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Bangladesh’s biggest port resumed operations on Monday after customs officials called off a strike that had disrupted the export and import of goods for around 48 hours.Sehela Siddiqa, Joint Tax Commissioner and secretary of the NBR Reform Unity Council — a platform of protesting workers — confirmed the resumption of activities at Chittagong and all other ports.”The ports are now fully functional and operating across the country,” Siddiqa told AFP. “All employees have returned to work.”A section of employees at the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the country’s tax collection authority, has been protesting for over a month against a move by the interim government to reform the agency.The government’s proposal includes abolishing the NBR and establishing two separate bodies to handle tax policy formulation and tax collection. Over the weekend, some NBR staff launched what they called a “complete shutdown”, stopping work in a range of departments, including customs.The workers resumed duties after the government threatened tough action.The deadlock ended late Sunday night after hours of intensive negotiations between NBR staff and the Ministry of Finance, mediated by business groups.Senior NBR official Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar said they called off the strike after positive pledges from the government. “We welcome the government’s decision to form an advisory committee for reforms in revenue management, and we hope to contribute to the process by actively participating in it,” he told reporters on Sunday night.Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched a probe against six NBR officials, including Rikabdar, for allegedly amassing illicit wealth.They were accused of facilitating tax evaders in exchange for bribes.”Based on verified allegations, the ACC initiated the investigation,” ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain said.

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, gave on Monday the strongest indication yet that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death, at prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday.The Dalai Lama joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in the prayer celebrations, a landmark event resonating far beyond the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.”As far as the institution of the Dalai Lama, there will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about its continuation”, he said, speaking in Tibetan.The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.Draped in traditional maroon and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and chants of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as well-wishers from across the world on Monday.”Though I am 90 years old, physically I am very healthy,” he said, before tasting a slice of Tibetan-style birthday cake, an elaborately decorated tower made from roasted barley and butter cut in front of him.”In the time I have left, I will continue to dedicate myself to the well-being of others as much as possible,” he said.- ‘Continuation’ -The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday is more than a personal milestone.The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist Tenzin Gyatso is also expected to reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand — and is widely expected to reveal that decision on Wednesday.The occasion carries profound weight not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion, and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.”We offer our fervent devotions that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the Land of Snows, lives for one hundred eons,” a chorus of red-robed monks sang.”May all your noble aspirations be fulfilled,” they added, in front of a crowd that included religious leaders of many faiths.His advancing age has also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession.While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950.The Dalai Lama has been lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa.The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally.At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system”.

