Pakistan unveils star-studded civil awards

Bangladesh’s parliament has elected veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country’s new president, marking another major development in the country’s political transition. The 78-year-old politician secured victory in a parliamentary vote on Thursday, defeating retired army Colonel Oli Ahmed, who was backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition alliance. Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin announced Alamgir as the winner after he received 255 votes against Ahmed’s 88. Alamgir is expected to take the oath of office on Friday evening. Although the presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, the president serves as the country’s head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Executive powers remain with the prime minister and cabinet. Alamgir’s election comes after the BNP returned to power following the February general election. The party and its allies secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, while BNP leader Tarique Rahman became prime minister. The presidential election was triggered by the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin, who stepped down last month citing health reasons before completing his five-year term. Shahabuddin, a former Awami League politician and close associate of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, had become president in 2023. Hasina left Bangladesh and moved to India after a mass uprising removed her government from power in August 2024. She has previously indicated that she plans to return to Bangladesh later this year. Alamgir is one of the BNP’s longest-serving senior figures. He served as the party’s secretary-general from 2016 until being nominated for the presidency. During the Awami League government’s rule, Alamgir emerged as one of the BNP’s most prominent opposition leaders. He faced several arrests and legal cases during his political career. His political journey began after he completed his studies in economics at the University of Dhaka. He initially worked as a teacher before entering politics. Alamgir joined the BNP in the early 1990s and gradually rose through its ranks. He later held several senior government positions and served as local government minister before leaving the position following his nomination for president. His election now places a longtime opposition figure in Bangladesh’s highest constitutional office as the BNP consolidates its political position following its return to government.

PYONGYANG: North Korea has accused the United States, Japan and South Korea of creating a new security crisis in the Asia-Pacific, claiming their expanding military cooperation is increasing regional tensions and threatening stability. In a commentary published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a military commentator alleged that the three allies are strengthening their joint combat capabilities through large-scale military exercises and closer defence coordination. The statement specifically criticized the recently concluded Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise, describing it as a rehearsal for military aggression rather than a routine multinational drill. According to North Korean officials, the exercise involved more than 30,000 personnel, over 30 warships, five submarines and nearly 190 aircraft. Pyongyang claimed the United States is attempting to strengthen its military influence across the Asia-Pacific with the support of Japan and South Korea. It also objected to recent US-South Korea air force and logistics exercises, plans to expand American military command structures in Japan and the deployment of advanced US missile systems in the region. North Korea warned that it would respond to what it described as growing military threats by further strengthening its own deterrence capabilities. Officials said any increase in external pressure would be met with corresponding defensive measures. Separately, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected recent accusations by the United States and its allies that Pyongyang poses a growing cyber threat. The ministry dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and without evidence. A foreign ministry spokesperson argued that the United States has been expanding military activities in cyberspace through cyber commands, joint cyber exercises and the use of artificial intelligence in defence operations. The spokesperson claimed Washington, rather than Pyongyang, was contributing to rising tensions in the cyber domain. North Korea reaffirmed that it would continue taking measures to safeguard its national security and protect its development interests against what it described as increasing pressure from Western countries.

An anonymous lottery player in southern Italy has successfully retrieved a winning ticket worth €1 million (£857,000) after accidentally discarding the slip into a municipal bin. The mix-up occurred at a local shop in Bitonto when a ticket scanner displayed a “non-payable” notification. Unaware that the message indicated a payout exceeding the shop’s cash limit rather than a losing ticket, the player threw the slip into a rubbish bin. Upon returning home, family members pointed out that the player’s chosen numbers, 2, 4, 8, 10, and 51, had indeed been drawn. After returning to the store, the family discovered that the bin had already been emptied by a municipal collection vehicle operated by local sanitation company SANB. The owner alerted SANB officials, who tracked down the specific bin lorry before its contents were transferred to a compactor or landfilled. “This story is nothing short of miraculous,” said Roberto Nicola Toscano, director of SANB, noting that because the incident occurred on a Sunday, the lorry’s contents had not yet been processed. Sanitation staff escorted the vehicle to a secure facility and spent two days sifting through a massive heap of municipal waste. On Tuesday morning, a refuse worker located the intact winning ticket inside a damaged bag. The lottery winner, who signed a formal agreement to cover the operational costs of the search effort, will receive the full prize sum following official validation.