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☆ Planet Fitness is raising prices even as it warns customers are growing cost-conscious
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Brandon Gomez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Planet Fitness said it's hiking its base-level membership prices for new customers for the first time since 1998, even as the gym operator warns that customers are growing increasingly cost-conscious. Current members will continue to pay $10 per month "for the duration of their membership," Planet Fitness said Thursday alongside its quarterly earnings report. Planet Fitness also said it will start testing higher prices for its top-tier membership, known as the Black Card, this summer. Life Time members tend to be older, more affluent gymgoers, whereas Planet Fitness appeals to a younger, more budget-conscious consumer. The Street is bullish on a company turnaround from Planet Fitness' incoming CEO, Colleen Keating, who assumes the role on June 10.

Persons: Tom Fitzgerald, Craig Benson, Benson, Piper Sandler, Korinne Wolfmeyer, Colleen Keating Organizations: Time Holdings, White, Fitness

☆ Trump gives his strongman’s ambitions free rein on a day off from court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Donald Trump used his day off from a criminal trial related to a past election to cast a dark, familiar shadow over the next one. Trump cut an unrecognizable figure from the grim ex-president who bleats a daily dirge of complaints about his hush money trial outside Judge Juan Merchan’s court. On specific issues, surveys show Trump leading Biden on most issues including the economy, immigration, and the Israel-Hamas war. “A chilling glimpse into Trump’s second term plansSix months before the election, Trump’s searing campaign rhetoric is becoming less an exercise in performative demagoguery than a blueprint for a potential second term. In the Time interview, Trump comes across as confident and determined to learn the lessons of his first term in which he claims he was let down by “bad” officials.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Trump, bleats, Juan Merchan’s, ” Trump, he’s, Merchan, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Kamala Harris, Roe, Wade, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, Axelrod, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “, Trump’s, doesn’t, he’d, It’s, Eric Cortellessa, ” He’s, quagmire, it’s Organizations: CNN, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Capitol, shudder, White, Democratic Party, “, Columbia University, Trump, National Guard, Guard, Republican, ’, ” Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Manhattan, America, crackdowns, “, “ New York, North Carolina, Israel, Florida, Freeland , Michigan, Washington, China

☆ Mental-health professionals explore AI-powered digital therapeutics to treat patients and improve care
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Christine Macintyre | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The fusion of human ingenuity and machine intelligence is offering an innovative approach to personalized mental-health care. They can also use AI to assess the quality of their services and find ways to improve as providers of mental-health care. As technology becomes more involved in mental-health care, ensuring data security, confidentiality, and equitable access to services must be top priorities. How an AI platform is helping mental-health-care providers improve their servicesThe AI platform Lyssn is another tech-driven tool for mental-health services. Lyssn aims to hold providers accountable for improved care, especially because "the quality of mental-health care is highly variable," Imel said.

Persons: —, Christopher Romig, Stella, Shaheen Lakhan, Daniel Rimm, Haig Goenjian, Zac Imel, Michael Tanana, Imel, Darin Carver, Carver, It's Organizations: Service, Therapeutics, Click Therapeutics, Food and Drug Administration, Weber Human Services Locations: Tanana

☆ Trump will go from the trial to the trail and back again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump will make his most concentrated effort yet to turn his criminal trial into a political asset in the next two days, heading from the courtroom to the campaign trail and back again. Not surprisingly, a majority of Democrats feel that Trump is being treated more leniently than others, while a majority of Republicans think the opposite. But there’s also a risk Trump’s loose tongue out on the trail could get him into trouble following his alleged violations of Merchan’s gag order. They were also tied in Pennsylvania, a third swing state Biden flipped from Trump four years ago. Trump is following a similar playbook as he fuses his criminal defense as a supposed victim of partisan persecution with his political offensive for a White House comeback.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, They’ve, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Joe Biden, Juan Merchan, he’s, —, “, ”, David Pecker, Matthew Colangelo, Todd Blanche, It’s, Biden, there’s, “ I’m, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Joe Biden’s, Mike Johnson Organizations: CNN, White, Trump, Conservative Political, Republicans, Biden, Republican, White House, CBS News, Sunday, GOP, Democratic, Capitol, Democratic Party, Columbia University, National Guard Locations: New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Trump, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Bedminster , New Jersey, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, “ State, Pennsylvania, Waukesha , Wisconsin, Gaza, Charlottesville , Virginia, Washington

