebei’s emergency wards and crematoriums is anything but normal. Even as the young go back to work and lines at fever clinics shrink, many of Hebei’s elderly are falling into critical condition. As they overrun ICUs and funeral homes, it could be a harbinger of what’s to come for the rest of China.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chinese government has reported only seven COVID-19 deaths since restrictions were loosened dramatically on Dec. 7, bringing the country’s total toll to 5,241. On Tuesday, a Chinese health official said that China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 death toll, a narrow definition that excludes many deaths that would be attributed to COVID-19 in other places.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts have forecast between a million and 2 million deaths in China through the end of next year, and a top World Health Organization official warned that Beijing’s way of counting would “underestimate the true death toll.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At Baoding No. 2 Hospital in Zhuozhou on Wednesday, patients thronged the hallway of the emergency ward. The sick were breathing with the help of respirators. One woman wailed after doctors told her that a loved one had died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ICU was so crowded, ambulances were turned away. A medical worker shouted at relatives wheeling in a patient from an arriving ambulance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There’s no oxygen or electricity in this corridor!” the worker exclaimed. “If you can’t even give him oxygen, how can you save him?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If you don’t want any delays, turn around and get out quickly!” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The relatives left, hoisting the patient back into the ambulance. It took off, lights flashing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In two days of driving in the region, AP journalists passed around thirty ambulances. On one highway toward Beijing, two ambulances followed each other, lights flashing, as a third passed by heading in the opposite direction. Dispatchers are overwhelmed, with Beijing city officials reporting a sixfold surge in emergency calls earlier this month.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some ambulances are heading to funeral homes. At the Zhuozhou crematorium, furnaces are burning overtime as workers struggle to cope with a spike in deaths in the past week, according to one employee. A funeral shop worker estimated it is burning 20 to 30 bodies a day, up from three to four before COVID-19 measures were loosened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There’s been so many people dying,” said Zhao Yongsheng, a worker at a funeral goods shop near a local hospital. “They work day and night, but they can’t burn them all.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At a crematorium in Gaobeidian, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Zhuozhou, the body of one 82-year-old woman was brought from Beijing, a two-hour drive, because funeral homes in China’s capital were packed, according to the woman’s grandson, Liang.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They said we’d have to wait for 10 days,” Liang said, giving only his surname because of the sensitivity of the situation.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Liang’s grandmother had been unvaccinated, Liang added, when she came down with coronavirus symptoms, and had spent her final days hooked to a respirator in a Beijing ICU.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over two hours at the Gaobeidian crematorium on Thursday, AP journalists observed three ambulances and two vans unload bodies. A hundred or so people huddled in groups, some in traditional white Chinese mourning attire. They burned funeral paper and set off fireworks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There’s been a lot!” a worker said when asked about the number of COVID-19 deaths, before funeral director Ma Xiaowei stepped in and brought the journalists to meet a local government official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the official listened in, Ma confirmed there were more cremations, but said he didn’t know if COVID-19 was involved. He blamed the extra deaths on the arrival of winter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Every year during this season, there’s more,” Ma said. “The pandemic hasn’t really shown up” in the death toll, he said, as the official listened and nodded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even as anecdotal evidence and modeling suggests large numbers of people are getting infected and dying, some Hebei officials deny the virus has had much impact.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There’s no so-called explosion in cases, it’s all under control,” said Wang Ping, the administrative manager of Gaobeidian Hospital, speaking by the hospital’s main gate. “There’s been a slight decline in patients.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wang said only a sixth of the hospital’s 600 beds were occupied, but refused to allow AP journalists to enter. Two ambulances came to the hospital during the half hour AP journalists were present, and a patient’s relative told the AP they were turned away from Gaobeidian’s emergency ward because it was full.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thirty kilometers (19 miles) south in the town of Baigou, emergency ward doctor Sun Yana was candid, even as local officials listened in.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are more people with fevers, the number of patients has indeed increased,” Sun said. She hesitated, then added, “I can’t say whether I’ve become even busier or not. Our emergency department has always been busy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Baigou New Area Aerospace Hospital was quiet and orderly, with empty beds and short lines as nurses sprayed disinfectant. COVID-19 patients are separated from others, staff said, to prevent cross-infection. But they added that serious cases are being directed to hospitals in bigger cities, because of limited medical equipment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lack of ICU capacity in Baigou, which has about 60,000 residents, reflects a nationwide problem. Experts say medical resources in China’s villages and towns, home to about 500 million of China’s 1.4 billion people, lag far behind those of big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Some counties lack a single ICU bed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, patients in critical condition are forced to go to bigger cities for treatment. In Bazhou, a city 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Baigou, a hundred or more people packed the emergency ward of Langfang No. 4 People’s Hospital on Thursday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guards worked to corral the crowds as people jostled for positions. With no space in the ward, patients spilled into corridors and hallways. Sick people sprawled on blankets on the floor as staff frantically wheeled gurneys and ventilators. In a hallway, half a dozen patients wheezed on metal benches as oxygen tanks pumped air into their noses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside a CT scan room, a woman sitting on a bench wheezed as snot dribbled out of her nostrils into crumpled tissues. A man sprawled out on a stretcher outside the emergency ward as medical workers stuck electrodes to his chest. By a check-in counter, a woman sitting on a stool gasped for air as a young man held her hand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Everyone in my family has got COVID,” one man asked at the counter, as four others clamored for attention behind him. “What medicine can we get?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a corridor, a man paced as he shouted into his cellphone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The number of people has exploded!” he said. “There’s no way you can get care here, there’s far too many people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It wasn’t clear how many patients had COVID-19. Some had only mild symptoms, illustrating another issue, experts say: People in China rely more heavily on hospitals than in other countries, meaning it’s easier for emergency medical resources to be overloaded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over two hours, AP journalists witnessed half a dozen or more ambulances pull up to the hospital’s ICU and load critical patients to sprint to other hospitals, even as cars pulled up with dozens of new patients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A beige van pulled up to the ICU and honked frantically at a waiting ambulance. “Move!” the driver shouted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let’s go, let’s go!” a panicked voice cried. Five people hoisted a man bundled in blankets out of the back of the van and rushed him into the hospital. Security guards shouted in the packed ward: “Make way, make way!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The guard asked a patient to move, but backed off when a relative snarled at him. The bundled man was laid on the floor instead, amid doctors running back and forth. “Grandpa!” a woman cried, crouching over the patient.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Medical workers rushed over a ventilator. “Can you open his mouth?” someone shouted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As white plastic tubes were fitted onto his face, the man began to breathe more easily.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Others were not so lucky. Relatives surrounding another bed began tearing up as an elderly woman’s vitals flatlined. A man tugged a cloth over the woman’s face, and they stood, silently, before her body was wheeled away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Within minutes, another patient had taken her place. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 03:32:34', '2022-12-25 03:32:34'),
(3997, 3997, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Family members of Brazilian soccer great Pelé are gathering at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo where the 82-year-old global icon has been since the end of November.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Doctors said earlier this week that Pelé’s cancer had advanced, adding the three-time World Cup winner is under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.” No other hospital statements have been published since.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Edson Cholbi Nascimento, one of Pelé’s sons and known as Edinho, arrived Saturday, one day after he gave a news conference to deny he would visit his father in hospital. Edinho, who works for a soccer club in southern Brazil, had said then that only doctors could help his father.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He (Edson) is here,” Kely Nascimento, one of Pelé’s daughters, said in a posting on Instagram with a picture showing her sitting next to Edinho and two of his children at the hospital. “I am not leaving, no one will take me out of here.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hours later, Edinho, a former Santos goalkeeper, posted a picture showing his hand holding his father’s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Dad... my strength is yours,” Pelé’s son said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who is globally known as Pelé, had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. Neither his family nor the hospital have said whether it had spread to other organs.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kely Nascimento and her sister Flavia Arantes do Nascimento used their social media channels Friday night to post an undated picture of Pelé apparently holding Kely with one hand as he lay on his hospital bed and Flavia slept on a couch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We continue to be here, in this fight and with faith. Another night together,” Kely Nascimento wrote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The hospital has not mentioned any signs of Pelé’s recent respiratory infection, which was aggravated by COVID-19.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported last weekend that Pelé’s chemotherapy was not working and that doctors had decided to put him on palliative care. Pelé’s family denied that report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pelé led Brazil to victory in the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during the latest World Cup. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 04:07:00', '2022-12-25 04:07:00'),
(3998, 3998, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Australian seamer Scott Boland was Sunday confirmed to start the Boxing Day second Test in Melbourne ahead of an \"underdone\" Josh Hazlewood, while South Africa suggested they could shake up their batting line up.</b></span></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Boland replaced injured fast bowler Hazlewood in the opening Test at Brisbane and was a key performer with his red-hot form making him virtually undroppable.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">He is now assured of another game on his home ground -- where he took an incredible 6-7 on debut against England a year ago, cementing himself into Ashes folklore.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Skipper Pat Cummins told reporters the team was unchanged from the side that won by six wickets inside two days on a hostile bowler-friendly Gabba pitch in Brisbane last week, the first of a three-match series.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"We gave Joshy every chance, (but) it just got to a stage where (he) more than anyone else felt like he was a little bit underdone,\" he said.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"It\'s a mark of the man really, he himself said \'don\'t feel quite right\', so he kind of pulled himself out of selection.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"We talk a lot about how (as) a team we need a squad mentality, and I think it\'s another great example.\"</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hazlewood missed Australia\'s last two Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane due to a side strain but had been training hard in the build-up to Melbourne, where hot and humid conditions are expected.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Boland has taken 25 wickets at 10.33 since his debut at the MCG a year ago and said Friday he was hoping his local knowledge would give him the edge over Hazlewood.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Boxing Day Test will be David Warner\'s 100th, with the opener striving to end a lean run that has seen some question his position in the side.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">He is just 78 runs shy of 8,000 Test runs and has vowed to get back to his best.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"This might be a wicket where I can go out and play like the old me,\" he said.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">- Change -</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After his batsmen largely failed to fire in Brisbane -- where they were bowled out for 152 and 99 -- South African captain Dean Elgar said a change could be afoot.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">He was not willing to go into details, although middle-order batsman Theunis de Bruyn has been tipped to come in.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"The little bit I can give away is our bowlers retain their spots,\" he said.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"There\'s probably a change amongst the batters.\"</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">South Africa\'s batting struggles in Brisbane followed some poor displays earlier in the year, with only Sarel Erwee and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne making centuries since the start of the 2021/22 season.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Despite this, batting coach Justin Sammons backed them to come good as the series progresses.&nbsp;</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"We\'ve got to keep the belief and the players do have the belief,\" he said.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"We haven\'t played to our potential in the last couple of Tests and we are also determined to get it right. The guys are out there doing their best behind the scenes and I\'m confident that they are going to get it right.\"</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australia team: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo. AFP</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">bnbd24/kh</span><br></p>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 04:21:02', '2022-12-25 04:21:02'),
(3999, 3999, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Christian community is celebrating Christmas in the country, as elsewhere across the world, this morning amid festivities and enthusiasm.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christians, is annually celebrated all over the world on the 25th of December — commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">It is a time when family, friends and relatives get together to celebrate the day with colourful lights and Christmas trees decorated at homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christmas celebrations underway in Bangladesh  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Christmas carols and hymns are being sung before and after the prayer sessions at the churches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the overall security arrangements, a sufficient number of Rab personnel, along with law enforcers from other agencies, have already been deployed across the country to respond to emergencies and unforeseen situations during Christmas celebrations, sources at the Rab headquarters said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Abdul Hamid wished: “May Christmas bring endless joy and welfare to everyone including the Christian community. May everyone\'s life be filled with happiness and prosperity.” </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister wished peace, welfare and prosperity to all citizens including the Christian community on the eve and urged for collective effort from all for making a prosperous, non-communal and peaceful nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President will host a reception at Bangabhaban on the occasion this evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Archbishop of Bangladesh, ambassadors and representatives from foreign missions, distinguished members of the Christian community, religious leaders and professionals will join the reception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, President Abdul Hamid along with the guests will join a tea party. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, private TV channels and radio stations will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"7\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 04:27:31', '2022-12-25 04:52:03'),
(4000, 4000, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka has once again topped the list of world cities with the worst air quality on Christmas morning.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 374 at 9am today, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with worst air.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India’s Delhi and Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 238 and 225, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">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, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 05:02:17', '2022-12-25 05:02:17'),
(4001, 4001, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President M Abdul Hamid will host a reception for the Christian community leaders at Bangabhaban in the capital today, on the occasion of Christmas Day, the Christians’ festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The reception programme for the leaders of the Christian community will begin at 7 pm today at the Gallery Hall of the Bangabhaban,” President’s press secretary Md Joynal Abedin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The head of the state is scheduled to exchange greetings with the representatives of Christian community leaders on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;As many as 30 guests were invited to the Presidential palace, the Bangabhaban spokesman added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;The State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haq Khan, lawmakers, secretaries concerned, some envoys and representatives from different foreign missions, distinguished persons of the Christian community, and religious leaders are expected to attend the reception. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 05:38:19', '2022-12-25 05:38:19'),
(4002, 4002, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The newly-elected Awami League Central Working Committee and Advisory Council led by party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League President Sheikh Hasina first laid a wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 here this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the architect of independence of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, Sheikh Hasina along with members of the Central Working Committee and Advisory Council placed another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina was elected President of Bangladesh Awami League - the country\'s oldest political party - for the 10th consecutive term, while Obaidul Qader was re-elected as general secretary for the third time in the 22nd National Council held yesterday (December 24). BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 06:02:40', '2022-12-25 06:02:40'),
(4003, 4003, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russia has said the December 14 incident is an “expected result” of the activity of the American ambassador, who — under the pretext of caring about the rights of the citizens of Bangladesh — was “persistently trying to influence” the domestic processes in the country.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As of late, his colleagues from the British and German diplomatic missions have been engaged in the same cause and have allowed themselves to openly give recommendations to the local authorities regarding transparency and inclusiveness in the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia said they believe that such actions that “violate” the basic principles of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states are “unacceptable”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said they have noted the widely publicized incident involving the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, whose security was “allegedly threatened” by activists from a local public organization when he went to meet with the family of a supporter of an opposition political party on December 14, 2022 in Dhaka.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2013, the opposition party supporter went missing, the Russian spokesperson said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If anybody wants to ask: How about the terms ‘diplomat, immunity, embassy, security’? We always urge these things in accordance with international law and the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We urge the US, the United Kingdom and other countries to care about and comment not only on cases of their own security, but also to support their colleagues when the countries and their representatives, including at international organizations, raise questions about the security of their embassies and consular facilities,” Zakharova added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They do not care about this. At best, they remain silent and at worst, they justify those who do this. When international terrorists committed a series of attacks against our embassy in Syria, we urged the Americans to respond to this through the UN Security Council,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, “Everything was obvious. There can be no political justification for an unwillingness to publicly take a stand and use the common voice of the Security Council.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The spokesperson said Washington did not support Russia’s proposal on the council taking a clear stance on the protection of diplomats and condemning terrorist attacks at embassies and against diplomats.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There cannot be any double standards, only a joint consolidated position,” said the Russian foreign ministry official. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 06:24:50', '2022-12-25 06:24:50'),
(4004, 4004, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">India defeated Bangladesh by three wickets Sunday in the second Test in Dhaka to take the two-Test series 2-0.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shreyas Iyer (29 not out) and Ravichandran Ashwin (42 not out) put on 71 runs in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand as India reached 145-7 on a tense fourth day after resuming precariously at 45-4. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 06:33:53', '2022-12-25 06:33:53'),
(4005, 4005, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Trumpets and snares will play Brazil’s national anthem at Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s swearing-in on Jan. 1. Then, one will hear a different song on the streets, its lyrics taking a shot at outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is time for Jair, it is time for Jair ... to go away!” the lyrics say. “Pack your bags, hit the road and go away!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Lula clinched his election win over Bolsonaro on Oct. 30, tens of thousands of people sang the familiar tune throughout the night, pushing the song to the top of Spotify’s list in Brazil and showing one way that many Brazilians aren’t ready to extend olive branches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Healing Brazil’s divided society will be easier said than done. Lula’s Cabinet appointments thus far favoring leftists and stalwarts of his Workers’ Party are turning off those who trusted the divisive 77-year-old to govern alongside moderates, and who joined forces after Bolsonaro repeatedly tested the guardrails of the world’s fourth-biggest democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Governing Brazil means deals with agribusiness, evangelicals, former Bolsonaro allies. It can be frustrating for half-hearted Lula voters, but that’s what they have before them,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of course, Bolsonaro’s far-right backers are hardly the picture of post-election bonhomie. Many reject results of the vote and remain camped outside military buildings nationwide, demanding that Lula’s inauguration be impeded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil’s October election was its closest in more than three decades, pitting two arch-rivals against one another. In Lula’s victory speech on Oct. 30, he declared that “there are not two Brazils,” as tens of thousands gathered outside his hotel in Sao Paulo to celebrate his victory and Bolsonaro’s defeat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A hopeful sign for Lula’s bridge-building ambitions came days later, with leftists and moderates once again donning the nation’s yellow soccer jersey to cheer on their team at the World Cup. The shirt for almost a decade has been an anti-left symbol and often featured in protests against Lula and in favor of Bolsonaro.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula and his allies wore the yellow shirt, too, in an effort to reclaim it; he posted photos of himself to social media, and said green and yellow “are the colors of 213 million people who love this country.” Salesman Elias Gaspar said yellow jerseys started flying off his rack as the team’s flamboyant performances trickled in.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Before the World Cup I would sell on average six blue shirts and four yellow out of every ten,” Gaspar, 43, said on Dec. 4. “Now it is almost all yellow.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Soccer was a short-lived unifying force. Brazil exited the tournament earlier than expected after a surprise penalty shootout loss to Croatia in the quarterfinals, and most Brazilians stuffed their jerseys back in their drawers. Bolsonaro’s backers are the only ones still sporting the national colors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula has avoided inflaming tensions, mostly refraining from public attacks against Bolsonaro or his supporters, and instead focusing speeches on helping the most disadvantaged Brazilians once he returns to the office he held from 2003 to 2010. At times, though, us-versus-them comments have slipped past his lips. On Dec. 22, while announcing new ministers, he said Bolsonarismo remains alive and angry among those who refuse to recognize the electoral loss, so it must be defeated on Brazil’s streets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For defense minister, Lula picked conservative José Múcio Monteiro after four years of Bolsonaro striving to secure the armed forces’ allegiance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other Lula appointments seem crafted to please his base and party, such as Anielle Franco, sister of slain Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco, for minister of racial equality. He also tapped long-time ally Aloizio Mercadante to head the country’s development bank -- precisely the sort of position business leaders expected to remain clear of Workers’ Party hands.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gleisi Hoffmann, the chairwoman of Lula’s Workers’ Party, said building a Cabinet would be a challenge even if Lula were only selecting progressives. Complicating decisions further is the fact that some would-be ministers are likely 2026 presidential candidates, as Lula has indicated he won’t run for reelection.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have our differences within the Workers’ Party, now go figure what happens when we bring a dozen other parties,” Hoffmann said on her social media channels Dec. 16. “It is a puzzle, it takes time.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That may help explain why the number of ministries will nearly double, to 37.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Centrist endorsements from former environment minister Marina Silva and Simone Tebet, who finished third in the presidential race’s first round, brought in votes from Brazil’s moderates -- a demographic that grew leery of Lula since the sprawling Car Wash corruption probe landed him in jail in 2018. With their support, he beat Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points. Many expected them to be quickly announced as ministers, but negotiations have dragged on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thomas Traumann, a political consultant, said delays reflect the fact the president-elect has had a central role in negotiations for positions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People who helped him like Marina and Simone will have less stature than they would have had they been appointed shortly after he won,” Traumann said. “Lula’s luck is that moderates will view his administration like many leftist Democrats see (U.S. President Joe) Biden: they might not like what they see, but it is better than the alternative.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden’s attempt to bridge the political chasm could offer an instructional, albeit dispiriting, model, said Brian Ott, a professor of communication at Missouri State University who has researched the stratifying impact of social media on American political discourse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early in his presidency, Biden did not shy away from the fact that he was governing in a polarized country and played up his bonafides as a throwback to a different era when Democrats and Republicans could battle on the Senate floor before repairing to the dining room to hammer out compromises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The problem that Biden faces and the problem that politicians face in 51% countries like Brazil is there may no longer be smart strategies to deliver big tent messages without alienating your base,” said Ott. “We are now in a period where politics is so intensely, deeply divided culturally, where people don’t have to be exposed to different points.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Dec. 22, Lula named 16 ministers, bringing his total thus far to 21. Neither Tebet nor Silva are among them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is harder to assemble a government than to win elections,” he said while counseling his appointees to hire staffers from diverse backgrounds. “We’re trying to make a government that, as much as we can, represents the political forces that participated in our campaign.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that people who helped and haven’t yet been named will be taken into account, and are owed a debt for “daring to stick their necks out to confront fascism.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, many new Lula voters already feel inclined to jump ship. One is Thereza Bittencourt, 65, who spoke at a military club in Rio and said initial signs worry her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I took a lot of criticism from my friends at the club because I voted for Lula. All of them chose Bolsonaro. I told them the management of the economy would be better,” Bittencourt said as she sipped her caipirinha. “If I only see members of the Workers’ Party in the government, goodbye.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 07:25:02', '2022-12-25 07:25:02'),
(4006, 4006, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have launched a special drive to free the world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, from robbers – to ensure security of fishermen.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A special team named “Elite Tigers” of the battalion launched the drive on Saturday noon through a long range patrolling in Sharankhola, Joymoni, Baroitala, Andarmanik, Mrigamari and others spots. The drive will continue while another team, “Bengal Tigers”, with trawlers is kept standby to response to emergency calls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Robbers abducted 11 fishermen from different areas of the Sundarbans between December 13 and 18.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last Wednesday, police claimed that the robbers left the fishermen in the face of their drives. Some of the rescued fisherman, however, claimed that they were released after paying ransom to the abductors. Police denied this claim.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commandant Md Badruzzoha, of Rab-6, said they launched the special drive to bring the robbers, who recently kidnapped fishermen, under the law through identification.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are determined to free the Sundarbans from the criminals at any cost,” Lt Col Mostak Ahmed, commandant of the Rab-6, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Rab officer further said that law enforcers will always stand by the fishermen to provide security. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 07:56:59', '2022-12-25 07:56:59');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4007, 4007, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that she accept leadership of the party this time considering the volatile global economic situation.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“One must not take (leadership) responsibility so many times. But I accepted the responsibility considering the current global situation. You have to consider that I am getting older,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said this while exchanging greetings with party leaders and activists at Ganabhaban after being elected president of AL for the 10th time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that the confidence and trust of the masses are AL’s biggest strength.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We only believe in the power of the people,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You must strengthen the party giving highest priority to this. This is my request to you,” she told party leaders and activists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She put importance on establishing Awami League offices in every district and upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The central AL will help the local units if they are unable to set up their offices,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She put emphasis on utilizing every inch of arable land in the country to increase production for averting any unwanted situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and sanctions, economic recession has gripped the whole world. “Many rich countries have already declared to be in recession. Bangladesh must not get trapped in that situation. If we can produce extra food, we can export those in many countries mitigating our own demands.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on strengthening the party through recruiting new members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will form eight new teams for the eight divisions, their responsibilities will be to look after the recruitment of the new members,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that AL is the only organization that developed from the land and people of this country while BNP and Jatiya Party came from the pockets of military rulers who grabbed state powers illegally, violating the constitution of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They do not have any responsibility towards the people whereas we have the duties to improve the fate of the masses. Each and every leader and activist of AL have responsibilities in this regard,” she said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 08:50:39', '2022-12-25 08:50:39'),
(4008, 4008, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A light to thick blanket of fog is likely to envelop large parts of Bangladesh in the next 24 hours, starting this morning, reports UNB.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during late night to morning, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said today.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Night temperature may rise by (1-2 °C) and day temperature may rise slightly over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 9.8 degree Celsius in Dinajpur in the last 24 hours till 6am Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature was recorded at 30.1 degree Celsius in Teknaf.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the depression over southwest Bay and adjoining area moved southwestwards at 6am today, as per the latest warning of the met office.</div><div><br></div><div>All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised not to venture into the depression area, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 09:22:58', '2022-12-25 09:22:58'),
(4009, 4009, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Minister for Road, Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader said on Sunday that Awami League is united under the leadership of party President Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said this while talking to journalists after paying tribute at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the newly-elected Awami League Central Working Committee and Advisory Council led by Premier Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this morning.</div><div><br></div><div>“We elected the leadership in a democratic way at the conference; most of the senior leaders were reelected,” he said, adding that PM Sheikh Hasina understands the minds of party activists and leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>He observed that there are manifold challenges before the party centering the next national election, crisis being faced by the country due to global circumstances, militancy, and anti-government movement by the BNP.</div><div><br></div><div>The party president decided to keep the experienced leadership to face the upcoming challenges, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Quader said that he became general secretary of the party three times and his duties have increased.</div><div><br></div><div>“It is my fortune that I obtained responsibility of Awami League and it is the decision of the Premier Sheikh Hasina,” he added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 11:14:14', '2022-12-25 11:14:14'),
(4010, 4010, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">More than 50 people have been injured in an intercity coach crash in the province of British Columbia, Canada.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>It happened near the town of Merritt, where temperatures dropped to -3.9C on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>British Columbia\'s Interior Health authority has issued a Code Orange, meaning services are responding to a disaster or mass casualties.</div><div><br></div><div>It is not known what caused the crash, which happened about 160 miles (260km) from the provincial capital, Victoria.</div><div><br></div><div>Fifty-three people were taken to hospital following the incident. Their conditions have not been disclosed by the local health authorities, reports BBC</div><div><br></div><div>Premier David Eby said that he was \"shocked and saddened\" to hear of the \"serious\" incident.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 12:00:59', '2022-12-25 12:00:59'),
(4011, 4011, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A lighter vessel with 11 lakh litre of fuel sank after being hit by another vessel in Meghna river due to dense fog in sadar upazila of Bhola district early Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>KM Shafiul Kinjal, media officer of Coast Guard South Zone, said the vessel named ‘Sagar Nandini-2’ carrying 11 lakh litre of fuel from Chattogram port sank in the Meghna as another vessel hit it at Tulatuli Majher Char while heading towards Chandpur Padma Depot around 4 am.</div><div><br></div><div>The accident took place due to poor visibility caused by the dense fog.</div><div>All the fuel spilled into the river. Local people later collected the fuel in containers.</div><div><br></div><div>Fortunately, all 13 crew members of the vessel have been rescued by another vessel passing through the area.</div><div><br></div><div>On information, a team of coast guard rushed to the spot and took necessary measures to protect the river from pollution. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 12:10:35', '2022-12-25 12:10:35'),
(4012, 4012, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the West for trying to “tear apart” Russia, in extracts from an interview to be aired on national television later Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“At the core of it all is the policy of our geopolitical opponents aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia,” Putin said.</div><div><br></div><div>“They have always tried to ‘divide and conquer’... Our goal is something else — to unite the Russian people,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin has used the concept of “historical Russia” to argue that Ukrainians and Russians are one people — undermining Kyiv’s sovereignty and justifying his 10-month offensive in Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>“We are acting in the right direction, we are protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizen, of our people,” Putin said.</div><div><br></div><div>The president repeated claims that Moscow was “ready to negotiate with all participants in this process (to find) an acceptable solution” to the conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>In his first trip outside Ukraine since the offensive began in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earned firm pledges of support from US President Joe Biden, including the Pentagon’s most advanced air defense system.</div><div><br></div><div>“Of course we will destroy it, 100 percent!” Putin said, referring to the Patriot missile battery promised to Zelensky. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 13:31:22', '2022-12-25 13:31:22'),
(4013, 4013, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Police filed five cases against 81 named and around 2,000 unnamed people over a clash with BNP activists in Panchagarh on Saturday that left one BNP activist dead and at least 50 including policemen injured.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The cases were filed by five sub-inspectors of Panchagarh sadar police station on Sunday, said SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh police.</div><div><br></div><div>Police detained eight BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami activists on Saturday night during a drive over the incident, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The cases were filed on allegation of obstructing government activities, beating government officials, creating anarchy and under the Explosive Substances Act, said Abdul Latif Mia, officer-in-charge of Panchagarh sadar police station.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile the body of deceased Moyna Dighi Union BNP convener Abdur Rashid Arefin, 50, has been handed over to his family after an autopsy on Sunday, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>District BNP member secretary Farhad Hossain Azad said, “Our brother has died. We will decide our next step after discussing with family and the party following Arefin’s burial.”</div><div><br></div><div>On Saturday noon, as part of BNP’s movement for pressing home the 10-point demand it unveiled at its Dhaka divisional rally on December 10, the party\'s Panchagarh-based leaders and activists gathered at the local party office.</div><div><br></div><div>Before they could bring out any procession though, the law enforcers released tear shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the gathering, according to witnesses. Those who protested the police\'s actions were baton-charged.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP activists eventually dispersed, and then a series of chase-counter chase ensued, that continued for nearly 90 minutes. The BNP activists at this stage resorted to throwing brick chips at police.</div><div><br></div><div>It was only after additional backup forces arrived in the evening, that the police were able to finally take control of the situation well after 6pm.</div><div><br></div><div>Panchagarh SP SM Sirajul Huda, however, denied the allegation and claimed Arefin died of a heart attack, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He also claimed there were no signs of injury on Arefin’s dead body.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 13:46:57', '2022-12-25 13:46:57'),
(4014, 4014, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia turned Bangladesh into a “nation of beggars” after 1975, PM Sheikh Hasina said Sunday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said this during her closing remarks while exchanging greetings with party leaders and activists at Ganabhaban after she was reelected AL President for the 10th consecutive term.</div><div><br></div><div>When AL came to power, Bangladesh was free of “monga”&nbsp; (famine-like situation), she said. “Today we have achieved self-sufficiency in food production.”</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said Awami League is an organization formed by the hands of the Father of the Nation and the party was born through movements for establishing rights of the people. AL must continue that tradition, she told party leaders and activists.</div><div><br></div><div>The AL chief asked her party\'s affluent members to come forward in helping the dedicated but insolvent workers in their respective areas.</div><div><br></div><div>She said there are many insolvent activists in AL who are dedicated to politics, even if it means selling off their ancestral land, but never desired anything.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said many, including Ayub Khan, Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia, wanted to destroy AL but could not as the party has so many dedicated activists.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the global economic downturn, she said her government is trying its best to continue keeping the economy vibrant and is exercising austerity in undertaking and implementing development projects.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'re putting importance on the projects which are very essential. And we are completing the implementation of the projects quickly which would ensure benefits for the people,\"&nbsp; she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said now her government\'s goal is to make Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country — turning it into \'Smart Bangladesh\' by 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>She said every community up to the grassroots level of the country would turn into a smart community by using digital devices and online platforms.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"Everyone will be adept at using computers and technology,\" said the PM, adding that smart and digital devices will be used in every sector including economic activities, healthcare services, education and agriculture. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 15:10:51', '2022-12-25 15:10:51'),
(4015, 4015, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The health authorities said that the expiry dates of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses used to administer the second booster shot have been extended by 70 days.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The decision was made with the approval of manufacturers Pfizer-BioNTech and the World Health Organisation. The Bangladesh National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group has also approved their use.</div><div><br></div><div>There are no issues administering this fourth dose of the vaccine, the Directorate General of Health Services said at a virtual press conference on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The DGHS rolled out the second booster dose across the country on Dec 20. The Pfizer vaccine has been used for the fourth dose. The immunisation programme sent instructions about the extension of the expiry date across the country on Dec 20.</div><div><br></div><div>The expiry dates for the Pfizer shots were extended from Nov 30 to Feb 28 with permission from its manufacturers and the UN’s health agency, according to a letter from Dr Md Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Management Task Force.</div><div><br></div><div>Any vials or boxes of the vaccine must be used within 70 days of being mixed, or within 70 days of their date of expiry or whichever comes first, according to the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of health services, says that some media outlets had reported that the DGHS were using expired vaccines. “The issue is sensitive, so we called a press conference to explain,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 16:18:11', '2022-12-25 16:18:11'),
(4016, 4016, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">&nbsp;Farmers have begun transplantation of Boro rice seedlings in Rangpur agriculture region this season aiming to enchaining rice output for ensuring food security amid global crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine War.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers have so far prepared Boro rice seedbeds on 22,500 hectares of land against the fixed target of preparing the same on 23,176 hectares of land.</div><div><br></div><div>“Transplantation of Boro rice seedlings continues in low-lying and riverine char areas as the process will get full momentum from mid-January next on the mainland,” said Additional Director of the DAE’s Rangpur region Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam.</div><div><br></div><div>The DAE has fixed a target of producing 22,30,219 tonnes of clean Boro rice (33,45,329 tonnes of paddy) from 5,07,075 hectares of land for all five districts in the region during the current Rabi season.</div><div><br></div><div>Farmers will produce 10,73,085 tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 2,19,900 hectares of land, 11,54,663 tonnes of high yielding variety rice from 2,85,800 hectares and 2,471 tonnes of local variety Boro rice from 1,350 hectares of land.</div><div><br></div><div>“Farmers have so far transplanted Boro rice seedlings on 500 hectares of land in the region till Saturday,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The DAE and other agriculture-related departments and different organizations have taken adequate preparations to ensure smooth delivery of seed, fertilizer, electricity and technologies to farmers to make the intensive Boro rice farming program a success.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have also taken steps to popularize large-scale adoption of conservation agriculture technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method in farming Boro rice to save water and increase rice output at reduced costs,” Alam said.</div><div><br></div><div>He suggested farmers to irrigate Boro rice seedbeds at nights and discharge the water in the mornings and keep their seedbeds under cover of polythene sheets to save the tender seedlings from damage if the sweeping cold wave situation deteriorates.</div><div><br></div><div>“As the process of preparing seedbeds is nearing completion, most farmers are preparing their crop lands to transplant Boro rice seedlings soon” Alam added.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar in Rangpur said he has completed preparing Boro rice seedbeds to begin transplantation of the seedlings on his five acres of land after three weeks to complete the process by early February next.</div><div><br></div><div>“As per suggestion of field level agriculture officers, I am currently taking special care of growing tender plants of Boro rice seedlings so that those were not affected by the mild cold wave currently sweeping over the Rangpur region,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Director (Leave Reserved) of the DAE at Khamarbari in Dhaka Abu Sayem suggested farmers complete transplantation of Boro rice seedlings within February 15 next to get the maximum yield rate, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>\"Farmers will face no hurdles as authorities concerned have taken ample steps to ensure a smooth supply of fuel, power and fertiliser as part of the government’s comprehensive steps to make the Boro rice farming program a success,\" Sayem added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 16:22:15', '2022-12-25 16:22:15'),
(4017, 4017, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The much awaited first ever elevated metro rail is ready for commercial operation as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the metro rail on December 28.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Dhaka is the second largest city in South Asia and the seventh largest in the world in terms of population. And the capital city is getting the most modern transportation system with metro rail for commuters,\" Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS here today.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the metro rail will reduce public sufferings, which will be able to transport more passengers in a less time with comfortable means.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Currently, the authorities of the metro rail are busy for giving finishing touch to stations, stairs, escalators, vending machines, ticketing system, fresh rooms, platforms, elevators, CCTV cameras, waiting rooms and others for providing facilities as per the international standard.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, trial run is going on from Uttara to Agargaon. Common people believe that along with the reduction of traffic congestion in the capital, revenue collection will increase through the launch of metro rail after Padma Bridge.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the project details, initially some 10-set of train having six coaches will run from Uttara to Agargaon. If one of the 10-set of train goes out of service, the remaining two will run as support. For the time being, the train will run on this route slowly.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;However, if the train starts at full speed, one train will run every three and a half minutes. How long the train will stay at a station has not been decided yet.</div><div><br></div><div>At each station, the train will wait till the boarding and alighting of passengers is completed. Each train can run at a speed of 100 to 110 km with 2,300 passengers. However, the speed will be lower in areas with bends.</div><div><br></div><div>Common people said around 23,000 people are living in every square kilometer of the capital city, which has 306 square kilometers. As a result, traffic congestion is a common phenomenon in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>They said three political parties have ruled the country for several periods after independence. None of the parties made much progress at the district or divisional level.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;As a result, the country\'s major industries have developed in the capital. Every year, thousands of common people rush to Dhaka from villages for livelihood.</div><div><br></div><div>After assuming power in 2009, the Awami League government took various initiatives to reduce the pressure on the capital. Initiatives were taken to build metro rail across the capital to ease traffic congestion, according to the project details.</div><div><br></div><div>It said that according to the government announcement, one of the three parts of the metro rail is going to be inaugurated this month of victory (December). Now it is only a matter of time to wait for the train to run from Diabari, Uttara to Agargaon.</div><div><br></div><div>The metro rail will be able to carry 60 thousand passengers per hour and half a million passengers per day and one train will arrive at each station every four minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the elevated metro rail will reduce pressure on roads.</div><div><br></div><div>Stakeholders said that the 11.73 km section of metro rail project from Uttara Diabari to Agargaon will be inaugurated on December 28.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Later, the second section from Agargaon to Motijheel and the third section i.e. from Motijheel to Kamalapur railway station will be launched in phases.</div><div><br></div><div>They said that metro rail will be launched from Agargaon to Motijheel in December next year.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is set to embark on a new era of commuting with a new mode of transport hitherto unseen on the land-the elevated metro rail of Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been constructing the metro rail and providing soft loan to the project. The JICA gave Taka 19,500 crore for the project. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 16:38:02', '2022-12-25 16:38:02'),
(4018, 4018, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three major international aid groups on Sunday suspended their operations in Afghanistan following a decision by the country’s Taliban rulers to ban women from working at non-governmental organizations.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said they cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without the women in their workforces. The NGO ban was introduced a day earlier, allegedly because women weren’t wearing the Islamic headscarf correctly.</div><div><br></div><div>The three NGOs provide healthcare, education, child protection and nutrition services and support amid plummeting humanitarian conditions.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have complied with all cultural norms and we simply can’t work without our dedicated female staff, who are essential for us to access women who are in desperate need of assistance,” Neil Turner, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s chief for Afghanistan, told The Associated Press on Sunday. He said the group has 468 female staff in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The Taliban takeover in August 2021 sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin and transformed the country, driving millions into poverty and hunger. Foreign aid stopped almost overnight. Sanctions on Taliban rulers, a halt on bank transfers and frozen billions in Afghanistan’s currency reserves have already restricted access to global institutions and the outside money that supported the country’s aid-dependent economy before the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, in an interview with the AP, a top official from the International Committee of the Red Cross, Martin Schuepp, said more Afghans will struggle for survival as living conditions deteriorate in the year ahead and the country braces for its second winter under Taliban rule.</div><div><br></div><div>The U.S. warned the NGO ban will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions.</div><div><br></div><div>“Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. “This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”</div><div><br></div><div>The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply disturbed by reports of the NGO ban.</div><div><br></div><div>“The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive,” he said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>The International Rescue Committee said it was dismayed by the Taliban decision, adding that more than 3,000 of its staff in Afghanistan are women. It was not immediately clear if it is also suspending operations.</div><div><br></div><div>The NGO order came in a letter on Saturday from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif. It said any organization found not complying with the order will have their license revoked in Afghanistan. Ministry spokesman, Abdul Rahman Habib, declined to comment Sunday on the NGOs’ decision to suspend their operations or give details about the ban.</div><div><br></div><div>The flurry of rulings from the all-male and religiously-driven Taliban government are reminiscent of their rule in the late 1990s, when they banned women from education and public spaces and outlawed music, television and many sports.</div><div><br></div><div>The Economy Ministry’s order comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.</div><div><br></div><div>At around midnight Saturday in the western city of Herat, where earlier protesters were dispersed with water cannons, people opened their windows and chanted “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” in solidarity with female students.</div><div><br></div><div>In the southern city of Kandahar, also on Saturday, hundreds of male students boycotted their final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University. One of them told The Associated Press that Taliban forces tried to break up the crowd as they left the exam hall.</div><div><br></div><div>“They tried to disperse us so we chanted slogans, then others joined in with the slogans,” said Akhbari, who only gave his last name. “We refused to move and the Taliban thought we were protesting. The Taliban started shooting their rifles into the air. I saw two guys being beaten, one of them to the head.”</div><div><br></div><div>A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor, Ataullah Zaid, denied there was a protest. There were some people who were pretending to be students and teachers, he said, but they were stopped by students and security forces. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-25 16:41:47', '2022-12-25 16:41:47'),
(4019, 4019, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least one arrest has been made in Lebanon after an Irish soldier died while on a UN peacekeeping mission.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pte Seán Rooney was in an armoured UN vehicle which came under fire while travelling to Beirut on 14 December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several arrests were made, the influential pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to AFP news agency, quoting an unnamed security source, the prime suspect was handed over by the powerful Hezbollah militant group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The main shooter has been arrested by security forces after Hezbollah handed him over hours ago,\" the source said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the shooting. It is not clear whether the suspect is a member of the militant group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The village where Pte Rooney was killed is a stronghold of the Iran-backed Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three separate investigations are being conducted into the incident by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Lebanese authorities led by a military prosecutor and the Irish Defence Forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is understood the vehicle was surrounded by a mob and fired on while travelling to Beirut at about 21:00 on 14 December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pte Rooney was repatriated to Ireland last Monday following a UN ceremony to honour him in Beirut the previous day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar were among mourners present at Pte Rooney\'s funeral service in County Louth on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another soldier who was seriously injured in the same attack was returned home to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trooper Shane Kearney, who suffered a head injury, was flown by a medical aircraft from Beirut Airport to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, then taken to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 02:03:03', '2022-12-26 02:03:03'),
(4020, 4020, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 38 deaths have now been linked to a severe Arctic freeze that continues to pummel the US and Canada.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials say 34 people died across the US, with the worst-hit area being the city of Buffalo, in New York state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Four fatalities occurred in Canada when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm has wreaked havoc for days but power has been steadily restored after earlier blackouts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fewer than 200,000 customers were without power as of Sunday afternoon EDT, down from a peak of 1.7 million, the Associated Press reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of flights have been cancelled, preventing many people from reaching their families at Christmas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 55 million Americans remained under wind chill alerts on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The reach of the blizzard conditions has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as Texas.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \"bomb cyclone\" winter storm - which occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets, causing heavy snow and winds - has disrupted travel across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">New York State Governor Kathy Hochul - a native of Buffalo - said : \"This will go down in history as Buffalo\'s most devastating storm.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the seven dead in the area were found in cars and snow banks, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told Reuters news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are bearing the brunt of the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Quebec almost 120,000 customers were without electricity on Sunday. Officials say it some could take days for some households to be reconnected. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 02:29:25', '2022-12-26 02:29:25'),
(4021, 4021, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Five top non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have suspended work in Afghanistan after women were banned from working for them by the Taliban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Care International, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Save the Children said they could not continue their work \"without our female staff\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Rescue Committee also suspended services while Islamic Relief said it was stopping most of its work.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghanistan\'s ruling Taliban have been steadily repressing women\'s rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The latest edict on NGOs came just days after the Taliban banned women from attending university.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdel Rahman Habib, spokesman for the Taliban\'s ministry of economy, accused female workers at the foreign aid groups of breaking dress codes by not wearing hijabs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Taliban threatened to cancel the licence of any organisation that did not swiftly comply with the ban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A number of aid groups have since spoken out, demanding that women should be allowed to continue working for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders of Care, the NRC and Save the Children said in a joint statement the organisations \"would not have jointly reached millions of Afghans in need since August 2021\" were it not for their female staff.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan,\" their statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separately, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) - which employs 3,000 women across Afghanistan - said its ability to deliver services relied on \"female staff at all levels of our organisation\" and if women could not be employed, they could not deliver to \"those in need\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Islamic Relief said it had taken the \"difficult decision to temporarily suspend non-lifesaving activities in Afghanistan\" including \"projects that support impoverished families to earn a living as well as education and some healthcare projects\". Life-saving healthcare, it added, would continue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Islamic Relief is calling on the Afghan authorities to immediately lift the ban on female NGO workers,\" the organisation said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The ban will have a devastating humanitarian impact on millions of vulnerable men, women and children across the country. We are dismayed that this ruling comes just a few days after increased restrictions on Afghan girls\' access to education.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations\' top humanitarian coordinator, said the UN was trying to get the ban reversed and that it was a \"red line for the entire humanitarian community\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations could stop humanitarian aid delivery in Afghanistan if the Taliban authorities do not reverse their edict banning women aid workers, the official told the BBC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Mr Alakbarov said it was still unclear what the Taliban meant by its edict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the Taliban\'s minister of health had told the UN the agency should continue its health-related work and women could \"report to work and discharge their services\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other ministries had also contacted the UN directly to say work in the areas of disaster management and emergencies should continue, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jan Egeland of the NRC said nearly 500 of the aid group\'s 1,400 workers were women, and that female staff had been operating \"according to all traditional values, dress code, movement, [and] separation of offices\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he hoped the decision would be \"reversed in the next few days\" and warned that millions would suffer if NGOs\' work was obstructed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NGOs also expressed concern about the effect the ban would have on jobs \"in the midst of an enormous economic crisis\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Female Afghan NGO workers acting as the main earners in their household previously told the BBC of their fear and helplessness following the ban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One asked: \"If I cannot go to my job, who can support my family?\" Another breadwinner called the news \"shocking\" and insisted she had complied with the Taliban\'s strict dress code.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ban triggered international outcry, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning it would \"disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since seizing back control of the country last year, the Taliban have steadily restricted women\'s rights - despite promising its rule would be softer than the regime seen in the 1990s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As well as the bans on NGO workers and female university students - in the case of students, now being enforced by armed guards - secondary schools for girls remain closed in most provinces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Women have also been prevented from entering parks and gyms, among other public places. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 02:35:31', '2022-12-26 02:35:31');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4022, 4022, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday to ride out the winter storm that has killed at least 34 people across the United States and is expected to claim more lives after trapping some residents inside houses with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Travelers’ weather woes are likely to continue, with hundreds of flight cancellations already and more expected after a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow. Some 1,707 domestic and international flights were canceled on Sunday as of about 2 p.m. EDT, according to the tracking site FlightAware.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, with hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions, paralyzing emergency response efforts. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded Saturday and implored people Sunday to respect an ongoing driving ban in the region. Officials said the airport would be shut through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 43 inches (109 centimeters) at 7 a.m. Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Daylight revealed cars nearly covered by 6-foot snowdrifts and thousands of houses, some adorned in unlit holiday displays, dark from a lack of power. With snow swirling down untouched and impassable streets, forecasters warned that an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow was possible in some areas through early Monday morning amid wind gusts of 40 mph. Police said Sunday evening that there were two “isolated” instances of looting during the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two people died in their suburban Cheektowaga, New York, homes Friday when emergency crews could not reach them in time to treat their medical conditions. County Executive Mark Poloncarz 10 more people died in Erie County during the storm, including six in Buffalo, and warned there may be more dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Some were found in cars, some were found on the street in snowbanks,\" said Poloncarz. “We know there are people who have been stuck in cars for more than 2 days.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Freezing conditions and day-old power outages had Buffalonians scrambling to get to anywhere that had heat amid what Hochul called the longest sustained blizzard conditions ever in the city. But with streets under a thick blanket of white, that wasn\'t an option for people like Jeremy Manahan, who charged his phone in his parked car after almost 29 hours without electricity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There’s one warming shelter, but that would be too far for me to get to. I can’t drive, obviously, because I’m stuck,” Manahan said. “And you can’t be outside for more than 10 minutes without getting frostbit.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ditjak Ilunga of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was on his way to visit relatives in Hamilton, Ontario, for Christmas with his daughters Friday when their SUV was trapped in Buffalo. Unable to get help, they spent hours with the engine running, buffeted by wind and nearly buried in snow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By 4 a.m. Saturday, their fuel nearly gone, Ilunga made a desperate choice to risk the howling storm to reach a nearby shelter. He carried 6-year-old Destiny on his back while 16-year-old Cindy clutched their Pomeranian puppy, following his footprints through drifts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If I stay in this car I’m going to die here with my kids,” Ilunga recalled thinking. He cried when the family walked through the shelter doors. “It’s something I will never forget in my life.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm knocked out power in communities from Maine to Seattle. But heat and lights were steadily being restored across the U.S. According to poweroutage.us, less than 200,000 customers were without power Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT — down from a peak of 1.7 million.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concerns about rolling blackouts across eastern states subsided Sunday after PJM Interconnection said its utilities could meet the day’s peak electricity demand. The mid-Atlantic grid operator had called for its 65 million consumers to conserve energy amid the freeze Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In North Carolina, less than 6,500 customers had no power — down from a peak of 485,000. Across New England, power has been restored to tens of thousands with just under 83,000 people, mostly in Maine, still without it. In New York, about 34,000 households were still without power Sunday, including 26,000 in Erie County, where utility crews and hundreds of National Guard troops battled high winds and struggled with getting stuck in the snow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Storm-related deaths were reported in recent days all over the country: 12 in Erie County, New York, ranging in age from 26 to 93 years old, and another in Niagara County where a 27-year-old man was overcome by carbon monoxide after snow blocked his furnace; 10 in Ohio, including an electrocuted utility worker and those killed in multiple car crashes; six motorists killed in crashes in Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky; a Vermont woman struck by a falling branch; an apparently homeless man found amid Colorado\'s subzero temperatures; and a woman who fell through Wisconsin river ice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Jackson, Mississippi, city officials on Christmas Day announced that residents must now boil their drinking water due to water lines bursting in the frigid temperatures</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Buffalo, William Kless was up at 3 a.m. Sunday. He called his three children at their mother’s house to wish them Merry Christmas and then headed off on his snowmobile for a second day spent shuttling people from stuck cars and frigid homes to a church operating as a warming shelter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through heavy, wind-driven snow, he brought about 15 people to the church in Buffalo on Saturday, he said, including a family of five transported one-by-one. He also got a man in need of dialysis, who had spent 17 hours stranded in his car, back home, where he could receive treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I just felt like I had to,” Kless said. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 03:07:01', '2022-12-26 03:07:01'),
(4023, 4023, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China’s military sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the island, Taiwan’s defense ministry said Monday, after China expressed anger at Taiwan-related provisions i n a U.S. annual defense spending bill passed on Saturday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China’s military harassment of self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims is its own territory, has intensified in recent years, and the Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army has sent planes or ships toward the island on a near-daily basis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, 47 of the Chinese planes crossed the median of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary once tacitly accepted by both sides, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the planes China sent towards Taiwan were 18 J-16 fighter jets, 11 J-1 fighters, 6 Su-30 fighters and drones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taiwan said it monitored the Chinese moves through its land-based missile systems, as well as on its own navy vessels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a firm response to the current US-Taiwan escalation and provocation,” said Shi Yi, the spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, in a statement on Sunday night. It announced that the PLA was holding joint combat patrols and joint strike drills in the waters around Taiwan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shi was referring to the U.S. defense spending bill, which calls China a strategic challenge. With regard to the Indo-Pacific region, the legislation authorizes increased security cooperation with Taiwan and requires expanded cooperation with India on emerging defense technologies, readiness and logistics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China’s military has often used large military exercises as a demonstration of force in response to U.S. government actions in support of Taiwan. It conducted large live-fire military exercises in August in response to U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Beijing views visits from foreign governments to the island as de facto recognition of the island as independent and a challenge to China’s claim of sovereignty. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 03:10:59', '2022-12-26 03:10:59'),
(4024, 4024, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dozens of hungry and weak Rohingya Muslims were found on a beach in Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Sunday after weeks at sea, officials said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The group of 58 men arrived on Indrapatra beach at Ladong, a fishing village in Aceh Besar district, early Sunday, said local police chief Rolly Yuiza Away. Villagers who saw the group of ethnic Rohingya on a rickety wooden boat helped them to land and then reported their arrival to authorities, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They look very weak from hunger and dehydration. Some of them are sick after a long and severe voyage at sea,” said Away, adding that the men received food and water from villagers and others as they waited for further instructions from immigration and local officials in Aceh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least three of the men were rushed to a health clinic for medical care, and others are also receiving various medical treatments, Away said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United Nations and other groups on Friday urged countries in South Asia to rescue as many as 190 people believed to be Rohingya refugees aboard a small boat that has been adrift for several weeks in the Andaman Sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Reports indicate those onboard have now remained at sea for a month in dire conditions with insufficient food or water, without any efforts by States in the region to help save human lives,” the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement. “Many are women and children, with reports of up to 20 people dying on the unseaworthy vessel during the journey.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Away said it wasn’t clear where the group was traveling from or if they were part of the group of 190 Rohingya refugees that has been adrift in the Andaman Sea. But one of the men who spoke some Malay said they had been at sea for more than a month and had aimed to land in Malaysia to seek a better life and work there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Groups of Rohingya have attempted to leave the crowded camps in Bangladesh and travel by sea in hazardous voyages to other Muslim-majority countries in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslim-dominated Malaysia has been a common destination for the boats, and traffickers have promised the refugees a better life there. But many Rohingya refugees who land in Malaysia face detention.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although Indonesia is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention, the UNHCR said that a 2016 presidential regulation provides a national legal framework governing the treatment of refugees on boats in distress near Indonesia and to help them disembark.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These provisions have been implemented for years, most recently last month when about 219 Rohingya refugees, including 63 women and 40 children, were rescued off the coast of North Aceh district aboard two rickety boats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We urge the government of Indonesia to rescue the boats and allow them to safely disembark,\" Amnesty International Indonesia\'s executive director Usman Hamid said. “We also urge the Indonesian government to lead a regional initiative to resolve the refugee crisis.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Thursday, the U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, urged governments in South and Southeast Asia “to immediately and urgently coordinate search and rescue for this boat and ensure safe disembarkation of those aboard before any further loss of life occurs.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“While many in the world are preparing to enjoy a holiday season and ring in a new year, boats bearing desperate Rohingya men, women and young children, are setting off on perilous journeys in unseaworthy vessels,” Andrews said in a statement. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 03:36:16', '2022-12-26 03:36:16'),
(4025, 4025, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Sunday warned its staff of a possible attack on Americans at a top hotel in Pakistan\'s capital as the city was already on high alert following a suicide bombing earlier in the week.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The U.S. government is aware of information that “unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays,\" the embassy said in a security alert. The advisory banned its American personnel from visiting the popular hotel over the holidays.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. mission also urged all personnel to refrain from non-essential travel in Islamabad during the holiday season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The embassy directive came two days after a suicide bombing in a residential area of the capital killed a police officer and wounded ten others. The explosion happened when police stopped a taxi for inspection during a patrol. According to the police, a rear seat passenger detonated explosives he was carrying, blowing up the vehicle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Militants with the Pakistani Taliban, who are separate from but allied with Afghanistan\'s rulers, later claimed the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Islamabad\'s administration has since put the city on high alert, banning public gatherings and processions, even as campaigns are ongoing for upcoming local elections. Police have stepped up patrols and established snap checkpoints to inspect vehicles across the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A suicide bombing targeted the capital\'s Marriott Hotel in September 2008, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the capital. Attackers drove a dump truck up to the hotel\'s gates before detonating it, killing 63 people and wounding over 250 others. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 03:41:47', '2022-12-26 03:41:47'),
(4026, 4026, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Vladimir Putin has blasted the West for trying to \"tear apart\" Russia and said in an interview aired on national television that his offensive in Ukraine aimed to \"unite the Russian people\".</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile in Kyiv, a day after deadly shelling in southern Ukraine, r+esidents held Christmas services on Sunday, defying Russian spiritual leaders who celebrate it on January 7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin has used the concept of \"historical Russia\" to argue that Ukrainians and Russians are one people -- undermining Kyiv\'s sovereignty and justifying his 10-month offensive in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Russia\'s \"geopolitical opponents (were) aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Divide and conquer, that\'s what they have always sought to accomplish and are still seeking to do,\" Putin added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But our goal is different: it\'s to unite the Russian people,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin declared his government was acting \"in the right direction... protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizens, of our people.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He repeated that Moscow was ready to negotiate and appeared unfazed when asked about the new air defence system the United States will deliver to Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Of course we will destroy it, 100 percent!\" Putin said, referring to the Patriot missile battery promised to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>- Kherson \'terror\' -</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier this week, in his first trip outside Ukraine since the offensive began, Zelensky earned firm pledges of support from US President Joe Biden, including the Pentagon\'s most advanced air defence system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Western military and financial aid has been crucial for Ukraine\'s pushback of Russian troops -- including from Kherson, the only regional capital that was held by Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite Russia\'s retreat from the city, it remains within reach of Moscow\'s weaponry and under constant threat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ukrainian army counted 71 strikes on the partly recaptured Kherson region on Saturday, including 41 on the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This included deadly shelling on a busy market in the city centre that left 10 people dead and 55 injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian-installed head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram the shelling was \"a disgusting provocation\" by Ukraine used to blame Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his daily address on Sunday, Zelensky condemned Russian \"terrorists\" and thanked all his compatriots -- including soldiers, doctors, volunteers -- involved in defending Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Thank you... to everyone who came to Kherson to help. To save the wounded from the terrorists\' strike on Christmas. Artillery and mortar against ordinary Kherson streets... monsters!\" Zelensky said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>- Defiant Christmas -</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday, church bells pealed throughout Kyiv as Orthodox Christians attended Christmas services, in break with the Russian spiritual leaders who will mark the holiday in two weeks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At a service in central Kyiv, worshipper Olga Stanko told AFP she supported any move that would distance Ukraine from Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The war has brought us so much grief,\" she said. \"We cannot do this with Russia, remain under its influence.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also attending the service, Olena Zakharova-Gorianska said she was happy to be celebrating Christmas on December 25 for the first time -- describing it as an obvious choice after surviving Russian occupation in the town of Gostomel, north of Kyiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I do not want to have anything to do with the occupiers, with the enemy,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decision by some Ukrainian churches to observe Christmas on December 25 highlights the deepening rift between religious leaders in Kyiv and Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Interfax-Ukraine poll showed an increasing number in favour of moving the Christian holy day to December 25, jumping from 26 percent in 2021 to 44 percent in 2022, though 31 percent were still against it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine had been under Moscow\'s spiritual leadership since at least the 17th century, but part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke with Moscow in 2019 over Russia\'s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in the east.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In May, the Russia-backed branch of Ukraine\'s Orthodox Church also severed ties with Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From the St Peter\'s Basilica at the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an end to the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"May the Lord... enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war!\" the Argentine pontiff said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 04:00:10', '2022-12-26 04:00:10'),
