Latest news with #meltdown
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Bangladesh Army Crushes Yunus' Dangerous Plot: India's Stance Vindicated
Yunus appears determined to cling to power and advance a broader foreign policy agenda—but now, the Bangladesh Army has stepped in, triggering a political meltdown A major showdown is brewing in Bangladesh. Like pieces on a chessboard, key players are taking their positions. On the one side is Muhammad Yunus, whose unelected regime continues to govern without elections. On the other is the military, led by Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, who is demanding polls without further delay. The clash between them is growing increasingly confrontational. COUP, CORRIDOR AND CHAOS Yunus is under mounting pressure to hold elections. Political parties, including the dominant Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are closing ranks against him. Meanwhile, the military's patience is wearing thin. Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman recently issued a sharp public warning, stating, 'Bangladesh needs political stability. This is only possible through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers. The army is meant for defending the nation, not for policing. We must return to our barracks after the election." advetisement The trigger for this escalation seems to be Yunus' proposal for the Rakhine Corridor—a passage from Cox's Bazar to the state of Rakhine in Myanmar. The United States is pushing for this corridor under the pretext of humanitarian aid. But General Waker has called it a 'bloody corridor," fearing it could serve as a launchpad for military logistics or proxy operations in Myanmar. The corridor, he warned, endangers national sovereignty and risks dragging Bangladesh into conflicts with both the Burmese junta and regional militant groups. The army has made its red lines clear: 'We will not compromise on issues related to the corridor, national security, and national sovereignty." Despite alleged attempts by the U.S. to win over General Waker, he remains unconvinced. His recent visit to Russia, along with his resistance to Yunus' attempts to cosy up to Pakistan, China, and the U.S., in the current manner, speaks volumes. Waker has now called for elections by December 2025, making it clear that Yunus' time is running out. Meanwhile, Yunus is believed to be plotting a counter-move by engaging with other senior military officials. One such figure is Lieutenant General Faizur Rahman, reportedly aligned with Pakistani interests. Rahman has allegedly held meetings to sway the military away from Waker. However, sources indicate that Waker got wind of this and placed Rahman under surveillance. Since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last year, Bangladesh has been without elections. Law and order have deteriorated, and economic growth has stagnated. Public trust is eroding. Yunus, who was meant to be a temporary caretaker, has failed to deliver on his mandate—and some argue that this failure is intentional. THE YUNUS AGENDA Instead of focusing on stability and elections, Yunus has pursued sweeping changes that would alter Bangladesh's strategic trajectory for decades—moves that only an elected leader should undertake. Advertisement He has undermined India-Bangladesh relations, erasing decades of cooperation. He has warmed up to Pakistan, disregarding the scars of the 1971 war. He has allegedly offered the Lalmonirhat airbase—near India's sensitive Siliguri Corridor—to China. Clearly, Yunus wants a strategic alignment with Pakistan and China against India. And fourthly, he wants to turn his country into a mercenary by serving up the Rakhine corridor to the US. These are sweeping foreign policy and strategic pivots that Yunus simply has no legitimate rights to undertake. Yunus seems intent on clinging to power, using his position to push a broader agenda, particularly in foreign policy. His role was meant to be temporary, but he plans to overstay his welcome. This is also clear from his focus on foreign engagements meant to cement his rule. advetisement Yunus has been all over the world in less than a year— from the US and China to Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Egypt, UAE, Thailand, Qatar, and the Vatican City. It seems that by brushing shoulders with world leaders, Yunus is seeking to offset the need for elections back home. That strategy backfired recently when French President Emmanuel Macron refused to meet him at an upcoming UN conference. Following the snub, Yunus cancelled his trip. The facade is not lost on anyone. Legitimacy will only come from the ballot box, not photo ops. advetisement Under tremendous pressure to hold elections, Yunus even hinted at quitting from his position, but it soon became clear that this was more of a threat and a tactic to mobilise his supporters. Yunus now says that the country is in a 'war-like state," pushing for elections only between December 2025 and June 2026—after what he calls 'necessary reforms." The problem with that is Yunus does not have the mandate to carry out such changes and now he's asking for another year in power. In fact, the streets in Dhaka are plastered with posters demanding 'reforms first, elections later" and to 'keep Yunus in power for five years". That may explain why Yunus appears reluctant to relinquish control. Backed by student groups and radical Islamist parties including the Jamaat, Yunus may be inclined to hold on to power for as long as it takes. His followers are radical but not strong enough to win elections. Instead, the BNP and Sheikh Hasina's Awami league remain the dominant political forces. Yunus' recent ban on the Awami league also shows his fear of free and fair elections. The Jamaat wants to hold off on elections until Sheikh Hasina is tried in court. But Hasina is reportedly in India, and India has no plans to force her out. These delay tactics are meant to buy Yunus time and continue to blame India for Bangladesh's woes. Yunus continues to claim that foreign conspiracies are undermining the government's reform agenda. In a recent address, he warned that if efforts to ensure fair elections and uphold justice are disrupted, the government—along with the people—will 'take necessary steps." Without the support of the military, Yunus has only one strength — street power. Violence has been raging through the streets of Bangladesh. It's ironic that Yunus cries 'foreign plot'—when his own actions reek of external influence. Sheikh Hasina, too, has entered the fray. In an audio message, exiled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Yunus of 'selling out" the nation to foreign powers. 'My father did not agree to America's demands for St. Martin's Island. He had to give his life for that. I never thought of selling the country to stay in power." She described Yunus as a 'militant leader" who took power with the help of extremists and terrorists, many of whom had previously been imprisoned and are now roaming free. 'The prisons have been emptied. Militants rule Bangladesh now," she said. St. Martin's Island, a tiny but strategic 3-square-kilometer territory near the Myanmar border in the Bay of Bengal, holds geostrategic importance with oversight of the Malacca Strait. Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly claimed that her refusal to hand it over to American interests cost her father his life—and cost her her own premiership. 'I could have remained in power," she said earlier, 'if I had surrendered the sovereignty of St. Martin's Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal." INDIA'S DILEMMA For India, this rift between Yunus and the army is concerning as much as it is vindicating. Relations with the Yunus regime are at rock bottom. Bangladesh has restricted yarn imports through land ports, prompting India to retaliate by limiting Bangladeshi imports through the same route. A $770 million bilateral textile trade is now at risk. Contracts have been cancelled on both sides — including a $21 million shipping deal by Bangladesh and an Indian decision to possibly drop an economic zone in Chittagong. But beyond trade, there's a bigger strategic worry. Yunus' reference to India's northeast as a landlocked region, with potential to become an 'extension" of the Chinese economy — and his offer to China for access to an airbase near India's Siliguri Corridor — a potential chokepoint in a future conflict — is a major red flag with direct consequences for India's northeast. The proposed Rakhine corridor could also destabilise Myanmar and trigger a refugee crisis that spills into India's northeast. top videos View All India may see Gen. Waker—with all his flaws—as the lesser evil. He supports the 1971 independence spirit, opposes militant groups, opposes foreign interference and demands a return to democracy. This aligns with New Delhi's stance — Free, fair, inclusive elections must be held. But that also means the ban on Awami League must be lifted. Waker's opposition to the Rakhine corridor aligns with India's regional concerns. But Waker is also a wildcard — paranoid about being overthrown, and still carrying the baggage of his own role in Hasina's ouster. It is unlikely that the military will seize power but it is not beyond the realm of possibilities, especially as Yunus refuses to restore democracy in the name of revolution. Bottomline is, Yunus' unelected regime is inflicting tremendous damage on India-Bangladesh relations seemingly at the behest of China, Pakistan—his external allies and the Islamist forces within. If he is allowed to continue down this path, the future of this relationship will be stolen from the people on both sides of the border. Elections are the only way forward. That does not mean that challenges will not remain. Bangladesh's election process will remain tarnished with the rise of Islamists and the violent state-led suppression of the Awami league. But an elected government, accountable to its people, is more likely to uphold diplomatic engagement and maintain true autonomy, rather than be swayed by external actors. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 28, 2025, 16:20 IST News opinion Bangladesh Army Crushes Yunus' Dangerous Plot: India's Stance Vindicated | Finepoint
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Unruly passenger kicked off flight, tackled by police for vaping, proceeds to headbutt doors and windows
