Category: World

The temporary government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, is changing the money in the country. They announced that images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will be taken off the 20, 100, 500, and 1,000 Taka notes.

Instead of “Bangabandhu” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s picture, the new notes will show religious buildings, Bengali traditions, and symbols from the protests that happened in July.

An official from Bangladesh Bank, Husneara Shikha, shared that the new notes should be ready in about six months. She hopes they will be available in stores during that time. In September, the Finance Ministry presented their ideas for the new designs.

The first changes will be made to these four banknotes, and other denominations will be changed later. The protests in July started when students demanded better job quotas but turned into larger protests against the government. During these protests, some people damaged statues and pictures of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Unfortunately, some radical groups took advantage of the protests, destroying memorials and statues of “Bangabandhu” across the country.

A special white canvas made by famous artist Robert Ryman will be sold at an auction in Berlin this week. The artwork, named General 52 x 52, is from 1970 and is worth over $1.5 million! The auction will take place at Ketterer Kunst on December 6 and 7.

At first, you might think it’s just a blank canvas, but there’s much more to it. Ryman used special paints called white enamel and enamelac that are usually meant for metal. This makes the artwork unique and makes you think about what art really is. Ryman, who died in 2019, was a self-taught artist known for his clean white art. His simple pieces often made people question what they think of as art.

Delicate Art That Needs Care

Even though it looks simple, General 52 x 52 is very sensitive. Because the white surface is delicate, it can’t be moved for viewing before the auction. If it’s even slightly damaged, it could lose a lot of its value. The auction house, Ketterer Kunst, stated that any small flaw could really hurt the artwork’s worth, which is why they won’t be moving it anywhere.

Art You Can Experience

Simone Wichmann from Ketterer Kunst talked about how Ryman’s art invites viewers to be part of the experience. She explained that “white is not always white.” It changes with light, movement, and how we see it. Viewing Ryman’s work makes you part of the artwork, transforming you into a creator. That’s a big part of Ryman’s minimalist style, where just looking at the piece is part of the art itself.

Ryman’s Impact on Minimalism

Even though Ryman’s art often sparked arguments, he also received a lot of praise and sold pieces for large amounts of money. His simple style, especially the use of white, made him an important person in the minimalist art movement after World War II. Ryman was self-taught and used to work as a security guard at the Museum of Modern Art in New York before becoming famous for his thought-provoking art.

The General 52 x 52 is one piece in a larger series called General, which includes 15 artworks that are all slightly different from each other. Some of his works are in major museums, like the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and one was even shown in a big exhibit in Germany in 1972.

This auction continues a trend of exciting art pieces being sold that get people talking. Just last month, Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork—a banana duct-taped to a wall—was sold for $6.2 million at Art Basel Miami Beach. The buyer, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, even ate the banana shortly after buying it, sparking more discussion about what art really means.

As art sales keep pushing limits, Ryman’s General 52 x 52 offers yet another chance to think about art in new ways. The auction is set to keep discussions alive about how art changes in the 21st century.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and chosen Choi Byung-hyuk, the current ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as his new defence minister. This change comes after Yoon’s unsuccessful attempt to declare martial law, which he quickly took back after facing strong opposition.

Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned earlier, reportedly advised Yoon to consider martial law, which led to uproar among opposition lawmakers. They claimed this extreme measure was aimed at stopping efforts to impeach important government officials. Yoon’s chief of staff praised Choi as someone who is reliable and dedicated to his work.

This martial law issue is just one of the many problems surrounding Yoon’s presidency. He has received lots of criticism for various mistakes, including a scandal involving his wife, First Lady Kim Keon Hee. She was seen in secret videos accepting an expensive Dior handbag, which sparked accusations she was out of touch with everyday people.

Additionally, the First Lady has been accused of tax evasion, manipulating stock prices, and falsely inflating her resume, causing the public to lose more trust in Yoon’s government. Earlier this year, Yoon also faced backlash for saying spring onions were reasonably priced at a government-supported market, a comment that seemed insensitive during rising inflation. One opposition leader even said, “The president could be undone by a spring onion.”

Yoon’s popularity has remained low since his narrow election win, where he had the smallest margin in South Korean history at just 0.7%. His approval ratings have been between 30% and 40%, with many people considering his leadership to be poor.

Moreover, First Lady Kim Keon Hee is said to be even less popular than Yoon, with accusations of plagiarism in her university work and stock market manipulation hanging over her.

With tensions rising between Yoon and the opposition-controlled parliament, the main opposition Democratic Party has introduced a motion to impeach him, calling the martial law attempt a serious crime. This vote could happen as soon as Friday and shows how divided the political atmosphere has become. While Yoon’s party is trying to protect him, discontent among the public is growing.

Yoon’s approval ratings keep dropping, recently falling below 20%. Many feel that his decisions are only making things worse and that he seems isolated and threatened. As the impeachment motion approaches and public anger rises, the important question is whether Yoon can bounce back from these troubles or if his presidency is facing its end.

THE HAGUE: Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza war, according to a report released on Thursday. This serious claim has been denied by Israeli leaders. Amnesty stated that after months of examining events and statements from Israeli officials, they believe the actions taken meet the requirements for genocide.

The 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as actions aimed at destroying, either fully or partly, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel has rejected these genocide claims, asserting it is acting within international law to defend itself following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. Since then, Israel has launched a military campaign in Gaza resulting in the deaths of more than 44,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Amnesty argues that most people in Gaza, which has 2.3 million residents, are now displaced, many multiple times. At hearings earlier this year at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where South Africa accused Israel of genocide, Israeli lawyers denied any such intentions. They claim their goal is to eliminate Hamas, not to harm Palestinians as a group.

