Ramadan Sch. 2017

Hail calls Govt shutdown threat 'short-sighted'

US Military Aircraft: Verteidigung Minister Chuck Hagel criticizes Congress on Saturday as "remarkably irresponsible" and said that the use of threats, to satisfy Government to a political mood to close is dangerously short-sighted.
Hail, less than half of the civilian population, leading the Government that next week would be furloughed if Congress does not reach a budget agreement, told reporters that the blockade threatens delaying cheques, soldiers in Afghanistan.
"If you look at the biggest democracy in the world, the largest economy in the world, and we enforce our staff - that is not leadership. The abdication of responsibilities is"hail told reporters on his plane en route to South Korea. "This is a remarkably irresponsible way to govern."
Hagel added: "it is really dangerous, short-sighted and irresponsible, because what this bring in the United States of America, if this continues, we have a country ungovernable."
400,000 Defense Department civilians could be confronted about furloughs, fails Congress to arrange a short-term investment plan the Government run to keep. And while the military forces continue to work and be paid eventually, shut down delay their payment would until funding was restored.
There are about 800,000 civilians in the Department and 1.4 million active duty military members. Approximately half of the population would be tax-exempt furloughs, and she would only figures retroactively, if the legislation, which gives it.
On Friday legislation would sent back Senators to the House that the Government keep doors until Nov. 15 have opened. Majority Democrats removed a provision of the affordable care Act, Obamacare called defund. But House Republicans have broken with tea partyers that they will not support a measure as closes financing health care President Barack Obama law.
Hail, a former Senator who served as a soldier in the Viet Nam war, said lawmakers need to stop and think about the young service members, who can be married and have one or two children at home. Many of them, he said, have not much more money and go, without a paycheck to get even for a short time, would be difficult.
Hagel said, much in the last few weeks in talks with his budget staff spent his time to fight them with plans for shutting down the Government, and also tried to identify further savings in order to comply with impending budget.
Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale, said in a briefing Friday reporters that the Pentagon start all military operations, which are appointed by the President. Hale asked, whether a military strike in Syria, for example, the shutdown could be carried out, said that if executives ordered.
Combat units, including troops in Afghanistan or ships in the Mediterranean, can continue activities and training, carrying out part of a military operation. Other training not on a particular operation bound would not go further. LD/UNB

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Bombs hit the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region

ARBIL: Up to four bombing the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region Sunday, officials said, a rare attack on an area usually spared violence BSS plaguing the rest of the country, reported.
A senior security official said four car bombs close to the headquarters of the Iraqi Kurds Asayesh security in Arbil, causing an unspecified number of casualties exploded.
Another senior security official said the first explosion was a suicide car bomb during ambulance explosives rigged detonated, when people rushed search for victims.
An AFP journalist heard three explosions in Irbil and heavy shots. Smoke rising in the air to see dangers as ambulances to the scene.
While much of Iraq in the near daily violence that every month kills hundreds of people is plagued, three province Kurdistan is a region in the North of the country largely spared deadly unrest.
Sunday blasts were killed the first, making Arbil since May 2007, when Asayesh Central exploded a truck bomb in the vicinity of the same 14 people and more than 80 injured.
The blasts came a day after the results for the region were announced parliamentary elections, party saw an opposition movement in second place before Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Iraqi Kurdistan enjoys a high degree of autonomy from Baghdad and the regional Parliament passed legislation on a variety of issues.
Kurdistan also runs an own security forces and visa requirements.

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Obama will house shut down Bill veto.

Washington: The White House says that President Barack Obama House Republican legislation, much of which would delay President health care for a year and advertise, would reject a tax on medical devices.
The White House statement comes as the Republican sledge House avert prepares a Bill a Government shutdown to delay Tuesday morning, but the health care law and to discuss the repeal of the tax as a price for it. The medical devices tax helps healthcare finance law.
Democratic-run Senate approved legislation prevents shutting down and not touches the health care overhaul. This Act of 2010 was Obama's proudest national accomplishment.
The White House says the House Bill would a narrow ideological agenda to advance and threaten the economy. It says that the Bill pushes the Government to shut down. LD/UNB

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Golden Dawn, that arrested Deputy of Christos Pappas in Greece

