United News of Bangladesh

Senior leader of India's main opposition Congress party Rahul Gandhi was summoned for questioning at the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday over alleged money laundering, officials said. Before Gandhi reached the ED office, the opposition leaders assembled at party headquarters to begin a protest in support of him. Read: Sonia Gandhi in hospital due to Covid issues, party says condition stable Gandhi was accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, several senior Congress party leaders and dozens of workers shouting slogans against the government. Chaotic scenes were witnessed in the streets. The protesters were stopped at barricades of party headquarters and many were detained. Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued an advisory for residents of the national capital asking them to avoid certain roads in the wake of the protest. Read: Indian Muslims protest over Prophet remarks Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the probe agency in this case. She sought more time after she tested positive for COVID-19 positive. The agency then issued her a fresh summons for June 23.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to a hospital in Delhi because of Covid-related issues, the party announced on Sunday, adding that she was stable and under observation, reports NDTV. "Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital today owing to Covid related issues. She is stable and will be kept at the hospital for observation. We thank all the Congress men & women as also all well-wishers for their concern and good wishes," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet. Also read: Priyanka Gandhi tests positive for Covid Sonia Gandhi had tested positive for the coronavirus on June 2 and had sought more time from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it for questioning in a money-laundering case. Officials at the agency, which investigates financial crimes, said they had issued a fresh summons to the Congress president to appear before it for questioning on June 23. Ms Gandhi, 75, was earlier asked to depose on June 8. The ED had also summoned her son and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on June 13 for questioning in the case. He was earlier asked by the agency to depose on June 2 but the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad constituency in Kerala sought a fresh date as he was out of country. The federal agency later asked Rahul Gandhi to appear on June 13 at its headquarters in central Delhi. Congress leaders had earlier claimed that Sonia Gandhi is determined to appear before the ED once she recovers from the virus. Also read:India's top court orders release of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi's assassin The Congress, which alleges the case is an exercise in settling political scores by the ruling BJP, is likely to hold a big protest event on Monday when Rahul Gandhi appears for questioning. The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The paper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

A volcano approximately 600 km southeast of the Philippine capital spewed ash before dawn on Sunday, a week after a phreatic eruption that prompted authorities to raise the alert level to 1 and evacuate residents to safety. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it detected a phreatic explosion again in Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon province at 3:37 a.m. local time on Sunday. "The event lasted 18 minutes based on the seismic record, but the eruption plume was not visible in camera monitors," the institute said. On June 5, authorities evacuated more than 200 residents near the volcano after spilling a grey plume about a kilometer high into the sky. The "phreatic eruption" lasted approximately 17 minutes and ashfall was reported in towns near the volcano. READ: First aid flights leave for Tonga after big volcano eruption The volcano remains on alert level 1 on a scale of 5, meaning that the volcano is still in an "abnormal condition." The institute urged people to stay away from the four-kilometer "permanent danger zone." The institute also advised pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. Bulusan volcano is one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes. In January 2018, the volcano spewed ash about 2.5 km high into the sky.

A policeman deployed at Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata went on a shooting spree on Friday afternoon, killing a woman passerby and wounding two others before turning the self-loading rifle on himself. All diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff at the Bangladesh mission are safe, UNB has learnt. Also read: 26 killed in India bus accident Local TV channels reported, quoting eye-witnesses, that the rogue cop roamed in the area for nearly an hour before firing at least 10 rounds near the high commission in the posh Park Circus area of the city. Senior Kolkata Police officers, including the commissioner, who rushed to the spot soon after the shooting spree identified the rogue cop as Tudup Lepcha. He was with the 5th battalion of the Kolkata Armed Police. Also read:Hindu banker and a worker from India fatally shot in Kashmir "He was roaming in the area for an hour before suddenly opening fire, locals told us. One woman was killed and two others sustained bullet injuries, following which the cop also shot himself dead," Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal told the media. "We're collecting the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area and will probe all aspects of the case," he added.

