Man awaiting trial for murder of his family found dead in cell

Man awaiting trial for murder of his family found dead in cell
Syed was due to stand trial on June 15, but was found dead in his cell on Thursday at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise. (File/Shutterstock)
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Updated 11 June 2022

Man awaiting trial for murder of his family found dead in cell

Man awaiting trial for murder of his family found dead in cell
  • Sameer Syed, 38, allegedly strangled his wife and children in Ireland

LONDON: A man in Ireland accused of murdering his family has been found dead in prison.

Sameer Syed, 38, was awaiting trial for the murder of his wife, Seema Banu, along with his 11-year-old daughter Asfira Riza and six-year-old son Faizan Syed in Dublin in October 2020.

The family had relocated to Ireland from India.

Post-mortem investigations into the deaths found that all three victims were likely strangled to death by Syed.

After the murders, Banu’s relatives emotionally paid tribute to a “very kind-hearted” mother.

They added: “When she used to visit India she would spend time with everyone and stay in touch with everyone.

“She was bold — she has faced all the challenges in her life. We have lost all three precious gems of our family. We are in shock and extreme pain over losing them.”

Syed was due to stand trial on June 15, but was found dead in his cell on Thursday at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise.

The Irish Prison Service confirmed the death and said in a statement: “All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Siochana. The cause of death is determined by the coroner’s office.”

One family member said Banu’s father, Abdul Ghaffar, was “heartbroken” after her death, and died earlier this year as a result of “the stress of it all.”

-ENDS-


Ukraine sets eyes on Filipino workers to help rebuild war-torn cities

Ukraine sets eyes on Filipino workers to help rebuild war-torn cities
Updated 1 min 33 sec ago

Ukraine sets eyes on Filipino workers to help rebuild war-torn cities

Ukraine sets eyes on Filipino workers to help rebuild war-torn cities
  • Philippines is a ‘priority nation’ in the region, Kyiv’s envoy says
  • Ukraine is also offering potential cooperation in IT, e-governance

MANILA: Ukraine is planning to attract Filipino workers to help rebuild its cities ravaged by Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s envoy said on Wednesday.
Russia began a multipronged attack on Ukrainian territory and major cities in February last year, destroying critical infrastructure, hundreds of thousands of homes, and forcing more than 8 million people to flee to neighboring European countries.
The country’s reconstruction is expected to stretch over at least 10 years, costing $411 billion, according to a World Bank report released last week.
As leaders lay postwar plans, Denys Mykhailiuk, chargé d’affaires of the Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia, which holds jurisdiction over the Philippines, was on a four-day trip to the archipelagic nation to explore potential cooperation.
He told reporters in Makati City that talks would soon be initiated regarding Filipino workers helping in the reconstruction effort as “whole cities (were) wiped out.”
He added that “hardworking Filipinos” and investors from the country “will be very much welcomed.”
Ukraine is also planning to increase bilateral trade and open an embassy in the Philippines later this year, Mykhailuk said, describing the Southeast Asian country as a “priority nation” in the region.
“Unfortunately, since the war started, they have a drop of 94 percent in bilateral trade. We want to remedy (this), and we proposed to our partners of the Republic of Philippines several ways to do so,” Mykhailuk said.
Kyiv, a major exporter of wheat, has offered to help Manila build a “grain bank” and work together in information technology and e-governance, the envoy said.
Mykhailiuk’s visit comes about a month after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had their first phone call, during which the two leaders discussed how to further bilateral cooperation.


Dhaka looks to establish ties with Riyadh for smart city development

Dhaka looks to establish ties with Riyadh for smart city development
Updated 23 sec ago

Dhaka looks to establish ties with Riyadh for smart city development

Dhaka looks to establish ties with Riyadh for smart city development
  • Riyadh 3rd-smartest city among capitals of G20 states
  • Dhaka seeks sister city relationship to learn Riyadh’s best practices

DHAKA: The Bangladeshi capital wants to establish a sister city relationship with Riyadh to follow its development practices, the local administration said on Wednesday, after a meeting with the Saudi ambassador in Dhaka.

A megacity of more than 22 million people, Dhaka is one of the most densely populated built-up and unsustainable urban areas in the world. It has been struggling to handle its rapid expansion and waste management.

