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Kingfisher Airlines' licence suspended

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 Kingfisher Airlines' licence to operate was suspended on Saturday after the debt-laden Indian carrier failed to address the regulator's concerns about its operations. Controlled by Vijay Mallya - the self-styled "King of Good Times" - and seven months behind on salary payments among other missed bills, Kingfisher's fleet has been grounded since the start of the month when a staff protest turned violent. The airline, which has never made a profit since being founded in 2004 and reeling under $1.4 billion of debt, will have its licence reinstated if it provides a plan that satisfies the aviation regulator, a government source told Reuters. A complete cancellation of the licence was unlikely, said the source, who declined to be named as he is not permitted to speak to the media. A Kingfisher spokesman would not comment. The company's steep decline underlined the problems of operating in India's airline sector, where players grappling with rising fuel costs face aggressive pricing caused by overcapacity. Mallya, a liquor baron who owns a Formula 1 motor-racing team, is famous for lavish parties at his $16 million beachside villa in Goa and also his company's annual swimsuit calendar. The licence suspension, until further notice, was announced by Arun Mishra, director general of Civil Aviation. The move had been widely expected after Kingfisher failed to respond properly to queries from the regulator regarding its ability to provide a "safe, efficient and reliable service". "The writing is on the wall," Amber Dubey, director, aerospace and defence at KPMG India, told the ET Now television channel. "It was a matter of when ... the moment is now." The airline had said on Friday it expected to begin flying again on November 6 if the government approved its plan to resume operations. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has said a fully funded turnaround for Kingfisher would cost at least $1 billion. 
 The Latest News @2012 </div>

Kingfisher Airlines' licence suspended

News-Paper24.blogspot.com - Kingfisher Airlines' licence to operate was suspended on Saturday after the debt-laden Indian carri...

Pak Foreign Minister's visit put off

Faisal Politics 6:56 AM

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The visit of Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, scheduled for Oct 25, has been postponed due to some unavoidable reasons, says Foreign Ministry Director General Mashfee Binte Shams. "She was scheduled to visit Dhaka to invite the Prime Minister to attend D-8 summit meeting to be held in Islamabad in November, but the Pakistan High Commission informed us that she cannot come," she told bdnews24.com Monday. This would have been the highest level visit by any Pakistani official during the regime of the Awami League-led Grand Alliance government. Bangladesh-Pakistan bilateral engagement in the last four year has been limited to visit of the Bangladesh Education and Commerce ministers to Islamabad and the Foreign Secretary-level official consultation in Nov 2010. A foreign ministry source said during the visit of Pakistani Foreign Minister, there would be an opportunity to discuss the unresolved issues with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has long been demanding unconditional apology from Pakistan for the genocide it had carried out during the Liberation War in 1971, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and sharing of wealth of undivided Pakistan. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

Pak Foreign Minister's visit put off

News-Paper24.blogspot.com The visit of Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, scheduled for Oct 25, has been postponed due to s...

JICA joins bid to supply arsenic-free water

Faisal Health 12:51 AM

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 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday tied up with local government institutions to ensure safe drinking water in an arsenic-prone district. The project has been launched as thousands of people are drinking arsenic-contaminated water in Bangladesh, but intervention to mitigate the contamination is said to have slowed down in recent years. In a media statement, JICA said it will make a 'safe water supply plan' and prepare 'sustainable' model of arsenic mitigation activities at arsenic-prone Ashrafpur Union of Kachua Upazila under Chandpur district where the main water source shallow tube-well has not been tested since 2005. A JICA survey shows there are alternative devices to pump arsenic contamination-free water in that union, 'but those remained inactive and users committees are not repairing them.' They will make an arsenic contamination map, and safe water device location map with GIS technology. Under the project, they will also build capacities of union parishad personnel to mitigate the arsenic contamination and raise awareness in the community level. The project will also support the Union Parishad's users committees in maintaining water devices after construction. Additional Secretary to Local Government and Cooperatives Zuena Aziz extolled the endeavour at a seminar on Thursday in Dhaka where details of the project were disseminated among stakeholders. According to the media statement, speakers at the seminar agreed that activities "to mitigate arsenic contamination has slowed down in recent years, so the risk is growing higher." It is estimated that about 30 million people of 270 upazilas are exposed to arsenic-contaminated water in Bangladesh where 0.05 mg/L arsenic level in water is considered safe. In 2011, around 57,000 patients were identified to be suffering from arsenic-related diseases. JICA says it has provided the water supply sector with more than $ 500 million in assistance and 30 million people are being benefited in the last 40 years of cooperation. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

JICA joins bid to supply arsenic-free water

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday tied up with local government institutions to ensure...

Bank breather for autistic children

Faisal Health 12:43 AM

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A new banking initiative has brought some respite for the worried parents of children with special needs who do not have the legal right to property in Bangladesh. Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) has offered savings bank account facility for such thousands of children growing up amid taunts in society. The first of its kind in Bangladesh, the initiative by the private bank, is being seen as long denied recognition of the persons with diverse neurological and intellectual capacity like autistic, Down Syndrome and epilepsy. "It is not only a bank account for financial transaction, but also recognition of the people with special needs as persons with dignity," said Sajida Rahman Danny, President of Parents' Forum for the Differently Able, which persuaded the bank into taking the initiative. She told bdnews24.com on Friday that a couple of days back the bank announced the special scheme styled 'MTB Care' which is similar to having a savings account. It will allow special children of any age to open a bank account with the support of their parent or guardian. "The scheme charges at a reduced rate for service and maintenance than it does for regular accounts with the bank," she said. Though there is no statistics about the number of such children in Bangladesh, organisations working with them say they are hundreds of thousands. Estimates suggest 8 per 1000 children are living with autism only. Danny said parents of those children worry about the future of their wards since they do not have a legal right to inherit property. "We know how much they (parents and their children) suffer," the President of the Forum also known as Parents Forum said. For instance, she said, a mother was driven out by the in-laws with her 17-year-old autistic children when her husband died. "Her father-in-law said you would not get property since your child does not understand value of assets. "She cannot go to the court as autistic children are not legally entitled to property." Sometimes, even the father is reluctant to spend extra on his autistic child. "A mother came to us and said 'Please keep this whatever money I have for my kid and give him when I am no more in the world'." "This bank account will now help them," Danny said, "It's a dual account." "Two signatories will run the account – one is the kid and the other is the parent. There is a provision to replace the second one, if the parent dies." "We did it in a way so that the security of banking transaction is not compromised." Danny said talks were underway to ensure more banking services like deposit pension scheme for the children with special needs. She said the Mutual Trust Bank also extended financial support of Tk 0.5 million to the Parents Forum to carry out its activities. The global conference on autism in Dhaka last year, that brought top politicians including ruling India Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, inspired parents with autistic children to unite under the Forum. A developmental disorder, autism robs one's communication and behavioural skills. No one can say why it develops, but it appears within three years of age. Experts say those children cannot pick up self-care tasks –dressing, self-feeding, using toilet and others –the by watching and imitating. They do not make eye-to-eye contact and have single-track thought process, but they have hidden talents like paintings and music. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

Bank breather for autistic children

News-Paper24.blogspot.com A new banking initiative has brought some respite for the worried parents of children with special needs who ...

Samsung launch Galaxy S Mini phone in Europe

Faisal Technology 12:29 AM

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Samsung Electronics Co plans to unveil a smaller version of its popular Galaxy S III flagship smartphone in Europe on Thursday, the head of Samsung's mobile business said, raising competition against Apple Inc's new iPhone. The model will be in direct competition with the iPhone 5, which was unveiled in early September and boasts a bigger, 4-inch screen than its earlier models. Samsung's original Galaxy S III, unveiled in late May, has a 4.8-inch screen. Strong sales of the flagship phone helped Samsung post record $7.3 billion operating profit in the July-September quarter. "We think there's strong demand for 4-inch screen models in Europe," a Samsung spokeswoman cited JK Shin, head of its mobile business, as saying on Wednesday. There has been market speculation that Samsung would launch a stripped out, cheaper version of the Galaxy S III to win market share in the mid- to low-end smartphone segment. Samsung said on Wednesday the Galaxy S III Mini would not be an entry-level model. Samsung is beefing up its product line-up with such products as the latest phone-cum-tablet Galaxy Note and ATIV smartphones that run on Microsoft's new Windows system to compete with Nokia's Lumia series. Samsung plans to introduce its first ATIV tablet next month and ATIV S smartphone in October or November. Separately, Yonhap news agency quoted Shin as saying that Samsung did not plan to use its 4G LTE patents to attack its rivals, suggesting it was not considering expanding its legal battle with Apple to 4G technologies. A Samsung spokesman was not immediately available to confirm those comments. 
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Samsung launch Galaxy S Mini phone in Europe

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Samsung Electronics Co plans to unveil a smaller version of its popular Galaxy S III flagship smartphon...

Japan's Softbank snaps up Sprint in $20 billion deal

Faisal Technology 12:22 AM

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Japanese mobile operator Softbank Corp said it will buy about 70 percent of Sprint Nextel Corp, the third-largest US carrier, for $20.1 billion - the most a Japanese firm has spent on an overseas acquisition. The deal, announced by Softbank's billionaire founder and chief Masayoshi Son and Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse at a packed news conference in Tokyo on Monday, gives Softbank entry into a US market that is still growing, while Japan's market is stagnating. Part of the deal is a direct infusion of billions of dollars into Sprint, giving it the firepower to buy peers and build out its 4G network to compete in a market dominated by AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless. Shares in one of those potential targets, Clearwire Corp, surged 35 cents to $2.67 near midday. Sprint owns 48 percent of Clearwire. While Softbank said no action was required, most analysts and investors see a Sprint-Clearwire tie-up as an inevitable consequence of the Softbank deal. One way or another, analysts have long said the US telecommunications industry needs to consolidate, but few looked to Japan as a catalyst. Some investors and rating agencies worried that Softbank is biting off more than it can chew. But the 55-year-old Son, a rare risk-taker in Japan's often cautious business circles, is betting US growth can offer relief from cut-throat competition in Japan's saturated mobile market. Combined, Softbank and Sprint will have 96 million users. "It could be safe if you do nothing, and our challenge in the US is not going to be easy at all. We must enter a new market, one with a different culture, and we must start again from zero after all we have built," Son told the news conference. "But not taking this challenge will be a bigger risk." FIREPOWER The financing is complex, involving at least three steps with two entities as well as a debt conversion. Softbank's newly created US subsidiary New Sprint will buy $3.1 billion in old Sprint convertible bonds to start. After shareholders and regulators approve the proposed deal, Softbank will then buy $4.9 billion in New Sprint shares. The two steps together represent the $8 billion infusion directly into Sprint. On top of that, 55 percent of existing Sprint shares would be exchanged for $7.30 per share in cash, representing a further $12.1 billion. The transactions are to be completed by mid-2013, at which point New Sprint will be a publicly traded company and the old Sprint will survive as its subsidiary. Sprint added 2 cents to $5.75 near midday after surging last week on the first reports of a pending deal. The offer, while a substantial premium, is still less than some observers had hoped. A fund manager at T. Rowe Price, a top-15 Sprint shareholder, told Reuters last week he thought Sprint would be worth $10 a share in 18 months. Hesse, who will stay on as Sprint CEO, said the Softbank investment would give Sprint opportunities it hadn't had since he joined the firm in late-2007, and enable the US firm to play a bigger role in future market consolidation. "This is pro-competitive and pro-consumer in the US because it creates a stronger No. 3 ... it competes with the duopoly of AT&T and Verizon. When you look at what Softbank has accomplished in Japan with the No. 3 carrier, it's something we can learn from," he said. Hesse, one of the few corporate CEOs in America to star in his own company's commercials, also acknowledged the financial challenges Sprint has faced - which the new capital could fix quickly. "Sprint has been engaged in turnaround since 2008. We have been at a disadvantage due to our debt," he said on an investor call Monday morning. But it was not all serious, as the American took some time for a bit of levity with his Asian counterparts. At the press conference, Hesse noted it was the first time he had seen his long-time acquaintance Son with a tie on. SOFTBANK WEAKENS Softbank shares tumbled more than 8 percent on Monday before closing down 5.3 percent to their lowest finish in five months. The stock has lost more than one-fifth of its value - or $8.7 billion - since news first surfaced late last week about its interest in Sprint. On Monday, credit rating agency Moody's said it was reviewing Softbank's ratings for a possible downgrade, but some analysts said Son's gamble might pay off in the end. "It's the same (market) reaction as when Softbank said it was going to buy Vodafone a few years ago. Everyone came out and said it was far too expensive," Fumiyuki Nakanishi, general manager of investment and research at SMBC Friend Securities, said ahead of the announcement. Softbank bought Vodafone's Japan unit for $15.5 billion in 2006. "Son made a company worth 3 trillion yen, and now it will be worth 6 trillion yen. That's quite impressive, and I think investors will realize he's making the right decision down the road," said Nakanishi. Four banks - Mizuho Financial Group Inc, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial GroupM and Deutsche Bank - have approved loans totaling 1.65 trillion yen ($21.1 billion) to Softbank, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Sprint, which has lost money in its last 19 quarters, has net debt of about $15 billion, while Softbank has net debt of about $10 billion. Brokers have warned the deal could leave Softbank with "unacceptably high" gearing - a ratio of debt to shareholder capital. Standard & Poor's has warned the deal "may undermine Softbank's financial risk profile" and pressure its free operating cash flow for the next few years. Reflecting the concerns, Softbank's 5-year credit default swap spreads - the cost of protecting its debt against default - widened to 267/327 basis points from around 160 basis points before the deal, and yields on its yen bonds have risen sharply. NO CLEARWIRE OBLIGATION Analysts have said the Softbank acquisition of 70 percent of Sprint for $20 billion would imply the No. 3 U.S. wireless company is worth about $28.6 billion, some two-thirds more than its market capitalization at Friday's close. Sprint is going through a $7 billion upgrade of one of its networks, while closing its Nextel iDen network, which makes Softbank's capital especially useful. But the Clearwire question looms large as well. Macquarie analyst Kevin Smithen, in a note to clients, described Softbank as the "white knight" that could give Clearwire management and investors a successful exit, though he also warned the company may drive a hard bargain in negotiations. An alliance with Sprint could also give Softbank leverage when dealing with Apple Inc, helping bolster its domestic position against KDDI Corp, which also offers the iPhone in Japan, and market leader NTT Docomo, which has yet to offer the Apple smartphone. With Sprint in hand, Softbank may also look to acquire smaller US carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc, Japanese media have reported. Sprint has long had an interest in MetroPCS, which earlier this month agreed to merge with T-Mobile USA, part of Deutsche Telekom AG. The Sprint deal takes outbound deals by Japanese firms to a record $75 billion this year, according to Thomson Reuters data, underscoring a strong appetite for overseas assets seemingly unaffected by signs of slowing global growth. This is not the first Japanese foray into telecoms overseas. NTT Docomo racked up big losses after a string of failed investments in names like AT&T Wireless and Taiwan mobile operator KG Telecom in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Raine Group LLC, a boutique merchant bank focused on the technology, media and telecoms sector, and Mizuho Securities were lead financial advisers to Softbank. ($1 = 78.3550 Japanese yen) 
- The Latest News @2012 </div>

Japan's Softbank snaps up Sprint in $20 billion deal

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Japanese mobile operator Softbank Corp said it will buy about 70 percent of Sprint Nextel Corp, the third-lar...

SpaceX cargo ship reaches International Space Station

Faisal Science 12:07 AM

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 Astronauts plucked a commercial cargo ship from orbit on Wednesday and attached it to the International Space Station, marking the reopening of a US supply line to the orbital outpost following the space shuttles' retirement last year. After a 2-1/2 day trip, Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo ship positioned itself 33 feet away from the $100 billion research complex, a project of 15 countries, which has been dependent on Russian, European and Japanese freighters for supplies. Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide then used the space station's 58-foot-long (17.7-meter) robotic arm to grab hold of a grapple fixture on the side of the capsule at 6:56 a.m. EDT (1056 GMT) as the spacecraft flew 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Baja California in northwest Mexico. "Looks like we tamed the Dragon," commander Sunita Williams radioed to Mission Control in Houston. "We're happy she's on board with us. Thanks to everybody at SpaceX and NASA for bringing her here to us. And the ice cream," she said. The Dragon's cargo includes a freezer to ferry science samples back and forth between the station and Earth. For the flight up, it was packed with chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream, a rare treat for an orbiting crew. Williams and Hoshide attached the capsule to a docking port on the station's Harmony connecting module at 9:03 a.m. EDT (1303 GMT). It is expected to remain docked to the station for about 18 days while the crew unloads its 882 pounds (400 kg) of cargo and fills it with science experiments and equipment no longer needed on the outpost. The flight is the first of 12 planned under a $1.6 billion contract NASA placed with privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, to deliver cargo to the station. The U.S. space agency's second supplier, Orbital Sciences Corp, plans to debut its Antares rocket later this year. A demonstration run to the station is planned for February or March. NASA also is working with SpaceX, Boeing Co and privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp to design space taxis that can fly crew to and from the station, with the goal of breaking Russia's monopoly on those flights by 2017. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

SpaceX cargo ship reaches International Space Station

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Astronauts plucked a commercial cargo ship from orbit on Wednesday and attached it to the International Spac...

Quantum computer coming

Faisal Technology 12:03 AM

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 A French and an American scientist won the Nobel Prize on Tuesday for finding ways to measure quantum particles without destroying them, which could make it possible to build a new kind of computer far more powerful than any seen before. Serge Haroche of France and American David Wineland, both 68, found ways to manipulate the very smallest particles of matter and light to observe strange behaviour that previously could only be imagined in equations and thought experiments. Wineland has described his own work as a "parlour trick" that performed the seemingly magical feat of putting an object in two places at once. Other scientists praised the achievements as bringing to life the wildest dreams of science fiction. "The Nobel laureates have opened the door to a new era of experimentation with quantum physics by demonstrating the direct observation of individual quantum particles without destroying them," said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awarded them the 8 million crown ($1.2 million) Nobel Prize in Physics. "Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century." Haroche said he was walking in the street with his wife when he recognised the Swedish country code on the incoming call to inform him of the award. "I saw the area code 46, then I sat down," he told reporters in Sweden by telephone. "First I called my children, then I called my closest colleagues, without whom I would never have won this prize," he said. Asked how he would celebrate, he said: "I will have champagne, of course." He told Reuters he hoped the prize would give him a platform "that will allow me to communicate ideas, not just in this field of research but for research in general, fundamental research". Physics is the second of this year's crop of awards; scientists from Britain and Japan shared the first prize on Monday, in medicine, for adult stem cell research. The prizes, which reward achievements in science, literature and peace, were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the will of Swedish dynamite millionaire Alfred Nobel. WEIRDER ASPECTS "This year's Nobel Prize recognises some of the most incredible experimental tests of the weirder aspects of quantum mechanics," said Jim Al-Khalili, professor of physics at the University of Surrey in Britain. "Until the last decade or two, some of these results were nothing more than ideas in science fiction or, at best, the wilder imaginations of quantum physicists. Wineland and Haroche and their teams have shown just how strange the quantum world really is and opened up the potential for new technologies undreamt of not so long ago." Quantum physics studies the behavior of the fundamental building blocks of the universe at a scale smaller than atoms, when tiny particles act in strange ways that can only be described with advanced mathematics. Researchers have long dreamt of building "quantum computers" that would operate using that mathematics - able to conduct far more complicated calculations and hold vastly more data than classical computers. But they could only be built if the behavior of individual particles could be observed. "Single particles are not easily isolated from their surrounding environment, and they lose their mysterious quantum properties as soon as they interact with the outside world," the Nobel committee explained. "Through their ingenious laboratory methods Haroche and Wineland, together with their research groups, have managed to measure and control very fragile quantum states, which were previously thought inaccessible for direct observation. The new methods allow them to examine, control and count the particles." Both scientists work in the field of quantum optics, studying the fundamental interactions between light and matter. The Nobel committee said they used opposite approaches to the same problem: Wineland uses light particles - or photons - to measure and control particles of matter - electrons - while Haroche uses electrons to control and measure photons. In one of the strange properties of quantum mechanics, tiny particles act as if they are simultaneously in two locations, based on the likelihood that they would be found at either, known as a "superposition". It was long thought that it would be impossible to demonstrate this in a lab. But Wineland's "parlor trick" was to hit an atom with laser light, which according to quantum theory would have a 50 percent chance of moving it, and observe the atom at two different locations, 80 billionths of a meter apart. In a normal computer, a switch must either be on or off. A quantum computer would work with switches that, like the particles in Wineland's experiment, behaved as if they were in more than one position at the same time. An example is a computer trying to work out the shortest route around town for a travelling salesman. A traditional computer might try every possible route and then choose the shortest. A quantum computer could do the calculation in one step, as if the salesman travelled each route simultaneously. 
- The Latest News @2012 </div>

Quantum computer coming

News-Paper24.blogspot.com A French and an American scientist won the Nobel Prize on Tuesday for finding ways to measure quantum part...

Malaysia license for Lynas rare earth plant left on hold

Faisal Technology 11:57 PM

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 A Malaysian court has kept on hold a license granted to Lynas Corp Ltd's controversial rare earth plant, delaying until next month a decision on whether to consider judicial reviews aimed at permanently blocking production. Australia's Lynas, which received a temporary operating license for the $800 million plant early in September, had aimed to start production this month. The firm confirmed in a statement that the launch would be delayed and gave no new timetable. Protests in Malaysia over possible radioactive residue have drawn thousands of people and the project has become a hot topic ahead of an election that must be held by early next year. Activists linked to the environmental group Save Malaysia Stop Lynas want the court to suspend the license until two judicial review cases challenging the government's decision allowing the plant to operate are heard. Lynas says that its plant is safe and is not comparable to a rare-earths plant in Malaysia that was shut by a unit of Mitsubishi Chemicals in 1992, after residents there blamed the plant for birth defects and a high rate of leukemia cases. Hon Kai Ping, a lawyer for the environmental group, said the decision had been delayed by the Kuantan High Court until November 8. It was not immediately clear the reason for the delay, but the environmental group plans to bring in more expert witnesses. "It is another month of relief but we won't be satisfied until Lynas is out of Malaysia," Jade Lee, a member of the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group and a resident of the eastern city of Kuantan where the plant is located said after the court ruling. Shares in Lynas had closed Wednesday's session 1.2 percent down ahead of the court decision. The rare earth plant -- the biggest outside China -- has been ready to fire up since early May, but the company has been embroiled in environmental and safety disputes with local residents since construction began two years ago. The plant is considered important to breaking China's grip on the processing of rare earths, which are used in products ranging from smartphones to hybrid cars. 
- The Latest News @2012 </div>

Malaysia license for Lynas rare earth plant left on hold

News-Paper24.blogspot.com A Malaysian court has kept on hold a license granted to Lynas Corp Ltd's controversial rare earth plant, de...

Stem cells act as the body's master cells

Faisal Science 11:55 PM

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The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of how to reprogramme ordinary cells to behave like embryonic stem cells offers a way to skirt around ethical problems with human embryos, but safety concerns make their future use in treating disease uncertain. While researchers have already applied the scientific breakthroughs of Britain's John Gurdon and Japan's Shinya Yamanaka to study how diseases develop, making such cells into new treatments will involve a lot more checks. Stem cells act as the body's master cells, providing the source material for all other cells. They could transform medicine by regenerating tissue for diseases ranging from blindness to Parkinson's disease. Creating embryo-like stem cells without destroying embryos gets round a key controversy by avoiding the need to process embryos left over at fertility clinics - a system that has led to political objections in the United States and elsewhere. Reprogrammed cells - known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells - offer an ethically neutral alternative. They have been a source of intense research since Yamanaka discovered their potential in 2006, building on work that Gurdon did in frogs and tadpoles 40 years earlier. SAFETY CONCERNS Recently, however, different research groups have noticed problems with iPS cells, suggesting they may not be as good as embryonic ones. In one study, iPS cells died more quickly and another found multiple genetic mutations, raising concerns that they could cause tumours. Despite this, Japanese researchers hope to test iPS cells in clinical trials for a form of blindness as early as next year - catching up with recent successful eye trials using embryonic stem cells. Researchers in the West are generally more wary. "There is a bit of a divergence between Japan and the rest of the world on this," Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, told Reuters. "Scientists in Japan are trying to move very rapidly towards clinical trials of iPS cells, whereas many of us still feel there are a lot of issues to overcome, especially in terms of safety." The future potential for reprogrammed cells is that they could be taken from sick people who could have their own "person specific cell replacement" to mend damaged organs or tissues. But key worries include the fact that iPS technology involves using genes which could also be tumour-inducing in some circumstances and that other as-yet undetected problems might crop up after the new cells have been put into patients. Gurdon played down such worries and said regulatory authorities and governments should take a step back and let patients assess the potential benefits and risks for themselves. "If you explain to a patient what can be done, and what might be the downside - then you should let the patient choose. Don't have ethicists or ... doctors or whoever say you may or may not have replacement cells," he told reporters. DRUG DISCOVERY TOOL Experts agreed that the pioneering work by the two new Nobel laureates had changed the field of stem cell research. "What's grand in this discovery is that these specialised mature cells can rewind in their development and become stem cells," said Urban Lendahl, chairman of the Nobel awards committee. Still, many experts believe the true promise of iPS cells is as unique research tools, rather than necessarily forming the basis of new medical therapies. They have a key advantage over embryonic stem cells in that researchers can take them from people with a known disease, offering a window into how currently incurable illnesses develop at the cellular level. Already, researchers have made iPS cells from patients with Gaucher's disease, Down Syndrome, Parkinson's and diabetes. "I see iPS cells more for use in drug discovery and in understanding the mechanism of different diseases, rather than therapy," said Dusko Ilic, a senior lecturer in stem cell science at King's College London. Traditionally, researchers have used stand-ins for human tissue such as yeast, flies or mice for their drug research. Now, they can use human cells containing a complete set of the genes that resulted in a particular disease. 
- The Latest News @2012 </div>

Stem cells act as the body's master cells

News-Paper24.blogspot.com The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of how to reprogramme ordinary cells to behave like embryonic stem cells of...

3G Start On Bangladesh

Faisal Technology 11:45 PM

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 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated the 3G mobile communications services and said her government was moving to ensure a divide-free digital Bangladesh for all its citizens. Hasina inaugurated state-run mobile-phone operator Teletalk's third generation mobile telephony at a glittering formal ceremony at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Teletalk will distribute 400,000 3G-enabled SIMs for capital Dhaka initially. The newly launched service is being tagged 'experimental' as the policies regarding it are yet to be finalised. "We have moved a lot ahead in reaching our goal of ensuring free flow of information for the people's empowerment," Hasina said at the programme. Hasina unfurled the new commercial service with a video call to President Mohammad Zillur Rahman first and later she talked to the students of Azimpur Girls Schools, where she had studied in her childhood. She said Bangladesh reached the level of the 'advanced countries' through the inauguration of the technology. "It's a new milestone in the telecom sector of the country." The third generation means it comes after GPRS and EDGE. The advantages of 3G services include faster data connectivity which means one can download faster and web surfing will be a lot more fun. It will give uninterrupted video streaming on phones, enable video calls and big MMS and be good for data intensive applications. The programme was told that the new technology will ease high speed exchange of information and enable individuals to hold video conferences at distant places and help traffic police avoid the unwanted jam by observing movement of vehicles. Along with helping distance learning, it will also open up a vast array of entertainment options too. Both mobile sets of the caller and receiver have to support 3G SIM cards if they wish to have avail themselves of service. The video calls, which will have a 10-second pulse, will cost Tk 2 per minute with a Teletalk SIM card. Also, users will be able to see television channels –state-run BTV, GTV, RTV, Somoy TV and MyTV. The sale of 3G SIMs was supposed to begin from Sunday. But TeleTalk authorities will be sure about the identities of the subscribers before approving the SIM use. They will start contacting those who have registered at the 'Gravity Club' in the last few months. The SIMs will be available at TeleTalk's eight customer care centres and 3,000 retailers in the capital. The service will also be launched in Chittagong within this year. Post and Telecommunications Secretary Sunil Kanti Bose said policies were being finalised so that the service can be launched across the country. "Private operators will also be given licence for this." Prime Minister's son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, an information technology expert, was also present at the function. He said: "Many had questioned how developed technologies will reach the rural areas when this government had begun its Digital Bangladesh programme. We didn't want digital divide." Sajeeb also mentioned that the government had introduced Union Information Centre in its first year. "Our major problem was infrastructures. Only information service is not enough. The connectivity is poor here. All kinds of connectivity are USB modem based. That's why introducing 3G was far more important." He said other private telecom operators would get licences through auction 'within several months' after finalisation of the 3G guidelines. He and his mother also thanked the Chinese government for providing technical support to TeleTalk to launch the 3G service. The Prime Minister also hoped that the new technology would help the IT industry and services to flourish and ensure massive use of IT in all sectors including education, research, industry, agriculture and services. She said currently 100 million people are using mobile phones in Bangladesh and nearly 25 percent of the total population access Internet. Presided over by Post and Telecommunications Minister Shahara Khatun, the function was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jun as a special guest. The government on May 3 last year had approved a Tk 19 billion project to introduce the 3G service. Of the total funding, Bangladesh government provided Tk 4.24 billion and Exim Bank of China Tk 14.77 billion. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

3G Start On Bangladesh

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated the 3G mobile communications services and said her govern...

New African dinosaur species unveiled

Faisal Science 11:35 PM

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A new dinosaur the size of a house cat and described as a cross between "a bird, a vampire and a porcupine" has been identified in a piece of rock from South Africa. University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno, who published the findings on Wednesday in the online scientific journal ZooKeys, said in an interview with Reuters he actually made the discovery of the small-bodied herbivore in 1983. Sereno, whose research involves mapping the dinosaur family tree, said he came upon the specimen as a graduate student while doing research in a Harvard University laboratory and intended to write about it immediately. "I said, 'Whoa!' I realized it was a new species from the moment I set eyes on it," Sereno said. But he says he grew distracted by other things, and had in mind a more ambitious research project. "There was always a danger that someone would discover it and write about it, and I would read about it," he said, but added it was all for the best: "Hey, I'm smarter than I was then." The strange-looking species, which Sereno has named Pegomastax africanus, or "thick jaw from Africa," lived between 100 million and 200 million years ago. "I describe it as a bird, a vampire and a porcupine," Sereno said. It had the weight of a small house cat and stood less than a foot off of the ground. It had a thick jaw and a blunt beak with a "heightened tooth that sticks down, dagger-like," Sereno said. He said it would have been part of one of three groups that form the base of the dinosaur tree.</div>

New African dinosaur species unveiled

A new dinosaur the size of a house cat and described as a cross between "a bird, a vampire and a porcupine" has been identified...

Skydiver safely jumps from stratosphere over New Mexico

Faisal Science 11:30 PM

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An Austrian daredevil leapt into the stratosphere from a balloon near the edge of space 24 miles above Earth on Sunday and safely landed, setting a record for the highest skydive and breaking the sound barrier in the process. Cheers broke out as Felix Baumgartner, 43, jumped from a skateboard-sized shelf outside the 11-by-8-foot (3.3-by-2.4 meter) fiberglass and acrylic capsule that was carried higher than 128,000 feet by an enormous balloon. "We love you Felix!" screamed the crowd gathered in a mission control setting at his launch site in Roswell, New Mexico as more than 8 million people watched his feat online. Baumgartner's body pierced the atmosphere at 833.9 miles per hour, according to preliminary numbers released by Brian Utley, the certification official for the Federation Aeronautic International, at a press conference afterward. Baumgartner's speed clinched one of his goals: to become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 690 mph. And he did so on the 65th anniversary of legendary American pilot Chuck Yeager's flight shattering the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. Utley said preliminary figures indicate Baumgartner broke a total of three established world records, including the highest altitude skydive, longest freefall without a parachute and fastest fall achieved during a skydive. Baumgartner landed safely on the ground and raised his arms in a victory salute just 10 minutes after he stepped into the air. Soon he was hugged by his mother and father, who took their first trip outside Europe to see his historic plunge, and his girlfriend jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. "It was way harder than I expected," Baumgartner said. Recalling his final words before he stepped into the stratosphere, he said, "Sometimes you have to get up really high to know how small you are." The Austrian has made a career of risky jumps including skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia. PREPARATION Earlier Baumgartner prepared to jump from the pressurized capsule by going through a checklist of 40 items with project adviser Joe Kittinger, holder of a 19-mile high altitude parachute jump record that Baumgartner smashed. Earlier in the flight, he expressed concern that his astronaut-like helmet was not heating properly. "This is very serious, Joe," said Baumgartner as the capsule, designed to remain at 55 degrees Fahrenheit ascended in skies where temperatures were expected to plunge below -91.8 F (-67.8 C), according to the project's website. "Sometimes it's getting foggy when I exhale. ... I do not feel heat." Baumgartner's ascent into the stratosphere took about 2-1/2 hours. The 30 million-cubic-foot (850,000-cubic-metre) plastic balloon, is about one-tenth the thickness of a plastic bag, or roughly as thin as a dry cleaner bag.</div>

Skydiver safely jumps from stratosphere over New Mexico

An Austrian daredevil leapt into the stratosphere from a balloon near the edge of space 24 miles above Earth on Sunday and safely landed,...

Computer/Laptop models of Earth's climate change confirmed on Mars

Faisal Science 11:28 PM

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Computer models have accurately forecast conditions on Mars and are valid predictors of climate change on Earth, US and French astronomers said on Tuesday. These computer programs predicted Martian glaciers and other features on Earth's planetary neighbor, scientists found. "Some public figures imply that modeling of global climate change on Earth is 'junk science,' but if climate models can explain features observed on other planets, then the models must have at least some validity," lead researcher William Hartmann of the Planetary Science Institute said in a statement. The team's findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's planetary sciences division in Reno, Nevada. Some climate change skeptics, notably US Senator James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, dismiss human-spurred global warming as a hoax. Others accept that Earth's climate is changing, but discount a human cause. Still others, including Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, accept the idea of climate change, but maintain the science is inconclusive. The science of climate change prediction is dependent in part on complex computer models that take into account multiple factors that influence Earth's climate, including the level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many such models have forecast the globally averaged temperature will rise by 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) this century if greenhouse emissions continue at current levels. Recent global temperature increases support these predictions. On Monday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that September 2012 was tied for the warmest month on Earth in the modern record, and was the 331st consecutive month above the 20th century average. MODELING MARTIAN SNOWS Hartmann, a senior scientist at the nonprofit Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, said he and his team confirmed the earthly computer models' effectiveness by using them to forecast conditions on Mars. New satellite observations of glaciers, ice flows and other features on the red planet showed that the models' predictions corresponded with what was on the Martian surface, Hartmann said in a telephone interview. One key difference between Earth and Mars is their tilt, he said. Earth's axis is fixed, with very small variations, at 23.5 degrees, held steady by the gravitational pull of our moon. This tilt is responsible for changing seasons as Earth moves through the year, alternately tipping its northern and southern hemispheres toward the sun. Mars lacks a big moon to stabilize its tilt, and its rotational axis can vary as much as 70 degrees toward the sun. When that happens, polar ice evaporates and puts moisture into the Martian atmosphere, which dumps snow, ice and ultimately glaciers in Mars' mid-latitudes. The last time this happened, astronomers say, was between 5 million and 20 million years ago. Factoring in the planet's varying tilt, topography, atmosphere and other information, the climate models forecast specific regions for massive snowfalls, and the remnants of those snowfalls are right there, Hartmann said. So are ice flows and other features, viewed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. "We do have a lot of public figures, in our country particularly, saying that the global climate modeling studies have very little value," Hartmann said. "If the global climate modeling people can run these models on Mars and we actually see things that come out of the model on another planet, then the climate modeling people must be doing something right."</div>

Computer/Laptop models of Earth's climate change confirmed on Mars

Computer models have accurately forecast conditions on Mars and are valid predictors of climate change on Earth, US and French astronomer...