☆ A key service helping convicted US veterans recover remains dysfunctional for everyone else, but there's a fix
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Veteran treatment courts, which prioritize rehabilitation for convicted veterans, provide comprehensive care, but the public version of these courts fail to deliver comparable support. Landing in a treatment courtAs of 2022, there were over 4,153 adult drug courts and 511 veteran treatment courts in the United States. There are numerous ways a person who has been convicted can enter a drug treatment court. Many adult drug treatment courts are unable to admit violent offenders due to the BJA prohibition. He describes his veteran treatment court experience as going through an "intense supervised probation" that gradually lessened.

Persons: —, Christopher Deutsch, Deutsch, there's, Christina Lanier, John Pendygraft, Pool Lanier, they're, Lanier, Ed Kubo, Michael Peacock, Kristen Wong Deutsch, Hondo Underwood, Underwood, BI's Ju Shardlow, Jack Milton Organizations: Service, Business, Court, Center, Criminal, AP, UNC Wilmington, Army, Treatment, Supreme Court, Marine Corps, Justice, Harbor, Veterans Affairs, Portland Press, Getty Locations: Clearwater , Florida, Raleigh, North Carolina's, Wilmington, United States, Hawaii, Colorado

After the Indiana Fever made Caitlin Clark the W.N.B.A.’s No. In exchange for Clark’s once-in-a-generation talent, the W.N.B.A. The simplest reason the W.N.B.A. isn’t paying Clark more is that the league brings in just $200 million annually and relies on the N.B.A. The N.B.A., by contrast, brings in about $10 billion.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, ”, Clark’s, Biden, Clark Organizations: Indiana Fever, Nike

☆ These 28 regional and community banks exceed regulators' threshold for high commercial real estate concentration risk: here's what's really at stake.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

But where banks' exposure to commercial real estate is concerned, locating that fire may be difficult. Rising interest rates quickly increased the cost of borrowing for investors in commercial real estate, including offices and multifamily homes. It doesn't reveal details such as borrowers' track records, said Mark Hillis, a former chief risk officer for commercial real estate at JPMorgan. There's also varying concentration risk: the largest banks with commercial real estate exposure are more diversified, meaning that any losses won't be as devastating, Baker said. "We think very few banks will run into issues just from their commercial real estate exposure," Reidy said.

Persons: Michael Barr, Jerome Powell, Todd Baker, Mark Hillis, Clifford Rossi, Robert H, Rossi, Baker, There's, Hillis, multifamily, haven't, You'll, Banks, you'll, Rebel Cole, NYCB, Matt Reidy, Reidy, Cole Organizations: Federal Reserve, Business, York Community Bank, SEC, Richman Center for Business, Law, Columbia University, JPMorgan, Smith, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, Mortgage Banker's Association, Bank, Signature Bank, First, Countrywide Bank, Washington Mutual, Citigroup, multifamily, Florida Atlantic University, Federal, Regulators, TCRE, Equity RCRE, Community Bank, Provident Bank NJ, Merchants Bank of Indiana, Apple Bank for Savings, Oceanfirst Bank, Independent Bank, Lakeland Bank NJ, Ozk, Washington Federal Bank WA, Axos Bank, Sandy Spring Bank, Columbia Bank NJ, Farmers, Merchants Bank of CA, Popular Bank, Pacific Premier Bank, United Bank, Trust, Rockland Trust, Umpqua Bank, ServisFirst Bank, Bell Bank, Stellar Bank, National Bank of, National Bank of Florida FL, New York Community Bank Locations: multifamily, Basel, CRE, California, Rockland, National Bank of Florida

The law has been activated in the wake of the army’s biggest setbacks since the countrywide conflict erupted after the takeover. The rout inspired resistance forces in other parts of the country to launch their own attacks. The military government’s forces were stretched thin by the recent upsurge in resistance activity. The 2021 military takeover was met by widespread nonviolent protests and civil disobedience. But the confrontations escalated into violence after security forces used deadly force against the protesters, giving birth to organized armed resistance that has spiraled into civil war.