The row over controversial comments made by two former spokespersons of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the Prophet Muhammad is escalating with each passing day. After the Friday prayers, Muslims in Delhi and the neighbouring northern state of Uttar Pradesh took to the streets demanding the immediate arrest of erstwhile BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and former Delhi media cell head Naveen Kumar Jindal. Also read: Muslim nations slam India over insulting remarks about Islam The protests broke out simultaneously in Delhi outside the Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, and in several cities of western Uttar Pradesh. "The law and order situation is more or less under control in Delhi, as the protests have been largely peaceful," a police officer said. Local TV channels, however, aired footage of violent clashes between the protesters and police in the city of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The protests erupted in the wake of the controversial remarks against the Prophet Muhammad, which triggered a major diplomatic row between India and many Muslim-majority countries -- the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Qatar to name a few. On Sunday, the BJP sacked the two spokespersons from their respective posts, saying the party “respects all religions”. “The BJP does not promote such persons or philosophy… it (the BJP) strongly denounces the insult of any religious personalities of any religion,” the party had said in a statement. Also read:India's BJP sacks two spokespersons over comments on Prophet In fact, the BJP swung into firefighting mode hours after Qatar and Kuwait -- with which India shares close ties -- had summoned the Indian envoys in their respective countries to lodge their "strong protest" over their controversial remarks. Later, Iran, Indonesia, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Libya and Bahrain also issued condemnations. India's main opposition Congress party had also lashed out at the BJP over the fiasco and questioned if the ruling outfit was on a course correction mode. "Is the BJP sincere in course correcting?" the Congress had said in a statement.

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,197,522 on Thursday, as 7,240 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. Besides, eight deaths from the pandemic registered across the country since Wednesday morning took the total death toll to 524,723. There are still 32,498 active COVID-19 cases in the country with an increase of 3,641 active cases during the past 24 hours. So far, 42,640,301 people have been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals, of whom 3,591 were discharged during the past 24 hours. 

Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of Sri Lanka’s president and the country’s former finance minister, said he resigned from Parliament on Thursday, amid mounting criticism of his alleged role in dragging the island nation into its worst economic crisis in memory. He told a news conference he had submitted a letter to give up his Parliament seat but insisted that he was not solely responsible for the country’s economic hardships. “The crisis was there even when I took over,” he said. “I did my best with all my strength.” Rajapaksa, a member of the powerful political family that has ruled Sri Lanka for much of the past two decades, served as finance minister from July last year until April, when he resigned with other ministers over the government’s failure to resolve the economic situation. He said Thursday that successive governments that ruled Sri Lanka since the 1950s deserve blame too because “they took loans and spent them” without taking steps to avert a crisis. The resignation could be seen as a severe blow to the Rajapaksa dynasty, which has faced growing public outrage. Protesters have occupied the entrance to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office for more than 50 days demanding his resignation, saying the primary responsibility for the economic crisis rests with him and his family, who they accuse of corruption and mismanagement. The protests drove another family member, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, from office last month amid nationwide violence that saw his supporters attack peaceful protesters. One of the president’s other siblings and a nephew also resigned from their Cabinet posts but still serve as lawmakers. Mahinda Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka’s president from 2005 to 2015. Also Read: Sri Lanka holds its breath as new PM fights to save economy Basil Rajapaksa said Thursday he would not be involved in government anymore but vowed to “continue political work.” Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in a foreign debt default. The country announced last month that it is suspending nearly $7 billion in foreign debt repayments due this year out of about $25 billion due by 2026. Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt stands at $51 billion. For months Sri Lankans have endured shortages of food and fuel, power outages and other privations. The country lacks the financial wherewithal to buy imported necessities and pay its debts. Authorities have started discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package and have asked the IMF to lead a conference to unite Sri Lanka’s lenders.

