Around 20 to 30 per cent of children in low income countries complete their schooling and enter the labour market by the age of 15, says a new Inter-national Labour Organization (ILO) report prepared for World Day against Child Labour. Most of these children were in child labour before. The World Report…

Production of BRRI-dhan 63, a fine quality high-yielding rice variety newly developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), has raised great optimism among farmers in Sherpur as well as agricultural scientists, after it has been released to farmers for growing in Boro season, reports UNB. ‘Soru…

The British government announced Wednesday it would begin selling its Royal Bank of Scotland stake, even though its share price is below what it paid to rescue the bank in a record 2008 bailout, reports AFP from London. In an annual address to the London financial community, Chancellor George Osborne…

Standard & Poor’s confirmed the US credit rating at AA+ on Wednesday, saying debt levels remained high and policy-making weak, four years after it cut the country’s top-level triple-A rating, reports AFP from Washington. S&P recognized the return to strength of the US economy and…

Leading tour operators and tourism experts yesterday urged all tourists to practice responsible tourism while visiting the Sundarbans for protecting biodiversity and wildlife of the world's only mangrove forest, reports BSS. It was observed that some tourists and picnic parties in the Sundarbans…

India’s Bharti Airtel has been accused of spying on its 3G internet subscribers by using programming from an Israel-based firm that offers monetisation solutions to telecom operators round the world, reports Hindustan Times. The snooping came to light on June 3, when Bengaluru-based programmer…

A 13-member trade delegation of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) left Dhaka yesterday to attend the 10th China-South Asia Business Forum and Consultative Meeting on Co-operation Council of BCIM Chambers in Kunming, China, reports BSS. Acting DCCI President Humayun Rashid is leading the…

A K Azad has been re-elected chairman of the board of directors of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited, says a press release. Also, the board of directors yesterday in the 217th meeting of the bank also re-elected Mohammad Younus and Abdul Barek as vice chairmen of the bank. A K Azad is the managing director…

Prime Minister’s Office and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) held a meeting on Annual Performance Agreement (APA) on Wednesday. Abul Kalam Azad, principal secretary of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), presided over a meeting to implement APA between PMO and BEPZA at BEPZA…

The Zakat Fair 2015 begins today in the capital with the theme of ‘making a difference with Zakat’, says a press release. Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is expected to inaugurate the fair at National Shooting Sports Federation Complex at Gulshan 1 in the capital. There will be 27 stalls…

AFP, SINGAPORE: Oil prices moved lower in Asia yesterday following a mixed US energy report that showed a huge decline in crude and gasoline reserves but record-high output levels, analysts said. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 28 cents to $61.15 while Brent eased 18 cents to $65.52 in afternoon…

AFP, SEOUL: South Korea’s outbreak of the potentially deadly MERS virus yesterday forced the central bank to cut its key interest rate to ward off greater economic damage, as retailers report a slump in business. In what has become the largest outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)…

AFP, BRUSSELS: EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker impatiently pushed Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for a debt deal yesterday after talks with the leaders of Germany and France ended without a breakthrough. Fresh protests erupted meanwhile in Athens at the prospect of new austerity cuts demanded…

AFP, TOKYO: Mobile messaging giant Line yesterday launched a digital music streaming service in Japan, stepping into a largely untapped market still dominated by sales of compact discs. The new business—which comes weeks before Apple is expected to enter the Japanese market with its own streaming…

AFP, LONDON:  Britain on Wednesday recommended tougher measures to end market abuses and longer prison sentences for those who break the law, after a series of scandals rocked the financial sector. “The age of irresponsibility is over,” declared Bank of England governor Mark Carney…