United News of Bangladesh

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude the aid agreement with the crisis-ridden country, saying Lebanon has been adopting the needed structural reforms. The Lebanese president made the remarks during his meeting in Beirut with Pierre Duquesne, French presidential envoy for coordinating international support to Lebanon, said a presidential statement. Aoun said he hoped that Lebanon can form a new government dutiful in unifying the exchange rate, following up on the "forensic audits" into the financial sector, and dealing with banks' losses fairly. "This would restore confidence in Lebanon and motivate international institutions to support the country," he said. Read: Lebanon announces plan to repatriate Syrian refugees Duquesne, for his part, said France will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon's infrastructure to foster job opportunities and curb immigration. Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis in the past years and needs quick legislation in the parliament to facilitate the government's recovery plan. ■

African swine fever (ASF) cases have been reported from two farms in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said Friday. The cases were detected at Mananthavady in Wayanad district, about 468 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. "The disease was detected among pigs of two farms in the district and later confirmed after the samples were tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal," an official at the district magistrate office in Wayanad said. "The samples were collected after pigs died last week." Read: UN: China's African swine fever outbreak could cross borders According to officials, measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease, and an order to cull pigs has been issued. "After confirming the infection orders have been issued to cull 300 pigs from all the nearby farms to contain the infection. As per the guidelines, all pigs within a one-kilometer radius of the epicenter of the disease are to be culled if there are reports of ASF," a local media report said. ASF cases have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam last week. Experts say ASF does not affect humans. However, they could be the carriers of the virus. ■

The United Nations' highest court is ruling Friday on whether to proceed with a landmark case that accuses Myanmar's rulers of genocide against the country's mainly Muslim Rohingya minority. The International Court of Justice is set to deliver its decision on Myanmar's claims that the Hague-based court does not have jurisdiction and that the case filed by the tiny African nation of Gambia in 2019 is inadmissible. If judges reject Myanmar's objections, they will set the stage for court hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that rights groups and a U.N. probe say amount to breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar amounts to genocide. Amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, Gambia filed the case with the world court alleging that Myanmar is breaching the genocide convention. The nation argued that both Gambia and Myanmar are parties to the convention and that all signatories have a duty to ensure it is enforced. Also read: Dhaka urges Jakarta to do more for repatriation of Rohingya refugees Lawyers representing Myanmar argued in February that the case should be tossed out because the world court only hears cases between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. They also claimed that Gambia could not bring the case to court as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed. Gambia’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Dawda Jallow insisted in February that the case should go ahead and that it was brought by his country, not the OIC. “We are no one’s proxy,” Jallow told the court. The Netherlands and Canada are backing Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country “took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity.” Myanmar’s military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh and Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of homes. Also read: Rohingya Repatriation: Dhaka seeks proactive role from Indonesia, ASEAN In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years. The ICJ case was complicated by last year's military coup in Myanmar. The decision to allow the Southeast Asian nation's military-installed government to represent the country at the February hearings drew sharp criticism. A shadow administration known as the National Unity Government made up of representatives including elected lawmakers who were prevented from taking their seats by the 2021 military coup had argued that it should be representing Myanmar in court. The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh.

Asian shares were mixed Friday after another day of gains on Wall Street amid a deluge of news about the economy, interest rates and corporate profits. Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong gained while Sydney and Seoul declined. U.S. futures edged lower while oil prices rose. A preliminary reading on factory activity for Japan showed output and new orders contracting to their worst levels in months. Companies blamed shortages of raw materials and rising costs, but demand may be weakening as the country endures yet another wave of coronavirus outbreaks, economists said. July’s purchasing manager indexes “suggest that the manufacturing sector is slowing as demand weakens, while the latest COVID-19 is starting to hit the service sector,” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. Japan reported its inflation rose at a slower pace in June, with food prices growing 6.5% year-on-year compared to 12.3% in May and the increase in energy costs falling to 16.5% from 20.8%. Core inflation excluding volatile energy and food prices rose to 2.6% from 2.2% the month before. Read: Asia shares rise on optimism about easing COVID restrictions The Bank of Japan has indicated that unlike the Federal Reserve and other central banks, however, it does not intend to raise its minus 0.1% benchmark interest rate to counter the trend given that wages are not rising in tandem with prices, constraining consumer demand. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4% to 27,914.66, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 0.3% to 20,624.18. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost less than 0.1% to 6,791.50. In South Korea, the Kospi declined 0.6% to 2,393.14. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher to 3,274.15. Much of the focus this week has been on Europe. The European Central Bank opted, as expected, to raise its key interest rate Thursday, ending a yearslong experiment with negative interest rates. It was its first increase in 11 years. A key pipeline carrying Russian natural gas into the region reopened, though at 40% of capacity as worries persisted that Moscow may restrict supplies to punish allies of Ukraine. In Italy, Premier Mario Draghi resigned after his ruling coalition fell apart. That adds more uncertainty as Europe contends with the war in Ukraine, high inflation and the potential for trouble in Europe’s bond markets. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 climbed 1% to 3,998.95 on Thursday, returning to its highest level in six weeks. The Dow rose 0.5% to 32,036.90 and the Nasdaq rose 1.4% to 12,059.61. The Russell 2000 gained 0.5%, at 1,836.69. Stocks briefly lost ground after President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID. The Federal Reserve is set to raise rates next week for a fourth time this year, once again trying to tamp down high inflation without pulling the economy into a recession. Some parts of the U.S. economy already have begun to soften. The number of workers who filed for unemployment benefits last week was the highest in eight months, though it remains relatively low. A separate report released Thursday showed manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region weakened much more than economists had expected. Strong profits from big U.S. companies have driven gains on Wall Street this week. Tesla climbed 9.8% in the first trading after the electric-vehicle maker reported results for the spring that were better than analysts expected. It was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. Stocks of energy companies also fell as the price of U.S. crude oil settled 3.5% lower. Early Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil was up $1.40 at $97.75 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the pricing basis for international trading, advanced $1.31 to $100.79 per barrel. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar bought 137.85 Japanese yen, up from 137.41 late Thursday. The euro slipped to $1.0199 from $1.0230.

North Korea has warned that the United States and South Korea will face “unprecedented” security challenges if they don’t stop their hostile military pressure campaign against the North, including joint military drills.  North Korea views any regular U.S.-South Korean military training as an invasion rehearsal even though the allies have steadfastly said they have no intention of attacking the North. The latest warning came as Washington and Seoul prepare to expand their upcoming summertime training following the North’s provocative run of missile tests this year. “Should the U.S. and its allies opt for military confrontation with us, they would be faced with unprecedented instability security-wise,” Choe Jin, deputy director general of the Institute of Disarmament and Peace, a Foreign Ministry-run think tank, told Associated Press Television News in Pyongyang on Thursday. Choe said that Washington and Seoul’s joint military drills this year are driving the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. He accused U.S. and South Korean officials of plotting to discuss the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic assets during another joint drill set to begin next month. “The U.S. should keep in mind that it will be treated on a footing of equality when it threatens us with nukes,” Choe said. He said Washington must abandon “its anachronistic and suicidal policy of hostility” toward North Korea or it will face “an undesirable consequence.” Read: UN court to rule on jurisdiction in Rohingya genocide case The regular U.S.-South Korea military drills are a major source of animosity on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea often responding with missile tests or warlike rhetoric. In May, U.S. President Joe Biden and new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said after their summit that they would consider expanded joint military exercises to deter North Korean nuclear threats. Biden also reaffirmed the American extended deterrence commitment to South Korea, a reference to a full range of U.S. defense capabilities including nuclear ones. Their announcement reflected a change in direction from that of their predecessors. Former U.S. President Donald Trump complained about the cost of the U.S.-South Korean military drills, while former South Korean President Moon Jae-in faced criticism that his dovish engagement policy only helped North Korea buy time to perfect its weapons technology. Yoon accused Moon of tilting toward North Korea and away from the United States. The U.S. and South Korean militaries haven’t officially announced details about their summertime drills including exactly when they would start. But South Korean defense officials said the drills would involve field training for the first time since 2018 along with the existing computer-simulated tabletop exercises. In recent years, the South Korean and U.S. militaries have cancelled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support now-stalled U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits.

Japan’s Cabinet on Friday formally decided to hold a state funeral on Sept. 27 for assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid national debate over the plan, which some criticize as an attempt to glorify a divisive political figure. Abe was gunned down earlier this month during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara, shocking a nation known for safety and strict gun control. The alleged gunman was arrested immediately after the shooting and is being detained for interrogation as authorities seek to formally press murder charges. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said a state funeral is appropriate because of Abe’s “distinguished contributions” as the longest-serving Japanese leader and his “outstanding leadership and decisive actions” in broad areas including economic recovery, the promotion of diplomacy centered on the Japan-U.S. alliance, and reconstruction following the 2011 tsunami disaster. Matsuno said the funeral will be a non-religious ceremony held at the Nippon Budokan, an arena originally built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that has since become a popular venue for sports, concerts and cultural events. The government also holds an annual memorial service on Aug. 15 marking Japan’s World War II defeat at the arena. Foreign dignitaries will be invited to Abe’s state funeral, Matsuno said, though further details, including the estimated cost and number of attendees, are yet to be determined. Read: Key moments in life of Shinzo Abe, former Japanese leader Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week announced plans for a state funeral that some see as a move to stabilize his grip on power by pleasing ultra-conservatives who backed Abe, who led the biggest party wing. The plan has received a mixed reaction from opposition leaders and the public. Some oppose the use of tax money on the event, while others criticize Kishida’s governing party for politicizing Abe’s death to glorify him and attempt to end debate over his highly divisive legacy, including his hawkish diplomatic and security policies and revisionist stance on wartime history. On Thursday, a civil group opposing plans for Abe’s state funeral submitted an injunction request asking the Tokyo District Court to suspend the Cabinet decision and budget for the event, saying a state-sponsored funeral without Parliament approval violates the constitutional right to freedom of belief. Dozens of protesters stood outside the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday to oppose the Cabinet decision. An opposition leader, Mizuho Fukushima, said the decision was not based on public consensus, has no legal basis and should be scrapped. Abe’s private funeral was already held at a Tokyo temple and attended by about 1,000 mourners, including lawmakers, business leaders and others. Abe’s assassination shed a light on his and his party’s decades-long questionable links to the Unification Church. The alleged assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, has told police that he killed Abe because of his links to a religious group that he hated. His reported accounts and other evidence suggest he was distressed because his mother’s massive donations to the church had bankrupted the family.

An ally of the Rajapaksa political family was appointed Friday as Sri Lanka’s prime minister, hours after security forces cleared the main protest site occupied for months by demonstrators angry at the Rajapaksas over the country’s economic collapse. New President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected by lawmakers and sworn into office earlier this week, appointed his school classmate Dinesh Gunawardena to succeed himself. Gunawardena is 73 and belongs to a prominent political family. Sri Lankans have taken to the streets for months demanding their leaders resign over an economic crisis that has left the island nations’ 22 million people short of essentials like medicine, food and fuel. The protests forced out former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week. His family has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the last two decades, but public outrage over the economic crisis forced several family members to leave ministry posts earlier in the crisis. Gunawardena ’s appointment came several hours after security forces made several arrests and cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace in the capital, Colombo, where demonstrators have gathered for the past 104 days. Read: Sri Lankan forces make arrests, clear main protest site Army and police personnel arrived in trucks and buses around midnight, removing tents and protest banners. They blocked off roads leading to the site and carried long poles. The security forces were witnessed beating up at least two journalists. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the main lawyers’ body in the country, also said at least two lawyers were assaulted when they went to the protest site to offer their counsel. Its statement Friday called for a halt to the “unjustified and disproportionate actions” of armed forces against civilians. On Monday, when he was then the acting president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency that gave him broad authority to act in the interest of public security and order. Authorities have broad power to search premises and detain people, and Wickremesinghe can change or suspend any law. On Friday, he issued a notice under the state of emergency calling out the armed forces to maintain law and order nationwide. The emergency must be reviewed by Parliament regularly to decide whether to extend it or let it expire.