She really went up in smoke. A Ryanair flight had to be diverted following an epic meltdown from an inebriated female passenger, who ultimately headbutted doors and windows after getting confronted over vaping during her flight. 'I didn't know what to do; I felt intimidated and threatened by her, and so did all the other passengers,' eyewitness Blair Morgan, 18, told Jam Press of the incident, which occurred May 18 during a flight from Tenerife, Spain to Glasgow, Scotland. Morgan, who was returning home from vacation on the Canary Island, captured her antics in a video with more than 1.9 million views on TikTok. It shows the whole saga from the woman being confronted by security personnel to her getting escorted onto the tarmac, and finally attacking the windows on an airport bus despite being handcuffed. The kerfuffle kicked off at around 10 p.m. when the hellion was confronted over using an electronic smoking device during the flight on the low-cost European carrier, which reportedly prompted her to throw a tantrum. 'Being on the plane before she was removed [was] scary,' said Morgan, a Glasgow-based sales assistant. 'She was harassing everyone and using horrible speech toward them and the staff on board.' The situation got so ugly that pilots diverted the flight to Faro, Portugal and called ahead for police assistance so they could offload the mile-high miscreant upon arrival. Unfortunately, her meltdown was far from over. 'Upon being approached by PSP (Public Security Police) officers, the passenger became aggressive and uncooperative,' said a rep for the force. 'Showing visible signs of intoxication, she had to be escorted off the aircraft.' They added, 'while inside the airport bus, the individual began kicking and headbutting the doors and windows.' For her own safety, authorities restrained the woman and applied handcuffs, but she continued to 'behave aggressively' and headbutt the vehicle windows, per the police spokesperson. As a result, the first aid team was called to the scene, after which the woman was transported to Faro Hospital and placed under observation. Morgan said that 'everyone was thankful she was off the flight, as she was [causing] distress with her actions.' Ryanair has since addressed the incident in a statement. 'Ryanair has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behavior, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption,' said a spokesperson.
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jon Rahm and wife's moment immediately after he lost £1.1m caught on camera
Jon Rahm's bid to win the US PGA Championship came crashing down on Sunday as he squandered £1.1million in prize money in the final three holes to finish in a tie for eighth place Jon Rahm's wife, Kelley Cahill, showed her unwavering support by sharing a touching moment with the LIV Golf star immediately after he missed out on a £1.1million prize at the US PGA Championship. The Spaniard was closely pursuing Scottie Scheffler for most of the final day but suffered a crushing end to the final round of the US PGA. Rahm had made three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn to briefly pull level with the eventual winner. However, the 30-year-old on Sunday dropped five shots over the infamous 'Green Mile' closing three-hole stretch. He bogeyed 16 before double-bogeying 17 and 18 to fall out of contention and hand the advantage back to Scheffler. World No. 1 Scheffler ultimately won the Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes, while Rahm had to settle for a nine-way tie for eighth in the second major of the year. His meltdown at the end didn't just land a blow to his professional pride, but also prevented him from becoming the third Spaniard to win three majors while taking a hefty chunk of around £1.1m ($1.5m) out of his potential earnings. He would have pocketed a staggering £1.49m ($2m) if he had managed to hold onto solo second place but ultimately had to settle for T8 and £309,503 ($415,262) in prize money. And he shared a heart-warming moment with his wife following the devastating conclusion at Quail Hollow, which showcased the strength of their relationship. In footage shared on CBS' social media channels, Rahm – who hasn't clinched a major title since his move to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series at the end of 2023 – can be seen walking up to Kelley, who opened her arms to embrace him as he rested his head on her shoulder after carding a fourth-round 2-over 73 to finish with a 4-under total. Kelley has been at his side through the ups and the downs over the last few years, having shared a tearful embrace following his Masters triumph in April 2023. The romance between them began in their college days at Arizona State University where they crossed paths at a Halloween party and have remained together ever since, marrying in 2019. Their family includes two boys, Kepa and Eneko, along with their daughter Alaia. She supported Rahm through his highly controversial decision to join LIV in 2013, which caused a huge stir in the golfing community after he had vowed to stay with the PGA Tour. The switch reportedly came with a staggering offer of around £240m for Rahm to join the breakaway league, which will go some way towards softening the blow of his recent disappointment, at least in financial terms. Yet, Rahm expressed his agony after Sunday's disappointment, admitting: "The last three holes... it's a tough pill to swallow right now." "A lot of positives to take from this week, but pretty fresh wound right now. But there's been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.' Before his move to LIV, Rahm had secured a place in the top 10 in 12 out of his previous 22 major appearances (approximately 55%). However, since the switch, he has only managed the feat once in four major tournaments, and his streak of 18 consecutive major cuts has ended. Apart from a T7 at last year's Open, the Ryder Cup star, who won the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters, had a disappointing 2024 in the majors. And only a Sunday surge at the Masters saw him finish T14 at Augusta last month.