14-10-2018

NEWS
SUNDAY,
OCTOBeR 14, 2018
2
Students from different universities in a stance programme as they want '35' age limit to apply in
Government services.
Photo : TBT
Melania Trump
ignores cheating
rumors about
husband
Melania Trump says she
loves President Donald
Trump and has "much more
important things to think
about" than allegations he
cheated on her with a porn
star, a Playboy Playmate or
anyone else.
Mrs. Trump, who was
interviewed by ABC while
touring Africa last week, said
people are just spreading
rumors about her marriage.
"I know people like to
speculate and media like to
speculate about our marriage
and circulate the gossip," she
said. "But I understand the
gossip sells newspapers,
magazines ... and,
unfortunately, we live in this
kind of world today."
She insisted allegations of
her husband's infidelities are
not a concern.
Trump, who during the
2016 presidential campaign
was heard on an old "Access
Hollywood" tape talking
about groping and trying to
have sex with women, has
been accused of having
multiple affairs. Porn star
Stormy Daniels and ex-
Playboy Playmate Karen
McDougal have said they
had sex with him years ago.
Trump has denied the
trysts with Daniels and
McDougal but has
acknowledged reimbursing
his lawyer for a $130,000
hush money payment to
Daniels. Mrs. Trump has
generally kept quiet on the
subject.
Asked in the ABC interview
if she loves her husband,
Mrs. Trump said, "Yes, we
are fine. Yes."
She played down a
suggestion the repeated
rumors of his philandering
had put a strain on their
marriage.
"It is not concern and focus
of mine," she said. "I'm a
mother and a first lady, and I
have much more important
things to think about and to
do."
But when asked if the
repeated rumors had hurt
her, she paused. Then she
reiterated the "media world
is speculating."
"Yeah, it's not always
pleasant, of course," she said.
"But I know what is right and
what is wrong and what is
true and not true."
Portions of Mrs. Trump's
interview aired Friday on
"Good Morning America."
ABC News aired more from
the interview during an
hourlong special broadcast
Friday night, during which
she explained why she wore
a jacket that said "I really
don't care, do u?" on a trip to
the border to visit migrant
children who had been
separated from their parents.
She noted that she wore
the jacket getting on and off
the plane, but not during her
visits with children, and said
it was a message to "people
and the left-wing media who
are criticizing me." Mrs.
Trump said the jacket was a
statement that the criticism
will not stop her from doing
"what I feel is right."
She said she purposely
wore the jacket on the flight
back to Washington after
seeing "how the media was
obsessed about it."
'Window of opportunity
narrowing' on global
growth: IMF
The window of opportunity to keep global growth on track is
"narrowing" amid trade disputes and emerging markets
crises, the IMF said Saturday, and cautioned against
currency wars as a US-China spat threatens to boil over,
reports BSS.
The warning from the International Monetary Fund came
at its annual meeting with the World Bank in Bali, after it cut
its outlook for global GDP growth this week by 0.2
percentage points to 3.7 percent for 2018 and 2019.
And the Fund further cautioned that "everyone is going to
suffer" from a trade-and-currency clash between the United
States and China, the world's two biggest economies.
"Risks are increasingly skewed to the downside amid
heightened trade tensions and ongoing geopolitical concerns,
with tighter financial conditions particularly affecting many
emerging market and developing countries," the IMF said in
a communique.
It added that historically high public debt was also among
the red flags that "could further undermine confidence and
growth prospects".
"With the window of opportunity narrowing, we will act
promptly to advance policies and reforms to protect the
expansion, mitigate risks, rebuild policy space, enhance
resilience, and raise medium-term growth prospects for the
benefit of all," the statement said.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this week said he
had told the head of China's central bank about his concerns
over the weakness of its currency.
However, he declined to comment on whether Washington
would declare Beijing a "currency manipulator" in a Treasury
report due out next week.
That designation would be a first for China and would
trigger a process that could lead to punitive steps after a
series of talks.