Thailand made it legal to cultivate and possess marijuana as of Thursday, like a dream come true for an aging generation of pot smokers who recall the kick delivered by the legendary Thai Stick variety. The public health minister’s plan to distribute 1 million marijuana seedlings, beginning Friday, has added to the impression that Thailand is turning into a weed wonderland. The decision by the Food and Drug Administration to remove all of the plant from the category of narcotic drugs makes Thailand the first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana for medical and industrial use. But it is not following the examples of Uruguay and Canada, the only two countries so far that have legalized recreational marijuana on a national basis. So far, it appears there will be no effort to police what people can grow and smoke at home, aside from registering to do so and declaring it is for medical purposes. Some Thai advocates celebrated on Thursday by buying marijuana at a café that had previously been limited to selling products made from the parts of the plant that do not get people high. The dozen or so people who turned up early at the Highland Café were able to choose from a variety of buds with names such as Sugarcane, Bubblegum, Purple Afghani and UFO. “I can say it out loud, that I am a cannabis smoker. I don’t need to hide like in the past when it was branded as a illegal drug,” said 24-year-old Rittipong Bachkul, the day’s first customer. Marijuana is also known as cannabis or ganja in Thailand. “As far as the government is concerned, it’s their job to promote medical use only. But it is pretty clear that we have come very far and finally are legalizing its use. The government understands that it’s more pros than cons,” said Rattapon Sanrak, the café’s co-owner and a longtime legalization activist. The country is known for its Thai Stick variety, which is named after the way its potent flowers are dried and tied into sticks and is the origin of many strains now grown overseas. Thailand’s government has warned that those eager to light up for fun that smoking in public could still be considered a nuisance, subject to a potential 3-month jail sentence and 25,000 baht ($780) fine. And marijuana extracts, such as oil, remain illegal if they contain more than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that makes people high. Also Read: Thailand favours increased connectivity and trade with burgeoning Bangladesh, says its envoy Tourists should proceed cautiously until the rules become clearer after a new cannabis law is passed, said Prof. Sarana Sommano of Chiang Mai University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. “There are still risks. The problem is that cannabis is no longer considered a narcotic but there are no ministry regulations and rules governing the use of it,” she said. “There is no mention of limits on use, drug-impaired driving laws. This could be a mistake by the government in trying to rush out its policy to please voters without really planning the details and explaining to the public what’s going on,” Thailand mainly wants to make a splash in the market for medical marijuana. It already has a well-developed medical tourism industry and its tropical climate is ideal for growing cannabis. “We should know how to use cannabis,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, a marijuana booster, said recently. “If we have the right awareness, cannabis is like gold, something valuable, and should be promoted.” Some immediate beneficiaries of the change are people who have been locked up for breaking the old law. “From our perspective, a major positive outcome of the legal changes is that at least 4,000 people imprisoned for offenses relating to cannabis will be released,” Gloria Lai, Asia regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said in an email interview. “People facing cannabis-related charges will see them dropped, and money and cannabis seized from people charged with cannabis-related offenses will be returned to their owners,” she said. Her organization is a network of civic groups worldwide advocating drug policies that incorporate human rights, health and development. Predicted economic benefits are at the heart of Thailand’s marijuana reforms, projected to boost everything from national income to small farmers’ livelihoods. But there is concern whether the benefits will be distributed equitably. One fear is that large corporations could unfairly benefit from proposed regulations involving complicated licensing processes and expensive fees for commercial use that would handicap small producers. Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a lawmaker in the opposition Move Forward party, said that under some proposed regulations, the cannabis industry could end up being controlled by a few big companies, as is the case with alcoholic beverages. His party wants the laws now being drafted to tackle the problem. Small operators are eager to move into the marijuana business. On a recent hot Sunday afternoon in eastern Thailand’s Sri Racha district, Ittisug Hanjichan, owner of the Goldenleaf Hemp cannabis farm, led his fifth training course for 40 entrepreneurs, farmers, and retirees. They paid about $150 each to learn tips on nicking seed coats and tending the plants to get quality yields. One of the attendees was 18-year-old Chanadech Sonboon, who said his parents used to scold him for trying to secretly grow marijuana plants. He said his father has changed his mind and now sees marijuana as a medication rather than something to be abused. The family runs a small homestay and café and hopes to one day provide cannabis to its guests. END/AP/UNB