(4027, 4027, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Four major international aid groups on Sunday suspended their operations in Afghanistan following a decision by the country’s Taliban rulers to ban women from working at non-governmental organizations.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said they cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without the women in their workforces. The NGO ban was introduced a day earlier, allegedly because women weren’t wearing the Islamic headscarf correctly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The four NGOs are providing healthcare, education, child protection and nutrition services and support amid plummeting humanitarian conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have complied with all cultural norms and we simply can’t work without our dedicated female staff, who are essential for us to access women who are in desperate need of assistance,\" Neil Turner, the Norwegian Refugee Council\'s chief for Afghanistan, told The Associated Press on Sunday. He said the group has 468 female staff in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Taliban takeover in August 2021 sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin and transformed the country, driving millions into poverty and hunger. Foreign aid stopped almost overnight. Sanctions on Taliban rulers, a halt on bank transfers and frozen billions in Afghanistan’s currency reserves have already restricted access to global institutions and the outside money that supported the country’s aid-dependent economy before the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that excluding women from schools and NGO work in Afghanistan “can and will lead to catastrophic humanitarian consequences in the short to long term.” The Taliban also banned female students from attending universities across the country this week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, in an interview with the AP, a top official from the the Red Cross, Martin Schuepp, said more Afghans will struggle for survival as living conditions deteriorate in the year ahead. Half of Afghanistan\'s population, or 24 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid, according to the group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Top U.S. officials, including the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the charge d\'affaires to Afghanistan Karen Decker, condemned the move.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Decker, tweeting in Dari on Sunday, said: “As a representative of the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, I feel I have the right to an explanation of how the Taliban intends to prevent women & children from starving, when women are no longer permitted to distribute assistance to other women & children.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her remarks triggered a response from the Taliban-led government\'s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, who said all institutions wanting to operate in the country are obliged to comply with its rules and regulations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We do not allow anyone to talk rubbish or make threats regarding the decisions of our leaders under the title of humanitarian aid,” he said in a tweet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Rescue Committee said it was dismayed by the Taliban decision, adding that more than 3,000 of its staff in Afghanistan are women. “If we are not allowed to employ women, we are not able to deliver to those in need,” the group said in a statement announcing it was suspending work in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The NGO order came in a letter on Saturday from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif. It said any organization found not complying with the order will have their license revoked in Afghanistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flurry of rulings from the all-male and religiously-driven Taliban government are reminiscent of their rule in the late 1990s, when they banned women from education and public spaces and outlawed music, television and many sports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Economy Ministry\'s order comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At around midnight Saturday in the western city of Herat, where earlier protesters were dispersed with water cannons, people opened their windows and chanted “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” in solidarity with female students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the southern city of Kandahar, also on Saturday, hundreds of male students boycotted their final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University. One of them told The Associated Press that Taliban forces tried to break up the crowd as they left the exam hall.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They tried to disperse us so we chanted slogans, then others joined in with the slogans,” said Akhbari, who only gave his last name. “We refused to move and the Taliban thought we were protesting. The Taliban started shooting their rifles into the air. I saw two guys being beaten, one of them to the head.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor, Ataullah Zaid, denied there was a protest. There were some people who were pretending to be students and teachers, he said, but they were stopped by students and security forces. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 04:34:37', '2022-12-26 04:35:16'),
(4028, 4028, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Poor visibility caused by thick fog has disrupted the ferry services on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat route on Monday morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Besides, the movement of all types of water transports has been suspended.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khorshed Alam, office assistant manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Daulatdia point, said the ferry services remained suspended from 6 am due to poor visibility.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heavy fog started to cover the river basins of Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat points from midnight. The authorities halted all ferry services on these two routes to avoid the risk of accidents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two ferries remained stranded in the middle of the Padma and operation of nine more ferries was cancelled on the route, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read more: Dense fog disrupts Daulatdia-Paturia ferry services</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">About 30 vehicles and at least 200 passengers on two ferries got stranded in the middle of the river and suffering amid heavy cold.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The service will resume once the fog disappears. However, there is no pressure of vehicles on the both points, said Shah Md. Khaled Nawaz, deputy general manager (Commercial) of BIWTC at Aricha point. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 04:39:03', '2022-12-26 04:39:03'),
(4029, 4029, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australia\'s men\'s Test Player of the Year award will be renamed in Shane Warne\'s honour, officials said Monday, as tributes were paid to the late spin-king at the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Warne, considered by many as second in stature only to Donald Bradman in sports-mad Australia, died unexpectedly aged just 52 in March.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Shane Warne Men\'s Test Player of the Year award will be presented annually, second only to the prestigious Allan Border Medal for the most outstanding player across all formats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As one of Australia\'s all-time greats, it is fitting we acknowledge Shane\'s extraordinary contribution to Test cricket by naming this award in his honour in perpetuity,\" said Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The announcement came on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Warne\'s home venue where he achieved many memorable feats, including an Ashes hat-trick and his 700th Test wicket.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Warne\'s Test cap number 350 has been painted square of the wicket for the duration of the match, while both the Australian and South African teams wore floppy white hats in his memory during the national anthem ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"His place as a legend of Australian and world sport is assured,\" added Hockley.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Whilst we continue to mourn his passing, it is fitting that we honour Shane at his beloved Boxing Day Test at the MCG.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A stand at the venue has already been named in his honour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Credited with reviving the art of leg-spin, Warne took 708 Test wickets as part of a dominant Australian team in the 1990s and 2000s before becoming a respected commentator. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 04:59:08', '2022-12-26 04:59:08'),
(4030, 4030, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Once Tania Parvin, and her four-member family, had to struggle to make ends meet. One day she saw a video on YouTube on how to make vermicompost at home, and her journey to economic emancipation started.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the help of the local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), she began her production with a three-ring slab in 2017 after receiving training. Gradually her production expanded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Twelve to 15 tons of fertilizer is produced from my 36 units every month. I had only 12 units in the beginning. The retail price per kg is Tk 15 and the wholesale price is TK12,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She now earns Tk 100,000 per month by producing the organic fertilizer.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tania is now selling this fertilizer in various parts of the country. She said, the demand for this fertilizer is increasing by the day.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My fertilizer has grown in popularity. I\'m also selling it in various parts of the country. My husband is very supportive,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Inspired by her, many women from Faridpur district started producing the fertilizer at home and are making a good living.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Many women are now coming to me to learn how to make organic fertilizer”, she added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This organic fertilizer refreshes the soil, has no side effects, and is cheap. It\'s quite popular among the local farmers now.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farmers from different areas buy the fertilizer from Tania. She also educates them on how to cultivate with this natural fertilizer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazrul Islam, a farmer from Ambikapur village, said that the price of organic fertilizer is lower than that of chemical fertilizers in the market.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As it doesn’t damage the soil, we have started using organic fertilizer. I am seeing good results. It also improves soil fertility,” the farmer observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zafar Khan, counselor of ward no.1 of the municipality, said “Tania had struggled a lot. We welcome her initiative. Five-six people are now working with her. She is contributing to alleviating poverty as well.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Faridpur Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Anwar Hossain said, “We have supported her in a number of ways. I occasionally visit her farm and offer advice. Following in her footsteps, many people have begun producing this organic fertilizer.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In nine upazilas of the district, at least 1,300 people — mostly women — are currently involved in the production of vermicompost, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Faridpur. Each year, they produce 151 tonnes of vermicompost. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 05:31:06', '2022-12-26 05:31:06'),
(4031, 4031, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Chattogram-bound train derailed in Kewatkhali of Mymensingh on Monday morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A wagon of Nasirabad Express train veered off the tracks around 8am, said Mymensingh GRP Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Mohiuddin Ahmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The rail communication on Mymensingh-Bhairab route&nbsp; was suspended due to the derailment, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, a salvage train from Kewatkhali loco shadow was sent to the spot, he added. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 05:35:58', '2022-12-26 05:35:58'),
(4032, 4032, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka has continued to top the list of world cities with the worst air quality on Monday morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 389 at 9am today, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with worst air.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s Karachi and Ghana’s Accra occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 258 and 191, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">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, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 05:47:22', '2022-12-26 05:47:22'),
(4033, 4033, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government wants to ensure justice for all with prompt disposal of cases, and ensure transparency and accountability in the country.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We want every citizen of the country to get justice. We want prompt disposal of cases. We want to ensure transparency and accountability… we want to establish that environment,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while addressing the inaugural session of the 59th Annual Council of Bangladesh Judicial Service Association at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said the government is working tirelessly to ensure the wellbeing of people — for a bright and secured future for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let us ensure rule of law for the people of Bangladesh, so they can have a better life. We will establish Bangladesh that was dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Law Minister Anisul Huq, Law Secretary Md. Golam Sarwar and Bangladesh Judicial Service Association President AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan also spoke at the programme. A documentary on judicial service was screened at the programme. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 06:44:19', '2022-12-26 06:44:19'),
(4034, 4034, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Actor Rashmika Mandanna was seen at Mumbai airport on Monday morning. Taking to Instagram, a paparazzo account posted a video of Rashmika arriving at the airport as she flew to an undisclosed destination. She asked paps whether they sleep or not as they took her pictures. The paps called her beautiful, while she was getting inside the airport. Many fans reacted to the video. </b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In the video, Rashmika can be seen arriving at the airport. She was seen in comfortable clothes for the travel. She opted for an off white shirt with a black tee, and wore a mask. She also carried a black sling back on her shoulder. As the paparazzi asked her to pose., Rashmika removed her mask and smiled for the camera. Moments later, she asked paps, “Don\'t you sleep?\" One of the photographers replied, “We sleep and come here.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> Another said, “Hum morning waale hai (we have morning shifts).” Rashmika said, “I just woke up and came.” One pap said to her, “You look beautiful, you look really beautiful.” The actor blushed and waved back at the paps before going inside the airport. She also said, “I just woke up and came, and I already see you.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reacting to the video, one person commented, “Bichari ki neend bhi puri nhi hui (she did not get sleep).” Another person wrote, “So sweet and simple girl (heart emoji).” Another person commented, “Ye kitni cute hai, mere to crush hai ye (she is so cute, she is my crush already).” Many people called her cute and dropped heart emojis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rashmika was last seen in Vikas Bahl’s Goodbye, with Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta. It also so starred Pavail Gulati, Elli Avram, Sunil Grover, Sahil Mehta alongside Abhishek Khan. Goodbye marked Rashmika\'s acting debut in Bollywood. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The film’s Hindustan Times review read, “Vikas Bahl throws at us in this emotional rollercoaster of a funeral drama called Goodbye. It really is a confused tale wanting to say so much but is so stuck in its flaws that it never rises beyond a funeral.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rashmika\'s upcoming projects include Mission Majnu opposite Sidharth Malhotra, Animal with Ranbir Kapoor, and Varisu opposite Vijay. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 07:41:29', '2022-12-26 07:45:30');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4035, 4035, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Myanmar junta court is expected to hear closing arguments for the last remaining charges against jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, after the UN Security Council called for her release.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Suu Kyi has been a prisoner since the military toppled her government in February 2021, ending the Southeast Asian nation\'s brief period of democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Nobel laureate, 77, has already been found guilty on 14 charges ranging from corruption to illegally importing walkie-talkies and breaching the official secrets act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rights groups have slammed the trial as a sham, and on Wednesday the UN Security Council called on the junta to release Suu Kyi in its first ever resolution on the situation in Myanmar since the coup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resolution marked a moment of relative Council unity after permanent members and close junta allies China and Russia abstained, opting not to wield vetoes following amendments to the wording.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suu Kyi\'s legal team and junta lawyers are due to make final arguments relating to five remaining charges of corruption on Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the case.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The verdict will be given \"after that stage\", the source said, adding a date had not yet been set.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Verdicts in Suu Kyi\'s previous trials have typically come days after final arguments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Each corruption charge carries a maximum jail term of 15 years. In previous corruption cases, the court has generally sentenced Suu Kyi to three years per charge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Disappeared -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suu Kyi is currently imprisoned in a compound in the capital Naypyidaw, close to the courthouse where her trial is being held, and has been deprived of her household staff and pet dog Taichido.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the coup, she has largely disappeared from view, seen only in grainy state media photos from the bare courtroom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country has plunged into turmoil, with some established ethnic rebel groups renewing fighting with the military in border areas and the economy in tatters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dozens of \"People\'s Defence Forces\" eschewing Suu Kyi\'s strict policy of non-violence have also sprung up to battle the junta and have surprised the military with their effectiveness, analysts say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are almost daily killings of low-level junta officials or anti-coup fighters, with details murky and reprisals often following quickly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say the junta may allow Suu Kyi to serve some of her sentence under house arrest while it prepares for elections it has said it will hold next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military alleged widespread voter fraud during 2020 elections won resoundingly by Suu Kyi\'s National League for Democracy party, although international observers said the poll was largely free and fair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 2,600 people have been killed in the military\'s crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rights groups have accused the military of extrajudicial killings and launching air strikes on civilians that amount to war crimes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The latest civilian death toll issued by the junta stands at over 4,000. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 07:43:20', '2022-12-26 07:43:20'),
(4036, 4036, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday underscored the need for quick disposal of the cases alongside ensuring transparency and accountability in the judiciary to make sure justice for all.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;\"I want every person to get justice through disposing of the cases quickly and creating an environment to ensure transparency and accountability (in the judiciary),\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister was addressing as the chief guest the 59th annual council of the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association (BJSA) held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>She said they (members of parliament) have enacted laws alongside making amendments and developments to ensure security and welfare of the people while the judges are using those to guarantee justice for all, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>\"Since I am in power, I will do whatever is necessary for the development of the judiciary as they (people) get the rule of law and justice,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 09:00:43', '2022-12-26 09:00:43'),
(4037, 4037, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Heavy snow in large swaths of Japan has killed 17 and injured more than 90 people and left hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said Monday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Powerful winter fronts have dumped heavy snow in northern regions since last week, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery services and causing 11 deaths by Saturday.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>More snowfall over the Christmas weekend brought the number of dead to 17 and injured to 93 by Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Many of them had fallen while removing snow from the roofs or were buried underneath thick piles of snow sliding off rooftops.</div><div><br></div><div>Municipal offices in the snow-hit regions urged residents to use caution during snow removal activity and not to work alone.</div><div><br></div><div>The disaster management agency said a woman in her 70s was found dead buried underneath a thick pile of rooftop snow that suddenly fell on her in Yamagata prefecture\'s Nagai City, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Tokyo, where snow piled up higher than 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>In Niigata, known for rice growing, some makers of mochi, or sticky rice cakes that are staple for New Year\'s celebration meals, said there have been delivery delays and their mochi may not reach their customers in time.</div><div><br></div><div>Many parts of northeastern Japan reported three times their average snowfall for the season.</div><div><br></div><div>Heavy snow knocked down an electric power transmission tower in Japan’s northernmost main island, leaving about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, though electricity was restored in most areas later that day, according to the economy and industry ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>Dozens of trains and flights were also suspended in northern Japan through Sunday, but services have since mostly resumed, according to the transportation ministry. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 10:40:20', '2022-12-26 10:40:20'),
(4038, 4038, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">South Korean military officials say North Korea has flown several drones across their mutual border.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The \"unmanned aerial vehicles\" violated South Korean airspace in the border areas around Gyeonggi province, said the country\'s joint chiefs of staff.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the drones flew as far as the capital Seoul, according to reports.</div><div>The South Korean military said it had fired warning shots before sending up jets and helicopters to shoot them down.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the warplanes, a KA-1 light attack aircraft, later crashed, but its two pilots escaped unhurt.</div><div><br></div><div>The plane fell to the ground in Hoengseong County, east of Seoul, soon after take-off from an air base in the nearby city of Wonju, according to the air force, quoted by Yonhap news agency.</div><div><br></div><div>South Korea also suspended planes taking off and landing at its Incheon and Gimpo airports for about an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>The last time a North Korean drone crossed the border was five years ago in June 2017. Source: BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 11:35:00', '2022-12-26 11:35:00'),
(4039, 4039, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pope Francis has said the world is suffering from a \"famine of peace\", in his annual Christmas Day message from the Vatican.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He called for a end to the \"senseless war\" in Ukraine, condemning what he said was the use of \"food as a weapon\" of war.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine shipped about 30% of the world\'s wheat and prices have jumped since the Russian invasion in February.</div><div><br></div><div>It was Pope Francis\' 10th Christmas Day address since he assumed the papacy.</div><div><br></div><div>While the war in Ukraine occupied much of his 10-minute speech, he spoke of \"a grave famine of peace also in other regions and other theatres of this Third World War\".</div><div><br></div><div>He singled out conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East, Myanmar, Haiti, and the Sahel region of Africa.</div><div><br></div><div>The pontiff also prayed for \"reconciliation\" in Iran, where mass anti-government protests have swept the country for more than three months. The protests there have been met by a crackdown, with more than 500 people, including 69 children, killed, human rights groups say.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking from a balcony at the basilica overlooking St Peter\'s Square, the 86-year-old Pope lamented the human cost of war. He urged not to forget those \"who go hungry while huge amounts of food daily go to waste and resources are being spent on weapons\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"The war in Ukraine has further aggravated this situation, putting entire peoples at risk of famine, especially in Afghanistan and in the countries of the Horn of Africa,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We know that every war causes hunger and exploits food as a weapon, hindering its distribution to people already suffering.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Pope said \"those who hold political responsibilities\" should lead the way to make food \"solely an instrument of peace\".</div><div><br></div><div>His message was followed by the customary Urbi et Orbi (To the City and to the World) blessing, recited in Latin and traditionally in many other languages as well. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 12:08:39', '2022-12-26 12:08:39'),
(4040, 4040, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Acclaimed actor Chanchal Chowdhury shared his thoughts in a social media post, stating that his acting was a reflection of his personal self in the much-anticipated Hoichoi original web series “Karagar-2”.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Chanchal Chowdhury shared a poem penned by Dibyo Jyoti, who played the young professor David Adams, the lead character of the series.</div><div><br></div><div>“My deep personal feeling was reflected in the expression of my character. I wasn’t necessarily acting,” Chanchal wrote in that post.</div><div>While sharing Dibyo’s poem, the renowned actor wrote, “Even he wasn’t acting, I believe. This was a highly emotional time for Karagar-2 because of the way both of us were feeling.”</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning his father’s illness, he wrote, he was looking for the answer to another question.</div><div><br></div><div>“For 13 days now, my father has been in the ICU on life support. We are just counting days now. How did Dibyo put my unconscious father’s thoughts into words?”</div><div><br></div><div>Dibyo’s mother, actress Shahnaz Khushi, read out the poem at the hospital on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>“We couldn\'t hold back our tears,” Chanchal added.</div><div><br></div><div>“Karagar 2” is the sequel to Syed Ahmed Shawki’s mystery thriller series “Karagar” – starring Chanchal Chowdhury, Intekhab Dinar, Tasnia Fareen, Dibya Jyoti, FS Nayeem, and Afzal Hossain, among many others.</div><div><br></div><div>The first season of “Karagar” became a runaway hit in Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 12:53:56', '2022-12-26 12:53:56'),
(4041, 4041, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ferry service on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat route resumed after remaining suspended for more than two hours since early Monday due to poor visibility caused by thick fog.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>As thick fog started appearing on the river basin of these two routes from midnight and it turned heavier with time the authorities decided to suspend all ferry services, according to Aricha office of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).</div><div><br></div><div>Ferry service remained suspended from 6am till 8:30 am on Rajbari-Daulatdia and Manikganj-Paturia routes, while it remained suspended on Aricha-Kazirhat route from 5 am till 8:30 am.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from ferries the authority also suspended the movement of all types of water transports to avoid accidents.</div><div><br></div><div>Total 16 large and small ferries remained anchored at Daulatdia, Paturia&nbsp; and Aricha-Kazirhat terminals and of them two were forced to anchor in mid river.</div><div><br></div><div>Ro-ro ferry Shah Makhdum and Utility Madhabilata that move on Daulatdia-Paturia route remained stranded with at least 30 vehicles and 200 passengers in mid river due to fog, causing an immense trouble to the stranded passengers at terminals and in mid river amid the cold.</div><div><br></div><div>Najrul Islam, a private office worker, said he started on motorcycle for Rajbari from Savar early morning but had to wait for more than two hours amid&nbsp; cold at the terminal.</div><div><br></div><div>“The ferry services were disrupted as the risk of accidents amid thick fog became apparent this morning. Two ferries leaving for terminals of Daulatdia-Paturia waterway lost direction after reaching the mid river in&nbsp; the heavy fog. Both ferries were asked to anchor immediately,” said&nbsp; Shah Md. Khaled Nawaz, deputy general manager (Commercial) of BIWTC at Aricha point, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>However all ferry services resumed after 8:30 am as the fog got cleared, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 13:13:06', '2022-12-26 13:13:06'),
(4042, 4042, '<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gold traders were harassed in every step in the past. Now traders can do business with their heads held high because of the gold policy under the leadership of BAJUS President Sayem Sobhan Anvir, according to media reports.</span></p><p>BAJUS central committee vice president Dewan Aminul Islam Shaheen said this while speaking as a chief guest at a view exchange programme of Feni District Committee of BAJUS.</p><p>The event was held at Gand Sultan Convention Hall at noon today. Feni District Committee of BAJUS organised the event as per the directive of BAJUS Central Committee President Sayem Sobhan Anvir.</p><p>The chief guest said, \"Gold will be exported to foreign countries under the leadership of Sayem Sobhan Anvir within one year. Export of ‘Made in Bangladesh’ studded gold bars will begin in March 2023. He requested traders to sell Jewellery with hallmarks.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 13:34:08', '2022-12-26 13:34:08'),
(4043, 4043, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The last two people unaccounted for after an avalanche in the Lech/Zuers skiing area in western Austria contacted authorities late on Sunday, and a search and rescue operation was suspended, the Austrian Press Agency (APA) reported on Monday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The avalanche occurred shortly before 3 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday, APA said, adding the initial suspicion that 10 people were buried by the avalanche was based on a skier\'s video.</div><div><br></div><div>One person was quickly rescued from the snow and flown to the hospital in Innsbruck with serious injuries. Four were injured in total.</div><div><br></div><div>The remainder of those who could be seen on the video came forward during the course of Sunday evening, APA said. Some had descended into the valley on their own and did not report their involvement in the avalanche incident at first. Source: Hindustan Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 13:38:55', '2022-12-26 13:38:55'),
(4044, 4044, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The man accused of a deadly attack against the Kurdish community in Paris has admitted to a \"pathological\" hatred of migrants, French prosecutors say.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The 69-year-old told investigators he had planned to kill \"non-European foreigners\" as he embarked on his shooting spree on Friday, they say</div><div><br></div><div>The suspect was placed in psychiatric care after being questioned by police.</div><div><br></div><div>He is accused of opening fire at a Kurdish cultural centre, killing three people and wounding another three.</div><div><br></div><div>The man, retired train driver named as William M., told police he had become \"depressed\" and \"suicidal\" after his home was burgled in 2016, the office of the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday, reports BBC</div><div><br></div><div>He admitted that since then, his hatred of foreigners had \"become totally pathological\", the statement added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 14:41:29', '2022-12-26 14:41:29'),
(4045, 4045, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Six members of Kurdish-led security forces and two jihadists were killed Monday in a failed Islamic State group assault near a prison for extremists in northern Syria, a war monitor said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The failed assault targeted a Kurdish security complex in Raqa, the group\'s former de facto capital in Syria, which includes a military intelligence prison housing jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The jihadists were targeting the military intelligence prison\" housing hundreds of jihadists, including 200 high-level militants, said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based monitor.</div><div><br></div><div>Kurdish-led authorities announced a state of emergency in Raqa and have put the city on lockdown as security forces hunt down jihadists at large.</div><div><br></div><div>IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two of its fighters had launched it, one of whom had escaped.</div><div><br></div><div>The group said the attack came to avenge \"Muslim prisoners\" and female relatives of jihadists living in the Kurdish-administered Al-Hol camp.</div><div><br></div><div>Al-Hol, home to more than 50,000 people, is the largest camp for displaced people who fled after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led the battle that dislodged IS group fighters from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>The spokesperson of the SDF, which controls Raqa and Al-Hol, confirmed the death of six security forces to AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>The assault was near a prison with IS inmates, he said, but \"IS failed to attack the prison because our forces thwarted their attack\", Farhad Shami said.</div><div><br></div><div>Security forces are still searching the area to arrest members of the cell, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the most significant jihadist attack on a prison since IS fighters launched their biggest assault in years in January, when they attacked the Ghwayran prison in the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakeh.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds were killed in the assault that lasted for a week and aimed to free fellow jihadists.</div><div><br></div><div>Syria\'s war, which broke out in 2011, has killed close to half a million people and spurred the largest conflict-induced displacement since World War II. Soruce: AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 15:23:33', '2022-12-26 15:23:33'),
(4046, 4046, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has credited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s courage, sincerity and strong willingness for achieving a number of milestones, including the metro rail project.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“It will be a historic moment for us. It’s a matter of pride and joy for us. It has been possible for our leader Sheikh Hasina’s courage, strong willingness and sincerity,” he told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the much-awaited first-ever elevated metro rail on December 28 for commercial operation.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially, some 10-set trains with six coaches will run from Uttara to Agargaon.</div><div><br></div><div>“I tell you. There had been various kinds of conspiracies (to halt the implementation of mega projects – the Padma Bridge and metro rail),” Momen said.</div><div><br></div><div>He thanked Japan saying: “The country helped Bangladesh despite all the conspiracies and they (Japanese people) were sincere in their work. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic they kept working.”</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said the government remains grateful to Japan for their uninterrupted support despite the Holey Artisan attack that left over 20 people, including Japanese citizens, dead.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have created another history – the tunnel beneath the River Karnaphuli. “These (the Padma Bridge, tunnel, and metro rail) are the milestones of Bangladesh,” Momen said.</div><div><br></div><div>Appreciating Hasina’s leadership and stability in the country, the foreign minister said if someone really wants to do something, they will find a way to do it, even if there are things that make it hard to do. “Good leadership and a stable government bring benefits.” - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 15:52:53', '2022-12-26 15:52:53'),
(4047, 4047, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) Elections- 2022 will be held tomorrow amid tight security measures in a festive atmosphere as the authorities concerned have completed all necessary preparations.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The third RpCC Elections- 2022 will be held at all 1,349 booths of a total of 229 polling centres using electronic voting machines (EVMs) from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration in a notification today declared a public holiday tomorrow in the electoral area of RpCC as sought by the Election Commission to enable every voter in casting their votes.</div><div><br></div><div>Common voters are expecting a triangular contest among mayoral post candidates Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia (Boat) of Awami League, Md. Mostafizar Rahman (Plough) of Jatiya Party and Independent candidate Latifur Rahman (Elephant).</div><div><br></div><div>The six other mayoral post candidates are: Md. Amiruzzaman of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (Hand fan), Md. Abu Raihan of Bangladesh Congress (Green coconut), Md. Tauhidur Rahman Mondal of Khelafat Majlish (Wall clock), Md. Shafiar Rahman of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- JASOD (Moshal), Md. Mehedi Hasan (Independent-Deer) and Md. Khorshed Alam of Zaker Party (Rose flower).</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 260 candidates, including nine for mayoral, 183 for 33 general councilors\' and 68 for 11 reserved female councilors\' posts, are contesting in the RpCC Elections-2022 and their hectic last moment electioneering ended last night.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nure Alam Mina and Returning Officer (RO) for RpCC Elections-2022 Md. Abdul Baten in a special press briefing today informed journalists that six-tier security measures have been taken for peaceful holding of RpCC polls amid complete security blanket.</div><div><br></div><div>They also gave necessary directions to the election officials and members of security forces for properly holding the RpCC polls before their departure with EVMs and other election materials to the polling centres this afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to BSS, the RO said all 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers with EVMs and other election inputs and security forces already reached polling centres today.</div><div><br></div><div>Polling will begin from 8:30 am tomorrow in all 2,698 polling booths of 229 polling centres under all 33 wards and continue till 4:30 pm uninterruptedly and counting of votes will start subsequently at District Shilpokola Academy auditorium in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Adequate number of members of law enforcement agencies including police, Ansar-VDP, APBN, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been deployed for holding the RpCC-2022 polls peacefully amid tight security blankets.</div><div><br></div><div>Thirty-three roving teams, 11 striking force teams and six reserved striking force teams comprising Police, APBN and Battalion Ansar and VDP, 17 teams of RAB and 11 more teams of BGB will remain on duty during the RpCC polls.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Fifteen security forces including five armed personnel will patrol at each of the 133 normal polling centres while 16 security personnel with six armed personnel will be deployed at each of the other 86 important polling centres,\" the RO said.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, 33 Executive Magistrates started leading 33 mobile courts and 16 Judicial Magistrates leading 16 summary courts to conduct trials for violation of election rules from yesterday and will continue to work till December 29 next.</div><div><br></div><div>The striking forces will instantly intervene in any untoward incident and summary courts will conduct trials for breaking election rules and members of the law enforcement agencies will be on duty round the clock in the important polling centres.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, plain cloth security personnel of RAB, police and intelligence will remain on duty to ensure maximum degree of security for holding RpCC polls peacefully.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Every polling station will be covered by CCTV cameras and the RpCC-2022 elections will be monitored from both Dhaka and Rangpur with CCTV cameras. If any problem is noticed, steps will be taken immediately,\" the RO added.</div><div><br></div><div>As many as 4,26,470 voters, including 2,12,302 males, 2,14,167 females and a transgender voter, will apply their voting rights in the RpCC Elections-2022. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 16:17:18', '2022-12-26 16:17:18'),
(4048, 4048, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has offered his views on Elon Musk\'s management style on Twitter and said that a \"seat-of-the-pants\" approach is \"worsening digital polarisation\".</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He added that Twitter is \"stirring things up\", not exactly in the best way, likely because Musk is taking decisions on his own or by Twitter polls. A \"seat-of-the-pants\" style refers to taking decisions based on judgment and feelings without planning.</div><div><br></div><div>Musk may have planned some of the features before completing the acquisition in late October, but over the last few weeks, he\'s been relying on Twitter polls for some key changes. This includes Musk\'s own future as the Twitter CEO, which users want to change, and riving old suspended accounts of Donald Trump and Ye (formerly Kanye West).</div><div><br></div><div>In an interview with the Financial Express, Gates said that social media platforms need to focus on reducing riots and tackle posts on misinformation such as the safety of vaccines or masks, India Today reported.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-26 16:33:05', '2022-12-26 16:33:05'),