Persons: —, extendable, Aung, Suu Kyi, Zaw Min Tun, ”, Min Tun Organizations: Service Law, State Administration Council, National Unity Government, Frontier Myanmar Locations: BANGKOK, State, Suu, Myanmar, Rakhine, Bangladesh, Maj, Zaw, Yangon

☆ I left the US at 17 to finish high school in rural Japan. The bold decision helped me build my dream life in Tokyo years later.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese students don't always go to school based on where they lived. AbiJapan has an efficient public-transportation system, so yellow school buses were nonexistent. Instead, in the rural area I lived, students commuted to school by public bus, train, bicycle, or some combination of the three. School districts also weren't based on students' addresses, which is generally the case for public schools in the US. Japanese students take a countrywide entrance exam and attend a school based on several aspects, such as price, location, affiliation, and education quality.

Persons: Long, Abi Japan Locations: Japan, Oregon

☆ Sri Lanka to Continue Drug Crackdown Despite Rights Group Concerns - Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Uditha JayasingheCOLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka vowed to continue an anti-narcotics campaign that has seen more than 35,000 people detained over the last few weeks despite concerns raised by multiple rights groups, top officials said on Thursday. Sri Lankan police have detained 38,525 people since the operation - code-named "Yuktiya" or "Justice" - began in December. Thirty-three rights organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and International Commission of Jurists, this week expressed concerns over what they call "drastic intensification" of anti-narcotics operations in Sri Lanka leading to significant human rights violations. There is no reasonable suspicion, the kind of people arrested have a lower marginalised economic status," said Thiyagi Ruwanpathirana, a researcher for Amnesty International Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had over 97,000 drug-related arrests in 2020 with 53% of arrests for heroin and 42% for cannabis including possession offences, according to latest data from state-run National Dangerous Drugs Control Board.

Persons: Uditha Jayasinghe, Tiran, Thiyagi Ruwanpathirana, Ruwanpathirana, Deshabandu Tennekoon, Sri, Toby Chopra Organizations: Reuters, Sri, Public, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, Drugs, Board Locations: Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's

☆ Deadly fire ants are forming rafts to cross Australian flood waters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Red fire ants are forming rafts to travel on flood waters in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland, with the extreme weather threatening a countrywide spread of the highly invasive species. Two rafts of fire ants are seen floating on water in this screengrab taken from video released by Australia's Invasive Species Council in January 2024. Invasive Species CouncilQueensland has seen brutal weather and heavy flooding in recent weeks. Modeling by the ISC suggests fire ants will spread to “every corner of Australia” if the outbreak in Queensland isn’t curbed. Red ants can spread quickly on their own, but an infestation is typically accelerated by human activity, such as in cargo containers or shipments of potted plants or soil.

Persons: ” Reece Pianta, ” Pianta, ‘, ”, Pianta, Murray, Tara Moriarty, “ Organizations: CNN, Species Council, ISC, Council, invicta, Agriculture Locations: Australian, Queensland, Species Council Queensland, Cairns, Cyclone Jasper, Australia, Victoria, South America, United States, Mexico, Caribbean, China, Europe, Brisbane, New South Wales, NSW, Darling

☆ Russia unleashes another barrage of missiles and drones against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv CNN —Russia unleashed another large barrage of missiles and drones against Ukraine on Saturday, the fourth such attack since December 29, amid concerns that Moscow is trying to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defence. Ukraine managed to take down eight missiles, its air force said. Additionally they stated that “over 20 launched air attack weapons did not reach their targets due to extensive electronic warfare countermeasures.”The air raid warnings and defences were activated across the country. Changing tacticsAnalysts say the recent onslaught of Russian missiles aims to overload Ukraine’s limited missile defense. Ukraine has been relying on mobile firing groups for air defenses to shoot down drones as anti-air missiles stocks run low.

