Egypt
4 newly appointed envoys pay tribute to Bangabandhu
The newly appointed ambassadors and high commissioners of Egypt, Vatican, Sri Lanka and Pakistan visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka on Thursday.
The envoys paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman placing flower wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu.
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They also signed the visitors' book and took a tour of the museum.
The ambassadors were presented with gifts by the museum.
“Comprehensive, coordinated” response needed to address challenges faced by GBV survivors
The newly appointed envoys to Bangladesh are: Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy, Apostolic-Nuncio of Holy See-Vatican Kevin Randall , High-Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Dharmapala Weerakkody and High-Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Syed Ahmed Maroof.
Alliance Française de Dhaka launches its revamped website
Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are among 6 nations set to join the BRICS economic bloc
Iran and Saudi Arabia are among six nations invited Thursday (August 24, 2023) to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies.
United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to join the bloc from 2024.
The announcement was made at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country is the current BRICS chair.
Also read: China to support Bangladesh in joining BRICS: XI tells Hasina during talks
BRICS is currently made up of the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Those five members agreed at this week's summit to expand the bloc.
It's the second time that BRICS has decided to expand. The bloc was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was added in 2010. The BRICS bloc represents around 40% of the world's population and contributes more than a quarter of global GDP.
Three of the group's other leaders are attending the summit and were present alongside Ramaphosa for the announcement, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Also read: BRICS: China, Russia and other emerging economies turn to main summit agenda in South Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to the summit after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March for the abduction of children from Ukraine. He has participated in the summit virtually, while Russia was represented at the announcement in Johannesburg by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Top 10 Must-see Pyramids Around the World
The word pyramid is often associated with the three large triangular structures in Egypt. These iconic tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs are a testament to the glorious history and ancient culture of the country. However, beyond the borders of Egypt, there are other pyramids scattered across the globe. Each of these structures has their own history and purpose. Let’s look at 10 of the most famous pyramids that put visitors under a spell.
Top 10 Notable Pyramids Across the World
Most of the noteworthy pyramids are located in Egypt. However, pyramids were also discovered in Mexico which are similar to the ones in Egypt with a distinctive design. This list comprises the pyramids in Egypt and Mexico as they are the most iconic ones with deep-rooted history.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is located in the pyramid complex of Giza Valley in Egypt along with two other pyramids. The Great Pyramid stands tall as the largest one among the three. It is the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu of the fourth Egyptian Dynasty.
The pyramid was built in 2570 BCE by royal patronage before the death of Khufu. At its center, the tip of the pyramid is 146.6 meter long from the base. Initially, the pyramid was constructed with 2.3 million blocks of smooth limestone and granite which have mostly eroded over time.
Read more: Top 15 Heritage Sites of Bangladesh
The inside of the pyramid has three chambers: the king’s chamber, the queen's chamber, and a subterranean chamber which was never finished.
Pyramid of Khafre
The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest pyramid in the Giza complex. The Pyramid of Khafre was also built during the fourth dynasty by Pharaoh Khafre, son of Khufu, and was intended to be his burial site. The construction started sometime in 2570 BCE.
The top of the pyramid still retains some of the original limestones. The height of the pyramid is 136.4 meters at its peak. However, it looks taller compared to the Great Pyramid because of its position on a higher base structure.
Read more: Top 10 Historical Mosques in Bangladesh
‘Eat chicken feet’: Egypt’s govt recommendation faces vehement criticism from citizens
A recommendation from Egypt’s government – to eat chicken feet – has come under vehement criticism from the country’s citizens.
Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, is currently experiencing a record currency crisis and the highest inflation in five years, which has made food so costly that many Egyptians are no longer able to purchase chicken, a staple item.
The most recent dietary advice from the state recommended preparing chicken feet, a protein-rich part of the bird that is often kept for dogs and cats, according to a BBC report published yesterday.
Egypt is one of the countries suffering the most from skyrocketing inflation, which surpassed 30 percent in March.
Read More: Argentines struggle to make ends meet amid 100% inflation
Cooking oil and cheese, which were once reasonable necessities for many, have become unaffordable luxuries. Some product prices have doubled or tripled within a matter of months.
The BBC report quoted Wedad, a mother of three in her 60s, as saying: “I eat meat once a month, or I don’t buy it at all. I buy chicken once a week.”
Egypt is under a lot of strain in part because it relies significantly on imported food rather than homegrown agriculture to support its over 100 million-strong population.
Even the grain used to feed the chicken is imported.
Read More: Why another high inflation report may not cause Fed to hike
In comparison to the US dollar, the Egyptian pound lost half of its value over the course of a year. As the government depreciated the currency once more in January, the price of imports such as grain rose dramatically.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi frequently attributes his country's present economic troubles on the chaos that preceded the 2011 Egyptian revolt and fast population growth. In addition, he mentions the epidemic that followed the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine had a devastating effect on Egyptian economy. Egypt is the second largest wheat importer in the world, and the two countries were its principal suppliers. As a result of the disruption of exports due to the war, price of wheat and bread skyrocketed.
Russian and Ukrainian tourists used to visit Egypt in droves; the tourism industry has also suffered financial losses. Tourism, which used to account for around 5% of Egypt’s GDP, has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read More: In the EU’s inflation crisis, the humble egg takes the cake
Egypt has requested a bailout from the International Monetary Fund four times in the previous six years due to its economic difficulties. These debts, which account for 90% of GDP, consume nearly half of the state’s revenues.
Gulf nations such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have purchased state assets and are aiding Egypt, but they have also toughened their requirements for future investments.
Egypt sentences 14, including activists on terrorism charges
Egypt on Sunday sentenced 14 people, including rights activists, to prison terms ranging between five and 15 years on terrorism-related charges in a trial deplored by rights groups as unfair.
The verdicts — the latest mass sentencings in Egypt — were reported by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, one of the country's most prominent human rights. The suspects were arrested in 2018 as part of a wide-ranging crackdown by authorities on dissent.
Two activist lawyers — Ezzat Ghoniem of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms and Mohamed Abu Horarira — were sentenced to 15 years in prison each. They were convicted of joining and funding a terrorist group, which is government parlance for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egyptian authorities designated the Islamist group a terrorist organization in 2013, the year the military removed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood, from power after a year of divisive rule.
Also Read: COP27: Momen thanks Egypt for focusing on "loss and damage" issue
Abu Horarira's wife, Aisha el-Shater, who is also the daughter of Khairat el-Shater, long seen as the Brotherhood’s most powerful leader, was sentenced to 10 years on charges that also included disseminating false news on allegations of rights abuses by security forces.
Huda Abdel-Moneim, another lawyer and activist, was handed a five-year sentence.
The court added a five-year probation period at the end of each sentence of those convicted, which includes a travel ban and an order to regularly report to a police station.
Amnesty International and other rights group have decried the arrest of the 14 and said their trial reflected “gross violations of their right to a fair trial.”
Sunday’s verdicts are not subject to appeal and only the country’s president has the authority to pardon or throw out the sentences.
Rights groups have repeatedly criticized mass sentencings, common over the past years in Egypt in trials related to the Brotherhood or dissent, and called on authorities to ensure fair trials.
Egypt’s government has in recent years jailed thousands, mainly Islamists, but also secular activists involved in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled the country's longtime autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.
FM likely to visit New Delhi March 1-2
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen is likely to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi during March 1-2.
India, holding G20 presidency, has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Under its presidency, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country this year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited to attend the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit which will take place during September 9-10 this year in New Delhi.
Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5 to 8 last year at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Read more: FM to visit UAE from Feb 10-13 to attend series of events
Apart from the G20 leaders, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Oman Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have been invited to the G20 Summit.
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra is likely to be in Dhaka in the third week of February to have bilateral talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen, said a diplomatic source.
Kwatra assumed charge as foreign secretary on May 1 last year.
UN climate talks drag into extra time with scant progress
Negotiators say they have struck a potential breakthrough deal on the thorniest issue of United Nations climate talks in Egypt: the creation of a fund for compensating poor nations that are victims of extreme weather worsened by rich countries’ carbon pollution.
Several cabinet ministers from across the globe told The Associated Press that agreement was reached on a fund for what negotiators call loss and damage. It’s a big win for poorer nations which have long called for cash — sometimes viewed as reparations — because they are often the victims of climate disasters despite having contributed little to the pollution that heats up the globe.
“This is how a 30-year-old journey of ours has finally, we hope, found fruition today,” said Pakistan Climate Minister Sherry Rehman, who often took the lead for the world’s poorest nations. One-third of her nation was submerged this summer by a devastating flood and she and other officials used the motto: “What went on in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan.”
If an agreement is accepted it still needs to be approved in a unanimous decision later Saturday. But other parts of a deal, outlined in a package of proposals put out earlier in the day by the Egyptian chairs of the talks, are still being hammered out as negotiators head into what they hope is their final session.
There was strong concern among both developed and developing countries about proposals on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, known as mitigation. Officials said the language put forward by Egypt backtracked on some of the commitments made in Glasgow aimed at keeping alive the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. The world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid 19th century.
Some of the Egyptian language on mitigation seemingly reverted to the 2015 Paris agreement, which was before scientists knew how crucial the 1.5 degree threshold was and heavily mentioned a weaker 2-degree Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) goal, which is why scientists and Europeans are afraid of backtracking, said climate scientist Maarten van Aalst of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.
Ireland’s Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said: “We need to get a deal on 1.5 degrees. We need strong wording on mitigation and that’s what we’re going to push.”
Still, the attention centered around the compensation fund, which has also been called a justice issue.
Read more: COP27: Bangladesh among first recipients of Global Shield financial support
“There is an agreement on loss and damage,” Maldives Environment Minister Aminath Shauna told the AP early Saturday afternoon after a meeting with other delegations. “That means for countries like ours we will have the mosaic of solutions that we have been advocating for.”
New Zealand Climate Minister James Shaw said both the poor countries that would get the money and the rich ones that would give it are on board with the proposed deal.
It's a reflection of what can be done when the poorest nations remain unified, said Alex Scott, a climate diplomacy expert at the think tank E3G.
“I think this is huge to have governments coming together to actually work out at least the first step of ... how to deal with the issue of loss and damage," Scott said. But like all climate financials, it is one thing to create a fund, it's another to get money flowing in and out, she said. The developed world still has not kept its 2009 pledge to spend $100 billion a year in other climate aid — designed to help poor nations develop green energy and adapt to future warming.
“The draft decision on loss and damage finance offers hope to the vulnerable people that they will get help to recover from climate disasters and rebuild their lives," said Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International.
The Chinese lead negotiator would not comment on a possible deal. The U.S. negotiations office, where special envoy John Kerry is sick with COVID-19, also declined to comment. China and the U.S. are the two biggest carbon polluters. European negotiators said they were ready to back the deal but declined to say so publicly until the entire package was approved.
The Egyptian presidency, which had been under criticism by all sides, proposed a new loss and damage deal Saturday afternoon and within a couple hours an agreement was struck but Norway's climate and environment minister Espen Barth Eide said it was not so much the Egyptians but countries working together.
According to the latest draft, the fund would initially draw on contributions from developed countries and other private and public sources such as international financial institutions. While major emerging economies such as China would not initially be required to contribute, that option remains on the table and will be negotiated over the coming years. This is a key demand by the European Union and the United States, who argue that China and other large polluters currently classified as developing countries have the financial clout and responsibility to pay their way.
The planned fund would be largely aimed at the most vulnerable nations, though there would be room for middle-income countries that are severely battered by climate disasters to get aid.
An overarching decision that sums up the outcomes of the climate talks doesn't include India’s call to phase down oil and natural gas, in addition to last year’s agreement to wean the world from “unabated” coal.
Read more: COP27: Bangladesh to reiterate call to materialize $100bn pledged for developing countries
Several rich and developing nations called Saturday for a last-minute push to step up emissions cuts, warning that the outcome barely builds on what was agreed in Glasgow last year.
It also doesn’t require developing countries such as China and India to submit any new targets before 2030. Experts say these are needed to achieve the more ambitious 1.5 degrees Celsius goal that would prevent some of the more extreme effects of climate change.
Throughout the climate summit, the American, Chinese, Indian and Saudi Arabian delegations have kept a low public profile, while European, African, Pakistan and small island nations have been more vocal.
Many of the more than 40,000 attendees have left town, and workers started packing up the vast pavilions in the sprawling conference zone.
U.N. climate meetings have evolved over the years to resemble trade fairs, with many countries and industry groups setting up booths and displays for meetings and panel discussions.
At many stands, chairs were stacked neatly ready for removal, and monitors had been taken away, leaving cables dangling from walls. Pamphlets and booklets were strewn across tables and floors. Snack bars, which the Egyptian organizers said would remain open through the weekend, were emptied out.
At the youth pavilion, a gathering spot for young activists, a pile of handwritten postcards from children to negotiators was left on a table.
“Dear COP27 negotiators,” read one card. “Keep fighting for a good planet.”
EU shakes up climate talks with surprise disaster fund offer
Climate talks appeared stalled late night Thursday on major issues going into the final day, but possibilities for a deal were buoyed by an unexpected proposal by the European Union on two of the thorniest issues, tying compensation for climate disasters to tougher emissions cuts.
Minutes after the United Nations summit's chairman warned delegates that “we are not where we need to be in order to close this conference with tangible and robust outcomes," the EU's top climate official made a surprise offer. To applause, he proposed a two-pronged approach that would create a pot of money for poor countries and push for steeper cuts of heat-trapping emissions by all countries, as well as the phasing down of all fossil fuels, including natural gas and oil.
The issues of compensation and pollution-cutting “are two sides of the same coin as far as the European Union is concerned," said European Union Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans, making clear that the 27-nation bloc won't offer more money unless there are concessions on emissions targets.
“If we do not perform enough on mitigation, there is no money on Earth enough to address the consequences of the climate crisis," Timmermans told The Associated Press. “The amounts of losses and damages will be such that we could never repair them.”
“So we absolutely need high ambition on mitigation if we want to have a fighting chance also to help the most vulnerable and face these challenges,” he added.
Vulnerable nations called for a deal to be sealed before the end of the talks.
"This is a historic opportunity that can’t be lost and that must be seized now," Maldives Environment Minister Aminath Shauna said.
Poorer countries that bear the brunt of climate change, from rising sea levels to extreme flooding, stepped up the urgency, accusing richer polluters of stalling and said they cannot wait another year for the creation of a fund to pay for damages.
Before Timmermans sprung the two-page proposal, special teams of ministers said they made progress on major issues, including loss and damage.
But the mood was somewhat grim.
Read more: COP27: Bangladesh urges developed countries to double climate financing by 2025
United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell urged negotiators to get cracking.
“There is an outcome where we all come out of this having done our jobs and with something that protects our planet,” Stiell said. “Let’s do that."
Then Timmermans came out with his proposals and negotiators, including U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry, dashed about trying to figure out what to do next.
Problems quickly popped up.
China, which had been quiet during much of the talks, insisted that the 2015 Paris Agreement should not be changed and money for the new fund should come from developed countries, not them. Saudi Arabia also said it was important “to not go beyond what we have” in the Paris pact and was reluctant to pony up to a compensation fund.
Asked to comment on the EU proposal, Kerry said he hadn't had a chance to read it yet.
“We’ll take a look at it,” he told The AP. "You know, we’ll see.”
Egypt's leadership of the summit, called COP27, came under criticism earlier Thursday presenting what some negotiators described as a 20-page “laundry list” of wide-reaching ideas.
“It is evidently clear that at this late stage of the COP27 process, there are still a number of issues where progress remains lacking,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the president of the summit, said late Thursday.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who had flown in for the final stage of negotiations, warned of a “breakdown in trust between North and South, and between developed and emerging economies.”
“The world is watching and has a simple message: stand and deliver,” he told leaders, adding that there was “no time for finger pointing.”
Negotiators were surprised by several ideas in the Egyptian draft that they said were never discussed at the two-week talks.
Among them was a call for developed countries to achieve “net-negative carbon emissions by 2030” — a far tougher target than any major nation has so far committed to and which would be very hard to achieve. The EU and U.S., for example, have said they aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050, China by 2060.
The head of the European Parliament Bas Eirkhout said it was "too broad, too many topics, too vague language and too many items, which I don’t think have to be in a cover decision.”
The conference is supposed to end Friday, but past gatherings have been extended to reach a deal.
Longtime negotiations analyst Alden Meyer of E3G said that unlike in previous years, the president of the conference delayed putting together special teams of ministers to push through solutions on big issues, except loss and damage, and that’s putting everything behind.
Read more: Adapting to climate change is the main focus of COP27: Info Minister
There were at least half a dozen instances where nations were “taking negotiations hostage” by taking hardline, seemingly inflexible stances, Meyer said. The biggest was on the compensation fund for climate disasters, known as “loss and damage” in negotiators’ parlance.
The United States has resisted any fund that would suggest liability and compensation — let alone reparations — for decades of greenhouse gas emissions by industrialized nations.
European countries have backed calls by island nations for a “mosaic” of financial arrangements drawing on public and private sources of money.
But there are big differences over who should pay.
German officials said the money should not come only from the industrialized nations, but also major emerging economies whose greenhouse gas emissions have increased sharply in recent decades.
Heavy polluters China and India, however, argue they should not have to contribute because they are still officially considered developing nations.
The issue of loss and damage is one of three financial aid pots discussed. Rich nations agreed in past conferences to spend $100 billion a year to help poorer countries develop cleaner energy systems and adapt to prevent future disasters — though they have lagged in giving the funds.
One longtime participant in the climate talks, Yamide Dagnet of the Open Society Foundation, said developed countries were showing more openness on “loss and damage.”
“But fear of compensation and liability remains a Damocles sword that needs to be overcome,” said Dagnet, a former EU negotiator at the talks.
“The United States is probably the most nervous about how much it can give in on loss and damage after decades of delaying tactics, backed by other developed countries,” she said.
Timmermans, the EU climate chief, expressed cautious hope that an agreement might be achieved yet in Egypt.
“I am by nature an optimistic person, but I’m also realist," he told The AP. "I think it is possible, but I grant you, it’s not going to be easy.”
His comments were echoed by Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas.
“I think we’re making progress. We heard a lot of goodwill in particular on the financing for loss and damage,” she told The AP.
The EU offer on climate financing “looks promising. So, I think there will be good advances.”
COP27: Momen thanks Egypt for focusing on "loss and damage" issue
Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen thanked the Egyptian Presidency of COP27 for having included the critical issue of ‘loss and damage’ as part of the Conference agenda.
He conveyed this during his meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry in Sharm El Sheikh on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Momen hoped that the Conference would be able to come up with a concrete deliverable on financing for loss and damage.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister expressed his interest in visiting Bangladesh in the near future.
The two Ministers agreed to strengthen Parliamentary engagements between the two sides.
read more: COP27: Bangladesh urges developed nations to double provision of adaptation finance by 2025
Foreign Minister Momen also met with the US President’s Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry to discuss possible outcomes on loss and damage.
They had a combined meeting later with other representatives from V20 (Vulnerable Twenty Group of Finance Ministers) currently led by Ghana.
The US Special Envoy thanked Bangladesh for joining the Global Methane Pledge and referred to certain financing windows available for taking action on methane reduction.
Minister Momen stressed the need for such support in agriculture, livestock and waste management sectors in Bangladesh.
“We had enough of your promises and we need these words to be put into action now”
Children and youth are leading the call for urgent climate action at the COP27 Climate Change Conference underway at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Among them is climate activist and UNICEF Bangladesh Youth Advocate Farzana Faruk Jhumu. As a member of the official UNICEF delegation to COP27, Farzana moderated the event “At the frontline: Children and adolescent led action for climate change”.
As part of the COP27 Youth and Future Generations Day on 10 November, the event celebrated youth power and participation at the global climate change conference.
Read more: COP27: Developed countries keen to fund vulnerable countries, says Hasan Mahmud
“We had enough of your promises and we need these words to be put into action now,” said Farzana Faruk Jhumu in a passionate statement.
“This is our time. I am calling on children and young people to join us in speaking up and to act to tackle the climate crisis with whatever resources they have,” she added.
Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite being among the lowest per-capita greenhouse gas emitting countries in the world.
One in three children in the Bangladesh – nearly 20 million children – are already affected by climate change every day. Without urgent action, virtually every child in the country will be harmed by extreme weather, floods, river erosion, sea level rise, and other environmental shocks driven by climate change. Children are at ever-greater risk of being pushed into exploitive child labour, child marriage and trafficking.
Read more: Adapting to climate change is the main focus of COP27: Info Minister
“Children are at the forefront of an emergency that is not of their making. It is high time we recognize climate change as a child rights crisis. As Farzana Faruk Jhumu and youth from across the globe raise their voices at COP27, UNICEF stands with them in their appeal for urgent and meaningful action,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.
As world leaders debate on climate policy and action at COP27, UNICEF urges them to protect children against the impacts of climate change, reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and give children and young people the space to be part of solutions.