The ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah will announce the winners of the 4th ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Preservation and the 3rd Arab Cultural Heritage Award for the Young on November 28 2024. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 am at ICCROM-Sharjah, according to a press release on Thursday. The event will recognise outstanding efforts in preserving Arab cultural heritage. Awards include the Grand Award for Good Practices, and two Honorary Awards for Community Engagement and Conservation and Innovation. It also celebrates Arab youth creativity in drawing, photography, awareness films, and folkloric dance through the Arab Cultural Heritage Award for the Young. Winners in these categories will participate in training workshops in arts, photography, and directing before the ceremony. Historian and architect Professor Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor at MIT, will be honoured for his significant contributions to Islamic architecture and heritage through his academic and research achievements. This year, 18 projects from 12 Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, were shortlisted from 55 nominations for the ICCROM-Sharjah Award. These projects highlight efforts to preserve historical architecture, protect archaeological sites, and safeguard tangible heritage. The awards underscore ICCROM-Sharjah's dedication to conserving cultural heritage, promoting best practices, and fostering international knowledge exchange. By spotlighting successful initiatives, the program aims to inspire others, strengthen professional networks, and enhance public appreciation of cultural heritage in the Arab region.  

A businessman was stabbed to death by a youth in Bhairab of Kishoreganj on Sunday night.  The deceased was identified as Harun-ur-Rashid, 35, a fabric trader and son of late Gias Uddin Mia of Santupar village. According to police quoting witnesses, Harun was sitting at a tea stall near Sambhopur railway crossing around 9 pm on Sunday. At that time, Jasim Uddin, son of Kafil Uddin of the same area, started arguing with him over a trivial incident in an intoxicated state. At one stage, he took out a knife from his pocket, stabbed Harun and fled. Later, locals rushed Harun to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.  Two minor boys burned to death in Faridpur Dr. Mehedi Hasan, the hospital's medical officer, confirmed that Harun sustained severe chest injuries and had died before arriving at the hospital.  Officer-in-Charge (Acting) of Bhairab Police Station, Md. Shahin Mia, confirmed the incident.  An investigation is underway, and legal action will be taken based on the family's complaint, he added. 

Bangladesh and other climate-vulnerable countries at COP29 are urging for a doubling of financial aid to enhance resilience, support low-carbon transitions and address losses and damages. The developing nations have sought an annual climate finance of $1.3 trillion at the summit to achieve their climate action goals and deal with the growing effects of climate change. But the topic of how much rich countries should pay developed ones to transition away from dirty fuels, how to deal with rising sea levels and temperatures, and how to compensate for damage already caused by climate-driven extreme weather did not get much attention in the first week. The amount of money that needs to be handled between nations is still around $1 trillion annually. No sessions were held today due to the weekend break. The conference is set to resume on Monday and continue until November 22. As the first week of COP29 ended, discussions on climate finance have made some headway, but a comprehensive agreement is still elusive. The latest round of UN climate talks, known as COP29, began in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11. This comes after a year that saw numerous extreme heat records broken and massive climate-driven chaos, like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires in almost every part of the world. This year's conference, dubbed the "climate finance COP," aims to significantly raise financial commitments to help vulnerable nations mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Mirza Shawkat Ali, a member of the Bangladesh delegation, said, “Many countries are making different financial demands including some calling for doubling the current funding. Discussions so far at the primary level have not yielded any concrete outcomes and final decisions will be made at the ministerial level.” He added that while draft texts on financing came, no discussions have been finalised. Despite various levels of talks, no agreements have been reached yet. Fragile states call for greater support Countries at the conference are struggling to agree on a new annual funding target for climate finance. Vulnerable countries, including small island states, have demanded increased funds to prepare for extreme weather events which threaten their existence as rising sea levels engulf their territories. Countries with tropical rainforests have also stressed the need for more financial aid to preserve these critical ecosystems which are vital for reducing carbon emissions. A collective letter to the COP presidency emphasised the need for a commitment to double financial assistance to address climate impacts. Civil society push for equity At a parallel civil society dialogue titled "Financing for Climate Justice," participants called for a $1.5 trillion target for climate finance for 2025–30.They also opposed any clauses attempting to shift responsibilities from developed nations to least developed countries (LDCs) and developing nations. The dialogue included representatives such as Lidy Nacpil (APMDD, Philippines), Ezequiel Steuerman (ESCR-Net, Argentina), Patricia Wattiena (ESCR-Net, USA), and Aminul Hoque (COAST Foundation, Bangladesh). Talking to UNB, Aminul Haque from Bangladesh’s Coast Foundation said “Climate finance is essential for the survival of vulnerable people, not for development allocations. However, current drafts reveal ambiguities that could trap poor nations into long-term financial burdens.” He strongly demanded clarity in the definition of climate finance and transparency in setting the overall financial targets. “Countries like Bangladesh, among the most affected, lack the capacity to tackle climate change with additional funding requirements of approximately $3.5 billion annually,” he added. He argued that developed nations, as the primary contributors to climate crises, must provide the necessary financing under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. “This funding is crucial for safeguarding our at-risk communities,” he said. He also criticised the draft for its lack of clear directions regarding climate finance provisions for developing nations. He urged unity among developing countries in the upcoming negotiations. UN chief urges global cooperation UN Secretary-General António Guterres has led global leaders to act decisively on climate finance. “The world is running out of time to control global temperatures. Without urgent action, humanity will pay a steep price,” Guterres said, noting that 2024 is set to become the hottest year on record. The absence of key leaders from major economies, including US President Joe Biden, China’s Xi Jinping, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and India’s Narendra Modi, has drawn criticism. Despite being a petroleum-dependent nation, Azerbaijan is hosting this year’s climate summit, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from climate experts in various countries. The nation’s economy is heavily reliant on fossil fuel extraction, raising questions about the appropriateness of such a venue for a global climate conference.

