ADBI to sponsor DAJA again

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) announced Friday it is again sponsoring the Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) to acknowledge Asian and Pacific print journalists who cover development trends and the impact these have on the countries and people of...

UN delays sanctions vote as Zimbabwe's rival parties talk

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 11 (AFP): The Security Council Thursday delayed a vote on UN sanctions against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe as the Harare government and its opposition resumed South African-mediated talks.Vietnam's UN ambassador Le Luong Minh, who chairs the council...

11 players share lead in 3rd round School Chess

Eleven players share the lead in the points table of the 10th Standard Chartered School Chess Tournament (Class VI-X) with three points after the 3rd round at the Chess Federation Hall room Thursday, reports UNB.They are Rezaul Islam Babu, Abhropratim...

G8's Toyako summit and all the talks

The eight most advanced nations on Earth met in Toyako on the island of Hokkaido in Japan to talk on a set of issues ranging from global warming to soaring food and fuel prices to the election in Zimbabwe. The...

Pint-sized advocate

The elite Empire Club in Toronto invites speakers of tall stature to address its members. This one was no exception. Only, special arrangements had to be made. Nine-year-old Hannah Taylor stood on a trunk so that the assembled audience could...

Trade has saved America from recession

THE global economy has clearly decoupled from the US and world growth remains close to 4 per cent in spite of the absence of any increases in domestic US demand. Continued expansion abroad, especially in the emerging market economies, has...

Oil hits record on speculation Israel may attack Iran

LONDON (Agencies): Oil leapt $5 to a new record high near $147 a barrel Friday, spurred by growing worries of threats to supplies from Iran and Nigeria and the possibility of a strike by Brazilian oil workers next week.US crude...

Indian govt to set confidence vote date

NEW DELHI , Jul 11 (Reuters): India's government will announce the date for a confidence vote Friday as it fights for survival after its communist allies withdrew their support to protest against a US nuclear deal.The vote is expected to...

Making service providers VAT-compliant

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made installation of Electronic Cash Register (ECR) at the business centres under 10 categories of service-providers mandatory from the first day of 2009. The aim of the decision is to check evasion of...

Interbank call rate steady

The interbank call money rate remained steady last week despite withdrawal of cash from the market through different tools. The market experienced a moderate demand for cash, fund managers said.The call rate in its extreme range mainly fluctuated between 6.00...

Some healthy advice, Boris: please put a lid on it

I am deeply concerned about the health and general well-being of Boris Johnson, the new mayor of London. I wonder if the pressures of the job aren't getting to him?Defending his decision to go helmetless on his bicycle the other...

Skills shortages still hamper Islamic finance

More than 20 years after Malaysia launched its ambitious plan to become a centre for Islamic banking and finance, the country's central bank - Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) - is trying to persuade global groups to enter the market.Its move...

Iran, EU to meet on nuclear issue

TEHRAN, Jul 11 (AFP): Iran's official news agency says the country's top nuclear negotiator will meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana next week to address Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.The report says Saeed Jalili will go to Brussels to...

Weak field level implementation forces SSN programme perform below

The Social Safety Net (SSN) programme undertaken by the government to ensure a steady food security for ultra-poor are still performing below because of weak field level implementation, damaging the basic goal of the programme, reports BSS.A recent study showed...

IPL situation has to be managed

LONDON, July 11 (Cricinfo): Haroon Lorgat, the new ICC chief executive, has raised concerns over the future of international cricket given the growing financial attraction of the Indian Premier League and hinted at the need for a window for the...

Community cooperation in development

OF late, there has been something of a consensus amongst the academia and development activists regarding the topicality and urgency of involving local communities in any meaningful development initiative or project. Notwithstanding such rhetoric and emphasis, however, the challenge of...

Obama camp signals intent to tackle 'crisis'

Daniel Dombey and Edward LuceThe prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is the biggest threat facing the world, according to one of Barack Obama's senior foreign policy advisers.He also signalled that the US Democratic presidential candidate would push Europe to agree...

Two IOC bids for offshore HC exploration found acceptable

State-owned oil, gas and mineral corporation -- Petrobangla -- has found only two international oil companies (IOCs) in a bidding for offshore hydrocarbon (HC) exploration.It is expected to submit its evaluation report to the energy ministry tomorrow (Sunday), a senior...

Bell, Pietersen dominate S Africa

Lunch England 422 for 5 (Bell 118*, Ambrose 4*) v South AfricaAn emotional Ian Bell joined Kevin Pietersen with a century at Lord's as England powered to a dominant 422 for 5 on the second day. He reached his eighth...

Only two int'l bidders may submit final bids

Only two international bidders are likely to submit next Tuesday their final bids for the proposed 450MW Bibiyana Power Plant, a priority project of the government, reports UNB.Power Cell, a reform implementation wing of the Power Ministry, invited the international...

Japan business confidence falls

Japanese business sentiment has deteriorated across the board, according to the widely watched Tanoan survey, although the fall was not as bad as many feared and capital investment plans remained reasonably firm at large manufacturers.The headline diffusion indices, which subtract...

Bangladesh A score 79 for 2 against Warwickshire on day one

Visiting Bangladesh A team scored 79 runs for two wickets in 20 overs against Warwickshire when the first day's play of the 2nd three-day match was halted due to rain at Edgbaston in Birmingham Friday, reports UNB.Sent in to bat...

The curse of early marriage

At 15 Jolly was preparing for her SSC exams. She never set for the tests. The teenager instead was married off to become a houswife. Although her parents boast of having a rich son-in-law, they have never tried to know...

Horrors of genetically modified crops

MAJOR biotech companies like, Monsanto, Syngenta, Bunge, Cargill, etc. are all bent on controlling the world's food supply. Monsanto has played the leading role in destroying organic agriculture and millennia-old biodiversity.They have no respect whatever for the lives and the...

Ctg Customs destroys 150 tonnes of powdered milk

The Chittagong Customs House destroyed 150 tonnes of date-expired imported powdered milk worth US$ 0.25 million Monday last.The powdered milk was imported in six containers in 2004 and its date expired in 2006. The cargo has since remained stuck up...

Elect honest and efficient leaders for country's uplift: Gen Moeen

KUAKATA (Potuakhali), July 11 (BSS): Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed today said Bangladesh needs honest and efficient national leaders to ensure rapid economic growth and to free the country from poverty and hunger.People should vote for honest,...

Five jute mills to go under private management

Five mostly inoperative state-owned jute mills are set to go under private management as the government has completed formalities to lease them out to the private entrepreneurs, said a senior jute ministry official Friday.The move will create employment for around...

Pakistan, UN reach understanding on Benazir slaying probe

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 11 (AFP): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reached a tentative deal with UN chief Ban Ki-moon Thursday on setting up an independent panel to probe the slaying of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the world body...

Profit from ensuing Agha Khan Football to go to school football dev fund

The entire profit from the ensuing Agha Khan Gold Cup Football will go to the school football development fund, reports UNB.The decision came from a joint meeting of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and Agha Khan Foundation at the BFF Bhaban...

Food quality at DU canteens deteriorating

Students of Dhaka University (DU) are taking their meals on higher payment in view of the current soaring prices of essentials, but eating low quality food under some sorts of compulsion, reports BSS.Residential students often allege that they are in...