Author: Arif ArifArman

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The 103rd birth anniversary of greatest Bangalee of all time Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day-2023 was celebrated at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Friday with due respect and festivity. To celebrate the day, the Embassy organized elaborate programs which included hosting of the National Flag, placing a floral wreath at the bust of Bangabandhu, discussion meeting, essay and painting competition for the children, cultural function and screening of two documentaries on Bangabandhu. The day’s programs of the Embassy began in the morning with formally hoisting of the National Flag…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Friday raised India’s growth forecast for FY24 to 5.9% from 5.7% in November. “We are impressed by the reforms India has been taking over the years. Also, steps like trying to open up the economy. We want India to keep the reform state of mind,” said Alvaro Santos Pereira, acting chief economist, OECD.(ECONOMIC TIMES)

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India will host a senior official-level meeting of G20 culture ministries in Jammu and Kashmir in May, overriding objections by Pakistan which had lobbied member-states like China, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia to prevent the Indian government from hosting any such meeting in the Union territory. Official sources said the meeting will see senior officials of G20 and guest countries discussing Indian presidency priorities like protection and restitution of cultural property, harnessing living heritage of sustainable future, promotion of cultural industries and leveraging of digital technology for protection of culture. India’s permanent representative Ruchira Kamboj told the UN earlier…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s permanent representative to United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, met UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi and explored plans for strengthening science’s role in diplomacy. Taking to Twitter, UNGA President said, “Great to meet with Belgium, India and South Permanent Representatives, who are committed to science-based decision-making at the UN. Explored breakthroughs & actionable plans for strengthening science’s role in diplomacy.” Earlier, Consulate General hosted an event to promote Araku Valley Specialty Coffee from India. Meanwhile, the W20 delegation of India joined the Permanent Mission of India in New York, Ruchira Kamboj, for a special event on Thursday and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nagaland is set to host one of its biggest events, for the G20 Summit 2023, at Kohima on April 5, informed the state’s Chief Secretary J Alam. The Chief Secretary said India’s year-long presidency of G20 from December 2022 was a matter of great honour for the country and Nagaland, like other host states, was also actively participating in G20 events. He said in the G20 calendar, meetings are to take place all around the year in about 33 cities, with the most scheduled to be held in Kohima. “Nagaland will host a business meeting, which will feature…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nepal ambassador to China, Bishnu Pukar Shrestha who has been in China for eight months, is yet to secure an appointment to present his credentials to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to EPardafas. A statement issued by Rashtriya Ekta Abhiyan says that Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet received a letter from Nepal Ambassador Bishnu Pukar Shrestha. According to the statement, in the backdrop of strong and deep ties between China and Nepal, this delay is a matter of serious concern and deeply disappointing. The statement said, “Nepal has always attached great importance to its relationship…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday that the country’s banking system continued to be resilient and stable, and the central bank had been engaging with domestic lenders on all fronts for the last few years to prepare them for any future risks. His remarks came against the backdrop of the collapse of three banks in the US. Das said recent developments in the US banking system had brought to the fore the criticality of banking sector regulations and supervision. “These are areas which have a significant impact on preserving the financial stability of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has received an international order for the world’s first zero-emission feeder container vessel. The vessel will be powered using Hydrogen Fuel Cells ultimately, with Green Hydrogen. The order has been received from M/s. Samskip Group, a global logistics solution provider for the Design and Construction of Two Zero Emission Feeder Container Vessels with an option for two more vessels. This is an ambitious project under the Norwegian Government’s green funding programme aimed at emission-free transport solutions by adopting sustainable path-breaking future technologies. The total project cost is about Rs 550 crores. These ships can…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Japanese envoy on Friday underscored that there are immense possibilities and potential to expand the relationship and cooperation between India and Japan. “There are many potentials and possibilities to expand the relationship and cooperation between India and Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Chennai will continue the work for the India-Japan relationship and cooperation,” said the Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, Kenji Miyata. He was speaking at the Indo-Japan International Conference organized by the Center for Public Policy Research in Kochi. The two-day Indo-Japan International Conference organized by the Center for Public Policy…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Over 7,000 women personnel are serving in the Indian Army at present followed by 1,636 in the Indian Air Force and 748 in the Navy, according to details provided by the government in Lok Sabha on Friday. Replying to a question, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said 7,093 women are in the Army, which included 6,993 in the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service (MNS). Hundred women are serving in other ranks. Bhatt said, currently women are serving in officer’s cadre only in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and their strength as…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Permanent Representative of India to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey on Friday highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s five core concepts i.e. Ahimsa, Satyagraha, Sarvodaya, Swaraj and Trusteeship, pointing out that they are also the core principles of the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Delivering a Joint Statement on ‘Resonance of Thoughts & Values of Mahatma Gandhi in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ at the Human Rights Council on behalf of India and 89 other States, he said that there is strong resonance in the universal values contained in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In line with the overall policy to step up the military outreach to Africa, where China has made major strategic inroads, the Army is all set to conduct an Africa-India field training exercise and a chiefs’ conclave at Pune this month. Senior Army officers on Friday said the 10-day AFINDEX exercise, in which contingents from nine countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) will take part, will kick off on March 21. Eleven other countries, including Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Morocco, are sending observers for the exercise, which is being held…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Australia