Yunus invites Musk to visit Bangladesh
Dhaka, Feb 23: Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has invited top US businessman and Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX Elon Musk to visit the country and launch Starlink satellite internet service in the country. In a letter on February 19, Yunus told Musk that his visit to Bangladesh would allow him to meet young Bangladeshi men and women who would be among the main beneficiaries of this leading technology. “Let us work together to deliver our mutual vision for a better future,” he said in the letter. (PTI)
Pak, Bangladesh resume direct trade
Islamabad, Feb 23: Pakistan and Bangladesh have resumed direct trade for the first time since the 1971 separation, with the first government-approved cargo departing from Port Qasim, according to a media report. The agreement was finalised in early February when Bangladesh agreed to purchase 50,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). “For the first time, a Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) vessel carrying government cargo will dock at a Bangladeshi port, marking a significant milestone in maritime trade relations,” The Express Tribune newspaper reported. East Pakistan separated from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent state of Bangladesh. (PTI)
SL Navy arrests 32 Indian fishermen
Colombo, Feb 23: Sri Lankan Navy said on Sunday that it arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized their five fishing boats for allegedly venturing into the territorial waters of the island nation. In a statement, the Sri Lankan Navy said the arrests occurred during a special operation in the sea area north of Mannar in the wee hours of Sunday. “The Sri Lanka Navy seized 5 Indian fishing boats and apprehended 32 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters,” the statement said. The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen, it said. (PTI)
Four held after deadly stabbing in France
Paris, Feb 23: Four people were in custody on Sunday after a deadly stabbing in eastern France that authorities linked to Islamic extremism, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office. A Portuguese man was killed in the Saturday attack in the city of Mulhouse, near the border with Germany. Seven police officers were wounded, including a parking control agent hospitalized with grave injuries, the prosecutor’s office said. Those detained include the suspected assailant, a 37-year-old Algerian man identified by prosecutors as Brahim A. The interior minister described him as an Islamic extremist with a schizophrenic profile. Two of the suspect’s family members and a person who lodged him were also detained, the prosecutor’s office said. (AP)