(4049, 4049, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A severe winter storm that has swept across North America has left the city of Buffalo, New York, looking like a war zone, the state governor has said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On Monday the city recorded 25 weather-related deaths, up from 13 on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is a war with mother nature and she has been hitting us with everything she has\" since Thursday, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blizzard conditions, which stretched from Canada to the Mexican border, have killed at least 50 people nationwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The region around Buffalo, in upstate New York, has been worst affected.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Governor Hochul, a native of Buffalo, said: \"It is (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said residents were facing a \"life-threatening situation\", as many emergency vehicles were unable to reach worst-hit areas or got stuck in snow themselves.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One family with young children - aged 2 to 6 - had to wait for 11 hours before being rescued in the early hours of Christmas Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I was basically just hopeless,\" the father, Zila Santiago, told CBS News. He said he had managed to stay warm by keeping the engine running and kept distress at bay by playing games with the children.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More victims are expected to be discovered once melting snowdrifts reveal trapped vehicles and allow access to remote homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Governor Hochul, who spoke to Joe Biden on Monday, said the US president had offered \"the full force of the federal government\" to support New York state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \"bomb cyclone\" winter storm - which occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets, causing heavy snow and winds - has disrupted travel across the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Forecasters say it will ease off in the next few days, but the advice remains to avoid travelling unless essential.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the weekend an estimated 250,000 homes and businesses experienced blackouts - although power has been steadily restored.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida\'s temperatures dropped so low, that iguanas froze and fell from trees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The western US state of Montana was the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are bearing the brunt of the storm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Four fatalities occurred when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 01:45:26', '2022-12-27 01:45:26'),
(4050, 4050, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Emergency services in Spain have confirmed a seventh death after a bus plunged from a bridge into a river on Christmas Eve (Saturday).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers retrieved the body of a woman from the Lerez river in the north-western Galicia region on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Two people, including the driver, were hurt after the bus travelling from Lugo to Vigo fell from a height of about 30m (98ft) into the fast-flowing river.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials say bad weather may have caused the crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They say the bus driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescue teams initially ended their search near the village of Pedre, not far from Galicia\'s regional capital of Santiago de Compostela, on Christmas Day (Sunday) after finding six bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they resumed the operation after one surviving passenger said a friend she had been travelling with was not on the official list of victims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The woman had not been reported missing as nobody had been waiting for her, a Guardia Civil police spokesman told AFP news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her body was spotted by a helicopter in the river on Monday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emergency services were first alerted about the incident by a passing driver who told them that a section of the bridge\'s safety barrier was missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just minutes later, one of the survivors called them from inside the bus as it was fast filling with water.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This helped rescue teams to quickly locate the crash site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among those on board were people who had just visited loved ones at a prison in central Galicia, AFP adds, quoting local media. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 01:52:52', '2022-12-27 01:52:52'),
(4051, 4051, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China has announced that its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine will end on 8 January.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The measure is the latest in a series of restrictions to be lifted as China abandons its zero-Covid policy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China is seeing an explosion in Covid-related infections and medical workers have said they are struggling to cope.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his first comments on the changes, President Xi Jinping urged officials to do what was \"feasible\" to save lives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State media quoted him as saying the country faced new situations demanding a more targeted response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China has stopped publishing Covid statistics, but it is thought thousands of people may be dying every day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since March 2020, all passengers arriving in China have had to undergo mandatory centralised quarantine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the length of time has been progressively reduced, from three weeks originally to just five days at present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the new rules, Covid will be downgraded from a Class A infectious disease to Class B, meaning that quarantine will no longer be enforced.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China\'s about-turn on how it manages the pandemic has left Mr Xi in an uncomfortable position, analysts say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was the driving force behind the zero-Covid policy, which was blamed for restricting people\'s lives excessively and harming the economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But having abandoned it, he now has to take responsibility for the huge wave of infections and hospital admissions, mainly among older people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public anger over the president\'s handling of the pandemic is one of the areas in which he is most vulnerable. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 02:03:17', '2022-12-27 02:03:17'),
(4052, 4052, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Serbian army says it is at its \"highest level of combat readiness\" after weeks of escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Aleksandar Vucic says he will \"take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sabre-rattling is louder than ever and follows media claims that Pristina is preparing \"an attack\" on ethnic Serb areas in north Kosovo.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government in Pristina has made no comment about the allegations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it has previously accused Mr Vucic of playing \"games\" to stir up trouble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The European Union has been attempting to mediate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 27-member bloc is calling for \"maximum restraint and immediate action\", and for the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to \"personally contribute to a political solution\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo as an independent state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kosovo, which has an overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian majority, broke away from Serbia after a war in 1998-99.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nato, which has peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, has called on all parties to avoid provocations. The EU has warned it will not tolerate attacks on EU police or criminal acts. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 02:27:47', '2022-12-27 02:27:47'),
(4053, 4053, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said her government would not allow anyone to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of the country anymore.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“It is our only goal so that none can play ducks and drakes with the fortune of the people of this country,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, was addressing a meeting of her party’s presidium committee at her official residence Ganobhaban in the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the people of Bangladesh once had to suffer a lot. “But they won’t need to suffer any in future. My only goal is to ensure a decent, improved and prosperous life for them. We want to do this,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the AL’s new committee formed through its recent national council, she said the members of the committee will be elected against the vacant posts as per the party’s charter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing Awami League as a strong organisation, the AL chief said her government has successfully tackled any disaster and troubles including terrorism, militancy, pandemic and other problems as there is a strong organisation, it’s every leader and activist is active and stands beside the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She asked her party men to keep in mind that this organisation, Awami League, is a great strength for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If the party remains strong as well as the public trust and confidence can be gained, it isn\'t a very tough job to govern the country and make the development of the country,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said the people were exploited and tortured as well as deprived of knowing the true history of the Liberation War and the country including the historic 7th March speech during the period of 1975-1996.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the people had been able to know true history only when AL came in power. The people were kept in the dark regarding invaluable assets like historic 7th March speech, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is the Awami League that showed (the nation) the way of light. Today\'s development, whatever the country achieved, came through with the hands of Awami League during the periods of 1996-2001 and 2009-2022,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said her government has ensured five basic rights of the people, which are stated in the constitution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government made a massive infrastructural development in the last 14 years, including construction of Padma Bridge, implementation of metro-rail project and Karnaphuli tunnel. Besides, Bangladesh could attain food autarky, saw massive development in education and health sectors in the time, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read more: Anti-liberation forces and killers of Bangabandhu are always trying to make Bangladesh a ‘failed state’: PM to AL activists&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that once Bangladesh was neglected in the international arena, Sheikh Hasina said now Bangladesh gets dignity everywhere in the world as the Awami League government did a massive development spree for the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ve done huge works for the development of the country after forming the government. Whatever we work, we do in very planned ways,” she said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 03:16:41', '2022-12-27 03:16:41'),
(4054, 4054, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion in a South African city east of Johannesburg last week has climbed to 18, regional health authorities said on Monday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) got stuck under a bridge in Boksburg on Saturday, causing a leak and explosion that initially killed 10 people and unleashed widespread damage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A further eight people have since died of severe burns and injuries, the regional health department said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine of the 18 victims worked at the nearby Tambo Memorial Hospital, including a driver and eight nurses, after the explosion blew out its windows and collapsed its roofs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 37 people on the hospital site, including 24 patients and 13 staff members, sustained severe burns and were taken to other hospitals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The explosion caused \"extensive damage to private and public infrastructure within an estimated 500 metres (1,640 feet) from the scene\", the local health department added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Videos on social media showed a huge fireball under the bridge, which the tanker appeared to have been too high to go under.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was carrying 60,000 litres of LPG, which is used especially in cooking and gas stoves. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 03:29:40', '2022-12-27 03:29:40');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4055, 4055, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Argentina\'s football federation chief insisted Monday that coach Lionel Scaloni will remain with the World Cup winners.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Scaloni is the coach of the Argentina national team. We are both men of our word, we said yes to each other. I have no doubt that he will continue,\" Argentine Football Federation (AFA) president Claudio Tapia said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scaloni, 44, has been in charge of the team since 2018, leading them to the Copa America in 2021 - Argentina\'s first international trophy since 1993.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He then guided Lionel Messi and the squad to a third World Cup with victory over France in the final in Qatar earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, when he was named coach in succession to Jorge Sampaoli after a last-16 exit at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he was not a popular choice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Ninety-nine percent of people thought we were wrong or even crazy,\" said Tapia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But this team brought happiness to the people with the titles they won.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 03:34:16', '2022-12-27 03:34:16'),
(4056, 4056, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Voting in Rangpur City Corporation began on Tuesday morning using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 229 centres.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It began at 8:00am and will continue till 4:30pm, said Returning Officer Abdul Baten.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine candidates were vying for the mayoral post while 183 people are contesting for councillor posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight candidates are contesting the polls for 11 reserved seats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The mayoral candidates are: Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, Mostafizur Rahman from Jatiya Party, Shafier Rahman from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from Awami League, Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman as independent candidates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, a total of 4,26,470 voters are expected to vote in the city corporation election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All preparations have been taken to hold a free and fair election, the official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mobile court drives were being conducted to ensure that the election code is followed, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election ended on Sunday midnight amid much enthusiasm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers are performing their duties to maintain order in the voting centres.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first Rangpur City Corporation election was held on December 21, 2017. The tenure of the current mayor will expire on February 18, 2023. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 03:56:58', '2022-12-27 03:56:58'),
(4057, 4057, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka ranked the worst world city in the Air Quality Index on Tuesday morning even though light rains drenched the capital and elsewhere.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city\'s Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded scores of 244 around 09.25am and its air quality was still classified as ‘ very unhealthy’.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka’s air quality usually turns unhealthy during the winter and improves during monsoons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan\'s Lahore and India\'s Delhi occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 191, and 190, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', particularly for sensitive groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 04:19:00', '2022-12-27 04:19:00'),
(4058, 4058, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger effort to overcome hardships and challenges facing his country as he opened a key political meeting after carrying out a record number of missile tests this year.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party was convened in Pyongyang on Monday to review past projects and discuss next year’s work plans, the official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim will likely use the meeting to reaffirm his resolve to expand his nuclear arsenal and introduce high-tech weapons targeting the U.S. and South Korea while laying out projects to revive pandemic-battered public livelihoods, some experts say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his opening comments, Kim compared hardships and challenges since a bigger party meeting in early 2021 to “the ten-year struggle of the revolution.” But he claimed North Korea has reported some successes “in the arduous course” and that his country’s power has “remarkably” increased in political, military, economic and cultural areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He stressed the need to lay out strategies to launch more exciting and confident struggles based on valuable facts that the country has achieved practical advance after enduring all difficulties,” the official Korean Central News Agency said. It said Kim reviewed the “splendid” achievement made this year and clarified “the strategic and tactical” tasks to achieve North Korean-style socialism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA didn’t elaborate on the achievement Kim claimed and the tasks he set, and his claims of achievement couldn’t be independently confirmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim may need such propaganda-driven claims to draw greater public loyalty to push difficult projects to bolster his weapons arsenal and address economic woes while facing U.S.-led sanctions and pressure campaigns to curb his nuclear ambitions, some observers say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Workers’ Party meeting is expected to last several days, and Kim will likely address issues such as his arms buildup, relations with the United States and the economy in later sessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, Kim’s military test-launched a record number of missiles, many of them nuclear-capable weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan. He’s said he won’t return to talks with the United States unless it withdraws its hostile policies, in an apparent reference to U.S.-led sanctions and its regular military drills with South Korea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, animosities on the Korean Peninsula rose further after South Korea accused North Korea of flying drones across their tense border for the first time in five years and responded by firing warning shots and scrambling warplanes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It wasn’t known if any of the North Korean drones were shot down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Korea said it also sent its own surveillance assets, in an apparent reference to unmanned drones, across the border. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 04:57:30', '2022-12-27 04:57:30'),
(4059, 4059, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Artificial intelligence technology has tripled the number of UK stroke patients recovering to a point where they can perform daily activities, according to new research released on Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early stage analysis of over 111,000 suspected stroke patients whose care included use of the technology found it reduced the time between being seen by a doctor and treatment beginning by over 60 minutes, leading to improved results.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The proportion who were able to resume day-to-day activities increased from 16 to 48 percent, the analysis of the Brainomix e-Stroke imaging platform found.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The technology, developed by the UK\'s med-tech solution firm Brainomix, is being used across 11 stroke treatment networks in the UK\'s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) to diagnose strokes and determine the best treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The platform helps doctors in the interpretation of brain scans and allows them to share the images with specialists worldwide who can access them remotely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"AI has the potential to transform our NHS -- delivering faster, more accurate diagnoses and making sure patients can get the treatment they need, when they need it,\" the UK\'s health secretary Steve Barclay said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Brainomix is an incredible example of how this can be achieved, using the power of AI to shave lifesaving minutes off one of the most time-sensitive diagnoses in medicine.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patient Carol Wilson, a teaching assistant, said the prompt diagnosis and treatment she received as a result of the technology meant she was sitting up and texting her family later the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The grandmother who has since returned to work said she was \"back home and able to walk around two days after having a stroke\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over 85,000 people suffer a stroke in the UK each year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NHS England director of Transformation Dr Timothy Ferris said the treatment was \"harnessing the potential that AI has to support expert staff in delivering life-changing care\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Every minute saved during the initial hospital assessment of people with stroke-like symptoms can dramatically improve a patient\'s chance of leaving hospital in good health,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brainomix launched as an Oxford University spin-out in 2010. Its e-stroke platform is now used in over 330 hospitals in over 30 countries. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 05:13:49', '2022-12-27 05:13:49'),
(4060, 4060, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Abdur Rahman Khan, a veteran journalist and former senior Vice President of the Jatiya Press Club (JPC), died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital early Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, a former treasurer and member of the Management Committee of the JPC, breathed his last at the Ibn Sina Hospital at 2:30 am, his family said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He had been suffering from liver diseases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His namaz-e-janaza will be held on the JPC premises at 1:30 pm on Tuesday. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 05:39:38', '2022-12-27 05:39:38'),
(4062, 4062, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Emergency crews in New York were scrambling Monday to rescue marooned residents from what authorities called the \"blizzard of the century,\" a relentless storm that has left nearly 50 people dead across the United States and caused Christmas travel chaos.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Blizzard conditions persist in parts of the northeastern US, the stubborn remnants of a massive sprawl of extreme weather that gripped the country over several days, causing widespread power outages, travel delays and at least 49 deaths across nine states, according to official figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In New York state, authorities have described ferocious conditions, particularly in Buffalo, with hours-long whiteouts, bodies being discovered in vehicles and under snow banks, and emergency personnel going \"car to car\" searching for survivors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The perfect storm of fierce snow squalls, howling wind and sub-zero temperatures forced the cancelation of more than 15,000 US flights in recent days, including nearly 4,000 on Monday, according to tracking site Flightaware.com.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buffalo -- a city in Erie County that is no stranger to foul winter weather -- is the epicenter of the crisis, buried under staggering amounts of snow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Certainly it is the blizzard of the century,\" New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters, adding it was \"way too early to say this is at its completion.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hochul said some western New York towns got walloped with \"30 to 40 inches (0.75 to 1 meter) of snow overnight.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later Monday, Hochul spoke with President Joe Biden, who offered \"the full force of the federal government\" to support New York state, and said he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for those who lost loved ones in the storm, according to a White House statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden also approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Weather Service forecast up to 14 more inches of snow Monday, in addition to the several feet that have already left the city buried, with officials struggling to get emergency services back online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Monday afternoon that the blizzard-related death toll had climbed to 27 across the county, including 14 people who were found outside and three who were discovered in a car.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day, Poloncarz said Erie\'s death toll would likely surpass that of Buffalo\'s infamous blizzard of 1977, when nearly 30 people died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With more snow forecast and most of Buffalo \"impassable,\" he joined Hochul in warning residents to bunker down and stay in place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Gut-wrenching\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">National Guard members and other teams have rescued hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and homes without electricity, but authorities have said more people remain trapped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erie County Sheriff John Garcia called the storm \"the worst\" he has ever seen, with periods of zero visibility and authorities unable to respond to emergency calls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was gut-wrenching when you\'re getting calls where families are with their kids and they\'re saying they\'re freezing,\" he told CNN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hochul, a native of Buffalo, said she was stunned by what she saw during a reconnaissance tour of the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking,\" Hochul said, describing eight-foot (2.4-meter) drifts against homes as well as snowplows and rescue vehicles \"buried\" in snow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The extreme weather sent temperatures to below freezing in all 48 contiguous US states over the weekend, including in Texas communities along the Mexico border where some newly arriving migrants have struggled to find shelter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Sweeping power outages -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At one point on Saturday, nearly 1.7 million customers were without electricity in the biting cold, according to tracker poweroutage.us.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That number has dropped substantially, although there were still some 50,000 without power mid-day Monday on the US east coast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Due to frozen electric substations, some Erie County residents were not expected to regain power until Tuesday, with one substation reportedly buried under 18 feet of snow, a senior county official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buffalo\'s international airport remains closed until Tuesday and a driving ban remained in effect for the city and much of Erie County.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Road ice and whiteout conditions also led to the temporary closure of some of the nation\'s busiest transport routes, including part of the cross-country Interstate 70 highway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drivers were being warned not to take to the roads -- even as the nation reached what is usually its busiest time of year for travel. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 06:37:22', '2022-12-27 06:55:59'),
(4063, 4063, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Government-sponsored 100 economic zones in Bangladesh are attracting more Turkish investment to come with their new investments, said outgoing Turkish ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan on Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He came up with the remark while calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the morning on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the Turkish Ambassador mentioned that already two companies of his country invested $850 million this year in the economic zones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The unprecedented infrastructural development of Bangladesh, especially the establishment of 100 economic zones, is attracting Turkish investors in Bangladesh,” the envoy was quoted as saying by Nazrul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister requested the outgoing ambassador to encourage more Turkish investment in Bangladesh to further cement the excellent bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have historical and cultural ties,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said that both countries could establish cooperation in the defence sector apart from economic and social cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She emphasises on holding the Joint Economic Commission meeting in Bangladesh to hold dialogue about the enhancement of business and trade between the two countries.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last Commission meeting was held in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Turkish envoy mentioned that his country is interested to cooperate in the defence sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister requested Turkey to put pressure on Myanmar for taking back Rohingya as more than 1 million Rohingya have become a serious burden for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In reply, the ambassador assured the PM of his country’s continuous support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador at Large M Ziauddin and Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present during the meeting. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 07:02:59', '2022-12-27 07:02:59'),
(4064, 4064, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Johnny Depp reportedly had a tough time filming his next project, the French film Jeanne du Barry, with director Maïwenn. The actor had verbal spats with the director on a number of occasions, causing a lot of arguments on the set.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a recent interview, French showbiz commentator Bernard Montield revealed how the Pirates of the Caribbean actor had numerous arguments with Maïwenn particularly because of timing issues. “Johnny Depp is an excellent actor when he comes on the set… Except that sometimes the team is ready at 6 am and no one comes. So, afterward, Maïwenn gets angry and the next day, it is she who does not come and there is Johnny Depp... It’s madness. They’re (expletive) off.” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“It’s going very, very badly. They argue constantly,” Bernard revealed on the talk-show TPMP, talking of the time Jeanne du Barry was being filmed. The film is currently in the post-production stage. Jeanne du Barry will be his first film after the actor won the defamation suit with former spouse Amber Heard. Johnny will play King Louis XV in the film, directed by Maïwenn. The French director also stars as Jeanne du Barry in the film. The film is set to release in 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Johnny was all set to reprise his role for the sixth film in the Pirates franchise but it was around that time when his defamation lawsuit versus Amber owed to further media speculations. Then it was revealed that Disney had cancelled the project in the wake up to the abuse allegations made by Amber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Johnny had sued his ex-wife in March 2019 for $50 million on account of her op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018, where the she had written about being a ‘public figure representing domestic abuse’. In his follow-up to the filings, Johnny had said that it was him, who was abused in the couple’s relationship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The seven-week defamation trial that followed, concluded in favour of Johnny, who was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The punitive damages were further reduced to $350,000, still the highest in the State. Amber, on the other hand, was also awarded $2 million in damages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the trail, Johnny had expressed his desire to return back to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He had said that the character of Jack Sparrow deserved a proper farewell. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 07:29:17', '2022-12-27 07:29:17'),
(4065, 4065, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Polling of the third Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) Elections- 2022 started at 8:30 am today peacefully amid festive atmosphere with spontaneous participation of enthusiastic voters.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Polling will continue till 4:30 pm uninterruptedly and counting of votes will start subsequently at District Shilpokola Academy auditorium in the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of voters, including male, female and youths, have stood in queues in the polling centres since this morning amid foggy and cooler weather and the number of waiting voters in queues started increasing since 9 am.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mayoral candidates Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia of Awami League (Boat) casted her vote at Lions School and College polling centre and Md. Mostafizar Rahman of Jatiya Party (Plough) casted his vote at Alamnagar Government Primary School polling centre this morning.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After casting her vote, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, a former Awami League lawmaker and lawyer by profession, expressed her 100 percent confidence that voters would not make any more mistakes and make the symbol Boat winner for planned development of Rangpur city and its people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Voters are casting their votes easily using EVMs at all polling centres although some people are trying to give a wrong message about EVMs,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Immediate past mayor Md. Mostafizar Rahman also expressed his confidence of winning the mayoral post again with a huge margin of votes if the polling was held peacefully in a transparent, free and fair manner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to reporters after visiting a number of polling centres, Returning Officer (RO) for RpCC Elections-2022 Md. Abdul Baten said ample steps have been taken for holding the RpCC polls in a free, fair and transparent manner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of voters are casting votes in festive moods using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at all 229 polling centres.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Every polling station is covered by CCTV cameras and the RpCC-2022 elections are being monitored from both Dhaka and Rangpur with CCTV cameras. If any problem is noticed, steps will be taken immediately,” the RO added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fifteen security forces including five armed personnel are patrolling at each of the 133 normal polling centres while 16 security personnel with six armed personnel have been deployed at each of the other 86 important polling centres.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Election officials said a total of 260 candidates, including nine for mayoral, 183 for 33 general councilors’ and 68 for 11 reserved female councilors’ posts, are contesting in the third RpCC Elections-2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 4,276 election officials, including 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers are engaged in conducting the RpCC polls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Adequate number of members of police, Ansar-VDP, APBN, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been deployed for holding the RpCC-2022 polls peacefully amid tight security blankets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thirty-three roving teams, 11 striking force teams and six reserved striking force teams comprising Police, APBN and Battalion Ansar and VDP, 17 teams of RAB and 11 more teams of BGB are on duty during the RpCC polls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition, plain cloth security personnel of RAB, police and intelligence are on duty to ensure maximum degree of security for holding RpCC polls peacefully.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 33 Executive Magistrates are leading 33 mobile courts and 16 Judicial Magistrates leading 16 summary courts to conduct trials for violation of election rules and will continue to work till December 29 next.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As many as 4,26,470 voters, including 2,12,302 males, 2,14,167 females and a transgender voter, will apply their voting rights in the RpCC Elections-2022. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 07:47:38', '2022-12-27 07:48:22'),
(4066, 4066, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine’s foreign minister said Monday that his nation wants a summit to end the war but he doesn’t anticipate Russia taking part, a statement making it hard to foresee the devastating invasion ending soon.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that his government wants a “peace” summit within two months at the United Nations with Secretary-General António Guterres as mediator.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The U.N. gave a very cautious response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As the secretary-general has said many times in the past, he can only mediate if all parties want him to mediate,” U.N. associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino-Martinez said Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba said Russia must face a war-crimes tribunal before his country directly talks with Moscow. He said, however, that other nations should feel free to engage with Russians, as happened before a grain agreement between Turkey and Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AP interview offered a glimpse at Ukraine’s vision of how the war with Russia could one day end, although any peace talks would be months away and highly contingent on complex international negotiations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba also said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. last week, and he revealed that the U.S. government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in less than six months. Usually, the training takes up to a year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba said during the interview at the Foreign Ministry that Ukraine will do whatever it can to win the war in 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Every war ends in a diplomatic way,” he said. “Every war ends as a result of the actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commenting on Kuleba’s proposal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the state RIA Novosti news agency that Russia “never followed conditions set by others. Only our own and common sense.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Kremlin spokesman said last week that no Ukrainian peace plan can succeed without taking into account “the realities of today that can’t be ignored” — a reference to Moscow’s demand that Ukraine recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, as well as other territorial gains.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba said the Ukrainian government would like to have the “peace” summit by the end of February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The United Nations could be the best venue for holding this summit, because this is not about making a favor to a certain country,” he said. “This is really about bringing everyone on board.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, Zelenskyy made a long-distance presentation of a 10-point peace formula that includes the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked about whether Ukraine would invite Russia to the summit, he said that Moscow would first need to face prosecution for war crimes at an international court.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They can only be invited to this step in this way,” Kuleba said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the U.N. Secretary-General’s role, Kuleba said: “He has proven himself to be an efficient mediator and an efficient negotiator, and most importantly, as a man of principle and integrity. So we would welcome his active participation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.N. spokesman’s office had no immediate comment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other world leaders have also offered to mediate, such as those in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister again downplayed comments by Russian authorities that they are ready for talks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They (Russians) regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed few days ago that his country is ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine, but suggested that the Ukrainians are the ones refusing to take that step. Despite Putin’s comments, Moscow’s forces have kept attacking Ukraine — a sign that peace isn’t imminent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. was his first foreign trip since the war started on Feb. 24. Kuleba praised Washington’s efforts and underlined the significance of the visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine secured a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including a Patriot missile battery, during the trip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kuleba said that the move “opens the door for other countries to do the same.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the U.S. government developed a program for Ukrainian troops to complete training faster than usual “without any damage to the quality of the use of this weapon on the battlefield.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Kuleba didn’t mention a specific time frame, he said only that it will be “very much less than six months.” And he added that the training will be done “outside” Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During Russia’s ground and air war in Ukraine, Kuleba has been second only to Zelenskyy in carrying Ukraine’s message and needs to an international audience, whether through Twitter posts or meetings with friendly foreign officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, Ukraine called on U.N. member states to deprive Russia of its status as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and to exclude it from the world body. Kuleba said they have long “prepared for this step to uncover the fraud and deprive Russia of its status.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foreign Ministry says that Russia never went through the legal procedure for acquiring membership and taking the place of the USSR at the U.N. Security Council after the collapse of the Soviet Union.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is the beginning of an uphill battle, but we will fight, because nothing is impossible,” he told the AP. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 08:19:18', '2022-12-27 08:19:18'),
(4067, 4067, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday submitted a&nbsp; charge sheet against BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in a case filed for acquiring wealth illegally.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>ACC Secretary Mahbub Hossain disclosed this at a press briefing at the ACC headquarters.</div><div><br></div><div>The case was filed with Shahjahanpur (DMP) police station on January 7, 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the case, the couple acquired wealth worth around Tk 20.75 crore beyond their known source of their income. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 10:51:29', '2022-12-27 10:51:29'),
(4068, 4068, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Opener David Warner battled through searing heat to hit an epic unbeaten 200 in his 100th Test on Tuesday before retiring in pain as Australia consolidated their advantage against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On a scorching day, the hosts were 386-3 at stumps on day two of the second Test, leading by 197 after the Proteas were dismissed in their first innings for 189.</div><div><br></div><div>Travis Head was not out 48 with Alex Carey on nine.</div><div><br></div><div>Steve Smith (85) and Marnus Labuschagne (14) were the only wickets to fall. But worryingly for Australia, Cameron Green, who took 5-27 in South Africa\'s first innings, also retired hurt after a nasty rap on the finger from Anrich Nortje.</div><div><br></div><div>Smith and Warner\'s 239-run partnership took the game further away from South Africa, whose bowlers toiled in temperatures touching 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit).</div><div><br></div><div>Warner, 36, snapped a near-three-year century drought in typically aggressive and gritty fashion, reaching three figures for a 25th time after coming into the game under pressure after a lean run.</div><div><br></div><div>It was his first Test hundred since January 2020 and as the opposition bowlers tired, he battled the elements and converted it to 200 for only the third time.</div><div><br></div><div>But it was an exhausting effort, as he passed 8,000 Test runs en route.</div><div><br></div><div>Chairs had to be brought out for Warner and Smith to rest on in the drinks breaks, with towels draped over their heads and ice-packs around their shoulders.</div><div><br></div><div>Warner needed treatment for cramp several times and retired in pain after reaching 200 and dropping to his knees, eventually helped from the field by support staff.</div><div><br></div><div>- Attacking -</div><div><br></div><div>Australia resumed on 45-1, having lost Usman Khawaja late Monday after taking charge of the opening day, with Green\'s heroics helping dismiss the visitors for under 200 again.</div><div><br></div><div>They were all out for 152 and 99 in the first Test in Brisbane, which they lost by six wickets inside two days.</div><div><br></div><div>Warner began on 32 and showed his aggressive intent with an early boundary off Kagiso Rabada.</div><div><br></div><div>Nortje was routinely sending down 150 kph (93 mph) rockets, smacking Warner on the head when he was on 47. The batter was given the all-clear after a mandatory concussion test on the field, with a lengthy delay as a new helmet was found.</div><div><br></div><div>But disaster struck two balls after play resumed.</div><div><br></div><div>Warner pushed Nortje for a single and came back for a second, but Labuschagne hesitated and was run out despite a lunging dive.</div><div><br></div><div>Unfazed, Warner put his head down to motor to 100, punching the air when he got there with a boundary after a near-flawless knock characterised by his trademark strong running between the wicket.</div><div><br></div><div>Smith was not as comfortable, escaping on nine when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and then on 39 when he was given out caught behind only for it to be called a no-ball after Rabada overstepped the mark.</div><div><br></div><div>But he persevered to reach a 37th Test fifty with a four off Marco Jansen.</div><div><br></div><div>Warner upped the ante after his century and raced to 200 off 254 balls before calling it quits.</div><div><br></div><div>Smith departed shortly before his partner reached the milestone, with Nortje getting his reward for a hard day\'s work, with Theunis de Bruyn taking a catch at gully. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 11:44:50', '2022-12-27 11:44:50'),
(4069, 4069, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has greeted her Nepali counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>In a congratulatory message to the new Nepali premier, Sheikh Hasina wrote that, \"I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to you on your election as the Prime Minister of Nepal, which reflects the trust and confidence reposed in your able and visionary leadership by the people of Nepal.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She said \"I believe your long experience will lead Nepal to an upper plateau of prosperity.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister\'s Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwer-E-Alom Sarker told BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said \"I look forward to working closely with you to strengthen our multifaceted relationship for the mutual benefit of the two people.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She added that, \"I am confident that during your term in office, the excellent bilateral relations we enjoy will further widen and deepen in all the areas of common interest and potential sectors of collaboration, particularly connectivity, trade, tourism, power, and people-to-people contacts.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Premier also invited her Nepali counterpart to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience time.</div><div><br></div><div>She expressed her best wishes for his good health, long life, and happiness, and for the friendly people of Nepal- the continued peace, progress, and prosperity.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina also wished Pushpa Kamal Dahal a very happy new year in advance. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 12:03:23', '2022-12-27 12:03:23');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4070, 4070, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday dismissed his fourth minister in two months to patch a scandal-tainted Cabinet that has raised questions over his judgment of staff credentials.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Kenya Akiba, minister in charge of reconstruction of Fukushima and other disaster-hit areas, has faced allegations of mishandling political and election funds and of having murky ties to the Unification Church, whose cozy political ties and practices surrounding followers’ huge donations have raised controversy.</div><div><br></div><div>“I have made a heavy decision and submitted my resignation,” Akiba told reporters after meeting with Kishida. He repeated that he has never violated any law in relation to the issues for which he has been criticized.</div><div><br></div><div>Kishida tapped former reconstruction minister Hiromichi Watanabe as a replacement. Watanabe’s appointment was to be official after a palace ceremony.</div><div><br></div><div>Akiba’s dismissal was seen as Kishida’s attempt to remove an administration’s soft spot that could stall upcoming parliamentary work on a key budget bill, including hefty defense spending aimed at bolstering Japan’s strike capability.</div><div><br></div><div>Jun Azumi, a senior lawmaker of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan who has criticized Kishida as making other slow decisions on his staff, said Monday that “four (dismissals) are too much and the prime minister should be held responsible over their appointment.”</div><div><br></div><div>Kishida on Tuesday also replaced Internal Affairs Minister Mio Sugita, who has made past derogatory remarks against sexual and ethnic minorities. Sugita said in 2018 same-sex couples don’t produce children and are “unproductive” and in 2016 scoffed at those wearing traditional ethnic costumes at an United Nations’ committee meeting as “middle-aged women in costume play.”</div><div><br></div><div>Kishida said Sugita submitted her resignation saying that she cannot bend her personal beliefs while she retracted some of her earlier comments.</div><div><br></div><div>Kishida had been seen as a stable choice as leader after his victory in the July vote, but his popularity has plummeted over the Liberal Democratic Party’s widespread church ties that surfaced after the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe.</div><div><br></div><div>The suspected shooter told investigators his mother’s donations to the church bankrupted his family and ruined his life. He reportedly targeted Abe as a key figure behind the church’s ties to Japan’s LDP-led government.</div><div><br></div><div>Revelations have since surfaced about many LDP lawmakers having friendly ties to the church, which has been criticized as allegedly brainwashing followers into making huge donations. A new law passed by Parliament earlier this month aims to restrict such activities.</div><div><br></div><div>Economic Revitalization Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa quit on Oct. 24 after failing to explain his ties to the Unification Church. In early November, Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi resigned after remarking that his job is low profile and only makes news when he signs the death penalty. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 12:22:22', '2022-12-27 12:22:22'),
(4071, 4071, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll from a gas tanker explosion in Johannesburg on Christmas Eve has climbed to 18, officials said on Tuesday, as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to support people affected by the blast.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The explosion tore the roof off the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial hospital, destroyed two houses, several cars and injured bystanders up to 500 metres from the scene in the city\'s Boksburg suburb.</div><div><br></div><div>The vehicle caught fire under a low bridge. The truck driver has been arrested on suspicion of culpable homicide, police said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Of the 18 deceased people, nine are Tambo Memorial Hospital staff,\" the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>President Ramaphosa said hospital patients and children were among the dead.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The nation\'s hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating incident,\" he added in a statement, reports Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"While we await the outcome of investigations into this tragedy, this incident does- call on all of us to show due care and to avoid risk when we are out on our roads.\"</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 12:33:31', '2022-12-27 12:33:31'),
(4072, 4072, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has completed all preparations to ensure the overall security of the metro rail service, expected to start operation from Uttara (Diabari) to Agargaon in the city tomorrow.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open the first phase of the much-awaited Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 (MRT Line-6) tomorrow morning.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have taken all the preparations to provide security of the metro rail,\" Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun told BSS here today.</div><div><br></div><div>He said necessary security personnel will be deployed to ensure security of the metro rail.</div><div><br></div><div>The DMP is entrusted with maintaining the entire security of the metro rail, said DMP Commissioner Khandaker Golam Faruque at a press briefing after visiting Diabari, Uttara North Centre and the Prime Minister\'s public meeting place.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Tomorrow (December 28, 2022) is a historic day for Bangladesh,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address a public meeting and inaugurate the much-awaited metro rail in Uttara tomorrow. Security arrangements have been made to ensure tight security for the Prime Minister and other VVIPs,\" Faruque said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sources said DMP will maintain the security for the Metro rail service for an interim period as a move is underway to form a specialised new police unit named - Mass Rapid Transit Police or MRT Police to ensure security and safety checks at every station.</div><div><br></div><div>Formation of the MRT police unit needs some time . . . police headquarters is waiting for the final approval of the Secretaries\' Committee under the Cabinet Division.</div><div><br></div><div>In a letter, the metro rail authority has requested around 3,000 police personnel but the DMP is not only providing an adequate number to police but also other security and safety support whatever is needed for the smooth operation of the metro rail.</div><div><br></div><div>In September 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for the formation of a separate police unit for ensuring the security of the metro rail.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), under the Ministry of Road, Transport, and Bridges Ministry, submitted the proposal to the Police Headquarters in the same month for the formation of the MRT police.</div><div><br></div><div>The metro rail project, the first of its kind in the country, is being implemented by the state-owned DMTCL in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).</div><div><br></div><div>The 20.10-km MRT Line-6 will run from Uttara Third Phase and pass through Pallabi, the west side of Rokeya Sarani and Farmgate, Hotel Sonargaon, Hotel InterContinental, TSC of Dhaka University, Doel Chattar, Topkhana Road and Bangladesh Bank. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 14:10:59', '2022-12-27 14:10:59'),
(4073, 4073, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said election violence under the present Election Commission (EC) has dropped to zero.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“The Election Commission wants to continue it,” he said while talking to reporters at the Election Commission Bhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) election, the CEC said the voting is underway at a slow pace for using electronic voting machines (EVMs). About 56 percent voters have cast their votes till 4 pm, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The voting may continue till 7-8 pm due the long queues at the polling centres, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The voting in the election was scheduled to end at 4:30pm.</div><div><br></div><div>The EC will look into whether there is any other reason behind the delay in voting , he added.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have got some allegations of slow voting due to electronic voting machines (EVMs) but all the voters at the centers will be allowed to exercise their franchise till night,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Election Commission is monitoring the election through CC cameras from a control room.</div><div><br></div><div>Election Commissioners Brig. General (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Md Alamgir, Anisur Rahman, Squadron leader Shahrier Alam are present at the control room and observing the whole situation as already 1,807 CC cameras have been installed at the polling booths.</div><div><br></div><div>Voting in Rangpur City Corporation began on Tuesday morning using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 229 centres.</div><div><br></div><div>Nine candidates are vying for the mayoral post while 183 people are contesting for councillor posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight candidates are contesting the polls for 11 reserved seats, said Returning Officer Abdul Baten.</div><div><br></div><div>The mayoral candidates are: Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, Mostafizur Rahman from Jatiya Party, Shafier Rahman from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from Awami League, Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman as independent candidates.</div><div><br></div><div>Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election ended on Sunday midnight amid much enthusiasm.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers are performing their duties to maintain order in the voting centres.</div><div><br></div><div>The first Rangpur City Corporation election was held on December 21, 2017. The tenure of the current mayor will expire on February 18, 2023. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 14:28:58', '2022-12-27 14:28:58'),
(4074, 4074, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The weather department has predicted light rains in parts of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Tuesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Light rain or drizzle is likely at one or two places in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions,” Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in its bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during late night till morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged and day temperature may fall slightly over the country, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the temperature will drop again with mild (<10°C) to moderate (<8°C) cold wave over some parts of the country from December 28 which may continue more or less till the first week of January, Bangladesh Weather Observatory Team (BWOT), an independent weather research group.</div><div><br></div><div>However, coastal areas and polluted cities may experience milder cold than other areas, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 10.7 degree Celsius in Tetulia in the last 24 hours till 6am Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature was recorded at 31.3 degree Celsius in Khepupara of Barishal division.</div><div><br></div><div>Sylhet recorded 8mm rainfall during this period.</div><div><br></div><div>The trough of westerly low lies over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over South Bay, Extending its trough to Northeast Bay, as per BMD bulletin. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 15:08:21', '2022-12-27 15:08:39'),
(4075, 4075, '<div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP on Tuesday denounced the fare structure of the Metro rail in Dhaka, saying it is much higher than that of metro rails in the neighbouring countries, including India and Pakistan.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“The BNP Standing Committee feels that the government has fixed this fare in violation of the Metro Rail Act and rules. We protest against it,” said BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also said the fare of the metro rail in Dhaka is not only double the private bus fare of the country but also 2 to 5 times higher than the fare of metro rails in various cities of India and Pakistan.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said the Dhaka Metrorail\'s minimum fare was fixed at Tk20 which is almost double to four times higher than the fares of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Lahore.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, he said the maximum fare of Tk100 fixed for a distance of 20 km is 3-5 times higher than Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Lahore.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan said it was mentioned in the rules and regulations of the Metro rail that this project was taken with public money to make the travel of the people of Dhaka metropolis easier and cheaper.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"But we’re now seeing that the Metro rail fare is almost double Dhaka\'s bus fare. Had there been a democratic government elected by the people and accountable to the people, it wouldn’t have taken such an anti-people decision (on metro rail fares). This is why the fall of this anti-people government has become so imperative,” he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said it is not justified to charge such exorbitant fares for the Dhaka metro rail.&nbsp; \"We have presented a comparative picture of metro rail fares and we think the fares of metro rail should be lower in our country.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said the metro rail fares in Dhaka are much higher and several times higher than anywhere else in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Lahore. “This extra money will be taken out of people\'s pockets.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Khan alleged that the government has fixed such irrational fares for metro rail as it spent huge extra money on the project by indulging in corruption, plundering and various misdeeds. “Why should the public be held responsible for their (govt\')s crimes? The public is not interested in this additional cost.”</div><div><br></div><div>He urged the government to live up to its commitment to making the metro-rail journey easy and affordable for the people.</div><div><br></div><div>At the press conference, Khan also presented the decisions of the meeting of their party’s standing committee that was held on Monday night.</div><div><br></div><div>He said their meeting opposed the government’s move to construct two new floating LNG terminals at the time of the import crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>\"When the supply capacity of the country\'s two LNG terminals fell below 50 per cent due to the import crisis, the government planned to build two new floating LNG terminals only to indulge in corruption over strategic products like energy. Our meeting strongly denounced such a move and urged the government to refrain from such anti-people activities,” the BNP leader said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said their meeting also strongly condemned and protested the assault on freedom fighter and eminent water specialist engineer, Dr Inamul Haque, by the ruling party activists on December 24 in the city’s Shahbagh area when he was conducting a campaign against the government’s corruption, vote rigging and anti-mass activities.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for the incident. At the same time, he said the BNP standing committee condemned and protested the police raid on the house of talk-show host Zillur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan also protested the arrest of BNP leaders and activists in different areas of the country and demanded immediate release of all arrested opposition leaders and workers. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 15:53:10', '2022-12-27 15:53:10'),
(4076, 4076, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan received the credentials of Israel’s new ambassador to Turkiye on Tuesday, as the two countries normalize ties after four years of strain.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Turkiye and Israel began improving relations with high-level visits this year including Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Ankara. They agreed to appoint ambassadors mutually in August.</div><div><br></div><div>After Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu won elections last month, he and Erdogan agreed to “work together to create a new era in relations” on a basis of respect for mutual interests.</div><div><br></div><div>Irit Lillian, Israeli’s charge d’affaires in Ankara since January 2021, became ambassador after presenting her letter of confidence to Erdogan.</div><div><br></div><div>Once close regional allies, relations between Israel and Turkiye have been strained for more than a decade, with Ankara having expelled Israel’s ambassador following a 2010 Israeli raid on an aid ship to Gaza, which killed 10 Turkish citizens.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomatic relations were restored in 2016, but two years later Turkiye recalled its ambassador from Israel and expelled the Israeli envoy when Israeli forces killed a number of Palestinians who had taken part in protests in the Gaza Strip.</div><div><br></div><div>Already facing criticism on policy before taking office, Netanyahu has vowed to govern for all Israelis even as he will head one of the most right-wing governments in the country’s history. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-27 16:01:52', '2022-12-27 16:01:52'),
(4077, 4077, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said another feather was added to the crown of Bangalee\'s pride and Bangladesh\'s development with the opening of country\'s first-ever metro rail, vowing to build a prosperous “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041 confronting all odds.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"One more feather after the Padma Bridge was added to the journey of Bangladesh\'s development with inaugurating the metro rail,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister told a civic rally at the Diabari Playground in Uttara after opening the metro rail, setting another milestone in the country\'s communication history between a span of six-month after inaugurating the Padma Bridge.</div><div><br></div><div>She said her government has brightened the country\'s image across the globe by building the Padma Bridge with own finances.</div><div><br></div><div>With the opening of the metro rail, the country has entered into the electric, remote controlled and fastest ever communication era, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister\'s younger sister Sheikh Rehana was present at the inaugural function.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the prime minister and her younger sister took the first official ride of the Metro Rail from Diabari (Uttara North) to Agargaon stations after buying tickets.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Sheikh Hasina released a commemorative bank note of TK 50 to mark the opening of the metro rail. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 09:15:04', '2022-12-28 09:15:04'),
(4078, 4078, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russell Domingo has resigned as the Bangladesh head coach. He informed the BCB of his decision on Tuesday, just two days after Bangladesh\'s home Test series against India - which the hosts lost 2-0 - ended.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Domingo had left for his home in South Africa for the Christmas break following the match, but a statement from the BCB\'s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus indicated that the BCB were moving on from Domingo.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We need a coach who has an impact and influence on the team,\" Yunus told reporters shortly after the Dhaka Test. \"You will soon see some changes. We are trying. We want a very strong team that can play quality and highly competitive team. We went close to beating India but it is tough to beat this team. We beat England and Australia in this ground, but India is a tougher side in these conditions.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In the mainstream, motivation is important. We don\'t just want a good coach, but he has to be a mentor. There\'s less scope to teach them skills at this level, but the coach needs to review performances with the players after a series.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Domingo joined as head coach in September 2019, a few months after the BCB sacked Steve Rhodes following the World Cup that year. Under him, Bangladesh won T20I series against Australia and New Zealand at home, a Test in New Zealand (for the first time), an ODI series win in South Africa and at home against India.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday during a local cricket tournament final in Dhaka, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that Bangladesh were looking to \"bring in more coaches\" into the set-up in the new year.</div><div><br></div><div>But the BCB, through many statements over the last few months, have indicated that they were unhappy with Domingo for not being aggressive enough in the dressing room. - Source: Espncricinfo</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 09:24:38', '2022-12-28 09:24:38'),
(4079, 4079, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The US government\'s two-year-old policy of invoking Covid-19 precautions to turn away hundreds of thousands of migrants at the Mexican border will remain in place for now, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The decision to uphold the controversial rule known as Title 42 delayed a looming political crisis for President Joe Biden, as thousands waited at the southern border in expectation the policy was about to end.</div><div><br></div><div>But the conservative-dominated high court accepted a petition from 19 states warning of a surge of migrants should the policy introduced under former president Donald Trump in March 2020 be lifted as ordered by a lower court.</div><div><br></div><div>The Supreme Court said Title 42 -- which allows the swift expulsion even of people who might qualify for asylum -- would remain in place pending its ruling on the issue, and that it would hear the case in February.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The states contend that they face an immigration crisis at the border and policymakers have failed to agree on adequate measures to address it,\" the court said in its 5-4 ruling.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The only means left to mitigate the crisis, the states suggest, is an order from this Court directing the federal government to continue its Covid-era Title 42 policies as long as possible.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Broken\' system -</div><div><br></div><div>The ruling could give the Biden administration, which had conceded that Title 42 was wrong and prepared for a surge of asylum-seeking migrants, until May or June before a final decision.</div><div><br></div><div>Departing the White House for vacation Tuesday night, Biden told reporters that ending Title 42 was \"overdue,\" but the administration would heed the court\'s decision until a final ruling is made, likely in June.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In the meantime, we have to enforce it,\" Biden said.</div><div><br></div><div>White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier in the day the administration would prepare for the next hearing.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are advancing our preparations to manage the border in a secure, orderly, and humane way when Title 42 eventually lifts,\" Jean-Pierre said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Title 42 is a public health measure, not an immigration enforcement measure, and it should not be extended indefinitely.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"To truly fix our broken immigration system, we need Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy said that removing Title 42 \"would have made our border crisis worse, and the White House seemed willing to let that happen.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Glad to see the Supreme Court step in to preserve it, but we need a permanent solution,\" he said on Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>- From Cuba, Venezuela and beyond -</div><div><br></div><div>While the government had prepared for the end of Title 42 with more staffing and more fencing along the border, it was not clear how it would have stemmed an expected surge.</div><div><br></div><div>Some 2.5 million people were intercepted while trying to cross the southern US border in the 12 months through November.</div><div><br></div><div>While two years ago most of the migrants were from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, now more than half come from much further away -- from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, Eastern Europe and Asia.</div><div><br></div><div>Ballooning migrant numbers at the border pose an increasing political headache for Biden and his Democratic Party, whom the Republicans have repeatedly sought to paint as soft on illegal immigration.</div><div><br></div><div>Critics have branded Title 42 \"inhumane.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"As a Covid control strategy, a humanitarian policy, and a border policy, Title 42 has not only failed but caused irreparable harm on a massive scale,\" said Karla Marisol Vargas, senior attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"People have continued to make the long and dangerous journey to the border, because for many Black, Indigenous, and Brown communities, the United States remains their last, best chance at survival,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Washington-based Refugees International similarly slammed the decision, saying the Supreme Court \"will be responsible for what the lower court called \'irreparable harm\' that befalls asylum seekers expelled under Title 42.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Not a Covid crisis\' -</div><div><br></div><div>The Supreme Court\'s decision was divided mostly along ideological lines and raised fresh questions over the conservative majority\'s readiness to intervene in red-hot political issues.</div><div><br></div><div>The petition they accepted was from 19 conservative states governed by Republicans who were not even party to the original lawsuit over Title 42.</div><div><br></div><div>Five conservatives comprised the majority in the decision, while conservative Neil Gorsuch sided with the court\'s three progressives in opposing extending Title 42.</div><div><br></div><div>In his dissent, Gorsuch says he understood the concerns of border states over a surge in migrants.</div><div><br></div><div>However, he wrote, \"the current border crisis is not a Covid crisis. And courts should not be in the business of perpetuating administrative edicts designed for one emergency only because elected officials have failed to address a different emergency.\" - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 09:58:00', '2022-12-28 09:58:00'),
(4080, 4080, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The US Embassy in Dhaka has congratulated Bangladesh for inaugurating the country\'s first-ever Metro Rail in Dhaka.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We want to give a special shoutout to the six female metro train operators, including Maryam Afiza,\" said the Embassy sharing photos of Metro Rail and Afiza from its verified Facebook page on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The country’s commuting system entered a new era Today (Wednesday) as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first ever metro rail service in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>She inaugurated the operation of the first phase of the project-- Uttara to Agargaon--at 11:00 am from Uttara sector-15 playground.</div><div><br></div><div>As the government is starting the operation on a limited scale, it will take 20 minutes to travel the 11.73-Km distance from Uttara to Agargaon, but soon it will come down to 16-17 minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is the third country in South Asian region to have metro rail after India and Pakistan. India introduced its first 3.4km underground metro rail in Kolkata in 1984 while Pakistan launched its mostly-elevated metro line in Lahore in October, 2020. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 10:22:54', '2022-12-28 10:22:54'),
(4081, 4081, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hong Kong is dropping almost all its Covid restrictions this week, following a similar move by mainland China.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>From Thursday, people arriving in the city - a special administrative region of China - will no longer have to do mandatory PCR tests.</div><div><br></div><div>The vaccine pass system will also be scrapped - but compulsory masks in public places will continue.</div><div><br></div><div>It is a dramatic move by the city, which once had some of the toughest restrictions in the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Also being scrapped from Thursday is the rule that limits the number of people allowed to gather outside to 12.</div><div><br></div><div>This was increased from four people in October as part of measures to begin reopening the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Hong Kong\'s leader, John Lee, cited high vaccine rates as one of the reasons for lifting restrictions.</div><div><br></div><div>According to government figures, 93% of the population have had two vaccine does, while more than 83% have received three.</div><div><br></div><div>Unlike mainland China, which has developed its own vaccines, Hong Kong has also used mRNA vaccines - including the BioNTech jab made in Germany - that have been shown to be more effective.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of medicine to fight Covid, and healthcare workers have gained rich experience in facing the pandemic,\" Mr Lee said on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The society has established a relatively extensive and overall anti-epidemic barrier.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Lee added that instead of the vaccine pass, which has limited access to public places for unvaccinated since it was introduced in February, the city would take \"more targeted measures\" - including promoting vaccination for the elderly and children.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 11,000 people have died with Covid in Hong Kong, according to official numbers, from more than 2.5m cases. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 12:04:31', '2022-12-28 12:04:31'),
(4082, 4082, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday became the first passenger of the metro rail buying her own ticket, as she set another milestone in the country\'s communication history between a span of six-month of opening the dream Padma Bridge.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The first-ever metro train, carrying the prime minister and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana along with around 200 other selected passengers left from North Uttara to Agargaon at 01:53pm today.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Among the 200 riders were freedom fighters, the parliament speaker, ministers, government officials, diplomats, school students and ethnic minority people.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh entered a new era today as the PM&nbsp; Hasina inaugurated the country\'s first-ever elevated electricity-run metro rail in the capital Dhaka this morning.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She flagged off the service of the train at North Uttara station. There she also wrote on the green flags which were used to flag off the train.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the prime minister collected the ticket at about 01:35pm at the North Uttara station followed by her younger sister Rehana.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, both of them punched their ticket at the entry of the station and boarded&nbsp; the train.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>On arrival at the North Uttara Station, the PM planted a sapling there. Her sister Rehana was also present there.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As part of the empowerment of women, Mariam Afiza became the first woman to drive the metro train.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially, the metro train will run from 8 am to 12 noon every day from Uttara to Agargaon stations without any stoppage.</div><div><br></div><div>State-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will operate 30 double decker buses to transport passengers from and to metro rail stations.</div><div><br></div><div>Of those, 20 buses will be operated on Agargaon-Motijheel route via Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh and Gulistan while 10 buses will run from Uttara\'s House Building to Uttara\'s North station at Diabari via Abdullahpur.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a government-owned company, is implementing the metro rail project.</div><div><br></div><div>Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been constructing the metro rail and providing soft loan for the project.</div><div><br></div><div>The construction work of the MRT Line-6 began in 2016. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 12:26:22', '2022-12-28 12:26:22'),
(4083, 4083, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Moroccan director Maryam Touzani hopes her latest film, shortlisted for an Oscar, will provoke \"a healthy, much-needed debate\" around LGBTQ rights and challenge taboos in the conservative country.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The Blue Caftan\" tells the story of Halim and his wife Mina, a couple who make and sell traditional robes in one of Morocco\'s oldest souks.</div><div><br></div><div>Their relationship is rocked by the arrival of a handsome young apprentice -- and Halim\'s attraction to him.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I hope the film can contribute to nurturing a healthy, much-needed debate\" about same-sex relationships, Touzani told AFP in a telephone interview.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It pains me to see people living hidden away, in fear, with their love suppressed, denied and judged.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Touzani\'s second full-length work was among 15 shortlisted for the International Feature Film category ahead of the Academy Awards, with nominations set to be announced on January 24.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It\'s a huge honour to represent Morocco and to carry the country\'s colours at this stage of the competition,\" said Touzani, 42.</div><div><br></div><div>She noted an official committee had chosen her film as the kingdom\'s Oscar entry -- an unexpected move in a country where consensual same-sex acts are punishable by up to three years\' imprisonment.</div><div><br></div><div>Laws in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa can be even stricter.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The fact that my film is representing Morocco is a step forward in itself,\" Touzani said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The symbolism is beautiful and strong -- it shows a desire for openness and dialogue.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Without passing judgement\' -</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Blue Caftan\" is set in Sale, a picturesque city next to the capital Rabat.</div><div><br></div><div>It features Palestinian Saleh Bakri as Halim, Belgian actor Lubna Azabal as Mina and Moroccan Ayoub Missioui in the role of Youssef, the apprentice.</div><div><br></div><div>Touzani expressed hope that mentalities in her country around LGBTQ issues would change.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We often tend to put labels on love stories, but I really wanted to tell them without passing judgement,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It\'s by changing mentalities that laws can evolve. I believe love shouldn\'t be criminalised.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The film also delves into the generations-old art of tailoring the caftans traditionally worn by both men and women.</div><div><br></div><div>It \"explores the love of a profession, that of the master tailor, which is disappearing\", Touzani said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Blue Caftan\" was part of the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year, and shared the Jury Prize at November\'s Marrakech International Film Festival.</div><div><br></div><div>It is the second film representing Morocco to be shortlisted for the Oscars, after \"Omar Killed Me\" by French-Moroccan director Roschdy Zem.</div><div><br></div><div>The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 12 in Hollywood. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 12:41:09', '2022-12-28 12:41:09'),
(4084, 4084, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 14 people have been killed and 24 others injured after a vehicle ploughed into crowds watching bikers at a popular carnival in Nigeria\'s southern port city of Calabar.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Eyewitnesses said that a speeding driver lost control of the car.</div><div><br></div><div>Pictures shared online in the immediate aftermath of the incident show bodies strewn across the street.</div><div><br></div><div>The month-long annual carnival, which features several events, has become a big draw since it was launched in 2004.</div><div><br></div><div>Dubbed Africa\'s biggest street party, it attracts local and foreign tourists throughout December.</div><div><br></div><div>Tuesday\'s incident took place during the popular bikers\' parade on one of the major carnival routes which had been closed to vehicle traffic.</div><div><br></div><div>The event features riders, including celebrities, from across the country, some adorned in colourful costumes, performing stunts.</div><div><br></div><div>The police said a drunk driver - who has been arrested - had lost control of the car and ploughed into the crowd.</div><div><br></div><div>Cross River State Governor Prof Ben Ayade cancelled the rest of the bikers\' parade and called for an immediate investigation.</div><div><br></div><div>Other events planned for the rest of the carnival - which is set to end on New Year\'s Eve with a fireworks display - have not been cancelled. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 13:02:30', '2022-12-28 13:02:30'),
(4085, 4085, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sixty-seven more people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease remained unchanged at 281 as no death was recorded during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 36 were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 31 outside it, said DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 360 dengue patients, including 186 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The DGHS has recorded 62,256 dengue cases and 61,615 recoveries so far this year.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 13:45:57', '2022-12-28 13:45:57'),
(4086, 4086, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The weather department has predicted light rains in Chattogram division in 24 hours commencing 9am on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Light rain or drizzle is likely at one or two places in Chattogram division,” Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in its bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during midnight till morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Night temperature may fall by (1-3)°C and day temperature may rise slightly over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 09.2 degree Celsius in Tetulia in 24 hours till 6am Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature was recorded at 29.4 degree Celsius in Teknaf of Chattogram division.</div><div><br></div><div>Seasonal low lies over South Bay, extending its trough to North Bay. Ridge of Sub-continental high extends up to Bihar &amp; adjoining area. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 14:00:12', '2022-12-28 14:00:12'),
(4087, 4087, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Kane Williamson and Tom Latham hit contrasting hundreds Wednesday to propel New Zealand to 440-6 at the close on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Williamson survived two stumpings and a leg-before decision before knocking an unbeaten 105, while Ish Sodhi was on one, with the tourists leading by two runs.</div><div><br></div><div>Williamson\'s 25th Test century is his first in international cricket since he racked up 238, also against Pakistan, in Christchurch in January last year.</div><div><br></div><div>He built on a solid foundation laid down by openers Latham, who cracked 113 en route to his 13th Test century, and Devon Conway, who fell for 92.</div><div><br></div><div>With the National Stadium pitch likely to take spin on the last two days, New Zealand will look to press home their advantage in the first Test of the two-match series, their first in Pakistan since 2002.</div><div><br></div><div>Williamson pushed fast bowler Mohammad Wasim for a sharp single to complete his hundred, a fifth against Pakistan.</div><div><br></div><div>In all he has batted for 356 minutes, cracking 11 boundaries.</div><div><br></div><div>But Pakistan were left ruing missed chances as wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed fumbled two stumpings with Williamson on 15 and 21 -- spinner Nauman Ali the unlucky bowler on both occasions.</div><div><br></div><div>Williamson added a solid 90 for the fifth wicket with Tom Blundell, who fell to Wasim after scoring 47.</div><div><br></div><div>Pakistan\'s spin duo of Nauman and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets in the post-lunch session, with Henry Nicholls falling for 22 and Daryl Mitchell scoring a robust 47-ball 42.</div><div><br></div><div>Ahmed, who has figures of 3-143, also had Michael Bracewell for five.</div><div><br></div><div>- Decision overturned -</div><div>Williamson, who also overturned a leg-before decision against him on 13, added 65 for the fourth wicket with Mitchell.</div><div><br></div><div>Mitchell smashed seven boundaries and a six including four consecutive fours off Wasim after Pakistan took the second new ball at 272-3.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, resuming on 165 without loss, New Zealand were lifted by Latham\'s 13th hundred - the most centuries by a New Zealand opener.</div><div><br></div><div>Latham swept Ahmed for a single to reach three figures, eclipsing John Wright\'s 12 centuries as an opener for New Zealand.</div><div><br></div><div>He was finally dismissed for 113 after miscuing a reverse sweep and being caught at slip.</div><div><br></div><div>Latham hit ten boundaries in his 288-minute knock.</div><div><br></div><div>Latham and Devon Conway put on 183 for the first wicket, beating the New Zealand record against Pakistan of 181 set by openers Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell at Hamilton in 2001.</div><div><br></div><div>Conway was trapped leg-before by Nauman for 92 after striking 14 boundaries in his fifth Test half-century.</div><div><br></div><div>The Pakistan camp has been hit by viral flu with skipper Babar Azam not taking the field in the first session and Agha Salman missing for the entire day. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 14:07:39', '2022-12-28 14:07:39'),
(4088, 4088, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Construction work of the country\'s first underground metro line will begin in January next year, said DMTCL managing director MAN Siddique.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ve planned to start the construction of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-1, which will be the first underground metro line under Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), in January next year,\" he said while addressing the inauguration programme of a section of MRT Line-6 on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The underground metro line will have two parts -- one from Dhaka airport to Kamalapur and the other from Notun Bazar to Purbachal, he said, adding that the DMTCL has a plan to start construction work of MRT-5 (Northern Route) in July 2023, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>He said the MRT-5 line will run from Savar\'s Hemayetpur to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are expecting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the construction work of both the lines,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 14:52:09', '2022-12-28 14:52:09');
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(4089, 4089, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The monster storm that killed dozens in the United States over the Christmas weekend continued to inflict misery on New York state and air travelers nationwide Tuesday, as stories emerged of families trapped for days during the “blizzard of the century.”</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The number of deaths attributed to the winter storm rose to more than 50 after officials confirmed three more fatalities in western New York’s Erie County, the epicenter of the crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>The police department “expects that number to rise,” tweeted Byron Brown, mayor of the lakeside county’s biggest city Buffalo - which has been paralyzed for five days by chest-deep snow banks and power outages.</div><div><br></div><div>Kathy Hochul, New York state’s governor and a Buffalo native, described the storm aftermath as resembling “a war zone.”</div><div>“Certainly it is the blizzard of the century,” Hochul told reporters Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>As temperatures plummeted, commuters and some residents fleeing their freezing homes became trapped on highways, unable to be rescued.</div><div><br></div><div>The problem was compounded when some areas were rendered inaccessible to ambulances for dozens of hours and snowplows were unable to perform their job due to the ferocity of the storm — necessitating rescuers being rescued in certain cases.</div><div><br></div><div>The family of one 22-year-old Buffalo resident, Anndel Taylor, said she died in her car after getting stuck on her way home from work.</div><div><br></div><div>A video sent by Taylor and posted by her sister shows her vehicle covered up to its windows in snow.</div><div><br></div><div>Emergency responders, who themselves became stuck attempting to rescue her, found her dead 18 hours later, possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning, her family in North Carolina told local TV station WSOC-TV.</div><div><br></div><div>One father described being trapped in his vehicle on the streets of Buffalo with his four young children for 11 hours before being rescued, according to The New York Times.</div><div><br></div><div>Zila Santiago, 30, said he kept his engine running to provide some warmth and fed his children some juice found in his trunk.</div><div><br></div><div>They were finally rescued at dawn by a passing snowplow.</div><div>In a city well-accustomed to snowstorms, some residents were blaming a travel ban they said was enacted too late on Friday morning as contributing to the mayhem.</div><div><br></div><div>Buffalo resident Mark Eguliar remained at his workplace, where he was stuck for more than 40 hours.</div><div><br></div><div>“Too many people were driving, too many people were not listening to the ban, so the cars were blocking all the roads, making it a lot harder to get home,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The perfect storm of fierce snow squalls, howling wind and sub-zero temperatures forced the cancelation of thousands of flights in recent days, including around 5,900 on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to tracking site FlightAware.com.</div><div><br></div><div>Most of the cancelations on Tuesday and Wednesday were at Southwest Airlines, which pulled more than 60 percent of its flights due to cascading logistics issues, earning it a rebuke from the US government.</div><div><br></div><div>The Department of Transportation tweeted that it was “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancelations” and would examine if the company was “complying with its customer service plan,” while the US Senate committee overseeing aviation said it would look into causes that “go beyond weather.”</div><div><br></div><div>In a video statement on Tuesday, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said he was “truly sorry” for the disruptions and that a “massive effort to stabilize the airline” was under way, reports Arab News</div><div><br></div><div>He also noted that he had spoken with transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg about the issues, and pledged to “double down on our already existing plans to upgrade systems for these extreme circumstances so that we never again face what’s happening right now.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 15:27:36', '2022-12-28 15:27:36'),
(4090, 4090, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US president Joe Biden said that he proposed to his wife, Jill Biden, five times before they got married in 1977.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>During an episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” hosted by Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore, Joe Biden made the confession.</div><div><br></div><div>In the clip of the interview, shared by CNN on Twitter, Drew Barrymore is seen asking Joe Biden if he really professed his love for the first lady five times and “what was it that finally won her over?”</div><div><br></div><div>“When I went out with her the first time, I knew this was the woman. I really did”, Joe Biden said.</div><div><br></div><div>The US president further said that he has fallen in love only twice in his life and both times he knew “immediately”. Joe Biden\'s first wife, Neilia, and their one-year-old daughter Naomi had died in a car crash in 1972. Following this, Joe Biden raised his two sons as a single parent.</div><div><br></div><div>Joe Biden also recalled that it was his sons, Beau and Hunter, who encouraged him to propose to Jill Biden.</div><div><br></div><div>“My boys — our boys — were young and they came in and said, \'Dad, we were talking. We think we should marry Jill,” Joe Biden said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about Jill Biden\'s decision to marry the US president, the first lady said that she had to make sure that the marriage worked as “they (Joe Biden\'s sons) had lost their mother and they had lost their sister and I knew that we had, it had, to work because I had lost so much.” Source: Hindustan Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 15:31:44', '2022-12-28 15:31:44'),
(4091, 4091, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>From late February till now, the war in Ukraine has dominated the year’s news agenda like no other story.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Even before Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, months of growing tensions hinted at the risk of a conflict in Europe. But, there was little sense of just how consequential and protracted the fighting would become.</div><div><br></div><div>The war has caused tens of thousands of casualties, forced millions from their homes and unleashed a multifaceted global economic crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>From battleground gains and losses to mass refugee flows and instrumental weapons supplies, in the maps and charts below Al Jazeera looks at how the war unfolded on the ground, the human costs and global responses.</div><div><br></div><div>In late 2021, satellite images emerged showing the buildup of Russian troops on the snowy frontier with Ukraine, raising fears of an invasion. Diplomatic efforts were fruitless and on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a televised speech announced what he called a “special military operation” to “denazify” and “demilitarise” Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>People across Europe’s second-largest country woke up to the sound of sirens and explosions as Russian ground forces invaded from four main fronts in the north, northeast, east and south, while artillery and missiles targeted numerous locations.</div><div><br></div><div>President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged Ukraine will fight back as his government declared martial law and told Ukrainians to take up arms.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first month of the war, Russian forces pressed towards Ukraine’s largest cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city of Kharkiv. Moscow’s troops took control of the southern city of Kherson early on, but any Russian aspirations for a swift takeover were stymied by tough Ukrainian resistance.</div><div><br></div><div>Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, became a strategic base for Russia’s attempt to advance towards the capital. However, when Russia pulled its troops out of the Kyiv region at the end of March, stating that it would now focus on capturing the eastern Donbas region, evidence of alleged war crimes began to emerge. During a visit to Bucha in April, Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, described Ukraine as “a crime scene”.</div><div><br></div><div>By June, Russia controlled one-fifth of Ukraine, including the southern port city of Mariupol after months of heavy fighting. The front lines largely solidified during mid-year but by early September, Ukrainian forces managed to take advantage of a weaker Russian presence in northeastern Ukraine following the redeployment of Russian fighters to Donetsk and the southern axis, where a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson presented a threat.</div><div><br></div><div>The result was a swift counteroffensive that took the Kremlin by surprise and resulted in Ukrainian forces retaking large pockets in Kharkiv province and the town of Izyum – according to the British defence ministry, the retaken territory was at least twice the size of London.</div><div><br></div><div>“Within four days, Ukraine nullified four months of success of the Russian army that cost them a huge amount of victims,” Nikolay Mitrokhin, a Russian expert at Germany’s Bremen University, told Al Jazeera.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin responded by announcing the annexation of four partially occupied provinces of eastern and southern Ukraine. The move came after voters in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia backed joining Russia, according to the results of referendums rejected by the government in Kyiv and its Western allies as meaningless and illegal.</div><div><br></div><div>Even though Putin declared that Russia had “four new regions”, calling its residents “our citizens forever”, his troops weeks later retreated from the city of Kherson, the first and only regional capital to be captured by Russian forces since the start of the war.</div><div><br></div><div>The decision, Russian officials said, was taken to save the lives of Russian soldiers in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensive and difficulties to keep supply lines to the strategic city open.</div><div><br></div><div>Fighting has since largely focused on Donbas, where Russian forces have for months been battering the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, at great cost, while Ukrainian troops push towards the key town of Kreminna, in Luhansk. Source: Al Jazeera&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-28 15:43:56', '2022-12-28 15:43:56'),
(4092, 4092, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Long queues were seen at the Agargaon metro rail station on Thursday morning as the service was open for common people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds of people started thronging the station from early morning to travel by the metro rail.</div><div><br></div><div>With the launch of Uttara to Agargaon section—a stretch of over 21 kilometres MRT Line-6, Bangladesh began a new era of commuting with electricity-powered metro rail that aims to ease people’s sufferings in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>The section from Agargaon to Motijheel is expected to be open a year later.</div><div><br></div><div>A limited number of trains carrying passengers will operate from 8 am to 12 pm every day.</div><div><br></div><div>In the beginning, the train will not stop at all stations. The train will leave the Uttara station and stop at Pallabi, and then it will go to Agargaon without stopping.</div><div><br></div><div>Stopping of trains at intermediate stations will start later.On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first ever metro rail service in the capital amid much enthusiasm and festivity.</div><div><br></div><div>She inaugurated the operation of the first phase of the project-- Uttara to Agargaon.</div><div><br></div><div>As the government is starting the operation on a limited scale, it will take 20 minutes to travel the 11.73-Km distance from Uttara to Agargaon, but soon it will come down to 16-17 minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is the third country in South Asian region to have metro rail service after India and Pakistan.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially the train will carry 200 to 250 passengers and later it will increase to 700 to 800 passengers.</div><div><br></div><div>Of the 12 trains that have been kept ready for operating from Uttara to Agargaon, 10 will run regularly and two will be kept on standby for any problem.</div><div><br></div><div>People can purchase their tickets manually and digitally, and one person will be allowed to get a maximum of five tickets at a time.</div><div><br></div><div>All passengers will have to enter through the gate using a smart pass card after getting a ticket and will be able to use escalators to go to the platform on the third floor.</div><div><br></div><div>The minimum fare for Dhaka metro rail was fixed at Tk 20 and the maximum fare for travelling from Uttara to Motijheel at Tk 100.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first phase, the fare from Uttara station to Agargaon station will be Tk 60. The fare from Uttara (North) to Uttara (Central) and Uttara-South Station will be Tk 20.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, from the first station Uttara North to Pallabi and Mirpur-11 stations, the fare will be Tk 30, the fare till Mirpur 10 and Kazipara stations will be Tk 40 and till Shewrapara station it will be Tk 50. ‍Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 08:22:28', '2022-12-29 08:22:28'),
(4093, 4093, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">One person died and three others were missing in the southern Philippines after being hit by a landslide, police said Thursday, taking the nationwide death toll from recent rains to at least 33.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Authorities were still searching for more than two dozen other people missing after heavy downpours over the Christmas weekend caused flooding and landslides across central and southern regions.</div><div><br></div><div>The latest death happened Wednesday in Mati City in the province of Davao Oriental on Mindanao island when a landslide buried four people as they fished, police said.</div><div><br></div><div>The body of a 62-year-old man was recovered and the search for his companions was still under way, Mati City police chief Ernesto Gregore told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There was a heavy downpour in the mountains. They were fishing in a river when the landslide occurred,\" Gregore said.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather turned bad over the weekend as the disaster-prone nation of 110 million people prepared for a long Christmas holiday.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds of houses have since been destroyed and more than 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) of crops wiped out by rains that have forced tens of thousands of people into evacuation centres, the national disaster agency said.</div><div><br></div><div>Most fatalities have been in the province of Misamis Occidental, also on Mindanao, where 15 people died from drowning or rain-induced landslides.</div><div><br></div><div>The Philippines is ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change, and scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 08:54:03', '2022-12-29 08:54:03'),
(4094, 4094, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Air raid sirens rang across Ukraine as Russia unleashed more than 100 missiles on Thursday morning, according to a Ukrainian presidential adviser, and blasts were heard in several cities, including the capital Kyiv.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“A massive air raid. More than 100 missiles in several waves,” presidential office adviser Oleksiy Arestovych wrote on Facebook, and the head of Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region also reported Russian missiles in the air.</div><div><br></div><div>The city\'s mayor Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said “For the moment, there are three wounded in Kyiv, including a 14-year-old girl. They are all in hospital,” .</div><div><br></div><div>Explosions were heard in Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Odesa, according to a Reuters correspondent and local media reports.</div><div><br></div><div>Power cuts were announced in the Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions, aimed at minimizing potential damage to the energy infrastructure.</div><div><br></div><div>The blitz came hard on the heels of the Kremlins rejection of a Ukrainian peace plan, insisting that Kyiv accept Russia’s annexation of four regions.</div><div><br></div><div>Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, but Ukraine says its daily bombardment is destroying cities, towns, and the country’s infrastructrure from power to medical.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday, Russian shelling hit the maternity wing of a hospital in the city of Kherson, though no-one was hurt, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff. Staff and patients were moved to a shelter, Tymoshenko said in a post on Telegram.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was frightening ... the explosions began abruptly, the window handle started to tear off ... oh, my hands are still shaking,” Olha Prysidko, a new mother, said. “When we came to the basement, the shelling wasn’t over. Not for a minute.”</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine’s recently liberated southern city of Kherson has remained under constant bombardment from Russian forces which had retreated to the east bank of the river when the city was retaken in a major victory for Ukraine last month.</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky, in a video address, urged Ukrainians to hug loved ones, tell friends they appreciate them, support colleagues, thank their parents and rejoice with their children more often.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have not lost our humanity, although we have endured terrible months,” he said. “And we will not lose it, although there is a difficult year ahead.”</div><div><br></div><div>Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kyiv and its Western allies have denounced Russia’s actions as an imperialist-style land grab. Russian President Vladimir Putin calls it a “special military operation” to demilitarize its neighbor.</div><div><br></div><div>Sweeping sanctions have been imposed on Russia for the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, left cities in ruins and shaken the global economy, driving up energy and food prices.</div><div><br></div><div>There is still no prospect of talks to end the war.</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky is vigorously pushing a 10-point peace plan that envisages Russia respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and pulling out all its troops.</div><div><br></div><div>But Moscow dismissed it on Wednesday, reiterating Kyiv must accept Russia’s annexation of the four regions — Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.</div><div><br></div><div>There can be no peace plan “that does not take into account today’s realities regarding Russian territory, with the entry of four regions into Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Zelensky’s idea of driving Russia out of eastern Ukraine and Crimea with Western help and getting Moscow to pay damages to Kyiv is an “illusion,” the RIA news agency reported.</div><div><br></div><div>TASS cited Lavrov as saying that Russia would continue to build up its fighting strength and technological capabilities in Ukraine. He said that Moscow’s mobilized troops had undergone “serious training” and while many were now on the ground, the majority were not yet at the front.</div><div><br></div><div>Zelensky told parliament to remain united and praised Ukrainians for helping the West “find itself again.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Our national colors are today an international symbol of courage and indomitability of the whole world,” he said in an annual speech held behind closed doors. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 09:20:55', '2022-12-29 09:20:55'),
(4095, 4095, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mild cold wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Pabna, Naogaon, Nilphamari and Chuadanga districts and it may continue, said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the Met office recorded 8.5 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga, the lowest temperature in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the country during late night to morning, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Night temperature may fall slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, ridge of Sub-continental high extends up to Bihar and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over South Bay, extending its trough to North Bay.</div><div><br></div><div>UNB Chuadanga correspondent reports: Bone-chilling cold has disrupted normal life in the district.</div><div><br></div><div>The daily wage earners and low income people have been hit hard by cold as they could not go outside due to lack of work.</div><div><br></div><div>Rakibul Hasan, Chuadanga Weather Observatory office, said they have recorded minimum temperature of 8.5 degrees Celsius in the district on Thursday morning and the temperature is likely to fall from tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Mahbubur Rahman Milon, a child specialist of Sadar hospital, said the number of patients in the outdoor department is rising as people with cold related diseases are thronging the hospital for treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>They are struggling to provide healthcare to 300-400 children every day, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>In Kurigram, shivering cold disrupted normal activities of people.</div><div><br></div><div>The met office has recorded 11.0 degrees Celsius in the district and the mercury may fall below 10 in the coming days, said Tuhin Mia, in-charge of Kurigram Razarhat Agriculture Weather Observatory Office. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 09:27:43', '2022-12-29 09:27:43'),
(4096, 4096, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that the government has an integrated action plan to establish six more metro rail lines in Dhaka by 2030.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"There is an integrated action plan to build six more metro rail lines in Dhaka by 2030,\" he said while addressing a press conference in his ministry\'s meeting room at the secretariat here.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the feasibility study on establishment of metro rail line in Chattogram outside capital is also going on.</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that the metro rail project was taken up long ago, he said there will be two more service lanes in Dhaka-Chattogram.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister, however, said the government currently cannot take big projects for the ongoing global crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the government\'s initiatives for the welfare of the countrymen, he said: \"We can open half of the elevated expressway next year.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that the metro rail of Bangladesh is more modern than that of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Kolkata, he said there will be no sound pollution during metro rail operation.</div><div><br></div><div>He hoped people can enjoy the service of metro rail from Motijheel during the tenure of incumbent government.</div><div><br></div><div>In reply to a question on metro rail fares, he said,\"...There may be no problem with metro rail fares. The rickshaw-fare is now 20 taka if anyone rides on it,\" reports BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the most important responsibility of this government is now to turn various crises into possibilities.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Different steps are being implemented across the country to improve the transportation system,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 11:17:22', '2022-12-29 11:17:22'),
(4097, 4097, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said on Thursday that the draft for power purchase agreement (PPA) is under process for nuclear power as the progress of the construction work is rose to more than 85 percent.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We hope that per unit price of power will be at Tk 4-5, which is lower than other generated electricity,\" he disclosed this to the journalists after a meeting with the authorities of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plan (RNPP) at Ishwardi here.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the commissioning of Unit-1 of the RNPP project is likely to be delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the schedule, the 1st unit of the 2400MW nuclear power plant was scheduled to be commissioned by December 2023, Nasrul Hamid added.</div><div><br></div><div>Nuclear scientist and RNPP Project Director (PD) Dr Md Shaukat Akbar was also present at the press briefing.</div><div><br></div><div>The project will host two nuclear power units each of 1,200 MW capacities.</div><div><br></div><div>Latest generation 3+ Russian VVER 1200 reactor is being used for power generation, which complies with all international safety requirements.</div><div><br></div><div>During the site visit at the RNPP, state minister\'s wife Seema Hamid was accompanied with him.</div><div><br></div><div>Nasrul Hamid instructed the power division officials concerned to work with coordinated efforts.</div><div><br></div><div>\"However, due to the pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, that time frame has been pushed to the mid of 2024 to end the work,\" the RNPP PD Dr Md Shaukat Akbar told reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>Engineering Division of Russia\'s Rosatom State Corporation is implementing the Rooppur project as the General Designer and Contractor.</div><div><br></div><div>The State Minister said, \"Bangladesh is going to nuclear power generation it\'s a good and bold step by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the lifetime of the nuclear power plant is at least 60 years and the power price will stable for 60 years.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question, Nasrul Hamid said the Russian side has developed all the necessary training and methodological programs, which in the future will allow the Bangladesh side to independently train its personnel, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the construction of the transmission line to connect RNPP with the national grid is going with coordinated efforts.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our work of Nuclear Power Plant transmission line was delayed due to Covid-19 and the Ukraine war,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that now the construction work is going in full swing to complete the transmission line for connecting Rooppur Power Plant with the national grid within the stipulated timeframe, reports BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Safety is of our utmost importance and all the work is satisfactory. However, with the combined efforts of all, the work is expected to be completed on time,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 12:07:49', '2022-12-29 12:07:49'),
(4098, 4098, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bodies of two children who went missing while taking bath in the Padma river in Kushtia have been recovered.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as Rifat Mandal, 8, son of Rifat Mandal and Morsalin, 6, son of Mojibor Ragman in Daulatpur upazila, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur police station Mojibur Rahman said that the children went missing on Wednesday morning and after searching the whole day locals recovered their bodies from the river around 11 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>The bodies were handed over to their families, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 12:20:14', '2022-12-29 12:20:14'),
(4099, 4099, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Uzbekistan\'s health ministry has said that 18 children have died after drinking a cough syrup manufactured by Indian drug maker Marion Biotech.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The ministry said that preliminary tests showed a batch of the medicine contained ethylene glycol, a toxic substance.</div><div><br></div><div>The children were given the Dok-1 Max syrup without a doctor\'s prescription, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The amount they consumed also exceeded the standard dose for children.</div><div><br></div><div>The allegation from Uzbekistan comes weeks after The Gambia also linked child deaths to cough syrups made by another Indian firm.</div><div><br></div><div>India\'s health ministry said in a statement that its officials have been \"in regular contact with the national drug regulator of Uzbekistan regarding the matter\" since 27 December.</div><div><br></div><div>It added that health officials have conducted an inspection of Marion Biotech\'s facility in Noida in Uttar Pradesh state.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing,\" the statement added.</div><div><br></div><div>Marion Biotech has not responded to the BBC\'s request for comment yet.</div><div><br></div><div>News agency ANI has quoted a Marion Biotech executive as saying that the company has halted production of the syrup temporarily. He added that the government was conducting an enquiry and that the firm would take action accordingly.</div><div><br></div><div>Marion Biotech is based in Noida, near India\'s national capital Delhi. Its website is currently down, but the company\'s LinkedIn page says it was founded in 1999 and that its products are \"household names in Central Asian countries, Central and Latin America, South East Asia and Africa\".</div><div><br></div><div>India produces a third of the world\'s medicines, mostly in the form of generic drugs.</div><div><br></div><div>The country, home to some of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies, is known as the \"world\'s pharmacy\" and meets much of the medical needs of developing countries.</div><div><br></div><div>The Uzbek ministry statement, dated 27 December, says that Dok-1 Max tablets and syrup have been sold in the country since 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It was found that the deceased children, before admission to hospital treatment, took this drug at home for 2-7 days, 3-4 times a day, 2.5-5ml, which exceeds the standard dose of the drug for children,\" the ministry said.</div><div><br></div><div>The statement did not specify over what time period the deaths occurred. BBC Monitoring had reported on 23 December, citing news website Gazeta.uz, that Uzbek authorities were investigating \"claims that 15 children died in central Samarkand region over the past two months after taking a cough syrup made in India\".</div><div><br></div><div>On 26 December, Podrobno.uz news website reported that 21 children - 15 of them under the age of three - were treated for acute kidney failure \"allegedly caused by the India-made cough syrup Dok-1 Max between September and December\". Three of the patients recovered.</div><div><br></div><div>The ministry also said that \"preliminary laboratory studies have shown that this series of Dok-1 Max syrup contains ethylene glycol\".</div><div><br></div><div>In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) had sounded a global alert and linked four India-made cough syrups to the deaths of 66 children from kidney injuries in The Gambia. It said tests on samples of the syrup showed that they contained unacceptable amounts of toxic substances diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.</div><div><br></div><div>Both the Indian government and the company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, have denied the allegations.</div><div><br></div><div>India said earlier in December that tests on the four syrups showed that they complied with specifications, and a government official told the BBC that the WHO had been \"presumptuous\" in blaming the syrups. But the WHO said it stood by the action taken.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, a parliamentary committee in The Gambia recommended prosecution of Maiden Pharmaceuticals after weeks of investigation. The committee also recommended banning all products by the firm in the country. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 12:31:17', '2022-12-29 12:31:17'),
(4100, 4100, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sixty-five more people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Thursday morning.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease remained unchanged at 281 as no death was recorded during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 18 were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 47 outside it, said DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 359 dengue patients, including 170 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The DGHS has recorded 62,321 dengue cases and 61,681 recoveries so far this year. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 13:22:05', '2022-12-29 13:22:05'),
(4101, 4101, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government today approved separate proposals for procuring some 2.09 crore litres of soybean oil and 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer to meet the growing demand of the country.</span><br></div><div> </div><div>The approvals came from the 39th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) this year held today virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan said that a total of nine proposals were approved in the meeting.</div><div> </div><div>He informed that following three separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure a total of 2.09 crore litres of soybean oil from different sources.</div><div> </div><div>The TCB will procure 44 lakh litres of soybean oil from Sena Edible Oil Industries, Dhaka with Taka 81.18 crore under the local Direct Procurement Method (DPM) with per litre soybean oil costing Taka 184.5 down from the previous price of Taka 185 per litre.</div><div> </div><div>Mahbub said that TCB would procure 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil from Zad Al Rahil International LLC Sultanate of Oman (local agent: Sky Trading) under the international DPM method with around Taka 151.73 crore where per litre oil would cost Taka 152.86 against the previous price of Taka 185 per litre.</div><div> </div><div>Besides, the TCB will also procure another 55 lakh litres of soybean oil from Shun Shing Edible Oil Ltd. Dhaka also under the local DPM method with around Taka 101.47 crore.</div><div> </div><div>Apart from these, the TCB would procure some 8,000 metric tons of lentils from Arabel Bakliyat Hububat Santic AS (local agent: BINQ, Dhaka) under the international open tendering method with around Taka 81.57 crore per KG lentil costing Taka 101.97.</div><div> </div><div>The Cabinet Division additional secretary said following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) would procure some 30,000 metric tons of TSP fertilizer from OCP, SA, Morocco under a state-level agreement with around Taka 153.86 crore where per ton fertilizer would cost $480.</div><div> </div><div>Besides, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries will also procure some 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE under the 9th lot with around Taka 153.60 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $480 against the previous price of $518.35.</div><div> </div><div>Mahbub said the day\'s CCGP meeting approved another proposal from the ICT Division under which the package numbers WD-5, 16, 17, 27 and 29 under the project for building initial infrastructures for Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology at Shibchar upazila in Madaripur has been awarded to Western Engineering Private Ltd with around Taka 424.54 crore.</div><div> </div><div>The meeting also approved a proposal from the Road Transport and Highways Division under which the lot number DS-05 of package number WP-03 under the \'SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development\' project has been awarded to the joint venture of HEGO, China and Mir Akhter, Bangladesh with around Taka 232.96 crore.</div><div> </div><div>The Cabinet Division additional secretary informed that the day\'s meeting also approved a cost variation proposal from the Local Government Division. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 13:39:19', '2022-12-29 14:03:22'),
(4102, 4102, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least seven people died and a few others were injured after they fell into a drain following a \"stampede\" that occurred during a political road show in southern India, officials and local media said on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A political roadshow was taking place in the Nellore district of the country\'s southern Andhra Pradesh state by the opposition Telugu Desam Party. The state\'s former Chief Minister and head of the Telugu Desam Party, Nara Chandrababu Naidu was to address a large number of supporters at the roadshow.</div><div><br></div><div>The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, which is ruling the state, said in a statement on Twitter that \"seven people died after accidentally falling into the sewer due to a stampede at the roadshow.\"</div><div><br></div><div>A police official in the state confirmed to Anadolu Agency over the phone that seven people died in the incident, and a few others injured were hospitalized.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Local English daily, The Indian Express, reported that when the former chief minister arrived, \"there was pushing and shoving among the thousands of TDP workers and supporters who had gathered at the massive meeting.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Some people jumped into a nearby drainage canal to escape from the stampede, but as more people followed suit, at least seven persons died,\" the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Telugu Desam Party has announced compensation to the families of the deceased. Source: Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 14:02:43', '2022-12-29 14:02:43'),
(4103, 4103, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is working to ensure sports for all, urging the football players to prepare themselves in such a way so they can play for the World Cup in the days to come.</span><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"The world cup football tournament ended a few days back, but Bangladesh could not qualify for the tournament. I hope Bangladesh will play World Cup football in future and you (footballers) would have to prepare yourselves in such a way,\" she said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Prime Minister said these while distributing trophies and prizes among runners-up and champions of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman National Gold Cup Football Tournament Boys Under-17-2022 and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Gold Cup Football Tournament Girls Under-17-2022.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Ministry of Youth and Sports has organised the programme at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in the capital city.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Referring to the participation of 1,10,552 boys and girls from upazilas, districts and national levels in the football tournaments, Sheikh Hasina said, \"It\'s a miracle. I think there is no country in the world where such a huge number of footballers took part in such tournaments.\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Prime Minister said her government has been trying to encourage people in sports since assuming power for the first time after 21 years in 1996.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"Since we assumed office, our efforts have been to encourage our children more in football, cricket and other sports. The more of our children will engage themselves in sports the more benefit we will get,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Briefly describing her government\'s measures taken for the overall development of sports, she said, \"Our target is to ensure sports for all.\" - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 14:06:28', '2022-12-29 14:06:28'),
(4104, 4104, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government will launch a special combing operation&nbsp; in 17 districts of the country from January 4&nbsp; to remove illegal nets which cause harm to fishery resources.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The drive will be conducted against all illegal nets including ‘Behundi nets’ (conical-shaped net) to protect fries of all marine fish including Hilsha,&nbsp; said the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>. The 17 districts where the drives will be conducted are Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola, Barishal, Noakhali, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Munshiganj, Laxmipur, Shariatpur, Madaripur, and Chandpur.</div><div><br></div><div>Seventeen monitoring teams comprising of officers and field officers of the Fisheries Department will work to conduct the operations in these districts.</div><div><br></div><div>Also a control room will be opened to collect regular data about these drives.</div><div><br></div><div>The ministry has urged people involved in fishing to avoid use of harmful, illegal nets like current net and behundi net. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 14:24:14', '2022-12-29 14:24:14'),