Scientists Search world's oldest turtle fossil

Faisal Science 11:26 PM

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Polish paleontologists have uncovered what they believe to be the world's oldest turtle fossil in the southern city of Poreba. They've also found what they suspect is a separate turtle species, previously unknown and hope that subsequent examination will help solve unanswered questions about the animals' evolution. The paleontologists who found it say it's the oldest turtle fossil ever discovered. Belonging to a species called the Proterochersis robusta, it roamed the Earth at the same time as the dinosaurs. After cutting through the debris, Palaeontologist Doctor Tomasz Sulej hopes to reveal answers to important questions about the turtle's evolution, fleshing out what they already know. He said, "We date it as two hundred and fifteen million years ago. And we know it because in the rock, in the sediments, people from another institute found palynomorphs very characteristic of the Norian age....a period when the dinosaurs began living in the world." The team also discovered a second set of remains in southern Poland, which they believe belong to a previously unknown species. Both discoveries could be of evolutionary significance, helping bridge the gap between primitive reptiles and turtles. Sulej said, "In studying the evolution of the turtle we still don't know from which group of animals they derived. The animal which is probably the intermediate between the reptiles, the primitive reptiles and turtles was found in China." Celebrated Polish palynologist at Polish Geological Institute Barbara Slodkowska also helped date various findings by studying sediment in Poreba town's fossil-rich soil and says pollen analysis is crucial to understanding both recent finds. Slodkowska said, "There is one specific feature of the pollen. When the remains of something like this turtle end up in a basin of water the sludge will build up around the remains. So the only way this type of pollen record can be preserved is in water." "The pollen cannot be exposed to oxygen or it will start to disintegrate. This is why these fossils must have been covered in some kind of water basin." Sulej and his colleagues hope their analysis can pinpoint the moment at which turtles developed from their primitive cousins. And with more digging their hoping for more discoveries.</div>

Scientists Search world's oldest turtle fossil

Polish paleontologists have uncovered what they believe to be the world's oldest turtle fossil in the southern city of Poreba. They...

Destiny Director Didarul held

Faisal Business 4:42 AM

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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) arrested Director of Destiny Group Lieutenant General (retd) Didarul Alam with the help of police from city’s Mohakhali DOHS Saturday. ACC Deputy Director Mojhar Ali Sardar confirmed the matter to banglanews. Didarul, one of the main accused of money laundering case, was absconding. Besides, ACC is quizzing Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin and Chairman Mohammad Hossain for the third day on remand. ACC started quizzing them over money laundering case at their city’s Segunbagicha office from 11:00am. Earlier on Wednesday, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) started quizzing Destiny Group managing director Rafiqul Amin and Chairman Mohammad Hossain. A Dhaka court granted a 9-day remand on the day to interrogate them in two cases of money laundering. On October 11, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayer. On September 27, a Dhaka court cancelled bail to 22 high officials of Destiny Group, including its Managing Director M Rafiqul Amin, in two cases of money laundering. The court also directed the officials to surrender before the lower court as soon as possible. On August 13 and September 12, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed four separate petitions challenging the legality of the lower courts orders which, violating the provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009, granted the bails. On July 31, ACC sued the 22 officials for laundering Tk 3,285.26 crore by cheating investors.</div>

Destiny Director Didarul held

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) arrested Director of Destiny Group Lieutenant General (retd) Didarul Alam with the help of police fr...

Bond handed NZ bowling post

Faisal Sports 4:39 AM

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New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have unveiled former speedster Shane Bond as the man to replace Damien Wright as their new bowling coach, reports Cricketworld. Bond, 37, played in 18 Tests, 18 one-day internationals and 20 Twenty20 Internationals before retiring in 2010 with a reputation as one of the best fast bowlers New Zealand have ever produced. He will join the squad in time for their tour of Sri Lanka, which begins at the end of the month. "Shane's international record speaks for itself and in recent years he has developed into a highly skilled coach and mentor," NZC Director of Cricket John Buchanan said. "The Black Caps have some very important cricket coming up and we are delighted to have Shane on board to help develop and prepare our international bowling attack. "His knowledge of the modern game will be a valuable asset to the team and he has the skillset to complement Mike Hesson and Bob Carter." Bond would have represented the Black Caps far more than he did but for a string of injuries and an ill-fated sojourn with the Indian Cricket League and he is now looking forward to the next stage of his non-playing career. "This is a role I have worked towards since I stopped playing," he said. "I've enjoyed a range of coaching experiences around both men's and women's teams alongside some very good coaches and feel I'm ready to add something to the team. "The experience of playing for New Zealand exceeded my expectations and I'm sure it will be no different as a coach. I'm really excited about working with the team. "I'm looking forward to being back involved at the highest level and the challenge of coaching on the international stage." </div>

Bond handed NZ bowling post

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have unveiled former speedster Shane Bond as the man to replace Damien Wright as their new bowling coach, repor...

Flintoff backs Pietersen comeback

Faisal Sports 4:20 AM

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 Kevin Pietersen is likely to come out with all guns blazing when he returns to the England squad for next month's Test series in India, former team mate Andrew Flintoff said on Friday. The South African-born batsman was recalled by England this week after being dropped following a controversial text-message row. "When Kevin's got a point to prove he usually proves it with the bat," retired all-rounder Flintoff told the BBC. "I think (new captain) Alastair Cook might benefit from all this. He might get KP at his best." Pietersen, 32, who averages 49.48 from 88 Tests, was dropped for the third and final Test against South Africa at Lord's in August after admitting sending provocative texts to the opposition. However, he denied allegations he told them how to dismiss former skipper Andrew Strauss who retired from cricket after South Africa won the Test series 2-0. "When people get on Kevin's case he comes out swinging and scoring runs," said Flintoff. "We saw that when he came into the one-day international game in South Africa (in 2004) and he just kept scoring hundreds. "I think Kev will be fine. It might be a bit more uncomfortable for some of the others who have not been too kind to him in books, in paper reports and in interviews. "Everyone's got an ego, maybe there are a few clashing in that dressing room at the minute and they just need to put them to one side and carry on. If Pietersen starts scoring runs and England win it will all quickly be forgotten." Flintoff, who played 79 Tests for England before quitting in 2010 because of injury, is now being trained by former world featherweight boxing champion Barry McGuigan and will make his debut in the ring at the Manchester Arena on November 30. The former Lancashire all-rounder said Pietersen needed to know he was wanted in the England dressing room. "He is different but if you want Kevin the player, you have Kevin (the person as well)," said Flintoff. "I think his qualities as a player outweigh everything, like everyone else he needs a bit of encouragement. When you are as good as he is you need an arm round the shoulder and you need the backing of the team." The first Test between India and England is in Ahmedabad starting on November 15. </div>

Flintoff backs Pietersen comeback

Kevin Pietersen is likely to come out with all guns blazing when he returns to the England squad for next month's Test series in Ind...