Greece: A sixth politician Greek right-wing Golden Dawn arrested was after police in Athens.
Deputy Party Chairman Christos Pappas had been requested together with five other members of Parliament, made a day earlier were.
In all 22 people, Pavlos Fyssas have amid anger over the murder on September 18, the anti-racist musicians, taken place.
A man held police for the murder, he was a supporter Golden Dawn, said although the party strongly denies any connection.
It is claimed that he spoke with Golden Dawn m/s after the attack.
Already on Sunday, Nikolaos of Michaloliakos, was Golden Dawn accused leader, for belonging to a criminal organisation. Police said that three pistols, ammunition, and thousands of euros in cash when Mr Michaloliakos found at home.
Charges against the detainees are attack and money laundering.
The latest arrest came as details emerged, the careful planning behind Greece an unprecedented crackdown on neo-Nazis.
According to Greek media reports, several policemen were thought links to Golden Dawn had to have prior to surgery to prevent, who possibly exposed the objectives of tips.
Greek police have arrested allegedly also an own colleague during a RAID on their offices in the Western City of Agrinio on Tuesday as a bodyguard working for the party. The m/s Party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, Ilias Panayiotaros, Nikos Mahi and Ioannis Lagos were arrested on Saturday. It is the first time since 1974 that a Party Chairman and MPs have been arrested.
Justice Ministry officials now have to decide whether to keep the suspects in custody until trial, BBC Athens correspondent Mark Lowen reports.
Mr. Panayiotaros told reporters, before himself abandoned on Saturday: "Shame on you, the people will be Golden Dawn higher lift."
Golden Dawn a rallying call via SMS message, saying: "we are asking all our moral and righteous fight against the corrupt system support!"

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Kenya Cabinet was warned "Westgate attack in the style of"

Kenya: Before al-Shabab armed the Westgate shopping centre stormed, receive the Kenyan Minister of Government warnings of a possible attack, say reports.
Leaked intelligence of briefings detailed plans for attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa, according to Kenyan media.
Four Ministers of the Cabinet and the head of the Kenyan armed forces were informed are.
At least 67 people have been killed after al-Shabab stormed the Mall on September 21.
Briefings were given the Minister "informed they raise about the threat of terrorism and plans for simultaneous attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa September 13 and 20, 2013?, Kenya's daily nation to combat terrorism reports as saying cited.
The warnings were made first in January, according to the newspaper, and then again by the beginning of September.
Dossier A dossier from the national intelligence service - amounting to more than 8,000 pages after Kenya standard - newspaper proposes also to that which issued Israeli warnings that building, which could be used to owned by its citizens between 4 and 28 September.
Westgate is owned partly by the Israeli. The daily nation reported that Kenyan intelligence had established that al-Shabab earlier this year had started guide singling out Westgate and the Holy Family Basilica for attack. Figures the Government allegedly received the intelligence briefings as well as Finance Minister Julius red, Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku, Foreign Affairs Minister Amina Mohammed, Minister of defence Raychelle Omamo Kenya of Defence Forces Chief Julius Karangi.
The head of the national intelligence service, Michael Gichangi, of Kenyan MPs to be questioned on Monday. An unnamed senior intelligence told the news agency AFP, which had the Government in its approach to the briefings, casual to get official.
"It is impossible that one can say that it started no intelligence on this attack because these reports from late last year trickles down." And they were specific targets including the West Gate."
The head of the parliamentary Defense Committee, establishing ' u Gethenji, told the BBC on Friday, that "people need to know the exact, that possibly this event may take place lapses in the security system".
He also said that they needed, "the anatomy of the entire bailout" understand amidst allegations of confusion about who was responsible.
Funerals for some of those who died in the four-day-long siege continued, after three days of official mourning on Friday to end.
The official death toll is 67, but the Kenyan Red Cross has 61 people are still missing.
The British Foreign Office meanwhile confirmed that one-sixth of British citizen now is known that have died during the siege.
Al-Shabab, a Somali Islamist group, said that it carried out the attack on the upscale Mall in retaliation for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia.
Security sources said the BBC that the militants engaged a business there in the weeks before the siege.
This gave them access to service lifts at the West Gate to stock weapons and ammunition. With pre-positioned weapons, they could quickly reactivation and repelling of the security forces.
The BBC has carried out further information how to delete their attack with two vehicles the Islamist extremists outside before she forced their way in the Mall, according to sources.
You are also believed to be a base, which have established with a duct as a hiding place on the first floor.

