Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: TikTok has confirmed that its first European data centre in Ireland is now operational and the social media giant has begun to migrate European user data to the site, as part of its ongoing response to data privacy concerns around the app’s links to China. The centre in Dublin is the first of three in Europe to be built and will house data from TikTok users from across the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The social media giant’s construction of the centres comes as it faces ongoing scrutiny from regulators around the world over…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The 82-kilometre railway track from Dhaka to Faridpur’s Bhanga upazila via the Padma bridge is all set for railway transport. Ahead of the grand opening – scheduled for October 10 – Bangladesh Railway is conducting a trial run on the newly built rail tracks from Kamlapur to Faridpur’s Bhanga upazila via Padma Bridge on Wednesday (September 7), said Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the 82-kilometre rail tracks connecting Dhaka with Faridpur’s Bhanga next month. “We are moving ahead with October 10 as the tentative date for the inauguration of the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s Evergrande Group, once China’s second-largest property developer has filed for bankruptcy in the US. Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection, allows a US bankruptcy court to step in when an insolvency case involves another country. It is intended to help promote cooperation between US courts, debtors, and other countries’ courts involved in cross-border bankruptcy proceedings. Evergrande, the beleaguered firm, borrowed heavily and defaulted on its debt in 2021, sparking a massive property crisis in China’s economy, which continues till date. The company’s bankruptcy serves as a cautionary lesson about ‘growth-at-all-costs’’ model that underpinned China’s spectacular growth in the past…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Joblessness in China has reached an embarrassing level, forcing the Chinese government to conceal the unemployment data from the public view. Experts in China feared the unemployment rate has reached close to 50 percent in 2023. Even the Beijing government had to admit that the urban unemployment rate touched a record 21.3 percent in mid-2023. However, it was followed by the suspension of measurement of employment data, which led to angry reactions from the Chinese youth. Unemployment has become a major crisis in China as joblessness is taking its toll on the youth and economy. One in five…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As women thrive, so does the world. Their economic empowerment becomes a catalyst for growth. Their ability to attain education propels advancement on a global scale. The presence of their leadership cultivates inclusiveness. Moreover, their voices serve as a wellspring of motivation for constructive transformation. The most impactful method to bolster women is by adopting a development approach guided by women. India is making fast advances in this direction. India’s President, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, stands as a compelling exemplar herself. Emerging from a modest tribal upbringing, she now leads the world’s most extensive democracy and holds the role…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s starting position in the race to reach ‘Net-Zero’ is not comparable to the fiscal space of four economies including the US, EU, China and Japan, but it stands out in its ability to position itself well in the new industrial era, according to a report. The new report, ‘Competing in the new zero-carbon industrial era’ by think tank, Strategic Perspectives, compares the performance of five major economies – US, China, EU, India and Japan on zero carbon technologies. It shows that the net-zero transition policies have significantly strengthened competitiveness, energy security and future economic prosperity. The report…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As India is gearing up to host the G20 Leaders Summit, the concept of ‘women-led’ development has been at the centre of New Delhi’s agenda throughout its presidency. Marking a shift from the focus on women’s empowerment alone, women-led development has emerged as a crucial focus area on a life-course approach basis under India’s presidency. Through consensus-building on the global stage, India modelled a vision for progress in uplifting women worldwide with seven in-person conferences and 86 international meetings including virtual meetings that witnessed the participation of over 300 delegates from 18 G20 countries and seven guest countries.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: On August 28, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources published a “standard map” of China, which amounted to a unilateral assertion of whatever territory it wants to claim. Beijing said the new version was introduced to “eliminate problem maps”, but China has succeeded only in upsetting numerous neighbours. So far, five ASEAN countries have issued public statements denouncing China’s creative cartography. In the following order, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei have complained. These five Southeast Asian states are all in dispute over China’s excessive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Interestingly, China’s controversial – and legally…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has instructed commercial banks not to make financial transactions with Myanmar’s two banks, which are facing US sanctions. A central bank official on Tuesday told UNB that a letter was sent to banks in Bangladesh to be caraeful about these two banks. The two banks are the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank. On June 21, the United States Ministry of Finance (Office of Foreign Assets Control-OFAC) announced the sanction on these two banks in Myanmar in a circular. Myanmar’s ruling military government uses these banks to buy arms and…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the authorities concerned to identify and take legal actions against those who go abroad with fake certificates and their abettors. She made this directive while chairing the Cabinet meeting at her office here in the city. Complaints are there that many people are going abroad for various jobs with fake certificates and even fake certificates of physician and engineer are used here, said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters after the meeting. “The Prime Minister has directed the Home Minister to bring the culprits to book, identifying how they…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Canadian authorities have withdrawn permission for the organisers of the Khalistan Referendum to hold voting at a public school after concerns were raised over promotional materials featuring an AK-47 machine gun. The event was scheduled for 10 September in Surrey, British Columbia. The Surrey District School Board cancelled the rental agreement due to a violation of their policies. The referendum seeks to establish an independent Sikh state in Punjab. India has expressed its displeasure over the use of Canadian territory for the separatist referendum. The organisers of the so-called Khalistan Referendum received a jolt on Sunday as Canadian…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Gilgit Baltistan region, widespread injustice plagues the Shia community. They are not seen as equals by the Sunni majority in Pakistan. Places essential to their faith, including places of worship, educational institutions, and employment opportunities, are marred by discrimination. This time around, a Shia cleric Ulema Agha Baqir Al Hussaini finds himself caught in a web of false accusations. Despite his unwavering commitment to Islam, Al Hussaini is being framed by certain fundamentalists who allege