The Dalai Lama, the charismatic Buddhist spiritual leader lauded worldwide for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for his Tibetan homeland, will celebrate his 90th birthday in July.A thorn in China’s side, Tenzin Gyatso became the face of the Tibetan cause as he crisscrossed the globe, mixing with royalty, politicians and celebrities.With his famous beaming smile, the Dalai Lama has become a global symbol of peace whose message transcends religion. He is regarded by his many supporters as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.The Dalai Lama was just 23 when he fled the Tibetan capital Lhasa in fear for his life, after Chinese troops crushed an uprising that began on March 10, 1959.It took him 13 days to cross the Himalayas to the Indian border. He has never returned.His life in exile has centred around the northern Indian hill-town of Dharamsala, home to thousands of fellow Tibetans who maintain traditional customs, even though many have never set foot in their ancestral homeland.In Dharamsala, he set up a government-in-exile and launched a campaign to reclaim Tibet, evolving to adopt a “middle way” approach that relinquished demands for independence for calls for greater autonomy.- Unlikely celebrity -In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his bid to “seek reconciliation despite brutal violations”.The award catapulted him into the global spotlight, and he was courted by world leaders and Hollywood stars.In his maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely celebrity.But his sense of mischief — he once announced he would like to reincarnate as an attractive blonde — and infectious chuckle have proved irresistible, making him a darling of the world’s media.The Chinese government, however, has remained impervious to his charm, branding him a separatist and a “wolf in a monk’s robe”.Tibet has alternated over the centuries between independence and control by China, and Beijing says the region is an integral part of the country.The Dalai Lama wants greater autonomy for his people, including the right to worship freely and to preserve their culture, which many Tibetans say has been crushed under Chinese rule.Formal negotiations with Beijing broke down in 2010.A year later, the Dalai Lama retired from politics to make way for a new leader elected by exiled Tibetans around the world.- Life of exile -Born into a farming family in the Tibetan village of Taktser on July 6, 1935, he was chosen as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism’s supreme religious leader at the age of two.He was given the name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso — Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom — and taken to Lhasa’s 1,000-room Potala Palace to be trained to become the leader of his people.He indulged a precocious scientific curiosity, playing with a watch sent to him by US president Franklin Roosevelt and repairing cars, one of which he crashed into a palace gate.But his childhood ended abruptly at age 15, when he was hastily enthroned as head of state after the Chinese army invaded Tibet in 1950.Nine years later, as Chinese troops crushed a popular uprising, he escaped to India.When told the Dalai Lama had fled, Chinese leader Mao Zedong reportedly said: “In that case, we have lost the battle.”He was welcomed by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who offered Dharamsala as a base for him and thousands of fellow Tibetan refugees.Throughout the Dalai Lama’s life, he has been treated as an honoured guest in India — an official policy stance that has been a source of tension with China.It is unclear how, or even whether, his successor will be named, with his predecessors chosen by monks according to ancient Buddhist traditions.He has alternatively suggested the next Dalai Lama could be a girl, that his spirit could transfer to an adult successor, or that he could even be the last in the line — and that he might be reincarnated as an animal or an insect instead.But he has always been clear that any successor named by China would not be credible.”No recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China,” he said.burs-pjm/rsc/sco

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in 90th birthday prayer celebrations, a landmark resonating far beyond the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.Draped in traditional maroon and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and chants of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as well-wishers from across the world.The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday is more than a personal milestone.The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist Tenzin Gyatso — who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post — is also expected to reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.”We offer our fervent devotions that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the Land of Snows, lives for a 100 eons,” a chorus of red-robed monks sang.”May all your noble aspirations be fulfilled,” they added, in front of a crowd that included religious leaders of many faiths.The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand — and is widely expected to reveal that decision on Wednesday.The occasion carries profound weight not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion, and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.His advancing age has also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession.While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950.

