Tuesday, June 9

ENGLISH

Britain’s heaviest man dies aged 33
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Britain’s heaviest man dies aged 33

    The UK’s heaviest man, who weighed 65 stone, has been found dead in his Dover flat. The fire brigade, police and ambulance personnel took several hours to remove Carl Thompson, 33, from his home. His body was removed using a small crane. A police spokesman said: “Kent police was called at 10.38am on 21 June, to a property in Dofras Place, Dover, following reports that a man in his 30s had died. Officers do not believe the death to be suspicious.” The coroner would be notified, the police spokesman said. Thompson, 33, had been housebound for over a year after doctors warned he needed to lose 70% of his body weight. Consuming 10,000 calories every day – four times the usual daily amount for a man – the 33-year-old reportedly spent about £200 a week on takeaways and ...
People to pay for NID card renewal, corrections
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

People to pay for NID card renewal, corrections

    People will have to pay for renewal and correction of any information in their National Identity (NID) cards from September. The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday issued a gazette notification imposing the new charge for this service, which are not provided free of cost. As a new rule, any person will have to pay Tk 100 for renewal of NID card or Tk 150 for emergency delivery. If the card is lost or damaged, the person will have to pay Tk 200 (emergency Tk 300) for first time, Tk 300 (emergency Tk 500) for second time and Tk 500 (emergency Tk 1,000) to get a new copy. As per existing law, all the NID cards must be renewed after 15 years from the date of its issuance, said Brig Gen Sultanuzzaman Md. Saleh Uddin, Director General of NID wing of the EC. Besides, the EC...
Welfare cuts: government vows to go ahead with £12bn squeeze
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Welfare cuts: government vows to go ahead with £12bn squeeze

    The government is pushing ahead with plans to cut £12bn from the welfare budget despite growing political opposition and widespread anti-austerity protests. The plans are expected to include capping benefits at £23,000 a year for each family and making cuts to housing benefits and tax credits. The exact details will be revealed in next month's Budget. David Cameron has justified the cuts by warning that Britain must stop the "merry-go-round" of benefits dependency, says the Daily Telegraph. He is promising to transform Britain "from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society". Chancellor George Osborne and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith have also defended their plans, insisting that it will take ten ye...
Whirlwind Schedule For US First Lady In UK
ENGLISH, London

Whirlwind Schedule For US First Lady In UK

    Michelle Obama has met with David Cameron and his wife Samanatha at Downing Street as she continues her UK tour. The First Lady, accompanied by her daughters, Malia, 16, and 14-year-old Sasha and her mother, Marian Robinson, swept up to the door of Number 10 in a seven-vehicle convoy, and spent around 45 minutes inside. Michelle Obama visited David and Samantha Cameron in Number 10. During her busy schedule, Mrs Obama and her family also took tea with Prince Harry at Kensington Palace. Earlier, Mrs Obama received a rapturous welcome when she visited a ''Mulberry School for Girls'' in Tower Hamlets as part of her campaign to give girls in developing countries the opportunity to have an education. After being given a superstar greeting by students at the Mulberry School...
10 embarrassing symptoms men shouldn’t ignore
ENGLISH, Life Style

10 embarrassing symptoms men shouldn’t ignore

    On average, men go to the doctor's half as often as women, according to NHS statistics. So, do they simply enjoy better health? Unlikely. Many men just can't bear the thought of talking about symptoms they find embarrassing, so prefer to bury their heads in the sand. Sound familiar? You could be putting your wellbeing - sometimes even your life - at risk. During Men's Health Week (15-21 June), it's time to stop being embarrassed and consult your GP about these 10 common symptoms...
Traffic jam and shopping: Make the best out of Ramadan
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

Traffic jam and shopping: Make the best out of Ramadan

Akanda Muhammad Jahid: Two major aspects of Ramadan are self control and charity. The Holy Qur'an says: "Turn to your Lord when you are free from your affairs." In Bangladesh, Ramadan also means an increased traffic on the roads. And with everyone rushing to finish shopping before Eid comes knocking at our doors, traffic jams waste away our entire day and all our plans. Here’s how The Daily Star Online thinks you can make the best out of the Ramadan traffic jam and shopping: MAP OUT YOUR ROUTES Select at least two alternative ways besides the straight route to your destination. You can get help by reviewing maps, both online and offline. For example, if you want to go to Dhanmondi from Karwan Bazar, you may take either Manik Mia Avenue or Panthapath. SWITCHING ROUTES Find out ways so ...
Jihadists slave markets sell girls at any price: UN envoy
Arab world, ENGLISH

Jihadists slave markets sell girls at any price: UN envoy

    Teenage girls abducted by Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria are being sold in slave markets for as little as a pack of cigarettes, the UN envoy on sexual violence said Monday. Zainab Bangura visited Iraq and Syria in April, and has since been working on an action plan to address the horrific sexual violence being waged by IS fighters. This is a war that is being fought on the bodies of women, Bangura told AFP in an interview. The UN envoy spoke to women and girls who had escaped from captivity in IS-controlled areas, met with local religious and political leaders and visited refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Jihadists continue to run slave markets for girls abducted during fresh offensives, but there are no figures on the numbers enslaved by the fighters. ...
Flat goes on sale for £75million in upmarket Knightsbridge area of West London
ENGLISH, London

Flat goes on sale for £75million in upmarket Knightsbridge area of West London

    A stone’s throw away from the Harrods department store and with a Rolex luxury watch shop underneath, the 9000sq ft flat is situated in the upmarket Knightsbridge area of the capital and has views over Hyde Park. Split across two wings by a 50m hallway, the so-called city wing contains the bedrooms, while the park wing contains living and entertaining spaces, according to the Savills estate agent which is managing the property. With such a staggering high asking price, a waste paper bin would take up the equivalent of £8,333 worth of space, the Mirror reported. The most expensive and the cheapest locations to rent in the UK. Meanwhile, the stamp duty on the property amounts to almost £9million. And as would be expected for a house with such a high guide price, resid...
Saudi Arabia rejects BD proposal to increase Hajj pil-grims quota
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

Saudi Arabia rejects BD proposal to increase Hajj pil-grims quota

    Saudia Arabia has rejected Bangladesh’s proposal to increase the quota of Hajj pilgrims. The religious affairs ministry, however, said in a statement on Tuesday that they were continuing their efforts to increase the quota fixed by the Saudi government last year. A total of 101,758 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be able to perform Hajj this year. But online applications of aspirants exceeded the quota by around 30,000. So, Dhaka had written to Riyadh to accommodate another 25,000 pilgrims. The ministry has asked ‘qualified’ aspirants to complete all formalities by June 18. On Dec 8 last year, the Cabinet approved Hajj packages for 2015. The government will give opportunity to 10,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims to perform Hajj in 2015. The cost of government packages will be be...