‘The baby needs to become a poster child for change’ A parent bird has been spotted feeding its chick a cigarette butt, highlighting environmental concerns and prompting a wave of anger at careless smokers. The black skimmer bird was photographed…
Category: Disasters
Europe must answer the climate call
By Christiana Figueres Brussels – In early 2015, the European Union became the first major economy to set a post-2020 target for limiting greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. By committing to reducing emissions to at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030,…
Lightning strikes kill 5 in Satkhira
Dhaka, June 28 (UNB) – At least six people, including three members of a family, were killed by lightning strikes in Kaliganj and Ashashuni upazilas of Satkhira and Sadar upazila of Magura on Friday. In Kaliganj upazila of Satkhira, a…
Tens of thousands marooned as 4 Sylhet upazilas flooded
Sylhet, June 28 — Several hundred thousand people of four upazilas remained marooned after torrential rain over the last few days led to the flooding of parts of Gowainghat, Companiganj, Jaintiapur and Kanaighat sub-districts. Flooding has cut off road communications,…
MH 17: Charging Individuals based on flawed Investigation
The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and the Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) share Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s skepticism about Russia’s culpability in the shooting down of MH17 on the 17th of July 2014. The Dutch-led…
Warrant against Artist Mila for not testifying before court
Dhaka, June 24 – A court of Dhaka on Sunday issued warrant of arresst against singer Mila as she did not appear in the court to testify for a long time.Judge Md Sharif Uddin of the Women and Children Repression…
Banani highrise fire case, Rupayan Group chairman secures bail
Dhaka, June 23 – Liakat Ali Khan alias Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Group, yesterday secured bail in a case filed over the deadly fire that ripped through 22-storey FR Tower in the city’s Banani area on March 28. Magistrate Sadbir…
Building under construction topples in Cambodia, killing 17
Sihanoukville, Jun 23 (AP/UNB) — Cambodian rescuers combing through the rubble of a collapsed seven-story building recovered the bodies of 17 construction workers and pulled out 24 injured, as authorities questioned four Chinese who were involved with the project. Construction…
Saline water leaves BD croplands barren in 37 Satkhira villages
Satkhira, June 21 (UNB) – Farmers in Sadar uapzila of the district had harvested paddy from wetlands in a festive mood even last year, but this year they are struggling to remove saline water from their paddy fields, let alone…
Tunisia fishermen turn life-savers in the Medeterranean Sea
Zarzis, Tunisia, June 16 – The Tunisian trawler radioed infor help as it passed the migrant boat in distress out at sea. But with thepacked craft still adrift two days later, captain Chamseddine Bourassine tookdirect action. Fishermen from the North…
An uncertain future for Palestinian refugees
By Charlotte Munns UN, Jun 12 2019 (IPS) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been forced to justify its existence at the United Nations ahead of a pledging conference…
Magurchara gas field blowout – 1997: Who compensates loss
Moulvibazar, June 14 (UNB) – Today marks the 22nd anniversary of possibly the first real man-made disaster affecting the environment to occur in Bangladesh, as a consequence of contracts signed between the government and the powerful set international oil companies,…
BD allocates Taka 1bn to settle riverbank erosion victims
Dhaka, June 13 – A total of Tk 100 crore has been allocated in the proposed budget for 2019-20 fiscal years to facilitate rehabilitation of the people affected by river erosion. Besides, steps have been taken for managing water resource,…
Once mighty Titas reduced to a trickle in B’baria
Brahmanbaria, June 8 (UNB)- The literary sketch of Titas River in Adwaita Mallabarman’s ‘Titas Ekti Nadir Naam’ or ‘a river called Titas’ – later made into a film of the same name by Ritwik Ghatak – has undergone a sea-change…
Storm kills one, injures around 40 in Nepal
Kathmandu, June 7 (Xinhua/UNB) – At least one person was killed and 37 others were injured when a strong storm hit several villages of Nepal’s Kailali and Kanchanpur districts on Thursday evening, authorities said here. Secretary at the Central Ministry…
