07-03-2018

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NATIONAL WeDNeSeSDAY, MARCH 7, 2018 6 Human chain in Magura town in observance of international women day, ADAB, Magura district unit formed a human chain marking International Women Day yesterday in Magura town. Photo: Khan Rakbibul Haque. 19 held in Dinajpur DINAJPUR: Police, in special drives arrested 19 persons including two activists of BNP and two drug traders from different areas of the district in last 12-hour ending at 8am yesterday morning, reports BSS. Police also recovered 180 bottles of Phensidyl during the drives. Police said they were picked up from different areas of the district. During the drives, Dinajpur Sadar police arrested six persons including two activists of BNP from Bahadur Bazar around 7am in the town, Birampur Thana police arrested two persons, Biral Thana police arrested two persons, Ghoraghat Thana police arrested two persons, Bochaganj Thana police arrested one person, Parbatipur Thana police arrested two persons and Kaharole Thana police arrested two persons. Several cases, including charges of subversive activities, are pending with different police stations against the arrested persons, the sources added. In another drive, Hakimpur Thana police arrested two alleged drug traders with a private car and recovered 180 bottles of Phensidyl after searching the private car from Chowgundi Moor in the upazila around 6am. The arrested people were sent to jail. Bumper mango yield likely in C'nawabganj CHAPAINAWABGANJ: The mango trees come into blossom in abundance amid favorable climatic condition, expecting a bumper mango production during this season in the district, reports BSS. Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials here yesterday said the overall temperature was favorable for flowering in mango trees from the beginning of the season and now those took a very eye catching look, predicting a bright prospect of the fruit this season. While contacted, additional deputy director of DAE Dr. Md. Saiful Alam said more than 90 percent mango trees have blossomed so far. This year the mango production is expected to be over 2.5 lakh tonnes whereas the production of mangoes was 2, 40,000 tonnes last year, he added. He continued there are 22, 60,000 mango trees on 29,510 hectares of land in the district. Some 250 mango varieties including Fazli, Ashina, Gopalbhog, Langra are grown in the district every year. Fresher's reception held at RU RC CORRESPONDENT: The authorities of Rajshahi University (RU) accorded reception to the newcomers students under 2017-18 academic sessions at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium yesterday. RU VC Professor Dr. M Abdus Sobhan attended the function as the chief guest while university student advisor Prof. Dr Prof Jannatul Ferdus delivered welcome speech. Pro-VC Prof Dr Ananda Kumar Saha, Treasurer Prof Dr Mostafizur Rahman, register Professor MA Bari, proctor Prof Dr Luthfor Rahman, public relation officer Prof Provash Kumar Karmaker , among others, addressed the occasion. RU VC Professor Dr. M Abdus Sobhan said in the age of globalization and communication-technology, students have to face challenges of new technology. The purpose of education is to acquire knowledge from reality and to engage it for the betterment of country and mankind. He, however, called fresher's students of the university to keep away from evil forces in the holy institution adding there is no place for the evil in the university. Uphold the country`s image following their education from the institution, he again urged. Bangabandhu's birthday programme in Narsingdi NARSINGDI: The district administration at a meeting on Monday finalized an elaborate programme to celebrate the 99th birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children Day-2018 on March 17, reports BSS. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Shubash Chandra Biswas presided over the meeting in his office conference room. District level government officials, upazila officers, head of educational institutions, Freedom Fighters, representatives of socio-cultural and professional organizations and journalists participated in the meeting. The programme included placing of wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu, cake cutting, children's gathering, rallies, discussions and screening of documentaries on Bangabandhu. On this occasion, Shishu Academy will arrange drawing, handwriting, essay writing and cultural competitions. Islamic foundation will arrange Hamd-Nath competition and Doa Mahfil. The observance will begin through placing wreaths on the mural of Bangabandhu on Deputy Commissioner Office premises in the morning. The local newspapers will publish special supplement marking the day. Munajats will be offered at religious institutions and improved diets will be served among the unprivileged children. 