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
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore
Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.
Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.
In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.
Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.
“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.
He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.
International
Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking
Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.
Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.
The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.
“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
Analyst warns of cracks in Nicaragua’s inner circle as Ortega prepares succession
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore
Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking
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
-
Central America5 days agoHonduran prosecutors charge three with terrorism and assassination plot against Manuel Zelaya
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemalan police regain control of prisons after gang riots leave one guard dead
-
International3 days agoErin weakens to Category 3 after rapid intensification to Category 5
-
International5 days agoTrump and Putin end Alaska summit without Ukraine peace agreement
-
International2 days agoNYPD declares suspicious Times Square package safe after investigation
-
International4 days agoEx-Pemex director linked to Odebrecht scandal detained in Texas, faces trial in Mexico
-
International1 day agoPeruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy
-
International1 day agoCuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
-
International1 day agoTrump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks
-
International4 days agoResidente to perform free concert at Mexico City’s Zócalo on september 6
-
International2 days agoTexas opens major migrant detention center amid civil rights protests
-
International2 days agoThree arrested in Dubai hours after $25 million pink diamond theft
-
Sin categoría2 days ago
Zelensky meets Trump with European leaders amid peace deal tensions
-
International1 day agoFinnish MP Eemeli Peltonen dies at 30 in Parliament building
-
Central America5 hours agoAnalyst warns of cracks in Nicaragua’s inner circle as Ortega prepares succession
-
International9 hours ago
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore
-
International9 hours agoThree U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking