Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests

Bangladesh on Friday announced the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of military forces after police failed to quell days of deadly unrest that has spread throughout the country.

This week's clashes between student demonstrators and police have killed at least 105 people, according to an AFP count of victims reported by hospitals, and pose a momentous challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's autocratic government after 15 years in office.

"The government has decided to impose a curfew and deploy the military in aid of the civilian authorities," Hasina's press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan told AFP.

He added that the curfew would take immediate effect.

Police in the capital Dhaka earlier took the drastic step of banning all public gatherings for the day -- a first since protests began -- in an effort to forestall more violence. 

"We've banned all rallies, processions and public gatherings in Dhaka today," police chief Habibur Rahman told AFP, adding the move was necessary to ensure "public safety".

That however did not stop another round of confrontations between police and protesters around the sprawling megacity of 20 million people, despite an internet shutdown aimed at frustrating the organisation of rallies.

"Our protest will continue," Sarwar Tushar, who joined a march in the capital and sustained minor injuries when it was violently dispersed by police, told AFP. 

"We want the immediate resignation of Sheikh Hasina. The government is responsible for the killings."

Student protesters stormed a jail in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed its inmates before setting the facility on fire, a police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"I don't know the number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds," he added.

- 'Shocking and unacceptable' -

At least 52 people were killed in the capital on Friday, according to a list drawn up by the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and seen by AFP.

Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, based on descriptions given to AFP by hospital staff. 

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks on student protesters were "shocking and unacceptable".

"There must be impartial, prompt and exhaustive investigations into these attacks, and those responsible held to account," he said in a statement.

The capital's police force earlier said protesters had on Thursday torched, vandalised and carried out "destructive activities" on numerous police and government offices.

Among them was the Dhaka headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Television, which remains offline after hundreds of incensed students stormed the premises and set fire to a building.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain told AFP that officers had arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, one of the top leaders of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). 

- 'Symbol of a rigged system' - 

Near-daily marches this month have called for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the country's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

Hasina's government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including by the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

Her administration this week ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely as police stepped up efforts to bring the deteriorating law and order situation under control.

"This is an eruption of the simmering discontent of a youth population built over years," Ali Riaz, a politics professor at Illinois State University, told AFP. 

"The job quotas became the symbol of a system which is rigged and stacked against them by the regime."

- 'Nation-scale' internet shutdown -

Students say they are determined to press on with protests despite Hasina giving a national address earlier this week on the now-offline state broadcaster seeking to calm the unrest.

Nearly half of Bangladesh's 64 districts reported clashes on Thursday, broadcaster Independent Television reported.

London-based watchdog NetBlocks said Friday that a "nation-scale" internet shutdown remained in effect a day after it was imposed.

"Metrics show connectivity flatlining at 10% of ordinary levels, raising concerns over public safety as little news flows in or out of the country," it wrote on social media platform X. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/7CduUVY

With Shadow Cabinet, Naveen Patnaik Makes His Intentions Clear

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is now the state's Leader of Opposition, has drawn up a shadow cabinet to scrutinise and take on the ruling BJP and its Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. The move comes ahead of the budget session of the state assembly, which is set to begin from next Monday.

The 50-member UK-style shadow cabinet reflects the early experiences of Mr Patnaik who spent a large part of his pre-politics life in the UK.

The members of the shadow cabinet are mostly former ministers of his government, who are expected to keep tabs on each minister and his department and prepare alternative plans and policies in areas the government could slip up.

"The Opposition party is the custodian of people's interests. The Opposition party has a significant role to play in the state Assembly.

The MLAs will keep close watch on the activities of departments assigned to them and actively take part during discussion of those departments in the state Assembly. They will work to protect the interests of the people," a statement issued by the BJD on Wednesday quoted Mr Patnaik as saying.

The former Chief Minister's move not only underscores the active role he plans to play from the Opposition benches, it also brushes off the notion that many had -- that the Biju Janata Dal will now be politically irrelevant.

The BJD found itself out of power in the recently concluded election after 24 years. The BJP unseated the government of Naveen Patnaik winning 78 of the 147 assembly seats. The BJD won 51 seats.

Days later, as Mr Patnaik was elected the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, the BJD signalled that it means business.

The party, which was the BJP's friend in Rajya Sabha, said its MPs would not be confined to speaking on issues only, but would hold agitation if the BJP-led government at the Centre "ignores Odisha's interest".

The party has already ranged itself alongside the Opposition on the NEET issue and even held walkouts in parliament.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/0TkXhm3

"This Gave A Seizure To...": Musk On Microsoft CEO's Update On Outage

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has responded to the biggest tech outage in history after millions of Windows users worldwide experienced the Blue Screen of Death. The outage was caused by an update to CrowdStrike 'Falcon Sensor'. 

Microsoft CEO posted an update on X and said, "Yesterday, CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally. We are aware of this issue and are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online."

Yesterday, CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally. We are aware of this issue and are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online.

— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) July 19, 2024

X CEO and Tesla Founder Elon Musk was quick to take a swipe at Mr Nadella's update and said, "This gave a seizure to the automotive supply chain."

Mr Musk has been posting memes and reacting to posts on X on the global outage. He reposted his 2021 post on X in which he said, "Macrohard > Microsoft". 

… https://t.co/X9a2ghyo4P

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 19, 2024

CrowdStrike On Outage

In a statement on X, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said that the company is working with customers who have been impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts, adding that Mac- and Linux-based systems have not been affected.

Emphasising that the outage is not a security incident or cyberattack, he wrote,  "The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website."

"We further recommend organizations ensure they're communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers," he added.

Speaking to the 'Today' programme on NBC News later, Mr Kurtz said his company would make sure every customer is "fully recovered". 

"We are deeply sorry for the impact that we have caused to customers, to travellers, to anyone affected by this, including our company," he was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. 

Outages In India

In India, almost all air carriers -- Vistara, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air -- faced technical issues that affected booking, check-in, and flight updates. The airlines were checking in passengers manually. 

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said the ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively managing the situation using manual methods to ensure minimal disruption. "Passengers are advised to cooperate with airport staff during this period of disruption. We have instructed all airlines and airport authorities to keep passengers informed about their flight status and provide necessary assistance," he said.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/jBSUxJR

Uttarakhand's 'Signature Bridge', Under Construction, Collapses

A huge bridge being built in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag came crashing down today, officials said. No one was injured.

Called the 'Signature Bridge', it was the first of its kind in the hill state, sources said. The bridge was being built by RCC Developers at a cost of Rs 76 crore.

It was being constructed in Narkota on the Badrinath Highway in Rudraprayag.

"The incident happened at 4.15 pm. The foundation is intact. Only the tower collapsed. A technical committee will look into the incident and see what went wrong," an official said.

Locals alleged the work has been going on in a shoddy and negligent manner. "The highway authority and the government are not paying enough attention," a local resident alleged in an interview with reporters. "Why can't they take this project off the present company and give it to another?" he said.

Another official said usually 40 workers would work around this time everyday. "No one was working on the bridge today," the official said.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/d1OjDNZ

"Animal Cruelty": Abu Dhabi's First Owl Cafe Goes Viral, Internet Angry

All of us have heard about pet-friendly cafes across the globe. In a first, Abu Dhabi is now home to the first owl cafe in the Middle East. Nine owls reside at Boomah Cafe, where you can learn about them and even hold them for 70 Dirhams (about Rs 1500). The birds are cared for by trainers. However, the now-viral clip did not sit well with internet users who called it "animal cruelty".

The cafe gained popularity after various videos of the unique experience went viral online. Cafe owner Mohamed Al Shehhi told Time Out that "the wellbeing of the owls comes as the top priority for the cafe;".

He stated that the eatery opens at 2 pm every day. This allows the owls "enough rest all night and all morning, and while closing, they are released to move around freely". He told the outlet, "Some of the owls at Boomah can never live in the wild, let's take Venus (the Tawny Owl), for example. She hatched with one wing being shorter than the other, disabling her from flying at high altitudes or for long distances. While being cared for by Boomah team, Venus is now a healthy eight-year-old owl living happily despite the disability."

Mohamed Al Shehhi added that the idea was inspired by the Japanese Owl Cafes. "We enhanced the idea in a way that would satisfy the Middle Eastern society," he concluded.

A video of the cafe was recently shared by content creator Little Foodie on Instagram. In the clip, several owls along with their name tags and species information are seen near a wooden board.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LittleFoodie (@littlefood.ie)

They wrote in the caption, "The owners have stated multiple times that Boomah opens daily at 2 PM until 10 PM (for 8 hours only) to allow the owls to rest and roam free in an air conditioned room as the wellbeing of the owls is their top priority. Some of the owls cannot live/survive in the wild due to disabilities preventing them from flying hence are taken care of by trained staff." They added, "The owls' room is divided by a glass incase you don't want to interact with them and just watch from a distance.. but if you wish to get up close, it costs AED 70 per person."

Since being shared, the video has over 84,000 likes and 1.7 million views on Instagram.

"I mean birds should be free unless these birds need rehab and you are keeping them till healthy and setting them free? Seems so wrong to make money of caged animals," said a user.

Another said, "Can we stop using animals for entertainment and money? This is wrong on every level"

"This is animal cruelty," remarked a person.

A user commented, "When will animal entertainment be stopped for good! Us humans are appalling!! These birds are trapped in chains, HEARTBREAKING"

"This sends nothing but the wrong message to wildlife. Injured (if they actually are) owls should be in a sanctuary and only used for education and not as props or toys for random people," added a user.

"Terrible to see those poor birds and what sad lives they have and totally against their nature. This should not be allowed and is not what should be supported by our community. PLEASE DO NOT VISIT THIS PLACE," said another person.
 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/IbjapKT

220-Foot NF 2024 Asteroid Racing Towards Earth, NASA Alerts

NASA is monitoring the trajectory of asteroid NF 2024, a 220-foot (67-meter) space rock hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 45,388 miles per hour (73,055 kilometers per hour).  The asteroid is classified as part of the Apollo group, a collection of near-Earth asteroids that orbit the sun. 

According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the closest approach of NF 2024 is expected to occur today, July 17th, at a distance of approximately 3 million miles (4.8 million kilometers) from Earth. This distance is well beyond the range of concern for any potential impact. 

Also Read | A NASA Exercise Suggests 72% Chance An Asteroid May Hit Earth On This Day

NASA continuously tracks near-Earth objects (NEOs) and maintains a database of their trajectories. Asteroids larger than 150 meters (492 feet) in diameter and closer than 4.6 million miles (7.4 million kilometers) are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). NF 2024 is significantly smaller and does not meet the criteria for a PHA.

Also Read | The Earth Is Not Revolving Around The Sun But Something Else Nearby. NASA Explains What It Is

In addition to NF 2024, NASA reported that four other asteroids will make close approaches to Earth in the coming days. Asteroids BY15, NJ3, and MG1 are all expected to pass by safely at distances ranging from 2.64 million miles to 3.85 million miles (4.25 million kilometers to 6.2 million kilometers). 

As part of its ongoing efforts to study and mitigate potential asteroid threats, NASA is developing asteroid deflection technologies. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is designed to test the feasibility of using a kinetic impactor spacecraft to alter the course of an asteroid in space.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ZC2X6Ym

Is Earth Orbiting Sun Or A Point In Space? Read This Fascinating Analysis

Our early conceptions of planets orbiting perfectly around the Sun might need to be slightly revised. While the Sun is unquestionably dominant in our Solar System, a fresh look at planetary motion highlights an interesting detail: Earth isn't actually orbiting the Sun.

The reason for this update is the barycenter, the center of mass in an orbiting body system. Imagine a cosmic playground where the Sun and Earth serve as the fulcrum around which both objects balance and rotate. This point, known as the barycenter, is not fixed within the Sun.

Although the Sun is the heavyweight champion of our Solar System, it doesn't always claim the barycenter as its throne. The immense mass of the Sun pulls Earth into its orbit, but according to Newton's law of universal gravitation, this attraction is a two-way street. Earth, in its own small way, exerts a gravitational pull on the Sun too.

While Earth's tug is negligible compared to the Sun's grip, it's enough to nudge the barycenter slightly. This point typically resides very close to the Sun's center but not always. The influence of giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn can occasionally pull the barycenter outside the Sun's boundaries.

NASA explains, "Kepler's third law describes the relationship between the masses of two objects mutually revolving around each other and the determination of orbital parameters."

NASA further elaborates, "Consider a small star in orbit about a more massive one. Both stars actually revolve about a common center of mass, which is called the barycenter. This is true no matter what the size or mass of each of the objects involved. Measuring a star's motion about its barycenter with a massive planet is one method that has been used to discover planetary systems associated with distant stars."

Due to the Sun's immense mass, the barycenter usually lies very close to, but not necessarily within, the Sun's center. The influence of giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn can occasionally pull the barycenter outside the Sun. Therefore, Earth's orbit is more accurately described as a path around this shared center of mass, rather than strictly around the Sun itself.

"Planets orbit the Sun in general terms," Planetary astronomer Dr James O'Donoghue explains on X (Twitter), "but *technically* they don't orbit the Sun alone because the gravitational influence of (mainly) Jupiter means planets must orbit a new point in space."

"The planets do orbit the Sun of course, we are just being pedantic about the situation," he added. "The natural thinking is that we orbit the Sun's center, but that very rarely happens, i.e. it's very rare for the solar system's center of mass to align with the Sun's center."

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/JxojLIN

Man Sets Mother On Fire Inside UP Police Station, Films Her

The cops came running, some threw mud, others got the gunny sacks as a woman was set on fire inside a police station in Uttar Pradesh, shows a disturbing video. Hemlata, who suffered 40% burns, died during treatment at a hospital, said police.

The incident, which was captured on CCTV, took place around 2 pm at Khair police station in Aligarh.

The CCTV footage shows the woman rushing into the police station when she was doused with petrol and set on fire by a man next to her, which the cops say is her son Gaurav.

