US, Iran clash on sanctions; US sees possible 'impasse'
The United States was the first to renege on that bargain under then-President Donald Trump, who vehemently opposed the deal and sought to wreck it. The United States says it is prepared to lift "sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA". While it has declined to elaborate, that appears to exclude sanctions formally unrelated to nuclear issues covered by the deal. The remaining parties have formed two expert-level working groups whose job is to draw up lists of sanctions that the United States will lift and of nuclear restrictions Iran will implement. "That would require Iran to compromise on its sanctions and sequencing demands.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 22:18 UTC
Dining behind the shutters at Dhali Food Court by dodging lockdown ban
Dining behind the shutters at Dhali Food Court by dodging lockdown banMore than a dozen eateries at Dhali Food Court on Tenament Road behind Apollo Hospital in Dhaka's Bashundhara allow people to eat inside with the shutters down amidst a ban on eating at restaurants during a lockdown over a record surge in coronavirus infections.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 18:56 UTC
Bangalore stun champions Mumbai as IPL begins with an upset
Patel then sealed the nervy contest for Bangalore by taking a single off the last ball following AB de Villiers' (48) dismissal in the final over. Patel claimed three wickets in four balls and eventually registered the first five-wicket haul against Mumbai to restrict the champions to a below-par total. Glenn Maxwell contributed 39 but it was de Villiers' whirlwind knock that put Bangalore on the verge of victory. "There's a reason why Mumbai have won this trophy five times, there's a lot of aura around them," de Villiers said of the opponents. The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the previous edition of the league to be staged in the United Arab Emirates where Mumbai Indians won their second successive title.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 18:45 UTC
Myanmar military sentences 19 to death, says anti-coup protests dwindling
Myanmar Now news and Mawkun, an online news magazine, said at least 20 people were killed and many wounded. More than 600 people have been killed by security forces cracking down on protests against the coup, according to an activist group. The country has ground to a standstill because of the protests and widespread strikes against military rule. "The reason of reducing protests is due to cooperation of people who want peace, which we value," Zaw Min Tun said. "I regret that Tatmadaw answered me yesterday that they are not ready to receive me," Schraner Burgener said on Twitter, referring to the Myanmar military.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 18:45 UTC
Elon Musk's Neuralink shows monkey with brain-chip playing videogame by thinking
The 3-minute video by Neuralink shows Pager, a male macaque with chips embedded on each side of its brain, playing 'Mind Pong'. He controls the paddle simply by thinking about moving his hand up or down. "First @Neuralink product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs," Musk tweeted on Thursday. Neuralink works by recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain using more than 2,000 electrodes implanted in regions of the monkey's motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements, the video's voiceover said. In August 2020, Musk unveiled a pig with a Neuralink chip implant, describing it as "a Fitbit in your skull."
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 18:11 UTC
No sign of strict lockdown rules
No sign of strict lockdown rulesIn the face of demonstrations by shop owners and employees, the government has allowed stores and shopping malls to remain open during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, subject to strict compliance with health rules. Shoppers crowded Dhaka's New Market and surrounding shops on Friday, Apr 9, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 16:21 UTC
We live up to our global responsibility to lead: US climate envoy Kerry
He also mentioned that the US has returned under Biden’s leadership to the Paris Agreement. The day after taking office, Biden brought the US back to the Paris Agreement, which Donald Trump withdrew from four years ago. Subsequently, Kerry, who signed the Paris Agreement on behalf of the US in 2015, was given a new role as special climate envoy to Biden. “No one country can solve the problem of the climate crisis and no country doubts there is a crisis,” the special envoy remarked. He also met Environment Minister Md Shahab Uddin and Special Envoy of the Vulnerable Forum Presidency Abul Kalam Azad.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 16:07 UTC
Biodiversity 'hot spots' devastated in warming world
So-called endemic species -- plants and animals found exclusively in a specific area -- will be hit hardest in a warming world. More and more scientists concede that capping global warming at the 1.5°C target is probably out of reach. Safe havens not so safeIn the tropics, two out of three species could perish due to climate change alone. A key strategy in the face of this onslaught has been carving out protected areas, especially around biodiversity hot spots. But these safe havens may be of little use in the face of global warming.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
April 09, 2021 15:11 UTC
OP-ED: Free Bangladesh from gender prejudices
My mother and sister belonged to the Second Gender. Last year in November, she said trans persons of Bangladesh would soon be able to inherit property from their families. We wanted to shape the minds of our people before starting to employ trans persons in our fleet. The seminar was an eye-opener for many of us who have already started to think normally about trans persons. I believe terming a male member of the society as the First Gender and a female member as the Second Gender is a humiliation of our own selves.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
April 09, 2021 15:11 UTC
ED: This is only the beginning
These 50 years of struggles and eventual successes deserve to be celebrated and those involved in this process, both in the public and private spheres, must be commended. But this is only the beginning of a much longer journey -- the direction of which will be determined by the lessons we learn from our past and the mistakes we successfully avoid in the future. But in order for us to successfully achieve the same success, we must learn from such countries, and invest in education and skills, and prepare for the next industrial revolution. There is still much to be done to ensure that our growth stays on track. The next decade will be crucial.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
April 09, 2021 15:11 UTC
Mourinho halts news conference to express condolences to British royal family
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, had been by his wife's side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history. "I want to express my condolences to the Royal family," Mourinho told reporters ahead of Sunday's Premier League home game against Manchester United. "To be very honest, I have a deep, deep, deep respect for the Royal family. Of course it can happen, between two great (teams), the results they can happen in an isolated way," former United manager Mourinho said. We are not far from each other so I think it is going to be a difficult match for both."
Source:Dhaka Tribune
April 09, 2021 15:11 UTC
Hungary to assist Slovakia in inspection of Russian vaccine
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Slovakia’s deputy prime minister traveled to Hungary to ask for assistance in inspecting doses of the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine, a day after Russia demanded Slovakia return the jabs. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Matovic said he went to Budapest “to find a helping hand” and that he had requested for the doses of the Sputnik V vaccine received by Slovakia to be evaluated in Hungarian laboratories. “I came here to ask for help, and Hungary will help because they have laboratories which can assess the vaccine. In Slovakia, we don't have such a lab,” Matovic said at a news conference. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets Sputnik V abroad, asked Slovakia on Thursday to return its supply of Sputnik V, arguing the Central European country had committed “multiple contract violations” and engaged in an “act of sabotage” against the vaccine.
Source:Daily Sun
April 09, 2021 14:26 UTC
WHO chief laments 'shocking imbalance' in COVID-19 shot distribution
"On average in high-income countries, almost one in four people has received a COVID-19 vaccine. In low-income countries, it’s one in more than 500," Tedros told a briefing. The problem is not getting vaccines out of COVAX, the problem is getting them in," Tedros said, decrying the scarcity of supply. The AstraZeneca shot - the mainstay of the COVAX programme so far - has been hit by safety concerns after reports of blood clots in some recipients. He hoped that the supply of AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India - whose doses are now being kept domestically for use against an accelerating epidemic - would improve over time.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 14:15 UTC
J&J COVID-19 vaccine under EU review over blood clots
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) said it was aware of the rare reports of blood clots in individuals given its COVID-19 vaccine, and was working with regulators to assess the data and provide relevant information. "At present, no clear causal relationship has been established between these rare events and the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine," the company said in an emailed statement. The report from the European Medicines Agency is the first to mention a probe of blood clots associated with the J&J vaccine. It follows a probe of blood clots in the brain reported in people given the AstraZeneca vaccine that have caused some European countries to change their vaccine recommendations. In its report on Friday, EMA's safety committee said unusual blood clots linked with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Source:bd News24
April 09, 2021 13:52 UTC
Russian court orders tighter laws to stem domestic violence
Activists have been lobbying for stricter legislation and measures to prevent domestic violence, which has been rampant in Russia for years. It also ruled that a compensation package for domestic violence victims should be established until the revised legislation comes into force. Russia in 2017 decriminalized certain forms of domestic violence, classifying them as an administrative offence and not a crime. The court said sustained domestic violence pointed to "an increased danger to the public and... a tendency to resolve conflicts through violence." "A whole complex of measures is needed to fight domestic violence, which is very widespread in Russia," he said.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
April 09, 2021 13:18 UTC