(4105, 4105, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Hundreds of commuters were seen waiting with enthusiasm in queues to take a ride on the country\'s ever first metro rail as the service was opened to the public today, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the MRT Line-6 on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The metro rail service has already ignited hope among city dwellers that it would emerge as a blessing for them, easing traffic congestion in one of the world\'s most densely populated and crammed cities.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"I have come to be a witness of the history by travelling the metro rail, a day after the Prime Minister inaugurated the service . . . I hope that it will lessen the long sufferings of the city dwellers,\" National Teachers\' Training College teacher Mujibur Rahman, who was waiting to get on the metro rail at Uttara North Station here, told reporters.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done just an amazing task by taking the initiative of launching the metro rail service to give the city residents relief from the acute traffic jam, he said, adding, \"We are grateful to the Prime Minister\".</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Fatema Sheikh, the headmaster of Diabari Model High School, said that she along with her family members came to travel on the metro rail on the first day of its opening for the public to gather a new experience of travelling the country\'s first metro service.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"We witnessed a huge crowd at the stations. We are, however, very much happy to travel on the metro rail, thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>A train from the Uttara North Station of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 left at 8 am for Agargaon as the service has been partially opened to traffic from Uttara to Agargaon, which is expected to be launched up to Motijheel by December next year.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Initially, the metro train will run from 8 am to 12 noon every day from Uttara to Agargaon stations without any stoppage.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>To experience the country\'s first metro rail service, a large number of people from all walks of life, especially the youths thronged the Uttara North Station since dawn and they were seen expressing joy along with breathing a sigh of relief.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Many people were seen taking selfies keeping the metro rail and its other installations in the background.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"It was beyond our imagination that we could travel on metro rail in the capital mostly known as the city of acute traffic jams,\" Payel, a student residing in Uttara, said with a smiling face.</div><div><br></div><div>This is definitely a new era for the entire nation of this Bangla, she added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Controller of Uttara North Station Central Control Room Md Farhad said a total of five trains were operated on a circular basis from Uttara to Agargaon stations between 8 am and 12 noon.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Each train took 10 minutes and 11 seconds to reach Agargaon from Uttara and vice versa, he said, adding that Taka 60 has been fixed as a fare between the stations.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Rover Scouts Member Mohammad Riaz Hossain Shaon said 18 rover scouts members, including three women, discharged their duties at the Uttara Metro Rail Depot while another 18 members were deployed at Agargaon depot today.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka District Rover Commissioner Mohammad Shahidul Islam led the rover scouts teams.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Officer-in-charge of Turag Police Station of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Maudut Hawlader said a total of 15 police personnel, including a sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector, were deployed in the metro rail area in Uttara to maintain the law and order.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Noting that the law enforcement agency members are working relentlessly to maintain the law and order, he said there was no security problem in the area today. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 16:16:47', '2022-12-29 16:16:47'),
(4106, 4106, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who was arrested during an operation at the party’s Naya Paltan office on December 7,has been shown arrested in three separate cases.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazal Hossain passed the order on Thursday following a petition submitted by police to show Rizvi arrested in separate cases filed at Shahbagh , Ramna and Paltan police station.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the complaint, Aynal, a garbage truck driver of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) filed a case at Paltan police station alleging&nbsp; that around 250 people led by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Rizvi vandalized vehicles at Kakrail Bijaynagar area in the capital on September 12, 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>A charge sheet against nine people including Fakhrul and Rizvi was submitted in this regard on October 23, 2017. The court has fixed March 29, 2023 to hear the case.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, Rizvi was shown arrested in a sabotage case filed at Paltan police station in 2013, and at Badda police station in 2015. All three cases are under trial at the moment.</div><div><br></div><div>On December 7, police fired teargas and charged with batons during a clash with BNP activists at Nayapalton, leaving a man dead and 50 others injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Police arrested BNP leaders Rizvi , Annie, Shimul Biswash, Aman Ullah and several others from the Nayapaltan area during the operation.</div><div><br></div><div>Police filed four cases at Ramna, Shahjahanpur, Motijheel and Paltan police stations against 720 BNP activists and over 2400 unnamed people in connection with the clash with BNP activists.</div><div><br></div><div>On December 8, a Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders, activists including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and BNP Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie to jail in two cases filed over the clash. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 16:19:47', '2022-12-29 16:19:47');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4107, 4107, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The third round of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) football begins tomorrow (Friday) with two matches are billed for the day at two separate venues across the country.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On the day, Abahani Limited Dhaka takes on Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra at Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla while Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club faces Bangladesh Police Football Club at Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium in Gopalganj.</div><div><br></div><div>Both the matches kick off at 2.30 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>On the following day on Saturday (Dec 30), AFC Uttara will play against Fortis Football Club at Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh, Mohammedan Sporting Club face Chittagong Abahani Limited at Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla and holders Bashundhara Kings meet old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj Muslim and Friends Society at Bashundhara Sports Complex in the city. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-29 16:33:56', '2022-12-29 16:33:56'),
(4108, 4108, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Brazilian football icon Pele, a three-time World Cup winner who is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, died on Thursday at the age of 82 -- triggering a wave of tributes from the sports world and beyond.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>His death after a long battle with cancer was caused by \"multiple organ failure,\" the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo said in a statement, confirming the news from the legend\'s family.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,\" daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram.</div><div>The football world -- from his former teammates to current stars -- came together to honor \"O Rei\" (The King), who transformed the sport during a long professional career that began when he was still a teenager.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazil star Neymar said Pele \"transformed football into an art,\" France\'s Kylian Mbappe said his legacy \"will never be forgotten,\" and Portugal\'s Cristiano Ronaldo called him an \"inspiration to millions.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Argentina\'s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi simply wrote: \"Rest in peace.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of national mourning, while president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is due to take office Sunday, tweeted: \"Thank you, Pele.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Pele is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups -- in 1958, 1962 and 1970.</div><div><br></div><div>He scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a 21-year career.</div><div>He had been in increasingly fragile health, battling kidney problems and colon cancer -- undergoing surgery for the latter in September 2021, followed by chemotherapy.</div><div><br></div><div>A wake will take place on Monday, followed by a funeral on Tuesday in Santos, the southeastern city where he played most of his career, his former club said.</div><div><br></div><div>The city declared seven days of mourning, as fans flocked to the team\'s stadium to leave flowers.</div><div><br></div><div>Emotional Brazilians also descended on the hospital where Pele died -- even running 1.5 kilometers (almost a mile) to get there, in the case of Antonio Perera, 46, and his son Luis Eduardo, 12.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He\'s our greatest idol, the greatest footballer of all time,\" Perera told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>In a testament to Pele\'s influence, international figures including US President Joe Biden and former leader Barack Obama, Brazilian music legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach also paid tribute.</div><div><br></div><div>\"As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,\" Obama wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Samba football\' –</div><div><br></div><div>Born on October 23, 1940 in the southeastern city of Tres Coracoes, Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- named for American inventor Thomas Edison -- grew up selling peanuts on the street to help his impoverished family get by.</div><div><br></div><div>He was soon given the nickname Pele, for his mispronunciation of Bile, the name of a goalkeeper at Vasco de Sao Lourenco, where his footballer father once played.</div><div><br></div><div>Pele dazzled from the age of 15, when he started playing professionally with Santos. He led the club to a flurry of titles, including back-to-back Intercontinental Cups in 1962-1963.</div><div><br></div><div>He epitomized the Brazil national team\'s sublime style of play, called \"samba football.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Pele set his scoring records playing for Santos (1956-74), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).</div><div><br></div><div>But beyond the many benchmarks he set, he will be remembered for revolutionizing the sport, his ever-present number 10 on his back as he tapped into his preternatural athleticism.</div><div><br></div><div>The first global football star, he played a lead role in making the game a sporting and commercial powerhouse.</div><div><br></div><div>He also played with heart, visible in the iconic black-and-white footage of the 17-year-old bursting into tears after helping Brazil to its first World Cup title, in 1958.</div><div><br></div><div>Eight years earlier, seeing his father cry when Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final on home soil to Uruguay, Pele had promised to bring the trophy home one day.</div><div><br></div><div>- Sports royalty -</div><div><br></div><div>Pele reached the pinnacle of his greatness at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first broadcast in color, where he starred on what many consider the greatest team of all time, with talents such as Rivellino, Tostao and Jairzinho.</div><div><br></div><div>He was often welcomed like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. Legend has it that in 1969, his arrival in Nigeria prompted a 48-hour truce in the bloody Biafra war.</div><div><br></div><div>Pele declined offers to play in Europe, but signed for a brief, lucrative swansong with the New York Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of \"soccer.\"</div><div><br></div><div>His influence extended beyond the pitch, with gigs as a movie star, singer and sports minister (1995-1998) -- he was one of the first black cabinet members in Brazil.</div><div><br></div><div>But he faced criticism at times in Brazil for remaining quiet on social issues and racism, and for what some saw as his haughty, vain personality.</div><div><br></div><div>Unlike Argentine rebel Diego Maradona, one of his rivals for the title of greatest of all time, Pele was seen as close to those in power -- including Brazil\'s 1964-1985 military regime.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Eternal, unforgettable\' -</div><div><br></div><div>Pele\'s health began to fail in the last decade. His public appearances grew increasingly rare, and he frequently used a walker or wheelchair.</div><div><br></div><div>He was hospitalized several times for urinary infections, then again in 2021 and 2022 for the colon cancer that marked the beginning of the end.</div><div><br></div><div>He met his health problems with typical humor.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I will face this match with a smile on my face,\" he posted on Instagram in September 2021, after surgery to remove his colon tumor.</div><div><br></div><div>Mario Zagallo, who won the World Cup alongside Pele in 1958 and 1962, said the King had \"stopped the world several times\" with his talent.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He leaves an eternal, unforgettable legacy,\" the 91-year-old Zagallo said. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 09:06:44', '2022-12-30 09:06:44'),
(4109, 4109, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A clash broke out between the law enforcers and activists and leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Chhatra Shibir in the capital\'s Malibagh as they tried to bring out a procession after Juma prayers, police said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Several people, including police personnel and Jamaat- Shibir men sustained injuries during the clash.</div><div><br></div><div>The law enforcers detained several Jamaat-Shibir men over the incident.</div><div>A police officer said the Jamaat-e-Islami sought permission from the police to bring out a mass procession from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque as part of the simultaneous movement of the opposition parties and alliances to unseat the current government. \"But the party was denied permission.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Jamaat men tried to hold a mass procession without police permission in Malibagh. A clash ensued as police had asked the Jamaat men not to go through with the procession, but they had paid no heed to the law enforcers,\" Shahen Shah Mahmud, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna Division), said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Jamaat-Shibir men hurled bricks at police. The law enforcers then fired tear gas to disperse them and bring the situation under control,\" he added. \"Later, some people were detained from the spot and brought to the concerned police station.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP and other opposition parties and alliances observed December 30 as a \"Black Day,\" marking the anniversary of the 11th parliamentary election held on this day in 2018.</div><div><br></div><div>They held mass procession programmes in the capital today to push for their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government and formation of a new election commission. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 12:17:25', '2022-12-30 12:17:25'),
(4110, 4110, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A militant rocket attack in eastern Syria on Friday targeted a bus with oil industry employees, killing at least 10, the government said. To the north, Syrian Kurdish-led forces announced they arrested 52 militants in an operation against the Islamic State group’s sleeper cells.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to Syria’s petroleum ministry, the rocket struck in the Al-Taym gas field in eastern Deir el-Zour province. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitoring group, said IS was behind the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>The Observatory also reported a higher death toll from the rocket attack, saying at last 12 workers were killed.</div><div><br></div><div>Also Friday, the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said their raids had reportedly thwarted an attack planned for New Year’s Eve. The IS militants were hiding in residential areas and farms, a statement from the forces said.</div><div><br></div><div>The yearslong U.S.-backed campaign had succeeded in crushing the militants’ territorial control in Iraq and Syria, but IS fighters maintain sleeper cells and have staged attacks that have killed scores of Iraqis and Syrians in the past months.</div><div><br></div><div>On Thursday, the Syrian Kurdish-led forces announced their operation, citing a surge in IS attacks and saying that “Operation Al-Jazeera Thunderbolt” aims to target sleeper cells in al-Hol and nearby in Tal Hamis areas.</div><div><br></div><div>Since 2011, Syria has been mired in a bloody civil war that has drawn in regional and global powers. Syrian President Bashar Assad has mostly regained control of the country, but parts of its north remain under the control of rebels, as well as Turkish and Syrian Kurdish forces.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, some 900 U.S. troops in Syria support the Kurdish-led forces\' fight against IS and have frequently targeted IS militants, mostly in parts of northeastern Syria under Kurdish control.</div><div><br></div><div>The U.S. Central Command on Thursday reported conducting some 313 operations against IS in 2022 in Syria and Iraq, mostly in cooperation with Kurdish-led forces. According to a CENTCOM statement, 215 militants from the Islamic State group were arrested and 466 were killed in Syria. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 12:45:32', '2022-12-30 12:45:32'),
(4111, 4111, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll from a fierce winter storm that gripped much of the United States over Christmas rose to at least 61 on Thursday, officials said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said two more deaths had been reported in the western New York region that bore the brunt of the historic storm, bringing the total to 39.</div><div><br></div><div>Erie County includes the snow-battered city of Buffalo, where most of the deaths occurred.</div><div><br></div><div>Poloncarz said 17 of the 39 victims were found outside, 11 were in homes, four were in cars, four died while shoveling or snowblowing and three were the result of an inability of emergency responders to reach them in time.</div><div><br></div><div>Nine deaths were reported in storm-related car crashes in the midwestern state of Ohio with scattered fatalities in at least half-a-dozen other states.</div><div><br></div><div>With temperatures rising and snow melting, officials in New York had expressed concerns about flooding but the county executive said \"it does not appear like it will be bad.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Thankfully, it appears that flooding will be minimal,\" Poloncarz said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that electricity had been restored to all county residents.</div><div><br></div><div>As Buffalo dug itself out of the once-in-a-generation storm, there has been mounting criticism of the response of the authorities with Poloncarz calling the city\'s handling \"embarrassing.\"</div><div><br></div><div>A travel ban, for example, was not issued in Buffalo until 9:30 am on Friday morning when many people were already on their way to work.</div><div><br></div><div>The storm also brought unseasonably cold temperatures to states such as Texas and Florida and caused chaos at airports, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled.</div><div><br></div><div>Southwest Airlines, which canceled more than 15,000 flights in eight days after what it said was a breakdown in its scheduling systems, said it expected its operations to gradually return to normal Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 12:49:47', '2022-12-30 12:49:47'),
(4112, 4112, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Traffic Division of Gulshan under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued some temporary traffic control measures in order to avoid any untoward incident in the capital on the 31st Night.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to the directives, Kamal Ataturk Avenue (Kakoli Crossing) and Mohakhali\'s Amtali Crossing can be used to enter Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas from 8 pm on December 31 to 5 am on January 1.</div><div><br></div><div>The city dwellers will not be allowed to use Mohakhali area-Phoenix Road Crossing, Banani No. 11 Road, Chairman Bari intersection, Dhaka Gate, Shooting Club, Badda Link Road, DOHS Baridhara-United Hospital Crossing and Notun Bazar Crossing for entering Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara area from 8 pm onwards.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>However, people can use these points to exit the areas.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, diversion will continue at 21 points. They are - Phoenix Crossing, Shanta Crossing, Bot Tola Crossing, GMG Crossing, Old Arang Crossing, Niketan Crossing, Police Plaza Crossing, Masjid Gap, Mayaganj Crossing, Banani Chairman Bari intersection, Banani 11 Road, Shooting Club Crossing, United Hospital Gap, Banani Road No. 23, Dhaka Gate, Manarat Crossing, Notun Bazar Crossing, United Nations Goal Chatwar, Gudaraghat Gap, Badda Link Road and Kalachandpur Gap.</div><div><br></div><div>The DMP is seeking the full cooperation of the city dwellers for implementing the measures of traffic to maintain law and order.</div><div><br></div><div>In any emergency regarding road usage, people can call DC traffic (Gulshan)-01320044360, ADC traffic (Gulshan) 01320044361, AC traffic (Gulshan Zone)-01320044372, AC traffic (Mohakhali Zone)-01320044375 and AC traffic (Badda Zone)-01320044378. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 12:56:37', '2022-12-30 12:56:37'),
(4113, 4113, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ousted Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to another seven years in jail as her long series of trials ended on Friday, with the Nobel laureate now facing more than three decades behind bars.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A prisoner of the military since a coup last year, Suu Kyi, 77, has been convicted on every charge levelled against her ranging from corruption to illegally possessing walkie-talkies and flouting Covid restrictions.</div><div><br></div><div>On Friday she was jailed for seven years on five counts of corruption related to the hiring, maintaining and purchase of a helicopter for a government minister, a case in which she allegedly caused \"a loss to the state\".</div><div><br></div><div>Suu Kyi -- sentenced to a total of 33 years following 18 months of court proceedings that rights groups have dismissed as a sham -- appeared in good health, a legal source familiar with the case told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"All her cases were finished and there are no more charges against her,\" said the source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.</div><div><br></div><div>Journalists have been barred from attending the hearings and Suu Kyi\'s lawyers have been blocked from speaking to the media.</div><div><br></div><div>The road leading to the prison holding Suu Kyi in the military-built capital Naypyidaw was clear of traffic ahead of the verdict, said an AFP correspondent in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Former Myanmar president Win Myint, who was co-accused with Suu Kyi in the latest trial, received the same sentence, the source said, adding that both would appeal.</div><div><br></div><div>Since her trial began, Suu Kyi has been seen only once -- in grainy state media photos from a bare courtroom -- and has been reliant on lawyers to relay messages to the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Many in Myanmar\'s democracy struggle, which Suu Kyi has dominated for decades, have abandoned her core principle of non-violence, with \"People\'s Defence Forces\" clashing regularly with the military across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week the United Nations Security Council called on the junta to release Suu Kyi in its first resolution on the situation in Myanmar since the coup.</div><div><br></div><div>It was a moment of relative unity by the council after permanent members and junta allies China and Russia abstained, opting not to wield vetoes following amendments to the wording.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Ridiculous\' -</div><div><br></div><div>The corruption charges were \"ridiculous\", said Htwe Htwe Thein, an associate professor at Curtin University in Australia.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Nothing in Aung San Suu Kyi\'s leadership, governance, or lifestyle indicates the smallest hint of corruption,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The question now will be what to do with Aung San Suu Kyi,\" said Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Whether to allow her to serve out her sentence under some form of house arrest, or grant foreign envoys limited access to her.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But the regime is unlikely to be in any rush to make such decisions.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The military alleged widespread voter fraud during elections in November 2020 that were won resoundingly by Suu Kyi\'s National League for Democracy (NLD), though international observers said the polls were largely free and fair.</div><div><br></div><div>The junta has since cancelled the result and said it uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud.</div><div><br></div><div>Suu Kyi\'s convictions \"aim to both permanently sideline her, as well as undermine and ultimately negate her NLD party\'s landslide victory,\" said Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch.</div><div><br></div><div>Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power, ending the Southeast Asian nation\'s brief experiment with democracy and sparking huge protests.</div><div><br></div><div>The junta has responded with a crackdown that rights groups say includes razing villages, mass extrajudicial killings and airstrikes on civilians.</div><div><br></div><div>More than one million people have been displaced since the coup, according to the United Nations children\'s agency. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:03:01', '2022-12-30 13:03:01'),
(4114, 4114, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">G7 foreign ministers on Thursday called on the Taliban to \"urgently reverse\" a ban on women working in Afghanistan\'s aid sector.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The ban is the latest blow against women\'s rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban reclaimed power last year.</div><div><br></div><div>The hardline Islamists also barred women from attending universities earlier this month, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.</div><div><br></div><div>The G7 ministers along with those of Australia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands said in a joint statement they were \"gravely concerned that the Taliban\'s reckless and dangerous order... puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse this decision,\" they said in the statement issued by Britain\'s foreign ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>It comes after six aid bodies suspended operations in Afghanistan in response to the ban.</div><div><br></div><div>They included Christian Aid, ActionAid, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE.</div><div><br></div><div>The International Rescue Committee, which provides emergency response in health, education and other areas and employs 3,000 women across Afghanistan, also said it was suspending services.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Women are absolutely central to humanitarian and basic needs operations. Unless they participate in aid delivery in Afghanistan, NGOs will be unable to reach the country\'s most vulnerable people to provide food, medicine, winterization, and other materials and services they need to live,\" the G7 statement said.</div><div><br></div><div>- Rights undermined -</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Taliban continue to demonstrate their contempt for the rights, freedoms, and welfare of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls,\" it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Christian Aid has warned that millions of people in Afghanistan are on the \"verge of starvation\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"Reports that families are so desperate they have been forced to sell their children to buy food are utterly heartbreaking,\" said Christian Aid\'s head of global programmes Ray Hasan.</div><div><br></div><div>A ban on women aid workers would \"only curtail our ability to help the growing number of people in need\", he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Taliban\'s ban has come at a time when millions across the country are dependent on humanitarian aid provided by international donors through a vast network of NGOs.</div><div><br></div><div>Afghanistan\'s economic crisis has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in August last year, which led to Washington freezing billions of dollars of its assets and foreign donors cutting aid.</div><div><br></div><div>After the minister of higher education banned women from universities, charging that they too were not properly dressed, protests were forcefully dispersed by the authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban had already barred teenage girls from secondary school.</div><div><br></div><div>Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.</div><div><br></div><div>Adding their voice to the call to reverse the ban, UN agency chiefs said female staff were \"key to every aspect of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"They are teachers, nutrition experts, team leaders, community health workers, vaccinators, nurses, doctors and heads of organisations.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They have access to populations that their male colleagues cannot reach.... They save lives,\" said the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Afghanistan, which brings together UN and other international humanitarian aid organisations, in a statement late Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Their participation in aid delivery is not negotiable and must continue.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The G7 grouping takes in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, US as well as the European - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:11:24', '2022-12-30 13:11:24'),
(4115, 4115, '<div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">South Korean tech giant Samsung has unveiled a new laptop, Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, which will be powered by Qualcomm\'s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chipset.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to GSMArena, the new model was announced in South Korea and will be released on January 16, 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this year, the 8cx Gen 3 chipset was launched for Windows-on-ARM devices bringing major performance improvements.</div><div><br></div><div>In comparison to Gen 2, it offers more than 85 per cent better multi-core CPU performance, and more than 60 per cent better GPU performance, according to the report.</div><div><br></div><div>The laptop comes with a 13.3-inch screen, also it is super light and thin at just 1.04kg and 11.5mm.</div><div><br></div><div>Moreover, it has an AMOLED display that can flip around 360 degrees, so that it can be used as a tablet to jot down notes with the included S Pen stylus.</div><div><br></div><div>The snapdragon-powered laptop can last up to 35 hours of video playback on a single charge, also it offers superior connectivity with built-in 5G and Wi-Fi 6E support, the report added.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly planning to enter a new device segment -- \"foldable screen laptop\" next year with a 17.3-inch OLED panel.</div><div><br></div><div>According to SamMobile, in 2023, Samsung Display plans to produce 8.5 million OLED panels for laptops, a 43 per cent increase over this year. Source: IANS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:17:37', '2022-12-30 13:17:37'),
(4116, 4116, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pakistan declared their second innings at 311-8 on Friday, leaving New Zealand a target of 138 for victory but just 15 overs remaining on the final day of the first Test in Karachi.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Scores: Pakistan 438 and 311-8 dec (Imam-ul-Haq 96, Saud Shakeel 55 n.o.; Ish Sodhi 6-86). New Zealand 612-9 dec. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:20:42', '2022-12-30 13:20:42'),
(4117, 4117, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Actress Tunisha Sharma was depressed after her breakup with co-star Sheezan Khan - accused of abetting her death by suicide - and it was further difficult for her as she had to continue working with him on a show, police have told a local court in Mumbai.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Police made this and other arguments while seeking two more days of custody to interrogate Sheezan Khan. The court gave a day for now.</div><div><br></div><div>\"She was very sensitive. She also suffered from anxiety and OCD,\" police are learnt to have told the court. \"The accused (Sheezan Khan) had recommended three doctors to her for treatment. He was aware of all of these things. In spite of this, he got into a relationship with her and then broke up with her against her will,\" police said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Even after their breakup, she used to work with him on the sets everyday. So it was difficult for her to forget all this. She used to be very sad,\" the cops further submitted.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Seeking time for further interrogation, police accused Sheezan Khan of \"pretending to be her caring friend\", and said this appears to have pushed her towards suicide.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The crime is of serious nature and there is widespread public discontent in society regarding it. That\'s why there is an urgent need to investigate,\" the police further told the court.</div><div><br></div><div>Details that were have earlier been reported were also submitted in court, such as that shortly before death, Tunisha Sharma had a conversation with Sheezan Khan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"After the conversation, as soon as Sheezan Khan went for the shoot, she followed him till the gate, then returned to her room, where she kept her mobile phone, and went to the makeup room of the accused,\" police sources have said. She died in the makeup room.</div><div><br></div><div>Police have accused Sheezan Khan of giving \"a vague answer\" about the conversation seen in CCTV footage. Source: NDTV</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:23:24', '2022-12-30 13:23:24'),
(4118, 4118, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The death toll from flooding and landslides caused by Christmas Day rains in the southern Philippines rose to 44, with 28 others still unaccounted for, the national disaster agency said on Friday, ARAB NEWS reported.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Damage to infrastructure and crops has been estimated at 1.36 billion pesos ($24.4 million), it said in a bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Heavy rains submerged villages, towns and highways in the Visayas and Mindanao regions on Christmas Day, forcing more than 50,000 people to flee their homes.</div><div><br></div><div>The floods had subsided but intermittent rains continued, the agency said.</div><div><br></div><div>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he may visit the stricken areas to assess the situation after his scheduled trip to China from January 3 to 5.</div><div><br></div><div>“Unfortunately, the rainfall continues. So we have to keep watching the other areas also,” a presidential palace statement quoted him as saying.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-30 13:39:18', '2022-12-30 13:39:18'),
(4119, 4119, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated the distribution of free textbooks among students of pre-primary, primary and secondary levels for the academic year 2023.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister opened the textbooks distribution programme at a ceremony at her office through handing over books to students of primary and secondary levels this morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Jakir Hossain, Deputy Minister for Primary and Mass Education Barrister Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel were present.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education will celebrate “National Textbook Festival” across the country tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>The Ministries have taken necessary steps to distribute nearly 33.91 crore new textbooks among 4.09 crore students this year.</div><div><br></div><div>The Awami League government has so far distributed over 434.45 free textbooks among students up to secondary levels across the country since 2010. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 07:55:06', '2022-12-31 07:55:06'),
(4120, 4120, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said although the government has imposed some austerity measures to save public money amid global crisis due to Coronavirus and Ukraine-Russia War, but it did not compromise on printing free textbooks books for children.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“we did not forget children’s issues, we did not compromise on printing their textbooks, yes, we are trying to save money from other sectors (imposing austerity measures), but we’ve given special attention to printing their (children) books (textbooks),” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister came up with the remarks while formally inaugurating the free textbooks&nbsp; distribution programme at her office for 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>She said due to the Coronavirus and Ukraine- Russia war prices of everything have gone up that forced the government to take some austerity measures in public expenditure, but it did not impose austerity in printing&nbsp; textbooks for children and distributing those on the first day of the new year.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that the government has defied all obstacles including coronavirus, Ukraine-Russia war and price hike in all commodities.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said that to make ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041 the children will be provided with all facilities as they are the driving force in attaining the goal.</div><div><br></div><div>“We will grow our children in such a way so that they could cope in the coming days which will be technology driven and make them prepared to become skilled manpower for the upcoming fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She urged all to give special attention to flourish the hidden talents of children through nourishing their curiosities.</div><div><br></div><div>“Keeping our eyes towards that we have to build them as worthy citizens of the country for Smart Bangladesh by 2041,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that prime aim of the government is to create technically and technologically&nbsp; skilled manpower through providing&nbsp; proper education.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our full population will be technologically smart, they will not lag behind,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said if the children of the country can be built up with sincerity then there will be no force in the world that can stop the development and advancement of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that from the time of Coronavirus outbreak&nbsp; till now, children are studying at homes as the government has taken initiative “my school is in my house” through television.</div><div><br></div><div>“Academic programmes have been conducted across Bangladesh through Sangsad TV. These have been run through BTV too.&nbsp; I think Sangsad TV can always be used by the Ministry of Education,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also revealed that the government has a plan to launch a separate terrestrial TV channel for education.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said those who came to power after 1975 did not take any measures to free the people of this country from illiteracy.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1996, Awami League formed government and framed the education commission again, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She added that they started implementing a project to increase the literacy rate and learning for aged people was also incorporated in it.</div><div><br></div><div>She said education is the biggest tool to keep people free from poverty. “So, we took new steps to educate the entire nation and we constituted a new Education Commission.”</div><div><br></div><div>But, the Awami League government could not implement its 5 years tenure ended before implementation, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>After BNP-Jamaat came to power in 2001, she said, they pushed the country back into darkness and this is the reality.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“In the 2008 election, people voted for boat, we formed the government again. Since then we have again set target how we will free the people of this country from illiteracy and since 2010 we have started distributing free textbooks,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md. Zakir Hossen and Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury also spoke at the programme. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 08:29:08', '2022-12-31 08:29:08'),
(4121, 4121, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The world\'s eight billion people on Saturday prepared to usher in 2023 and farewell a turbulent 12 months marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises and Lionel Messi\'s world cup glory.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>After a few pandemic-dampened years, many will be looking to cut loose this New Year\'s Eve -- setting aside pinched budgets and a virus that is increasingly forgotten, but not gone.</div><div><br></div><div>Sydney will be among the first major cities to ring in 2023, restaking its claim to be the \"New Year\'s Eve capital of the world\" after two years of lockdown and Omicron-muted festivities.</div><div><br></div><div>Australia\'s borders have now reopened, and more than one million people are expected to line Sydney\'s sparkling harbour to watch 100,000 pyrotechnics illuminate the southern sky.</div><div><br></div><div>Sydney authorities expect almost half a billion more people will see the festivities online or on TV.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If we can bring everyone together in celebration and looking to the year ahead with renewed optimism and joy, then we\'ll see that as a job well done,\" said fireworks organiser Fortunato Foti.</div><div><br></div><div>For some, 2022 was a year of Wordles, the Great Resignation, a new Taylor Swift album, an Oscar slap and billionaire meltdowns.</div><div><br></div><div>It also saw the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II, Brazilian football icon Pele, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jiang Zemin and Shinzo Abe.</div><div><br></div><div>But 2022 is most likely to be remembered for armed conflict returning to Europe -- a continent that was the crucible of two world wars.</div><div>- \'A peaceful sky\' -</div><div><br></div><div>More than 300 days into Russia\'s botched invasion of Ukraine, about 7,000 civilians have been killed and 10,000 more injured, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.</div><div><br></div><div>About 16 million Ukrainians have fled their homes.</div><div><br></div><div>For those who remain, an 11:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew will be in place amid periodic blackouts and Russian missile barrages.</div><div><br></div><div>While some will mark the occasion with quiet candlelit prayers, others intend to party through the night in a collective show of resolve.</div><div><br></div><div>In past years, \"people always stayed with us until three or four in the morning, so staying here for another hour or two will not be a problem,\" said Kyiv restaurateur Tetyana Mytrofanov.</div><div><br></div><div>In Vladimir Putin\'s Russia, there seems to be a dulled appetite for grand celebrations.</div><div><br></div><div>Moscow has cancelled its traditional fireworks show after Mayor Sergei Sobyanin asked residents to vote on how to mark the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>Muscovites like Irina Shapovalova, a 51-year-old nursery worker, said their main wish for 2023 was for \"a peaceful sky above our heads\".</div><div><br></div><div>State-owned broadcaster VGTRK has promised to provide a \"New Year\'s atmosphere, despite the changes in the country and the world\".</div><div><br></div><div>But this year\'s broadcast will be conspicuously without stalwart performer and key presenter Maxim Galkin, who fled to exile after denouncing the Ukraine war.</div><div><br></div><div>He has since been branded a \"foreign agent\" by Russian authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>While Covid-19 vaccines have allowed life to return to semi-normal in most parts of the world, in China, the virus is continuing to thwart attempts to move on.</div><div><br></div><div>Hospitals in the world\'s most populous nation have been overwhelmed by an explosion of cases following Beijing\'s decision to lift strict \"zero-Covid\" rules.</div><div><br></div><div>New Year\'s Eve parties are still planned in innumerable bars, theatres and malls.</div><div><br></div><div>But authorities in Shanghai have stated there will be no formal activities on the city\'s famed Bund waterfront. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 08:37:39', '2022-12-31 08:37:39'),
