By A. D. McKenzie Paris, Mar 24 (IPS) – With widespread attacks on professional journalists and the rise of a fake-news industry, media experts agree that journalism is increasingly under fire. But how can the press fight back and ensure…
Category: Int’l relations
Pro-BNP panel sweeps Supreme Court Bar polls
Dhaka – Once again, pro-BNP lawyers have regained control of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) as they won eight posts including president and secretary out of 14 posts in the SCBA election.
Canada warned to be ready for Russia-baked fake news
Latvia’s foreign minister says the moment Canada’s troops land in Latvia to lead a NATO battle group deterring Russian aggression both his country and Canada need to be ready to “immediately counter” Russian-backed smear campaigns and fake news. In an…
Western brands respond to report on Bangladesh tanneries
Leather made with child labor and under dangerous, polluted conditions in Bangladesh went to factories that produced goods for major U.S. and European shoe and handbag brands and companies, according to a report released Friday by New York-based nonprofit Transparentem.…
Qatar gets until November to improve its HR record
Doha – A UN agency has granted Qatar even more time to address allegations of “forced labor” before deciding whether the country should be sanctioned.
Discrimination compounds global inequality: UN report
By Lyndal Rowlands UN, Mar 22 (IPS) – Despite 25 years of impressive global development, many people are not benefiting from progress due to persistent discrimination, according to a UN report released Tuesday.
Defence treaty with India will be harmful: BNP
The BNP yesterday expressed apprehension that Bangladesh’s geographical independence would be threatened if defence agreement is signed with India. “The people will not accept any agreement against country’s independence and sovereignty during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ensuing visit to India,”…
Dhaka formally joins S Asia Satellite; deal signed with Delhi
Bangladesh and India on Thursday signed an agreement on the ‘South Asia Satellite’ formally joining the Indian government’s initiative. Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Shahjahan Mahmood and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla signed the agreement titled…
Slavery is a thing of the past, right? Think again
Most people think slavery is a thing of the past and has nothing to do with them. They’re wrong on both counts. Slaves or trafficked victims are exploited in mining (gold, coltan, molybdenum, niobium, tin), agriculture, weaving, ship breaking, brick…
London attack: World leaders show solidarity
Leaders of countries affected by recent terror attacks have voiced solidarity with the UK after the deadly attack near the Houses of Parliament. A lone attacker was shot dead after he used a car to run down pedestrians, killing two,…
Top democratic senator suggests Trump going to resign
Donald Trump is going to “get himself out of office soon”, a leading Democratic senator has claimed, The Independent, London has reported.
Dhaka to sign deal with Delhi to use SA satellite
Dhaka – Bangladesh is going sign a deal with India for using a transponder of the proposed south Asian satellite, Tomorrow 23 March 2017 at BTRC office , BTRC secretary Sarwar Alam confirm the independent this morning.
Drone-catchers Emerge on a New Aerial Frontier
The enemy drone whined in the distance. The Interceptor, a drone-hunting machine from Silicon Valley startup Airspace Systems, slinked off its launch pad and dashed away in hot pursuit. The hunter twisted through the air to avoid trees, homed in…
North Korea missile launch fails
A North Korean missile launch has failed, South Korean defence officials say, but it is unclear how many were fired or what exactly was being tested.
World Water Day Wednesday
Dhaka, March 22 – The World Water Day is being observed in the country, as elsewhere across the globe Wednesday with a theme ‘Water and Wastewater’.
Violation of Women, Children law alleged
Dhaka – Police is allegedly violating the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 by not recording a case in connection with a rape in city’s suburb Savar yesterday.
Dhaka gears up drive to have UN recognition for Mass Killing Day
Bangladesh has intensified its diplomatic efforts to get UN recognition for March 25 as Mass Killing Day commemorating the atrocities and mass killing committed by Pakistani occupation forces in 1971. “Though it’s a time-consuming process but it’s not impossible,” State…
No vote for those driving country to destruction: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called on people not to vote for those to power who indulged in corruption, engaged in terrorism and militancy and killed people in arson attacks as they will push the country towards destruction again.…
Older Syrian Refugee Dies Waiting for Family Reunification
Fatima, 62 years old, fled persecution and the destruction of her city of Aleppo, Syria, with the dream of reuniting with her daughter and grandchildren in Germany. She survived the treacherous journey to Greece, but border restrictions in the Western…
‘No ground water, manage waste water for drinking’
Experts at human chain programme yesterday stressed the need for proper management of waste water to resolve the drinking water crises instead of over relying on underground water.
Nearly all electronics banned on some US-bound flights
Airlines that fly from certain countries in the Middle East and Africa to the U.S. must soon require passengers to check in almost all electronic devices rather than carry them into the cabin, a U.S. official said. The official said…
Bill Gates tops Forbes’ rich list but Trump’s wealth slips
Microsoft founder Bill Gates again tops Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people, in a year when the number of billionaires rose 13% to 2,043.
Regional politics and strange bedfellows
Naypyitaw, Mar 21 (AP/UNB) — Regional politics makes for strange bedfellows, and at first glance, it is hard to imagine more of an odd couple than tempestuous Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his cerebral de facto Myanmar counterpart, State Counsellor…
FBI probing Trump-Russia links, wiretap claims bogus
Washington, Mar 21 (AP/UNB) — The FBI is investigating whether Donald Trump’s associates coordinated with Russian officials in an effort to sway the 2016 presidential election, Director James Comey said Monday in an extraordinary public confirmation of a probe the…
BNP questions death of youth in rab custody after Ashkona blast
The BNP questioned the death of a youth in Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) custody after the suicidal attack on its Ashkona barrack.
Japan, Russia talk on security, territorial dispute
Tokyo, Mar 20 (AP/UNB)- The foreign and defense ministers from Japan and Russia met in Tokyo on Monday, with both sides expressing hope that discussions on joint development of islands claimed by both countries might help them move closer to…
Myanmar hard-line Buddhists protest citizenship for Rohingya
Dhaka — Hundreds of hard-line Buddhists in a Myanmar state wracked by religious violence protested Sunday against the government’s plan to give citizenship to some members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority community.Rakhine state’s dominant Arakan National Party led the…
Bangladesh: Population movement emergency appeal launched
This Emergency Appeal is being launched on a preliminary basis and seeks a total of 3,265,766 Swiss francs to enable the IFRC to support the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) to deliver assistance and support to some 25,000 people for…
Next refugee crisis will be caused by environmental disasters
The next big migration wave won’t be caused by war or hunger. It will be caused by environmental disasters. People will be fleeing cities and countries to escape environmental pollution that makes life short, sick, and unbearable. The global consequences…
Trump and Mussolini: 11 Key Lessons from Historical Fascism
I’d like to draw some comparisons and contrasts between our present situation and that of fascist Italy between 1922 and 1945. I choose fascist Italy rather than Nazi Germany because it has always seemed to me a better comparison. Nazi…