Razzaq fined for outburst

Faisal Sports 4:11 AM

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Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has been fined 100,000 rupees ($1,060) for criticising captain Mohammad Hafeez after being dropped from the playing XI for Pakistan's World Twenty20 semi-final clash against Sri Lanka, reports Cricket365. 
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Razzaq fined for outburst

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has been fined 100,000 rupees ($1,060) for criticising captain Mohammad Hafeez after being dropped fro...

BD: NCL starts on Saturday

Faisal Sports 2:52 AM

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The 14th National Cricket League-2012-13 commences at four separate venues in the country on Saturday. Defending champions Rajshahi play Dhaka Division at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Last season's runners-up Khulna will host Barisal at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium. The remaining two matches sees Sylhet visiting the Rangpur Cricket Garden to play the home team and Dhaka Metro playing Chittagong at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra. For the first time several Bangladesh national players will be available for their respective divisions for the first two rounds of the only first-class competition. They will be available for two rounds because of the upcoming home series against West Indies. The Caribbeans are scheduled to arrive on Nov 5 to play two Tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international. </div>

BD: NCL starts on Saturday

The 14th National Cricket League-2012-13 commences at four separate venues in the country on Saturday. Defending champions Rajshahi play ...

Bangladesh envoy seeks to speak with Nafis

Faisal Politics 2:07 AM

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Diplomats on Friday asked the US authorities for consular access to Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, certain that the youth suspected of being an Al Qaeda-inspired terrorist is indeed a Bangladesh national. Bangladesh's Ambassador to Washington Akramul Qader met with the officials of the US State Department and Department of Justice Friday night over the 21-year-old. If consular access is granted, a diplomat from the embassy would be able to meet Nafis in person. The sit-down came three days after Nafis was arrested in New York for trying to detonate a 1,000-pound bomb outside the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan. Quader told bdnews24.com, "We have asked for time to meet Nafis. If he asks us for legal help, we will provide it." "We have been given the copy of Nafis' passport. We are now confirmed that he is a Bangladeshi citizen. "We are determined to provide him with the civil rights he is entitled to. We have also confirmed the matter to Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz (also the Department of Justice's Counselor for International Affairs)," the Ambassador added. Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes around 1am Saturday had told bdnews24.com that Bangladesh embassy officials have asked for consular access during the parley with the officials of the State Department and Justice Department. The meeting was held at the Department of Justice in Washington at around 11:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time (Washington time 1pm noon). Ambassador Qader said, "If it is proven in the trial that Nafis genuinely wanted to carry out a terrorist attack in the United States, we will accept the punishment he is handed down." He also asked the State Department and Justice Department officials not to show any hostile attitude towards the other Bangladeshi expatriates in the US because of one individual's action. They assured the Bangladeshi officials that there was no need to show that kind of attitude towards the other Bangladeshi-Americans only because of Nafis, Qader added. The charges against Nafis, the son of a middle-class family, have received heavy media coverage and the accusations of terrorism have also threatened to undermine the country's reputation as a moderate Muslim nation. Bangladesh is not typically a hotbed of terrorist activity, although one native of the nation was held by the US at Guantanamo Bay, according to American media. The Foreign Secretary had said earlier, "I have not received the full report on the meeting until now (1am Saturday). I will be able to brief tomorrow (Saturday) if I get the copy within the night." Earlier, at a press briefing on Friday, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni had said, "It is a serious matter and I will not speak until I get feedback from our US mission." "If we cannot have a formal press conference, me or the Foreign Secretary will convey the latest situation or issue a press release," she had said. New York police and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials arrested Nafis on Wednesday morning in downtown Manhattan after he allegedly attempted to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb at the New York Federal Reserve Bank on Liberty Street in lower Manhattan's financial district. The FBI said Nafis parked a van laden with 'explosives' in front of the bank in Manhattan and went to the adjacent Millennium Hilton Hotel. From there, he repeatedly tried to set off the mobile phone detonator of the bomb. However, it did not explode as the explosive was fake. The Department of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday Nafis had been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and provide material support to al Qaeda. He faces life sentence in prison, if convicted. Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN AK Momen had earlier told bdnews24.com, "Even if Nafis is a Bangladeshi, it is a separate story. The people and the government of Bangladesh do not believe in terrorism." Bangladeshi police detectives on Thursday had raided the 107/4, North Jatrabari residence of Nafis's parents and questioned his family members. Family members said Nafis was a student of the North South University and before that he had studied in the Dhaka College. He went to the US on January on student visa to study cyber-security at the Southeast Missouri State University. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com on Friday night that the Nafis' family were under watch.</div>

Bangladesh envoy seeks to speak with Nafis

Diplomats on Friday asked the US authorities for consular access to Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, certain that the youth suspected...

Language warrior Oli Ahad dead

Faisal Politics 12:57 AM

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The 85-year-old Language Movement veteran and Democratic League Chairman Oli Ahad passed away on Saturday morning in a Dhaka hospital. He was pronounced dead by doctors around 9am after being kept on life support over the last few days, 
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Language warrior Oli Ahad dead

The 85-year-old Language Movement veteran and Democratic League Chairman Oli Ahad passed away on Saturday morning in a Dhaka hospital. He...

Bangladesh honours 61 foreign friends

Faisal Politics 12:53 AM

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Bangladesh is honouring on Saturday the third batch of foreign friends who helped the nation win independence from Pakistan in 1971. This time 61 foreign friends or their representatives are receiving the 'Liberation War Honour' and the 'Friends of Liberation War Honour' at a programme at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. 
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Bangladesh honours 61 foreign friends

Bangladesh is honouring on Saturday the third batch of foreign friends who helped the nation win independence from Pakistan in 1971. This...