Author: Arif ArifArman

TECHNOLOGY DESK: Meta has added a new feature to WhatsApp that allows users to lock specific chats using a password or biometric authentication to further enhance user privacy. According to Indian Express, these locked conversations will be stored in a separate folder. The feature also hides the name and the actual message in the notification, which can only be accessed post-authentication. While there has been an option to lock the entire WhatsApp using biometrics or a PIN code on both Android and iOS devices, this new feature allows users to further protect specific private messages. Hence, even if someone gets…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China will launch pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a “new-era” marriage and childbearing culture to foster a friendly child bearing environment, the latest move by the authorities to boost the country’s falling birth rate. China’s Family Planning Association, a national body that implements the government’s population and fertility measures, will launch the projects to encourage women to marry and have children, the state-backed Global Times reported. Promoting marrying, having children at appropriate ages, encouraging parents to share child-rearing responsibilities, and curbing high “bride prices” and other outdated customs are the focus of the projects,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-nation tour during which he will take part in G-7 Summit in Japan and the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Australia. The Prime Minister will visit Hiroshima in Japan from May 19 to 21 for the G-7 Summit under the Japanese Presidency. He is visiting Japan at the invitation of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. During the Summit, Prime Minister will speak at G-7 sessions with partner countries on subjects such as peace, stability and prosperity of a sustainable planet; food, fertiliser and energy security; health; gender equality; climate change and…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Dhaka and Kathmandu have reviewed the progress in their bilateral and regional cooperation on power sector at the 5th joint steering committee (JSC) meeting held at Payra power plant office in Patuakhali. Bangladesh and Nepal reviewed the details of the construction of a hydropower plant in Nepal through joint venture investment and the import of electricity from Nepal using interconnecting transmission lines through neighbouring India. Bangladesh planned to import 500 MW of electricity from Indian company GMR’s 900 MW Upper Karnali power station through the new line. Power Secretary Habir Rahman led the Bangladesh delegation in the meeting,…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated Bangladesh’s call for the peaceful settlement of the crisis in all its aspects and on the basis of international law and UN resolutions, and for the achievement of an end to the Israeli occupation and establishment of an independent, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders. She urged the international community to step up efforts to reverse the consequences of ‘Nakba’ and restore the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people to live in safety, stability, and dignity in a sovereign homeland. The Prime Minister…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s mission to United Nations slammed Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues over the comment on G20 meet in Srinagar and called it “baseless and unwanted.” Taking to Twitter, the Indian mission to the UN in Geneva said, “We @IndiaUNGeneva strongly reject the statement issued by SR on minority issues @fernanddev & the baseless & unwarranted allegations in it. As G20 President, it’s India’s prerogative to host its meetings in any part of the country.” India accused UN’s Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes of “acting irresponsibly” and politicising the Jammu and Kashmir issue. We are aghast…

SANJAY PULIPAKA: The Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister of India recently released an occasional paper on challenges confronting the Group of Twenty and the need to craft appropriate policy responses by incorporating the concerns of the developing world or the Global South. For instance, on climate change, the paper emphasized increased assistance to developing countries to operationalize resilience measures and develop generous technology-sharing norms. Notably, to help the Global South overcome post-pandemic economic challenges, the paper called for greater multilateral and bilateral funding for “build back broader” initiatives by implementing integrated infrastructure projects. Since taking over the presidency…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s global market share of arms exports is falling drastically as its overseas arms transfers fell 23 per cent over the past half-decade. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in its annual report on the global arms trade published recently, observed that between 2018–2022, Chinese arms transfers averaged barely $1.4 billion, significantly down from $2 billion worth of arms exports in 2013, Xi Jinping’s first year as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Countries like the United States, France, and Italy have seen their shares of the global arms market rise considerably. South Korea is becoming…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT is set to testify before Congress as lawmakers call for new rules to guide the rapid development of AI technology. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to speak at a Senate hearing Tuesday. His San Francisco-based startup rocketed to public attention after its release late last year of ChatGPT, a free chatbot tool that answers questions with convincingly human-like responses. What started out as a panic among educators about ChatGPT’s use to cheat on homework assignments has expanded to broader concerns about the ability of the latest crop…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday said the society should be built in accordance with the desire of the people. He said this while exchanging views with journalists at Pabna Press Club. He also sought cooperation of the media, irrespective of party affiliations and ideologies, in fulfilling his assignments in the country’s highest office. A life member of Pabna Press Club the president talked about his political life, including student politics and his journalistic career that started with now-defunct daily Banglar Bani. Md. Sahabuddin, while reminiscing his days in student politics in the 70s, remembered many talented journalists and…

INTERNATIONAL DESKl: In a significant development for the tourism industry in Kashmir, the Ecotourism Society of Kashmir (ETSK) has welcomed the G20 meeting that is set to take place in the valley. Sameer Baktoo, the convenor of ETSK, expressed his optimism that the summit would give the tourism sector a much-needed boost and help spread a positive message globally. “We are hopeful that the countries that had put travel advisories restraining their citizens from travelling to Kashmir will be lifted, and we will see a huge footfall of foreign tourists in the valley post-G20 summit in Kashmir, as it was…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The picturesque district of Ganderbal witnessed a grand welcome to the historic G20 event in Kashmir, with the “Pedal for Peace” cyclothon organized by the social voluntary organization ‘Voice for Peace and Justice’. More than 500 athletes from across the valley participated in the event, expressing their desire for peace and development in Kashmir. As the G20 delegates arrived in Kashmir for the Y-20 event, the focus on promoting Kashmir’s traditional handicrafts and tourism sector at the global level became prominent. The new generation of Kashmiri youth is eager for more employment resources to be created in the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Washington and the European Union will pledge joint action to tackle concerns focused on China about non-market practices and coordinate their export controls on semiconductors and other goods at a meeting this month, a draft statement showed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and other senior officials are due to meet for the fourth edition of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council in Lulea, Sweden, on May 30-31. The draft statement seen by Reuters said the two sides would address non-market practices and economic coercion, and aim to hold regular talks on efforts…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Dhaka has alone been experiencing more than 600 MW of load shedding during daytime when demand for electricity remains relatively low than nighttime. According to official sources, like the previous few days the country has been seeing over 2000 MW of power shortage. As a result, consumers across the country are facing power outages for 6 to 7 hours in different spells during the day. “After the evening, the situation will be deteriorating with the increase in demand,” said a top official of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) preferring anonymity. He attributed the gas shortage for the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference at her official Ganabhaban residence here today highlighted different important issues about her recent tri-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK). In her written speech, the Prime Minister said during her bilateral meetings, all including Japanese Prime Minister, UK prime minister and World Bank chief highly appreciated Bangladesh’s remarkable socio-economic development under her leadership. They also assured of their continuing support to her government to turn Bangladesh into a ‘Smart Bangladesh” she added. Following is the full text of the written speech: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: After Japan announced last year that it would double its military spending in the next five years and acquire the ability to strike enemy bases, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang lashed out at Tokyo over its planned biggest military build-up since World War II. Reminding Japan of its World War II defeat, Qin Gang said the post-war international order must be maintained, Asian Institute for China and IOR Studies (AICIS) reported. As an impact of geopolitical heat, China, which is arraigned by the international community for its aggressive military positioning in the Indo-Pacific region, has expressed its worries…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The US Senate confirmed Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, an Indian-American, for the position of Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues in the State Department. “Dr Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed by the US Senate as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues. @StateDept looks forward to her efforts to promote women and girls’ rights through US foreign policy,” tweeted The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues. @StateDept looks forward to her efforts to promote…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is all set to host a working group meeting of tourism delegates from the G20 nations in ten-day time. The Summit is set to usher in a new positive phase in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT). The citizens of Jammu and Kashmir are upbeat and are extending full support to the Jammu and Kashmir Administration to make the program a grand success, believing that the event is going to be historical in showcasing Jammu and Kashmir’s potential as a tourism destination, not just for India, but also for the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: To counter China’s footprint in Gulf, India is planning an ambitious connectivity project that aims to link New Delhi to the Middle East, reported Foreign Policy. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with his US and UAE counterparts, which was also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders discussed a joint infrastructure project that would connect the Middle Eastern countries via rail. The ambitious connectivity project aims to link the Middle East to India through roads, rails, and seaports. The idea emerged during meetings of the I2U2 group–which also includes Israel–over the last…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh and Vietnam have agreed to explore possibilities of concluding a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in order to add further substance to the steadily increasing bilateral trade and economic relations between the two regional countries, particularly in context of the LDC graduation of Bangladesh. The issue was discussed at the second Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held between Bangladesh and Vietnam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Sunday. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation, while a nine-member Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Hung Viet. Highlighting the lucrative…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that it will take two days to improve the power and gas supply situation in the country. “The current disruption in power and gas supply will improve as one of the two terminals will resume supply within two days,” he told reporters at his office in the ministry. He said that after the suspension of gas supply from two floating LNG terminals, one terminal left its place for safe location while another one remained stationed at its own location. The suspension caused huge shortage in…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: People started returning home from cyclone centers since afternoon as the wind speed of the cyclonic storm Mocha has slowed in the coastal areas. Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Mujibur Rahman said around 7000 people of the island took refuge at cyclone centers. Apart from three cyclone centers, 37 hotels, resorts and multi-storied buildings have been used as shelters in the district, he said. People started returning home from the cyclone centers, Mujibur Rahman added. Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kamruzzaman said trees have been uprooted and some houses have been damaged in the storm. He said there…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: A two-day meeting of the joint steering committee (JSC) and joint working committee (JWC) on Bangladesh – Nepal power and energy sector cooperation is set to start in Bangladesh on Monday with a target to address the transmission bottleneck in regional electricity trade. The JWC meeting is scheduled for May 15 while the JSC meeting is set for May 16 at the same venue at Payra power plant in Patuakhali, official sources said. Ahead of the meetings, Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud in a meeting on Saturday urged Bangladeshi private and public sector companies to invest in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Joy of sports is not just for the youth, the District Youth Services and Sports in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, has shown by conducting events for senior citizens as part of their Sports for Seniors Sports Week. About 45 senior citizens participated in football and Tug-of-War events held at GD College Baramulla, proving that age is just a number when it comes to enjoying sports. One of the participants, Abdul Rashid, expressed his delight at being part of the event. He said, “I never imagined that I would be playing football at this age, but I am so…