Riyadh, on the other hand, is undergoing rapid modernization under Vision 2030, with vast investment into infrastructure and digital solutions making it the third-smartest city among the capitals of the Group of Twenty states, and the 30th smartest city at global level, according to the 2021 Smart City Index of the IMD World Competitiveness Center and Singapore University of Technology and Design.

The possibility of Dhaka’s partnership with Riyadh was raised on Tuesday, during Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Al-Duhailan’s meeting with the Dhaka North City Corp., which governs around 80 percent of the Bangladeshi capital.

“Both Dhaka and Riyadh are capital cities. Riyadh is considered one of the smart cities in the world. We want to follow the best practices of that city,” DNCC Secretary Mohammed Masud Alam Siddique told Arab News.

Dhaka’s sister city relationship with Riyadh would enable the exchange of know-how and best practices. Such ties are long-term partnerships promoting joint cultural, research, and development projects between two geographically and politically distinct localities.

“If a sister city agreement is in place, it would become easier to exchange ideas and boost cooperation,” Siddique said.

“Our councilors, city corporation officials, could receive training in Riyadh, especially on waste management, traffic management, mosquito control ... During the discussion (with the Saudi ambassador), the issue of waste management was on the table. The ambassador explained the waste management systems of Riyadh, and we were interested in this.”

As the Saudi capital has much of its services for residents digitalized, Dhaka is keen to follow in its footsteps under Bangladeshi’s own development vision.

“Our prime minister has the vision to build a smart Bangladesh by the year 2041. To achieve this target, first of all, we need to build smart cities,” Siddique added.

“In Riyadh, any citizen can avail of any service from the city corporation sitting at home through a mobile phone. We want to adopt this system.”

So far, Dhaka has such an agreement with only one other capital, Lima, the largest city in Peru.

To develop sister ties with the Saudi capital, top officials from Riyadh and Dhaka would have to agree on terms to facilitate cooperation.

“We will send a proposal soon. Once they accept it, a memorandum of understanding will define in which areas we are interested to work together,” Siddique said. “We hope it will be possible by the next two to four months.”


Humza Yousaf sworn in as Scotland’s leader as bid for unity falters

Humza Yousaf sworn in as Scotland’s leader as bid for unity falters
Updated 26 min 53 sec ago

Humza Yousaf sworn in as Scotland’s leader as bid for unity falters

Humza Yousaf sworn in as Scotland’s leader as bid for unity falters
  • Yousaf is the first Muslim to lead a democratic western European nation
  • Ceremony blended formal tradition with his Pakistani heritage

LONDON: Humza Yousaf was sworn in as Scotland’s new leader on Wednesday in a ceremony that blended formal tradition with his Pakistani heritage before he announces appointments to his cabinet that risk worsening the deep divisions in his governing party.
Yousaf, the first Muslim to lead a democratic western European nation, was dressed in a black shalwar kameez at Scotland’s highest court, the Court of Session in Edinburgh, as his family watched on.
The 37-year-old pledged an oath of allegiance to King Charles. He has previously said he wants to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state if he achieves his dream of ending Scotland’s three-centuries-long political union with England.
Yousaf narrowly won a leadership race on Monday after a bruising contest that followed the surprise resignation last month of Nicola Sturgeon, who had dominated Scottish politics for almost a decade.
The internal disagreements over the future of the pro-independence Scottish National Party and the country re-emerged after Yousaf’s main rival, Kate Forbes, quit the government.
Forbes turned down an offer to become the minister for rural affairs and islands, a step down from her previous role as finance minister, according to the BBC and Scottish newspapers.
Former health secretary Alex Neil, who backed Forbes, said the proposed post was “an insult and not a real effort to unite” the party.
Yousaf had been expected to offer his leadership rival, whom he only defeated by only about 2,000 votes, a more senior role.
During his leadership campaign, Yousaf had said he would depart from Sturgeon’s “inner circle” style of leadership in favor of a “big tent” approach.
Forbes, who had questioned Yousaf’s record in government during the leadership campaign, posted on Twitter a reminder of the closeness of the contest, while saying Yousaf had her “full support.”
Yousaf said on Tuesday that Shona Robison — a close friend of Sturgeon — will serve as his deputy first minister. More appointments to cabinet roles are expected on Wednesday afternoon.