The eight-month-old infant, who was abducted during a robbery at a house in Dhaka’s Azimpur area on Friday, has been rescued by the members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) from the capital’s Mohammadpur area. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Rab conducted a drive in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area and rescued the baby early Saturday, said a source at Rab headquarters. The elite force also arrested one suspect in this connection. Earlier on Friday, robbers swooped into the house located in Medical Staff Quarters of Azimpur area and looted valuables including cash money from the house. They also abducted the baby while fleeing with the booty. Infant abducted after robbery in Dhaka’s Azimpur Police said a woman had moved into the flat of Farzana Akhter as a sublet tenant the previous day. On Friday morning, two men, posing as the woman’s brothers, arrived and looted valuables including Tk 1.5 lakh in cash and four tolas of gold ornaments from the house after keeping Farzana hostage. Farzana, a resident of the staff quarters and an employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, lives in the flat with her husband and child.    

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested a man in connection with the firing on protesters during the mass upsurge in Rajshahi on August 5. The arrest was made around 1:30am from Dhaka's Bashundhara area, said the RAB headquarters through a message on Wednesday morning. The arrestee is Md Bappfi Chowdhury Rony who allegedly opened fire on the students and people during the movement in Boalia area of Rajshahi city.

Australia hosts Saudi Arabia in a crucial World Cup qualifier at Melbourne on Thursday while Japan and South Korea can take a big step towards North America in 2026 when the third round of Asian qualifying reaches the halfway stage. With only the top two teams from each of the three groups of six progressing automatically to the expanded 48-team tournament, Australia and Saudi Arabia both have only five points from four Group C games, five behind leaders Japan. The sputtering form of the two teams has already resulted in coaching changes since the third round began. Graham Arnold stepped down as Socceroos head coach in September and was replaced by Tony Popovic while Saudi Arabia fired Roberto Mancini in October after a 0-0 draw with Bahrain in Jeddah. Renard returns to Riyadh Herve Renard is back in Riyadh to take over the Saudi team for a second spell. “I believe we can qualify; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here,” Renard, who left Riyadh in March 2023 to take over the French women’s national team, told local media. “I know the players well. We’re not in an ideal situation, but it’s far from hopeless. We still have six games remaining, four of them away.” Renard led Saudi Arabia to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, topping a qualification group above Japan and Australia. It then defeated eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in its opening game in Qatar before losing its next two games and finishing last in its group, failing to qualify for the knockout rounds. “Many of these players were part of the squad that qualified for the 2022 World Cup,” Renard said. “They must draw on that experience, keep their spirit high, and do everything necessary to reach the 2026 World Cup.” Saudi Arabia is hoping that a coaching change can produce the same upturn in results that Popovic delivered for Australia in his first two games in October, with a win over China at home followed by a 1-1 draw in Japan. Japan favored in two away matches in Indonesia, China Those were the first points that Japan, which has appeared in every World Cup since 1998, dropped in qualification. The Samurai Blue is expected to beat Indonesia despite playing in front of an expected 78,000 fans in Jakarta, before traveling to China. “If you look at the FIFA rankings and the games in the World Cup qualifiers so far, you might think that the advantage is with Japan,” said coach Hajime Moriyasu. “But we are playing both games away and I think it will be tough.” South Korea to be cautious with Son Heung-min In Group B, leaders South Korea has recovered from a disappointing opening-game draw with the Palestinian team to win three consecutive games. Victory in Kuwait will see the South Koreans go five or six points clear of third place. Captain and star Son Heung-min missed the victories over Jordan and Iraq due to a hamstring injury and has been short of minutes for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. “At this point, I have absolutely zero plans to push him hard,” South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said. “I will figure out ways to use him efficiently. As soon as he joins the team, I will sit down with him and discuss his playing time. It’s really important for us to see a healthy version of Son Heung-min.” Iraq and Jordan are level in second place in Group B — three points behind — and meet in Basra. In Group A, Iran and Uzbekistan are six points clear of the rest of the group and face respective away games against North Korea and Qatar.

