Earth's protective ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades as it is slowly but noticeably healing, a UN-backed panel of experts said Monday. In a report published every four years on the progress of the Montreal Protocol, the panel confirmed the phase-out of nearly 99 percent of banned ozone-depleting substances. The Montreal Protocol was signed in September 1987 and is a landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the consumption and production of nearly 100 man-made chemicals or ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The overall phase-down has led to the notable recovery of the protective ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. "The impact the Montreal Protocol has had on climate change mitigation cannot be overstressed," Meg Seki, executive secretary of the UN Environment Programme's Ozone Secretariat, said. "Over the last 35 years, the Protocol has become a true champion for the environment. The assessments and reviews undertaken by the Scientific Assessment Panel remain a vital component of the work of the Protocol that helps inform policy and decision-makers." The discovery of a hole in the Ozone Layer was first announced by three scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, in May 1985. According to the Panel's report, if current policies remain in place, the layer is expected to recover to 1980 values by 2040. Over the Antarctic, this recovery is expected by around 2066 and by 2045 over the Arctic. Variations in the size of the Antarctic ozone hole, particularly between 2019 and 2021, were driven largely by meteorological conditions. Nevertheless, the Antarctic ozone breach has been slowly improving in area and depth, since the year 2000. Read more: ‘Largest-ever ozone hole’ over Arctic closes The Montreal Protocol has already benefitted efforts to mitigate climate change, helping avoid global warming by an estimated 0.5-degree Celcius, the report said. In 2016 an additional agreement to the Montreal Protocol, known as the Kigali Amendment required a phase-down of the production and consumption of some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs do not directly deplete ozone but are powerful gases which contribute to global warming and accelerated climate change. The panel said that it is estimated the amendment will avoid 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius of additional warming by 2100. "Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action. Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done – as a matter of urgency – to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases and so limit temperature increase," World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement. The panel cautioned against the use of a potential method to reduce climate warming by increasing sunlight reflection. For the first time, they examined the potential effects on the ozone arising from the intentional addition of aerosols into the stratosphere, known as a stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). They said an unintended consequence of SAI was that it could also affect stratospheric temperatures, circulation and ozone production and destruction rates and transport. Read more: Govt committed to protect ozone layer: Environment Minister

Police recovered the body of a woman from the rail tracks in Dari Maliat area under Kushtia’s Kumarkhali upazila on Saturday night. The deceased is Shammi Akter Samia, 20, daughter of Saidul Islam from Sherkandi area of Kumarkhali municipality of the district. According to police, the woman used to make Tiktok videos. The body was recognised by her uncle and younger sister on Sunday noon. “A case of unnatural death has been filed with Kumarkhali Police Station in this regard,” said Tonmoy Bhattacharjee, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Poradah Railway Police Station. Read: Missing ex-BCL leader’s body recovered from Buriganga The family of the deceased has been demanding that Samia did not commit suicide, rather she was murdered. Her mother Hasina Khatun said Samia went out to visit her aunt’s house in Dari Maliat area at about 6:00pm on Saturday. But after she didn’t return home by 8:00pm they started looking for her. On Sunday morning, they went to the morgue of Kushtia General Hospital after learning that police had recovered a body the night before, she said. “There we found the severed body of our daughter,” said the mother. Read: University student’s body found at home in Natore Md Imdadul Haque, Officer In-charge (OC) of Poradah Railway Police Station, said that they recovered Samia’s body upon receiving information from local people. “The exact reason of the death will be known once the autopsy is done,” said Imdadul.

Bangladesh reported 37 more Covid cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning. The total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,425 as no death was reported during the period. With the new infections, the caseload rose to 2,035,782, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily case test positivity rate dropped to 1.96 per cent from Friday’s 3.25 per cent as 1,892 samples were tested during the period. Read  more: Covid-19: Bangladesh logs one death, 1,104 new cases The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 per cent and the recovery rate at 97.37 per cent. In September, the country reported 40 Covid-linked deaths and 13,251 cases. Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and its highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.  

Police seized an Indian softshell turtle, weighing around 23kg, from a Dhaka-bound bus in Natore town Thursday. The narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica) also known as small-headed softshell turtle is an endangered species of softshell turtle found in rivers of the Indian subcontinent. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police conducted a raid on a bus in the Banbelghoria Bypass area, Abu Sadad, officer-in-charge of Natore DB, said. Wrapped in polythene, the turtle was supposed to be sent to Dhaka's Savar, he added. "However, police could not arrest anyone for smuggling the turtle." Read: Endangered Ganges turtle rescued from Natore According to the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list, the Indian softshell turtle is considered to be vulnerable because of multiple threats, particularly because of loss of habitation, poaching and trapping for illegal sale. The seized turtle was sent to the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Rajshahi, Sadad said.