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Italy in new crisis as Center-right Ministers resign

Rome: Center-right Ministers were "crazy Act" of encouragement from party leader Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's fragile coalition Government, a fresh political crisis after what Saturday called Prime Minister Enrico Letta BSS reported escape.
All five Ministers of the people of freedom (PDL) party took the decision at the urging of Berlusconi said Angelino Alfano, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of the PDL.
The flamboyant former Prime Minister as "unacceptable" a demand of Letta on Friday after Parliament next week released express support for the Government, in a bid to stop has a crisis, that the bickering Coalition had pushed the brink of collapse.
Letta's Government was uneven a two month stand-off after an inconclusive parliamentary election in February, and while the Government has launched reforms, it has hobbled the tensions was.
Letta won the confidence of financial markets by the Administration to hold together the unlikely left right coalition of center left Democratic Party (PD).
But a brewing revolt among Berlusconi's backers cooked on Thursday, as they threatened to withdraw legal problems about the media mogul.
A Parliament Committee vote if eject, after he sentenced to one year in prison for tax evasion, a sentence was Berlusconi, 76, from the Chamber, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in Italy in August prepared.
The vote which last consequence would be a long-running left conspiracy to destroy his political career said his allies.
Letta asked Friday a cabinet meeting with approval of the most important measures said the recession hit the budget deficit, that no further legislation would be enacted until the political crisis was resolved.
The Cabinet had convened to determine, as a controversial postponed planned increase in value added tax, but the meeting ended in disarray amid the escalating tensions because of Berlusconi's tax fraud conviction.
Therefore be preceded by the VAT increase by 21 per cent to 22 per cent, with effect from Tuesday, as economists worry that it will dampen consumption.
In promoting the PDL Ministers resign, Berlusconi said they should not "complicit in the latest trouble imposed on Italians from the left".
' Berlusconi is the value added tax as an alibi use '
He added: "the Prime minister's decision yesterday, State action, leads to the increase in the value-added tax, freeze government is a serious breach of the Pact."
Letta said: "to justify his crazy and irresponsible action tried fully protect of his personal interests, Berlusconi is... with the value added tax as an alibi." In a short statement, he added: "Italians recognizes such a big lie... and to the sender send back."
Three times Prime Minister Berlusconi, who was sentenced on February 1, the set is at home or non-profit work in this way. But the most scathing punishment for the billionaire, Italian politics has dominated for the last two decades in or out of power, that he will henceforth be for public office.
The next steps on the political chessboard are uncertain with the PDL Ministers expected to give back. Letta could try count, another Government on various defections and the support of left-wing groups.

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UK of recruiting Cyber-warriors

LONDON: Britain is the establishment of a special military unit against cyber attacks, the Defense Minister Sunday as he announced a call for savvy new recruits, edited BSS reported.
The Ministry of defence wants to defend to recruit hundreds of computer experts to support Britain's national security.
The "Cyber reservists" would in addition to regular troops in the new joint Cyber-reserve unit in a bid to work, for protecting important computer networks and data to protect.
The new way would be able to "counterattack in the cyber-space and may strike in the cyber-space as part of our full range of military capabilities", said Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives.
The centre-right party starts its annual Conference on Sunday.
"In response to the growing cyber threat, we develop a full spectrum Cyber capabilities, including a function of strike military, to improve Britain's area of military capabilities", Hammond said.
"Our defense budget is increasingly investing in high-end features such as cyber and intelligence and surveillance assets to ensure that we can protect the country.
"An integral part of which is be sure that we defend our national security in the cyber-space Cyber reserves.
"This is an exciting opportunity for Internet professionals in the industry, their skills for a good purpose for the nation, to protect of our vital systems and functions."
Set to regular staff roles leave full-time and existing reservists with the right skills, Hammond hopes that experts gain that otherwise would not consider connect. Setting starts in October.
In January warned control Defense Committee of the Parliament in a report that the British military it meant dependence on information technology "mortally by a cyber-attack at risk can be".
The Committee heard demonstrably cyber attacks were military communication and information systems, to disrupt radar and satellites and dysfunctional combat units such as letting planes or ships.
Concerns that the Government have no back-up plan in the event of a failure of technology, so first and foremost to prevent such attacks said the MEPs.