While conflict raged between the powerful militaries of India and Pakistan, a battle was also fought on the cultural front lines despite years of shared love for films and music.The deadly fighting in early May — the worst in decades — affected artists previously untouched by animosity between their leaders.Ali Gul Pir, a Pakistani rapper and comedian with a huge Indian following, released a song years ago mocking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.While he was spared consequences then, in May his YouTube channel and Instagram profile were blocked in India. “Indians now recognise that the digital space serves as a bridge between Pakistanis and Indians, and they seem intent on severing that connection,” Pir told AFP.The collapse in bilateral relations was caused by a deadly April attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denied the allegation and, after tit-for-tat diplomatic retaliation, their militaries fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached.The conflict hit the music industry for the first time, with Pakistani singer Annural Khalid also remembering how her Indian following dropped off. “Delhi was my top listening city before the ban,” said Khalid, who has 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.”I suffered a great loss in the audience” from India, she told AFP. “Listeners were deprived of content because music was turned into something it is not,” Khalid added.  The conflict also scrubbed out some prior exchanges, such as the soundtrack of the 2017 film  “Raees” on Spotify in India. It now shows only Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, without his Pakistani co-star Mahira Khan. – ‘The same traumas’ -With Pakistan producing just a handful of movies each year under strict censorship rules, Bollywood has always proven popular among viewers. “I grew up watching Bollywood. We have the same traumas, we have the same history, we have the same stories,” said Pakistani film critic Sajeer Shaikh. Pakistani actors and directors have for decades seen making it to Bollywood as the ultimate recognition. But this month, Indian star Diljit Dosanjh announced his latest movie, “Sardaar Ji 3”, which features four Pakistani actors, would be released “overseas only”, after New Delhi banned Pakistani content and artists from productions. “Abir Gulaal”, a love story starring Pakistan’s Fawad Khan and Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was scheduled to hit Indian cinemas on May 9 but the release was postponed. Even some in the industry who had previously backed the cross-border artistic trade changed their tune last month.”Everything should be banned… cricket, films, everything,” said Indian actor Suniel Shetty, who has a big fan following in Pakistan. He starred in the 2004 movie “Main Hoon Na”, which subtly promotes peace between India and Pakistan. “It’s something really unfortunate about politics, creating that rift and putting boundaries around art,” said Dua Zahra, assistant manager at Warner Bros South Asia’s music label in Pakistan.  – ‘Let’s just make art’ -As part of its measures in the wake of the Kashmir attack, New Delhi’s ban on some Pakistani YouTube channels included private broadcaster HUM TV. The channel, which says around 40 percent of its viewers are from India, simply told its fans to use a VPN to continue watching.  Since Modi took office more than a decade ago, many Indian critics and filmmakers have warned that Bollywood is now increasingly promoting his government’s Hindu nationalist ideology.While the conflict has created divisions on the cultural scene, there are signs that the trade will endure. Over a month after the ceasefire, three Indian films were in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan, while the top 20 trending songs in India included two Pakistani tracks. Pir, the rapper and comedian, vowed to “bridge gaps”.”Let’s not make war, let’s just make art,” he said. “Let’s just not bomb each other.” 

Ireland Sevens international Terry Kennedy helped Chennai Bulls clinch India’s inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL) title on Sunday as the sport took its first fledgling steps in a country obsessed by cricket. Kennedy scored two of Chennai’s seven tries as they concluded the six-team rugby sevens franchise league with a 41-0 thrashing of Delhi Redz in Mumbai.India’s Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra was among the many stars who graced the finale although the crowds were understandably no match for the hordes that turned up to watch Virat Kohli’s Bengaluru win the T20 Indian Premier League earlier this month. However, the RPL’s coverage on satellite television has given organisers hope that rugby could emerge as a major sport in India. “No matter how big a sport may be, there is always space if you work hard enough if you create a product that’s good enough,” Rugby India president Rahul Bose told AFP.”In that respect we are very happy and very secure in the knowledge that there is space for this game and it doesn’t have to come by eating away at anybody else’s space.”Just as the IPL focused on the shortest form of cricket, so the RPL has chosen to go for the shortest form of rugby, with the seven-a-side format in this tournament lasting 16 minutes — four quarters of four minutes each — and dispensing with the hard grunt of the 15-man game to showcase slick handling and blistering pace. Kennedy is not the only top Sevens player to have been drafted in to the RPL. His teammate Joseva Talacolo, who also scored a try in Sunday’s final, won silver with Fiji at last year’s Olympics in Paris while Scott Curry, whose Bengaluru Bravehearts finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Hyderabad Heroes, played 321 times for New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens team. The American Perry Baker, now 39 and a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, came out of retirement to play for Kalinga Black Tigers. According to Bose, this first iteration of the tournament has gone down well with the public.”What we have heard is that the game is easy to follow, very fast, very exciting and has got tremendous amount of likeability,” said Bose who is also a successful Bollywood actor. “Along with that, the athletic prowess of these men has come in for a lot of attention. We are happy with the connect we have made.”- ‘Bigger and better’ -The RPL is seen as a way for India to bolster their dreams of hosting the Olympics in 2036 – and given the continental qualifying system for the Olympics, India even has an eye on fielding a men’s or women’s team prior to that. But it is more than an ideal. The RPL, which blends Indian players with international stars, is run by GMR Sports which, as owner of the IPL team Delhi Capitals, knows a thing or two about franchise competitions in India.”The first season has gone very well for us,” Satyam Trivedi, chief executive officer of GMR, told AFP.”The sponsors are happy with what they see on the ground and on TV. “However this is just the beginning for us. We are looking at the first season as a showcase event and take a lot of learnings from here. “In every season this league will get bigger and better.”

Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 45 people in just a few days since the start of the monsoon season, disaster management officials said Sunday.The highest toll was recorded in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan, where 10 children were among 21 killed.The disaster management authority said 14 of those victims died in the Swat Valley, where media reported a flash flood swept away families on a riverbank. In Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab, along the frontier with India, 13 fatalities have been recorded since Wednesday. Eight of them were children who died when walls or roofs collapsed during heavy rain, while the adults were killed in flash floods.Eleven other deaths related to the monsoon downpours were recorded in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Saturday.Last month, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms.Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

The world’s most advanced AI models are exhibiting troubling new behaviors – lying, scheming, and even threatening their creators to achieve their goals.In one particularly jarring example, under threat of being unplugged, Anthropic’s latest creation Claude 4 lashed back by blackmailing an engineer and threatened to reveal an extramarital affair.Meanwhile, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI’s o1 tried to download itself onto external servers and denied it when caught red-handed.These episodes highlight a sobering reality: more than two years after ChatGPT shook the world, AI researchers still don’t fully understand how their own creations work. Yet the race to deploy increasingly powerful models continues at breakneck speed.This deceptive behavior appears linked to the emergence of “reasoning” models -AI systems that work through problems step-by-step rather than generating instant responses.According to Simon Goldstein, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, these newer models are particularly prone to such troubling outbursts.”O1 was the first large model where we saw this kind of behavior,” explained Marius Hobbhahn, head of Apollo Research, which specializes in testing major AI systems.These models sometimes simulate “alignment” — appearing to follow instructions while secretly pursuing different objectives.- ‘Strategic kind of deception’ – For now, this deceptive behavior only emerges when researchers deliberately stress-test the models with extreme scenarios. But as Michael Chen from evaluation organization METR warned, “It’s an open question whether future, more capable models will have a tendency towards honesty or deception.”The concerning behavior goes far beyond typical AI “hallucinations” or simple mistakes. Hobbhahn insisted that despite constant pressure-testing by users, “what we’re observing is a real phenomenon. We’re not making anything up.”Users report that models are “lying to them and making up evidence,” according to Apollo Research’s co-founder. “This is not just hallucinations. There’s a very strategic kind of deception.”The challenge is compounded by limited research resources. While companies like Anthropic and OpenAI do engage external firms like Apollo to study their systems, researchers say more transparency is needed. As Chen noted, greater access “for AI safety research would enable better understanding and mitigation of deception.”Another handicap: the research world and non-profits “have orders of magnitude less compute resources than AI companies. This is very limiting,” noted Mantas Mazeika from the Center for AI Safety (CAIS).- No rules -Current regulations aren’t designed for these new problems. The European Union’s AI legislation focuses primarily on how humans use AI models, not on preventing the models themselves from misbehaving. In the United States, the Trump administration shows little interest in urgent AI regulation, and Congress may even prohibit states from creating their own AI rules.Goldstein believes the issue will become more prominent as AI agents – autonomous tools capable of performing complex human tasks – become widespread.”I don’t think there’s much awareness yet,” he said.All this is taking place in a context of fierce competition.Even companies that position themselves as safety-focused, like Amazon-backed Anthropic, are “constantly trying to beat OpenAI and release the newest model,” said Goldstein. This breakneck pace leaves little time for thorough safety testing and corrections.”Right now, capabilities are moving faster than understanding and safety,” Hobbhahn acknowledged, “but we’re still in a position where we could turn it around.”.Researchers are exploring various approaches to address these challenges. Some advocate for “interpretability” – an emerging field focused on understanding how AI models work internally, though experts like CAIS director Dan Hendrycks remain skeptical of this approach.Market forces may also provide some pressure for solutions. As Mazeika pointed out, AI’s deceptive behavior “could hinder adoption if it’s very prevalent, which creates a strong incentive for companies to solve it.”Goldstein suggested more radical approaches, including using the courts to hold AI companies accountable through lawsuits when their systems cause harm. He even proposed “holding AI agents legally responsible” for accidents or crimes – a concept that would fundamentally change how we think about AI accountability.

