Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home on Wednesday morning, wrapping up her weeklong visit to Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her…
Category: Int’l relations
Vigilante ‘Cow Protection’ groups attack minorities
Authorities Should End Communal Rhetoric, Prosecute Assailants New York – The Indian government should prevent and prosecute mob violence by vigilante groups targeting minorities in the name of so-called cow protection, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.…
Pak to address actionable evidence from India: Imran Khan
Dhaka, Feb 19 (UNB) – In a video message, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said Islamabad will take action if Delhi shares any actionable evidence concerning last week’s suicide bombing in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area which had targeted Indian…
16 US states sue Trump over emergency wall declaration
Sacramento, Feb 19 (AP/UNB) — California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit Monday against President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra released a statement Monday saying the suit…
Tensions rising after Kashmir attack as gunbattle kills 9
India, Feb 19 (AP/UNB) — Tensions escalated after a suicide attack in disputed Kashmir, with nine people killed Monday in a gunbattle that broke out as Indian soldiers searched for militants. Government forces surrounded a village in the southern Pulwama…
Painful story of a Serbian dancer in Bahrain
karim.gfbtu@gmail.com via list.jca.apc.org Foreign circus artist, who claims she is a victim of unpaid wages, has been left homeless after being thrown out of her apartment in Tubli, Bahrain, on Sunday night, it has emerged. Serbian dancer and choreographer Aleksandra…
‘Nothing for us, without us’
By Justus Wanzala Makuleni, Kenya, Feb 18 2019 (IPS) – Julia Mutua is a resident of Kalawa ward in the semi-arid Makueni County in Eastern Kenya and a member of a women’s farmers group that runs a poultry project. “Women…
Brex-split: 7 lawmakers quit Labour over EU, anti-Semitism
London, Feb 18 (AP/UNB) — Seven British lawmakers quit the main opposition Labour Party on Monday over its approach to issues including Brexit and anti-Semitism — the biggest shake-up in years for one of Britain’s major political parties. The announcement…
Chhayanaut receives Tagore Award from Indian President
Dhaka, Feb 18 – Chhayanaut, a leading cultural outfit of Bangladesh, was honoured with India’s prestigious Rabindranath Tagore Award for cultural harmony on Monday for the year 2015 by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Chhayanaut is a cultural organisation of…
Int’l aid feeds hope and fuels confrontation in Venezuela
CARACAS, Feb 16 2019 (IPS) – The international food and medical aid awaiting entry into Venezuela from neighboring Colombia, Brazil and Curacao is at the crux of the struggle for power between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó,…
US-China trade war, big concern for global economy: ICCB
Dhaka, Feb 18 (UNB) – International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh (ICCB) has said the trade conflict between the United States and China is a major concern for global economy as the two countries are the world’s two biggest economies. “Trade…
4 killed in overnight encounter in J&K’s Pulwama
India, Feb 18 (AP/UNB) — Four Indian soldiers, two suspected militants and a civilian were killed in a gunbattle in disputed Kashmir on Monday, officials said, further escalating tensions in the restive region. Another soldier was wounded in the gunbattle,…
Abu Dhabi arms fair opens amid Yemen war criticism
United Arab Emirates, Feb 18 (AP/UNB) — The United Arab Emirates’ yearslong war in Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia bled into the start of a biennial Abu Dhabi arms fair Sunday, which saw the Emirates sign $1.3 billion in weapons deals.…
India, Nepal to ink agreement for biodiversity conservation
India and Nepal are all set to ink an agreement to cooperate on biodiversity conservation, including transboundary landscape management and focus on conservation of species like tigers, elephants and rhinos. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed…
Saudi crown prince arrives in Pakistan for regional visit
Islamabad, Feb 18 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began his four-day regional visit on Sunday, arriving in Pakistan where Saudi officials signed agreements worth $20 billion to help the Islamic nation overcome its financial crisis.…
UAE wants to expand business in Bangladesh, PM Hasina told
Abu Dhabi, Feb 17 (UNB) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) wants to expand its business in Bangladesh, especially investment in various sectors like energy, port and industrial zone, in a newer way, said its Economic Minister Sultan Bin Saeed…
Tri-nation motor peace rally arrives in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Feb 17 (UNB) – A tri-nation motor rally, marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday to spread the message of peace and non-violence. The motor rally, which will also promote the message of…
Bd-India border guards conference begins Sunday
Jashore, Feb 16 (UNB) – A four-day long director general-level border conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) will begin at an aristocratic hotel in Jashore on Sunday. Various issues including drug smuggling, firearms, arms…
Retired Indian general urges caution against Pakistan strike
Srinagar, Feb 17 (AP/UNB) – As India considers its response to the suicide car bombing of a paramilitary convoy in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed dozens of soldiers, a retired military commander who oversaw a much-lauded military strike…
Newsletter from North-East: CAB row generate patriotism!