is preparing itself for a possible military attack from China in the wake of growing hostilities over the Taiwan Strait conflict and Chinese military expansion in the Indo-Pacific region. It is strengthening its military capabilities and forging alliances with major powers as well as small nations to thwart Chinese belligerence. It can be reflected in the expedition of the process to procure nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK. Australia is also building ties with China’s traditional enemies, like India and Japan. Australia felt the brunt of rising Chinese aggressiveness that seeks to have economic and military…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged the children to grow as smart citizens following the ideals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “The Father of the Nation Bangabandu sheikh Mujib is no longer with us, but he left his ideals for us to follow,” she told a National Children’s Day programme here. The premier said the country’s children must grow up with human virtues and groom themselves smartly through sports and physical exercises. “Every child will have to engage in sports and physical exercises, remain neat and clean, obey teachers and guardians, follow these rules, and must have…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India on Thursday welcomed the US Senate’s much-delayed confirmation of the appointment of Eric Garcetti as ambassador, saying the government is looking forward to working with him. The confirmation finally came ahead of a state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, likely starting June 21, and also the G20 summit in September that will see President Joe Biden travelling to India. “We welcome the confirmation of Eric Garcetti as US Ambassador to India. We look forward to working with him to take forward our multi-faceted bilateral relations,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India, under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, has always come forward to help debt-ridden Sri Lanka, and in the latest instance, New Delhi distributed the ration in Kalmunai, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said. Taking to Twitter, the High Commission of India in Colombo said, “Support by @IndiainSL to needy sections continues!! Glimpses of ration distribution in Kalmunai.” The island nation plunged into a financial crisis after the Covid-19 pandemic affected tourism, which is considered the country’s economic backbone, and remittances from citizens working abroad fell. The war in Ukraine escalated the crisis as prices for imports, particularly…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The W20 delegation of India joined the Permanent Mission of India in New York, Ruchira Kamboj for a special event on Thursday and discussed the path of empowerment through technology. The discussion took place on the sidelines of the CSW67 (Commission on the Status of Women)’s sixty-seventh session. The sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) took place from March 6-17. It took place at the United Nations Headquarters (UN HQ) in New York. The event was a dynamic and interactive experience, the official Twitter handle of India at the UN wrote on Twitter.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Days after rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signed a China-brokered agreement to revive diplomatic ties, India on Thursday welcomed the pact saying it has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences. The two countries announced the full-fledged restoration of their diplomatic relations, seven years after severing them following a bitter row. “We have seen the reports in this regard. India has good relations with various countries in West Asia. We have deep abiding interests in that region,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. He was asked to comment on the pact. “India has always advocated dialogue…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s post-Covid rebound got off to an unbalanced start, with the retail sales growth in the first two months of 2023 only matching the expected percentage and real estate investment falling further, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. Industrial output was less impressive in the January-February period – expanding a slower-than-expected 2.4 per cent year on year. The retail sales rose in line with expectations at 3.5 per cent, on par with the same period last year. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in the first two months, the investment in fixed…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: By Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has rejected the demand of the civil society of Pakistan occupied and Kashmir (PoK) to register their data as citizens of PoK. The census being conducted right now is adding the data of PoK citizens as Pakistanis. This is not only a serious breach of the United Resolutions that have classified PoK as the disputed territory between India and Pakistan, but by denying the people of PoK to be identified according to their ethnicity and linguistic identity, Pakistan is blatantly committing a crime against the people of PoK. The…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Two pilots were killed after an Indian Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Mandala hills area in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, officials said. A search operation was carried out by the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and police after the crash. “Both the pilots involved in the crash have lost their lives,” said Army officials. Earlier, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Defence Guwahati Lt Col Mahendra Rawat had said Army’s Cheetah helicopter, on an operational sortie, was reported to have lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller at around 9:15 am on Thursday. It was reported to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Chair India sent an invitation to SCO nations including Pakistan for the SCO meeting to be held in New Delhi in April this year. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has received no confirmation on the subject, said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Minister meet is going to be held in the Indian Capital, New Delhi in April. Defence Minister of all SCO states, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are sent invitations for the Defence Ministers’ meeting including Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Since it became publicly accessible in November last year, ChatGPT – an AI chatbot created by OpenAI Company – has dominated the discourse on the internet and social media. Based on the Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3 or GPT-3 language paradigm, ChatGPT is capable of carrying on a conversation, responding to inquiries, producing stories, poems, and comics, as well as resolving challenging programming issues. ChatGPT has also participated in and even passed numerous challenging examinations across the globe including the Wharton MBA Exam, the American Medical Licensing Exam, and the Law School Exam, as part of esperiment. Although the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: President M Abdul Hamid today urges all concerned, including scout leaders, to turn the next generation into skilled manpower through scouting to lead the ongoing progress of Bangladesh. “You will reflect the Scout ideals in your personal, family and social lives… And dedicate yourself to the country’s development,” he told the scouts at their 51st ‘Annual General Meeting of National Council of Bangladesh Scouts’ at Osmani Smrity Auditorium here this afternoon. The President, also the chief scout, called upon the scouts to play a strong role to free Bangladesh from illiteracy, poverty and hunger. “Scouts will devote himself…