Wednesday, September 30

Tag: Featured

When did private tuition become a crime?
7Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

When did private tuition become a crime?

Sharier Khan: The education ministry has drafted a new law that will ban private tuition and coaching with the provision of hefty fines up to Taka 2 lakh along with six-month jail for the guilty tutors. While one can understand that the draft Education Act, 2016 has good intentions, the idea may have unexpected implications. We all know that the country’s education system in general has not become so efficient that all students are being attended by teachers properly. The quality of teachers and teaching remains a challenge not to speak about teacher-student ratio in classrooms. Since when did private tuition become a crime? When did private tuition become synonymous to stealing, pick-pocketing or mugging that the ministry would think of putting a private tutor behind bars? Private tuition...
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David Cameron personally intervened to stop tax crackdown on offshore trusts
7Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

David Cameron personally intervened to stop tax crackdown on offshore trusts

    David Cameron personally intervened to prevent EU transparency rules affecting offshore tax trusts despite warnings it could create a loophole for tax dodgers, it has emerged. The Prime Minister sent a letter that successfully argued for trusts to be treated differently to companies in anti-money laundering rules. Mr Cameron wrote to the then-European Council president Herman van Rompuy, claiming that it was "clearly important we recognise the important differences between companies and trusts". "This means that the solution for addressing the potential misuse of companies, such as central public registries, may well not be appropriate generally," the letter said, according to the Financial Times. Judith Sargentini, the Dutch MEP who led the European Parliament's work on t...
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Brussels bomber had cleaning job at European Parliament
7Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, Europe

Brussels bomber had cleaning job at European Parliament

    One of the jihadists who blew themselves up in Islamic State attacks in Brussels on March 22 briefly worked as a cleaner at the European Parliament several years ago, the EU body said Wednesday. "He held a summer holiday job cleaning at the Parliament for one month in 2009 and one month in 2010. Those were the only instances he worked at the Parliament," it said in a statement. It did not name the individual, but a source close to the inquiry told AFP it was Najim Laachraoui. Laachraoui and fellow suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui blew themselves up at Brussels airport in coordinated attacks two weeks ago that also struck a Brussels metro station and killed a total of 32 people. Laachraoui is also suspected of being the bomb-maker for the Paris terror assaults last Novemb...
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PM Will Not Get Offshore Benefits In Future
6Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, London

PM Will Not Get Offshore Benefits In Future

    David Cameron, his wife and their children will not benefit from offshore funds or trusts in the future, a No 10 spokesman has said. Downing Street moved to clarify the Prime Minister's personal finances for the fourth time this week after Labour called for an independent inquiry into all Britons linked to a huge leak of tax haven data - including Mr Cameron's family. The row centres on an investment fund set up by the PM's late father Ian, which was registered in the Bahamas to shield it from UK tax. Mr Cameron first tried to draw a line under the issue of whether he stood to benefit from the fund - Blairmore Holdings - in reponse to a question from Sky's Faisal Islam on Tuesday. He said: "In terms of my own financial affairs, I own no shares. "I have a salary as Prime Mi...
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BB hackers possibly Chinese says Philippines senator
6Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
Asia, ENGLISH

BB hackers possibly Chinese says Philippines senator

    Chinese hackers were possibly behind one of the world's biggest cyber heists, the theft of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank, a senator in the Philippines said on Tuesday, while a Manila bank manager involved in the case said she was a pawn of senior bankers and unnamed tycoons. Unidentified hackers stole the money from the Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in early February and funneled it through a Manila branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) to casinos and gambling agents in the Philippines. "It would appear they are not Filipino hackers (but) possibly Chinese hackers," said Ralph Recto during a Senate inquiry in the capital Manila. "They saw the vulnerability in the (Philippines) banking system or one bank." Recto...
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Video sparks rumours of loch ness sightings in Thames
6Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, London

Video sparks rumours of loch ness sightings in Thames

    There have been numerous reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster through the years. Very few, if any, have been in the Thames, though. Mysterious footage has emerged on YouTube showing a large object making its way through the murky waters near the O2 Arena. It can be seen surfacing briefly before sinking back down. The video was taken by Penn Plate as he was travelling on the Emirates Air Line, a cable car journey near Greenwich that offers views of the capital. "This was on the cable car in Greenwich yesterday. Something huge was moving under the water and then briefly surfaced," he said. "Are there whales in the Thames? Or is it some weird submarine?" The video, which has been watched more than 500,000 times, drew more than 190 comments on YouTube. "Lochness monster...
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What are the Panama papers?
5Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, Extras

What are the Panama papers?

    A huge leak of documents has lifted the lid on how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth. The files were leaked from one of the world's most secretive companies, a Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca. What are the Panama Papers? The files show how Mossack Fonseca clients were able to launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax. In one case, the company offered an American millionaire fake ownership records to hide money from the authorities. This is in direct breach of international regulations designed to stop money laundering and tax evasion. Who is in the papers? There are links to 12 current or former heads of state in the data, including dictators accused of looting their own countries. More than 60 relatives and associates of heads of stat...
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Air France says crew can opt out of Tehran route after headscarf row
5Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, Europe

Air France says crew can opt out of Tehran route after headscarf row

    Air France said it would allow female cabin crew and pilots to opt out of flying routes to Tehran after some staff said they did not want to be forced to cover their hair when in Iran. Air France, part of the Franco-Dutch group Air France-KLM, is preparing to restart flights to Tehran from April 17 after an eight-year hiatus due to sanctions. After a meeting between Air France management and unions on Monday, the French carrier said it would offer female staff the choice of opting out of the flights. Under Iranian law, women must cover their hair in public places. Unions had raised concerns over an Air France ruling obliging female crew to wear a headscarf on leaving a plane. The debate on the wearing of headscarves and other religious symbols in public is particularly hea...
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Panama Papers: Cameron under pressure over tax havens
5Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Panama Papers: Cameron under pressure over tax havens

    David Cameron is coming under pressure to stop British overseas territories and Crown dependencies being used by the wealthy to reduce their tax bills. A massive data leak from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca showed it registered more than 100,000 secret firms to the British Virgin Islands. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government needed to "stop pussyfooting around" on tax dodging. Downing Street said the UK was "ahead of the pack" on tax transparency. Eleven million leaked documents showed how Mossack Fonseca clients were able to launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax - the law firm says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years. There are links to 12 current or former heads of state in the data, including dictators accused of looting their ow...
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Bangladesh Bank Cyber Heist: Wong vows to turn over another US$ 9.73m to Senate
5Apr By Sumon AdminNo Comments
Asia, ENGLISH

Bangladesh Bank Cyber Heist: Wong vows to turn over another US$ 9.73m to Senate

    Casino junket operator Kim Wong today (Tuesday) promised to return to the Senate another US$ 9.73m, which was believed to be part of the alleged $81million stolen funds from the Bangladesh’s central bank. Wong made this promise when he returned to the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s ongoing investigation into the controversy. “Within 15 to 30 days because I still have to borrow money from my friends, [and source funds] from my companies’ shares to settle this. I promise to submit this to your committee,” he said when committee chair, Senator Teofisto Guingona III , asked if the junket operator could commit to return the money. Wong said he would return the money in cash. In his testimony last March 29, Wong said the P450 million was the money owed him by Chinese business...
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