Persons: ”, Serhii, Lysak, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rishi Sunak, ” Zelensky, Yurii Ihnat Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Ukrainian Air Force, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian, British, ” Air Force Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk, Iranian

☆ McDonald's raises China bet, bucking Western firms' derisking trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant sign of McDonald's, outside its themed exhibition in Beijing, China December 4, 2023. One advantage for McDonald’s: its majority partner in the China business, CITIC, provides top-level political cover, said Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. McDonald's China, Carlyle Group and CITIC declined to comment. Other consumer-facing U.S. firms, including Starbucks (SBUX.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Coach owner Tapestry (TPR.N) and sportswear giant Nike (NKE.N), have remained similarly dedicated to the China market. Although the McDonald's China menu would be familiar to U.S. consumers, there are nods to local tastes, including taro pie, rather than apple.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, McDonald's, Jason Yu, Kantar, Yu, Carlyle, Wallace, Greg, Euromonitor, Ben Cavender, Casey, Kane Wu, Deborah Sophia, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Group, Carlyle Group, Starbucks, Apple, Nike, Research, Investment, China Market Research, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, U.S, Hong Kong, Macau, Yum China, Russia, Shanghai, Bengaluru

CNN —The eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the conflict, where fighting remains intense even when the front lines have barely moved for months. Russia appears to have made tactical advances in the outskirts of the embattled town as Ukraine claims it is inflicting heavy losses on assaulting troops. Here is what you need to know about the past week in Ukraine. Defensive fortifications will be bolstered along all of Ukraine’s northern territory which borders Belarus and Russia. Ukraine claims defensive actions in and around the town are inflicting heavy losses on Russian troops and equipment.

Persons: Zelensky, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, “, Vitalii, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, chief’s, Marianna Budanova, GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Yusov, Russia —, — Organizations: CNN, Analysts, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukrainian Security Service, Russian Railway, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Belarus, Kherson, Russian, Dnipro, Ukraine’s, CNN Ukraine, Buryatia, Siberia, Mongolia, North Korea, China, Finland, Helsinki, Brussels, Turkey, Soviet Union

☆ Bangladesh opposition vows to continue protests despite 'autocratic' crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) join in a rally at Naya Paltan area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 28, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh’s main opposition party said on Wednesday it would continue its anti-government protests despite what a rights group called an "autocratic crackdown" ahead of a general election in January. At least four people, including a policeman, have been killed and hundreds injured in violent protests across the country in the past few weeks, police said. In order to end this misrule and lawlessness, the ongoing movement must be accelerated and the victory of the people must be ensured,” senior BNP official Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said. “Diplomatic partners should make clear that the government’s autocratic crackdown will jeopardise future economic cooperation,” the rights group said in a statement quoting Bleckner.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, ” Abdul Moyeen Khan, ”, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Hasina, “, League’s, Julia Bleckner, Khaleda Zia, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Reuters, Police, Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, “, Thomson Locations: Naya Paltan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia

☆ Nikki Haley needs more than Koch cash to beat Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

AFP Action senior adviser Emily Seidel said in a briefing document explaining the decision that Haley was best positioned to beat Trump in the primary. What Haley could gain from the endorsementHaley has one thing every successful candidate needs as first voting nears – a rising political trajectory. And Tuesday’s developments complicated his campaign’s efforts to convince big corporate donors that he is the best hope to defeat Trump. As well as muscle in the campaign advertising wars, its endorsement could bring major donors to Haley’s campaign. Even when it comes to a candidate who is as disdainful of democracy as Trump is, voters decide.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Charles Koch, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Haley –, –, Haley, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Joe Biden’s, Emily Seidel, Seidel, ”, Joe Biden, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Steven Cheung, MAGA, Republicans ‘, Sarah Longwell –, pollster, Trump –, CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Trump’s, she’s, ” Longwell, ” “, Koch, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Michael Palmer Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, South, Democratic, Club for Growth, Lincoln Project, Prosperity, Trump, Florida Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, AFP, America, White, UN, “, Republicans, CNN International’s, New Hampshire Locations: South Carolina, New Jersey, Iowa, New Hampshire, AFP, Trump, China, CNN International’s “ State, New, Deep, Wyoming, Florida

