The UN Secretary-General António Guterres saw the frontline of “the battle against climate change” for himself on Thursday, by taking to the tropical waters of the South Pacific off the coast of Fiji, on a solar-powered boat. Mr. Guterres was…
Category: Int’l relations
Dhaka concerned at attacks on oil facilities in Gulf region
Dhaka, May 19 (UNB)— Bangladesh says it has observed with “deep concern” the secret drone attacks on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Equally disconcerting is the news of attacks on Saudi and Emirati oil tankers in the…
Bahrain orders its citizens to leave Iraq, Iran
Dubai, May 19(AP/UNB) — Bahrain is ordering all of its citizens to immediately leave Iraq and Iran, amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry made the announcement via its state-run news agency Saturday afternoon. It cited the…
A low-carbon Belt and Road
By Ma Jun and Simon Zadek Beijing – Discussions about climate action nowadays often focus on the largest past and current emitters. But, if one looks to the future, the biggest climate risks and opportunities lie in the more than…
Save the whole planet from climate change in self-interest
Concluding a week-long visit to the South Pacific, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on the world’s decision-makers to make “enlightened” choices on climate action because “the whole planet” is at stake. “Over the past week, I have witnessed first-hand…
Global convention on principles for building peace needed?
STOCKHOLM, May 17 2019 (IPS) – When the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) concluded a three-day forum on “Peace and Development” on May 16, the primary focus was the daunting challenges threatening global security, including growing military interventions, spreading humanitarian…
India’s ruling party takes election battle to West Bengal
India, May 17 (AP/UNB) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken his ruling party’s fight to the state of West Bengal, where it hopes to retain a majority in staggered general elections concluding this week. The battle pits Modi’s…
Stop Tuvalu and ‘the world from sinking’: Guterres
Tuvalu “faces an existential threat from sea-level rise”, the United Nations chief said during his visit to the Pacific island nation on Friday whose highest point is less than five metres above the waves. “We must stop Tuvalu from sinking…
Gambia to help take Rohingya issue to Int’l Court of Justice
Dhaka, May 17 – Gambia is working actively to take the issue of the Rohingya persecution to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for bringing the Myanmar government under accountability for their atrocities committed on the Rohingya people in Rakhine…
Women HR defenders face greater risks for their gender
JOHANNESBURG, May 16 2019 (IPS) – Does the name Ihsan Al Fagiri ring a bell? How about Heba Omer or Adeela Al Zaebaq? It’s likely that these names, among countless others, are not known to the average news consumer. But their…
Inclusive citizenship laws tend to foster economic growth
WASHINGTON DC, May 16 2019 (IPS) – The notion of citizenship has evolved over time. Historically, allegiance was typically to an ethnic group or a feudal lord. With the birth of the nation-state in the 19th century came the need to…
Facebook busts Israel-based campaign to disrupt elections
Jerusalem, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of…
In Cannes, a gory Western stands against Bolsonaro’s Brazil
Cannes, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Cannes entry “Bacurau” is a feverish and violent Western about a rural Brazilian community defending itself from a hard-to-comprehend invasion. For the filmmakers, it’s not so different than President Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil.…
China eager to help Dhaka, Yangon to end Rohingya crisis
Dhaka, May 16 – China is eager to facilitate communication between Bangladesh and Myanmar to find a practical solution to the Rohingya crisis. Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo yesterday asserted that China is willing to play a constructive role…
Saudi King invites Hasina to attend OIC summit
Dhaka, May 16 (UNB) – Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend the 14th Islamic Summit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held at Makkah at the end of Ramadan.…
Pursue basin-wide plan for Ganges: IFC leaders on Farakka Long March Day
Dhaka, May 15 2019 – An appeal has been made to the government of Bangladesh and all others concerned to start the process of renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty for a basin-wide integrated regional management of the river to…
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…
BD Parliament caucus on child rights formed
Dhaka, May 15 (UNB) – A parliamentary caucus on child rights was constituted with Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah and Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP as its chief adviser and president respectively on Wednesday. The parliamentary caucus was formed at a…
Satellite images show no major damage to ‘sabotaged’ ships
Dubai, May 14 (AP/UNB) — Four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast were damaged by what Gulf officials described as sabotage, though satellite images obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday showed no major visible damage to the vessels. Details…
Dhaka urges Delhi to withdraw anti-dumping duty
WTO support sought to address post-graduation challenges Dhaka, May 14 – Bangladesh has urged India to withdraw the anti-dumping duty imposed on Bangladeshi products in its market. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi raised the issue during his meeting with Indian counterpart…
How EU can prevent an east-west divide between its members
Any reform efforts must be as inclusive as possible towards central and eastern European states, where nationalist parties are gaining ground. The east-west divide in the European Union has finally commanded the attention of policy-makers and scholars on both sides of…
Clues emerge in ‘missing’ ocean plastics conundrum
It’s a puzzle that has perplexed scientists for years: humanity dumps millions of tonnes of plastics into the world’s oceans annually, yet only a tiny fraction remains visible on the surface. Now an international team of researchers believe they may…
America first as a threat to mulitlateralism
STOCKHOLM / ROME, May 13 2019 (IPS) – On 25 April, Joseph Biden announced his candidacy for the US presidency, declaring that his decision was based on fears of Trump being re-elected: Joe Biden´s statement mirrors rising concerns that Trump´s agenda,…
2 Saudi oil tankers damaged by sabotage attacks
Fujairah, May 13 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused “significant damage” to the vessels, one of them as it was en…
Connecticut man accused of threatening to kill Trump
New Haven, May 12 (AP/UNB) — A Connecticut man has been indicted on charges that he threatened to kill President Donald Trump and sent letters he claimed contained anthrax. Gary Joseph Gravelle of New Haven faces charges including conveying false…
Gunmen attack Catholic church in Burkina Faso; 6 killed
Ouagadougou, May 13 (AP/UNB) — Authorities say gunmen have attacked a Catholic church in Burkina Faso, killing a priest and five worshippers. The attack on Sunday took place in Dablo, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the capital, Ouagadougou. Urbain…
UN chief in New Zealand to step-up climate change fight
New Zealand, May 12(AP/UNB) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the issue of climate change. Guterres plans to spend three days in New Zealand where…
G7 must support feminist aid agenda to tackle inequality
Dhaka, May 12 (UNB) – G7 development aid must prioritise the needs of women and girls if they are to tackle poverty and economic inequality, said Oxfam on Sunday. The Group of Seven (G7) is a group consisting of Canada,…
Michael Jackson’s eldest child Prince is a college graduate
Los Angeles, May 12 (AP/UNB) —Twenty-two-year-old Prince Jackson — whose real name is Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. — went through commencement ceremonies Saturday at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Prince Jackson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.…
Uber shifts into lower gear, prices IPO at $45
San Francisco, May 10 (AP/UNB) — Uber is about to embark on a wild ride on Wall Street with the biggest and most hotly debated IPO in years. The world’s leading ride-hailing service set the stage for its long-awaited arrival…