Yunus committed crime: Bangla FM
Dhaka, Jan 3: Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday called Dr Muhammad Yunus a “national asset” but said the Nobel laureate economist did commit a crime for which he was convicted by a labour court. On Monday, Yunus, 83, was sentenced to six months in jail by a court for violating the labour laws, which was termed as “politically motivated” by his supporters ahead of the January 7 general elections. He sought bail after the ruling, which he was granted immediately for a month in exchange for a Taka 5,000 (USD 45) bond. Yunus and three of his colleagues in Grameen Telecom– one of the firms he founded– were accused of violating labour laws when they failed to create a workers’ welfare fund in the company. “Muhammad Yunus is our national asset . . . But there are many Nobel Laureates in the world who have done wrong and committed criminal acts, they have been punished,” Momen said, adding that in this case, Bangladesh’s Nobel Laureate committed a crime. (PTI)
Jam packed agenda awaits Jaishankar
Kathmandu, Jan 3: A jam packed agenda awaits External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Kathmandu as he is scheduled to arrive in the Himalayan nation on Thursday for the seventh meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission. Jaishankar, who will be on a day-long visit, will co-chair the meeting with his Nepalese counterpart N.P. Saud, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu. The meeting will review the overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of mutual cooperation, it said. Over three dozens agendas spanning from border to boundary, trade, commerce, economic cooperation, energy, connectivity, India funded projects in Nepal to the agreements signed during the 2023 visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to India will also be discussed by the two sides, the Ministry said. According to officials, at least two agreements related to long-term energy cooperation and India’s proposal to increase funds for small development projects under the High-impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), will be signed. (IANS)
Japan quake toll increases to 65
Tokyo, Jan 3: The death toll from the a series of powerful earthquakes that struck the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa earlier this week, increased to 65 on Wednesday, with continued aftershocks and severe weather conditions hindering rescue work. The worst-hit city of Wajima in Ishikawa has confirmed a total of 32 deaths, Xinhua news agency quoted Japan’s Kyodo News as saying citing local authorities. In a series of aftershocks experienced by the region, one with a magnitude of 5.6 on Wednesday morning and one with a magnitude of 4.6 on Tuesday evening struck off the Noto Peninsula, both at shallow depths and measuring upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The full extent of the quake remains unknown as rubble and severed roads still prevent search and rescue operations, two days after the 7.6-magnitude quake on Monday caused extensive structural damage and fires in Wajima. A heavy rain alert has been issued for the most-devastated city. (IANS)