INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5962, 5962, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The world celebrates World Meteorological Day on Mrach 23 to honor the founding of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on that date in 1950.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Theme of World Meteorological Day 2023</div><div>This day has a different theme each year, and the theme for 2023 is “The Future of Weather, Climate, and Water Across Generations”, which is one of the main reasons to commemorate it. and the previous year’s theme was “Early Warning and Early Action”.</div><div><br></div><div>History and significance of World Meteorological Day</div><div>World Meteorological Day started in 1950, when the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was created. The group was started on March 23, 1950, with the goal of dealing with all national and international problems related to climate and weather change.</div><div><br></div><div>Every year, World Meteorological Day shows what the WMO has done in the past, what it is doing now, and what it could do in the future to help people. On World Meteorological Day in 2023, the World Meteorological Organization will be 150 years old.</div><div><br></div><div>The WMO says that the anniversary is a good way to remember that our climate is changing. The World Meteorological Organization\'s predecessor, the International Meteorological Organization, was set up in 1873, when pollution from factories and people was just starting to become a problem.</div><div><br></div><div>Because greenhouse gases trap heat, the average temperature of the Earth is now more than 1°C higher than it was 150 years ago. </div><div><br></div><div>The weather is getting worse, the ocean is getting warmer and more acidic, the sea level is going up, and glaciers and ice are melting. The speed of change is getting faster. We need to act right away to cut down on emissions and make sure that future generations will be able to live and do well on our planet. - The Economic Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 14:55:58', '2023-03-23 14:55:58'),
(5963, 5963, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has taken various programmes to observe the Genocide Day on March 25 at state level with due respect.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>As part of the programmes, one-minute symbolic \'blackout\' will be observed from 10.30pm to 10.31pm on March 25 throughout the country, said a press release today.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>However, the key point installations (KPIs) and the essential establishments will remain out of the purview of the programme.</div><div><br></div><div>On the occasion, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will issue separate messages highlighting the importance of Genocide Day.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Newspapers will also publish special supplements on genocide committed by the occupation Pakistani forces on the night of March 25, 1971.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>The liberation war ministry will organize cultural programmes, including ‘Geeti Natya’ (musical drama) based on genocide and Liberation War across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Besides, discussions will be held at all the educational institutions, including madrasahs, where heroic freedom fighters and noted personalities will share their memories with students.</div><div><br></div><div>A discussion meeting will be held at the Liberation War Museum at 9.30am.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Rare photos and documentaries on mass killing will be exhibited on the premises of all the city corporations, including Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>Special munazat will be offered at mosques after Zohr prayers and other places of worships will hold separate programmes seeking eternal peace for martyrs who were killed on March 25, 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>Similar programmes will be organized at district-upazila level and Bangladesh missions abroad. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 15:08:05', '2023-03-23 15:08:05'),
(5964, 5964, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The holy month of Ramadan of 1444 Hijri will begin in the country tomorrow.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee at the conference room of Islamic Foundation (IF) at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque held yesterday (March 23), said an IF press release.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the decision, the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr, the night when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), will be observed on the night of April 18 (Tuesday night).</div><div><br></div><div>Muslims are meant to fast from dawn to dusk during the lunar month, a time of restraint and austerity.</div><div><br></div><div>President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the countrymen and all Muslim Ummah across the world with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>President Abdul Hamid in his message said, \"The holy month of Ramadan filled with blessings (Barkat) has come again after a year. This holy month brings a unique opportunity of getting closer to Allah and attaining taqwa (fear of Allah).\"</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that the whole Muslim Ummah observes the month with due religious fervor to attain self-restraint, self-rectification and forgiveness, he said fasting plays a vital role in establishing sympathy, amity and brotherhood among all, including the rich and the poor.</div><div><br></div><div>The President hoped that the people would be able to realize the sanctity and significance of the holy Ramadan and reflect it in their personal and social lives and contribute to building a peaceful society.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the whole world including Bangladesh is facing economic crisis due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.</div><div><br></div><div>The President urged the affluent section of people to extend their helping hands for poor people of the country during the month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this holy month creates an opportunity of self-rectification through self-restraint and getting closer to, and satisfaction and forgiveness of the Almighty Allah.</div><div><br></div><div>The fasting plays a vital role in establishing sympathy, amity and brotherhood among all, including the rich and the poor, she also said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Let\'s be inspired by the teachings of the Ramadan and protect the holiness of the Ramadan, showing modesty, patience and restraint at all levels of life and shunning all forms of pleasure, hatred, merriment and conflict,\" Sheikh Hasina said.</div><div><br></div><div>Ramadan, also known as Ramzan, is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It is a time when Muslims around the world focus on prayers, fasting, giving charity and religious devotion.</div><div><br></div><div>All government, semi-government and private offices have arranged new office schedule coinciding with the special arrangements for iftar for its officers, employees and staff. According to BSS reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 15:20:41', '2023-03-23 15:28:44'),
(5965, 5965, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Director General of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) AHM Shafiquzzaman on Thursday said the broiler chicken will be sold from the farms at Tk 190-195 per kg during the month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Now it is expected that&nbsp; broiler chicken price will come down by Tk 30-40 per kg at the consumers’ level during Ramadan, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Shafiquzzaman disclosed this after a meeting with the traders and the farm owners at the conference room of DNCRP at Karwan Bazar on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, “Discussion was held with Kazi, CP, Paragon, and Aftab farms’ representatives. We’ve reached a consensus about poultry chicken price. Currently, broiler chicken is now sold at Tk220-230 per kg from the farms. But the farm owners agreed to sell broiler chicken from the farms at Tk 190-195 per kg during Ramadan,” reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The decision on reducing wholesale price will have an impact at consumers’ level, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 15:24:49', '2023-03-23 15:24:49'),
(5966, 5966, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A rare Sarus crane has been confiscated from the Indian man who nursed it back to health from injury after the story of their bond made headlines.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Officials in Uttar Pradesh moved the protected bird - featured in a recent BBC video - to a wildlife sanctuary.</div><div><br></div><div>The farmer who found it in his field a year ago said he\'d expected it to fly back to the wild - but it never did.</div><div><br></div><div>Reports say the crane flew away from its new home after being moved but sanctuary officials deny it is missing.</div><div><br></div><div>Local media reported it had been found by villagers who were seen feeding a crane in a video that went viral. But officials denied the reports, saying the crane remained \"within the boundaries\" of Samaspur bird sanctuary where it was taken.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It\'s not been confined to a room, but has been released in the sanctuary. It\'s finding food on its own, but we are also giving it wheat, bread and water,\" forest official Rupesh Srivastava told BBC Hindi.</div><div><br></div><div>Uttar Pradesh is home to at least 17,000 Sarus cranes, where it is the official \"state bird\". Under Indian law it\'s illegal for individuals to keep Sarus cranes or even feed them.</div><div><br></div><div>Farmer Mohammad Arif, who found the crane last year, said officials arrived at his home on Tuesday afternoon, and told him the bird could no longer stay with him. They had received orders from the wildlife department to confiscate it, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I don\'t know about wildlife laws. I\'m a farmer. But if I had caged it, tied it up and hadn\'t allowed it to go anywhere, then I could understand the forest department would want to take it away,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But you saw that it flew around and came and went as it pleased. Did you ever see that I was constricting its movements?\"</div><div><br></div><div>In the video by BBC Hindi earlier this month Mr Arif explained he thought the bird would leave once its injuries healed, but it stayed and rarely left his side.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It flies away on some days, but always returns by sunset,\" he\'d said.</div><div>Mr Arif said that he followed the vehicle carrying the crane to the Samaspur sanctuary on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"But then they chased me away. I don\'t know what condition they have kept it in. They must have locked it up, otherwise it would have come back to me,\" he said, adding: \"I want it to be set free. I know it will return to me.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The story has set off a political spat, with the leader of the state\'s main opposition party accusing the government of a vendetta. Akhilesh Yadav told a press conference on Wednesday that the crane had been confiscated after he visited Mr Arif and was pictured alongside the bird.</div><div><br></div><div>There\'s been no response from the state government on whether that\'s true.</div><div><br></div><div>But - politics aside - wildlife expert Samir Kumar Sinha, who heads the Sarus Crane Conservation Project at the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said moving the bird to a sanctuary was the right thing to do.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Conservation and compassion are two different things. You can rescue a bird in distress but you have to hand it over to the custodians of law.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Sinha said not doing so could encourage others to keep wild animals as pets. \"Wild animals have wild instincts. What happens if the bird attacks someone?\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Sarus crane is the tallest of all flying birds, growing to a height of up to six feet (1.8 m). It thrives in the wetlands of Uttar Pradesh where most of India\'s crane population lives.</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Sinha says the bird\'s habitat, which once stretched from the western tip of India to cover the entire Gangetic plane, has shrunk and the crane is now found only in small pockets in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar states.</div><div><br></div><div>The WTI, which has partnered with the state authorities to safeguard wetlands, is working with local volunteers from farms and villages to protect crane nests as birds often lay eggs in their fields, reports BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If you really want to help the crane, then the right thing is to protect the wetlands which are the bird\'s habitat. And then let nature take its course,\" says Mr Sinha.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 15:47:22', '2023-03-23 15:47:22'),
(5967, 5967, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP on Thursday requested the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities not to arrest the party’s leader and activists without any warrant.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A five-member BNP delegation made the request during their meeting with DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq at his Mintoo Road office.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters after the meeting, BNP Dhaka north city unit convener Amanullah Aman said the leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies are being arrested in the capital without any warrant.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“We saw our party leaders and activists were arrested, harassed, and implicated in false and ghost cases in the same way ahead of the national election in 2018 and 2014. We told them such arrest without any warrant must be stopped,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said their party’s innocent leaders and activists are being arrested and implicated in false cases in the capital. “Even, our leaders and activists are being arrested from stoical events in hotels and clubs. We told them not to arrest our leaders and activists in this way and not to implicate them in false cases at the behest of Awami League.”</div><div><br></div><div>During Ramadan, Aman said they will arrange iftar mahfils at every thana of the capital and they sought cooperation from the DMP authorities in holding these programmes smoothly without any obstruction.</div><div><br></div><div>He said they also talked to the DMP boss about their programmes taken to celebrate the Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>Aman said the DMP Commissioner talked to them very sincerely and assured them of taking steps as per their request.</div><div><br></div><div>About the arrest, Aman said the DMP chief told them that they will take measures so that no one is arrested without a warrant in the future.</div><div><br></div><div>The other members of the delegation are BNP Dhaka south city convener Abdus Salam, publicity secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Dhaka south city unit member secretary Rafiqul Alam Mojnu and north city unit member secretary Aminul Haq. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-23 16:00:56', '2023-03-23 16:00:56'),
(5968, 5968, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A police raid on a favela near Rio de Janeiro Thursday left at least 13 people dead, including the suspected leader of a crime gang active in the north of Brazil, local media reported.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are 13 dead, two individuals detained and a large number of weapons seized,\" Fabricio Oliveira, from the Coordination of Special Resources of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, told a press conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said the violence hit the Salgueiro Complex in the city of Sao Goncalo, part of the Rio metropolitan region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The objective of the raid was \"the capture of members of the Comando Vermelho (gang) from the (northern) state of Para who took refuge in the district,\" a police statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Comando Vermelho is one of the oldest and largest crime gangs in Brazil, focusing heavily on drug trafficking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon arriving in the favela, \"police were attacked by criminals,\" leading to \"an intense firefight,\" civil police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The governor of Para state, Helder Barbalho, said on Twitter that \"Leonardo Araujo, known as \'L41,\' fugitive, died in a clash with security agents. He was the main leader of the biggest crime organization that operates in Para and that also ordered various attacks in RJ,\" or Rio de Janeiro.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And Rio state governor Claudio Castro tweeted that \"two criminals who controlled criminal gangs in (the northeastern state of) Sergipe and Para were captured,\" referencing Thursday\'s arrest and another operation in the northern part of the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to police, Thursday\'s operation specifically targeted individuals responsible for a series of attacks against public security agents in Para, in which 40 officers have been killed since 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was also launched to target gang leaders \"involved in recent attacks\" in the western part of Rio, where several cars had been set on fire Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amnesty International Brazil slammed the Rio government, saying its actions were \"disastrously lethal\" and part of an \"institutionalization of the policy of extermination\" in the Sao Goncalo area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"How long does the black, marginalized population of the favelas have to withstand the policy of war that drives police in Rio?\" the NGO tweeted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 1,300 people were killed at the hands of police in Rio de Janeiro state in 2021, according to the Violence Monitor data project. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 06:30:52', '2023-03-24 06:30:52'),
(5969, 5969, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Lionel Messi capped a night of unbridled joy with the 800th goal of his career as world champions Argentina celebrated their homecoming with a 2-0 friendly victory over stubborn Panama in Buenos Aires on Thursday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 35-year-old seven-time Ballon d\'Or winner\'s stunning free-kick in the dying minutes came after 21-year-old MLS sensation Thiago Almada gave a glimpse of what the future holds with his first goal for the national team in only his third appearance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was an emotional night as fireworks crackled overhead before kick-off at the impressive Monumental stadium where the 83,000 lucky fans that managed to get tickets among the more than 1.5 million people who tried, created an electric atmosphere.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi, coach Lionel Scaloni and numerous players came onto the pitch with their children and several seemed on the brink of tears as fans in unison sung \"Muchachos\", the anthem of Argentina\'s victorious World Cup campaign in Qatar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the match the party continued, with every member of the World Cup winning squad given a replica trophy to lift, surrounded by their families.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I always dreamt of this moment, being able to celebrate with you (the fans), being able to come to my country to lift a Copa America, a World Cup. It\'s the best thing there is,\" said Messi, who was presented with several awards after the game.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am eternally grateful to this group of players. Football is theirs, it belongs to all those that wear this jersey,\" said Scaloni, who finally cracked and let the tears flow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They leave every last drop of sweat and sometimes the result doesn\'t follow. This time it did and it\'s amazing.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Persistence pays for Messi -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was clear that this was more a celebration than a football match but Panama clearly had not read the script.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite fielding a weakened side, they were organized and disciplined and managed to frustrate the new world champions for 78 minutes before their defenses were finally breached.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Argentina, who started the game playing champagne football, created relatively little given their 73 percent possession in the first period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi struck the woodwork with a freekick while Enzo Fernandez brought a diving one-handed save out of goalkeeper Jose Carlos Guerra with a shot from distance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scaloni had picked the same starting XI that faced France in the World Cup final in December -- when Argentina triumphed 4-2 on penalties after a sensational 3-3 draw -- but after a goalless first half he made three changes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the second period, Argentina knuckled down to trying to win a football match but Guerra was twice equal to Messi free-kicks and also saved a low curling effort from veteran Angel Di Maria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the minutes ticked by, the tension rose with Argentina acutely aware that their party risked falling flat if they did not win.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But, eventually their main man came to the fore and ensured Panama would not be party poopers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi had a hand in the opening goal, crashing another free-kick off the woodwork, with Almada, a second half substitute, following up to slot home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The stadium erupted and the tension drained from Argentina\'s players, by now mostly substitutes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With a minute to go, Messi was given yet another free-kick within shooting range -- his fifth of the match -- and this time he curled it into the top corner to seal the dream scenario for his delirious fans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then the party continued with singing and dancing and a video recap of Argentina\'s glorious run to their third world title on the stadium\'s giant screens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No one left as the players, accompanied by partners and children, embarked on a lap of honor, each clutching their own replica trophy. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 06:37:16', '2023-03-24 06:37:16'),
(5970, 5970, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The nation is set to observe the Genocide Day tomorrow in remembrance of the brutality carried out by Pakistani Army on the unarmed Bangalees on the black night of March 25 in 1971 under the infamous \"Operation Searchlight\".</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has taken various programmes to observe the Genocide Day on March 25 at state level with due respect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the programmes, one-minute symbolic \'blackout\' will be observed from 10.30pm to 10.31pm on March 25 throughout the country, said a press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the key point installations (KPIs) and the essential establishments will remain out of the purview of the programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the occasion, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will issue separate messages highlighting the importance of Genocide Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Newspapers will also publish special supplements on genocide committed by the occupation Pakistani forces on the night of March 25, 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The liberation war ministry will organize cultural programmes, including ‘Geeti Natya’ (musical drama) based on genocide and Liberation War across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Besides, discussions will be held at all the educational institutions, including madrasahs, where heroic freedom fighters and noted personalities will share their memories with students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A discussion meeting will be held at the Liberation War Museum at 9.30am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rare photos and documentaries on mass killing will be exhibited on the premises of all the city corporations, including Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special munazat will be offered at mosques after Zohr prayers and other places of worships will hold separate programmes seeking eternal peace for martyrs who were killed on March 25, 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similar programmes will be organized at district-upazila level and Bangladesh missions abroad.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jatiya Sangsad (JS) unanimously adopted a resolution to observe the March 25 as the \"Gonohotya Dibos\" (Genocide Day) on March 11, 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Subsequently, the cabinet division at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, unanimously endorsed the decision on March 20 in 2017. 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, '2023-03-24 06:40:04', '2023-03-24 06:40:04'),
(5971, 5971, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 155 at 9:37 am, Dhaka ranked seventh in the list of cities worldwide 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;\">India’s Delhi, Iraq’s Baghdad, and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 223, 182, and 175, 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 recognized 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, '2023-03-24 07:02:30', '2023-03-24 07:02:30'),
(5972, 5972, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Focusing on the source-to-sea approach to water cooperation, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has stressed the need for sustainable water management for promoting global peace and stability.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Momen presided over the plenary session of the UN 2023 Water Conference Thursday. He chaired the third plenary session of the conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister also delivered the closing remarks at the high-level event \"Water for Peace: From Source to Sea\" at the UN Headquarters organised by Bangladesh, Global Center on Adaptation and Deltares.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith delivered welcome remarks and State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque delivered the opening remarks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The panel discussion segment included Abdul Khan, minister for water supply of Nepal, Henk Ovink, special envoy for international water affairs of the Netherlands, Alexandra Ferreira de Carvalho, secretary-general of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action of Portugal, Francesca Bernardini, chief of transboundary cooperation section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of Global Center on Adaptation, Ruth Mathews, senior manager and coordinator of Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management, Stockholm International Water Institute, and Toon Segeren, director of Deltares International.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Source-to-sea refers to the connections between what we do on land and along rivers, and the impact this has further downstream, along coasts and in the ocean. Water, sediment, plants, and animals provide such connections as does human waste and pollutants,\" according to the Stockholm International Water Institute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Tracing impacts on the ocean back to its source is central to tackling global development challenges on a system scale. The source-to-sea approach is, in essence, the realisation that if we alter one component in this system, it will have an effect somewhere else. And these effects may jeopardize access to clean water, livelihoods, climate resilience, and ecosystem values and services downstream.\" 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, '2023-03-24 08:36:59', '2023-03-24 08:36:59'),
(5973, 5973, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korea claimed Friday to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to generate a gigantic \"radioactive tsunami\" that would destroy naval strike groups and ports. Analysts were skeptical that the device presents a major new threat, but the test underlines the North\'s commitment to raising nuclear threats.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The test this week came as the United States reportedly planned to deploy aircraft carrier strike groups and other advanced assets to waters off the Korean Peninsula. Military tensions are at a high point as the pace of both North Korean weapons tests and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises has accelerated in the past year in a cycle of tit-for-tat responses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pyongyang\'s official Korean Central News Agency said the new weapon, which can be deployed from the coast or towed by surface ships, is built to \"stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through an underwater explosion to destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports of the enemy.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North Korean report came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to make North Korea pay for its \"reckless provocations\" as he attended a remembrance service honoring 55 South Korean troops killed during major clashes with the North near their western sea border in past years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The testing of the purported \"nuclear underwater attack drone\" was part of a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on unspecified South Korean targets, which also included cruise missile launches on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said that the drills were supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who condemned the U.S.-South Korean drills as invasion rehearsals and vowed to make his rivals \"plunge into despair.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drone is named \"Haeil,\" a Korean word meaning tidal waves or tsunamis. The North\'s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of Kim smiling next to a large torpedo-shaped object at an unspecified indoor facility, but didn\'t identify it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other photos published with the same article showed sea-surface tracks supposedly caused by the drone\'s underwater trajectory and a pillar of water exploding up into the air, possibly caused by what state media described as an underwater detonation of a mock nuclear weapon carried by the drone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said the North\'s latest tests were aimed at alerting the United States and South Korea of a brewing \"nuclear crisis\" as they continue with their \"intentional, persistent and provocative war drills.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. and South Korea completed an 11-day exercise that included their biggest field training in years on Thursday, and are preparing another round of joint naval drills that will reportedly involve a U.S. aircraft carrier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said North Korea\'s latest drills verified the operational reliability of the drone, which it said the North has been developing since 2012 and tested more 50 times in the past two years, although the weapon was never mentioned before in state media until Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said the drone was deployed off the North\'s eastern coast on Tuesday, traveled underwater for nearly 60 hours, and detonated a test warhead at a target standing for an enemy port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul\'s University of North Korean Studies, said that it\'s impossible to verify North Korea\'s claims about the drone\'s capabilities or that it had tested the system dozens of times. But, he said, the North is intending to communicate that the weapon has enough range to reach all South Korean ports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, questioned the wisdom of North Korea devoting resources to the drone system as a means of delivery versus its ballistic missiles when it has limited amounts of nuclear materials suitable for weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This un-crewed underwater vehicle will be vulnerable to anti-submarine warfare capabilities if it were to deploy beyond North Korea\'s coastal waters. It will also be susceptible to preemptive strikes when in port,\" said Panda.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Indeed, the U.S. and South Korea would have incentives in a crisis to preempt any such systems before they could deploy.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea is believed to have dozens of nuclear warheads and may be capable of fitting them on older weapons systems, such as Scuds or Rodong missiles. However, there are different assessments on how far it has advanced in engineering those warheads to fit on the new weapons it has developed at a rapid pace, which might require further technological upgrades and nuclear tests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking to lawmakers on Thursday, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup said the North probably hasn\'t yet mastered the technology to place nuclear arms on its most advanced weapons, although acknowledging that the country was making \"significant progress.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, North Korea also test-fired cruise missiles in launches that were detected and publicized by South Korea\'s military. It also staged another nuclear attack simulation with a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday and flight-tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last week that may be able to reach the continental United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said Wednesday\'s tests were of four cruise missiles and two different types. The missiles flew for more than two hours in patterns over the sea while demonstrating an ability to strike targets 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) away. It said the missiles\' mock nuclear warheads were detonated 600 meters (1,968 feet) above their targets, which supposedly verified the reliability of their nuclear explosion control devices and warhead detonators.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">KCNA said Kim Jong Un was satisfied with the three-day drills and directed unspecified additional tasks to counter the \"reckless military provocations\" of his rivals, indicating North Korea will further ramp up its military displays.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He \"expressed his will to make the U.S. imperialists and the (South) Korean puppet regime plunge into despair\" with powerful demonstrations of his military nuclear program to make his rivals understand \"they are bound to lose more than they get\" with the expansion of their joint drills.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim issued similar language Sunday after a test-firing of a short-range ballistic missile from what was possibly a silo dug into the ground. The North\'s media said a mock nuclear warhead placed on the missile detonated 800 meters (2,624 feet) above water, an altitude that would maximize damage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The North has fired over 20 ballistic and cruise missiles across 10 launch events this year as it tries to diversify its delivery systems and display the ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the U.S. mainland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea already is coming off a record year in testing activity, with more than 70 missiles fired in 2022, as Kim accelerated a campaign aimed at negotiating badly needed sanctions relief from a position of strength and forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power. 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, '2023-03-24 08:52:12', '2023-03-24 08:52:12'),
(5974, 5974, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">UN Secretary-General António Guterres attended a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels Thursday, seeking support for action on climate change, sustainable development and addressing the ongoing challenges linked to Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a joint press encounter with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Guterres called on EU leaders to help the world \"get back on track\" towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when progress in so many parts of the world had been reversed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We need an acceleration agenda,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres also highlighted the need for financial system reforms and urgent climate action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing \"tremendous suffering\" to the Ukrainian people, but also having a \"huge impact\" around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guterres also thanked the EU for its strong support of the UN and multilateralism overall, calling for greater cooperation in implementing his \"Our Common Agenda\" blueprint, and next year\'s Summit of the Future.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Ukraine, he stressed the need for a \"just peace\" in line with the UN Charter, international law overall, and the General Assembly\'s resolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On climate change, Guterres stressed the importance of his agenda to accelerate specific actions from all parties to implement recommendations of Monday\'s IPCC report, \"to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He welcomed the European Green Deal as a significant step in this direction and encouraged the EU to scale up its financial and technological cooperation with emerging and developing economies to close the emissions gap and deliver climate justice in the form of green jobs, strengthening adaptation, implementing the loss and damage fund, and protecting vulnerable communities everywhere.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The secretary-general expressed concerns about the \"perfect storm\" facing many developing countries from the Covid crisis, and the cost of living crisis stemming from the invasion of Ukraine and accelerating climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He underlined the importance of putting in place measures for a more equitable economic and financial system, including through banking reform, more effective debt relief, and an SDG stimulus. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 09:41:08', '2023-03-24 09:41:08');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5975, 5975, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Interpol on Friday has finally issued a red notice against Arav Khan alias Rabiul Islam, a Dubai-based gold dealer and fugitive suspect in the murder of a Bangladeshi police officer, on its website in red notice list.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this, the names of 63 Bangladeshis have so far been put in the list.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Criminal Police Organization uploaded the details on fugitive Arav Khan by issuing the red notice three days after Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun at a programme in Chattogram told media that the Interpol accepted the request letter sent by the Bangladesh police to issue a red notice against him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the red list, Arav’s picture, gender, birthplace, birthdate, age, nationality and the allegations are available.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though he went to the United Arab Emirates with an Indian passport, his nationality was mentioned in the list as a Bangladeshi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On last Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told reporters in the weekly briefing that Arav has been under watch there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will extend required assistance if the Home Ministry seeks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 16, a senior Detective Branch official said cricketer Shakib al Hasan and content creator Hero Alam who participated in the inauguration of Arav Jewellers in Dubai may be questioned for the sake of investigation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 18, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that efforts were underway to bring Arav Khan to the country through the international police agency Interpol.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the allegations of having a link between former IGP Benzir Ahmed and Arav Khan surfaced, the ex-police boss denied knowing the fugitive in a Facebook post on his verified account on May 19.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I want to inform you all that I do not know anyone by the name of \'Aarav alias Rabiul alias Hridoy\'. I do not even have a primary acquaintance with him,\" the former police chief wrote in his status.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On April 11, 2019, a chargesheet was submitted against Arav Khan and nine others in the murder case of former inspector of Special Branch of police Mamun Emran Khan. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 09:54:25', '2023-03-24 09:54:25'),
