by Lukáš Veselý 2017 is the year of choices: after important elections in several Member States, the European integration process can be reinvigorated in the autumn with a renewed sense of purpose, or it can continue to decline in a…
Category: Int’l relations
Is there a future for social democracy in Europe?
by Sebastían Royo The response to the Great Recession from European social democratic/centre-left parties, with some notable exceptions like Portugal’s, was largely to implement the austerity policies of the right: they bailed out the banks and the bondholders, and they…
Australia to raise English language standard for citizenship
Canberra, Apr 20 (AP/UNB) — Australia plans to tighten its citizenship rules to require higher English language skills, longer residency and evidence of integration such as a job, officials said Thursday. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the new citizenship test…
More mudslides in Colombia kill at least 17 people
Bogota, Apr 20 (AP/UNB) — A deluge of rain set off landslides that smashed homes and filled streets with mud Wednesday in a mountain city in a coffee-growing part of Colombia, and authorities said at least 17 people were killed…
PM Sheikh Hasina back home from Bhutan
Dhaka, Apr 20 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home on Thursday morning from Bhutan wrapping up her three-day state visit.
BSF troops pick BD youth up from Naogaon border
Dhaka – Members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) picked a Bangladeshi youth up from Hapania bordering point in Porsha upazila on Wednesday.The BSF members from Kadaripara camp dragged away Ramjan Ali, 16, son of Azhar Ali of Srikrishnapur village…
Pak army chief signs death order for 30 militants
Islamabad – Pakistan’s army chief has signed off on the death sentences for 30 militants, including some convicted for the 2014 Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar that killed 144 schoolchildren. AP/UNB news agency reported.
Turkish FM: Trump and Erdogan to meet in May
Istanbul – Turkey’s foreign minister says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet next month. AP/UNB news agency reported.
Ronaldo hat trick puts Madrid into Champions League semis
Madrid, Apr 19 (AP/UNB) — With a hat trick that made him the first player to score 100 Champions League goals, Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid to a 4-2 win over 10-man Bayern Munich after extra time on Tuesday and…
Teesta remains a litmus test for India Bangladesh
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit this weekend will be her first bilateral visit in seven years. The two sides are expected to announce a slew of agreements on connectivity, energy and trade, but former High Commissioner of Bangladesh to…
Muslim population – The future of world leadership
The picture of research works on demographic changes of western countries in relation to the Muslim immigration and their fertility rate is very intriguing. The average Fertility Rate per family amongst the westerners is 1.65 as compared to the Muslims’…
WHO lists antibiotic development priorities
The World Health Organization outlines critical-, high-, and medium-priority antibiotic development initiatives, calling on the public and private sectors to invest in additional R&D. By Tracy Vence Update: In an open letter published last week (March 6), members of the…
Org to help those serving long jail terms sans trial urged
Dhaka – Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee Chairman High Court Division Justice M Enayetur Rahim yesterday said that a specific law is needed to rehabilitate those people who were released from jail after long terms incarceration without any trial.
Scientists take to street in global march for truth
Scientists and science supporters will take to the streets in a global March for Science on 22 April . What began as a small Facebook group in the US capital, Washington DC has spiralled into a global phenomenon that will…
US attack on Syria mosque likely unlawful
United States forces appear to have failed to take necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties in a March 16, 2017 strike that killed at least 38 people in western Aleppo in Syria, Human Rights Watch said in a report released…
PM Sheikh Hasina off to Bhutan on 3-day state visit
Dhaka, Apr 18 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Thimphu on Tuesday on a three-day state visit to Bhutan. A Druk Air VVIP flight carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport…
US opposed to investment facilitation talks at G20
Geneva, 13 Apr (D. Ravi Kanth) – Attempts to finalize a non-binding outcome on investment facilitation at the meeting of G20 officials of the Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) in Berlin suffered a major setback after the United States…
North Korea: ‘We will react with nuclear strike’- BBC
Face-to-face with North Korea’s top diplomat By John Sudworth BBC News, Pyongyang North Korean Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol warns the US against taking military action, in an interview with the BBC’s John Sudworth. Two days ago, I stood on the…
Alaves beats Villarreal 2-1 in Spanish league
Madrid,(AP/UNB) – Alaves defeated Villarreal 2-1 to snap a three-game losing streak in the Spanish league.Alaves hadn’t won in the league since March 18. The Copa del Rey finalist remains 11th in the 20-team standings.Villarreal, coming off two consecutive victories,…
Captain John Terry to leave Chelsea, keen to keep playing
Dhaka ,(AP/UNB) – Chelsea captain John Terry will end his 22-year association with the London club at the end of the season, but the veteran defender wants to keep on playing.The 36-year-old Terry has dropped so far down the pecking…
India eases medical visa rules for Bangladesh nationals
India has liberalised rules for medical visas for Bangladesh nationals in an effort to further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries. From now on, Bangladesh nationals visiting India for diagnosis will also be eligible for medical visas, said the…
90m smart ID cards distribution in Bangladesh by Dec
The Election Commission has taken additional measures to complete the distribution of 90 million smart national identity (NID) cards among voters across the country within the stipulated time of December next. Director General of NID Registration Wing of the Election…
Turkey’s ‘yes’ vote gives enormous power to president
With 51.3 percent of the vote, the “Yes” vote campaign has won Turkey’s historic April 16 referendum on a new political system giving enormous centralized power to the president. The campaign took place in a climate of unprecedented political repression.…
Financing for climate tech available from Green Climate Fund
Kuala Lumpur, 17 April (Hilary Chiew) – The current modalities of Green Climate Fund (GCF) is suitable to provide support for the financing of climate technologies, said a representative from the GCF’s Secretariat. Representing the GCF Secretariat at the 14th…
Opposition to challenge expanding Erdogan powers
Turkey’s main opposition party has said it will challenge the country’s referendum result after the president won a vote to expand his powers. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has questioned the legitimacy of the close result, citing irregularities in the…
Suspected criminal killed in Dhaka ‘gunfight’
Dhaka, Apr 17 – A suspected criminal was killed in a reported gunfight with detectives in the city’s Mirpur area early Monday.
Turkey’s Erdogan proves a popular and polarizing figure
Istanbul, Apr 17 (AP/UNB) — Rising from humble origins to take the helm of Turkey’s government in 2003, Recep Tayyip Erdogan quickly attracted a fervent following. But Erdogan, who served as prime minister and then president, also became feared and…
Firmino grabs another winner, Liverpool beats West Brom 1-0
West Bromwich, (AP/UNB) – Roberto Firmino scored a winning goal for the second straight game as Liverpool beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday to cement its place in the Champions League qualification positions.
Minister slams cheap politics over Dhaka-Delhi ties
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam on Sunday criticised those who indulge themselves in ‘cheap politics’ when it comes to issues relating to India. Apparently criticising the comments of opposition leaders on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s just-concluded New…
Enforced disappearances: BNP says AL to face trial one day
BNP senior leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday warned that Awami League will have to face a trial of international standard someday for making around 500 BNP leaders and activists, including Ilias Ali, disappeared. “Our about 500 leaders and…