Mobilisation needed for climate-related disasters
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage UN, Jun 5 2019 (IPS) – Climate-related displacement and food insecurity is not a future possibility, but it is already happening and it’s only projected to worsen without urgent action in coming years. Yesterday, ahead of World…
BD Mother swept away after saving two kids from Padma River
Goalanda, May 31 (UNB)— A mother went missing and another woman drowned in Padma River after saving two children on Friday afternoon in Goalanda upazila’s Daulatdia. The missing woman was identified as Rebecca Khatun, 22, wife of Sujat Sheikh of…
14 Bangladeshis among 290 migrants rescued in Mediterranean
Cairo, May 24 (AP/UNB) — Three boats carrying a total of 290 Europe-bound migrants including 14 Bangladeshis were rescued off the country’s Mediterranean coast, a day after a German aid group released video showing a sinking raft packed with dozens of…
One killed, two hurt in Sherpur nor’wester
A man was killed while his wife and son were injured as a nor’wester hit Shibbari and other three villages in Nakla upazila here on early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Billal Hossain, 42, son of Azgor Ali of…
Mother, son killed in lightning strike in Khagrachhari
Khagrachhari, May 19 – A woman and her son were killed after being struck by a lightning at Masterpara in Bornal union of Matiranga Upazila early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Ayesha Khatun, 55 and her son Mohammad Momin,…
Nor’wester hits Dhaka: 3 killed
Dhaka, May 17 – At least three people were killed and dozens injured during a storm in the capital on Friday evening. Two of the deaths were reported from Badda where a wall collapsed adjacent to Pran-RFL building. Bulbul Biswash,…
UN chief outlines ‘intertwined challenges’ of climate change
Visiting Fiji for the first time as Secretary-General, António Guterres outlined two “fundamental challenges” facing leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum on Tuesday, namely climate change and the world’s rising ocean, which threatens to submerge low-lying nations. “The Pacific region…
‘45 Bangladeshis missing after Mediterranean boat capsize’
One body recovered Dhaka, May 14 – Around 40-45 Bangladesh nationals remain missing after Friday’s boat capsize in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach Europe from Libya, said an official on Tuesday. “Two boats — one carrying around 50…
‘Fani’ rains bring smiles to Rajshahi mango growers in BD
Rajshahi, May 12 – Mango growers in the Bangladesh district of Rajshahi are expecting a bumper yield this year as they said the rains caused by recent cyclone Fani have brought an extra benefit to them. Dr Alim Uddin, a…
Up to 70 migrants drown after boat capsizes off Tunisia
Tunis, May 11 (AP/UNB) — As many as 70 migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya drowned Friday when their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, and at least 16 other people from the boat were rescued, according to U.N.…
The burning of Notre Dame and the spirit of place
By Jan Lundius Stockholm/ROME, May 6, 2019 (IPS) – The catastrophic fire in Notre Dame produced a massive emotional reaction. In a Paris famous for its secularism tearful people knelt on the pavement, sang the Ave Maria and prayed to…
Cyclone Fani caused Tk 5.36 bln of damage: BD Minister
Dhaka, May 9 (UNB)— The damage caused by cyclone Fani, which hit Bangladesh earlier this month, has been estimated to be Tk 536.61 crore, the government said Thursday. It affected the environment, infrastructure and livelihood of the people when it…
Monster Fani batters eastern India, moves on to Bangladesh
PURI, India, May 3, 2019 – Cyclone Fani, one of the biggest storms to come off the Indian Ocean in recent years, slammed into India on Friday, tearing down trees, blowing away food stands and cutting off power and water,…
16 killed in 2 days as Cyclone Fani ravaged Bangladesh
Dhaka, May 4 – At least 16 people, including two children, were killed and dozens of others injured on Friday and Saturday as cyclonic storm Fani has unleashed its force on Bangladesh after ravaging eastern India. Fani which once turned…
BNP asks party workers to stand beside coastal people
Dhaka –BNP on Thursday asked its leaders and activists at alllevels to get ready to stand beside people in the coastal areas as the severe cyclonic storm Fani is likely to hit the country on Friday evening. “We call upon…