(5976, 5976, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">No fresh case or death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the 24 hours to Friday morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Sixteen dengue patients, including nine in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far, the DGHS has recorded 819 dengue cases, 794 recoveries, and nine deaths this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 09:58:47', '2023-03-24 09:58:47'),
(5977, 5977, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Brazil\'s leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lulada Silva will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week, where he hopes to reinforce trade, discuss international mediation in Ukraine, and reclaim his country\'s role in global geopolitics.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a period of isolation under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula is wasting no time in renewing ties with allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just three months into his latest term as president, he has already visited Argentina and the United States -- and the six-day trip to China, Brazil\'s largest trading partner, is key to his ambitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Lula\'s visit is a very clear signal that he wants a high level bilateral dialogue and a deepening of this relationship,\" Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a China expert at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say Chinese hopes are also high, as officials in Beijing see Brazil -- a leader in the global south -- as a linchpin in their strategic and economic plans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine will be a main topic of discussion during the visit, which officially begins Tuesday, with Lula hoping to promote his proposal for mediated talks to end Russia\'s invasion of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Xi himself will be fresh from talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, where he also presented himself as a peace-seeking mediator -- though he made no apparent breakthrough.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine\'s Western allies have heavily criticized Xi\'s approach as tacit support for Moscow\'s invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Lula sees China as an \"important ally\" of his own initiative of creating a group of countries seeking a negotiated peace deal, the government in Brasilia said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula, who has been president of Brazil twice before, is keen to position the South American giant as a go-between, like he did during his second term of office during nuclear discussions between Iran and the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, his diplomatic stock took a hit last year when he came under fire for claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was \"as responsible\" for the war as Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He has also refused to join Western nations in sending weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Clear signal\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trade will also be high on the agenda in Beijing, with Lula traveling to China alongside a large business and ministerial entourage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bolsonaro also visited China, but that relationship soured after he joined then-US president Donald Trump in blaming Beijing for the Covid-19 pandemic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That did not affect business dealings, though, with commercial exchanges last year surpassing $150 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil received a boost on Thursday when China decided to lift a month-long suspension of Brazilian beef imports after an \"isolated\" case of mad cow disease was confirmed in February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country wants to promote \"trade, concentrating on the diversification of products... but also to bring Chinese investments and advance in other guidelines,\" said Menezes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He pointed to the potential for developing technology like semiconductors and artificial intelligence, or resuming projects for a bullet train between Brazilian cities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil was also the main destination for Chinese investment in Latin America between 2007 and 2020, according to the Brazil-China Business Council, worth $70 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The money was mostly invested in oil and electricity generation, but also in the automobile industry, heavy machinery, mining, agriculture and information technology.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil is a huge market for Chinese companies, such as technology giant Huawei.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And an agreement between the two countries to use the yuan in bilateral multi-million dollar trade could help internationalize the Chinese currency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The size of Brazil and the size of the relationship also means that successful engagement with Brazil more than any other country supports China\'s global strategic economic goals,\" said Evan Ellis, China and Russia</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">expert at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Strategic partnership\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is certainly about economics and business and there is a huge business partnership, but one should not lose sight of the fact that there is also a strategic partnership\" based on Brazil\'s role as a leader in the global south, said Ellis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula made multilateral diplomacy a priority in his previous two terms as president, and visited Beijing three times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was during his watch that the BRICS group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa was created.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Beijing, Lula will also meet with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, president of the Popular Assembly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He will head to Shanghai where his domestic political ally Dilma Rousseff, who succeeded him as president in 2011, is due to take over as head of the New Development Bank, also known as the BRICS bank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On his way home, Lula will visit the United Arab Emirates for two days. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 10:26:21', '2023-03-24 10:26:21'),
(5978, 5978, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>That day was Thursday. A dark fortnight. Even though the street lamps were lit, the darkness did not end. There were some hints earlier. Many had moved to safe havens. Those who could not, were silent in the corner of the room. A dull hum enveloped the entire Dhaka city in a deep darkness. Through that darkness the assassins came out from the cantonment and spread all over the city. Take the position according to the chart. Artillery, Armored, Infantry—three battalions drawn from the three armies.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US M-24 tanks rolled into the DU campus, cannons raised, leaving teeth marks on the ground with thirty lorries of murderers. The base was built in front of the British Council Library. Around 11 pm, the armored cars started moving. To instill terror, the soldiers started firing indiscriminately. The sound of mortars and machine guns spread panic in the entire area. The flames that started flying all around did not only destroy, but also created a ghostly atmosphere by tearing people\'s breath into pieces and giving birth to a terrible horror.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Armed with modern weapons, the Pakistani soldiers wasted no time and stormed into Iqbal Hall (Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall). Surrounding the entire area like an octopus. The massacre began. During the days of the March non-cooperation movement, the activities of the Swadhin Bangladesh Chhatra Sangam Parishad were conducted from this hall. That is why this hall was the top target of the Pakistanis. They were constantly firing bullets, cannons, grenades, tearing open the chest of darkness. Everything was bruised and bloody. All around was death and people\'s cries. It was a horrible situation. Journalist of \'The Telegraph\', Simon Dring entered Iqbal Hall two days after the incident. He himself counted thirty bodies there. According to him, two hundred innocent students were killed that day in Iqbal Hall alone with mortar shells and machine gun fire. Two days after the attack, innumerable bodies can be seen lying in the burned rooms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At midnight, the invaders entered the Jagannath Hall through the north and south gates and started indiscriminate killings. Rifles and submachine guns started firing along with the mortar attack. They searched every room and started shooting students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his book \'Dhaka Bissobiddaloy Gonohotta: 1971 Jagannath Hall\', Professor Ratanlal Chakraborty said, 4 teachers, 36 students and 21 staff and guests were massacred there that night. Six students were forced to dig graves by Pakistani hyenas. Those six students were burying their long-time traveling companions through nightmares. Still they could not survive. They were also shot and killed by a group of hyenas. When consciousness is drowning in the dark, when man is no longer man, only such cruelty, such brutality is possible; The evidence of which was left by the hyena group at Jagannath Hall. After playing blood holi at Iqbal Hall and Jagannath Hall, the hyena gang attacked Salimullah Hall. Eleven students were found from different rooms, lined up and shot. The green grass was colored with blood. The red-green flag was made of blood stains.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistani armed forces entered Rokeya Hall that night. Such a great humiliation of Islam happened at the hands of the flag bearers of the establishment of the Islamic state. The girls in the hall were hugging each other in fear and chanting. Even the leaves of the trees wept with their painful screams that night. According to Archer K. Budd\'s book \'The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh\', Rokeya Hall was set on fire that night and the female students were fired upon with machine guns as they ran out of the hall. After that, many girls were killed by bayonets. Some chose to commit suicide by jumping from the roof to save their dignity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the 8th volume of the book \'Swadhinata Juddho: Dalil Patra\', edited by Hasan Hafizur Rahman, The author wrote, Saheb Ali was then the Sweeper Inspector of Dhaka Municipality. According to him, on March 30, 1971, a major of the Pakistani army from the Rokeya Hall of Dhaka University informed the municipality on the telephone that they could not sit there because of the rotting smell of human corpses around the Rokeya Hall. After that, Sahib Ali entered Rokeya Hall with six domes and searched all the rooms of the hall but did not find any corpse. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Ali, I went to the roof of the fourth floor and saw the naked body of a beautiful 18-year-old girl. I asked a Pakistani soldier who was in charge of me, why is there no bullet injury in the body of this girl, but why is she lying dead? He burst into laughter and said, we, all the Pakistani army, raped her to death! I saw the naked body of the rotten beauty! Full-grown eyes are swollen, hair is torn, private parts are swollen up from the abdomen, genitals are bloody. I saw animal like bite marks on both his cheeks, human teeth bite marks on his chest. I covered the body with a sheet and brought it down. Entering the servant quarters of Rokeya Hall, we found five dead bodies of the wives and relatives of five gardeners and eight male bodies (gardeners). Looking at the body, it seemed that everyone was sleeping before death. I took a truck and picked up the dead bodies of a Hindu professor, his wife and two sons from the third floor of Shibbari at Dhaka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report that the US Consul General sent to the US State Department during the Liberation War was published in 2002 citing the \'US Secret Documents\'. It was mentioned that - a businessman said that the naked bodies of six girls were hung from the ceiling fans in Rokeya Hall of Dhaka University. Apparently, the girls were shot dead after being raped and then hanged from fans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is known from \'The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh\' by the Council General Archer K Blood of Dhaka, that the Rokeya Hall was set on fire. When the female students started coming out of the hall to escape the fire, the Pakistani forces opened fire on them indiscriminately. According to Army Unit 88\'s conversation with the Pakistan Army\'s control room, approximately 300 female students were killed at that time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the university teachers were equivalent to weapons of mass destruction to Pakistanis. Under their supervision, the student society has increased the momentum of the movement. A group of Pakistani armed forces plan to wipe them out. The list is already prepared. The plan was implemented that night. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Pakistani army killed 9 teachers. In the early hours of the night, Pakistani forces killed Professor Fazlur Rahman and his two relatives. Then Muhammad Muqtadir, a professor of Geology, was shot dead. Then Maths Professor AR Khan Khadeem and Professor Sharafat Ali were killed. During the attack on Jagannath Hall, the former principal of the hall Govindachandra Dev was killed by the invaders. A Muslim girl was his adopted daughter. The name is Rokeya. He married his daughter off to a banker named Mohammad Ali. That girl\'s husband and she were taken for a walk in the dark field and killed by the invaders. The blood of the son-in-law and father-in-law, bound not by blood relation, but only by the Hindu-Muslim harmony of modern times, mingled on the same plane on the grounds of Jagannath Hall.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Soldiers hit the door of Professor Jyotirmoy Guthakurta with boots. The proud professor opened the door without the least bit of fear. The ghouls shot him in front of his wife Basanti Devi and daughter Dola. Also, Anudvaipayan Bhattacharya, assistant resident teacher of the hall, was brutally killed in Jagannath Hall. At around 3:00 pm, Professor of Statistics Moniruzzaman, along with his fourteen-year-old nephew Manju, sixteen-year-old son Akramuzzaman and brother Shamsuzzaman were killed by entering the university staff quarters adjacent to Jagannath Hall. He was reciting the Quran Sharif while sitting in prayer. Jainamaz was trampled under boots, dragged outside and shot. A group of mindless butchers who claim the excellence of Islam, debased Zaynamaz and the Holy Quran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not only the students and teachers of Dhaka University, but also the officers and employees and their families were killed in the entire campus. EPR guards guarding the British Council were killed before the attack on Iqbal Hall. Then the employees of Iqbal Hall were taken and killed in the teachers\' lounge of the university. A few officers and employees were killed in Rokeya hall premises. The invading forces attacked Gurudwara Nanak Shahi adjacent to Arts Building, Ramana Kali Mandir and Ramana Shiva Mandir adjacent to Shaheed Minar and killed many innocent people that night. Madhusudan Dey, owner of Madhur Canteen, lived in a house adjacent to Jagannath Hall. He was also killed. Not only inside the campus, but also the area around the campus was burnt by the pakistani military forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the account given by M A Rahim in his book \'The History of the University of Dhaka\', it can be seen that more than three hundred people were martyred in the university area that night. Pakistan Army wireless communications also shared information about the killing of over three hundred people at the university. When the sun of the new day was about to rise in the sky after smearing the blood of the martyrs of that terrible night, Tikka Khan\'s public relations officer Major Siddique Salik went out to survey the Dhaka University area. In his book \'Witness to Surrender\' he mentions, \'I was surveying mass graves in Dhaka University area. There I saw three mounds, each three to fifteen meters in diameter. They were to fill with new soil. That\'s why Tikka Khan asked to clean the glasses after giving a river of blood, there are no human beings anywhere.\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Almost every hall of Dhaka University, residential areas, academic buildings and graves of martyrs, memorials in various open places continue to bear the signature of the 25th March Genocide even today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Nirodh Kumar Barman', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 10:59:21', '2023-03-24 11:48:14'),
(5979, 5979, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh reported three more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Friday morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new numbers, the country\'s total caseload rose to 20, 37,989 according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The daily case test positivity rate increased to 0.23 percent from Thursday’s 0.21 percent against the tests of 1,329 samples.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During this time, twenty-five patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2006771.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.44 percent and 98.47 percent, respectively. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 11:55:02', '2023-03-24 11:55:02'),
(5980, 5980, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>UN Secretary-General António Guterres attended a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels Thursday, seeking support for action on climate change, sustainable development and addressing the ongoing challenges linked to Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In a joint press encounter with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Guterres called on EU leaders to help the world \"get back on track\" towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when progress in so many parts of the world had been reversed.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We need an acceleration agenda,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres also highlighted the need for financial system reforms and urgent climate action.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing \"tremendous suffering\" to the Ukrainian people, but also having a \"huge impact\" around the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres also thanked the EU for its strong support of the UN and multilateralism overall, calling for greater cooperation in implementing his \"Our Common Agenda\" blueprint, and next year\'s Summit of the Future.</div><div><br></div><div>On Ukraine, he stressed the need for a \"just peace\" in line with the UN Charter, international law overall, and the General Assembly\'s resolution.</div><div><br></div><div>On climate change, Guterres stressed the importance of his agenda to accelerate specific actions from all parties to implement recommendations of Monday\'s IPCC report, \"to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He welcomed the European Green Deal as a significant step in this direction and encouraged the EU to scale up its financial and technological cooperation with emerging and developing economies to close the emissions gap and deliver climate justice in the form of green jobs, strengthening adaptation, implementing the loss and damage fund, and protecting vulnerable communities everywhere.</div><div><br></div><div>The secretary-general expressed concerns about the \"perfect storm\" facing many developing countries from the Covid crisis, and the cost of living crisis stemming from the invasion of Ukraine and accelerating climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>He underlined the importance of putting in place measures for a more equitable economic and financial system, including through banking reform, more effective debt relief, and an SDG stimulus. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 12:05:48', '2023-03-24 12:05:48'),
(5981, 5981, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Key Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has lost his parliamentary seat after a court found him of guilty of defamation over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s surname and he was disqualified from the lawmaking body, a parliamentary statement said on Friday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Gandhi, who represented a constituency in southern Kerala state as a member of the Congress party, was disqualified from his membership in the lower house of Parliament from March 23, the date of his conviction, the statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indian parliamentary rules say that a member loses his or her seat if convicted of a crime and sentenced to two or more years in prison.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A court in the western city of Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in prison on Thursday in the defamation case. But he won’t go to jail immediately because the court granted him bail for 30 days to file an appeal against the verdict. If an appeals court sets aside Gandhi’s conviction, he can get his seat back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gandhi briefly visited the Parliament on Friday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The case against Gandhi dates back to an election rally in 2019 when he said: “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?” In the speech, he went on to name fugitive Indian diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, banned Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Narendra Modi is not related to either of the other two.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The defamation case was filed by a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in western Gujarat state. The complainant, Purnesh Modi, said Gandhi’s comments had “defamed the entire Modi community.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modi is a common last name in western Gujarat state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress party, said Gandhi would appeal the verdict in a higher court and called Modi’s government “cowardly and dictatorial.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the verdict, Gandhi wrote on Twitter: “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, and non-violence the means to get it.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gandhi is one of India\'s main opposition leaders and he will most likely go up against Modi when the prime minister seeks a third term in 2024. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 13:50:09', '2023-03-24 13:50:09'),
(5982, 5982, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all, including global people, to build a society based on equality and free from all kinds of discrimination and sectarianism.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"We follow Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman\'s peace policy in running the country,\" she said in a message on the eve of the Genocide Day-2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said, \"We do not want war and conflict; killing men, women, and children dipped us in demise. We believe in peace. If sustainable peace prevails, the overall development of the country accelerates.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Awami League formed the government after being elected by popular mandate in 1996 after a long 21-year struggle, adding, \"On October 5, 1998, we accessed the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In 1997, we proposed a resolution on the Culture of Peace at the UN General Assembly, which was adopted in 1999. Accordingly, United Nations declared 2000 as the \'International Year for the Culture of Peace\' and 2001-2010 as the \'International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence.\' We have been working tirelessly for more than fourteen years since 2008 to transform the fate of the people with their unwavering support in all elections.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the meantime, Sheikh Hasina said, they tried the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war criminals by establishing the International Crimes Tribunal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We ensured the people\'s right to vote through the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which also barred the illegal seizure of power. A book titled \'The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide\' was published in 2013, where the brutality of genocide carried out by Pakistanis in Bangladesh was described as reported by Mr. Archer K. Blood, the then American Consul General in Dhaka to the State Department. We have recognized March 25 as \'Genocide Day. We have sheltered more than 1.1 million displaced Rohingya people who escaped with their lives from genocide in neighboring Myanmar,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said, \"We are working on the principle of \'Zero Tolerance\' to eradicate militancy and terrorism. We have already made Bangladesh a developing country Bangladesh in 2041 will be \'Smart Bangladesh.\' We are formulating and implementing the \'Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100\': Future generations will be able to implement this plan with the amendment of their need.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Bengali nation, was released from solitary confinement in Pakistan, returned to his beloved independent motherland on January 10, 1972, and devoted himself to rebuilding the war-torn country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the help of the allies, though there was an empty treasury, he rehabilitated the displaced people, restored and developed the infrastructure, and put the production sector and the economy on a solid foundation, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In just three and a half years, the UN recognized the country as a Least Developed Country. But our misfortune is that the defeated anti-independence clique of \'71 continues to conspire against him,\" Sheikh Hasina added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On another mourning night on August 15, 1975, the incumbent President, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was martyred by brutal bullets along with his family members, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said the murderous Mostaq-Zia and their successors illegally seized power and established a dictatorship in the country and the BNP tarnished the proud history of the Bengali nation by placing the perpetrators of the infernal massacre on March 25, criminals against humanity and war criminals, and murderers of the Father of the Nation, in the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"On this day (March 24) in 1971, the invading forces of Pakistan carried out the most barbaric crackdown in Bangladesh. I remember with a heavy heart all martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the night of March 25. 1971, whose fresh blood inspired the brave Bengalis to be spirited to take up arms and fight for independence,\" the Prime Minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, spent his whole life for liberating the Bengali nation shackled for thousands of years, she said, adding that he was first arrested and imprisoned on 11 March 1948 while protesting to protect the dignity of the Bengali language.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting Bangabandhu\'s struggling life, she added that since then, he led all the movements, including the language movement of \'52, the twenty-one point of \'54, the anti-Ayub movement of \'62, the six points of \'66, the mass upsurge of \'69 with great foresight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After the mass uprising of 1969, on December 5, on the death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, he declared, \"From now on, the name of this eastern country of Pakistan will be Bangladesh only, instead of East Pakistan,\" she continued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He left the Minister\'s portfolio and organized and strengthened the party, and prepared the whole nation for independence through struggle, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier went on saying that the Awami League (AL), led by the Father of the Nation, won a single majority in the National Assembly in the \'70 elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the Pak-military junta started delaying the transfer of power, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By procrastinating in the name of the meeting, they launched a secret conspiracy to kill the unarmed Bengalis, she said, adding that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib called for a non-cooperation movement from March 2. In his historic speech on March 7, he gave a clear outline of the goal of overcoming the long 23-year rule and exploitation and called for compliance with the 35-point directive from March 15, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib\'s instructions were followed verbatim throughout East Bengal, she continued. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 14:20:52', '2023-03-24 14:20:52'),
(5983, 5983, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has no freedom of expression in BNP\'s internal politics.</b><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"We understand the pain of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. In fact, he has no freedom of expression in the BNP\'s internal politics. Without any question, Fakhrul and others (BNP leaders) are compelled to accept the messages coming from faraway London,\" he said in a statement.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the BNP has been running as per the prescription of an convicted fugitive, while undemocratic and unconstitutional committees of BNP are formed and dissolved, and BNP trades over its committees and nominations.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Seeing his hapless face repeatedly in the mirror, he said, Fakhrul makes the people\'s freedom of expression captive in the same frame and that is why he is involved in delivering poisonous statements against the government.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The AL general secretary said Fakhrul talked about the freedom of speech and expression, and such statement is nothing but the devil listening to the scriptures.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said BNP never believes in the people\'s freedom of speech and expression as BNP was born by capturing the state power keeping commoners at gun point.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Awami League continues struggle and movement to establish the people\'s freedom of speech and expression and their freedoms have been sustained under the skilled leadership of successful statesman Sheikh Hasina, Quader said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said the closed door of freedom of expression was made open by reconstructing Digital Bangladesh.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The government has expanded the freedom of expression by giving registration to over 50 private television channels, FM radios and community radios and more than 100 newspapers, the AL general secretary said.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">At the same time, he said, the door of the freedom of expression was opened through different social media platforms because of Digital Bangladesh.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Quader said through the misuse of the freedom of expression, Fakhrul and other BNP leaders are making constant falsehood shamelessly against the government.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Apart from enjoying freedom of expression, BNP leaders do not hesitate to conduct propaganda against the government, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The AL general secretary said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is running the incumbent government holding the hopes and expectations of commoners.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Observing that there was no freedom of expression and minimum rights of the people during the BNP era, he said innocent people demanding electricity and farmers seeking fertilizers were shot to death during the reign of BNP.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Misusing the state mechanism, BNP carried out grenade attacks on August 21 in 2004 aiming to destroy the Awami League, Quader said. BSS</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'Newsdesk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-24 14:29:21', '2023-03-24 14:29:21'),
(5984, 5984, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged all international community including the United Nations to recognise March 25 as the International Genocide Day.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Internationally we want that, March 25 will get recognition as the International Genocide Day,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said this while delivering her introductory speech in the Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) meeting at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>On the night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings and arson in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart Awami League assuming office following its victory in the 1970 election.</div><div><br></div><div>The night also witnessed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s proclamation of independence before he was arrested by the Pakistani troops and subsequently taken to West Pakistan.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh had started its journey with this “wound (genocide).”</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that Pakistani occupational forces had committed genocide over unarmed Bengalis.</div><div><br></div><div>“They unleashed attacks on the people of Bangladesh in a horrific way and killed people for long nine months,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>In this connection, the Awami League chief said that some 30 lakh people embraced martyrdom, three crore people were forcibly became homeless.</div><div><br></div><div>“They torched homes and one crore people took shelter in India as refugee,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that there were dead bodies on the roads, bodies were eaten by jackals and dogs, and the people of the country saw that.</div><div><br></div><div>“There was inhumane oppression on women, they were taken to the army camps,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that Father of the nation had built a country ravaged by the war.</div><div><br></div><div>“We also got the recognition as the least developed country during his three years and seven months tenure. It was unfortunate that the father of the nation was killed brutally.”</div><div><br></div><div>She said that blood of the martyrs would never go in vain.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our Independence that we got in exchange of millions of martyrs, we have attained the status of developing country, we want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country. It is our pledge to millions of martyrs and to our father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she vowed.</div><div><br></div><div>In the attack on March 25, 1971 dubbed \'Operation Searchlight\', the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people.</div><div><br></div><div>They killed people indiscriminately, set houses on fire and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction.</div><div><br></div><div>The day is being observed as Genocide Day officially for the seventh time in the country since the parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017. Soruce: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 09:04:43', '2023-03-25 09:04:43'),
(5985, 5985, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the Election Commission\'s (EC’s) letter inviting BNP to talks is nothing but the latest strategy of the government to hold another election depriving people of their voting rights.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Could anyone cast vote in the past? They (govt) are going to start that deed again. There’s a lot of pressure this time as the foreigners are saying that the voting like before won’t be accepted this time…that\'s why they’re devising new tactics. The Election Commission sent us a letter as part of the latest strategy,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by BNP at Mohanagar Natya Mancha, marking the Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>He said their party’s standing committee will hold a meeting on Monday and take a decision on the EC’s letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal sent a demi-official letter to the BNP secretary general for taking part in a views-exchange meeting on the next national election.</div><div><br></div><div>The Current EC, led by Awal, held two rounds of talks with the political parties since its formation last year. However, BNP and some other political parties did not participate in the talks.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul questioned the justification of the EC’s talks with the political parties when it has no power to control the administration for ensuring a credible election.</div><div><br></div><div>“Why are you (EC) becoming restless by sending such letters? You live like decent persons and receive salaries,” he said pointing at the CEC and the election commissioners.</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that the previous Commission had spent cores of taka on only training purposes, the BNP leader suggested the current EC looking for such a scope to make money instead of thinking about the national election. “Don\'t belittle yourself by unnecessarily saying all these things about the national election.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said the election will not be held in a fair and neutral manner if Awami League remains in power during the voting, According to UNB reports.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s already been proved not only in the national elections but also in local government polls. So come to the real point without doing this exercise (holding talks) unnecessarily. The real point is that the caretaker government must remain in place during the election period.”</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader also said the country’s people will not accept the election if it is not held under a non-party caretaker government.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 12:55:27', '2023-03-25 12:55:27');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(5986, 5986, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 30 shops and 15 dwelling houses were gutted in a fire at Thanchi Bazar in Bandarban district on Saturday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The fire broke out at 8 am at a shop and engulfed the adjoining shops and houses, said Thoaiha Mong Marma, chairman of Thanchi upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze after one and half an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>The fire service sources said the fire might have originated from an oven.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 22, 47 shops were gutted in a fire at Bolibazar area in Bandarban’s Thanchi upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>No causalities were reported. ‍Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 14:45:49', '2023-03-25 14:45:49'),
(5987, 5987, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">An asteroid large enough to destroy a city will pass between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon this weekend - luckily for us, missing both.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The object, named 2023 DZ2, was discovered a month ago.</div><div><br></div><div>At 19:49 GMT on Saturday, it will pass within 175,000km of the Earth after flying past the Moon.</div><div><br></div><div>It is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet.</div><div><br></div><div>Astronomers have described it as a once-in-a decade event.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Nasa, it\'s an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There is no chance of this \'city killer\' striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,\" said the European Space Agency\'s planetary defence chief, Richard Moissl.</div><div><br></div><div>Mr Moissl said preliminary data suggested 2023 DZ2 was \"a scientifically interesting object\".</div><div><br></div><div>But he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid\'s composition.</div><div><br></div><div>With such a close pass of the Earth, the asteroid could be visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe.</div><div><br></div><div>A live web broadcast of its approach will be provided by The Virtual Telescope Project.</div><div><br></div><div>The object looks set to return towards Earth\'s orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet on that occasion, too.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this month, a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine\'s Day 2046.</div><div><br></div><div>Moissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million km.</div><div><br></div><div>Even if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year, NASA\'s Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos.</div><div><br></div><div>Before Dart\'s impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos. - BBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 14:59:31', '2023-03-25 14:59:31'),