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasized that their findings were not made lightly. After reviewing over 100 statements from Israeli officials, she strongly believes genocide is occurring. Callamard pointed out that Israel’s claim that its war only targets Hamas does not hold up under examination.

Amnesty has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate these genocide claims. The ICC is already looking into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories

NASA is on a mission to find creative people who can help design a rescue system for astronauts in case they get stuck on the Moon. They are offering up to $20,000 for the best idea that will safely carry an astronaut, who is already in a spacesuit, over the Moon’s tough landscape.

As part of NASA’s Artemis mission, they plan to send astronauts to the Moon by September 2026. The agency knows that there could be emergencies where an astronaut might get hurt or need urgent help. In those situations, another astronaut would need a good way to get them back safely to their landing spot.

Sarah Duglas from NASA explained that the Moon is a challenging place. There are many rocks and deep craters, and getting around is hard, especially if someone is in trouble. NASA is specifically asking for designs that can transport a fully suited astronaut at least 2 kilometers up a slope of 20 degrees without using a rover.

Because the astronaut’s spacesuit is heavy, it won’t be easy for another astronaut to carry them. So, they need a smart, technical solution that can work in the Moon’s tough South Pole conditions while not depending on a rover.

The competition is open until January 23, 2025, and you can submit your ideas on the HeroX portal. A panel of NASA experts will judge the ideas based on factors like weight and ease of use. For more information, you can check out their official website.

Pete Hegseth, who was chosen by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, has been accused of some serious things. According to a report from The New Yorker, during a night out at a bar in 2015, he drunkenly yelled, “Kill all Muslims!” while he was the president of a veterans’ group.

Hegseth has had a troubled history. He lost his job at two veterans’ organizations, Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, due to claims about his bad behavior and how he managed things. There are recordings that suggest he did not handle money well and behaved inappropriately with female staff members.

A whistleblower report revealed that Hegseth often showed up to work events drunk and sometimes had to be taken out of events because he was so intoxicated. At one incident, he even had to be stopped from dancing at a strip club. Some female employees said they felt unsafe because Hegseth and some of his team treated them poorly, labeling them into groups like “party girls” and “not party girls.”

He’s also faced past allegations of sexual assault from 2017, which he denies. He claimed that incident was consensual, but because of pressure during the Me Too movement, he had to pay off the woman involved.

Many who worked with him were alarmed when they heard he might be chosen to lead the Department of Defense. One whistleblower said, “Having him at the Pentagon would be scary,” showing that his past actions left a bad impression on many.

Hegseth resigned from Concerned Veterans for America in early 2016, and while he said it was for personal reasons, sources say it was because of his drinking and how he managed the group poorly.

Prince William feels like he has “lost” his younger brother, Prince Harry. William believes that Harry has been “brainwashed” by what he calls an “army of therapists.” This family drama is explored in a new book by Omid Scobie titled Endgame. The book looks into how Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, adjusted to life in California after leaving their royal duties.

In the book, a source close to William says, “He feels like he doesn’t know this new version of Harry.” William is also said to be upset with Harry for making public complaints about the royal family and acting like he’s important in a “California-style” way.

The book also discusses the rivalry between Meghan and Kate Middleton. Scobie notes that Kate sometimes “shudders and giggles” when someone mentions Meghan, showing there might be more going on. He says Kate talks about Meghan more than she actually interacts with her.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward shared her thoughts on the book, saying it could hurt any chances of the brothers repairing their relationship. She explained that the book has harsh comments about the royal family, especially William and Kate.

While some might think Harry and Meghan had a hand in the book, Scobie insisted that they were not involved at all. He explained that their story is just a small piece of a much larger story.

Afghanistan is likely to stop women from joining nursing and midwifery courses, according to reports from different schools. This move comes after an order from the Taliban’s leader. A health ministry official said this ban will make the country’s healthcare problems even worse. “We already have a lack of doctors and nurses. This will only make it harder,” they said.

So far, there has been no official announcement, but two health ministry officials shared this news with BBC Afghan. Videos showed students crying after hearing this. Health officials recently met in Kabul to discuss this news with school leaders.

“In the meeting, they told us that girls can’t study in our schools anymore,” explained a public health ministry official. They weren’t given much information and were simply told to follow the leader’s order. One school director said many leaders were present at this meeting. Some staff members are confused about this new rule.

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they have already prevented girls from going to secondary schools and universities. This has led to worldwide criticism, with many calling it “gender apartheid.” Health training schools were among the few places left for women to learn, and now women make up most of the students in these programs.

There are about 10 public and over 150 private health schools in Afghanistan, offering diplomas in subjects like midwifery and pharmacy. Around 35,000 women are currently studying there.

“This new rule is a huge problem. What will we do with only 10 percent of our students?” asked one school manager.

One midwifery teacher in Kabul received a message from her school telling her not to come to work for now, but they didn’t explain why. “This is really shocking for us. We feel lost,” she said. “This was our only hope after being banned from universities.”

A UK official expressed worry about this decision, calling it “another attack on women’s rights to education” and saying it will make healthcare harder for Afghan women and children.

This ban is the latest in a series of strict rules from the Taliban since they returned to power. In August, they ordered women to wear full-body clothes in public. In October, they said women should not pray aloud in front of others, claiming a woman’s voice should be kept quiet.

The Taliban’s treatment of women is concerning. According to Amnesty International, they have:
– Stopped girls from going to secondary school
– Limited women’s job and education opportunities
– Imposed strict dress codes
– Arrested women and girls for “moral corruption”
– Increased early and forced marriages.