Limon Hossain, a resident of Jhalakathi who lost his leg after being shot by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), has filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal against nine individuals, including Sheikh Hasina’s former military advisor Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former NTMC DG and RAB officer Ziaul Ahsan. Limon personally filed the complaint on Tuesday at the office of the tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor. Speaking to reporters, he stated, “Under the fascist Sheikh Hasina government, I was denied justice. In the hope of justice, I am filing this complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal.” Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam informed reporters that multiple complaints have been received against Ziaul Ahsan, the recently retired former director-general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC). He added that investigators have found evidence linking him to numerous killings and disappearances. Ziaul Ahsan is currently under arrest on a tribunal order, and permission has been granted for a one-day interrogation. Limon, son of Tofazzel Hossain from Saturia village in Rajapur, Jhalakathi, was injured in 2011 when he was shot by RAB while retrieving cattle near his home. Due to inadequate treatment, his left leg had to be amputated below the knee, leaving him permanently disabled.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested former lawmaker and Jatiya Party’s central leader Yahya Chowdhury from Dhaka’s Uttara late Monday. A media release, signed by Md Mashiur Rahman Sohel, assistant superintendent of police (media) of the RAB-9, said this on Tuesday morning. A joint team of the RAB-1 and- 9 conducted a drive at a house in the Uttara and arrested him, it reads. The former lawmaker was shown arrested in a case filed, over the attack on students and people during the recent mass upsurge, with Sylhet’s Kotwali police station on October 2. Yahya, who was elected from Sylhet-2 constituency (Bishwanath–Osmaninagar upazilas) in 2014, discharged duty as standing committee member on the Parliamentary Affairs of Environment and Forest Ministry. In the 2018 national election, he was defeated by Gonoforum’s candidate Mokabbir Khan in the constituency. He is known as close aide to Jatiya Party leader Raushan Ershad.

With urgent action needed to accelerate climate transition finance, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) will convene several joint events in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (COP29) to amplify the voices of those most vulnerable to climate change and spur greater international cooperation. Taking place at locations outside of the official Blue Zone between November13-17, media representatives have been invited to join events, in person, or online. Ahead of COP29, CEO and Dean of ADBI Tetsushi Sonobe on Sunday said currently a divergence remains between developed and developing countries in setting a new collective quantified goal for climate finance.   “Moreover, in the last two climate COPs, tension was raised by the reductive positioning of ‘Global North vs Global South.’ This situation is counterproductive and must be replaced by trust and collaboration, even in times of heightened geo-political tensions,” Sonobe said. He said climate change action and sustainable development are intertwined. “The needs of those most vulnerable to climate change must be at the forefront of the COP29 negotiations.” The events will bring together senior representatives from governments, central banks, multilateral development banks, the private sector, international organizations, think tanks, academia, and civil society from across Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Africa, said the ADBI. Themed around climate transition finance and solutions for vulnerable countries, among the topics discussed at the events will be financial regulators’ role in a shift to net-zero economy, technological innovation, boosting green finance and external resource mobilization, disaster preparedness, and loss and damage. Taliban will attend UN climate conference for the 1st time The Asian Development Bank, ADA University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Khazar University are event cohosts. Founded in 1997 the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is the Tokyo-based think tank of the Asian Development Bank.  

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested one Md Arman, alias Boma Arman, from Geneva Camp in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area on Thursday evening. Shihab Karim, senior assistant superintendent of police (media) of RAB-2, confirmed the matter on Friday. Arman was arrested in connection with a case involving the death of a man named Raj in a bomb explosion on November 1. The arrestee was handed over to Mohammadpur Police Station for further legal proceedings. On November 1, two drug-peddling groups clashed over control of Geneva Camp, engaging in chase and counter-chase. During the altercation, Boma Arman reportedly threw a crude bomb at his rivals, injuring 10 to 12 bystanders, including Raj. Raj was taken to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. On November 6, the victim’s cousin filed a murder case at Mohammadpur Police Station, naming several individuals, including Arman.