The overall number of global Covid-19 cases is gradually nearing 647 million. According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 646,955,042 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,638,544 on Wednesday morning. The US has recorded 100,532,711 cases so far, while 1,105,049 people have died from the virus in the country, both highest counts around the world. Read: China's Xi faces public anger over draconian 'zero COVID' According to India's health ministry data released on Tuesday morning, 215 new cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, and the active caseload stands at 4,982. The country also logged one COVID-19-related death during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 530,615 since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Russia has registered 4,928 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 21,584,740, said the official monitoring and response center on Tuesday. Covid in Bangladesh Bangladesh reported another Covid-linked death with 11 more Covid cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Read: 7-day Covid vaccination campaign from Dec 1 marking Victory Day With the new numbers, the fatalities rose to 29,433 and the caseload to 2,036,567, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily case test positivity dropped to 0.72 per cent from Monday’s 0.79 per cent as 1,520 samples were tested during the period. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent while the recovery rate rose to 97.51 per cent.

If you were to name some of the most happening places worldwide, Thailand would easily top the list. From its luscious nature, white elephants, delectable cuisines, and possibly the best nightlife experience in the globe, Thailand has more to offer than meets the eye. But many don’t know about the thriving higher education opportunity in Thailand. Let's find out whether this Asian peninsula can be your next higher study destination.  Why Study in Thailand?  As of 2022, Thailand is home to about 15,000 international students. It's easy to see why students choose Thailand. It's cheap, offers world-class education, and is a multicultural hub with a robust tourism sector.  This year 8 universities from Thailand made it to the QS Ranking of best universities across the globe. Additionally, almost all Thai universities consistently feature within the top 500 range in the Asian ranking.  Read More: Higher Study Opportunities in Turkey for International Students: Process, Cost A prospective student can choose from 12 public and 39 private universities in Thailand. A regulatory body known as the Thai Qualifications Framework oversees and monitors higher education in Thailand.  The robust curriculum, industry-driven education, and practical implementation of knowledge easily make Thailand one of the best countries to pursue higher studies.  Admission Process in Thailand Universities Just like western countries, Thailand primarily offers higher education in bachelor, masters, and Ph.D. The intakes are in spring and autumn, with expected classes to begin in the second week of January and September, respectively. Read More: Study in Czech Republic: Application process, cost, scholarships The process of admission starts around three months before class commencement. Most Thai universities follow a rolling admission process, so students should prepare at least a year before the intended admission semester.  Required Document There is no central application system in Thailand. So a prospective student will have to apply to each university individually. Depending on the universities, the required document also differs. But some universal documents apply to almost every university.  Application form -Certificate of graduation (Last passed examination for bachelors, masters, and Ph.D.) -Academic transcripts (Last passed ones for bachelors, masters, and Ph.D.) -GRE (Only for Bachelors) -LOR -Statement of Purpose -Language proficiency certification (IELTS/ TOEFL-iBT) -Application fee payment receipt Additionally, the transcripts need to be notarized or translated if they are not in English.  Read More: Self-Funded Study Opportunity in France for International Students Application Process  Almost every university in Thailand follows a central admission system as outlined by the specific university. The process applies to bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. as well.  However, for thesis-based masters, candidates may contact professors beforehand. While the applicant will still have to go through the central admission and screening process, managing a supervisor will expedite the process.  