Sri Lanka completed a thumping innings and 78-run victory over Bangladesh before lunch on day four of the second Test in Colombo on Saturday, wrapping up the two-match series 1-0.Resuming the day on a precarious 115-6, the visitors still trailed by 97 runs and needed a minor miracle to avoid an innings defeat. Any hopes of a rearguard were dashed almost immediately.Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, under the pump after a wicketless outing in the first innings, struck gold with the fifth ball of the morning as Litton Das edged behind to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis for 14. With that scalp, the last recognised batter was back in the hut and Bangladesh’s house of cards came tumbling down soon after, all out for 133.It was a clinical all-round performance by hosts Sri Lanka, who walked away with crucial World Test Championship points.None of the visiting batters managed to cross fifty in the match –- a far cry from the first Test in Galle, which ended in a draw when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hit twin centuries. Bangladesh had won the toss on a docile Colombo pitch but squandered the advantage, bundled out for 247.Sri Lanka replied in commanding fashion, piling on 458 to take a hefty 211-run lead.The foundation was laid by a masterclass from opener Pathum Nissanka, who crafted a fluent 158 –- his second successive century in the series — while Dinesh Chandimal chipped in with a polished 93. The pair added 194 runs for the second wicket, putting the game firmly in Sri Lanka’s control.Bangladesh threatened briefly when the second new ball brought them three quick wickets, but Kusal steadied the ship with a counterattacking 84, ensuring the hosts didn’t let the momentum slip.Nissanka, who was declared man of the match, said he was “very pleased with the effort”.”It feels good to contribute. I am now the senior opener with Dimuth Karunaratne retired and I try to do my best for the team,” he said.Bangladesh captain Shanto called it a “very disappointing game”.”We played really well in Galle but we were not up to the mark here,” he said.”The way we batted in the first innings is when things went wrong for us. A total of 247 was not good on this pitch.”No harm with the decision to bat first. But the way we got out was very disappointing. One good thing was the way our bowlers kept fighting.”That will be one positive we will take from this series.”The two sides will now shift focus to the limited-overs leg of the tour, with three one-day internationals and three T20s.Brief scores:Bangladesh first innings: 247 all out in 79.3 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35, Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-51)Sri Lanka first innings: 458 all out in 116.5 overs (Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kusal Mendis 84, Taijul Islam 5-131)Bangladesh second innings: 133 all out in 44.2 overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 26, Prabath Jayasuriya 5-56)

Sri Lanka’s top court halted Friday a government move to acquire land in northern regions still reeling from the consequences 16 years after the end of a decades-long civil war.Sri Lanka’s north bore the brunt of the conflict in the 37-year-long Tamil separatist war, which was brought to a bloody conclusion in May 2009.Many among the Tamil minority lost their land title deeds during the years of displacement, and the area was also hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami.The Supreme Court order concerning nearly 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) of land came a day after UN human rights chief Volker Turk ended a three-day visit, during which he urged the authorities to return private lands still occupied by troops.The UN estimates that at least 100,000 people died in the war, and that 40,000 of them from the Tamil minority were killed by troops in the final months of the conflict.Turk also asked Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of war crimes and punish the perpetrators.Successive Sri Lankan governments have refused internationally-backed investigations, and there has been no credible local accountability mechanism.Former Tamil legislator M.A. Sumanthiran, who petitioned the court, said it has stopped a land grab.”The government promised three months ago not to go ahead with acquiring these private lands, but never took any action,” Sumanthiran told AFP. “That is why I went to court.”Sumanthiran said security forces in the northern Jaffna peninsula still occupied about 3,000 acres.