Latest news with #Riaz
Sunday World
27-05-2025
- Business
- Sunday World
Dublin preschool teacher found guilty of money laundering
Mother-of-three Nergis Riaz had pleaded not guilty to possession of crime proceeds A preschool teacher who took a job posting mobile phone ads on Facebook for a bogus tech company has been found guilty of money laundering. Mother-of-three Nergis Riaz (51) let the fraudsters use her bank account to transfer money from a man who had paid for a phone that he never got, a court heard. She insisted she thought the company was legitimate until the €400 arrived in her account and said she and the customer were 'both victims of a scam'. Judge Catherine Ghent said Riaz's evidence was not 'at all credible' but struck the case out, sparing her a criminal record after she repaid the money and donated €500 to charity. Riaz, of Cluain Shee, Aikens Village, Sandyford had pleaded not guilty to possession of crime proceeds. Nergis Riaz News in 90 Seconds - May 27th The victim told Dublin District Court that on October 19, 2021, he bought the phone after answering an ad and engaging with the seller through Facebook Messenger. He checked out the store, it 'all seemed above board' and he paid by bank transfer. The victim was then told the phone was out of stock and was offered a refund but never got one. Riaz said she was looking to work from home when she took the 'digital marketing' job. She checked the company which was using a logo from a real shop, was sent a contract by WhatsApp and gave her bank details for her salary. They would send her pictures of phones, she would post the ad on her Facebook Marketplace account and after that the company would deal with the customer. After a month, she 'realised it was a scam'. 'They were using my account and me as a money mule, it's a fraud,' Riaz told gardaí. She became suspicious when the €400 came into her account and the company wanted her to transfer it. And she said she contacted her bank, which advised her not to do anything with the money, but had no record of this call. She accepted there was no interview or training for the job and she signed nothing. Riaz's actions contacting the bank were not typical of someone trying to defraud anyone, defence barrister Donal Pattison said.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bangladesh Consensus Commission Fails To Find Agreement On Democratic Reforms
Dhaka: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said Monday that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. "It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues," Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. "We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances." Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. "We are going to begin a second round of talks," he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would "conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion". The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from "secularism" to "pluralism". Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. "Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities," he said. NO RIFT Yunus warned on Saturday that political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made, carrying out two days of talks with more than 20 political party leaders. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections to dismantle democratic checks on its power. Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later -- with the deadline of June 2026 -- would give the government more time for reform. On Saturday, Yunus met with the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election front-runners, who are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. The military insisted at a press conference on Monday that there was no division with Yunus. It was the first address to the media since army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman gave an address to officers on May 21. He said that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands, according to Bangladeshi media and military sources. "There is no rift between the government and the Bangladesh Army," Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters. "We share a cordial relationship and are working together for the sake of the country." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Bangladesh consensus commission fails to find agreement
DHAKA: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said Monday that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a 'completely broken down' system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. BD's Yunus seeks unity with fresh political talks Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. 'It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues,' Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. 'We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances.' Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. 'We are going to begin a second round of talks,' he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would 'conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion'. The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from 'secularism' to 'pluralism'. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. 'Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities,' he said.
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Usman Riaz nabs Best Debut Director award
Almost a year after its release, The Glassworker keeps exceeding the mark. Usman Riaz, the creator of the Pakistani animated feature, took to social media on Friday to announce yet another win for the film. "I'm honoured to receive the Tongues on Fire, Flame Award for Best Debut Director at the UK Asian Film Festival 2025 for The Glassworker," wrote Riaz. "Bringing The Glassworker to life has been the greatest creative journey of my life, and I'm deeply grateful to the festival and jury for this recognition." While the animator himself was not present to receive the award in person, he expressed gratitude towards the fellow creative who did. "A heartfelt thank you to our brilliant screenwriter, Moya O'Shea, for attending the festival and accepting this award on my behalf." Last month, Deadline reported that the London premiere of The Glassworker was set to close the UK Asian Film Festival, which covered venues across London, Leicester, and Coventry. The Glassworker follows Vincent, a glassblower apprentice who works under his father and develops an attachment to Alliz, a violinist and the daughter of an army colonel. As the threat of war forces them to confront difficult truths, the two must find a way to face their fears and cling onto hope in times of despair. Following The Glassworker's release in 2024, Mano Animation Studios achieved a record-setting milestone by launching Pakistan's first 2D hand-drawn animated feature. The film was shortlisted as the country's official submission for the Oscars of 2025 in the category of International Feature Film. It debuted on a global scale at Annecy International Animation Film Festival and has since received both national and international acclaim. In September, Riaz took to Instagram to announce the achievement to his followers, "We are proud to announce that The Glassworker has been selected as Pakistan's submission for the International Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars. This marks the first time a 2D hand-drawn animated film from Pakistan has been chosen for this prestigious honour." He added, "The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee stated: 'Usman and Mano's work has demonstrated exceptional storytelling and artistry while breaking new ground for animation in Pakistan. This achievement will be remembered in our cinematic history.'" He then included his own words in the caption, "The Glassworker represents a decade of passion and perseverance. I am deeply humbled by the selection and hope this story resonates with audiences everywhere, showcasing the talent and creativity Pakistan has to offer."
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
26-year-old steals laptops, phones from parked cars, arrested in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad: A 26-year-old man was arrested from the Kaushambi area for allegedly stealing laptops and other valuables after breaking the glass of four-wheelers in public areas across NCR. Police said the accused, Riaz, who came to NCR from Badaun, and his associate Shoaib of Gazipur, would roam the streets in auto rickshaws in search of parked vehicles near eateries or markets to steal valuables. Shoaib is still absconding. ACP Indirapuram Abhishek Srivastava said Riaz resides in Delhi with his accomplice, Shoaib Khan. "Together, Riaz and Shoaib used to break the windows and locks of parked cars in Ghaziabad and NCR areas to steal laptops and mobile phones. Then sell the stolen goods at low prices to a person named Praveen, who owns a computer shop in Noida," the ACP said. On the evening of May 20, 2025, the two accused broke the lock of a car parked on the roadside in front of Yashoda Hospital and took a laptop from a bag on the back seat. On May 23, while they were heading towards Dabur crossing to sell the stolen laptop, they saw police checking. Fearing arrest, both accused turned the auto around and tried to flee but cops caught Riaz, the ACP said. Five cases of loot and under Arms Act, have been registered against Riaz in different police stations. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