(5988, 5988, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The death toll from retaliatory US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria following a deadly drone attack has risen to 19, a war monitor said Saturday, as Washington insisted it is not seeking conflict with Tehran.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Further rocket attacks by Iran-backed militias took place late Friday, prompting more strikes by coalition warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Washington carried out the initial strikes after the Pentagon said a US contractor died -- and another contractor and five military personnel were wounded -- by a drone \"of Iranian origin\" that struck a US-led coalition base near Hasakeh in northeastern Syria on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that, at President Joe Biden\'s direction, he had ordered the \"precision air strikes... in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran\'s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\".</div><div><br></div><div>On Saturday, the Britain-based Observatory, which has a wide network of sources on the ground, said 19 people were killed in the first wave of US strikes: three Syrian regime soldiers and 16 members of Iran-backed forces, including 11 Syrian nationals.</div><div><br></div><div>Following the strikes, Biden sought to lower the temperature saying the United States \"does not seek conflict with Iran, but is prepared to act forcefully to protect our people\".</div><div><br></div><div>- More rocket attacks -</div><div>Hours after the strikes, 10 rockets were fired at American and coalition forces at the Green Village base in northeast Syria, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.</div><div><br></div><div>There were no injuries or damage to facilities at the base, but one rocket struck a home around five kilometres (three miles) away, causing minor wounds to two women and two children, CENTCOM added.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran-backed militias later Friday targeted a base in the Conoco gas field, prompting retaliatory strikes from coalition warplanes on targets in Deir Ezzor city, the Observatory said.</div><div><br></div><div>The war monitor said rocket fire then targeted coalition facilities at the Al-Omar oil field base and in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, \"causing material damage\".</div><div><br></div><div>A \"cautious calm\" returned to the Deir Ezzor area in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Observatory said.</div><div><br></div><div>Militias affiliated with Iran\'s Revolutionary Guards have a heavy presence across Syria, especially around the border with Iraq, and south of the Euphrates in Deir Ezzor province, where the latest US strikes took place.</div><div><br></div><div>The United States has about 900 troops in posts across northeastern Syria to keep pressure on the remnants of the Islamic State group and support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which control most of the northeast.</div><div><br></div><div>The Pentagon said two F-15 fighters launched the retaliatory attack -- which spokesman Pat Ryder said was to protect US personnel.</div><div><br></div><div>The strikes \"were intended to send a very clear message that we will take the protection of our personnel seriously and that we will respond quickly and decisively if they are threatened,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>They were \"proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation to minimise casualties,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Always respond\' -</div><div>US personnel in Syria have frequently been targeted in attacks by militia groups the United States says are backed by Tehran.</div><div><br></div><div>Two of the US service members wounded on Thursday were treated on site, while the three other troops and one US contractor were evacuated to Iraq, the Pentagon said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We will always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,\" said CENTCOM chief General Michael Kurilla.</div><div><br></div><div>In January, the US military said three one-way attack drones were launched against the Al-Tanf garrison in Syria, with one breaching its air defences and wounding two allied Syrian fighters.</div><div><br></div><div>Last August, Biden ordered similar retaliatory strikes in Deir Ezzor province after several drones targeted a coalition outpost, without causing any casualties, reports AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We know that these groups are sponsored by Iran,\" Ryder said. \"So Iran certainly plays a role in terms of ensuring that this type of activity doesn\'t happen.\"</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 15:17:22', '2023-03-25 15:17:22'),
(5989, 5989, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said BNP is a dalal (broker) party of Pakistan and that is why it should be resisted.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>He made the remark while speaking at a rally in front of AL\'s Bangabandhu Avenue central office here this afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka south and north units of Awami League arranged the joint rally, marking the Genocide Day on March 25.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is the spokesperson of evil communal forces and militancy.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul claimed that Pakistan era was better than Bangladesh, which means that he holds the spirit of Pakistan, the AL general secretary said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said Pakistan did not express sorry or seek apology yet for the genocide it carried out during the Bangladesh\'s 1971 Liberation War.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader said BNP is a datal party of Pakistan as it believes in the spirit of Pakistan. \"They (BNP) must be resisted and defeated. Those who say Pakistan era was good are actually the servants and brokers of Pakistan,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Why did not BNP hold any programme on the National Genocide Day (March 25)? Why BNP does not observe the March 25?\" he questioned, saying that BNP does not hold the spirit of March 25 and 26 and it sits quietly on the Genocide Day.</div><div><br></div><div>Chaired by Dhaka South City AL president Abu Ahmed Mannafi, the rally was addressed, among others, by AL presidium members Tofazzal Hossain Chowhury Maya and Advocate Quamrul Islam, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries Mirza Azam and Advocate Afzal Hossain, Dhaka North City AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, its general secretary SM Mannan Kochi and Dhaka South City AL general secretary Humayun Kabir. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 15:41:57', '2023-03-25 15:41:57'),
(5990, 5990, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh started their two-match FIFA Tier-1 International Football Series against Seychelles with a 1-0 win at the Sylhet District Stadium Saturday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Finland-born Bangladeshi defender Tariq Raihan Kazi scored the winner, his first goal for the national side, in the 43rd minute (1-0).</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the only match between Bangladesh and Seychelles ended in a draw in the four-nation football tournament in Colombo in 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>The current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 192 and Seychelles ranks 199.</div><div><br></div><div>This was the second win for Bangladesh in their last nine international matches, after their 1-0 win against Cambodia, under the Spanish coach Javier Fernández Cabrera.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, the dream of Nigeria-born Eleta Kingsley, who has earned Bangladesh citizenship, was fulfilled today. He entered the field in the second half, for the first time wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Eketa, who scored seven goals in the Premier League for Dhaka Abahani, came close to scoring twice.</div><div><br></div><div>The second and last match of the series will be held on March 28 at the same venue.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Television will telecast both matches live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary.</div><div>Seychelles arrived in Dhaka Wednesday at 5pm. They reached Sylhet on the same day.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh</div><div><br></div><div>Anisur Rahman Zico, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman, Sohel Rana, M Sohel Rana (Masuk Miah Zony), Remon Hossain, Jamal Bhuyan (Matin Miah), Majubur Rahman Jonny (Rabiul), Rakib Hossain ( Sumon Reza, Saaduddin and Aminur Rahman Sajib (Eketa Kingsley) ‍Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 15:51:30', '2023-03-25 15:51:30'),
(5991, 5991, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Farm loans disbursement is on course to meet the target as banks have disbursed 68.15 percent of the target in eight months (July-Feb) of the current fiscal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank\'s latest loan update shows that around Tk 21,660 crores were disbursed in the agriculture sector against the target set for the fiscal of Tk30911 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>The update revealed that 12 banks had achieved 100 percent of the target set for the disbursement of agricultural loans in the first eight months of FY2022-23.</div><div><br></div><div>However, 14 banks are lagging behind. Even after 8 months, these banks could not distribute even 50 percent of the targeted farm loans.</div><div><br></div><div>Banks that have disbursed more than 100 percent of the target include Bank Al-Falah, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Habib Bank, State Bank of India, Bank Asia, Dhaka Bank, One Bank, Simanta Bank, Uttara Bank, Citibank NA, HSBC, and Uri Bank.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the report, state-owned banks have distributed Tk8,623 crore while foreign and private sector banks have disbursed Tk 12,434 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the BB, till February 2023, the disbursement of total agricultural loans stood Tk 51,236 crores. Of this, Tk20,986 crores have been paid back,so the loan recovery rate is about 41 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>Default stood at Tk 3932 crores, which is 7.68 percent of loans.</div><div><br></div><div>As per government policy, agricultural production has been emphasized considering food security.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB is also working towards that goal. Banks have been given strict instructions to increase agricultural credit disbursement and it is being constantly monitored. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 16:02:11', '2023-03-25 16:02:11'),
(5992, 5992, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The nation is set to celebrate the 53rd Independence and National Day tomorrow vowing afresh to take the country towards prosperity with the Liberation War spirit.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh\'s independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the midnight of March 25 by the Pakistani occupation forces.</div><div><br></div><div>After the nine-month War of Liberation with the supreme sacrifices of three million martyrs and the honour of two lakh women, Bangladesh achieved its cherished independence on December 16, 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages extending heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to Bangladesh citizens at home and abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>President Abdul Hamid in his message said: \"Bangabandhu always dreamt to build a happy-prosperous country along with political independence. The incumbent government is working relentlessly to realize his dream. As a result, Bangladesh is moving forward with high speed. Bangladesh is making remarkable progress in various sectors including education, health, human resource development, women\'s empowerment, reduction of infant and maternal mortality rate, elimination of poverty, increase in average life expectancy and social development. Per capita income has increased along with the reduction of poverty. Construction work of Karnaphuli Tunnel, Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Port and Rooppur nuclear power plant are also progressing smoothly. Bangladesh has already been promoted from a least developed country to a developing one. If this sustainable development progress continues, by the year of 2041, Bangladesh will become a developed-wealthy-smart country; it is my expectation on Independence Day.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message said: \"By implementing our \'Vision-2021\', we have made Bangladesh into a developing country. We created a digital Bangladesh. Cent percent of people are brought under the power of electricity. We built the Padma Bridge with our own funds and inaugurated the Metrorail.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, we have established the rule of law in the country by bringing to justice the murderers of the father of the nation and the war criminals.&nbsp; &nbsp;Let us transform Bangladesh into a hunger-poverty-free developed-prosperous Bangladesh as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. This should be our firm commitment on Independence Day.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The public holiday will begin with a gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony at Savar\'s National Memorial in honor of the Liberation War martyrs.</div><div><br></div><div>At sunrise, the national flag will be flown over all government, semi-government, private, and autonomous buildings, and all significant buildings and establishments will be illuminated.</div><div><br></div><div>National dailies will bring out special supplements, while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private radio stations, and television channels will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shishu Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, and other social and cultural organizations will host seminars, cultural programs, painting and sports competitions for children, as well as film and documentary screenings about the liberation war.</div><div><br></div><div>The families of martyrs and freedom fighters will be honored at the metropolitan, district, and upazila levels. The Bangladesh Post Office Department will unveil a special commemorative stamp to mark the day.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, different religious institutions will hold special prayers and doa mehfil praying for the country\'s peace, development and prosperity.</div><div><br></div><div>Special-quality food will be distributed at institutions like hospitals, jails, children\'s homes, old-age homes, and daycare centers.</div><div><br></div><div>Children’s parks and museums will remain open to all throughout the day. Also, vessels of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard will remain open from 2 p.m. until the evening for people to visit at Chattogram Khulna, Mongla, Payra Port, and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) terminals in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Barishal,programs and Chandpur.</div><div><br></div><div>Similar programmes at district and upazila levels and Bangladesh embassies in different countries will be arranged to highlight the significance of Independence Day. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 16:06:50', '2023-03-25 16:06:50'),
(5993, 5993, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Spain’s first major wildfire of the year scorched more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of forest and forced 1,500 villagers to leave their homes in the Valencia region.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Residents recounted fleeing their houses and leaving animals behind.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bad, how am I supposed to feel? Your town is burning, your life is burning, Our animals were there and no one can tell us anything,” Antonio Zarzoso, 24, who had to leave the village of Puebla de Arenoso, told Reuters.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 500 firefighters supported by 20 planes and helicopters were working to bring the blaze under control near the village of Villanueva de Viver, emergency services said on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>However, they had managed to stop the fire spreading to other areas.</div><div><br></div><div>“The surrounding forest has been reached by fire and we don’t know how exactly the area looks,” Montse Boronat, from Los Calpes, told Reuters.</div><div><br></div><div>Ximo Puig, president of the Valencia region, told reporters the blaze was made more “voracious” by summer-like temperatures of about 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).</div><div><br></div><div>Las Provincias, a regional newspaper, reported police believe that the blaze may have been started by a spark from a machine used to gather brushwood.</div><div><br></div><div>A Spanish Civil Guard spokeswoman said that an investigation was underway into the cause of the fire.</div><div><br></div><div>An unusually dry winter across parts of southern Europe has raised concern that there could be a repeat of last year’s devastating wildfires.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather will be drier and hotter than usual this spring along Spain’s northeastern Mediterranean coast, increasing the risk of fires, meteorological agency AEMET said last week.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year some 785,000 hectares were destroyed in Europe more than double the annual average for the past 16 years, according to European Commission (EC) statistics.</div><div><br></div><div>In Spain, 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land, according to the Commission’s European Forest Fire Information System. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 16:13:43', '2023-03-25 16:13:43'),
(5994, 5994, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy Saturday urged the international community to recognise the brutal act of Pakistan Army in 1971 as genocide.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In 1971, the Pakistan Army massacred the people of then East Pakistan just because they wanted to have a better life, he wrote in a Facebook post.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Bengalis wanted to be heard, to be recognised as equal to the West Pakistani rulers. Instead, they were killed mercilessly in their sleep,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 25, Yahya Khan\'s underling Tikka Khan mobilised death squads to initiate Operation Searchlight, Joy wrote.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"They killed 7,000 Bengalis in a single night. From that day till the end of the Liberation War in 1971, Pakistani soldiers raped more than 200,000 women and killed more than 3 million people,\" reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This massive genocide displaced 30-40 million Bengalis. More than 10 million people took refuge in India,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-25 16:21:29', '2023-03-25 16:21:29'),
(5995, 5995, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In his first public appearance since speculating a week ago that he would soon be arrested, Donald Trump lashed out against the multiple criminal inquiries that have bedevilled him since he left office in January 2021.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At an airfield rally in Waco, Texas, in front of thousands of supporters, the former president called the New York City investigation into hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels an expletive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The district attorney of New York under the auspices and direction of the \'department of injustice\' in Washington, DC, is investigating me for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanour, not an affair,\" he said, before belittling Ms Daniels\' personal appearance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every piece of his personal, financial and business life, he said, has been \"turned upside down and dissected\" - but professed that he was \"the most innocent man in the history of our country\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the past week, Mr Trump has been posting increasingly menacing statements about \"death and destruction\" if he were to be indicted on his social media website, but he avoided any such dire warnings during his speech. And earlier on a sunny afternoon in Waco, Texas, the gathering felt more like the carnival-atmosphere campaign rallies of Mr Trump\'s 2016 presidential bid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of the former president\'s supporters wandered through Trump merchandise tents, where they bought t-shirts emblazoned with \"God, guns and Trump\" and \"Trump won\". Then they packed onto the asphalt tarmac of the local airport hours before Mr Trump\'s private jet was scheduled to land.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They waited in the heat as songs by Abba, Frank Sinatra and Bon Jovi blared on the loudspeakers and cheered as a litany of familiar Trump supporters took turns warming-up the crowd.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rock star Ted Nugent played what was billed as a \"fire-breathing\" rendition of the US national anthem on his electric guitar, interrupted by an obscenity-laced diatribe that included attacks on the \"jack-booted thugs\" in the federal government who he said have been wrongfully imprisoning Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also had their moment on the stage, lobbing pointed attacks on New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will decide in the days ahead whether to indict Mr Trump.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This attack is an egregious weaponisation of our justice system designed to influence the 2024 presidential race,\" Greene said. \"This is nothing but a witch hunt against President Trump, and he is completely innocent.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was an incident that helped fuel an anti-government movement in the US, as terms like Nugent\'s \"jack-booted thugs\" were frequently used to describe federal law officers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that such connections were an expletive and \"fake news\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I picked Waco,\" he said. \"The president called me several weeks ago and said: \'I\'m coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president\'s plane arrived early evening in the kind of dramatic airfield landing he made a signature of his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The new \"Trump Force One\" circled the airfield as the song Danger Zone, made popular by the film Top Gun, blared on the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, a speed-artist painted a scowling portrait of the former president on the stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The work turned out to be an accurately foreshadowing of the mood the embattled former president brought to his appearance. While he would eventually tout his record and make promises about a bright future for America if he is elected, it was clear that his legal troubles - and possible impending arrest - were foremost in his mind. 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, '2023-03-26 02:50:04', '2023-03-26 02:50:04'),
(5996, 5996, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri scored to give Morocco a 2-1 victory in an friendly match against Brazil in Tangier on Saturday, earning their first victory ever against the five-time world champions.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">World Cup semifinalists Morocco did not hold back and delivered a statement win against soccer powerhouse Brazil in their first home game after an outstanding Qatar 2022 campaign.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cheered on by 65,000 fans in a sold-out Ibn Batouta stadium in Tangier, Morocco tried to make an early run but a steady Brazil held strong and the match almost turned into an ill-tempered affair, with the Brazilian players complaining bitterly to the referee after a series of bad tackles by the home defenders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil were more aggressive and controlled possession while Morocco were always dangerous in the counter-attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palmeiras winger Rony, who was making his debut in his first call with the Brazilian team, missed a sitter from close range in the 13th minute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou almost gifted Brazil a goal in the 22th minute with a comical mistake while trying to put the ball in play with his feet, but Rony\'s shot to an empty goal was blocked by a defender and Bounou managed to recover in time to save Vinicius Junior\'s strike from the rebound.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One minute later, Bono once again made a mistake, gifting the ball to Vinicius score to an empty goal, but the effort was ruled out by the VAR due to a controversial offside in the build-up, with the Brazilian players berating the Tunisian official Sadok Selmi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the very next play, Emerson Royal lost the ball close to his own box and Morocco didn\'t waste the golden opportunity gifted by the defender, with Bilal El Khannous assisting Sofiane Boufal to score from close range.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hakim Ziyech missed wide two great chances for Morocco before the break and goalkeeper Bounou denied a Rodrygo strike from the edge of the area with a Hollywood save.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Brazil found the equalizer in the 67th minute thanks to a schoolboy mistake by Bounou, who failed to hold on to a weak shot by Casemiro and let the ball slip under him and inside the net.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the hosts hit back 12 minutes later with substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri, who took down a lost ball inside the Brazilian box and unleashed an unstoppable strike which bounced off the crossbar into the net.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was a goal that the team and fans needed to complete their celebrations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Morocco, who became the first Arab team to reach the quarterfinals and the first African team to make the semis, once again pumped their supporters with pride after a World Cup run that spurred tears of joy across Africa and the Arab world. ESPN</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 03:00:55', '2023-03-26 03:00:55'),
(5997, 5997, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of Liberation War — placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning, marking Independence and National Day.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of Liberation War.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion, while the bugles played the last post.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, flanked by senior Awami League leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also chief of the ruling party, laid another wreath at the altar of the memorial. 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, '2023-03-26 04:54:01', '2023-03-26 04:54:01'),
(5998, 5998, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged all international community including the United Nations to recognise March 25 as the International Genocide Day.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Internationally we want that …March 25 will get recognition as the International Genocide Day,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said this while delivering her introductory speech in the Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) meeting at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings and arson in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart Awami League assuming office following its victory in the 1970 election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The night also witnessed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s proclamation of independence before he was arrested by the Pakistani troops and subsequently taken to West Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh had started its journey with this “wound (genocide).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that Pakistani occupational forces had committed genocide over unarmed Bengalis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They unleashed attacks on the people of Bangladesh in a horrific way and killed people for long nine months,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, the Awami League chief said that some 30 lakh people embraced martyrdom, three crore people were forcibly became homeless.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They torched homes and one crore people took shelter in India as refugee,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that there were dead bodies on the roads, bodies were eaten by jackals and dogs, and the people of the country saw that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There was inhumane oppression on women, they were taken to the army camps,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said that Father of the nation had built a country ravaged by the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We also got the recognition as the least developed country during his three years and seven months tenure. It was unfortunate that the father of the nation was killed brutally.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that blood of the martyrs would never go in vain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our Independence that we got in exchange of millions of martyrs, we have attained the status of developing country, we want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country. It is our pledge to millions of martyrs and to our father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she vowed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the attack on March 25, 1971 dubbed \'Operation Searchlight\', the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They killed people indiscriminately, set houses on fire and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The day is being observed as Genocide Day officially for the seventh time in the country since the parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017. 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, '2023-03-26 04:57:28', '2023-03-26 04:57:28'),
(5999, 5999, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh will celebrate its 53rd independence anniversary on March 26. This day is a symbol of freedom from Pakistan in 1971. This day symbolizes the struggle and sacrifice of Bangladeshi people to achieve independence and birth of a new nation.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A notification published on January 22, 1972 recognized this day as a national day and public holiday of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The history of 26 March 1971 is a poignant reminder of the brutality of the Pakistan Army and the resilience of the Bangladeshi people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani army began a brutal crackdown on Bengalis demanding greater autonomy and rights within Pakistan. This event marked the beginning of the Bangladesh Liberation War, which lasted nine months and resulted in the birth of a new nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the night progressed, news of the horrific atrocities of the Pakistani army began to emerge. Journalist Anthony Mascarenhas wrote in his book \"The Rape of Bangladesh\", \"Dhaka University became a living graveyard. The surroundings were littered with corpses.\" \"The army\'s brutality knew no bounds, they killed and raped with barbaric sounds. Helpless and frightened women students were treated like objects. They were stripped naked and stripped of their dignity.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After Operation Blitz in November 1970, the West Pakistan government ordered the massacre on this day. Which is historically known as Operation Searchlight. The main objective of Operation Searchlight was to capture all major cities by 26 March and eliminate all political and military opposition in West Pakistan within a month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Historian Gary J. Bass wrote in his book \"The Blood Telegram\", Bengalis, however, were not intimidated by the brutality of the army. \"Pakistani troops faced fierce resistance from the Bengali people, who organized themselves into the Mukti Bahini, a guerilla force fighting for their freedom\". The Mukti Bahini managed to take control of large parts of the country and by December 1971 they had effectively liberated Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 25, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken into prison custody by the Pakistani occupation forces. Shortly after 12:00 PM on 25 March (early hours of 26 March) he signed the Bangladesh Independence Declaration and then it was sent to the EPR transmitter in Chittagong for broadcast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was written in the declaration, this may be my last message, Bangladesh is independent from today. I call upon the people of Bangladesh, wherever you are, to continue resisting the occupying army with all your might. May your fight continue till the last Pakistani soldier is lifted from the soil of Bangladesh and the final victory is achieved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 26, Belal Mohammad, Abul Kasem along with several officials of Chattogram Betar Kendra and local Awami League leader M. A. Hannan first miked Sheikh Mujib\'s declaration of independence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 1971, through this announcement, the bloody independence war began on the soil of Bangladesh, which lasted for nine months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated in a very colorful way. The celebrations started with the laying of wreaths at the National Memorial. The day was ushered in with 31 rounds of gunfire. At sunrise, the national flag is hoisted on government, semi-government, autonomous and privately owned buildings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the occasion of the day, from morning till night, the main main roads and road islands of the city are decorated with national flags and flags of different colors. At the national stadium, the students of the educational institutions have rallies, parades, displays and physical exercises. Newspapers issue special circulars. Radio and TV channels broadcast special programs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every year since 1977, the highest civilian honor medal \'Swadhinta Puraskar\' has been awarded on the Independence Day of Bangladesh in memory of the brave martyrs of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence. This award is given to individuals or groups who are citizens of Bangladesh in recognition of distinguished and meritorious contributions in various fields determined by the government in the national life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The declaration of independence on 26th March, 1971, was a pivotal moment in the history of Bangladesh. It marked the beginning of a long and difficult struggle for freedom, a struggle that would ultimately lead to the creation of an independent nation. The sacrifices of the brave men and women who fought for Bangladesh\'s independence will never be forgotten, and their legacy continues to inspire the nation to this day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Nirodh Kumar Barman', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 05:13:13', '2023-03-26 05:13:13'),
(6000, 6000, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 127 at 10 am today, Dhaka ranked 11th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Ghana’s Accra, and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 218, 169, and 163, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 05:30:55', '2023-03-26 05:30:55');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6001, 6001, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus, bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin has previously issued thinly veiled warnings that he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if Russia were threatened, reviving Cold War-era fears.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kyiv received the controversial weaponry from the West, following a British suggestion that it could supply Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was \"nothing unusual.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies,\" Putin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin said he spoke to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and said \"we agreed to do the same.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that Russia had helped equip Belarusian planes \"without violating our international agreements on nuclear-non-proliferation... 10 planes are ready for this type of weapon to be used.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia has given Belarus an Iskander system that can carry nuclear weapons, Putin also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It will start training crews on April 3 and plans to finish the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons by July 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Most harmful\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin also said that Russia would respond if the West supplied Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Russia of course has what it needs to answer. Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells. We have not used them yet,\" Putin added in an interview on Russian television.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the weapons \"can be classified as the most harmful and hazardous for humans... and also for the environment.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Depleted uranium munitions are highly effective at piercing armour plate, but their use is controversial.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The metal is toxic for the soldiers who use the weapons and for civilians in areas where they are fired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin has previously said nuclear tensions were \"rising\" globally but said Moscow would not deploy first.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has warned nuclear threats were creating a dangerous sense of uncertainty around their possible use.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The longer Russia\'s operation in Ukraine grinds on, the greater the nuclear strike risk, ICAN warned last month ahead of the offensive\'s first anniversary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Nuclear threat -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin announced last month that Moscow would suspend its participation in New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the world\'s two main nuclear powers, Russia and the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed Russia for suspending the nuclear weapons limitation treaty with the US, saying it marked the end of Europe\'s post-Cold War arms control architecture.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The announcement came after Moscow last August suspended US inspections of its military sites under New START.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US officials have voiced fears that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it feels routed on the battlefield and could plant a fictitious story to justify its actions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia has already spoken of supposed Ukrainian attempts to detonate a \"dirty bomb,\" drawing strong denials from Ukraine and a sharp rebuke from the United States, which had rare direct communication with Moscow to warn against nuclear use.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Neither the United States nor Russia -- by far the largest nuclear weapons powers -- officially has a policy of no first use of the ultra-destructive arms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian officials have repeated that Russia would only use nuclear weapons if it was facing an \"existential threat\" -- but the definition of such a threat remains vague.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A recent US posture review by President Joe Biden concluded that nuclear weapons should only be used in \"extreme circumstances.\" BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 05:37:09', '2023-03-26 05:53:29'),
(6002, 6002, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will battle on Sunday to put out the fires threatening his government as the three-way coalition meets for crisis talks on a growing series of disputes.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A little more than a year after taking office, the relationship between Scholz\'s Social Democrats (SPD) and his governing partners, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, looks more strained than ever.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier this week, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens accused the FDP of blocking progress, while the FDP\'s deputy chief Wolfgang Kubicki compared the Green politician to Russian President Vladimir Putin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kubicki later apologised but the damaging row underlines the state of the three-way coalition -- the first in Germany\'s post-war history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The alliance got off to a good start in December 2021 under the motto of their coalition agreement -- \"Dare for more progress\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was put to a tough test when Russia invaded Ukraine just two months on, upending decades of German economic and political certainties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But tensions have since soared -- particularly between the Greens and the FDP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two are unnatural bedfellows, with the former set on environmental commitments to phase out nuclear energy and combustion engines, and the latter promoting very different economic policies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It could not be \"that in a coalition of progress only one coalition partner is responsible for progress and the others for preventing progress\", Habeck said at a Green party event during the week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Boiling over -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sunday\'s talks would be a good opportunity to \"overcome blockages\" on key issues, Habeck also told broadcaster ARD, blasting the coalition\'s record and policy leaks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the root of Habeck\'s discontent is a controversial project put forward by his ministry to ban the installation of new oil and gas boilers from 2024 -- a year earlier than previously planned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accelerated move from fossil fuels to greener technologies such as heat pumps would be accompanied by a multi-billion-euro package of financial support for switchers, Habeck has promised.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the idea has caused ructions within the coalition, with critics underlining the costs involved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The plans must go back to the drawing board and be fundamentally revised,\" Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner said after a policy draft was leaked to German daily Bild.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Habeck\'s determination had something in common with Putin, Kubicki said. Both, he declared, had \"a similar belief that the state, the leader, the chosen one, knows better than the people what is good for them\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As tempers frayed, SPD general secretary said the partners needed to \"find a new way of working\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is an appeal to all three parties in government -- these public arguments must stop now,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Explosive material\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The boiler bust-up is only one item on a growing list of disagreements, including pension reform, child benefits and cuts to red tape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The parties agreed to speed up the approval process for key projects to revitalise Germany\'s creaking infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But while the FDP would like to see support for more new motorways, the Greens want to privilege more climate-friendly projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The FDP have also rallied opposition against European Union plans to ban cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, insisting on a future for alternative engine fuels -- another idea strongly opposed by the Greens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spending demands from across government -- including more money for Germany\'s sclerotic armed forces -- have made the maths harder for the finance minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lindner, who has insisted on a return to Germany\'s strict constitutional spending limits, was forced earlier in March to push back the publication of spending plans for 2024 due to a lack of agreement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divisions over the budget threaten to bring an end to the coalition, if Scholz fails to back his finance minister, political scientist Juergen Falter told Bild.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Much of the coalition\'s discord could be traced back to the fact that \"the ideas of the Greens and the FDP simply do not fit together\", he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bringing their opposing views together was always going to be difficult, according to Falter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Three-way alliances automatically have more explosive material,\" he said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 05:51:32', '2023-03-26 05:51:32'),
(6003, 6003, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The nation is celebrating 53rd Independence and National Day today in a befitting manner, with the resolution to take the country forward imbued with the spirit of Liberation War.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh\'s independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the night of March 25 by the Pakistani occupation forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the nine-month long Liberation War, with the supreme sacrifices of three million martyrs, Bangladesh achieved its cherished independence on December 16, 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government has undertaken elaborate programmes marking Independence and National Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of Liberation War — placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of Liberation War.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion, while the bugles played the last post.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, flanked by senior Awami League leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also chief of the ruling party, laid another wreath at the altar of the memorial.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On her return from the National Memorial, the Prime Minister paid homage to the Father of the Nation by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After placing the wreath, she stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh’s independence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina stayed at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum for some time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flanked by central leaders of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of AL.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages extending heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to Bangladeshi citizens at home and abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The day began with a gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony at Savar\'s National Memorial in honor of the Liberation War martyrs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At sunrise, the national flag was flown over all government, semi-government, private, and autonomous buildings, and all significant buildings and establishments will be illuminated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">National dailies have brought out special supplements, while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private radio stations and television channels are airing special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shishu Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, and other social and cultural organizations will host seminars, cultural programs, painting and sports competitions for children, as well as film and documentary screenings on the Liberation War.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Families of martyrs and freedom fighters will be honored at the metropolitan, district, and upazila levels today. Bangladesh Post Office Department unveiled a special commemorative stamp to mark the day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, different religious institutions will hold special prayers and doa mehfil praying for the country\'s peace, development and prosperity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special food will be distributed at institutions like hospitals, jails, children\'s homes, old-age homes, and day care centers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Children’s parks and museums will remain open to all throughout the day. Also, vessels of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard will remain open from 2 pm until the evening for people to visit at Chattogram, Khulna, Mongla, Payra Port, and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) terminals in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Barishal and Chandpur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similar programmes at district and upazila levels and Bangladesh embassies in different countries will be arranged to highlight the significance of Independence Day. 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, '2023-03-26 06:08:02', '2023-03-26 06:08:02'),
(6004, 6004, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has written a fresh letter for Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez from jail. He confessed his love for Jacqueline and called the ‘biggest gift’ of his life. He is in Mandoli jail, accused of connection to several frauds.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He called her ‘butta bomma’ in Telugu, which means beautiful doll. \"My Bomma, I miss you a ton on this day of my birthday, I miss your energy around me, I have no words, but I know your love for me is never ending, is all over me. I know what is in your beautiful heart. I don’t need proof and that’s all that matters to me, baby. But I must admit, I am missing you, you know how much I love you my botta bomma,\" he wrote in the letter, as per PTI.</div><div><br></div><div>The letter further read, \"You and your love is the bestest gift which is priceless in my life, you know I am here for you standing by you come what may. Love you my baby, thank you for giving me your heart. I also thank all my supporters and friends for all your wishes on my birthday. I have received hundreds of letters, greetings. I feel blessed, thank you.\"</div><div><br></div><div>laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. He is also accused in several other cases being investigated by ED, Delhi Police and Economic Offences Wing.</div><div><br></div><div>The ED\'s case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police\'s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Sukesh Chandrasekhar who is accused of cheating and extorting Japna Singh and Aditi Singh, wife of the former promoter of Religare Enterprises, who are in judicial custody related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd.</div><div><br></div><div>Both Chandrasekhar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul were arrested by the Delhi Police for their alleged role in the duping case.</div><div><br></div><div>Bollywood actors Jacqueline, Nora Fatehi and other several names also surfaced during the investigation of the Economic Offence Wings case of the Delhi Police and Enforcement Directorate. HT</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 06:36:18', '2023-03-26 06:36:18'),
(6005, 6005, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Congratulating Bangladesh, the United Nations today said Bangladesh has many accomplishments — extraordinary economic development, a significant cultural legacy, leadership on a global stage for climate vulnerable countries, and immense generosity in welcoming and hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“The hospitality of Bangladesh’s diverse people is just one of the many facets of a country that my colleagues and I have been fortunate to experience every day,” UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis said in a press statement on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“On behalf of the United Nations, I warmly congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the 52nd anniversary of independence,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Over the last 52 years, Bangladesh has made impressive and remarkable achievements: evolving from a war-torn country to one of the leading economic powers in South Asia, standing at the threshold of upcoming graduation from least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, and planned achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030, she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The UN fully supports Bangladesh’s commitments to economic and sustainable development and appreciates the strong and long-lasting relationship with Bangladesh and our shared values.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The constitution of the country, that was adopted even before Bangladesh had formally become a member of the United Nations in 1974, guarantees fundamental human rights. The right to freedom of speech, religion, movement and assembly, the right to speak one\'s own language and other rights that are in line with the UN charter, said the UNRC.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day!” — she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 07:02:18', '2023-03-26 07:02:18'),
(6006, 6006, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday greeted the freedom fighters (FFs) of the country on the occasion of the Independence and National Day.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As in the past, the prime minister sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded freedom fighters and members of the martyred families at Martyred and War-wounded Freedom Fighters’ Rehabilitation Centre (Muktijoddha Tower-1) at Gaznavi Road in the capital’s Mohammadpur area as a mark of her good wishes for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Assistant Private Secretary (APS)-2 Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku and Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwer-E-Alom Sarker handed over the items to them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a media release of the PM’s press wing, the war-wounded FFs and members of the martyred families thanked and expressed gratitude to the PM for remembering them on every National Day and festival like the Independence Day, the Victory Day, Eid and Pahela Boishakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The freedom fighters expressed unwavering faith in the visionary leadership of the eldest daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and expressed satisfaction over the country\'s irresistible progress.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They specifically mentioned that the people\'s welfare is ensured as well as the freedom fighters and their families remain well when the government led by Awami League, which believes in the spirit of the great liberation war, is in power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also expressed their gratitude to the prime minister for providing increased allowances, medicate facilities and accommodation to the freedom fighters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The freedom fighters think that under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh will one day earn the world\'s respect as a poverty-free, prosperous and self-respecting \"Golden Bangladesh\" as dreamt by Bangabandhu</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They expressed gratitude to Hasina\'s leadership for presenting the correct history of independence to the new generation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming development and progress of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They wished the PM good health and long life. 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, '2023-03-26 07:53:02', '2023-03-26 07:53:02'),
(6007, 6007, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had acted as \'a collaborator of Pakistan\' in disguise of freedom fighter.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"BNP founder Ziaur Rahman actually was an accomplice of Pakistani occupation force impersonating freedom fighter\", he said while paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the Independence Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The information minister exchanged views with journalists after paying tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait at Dhanmondi road-32 here with other party leaders on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About BNP\'s different statements on Ziaur Rahman, Dr Hasan, also joint general secretary of the ruling Awami League, said Zia was an employee under the first government of Bangladesh that had taken oath at Mujibnagar in Meherpur and conducted the liberation war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also referred to indiscriminate torture on Bangalees committed by the Pakistani occupation forces during the liberation war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said, \"The Pakistani forces killed those people, burnt down their houses and tortured them whom they found providing assistance to the freedom fighters\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But, how it is possible that when Zia was in battle field, then his wife Khaleda Zia was safe under the Pakistan forces\' custody? It proved that Zia was \'spy\' of Pakistan in disguise of freedom fighter,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister also said the BNP was involved in distorting history for long twenty-one years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"But, when the history distortion was resisted, then they (BNP leaders) are out of sense. That\'s why; BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul are now talking nonsense,\" he added. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 08:21:50', '2023-03-26 08:21:50'),
(6008, 6008, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Tehran has condemned US airstrikes on Iran-linked forces in Syria that reportedly killed 19 people, which Washington said it carried out following a deadly drone attack on US forces.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian foreign ministry late Saturday condemned \"the belligerent and terrorist attack of the American army on civilian targets\" in the eastern Syrian region of Deir Ezzor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Washington said it launched the retaliatory raids after a US contractor was killed -- and another contractor and five military personnel wounded -- by a drone \"of Iranian origin\" that struck a US-led coalition base in Syria on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor has said at least 19 people, most of them Syrian, were killed in the following US strikes launched early Friday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US strikes triggered further rocket attacks by Iran-backed militias, the Observatory said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Syrian government, which is closely allied with Iran, has accused the United States of lying about the targets of its air strikes to justify its \"act of aggression.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States has about 900 troops in posts across northeastern Syria to keep pressure on the remnants of the Islamic State group and support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which control most of the northeast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US personnel in Syria have frequently been targeted in attacks by militia groups that Washington says are backed by Tehran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said the US troops\' presence was \"illegal\" and a \"violation of international law and the national sovereignty\" of Syria.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In contrast, Kanani said Iranian forces were in Syria at the behest of Damascus.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The military advisers of the Islamic Republic of Iran are present in Syria at the request of the Syrian government\", he said, adding that they will continue to support Damascus to \"help establish peace, stability and lasting security.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 08:56:48', '2023-03-26 08:56:48'),
(6010, 6010, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chinese President Xi Jinping has said the tremendous achievements scored by the Bangladesh government and people have been widely commended by the international community.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"China-Bangladesh friendship boasts a long history and will grow from strength to strength,\" he said in a congratulatory message marking Independence Day of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Premier of the State Council Li Qiang and State Councilor of the State Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang sent messages of felicitation separately to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>At present, President Xi said, Bangladesh and China are enjoying solid and profound political trust, and practical cooperation has been advancing steadily.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the joint construction of the “The Belt and Road Initiative” has yielded fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I attach great importance to the development of China-Bangladesh relations, and I stand ready to work with you to push China-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership of Cooperation to a new height,\" President Xi said in his message to President Abdul Hamid.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the independence of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in my own name, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to Abdul Hamid and to the government and people of your country,\" Xi said.</div><div><br></div><div>In recent years, he said, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in various economic and social undertakings, making great strides toward the dream of “Sonar Bangla”. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 10:48:39', '2023-03-26 10:48:39'),
(6011, 6011, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">England\'s Jonny Bairstow has been ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League season, his team Punjab Kings said, after he failed to recover in time from a freak golfing injury.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Australian batsman Matthew Short will replace Bairstow in the team, which will begin its campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 1.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We regret to inform you that Jonny Bairstow will not be a part of the IPL this season because of his injury,\" Punjab said in a statement on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him next season. We are pleased to welcome Matthew Short as his replacement.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Bairstow, a 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, broke his left leg and dislocated his ankle last September while playing golf and has been out of action since.</div><div><br></div><div>Short, 27, was the player of the tournament in the recent Big Bash League, scoring more than 400 runs and picking up 11 wickets with his off spin.</div><div><br></div><div>The Australian domestic tournament is, like the IPL, in the Twenty20 format.</div><div><br></div><div>Other big names missing for this IPL season, which begins on March 31, include Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant after a car crash in December and injured Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 11:43:49', '2023-03-26 11:43:49'),
(6012, 6012, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh is all set to begin their three-match T20I series against Ireland on Monday in Chattogram. Ahead of the first T20I, Bangladesh\'s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha emphasized that national duty takes precedence over any other commitment, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), and hinted that Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das may not be granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the IPL if Bangladesh has international matches during the same period.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Shakib and Litton were recently signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season of IPL, while Mustafizur Rahman was retained by his old team, Delhi Capitals. However, since Mustafizur is not a regular face in Bangladesh\'s Test team, he may be allowed to play in the IPL after the Ireland T20I series.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The decision of the board is to prioritize playing for the national team over any other league, and this message has been conveyed to all the players, even before they put their names in the players\' draft,\" Chandika said on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>While it is common for teams to release their players for IPL matches during international tours, Bangladesh has chosen not to take that route. The country\'s cricket board has made it clear that national duty takes precedence, and players will not be released for IPL matches if they conflict with international fixtures.</div><div><br></div><div>This year\'s IPL is scheduled to begin on March 31, and Bangladesh has a Test match against Ireland starting from April 4. Therefore, it has been confirmed that Shakib and Liton will not be granted NOCs to play in the IPL.</div><div><br></div><div>Some Indian media outlets have reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may ban Bangladeshi players from the IPL in the future, in response to Bangladesh\'s decision not to release players for IPL matches. However, neither the BCCI nor any IPL team has confirmed the veracity of these reports. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 14:34:47', '2023-03-26 14:34:47'),
(6013, 6013, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of Liberation War — placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning, marking Independence and National Day.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister.</div><div><br></div><div>After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of Liberation War.</div><div><br></div><div>PM, President pay tribute to martyrs at National Memorial on Independence Day&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion, while the bugles played the last post.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, flanked by senior Awami League leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also chief of the ruling party, laid another wreath at the altar of the memorial. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 14:49:15', '2023-03-26 14:49:15'),
(6014, 6014, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is going to embrace parenthood.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Daniel\'s rep confirmed the news adding that Radcliffe with his longtime girlfriend Erin Darke is expecting his first child,</div><div><br></div><div>The couple is about to become parents after more than 10 years of dating since playing love interests in their 2013 movie \'Kill Your Darlings\'.</div><div><br></div><div>According to a US-based media company, Daniel said earlier that he and Darke are \"really happy\" together.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I\'ve got a really nice life. I\'ve been with my girlfriend for a decade, pretty much,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>After working together again on the 2016 movie \'Don\'t Think Twice\' and season 3 of Radcliffe\'s TBS series \'Miracle Workers\', he said the experience \"was incredibly special and felt lovely,\" but it was more of a sporadic occurrence.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We definitely like [working together], but it\'s not something we want to do all the time,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Hopefully we\'ll get to do more in the future, but we also both write,\" added Radcliffe.</div><div><br></div><div>\"So maybe we\'d write something together at some point, and that would be cool.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Although the couple has kept their relationship mostly out of the spotlight, Darke accompanied him on the red carpet of his movie \'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story\'s\' TIFF premiere in last September reported People.</div><div><br></div><div>Radcliffe told Newsweek in October that he \"wouldn\'t want fame for my kid,\" although: \"I want my kids, if and when they exist... I would love them to be around film sets.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"A dream would be for them to come onto a film set and be like, \'God, you know, I\'d love to be in the art department. I\'d love to be something in the crew,\'\" added Radcliffe, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"Film sets are wonderful places. I think a lot of the time it can be wonderful for kids. But it\'s really the fame side of it that should be avoided at all costs,\" said Daniel.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 14:53:40', '2023-03-26 14:53:40'),
(6015, 6015, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Accusing Awami League of destroying democracy and the electoral system by dashing the dreams of the country’s independence, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday expressed a strong determination to restore democracy and people’s democratic rights, including the right of franchise.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The country was liberated through a bloody war 52 years back in 1971 with a hope to build a truly democratic state. But that democracy has now been unfortunately completely exiled and the democratic rights have been taken away,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters after placing a wreath at BNP founder Ziaur Rahmank\'s grave, Fakhrul alleged that the country’s people now do not have the right to franchise and the right to speak and write.</div><div><br></div><div>“There’re no democratic rights here at all. All the institutions of the state have been ruined in a planned way. Awami League is going to establish a fascist one-party governance system with a nefarious plot by destroying the electoral system,” he observed.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader called upon the people from all walks of life and all political parties to be more united and organised to get rid of the current situation in the country and restore democracy and all the lost rights.</div><div><br></div><div>“The people of Bangladesh have woken up and started a movement to restore democracy, to get their voting and other rights back, and to live in peace. We have to be more united and organised, to achieve success” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader alleged that the prices of all commodities and oil, gas, and power have increased so much that people are going through serious ordeals.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government has raised the prices of the essentials and utility services to plunder public money through widespread corruption.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul said they will force the government to free BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition and withdraw the false cases filed against over 35 lakh people and accept their 10-point demands, including holding the next national election under a non-party caretaker government.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP secretary general along with party leaders and activists came to Ziaur Rahman\'s grave at Sher-e Bangla Nagar around 10am and placed a wreath there, marking the 53rd Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>They also offered munajat there seeking the salvation of Zia\'s departed soul.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in the morning, BNP leaders and activists, led by Fakhrul, placed a wreath at the altar of the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar, marking Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>After placing the wreath, they stood in solemn silence for a while in memory of the martyrs of the Liberation War.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, talking to reporters, Fakhrul said the Liberation War began in 1971 through the “proclamation of independence by BNP founder Ziaur Rahman”.</div><div><br></div><div>“The independence of Bangladesh was achieved through nine months of bloody struggle. We participated in the Liberation War with a dream and hope of building a democratic state. Unfortunately, even after 52 years of independence, people are sacrificing their lives and carrying on a struggle for democracy,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said people have lost their right to speak and right to vote while journalists have lost their right to write the truth as an “authoritarian government” has been established in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>He bemoaned that their party chairperson Khaleda Zia was jailed as she started a movement for the “restoration of democracy” while over 35 lakh opposition leaders and activists have been harassed by implicating them in “false” cases.</div><div><br></div><div>On this Independence Day, Fakhrul said their party leaders and activists took a vow that they will continue the movement that they have started to “bring back democracy, the right to vote, to bring the prices of essential commodities at a tolerable level and to turn Bangladesh into a truly democratic state.”</div><div><br></div><div>BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice-chairmen Barrister Shahjahan Omar, party’s Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam, Dhaka north city unit convener Abdus Salam, joint secretaries general Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, among others were present.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in the morning, BNP hoisted the national and the party flags atop its offices, including the Nayapaltan central one, on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The party arranged a discussion on Saturday at Mohanagar Natya Mancha, marking the day.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 16, the party chalked out a 10-day day program to celebrate Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 27, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, the freedom fighters\' wing of BNP, will organize a “mass gathering of freedom fighters” in front of BNP\'s Nayapaltan central office, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the party\'s different units and associate bodies also took various programmes, including discussions, to mark the day.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-26 15:52:36', '2023-03-26 15:52:36');
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(6016, 6016, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles Monday, South Korea\'s military said, the latest in its flurry of weapons tests in recent weeks.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The launch comes as Seoul and Washington are carrying out a joint amphibious landing exercise, and just days after they wrapped up their largest combined military drills in five years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea views all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take \"overwhelming\" action in response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our military detected two short-range ballistic missiles fired from around Junghwa area in North Hwanghae province from 07:47 am (2247 GMT) towards the East Sea,\" South Korea\'s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance against additional launches, while maintaining a full readiness posture through close cooperation between South Korea and the United States,\" it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan\'s defence ministry also confirmed the launch, with Japanese media citing officials as saying both missiles are believed to have flown on an irregular trajectory before falling outside of Japan\'s exclusive economic zone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Excuse for more missles -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, North Korea\'s state media claimed the joint training between Seoul and Washington were practice for \"occupying\" North Korea, which called for \"stronger war deterrents\" including \"the more developed, multi-faceted and offensive nuclear attack capability\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pyongyang has carried out military drills of its own in response, including test-firing a new nuclear-capable underwater drone and conducting its second intercontinental ballistic missile launch this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts previously said North Korea would likely use the exercises as an excuse to carry out more missile launches and perhaps even a nuclear test.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea\'s state media said Friday the \"underwater nuclear attack drone\" drill, which was personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, was staged \"to alert the enemy to an actual nuclear crisis\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The weapon\'s mission is to \"stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami ... to destroy naval striker groups and major operational ports of the enemy,\" the Korean Central News Agency reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agency also said Pyongyang had fired strategic cruise missiles \"tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead\" on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Irreversible\' nuclear power –</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts questioned North Korea\'s claims, saying that they were not the same as a credible demonstration of capability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they added that Pyongyang was moving on from simply stockpiling nuclear warheads and attempting to advance and diversify launch mediums.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a record-breaking year of weapons tests and growing nuclear threats from Pyongyang in 2022, Seoul and Washington have ramped up security cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has also pushed South Korea and Japan to mend fences over historical disputes and try to boost security cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">North Korea last year declared itself an \"irreversible\" nuclear power and Kim recently called for an \"exponential\" increase in weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kim also ordered the North Korean military this month to intensify drills to prepare for a \"real war\". AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 03:24:44', '2023-03-27 03:24:44'),
(6017, 6017, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers have vowed to meet before the end of the holy month of Ramadan to implement a landmark bilateral reconciliation deal, Riyadh said on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, held their second phone call in less than a week and discussed \"a number of common issues... in light of\" the surprise agreement brokered by China and announced on March 10, the officials Saudi Press Agency reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The two ministers also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them during the current month of Ramadan\", which this year ends in the third week of April, SPA said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report did not specify the exact date or location of the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi officials have said the meeting is the next step in restoring ties seven years after they were severed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Riyadh cut relations after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr -- just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding regional rivals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deal is expected to see Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia reopen their embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Iranian official said on March 19 that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had favourably received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia from King Salman, though Riyadh has yet to confirm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amir-Abdollahian told reporters the same day that the two countries had agreed to hold a meeting between their top diplomats and that three locations had been suggested, without specifying which.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The detente between Saudi Arabia, the world\'s biggest crude oil exporter, and Iran, strongly at odds with Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterised by turbulence for decades. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 03:37:13', '2023-03-27 03:37:13'),
(6018, 6018, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh will continue its \'tactical aggressive\' cricket for another success as they face off Ireland in three-match T20 International series.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The series opening game begins today (Monday) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since being consigned to ODI series defeat to England for the first time after 2016 by losing first two matches, Bangladesh won six straight matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In their period they won the last ODI against England to avoid ODI whitewash and then swept English in three-match T20 series emphatically. The success continued as they won the ODI series against Ireland by 2-0 and more importantly in every game, they rewrote records.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It appeared that Bangladesh are going through new era of cricket, specially the way they were playing of late. But according to head coach ChandikaHathurusingha all those were possible for the \'tactical aggressive\' cricket, which made cricketers hungrier for success, something which was instrumental in team\'s clinical performance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I don\'t see this as a new era. That\'s how we wanted to play our cricket going forward. We won\'t play aggressive cricket. Aggressive cricket, as I explain, it doesn\'t mean we go and hit hard further as we can,\" Hathurusingha said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s aggressive in every sense of the word. Our selection (should be) aggressive field placing, our body language, our fielding, batting (Should be aggressive). Tactically we\'re going to be aggressive. We want to play the best way we can. I think when we play like that-- like with aggression and with freedom, this team will do well always.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Psychological safety also brought out the best of the players to make them hungry for success, Hathurusingha clarified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"One word I can sum up is psychological safety. it\'s a big word. There\'s a lot of things in behind that like if you can create the environment that the players can do their best without worry about outcomes, without worry about repercussion. Not only coaches, not only selectors even from their peers, if they can be free of trying things and if they fail it\'s still okay, they are the same players and we trust them,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Given their past record against Ireland and the recent success, it is expected Bangladesh would sweep the T20 series also. The two sides played five matches in this format so far with the last on 2016. Ireland won the first match between the two sides in 2009 T20 World Cup in England but Bangladesh later whitewashed Ireland in three-match series in 2012 that too on Ireland soil. Their last game in 2016 World Cup in Dharmashala was washed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want the same result ideally. That\'s what we talk about as well. We are going to do the same processes that are in place for us. If we do our process right, we are a very good team and that\'s all we can ask from the players. And we\'re trying to improve those processes everyday,\" Hathurusingha made his intention clear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Liton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain and Jaker Ali Anik</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White and Craig Young. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 04:13:13', '2023-03-27 04:13:13'),
