Bangladesh
Climate change: July world's hottest month ever - US agency
July was the world's hottest month ever recorded, a US federal scientific and regulatory agency has reported.
The data shows that the combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.93C (1.68F) above the 20th Century average of 15.8C (60.4F), reports BBC.
It is the highest temperature since record-keeping began 142 years ago. The previous record, set in July 2016, was equalled in 2019 and 2020.
READ: Climate-fueled wildfires take toll on tropical Pacific isles
Experts believe this is due to the long-term impact of climate change.
In a statement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that July's "unenviable distinction" was a cause for concern.
"In this case, first place is the worst place to be," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement.
"This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."
The combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.01C higher than the 2016 record.
In the Northern Hemisphere, land-surface temperature reached an "unprecedented" 1.54C higher than average, surpassing a previous record set in 2012.
The data also showed that July was Asia's hottest month on record, as well as Europe's second hottest after July 2018.
The NOAA statement also included a map of significant climate "anomalies" in July, which noted that global tropical cyclone activity this year has been unusually high for the number of named storms.
Earlier this week, a report from the United Nations said that climate change is having an "unprecedented" impact on earth, with some changes likely to be "irreversible for centuries to millennia."
UN Secretary General António Guterres said that the findings were "a code red for humanity."
"If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But as today's report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses," he said.
READ: Key takeaways from new UN report on climate change
The authors of the report say that since 1970, global surface temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50-year period over the past 2,000 years.
Nine more die of Covid in Kushtia
Nine more people have died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours at Kushtia General Hospital, health officials said Saturday morning.
Of the deceased, eight were confirmed Covid patients while one had symptoms.
Kushtia General Hospital official Md Mejbaul Alam said that the number of Covid patients increased on Friday as compared to that of Thursday.
READ: Kushtia logs 7 more Covid deaths
As of Saturday morning, some 191 patients are being treated at the Covid unit of the hospital.
During this period, some 62 people yrsted positive for Covid of the 292 samples tested samples.
So far, 16,735 Covid-19 infected people have been identified in the district, of which 13,264 people have recovered and 662 died.
READ: Covid-19: 15 more die in Kushtia
32 penalised in Bagerhat for not wearing masks
A mobile court has fined 32 people in the district for not wearing masks amid an alarming surge of Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh.
The dawn-to-dusk drive was conducted in nine upazilas of the district on Friday.
The mobile court led by additional district magistrate Mohammad Shahinuzzaman collected Tk 5,200 in fines from the 32 violators of Covid-safety protocols.
The government has asked all people to abide by the health guidelines to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
Bangladesh confirmed its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18, but it has been seeing a sharp rise in both new cases and deaths in recent months.
Bangladesh added 197 fatalities to its national tally on Friday as horrific Covid hospitalisations and deaths continue to soar.
READ: Bagerhat residents benefit from door-to-door sale of essentials
The country is averaging 200-plus single-day fatalities for the past three weeks. After weathering the first wave of the pandemic, Bangladesh is now yet to see any tangible signs of improvement in the situation.
However, the country is now reporting 10,602 new cases on an average each day – 73% of the peak.
Bangladesh also recorded 8,465 new cases on Friday after testing 40,641 samples, down from 12,606 logged a week earlier on August 6.
The country reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatalities – 264 – on August 5 and 10, and 16,230 infections on July 28.
READ: 7 die in separate accidents in Bagerhat
Bangladesh has been experiencing a surge of Covid-related cases and deaths since June 2021.
Covid: Barishal sees 11 more deaths
Barishal division has logged as many as 11 new Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Saturday morning.
Of the deceased, five were confirmed Covid patients while the remaining six showed symptoms of the virus.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 590 patients have died of Covid-19 in the division so far.
Besides, 170 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours, the lowest number of infections in the past three weeks.
READ: Covid claims 14 more lives in Barishal
Some 40,762 active Covid patients have been identified in the division to date, according to the officials.
Moreover, 199 Covid patients are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of SBMCH.
Some 345 people have recovered from the virus during this period, taking the total recoveries to 23,627.
READ: Barishal logs 13 fresh Covid deaths
Covid: 11 more die at Rajshahi hospital
As many as 11 more Covid patients have died at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, officials said on Saturday.
Nine of them died of Covid-19, while one had symptoms of the virus and the remaining one succumbed to post-corona complications, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani.
READ: Covid: 13 more die at Rajshahi hospital
Of the deceased, four each were from Rajshahi and Natore districts, two from Naogaon, and one from Kushtia district.
Besides, 26 people have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, some 14 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period.
Currently, 330 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital which has 513 beds. Of them, 19 are being treated in the ICU, said the hospital director.
READ: Rajshahi sees 9 more Covid deaths in 24 hrs
Of the admitted patients, 179 have tested positive for Covid-19, while 90 are with symptoms and 61 have post-Covid health complications.
Couple commits suicide in Chattogram
A couple allegedly ended their lives in their house at Kurmaikul village in Rangunia upazila of Chattogram district on Friday evening.
The deceased were identified as Mohammad Iskandar, 24, son of Shah Alam, and his wife Ruma Akter, 22. They are survived by a 15th-month-old son.
Quoting local people, police said Iskandar, who worked in Qatar, returned to the country on August 10 to be with his wife of two years, child and parents for some time.
On Friday evening, Iskandar’s mother Firoza Begum found the couple’s room locked from inside. Getting no response from inside, Firoza peeped through the window of the room and found both of them hanging from the ceiling with a rope.
READ: Chuadanga cattle trader 'commits suicide' over Covid stigma
She immediately raised an alarm, and local people broke open the door and informed the police.
Khan Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Rangunia Police Station, said a team soon rushed to the spot and sent the bodies to the local hospital morgue for an autopsy.