China and Russia defended their vetoes of a strongly backed U.S. resolution that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea, speaking at a first of its kind General Assembly meeting Wednesday. The debate was held under new rules requiring the General Assembly to examine any veto wielded in the Security Council by one of its five permanent members. Close allies China and Russia reiterated their opposition to more sanctions, blaming the United States for rising tensions on the Korean peninsula and insisting that what’s needed now is dialogue between North Korea and the Biden administration. Nearly 70 countries signed up to speak at the open meeting which General Assembly President Abdalla Shahid hailed as making the U.N. more efficient and accountable. “It is with good reason that it has been coined as `revolutionary’ by several world leaders I have recently met,” he said. Denmark’s U.N. Ambassador Martin Bille Hermann told the 193-member world body as he started his address on behalf of the Nordic countries: “History is being made today.” The Security Council is entrusted with ensuring international peace and security, he said, and the use of a veto to prevent the council from discharging its duties “is a matter of great concern.” The General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution on April 26 requiring a debate on the issue not only gives the country or countries casting a veto to explain their reason but it gives all U.N. member nations “a welcome opportunity to share our views on the matter at hand,” Hermann said. A united Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea’s first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking — so far unsuccessfully — to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and cut off funding. The 13-2 Security Council vote on May 26 marked a first serious division among its five veto-wielding permanent members — China, Russia, United States, Britain and France — on a North Korea sanctions resolution. Read: North Korea's Kim at critical crossroads decade into rule On Sunday, North Korea fired eight short-range missiles in what appeared to be a single-day record for the country’s ballistic launches. It was the reclusive north Asian country’s 18th round of missile tests in 2022 that included its first launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years.   U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis told the assembly the record number of launches have taken place as North Korea “is finalizing preparations for a potential seventh nuclear test.” He called the actions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or DPRK — the country’s official name — “unprovoked.” De Laurentis stressed that U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken “have repeatedly and publicly said that we seek a dialogue with Pyongyang, without preconditions,” and that message has been passed through private channels, including China. “The United States is more than prepared to discuss easing sanctions to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” he said. Unfortunately, DeLaurentis said, the DPRK has only responded with “destabilizing launches that threaten not only the region but the world.” Under the General Assembly resolution that required Wednesday’s meeting, the permanent member or members casting a veto are given precedence on the speakers list. China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun addressed diplomats first, accusing the United States of ignoring positive steps taken by the DPRK and returning to its “old path” of “chanting empty slogans for dialogue and increasing sanctions against the DPRK.” This has intensified “the DPRK distrust of the U.S.” and brought talks “to a complete deadlock,” he said. Zhang blamed “the flip-flop of U.S. policies,” its failure to implement results of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue during the Trump administration, and its disregard for the North’s “reasonable concerns” for tensions on the peninsula today. “Where the situation goes from here will depend to a large extent on the actions of the U.S.,” he said, “and the key lies in whether the U.S. can face up to the crux of the problem, demonstrate a reasonable attitude, and take meaningful concrete actions.”   Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said new sanctions against the DPRK “would be a dead end,” stressing that current U.N. sanctions have failed to guarantee security in the region “nor moved us any further toward settling the nuclear missile non-proliferation issues.” Read: North Korea urges South to stop mediating between North, US “Anyone who is seriously addressing the North Korean problem has long understood that it’s futile to expect Pyongyang to unconditionally disarm under the threat of a spiral of sanctions,” she said. “The creation of new military blocs in the regions such as the formation of the U.S.-Great Britain and Australia casts serious doubt on the good intentions of these countries,” including in Pyongyang. North Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Kim Song denounced all U.N. sanctions and the proposed U.S. resolution as “illegal,” saying they violate the U.N. Charter and his country’s right to self-defense to prepare for any potential security crisis on the Korean peninsula and in the region. Modernizing the DPRK’s armaments is essential, he said, to safeguard North Korea’s interests “from direct threat of the United States,” which he insisted has made no move “to abandon its hostile policy.”