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The TRUTH behind Denzel Washington's Cannes meltdown as insiders reveal 'intense' star's morals amid history of outbursts
Denzel Washington 's monumental Cannes meltdown, which saw him scream at a photographer, has left fans all over the world shocked and dismayed. Washington's glittering premiere of new movie Highest 2 Lowest Monday was overshadowed by the two-time Oscar winner losing his cool, jabbing his finger in the face of one of the snappers and shouting 'Stop it! Stop it! and storming off.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Over his Masters meltdown, DeChambeau looks to continue strong play in majors at PGA Championship
Bryson DeChambeau walks off the green on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau watches on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau walks off the green on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau watches on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the second hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau left Augusta National last month frustrated over his final-round meltdown at the Masters and perplexed by his poor iron play. The burly 6-foot-1, 220-pound DeChambeau has put that disappointing loss behind him and feels he's fixed the iron issue — or at least put a Band-Aid on it — heading into this week's PGA Championship. He enters Quail Hollow confident after following up a second-place finish at the LIV Tour's Mexico City event with a win two weeks ago in South Korea. Advertisement Now he looks to continue his recent run of success at major championships, where he has replaced Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm as LIV's best chance to win. In 2024, DeChambeau finished tied for sixth at the Masters, then second at the PGA Championship at Valhalla before winning his second U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Despite shooting a final-round 75 at this year's Masters, he still finished tied for fifth, giving him six top-10 finishes in his past 10 majors. 'I feel like I've always had the capacity to play well in major championships and contend consistently,' DeChambeau said. 'A lot of things have to go right in majors for you to play well. Your whole game has to be on. So I felt like at Valhalla, especially after Augusta last year, that was the second time (in a row) that I played well in a major, and it kind of gave me that confidence that I could just keep moving forward with that at every major and keep hammering down on majors.' The second-place finish at Valhalla last year proved huge for his confidence. Advertisement 'It was more of an assurance of saying, hey, I can do this, and I can do this for a long time, God willing," DeChambeau said. 'Valhalla definitely gave me some confidence for the rest of the majors, last year and even this year.' Now comes another test at Quail Hollow, a course where DeChambeau has limited experience compared to many PGA Tour players. He's only played here once in the past six years, finishing tied for eighth at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship before leaving for the LIV Tour. His best finish at Wells Fargo was fourth in 2018. When Justin Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, DeChambeau finished tied for 33rd. The long course certainly plays to DeChambeau's strength off the tee. Advertisement 'I feel like I'm moving in the right direction with giving myself a lot of multiple chances to win these major championships,' he said. Despite his success this past month on the LIV Tour, which included shooting 30 on the back nine of the final round at South Korea to win the tournament, DeChambeau still plans to switch irons once they have been produced and delivered. As of Tuesday, he had not received them. 'My irons weren't that great, but I played better in Mexico. My irons were really good in Korea. I feel like it's moving in the right direction,' DeChambeau said. 'Let's hopefully keep it more of the same. If I can do that, I'll give myself a good chance this week.' Advertisement And maybe, just maybe, have a chance to beat Rory McIlroy, who got the best of him in the final pairing at the Masters en route to winning the career Grand Slam. Early on in the final round, it looked as if it might be DeChambeau's day at Augusta National. But after grabbing sole possession of the lead after two holes, DeChambeau faded fast and shot 75, leaving him four shots behind McIlroy and Justin Rose. 'Hopefully we can have another go at it again like the Masters,' DeChambeau said of McIlroy. ___ AP golf:
