International
Nobel Peace Prize in Bangladesh to lead the interim government after the protests
Nobel Peace Prize holder Muhammad Yunus arrived in Dhaka this Thursday to take office as the new leader of the interim Government of Bangladesh, which will put an end to four days of power vacuum after the resignation and flight from the country of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pressured by anti-government student protests.
The plane carrying Yunus, 84, landed around 2:10 p.m. (8:10 GMT) at the capital’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, coming from Dubai, according to the flight monitoring platform, Flightradar24.
“The coming government will protect the people and earn their trust,” said this economist by profession in his first public statement to the media, in which he added that one of the priorities of the interim government will be to regain the trust of the people.
The head of the Army, Waker-Uz-Zaman, as well as other high members of civil society and some of the main student leaders went to the airport to receive him, according to images from Channel 24 television, among strict security measures.
The winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize will take office at the head of the new interim government in a ceremony in Dhaca scheduled today around 8:00 p.m. (14:00 GMT) this Thursday.
Yunus was in Paris to undergo a minor medical procedure, when he was proposed by the leaders of the protests to lead the Government.
The new temporary cabinet will be made up of about fifteen members, Zaman said yesterday at a press conference, in which he assured that he will have the full support of the Army.
Among the main priorities of the Government will be the restoration of normality in Bangladesh, after the chaos unleashed by student protests and the violence with which they were repressed by the authorities.
In this sense, Yunus affirmed that his first task will be to “reestablish law and order,” so he asked the population to stop the attacks and eliminate their differences, and indicated that the wave of violence “is part of a conspiracy.”
“Indiscipline and violence are great enemies of progress and the path we have begun. We have to make them understand them, or deliver them to the law, but not by blows,” he said.
Yunus, known as the “banker of the poor”, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for having founded and designed the Grameen Bank to fight poverty in Bangladesh by developing the concept of microcredit, by which loans are granted to low-income people who would normally be rejected by the financial system.
The economist by profession had a tense relationship with the authorities since Hasina came to power in 2009.
If the enmity with Hasina led Yunus to face dozens of cases in the courts, the fall of the already former prime minister after weeks of demonstrations that left more than 400 dead have catapulted the Nobel laureate to the front line of politics.
Bangladesh is experiencing its fourth day of power vacuum today, after the resignation and departure from the country of Hasina, pressured by the student protests that began on July 1 peacefully but became violent and ended up demanding the resignation of Hasina, after the brutal repression of the demonstrations.
Amnesty International (AI) asked the next interim Government of Bangladesh on Thursday to repeal the controversial cybersecurity law, valid in the Asian country since 2023, and “restore freedom of expression.”
“It is a continuation of successive repressive legislations that have repeatedly facilitated the state repression of the civic space and human rights, including during the protests led by students for quota reform,” the London-based non-governmental organization said in a statement, on the occasion of the publication of a specific report on Bangladesh.
Amnesty International cited several cases of arrests and accusations that occurred in the context of the protests that took place since last July 1 in Bangladesh, which culminated in the resignation and flight of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
OAS urges swift recount in Honduras as election results remain uncertain
Panama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoWashington declares State of Emergency as atmospheric river brings severe flooding
-
International5 days agoU.S. to require five-year social media history from tourists under Visa Waiver Program
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts
-
Central America5 days ago
OAS and EU urge honduran political actors to respect vote results and avoid unrest
-
International4 days agoCuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
-
International4 days agoColombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
-
International2 days agoSeveral people shot in attack on Brown University campus
-
International12 hours agoPolice investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
-
International4 days agoEcuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
-
Central America1 day agoPanama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
-
International5 days agoSix ecuadorian soldiers jailed pending trial for alleged extrajudicial execution
-
Central America12 hours agoOAS urges swift recount in Honduras as election results remain uncertain
-
International2 days agoU.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty