PM Modi meets Yunus, flags concerns over safety of minorities in Bangladesh
Bangkok, Apr 4 (PTI): In his first meeting with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged India's concerns over the safety of minorities, including Hindus, and conveyed that any rhetoric that vitiated the environment was best avoided.
During the 40-minute meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit here, Modi also underscored India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.
At the meeting, Yunus also flagged the issues of the extradition of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and border killings.
This was the first meeting between Modi and Yunus since Hasina's ouster in August last year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present during the meeting.
The Prime Minister told Yunus that the strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability.
“Bangladesh has made a formal request regarding Sheikh Hasina. It will not be proper for me to say anything more on this matter,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters here.
“Met Mr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh. India remains committed to a constructive and people-centric relationship with Bangladesh,” Modi said in a post on X.
“I reiterated India's support for peace, stability, inclusivity and democracy in Bangladesh. Discussed measures to prevent illegal border crossings and expressed our serious concern for the safety and well-being of Hindus and other minorities,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi also enunciated India’s people-centric approach to the relationship, and said that cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of both the nations.
“In this spirit, he underlined to Professor Yunus India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on a spirit of pragmatism,” Misri said on Modi’s conversation with Yunus.
On the issue of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Modi said that he expected the Bangladeshi government to ensure their security and thoroughly investigate cases of atrocities against them.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Yunus on Bangladesh assuming the Chair of BIMSTEC and looked forward to the forum further advancing regional cooperation under its leadership.
“The leaders agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework,” an official statement said.
Modi also expressed his conviction that all issues of mutual interest between the two countries would continue to be addressed and resolved bilaterally through constructive discussions, in the interest of their long standing and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.
Soon after the meeting, Yunus' official X handle posted a photo that showed the interim government chief presenting a photo to Prime Minister Modi. “The photo is about Prime Minister Narendra Modi presenting a gold medal to Professor Yunus at the 102nd Indian Science Congress on January 3, 2015,” the post on X said.
A student-led mass protest resulted in the ouster of Hasina's over 15 years of rule on August 5 last year. Three days later, Yunus assumed charge as the Chief Adviser of the Interim government.
Since then, the ties between India and Bangladesh have seen a slump amid Delhi's concerns over the violence targeting Hindus and a rise of hardline Islamist forces there.
During his visit to China last week, Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.
Yunus said the seven northeastern states of India are a landlocked region and have no way to reach out to the ocean. Calling Bangladesh the only guardian of the ocean in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.
A recent UN fact-finding report covered the period from July 1 to August 15 during the violent agitation by protesting students demanding Hasina’s ouster, followed by days of attacks on Awami League supporters and minorities, including Hindus. It estimated that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed, scores of them minorities, including Hindus, between July 15 and August 5 last year, and thousands injured.
Bangladesh has witnessed a resurgence of unrest since February this year.
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Blue Origin launches all-female celebrity crew on space tourism rocket
Washington, Apr 14 (AP): Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space Monday with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King.
It was the latest wave in space tourism, where more of the rich and famous than ever before — or lucky and well-connected — can enter the zero-gravity realm traditionally dominated by professional astronauts.
The New Shepard rocket blasted off on the quick up-and-down trip from West Texas. The fringes of space beckoned 107 kilometres up and provided a few precious minutes of weightlessness.
Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, invited the others along for the 10-minute, fully automated flight, packing on the star power with singer-songwriter Perry and “CBS Mornings” co-host King. Moved by the views of Earth below, Perry said she couldn't resist singing “What a Wonderful World" in space.
Also sharing the ride were film producer Kerianne Flynn; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA engineer who started her own companies to promote science education; and Amanda Nguyen, a scientist who studied planets around other stars and now advocates for survivors of sexual violence.
Blue Origin declined to say how much the flight cost or who paid what. The trip came two months before Sanchez and Bezos marry in Venice.
It was the 11th human spaceflight for the Washington state-based company, founded by Bezos in 2000 after making a fortune with Amazon. Bezos strapped in for Blue Origin's first space tourist flight in 2021 and accompanied the latest crew to the pad.
The celebrity launch was the nation's first spaceflight where women filled each seat. The only other all-female crew in 64 years of human spaceflight was back in 1963. That's when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched by herself, becoming the first woman in space. Tereshkova spent three days off the planet.
Even after the latest launch, women represent barely 15 per cent of the more than 700 people who have travelled into space. Sanchez said she deliberately chose women to launch with her, each of them eager to inspire both the young and old to dream big, and even commissioned special flight suits.
“It's an important moment for the future of commercial space travel and for humanity in general and for women all around,” Perry told The Associated Press last week.
The launch brought out VIPs to West Texas including Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and other members of the Kardashian family, and several women who previously have flown on private flights. Winfrey, a close friend of King, wiped away tears when the capsule reached space and the passengers were heard marvelling at the moon and shouting with joy.
As the women were buckling up for the ride back, Perry broke into song. Despite urging by her crewmates, she resisted singing “Roar” or her other tunes and instead chose “What a Wonderful World.”
“It's not about me. It's not about singing my songs," she said following the flight. “It's about a collective energy in there. It's about us.”
Bezos opened the capsule's hatch minutes after touchdown, embracing Sanchez, the first one out. As they emerged, Perry and King kneeled and kissed the ground. “Oh my God, that was amazing,” said King, who considers herself an anxious airplane flyer.
This wasn't the first Blue Origin launch with marquee names.
“Star Trek” actor William Shatner caught a lift to space with Blue Origin in 2021 at age 90, soon after Bezos' inaugural trip. He was followed by former New York Giants defensive end and TV host Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, for whom the rocket is named.
Two aviation pioneers who missed out on space when they were younger — Wally Funk and Ed Dwight — also rocketed away at ages 82 and 90, respectively.
Most of Blue Origin's passengers — 58 counting the latest launch — have been business or science types, TV hosts or YouTubers. Ticket prices are not disclosed.
The Russian Space Agency also has launched its share of space tourists, beginning with a California financier in 2001. Two decades later, a Russian actress filmed aboard the International Space Station.
Elon Musk's SpaceX also sells multi-day trips to private customers. SpaceX's first client to fly, billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman already has launched twice and performed the first private spacewalk. He's now set to become NASA's next administrator if confirmed by the Senate.
Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang just returned from the first spaceflight to carry people over the north and south poles. Wang picked up the whole SpaceX tab for himself and three polar explorers for an undisclosed sum.
“In this exciting new era of commercial spaceflight, the dream of becoming an astronaut is no longer limited to a select few,” Wang said via X last week.