The IMF appeared to take aim at the two powerhouse
economies which are also locked in an increasingly bitter titfor-tat
tariff battle.
AfDB provides loan to
improve sanitation
conditions in Tunisia
The African Development Bank (AfDB) decided to lend
Tunisia 76 million euros (87.9 million U.S. dollars) to finance
a government project to improve sanitation conditions, local
media reported Friday, reports BSS
As part of the loan arrangement, Tunisia will receive 1
million euros as donation to finance the first phase of the
sanitation program for small municipalities with 10,000
inhabitants, Tunisia's official radio reported.
Tunisian government will allocate this new funding for the
construction of water purification and pumping stations in 19
governorates to reduce the spread of diseases caused by open
water areas. "This project will improve the life quality of
200,000 local residents distributed throughout many
Tunisian governorates," said Mohamed El Azizi, director of
the AfDB bureau in North Africa.
"This loan will be used to provide sustainable development
and a clean and healthy environment," said El Azizi.
Facebook: Hackers
accessed personal data
from 29M accounts
Facebook says hackers accessed a wide swath of information
- ranging from emails and phone numbers to more personal
details like sites visited and places checked into - from
millions of accounts as part of a security breach the company
disclosed two weeks ago.
Twenty-nine million accounts had some form of
information stolen. Originally Facebook said 50 million
accounts were affected, but that it didn't know if they had
been misused.
The news comes at a jittery time ahead of the midterm
elections when Facebook is fighting off misuse of its site on a
number of fronts . The company said Friday there's no
evidence this is related to the midterms.
On Friday Facebook said hackers accessed names, email
addresses or phone numbers from these accounts. For 14
million of them, hackers got even more data, such as
hometown, birthdate, the last 10 places they checked into or
the 15 most recent searches.
An additional 1 million accounts were affected, but hackers
didn't get any information from them.
Facebook isn't giving a breakdown of where these users
are, but says the breach was "fairly broad." It plans to send
messages to people whose accounts were hacked.
Facebook said third-party apps that use a Facebook login
and Facebook apps like WhatsApp and Instagram were
unaffected by the breach.
Facebook said the FBI is investigating, but asked the
company not to discuss who may be behind the attack. The
company said it hasn't ruled out the possibility of smallerscale
attacks that used the same vulnerability.
5 JCD men
held in Natore
NATORE : Police on
Saturday arrested five
activists of Jatiyatabadi
Chhatra Dal (JCD) while
they were taking
preparation to bring out a
procession at Hafrasta in the
city, reports UNB.
The arrestees are Afredi,
Jubayer, Sujon, Hira and
Murad.
BNP district unit vicepresident
Shahidul Islam
Bachchu said as part of their
central programme, when
he JCD men were gathering
in front of the government
school at Hafrasta for
brining out a procession in
the morning police arrested
them.
Meanwhile, officer-incharge
of DB Saikat Hasan
confirmed the matter.
Fazle Rabbi
inaugurates
training
course in
Manikganj
MANIKGANJ : Deputy
Speaker M Fazle Rabbi Miah
yesterday said Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has
been leading the country
towards development
through bringing it under
digitalization process.
The next generation of the
country will be immensely
benefitted utilizing the
digitalization programme,
he added.
The deputy speaker was
speaking as the chief guest at
the inaugural ceremony of a
ten-day training course on
'Human Rights Digital Age'
at the Proshika Manobik
Unnayan Kendra at Koitta,
Manikganj.
Rabbi urged the people to
reelect the Awami Leage for
continuing the on-going
development spree of the
country.
Prof Dr Rahmat Ullah,
Dean of Faculty of Law,
University of Dhaka and
Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman,
Chairman of Bangladesh
Human Rights Commission
spoke on the function as the
special guests. A total of 42
students of 17 universities
from Bangladesh, India and
Nepal are taking part in the
training course.