blasphemy. However, those present during his speech vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Now streets are buzzing with protesters. Tens of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Water delivery in the city was hampered on Monday due to a power outage at Karachi’s Dhabeji pumping station, ARY News reported. The Dhabeji pumping station, which is responsible for supplying water to all of Karachi, experienced a power outage, which means that Karachi’s residents may face water scarcity. According to a Water Corporation spokesperson, the 72-inch diameter line, known as line number 5, is impacted by the power outage, according to ARY News. According to the spokesperson, representatives from the water corporation are on the scene and thoroughly inspecting the affected line in an effort to pinpoint…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan has witnessed a sharp 83 per cent rise in terror attacks in the month of August, Geo News cited a report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The month of August saw a significant surge in terrorist attacks around the country, with 99 terror occurrences registered thus far. This is the greatest number recorded in a single month since November 2014, according to the data. The data stated a sharp 83 per cent rise in August when compared with July, as the month saw 54 attacks. The PICSS report also mentioned four…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: A number of vehicles were seen taking the 11.5 km Airport-Farmgate stretch of Dhaka Elevated Expressway as it was opened to traffic at 6 am today. It takes about 10 minutes for a vehicle to reach Farmgate from Kawla with a speed up to 60 km per hour. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 2, 2023 inaugurated the Airport-Farmgate segment of Dhaka Elevated Expressway after paying a Tk 2,000 toll for 25 vehicles in her motorcade. This is the first project in the transport sector being implemented under public-private partnership (PPP) with foreign investment. About 80,000 vehicles will…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The BBC’s article on “speech martyrs” in Kashmir wasn’t just your usual clueless Western rubbish. It was far more sinister — a carefully coordinated attempt to pervert the course of justice. That it was shockingly amateurish in its lack of research may therefore have been its redeeming feature, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact that the reporter in question crossed an unwritten line. One person mentioned in the article that it will be focused on Fahad Shah. Leave aside the unverifiable sexual peccadilloes ascribed to Fahad because that’s not what he’s on trial for. He’s on trial…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pakistan government has chosen to import 1 million metric tonnes of sugar to replenish the country’s reduced supply after being deceived by sugar mill owners about a “sufficient” domestic stock, Geo News reported. The federal government will import sugar at an inflated price of PKR 220 per kilogram, and the burden will be passed on to the population, which is already suffering from inflation and will be forced to pay exorbitant prices, the Geo News said. The current situation is a result of sugar mill owners misleading the government, securing permission for export by reassuring that the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK:  From the first meeting in Andamans last year to next week’s meeting of sherpas in Manesar, how much distance have you travelled and are things on course? We’ve covered huge ground. As PM Narendra Modi had desired, our presidency has been inclusive, decisive, ambitious and action-oriented. We’ve pursued this vision vigorously. We have driven a vast range of very positive, constructive and forward-looking consensus on a range of developmental issues. We have been pursuing the voice of the Global South. We have worked on the reform and redesign of multilateral financial institutions – what needs to be done…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will be organizing the Global IndiaAI 2023, scheduled for October this year. There will be participation from leading AI players, researchers, startups, and investors in India and worldwide. The conference is poised to cover a wide spectrum of topics, including Next Generation Learning and Foundational AI models, AI’s applications in healthcare, governance, and next-gen electric vehicles, future AI research trends, AI computing systems, investment opportunities, and nurturing AI talent. Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar chaired the conference’s steering committee which is…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India is planning to showcase its rich culture and diversity during its presidency of G20, through the means of cuisine, crafts, and culture along with an insight into its democratic roots and its progress made in the digital space. India is all set to host the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 9-10. World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. Muktesh Pardeshi, who is the Special Secretary and the head of operations and logistics of India’s G20 secretariat, in an exclusive interview with ANI said that New Delhi…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan rover captures images of the Vikram lander, taken at a distance of 15 meters. Hours after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the first image of the Vikram lander resting on the moon, the Pragyan rover’s navigation cameras have captured another series of photographs featuring its companion. Shared by the Indian space agency, these pictures were taken today at 11am, when the rover had covered a distance of approximately 15 metres. In a social media post on platform X, ISRO accompanied the visuals writing, “Beyond Borders, Across Moonscapes: India’s Majesty knows no bounds! Once…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The United States (US) Congress has no objection to the Joe Biden administration’s decision to pursue the GE jet engine deal with India, paving the way for the implementation of the company’s agreement with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) that includes unprecedented technology transfer, manufacturing of jet engines in India and licensing arrangements. A person familiar with developments on Capitol Hill, the home of the US Congress, said, “It is all clear from the legislative end. The sale was approved before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit itself. But, as per the process, the state department notified the House…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Apart from showcasing its rich culture, varied crafts and diverse cuisine at the G20 summit, India will also display its progress in the digital sector, a senior official said on Wednesday while noting that experience panels will be created for delegates to experience how UPI payments are made and how India has been leading in digital payments. Muktesh K Pardeshi, Special Secretary, G20 Operations, told ANI in an interview that He also informed that the catering at the Convention Centre is being handled by the ITC and there is a lot of focus on cuisine, menu planning as…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The political crackdown on former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan by the establishment holds no surprise, as the country’s “democratic backsliding” goes further than the embattled former prime minister, journalist and author Lynne O’Donnell stated in her piece in Foreign Policy. According to the author, Pakistan is living under the pall of authoritarianism as the rowdy circus of political survival pushes the urgent need for reform and accountability into the shadows. The rights activists have always alleged that successive governments, regardless of political stripe, have consistently used the law to “weaken civil society” and “undermine the democratic ideals”…