by Nava Thakuria As if the people of the northeast (NE) India became more conscious about India’s constitution, rule of law and its secular image abroad. So groups of people, including politicians, civil society group representatives, media personnel came to…
Miss World Bangladesh starts journey with Huawei
Dhaka, Feb 16 (UNB)- Huawei, a leading smartphone manufacturer recently announced that Jannatul Ferdous Oishee, winner of ‘Miss World Bangladesh 2018’ crown, will serve as its new product ambassador in the country. From now on, she will participate in different…
Free-flowing rivers, the soul of South Asia
South Asia is a fascinating and important region for the world in numerous respects. Although the eight countries of South Asia form just 3.5 percent of the world’s surface area, the region is home to 1.89 billion people or 24…
Child protection in Rohingya camps still a priority for JRP
Dhaka, Feb 16 (UNB) – As children face “serious protection risks”, including psychosocial distress, neglect, abuse, separation from caregivers, sexual violence, child marriage and labour, child protection system will remain a priority in Rohingya camps this year as well, officials…
India high speed train breaks down on first trip
Dhaka, Feb 16 (UNB)- India’s fastest train has broken down on its first trip, a day after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, reports BBC. The Indian-built semi high-speed Vande Bharat Express was returning to the capital Delhi from…
Saudi crown prince delays visit to Pakistan by a day
Islamabad, Feb 16 (AP/UNB) — Pakistani officials said Saturday a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Islamabad has been delayed by a day, a sudden announcement that surprised many Pakistanis, who were preparing to welcome the Saudi…
It’s Myanmar’s ‘audacity’ to post St Martin’s in map: BNP
Dhaka, Feb 16 (UNB) – BNP on Saturday alleged that Myanmar is showing St Martin’s Island as part of its territory in its official map only because of Bangladesh government’s a ‘knee-jerk foreign policy’. “Myanmar is repeatedly showing St Martin’s…
Breaking Germany’s coal addiction
By Johan Rockström and Owen Gaffney Berlin – Germany is about to break its coal addiction. Last year, the government created a 28-member “coal commission” – comprising scientists, politicians, environmental campaigners, trade unions, and utilities representatives – with the unenviable…
A green new deal for Europe
By Massimiliano Santini and Fabrizio Tassinari Florence – Earlier last month, Jim Yong Kim abruptly resigned from his post as World Bank president, leaving a pillar of the international financial order without leadership or direction. Kim will join a private…
Bangladesh condemns Thursday’s attack on Indian troops
Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – Bangladesh has strongly condemned the dastardly terrorist attack on an Indian paramilitary convoy in Pulwana District of Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a message addressed to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said,…
India warns of ‘crushing response’ to Kashmir suicide attack
Srinagar, Feb 15 (AP/UNB) — India’s prime minister warned Friday of a “crushing response” to the suicide bombing of a paramilitary convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir which killed 41 people and was the deadliest in the divided region’s volatile history. Prime…