Salman Rushdie is “on the road to recovery,” his agent confirmed Sunday, two days after the author of “The Satanic Verses” suffered serious injuries in a stabbing at a lecture in New York. The announcement followed news that the lauded writer was removed from a ventilator Saturday and able to talk. Literary agent Andrew Wylie cautioned that although Rushdie’s “condition is headed in the right direction,” his recovery would be long. Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and in an eye that he was likely to lose, Wylie had previously said. “Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humour remains intact,” Rushdie’s son Zafar Rushdie said in a Sunday statement that stressed the author remained in critical condition. The family statement also expressed gratitude for the “audience members who bravely leapt to his defence,” as well as police, doctors and “the outpouring of love and support.” Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called “a targeted, unprovoked, preplanned attack” at western New York’s Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat center. The attack was met with global shock and outrage, along with praise for the man who, for more than three decades — including nine years in hiding under the protection of the British government — has weathered death threats and a $3 million bounty on his head over “The Satanic Verses.” “It’s an attack against his body, his life and against every value that he stood for,” Henry Reese, 73, told The Associated Press. The cofounder of Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum was on stage with Rushdie and suffered a gash to his forehead, bruising and other minor injuries. They had planned to discuss the need for writers’ safety and freedom of expression. Authors, activists and government officials cited Rushdie’s bravery and longtime championing of free speech in the face of intimidation. Writer and longtime friend Ian McEwan labeled Rushdie “an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists” and actor-author Kal Penn called him a role model, “especially many of us in the South Asian diaspora.” “Salman Rushdie — with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced — stands for essential, universal ideals,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a Saturday statement. “Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear.” Rushdie, who was born in India to a Muslim family and has lived in Britain and the U.S., is known for his surreal and satirical prose, beginning with his Booker Prize-winning 1981 novel “Midnight’s Children,” in which he sharply criticized then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Infused with magical realism, 1988′s “The Satanic Verses” drew ire from some Muslims who regarded elements of the novel as blasphemy. Read: Author Salman Rushdie on ventilator after New York stabbing They believed Rushdie insulted the Prophet Muhammad by naming a character Mahound, a medieval corruption of “Muhammad.” The character was a prophet in a city called Jahilia, which in Arabic refers to the time before the advent of Islam on the Arabian Peninsula. Another sequence includes prostitutes that share names with some of Muhammad’s nine wives. The novel also implies that Muhammad, not Allah, may have been the Quran’s real author. The book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere when Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989. Khomeini died that same year, but the fatwa remains in effect — though Iran, in recent years, hadn’t focused on Rushdie. Iran’s state-run newspaper, Iran Daily, praised the attack as an “implementation of divine decree” Sunday. Another hardline newspaper, Kayhan, termed it “divine revenge” that would partially calm the anger of Muslims. Investigators were trying to determine whether the suspect, born nearly a decade after the novel’s publication, acted alone. A prosecutor alluded to the standing fatwa as a potential motive in arguing against bail. “His resources don’t matter to me. We understand that the agenda that was carried out yesterday is something that was adopted and it’s sanctioned by larger groups and organizations well beyond the jurisdictional borders of Chautauqua County,” District Attorney Jason Schmidt said. Schmidt said Matar got an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arrived a day early bearing a fake ID. The judge ordered Matar held without bail. Public defender Nathaniel Barone complained that authorities had taken too long to get Matar in front of a judge, leaving him “hooked up to a bench at the state police barracks,” and stressed that Matar had the right to presumed innocence. Barone said after the hearing that Matar has been communicating openly with him and that he would try to learn whether his clinet has psychological or addiction issues. Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon, village mayor Ali Tehfe told the AP. Flags of the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah, along with portraits of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders, were visible across Yaroun before journalists visiting Saturday were asked to leave. Hezbollah spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment. Lebanon’s top Shiite Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan vilified Rushdie in a speech Sunday without directly endorsing the attack, saying the author was “the cheapest and worst personality to deal with history and heritage by fabricating lies and hypocrisies.” In Tehran, some Iranians interviewed by the AP praised the attack on an author they believe tarnished the Islamic faith, while others worried it would further isolate their country. Read: Author Salman Rushdie stabbed on lecture stage in New York A state trooper and a county sheriff’s deputy were assigned to Rushdie’s lecture, and police said the trooper made the arrest. But afterward, some longtime visitors to the bucolic vacation colony questioned why there wasn’t tighter security given the history of threats against Rushdie. On Friday, an AP reporter witnessed the attacker stab or punch Rushdie about 10 or 15 times. Reese, the moderator, told CNN he initially thought the attack was a prank. News about the stabbing has led to renewed interest in “The Satanic Verses,” which topped bestseller lists after the fatwa was issued in 1989. As of Sunday morning, the novel ranked No. 11 on Amazon.com’s list. One of Rushdie’s ex-wives, the author and television host Padma Lakshmi, tweeted Sunday that she was “relieved” by Rushdie’s prognosis.   “Worried and wordless, can finally exhale,” she wrote. “Now hoping for swift healing.”