1.32 lakh families get rice at Tk 10 per kg in Nilphamari NILPHAMARI: More than 1.32 lakh extreme poor families in six upazila of the district have been getting rice at a rate of Taka 10 per kilogram (kg) since yesterday, reports BSS. The selected card holders of the upazilas will get 30 kilograms of rice in every month through 247 village ration dealers at a rate of Taka 10 per kg under the 'Food Friendly Programme for the Ultra Poor. District Food Control office appointed 54 dealers in 15 union of Sadar upazila, 37 dealers in 10 unions of Domar upazila, 31 dealers in 10 unions of Dimla upazila, 50 dealers in 11 unions of Jaldhaka upazila, 53 dealers in 9 unions of Kishorganj upazila and 32 dealers in 5 unions of Saidpur upazila. District food controller Kazi Saifuddin said the government will provide food support to the extreme poor families during the crisis period so that they do not suffer for food crisis. River water irrigation gains popularity among Barind farmers RAJSHAHI: River water irrigation has started gaining popularity among the farmers in high Barind tract, lessening gradually mounting pressure on underground water, reports BSS. Haider Ali, 43, of Bhatopara village under Godagari Upazila, is now happy over irrigation by using river water in the current Irri-boro season. Shariful Islam, 51, another farmer of Baliaghata village, said river water contains humus which is important for soil fertility as well as boosting crop yield. "We are so much happy over getting chances of irrigating using river water round the year," he added. Like them, river water irrigation has made more than 6,500 farmers happy in the high Barind area as their dependence on deep tube wells and rainfall has been reduced to some extent. Farmers set up 21 pumps in seven points of Padma, Mohananda and Punarbhaba rivers in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts, lifting river water and supplying those to the farmlands through 41,050 feet long pipelines. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Project established the infrastructures with financial support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation- SDC in order to make the farmers habituated to irrigating their farmlands with river-water. DASCOH Foundation and Swiss Red Cross have jointly been implementing the IWRM project in 35 UPs and four pourasabhas in the two northern districts since 2015. Ali Azam Towhid, Chairman of Matikata Union Parishad, said many of the hand-driven tube wells become out of order during dry season when the deep tube-wells remain functioning. He said the odd situation poses a serious threat to the living and livelihood condition of the people particularly the poor and ethnic minority. So, there is no alternative but to use river water to protect the aquifer. Referring to various research findings, Professor Chowdhury SarwarJahan of Department of Geology and Mining in Rajshahi University said around 3,000 liters of water needs to produce one kilogram of paddy. Barind area's irrigation system is largely dependent on underground water. So, huge underground water is extracted for crop cultivation including Irriboro every year. Stressing the need for environment-friendly more irrigation scheme like IWRM, he said there is no alternative but to promote surface water based irrigation to protect the groundwater resources. Students of different educational institutions formed a human to mark International Women Day yesterday in Banaripara district. Upazila Women Affairs officer Dawlatunnesa, Cooperatives officer Afsana Sakhi attend the human chain programme among notables. Photo: S Mijanul Islam Mobile Court drives in Hakaluki haor area and destroys illegal structures burning into ashes. Photo: Abdur Rob Students and teachers form human chain protesting the attack on Sust Professor Dr, Zafor Iqbal yesterday in front of Jamalpur Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Fisheries College yesterday. Photo: Ruhul Amin Razu Marking National Jute Day Sreebordi Upazila Administration brings out a colorful and holds a discussion meeting yesterday in Sreebordi under Sherpur district. Photo: Ramesh Sarkar Five shops fined Tk 21,500 in Rajshahi RAJSHAHI: Five food shops and drug stores were fined Taka 21,500 here yesterday on charges of manufacturing and selling unhygienic and sub-standard food items, reports BSS. A team of Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) conducted a raid at Nandangachhi Bazar area under Charghat Upazila. The team found Milon Bakery, Mina Pharmacy, Ruhul Store, Bismillah Pharmacy and Boishakhi Mistanna Bhander guilty of preparing, possessing and selling food and other consumer items in unhygienic condition. Subsequently, the team fined Tk 21,500 against the five shop owners and realized the fine instantly. Apurba Adhikary, Assistant Director of DNCRP, said such drive against the violations of consumers' rights will be continued in the days ahead. Youths must be protected from drug addiction RAJSHAHI: Crimes-free society, particularity drug addiction and militancy, must be restored at any cost to protect people and the young generation, in particular, from deadly consequences of the crimes, reports BSS. The law-enforcing agencies and the community people should have to work together as the law-enforcers alone aren't capable to overcome the crises. The observation came at an anti-drugs and anti-militancy public meeting at Shahmukhdum Degree College under Boalia Police Station in the city on Monday afternoon. Boalia Model Police Station Community Policing Committee organized the meeting with the main thrust of encouraging and motivating the people towards freeing the society from various crimes. Mahbubor Rahman, Police Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP), attended and addressed the function as chief guest, saying the community people and the parents, in particular, should take the responsibilities of protecting the young generation from becoming involved in crimes. Chaired by Deputy Commissioner (Boalia) of RMP Amir Jafar, Additional Commissioner Suzayet Islam, Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) Tanveer Haider Chowdhury, city unit Awami League secretary Dablu Sarker, valiant Freedom Fighter Meer Iqbal, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Md Muniruzzaman and Principal of Rajshahi College Prof Habibur Rahman also spoke. RMP Commissioner Mahbubor Rahman said the community people should extend cooperation towards police with specific information about the criminals. The community people know well about location of the criminals, drug traffickers and traders and the police need the information from the citizens for taking legal action against them. The community based policing had been introduced in the metropolis with a noble view, but the community people should take the responsibility of making it effective. "If you give us authentic information about the criminals and other anti-social elements, we will put in our level best efforts to bring those to book as early as possible," he reminded the community people.
INTERNATIONAL WEdNESdAy, MARCH 7, 2018 7 A column of volcanic smoke rises from the crater on the Shinmoedake volcano after its eruption in Kirishima, southern Japan on Tuesday. Photo : AP Japanese volcano erupts, dozens of flights grounded TOKYO : A volcano in southern Japan that appeared in a James Bond film had its biggest eruption in years Tuesday, shooting smoke and ash thousands of meters (feet) into the sky and grounding dozens of flights at a nearby airport, officials said, reports UNB. The Meteorological Agency said the Shinmoedake volcano on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu erupted violently several times, and some lava was rising inside a crater. Public broadcaster NHK showed gray volcanic smoke billowing into the sky and orange lava rising to the mouth of the crater. The Meteorological Agency said ash and smoke shot up Bicycle-riding suicide bomber kills 3 in northeast Nigeria MAIDUGURI : Police say a suicide bomber riding a bicycle with explosive devices strapped to his body killed three people when he detonated himself in a crowded suburb of Nigeria's northeast city of Maiduguri, reports UNB. Borno State police spokesman Joseph Kwaji said Tuesday that at least 17 others were injured by the explosion Monday night. He said the three killed were civilian defense force members on night duty. The dead and injured were taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Explosives and patrol teams visited the scene of the attack. Maiduguri's Muna Garage suburb has been attacked more than 30 times by suicide bombers, killing more than 100 since 2016. The Boko Haram Islamic extremist group, which has killed more than 20,000 in their eight-year insurgency, was formed in Maiduguri, Borno State's capital. 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) into the sky in the volcano's biggest explosion since 2011. In Kirishima city at the foot of the volcano, pedestrians wore surgical masks or covered their noses with hand towels, while others used umbrellas to protect from falling ash. Cars had layers of ash on their roofs. There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruptions. The agency said the volcanic activity is expected to continue and cautioned residents against the possibility of flying rocks and pyroclastic flows - superheated gas and volcanic debris that race down the slopes at high speeds, incinerating or vaporizing everything in their path. The volcano, seen in the CAIRO : A passenger on an EgyptAir flight from the Gulf state of Oman to Cairo assaulted crew members on Tuesday but was quickly overpowered and handed over to authorities, Egyptian aviation officials said, reports UNB. The Boeing 737-800 with 78 passengers returned to Muscat, Oman's capital, 30 minutes after it took off from there, and the crew handed over the passenger to the police. The plane later left for Cairo, arriving four hours behind schedule. According to the officials, the passenger, identified as Egyptian national Mohammed Attiya Ashour, was not armed. The incident unfolded shortly after takeoff, when the man began to shout 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," has had smaller eruptions since last week. Entry to the 1,421-kilometer (4,660-foot) -high volcano was restricted. About 80 flights in and out of nearby Kagoshima airport were canceled. Japan, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," has 110 active volcanoes and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. An eruption of Mount Ontake in 2014 killed about 60 people. In January, a surprise eruption of another volcano in central Japan killed a soldier during ski training and injured 11 others. Several other Japanese volcanoes have had smaller eruptions. Egypt Air passenger on Muscat-Cairo flight assaults crew "Allahu akbar," or "God is great" in Arabic and demanded to enter the cockpit. He was wrestled down by the flight's two air marshals and crew