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Nuclear Commander is U.S. gambling probe

United States: The U.S. military's Deputy nuclear combat was suspended during the investigation into illegal gambling.
Navy Vice Adm. Timothy Giardina said on September 3 was removed from the service, an official US on Saturday.
Admiral Giardina served as Deputy for the U.S. strategic command, which serves nuclear plants.
He was arrested or not indicted as part of the investigation into possible use of counterfeit chips.
The Admiral, u-boat officer, was referred to the U.S. Naval criminal investigative service, after he was suspected in a case with a casino in western Iowa.
Special Agent David Dale of the Iowa Division of criminal investigation said that AP "a substantial amount of money" was involved.
"We were this time quite quickly recognize and jump on it", he added. Security review is not known whether Vice Adm Giardina Casino in Council had alleged actions in the Horseshoe bluff the potential, affect national security or operations at strategic command.
Marine Captain Pamela Kunze told Associated Press that the command remains allocated but it is prohibited nuclear-related duties or perform other activities the security check.
Air Force General Robert Kehlerr, head of strategic command has recommended that he be transferred, Capt Kunze said.
Base near the city of Omaha, Nebraska is located at the Offutt air force strategic command, which are all derived from America's land-based nuclear missiles to space operations, the ECB of military satellites.
Vice-Adm Giardinas suspension follows several incidents, the impact on the U.S. military nuclear facility.
In may, it was reported that 17 officers responsible base in North Dakota in the background were pushed for the maintenance of nuclear missiles about Minot air force type safety violations.
In August, could a nuclear missile unit in the Malstrom air force base in Montana a safety and security review, which a senior security officer of duty was released.

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Israel announces arrest of Iranian "spy"

JERUSALEM--Israel's Shin Bet security service on Sunday announced the arrest of an Iranian "spy" with photographs of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, reports AFP.
News of the arrest was just a few hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and New York, determined to expose what he described as "sweet talk" published by Israel's arch enemy Iran.
Suspects, a Belgian passport, operating Bill the elite of Iran was Republican guards after Israel via Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport arrested, Shin Bet in a statement.
The national intelligence service identified him as Ali Mansouri, 58, and said that he had written a "special operations unit of the revolutionary guard responsible for numerous terrorist attacks around the world."
He had recruited Alex Mans false identity used by the Agency last year said, naming his four alleged handler as Iranian officials.
Shin Bet said that under questioning, the suspect said that he $1 million was promised to use his position as a business man, to set up companies in Israel on behalf of the Iranian secret services, "Israeli and Western interests to harm."
He had previously visited Israel in July 2012 and in January. An Iranian national had married a Belgian woman the suspicious in 2006, which he was now divorced.
On the diplomatic front, Netanyahu was dismissive in his response to the drive by Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani, with the international community to repair fences, which culminated in a historic 15-minute telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

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Syria airstrike hits school, kill 12

BEIRUT: A bombing of the Syrian Government struck a high school in a rebels occupied city in the North of the country on Sunday, at least 12 people, most of them students, activists said to kill.
The airstrike took place city of Raqqa, Syria's capital, is located on the Euphrates River and only under control of the rebels in the civil war who said UK-based Syrian Observatory for human rights. President Bashar Assad's regime has greatly on his air force strike opposition controlled areas, including Raqqa leave.
The attack seemed the courtyard in front of the school taken early Sunday morning, the first day of the work week in public schools in Syria.
Observatory director Rami Abdul-Rahman said at least eight of the dead were students, and that the death toll is expected to rise, because many of the wounded in critical condition.
Amateur videos published online showed at least nine make some of you missing limbs, lying on a pockmarked pavement with debris littered. At least four of the body seemed to be of young people. Another video shows destroyed pools of blood on the floor and a concrete-block wall in the bombing.
The videos published original and clean other AP coverage of the events. LD

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Bus kills student in Mirpur, road blocked

Dhaka, Jul 8 (bdnews24.com) ? Students of Dhaka Commerce College are demonstrating at the city's Mirpur-10 area blocking the road after a fellow student was killed being hit by a bus at the intersection.

The students also torched the Bikalpa Paribahan bus reportedly responsible for the accident.

Pallabi Police Station Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abu Rasel told bdnews24.com that the bus ran over Dhaka Commerce College's 2nd year student Shawon Hossain Monu around 1:45pm on Sunday while he was crossing the road.

He was immediately taken to Mirpur's Al Helal Hospital with serious injuries and then to Ajmol Hospital, Rasel said.

Ajmol Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Doctor Imarat Hossaint told bdnews24.com that Shawon died on his way to the hospital.

ASI Rasel said agitated students of the college torched the bus right after the incident and blocked the road from Mirpur-10 intersection to Pallabi.