As a cop tries to take the lighter out of the woman's hand, it falls to the ground and the son, who has a mobile in one hand, sets her on fire, shows the video.

A huge ball of fire erupts and everyone backs off. The son falls to the ground, shows the video, gets up and starts recording the ghastly scene.

The 22-year-old son has been arrested, says Sanjiv Suman Senior Superintendent of Police.

"Her son set her on fire at the police station. There was a family dispute regarding a land. She had filed an FIR. Today, the two warring sides were visiting the police station to find a solution. But the parties failed to reach an understanding. Soon after the woman went out. When she returned, her son set her on fire. The incident was caught on camera," said Mr Suman.

The family has been shown the video, said the officer.

"By the time the police intervened, the son had set her on fire. The cops also suffered burns while trying to extinguish the fire. The woman was immediately rushed to a hospital," the cop added.

(With inputs from Adnan Khan)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/9c8ACgM

"Car-o-Bar" At Noida Wedding Lands 4 In Jail

Consuming alcohol in a car at an open space during wedding celebrations has landed four people in jail in Noida, the police said on Monday.

The accused were drinking liquor near a banquet hall in Sector 73, located within the Sector 113 police station limits, on Sunday, officials said.

According to a statement issued by the police, those held are from the banquet hall's management team and the operator of the bar set up in a modified car.

However, the police did not say if they got a complaint or took action against the guests or hosts of the wedding ceremony.

"The police received information about open consumption of alcohol on Sunday, leading to immediate action against the event management team and the bar operator," they said.

Those held have been identified as Haider (30), Arjun (20), Ajit (21), and Prateek Taneja (27), the police said.

Mr Taneja, a resident of Delhi, owns the modified car that has been seized, they added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/0nNmLvF

"No Love Lost": Fawad Khan Reveals He's In Touch With Ranbir Kapoor

Fawad Khan has been hitting the headlines ever since his Bollywood comeback announced. The Pakistani heartthrob, who has a huge fanbase in India as well, was recently asked if he is still in touch with his co-stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and director Karan Johar in an interview with Pinkvilla. The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actor replied, "I'm in touch on and off. Hamari baat ho jaati hai kabhi chat pe (We often chat on whatsapp) and on phone so I've been in touch and I have enjoyed a very good relationship with the Kapoor family and there is still a lot of love and respect even with Karan and Shakun so dostiyaan hai and then there's some producers friends jiske saath gaap shap lagi rehti hai (I am in touch with some of my producer friends as well) aur then we make plans of meeting somewhere so on and off we talk, we keep in touch and we're still very cordial and still very friendly and there's no love lost."

For the unversed, Fawad Khan made his Bollywood debut in Khoobsurat opposite Sonam Kapoor. He shared screen space with Ranbir Kapoor in Karan Johar's directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Fawad Khan acted in Shakun Batra's Kapoor & Sons, which was produced by the Dharma productions.

Fawad Khan will make his Bollywood comeback opposite Vaani Kapoor. The Hindi romantic-comedy will be directed by Aarti Bagdi. IANS quoted a trade source stating, "Fawad Khan has a massive international pull given his popularity among South Asians worldwide. He has also been a part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Details of this project are being kept under wraps, and everyone is tight-lipped about it." The trade source added, "The romantic comedy  narrates the story of how two broken people meet by a stroke of luck and end up helping each other, unintentionally falling in love."

Fawad Khan will next be seen in the series Barzakh. He has re-united with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed in the series. Pakistani heartthrobs Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Sanam Saeed will headline Netflix's first Pakistan-themed original Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo.  The series is an official adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq's bestselling 2013 Urdu-language novel of the same name.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Q4jCxFV

Cave Found On Moon, Could Shelter Humans In Future

Scientists have found evidence for an accessible cave conduit beneath the moon's surface. The location of the underground cave is not far from Apollo 11's landing site. It's 250 miles (400 kilometers) from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago.

Researchers analysed radar measurements by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The finding suggests that the cave is a "promising site for a lunar base" as it offers shelter from the harsh surface environment and could support long-term human exploration of the Moon.

The cave is accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It's located at the Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility)

The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.

NASA is aiming to build a semi-permanent crewed base on the moon, China and Russia have also announced interest in creating lunar research outposts. But, a permanent lunar base can only be set up in environments protected from cosmic radiation and with stable temperatures.

Such caves could form an emergency lunar shelter because the astronauts would be naturally shielded from harmful cosmic rays, solar radiation and micrometeorites.

Lunar orbiters first spotted pits on the moon more than a decade ago. Many are thought to be "skylights" that connect to underground caves such as lava tubes, giant underground tunnels that form through volcanic processes, reported The Guardian.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/M8oDFOx