Mongolia's unemployment
rate drops 4.6 pct in first 3
quarters
The unemployment rate in
Mongolia decreased by 4.6
percent in the first three
quarters of this year, compared
with the same period last year,
the country's National
Statistical Office (NSO) said
Friday, reports BSS.
But the figure was 4.9
percentage points higher
month-on-month. A total of
24,200 people were recorded
to be unemployed, more than
half of whom were female.
And the highest
unemployment rate went to
people aged 15-24. The report
showed that 30.2 percent of
the unemployed had
university degrees.
During the first three
quarters of this year, some
14,900 out of the total
registered unemployed people.
Srimukh, a village with
only 5 residents in Sylhet
needs a helping hand
SYLHET : Srimukh, a village under
Khajanchi union in Bishwanath upazila, is
probably the smallest village in the country
where only a 5-member family has been
living for long amid the absence of various
basic facilities, including a road, reports
UNB.
The village, enlisted in the government
gazette, is located at Ward No 5 of the union
and in the middle of Telikona and Paschim
Noagaon villages with a single family living
here since the mid-60s.
The current members of the isolated family
include three women-Rahima Begum, 35,
Dilara Begum, Angura Begum, 43, and
Sumaia, minor girl Akhter Tahina, 8, and
Aftab Ali.
Ali, the only male member of the family,
has been living in Saudi Arabia for 30 years
to support the family.
While visiting the village recently, the UNB
correspondent found that there is no road to
enter the village and the lone family of the
village has been struggling to survive for lack
of various basic facilities.
The only tube-well at the village went out
of order long ago and they have to drink
water fetching it from neighbouring village.
They have to drink contaminated pond water
when they are unable to move out.
Rahima Begum, wife of Aftab Ali, saidthere
is no path to get out of their house. As there
is no road, they have to go out crossing the
lands of others.
"My daughter can't go to school during the
rainy season. My husband now can't earn
much because he has grown old. We don't
get any government assistance either. So,
we've been living a terrible life here," she
bemoaned.
Rahima said they desperately need a road
at the village and the government can
construct it.
Though the village is listed in the
government gazette, no development work is
done at the village.
Once a Hindu family used to live there. In
1964, the Hindu family sold the house to the
ancestor of Aftab Ali.
Talukder Gias Uddin, chairman of
Khazanchi union, said as the village has no
land of its own, it is not possible to build a
road for them. However, an effort is on for
constructing a road for the village in
consultation with the residents of the
adjoining villages, he said.
Contacted, Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Amitabh Parag Talukdar said he has heard
recently about the village and he will look
into the matter.
He also assured the villagers of repairing
their tube-well, now out of service.
People from freedom fighter family hold different placards demanding fixation
of 30% reservation for the descendents of freedom fighters.
Photo : TBT
Suspected 'criminal'
killed in Jashore gunfight
JASHORE : A suspected 'criminal' was killed in a 'gunfight'
allegedly between two gangs of miscreants at Old Kosba area
in the city early Saturday, reports UNB.
The deceased was identified as Taizul Rahman, 34, son of
Hafizur Rahman of Kholadanga area in the city.
Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, Apurba Hasan
said in the early hour they went to the spot after being
informed about a gunfight at Old Kosba area.
They found a bullet-hit body of Taizul from the spot, who
was accused in seven murder cases including a recent
murder of Jubo League activist in Kazipara area, he said.
Jubo League activist Sohag was hacked and slaughtered to
death by some miscreants on September 28.
The body of Taizul was sent to Sadar Hospital for autopsy,
said the OC.
Body of customs employee
found in Chattogram
CHATTOGRAM : The body of a Customs Department
employee was recovered from near Charpara on the bank of
the Karnafuli River in the city on Friday night, reports UNB.
The deceased was identified as Ripen Singh Druba, 33, a
cashier of Excise and Vat Commissionerate in Chattogram
Customs and son of Khudiram Singh of Askar Digirpar area
in the city.
Officer-in-charge of Patenga Police Station Utpal Barua
said locals spotted the body of an unidentified man on Friday
night and informed police.