(4122, 4122, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least seven people were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a restaurant in Turkey\'s western province of Aydin, the provincial governor said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Initial findings show the blast occurred when the staff was replacing an empty gas cylinder in the kitchen at a restaurant in Nazilli district of Aydin, Governor Huseyin Aksoy told reporters on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said an investigation was launched into the explosion and one person was detained, Xinhua news agency reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Four of the people who lost their lives in the explosion were women and three were children, Demiroren News Agency reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Firefighters, health workers, and police were dispatched to the scene, the Demiroren report said, adding the fire caused by the explosion had been extinguished. Source: IANS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 08:44:28', '2022-12-31 08:44:28'),
(4123, 4123, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Cristiano Ronaldo completed a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Friday in a deal that is a landmark moment for Middle Eastern soccer but will see one of Europe\'s biggest stars disappear from the sport\'s elite stage.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of the five-time Ballon d’Or holding up the team\'s jersey after Ronaldo signed a deal until June 2025, with the club hailing the move as “history in the making.”</div><div><br></div><div>“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the club wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>It also gives the 37-year-old Ronaldo a massive payday in what could be the final contract of his career. Media reports have claimed the Portugal star could be earning up to $200 million a year from the deal, which would make him the highest-paid soccer player in history.</div><div><br></div><div>Ronaldo said in a statement that he was “eager to experience a new football league in a different country.\"</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,\" the forward added.</div><div><br></div><div>While the signing is a massive boost for Middle Eastern soccer, it will also fuel the debate about Saudi Arabia using so-called “sportswashing” to boost the country\'s image internationally. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns Premier League team Newcastle, and the country is considering a bid to host the 2030 World Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>Ronaldo had been a free agent after his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners after having been repeatedly benched and even temporarily suspended by the club.</div><div><br></div><div>He is also coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and left the field in tears after Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.</div><div><br></div><div>And after a storied career that saw him win the Champions League with both United and Real Madrid, along with league and cup titles in England, Spain and Italy, he will now seemingly see out the last years of his career far away from the spotlight of top European soccer.</div><div><br></div><div>While Saudi Arabia earned its biggest international soccer win ever at the World Cup in Qatar last month when it beat eventual champion Argentina in its first group-stage game, the domestic league has few other stars and is not watched by a major international audience. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 09:40:20', '2022-12-31 09:40:20'),
(4124, 4124, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Commuters waiting to cross the Padma river had a harrowing time Saturday morning, with the authorities suspending ferry services on the Daulatdia-Paturia route due to dense fog.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mahiuddin Russel, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Aricha point, said the ferry services remained halted from 3 am owing to poor visibility, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Three ferries remained stranded in the middle of the Padma and operation of 11 more ferries were cancelled on the route, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Several vehicles also got stuck on both sides of the river due to the suspension of the ferry services, he said. ‘’The services will resume once visibility improves,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 09:58:10', '2022-12-31 09:58:10'),
(4125, 4125, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Minister for Education Dr Dipu Moni has disclosed that students belonging to classes 1, 2, 6, and 7 will be provided books as per the new curriculum on trial basis in the coming year.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She said this while addressing a Meet the Press-style program organised by Chandpur Press Club at its auditorium, where she was the chief guest on Friday evening.</div><div><br></div><div>The education minister said amendments will be made if any mistakes are found in the books printed for distribution.</div><div><br></div><div>Urging all to cooperate to make the initiative a success, she informed that books with new editions for four more classes -3, 4, 8 and 9 - will be available in 2024. The remaining two classes i.e. 5 and 10, are expected to receive their new editions in 2025.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question from the journalists, the minister said that above all, academic qualifications, merit and capability are taken into consideration, when recruiting newly enlisted MPO teachers as trainers.</div><div><br></div><div>There are many experienced teachers who don’t have the capability of training others, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The aim, she said, is to transform education in the country through highly skilled, trained teachers.</div><div><br></div><div>Urging people of her constituency to vote for her, Dipu Moni said Banaganbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s daughter Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly on her new vision to turn Digital Bangladesh into Smart Bangladesh. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/as</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 09:59:29', '2022-12-31 09:59:29'),
(4126, 4126, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 15 people were killed in western Mexico on Friday when the bus they were traveling in flipped over and crashed, local authorities said.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The victims were tourists on their way back to the city of Leon in the central state of Guanajuato when the accident happened in the state of Nayarit, according to a statement from the authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Fifteen people have been reported dead so far,\" it said, adding that a dozen more were injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Images shared by the authorities on social media showed the bus overturned on the side of the road.</div><div><br></div><div>There were 48 passengers on the bus, according to local media.</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the incident. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 10:04:57', '2022-12-31 10:04:57');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(4127, 4127, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhallywood star Pori Moni hinted at separation from her husband, actor Sariful Razz, on her social media account shortly after midnight.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The post began with a New Year\'s greeting of “Happy 31st, everyone!” which afterwards hinted at a troubled marriage.</div><div><br></div><div>“Today I said adieu to Razz from my life and also freed myself from this toxic relationship. Nothing is more important than living a healthy life,” wrote Pori.</div><div><br></div><div>Within minutes, the post went viral, with many celebrities and netizens urging Pori Moni to remain calm and take her time before making a final decision.</div><div><br></div><div>The actors first met while working on the movie \"Gunin.\" Seven days after that, they tied the knot on October 17 last year, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 10:15:45', '2022-12-31 10:15:45'),
(4128, 4128, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate will be held in detention in Romania for 30 days, after a court agreed to a police request.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Tate was arrested alongside his brother Tristan on Thursday as part of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and rape, which they deny.</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities suspect the pair, along with two Romanian men, of running \"an organised crime group\".</div><div><br></div><div>Tristan, and two others, were also detained by the court in Bucharest.</div><div><br></div><div>Outside the court, the Tates\' lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said they would appeal against the detention.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are not at a stage where guilt or innocence is proven, for now we only discuss preventive measures,\" he added. Mr Vidineac told the BBC his clients reject all the allegations.</div><div><br></div><div>Andrew Tate, 36, has yet to comment directly on the accusations.</div><div><br></div><div>But after being detained, a tweet was sent from his Twitter account alluding to the 1999 movie The Matrix. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 10:49:24', '2022-12-31 10:49:24'),
(4129, 4129, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Former Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.</div><div><br></div><div>Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican.</div><div><br></div><div>His successor Pope Francis said he had visited him there frequently.</div><div><br></div><div>Although the former pontiff had been ill for some time, the Holy See said there had been an aggravation in his condition because of advancing age.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday, Pope Francis appealed to his final audience of the year at the Vatican to \"pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict\", whom he said was very ill.</div><div><br></div><div>Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany, Benedict was 78 when in 2005 he became one of the oldest popes ever elected.</div><div><br></div><div>For much of his papacy, the Catholic Church faced allegations, legal claims and official reports into decades of child abuse by priests.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this year the former Pope acknowledged that errors had been made in the handling of abuse cases while he was archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 10:51:55', '2022-12-31 10:51:55'),
(4130, 4130, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The nation bids adieu to the outgoing year 2022 forgetting all odds and sorrows of the past and welcome 2023 with new hopes at midnight tonight through different programmes along with the global community.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Jubilant people, particularly the youngsters, will join different New Year programmes when the clock strikes 12 midnight.</div><div><br></div><div>In separate messages, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen on the eve of New Year 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>On this special occasion, people have already conveyed their best wishes to their friends and beloved ones through different messaging applications and social media platforms.</div><div><br></div><div>Usually the New Year\'s Eve comes as an occasion for huge celebration across the globe, bidding farewell to the outgoing year 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>As 2022 draws to a close, New Zealand will be among the first few countries to usher in the New Year. Celebrations then move across the world -- to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and finally the Americas.</div><div><br></div><div>Corporate and government officials and various organisations also did the same thing as they do every year to greet their nearest ones.</div><div><br></div><div>The day is also a moment of looking back to the outgoing year for reviewing the successes and failures and planning strategies to reach new goals for the New Year, with accomplishing the unfinished tasks those need to be done in the coming days.</div><div><br></div><div>The year 2022 was a significant year for Bangladesh as the country saw many successes in major areas, including infrastructure development, economy, agriculture and driving the IT sectors towards attaining the middle-income status.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the much-expected the Padma Bridge on June 25, 2022 connecting the capital with the 21 south and southwestern districts.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>On December 28 in 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the country\'s first ever elevated metro rail, setting another milestone in the country\'s communication history.</div><div><br></div><div>She opened the 11.73 km part of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 of the metro rail project from Diabari to Agargaon by unveiling its plaque in the city\'s Diabari.</div><div><br></div><div>Marking the day, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has drawn up multi-tiered security measures. It bans holding of any programme at open places for the sake of overall security and law and order, according to the DMP.</div><div><br></div><div>At a press conference today, DMP commissioner Khandker Golam Faroqiue said all bars in the city will remained closed after 6pm today to tomorrow\'s evening. None will be able to carry licenced arms at residential hotels, restaurants and public gatherings. Any outsider and transport will not be allowed to enter Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas after 8pm today.</div><div><br></div><div>Police personnel in uniform or plainclothes will be deployed and members of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit and bomb disposal team will discharge duties at different city points to ensure safety.</div><div><br></div><div>He said none will be allowed to hold cultural functions at road-crossings and flyovers. Fireworks and flying of \'Fanush\' will not be allowed, he said and warned that stern actions will be taken if anyone tries to violate the orders.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The DMP commissioner said no outsiders will be allowed to enter Dhaka University campus without identity cards. Teachers and officials-employees of Dhaka University who are living inside the campus will be able to enter the university area with vehicles (with stickers) through Shahbagh and Nilkhet crossings, he said, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>He also said no vehicles will be allowed in Hatirjheel area. Blowing horn with high volume and reckless driving are restricted.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 13:39:09', '2022-12-31 13:39:09'),
(4131, 4131, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">From the second floor of her house, Onofra Alves Costa Rovai can see the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Brazilian football legend Pele first took the world\'s breath away.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Rovai has fond memories of chatting with \"O Rei\" (The King), who died Thursday in a Sao Paulo hospital at age 82, triggering an outpouring of emotion in Brazil -- and especially in Santos, the city where he played most of his storied career.</div><div><br></div><div>\"He would come out that door after matches and we would talk football. He was like that -- just an ordinary person, he would talk to anyone about anything. He was marvelous,\" said Rovai, 91, motioning to the stadium\'s main gate, a stone\'s throw from her modest blue house.</div><div><br></div><div>\"My mother used to love Pele,\" the white-haired retiree recalled with a smile. \"What a player. My God in heaven, he was born for it.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Santos, a southeastern port city around 75 kilometers (45 miles) from Sao Paulo, is preparing a massive tribute to its late hero, widely considered the greatest footballer of all time.</div><div><br></div><div>A 24-hour wake for Pele, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, will be held at the 16,000-capacity stadium from Monday to Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>That will be followed by what is expected to be a massive funeral procession through the city\'s streets. He will then be buried in Santos\'s Memorial Cemetery in a private ceremony Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Where he belongs\' -</div><div><br></div><div>Pele debuted for Santos at the age of just 15, and went on to score 1,091 goals in 1,116 matches for the club, winning 45 titles along the way, according to the team\'s records.</div><div><br></div><div>The Vila Belmiro has become a place of pilgrimage for a stream of die-hard fans since Thursday, all eager to pay homage to the only player in history to win three World Cups.</div><div><br></div><div>As Brazil held the second of three days of national mourning for Pele Friday -- extended to seven days in Santos and surrounding Sao Paulo state -- a light rain drizzled from a gray sky in the port city, fitting the local mood.</div><div><br></div><div>Several houses sported Santos FC banners celebrating Pele\'s 18-year career with the club.</div><div><br></div><div>Three bouquets of flowers had been placed at the foot of a Pele statue outside the stadium.</div><div><br></div><div>One lifelong Santos fan, Anaur Aparecido Deolindo, went to the stadium as soon as he heard the news.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It\'s as if I lost a family member. He was just a boy when he arrived here. He grew up here and went on to conquer the world,\" the 57-year-old retiree told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Now he\'s back where he belongs, right in God\'s lap,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Edson died, but Pele is eternal.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- Idol forever -</div><div>Jonas Augusto dos Santos, another lifelong Santos fan, like his father and grandfather, went to the stadium with a group of friends in tribute.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Life hasn\'t been easy for Brazilians, that\'s why we\'re always in search of a hero. Pele may be dead, but he won\'t stop being one, said the 28-year-old software analyst.</div><div><br></div><div>He added: \"I\'m sure his soul is right around this stadium, and in the hearts of all Brazilians.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Wearing the club\'s jersey, elementary school teacher Luiz Santos said the gloomy weather had kept many mourners away -- but that he was sure the turnout for the wake and funeral procession would be massive.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This is going to be packed Monday,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"A lot of people are going to come.\" - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 14:12:51', '2022-12-31 14:12:51'),
(4132, 4132, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China\'s manufacturing activity contracted sharply in December for the third month in a row, according to official figures released Saturday, despite Beijing\'s loosening of Covid restrictions at the beginning of the month.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Purchasing Managers\' Index (PMI) -- a key gauge of manufacturing in the world\'s second-biggest economy -- came in at 47 points, down from November\'s 48 and well below the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.</div><div><br></div><div>For more than two years, China had insisted on a zero-Covid strategy of stamping out outbreaks with strict quarantines, lockdowns and mass testing -- a hardline policy that reverberated across the global economy.</div><div>On December 7, Beijing abruptly loosened pandemic restrictions, but despite that, the country is still struggling to recover due to a surge in Covid cases.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In December, due to the impact of the epidemic and other factors... China\'s economic prosperity has generally declined,\" NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The epidemic has had a significant impact on business production and demand, staff presence, logistics and distribution.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The index has not been in positive territory since September, and December\'s figure was lower than the 47.8 reading predicted by Bloomberg analysts.</div><div><br></div><div>Zhao, however, struck a note of optimism in his statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"As the epidemic situation gradually improves, the market trend is expected to pick up later,\" he wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>China\'s zero-Covid strategy was based on widespread testing, strict monitoring of movement, and quarantine for those testing positive.</div><div><br></div><div>Those measures, which led to unannounced plant closures, disrupted supply chains and forced some companies to close permanently.</div><div><br></div><div>For its part, the non-manufacturing PMI -- which includes the services and construction sectors -- also contracted further this month, to 41.6 points from 46.7 in November.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has set a growth target of about 5.5 percent this year, after reaching its goal of over 8 percent in 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>But many economists now consider the 2022 target unrealistic.</div><div><br></div><div>China will unveil its gross domestic product (GDP) performance for the year in January. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 15:12:10', '2022-12-31 15:12:10'),
(4133, 4133, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted the countrymen on the eve of the New Year 2023 in the English calendar.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In a message, on the eve of the New Year, the President wished happiness and welfare for all in 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>He said though the celebration of Bengali New Year has merged with the national culture, the English New Year influences all because of the widespread use of the English calendar in daily activities.</div><div><br></div><div>Every year, people across the world celebrate the New Year through various colourful programmes but people were less enthusiastic in last two years due to Corona-19 pandemic, he said, adding that this year Russia-Ukraine war cast a pall of gloom to the global economic activities affecting the lives of the people.</div><div><br></div><div>Under this situation, the President urged the affluent people of the society to stand beside the people who are facing hardship.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, wished that the New Year would bring happiness, peace, and prosperity for the countrymen.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said the year 2022 was an important milestone in the life of the countrymen. The country witnessed a massive development in infrastructures, she said, adding that the mega Padma bridge was opened for vehicular movement on June 26, 2022. Metro rail was inaugurated for commuters from Uttara to Agargaon, she said, adding that the government opened 100 highways in 50 districts and inaugurated construction work of 100 bridges in 25 districts.</div><div><br></div><div>She said the first phase of 1320-megawatt Paira Power Plant was also inaugurated in 2022.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Prime Minister said as a result of the implementation of the welfare-oriented and inclusive development policy adopted by the Awami League government for the last thirteen years, Bangladesh has been ranked among the top five countries in the world in terms of economic progress.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>She said the government has ensured smooth flow of money to rural areas that has given the economy a firm-footing. As a result, skilled manpower is being developed and the country is achieving success in all social indicators, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said the United Nations declared Bangladesh as a developing country during the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of the country\'s independence in 2021. The government has been implementing the 2nd perspective plan to turn Bangladesh into a higher middle income country by 2031 and \'Smart Bangladesh\' by 2041, she said, adding that the government has started implementing \'Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100\'.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said the country witnesses development when Awami League remains in power, because it is Awami League which only upholds the glorious ideal of independence and devotes itself for the welfare and development of the country and its people. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2022-12-31 15:15:33', '2022-12-31 15:15:33'),
(4134, 4134, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2023 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center at Purbachal.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She opened the fair at a function as the chief guest while some 17 organisations from 10 countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Korea and India alongside local firms and companies are taking part in it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">With Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi in the chair, Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman AHM Ahasan delivered the welcome address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi (Birpratik), Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin also spoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A documentary on export activities of the country was screened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the function, a commemorative book on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman titled \"Ami Tomaderi Lok\" (I Am Your Man) was handed over to the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This 27th edition of the DITF has featured some 351 local and foreign stalls, pavilions and mini pavilions, up from the previous year\'s tally of 225.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from the premier pavilions, and mini pavilions, general stalls, food courts, mini stalls, premier stalls, there will also be a cafeteria where some 500 people can have food at a time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi earlier on Saturday, on the eve of the formal inauguration of the DITF, said although the fair venue is a bit far away, but it has created a buzz among the participants and the probable visitors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said initially some 70 BRTC buses will operate to and from Kuril Biswa Road to the fair venue while the number of such buses would be increased as per the need. The bus fare has been fixed at Taka 35.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The main goal of the fair is also to showcase local products before the international market as the DITF plays an important role in local and foreign trade. The spot export orders of Taka 200 crores were made in the last edition of the fair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fair will remain open every day from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm while it will remain open till 10:00 pm in holidays.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The entry fee for the adults have been fixed at Taka 40 while that of the minors at Taka 20.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There will be scope for availing 50 percent discount if anyone buys tickets online. Besides, there will be vehicle parking facility for some 1,000 cars. 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, '2023-01-01 06:34:48', '2023-01-01 06:34:48'),
(4135, 4135, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The UN General Assembly has asked the UN\'s highest court to give a legal opinion on Israel\'s occupation of Palestinian territories.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The resolution was backed by 87 countries but opposed by 26 others, including the UK and US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issues binding rulings, but it cannot enforce them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Friday\'s vote came a day after Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn as prime minister of the most hard-line Israeli cabinet.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel occupies the West Bank, and although it pulled out of Gaza the UN still regards that piece of land as occupied territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The US is one of only a handful of countries to recognise the city as Israel\'s capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palestinians claim the West Bank, along with Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip for their hoped-for future state. 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, '2023-01-01 06:39:26', '2023-01-01 06:39:26'),
(4136, 4136, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Forest Department has started setting up a total of 1,330 cameras at 665 spots in the Sundarbans to count tigers, deer and pigs.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Abu Naser, forest official of Sundarbans West zone and director of Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project, said the camera installation work started at Kalabogi Ecotourism Center around 9am on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Forest Department – under the ‘Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project’ involving Tk 3.27 crore – took preparations for installing cameras on both sides of the canals under Kalabogi Forest Station of Khulna Range from December 15 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abu Naser said apart from counting tigers, this year, the Forest Department will count deer and pigs as well under the project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They have divided the project into two categories – camera trapping and canal survey. Primarily, the survey along both sides of the canals in Sundarbans has started and through the process, the movement and pugmarks of tigers will be pointed out.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through the camera trapping process, the authorities concerned will take snaps for two years and later they will analyse the photos captured for the next two months, and after that they will figure out the numbers, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A technical committee has already been formed and the committee decided to install cameras at 665 spots, he added. Of these, 200 will be set up in Satkhira range, 140 in Khulna range, 180 in Sharankhola and 145 in Chandpai range of the Sundarbans, said Abu Naser.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two cameras will be installed in each grid and a total of 1,330 cameras will be set up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Asked about the number of tigers, the project director said, “The exact figure of tigers will be known after the census. Earlier, it was difficult for tourists to see any tiger during their Sundarbans visit but now, they can take photos of 3-4 tigers which indicates that the number might have increased.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tiger census will be conducted in and outside the wildlife sanctuary and the authorities concerned will conduct the survey in the less, more and most saline areas of the Sundarbans, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tigers mostly hunt deer, but they also eat pigs, monkeys and crabs and another survey will be conducted to figure out their eating habits in 2024, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three hundred and forty members under 49 village tiger response teams and 185 members of community patrol groups under the four ranges will be given training to conduct the survey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Resident launches and support boats have been hired for four months under the projects while 200 special category cameras, battery, and SD cards will be purchased.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mihir Kumar Doe, forest conservator of Khulna Circle, said the project includes monitoring the movement by setting up satellite collars on two tigers, identifying diseases and infections among tigers, collecting data and publishing a report after research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, fire extinguishing equipment, pipes and drones will also be purchased using the funds to save tigers from forest fires during dry season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alongside, an initiative will be taken to erect fences in 60 km areas of the Sundarbans, using nylon, to prevent the entry of tigers into villages, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 12 towers will be set up in the Sundarbans to protect tigers from cyclonic storms, said Mihir Kumar. Under the project, twelve consultant experts have been hired in the short term for special training, survey completion, data collection, preparation of report and analysis, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 23 last year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change gave its nod to the project, involving Tk 35.93 crore. Of the project, only Tk 3.27 crore will be spent for tiger census and the tenure of the project is fixed from April 2022 to June 2025.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are 3,840 tigers in 13 countries of the world. In 2015, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans was 106 and in 2018, that number went up to 114. Of these, 63 are mature, 18 between the age of 12-14 months, and 33 are cubs. 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, '2023-01-01 06:42:48', '2023-01-01 06:42:48'),
(4137, 4137, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of former Pope Benedict XVI.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, Sheikh Hasina said Pope Benedict\'s non-violent policy and establishment of universal peace will always be remembered.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier prayed for eternal peace of his departed soul. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">bnbd24/kh</span><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-01-01 06:47:33', '2023-01-01 06:47:33'),
(4138, 4138, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the “exponential” expansion of his country\'s nuclear arsenal and the development of a new, more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, state media reported Sunday, after he entered 2023 with another weapons test following a record number of missile firings last year.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim’s moves are in line with the broad direction of his nuclear weapons development program as he has repeatedly vowed to boost both the quality and quantity of his arsenal. Some experts said Kim will likely continue a provocative run of weapons tests this year before he would ultimately try to use his enlarged arsenal to wrest concessions like sanctions relief in future dealings with his rivals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“They are now keen on isolating and stifling (North Korea), unprecedented in human history,” Kim said at a recently ended ruling party meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. “The prevailing situation calls for making redoubled efforts to overwhelmingly beef up the military muscle to thoroughly guarantee the sovereignty, security and fundamental interests of (the country).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Kim accused South Korea of being “hell-bent on imprudent and dangerous arms build-up” and openly trumpeting its preparations for war with North Korea. That, Kim said, highlights the need to mass-produce battlefield tactical nuclear weapons and calls for “an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal,” KCNA said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim also set forth a task to develop another ICBM system “whose main mission is quick nuclear counterstrike,\" KCNA said, without elaborating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim accused the United States of frequently deploying nuclear strike means in South Korea, boosting trilateral military cooperation with South Korea and Japan and pushing to establish a NATO-like regional military bloc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tactical nuclear weapons and a military reconnaissance satellite are among an array of weapons systems that Kim has vowed to introduce in recent years. Other weapons he wants include a multi-warhead missile, a more agile solid-fueled ICBM, an underwater-launched nuclear missile and a hypersonic weapon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside worries about North Korea’s nuclear program have grown since the North last year approved a new law that authorized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations and openly threatened to use its nuclear weapons first.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During his speech at the party meeting, Kim reiterated that threat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“(Kim\'s report) made clear that our nuclear force considers it as the first mission to deter war and safeguard peace and stability. However, if it fails to deter, it will carry out the second mission, which will not be for defense,” KCNA said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North’s increasing nuclear threats have prompted the United States and South Korea to expand their regular exercises and strengthen a trilateral security cooperation involving Japan. The U.S. military has warned any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners “will result in the end of that regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It was during his 2018 New Year’s speech that (Kim) first ordered the mass production of warheads and ballistic missiles, and he’s doubling down on that quantitative expansion goal in the coming year,” said Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Panda said the reference to a new ICBM appears to concern a solid-propellant system. “We should expect to see larger, solid propellant missiles tested soon,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last month, North Korea said Kim supervised the test of a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” for a new strategic weapon. Experts say the weapon refers to a solid-fueled ICBM, which can be launched more quickly than a liquid-fueled ICBM because the fuel in solid-propellant rockets is already loaded inside. All of North Korea\'s previously tested ICBMs use liquid propellants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier Sunday, South Korea’s military detected the missile launch from the North’s capital region. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the missile traveled about 400 kilometers (250 miles) before falling into the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launch “a grave provocation” that hurts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. It said South Korea closely monitors North Korean moves in coordination with the United States and maintains a readiness to overwhelmingly deal with any provocations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the launch highlights “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs. It said U.S. commitments to defend South Korea and Japan “remain ironclad.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea test-fired more than 70 missiles last year. The North’s testing spree indicated the country is likely emboldened by its advancing nuclear program, though whether the country has functioning nuclear missiles remains a source of outside debate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea’s state media confirmed Sunday that the country conducted the test-firings of its super-large multiple rocket launcher to test the weapon’s capability. KCNA said three shells fired from the launcher on Saturday accurately hit an island target off the country\'s eastern coast. It said North Korea fired another shell from the launcher toward its eastern waters Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim Jong Un said the rocket launcher put all of South Korea within striking distance and is capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead, according to KCNA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside experts categorize weapons fired from the launcher as ballistic missiles because of their trajectories, ranges and other characteristics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North’s missile launch for a second straight day came after South Korea on Friday conducted a rocket test related to its plan to establish space-based surveillance to better monitor North Korea. On Friday, South Korea’s military said it test-launched a solid-fueled rocket, a type of a space launch vehicle that it plans to use to put its first spy satellite into orbit in coming years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Animosities between the rival Koreas have deepened since early last week, when South Korea accused North Korea of flying drones across the countries’ heavily fortified border for the first time in five years and sent its own drones toward the North.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">South Korea acknowledged it failed to shoot down any of the five North Korean drones it said were found south of the border. But South Korea has vowed to bolster its air defense network and get tough on future provocations by North Korea. 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, '2023-01-01 06:51:45', '2023-01-01 06:51:45'),
(4139, 4139, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The newly launched metro rail services in Dhaka remained suspended for two hours on Sunday morning as a number of sky lanterns used for New Year celebrations fell on the electric rail lines.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The metro rail authorities suspended the operation on safety ground from 8am, Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">After cleaning the lanterns from the electric lines, the operation of metro rail resumed around 10 am, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka dwellers used firecrackers and flew sky lanterns (fanush) on 31st night despite Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) restrictions, causing disruption in metro rail service.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country’s commuting system entered a new era on December 28 last year as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the operation of the first phase of metro rail service -- Uttara to Agargaon in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the government is starting the operation on a limited scale, it will take 20 minutes to travel the 11.73-Km distance from Uttara to Agargaon, but soon it will come down to 16-17 minutes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is the third country in South Asian region to have metro rail after India and Pakistan. India introduced its first 3.4km underground metro rail in Kolkata in 1984 while Pakistan launched its mostly-elevated metro line in Lahore in October, 2020. 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, '2023-01-01 06:55:37', '2023-01-01 06:55:37'),
(4140, 4140, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality continued to be in the \'unhealthy\' zone on Sunday morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 195 at 9 am Sunday, the metropolis ranked sixth in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\', particularly for sensitive groups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ghana’s Accra, Pakistan’s Karachi and China’s Wuhan occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 291, 247 and 243, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'poor\', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">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, '2023-01-01 07:02:19', '2023-01-01 07:02:19'),
(4141, 4141, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the businesspeople and industrialists to pay at least the cost of generation and procurement of electricity and gas if they want to avail uninterrupted supply of the energy.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If you want uninterrupted electricity and gas, then you have to pay the production cost or procurement cost at least. How long we will provide subsidy?,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier was inaugurating the 27th edition of the ‘Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2023’ where Bangladesh-made products will be on display for promotion in the international market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commerce Ministry and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organised the month-long largest annual commercial and trade event of the country at its permanent venue – “Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre \'\' – at Purbachal on the outskirts of the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that the government can’t provide huge subsidy on electricity and gas for unlimited period that comes from the pockets of the mass people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We cannot give such huge amount of public money as subsidy, so businessmen and industrialists have to pay attention to this matter,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the programme the PM declared jute and jute products as the Product of the Year 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that once jute was called the golden fibre of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that the demand of jute will never end and the jute products are environment friendly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have been able to invent the jute genome, so we can produce so many products,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina also mentioned that jute is an all-purpose crop and product and every part of it – from leaves to sticks - can be used.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So we have to give importance to jute. We have opened up our public jute mills and anyone can take lease one of these mills,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this regard she said that the lessee can operate these mills directly or induct modern technology to produce diversified items.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You can do your marketing across the globe as demand of the environment-friendly products is increasing day by day. You have to take that opportunity,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi , Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md. Jashim Uddin and EPB Vice Chairman AHM Ahsan also spoke at 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, '2023-01-01 07:11:07', '2023-01-01 07:11:07');