Shawon's cousing 'Prince' told bdnews24.com that Shawon lived at the adjacent area. The accident took place while he was on his way to home.

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Bangladesh offers training for Afghan bureaucrats

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Dhaka, July 8 (bdnews24.com) ? Bangladesh is ready to provide training for the Afghan civil servants, police personnel and diplomats to rebuild the war-torn country, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni says.

She made the offer Sunday at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan which is aimed to support Kabul's future development, said a media statement of the foreign ministry.

The conference, participated by representatives from 80 countries and International organisations, pledged $16 billion in the form of grant and aid for the development of Afghanistan.

'Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework' was also unveiled in the conference to monitor 'effectiveness' of assistance from donor agencies and countries.

Dipu Moni said Bangladesh was also interested to provide tailor made training programmes in the areas of banking, disaster management, primary and mass education, health care, agricultural extension, poultry and livestock and youth development.

The conference was attended by Japanese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Koichiro Gemba respectively, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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DGEN struggles halfway

Dhaka, Jul 8 (bdnews24.com) -- The key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange has registered a marginal 1.66 point loss halfway into Sunday's trade.

The DGEN reached 0.04 percent down or 4289.15 points at 12:30pm on the week's first business day.

Shares and mutual funds worth around Tk552.11 million changed hands so far with prices of 103 issues advancing, 98 declining and 35 remaining at their opening prices until 12:30 pm.

The index reached its peak at 4342.87 points around 11:15am.

The Dhaka Stocks key index lost 6.17 percent or 282 points after previous week's trading.

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Marsh booted out of Centre of Excellence

Sydney, Jul 7 (bdnews24.com) ? All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been sent home from the Australian Centre of Excellence as a disciplinary measure after being deemed "unfit to train" on Saturday after a night out.

The expulsion does not prevent Marsh from returning to the academy later this year, but has ruled him out of contention for the conditioning tour of Sri Lanka ahead of the World Twenty20 in September, Cricket365 reports.

"While the incident in isolation was not serious, he was already on a final warning," read a Cricket Australia release. "As such, it was decided he should be sent home to Perth."

The son of former Test batsman Geoff and brother of limited-overs batsman Shaun, Marsh has played three Twenty20 Internationals and an ODI for his country.

He captained Australia to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, and was part of the Perth Scorchers side that made it to the final of the Big Bash League this year. A stress injury to his back in February, however, left him sidelined from the remainder of the domestic season.

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Good bye politics: Sohel Taj

Sumon Mahbub
bdnews24.com Senior Correspondent

Dhaka, Jul 8 (bdnews24.com) ? Awami League MP Tanjim Ahmed popularly known as Sohel Taj, who officially resigned as an MP on Saturday, has said he has seen the last of his active political career.

Sohel Taj, son of Bangladesh's first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, on Sunday told bdnews24.com: "I am not active in politics and won't be a part of it anymore."

Taj met Speaker Abdul Hamid in person on Saturday evening and handed over his resignation.

On Apr 23, Sohel Taj, the former junior home minister, had sent his resignation letter through his secretary but the Speaker did not accept it, saying it must be handed over in person.

After submitting his resignation on Saturday, Sohel Taj met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban.

Taj's Personal Assistant Abu Kawser and the Speaker's Personal Assistant Joynal Abidin had also confirmed bdnews24.com about his resignation and the meets.

Joynal Abidin could not, however, say whether his seat had been declared empty.

Meanwhile, the Press Information Department in a media release also confirmed the resignation of 'MP of electoral area 197 of Gazipur-4 constituency'.

Asked about his meets and talks, Taj on Sunday said, "I have submitted my resignation yesterday. The Speaker accepted it. I also met the Prime Minister and discussed many things with her in a friendly environment."

Asked whether he would participate in the next general elections, the ruling party's Gazipur-4 MP from Kapashia said, "I hope the people of Kapashia will elect a good and worthy candidate."

What led him to take this decision, he said, "I had given a written statement before. Though I didn't mention anything there directly, but many things were clear there. Also, you people [journalists] have many information."

Sohel Taj had resigned as a junior minister on May 31, 2009, only five months into taking of oath. The government had said then that the President had not accepted the resignation.

Following his resignation from the cabinet, media then reported that he resigned as he was offended due to 'misbehaviour' of a relative of the Prime Minister.

When his attention was drawn to the issue he told bdnews24.com, "I don't want to discuss this anymore."

He had showed no reasons for his dramatic decision to resign even as MP.

He had issued an open letter to his followers at Kapasia in Gazipur on Apr 23 where he said he had taken the decision after 'much thought' but could not enlarge on the reasons.

Taj recently wrote to the Cabinet Division asking it to take back his salary and other allowances as a state minister debited into his bank account despite his resignation in 2009.

The Cabinet Division had said it had no record of his resignation and therefore continued to disburse his pay and perks.

He has often been offered ministerial protocol, but he refused, leading to reports in the media.

After his resignation he was staying in US.

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Major trafficking bid to Malaysia halted

Chittagong, Jul 8 (bdnews24.com) -- Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have thwarted an attempt to illegally send 48 people to Malaysia from the port city.

The battalion's officials early Sunday raided several hotels and rescued them in the city as they were ready to start for Malaysia by boats anytime on Sunday, said RAB-7 official Major Rakibul Amin.

The elite force members also arrested two suspected human traffickers who have alleged links with the syndicate that took money from the men rescued.

Amin said the rescued people gathered in Chittagong city from parts of the country.

He said they conducted raids between 1:30am and 3:30am at different residential hotels in the city's Kadamtoli and Railway Station areas.

The official, who also took part in the operation, told bdnews24.com that the raid was conducted on a tip-off at Kadamtoli's Hotel Diamond that those people were being gathered to be sent to Malaysia 'illegally'.

Two suspected members of the human trafficking syndicate, Shahiduzzaman, 50, and Zahurul Islam, 35, have been arrested from the Hotel Diamond, he said.

"Others have been rescued from the other residential hotels on information given by them," he said.

Amin said these 48 people paid Tk 50,000 to Tk 300,000 each to the suspected traffickers for sending them off to Malaysia. "They were supposed to start for Malaysia by boats from the Patenga beach anytime on Sunday."

The detained suspects are associated with a travel agency in Dhaka, he added.

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South Asian women MPs' meet kicks off

Dhaka, July 7 (bdnews24.com) ? The South Asian Women Parliamentarians' Conference kicked off in Dhaka on Sunday with the goal to increase the participation of women leadership in the development process.

About 100 women lawmakers ? 60 from Bangladesh and 40 from other South Asian countries ? are taking part in the four-day conference.

"Peace, prosperity and democracy are key areas of discussion where participants can exchange their experience," said Charge d'affairs of the US Embassy in Dhaka Nick Dean at the inaugural session at the Radisson hotel.

USAID, UKAID and Asia Foundation are the organisers of the conference where women leaders from Afghanistan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are taking part.

The conference would serve to launch a regional network of the women parliamentarians and they would set up a secretariat to communicate with each other, Dean added.

Bangladesh's Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said Bangladesh ranked 11th in the women political leadership category in the world.

She said the journey of women leadership in Bangladesh began in 1970 when seven women won national assembly election.

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Majid Ul Haque cleared of graft charges

  Dhaka, Nov 28 (bdnews24.com) -- Former BNP minister Mohammad Majid Ul Haque has been acquitted in a corruption case, filed over 15 years ago.

Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Mohammad Abdul Majid gave the verdict on Monday after a hearing on the acquittal petition.

Majid Ul Haque told bdnews24.com after the ruling that most of the corruption cases against him were false and politically motivated. This case had also been filed to harass him, he said.

A retired major general from the Pakistan days, Majid Ul Haque served in the 1991-96 cabinet of prime minister Khaleda Zia in charge of water resources and then agriculture.

He was also minister for industries, railway and communication, and establishment in the cabinet of the late Lt. Gen Ziaur Rahman.

The Magura leader was also a member of the BNP's highest policymaking standing committee until he defiantly resigned in 1998.

The case alleged that the former minister had used two cars purchased for official purposes for personal business violating rules and regulations.

The case further alleged that he also had illegally spent the government funds allotted for fuel, salaries of the drivers, repairs of the cars and other heads, wasting a little over Tk 2 million from the government exchequer.

The now-defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption filed the case on Oct 20, 1996 with the Motijheel Police Station when Awami League had just returned to power.

Charges were pressed in the court against Majid on Dec 6, 1998.The judgment came after the court took statement of eight of the 11 prosecution witnesses.

"The real corrupt people get away from the genuine corruption cases because of such false cases," Mohammad Aktaruzzaman, the lawyer for Majid Ul Haque, told bdnews24.com on Monday in his reaction to the ruling.