(6019, 6019, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canada\'s Bianca Andreescu heads into Monday\'s last-16 of the Miami Open brimming with confidence and feeling she has finally refound her love for tennis.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andreescu burst onto the scene with a stunning US Open win as a teenager in 2019 and rose to number five in the world that year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But then her career stalled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Injury in 2020 sidelined her and then the COVID pandemic blocked any chance of regaining momentum and at the end of the following year she decided to take six months off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was honestly me wanting to figure out if I really want to continue playing tennis because I was literally about to just drop my racquets and just say, screw this,\" she said on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I wasn\'t happy at all. I wasn\'t happy basically for the full year of 2021 and I thought that if I continue like this, it\'s just going to get worse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"So I was like, OK, let\'s take a break. Hopefully that helps. And it really did. My heart did grow fonder for the sport and now I appreciate it in a much different way than I did before that break,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Tough Draw -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Miami, Andreescu has had a tough draw but has beaten two other former Grand Slam winners in Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin as well as seventh seed Maria Sakkari.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday she will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the quarter-finals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those results leave her unsurprisingly in a positive mood, but she says one of the keys to her overall happiness and balanced approach to the sport has been how she handles setbacks and defeats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Obviously there were ups and downs, but for the most part, I was very, I guess, level throughout 2022, even with the losses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I was like, it\'s fine. I\'ll go have dinner with my team. I\'ll go watch a movie, whatever, and not lock myself in the room for three days like I used to,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andreescu practises meditation and is more than comfortable talking about spirituality and mental well-being and she says her performances flow from her happiness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think everything physical comes from the mental side of everything, emotional, spiritual, all that. So I feel like it\'s mainly in my head.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I think that\'s been the toughest part because I know if everything\'s good in my head, everything will be good physically,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andreescu has talked in the past of feeling a little unwelcome in the locker-room as a youngster and she says she would be happy to help new players settle into the sport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One player she says she would particularly like to talk to is 2021 US Open winner Raducanu, who is experiencing similar difficulties to those the Canadian confronted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I would love to talk to her about what happened after US Open with all the success, all the media, stuff like that, how she dealt with it, how I dealt with it, how we can maybe help each other in that way,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Also, I know that we both haven\'t been having, I guess, results we wanted. I don\'t want to speak on behalf of her, but I\'m sure she wants to do better than she is, just kind of help each other out in that sense. How can we get better, basically?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While there would no doubt be much the British player could learn from that conversation, one simple truth is that Andreescu has simply matured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I feel like I had a lot of time to really settle down and just kind of figure out what\'s best for me,\" she said, reflecting on her return to form.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I know it wasn\'t going to come overnight. I mean, four years later, I hope that I can, you know, get another Grand Slam as soon as I can.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 04:29:09', '2023-03-27 04:29:09'),
(6020, 6020, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Kenyans were bracing on Monday for a new round of anti-government demonstrations over the high cost of living, after the opposition vowed the action would go ahead despite a police ban.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has urged people to take to the streets every Monday and Thursday, even after protests a week ago turned violent and paralysed parts of the capital, Nairobi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But police on Sunday announced the rallies would be banned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We will not allow violent demonstrations,\" Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The demonstrations they plan tomorrow (Monday) are illegal and will not be allowed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A university student was killed by police fire during the previous Monday\'s clashes while 31 officers were injured as running battles erupted between riot police and demonstrators in Nairobi and opposition strongholds in western Kenya.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 200 people were arrested, including several senior opposition politicians, while protesters -- including Odinga\'s own convoy -- were hit with tear gas and water cannon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was the first major outbreak of political unrest since President William Ruto took office more than six months ago after defeating Odinga in an election his rival claims was \"stolen\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the police ban, Odinga on Sunday called on Kenyans to join what he has called \"the mother of all demonstrations\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I want to tell Mr Ruto and the IG Koome that we are not going to be intimidated,\" he said. \"We are not going to fear tear gas and police.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Paralysing business\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ruto has called on his rival to halt the action.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am telling Raila Odinga that if he has a problem with me, he should face me and stop terrorising the country,\" he said Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Stop paralysing the businesses of mama mboga, matatu and other Kenyans,\" he said, referring to women stallholders and private minibus operators.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ruto himself will be out of the country on Monday for a four-day trip to Germany and Belgium during which he will meet national and EU leaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many Kenyans are struggling to put food on the table, battling high prices for basic goods as well as a plunging local currency and a record drought that has left millions hungry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the election campaign, Ruto portrayed himself as champion of the downtrodden and vowed to improve the lot of ordinary Kenyans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he has since removed subsidies for fuel and maize flour -- a dietary staple.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And last week, Kenya\'s energy regulatory body announced a hike in electricity prices from next month, despite Ruto insisting in January there would be no such increase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week\'s protests proved costly, with Nairobi losing more than half its daily revenue as businesses shut their doors and people kept away from the heart of the city, the city\'s governor Johnson Sakaja said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said they cost the country $15 million.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said on Friday they had launched a manhunt for suspects involved in last week\'s riots, and published photographs showing people throwing rocks at police, burning tyres and vandalising property.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But an AFP Fact Check investigation found that a number of the photographs were old and unrelated to Monday\'s events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And on Saturday, a red-faced Directorate of Criminal Investigations issued an apology on Twitter for what it said was a \"mix-up of images\". AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 04:39:34', '2023-03-27 04:39:34'),
(6021, 6021, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A fire that broke out at the Shattola slum in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area early today is now under control.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fire broke out at the slum around 6:48 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, nine firefighting units reached the spot at around 7 am, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters media cell.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fire was brought under control at around 8:10 am. No report of death or injuries so far in the fire. 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, '2023-03-27 05:15:07', '2023-03-27 05:15:07'),
(6022, 6022, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States will likely enter a recession this year and face high inflation well into 2024, a majority of economists predicted in their response to a semiannual survey.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than two-thirds of respondents to the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) Policy Survey also see inflation remaining above four percent at the end of this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The survey summarized the responses of 217 NABE members, and was conducted between March 2 and March 10, the organization said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Federal Reserve has raised rates 4.75 percentage points in a bid to tackle rising inflation, which reached its highest level in decades last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Price rises slowed slightly to an annual level of 6.0 percent in February, which is well above the Fed\'s long-term target of two percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid the gloomy economic forecast, there was also some good news, with just five percent of respondents believing the US is currently in the midst of a recession, \"far fewer\" than the 19 percent in its previous economic survey, the NABE president Julia Coronado said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Economists also slightly raised the chances of the Fed achieving a so-called \"soft landing\" -- bringing down inflation while avoiding a recession -- from 27 percent in August to 30 percent in March this year. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 05:40:37', '2023-03-27 05:40:37'),
(6023, 6023, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 155 at 8:30 am, Dhaka ranked seventh in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thailand’s Chiang Mai, India’s Delhi, and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 195, 173, and 167, respectively.</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;\">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 recognized as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">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, '2023-03-27 05:45:49', '2023-03-27 05:45:49'),
(6024, 6024, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Over 4.34 lakh tonnes of mustard seeds have been harvested during the current harvesting season, up by 1.27 lakh tonnes compared to the previous season, in the division.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Shamsul Wadud said the mustard cultivation was achieved on around 2.77 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts of the division, while the previous year\'s acreage was 2.13 lakh hectares.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The DAE had set the target to bring 2.47 lakh hectares of land under the cash crop farming but the enthusiastic farmers cultivated it on around 2.77 lakh hectares of land exceeding the target by 28,878 hectares.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suitable climate conditions, high yielding varieties, modern technologies and government\'s incentive were reasons for exceeding the targets of both acreage and yield this season, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Agriculturist Wadud said most of the lands were brought under cultivation of high yielding varieties including BARI Sharisha-9, BARI Sharisha-11, BARI Sharisha-13, BARI Sharisha-16, BARI Sharisha-17 and BARI Sharisha- 18.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said 2.07 lakh farmers were given seeds and fertilizers worth around Taka 5.58 crore free of cost for cultivating mustard in the division under the government\'s agriculture incentive programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition to the DAE, various other research and development organisations like Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) and many NGOs had taken adequate steps in collaboration with other line departments to boost the mustard yield.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BARI has released 16 high yielding mustard seed varieties. Farmers in the barind tract are seen cultivating three of those - BARI Sharisha-14, BARI Sharisha-17 and BARI Sharisha-18 varieties for the last couple of years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But, BARI Sharisha 14 has become popular for its bold grain, high yielding, yellow colour, high oil extraction percentage and less-water consuming characteristics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this breakthrough, the landless and marginal farmers had brought vast tracts of the sandy char lands under mustard cultivation in the Ganges basins and the crops had grown up excellently everywhere in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DASCOH Foundation, an NGO, on behalf of its Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Project has been working for promoting various less-water consuming crops like mustard supported by Switzerland, said Jahangir Alam Khan, coordinator of the project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said mustard seed is a water-saving crop and its expansion in the Barind area is very important towards lessening the gradually mounting pressure on its underground water.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I had cultivated mustard on four bighas of land and harvested six to seven maunds of seed per bigha on an average,\" said Sabbir Ahmed, a grower of Bijoynagar area under Godagari upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He used the \"Barisharisha 14\" variety which is higher yielding than that of the conventional ones including \"Tory 7\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rashidul Hassan, 45, another farmer of Kakonhat village, has become successful through cultivating the cash crop for the last couple of years. This year, he cultivated the crop on four bighas of land.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cultivation of mustard requires only one or two times irrigation while about Taka 1,900 to Taka 2,000 is needed to cultivate the crop on one bigha depending on soil condition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On an average six maunds of mustard are produced on a bigha of land, Hassan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bachhu Mian, 45, of Amnura area in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila, had brought three bighas of land under the cash crop cultivation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;He got six maunds of yield after rowing the \"Barisharisha-17\" which is another newly released high yielding variety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another farmer Abdul Mazid, 35, of Nandigram village under Durgapur upazila, had cultivated mustard seed on three bighas of land this year and got yield of six mounds per bigha.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the easy cultivation process and lower production cost compared to other Rabi crops is also a reason behind the popularity of mustard farming among the farmers in the region including its vast Barind tract. 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, '2023-03-27 06:05:47', '2023-03-27 06:05:47'),
(6025, 6025, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Tunisia\'s coastguard said Sunday the bodies of 29 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries had been recovered after three vessels capsized, the latest in a string of such tragedies.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A series of shipwrecks has left dozens of migrants dead and others missing in the country that serves as a key conduit for migrants seeking to reach nearby European shores.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It comes after President Kais Saied made an incendiary speech last month, accusing sub-Saharan Africans of representing a demographic threat and causing a crime wave in Tunisia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The coastguard said in a statement Sunday that it had \"rescued 11 illegal migrants of various African nationalities after their boats sank\" off the central eastern coast, citing three separate sinkings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In one, a Tunisian fishing trawler recovered 19 bodies 58 kilometres (36 miles) off the coast after their boat capsized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A coastguard patrol off the coastal city of Mahdiya also recovered eight bodies and \"rescued\" 11 other migrants after their boat sank as it headed towards Italy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fishing trawlers in Sfax meanwhile recovered two other bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Black migrants in the country have faced a spike in violence since Saied\'s speech and hundreds have been living in the streets for weeks in increasingly desperate conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People fleeing poverty and violence in Sudan\'s Darfur region, West Africa and other parts of the continent have for years used Tunisia as a springboard for often perilous attempts to reach safety and better lives in Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Migratory wave\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Italian island of Lampedusa is just 150 kilometres (90 miles) off the Tunisian coast, part of the Central Mediterranean route described by the United Nations as the most deadly in the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rome has pressured Tunisian authorities to rein in the flow of people, and has helped beef up the coastguard, which rights groups accuse of violence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Italy\'s hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Friday that Tunisia\'s \"serious financial problems\" risked sparking a \"migratory wave\" towards Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also confirmed plans for a mission to the North African country involving the Italian and French foreign ministers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meloni echoed comments earlier in the week by Josep Borrell, the European Union\'s foreign policy chief, who warned Tunisia risks economic collapse that could trigger a new flow of migrants to Europe -- fears Tunis has since dismissed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since Saied\'s speech, hundreds of migrants have been repatriated in flights organised by their embassies, but many say they fear going home and have called on the UN to organise evacuation flights to safe third countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tunisia is in the throes of a long-running socio-economic crisis, with spiralling inflation and persistently high joblessness, and Tunisians themselves make up a large proportion of the migrants travelling to Italian shores.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The heavily indebted North African country is in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a $2-billion bailout package, but the talks have been stalled for months and there is no sign a deal is any closer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Wednesday that unless they reach an agreement, \"the economy risks falling off the deep end\". AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 06:26:04', '2023-03-27 06:26:04'),
(6026, 6026, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled his trip to China after contracting pneumonia, the presidential palace said on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula, 77, was admitted to a hospital in the capital of Brasilia with flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with “bacterial and viral bronchopneumonia due to influenza A,” the palace said in a statement, quoting a medical note signed by Dr. Ana Helena Germoglio.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leftist leader’s health was reassessed on Saturday and, despite improvement, he was advised to “postpone the trip to China until the cycle of viral transmission ends,” the medical note said. His press office later confirmed that the trip had been canceled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chinese authorities have been informed, “with the reiteration of the desire to schedule the visit on a new date,” the palace said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula had been expected to leave for China on a multi-day visit on Friday or Saturday, but the trip was pushed back on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A delegation composed of ministers, senators, lawmakers and hundreds of businessmen - including more than 100 from the agricultural sector - had been set to accompany Lula during his first state visit to Brazil’s biggest trade partner since taking office in January.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trip’s cancellation is “bad news” for the government as the visit was “an opportunity for Lula to reconnect with business elites, especially in the agribusiness, who have been very much pro-Bolsonaro,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a political scientist from the Getulio Vargas Foundation think tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Brazilian president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping were scheduled to meet next Tuesday. Trade, investment and climate change were on the agenda and 20 bilateral agreements had been expected to be signed, according to a statement Thursday from the presidential palace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lula, who rarely postpones or cancels trips due to health reasons, traveled to Argentina in January and the US in February, marking a departure from Brazil’s foreign policy under former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who showed little interest in international affairs or travel abroad. AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 06:31:20', '2023-03-27 06:31:20'),
(6027, 6027, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has greeted the countrymen vowing to build poverty-hunger free Smart and Sonar Bangladesh marking the 53rd Independence and National Day.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Bangladesh is marching ahead on the highway of development. Let us build poverty and hunger free \"Sonar Bangladesh\" being inspired by the Father of the Nation\'s ideal. Bangladesh will be a smart country,\" she said in an Independence Day message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the 51-second message of greetings, the premier said: \"Assalamualaikum, I am extending my heartiest greetings to all Bangladeshi citizens staying at home and abroad marking the Independence Day.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She recalled with due honour all the martyrs including the great Liberation War ones on the occasion of the Independence Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, \"We achieved the victory through a 23-year political struggle and a Liberation War of nine months and got an independent and sovereign country under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier concluded the message saying: \"Stay well, stay healthy\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The audio-visual message was sent to each of the mobile phone users of the country and aired on different media including online platforms. 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, '2023-03-27 06:52:56', '2023-03-27 06:52:56');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6028, 6028, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Storm-ravaged Mississippi struggled on Sunday with the aftermath of a huge tornado that tore across the southern US state, killing at least 25 people, with devastated communities bracing for a fresh bout of extreme weather.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Search-and-rescue workers surveyed the damage of shredded homes, flattened buildings and smashed cars in Rolling Fork, a small town all but wiped out by nature\'s wrath.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After President Joe Biden freed up disaster aid, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned residents of Mississippi and neighboring Alabama of potential new \"supercell thunderstorms\" through late Sunday that could \"produce a few strong tornadoes and very large hail.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The NWS gave Friday\'s tornado -- which left a trail of havoc more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) long across the state -- a rating of four out of five on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with ferocious winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dozens of people have also been injured, and officials say the death toll could rise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under warm spring sunshine and cloudless blue skies, stunned residents walked among obliterated homes, sifting through debris and comforting one another as crews fought fires, conducted searches and cleared emergency routes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before-and-after satellite images released late Sunday showed utter ruin across parts of Rolling Fork, with homes destroyed and trees ripped out of the earth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The American Red Cross moved into a National Guard building in Rolling Fork hours after the storm razed much of the town, home to around 2,000 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An area was set up as an infirmary and boxes full of food and medical supplies were shuttled in to support storm victims who had lost everything, said John Brown, a Red Cross official for Alabama and Mississippi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anna Krisuta, 43, and her 16-year-old son Alvaro Llecha took shelter at the site, saying their house was in pieces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Heartbreaking\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The severe weather also left a man dead in Alabama when he was trapped under an overturned trailer, the sheriff\'s office in Morgan County said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials including US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas gathered in Rolling Fork Sunday afternoon, praising rescue efforts and pledging support \"for the long haul.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is heartbreaking to hear of the loss of life, to see the devastation firsthand,\" Mayorkas told a press conference held with Governor Tate Reeves and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) head Deanne Criswell.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He warned that the country is seeing \"extreme weather events increasing... in gravity, severity and frequency and we have to build our communities to be best prepared for them.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier Sunday, Criswell said on ABC that the tornado zone was \"still very much in life-saving, life-sustaining mode.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She praised first responders, saying some \"may have lost their homes themselves,\" and that FEMA had sent teams, with more on their way, to \"help plan for and start the recovery process.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden\'s emergency order to support recovery efforts will provide grants for temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, the White House said on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Emergency supplies -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reeves thanked Biden on Twitter \"for recognizing the scale of the damage in Mississippi and quickly approving our disaster declaration -- a critical step in disaster response.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Electricity repairs were underway Sunday to restore service, but by evening the number of customers without power rose to 61,000 total in thunderstorm-hit Mississippi and Alabama, monitor poweroutage.us reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Volunteers poured in from surrounding towns, including Lauren Hoda, who traveled 70 miles from Vicksburg to help.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"When I woke up this morning, I wanted to cry for the people of this town because I don\'t think they had much time before (the tornado) came,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She spent Saturday night in Rolling Fork bringing donations of water, food, canned goods, diapers, wipes, medicine and toothpaste from collection points.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similar destruction plagued twister-hit Silver City, where residents were seen salvaging what they could from their destroyed homes</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tornadoes, a weather phenomenon notoriously difficult to predict, are relatively common in the United States, especially in the central and southern parts of the country. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 08:35:52', '2023-03-27 08:35:52'),
(6029, 6029, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ireland captain Paul Stirling asked Bangladesh to bat first in the three-match T20 International series opener after winning the toss at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here today.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After walloping Ireland in three-match ODI series which they won by 2-0 with record breaking victory in both matches, Bangladesh wants to continue its unbelievable form.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The T20 is not Bangladesh preferred format but still they have been in form in this format, following their epic 3-0 sweep over world champions England at home den earlier this month. Paul Stirling will lead the Ireland side in T20 series after regular captain Andrew Balbirnie was given rest. Ireland believes the format, which suits them more than the ODI, will give them an opportunity to hit back into winning way.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Line Ups: Bangladesh: Liton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ireland: Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Craig Young, Graham Hume and Ben White. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 08:42:04', '2023-03-27 08:42:04'),
(6030, 6030, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou departed for a 12-day tour of China Monday, a day after Taiwan lost another of its 14 diplomatic partners to China.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The ex-president is visiting in a private capacity, bringing a delegation of academics and college students for exchanges, as well as members of his family, but the trip is loaded with political meaning.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma’s policies brought Taiwan and Beijing to their closest relationship ever, but his exit from office was overshadowed by massive protests against a trade deal with the mainland and his successor has focused on defending the autonomy of the democratically-governed island that China claims as part of its own territory.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma’s visit comes amid rising tensions. Beijing has exerted a long-standing campaign of pressure against Taiwan, poaching its diplomatic allies while also sending military fighter jets flying toward the island on a near daily basis. On Sunday, Honduras established diplomatic relations with China, leaving Taiwan with only 13 countries that recognize it as a sovereign state.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma, a member of the opposition Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang), will land in Shanghai before starting his visit in nearby Nanjing. He is expected to tour the mainland from March 27 to April 7, stopping in Wuhan and Changsha, as well as other cities. He is bringing college students from Taiwan to meet with fellow students from Shanghai’s Fudan University and Changsha’s Hunan University.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma has framed the visit as a bid to lower the tensions in cross-strait relations through people to people exchange. “I hope through the enthusiasm of the youth and their interactions to improve the cross-strait mood, so bring peace faster, and earlier,” he said to reporters ahead of his departure on Monday afternoon. He also said it would be his first time visiting China.</div><div><br></div><div>His trip has not drawn much controversy in Taiwan, where the public is used to seeing Kuomingtang politicians visit China. However, it has been criticized by some political opponents and activists.</div><div><br></div><div>A former mainland student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen square protests called on Ma to cancel his trip. “If you have even a strand of affection for Taiwan ... you should announce the cancelation of your trip,” said Wang Dan, a Chinese dissident who previously lived in Taiwan, on his Facebook page.</div><div><br></div><div>A handful of protesters from a pro-independence group held a demonstration at the departures area at Taoyuan airport before Ma’s departure. “Ma Ying-jeou is humiliating our nation and forfeiting its sovereignty,” they shouted before police carried them out. “You are a stinky beggar.”</div><div><br></div><div>On the other side, a small group of people from the pro-unification camp also came to the airport to show their support. “Cross-strait relations are like flowers blossoming in spring and both sides are a family,” they shouted.</div><div><br></div><div>The trip is also a chance for him to honor his ancestors, ahead of Tomb Sweeping Day on April 5. During the festival, which is celebrated in Taiwan and China among other countries, families visit ancestral graves to maintain the burial grounds and remember the dead.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma will not go to Beijing, but may meet with Chinese officials.</div><div><br></div><div>Ma met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore in 2015, while he was still in office. The meeting was the first between the leaders of the two sides since Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 during the Chinese civil war, but was considered more symbolic than substantive.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2016, the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won national elections and Beijing cut off contact with Taiwan’s government, citing President Tsai Ing-wen’s refusal to endorse the idea that Taiwan and China are one country. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 09:44:43', '2023-03-27 09:44:43'),
(6031, 6031, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Health Minister Zahid Maleque said doctors would be allowed to practice at public hospitals taking fees from March 30, after their scheduled office time.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Doctors of public hospitals can see patients taking fees from 3pm to 6pm,\" he told reporters after a meeting on finalizing institutional practice policy-2023 in the conference room of the health ministry, an official release said.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretary of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Md Azizur Rahman, Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and director general of the Directorate General of Medical Education Prof Dr Md Tito Mia, among others, were present at the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said under pilot project, the government will introduce the institutional practice at 10 districts and 20 upazilas from March 30.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"In order to provide better healthcare services at district and upazila level hospitals at reasonable cost, we decided to allow institutional practices,\" he said, adding relevant organizations and platforms of medical professionals including Bangladesh Medical Association joined the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>The government has taken decision for introducing the institutional practices of doctors in a limited scale and it will be expanded in large scale after reviewing outcome of the pilot project, Maleque added.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Under the institutional practice programme, Taka 400 has been fixed for professors, Taka 300 for associate professors and Taka 200 for junior consultants, reports BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>The health minister also said that the government has also fixed the fees of different medical testing services at those hospitals under the pilot programme.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 13:24:28', '2023-03-27 13:24:28'),
(6032, 6032, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">University of South Alabama (USA) Faculty Senate President Delaware Arif today made a courtesy call on Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni at her official residence here.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>During the call on, they discussed on the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the University of South Albama and the Bangladesh government on enhancing mutual cooperation.</div><div><br></div><div>The visiting US faculty senate president also praised the initiatives which have already been taken by the present government for building the next generation of the country as the world worthy citizens. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 14:09:10', '2023-03-27 14:09:10'),
(6033, 6033, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Emmanuel Macron summoned government ministers for a crisis meeting on Monday, as tensions ran high a day before another major day of strikes and protests against his pension reforms.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Nearly two weeks after Macron rammed the new law through parliament using a special provision sidestepping any vote, unions have vowed no let-up in mass protests to get the government to back down.</div><div><br></div><div>They have called for another big day of action on Tuesday, the 10th such mobilisation since protests started in mid-January against the controversial law, which includes raising the retirement age to 64 from 62.</div><div><br></div><div>Macron, whose approvement ratings in opinion polls are at a low point, said last week he accepted the \"unpopularity\" that came with the reform.</div><div><br></div><div>His prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, meanwhile said that while there was no plan to drop the legislation, she was ready for fresh dialogue with unions.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We have to find the right path... We need to calm down,\" she told AFP in an interview on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Starting on Monday, Borne has scheduled talks over three weeks, including with members of parliament, political parties, local authorities and unions.</div><div><br></div><div>A state visit to France by Britain\'s King Charles III, which had been due to begin on Sunday, was postponed because of the current unrest.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Very big move\' -</div><div>Instead of hosting the UK monarch for a day of pomp and ceremony, Macron was instead due to meet Borne, other cabinet ministers and senior lawmakers for the crisis talks at the Elysee from 1:15 pm (1115 GMT), the presidency said.</div><div><br></div><div>Borne was to present the plan for consultations to the president at Monday\'s meeting, and then take it to Macron\'s allies and cabinet members, presidential sources said.</div><div><br></div><div>If unions accept her offer for talks, Borne is expected to put new measures on the table designed to ease the impact of the pensions law targeting physically demanding jobs, conditions for older workers and retraining.</div><div><br></div><div>But early reactions were not promising for the prime minister.</div><div><br></div><div>Laurent Berger, the head of the moderate CFDT union, who has taken an unexpectedly hard line against the pension reform, said he would accept the offer of talks but only if the reform was first \"put to one side\".</div><div><br></div><div>Berger called on the government to come up with a \"very big move on pensions\".</div><div><br></div><div>Left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon said on Sunday that there was \"a very simple way\" to return to peaceful relations, and that was \"to withdraw the law\".</div><div><br></div><div>The protest movement against the pension reform has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron\'s second mandate, with police and protesters clashing regularly in Paris and other cities since the reform was forced through.</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Highly disrupted\' -</div><div><br></div><div>Last Thursday, the previous major protest day, police reported 457 arrests across France and injuries to 441 police officers.</div><div><br></div><div>Government spokesman Olivier Veran called Melenchon and his party \"profiteers of anger\", while Green party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau accused Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin of stoking the unrest.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Paris mass transit operator RATP, metros and suburban trains will be \"highly disrupted\" on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Rubbish collectors in the capital are continuing their strike, with close to 8,000 tonnes of garbage piled up in the streets as of Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>France\'s civil aviation authority has told airlines at Orly airport in Paris, as well as the Marseille, Bordeaux and Toulouse airports, to cancel 20 percent of flights for Tuesday and Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>French police have meanwhile come under severe criticism for heavy-handed tactics during recent demonstrations.</div><div><br></div><div>The Council of Europe said on Friday that peaceful protesters and journalists had to be protected from police violence and arbitrary arrest.</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday the IGPN, the internal affairs unit of the French police, said it had launched 17 investigations into incidents since the protests began. Source: AFP </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 14:21:43', '2023-03-27 14:22:13'),
(6034, 6034, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh beat Ireland by 22 runs in the rain-affected first T20 in Chattogram Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, Ireland\'s target was revised to 104 runs in eight overs, but they could only manage to score 81 for five wickets, with Taskin Ahmed registering a career-best 4-16.</div><div><br></div><div>Ireland, who scored 18 and 14 runs off the first two overs bowled by Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman respectively, lost their first wicket in the third over when Hasan Mahmud removed Ross Adair for 13.</div><div><br></div><div>Taskin struck thrice in the next over, ripping through Ireland\'s middle order.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the match was interrupted by rain when Bangladesh had scored 207 for 5 in 19.2 overs, the highest T20I total in Chattogram.</div><div><br></div><div>After an hour and 23 minutes of delay because of rain, the pitch covers were removed. But it started raining again within three minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>After another 40-minute delay, the match restarted with a revised target for Ireland.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, put in to bat first Bangladesh reached 100 runs in just nine overs. Litton Das scored 47 off 23 deliveries before being caught by Harry Tector off Craig Young in the eighth over.</div><div><br></div><div>Rony Talukdar scored 67 off just 38 balls before being dismissed by Graham Hume in the 14th over.</div><div><br></div><div>Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shamim Hossain scored 14 and 30 runs, respectively.&nbsp; Towhid Hridoy scored a quickfire 13 off just eight balls.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Skipper Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 20 off 13 balls.</div><div><br></div><div>Craig Young was the most successful bowler for Ireland, taking two wickets.</div><div><br></div><div>The next two matches of the series will be played on March 29 and 31. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 14:45:29', '2023-03-27 14:45:29'),
(6035, 6035, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The first tea auction for 2023-24 auction year in the country is going to begin at Chattogram Tea Auction Center on April 17.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The second auction will be held on April 26 at Srimangal, the second tea auction center in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The decision was taken at a meeting of the Tea Sales Co-ordination Committee&nbsp; held with Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Ashraful Islam in the chair, said a press release here.</div><div><br></div><div>It was informed in the meeting that a total of 46 tea auctions will be held in Chattogram and 23 in Srimangal in the 2023-24 fiscal year.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking on the occasion, Asharaful Islam said that tea production and auction activities were normal in the country in the last auction year due to various initiatives taken by the Tea Board and implementation of various plans and sincere efforts of the tea industry stakeholders.</div><div><br></div><div>The Tea Board Chairman urged all concerned stakeholders to work in unison to keep normal the auction operations and the market of tea in the 2023-24 auction year.</div><div><br></div><div>BTB Member for Finance and Commerce Mohammad Nurullah Nuri, Deputy Director Muhammad Madhul Kabir Chowdhury, Marketing Officer Ahsan Habib, Assistant Director Mohammad Abdullah Al Borhan, Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh Chairman Shah Moinuddin Hasan were present, among others, at the meeting. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 15:16:52', '2023-03-27 15:16:52'),
(6036, 6036, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>US President Joe Biden has said his country made a commitment to finding long-term solutions to the Rohingya refugee crisis and holding perpetrators of the atrocities accountable.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“You set an example for the world of empathy and generosity in practice,” the US President wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>The US Embassy in Dhaka shared the letter on Sunday which was originally sent on March 21.</div><div><br></div><div>The US president said Bangladesh has opened its arms and welcomed nearly one million Rohingya refugees.</div><div><br></div><div>In a message to PM Hasina, Biden on behalf of the United States, wished her and the people of Bangladesh a happy Independence Day.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladeshis understand deeply the value of freedom and independence, as they fought courageously in 1971 to choose their own fate and to speak their own language, Biden wrote in the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>As Bangladesh approaches its next election, the US president said, he is reminded of the “deep value” both the nations place on “democracy, equality, respect for human rights, and free and fair elections.”</div><div><br></div><div>He applauded Bangladesh’s demonstrated commitment to protecting the most vulnerable as the largest contributor to peacekeeping operations.</div><div><br></div><div>“We thank Bangladesh for cohosting the Global Action Plan ministerial that significantly elevated the political commitment to end the global pandemic,” Biden said.</div><div><br></div><div>In over 50 years of diplomatic relations, the United States and Bangladesh have achieved a lot together – advancing economic development, strengthening people-to-people ties, addressing global health and climate issues, partnering on the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees, and committing to a prosperous, secure, democratic, and independent Bangladesh, said the US president. According to UNB reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas </div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-27 15:53:56', '2023-03-27 15:54:51'),
(6037, 6037, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 20 people were killed when a packed bus hit a bridge, overturned and burst into flames in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Monday, Saudi state media reported.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Ekhbariya TV said 29 other people were injured in the crash and aired footage showing the charred remains of the bus. It said the crash occurred when the vehicle’s brakes failed in southwestern Asir province bordering Yemen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The crash occurred during the first week of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk. Many people travel to enjoy nightly feasts with family and friends during the Muslim holy month. 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, '2023-03-28 03:53:01', '2023-03-28 03:53:01'),
(6038, 6038, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality is again in the \'unhealthy\' zone this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 193 at 9:20 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan\'s Lahore and Thailand\'s Chiang Mai occupied the first and second spots on the list, with AQI scores of 212 and 206, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and 301+ is \'hazardous\', posing severe health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 04:07:29', '2023-03-28 04:07:29'),
(6039, 6039, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mass shooters have killed hundreds of people throughout U.S. history in realms like stores, theaters and workplaces, but it is in schools and colleges where the carnage reverberates perhaps most keenly — places filled with children of tender ages, older students aspiring to new heights and the teachers planting the seeds of knowledge, their journeys all cut short.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a mass shooting is defined as resulting in the death of four or more people, not including the perpetrator, 175 people have died in 15 such events connected to U.S. schools and colleges — from 1999′s Columbine High School massacre to Monday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, in addition to other AP reporting:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">THE COVENANT SCHOOL, March 2023, 6 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 28-year-old female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville. The suspect also died after being shot by police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, May 2022, 21 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two adults, officials said. Law enforcement killed the attacker.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL, November 2021, 4 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A sophomore student is accused of killing four people and wounding others at his school in Oxford, Michigan, near Detroit. His parents are charged with involuntary manslaughter; authorities say they failed to secure a gun and ignored the mental health needs of their son before the shootings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL, May 2018, 10 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A shooter opened fire at a Houston-area high school, killing 10 people, most of them students, authorities said. The 17-year-old suspect has been charged with murder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL, February 2018, 17 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An attack left 14 students and three staff members dead at the school in Parkland, Florida, and injured many others. The shooter was sentenced to life without parole.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, October 2015, 9 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A man killed nine people at the school in Roseburg, Oregon, and wounded nine others, then killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MARYSVILLE-PILCHUCK HIGH SCHOOL, October 2014, 4 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 15-year-old used text messages to draw several cousins and friends to his cafeteria table at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state. He fatally shot four of them before killing himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, May 2014, 6 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 22-year-old college student frustrated over sexual rejections fatally stabbed or shot six students near the school in Isla Vista, California, and injured several others before he killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, December 2012, 27 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 19-year-old man killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Connecticut, then went to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six educators. He took his own life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OIKOS UNIVERSITY, April 2012, 7 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A former nursing student fatally shot seven people at the small private college in East Oakland, California. He died in prison in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, February 2008, 5 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 27-year-old former student shot and killed five people and wounded more than 20 others at the school in DeKalb, Illinois, before killing himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">VIRGINIA TECH, April 2007, 32 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 23-year-old student killed 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007; more than two dozen others were wounded. The gunman then killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WEST NICKEL MINES AMISH SCHOOL, October 2006, 5 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 32-year-old man entered an Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dismissed the boys, bound the girls, and fatally shot five of them before killing himself. Five others were wounded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">RED LAKE HIGH SCHOOL, March 2005, 9 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and the man’s companion at their Minnesota home, then went to nearby Red Lake High School, where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before shooting himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL, April 1999, 13 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two students killed 12 of their peers and one teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, and injured many others before killing themselves. AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 04:18:48', '2023-03-28 04:18:48'),
(6040, 6040, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The total number of recorded Covid-19 cases around the world has now surpassed 683 million.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the latest global data, the total Covid-19 case count is 683,393,282, while the death toll reached 6,827,486 this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US has reported 106,109,844 Covid-19 cases so far, while 1,153,816 people have died from the virus in the country — both highest counts globally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India logged 1,890 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 149 days, while the active cases increased to 9,433, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country recorded 2,208 cases in a single day on October 28 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death count has increased to 530,831 with seven deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the ministry data, the Covid-19 case tally was recorded at 44,704,147.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, France and Germany have registered 39,758,771 and 38,338,298 Covid-19 cases so far, occupying the third and fourth positions in the world number-wise, and 165,534 and 170,493 people have died in the European countries, as per Worldometer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh reported seven more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Monday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new numbers, the country\'s total caseload rose to 2,038,008, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the official death toll from Covid-19 remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported in Bangladesh. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 04:29:08', '2023-03-28 04:29:08'),
(6041, 6041, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">All the 20 landless and homeless families have become happy after getting homes for the first time in Char Asariadaha village (riverbed) under Godagari Upazila in the district.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They were given the houses with special design of earthquake resilient and portable in the fourth phase of Ashrayan-2 project to mark the Mujibbarsha very recently thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the benevolent works.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are vacant places for cultivating vegetables and other crops in the project area. The rehabilitated families will get scope of improving their living and livelihood condition through homestead gardening and rearing cattle, goat and poultry birds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Togora Begum, one of the beneficiaries, said they had to live in a roadside thatched house before getting the new one. She had to suffer a lot due to the lack of a house. But, the worst situation has changed now. She along with her family members are having happy days in the house.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I never thought that I would be an owner of a brick-built house,\" she said with a smiling face, adding that the house gave them a new life expressing deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her benevolent initiative.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another beneficiary Aklema Begum said she has attained permanent address with the noble gesture of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The PM\'s housing gift has enhanced our social dignity side by side with boosting the level of confidence as a whole,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There was no thought even in the dream of getting a brick-built house in the char area,\" said Farida Begum, another beneficiary, adding they had to live in a thatched house on other land for a long time in the past.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The four-member family is now happy after getting the house as they availed a permanent house for living.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sabuj Hassan told BSS that there was a big challenge in the field of building houses in the char area but the task has been successful through facing the challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Priority was given to widow, divorcee, bagger, persons with disability, ethnic minority and third gender side by side with other distressed people in terms of scrutinizing beneficiaries for their proper rehabilitation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared the Rajshahi district as freed from landless and homeless people through handing over homes to 4,321 families.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the fourth phase, houses were allocated to 8,314 families in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafaruallah said there were 31,930 homeless and landless families in \'KA\' class in the division. Already, 21,762 of those were rehabilitated in the first, second and third phases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of three districts-- Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj and Joypurhat-- and 32 upazilas were declared as freed of landless and homeless people in the division taking the number to 42, out of 67, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Main thrust of the initiative is to improve the standard of living, ensure basic education, health care and skill development on income generating activities of the beneficiary people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The floors and walls of the houses are brick-built as the roofs were made of corrugated sheet. The houses were made colorfully and eye-catching. The disaster resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has provided them with the houses to alleviate their poverty through giving shelters and human resource development activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;On behalf of Ashrayan Project-2 of the Prime Minister\'s Office, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has built the houses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Each of the semi-pucca houses with two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet, common space and veranda are built at a cost of Taka 2.59 lakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Commissioner Zafarullah said the construction of the houses is a laudable step of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All the government\'s line departments, including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, youth development, cooperatives, women affairs and social development, have started expanding their activities to the Ashrayan villages to improve the living and livelihood conditions of the settlers. 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, '2023-03-28 05:15:14', '2023-03-28 05:15:14');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6042, 6042, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Germany and Britain have delivered Western heavy tanks to Ukraine, officials said Monday, providing a key infusion of armored firepower that will aid Kyiv\'s battle against invading Russian troops.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tanks -- long an item on Ukraine\'s military equipment wish list -- were promised to Kyiv earlier this year and have arrived in time for an expected spring offensive by Ukraine\'s forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Ukraine gains conventional firepower, the Kremlin vowed to follow through on a plan announced by President Vladimir Putin to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, an initiative which has drawn widespread criticism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told journalists on Monday that Berlin had provided \"very modern\" Leopard battle tanks to Kyiv, with the defence ministry later saying 18 were delivered.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our tanks have made it into the hands of our Ukrainian friends as promised and on time,\" German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are joined by Challenger tanks from Britain, a spokeswoman for the defence ministry in Kyiv said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine\'s Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov had said earlier that he inspected a \"new addition\" to the country\'s forces -- Challenger tanks as well as Germany\'s Marder infantry fighting vehicles, plus Cougar armoured trucks and Stryker armoured personnel carriers from the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A year ago, no one would have thought that our partners\' support would be so strong,\" Reznikov said on Facebook.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Planned nuclear deployment -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western criticism of Putin\'s tactical nuclear weapon announcement \"cannot influence Russian plans\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking in a televised interview two days earlier, Putin said Moscow would station the tactical nuclear weapons \"without violating our international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday told the visiting head of the International Atomic Energy Agency that it was not possible to restore safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with Russia still in control, ahead of Rafael Grossi\'s visit to the site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Without the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and adjacent territory, any initiatives to restore nuclear safety and security are doomed to failure,\" Zelensky told Grossi, according to a statement from the presidency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Grossi is expected to visit the nuclear plant later this week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I met Zelensky today in Zaporizhzhia City and had a rich exchange on the protection of the Zaporizhzhia NPP (nuclear power plant) and its staff,\" he said on Twitter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I reiterated the full support of the IAEA to Ukraine\'s nuclear facilities,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Missile strikes -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In eastern Ukraine, Russian missiles punched through buildings in the town of Sloviansk, killing two people in their cars and wounding more than 30, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A blood-stained cap lay at the side of the street, next to a parked car whose front seat was covered with blood and shattered glass.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police said the missiles were Russian-made S-300s, which are designed for air defence but have been used by Moscow to carry out ground attacks amid reported shortages of other munitions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Adviika, a battered frontline town in the eastern Donetsk region, a Ukrainian official said Monday that municipal workers were being withdrawn as Russian forces claim incremental gains nearby.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s a shame to admit, but Avdiivka looks more and more like a scene from post-apocalyptic movies,\" the head of the town\'s administration Vitalii Barabash said on social media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Therefore, a difficult decision was made to evacuate... municipal workers, who at least somehow tried to maintain the cleanliness and vitality of the city.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian forces have been working to capture the entire eastern Donetsk region for several months, with the focus of fighting centering on Bakhmut, north of Avdiivka. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 05:22:21', '2023-03-28 05:22:21'),
(6043, 6043, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>US President Joe Biden has no fears that Israel will devolve into civil war after weeks of unrest over a controversial judicial overhaul, the White House said Monday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The president believes that one of the great things about Israel is its strong history of democracy,\" White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In many ways, you\'re seeing the same traditions,\" he said, referring to the massive protests over the moves by the hard-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the United States has \"concerns\" about the Netanyahu government\'s plans for the judiciary, \"the president is not concerned that Israel was going to devolve into any kind of civil war,\" Kirby said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 05:26:07', '2023-03-28 05:26:07'),
(6044, 6044, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Mass shooters have killed hundreds of people throughout U.S. history in realms like stores, theaters and workplaces, but it is in schools and colleges where the carnage reverberates perhaps most keenly — places filled with children of tender ages, older students aspiring to new heights and the teachers planting the seeds of knowledge, their journeys all cut short.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a mass shooting is defined as resulting in the death of four or more people, not including the perpetrator, 175 people have died in 15 such events connected to U.S. schools and colleges — from 1999′s Columbine High School massacre to Monday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, in addition to other AP reporting:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">THE COVENANT SCHOOL, March 2023, 6 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 28-year-old female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville. The suspect also died after being shot by police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, May 2022, 21 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two adults, officials said. Law enforcement killed the attacker.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL, November 2021, 4 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A sophomore student is accused of killing four people and wounding others at his school in Oxford, Michigan, near Detroit. His parents are charged with involuntary manslaughter; authorities say they failed to secure a gun and ignored the mental health needs of their son before the shootings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL, May 2018, 10 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A shooter opened fire at a Houston-area high school, killing 10 people, most of them students, authorities said. The 17-year-old suspect has been charged with murder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL, February 2018, 17 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An attack left 14 students and three staff members dead at the school in Parkland, Florida, and injured many others. The shooter was sentenced to life without parole.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, October 2015, 9 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A man killed nine people at the school in Roseburg, Oregon, and wounded nine others, then killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MARYSVILLE-PILCHUCK HIGH SCHOOL, October 2014, 4 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 15-year-old used text messages to draw several cousins and friends to his cafeteria table at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state. He fatally shot four of them before killing himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, May 2014, 6 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 22-year-old college student frustrated over sexual rejections fatally stabbed or shot six students near the school in Isla Vista, California, and injured several others before he killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, December 2012, 27 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 19-year-old man killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Connecticut, then went to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six educators. He took his own life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OIKOS UNIVERSITY, April 2012, 7 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A former nursing student fatally shot seven people at the small private college in East Oakland, California. He died in prison in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, February 2008, 5 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 27-year-old former student shot and killed five people and wounded more than 20 others at the school in DeKalb, Illinois, before killing himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">VIRGINIA TECH, April 2007, 32 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 23-year-old student killed 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007; more than two dozen others were wounded. The gunman then killed himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WEST NICKEL MINES AMISH SCHOOL, October 2006, 5 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 32-year-old man entered an Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dismissed the boys, bound the girls, and fatally shot five of them before killing himself. Five others were wounded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">RED LAKE HIGH SCHOOL, March 2005, 9 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and the man’s companion at their Minnesota home, then went to nearby Red Lake High School, where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before shooting himself.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL, April 1999, 13 dead</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two students killed 12 of their peers and one teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, and injured many others before killing themselves. 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, '2023-03-28 06:38:04', '2023-03-28 06:38:04'),
(6045, 6045, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russia\'s defence ministry said Tuesday that its navy had fired test anti-ship missiles at mock targets in the Sea of Japan during military exercises.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s Pacific Fleet drills came a week after Tokyo\'s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In the waters of the Sea of Japan, missile boats of the Pacific Fleet fired Moskit cruise missiles at a mock enemy sea target,\" the ministry said on Telegram early on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said two ships took part in the exercise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The target, located at a distance of about 100 kilometres (62 miles), was successfully hit by a direct hit from two Moskit cruise missiles.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow said its naval aviation oversaw the \"safety of the combat exercise.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, Russia said two of its Tu-95 strategic bomber planes performed \"flights in the airspace over neutral waters in the Sea of Japan.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bomber jet flights came after Japan\'s Kishida visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Japan has joined Western allies in sanctioning Russia over its offensive in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s far eastern Pacific coast is separated from Japan by the narrow Sea of Japan. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 06:50:57', '2023-03-28 06:50:57'),
(6046, 6046, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Met Office has predicted rain or thunder showers in parts of the country over 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Rain or thunder shower accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattrogram and Sylhet divisions,” said the Met Office bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The weather may remain mostly dry, with partly cloudy skies elsewhere in the country, according to the forecast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country, as per the bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 14.9 degrees Celsius in Tetulia of Panchagarh district while the highest temperature was recorded at 35 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi\'s Sadar upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The weather office recorded the highest 16 mm rainfall in Barishal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, a trough of westerly low lies over India’s West Bengal and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over the South Bay.&nbsp; 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, '2023-03-28 06:57:42', '2023-03-28 06:57:42'),
(6047, 6047, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Actor Allu Arjun, who is currently busy with the shoot of Pushpa: The Rule, on Tuesday took to Instagram to share a note as he completed 20 years in the industry. He went on to express his gratitude for all the people who shaped his career and particularly remembered the love of his fans. He made his acting debut with a lead role in 2003 Telugu romantic drama Gangotri, which was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. The film released in theatres on March 28.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“Today, I complete 20 years in the film industry. I am extremely blessed &amp; have been showered with love. I am grateful to all my people from the industry. I am what I am bcoz of the love of the audience, admirers &amp; fans. Gratitude forever (sic).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the comments section of his post, Samantha wrote: “There’s going to be fireworks soon (sic).” Reacting to Samantha’s comment, some fans wrote that they want to see them together as a pair. “We want to see you as a pair in a mass movie (sic),” one user wrote. “It is nice to know how you both admire and respect each other (sic),” wrote another. Singer Shreya Ghoshal wrote for Allu, “Congratulations to you! What a journey.” Australian cricketer David Warner also wrote, “Well done mate”. Actor Lakshmi Manchu wrote, “More power to you bunny!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the makers of Pushpa: The Rise, the second part in the film’s franchise, are set to release the first glimpse of the movie in the form of a teaser on the occasion of Allu Arjun’s birthday on April 8. The team recently completed filming a major schedule in Visakhapatnam in which they shot plenty of action sequences.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per reports, the makers have made a 3-minute-long teaser from the action sequences shot so far and plan to release it on April 8th to coincide with Allu Arjun’s birthday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The second part will focus on the face-off between Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil, who was introduced as the prime antagonist towards the end of the first part. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, who plays the character Srivalli. In the film, Allu Arjun was seen playing a lorry driver cum sandalwood smuggler. The film grossed over ₹300 crore worldwide. The film minted over ₹100 crore from its dubbed Hindi version alone. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 07:48:33', '2023-03-28 07:48:33'),
(6048, 6048, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said that the Election Commission (EC) invited BNP for informal meeting, not for any formal dialogue.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We sent an invitation letter to BNP as they can participate in informal discussion, not formal dialogue,” said the CEC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said these while talking to reporters at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have not invited them for dialogue. Dialogue is a formal matter,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Thursday, the CEC sent a demi-official letter to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for taking part in a views-exchange meeting on the next national election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Current EC, led by Awal, held two rounds of talks with the political parties since its formation last year. However, BNP and some other political parties did not participate in the talks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mirza Fakhrul on Saturday said the Election Commission\'s (EC’s) letter inviting BNP to talks is nothing but the latest strategy of the government to hold another election depriving people of their voting rights. 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, '2023-03-28 07:57:08', '2023-03-28 07:57:08'),
(6049, 6049, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A huge landslide swept over an Andean community in central Ecuador, burying dozens of homes, killing at least seven people and sending rescuers on a frantic search for survivors, authorities said Monday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier in the day, officials had reported 16 deaths, but President Guillermo Lasso put the confirmed toll at seven as he arrived Monday night at the scene of the disaster in Alausí, about 137 miles south of the capital, Quito. Officials also raised the number of people reported missing to 62.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lasso lamented the tragedy and promised people in the town that “we will continue working\" on the search effort.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretariat said more than 30 people were rescued after the mountainside collapsed around 10 p.m. Sunday. It said 23 people were injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My mother is buried\" under the mud, said Luis Ángel González, 58, who also lost other family members Sunday. \"I am so sad, devastated. There is nothing here, no houses, no anything. We are homeless (and) without family.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The risk management agency estimated 500 people and 163 homes were affected by the disaster, which also destroyed a portion of the Pan-American Highway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The governor of Chimborazo, Ivan Vinueza, told The Associated Press that some of the injured were taken to area hospitals. He said officials had urged people to evacuate the area after landslides and cracks began to develop about two months ago. Some followed the advice, and by Saturday, as tremors intensified, others fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Area residents told local media they heard tremors on the mountain before the landslide, which was estimated to be about 150 meters (490 feet) wide and nearly a half mile (700 meters) long. It swept away trees, homes and other buildings. More than fifty houses were buried under tons of mud of debris.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The emergency response agency said 60% of potable water service in the area was affected by the landslide. The communication’s office of the presidential office said some schools would be switching to online classes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Firefighters from a half dozen cities were dispatched to the area to help. Rescuers focused on the flanks of the landslide where they found traces and debris of houses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuer and paramedic Alberto Escobar said it was unlikely more survivors would be found because of the time that had elapsed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the search would continue as long as it did not rain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video from cameras connected to the country’s emergency service network showed people fleeing their homes with help from neighbors. It also showed people transporting appliances and other belongings in vehicles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Survivors, many housed in temporary shelters, cried over their misfortune.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among them was the Zuña family, who were staying at the Iglesia Matriz de Alausí, where rooms for catechism or parish meetings were adapted with bunk beds days ago after authorities declared an emergency in the area due to the risk of landslides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sonia Guadalupe Zuña said her mother was reluctant to leave what they had built over the years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We went to the shelter, but my mother didn’t want to,” Zuña said. “Later, my daughter went to convince her. When they walked along the rails, everything collapsed. They arrived covered in dirt and crying.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Save for the clothes they had on, Zuña\'s family lost everything.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I don’t know where, but we’re all leaving,\" she said crying. \"My parents taught us that by working hard, you get material things, but being together is priceless.” 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, '2023-03-28 08:07:12', '2023-03-28 08:07:12'),