members. The flight's chief cabin steward was slightly injured in the head during the scuffle, the officials said. Egyptian authorities have questioned the crew and other passengers about the incident after they arrived back in Cairo. It was unlikely that the incident was terrorism-related, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. EgyptAir issued a brief statement confirming the incident, describing Ashour as a "disruptive" passenger. Greece seeks EU, NATO help over soldiers arrested in Turkey ATHENS : Greece's defense minister says he has complained to the European Union and NATO following the arrest of two Greek soldiers in Turkey after they strayed across the border during a patrol last week, reports UNB. Panos Kammenos said the two men, a lieutenant and a sergeant, were arrested a "few meters" inside Turkish territory while on a patrol against migrant smuggling. He made the remarks in Brussels on Tuesday while attending a meeting of EU defense ministers. A Turkish court in the border city of Edirne rejected a request for their provisional release. The incident has further strained relations between the two NATO allies who have longstanding disputes over maritime boundaries and commercial rights. Northern Ireland party rejects EU plans on Ireland border BRUSSELS : The Northern Ireland party that props up the government of British Prime Minister Theresa May insists that European Union proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland after Brexit are "not acceptable." Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster said after a meeting with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, that there can be no division between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. to accommodate for a soft border with the EU, reports UNB. The border on the island will be the only land border after the U.K. breaks away as of March 2019 and maintaining open trade and passage is proving to be one of the more intractable issues during the Brexit talks. And the DUP fears that as the EU seeks to keep the Irish border as transparent as possible, it is at the same time erecting obstacles between Northern Ireland and Britain. A passenger on an EgyptAir flight from the Gulf state of Oman to Cairo assaulted crew members but was quickly overpowered. Photo : AP 2 Senate seats up in Mississippi as GOP defends its majority JACKSON : Republicans suddenly find themselves defending two seats in Mississippi this year as they try to maintain their slim majority in the U.S. Senate, reports UNB. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker is already up for reelection in the deeply conservative state. And 80- year-old Republican Sen. Thad Cochran announced Monday that he is resigning April 1 because of poor health. Cochran is just over halfway through a six-year term. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint someone to temporarily succeed Cochran, and a special election will be in November - the same day as the regular election for the seat Wicker now holds. The winner of the special election will serve until January 2021. Democrats are running for the Wicker seat, and the open seat is expected to attract several candidates from both parties. Democrat Mike Espy, President Bill Clinton's first agriculture secretary, says he has a "strong intention" to run. In 1986 he became the first African-American in modern times to win a congressional seat in Mississippi. Cochran's departure set off a scramble within a state Republican Party already struggling to manage a disaffected conservative faction. Chris McDaniel, the outspoken, tea partybacked state senator who came close to defeating Cochran in a bitter 2014 Republican primary, qualified last week to challenge Wicker but said he might jump to the special election if the Cochran seat is open. McDaniel said Monday it is "premature" to say what he will do. Republicans in Washington are hoping to prevent a rough and costly primary season as they struggle to defend their 51-49 hold on the Senate. Some Republicans have doubts about McDaniel's ability to win a general election. And after Republicans' bruising loss in Alabama last year, party leaders are eager to block any risky candidates. Cochran has been a sporadic presence on Capitol Hill in recent months. He stayed home for a month last fall, returning to Washington in October to give Republicans the majority they needed to pass a budget plan. He has since kept a low profile and an aide ever present at his side. "I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge," Cochran said in a statement. "It has been a great honor to serve the people of Mississippi and our country. ... My hope is by making this announcement now, a smooth transition can be ensured so their voice will continue to be heard in Washington, D.C." Cochran was first elected to the Senate in 1978 after serving six years in the House. A mild-mannered Southerner, Cochran came to the Senate when it had a far clubbier atmosphere and he played an insider's game throughout his seven terms - particularly as a member of the powerful Appropriations panel, which had long been a bipartisan powerhouse and way to funnel taxpayer dollars back home. Cochran chaired the committee twice and used the post to channel money to Mississippi and