Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia at 'high risk of death': doctors
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former premier Khaleda Zia was at "high risk of death" and she was shifted to the coronary care unit of one of the country's top private hospitals on Tuesday, according to doctors.
The medical board formed for the treatment of 78-year-old Zia at Evercare Hospital has said that the former prime minister cannot receive the necessary treatment in Bangladesh and needs to be sent abroad for a liver transplant.
"Doctors shifted her to the CCU this evening as some complexities emerged afresh relating to her health," Zia's personal physician Zahid Hossain told reporters here.
He said that Zia's liver cirrhosis disease complicated her heart and kidney conditions requiring her shift to the CCU for constant medical surveillance.
Zia has been under treatment at the expensive hospital since August 9. She was kept at the CCI as she developed infections and breathing problems.
A 17-member panel of doctors is overseeing her treatment at the hospital.
On Monday, the panel recommended better medical intervention for her abroad with one hepatologist familiar with her condition saying "she is at high risk of death".
The medical panel led by Professor FM Siddiqui said all options in Bangladesh "have come to an end, we cannot do anything more".
Information Minister Hassan Mahmud has said that the medical panel was composed of doctors aligned to BNP and "they are talking like BNP (activists)".
He said the government was very sincere so that Zia could get the highest treatment and advised BNP to call in doctors from abroad if needed.
Zia is under house arrest since her conditional release from a 17-year prison sentence in 2020 on two graft charges involving misappropriation of funds of an orphanage named after her slain husband, president Zia-ur Rahman, a military ruler turned politician who founded the BNP.
BNP earlier demanded her to be allowed to undergo treatment abroad.
The government rejected the demand, saying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina used her discretionary authority to get her released from jail on humanitarian grounds under a special legal provision but the law did not give her the power to send Zia abroad.
Zia's family last month submitted an application, seeking permission for her treatment in Germany. The government, however, said the existing law required her to return to the jail and then obtain a court order for visiting abroad.
Political scenario in Bangladesh is heating up ahead of scheduled late December 2023 or early January 2024 elections with BNP and most opposition groups saying no election under the incumbent government could be free and fair.
They are demanding restoration of an election time non-party caretaker government, while the ruling Awami League said the polls would go ahead as planned.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