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A countrywide billboard campaign that flooded the streets of Hungary this week takes aim at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the start of an election campaign that marks an escalation of tensions between the country's nationalist conservative government and the European Union. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long taken an adversarial approach to the 27-nation bloc. He has accused Brussels of seeking to impose unwanted policies on Hungary, and compared membership in the EU to the 40 years of Soviet domination Hungary experienced in the 20th century. “This national consultation is by far the most anti-EU document that the government has released so far," Kreko said. But after more than two years and little apparent progress, the anti-EU campaign may show that Orbán has given up on unblocking them, said Dorka Takacsy, a research fellow at the Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Alex Soros, George Soros, “, Viktor Orbán, von, Leyen, Peter Kreko, Kreko, Dorka Takacsy, ” Takacsy, ” It’s, Soros, Jean, Claude Juncker, ”, Orbán, Eric Mamer, ” Mamer Organizations: European Union, Ukraine, EU, Centre, Integration, Democracy, European, Kreko, Huxit, Fidesz, Orbán Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, American, Hungarian, Brussels, EU, Budapest, ”, European, Europe

☆ Haley and DeSantis still can’t solve their Trump problem as time runs short in GOP race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A weekend of ferocious political exchanges laid out the tumultuous reality of the 2024 White House campaign less than a year from Election Day. The fight for the GOP nomination is about far more than a horse race between candidates. Time is quickly ebbing for one of his distant Republican rivals to recast the race less than two months before voting begins. No lawyer, White House staffer, campaign adviser, political party or institution has ever been able to curb Trump’s impulses. “We are turning up the heat and brightening the spotlight on exactly what it would look like if he’s allowed back in the White House,” a Biden campaign official told CNN’s Arlette Saenz of Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Nikki Haley, Haley, “, ”, Trump’s, it’s, America’s, Ron DeSantis, … Donald Trump, Biden, ” DeSantis, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Joe Biden, Father Time, DeSantis, John Walker, CNN’s Kit Maher, ” Walker, Mike Pence, Chris Christie –, Tanya Chutkan, Jack Smith, Arthur Engoron, ’, ” Trump, Xi Jinping, he’s, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, “ Trump, ” Biden, Greg Abbott Organizations: CNN, GOP, South Carolina Gov, White, Trump, United Nations, Florida Gov, University of New, “, Union, Republican, New, New Jersey Gov, Biden, Lone Star State’s, US Locations: Iowa, University of New Hampshire, “ State, Florida, New Jersey, Washington, New York, China, San Francisco, America, Nazi Germany, Texas, United States

☆ The US minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. What that means for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Efforts to raise federal minimum pay have fallen flatHowever, despite numerous efforts, raising the federal minimum wage above $7.25 an hour has been unsuccessful. Lagging the rising cost of livingIn many ways, the federal minimum wage seems like a relic of the past. Recent wage gains could be lostThe actual economic impact of a federal minimum wage increase is heavily debated. “The new conventional wisdom is that at least a moderate minimum wage increase has minimal effects on employment,” Reich told CNN. “But this new paper says that a really big minimum wage increase actually increases employment.”

Persons: Ken Rose, he’s, ” Rose, Sandy, ”, Michael Reich, Biden’s, ” Yannet Lathrop, Lathrop, Alex Wong, hasn’t, Rose, “, ” Ken Rose, Ken Rose Joe Bishop, ” Bishop, Reich, ” Reich Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Tiburon Fine, CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic, Institute, Dynamics, University of California, Democrats, National Employment, U.S, Capitol, United Auto Workers, United, Walmart, Costco, Starbucks, Tiburon, Congressional Locations: Sandy , Utah, American, Berkeley, Washington ,, United States, Amazon, Utah, Louisville , Kentucky, Louisville, Jefferson County , Kentucky