Sri Lankan security forces arrested several people by early Friday and cleared the main camp protesters have occupied for more than three months while demanding the nation's leaders resign over an unprecedented economic collapse. Army and police personnel arrived in trucks and buses around midnight, removing tents and protest banners at the site near the presidential palace in the capital, Colombo, where demonstrators have gathered for the past 104 days. They blocked off roads leading to the site and carried long poles. The security forces were witnessed beating up at least two journalists. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the main lawyers’ body in the country, also said at least two lawyers were assaulted when they went to the protest site to offer their counsel. Its statement Friday called for a halt to the “unjustified and disproportionate actions” of armed forces against civilians. Also read: Election of unpopular Sri Lankan PM invites more turmoil The move against the protesters followed the swearing-in Thursday of new President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was chosen by lawmakers earlier this week to finish the term of the leader who fled the country after protesters stormed his residence. He now has the power to chose a prime minister to succeed himself. The months of protests concentrated on the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family's political dynasty, but Wickremesinghe has also drawn their ire as a perceived Rajapaksa surrogate and an example of the country's problematic political establishment. Sri Lanka's economic chaos has left the nation's 22 million people struggling with shortages of essentials, including medicine, fuel and food. On Monday, in his role as acting president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency that gave him broad authority to act in the interest of public security and order. Authorities have broad power to search premises and detain people, and Wickremesinghe can change or suspend any law. On Friday, he issued a notice under the state of emergency calling out the armed forces to maintain law and order. The emergency must be reviewed by Parliament regularly to decide whether to extend it or let it expire. Also read: Wickremesinghe elected president in crisis-hit Sri Lanka Wickremesinghe, 73, has wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and has been overseeing bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. He said Monday those discussions were near a conclusion and talks on help from other countries had also progressed. He also said the government has taken steps to resolve shortages of fuel and cooking gas.

A 64-year-old former school teacher in India scripted history on Thursday by being the youngest and first tribal politician to win the presidency.  Droupadi Murmu, a former state governor who was fielded by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, defeated her main challenger and opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, a former finance minister, by a huge margin. Murmu is slated to take oath of office on July 25, replacing incumbent head of state Ram Nath Kovind whose five-year tenure ends a day before. Also read: Voting underway to elect new India President Voting to elect India's 15th President was held on Monday, where more than 95% of the eligible 4,500-plus lawmakers across the country exercised their franchise. In India, the President is elected not directly by the people but by the members of both Houses of Parliament -- the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha -- and state assemblies and federal government-ruled Territories. Like in Bangladesh, the Indian President is the ceremonial head of state who does not exercise executive powers. Who's Murmu? Born in independent India on June 20 in 1958, Murmu completed her graduation in 1979 and began her career as a government employee before becoming a school teacher. She subsequently made a foray into the eastern Indian state of Odisha's politics, first as a local civic body councillor and then as a legislator. Also read: India's top court frees leading Muslim journo The two-term legislator went on to become a minister in the Odisha government in 2000. And some 15 years later, Murmu was sworn in as the first woman Governor of the neighbouring eastern state of Jharkhand. In her personal life, Murmu lost her husband and their two sons. While her husband died of a cardiac arrest, one of her two sons was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 2009. She has a daughter.

