By Eliza Northrop Washington DC – On March 29, Papua New Guinea became the first country to formally submit the final version of its national climate action plan (called a “Nationally Determined Contribution,” or NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The…
Author: editor
Want to feel fit? eat falafel, dahl, cow pea and…!
By Osman Sharif Credit: Courtesy FAO Casablanca – This is not a minor issue. Chickpea, faba bean, lentil, common bean, field pea, mung bean, black gram, pigeon pea, cowpea, and grass pea are the major pulse crops produced globally. And…
Bangladeshi blogger killed in the street
New Delhi – Machete-wielding attackers in the capital of Bangladesh killed a 26-year-old writer Nazimuddin Samad — the sixth secularist writer or publisher to have been killed in Dhaka in the last 14 months.
Rampal plant construction deal this month, hopes power secretary
Dhaka – The EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract for the proposed 1320MW coal-fired power plant in Rampal near the Sundarbans will be signed this month, unb news agency reported.
Legality of tenants info gathering, dispose case by 31 May: SC
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday directed a High Court bench to dispose of petition by May 31, which was filed over the legality of collecting information from the tenants by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Implement convention on tobacco control, Govt urged
Speakers at a view exchange meeting Thursday called upon the government to immediately take effective measures to implement the article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to prevent the tobacco companies to influence the anti-tobacco activities.
Sagor-Runi murder probe report submission date re-fixed
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka on Thursday, once again re-fixed the date for submitting probe report in the Sagor-Runi murder case.
Khaleda asked to appear in court in Zia Trust graft case
A Dhaka court has ordered BNP chief Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 17 and defend herself in Zia Charitable Trust graft case. Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka’s Third Special Court issued the order on Thursday when…
30 indigenous crops promoting health, food security
Danielle Nierenberg According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), just twelve crops provide 75 percent of the world’s food. Three of these crops, rice, maize, and wheat contribute to nearly 60 percent of the protein and calories obtained…
ACC committee to see if Bangladeshis in Panama Papers list
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday formed a three-member probe committee to find out as to whether there was any name of Bangladeshi national in leaked Panama Papers on swindling money by influential quarters. Pranab Bhattacharya, public relations officer of the…
‘Panama Papers part of US plot to weaken Russia’
St.Petersburg – President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied having any links to offshore accounts and described the Panama Papers document leaks scandal as part of a U.S.-led plot to weaken Russia. Putin also defended a cellist friend named as the…
DoE fines four factories Tk 1.4cr
Dhaka – As part of its anti-pollution drive, the Department of Environment has fined four factories a total of Tk 1.40 crore for harming the environment in Dhaka and Narayanganj.
Protect activists as per their wishes, AI tells Dhaka
Dhaka – The Amnesty International has said Bangladesh authorities must ensure that those activists and writers now under threat are effectively protected in accordance with their wishes. The vicious killing of another secular activist in Bangladesh is a grave reminder…
Transport fare to be reduced if fuel prices cut: Quader
Dhaka – Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said the transport fare will be reduced by 1 paisa per kilometer if the government brings down fuel prices by Tk 1 per litre, unb news agency reported.
Tonu murder: Students threaten half-day hartal April 25
Dhaka – Two left-leaning student bodies on Thursday threatened to enforce a half-day countrywide hartal on April 25 if the government fails to arrest the killers of Comilla Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu by April 24, unb news agency…
PM pushes for setting up Saarc food and seed banks
Dhaka – Urging the South Asian leaders to promise to ensure food and nutritional security across the region, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday underscored the need for speedy materialisation of the initiatives taken for setting up Saarc Food Bank…
HC rejects Khaleda plea to scrap graft case
Dhaka -The High Court on Thursday rejected the petition filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking cancellation of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) against her, unb news agency reported. An HC bench…
World’s first 3 + generation nuke unit connects to Russia’s grid in summer
Energizing of First of Its Kind Innovative Generation 3+ Power Unit Scheduled for the summer of the current year. This is the reference project for the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. Two similar units will be set up at…
EU Delegation condemns murder of Nazimuddin Samad
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, Pierre Mayaudon, firmly condemns the killing of Nazimuddin Samad, a student of Jagannath University, brutally murdered in Dhaka on 6 April.
Panama govt creates ‘panel of experts’ after paper leaks
Panama is creating an international panel to help improve transparency in its offshore financial industry. The move follows the leak of millions of documents from law firm Mossack Fonseca, showing it helped some clients evade tax and avoid sanctions. Several…
20mn drink arsenic-laced water in Bangladesh – 43,000 die a year
Dhaka – The Bangladesh government is failing to adequately respond to naturally occurring arsenic in drinking water across large areas of rural Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Approximately 20 years after initially coming to international…
MP, 9 others face arrest for Tangail AL worker murder
Tangail – A court here on Wednesday issued a warrant for the arrest of 10 people, including Awami League MP from Tangail-3 Amanur Rahman Rana and his three brothers, in the freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed murder case, unb news agency…
Dhaka still a habitat for 200 bird species
Dhaka – Though the figure may sound surprising in the first instance, ornithologists say some 200 bird species still choose Dhaka city as their abode unb saff writer Faisal reported.
Couple among four injured in city acid throwing
Dhaka – Four people sustained burn injuries as some miscreants hurled acid towards them in Rupnagar Tin Shed area of the city on Thursday morning. The injured were identified as Masuda Akter Subarna, 28, a garment worker, her husband Suruj…
Two alleged outlaws killed in reported Tangail gunfight with Rab
Tangail – Two outlawed party members were killed in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion members at Jugnihat in Sadar upazila early Thursday, the unb news agency reported.
ACC sues JP leader Kazi Firoze Rashid
Dhaka – The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday filed a case against Jatiya Party presidium member Kazi Firoz Rashid, MP for allegedly grabbing a government land, the UNB news agency has reported. ACC deputy director Zulfikar Ali filed the…
N.Korea can mount nukes on mid-range missiles – S.Korea
Ability to mount miniaturized nuclear device would bolster credible deterrent John G. Grisafi North Korea may now be capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on a medium-range ballistic missile, the New York Times and Reuters reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed…
SEEING THE WHOLE
Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in an Integrated and Coherent Way This new report by Stakeholder Forum, Bioregional and Newcastle University and funded by the Government of Finland sheds light for policymakers and stakeholders on how the Sustainable Development Goals…
Islamophobia: Fueling the cycle of violence
Anti-Muslim rhetoric and discrimination can heighten religious identities, drive social seclusion and increase attitudes of intolerance amongst segments of Muslims who are vulnerable in society. This in turn legitimises the prejudicial beliefs underlying discriminatory practices. This polarising dynamic, in part,…
The abuse of privacy: Mossack Fonseca and the Panama Papers leak
By Binoy Kampmark “Privacy is a fundamental human right that is being eroded more and more in the modern world. Each person has a right to privacy, whether they are a king or a beggar.” Few could disagree with the…