UN nuclear chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant amid safety concerns

UN nuclear chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant amid safety concerns
Updated 31 min 21 sec ago

UN nuclear chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant amid safety concerns

UN nuclear chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant amid safety concerns
  • Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived by car at Europe's largest nuclear power plant to review the situation there
  • Grossi wants to assess first-hand the "nuclear safety and security situation" and press on with efforts to broker a deal to protect the plant

KYIV: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog visited the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southeastern Ukraine on Wednesday as part of efforts to avert the risk of an atomic accident.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived by car at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant to review the situation there, an IAEA spokesperson said.
Grossi wants to assess first-hand the “nuclear safety and security situation” and press on with efforts to broker a deal to protect the plant.
“I am not giving up in any way. I think on the contrary we need to multiply our efforts, we need to continue,” Grossi told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
In Moscow-held territory, he told Russian news agencies that the situation at the plant had not improved, that fighting nearby had intensified and that he wanted to come up with realistic ways to reduce the threat of a catastrophe.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the site of the power station over the last year. Grossi has been pushing for a safety agreement between Ukraine and Russia to protect the facility.
A Reuters reporter at the Russian-held plant saw a motorcade transporting the IAEA expert mission arriving at the facility, escorted by the Russian military.
Grossi told Reuters in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday that the situation at the plant remained “very dangerous” and “very unstable,” noting that military activity in the region had increased in recent weeks.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year, has been pressing a winter offensive in the east, while Ukraine is expected to launch a counteroffensive using Western-supplied battle tanks and fighting vehicles.
The sprawling Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was a prized part of Ukraine’s energy network and accounted for around 20 percent of national power generation before the Russian invasion.
It has not produced any electricity since September, when the last of its six reactors was taken offline.
Ukraine’s Energoatom nuclear agency said Grossi would assess how the situation had changed at the plant, speak to workers and also act as a “guarantor” for the rotation of a group of IAEA monitors at the facility.
The IAEA has had monitors stationed at the plant since September, when Grossi traveled to the facility as fears were mounting of the possibility for a nuclear accident.
It is Grossi’s second visit to the Zaporizhzhia plant since it was captured by Russian troops.
Grossi, who met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, says his attempt to broker a deal on protecting the plant is still alive, and that he is adjusting the proposals to seek a breakthrough.


UK’s international aid hindered by asylum-seeker spending: report

UK’s international aid hindered by asylum-seeker spending: report
Updated 35 min 39 sec ago

UK’s international aid hindered by asylum-seeker spending: report

UK’s international aid hindered by asylum-seeker spending: report
  • Govt criticized for allocating funds to deal with backlog of migrants already in country
  • Aid budget stretched further for disasters such as Pakistan floods by cuts under Johnson administration 

LONDON: A report has criticized the UK government’s use of its aid budget on supporting asylum-seekers in Britain, saying it has led to its ability to respond to international crises becoming “very limited.”

Up to a third of the budget, nearly £3.5 billion ($4.3 billion) per year, is now being spent domestically, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact said, adding that this had made intervention and spending on aid overseas “less efficient.”

Small boat crossings in the English Channel, combined with refugee schemes for people fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan, were highlighted as occupying a significant portion of the funds.

The ICAI added that the Home Office, which deals with asylum-seekers in the UK, had no incentive to increase oversight or efficiency on domestic spending as the money was coming from the budget of another department, the Foreign Office.

The foreign aid budget was significantly reduced under the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who cut it from 0.7 percent of the gross domestic product to 0.5 percent.

That has led to the Foreign Office having to stop “non-essential” spending, the ICAI warned.

“This was seen in the limited UK response both to devastating floods in Pakistan in August 2022, and to the worsening drought in the Horn of Africa, which is expected to lead to widespread famine in 2023,” the ICAI report said.

The chair of the House of Commons’ International Development Committee, Sarah Champion MP, said the report “reaffirms that our valuable aid budget is being squandered as a result of Home Office failure to get on top of asylum application backlogs and keep control of the costs of asylum accommodation and support contracts.”

An earlier report issued by the committee suggested countries suffering from disasters such as Pakistan, Turkiye and Syria were being “short-changed” by “political choices” made by the government.

Champion added: “It is time for the UK government to get a grip on Home Office spending of the aid budget so that we can return to the real spirit of aid spending — spending that should promote and target the economic development and welfare of developing countries.”