Sri Lankan lawmakers on Wednesday elected the unpopular prime minister as their new president, a choice that risked reigniting turmoil in the South Asian nation reeling from economic collapse and months of round-the-clock protests. The crisis has already forced out one leader, and a few hundred protesters quickly gathered after the vote to express their outrage that Ranil Wickremesinghe — a six-time prime minister whom they see as part of the problematic political establishment — would stay in power. While the choice invited more protests, lawmakers apparently considered Wickremesinghe a safe pair of hands, a politician with deep experience who could lead Sri Lanka out of the crisis. He has spent 45 years in Parliament and led recent talks seeking a bailout for the bankrupt island nation. Sri Lankans have taken to the street for months to demand their top leaders step down as the country spiraled into economic chaos that left its 22 million people struggling with shortages of essentials, including medicine, fuel and food. After demonstrators stormed the presidential palace and several other government buildings last week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled and then resigned. Much of the protesters' ire is focused on Rajapaksa and his family’s political dynasty, which ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades. But many also blame Wickremesinghe for protecting Rajapaksa. During demonstrations last week, crowds set his personal residence on fire and occupied his office. Wednesday's vote means Wickremesinghe — who was also Rajapaksa’s finance minister and became acting president after the leader fled — will finish the presidential term ending in 2024. He can now also appoint a new prime minister. “I need not tell you what state our country is in," Wickremesinghe, 73, told fellow lawmakers after his victory was announced. "People are not expecting the old politics from us. They expect us to work together.” He pleaded for the country to move on: “Now that the election is over, we have to end this division.” Read: Wickremesinghe elected president in crisis-hit Sri Lanka But protesters flocked to the presidential residence instead, chanting, “Ranil, go home.” “We are very sad, very disappointed with the 225 parliament members who we elected to speak for us, which they have not done,” said Visaka Jayawware, a performance artist in the crowd. “We will keep fighting for the people of Sri Lanka. We have to ask for a general election.” Wickremesinghe has wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and oversaw the bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. But many voters view him with suspicion since he was appointed prime minister by Rajapaksa in May, in hopes he would restore stability. The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful family of siphoning money from government coffers and of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but the former president acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lanka’s meltdown. “The struggle will continue until our demands are met. Wickremesinghe "doesn’t have a mandate to rule the country,” said Nemel Jayaweera, a human resources professional. “We will oppose him.” Still, the ruling party's majority in Parliament swept Wickremesinghe to victory with 134 votes. Populist Dullas Alahapperuma, a longtime ally of Rajapaksa and also a minister in his government, secured 82 votes. A Marxist candidate netted three votes. The vote, shown on national television, was a decorous, solemn affair. While the balloting was secret, as the results were announced, lawmakers thumped their tables in support of their candidates. After the vote, some supporters celebrated Wickremesinghe’s win in the streets. He will be sworn in Thursday. Only a few lawmakers had publicly said they would vote for Wickremesinghe given the widespread hostility against him. But dozens loyal to Rajapaksa had been expected to back him because he had assured them he would severely punish protesters who burned politicians’ homes in the unrest. On Monday, in his role as acting president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency that gave him broad authority to act in the interest of public security and order. Authorities can carry out searches and detain people, and Wickremesinghe can also change or suspend any law. The political turmoil in Sri Lanka has only worsened the economic disaster. But Wickremesinghe said Monday that negotiations with the IMF were drawing close to a conclusion, and talks on help from other countries had also progressed. He also said the government has taken steps to resolve shortages of fuel and cooking gas. Hours before Wednesday's vote, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told financial magazine Nikkei Asia that the organization hoped to complete the rescue talks “as quickly as possible.” As prime minister, Wickremesinghe delivered weekly addresses in Parliament cautioning that the path out of the crisis would be difficult, while also pledging to overhaul a government that increasingly has concentrated power under the presidency. Presidents in Sri Lanka are normally elected by the public. The responsibility falls to Parliament only if the presidency becomes vacant before the term officially ends. That has happened only once before in Sri Lanka, in 1993, when then-Prime Minister Dingiri Banda Wijetunga was chosen by Parliament uncontested after former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, father of the current opposition leader, was assassinated.