READ: One in 100 deaths is by suicide: WHO
However, Jamal Uddin, father of Ruma, alleged foul play. He claimed that Arif, the brother-in-law of her daughter, used to stalk her often and he had killed the couple.
"A probe is on," the OC said.
Also read: Covid patient ‘commits suicide’ in Satkhira
Global Covid cases top 206 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surpassed 206 million, with the world still struggling to contain the second wave of the pandemic.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 206,166,805 and 4,344,715, respectively, as of Saturday morning, as per the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
On the other hand, as many as 4,610,658,306 vaccine doses have been administered across the world.
The US has logged 36,592,342 cases and 621,005 fatalities to date, the highest death toll in the world, according to the university.
Read: US Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID
Brazil has registered 966 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 567,862, the health ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said that the total caseload rose to 20,319,000 after 33,933 new cases were detected.
India has been experiencing a fall in daily Covid-19 deaths for the past couple of weeks.
Read:Covid kills 237 more in Bangladesh as Delta strain raging
The country's Covid-19 tally surpassed 32,117,826 with 40,120 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry on Friday.
Besides, as many as 585 deaths were reported on Friday that took the overall fatality toll to 430,254.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh added 197 fatalities to its national tally on Friday as horrific Covid hospitalisations and deaths continue to soar.
The country is averaging 200-plus single-day fatalities for the past three weeks. After weathering the first wave of the pandemic, Bangladesh is now yet to see any tangible signs of improvement in the situation.
However, the country is now reporting 10,602 new cases on an average each day – 73% of the peak.
Bangladesh recorded 8,465 new cases on Friday after testing 40,641 samples, down from 12,606 logged a week earlier on August 6.
Read:1.77 mln doses of Sinopharm vaccine on way to Dhaka
The country reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatalities – 264 – on August 5 and 10, and 16,230 infections on July 28.
Bangladesh has been experiencing a surge of Covid-related cases and deaths since June 2021.
BNP leader shot dead in Noakhali
A BNP-leader was shot dead in Noakhali Sadar Upazila Friday morning.
The deceased was identified as Harunur Rashid Molla, general secretary of Andar Char Union BNP.
Two others were wounded during this time.
The incident took place in the Taltola area of the local Andar Char Union around 8am on Friday.
Aminul Haque, brother of the deceased, said a few days ago Harun's son Sazib locked horns with some local goons. They were allegedly ruling party activists.
As a fallout of this event, 15-20 armed youths patrolled the entire area on Friday looking for Sazib.
At one stage, they found Harun, who was also wandering around in search of his son to shield him from any trouble.
Harun was first shot and later wounded further with sharp weapons.
Two of Harun’s associates were also wounded badly during this time including Ramiz Uddin, 25, one of his nephews.
The locals rushed the injured to the 250-bed Noakhali General Hospital where the on duty doctor declared Harun dead.
Noakhali Sadar Circle Superintendent of Police Akramul Haque told UNB that two people involved in the murder have been arrested.
The operation to arrest others will continue. "However, the identities and motives of the murderers will be confirmed after further investigation,” he added.
War crime convict dies in Sylhet
A convicted war criminal died on Friday while serving his term at the Sylhet Central Jail.
He was identified as Mujibur Rahman Angur Mia, 67.
Read:War criminal Mahbubur Rahman dies at Kashimpur jail
He breathed his last on Friday afternoon at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Earlier he suddenly fell sick in the morning and was rushed to the hospital from the jail, reported our correspondent.
He was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment after allegations of war crimes were proved against him.
Confirming the death of Mujibur Rahman, senior jail superintendent of Sylhet Central Jail Muhammad Manjur Hossain said, "He died of old age health complicacies."
Read: War criminal Abdus Subhan dies at DMCH
Mujibur was arrested and sent to Dhaka Central Jail on February 12, 2012.
The International Criminal Tribunal sentenced him to a lifetime in jail on June 1, 2016.
He was serving his terms at Habiganj District Jail before being transferred to Sylhet Central Jail in May this year.
According to jail sources, he was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Hospital for better treatment after he fell ill with various ailments including chest pain. After being taken there, the doctor on duty declared Mujibur dead.
BIWTA calls on passengers to avoid Shimulia terminal
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Friday requested passengers to use Paturia ferry terminal, instead of Shimulia, to cross the mighty Padma River.
BIWTC authorities claimed that ferry crisis on Shimulia-Banglabazar route is the reason for shifting the vehicles to the Paturia-Daulatdia route.
Read: Eid-ul-Azha: People crowding Shimulia ferry terminal to go home
The timing comes in the wake of several river commuters having a narrow escape after a ferry crashed into a pier of the Padma Bridge on Friday morning.
The accident occurred when the K-type ferry, named Kakoli, was heading towards Shimlulia ghat in Munshiganj district from Banglabazar ghat in Madaripur.
"Around 7am, the ferry hit pier number 10 shedding a portion of concrete of the pile cap," executive engineer (main bridge) Dewan Abdul Kader told UNB.
Though the vessel was partially damaged, there has been no structural damage to the bridge. "But frequent ferry accidents are really concerning," Dewan said.
A pier is a structure that extends into the water to support the bridge superstructure and transfer the loads to the foundation.
Mawa naval police IC JM Shirajul Kabir said the navigator of the ferry lost control of the vessel due to strong river current, leading to the crash.
In the past two months, at least five such accidents have taken place in the district, alarming the government.
Read: People rush to return home ahead of shutdown; Shimulia ghat under pressure
Earlier on the day , Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader hinted that any one of Shimulia or Banglabazar ferry terminals might be shifted elsewhere to reduce the chance of such ‘accidents.