(6050, 6050, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Director General of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) AHM Shafiquzzaman said that the price of broiler chicken has been reduced by Taka 100 per kilogram due to the countrywide drive and vigilance by the Directorate.</span><br></b></div><div><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div>He also claimed that the market for essential commodities has remained stable this year.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Talking to journalists, Shafiquzzaman said that the price of broiler chicken went up abruptly and it was being sold at Taka 280 per kg. \"In this regard, we conducted drives, sat with the business people and took various initiatives. As a result, poultry chicken is now being sold at Taka 180 per kg,\"</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Claiming that the market for essential items remains stable during the holy month of Ramadan, he said that the Directorate has been conducting drives in various parts of the country every day, while such kind of drive would continue throughout this month to keep the kitchen market stable.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Urging valued consumers not to resort to \'panic buying\', the DNCRP director general said the consumers must become more responsible to keep the market stable.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>If any consumer falls victim of cheating, he suggested the consumers make a complaint to the directorate saying that a hearing will be held on each complaint.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Referring to the allegation of selling clothes at hiked prices through changing the tag or sticker, the director general said that they would sit with the business community on Thursday so that such an incident could not take place this time. He also cautioned that stern action would be taken if such an allegation is proved against any business entity or businessman.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>It is mentionable that following an abnormal price hike for broiler chicken, the DNCRP had recently sat with four big companies, like Kazi Farms Ltd, CP Bangladesh, Aftab Multipurpose Farms Ltd and Paragon Poultry and Hatchery Ltd. During the meeting, the companies announced to reduce the price of poultry chicken. After that, the price of poultry chicken was reduced at retail level. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 14:57:31', '2023-03-28 14:57:31'),
(6051, 6051, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The political party led by Myanmar\'s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to face automatic dissolution by the military-appointed election commission on midnight Tuesday because it declined to register for a planned general election it denounced as a sham.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Critics say the polls will be neither free nor fair in a country ruled by the military that has shut free media and arrested most of the leaders of Suu Kyi\'s National League for Democracy.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We absolutely do not accept that an election will be held at a time when many political leaders and political activists have been arrested and the people are being tortured by the military,\" said Bo Bo Oo, a former party lawmaker.</div><div><br></div><div>Suu Kyi, 77, is serving prison sentences totaling 33 years after being convicted in a series of politically tainted prosecutions brought by the military. Her supporters say the charges were contrived to keep her from actively taking part in politics.</div><div><br></div><div>The party won a landslide victory in the November 2020 general election, but less than three months later, the army kept her and all the elected lawmakers from taking their seats in Parliament, and top members of her government and party were detained.</div><div><br></div><div>The army said it acted because of a massive poll fraud, though independent election observers did not find any major irregularities. Some critics of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the takeover and is now Myanmar\'s top leader, believe he acted because the vote thwarted his own political ambitions.</div><div><br></div><div>No date has been set for the new polls. They had been expected by the end of July, according to the army\'s own plans. But in February, the military announced an unexpected six-month extension of its state of emergency, delaying the possible legal date for holding an election. It said security could not be assured. The military does not control large swaths of the country, where it faces widespread armed resistance to its rule.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Amid the state oppression following the 2021 coup, no election can be credible, especially when much of the population sees a vote as a cynical attempt to supplant the landslide victory of Aung San Suu Kyi\'s National League for Democracy (NLD) in 2020,\" said a report issued Tuesday by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group think tank.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The polls will almost certainly intensify the post-coup conflict, as the regime seeks to force them through and resistance groups seek to disrupt them.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The military government enacted a new political party registration law in January that makes it difficult for opposition groups to mount a serious challenge to its favored candidates. It sets conditions such as minimum levels of membership and candidates and offices that any party without the backing of the army and its cronies would find hard to meet, especially in the repressive political atmosphere.</div><div><br></div><div>The new law declared that existing political parties had to re-apply for registration with the election commission within two months after it took effect — by March 28 — and those that fail will be \"automatically invalidated\" and considered dissolved. It also says the party has to entrust its properties to the government if it is dissolved of its own volition or when its registration is canceled under the law.</div><div><br></div><div>The National League for Democracy rejected the law just days after it was announced, saying at the same time that the military-planned polls are illegal and amount to a \"sham election.\" It declared that any individuals and entities cooperating in the polls with the military will be deemed as accomplices in high treason.</div><div><br></div><div>Bo Bo Oo said that a March 21 meeting of the party\'s Central Working Committee reaffirmed the decision not to register, and considers the election commission and registration law illegitimate.</div><div><br></div><div>The state-run Myanma Alinn daily newspaper reported on Saturday that a total of 52 political parties had applied to the election commission for registration under the new law. Twelve applied to contest at the national level and 40 at the level of regions and states. The commission must approve their applications. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 15:00:32', '2023-03-28 15:00:32'),
(6052, 6052, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Alibaba announced Tuesday that it would split into six business groups in one of the most significant overhauls of a leading Chinese tech firm to date.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Hangzhou-based firm is one of China\'s most prominent tech giants, with business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence.</div><div><br></div><div>Daniel Zhang, the company\'s chairman and CEO, said in a statement that the restructuring would enable each separate business to pursue its own fundraising and public listing plans.</div><div><br></div><div>Alibaba claimed the moves were intended to \"unlock shareholder value and foster market competitiveness\".</div><div><br></div><div>Under the new arrangement, each of the six newly established units will be managed by its own CEO and board of directors.</div><div><br></div><div>A key exception to the restructuring is Taobao Tmall Commerce Group -- the operator of one of China\'s top online purchasing platforms -- which will remain wholly owned by Alibaba Group.</div><div><br></div><div>Zhang will remain in his post as CEO of the company, although day-to-day operations of the individual business units will be ceded to the new management bodies.</div><div><br></div><div>The company said the new structure would bring greater market visibility to the value of its diverse business operations.</div><div><br></div><div>These changes will not affect Alibaba shares currently listed in New York and Hong Kong, the firm said.</div><div><br></div><div>Aiming for a more \"nimble structure\", the reorganisation will also involve cuts to the firm\'s middle and back office functions.</div><div><br></div><div>Recent years have seen the internet giant face unprecedented headwinds as Beijing has imposed tighter restrictions on the domestic tech industry.</div><div><br></div><div>Combined revenue at China\'s internet companies shrank by just over one percent to 1.46 trillion yuan ($212 billion) in 2022, the first contraction in almost a decade, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.</div><div><br></div><div>Alibaba founder Jack Ma has kept a low profile since late 2020, when a speech he made attacking Chinese regulators was followed by Beijing pulling the plug on Alibaba affiliate Ant Group\'s planned IPO.</div><div><br></div><div>Having ballooned into a sprawling corporate behemoth since its founding in 1999, the company has been seeking new ways to drive growth and reinvigorate its development.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the plan as a \"transformation\", Zhang said in the statement that it would make Alibaba \"more agile, enhance decision-making, and enable faster responses to market changes\".</div><div><br></div><div>Ma has been spotted around the world over the past two years, but made a rare public appearance in China on Monday after his fall from grace.</div><div><br></div><div>The celebrity entrepreneur has recently emphasised the need for Alibaba to embrace artificial intelligence technology, as new tools such as ChatGPT appear poised to reshape the global industry. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 15:09:33', '2023-03-28 15:09:33'),
(6053, 6053, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Chinese authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out at an abandoned refrigerated warehouse in the northern industrial province of Hebei, killing 11 people, the local government said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Cang County government said the blaze started Monday afternoon when the warehouse was being dismantled. Firefighters extinguished the fire at about 11 p.m. and rescuers recovered 11 people, but none showed signs of life, it said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>A relative of one of the victims learned from others who managed to escape that the 11 people were among 14 workers who were demolishing the warehouse, according to Jimu News, part of the Chinese government-owned Hubei Daily Media Group. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 15:13:20', '2023-03-28 15:13:20'),
(6054, 6054, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Popular Odia actress and singer Ruchismita Guru was found dead at his uncle\'s house in Bolangir district on March 26.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to several media reports, Ruchismita was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a room. Her body was sent for post-mortem on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The late actress\' mother told Odishatv that they had a quarrel over the preparation of \'aloo paratha\'. As per the report, her mother said that she had asked her to cook aloo paratha at 8 pm, but she said she would prepare it at 10 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>They had a quarrel over this and later, Ruchismita was found dead. Her mother also added that her daughter had attempted suicide earlier as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Reportedly, the cops have launched an investigation to find out the reason behind her mysterious death.</div><div><br></div><div>Ruchismita has acted in a number of music albums. She has also performed several stage shows. Source: India Times</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 15:17:24', '2023-03-28 15:17:24'),
(6055, 6055, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Cabinet on Tuesday in principle approved the draft of \'Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2023\' with a provision of two to seven years of imprisonment for hampering election observers and journalists to perform their “lawful” duty during the election.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The approval came from the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>“If anyone obstructs media workers and election observers to perform their lawful works, the person may face two to seven years of rigorous imprisonment,” said Secretary (Coordination &amp; Reforms) at the Cabinet Division Mahmudul Hossain Khan while briefing reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the draft law, an aspirant needs to clear all utility bills at least a day before the submission of nomination papers, otherwise the candidature would be canceled, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The aspirant needs to attach a TIN certificate and receipts of tax payment with a nomination paper as well, said the Secretary.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the existing law, now a person shall be disqualified for election if he personally has failed to pay the telephone, gas, electricity, water or any other bill of any service providing organisation of the government seven days before the day of submission of nomination papers.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the Cabinet in principle approved the draft of the Land Development Tax Act, 2023 with a provision to collect land development tax through electronic system in every fiscal year instead of Bangla calendar year.</div><div><br></div><div>“All land development taxes will have to be paid online,” he said, adding that the owners of less than 25 bighas (8.25 acres) won’t require paying tax.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahmudul said the Union land assistant officer (Tahsildar) will prepare a list mentioning the specific amounts of tax for every landowner and send the list to the assistant commissioner (Land) to display it in the latter’s office. If anyone is aggrieved with the amount of tax, the person can lodge an objection before the AC land and also the district collector. The district collector will dispose of it within 15 days, he noted.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cabinet approved the President\'s draft speech to be delivered in the special session of the 11th Parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>The Parliament will go into a special session on April 06 next to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-28 16:15:49', '2023-03-28 16:15:49');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6056, 6056, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The shooter who killed three students and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville legally bought seven weapons in recent years and hid the guns from their parents before carrying out the attack by firing indiscriminately at victims and spraying gunfire through doors and windows, police said Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The violence Monday at The Covenant School was the latest school shooting to roil the nation and was planned carefully. The shooter had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance of the building before carrying out the massacre, authorities said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspect, Audrey Hale, 28, was a former student at the school. Hale did not target specific victims — among them three 9-year-olds and the head of the school — but did target “this school, this church building,” police spokesperson Don Aaron said at a news conference Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hale was under a doctor\'s care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not known to police before the attack, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at the news conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If police had been told that Hale was suicidal or homicidal, “then we would have tried to get those weapons,\" Drake said. “But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or if (Hale) even existed.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tennessee does not currently have a “red flag” law, which lets police step in and take firearms away from people who threaten to kill.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Tuesday night, Tennessee\'s governor said one of the victims, 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been scheduled to have dinner after Peak taught that day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends,” Gov. Bill Lee said, adding that his wife once taught with Peak and another victim, Katherine Koonce, and the women and “have been family friends for decades.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hale legally bought seven firearms from five local gun stores, Drake said. Three of them were used in Monday’s shooting. Police spokesperson Brooke Reese said Hale bought the guns between October 2020 and June 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hale\'s parents believed their child had sold one gun and did not own any others, Drake said, adding that Hale “had been hiding several weapons within the house.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hale\'s motive is unknown, Drake said. In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Drake said investigators don\'t know what drove Hale but believe the shooter had “some resentment for having to go to that school.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drake, at Tuesday\'s news conference, described “several different writings by Hale” that mention other locations and The Covenant School.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked at a Senate hearing whether the Justice Department would open an investigation into whether the shooting was a hate crime targeting Christians, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said federal officials were working with local police to identify a motive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police have released videos of the shooting, including edited surveillance footage that shows the shooter\'s car driving up to the school, glass doors being shot out and the shooter ducking through one of them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional video, from Officer Rex Engelbert\'s bodycam, shows a woman meeting police outside as they arrive and telling them that all the children were locked down, “but we have two kids that we don\'t know where they are.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The woman then directs officers to Fellowship Hall and says people inside had just heard gunshots. Three officers, including Engelbert, search rooms one by one, holding rifles and announcing themselves as police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The video shows officers climbing stairs to the second floor and entering a lobby area, followed by a barrage of gunfire and an officer yelling twice: “Get your hands away from the gun.\" Then the shooter is shown motionless on the floor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police identified Engelbert, a four-year member of the force, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year member, as the officers who fatally shot Hale. The White House said President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Drake, Engelbert and Callazo to thank them for their bravery.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police response times to school shootings have come under greater scrutiny after the attack in Uvalde, Texas, in which 70 minutes passed before law enforcement stormed the classroom. In Nashville, police said about eight minutes passed from the initial call to when officers arrived at the scene.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Surveillance video shows a time stamp of just before 10:11 a.m., when the attacker shot out the doors. Police said they got the call about a shooter at 10:13. Aaron said in an email Tuesday that dispatch records show officers arrived on campus shortly before 10:22.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At about 10:24, officers engaged the suspect, the chief said during the news conference. Within two minutes of that, the suspect was down, according to the dispatch records.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There were police cars that had been hit by gunfire. As officers were approaching the building, there was gunfire going off,” Drake said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We feel, our response right now, from what I’ve seen, I don’t have a particular problem with it. But we always want to get better. We always want to get there in two or three minutes,” he said, adding that traffic was “locked down” at the time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Traffic was indeed stopped along a nearby two-lane road with a turning lane as police tried to weave their way to the school.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police have given unclear information on Hale\'s gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. After the news conference, Aaron declined to elaborate on how Hale identified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an email Tuesday, police spokesperson Kristin Mumford said Hale “was assigned female at birth. Hale did use male pronouns on a social media profile.” Later Tuesday, at the news conference, Drake referred to Hale with female pronouns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities identified the dead children as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The adults were Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The website of The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Her LinkedIn profile says she has led the school since July 2016. Peak was a substitute teacher, and Hill was a custodian, according to investigators.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Koonce was remembered as someone who would run toward danger, not away from it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I guarantee you if there were kids missing (during the shooting), Katherine was looking for them,” friend Jackie Bailey said. “And that’s probably how she got in the way — just trying to do something for somebody else. She would give up her own life in order to save somebody else’s.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, the school is in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville. It has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade and roughly 50 staff members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before Monday’s violence in Nashville, there had been seven mass killings at K-12 schools since 2006 in which four or more people were killed within a 24-hour period, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. In all of them, the shooters were males.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The database does not include school shootings in which fewer than four people were killed, which have become far more common in recent years. Last week alone, for example, school shootings happened in Denver and the Dallas area within two days of each other. 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, '2023-03-29 03:28:33', '2023-03-29 03:28:33'),
(6057, 6057, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin\'s stated plan to deploy nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, branding it \"dangerous\" talk.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is dangerous kind of talk and it\'s worrisome,\" Biden told reporters at the White House.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Kremlin leader announced on Saturday that he was ordering the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, run by fellow authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko as one of Russia\'s closest allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Washington has denounced the plan, which follows more than a year of Moscow\'s attempt to conquer pro-Western Ukraine -- a neighbor of both Russia and Belarus.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, US officials say they have seen no sign of Russia actually moving nuclear weaponry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They haven\'t done that yet,\" Biden said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 03:51:36', '2023-03-29 03:52:56'),
(6058, 6058, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dancing around a campfire in bright feather headdresses, a group of Indigenous eco-warriors prepares the painstaking process of planting the Brazilian pine tree, fighting to save the critically endangered species -- and their way of life.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Xokleng Indigenous group, who live on a threatened reservation in south Brazil, depend on the Araucaria angustifolia tree for food, use its medicinal properties to treat illness and consider it a central element of their spirituality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the majestic evergreen, also known as the candelabra tree, is dangerously close to extinction: just three percent of the forests where it was once found survive today, according to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Without the araucaria, the Xokleng do not exist,\" says Carl Gakran, a 32-year-old resident of the Ibirama-Laklano reservation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He is helping lead the effort to save the Brazilian pine by planting tens of thousands of seedlings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the tree goes extinct, \"our people and our culture are at risk of extinction, too,\" he says, wearing a traditional headdress of red and blue feathers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Standing up to 40 meters (130 feet) tall, with sweeping branches that fan out from the top, the tree lives to be about 400 years old on average.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its seeds, which resemble large pine nuts, are a staple food for the 2,200 Xokleng.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it is also prized by loggers for its quality wood -- helping drive it toward extinction, along with the clear-cutting of forests for farmland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alarmed by its decline, Gakran and his wife, Gape, founded an organization to save it: the Zag Institute, after the Xokleng word for the tree.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This is our mother, our sacred tree,\" says Gape, 36, wearing a headdress similar to her husband\'s and nursing her baby daughter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"And we are its guardians.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Protection ritual -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They estimate they have planted more than 50,000 seedlings so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is a delicate, time-consuming and highly ritualized process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The seeds take around a year to germinate. Once planted, a young tree takes 12 to 15 years to produce seeds of its own.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before planting them, the Xokleng perform a ritual, singing and dancing around a campfire to call for the seedlings\' protection.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like many Indigenous peoples in Brazil, the Xokleng have suffered decades of persecution and the encroachment of farmers and loggers on their land.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their reservation, which they share with the Guarani and Kaigang peoples, is at the center of a massive legal dispute in Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The territory partly lost its protected status when a court ruled the Indigenous groups did not have the right to claim territory where they were not present in 1988, the year Brazil\'s current constitution was ratified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Indigenous groups argue they were forced to leave by Brazil\'s military regime (1964-1985), and still have rightful claim to their ancestral lands.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The case became top news under far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), who left office in December having followed through on his vow not to allow \"one more centimeter\" of Indigenous reservations in Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has been appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, whose ruling could establish a precedent for all Indigenous lands in Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Xokleng see planting araucarias as another form of resistance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I learned from my grandparents that Indigenous peoples are born to protect the land. We\'re the guardians of the Earth, the forests and the araucarias,\" says Carl.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We need everyone\'s help to protect them.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 03:58:38', '2023-03-29 03:58:38'),
(6059, 6059, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UN General Assembly on Wednesday is expected to adopt a resolution calling for a top court to outline legal obligations related to climate change, an \"unprecedented challenge of civilizational proportions.\"</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pushed for years by Vanuatu and Pacific islander youth, the measure asks the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to lay out nations\' obligations for protecting Earth\'s climate, and the legal consequences they face if they don\'t.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the resolution passes -- as is widely expected since more than half of UN member states have co-sponsored it -- Vanuatu\'s Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau told AFP he will be \"elated.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Global warming is en route to Armageddon,\" warned the leader, whose Pacific nation faces rising sea-levels and experienced back-to-back cyclones earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that leaders must \"react very quickly, urgently\" to address the climate crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government of Vanuatu started lobbying for the climate resolution in 2021, after a campaign initiated by a group of students from a university in Fiji in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Co-sponsored by some 120 nations, the resolution asks the ICJ to clarify the \"obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A week ago, the UN\'s panel of climate experts (IPCC) warned that global average temperatures could reach 1.5C above the pre-industrial era by as early as 2030-2035, underlining the need for drastic action this decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While nations have no legal obligation under the Paris Agreement to meet emission reduction targets, backers of the new climate resolution hope other instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, could offer some pathways for enforcement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ICJ opinions are not binding, but they carry significant legal and moral weight, and are often taken into account by national courts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The future ruling \"will serve as an important accountability tool,\" Harjeet Singh of Climate Action Network, an international NGO, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He hailed the resolution\'s apparent success as \"potentially one of the biggest climate diplomacy and multilateral successes in the recent past.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His enthusiasm however is not shared by all.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I don\'t see anything useful that the Court could say. On the other hand, I see scenarios where this request would be counterproductive,\" Benoit Mayer, a specialist in international law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He warned of a possible \"disaster scenario,\" if the ICJ opinion is \"clear and precise, but contrary to what the supporters of the request wanted.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Particularly vulnerable\' islands -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another unknown factor is the position of the two largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, China and the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During negotiations on the Paris Agreement, US diplomats secured the addition of a clause specifying that the text \"does not involve or provide a basis for any liability or compensation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is a critical issue in the debate over paying for the so-called \"loss and damage\" costs borne by the poorest countries, which have contributed the least to global warming.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN resolution notably asks the ICJ to clarify the \"legal consequences\" for states which \"have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It specifically asks the court to weigh obligations to \"small island developing States,\" which are \"particularly vulnerable\" to climate change, as well as obligations to future generations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the UN considers the resolution on Wednesday, it will be a \"test moment for states around the world to really show where they stand,\" said Nikki Reisch, of the Center for international environmental law (Ciel).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It will also be an emotional day for the Pacific youth, who spearheaded the initiative.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This was an opportunity to do something bigger than ourselves, bigger than our fears, something important for our future,\" said Cynthia Houniuhi, president of the group Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 04:05:21', '2023-03-29 04:05:21'),
(6060, 6060, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Undeterred by a crowded Gulf market, Saudi Arabia is going all in on an aggressive aviation expansion, with a massive jet order and the launch of a new national carrier.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The project aligns with a bid to remake the once closed-off kingdom as a business and tourism magnet, but analysts say that even with official backing, its path to success is complicated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This month Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia\'s de facto ruler, unveiled Riyadh Air, the new airline which is intended to transform the capital into \"a gateway to the world\", according to state media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two days later, officials said Riyadh Air and Saudia, the kingdom\'s existing flag-carrier based in Jeddah, would purchase 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deal, which the White House valued at \"nearly $37 billion\" with options for up to 121 planes, constitutes the fifth largest by commercial value in Boeing\'s history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Riyadh Air\'s chief executive, Tony Douglas, told AFP that the airline would serve the international, regional and domestic markets -- putting it in direct competition with Gulf heavyweights Emirates and Qatar Airways.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That raises hard questions about how Riyadh Air will grab market share, especially at a time when long-haul non-stop flights that avoid the Middle East altogether are on the rise, said independent aviation analyst Alex Macheras.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Replicating and then building on the successful business models of Gulf airline neighbours is going to be tricky in a crowded market where passengers are spoilt for choice,\" Macheras said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- New role for Riyadh -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudia, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, was founded in 1945, receiving its first jet as a gift from US President Franklin Roosevelt.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the time, instead of Riyadh, foreigners were more likely to enter the kingdom via Jeddah on the Red Sea coast, which remains the \"Gateway to Mecca\", welcoming millions of Muslims performing the hajj and umrah pilgrimages each year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign embassies did not relocate to Riyadh, in central Saudi Arabia, until the 1980s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These days, however, Riyadh is at the heart of Prince Mohammed\'s \"Vision 2030\" reform agenda intended to help transition the world\'s biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials talk it up as a rival to Gulf business hub Dubai, predicting that its current population of eight million will balloon to 15-20 million by 2030.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last November, officials announced plans for a new airport in Riyadh that is set to accommodate 120 million travellers per year by 2030, up from roughly 35 million today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The projected growth makes Saudia\'s current model -- in which it effectively has two hubs, Jeddah and Riyadh -- untenable, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Jeddah alone needs one airline to concentrate on it with the hajj and umrah... So you need an airline that is focused on Riyadh,\" Jadaan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new airline and airport reflect a mentality of \"if you build it, they will come\", said Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The question of what the demand side of this equation looks like has yet to be settled, but the Saudis must be pretty confident to push ahead with such a massive aircraft order,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Late to the party\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The convenient location of airports in the Middle East -- well-placed for flights to Europe, Asia and Africa -- has helped fuel their rise as major hubs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trade group Airports Council International predicts the region\'s airports will see 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, up from 405 million in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia is also launching NEOM Airlines, to be based in the planned $500 billion futuristic megacity of the same name.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Klaus Goersch, the airline\'s CEO, wrote in a recent blog post that it \"will be operational at the end of 2024\" and that NEOM itself could eventually become \"a global aviation hub\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saudi Arabia\'s expansion strategy hinges partly on tapping its roughly 35 million-strong population, which officials see as a major advantage over less-populated rivals like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But according to analyst Macheras, the Boeing order suggests Riyadh Air\'s vision is \"long-haul driven, which is consistent with its goals of operating as a transit hub carrier\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Competitors are taking note.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Riyadh Air will certainly eat up part of the market share in the region and the Asian markets in particular,\" said an official at Qatar Airways, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are poised to face a tycoon-to-be.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Perhaps Riyadh Air\'s biggest advantage is its owner -- the deep-pocketed Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which Macheras said will \"cushion what will inevitably be an incredibly capital-heavy first phase\" ahead of inaugural flights in early 2025.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It\'s clear the airline, although late to the party, thinks there is room for one more at the table,\" he said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 04:08:56', '2023-03-29 04:08:56'),
(6061, 6061, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Asian stocks were broadly up on Wednesday to buck losses on Wall Street, led by massive gains for Chinese tech behemoth Alibaba after it announced it would split into six business groups.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Hangzhou-based firm said the changes were intended to \"unlock shareholder value and foster market competitiveness\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Alibaba is one of China\'s most prominent tech firms, with operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">By 10 am Wednesday (0200 GMT), its Hong Kong-listed shares were up by nearly 14 percent. Its New York-listed shares were also up in the previous session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Investors could get hyped on the positive side in the short term,\" said Willer Chen, senior research analyst at Forsyth Barr Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Alibaba\'s shakeup plan may also lead investors to think of the potential for other tech firms like Tencent to follow suit.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Tencent and Baidu also advanced, as did Tokyo-listed Softbank, which owns a large stake in Alibaba.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">By mid-morning, the Hang Seng Index was up by more than two percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was up by just under half a percentage point, while Taipei and Bangkok also rose.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Shanghai and Sydney posted small losses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Following a flattish day on European bourses Tuesday, US stock indices finished modestly lower, shrugging off a better-than-expected consumer confidence reading.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The closely watched consumer confidence index increased in March to 104.2 from 103.4 last month, The Conference Board said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"While consumers feel a bit more confident about what\'s ahead, they are slightly less optimistic about the current landscape,\" said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director for economics at The Conference Board.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">All three major US indices declined, with the S&amp;P 500 losing 0.2 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The gains followed last week\'s rout over concerns that the turmoil in the sector -- which sparked the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse -- could hit other major institutions, such as German giant Deutsche Bank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, whose institution ramped up interest rates last week, sounded a note of caution over banking-sector upheaval.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"We are very vigilant. We are in a period of tension, tightness and alertness,\" he told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He added: \"My very strong view about the UK banking system is that it is in a strong position, both capital and liquidity wise.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">- Key figures around 0215 GMT -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.39 percent at 27,625.99</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.06 percent at 20,191.68</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.16 percent at 3,240.21</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 7,484.25 (close)</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 32,394.25 (close)</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0839 from $1.0850</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2328 from $1.2341</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Euro/pound: UP at 87.92 from 87.89 pence</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Dollar/yen: UP at 131.63 yen from 130.90 yen</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.59 percent at $73.63 per barrel</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.33 percent at $78.91 per barrel</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">-- Bloomberg News contributed to this story - AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 04:17:37', '2023-03-29 04:17:37'),
(6062, 6062, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least thirteen Bangladeshi pilgrims were killed and 17 others were injured in an accident that killed around 24 omrah hajj pilgrims and injured around 23 people at the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia on Monday, said an official of Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Shahidul Islam, son of Shariat Ulla in Senbagh, Noakhali district, Mamun Mia, son of Abdul Awal and Russel Molla of Muradnagar in Cumilla district, Mohammad Helal of Noakhali district, Sabuj Hossain of Laxmipur district, Md Asif and Sifat Ullah of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar district, Md Imam Hossain Rony, son of Abdul Latif in Gazipur district, Ruk Mia, son of Kalu Mia of Chandpur district, Gias Hamid of Debidwar in Cumilla district, Mohammad Nazmul, son of Kawsar Mia and Rony, son of Iskandar of Jashore district and Mohammad Hossain of Cox’s Bazar district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 24 people died and 23 others were injured in a bus accident on Monday in Saudi Arabia, authorities said..</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bus was carrying 47 omrah hajj pilgrims to Makkah and among them thirty-five passengers were Bangladeshi nationals, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accident occurred in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province - around 650 km away from Jeddah - at around 4:00 PM on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to media reports, the bus collided with a bridge following a breake failure, overturned and burst into flames.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hospital authorities said that it is very difficult to determine the nationality due to the burning and disfiguring of the bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A team of the Consulate was sent to find out detailed information about Bangladeshis involved in the accident, according to a press release sent from Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deeply saddened to receive the unfortunate news of death of thirteen Bangladeshi migrant workers and the injury of seventeen others in a tragic bus accident in the Abha district of Asir Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two officers of the Bangladesh Consulate General, Jeddah visited the area immediately after the incident and are trying to identify the victims and contact their family members in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its heartfelt condolences to the relatives of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident and remains connected with the wounded and hospitalised and is working for the early repatriation of the dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the horrific bus crash that killed around 24 omrah hajj pilgrims and injured around 23 people at the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, she prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed souls and quick recovery of the injured persons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She asked the Foreign Ministry officials and the Saudi Mission personnel to take necessary actions for recovering the bodies of Bangladeshi nationals and ensure proper treatment for the injured. 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, '2023-03-29 04:32:02', '2023-03-29 04:32:02');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(6063, 6063, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>A fire started by migrants in an apparent protest against deportations killed at least 40 people at a Mexican immigration detention center near the US border, authorities said Tuesday, prompting demands for justice.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blaze broke out late Monday at the National Migration Institute (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez, prompting the mobilization of firefighters and dozens of ambulances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The migrants were believed to have lit the fire as a demonstration because they feared they would be deported, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"They put mats at the door of the shelter and set them on fire as a protest, and did not imagine that it would cause this terrible tragedy,\" he told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed solidarity with relatives of the victims, and appealed to countries in the region \"to deal in a humane, just, effective manner with growing population flows through the Americas.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anger grew outside the detention facility, with relatives chanting demands for justice near a makeshift shrine dedicated to the victims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Every migrant has the right to be safe, to be protected,\" said Fran Martin Perez, from Venezuela.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Because we\'re not criminals,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Amnesty International said the fire was \"a consequence of the restrictive and cruel immigration policies\" of Mexico and the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"These devastating events lay bare a truly inhumane system of immigration enforcement. How is it possible that the Mexican authorities left human beings locked up with no way to escape the fire?\" said the rights group\'s Americas director, Erika Guevara-Rosas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Video raises questions -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video surveillance footage, broadcast by several media and authenticated by a government minister, appeared to show guards at the detention center leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants trapped inside.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We had this video since last night. But in order not to hinder the investigations, out of respect for the victims, we must be careful,\" Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez said about the images.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Venezuelan woman who gave her name as Viangly waited desperately for information about her 27-year-old husband.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A family member can die and they don\'t tell you he\'s dead,\" she said, her voice cracking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 40 immigrants were killed and 28 were injured, according to the INM, which said the center housed 68 adult males from Central and South America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dead and injured included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, Mexican authorities said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro told reporters that 28 citizens of his country were killed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a \"thorough investigation\" into the fire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He pledged \"to continue working with the authorities of countries where mixed movements of people occur to establish safer, more regulated, and organized migration pathways,\" a spokesman said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Unnecessary danger\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ciudad Juarez, which neighbors El Paso, Texas, is one of the border towns where numerous undocumented migrants seeking refuge in the United States remain stranded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fed up with waiting at the border, hundreds of the migrants attempted to storm an international bridge on March 13 but were blocked by US agents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Deteriorating conditions in migrant facilities along the border mean vulnerable asylum seekers are in unnecessary danger,\" the International Rescue Committee humanitarian organization said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Stronger systems along Mexico\'s migration corridors are critical to provide asylum seekers with the protection they need,\" it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said the tragedy was \"a reminder to the governments of the region of the importance of fixing a broken migration system and the risks of irregular migration.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Joe Biden\'s administration has been hoping to stem the record tide of migrants and asylum seekers undertaking often dangerous journeys organized by human smugglers to get to the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico into the United States each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 7,600 migrants have died or disappeared in transit in the Americas since 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of those, around 4,400 people perished or went missing on the US-Mexican border crossing route, according to the UN agency. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 05:17:41', '2023-03-29 05:17:41'),
(6064, 6064, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After her 2018 Koffee With Karan episode, fans started to assume that things might finally be well between Karan Johar and Priyanka Chopra. However, her latest appearance on Dax Shepherd\'s podcast, on which she spoke about getting bullied in Bollywood and having ‘beef’ with some people in the industry, has reignited the controversy.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the podcast, Priyanka said, “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break.\" Later, actor Kangana Ranaut tweeted that Priyanka was clearly speaking about Karan Johar. “This is what ⁦@priyankachopra⁩ has to say about Bollywood, people ganged up on her, bullied her and chased her out of film industry a self made woman was made to leave India. Everyone knows Karan Johar had banned her,” she tweeted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since, Kangana\'s tweet, many have been wondering what really happened between Karan Johar and Priyanka Chopra. Let us tell you that the feud started back in April 2012. It was also around the time that rumours of Priyanka\'s affair with Shah Rukh Khan were circulating. Karan, being Shah Rukh\'s and his wife Gauri Khan\'s best friend, was said to have been trying to ‘push\' Priyanka out of the scene. Later, one of Priyanka\'s friends gave an interview to Mumbai Mirror about Karan\'s treatment of the actor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"At a recent party, while he (Karan) was feeding her cupcakes, she heard rumours of him b*tching her out-all this is very hurtful,” a close associate of the actress told the tabloid. They also believed that a powerful clique of star wives was behind the anti-Priyanka stories. “Priyanka has done nothing wrong. If these women are insecure about their relationships with their husbands, they should sort it out with them, at home. Why should they attack her?” Priyanka\'s close friend had told the tabloid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upset at the story against him, Karan took to Twitter to share some fiery tweets without naming anyone. \"Using their hired PR machinery and hiding behind so called \'friends\' to get news into tabloids is nothing but spineless and lame,\" he wrote. \"Some people need to wake up and smell the KOFFEE!!! Get a reality check before it\'s too late!!! Grow up!!! and don\'t mess with goodness....,\" he further added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, soon after in September, Karan told Hindustan Times in an interview that all was well between him and Priyanka. \"Well, I can say that there is absolutely no problem between Priyanka and me\", he said, adding, \"We have had an extremely good professional and personal experience over the years. I hope it continues that way.\" HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 05:32:53', '2023-03-29 05:32:53'),
(6065, 6065, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the \'unhealthy’ zone this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 160 at 9:04am, Dhaka ranked seventh in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 253, 227 and 214, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered \'unhealthy\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be \'poor\', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the advent of winter, Dhaka’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns, and other sources. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 05:36:58', '2023-03-29 05:36:58'),
(6066, 6066, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Nur E Alam Siddique, convener of Swadhin Bangla Kendriya Chhatra Sangram Parishad and former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (1970-1972), is no more. He was 79.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former Member of Parliament passed away at 4:37 am today, confirmed his press secretary Aniket Rajesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Siddique was one of the leaders of Mujib Bahini.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noor-e-Alam Siddiqui played an active role in all the political activities of the time, including participation in the six-point movement and Language Movement. He was elected MP from Jashore-2 constituency as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League in the first parliamentary election of 1973.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He contested from Jhenaidah-2 constituency as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League in the 7th and 8th parliamentary elections of 1996 and 2001. 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, '2023-03-29 05:39:36', '2023-03-29 05:39:36'),
(6067, 6067, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his 100th international goal for the reigning world champions as they romped to a 7-0 friendly win over outclassed Curacao.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seven-time Ballon d\'Or winner Messi opened the scoring against the Caribbean island minnows on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It came 17 years after he opened his Argentina account in a 3-2 defeat to Croatia in March 2006.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 35-year-old soon added another just after the half-hour mark to make it 3-0, and then completed his hat-trick on 37 minutes with the fifth as Argentina toyed with their overmatched opponents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was his seventh hat-trick for the national team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You cannot describe Messi in words,\" said fellow goalscorer Nicolas Gonzalez.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He\'s the best in the world and he shows it match after match, day after day. Every time he touches the ball, he makes you smile.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi came into the game not just as his country\'s all-time record goalscorer, but with more goals than the next two top marksmen -- Gabriel Batistuta on 56 and Sergio Aguero with 41 -- put together.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This was Argentina\'s second match since winning the World Cup in dramatic style against France in Qatar in December -- triumphing 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw -- and it was always going to be about Messi reaching 100 goals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now with 102, he remains third in the all-time list, behind great rival Cristiano Ronaldo (122) of Portugal and Iran\'s Ali Daei (109).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Straight to the museum\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi had come up short on Thursday last week when he notched his 99th goal for the Albiceleste as Argentina toiled in their homecoming celebration match against Panama.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Central Americans had held out until the 78th minute before 21-year-old MLS sensation Thiago Almada broke their resistence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi then scored direct from a free-kick a minute from time -- his 800th goal in professional football -- in front of 83,000 delirious fans in Buenos Aires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Curacao, ranked 86th by world governing body FIFA, could only hold out for 20 minutes before Messi took a pass from Giovanni Lo Ceslo, cut inside his marker onto his weaker right foot and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The referee was then seen on live television throwing the ball to someone on the side of the pitch as DirecTV commentators speculated that it was heading \"straight to the museum.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three minutes later Gonzalez outjumped goalkeeper Eloy Room to head home from four yards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gonzalez turned provider as Messi scored the first of three goals in four minutes, this time with his left foot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He then laid off the ball for Enzo Fernandez to make it four with a shot from distance before Lo Celso released Messi behind the defense to notch his treble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Argentina took their foot off the gas in the second half, with only a generously-awarded Angel Di Maria penalty and close-range finish from Gonzalo Montiel adding to the score.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the 42,000 fans present remained in party mood throughout, waiting for their heroes to lift the World Cup trophy in front of them. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 05:44:10', '2023-03-29 05:44:10'),
(6068, 6068, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to transform land management into a digital one to put an end to the social and family problems regarding ownership of land and ensure hassle-free services.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Land distribution system has to be digitalised to specify the ownership of land and thus the family and social problems over the issues would be solved,\" she said while inaugurating the country\'s first-ever three-day National Land Conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that it is very common in society that both brothers and sisters deprive each other of paternal property resulting in attacks, killings and conflicts.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If a proper land management system can be ensured, the problem would be solved,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that her government has taken measures to protect the ownership of land of all the people staying at home and abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Your (countrymen) property will remain yours wherever you stay at home and abroad. We have taken measures to secure and protect your rights,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Premier said people must not experience hassle while getting land-related services, adding, \"The problem will not exist anymore as we are building a digital land system.\"</div><div><br></div><div>At the same function, the Prime Minister also launched seven innovative initiatives, such as the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Monument and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Guchhagram Complex in Laksmipur, Registration-Mutation Interconnection, Smart Land Map, Smart Land Records, Smart Land Pedia, Smart Land Service Centre and Modern Land Offices at 400 upazilas across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Each of the seven initiatives, taken by our Land Ministry, will play a significant role in building a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister asked all concerned to work with sincerity to render hassle-free and quick land-related services to the people.</div><div><br></div><div>Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, MP, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, and Law Secretary Md. Golam Sarwar, spoke at the function, arranged by the Ministry of Land.</div><div><br></div><div>Land Secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman PAA gave the address of welcome while Assistant Commission (Land) of Rajbari Sadar Upazila Nurjahan Akhter Sathi expressed her feelings on behalf of the assistant commissioners.</div><div><br></div><div>A video documentary on the activities of the land was screened at the function.</div><div><br></div><div>The aim of the conference is to highlight the role of the Land Ministry in building a smart Bangladesh and find out the future challenges of digitization of land services.</div><div><br></div><div>Other objectives of the National Land Conference include informing citizens, government agencies, and stakeholders about the steps taken by the Ministry of Land, creating awareness among them about land management, and giving an idea about the existing laws and regulations related to land. Source: BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 09:39:11', '2023-03-29 09:39:11'),
(6069, 6069, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has recovered the body a 10-year old girl, who was abducted while going to school on March 21, at Pahartali Wireless Chicken Farm area of the Chattogram city.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Body of Abida Sultana Ayoni was recovered from a pond early Wednesday and it is suspected that she was raped before murder, said PBI SP Nayeema Sultana.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime suspect in this case Rubel was interrogated and according to his information, Abida’s body was recovered from the pond, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Details will be revealed through a press conference today, said the PBI SP.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the case statement, the 4th grader was going to school on that day. When she reached Kazir Dighi\'s Sagarika Road area, local vegetable seller Rubel lured her to give kittens and abducted her which was caught on CCTV footage. Since then the girl remained untraced. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 09:51:13', '2023-03-29 09:51:13'),
(6070, 6070, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Wednesday has said that members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested vernacular daily Prothom Alo’s reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams in a case.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The minister came up with the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after an event at the ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>“Police can take measures if anyone being aggrieved seeks justice and lodges case at police station,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“However I am not fully clear about the matter but something happened centering the case,” the minister said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Terming the Prothom Alo’s report as baseless, he said, “You journalists through Ekattor TV reported that the baseless news was prepared with ill motive.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“I will inform you of the details after knowing all,” the minister added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Wednesday, Shamsuzzaman was picked up by CID members from his Savar residence.</div><div><br></div><div>Witnesses and family members said 16 Criminal Investigation Department (CID) members in plainclothes picked him up from his residence in Ambagan area adjacent to Jahangirnagar University around 4:30 am.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 10:39:55', '2023-03-29 10:39:55'),
(6071, 6071, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked to vacate his government-allotted bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane by April 22, days after he stood disqualified as a Lok Sabha member, Hindustan Times reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to the rule, a disqualified parliamentarian isn\'t entitled to a government accommodation, and is given a 30-day period to vacate the official bungalow.</div><div><br></div><div>This was Rahul Gandhi\'s forth term as Lok Sabha MP, first elected in 2004 from Uttar Pradesh\'s Amethi constituency. In 2019, he lost in Amethi to Union minister Smriti Irani, however managed to win from Kerala\'s Wayanad seat.</div><div><br></div><div>The Congress leader was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on March 23 after he was convicted for a two-year term in a criminal defamation case. According to the Article 102 1(e) of the Constitution and Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, when read together, a Member of Parliament can be disqualified if he or she is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years. The notice to vacate the bungalow was served by the Housing Committee of Lok Sabha.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 11:00:50', '2023-03-29 11:00:50'),
(6072, 6072, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three Rohingyas were killed on Wednesday after heavy chunks of mud from a hill collapsed on them while cutting a hill at Muhuripara in Ukhiya Upazila of Cox’s Bazar.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Two of the deceased were identified as Jahid Hossain, 23, son of Abdul Motaleb, resident of Rohingya camp east-1, Syed Akbar, 20, son of Md. Owares, resident of Rohingya camp-3. The identity of another deceased couldn’t be known yet.</div><div><br></div><div>Locals said, a team of Rohingya labourers were cutting a hill near Nesar Ahmed’s house.</div><div><br></div><div>Suddenly, some heavy chunks of mud collapsed on them, leaving the trio dead on the spot.</div><div><br></div><div>On information, police and a fire service team rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Mohammad Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Ukhiya Police Station, said that they brought the bodies to the police station, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The bodies will be sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 12:55:08', '2023-03-29 12:55:08'),
(6073, 6073, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Uttara South and Shewrapara stations of the metro rail are ready to open for commuters from March 31.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) has already taken steps to open these two stations, said sources of DMTCL, which operates the metro rail service.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>With the opening of Uttara South and Shewrapara stations, commuters will be able to enjoy the metro rail ride using all nine stations from Uttara to Agargaon.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"We\'ve formed two teams which will coordinate with the operation teams of the Uttara South and Shewrapara stations for operation,\" said a DMTCL official.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>On December 28 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country\'s first ever elevated metro rail, setting a 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 at Diabari in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>At present, the metro rail is operating its service from 8:30am to 12:30pm.&nbsp; - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 14:03:45', '2023-03-29 14:03:45'),
(6074, 6074, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh beat Ireland by 77 runs in the second T20 Wednesday in Chattogram to win the series with one match to spare.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Put in to bat first, the Tigers Bangladesh scored 202 for three after the match was reduced to 17 overs per side due to rain.</div><div><br></div><div>Litton Das and Rony Talukdar scored 124 runs in just 9.2 overs in the first wicket stand. Litton smashed 10 fours and three sixes to score 83 off 41 balls before falling to Ben White in the 12th over.</div><div><br></div><div>The wicketkeeper-batter Litton hit fifty off 18 balls, the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi in T20s. He broke the 20-ball fifty record of Mohammad Ashraful in 2007.</div><div><br></div><div>Talukdar, too, played a free-flowing knock of 44 off 23 balls before being caught by Mark Adair off Ben White.</div><div><br></div><div>After that, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy continued to pile on the runs. Shakib struck three fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock of 38 off 24 balls.</div><div><br></div><div>For Ireland, White was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets for 28 runs in his four overs. Adair also managed to pick up a wicket but conceded 52 runs in his four overs.</div><div><br></div><div>Chasing 203, Ireland failed to offer any resistance against Bangladesh\'s quality attack. The in-form Taskin Ahmed picked up the wicket of Ireland captain Paul Stirling off the first ball of the innings.</div><div><br></div><div>After Taskin\'s first wicket, Shakib bagged five wickets in his first three overs and returned the figures of five for 22 in four overs. With this, he became the highest wicket-taker in T20s, surpassing New Zealand\'s Tim Southee.</div><div><br></div><div>Shakib now has 136 wickets in the format in 114 matches while Southee has 134 in 107 matches. After Shakib\'s bowling spell, Taskin took two more wickets and took three for 27 in four overs.</div><div><br></div><div>Curtis Campher hit an unbeaten fifty off 30 balls for Ireland.</div><div><br></div><div>Both teams will now compete in the solitary Test in Dhaka, starting on April 4. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 15:40:33', '2023-03-29 15:40:33'),
(6075, 6075, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government will&nbsp; mechanise the agriculture through multipurpose rural cooperatives to boost production of food and other crops.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We are taking an initiative to mechanise the agriculture through multipurpose rural cooperatives system which was initially taken up by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister was addressing the three-day first-ever National Land Conference 2023 along with launching seven initiatives of the land ministry.</div><div><br></div><div>The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) with Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>The conference (March 29-31) will focus on the role of the land ministry in building a smart Bangladesh and to find out the future challenges of digitization of land services.</div><div><br></div><div>Other objectives of the conference include informing citizens, government agencies, and stakeholders about the steps taken by the land ministry, creating awareness among them about land management, and giving an idea about the existing laws and regulations related to land.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the 7 initiatives that the prime minister is set to inaugurate is the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Monument and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Guchchagram Complex.</div><div><br></div><div>The remaining 6 initiatives include Registration-Mutation Interconnection, Smart Land Map, Smart Land Records, Smart Land Pedia, Smart Land Service Center, and Union Land Office.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said that under the planned cooperatives system one portion of the harvest will go to the owners of the lands, one portion to the engaged labourers while one portion to the government.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that the government will utilise its portion for the land preservation and maintenance.</div><div><br></div><div>“Already, the cooperatives ministry has been instructed to make a policy regarding this matter. We want that,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said that there will be no demarcation separating one plot of land from another. But there will be no problem regarding the ownership of the lands as digital mapping will specify the ownership.</div><div><br></div><div>“Although there will be no demarcation, all lands will be cultivated collectively, as there will be digital map, ownership will be specifically indicated, owners will get their share as per their lands’ proportion,” she narrated.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM said that if this system is established the people of Bangladesh will never be poor and hungry and they will not suffer from food scarcity.</div><div><br></div><div>“We will not need to beg to anyone for foods, rather we will be able to help others,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Hasina said that from Pahela Boishakh 1430 (April 14, 2023) the land development tax across the country will be fully collected through online.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Awami League is the servant of the people as it emerged from the struggle to materialise the rights of the people.</div><div><br></div><div>“From the very beginning Awami League is continuing its struggle to establish the rights of the people. And while in power we are doing our job with the motto of serving the people,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that the government has taken steps to remove the land-related hassles that created problems among the family members.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Our aim is to ensure the welfare of the people. Many people face many problems while taking land related services, Inshallah in the digital and smart Bangladesh people will not suffer anymore. We want that all sorts of irregularities will be removed from Bangladesh.”</div><div><br></div><div>Recalling the arson attacks of BNP and its allies during 2013-15 period that killed many innocent people in the name of anti-government movement, she said that they burnt down 60 public offices, including six land offices.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Later the government built around 400 land offices across the country and in every upazila there is now modern land office with record preservation system.</div><div><br></div><div>“Their (BNP and Jamaat) job is to demolish while Awami League’s is to create for the welfare of the people. And our prime aim is to serve the people,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister put emphasis on the proper sharing of wealth and lands among the successors to avoid future complexities.</div><div><br></div><div>“The shares of the successors can be specified through digital means solving many family problems,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Anisul Haq, Law secretary Md. Golam Sarwar, Land secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman and Assistant Land Commissioner Rajbari Noor Jahan Alther Sathi also spoke at the programme.</div><div><br></div><div>Four seminars/panel discussions on various topics related to land management have been scheduled to take place during the afternoons of the day of inauguration ceremony and the following two days, according to the press release.</div><div><br></div><div>The second and third day events of the conference will be held at BIAM Foundation in the capital. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 16:15:54', '2023-03-29 16:15:54'),
(6076, 6076, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted by consensus and to cheers a landmark resolution calling for the world body\'s top court to lay out nations\' legal obligations in combatting climate change.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Together, you are making history,\" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, emphasizing that even if non-binding, an opinion from the International Court of Justice \"would assist the General Assembly, the UN and member states to take the bolder and stronger climate action that our world so desperately needs.\" Source: AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-29 16:30:42', '2023-03-29 16:30:42'),
(6077, 6077, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Rolling Fork, Mississippi on March 31, a week after it was devastated by a tornado that ripped through the southern state, killing at least 25 people.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The President and the First Lady will visit with first responders, state and local officials, and communities impacted by the devastation from recent storms, survey recovery efforts, and reaffirm their commitment to supporting the people of Mississippi as long as it takes,\" the White House said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The weather system, mixed with thunderstorms and driving rain, left a trail of havoc across the southern state late Friday, slamming several towns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Weather Service gave the tornado a rating of four out of five on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with ferocious winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a matter of seconds, Rolling Fork -- a town of about 2,000 people -- saw homes shredded, buildings flattened and cars smashed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A Red Cross official described Rolling Fork on Sunday as being \"like a war zone.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It looks like a bomb went off,\" said John Brown, whose organization has set up an aid center in the town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden on Sunday approved a federal disaster declaration for Mississippi, freeing up aid to help the state recover.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, gathered in the leveled town on Sunday afternoon, praising rescue efforts and pledging support \"for the long haul.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is heartbreaking to hear of the loss of life, to see the devastation firsthand,\" Mayorkas told a press conference held with Governor Tate Reeves and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) head, Deanne Criswell.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reeves, a Republican, thanked Biden on Twitter \"for recognizing the scale of the damage in Mississippi and quickly approving our disaster declaration -- a critical step in disaster response.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The severe weather also left a man dead in Alabama when he was trapped under an overturned trailer, as well as injuring dozens more in Mississippi, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tornadoes, a weather phenomenon notoriously difficult to predict, are relatively common in the United States, especially in the central and southern parts of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trip to Mississippi on Friday will be only two days after Jill Biden flew to Nashville, in the neighboring state of Tennessee, where she attended a vigil for the three children and three adult staff killed in a recent school shooting. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-03-30 03:32:26', '2023-03-30 03:32:26');