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ICT chair rejects 'preposterous' petition

  Dhaka, Nov 28, (bdnews24.com)?The war crimes tribunal has dismissed a petition asking its chairman to state his reasons for continuing in his role despite what it termed 'reasonable apprehension for bias'.

The International Crimes Tribunal trying war crimes of Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, on Monday, termed the petition of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, "contemptuous, outrageous, and unheard of".

Sayedee's counsel had filed a petition, first seeking removal of tribunal chairman Justice Nizamul Huq, which was disposed of by the two other judges, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, and AKM Zaheer Ahmed saying that they were not empowered in any way to remove a fellow judge and had stated that the matter rested upon "the good conscience" of the chairman.

Subsequently, when Huq continued with his duties, Sayedee's defence filed another application asking that the chairman give his reasons as to how he exercised his good conscience, in the form of an order.

The Jamaat executive council member is on trial at the court on 20 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson and loot.

The tribunal said in its order that questioning the impartiality of a Supreme Court judge, as was done in the case of Huq, required hard facts.

The order stated that appointment of a Supreme Court Justice automatically signified presumption of impartiality.

It said that once the judges have been sworn in, it is their sacred duty to dispense justice impartially and that presumption of impartiality must not be taken lightly.

Justice Nizamul Huq said such questions could not be raised merely on the basis of "suspicion, perception or conjecture".

He began with providing an elaborate background that led to the day's order. He noted the deliberations of the defence and the prosecution as regards his removal and subsequent application for his explanation to stay on.

He said that such an application was unprecedented in the long and rich legal history and in the court of law in Bangladesh.

The tribunal chairman noted that the defence had been cavalier in its citation of cases related the recusal or removal of judges. He explained some of those cases mentioned by the defence at length showing how and why they did not apply to the one at hand.

Justice Huq stated in his order that the defence had alleged misconduct on his part for not disclosing his role in a people's enquiry commission, where he allegedly collected evidence against certain individuals including the Sayedee, and where he had been associated with a prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum, who was also a member of the commission.

He said such allegations were preposterous. He stated that the chairman 'was under no legal obligation to make such a disclosure since his involvement was obvious in publicly available documents.'

Regarding the alleged misconduct, Huq said, "The defence should be more careful to impute such serious allegations and as such merits serious reprimand."

The tribunal chairman also said that the accused petitioner was also in a position to know of this involvement and could have raised the doubts much earlier in the trial and not just the day before the prosecution was about to begin its opening statement in the case.

In this respect, Justice Huq said that the tribunal was of the same view as that expressed by the attorney general Mahbubey Alam, who had argued before the court that this petition was 'not out of a genuine concern but only to delay the proceedings'.

The court questioned the defence's stance regarding 'bias' since it had alleged an that there might an 'appearance of bias' in one petition and in another alleged that there was 'actual bias' or a 'reasonable apprehension of bias', wondering what had caused such a shift in the span of a few days.

The order said that the alleged partiality on the part of Nizamul Huq had to be firmly proven. As such, the defence had failed to satisfy the requirements. The order also noted that the defence could not demonstrate that the tribunal chairman was in any way involved with any activity of during the preparation or finalisation of the commission report other than establishing that his name was among the 40 member of the commission.

Judge Huq recalled the deliberation of the attorney general too. Mahbubey Alam's name was also included among the 40 commission members, but he told the court that he was not even aware of that.

As regards a threat from the defence that the judge would be called as a material witness, Nizamul Huq quoted its definition and said in his order that he did not quite qualify as a material witness since he did not have the degree of involvement that would warrant such an action. The order said such a stance was rather 'unusual'.

As proof of the tribunal's impartiality, Justice Huq pointed out that the Sayedee, the accused petitioner, had been given privileges that other ordinary prisoners are not generally given, which showed that the tribunal was mindful of his welfare.

Upon conclusion, chief prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo approached the court to initiate judicial proceedings for contempt, to which Nizamul Huq said, "We have observed that it was contemptuous. Let it stay at that."

ATM Fazle Kabir addressed the defence counsels just before leaving the courtroom as everyone stood up. "Members of the defence," he said, "Have you forgotten the norms of the court? The chair has just given an order."

Two defence lawyers hurried forward and meekly stated, "Much obliged."

A number of senior defence lawyers were absent on the day, including Tajul Islam who generally argues for Sayedee.

bdnews24.com/ta/bd/1330h

Source: bdnews24.com

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