His identity was known on Saturday morning after police
recovered the body from near Charpara Beribadh area in
Patenga.
The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College and
Hospital for autopsy.
33 fishermen
punished for
defying Hilsa
ban
BHOLA : A mobile court
here on Saturday jailed and
fined 33 fishermen for
catching hilsa from the
Meghna and Tetulia rivers in
the district defying a
government ban, reports
UNB.
Among the convicts, 25
fishermen were awarded one
year jail each while eight
others were fined.
Md Asaduzzaman, senior
fisheries officer of sadar
upazila, said the upazila
fisheries department and
coast guard men with the
help of police in separate
drives detained 33 fishermen
from different places in
Doulatkhan, Borhanudin
and Sadar upazilas on Friday
night and seized 13,000
meters current nets and 20
kgs hilsa. Later, the
fishermen were given
punishment by a mobile
court, led by executive
magistrate Kamal Hossain,
he added. The seized current
nets were burnt and the fish
were distributed among poor
people.
College student
found dead in
Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI : Police
recovered the body of a
college student from a pond
at Sarangpur in Godagari
municipal area on Saturday
morning two days after he
had gone missing, reports
UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Joynal, 18, son
of Khorshed of Char
Harishpur village in
Chapainawabganj district
and an HSC 2nd year
student of Godagari
Government College.
Jahangir Alam, officer-incharge
of Godagari Police
Station, said locals spotted
the floating body in the
morning and informed
police.
Later, police recovered the
body and sent to Rajshahi
Medical College and
Hospital morgue for an
autopsy.
Joynal used to study
staying at his sister's house
at Sarangpur village and he
went missing on Thursday
noon.
Victim's father and
brother-in-law filed a
general diary with Godagari
Model Police Station on
Friday.
Two held
'with arms'
in Naogaon
NAOGAON : Members of
Rapid Action Battalion
(Rab) in a drive arrested two
suspected arms traders
'along with arms' at Noidigi
village in Atrai upazila earl
Saturday, reports UNB.
The arrestees are Alamgir
Hossain, 46, and Abdul Jalil,
50.
Assistant Superintendent
of police Swajal Kumar
Sarker, now the company
commander of Natore Rab-5
camp, said a team of Rab
raided the house of Alamgir
following a tip-off and
arrested the duo 'along with
a shooter gun and three
bullets'. "Jalil was a top
leader of an outlawed party,"
said the Rab official without
naming the outlawed party.
A case was filed.
One held with '1.7kg
gold powder' at
Benapole
BENAPOLE : Customs
officials arrested a man
'along with 1.7kg gold
powder' at Benapole port
here on Friday night, reports
UNB.
The arrestee was identified
as Alamgir, 42, son of Md
Ibrahim Khalil, hailing from
Chatkhil in Noakhali.
Belal Hossain Chowdhury,
commissioner of the
Benapole Port Customs, said
port officials reportedly
scanned Alamgir's bag and
spotted a packet of gold
powder, worth about Tk 70
lakh, while he was going to
India. Alamgir was allegedly
carrying the gold powder
mixing it with soil in the
packet, which was proved
through laboratory tests.
2 SUST students
held for 'spreading
rumours'
SUST : Police on Friday
detained two students of
Shahjalal University of
Science and Technology
(SUST) for carrying out
unlawful activities on the
campus ahead of the first year
admission tests to be held on
Saturday, reports UNB.
The detainees are Tanjil
Ahmed, final year student of
Food
Engineering
department and Ilias Hossain,
a third-year student of
Anthropology department of
the university.
Members of Bangladesh
Chhatra League (BCL) SUST
unit claimed they found
concrete proof that the
duowereinvolved in spreading
rumours about the
university's Shah Poran Hall
on their respective Facebook
accounts. Later, they handed
those to Jalalabad Police
Station in presence of
admission test disciplinary
committee chief Prof Rashed
Talukdar around 10:30 pm,
said Shafiqul Islam, officer-incharge
of the police station.