Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has arrived in South Korea. She is the first immediate member of the North’s ruling family to visit since the 1950-1953 Korean war. She and Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s ceremonial…
Author: editor
US govt shuts down for second time this year
The US government has officially shut down for the second time this year because Congress failed to meet a deadline to vote on a new budget. Senators struggled with last-minute objections from Republican Rand Paul, but have now passed the…
Khaleda Zia verdict protested at JU
Dhaka, 08 Feb – Denouncing the verdict awarded on BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, a human chain was formed on Jahangirnagar University (JU) Thursday.
Angelababy walks the red carpet to Tussauds Hong Kong
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong on February 7 invited Angelababy (Yeung Wing) to unveil her world-first wax figure and became the first actress to join Fashion Zone. Angelababy wore a Dior glittering blue gown and stood side-by-side with her figure, attracting…
Fox still expects to win Sky takeover
The Murdoch-controlled 21st Century Fox has said it continues to expect UK approval of its Sky takeover, despite a provisional finding that the deal was not in the public interest. Chief executive James Murdoch said the firm was working with…
SuRie to represent UK at Eurovision 2018
Royal Academy of Music graduate SuRie will represent the UK at Eurovision 2018 with her track Storm. SuRie – real name Susanna Cork – was announced as the winner of Eurovision You Decide after a live ceremony in Brighton, broadcast…
Series of powerful aftershocks hit Taiwan’s Hualien
Aftershocks continue to rattle Taiwan after a strong earthquake that killed at least four people and injured more than 220 others. The powerful 6.4-magnitude tremor struck at 23:50 (15:50 GMT) about 20km (12 miles) off the island’s east coast. Residents…
Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully
US entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mammoth vehicle – the most powerful since the shuttle system – lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar…
Suu Kyi for democracy or Buddhist fascism?
By Maung Zarni Truths and totalitarianism are irreconcilable. They have never co-existed, they do not coexist, and they never will. Whatever the exterior – fascist, corporatocracy (government of, for and by corporations), military, communist, or theocratic – the regimes of…
‘This is why Uma Thurman is angry’
Actress Uma Thurman has detailed long hinted-at allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. In a New York Times article, she says Weinstein pushed her down and “tried to expose himself” at the producer’s hotel room in London during the 1990s,…
North provided ballistic missiles to Myanmar: UN
North Korea earned nearly $200m (£141m) last year by exporting banned commodities in breach of international sanctions, a UN report says. The report by a panel of experts said several countries including China, Russia and Malaysia had failed to stop…
Russian oligarchs in UK asked to explain luxury lifestyles
Russian oligarchs suspected of corruption will be forced to explain their luxury lifestyles in the UK, the security minister has said. As part of an organised crime crackdown, Ben Wallace told the Times officials could now seize suspicious assets worth…
Respect your elders—plants!
Danielle Nierenberg I had a very unique opportunity this week to join a group of entrepreneurs, chefs, scientists, advocates, writers, policymakers (including the very inspiring President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib), and other food and agriculture experts to attend a luncheon…
Fidel Castro’s son ‘takes own life’
The 68-year-old son of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, Fidel Ángel Castro Díaz-Balart, has died in Havana after taking his own life, according to Cuba’s state media. He was found on Thursday morning and is said to have suffered from depression.…
BD middle class potential yet to be fully tapped
Abdur Rahman Jahangir, UNB Staff Writer Dhaka, Feb 1 – Though Bangladesh has been witnessing a tremendous growth of its middle-class population over the last two decades, the full potential of this driving economic force still remains untapped, mainly for…
‘Remove Ithai Barrage on Loktak Lake’ in Manipur
Manipur – Loktak lake is the largest freshwater lake near Moirang in Manipur state. In local language Loktak means end of stream. The lake is referred as the “lifeline of Manipur” as it is highly productive and provides habitat to…
USA Gymnastics board to quit over abuse scandal
The entire USA Gymnastics (USAG) board has said it will comply with a US Olympic Committee’s (USOC) ultimatum to resign over an abuse scandal. The USOC earlier said the 18-member board must step down by January 31 or lose status…
Paris readies for floods
Riverside homes and businesses in Paris are on high alert as the swollen River Seine threatens to overflow its banks. Some basements in the city have already sprung leaks after the river surged following heavy rainfall, reports said. The Seine…
Museum offers gold toilet to Trump
New York’s Guggenheim museum has turned down a request from President Donald Trump to borrow Van Gogh’s work for the White House – instead offering him a gold toilet, media reports say. The museum apologised for not being able to…
Trump denies trying to fire Mueller
US President Donald Trump has described as “fake news” a report that he ordered the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller last June, but backed down when his own lawyer threatened to resign. White House counsel Donald McGahn said the…
This Valentines at Amari Dhaka
Dhaka, 25 Jan – This year Amari Dhaka has created an opportunity for one special couple to experience the most extravagant and unique date of all, a real Cloud Number 9 experience on top of the city. For the first…
MSU president quits amid gymnast abuse row
The head of Michigan State University (MSU) has resigned, hours after sports doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced for sexually abusing young athletes. Lou Anna Simon had been facing pressure to step down. Nassar worked at MSU between 1997 and 2016.…
Cook statue vandalised ahead of Australia Day
A statue of British explorer Captain James Cook has been vandalised in Melbourne in an apparent protest on the eve of Australia Day. The statue was found covered in paint on Thursday. Graffiti depicted an Aboriginal flag and the words:…
“The world has gone in reverse”
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage UN, Jan 18 (IPS) – A year into his position, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that peace remains elusive and that renewed action must be taken in 2018 to set the world on track for…
600 unapproved water jars destroyed in capital Dhaka
Dhaka, 22 Jan – The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, BSTI raided Motijheel and Paltan area in Dhaka to stop selling water in jars without its approval.
Water management is health management
Giulio Boccaletti London – With climate change accelerating and its effects exacerbating other geopolitical and development crises, the role of environmental protection in preserving and improving human well being has become starkly apparent. This recognition lies at the heart of…
US govt services closed as working week begins
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be unable to report for work on Monday, as the US Senate struggles to end a government shutdown. The shutdown began at midnight on Friday, when lawmakers failed to agree on an extension…
UK army chief warns of Russian threat
Britain’s armed forces would struggle to match the Russian army in battle, the head of the Army will say. General Sir Nick Carter will say the British Army’s ability to respond to threats “will be eroded if we don’t keep…
Kausalya fights over ‘low caste’ husband’s murder
In March 2016, a 22-year-old man was hacked to death in daylight on a crowded road in southern India for marrying a woman of a higher caste. His wife survived the attack and went on to testify against her parents…
Tablig Jamaat Ijtema second phase ends
Gazipur, Jan 21 – The second phase of Biswa Ijtema concluded on Sunday with the Akheri Munajat on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi, on the outskirts of the capital.