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Disinformation campaign against Bangladesh: Setting the record straight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

A smear campaign has been going on abroad for quite some time to discredit the government of Bangladesh, particularly before the Western world - writes Syed Badrul Ahsan. Such attempts are being made by elements who in the recent past expressed, in more ways than one, their unhappiness at the moves by the Bangladesh authorities to bring the local Bengali collaborators of the Pakistan army in 1971 to justice over their participation in the genocide committed by the army in the nine months of Bangladesh’s war of liberation.Judging by these attempts as well as others to paint Bangladesh in the wrong colours over the crimes allegedly committed by the authorities in Dhaka, one would imagine Bangladesh is today in the grip of a tinpot dictatorship, indeed by an entrenched autocracy that has foisted itself on the country through sheer force of arms rather than assuming power through general elections.The disinformation has been acquiring intensity in recent months, as can be observed fro...

Me & My Car: Brentwood owner loves his 1947 Willys Jeep pickup truck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

When the U.S. involvement in World War II became obvious, the Army wanted a general-purpose four-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle.Related ArticlesLocal News | Me & My Car: ’56 Studebaker in East Bay a ‘face-lift’ of an earlier model Local News | Me & My Car: ’61 Lincoln in East Bay said one of under 200 on road today Local News | Me & My Car: Replica ’34 Ford roadster a joy ride for its Bay Area owner The U.S. military contacted 135 companies with required specifications and asked them to make a prototype vehicle in just 49 days. Only two responded, American Bantam Car Co. and Willys-Overland.Bantam was a pretty small company and without much staff, so they contacted Karl Probst, a freelance designer from Detroit. He began work on the project on July 17, 1940, and had plans completed with costs estimates in three days.A big factor was to use off-the-shelf parts as much as possible and to get...

Walters: Water rights reformers scored only a minor victory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

A centerpiece of California’s perpetual political and legal wrangling over allocation of water is the complex array of rights that stretch back to the earliest years of statehood in the 19th century.Simply put, those who claimed water before 1914, when the state assumed legal control, have “senior rights” that traditionally have entitled them to virtually unlimited supplies even when other users face cutbacks during drought.The state Water Resources Control Board has made occasional efforts to curtail diversions by senior rights holders when supplies are tight but its legal right to do so is unclear with water rights in conflict with other laws declaring the larger public’s interest in overseeing “beneficial” water use.One test of the issue resulted in a state appellate court’s 2022 declaration that the state lacked direct authority to block diversions by senior rights holders and suggested that only the Legislature could provide such power.Although last winter’s heavy rains eased t...

EU pledges crackdown on ‘brutal’ migrant smuggling during visit to overwhelmed Italian island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

MILAN (AP) — EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the swift return of irregular migrants and a crackdown on the “brutal business” of migrant smuggling Sunday during a visit with Italy’s premier to a tiny fishing island overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a single day this week. “We will decide who comes to the European Union, and under what circumstances. Not the smugglers,” von der Leyen declared after touring the island’s hotspot. The Red Cross said 1,500 migrants remained in the center built to accomodate hundreds. Tensions have spiked on the island, which is closer to Tunisia than the Italian mainland, with residents expressing impatience with the constant flow of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa arriving on their shores — not just this week but for decades. In the face of the new crisis, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has pledged tougher measures and is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrants ...

¿Se está saliendo de la órbita del Kremlin uno de los aliados más antiguos de Rusia?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

(CNN) — La llegada de soldados estadounidenses para un ejercicio de entrenamiento de fuerzas de paz en Armenia irritó al gobierno ruso, que durante décadas ha actuado como único garante de seguridad para la antigua república soviética. El ejercicio “Eagle Partner”, de 10 días de duración, que comenzó el lunes, involucra a 85 soldados estadounidenses y 175 armenios y tiene como objetivo preparar a los armenios para participar en misiones internacionales de mantenimiento de la paz.Las maniobras, aunque de pequeña escala, son las últimas de una serie que el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Rusia calificó de “acciones hostiles” adoptadas por su tradicional aliado.Armenia envió recientemente ayuda humanitaria a Ucrania por primera vez, y su parlamento está a punto de ratificar el Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional, lo que significa que se vería obligado a arrestar al presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, si pusiera un pie en el país, que Rusia ha considerado durante...

WTOP Book Report: ‘The He-Man Effect’ explores how companies use nostalgia to sell toys

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio Author Brian Box Brown speaks with WTOP's Terik King $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); This story was written as part of the WTOP Book Report series authored by Terik King. Read more of that coverage. (Courtesy First Second Books)According to author and cartoonist Brian “Box” Brown, it all started with a Sears catalog.“I’m interested in these vintage toys and stuff from my youth,” Brown told WTOP. “I ...

Sri Lanka bat first in Asia Cup final against India

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the Asia Cup final against India at R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.Both teams qualified for the finals with two wins each in the Super Four stage.India made six changes for the final from their last game of the Super Four round, which they lost to Bangladesh.Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, all of whom were rested for the dead rubber against Bangladesh, were back in the side while all-rounder Washington Sundar replaced the injured Axar Patel.Sri Lanka made one change bringing in leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha for the injured Maheesh Theekshana.___Teams:Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana and Pramod MadushanIndia: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Su...

Relationships to watch as world leaders gather for UN General Assembly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

Von der Leyen aligns with Italy’s tough approach on migration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

Europe seems to be backing the Italian government’s hard-line stance on migration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday promised “a coordinated response” from Brussels to the problem of immigration, vowing to improve anti-trafficking forces, increase air surveillance and consider a possible new European naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea.Following a surge in arrivals by boat on the Italian coast last week, von der Leyen visited the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday, where thousands of migrants are stranded in difficult conditions. She was accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.In response to the crisis, members of the Italian government have called for an EU naval mission to prevent boats leaving north Africa. They have also proposed measures to increase repatriations, and a doubling of the number of detention centers.  In a video message on Friday, Meloni warned people not to undertake the Mediterranean cross...

The Revolution fall 2-1 at Colorado

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:39 GMT

The New England Revolution continue to falter since former head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena was banished from the sidelines on Aug. 1.The Revolution are now 1-2-2 under interim head coaches with Saturday night’s 2-1 loss to the struggling Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Col.The Revolution (13-6-9) fell into third place in the MLS Eastern Conference with six games remaining in the regular season. The Rapids improved to 4-13-10. The Revolution close out a three-game road swing at Chicago Fire FC on Sept. 23.“I think we still have a lot to play for,” said Revolution interim head coach Clint Peay after his first MLS game since replacing Richie Williams.“I think that the players are still obviously very committed to the goal of winning the cup. That’s what we are going to strive for each and every day moving forward.”After a scoreless first half, Colorado went up 1-0 Cole Bassett’s tally in the 48th minute. Rapids’ Calvin Harris scored the game...