The admission process for Ph.D. exclusively requires a supervisor owing to the nature of the degree.  Read More: Study in Japan: Scholarships, Tuitions, Application Process for Bangladeshi Students For each session, the admission occurs on a rolling basis. So it's recommended to apply early.  Scholarship Opportunities in Thailand  Scholarship opportunities in Thailand can be divided into several streams. There are government-funded ones as well as organizational scholarships available for prospective students.  There are also specialized scholarships dedicated to a specific stream. For example, the SIIT scholarship (https://www.siit.tu.ac.th/admission.php?sid=21). It is one of the prestigious scholarships provided to masters and Ph.D. students who holds an exceptional academic track record and industry insight. Read More: Study in Belgium: Bachelor's, Masters and PhD options for Bangladeshi students The scholarship is provided to students of life sciences and engineering. The scholarship covers everything from tuition, accommodation, and living expenses for the awarded students.  Other scholarship opportunities include –  Petchra Pra Jom Klao Scholarships (https://iadmission.kmutt.ac.th/afford/scholarship) Chulalongkorn University Scholarships for International Students (https://www.grad.chula.ac.th/en/scholarship.php?type=1) PSU-Med ISG Scholarships (https://grad.psu.ac.th/en/news/scholarship/953-142.html) TIPP Scholarship (https://tica-thaigov.mfa.go.th/en/page/cate-7115-what-is-tipp?menu=605b1272233f4b075654ba92) Mahidol Postgraduate Scholarships for International Students (https://graduate.mahidol.ac.th/inter/?p=scholarship) Read More: Study in Denmark: Costs, opportunities for international students While most of these scholarships are available for the postgraduate level, some are available for the graduate level as well. Almost all of these scholarships are based on merit so expect tough competition to secure one.  Associated Costs of Higher Studies in Thailand Cost of Education in Thailand  One of the key reasons behind the popularity of Thailand as a study-abroad destination is the affordable tuition structure. But the affordability is mostly limited to public universities as private universities can run an eye-watering sum each year.  The cost of education in public universities at the undergraduate level is around 1700 euros or 1,88,063 BDT per semester. For masters, the cost is around 2000 euros or 2,21,250 BDT per semester (1 EUR = 110 BDT).  Read More: Overcoming Study Gap: How to Start Studying after a Long Break But for a private university, the cost can be as high as 20,000 euros or 22,12,505 BDT per year for bachelors. For masters, it can cost up to 14,000 euros 15,48,754 BDT per year. The Ph.D. cost is relatively cheap at around 700 euros or 77,437 BDT per year.  Living Costs in Thailand  The cost of living in Thailand greatly depends on the location you’re staying. Downtown Bangkok would cost much more compared to Chiang Mai or Lampang.  On average, a student can expect to spend around $600 or 64,079 BDT to $1200 or 1,28,158 BDT on living expenses in Thailand every month (1 USD = 106 BDT). The sum isn’t fixed, and it will greatly depend on the lifestyle and spending habits of the student.  Read More: Cheapest countries for Bangladeshi students for higher studies Work Opportunity in Thailand  An international student will need to obtain a permit from the immigration office to be eligible for part-time jobs alongside studies. A student can work up to 20 hours per week as per the stipulated regulation.  The minimum wage in Thailand is around $9.27 per hour. So a student working 20 hours per week can expect to earn around $ 750 or 80,099 BDT per month.  Final Thoughts  Thailand has much to offer beyond its touristy cities and neon-flooded nights. The country of the white elephant is steadily becoming the perfect study-abroad destination for many prospective international students.  Read More: SoP for Higher Studies: How to write an unfailing Statement of Purpose? The accredited certificates, practical skill-oriented education, and a great career opportunity are sure to be lucrative for many. The diverse stream of education is another plus point of Thai higher education. Even though the country is heavily focused on industrial development, arts and humanities studies are equally thriving.  Additionally, there are generous scholarships and work opportunities for students. So it won’t be very difficult to finance the education once you’re admitted to a university. On the whole, it can be said that international students including Bangladesh have scopes for higher studies in Thailand. 

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahabuddin says Bangladesh played a strong and effective role on behalf of the countries most vulnerable to climate change at the recently concluded United Nations Climate Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt or COP27. Bangladesh made a strong call for achieving significant progress in the 'New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance' negotiations, with the aim of securing USD 100 billion per year until 2025 and securing long-term climate finance. The environment minister said these while addressing a workshop "27th World Climate Conference (COP 27): Expectations and Achievements and Future Action Plan" at the auditorium of the Department of Environment on Tuesday, as the chief guest. The minister said developed countries have been requested to double adaptation financing to developing countries by 2025.  Read more: COP27: How will UN climate deal on loss and damage work? Shahabuddin said 197 member states of the UNFCCC have reached a consensus on important issues including the adoption of the 'Sharm Al Sheikh Implementation Plan' on the morning of November 20 after long discussions.  The minister for environment said the conference decided to create a new fund to address "loss and damage" in the most vulnerable developing countries.   A 'Transitional Committee' has been set up for COP-28 to 'Operationalize' the Fund and fix its 'Detail Arrangements'. The minister also said that a decision has been taken to finalise 'Loss and Damage' in the conference, decide its host and form an advisory committee. Countries have agreed to take action on the 'Global Goals on Adaptation'.  He said that $230 million have been pledged to the 'Adaptation Fund'. Funding has been given importance for the implementation of NAP.   In addition, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced a $3.1 billion plan over the next five years to protect everyone on earth through early warning systems. The Minister of Environment said the "Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan" has been accepted with congratulations by all the countries of the world, including the decision to form a new fund to address "Loss and Damage" in the more vulnerable developing countries like Bangladesh, but its successful implementation will depend on its proper implementation.  Read more: COP27: Rich countries couldn’t agree yet on loss and damage funding for vulnerable nations With Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, in the chair at the programme, Deputy Minister for Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar, and President of the standing committee on environment, forest and climate change Saber Hossain Chowdhury, among others, spoke as special guests.

Unidentified assailants shot and stabbed to death a Rohingya leader in a refugee camp in Ukhiya upazila of the district early Tuesday. Shahab Uddin, 35, was a sub-leader, locally known as sub-majhi, of the No 12 Rohingya camp. He was also son of Monir Ahmed of the H/14 Block of the same camp. Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya police station, said a group of criminals numbering 20 to 30 swooped on him after entering his house around 4.30am. Read more: 29 indicted for killing Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah The criminals stabbed him in the chest, right hand and other organs of the body and shot him to ensure his death, leaving him dead on the spot, he said. “Primarily it was learned that trying to establish influence over several groups at the camp led to the killing,” he said, adding that the exact reason for the murder could not be known from the victim’s family and others. Read more: Two more Rohingya community leaders killed in ambush inside camps The patrolling by the law enforcers was beefed up to ward off any further incident, the OC said, adding that the body was sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy.  

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Tuesday said that a gymnasium will be built in every ward under the DSCC. He came up with the announcement while addressing at the 17th board meeting ‘Governing policy-2022 of gymnasiums under Dhaka City Corporation’ of the second council of the corporation at Mayor Mohammad Hanif auditorium in the organisation’s main office. Mayor Tapos said “We have only 17 physical exercise centers in 75 wards; we want to keep a physical exercise center along with a social programme center at every ward.” “We want to build 36 more social programme centers along with the existing 35 ones—for that we also want to keep gymnasiums at every ward,” he said, adding that they have chalked out a project to ensure gymnasiums for the people. “As part of our welfare and social development works, we will renovate the dilapidated gymnasiums being run in assistance with our ward councilors,” he said. The project aims at keeping the youth generation engaged in physical exercise at the gymnasium so that they can’t be derailed, Taposh said, adding they have no intention to bag more revenue from the gyms. Read more: Taposh takes over as new DSCC Mayor The rent for the gymnasiums will be set following areas and its socioeconomic condition, he said adding a Tk 100 will be fixed against every square feet space in the commercial area. Mayor Taposh said the gymnasiums will be categorized into Ka, Kha and Ga considering existing spaces, facilities and gears. Councilors and officials of several departments of the corporation were present at the meeting. Read more: Dhaka mayors get minister status

Some locally made arms and leaflets of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir were recovered from one of the locked rooms of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College on Tuesday. However, no one could be detained in this connection as this room had been locked for a long time. Nazmul Hossain, general secretary of the Awami League’s student front Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at the college unit, said acting on-a tip off they came to know that Shibir men hoarded local weapons and political leaflets in a room on the third floor of the college hostel. Read more: BCL factional clash leaves eight injured at Chattogram College “Police seized axes, hockey sticks, cricket stumps, some other local arms, leaflets and other books belonging to the Shibir politics, when we along with general students were on to recover these,” he said. “The practice of politics by the Shibir was banned following the murder of Dr Soumitra on the campus, but now they seem to be more active under several banners,” he said. Mohammad Ali Mahmaud, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model police station, said they recovered the weapons and other instruments after the BCL men found them. Read more: BCL politician's murder: Fugitive accused held in Dhaka He said they would take legal action if the hospital authority files a case in connection with the recovery of arms and other things.  

