Leaders of civil society working in the coastal belt on Saturday demanded reform of the cyclone signalling system and construction of cyclone-shelters with housing facilities.
Author: editor
Afghan Warring Sides Declare Eid Cease-Fire
ISLAMABAD – The Taliban have announced a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan during the three-day Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr starting Sunday, a move the United States hailed as “a momentous opportunity” to advance peace efforts in the war-torn country.
UN Warns Cybercrime on Rise During Pandemic
UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. disarmament chief said the COVID-19 pandemic is moving the world toward increased technological innovation and online collaboration but warned that “cybercrime is also on the rise, with a 600 percent increase in malicious emails during…
UN chief lauds life-saving work in face of Cyclone Amphan
23 May 2020 – The UN chief António Guterres commended the governments and people of India and Bangladesh on Saturday, for their life-saving efforts ahead of devastating Cyclone Amphan, and for the effective relief effort, wishing those survivors injured and…
Turkey steps up to act against Israeli plans on West Bank
Ankara – As Turkey steps up to mobilize the international community against Israeli plans to annex West Bank, Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu on May 21 had phone conversations with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and…
Corona Vaccine from Tobacco?
M Zahidul Haque IN April 2020, an international media reported that the British-American Tobacco’s biotech subsidiary, Kentucky Bio Processing has started working on a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus from tobacco plant. Corona vaccine from Tobacco? One would definitely…
The Digital Path to Citizen-Centric Finance
By Achim Steiner and Maria Ramos NEW YORK/JOHANNESBURG – Today, “mobile money” – a service enabling people to send, receive, and store money on a cellphone – allows a market trader in Kenya to borrow a modest amount at sunrise…
Spend Fossil-Fuel Subsidies on Pandemic Relief and the Poor
By M. Chatib Basri, Rema N. Hanna, and Benjamin A. Olken JAKARTA/CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – In addition to its health and human toll, the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to reverse much of the progress that developing countries have made in reducing…
European Parliament & gender equality—a continuing struggle
by Petra Ahrens and Lise Rolandsen Agustín on 22nd May 2020 @petrahrens There has been progress in the numerical representation of women in the European Parliament. But that’s not enough to achieve gender equality.
Rooppur NPP: Manufacture of Core Barrel for RPV completed
Manufacture of Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) for unit-1 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has recorded further development as the production of Core Barrel has been completed at the Volgodonsk Branch of AEM-technology in Russia.
Global Supply Chain Resilience Relies on Soap & Water for Workers
By Ruth Romer LONDON, May 22 2020 (IPS) – As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions across the globe start to be relaxed, the collective conversation has shifted towards plans for a ‘new normal.’
Biological Diversity is Fundamental to Human Health
By Samira Sadeque UNITED NATIONS, May 22 2020 (IPS) – This year’s International Day of Biological Diversity falls amid the coronavirus pandemic and the slow easing, in some nations, of a global lockdown. While the lockdown has forced most people…
Shrinking forests need bold action to safeguard their biodiversity
22 May 2020 – Amidst alarming rates of deforestation and land degradation, urgent action is needed to safeguard the biodiversity of the world’s forests, according to a new United Nations report, released on Friday.
Lockdown in Bangladesh sees violence against women rise
Lina Dilruba Sharmin, Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh and Shahariar Sadat Amena Khatun and her husband Ismail Hossain (not real names) experienced an extreme food crisis during the lockdown in Barguna district, in southern Bangladesh. They had no work and no savings. Almost…
Pakistan Passenger Plane Crashes with 98 Aboard
ISLAMABAD – A passenger plane with at least 98 people on board crashed in a populated area minutes before landing Friday afternoon in Pakistan’s biggest city Karachi, destroying multiple buildings on both sides of a narrow street.
Investing in Nature Pays off for People and Biodiversity
If you take care of the land, it will take care of you, says Tsefaye Kidane, a 40-year-old coffee farmer from the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, a protected area in southwest Ethiopia that is also regarded as the birthplace of wild…
Chemical recycling of waste bioplastic makes useful product
21 May 2020 – A faster, more efficient way of recycling plant-based “bioplastics” has been developed by a team of scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath.
US urged to call crimes against the Rohingya genocide
On Thursday, May 21, Refugees International launched a petition to urge U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to call the crimes committed against the Rohingya what they are: genocide.
ADB records $1.554 bn net income, allocates 1.069bn
Dhaka, May 22 – The Asian Development Bank has recorded a net income of $1.554 billion in 2019, up from $750 million in 2018. The Bank Board of Governors in its first-ever virtual Annual Meeting held amid the novel coronavirus…
India’s Draft EIA 2020 to weaken the EIA process: SANDRP
SANDRP Experience of the current Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process under the current EIA notification of Sept 2006 tells us that the process needs strengthening in every aspect. The Narendra Modi government has now proposed a new EIA notification, whose…
15 Indigenous Crops to Boost Immune System, Celebrate Biodiversity
Danielle Nierenberg May 22, is International Day for Biological Diversity, which the U.N. observes every year to celebrate and honour the natural vibrancy of our world’s ecosystems.
Nakba: A Call For Justice In Palestine
By Jafar M Ramini May 15th was the 72nd anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) and counting. I say ‘and counting’ because the theft of our land, the occupation, the siege on Gaza, the disposition of our people, the ethnic…
To Restore Forests, First Start With a Seed
By Emmanuel Hitimana HUYE, Rwanda, May 20 2020 (IPS) – In 2011, when Rwanda committed to restoring 2 million hectares of land in a global effort to restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested areas by 2020 — it…
Cyclone Amphan causes extensive damage, weakens over Rajshahi
The extremely severe Cyclone Amphan crossed the Bangladesh-West Bengal coasts on Wednesday evening with its main fury on West Bengal 24 Parganas leaving a trail of devastations.
COVID-19 straw breaks free trade camel’s back
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 19 May (IPS/Jomo Kwame Sundaram) – Economic growth is supposed to be the tide that lifts all boats.
Dhaka’s air quality improves significantly for rainfall
Dhaka, May 21 – Dhaka’s air quality showed significant improvement on Thursday morning as it ranked 19th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI).
EU mobilising over €334mn for fight against Covid-19 in BD
Dhaka, May 21 – The European Union (EU) on Wednesday said the team Europe is mobilising over €334 million or around Tk 31 billion for the fight against Covid-19 and its consequences in Bangladesh.
Global Covid-19 cases cross 5 million mark
Dhaka, May 21 – The confirmed coronavirus cases in various countries of the world is now 5,085, 504 while the death tally from the deadly virus climbed to 329,731 as of Thursday morning.
Two deaths reported as Cyclone Amphan batters, crosses coast
Extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ roared into West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts at 2.30 pm on Wednesday between Digha in WB and Hatiya island in BD, unleashing heavy rain and high-velocity winds that left a trail of destruction.
WHO: COVID-19 brings out best and worst of humanity, says DG
Geneva, 19 May (Kanaga Raja) -The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best – and the worst – of humanity and has exposed the fault lines, inequalities, injustices and contradictions of our modern world, the Director-General of the World Health…