The Gaza war on the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula comes after the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic exposed long-standing frailties in the Egyptian economy. "Foreign sentiment on Egypt is so weak, and now with this coming along it's last thing that Egypt needed. A foreign currency shortage has led to a $5 billion backlog of imports stuck at ports, and problems for foreign companies repatriating dividends, bankers say. So far, the Gaza war has affected the popular Sinai destinations of Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh but left the rest of the country relatively unscathed. Egypt's tourism minister told Reuters this week that the impact of the war was contained to under 10% of bookings.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Monica Malik, Moataz, Sharm, Karim ElMinabawy, Siamak Adibi, Egypt's, Olumide Ajayi, Malik, Patrick Werr, Sarah El Safty, Aidan Lewis, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Tourism, Countrywide, Emeco, Middle East Gas, FGE, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Giza, Cairo, Egypt, CAIRO, Gaza, Ukraine, Dhabi, Taba, Dahab, Luxor, Aswan, Israel, Europe, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Gulf . Saudi

REUTERS/Mohammad... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreDHAKA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's main opposition party will boycott the next general election if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not make way for a neutral government to conduct the poll, two party leaders said, amid a crackdown on opposition politicians and deadly protests. "The intensified crackdown on opposition party leaders and protesters over the weekend signals an attempt at a complete clamp-down on dissent," said Yasasmin Kaviratne, Amnesty's regional campaigner for South Asia. Hasina's main rival and two-time premier, BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is effectively under house arrest for what her party calls trumped-up corruption charges. Shakil Ahmed, an assistant professor at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, said street violence had become "regular in Bangladesh during the transfer of power". Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Yasasmin Kaviratne, Khaleda Zia, BNP's, Tarique Rahman, Shakil Ahmed, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Reuters, Amnesty, Police, Jahangirnagar University, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mohammad, DHAKA, United States, Canada, India, South Asia, New Delhi

☆ Two killed in anti-government protest in Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for the blockade of roads for three days in response to clashes between party supporters and police on Sunday in which one policeman was killed and more than 100 people were injured. The party has been calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to allow elections scheduled for January to be held under a neutral caretaker government. A police official in the central district of Kishoreganj, where the clashes took place, said two protesters were killed and dozens of people, including 15 policemen, were injured. “Clashes erupted when they attacked us," said the police official, who declined to be identified, adding it was not clear how the two were killed. Accusations of vote-rigging and the suppression of the opposition, denied by the government, marred elections in 2014 and 2018.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, “, General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Robert Birsel Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, United, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DHAKA, Kishoreganj, United States

☆ Opposition activists held over policeman's death in Bangladesh protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Unidentified miscreants set a public bus on fire during a countrywide strike from dawn to dusk called by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), protesting against the alleged police attacks on their Saturday rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Sunday they arrested two opposition activists over the death of a policeman in violent protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The officer was beaten and bludgeoned to death on Saturday by a mob, photos and videos showed, as tens of thousands joined demonstrations in the capital Dhaka, led by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). A police source said one of the two arrested was a BNP youth leader while the other's affiliation was unconfirmed. The BNP did not comment on the officer's death but called on supporters to block streets for three days from Tuesday in protest at the detentions.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, bludgeoned, Mirza Alamgir, Habibur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Critics, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA

☆ Opposition Activists Held Over Policeman's Death in Bangladesh Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Sunday they arrested two opposition activists over the death of a policeman in violent protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The officer was beaten and bludgeoned to death on Saturday by a mob, photos and videos showed, as tens of thousands joined demonstrations in the capital Dhaka, led by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). "We'll ensure toughest punishment for those who were involved in the killing," Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner Habibur Rahman told reporters. A police source said one of the two arrested was a BNP youth leader while the other's affiliation was unconfirmed. The BNP did not comment on the officer's death but called on supporters to block streets for three days from Tuesday in protest at the detentions.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, bludgeoned, Mirza Alamgir, Habibur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Critics, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Sunday, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dhaka

☆ Bangladesh opposition protest turns violent amid calls for PM to resign
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wave party flag during a rally at Naya Paltan area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 28, 2023. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as clashes erupted when tens of thousands of supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) gathered in the capital Dhaka, chanting slogans against the government. Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruq Hossain told reporters one officer had been killed and 41 others were injured in clashes with protesters. Hundreds of opposition party activists have been arrested, BNP leaders said. "I came to protest the enforced disappearances, murders, and oppression that we have suffered for the past 15 years.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, Faruq Hossain, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Arif Khan, jailing, Washington, Ruma Paul, Mike Harrison Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights, Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Naya Paltan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA

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