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to share prior information on any flying of drones/aircrafts/helicopters at the border of the two close neighboring countries to avoid misunderstandings and any untoward situation.  Besides, they also decided to exchange information about any incident of firing/shooting/explosion/ movement of security forces at the border.  The decisions were taken during the 8th Senior Level Border Conference between the respective border security forces, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) held at Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar, that ended with the signing of Joint Records of Discussion (JRD) on November 27.  Major General Shakil Ahmed, Director General (DG) of Border Guard Bangladesh, who led a 10-member delegation at the border conference, revealed it at a press briefing at BGB headquarters here on Tuesday.  Briefing reporters, Maj Gen  Shakil Ahmed  said that they have taken up the issue of some incidents of airspace violations along the border during the conference. "We also requested our counterpart to share prior information if they need to fly a drone or a chopper in the border area," he said.  After discussion, both BGB and BGP agreed to maintain the border norms and practices and to share information with each other about any incident of firing/shooting/explosion/ movement of security forces at the border including early information of any flying of drones/aircrafts/helicopters to avoid misunderstanding and untoward situation.   The Myanmar side took note of the concerns of Bangladesh on the issues of landmine and electrification of the border fence.   During the border conference, the DG BGB expressed his grave concern over the ongoing unstable security situation in close proximity to the international boundary inside Myanmar and urged the BGP to adopt necessary measures in arresting the situation.   Read more: BGB-BGP flag meeting ends with Myanmar officially regretting border incidents He also highlighted the need for joint efforts of both forces in curbing the drugs and narcotics inflow to Bangladesh from Myanmar and combating different trans-national crimes including illegal border crossing and sought cooperation from BGP.  The DG BGB also reiterated the national concern about the early repatriation of the Rohingyas, officially referred to as Displaced Myanmar Nationals from Rakhine temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh and solicited appropriate endeavors from the Myanmar side to that end.  Recognizing the significance of information sharing to maintain peace and law enforcement in the border areas, both sides agreed to share information by various means on a timely basis between the designated contact points at various levels.  Both sides also agreed to collaborate with each other actively and effectively to prevent the activities of trans-border criminal gangs by sharing real-time information.   Besides, the conference also agreed that Bangladesh will maintain a 'Zero Tolerance' policy with all-out efforts to prevent illicit drugs and psychotropic substances especially Yaba and Crystal Meth ICE trafficking along the border and the Myanmar side will continue anti-drugs measures following its national drug control policy. Based upon the local situation, both sides agreed to arrange a seminar/symposium about the negative impact of drugs to facilitate public awareness amongst the bordering people, he said.   Both sides also agreed to work jointly to improve the present border situation through information sharing and informing respective appropriate agencies/authorities and pursue to keep the border stable and peaceful for bordering people.  Read more: BGB wide awake along border with Myanmar: DG Police Major General Aung Naing Thu, Deputy Chief of Myanmar Police Force (MPF), who led a 15-member Myanmar delegation in the conference, emphasized Myanmar's adherence to the Border Agreement-1980 and he urged to enhance bilateral cooperation in combating illicit drugs and psychotropic substances and to prevent illegal border crossing.   He also urged to resume coordinated patrols between the two guarding forces to counter the potential threats posed by terrorist groups along the border, relayed the DG BGB.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) has taken strict security measures marking the ruling Awami League's upcoming rally in the Port City on December 4, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to be present as chief guest. Three layers of security will be established around the rally venue at Railway Polo Ground, CMP Commissioner Krishnapad Roy told reporters after visiting it. The CMP commissioner said, “We are on high alert marking the PM’s rally in the city.” Read more: DMP gives BNP 26 conditions for holding Dec 10 rally at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan PM Hasina last addressed an AL rally in the Port City on March 28, 2012 at the same venue.   Around 7,500 policemen will be deployed across the city. Among them, 6,000 members will be in charge of security in the entire Chattogram city including the polo ground. Another 1,500 policemen will be deployed outside the city to strengthen the security, he added. "We are keeping an eye on everything. So we can say that there is no news or fear of sabotage.” Meanwhile, the stage construction work is underway at the venue. The construction of the 160 feet long 'boat-shaped' stage started on November 15. Read more:PM instructed to move BCL council from Dec 8 to 6 to facilitate BNP’s Dhaka rally: Quader Awami League leaders are expecting that about 10 lakh people will join the rally. Awami League presidium member and former minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain said, “In the last 14 years, the Prime Minister has made a lot of progress in Chattogram. People will spontaneously join the rally to express gratitude for this development.” The Polo Ground will become a human sea on December 4 due to the rally, hoped the veteran AL leader. Several initiatives have been taken by the City Corporation to welcome the Prime Minister in the city, said Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim. The Police Commissioner said that the Special Security Force (SSF), which is responsible for the PM's security, is supervising the entire arrangement of the rally. As per their suggestion, there will be police in plain clothes along with uniformed police. Besides, there will be CCTV cameras and drones. In short, there will be maximum security throughout the city. Those who will come to the procession on the day of the rally, where to park their cars will be informed later, he added.

A 32-year-old worker died after falling off an under-construction building in the capital’s Bhasantek area Tuesday afternoon. Md Julhas Mridha was the son of late Hamid Mridha, of Banakata area under Dohar police station in Dhaka. Read more: Worker dies falling off under-construction building in capital Monir Hossain, a co-worker of the victim, said Julhas fell off the third floor of the 10-storey under-construction building in the Bhasanteke area while he was working, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where physicians pronounced him dead upon arrival, said Md Bachhu Mia, inspector of the hospital police outpost. Read more: Worker dies falling off under-construction building in city The body was kept at the hospital’s morgue for autopsy, he added.  

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to complete the probe into the loan scam cases of Basic Bank in the next three months. HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order dismissing the rule regarding the bail of Mohammad Ali, former manager of Basic Bank's Shantinagar branch, in three cases. HC also directed to take action against the ACC according to the law if the probe is not completed within this time frame. Read more: ACC prosecutes 3 BASIC Bank officials for graft The HC also asked for the probe report of these cases filed seven years ago to the court concerned within the next three months. An affidavit must also be filed in the High Court after submitting the report. Mohammad Ali was made the accused in 12 cases out of 56 cases of Basic Bank loan scam. ACC arrested him on June 9 in 2019. On April 20 this year, the High Court issued a rule on hearing of his bail plea filed in three cases at Paltan police station over embezzling Tk 178 crore. Following the rule, a hearing was held in the HC on November 8 and asked for updated information on the Basic Bank loan scam. Read more: HC stays Basic Bank’s move to change salary structure According to the ACC report, about 56 cases over embezzlement of around Tk 2,590 crore from different branches of the bank have been filed so far. But the probe of the 56 cases over the Basic Bank loan scam has not been completed yet. One of the reasons why the probe is taking so long is that the embezzled money has been fully withdrawn in cash to conceal the location of the money, ACC said in their report. Besides, identifying important witnesses in the case and taking their statements (under Section 161) has become difficult.