AP/UNB MEXICO CITY: The world’s happiest people aren’t in Qatar, the richest country by most measures. They aren’t in Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy. Canada, with its chart-topping percentage of college graduates, doesn’t make the top 10.…
Month: December 2012
Dhaka’s satellite launch uncertain
Bangladesh’s first-ever satellite launch project is facing uncertainty. About 20 countries, including the USA, France, Russia and Australia, have expressed displeasure about the satellite launching programme at the planned slot of 102 degree in orbit. Instead, they have asked Bangladesh…
US, UK refuse to sign UN Internet treaty
The US, Canada, Australia and UK have refused to sign an international communications treaty at a conference in Dubai. The countries had objected to calls for all states to have equal rights to the governance of the internet. But the…
Obama Time person of the year again
NEW YORK: Time magazine on Wednesday December 20 named the recently re-elected US President Barack Obama as its person of the year for 2012 — the second time it has accorded him this honor, says a message received in Dhaka.…
Mamata govt seeks Dhaka’s agriculture expertise
Overwhelmed by the success of Bangladesh in application of judicious use of nitrogenous fertilisers (Urea) in rice cultivation, Mamata government has decided to send a team of agricultural experts to Dhaka to have first-hand knowledge of the new technique of…
Doha negotiators made only incremental progress
World Resources Institute Expectations were low for this year’s UNFCCC climate negotiations in Doha, Qatar (COP 18), which concluded on Saturday 8th December. It was scheduled to be a “finalise-the-rules” type of COP, rather than one focused on large, political…
UNFCCC executive secretary on COP 18 outcome
Q: How did you get to the role you are in today and what advice would you give aspiring climate champions? Christiana Figueres: I have been involved in climate change since 1995. I started working as the head of an…
No oasis for climate in Doha desert
Climate Action Network-International The UN climate talks failed to deliver increased cuts to carbon pollution, nor did they provide any credible pathway to $100 billion per year in finance by 2020 to help the poorest countries deal with climate change,…
Possibility of majority voting within UNFCCC
Luke Kemp The UNFCCC has operated for almost 20 years without any agreed rules of procedure, having failed to establish any at the first COP. Consensus is simply an unofficial and poorly defined process used in the absence of official…
BPL player list released
A stark difference prevailed between the base prices of the international and local players in the preliminary list of players for the auction of the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 released yesterday. The players have been…
ACC files railwaygate case
Greenwatch Report The Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday filed a case against Enamul Huq, suspended security commandant of Bangladesh Railway Security Force, Dhaka Division, for his alleged involvement in the railway employment scandal and concealing information his wealth statement. ACC deputy…
ACC orders arrest of Padma Bridge scam accused
Greenwatch Report The Anti-Corruption Commission has given direction to arrest all the seven accused implicated in the case filed for corruption conspiracy in the Multipurpose Padma Bridge project. “Since the case is a sensitive one; we took the matter with…
Make cities more inclusive, sustainable, livable
Worldwatch Institute By harnessing an innovative mix of tools and approaches, governments can strengthen the economies of urban areas and improve their overall livability, according to research presented in the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable…
Khaleda accuses AL of killing 40,000 FFs
United News of Bangladesh Accusing Awami League (AL) of killing around 40,000 freedom fighters during its 1971-1975 rule, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday said the nation will one day put the ruling party on trial for the murders. “They…
8 of 12 Islamic parties distance from hartal
bdnews24.com Eight of the 12 likeminded Islamic parties on Wednesday announced that they had nothing to do with Thursday’s general strike called in the name of alliance for eight hours in Dhaka and from dawn-to-dusk elsewhere. The announcement came in…
No backing for independence opposers: India
bdnews24.com India has decided never to back those who had opposed Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971, its Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka said on Wednesday. Sandeep Chakraborty also said at a discussion that this position was taken at the…
60MW private wind power project for Cox’s Bazar
United News of Bangladesh The Cabinet Purchase Committee on Wednesday approved a number of proposals, including the setting up of a 60MW wind power plant in Cox’s Bazar in private sector. As per the proposal, a US-based company, ‘Taylor Engineering…
‘2 more Tipaimukh-like dams in offing’
bdnews24.com After Tipaimukh, India is again planning unilaterally to build two hydroelectricity dams on two common rivers in its Meghalaya state, and Bangladesh has expressed concern over it. The government has officially taken up the issue with the Indian authorities…
Padma fund uncertain despite graft case
Greenwatch report World Bank Country Director Ellen Goldstein has said the decisions by the global lender regarding future project financing and implementation in Bangladesh depend on the outcome of its external panel’s assessment. “World Bank’s Panel of internationally-recognised anti-corruption experts…
Tk 21,985 crore for overhead metro rail
United News of Bangladesh The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has approved the much-awaited Tk 21,985 crore Metro Rail project aimed at reducing traffic jam in the capital. The approval was given at the 9th Ecnec meeting…
Cultural deal with US sought
Bangladesh has sought US support to sign a deal on cultural exchange as there is no such agreement between the two countries to strengthen cultural ties. “Bangladesh has agreements with 39 countries on cultural exchange…but there’s no such deal with…
Manpower export to double in 5 years
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said that the annual number of manpower export to different countries of the world would reach 10 lakh annually in the next five years from the present five lakh a year, helping the remittance inflow…
Sustainable politics is the way out
Mostafa Kamal Majumder The historic Victory Day has been celebrated on 16 December in remembrance of the victory of our nine-month-long War of Independence on this day in 1971 over the occupation forces, that led the emergence of Bangladesh as…
Supporting climate-friendly agriculture
Worldwatch Institute This summer, record temperatures and limited rainfall parched vast areas of U.S. cropland, and with Earth’s surface air temperature projected to rise 0.69 degrees Celsius by 2030, global food production will be even more unpredictable, according to new…
School Nurse grieves Connecticut carnage
ABC News Blogs via Yahoonews Crouched in fear underneath her desk, Sally Cox, the Sandy Hook Elementary School nurse, watched gunman Adam Lanza through a small hole holding computer wires as he walked into the school’s office and faced her…
Global malaria battle stalls for fund crunch
Reuters via Yahoo Health Global funding for the fight against malaria has stalled in the past two years, threatening to reverse what the World Health Organisation (WHO) says are “remarkable recent gains” in the battle to control one of the…
Guidelines on media for more freedom: Inu
United News of Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu on Monday said work to formulate various guidelines is underway to ensure more freedom of the mass media. “The mass media are enjoying freedom in Bangladesh,” he said. The minister made…
BD-US air services accord
banglanews24.com A bilateral air services agreement was signed between Bangladesh and United States of America recently. Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air-Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain and Brian J Hedberg, Senior Negotiator, Office of the Secretary, US Department…
Japan expresses concern on BD politics
banglanews24.com The Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh has expressed deep concerned over the frequent observance of hartals with sporadic incidents of violence against innocent civilians. The concern came from a statement given by the Embassy in Bangladesh on Monday. The…
Tazreen fire probe finds sabotage
banglanews24.com The inquiry committee formed by the home ministry made five final and 16 general recommendations, including punishment of Tazreen’s owner Delwar Hossain. Convener of the investigation committee Mainuddin Khandaker Monday submitted the probe report to the home ministry. Mainuddin…