It has been nearly three weeks since Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as prime minister of Sri Lanka with a daunting mandate to pull the crisis-weary country from the brink of an economic abyss that threatens to tear it apart. The five-time prime minister has inherited a nation barreling toward bankruptcy and saddled with foreign debt so big that it has no money left for basic imports. Sri Lankans are struggling to access the bare necessities like food, fuel, medicine, cooking gas and even toilet paper and matches. In his new job, Wickremesinghe left little doubt about what lies ahead. “The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” he told the nation fed up with long lines, sky-rocketing inflation and daily protests that seem to be getting out of control. “We must prepare ourselves to make some sacrifices and face the challenges of this period.” Since the May 17 televised speech, the seasoned politician, who also serves as the finance minister, has begun difficult negotiations with financial institutions, lenders and allies, and United Nations agencies to fill the coffers and give some relief to impatient citizens. Also read: Bangladesh won’t face Sri Lanka-like crisis: Ambassador Haas He has taken necessary steps like raising taxes and has pledged to overhaul government that concentrates power under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a model that many believe exacerbated the crisis. He took over after days of violent protests last month forced his predecessor, President Rajapaksa's brother Mahinda, to step down and seek safety from angry crowds at a naval base. Wickremesinghe is due to deliver a much-awaited speech in Parliament on Tuesday that many hope will showcase a strategy to fix the crisis. But time may not be on his side as reforms are slow and people want results now. He’s also a one-man party in Parliament — the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat after it suffered a humiliating defeat in a 2020 election. “A person who doesn’t have a political base has an unprecedented crisis to manage,” said Dayan Jayatilleka, a former diplomat and political analyst. Lines to buy fuel and cooking gas have stretched kilometers (miles) every day, snaking around blocks, with Sri Lankans weathering heavy rains and scorching heat to buy essential items that cost three times what they used to. Often, they have to wait days, and many still end up empty-handed. Jagath Chandana, 43, has been waiting in line on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo, with a canister to buy cooking gas for two days. “It has been crazy. We are totally helpless. It seems even Ranil can’t resolve the crisis. They (politicians) just talk but on the ground level, people are suffering,” he said. Also read: Sri Lanka closes schools, limits work amid fuel shortage For over 50 days, protesters have camped outside Rajapaksa’s office demanding he step down. They say economic mismanagement, policy blunders like a hasty ban on imported chemical fertilizers that devastated crops, and a government stocked with Rajapaksa relatives caused the crisis. At their peak in power, six Rajapaksas occupied government posts — the crisis has seen the exit of all except one. The other five still remain as lawmakers. Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year. It owes $26 billion through 2026 out of a total of $51 billion. Foreign currency reserves have diminished to just two weeks’ worth of imports while Wickremesinghe prepares to obtain a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. On Thursday, he said any bridge financing will depend on an IMF agreement and he was hopeful that negotiations would finish by the end of June. The government is targeting $5 billion for repayments and another $1 billion to pad up the country’s reserves, Wickremesinghe said last week. In such a volatile situation, Wickremesinghe has been able to bring some transparency and rationality that was lacking in the previous administration run by the Rajapaksa clan, said Jayatilleka. But analysts also say it will be difficult for him to deliver on some of the challenges, especially as he also faces a messy battle to overhaul the constitution and strengthen the powers of Parliament to bring in much-needed reforms. “His proposals are good for medium and long term. But people want immediate changes to take place and that they don’t see,” said political analyst Jehan Perera, adding that some see Wickremesinghe as helping Rajapaksa to stay in power. In addition to demanding a new president, protesters have for weeks pushed for a complete revamp of what they say is a broken governance model. For nearly 45 years, Sri Lanka has been ruled under a powerful executive presidential system. After a thumping election victory in 2019, Rajapaksa strengthened the system through constitutional amendments that further concentrated powers in the presidency — a move that alarmed critics at the time too. Wickremesinghe made a key and early pitch to roll back some of the presidential powers. But such measures will not be easy and will require not just the approval of the Supreme Court but also a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Questions remain whether Wickremesinghe would be able to push through reforms in the 225-seat Parliament where Rajapaksa’s party holds the majority. Some opposition parties have already thrown their support behind the reforms, but Wickremesinghe's sole standing in the chamber could prove a major drawback. Or it could be an asset. His party split in 2020 amid a leadership crisis, prompting most of the senior members to leave and form a new party — currently the country’s main opposition. “He has the opportunity of playing the role of a technocratic prime minister, with his expertise and experience, unconnected to any political party,” said Jayatilleka. The size of the protests since Wickremesinghe assumed duties has also been shrinking. Perera said it is tough for people to sustain the high momentum but that as long as the economic crisis continues, so will the demonstrations. While signs of financial hardship and struggle remain in Sri Lanka, there is growing hope among some that Wickremesinghe will see them through the tough times. “He can’t perform miracles, it will take time to resolve the crisis because previous ministers have messed up,” said Amila Prasanna, a carpenter. “He is trying to solve the problems, one by one, and I am sure he will do something,” he said as he queued up for three days to buy gas.