Brussels – “On Sunday 24 April 2016, it will be exactly three years since the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a tragic event that claimed more than 1,100 lives. Our thoughts today go first of…
Category: Int’l relations
Unregistered SIMs, RUIMs await deactivation: Tarana
SIMs and RUIMs which will remain unregistered after April 30 will be deactivated shortly after the deadline, said State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim on Sunday. “At first, the unregistered SIMs will be deactivated for three hours on…
Polls violence leaves 1 dead, 63 injured
A BNP activist was killed and 62 people, including four policemen and three journalists, were injured in clashes during the third phase union parishad (UP) elections in seven districts on Saturday.
N. Korea appears to fire submarine-launched missile
North Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast, South Korean defense officials said, Pyongyang’s latest effort to expand its military might in the face of pressure by its neighbors…
JICA wants safe buildings in Bangladesh
The Public Works Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have jointly launched a project on promoting building safety for disaster risk reduction in the public buildings of Bangladesh.
At least 25 killed as violence spikes in Syria
Syrian government strikes hit opposition-held areas near the capital and in the country’s largest city, Aleppo, killing at least 25 Saturday while rebels fired mortars into Damascus, in a rare occurrence since the teetering cease-fire took effect in late February.
Progress in RMG working environment slow: CPD
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a civil society think tank, on Saturday said there has been some sort of improvement in the country’s RMG sector working environment after the Rana Plaza tragedy, but the progress is slow. The CPD came…
175 states sign Paris deal to slow global warming
China and the United States, the world’s top producers of greenhouse gas emissions, pledged on Friday to formally adopt by the end of the year a Paris deal to slow global warming, raising the prospects of it being enforced much…
Journalists beaten in Sarail polling centre
Three journalists were injured in an attack allegedly by the supporters of the Awami League-backed chairman candidate while covering vote rigging at the Chunta AC Academy polling centre in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria on Saturday.Witnesses said the supporters of AL-backed…
Dangerous times in U.S.-North Korea relations
By Keith Luse We are witness to an accelerating trajectory of events which may culminate with the loss of additional Korean and American lives on the Korean Peninsula as well as disorder in Northeast Asia. Increased attention has focused on…
US won’t object to business with Iran: Kerry
New York – The US will not stand in the way of foreign deals with Iran that are in line with the landmark nuclear deal, US Secretary of State John Kerry said to clear up some “confusion” before his meeting…
Myanmar or Burma? Take your choice, Suu Kyi tells diplomats
Naypyitaw (AP/UNB) – Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has made clear to foreign diplomats: It doesn’t matter if they call her country Myanmar, or its old name, Burma. Suu Kyi gave her position Friday in a speech…
Journo Probir Sikdar urges govt to ensure his ‘safety’
Dhaka – Fearing that he might be made disappeared, senior journalist Probir Sikdar has urged the Prime Minister to take immediate step to save his life, unb news agency reported. He made the appeal in his Facebook status on Thursday…
Hasina made member of UN high-level panel on water
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim have formally announced the appointment of 10 heads of state and government, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as two special advisers, to the high-level…
10 killed, 9,566 attacked since January: HBCOP
Staff Reporter At least 10 people of religious minority communities were killed and 9,566 individuals, families and institutions were attacked in 732 incidents of human rights violation in the first three months of this year, said a report.
UK more effective at fighting terror inside EU, says Barack Obama
The UK’s ability to fight terrorism would be “more effective” if it sticks together with its European allies, US President Barack Obama has said. Writing in the Daily Telegraph Mr Obama also said being inside the EU magnifies Britain’s influence…
Limestone deposit at Naogaon can meet country’s demand
Bangladesh on Thursday announced the discovery of the biggest ever limestone deposit in its northern district of Naogaon, capable of meeting the entire demand of the country’s cement industry.
No improvement of human rights in Bangladesh: UK
The United Kingdom sees no improvement of human rights scene in Bangladesh last year. The UK in its annual report for 2015 designated 30 Human Rights Priority Countries including Bangladesh that that have shown no improvement in matters of human…
HRW wants Dhaka to remove barriers to TU in Garment industry
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said Bangladesh government should urgently remove legal and practical obstacles to unionisation in its readymade garment industry. “Garment workers face daunting challenges to unionization, and remain at risk of interference and threats by factories three…
U.S.-Mexico 800 yards drug tunnel found
By Azadeh Ansari, CNN A drug-trafficking tunnel nearly half a mile long underneath the California-Mexico border was discovered by federal agents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday. Two tons of cocaine and seven tons of marijuana, worth nearly $22 million,…
Developed countries turning against non-State actor WHO engagement framework
Geneva 21 April (K M Gopakumar) – Developed countries are turning against the World Health Organization’s framework of engagement with non-State actors (FENSA). Many European countries are putting conditions for the adoption of FENSA, as negotiations enter into the last…
Discussion on citizen charter held at RU
Speakers emphasised at a discussion at the Rajshahi University (RU) on Wednesday that simplicity of service delivery procedure, convenience of hosting facilities and service delivery perimeters, courtesy, politeness of service delivery agent’s, provision for fault-reporting and rectification essentials ensuring a…
Italian chef Carlo Cracco draws attention to climate change threats
Rome, 19 April – Italian celebrity chef Carlo Cracco is working with the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Recipes for Change campaign to highlight the threats small scale farmers in developing countries are facing as a result of…
Republicans may save America from Trump, but can they save themselves?
By Daniel Twining It was only weeks ago that Donald Trump appeared unstoppable in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in the United States. Although he had hardly won a majority of Republican voters in any state, his competitors…
WHO launches new strategy to end leprosy
World Health Organisation today launched a new global strategy for leprosy calling for stronger commitments and accelerated efforts to stop disease transmission and end associated discrimination and stigma, to achieve a world free of leprosy. “The new global strategy is…
BNP conspired to kill Joy, alleges Obaidul
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday alleged that BNP hatched a conspiracy to kill Awami League’s future leader Sajeeb Wazed Joy out of its frustration as it remained out of power for a long time. “But, Awami…
Death toll reaches 48 from Japan earthquakes
Searchers found a man’s body Wednesday in a landslide-hit area in southern Japan, bringing the death toll to 48 from two powerful earthquakes last week. Three people remain missing. Kumamoto prefecture said that another 11 have died from illnesses believed…
Front-runners Trump and Clinton win NY primary
New York, Apr 20 (AP) – Front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton swept to victory with ease in Tuesday’s New York primary, with Trump bouncing back from a difficult stretch in the Republican contest and Clinton pushing closer to locking…
Fair polls not possible under current EC: Sujan
Dhaka – Observing that the current Election Commission (EC) has outshined the MA Aziz-led one, Sujan general secretary Badiul Alam Mazumder on Tuesday said the Commission is the main obstacle towards holding a free and fair election, unb news agency…
Iran’s parliament approves $97 billion budget
Iran’s parliament approved a $97 billion budget for the current year, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.