other Gulf Coast states for Hurricane Katrina recovery after the 2005 storm. "Thad knows there's a big difference between making a fuss and making a difference. And the people of Mississippi - and our whole nation- have benefited from his steady determination to do the latter," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. Roger Torrent, speaker of Catalan Parliament releases a statement at the Catalonia Parliament in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. The speaker of Catalonia's parliament has postponed a session intended to re-elect the Spanish region's fugitive ex-president. Photo : AP Catalan parliament to vote on regional leader next week MADRID : Catalonia's parliament will vote next week on whether to elect a jailed separatist leader as the region's new president, as part of an ongoing effort to gain independence from Spain, reports UNB. Parliamentary speaker Roger Torrent on Tuesday convened the plenary session in Barcelona for March 12, when Catalan lawmakers will vote on whether to make Jordi Sanchez their regional government's leader. Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia's ex-leader who fled to Brussels to escape arrest, announced last week that he was temporarily withdrawing his bid to get his old job back and proposed Sanchez - his No. 2 in the Together for Catalonia party - in his place. The vote is the latest push by Catalan separatists to advance their attempt break away from Spain - an effort the central government in Madrid has thwarted in the courts. The Spanish Constitution says Spain is "indivisible," but the standoff has brought the country's worst political crisis in decades and it shows no signs of ending. Sanchez, a former president of a prominent secessionist civic group called Catalan National Assembly who was elected to parliament last December, has been held in a prison near Madrid since October. He is detained while a judge investigates whether he orchestrated protests that hindered authorities' attempt to halt preparations for a banned Catalan independence referendum on Oct. 1. Sanchez has asked a judge to let him attend the plenary session. A letter from his lawyers to the Supreme Court, published Tuesday, argues that denying him permission to travel would be denying his personal rights and those of people who voted in December. Next Monday, Sanchez would require a majority of parliamentary votes - 68 lawmakers - to be elected in a first round of voting. If he falls short of that number, in a vote 48 hours later he would require more votes for him than against him to be elected. It wasn't immediately clear whether Sanchez would have enough support to take office. Kremlin 'ready to cooperate' over former spy's illness in UK MOSCOW : The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia has not been approached by British authorities to help in an investigation over how and why a former Russian spy was found critically ill in a shopping mall in a town in southern England, reports UNB. British media have identified him as Sergei Skripal, 66, who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison. Skripal, who is said to have suffered exposure to an "unknown substance" was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap. A woman was also found unconscious Sunday afternoon in Salisbury, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of London. Dimitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, said Tuesday at a daily conference call with media in Russia there has been no request for help but that "Moscow is always ready to cooperate." Wiltshire Police, which is responsible for the Salisbury area, said the man and woman appeared to know one another and had no visible injuries. "They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. Both are currently in a critical condition in intensive care," the 80 killed on Monday in Syria's Ghouta BEIRUT : A war-monitoring group says Syrian government shelling and airstrikes killed 80 people in the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus the previous day, making it the deadliest day there since the U.N.'s Security Council last month demanded a cease-fire across Syria, reports UNB. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 80 died and dozens more were wounded on Monday as government forces ignored the U.N. call and pressed their assault on the rebel-held eastern Ghouta. The United Nations estimates 400,000 people are trapped under a government siege in the area. The Syrian American Medical Society charity, which supports several hospitals in eastern Ghouta, gave a slightly lesser death toll from the Observatory, saying 79 people were killed. police department said in a statement. The discovery led to a dramatic decontamination effort. Crews in billowing yellow moon suits worked into the night spraying down the street, and the Salisbury hospital's emergency room was closed. Public Health England said it had only limited information about the patients, but there "doesn't appear to be any further immediate risk to public health." "PHE understands that those exposed to the substances have been decontaminated," the health agency said in a statement.
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07-03-2018

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