Bodies of two unidentified people, including one of a woman, were recovered from the streets of the capital Thursday and Wednesday, police said. Paltan Police Station recovered the body of a 55-year-old woman in front of Gulistan Sheikh Russell Roller Skating Complex in the morning. Shahbag Police Station recovered the body of a 45-year-old man in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Wednesday evening. On information, the law enforcers recovered the body of the woman, Sub-Inspector (SI) Bijan Kumar Biswas of Paltan Police Station said. "Later, it was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy." Read: Police find unidentified woman's body in Badda SI Arafat of Shahbagh Police Station said they recovered the body of the 45-year-old man at 7:30pm. "Later, the body was sent to the hospital morgue for a postmortem examination." Police assumed that both the man and the woman had been living on the streets and suffering from a long illness.    However, the causes of their deaths are pending autopsies and have not been confirmed.

Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed on Thursday was discharged from a city hospital after a recovery from his illness. The minister was receiving treatment for five days at United Hospital in the capital. His physical condition is now good, according to a PID handout. Also read: Social Welfare minister admitted to Dhaka hospital after falling sick in Lalmonirhat Nuruzzaman, the MP from Lalmonirhat-2, was first admitted to the cardiology department of Rangpur Medical College Hospital on May 7 last after he fell sick. On May 8, the 72-year old minister was airlifted to United Hospital in Dhaka by an Air Force helicopter. Also read: Social Welfare Association finally to get a law, Bill placed

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia urged the country’s people to pray for her as she is still sick, her medical board member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said on Wednesday. “The reality is that she (Khaleda) is ill. She underwent several tests. Please, you all pray for her recovery. She herself urged people to pray for her,” he said. Talking to reporters in front of Khaleda’s Gulshan residence in the evening, Zahid bemoaned that some people make fun of the BNP chief's illness.  “The Almighty Allah can only give them the ability to understand the fact. If she hadn't been sick now, why would she have needed medical checkups? " He said the person who went to Alia Madrasa ground walking on foot, has now become wheelchair-bound. “How well is she when she has to now move in a wheelchair? ” READ: Khaleda undergoes medical tests at Evercare Hospital Dr Zahid said Khaleda Zia was taken to the hospital for some tests as per the advice of the medical board.  “The medical board will decide on the next course of her treatment after reviewing the test reports.”  He said the medical board formed in the Evercare Hospital for the treatment of the BNP chief feels she needs to go abroad for advanced treatment. “But the government is not allowing her to go there.” Earlier, Khaleda arrived at the hospital from her Gulshan residence around 5pm and stayed there for an hour, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.  He said the BNP chairperson underwent several tests of her kidney, heart and liver at the hospital and then returned to her residence around 6:45pm.  Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.  She was last admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.  On February 1, she returned home after an 81-day stay in the hospital as she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by the liver cirrhosis problem.  Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.  Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay in her Gulshan house and will not leave the country.

The body of a worker of a lighter vessel, who went missing after it sank in the outer anchorage area of Chattogram port, was recovered near the coastal area of Bhatiari of Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram district on Monday. The deceased was identified as Hanif Sheikh, son of Hannan Sheikh of Alfadanga upazila in Faridpur district. Members of coast guard and river police fished out the body of Hanif from the area at noon. Three workers still remain missing, said Captain of the lighter vessel Titu-14, Shaheed Sheikh. READ: Teenage girl found dead in Chattogram  Earlier on Saturday, eight crew members went missing after a lighter vessel carrying cement and clinker sank in the outer anchorage area of Chattogram port. According to Chattogram port sources, the lighter vessel -- Titu-14 -- sank in the Bay of Bengal following a collision with a dredger in the outer anchorage area of the port. The Coast Guard managed to rescue nine of the 13 crew members of the vessel while four remained missing.

The World Bank is committed to helping Bangladesh remain on a sustainable growth path, amid the government's economic reforms to emerge stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic. The assurance came from none other than the global leader's Vice President for South Asia, Hartwig Schafer, as he wrapped up his week-long visit to Bangladesh. During his visit, Schafer met with the Finance Minister and commended the government’s measures to contain the pandemic, and its focus on an inclusive economic recovery. He also noted the strong role the Prime Minister played at the recent COP26 meeting, the World Bank said in a statement. “The resilience of Bangladesh’s people and the economy is striking. The Covid-19 pandemic hit the country hard, but the government’s proactive measures have largely contained the virus and the economy has started to turn around,” Schafer said. He said that the World Bank is committed to helping Bangladesh remain on a sustainable growth path, which will require timely policy actions to build strong public institutions, a robust private sector and conducive business climate, and a skilled labour force, and at the same time focus on climate resilience. During the visit, Schafer also met with Advisor to the Prime Minister Salman F Rahman, Governor of Bangladesh Bank Fazle Kabir, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, as well as senior government officials, representatives from the private sector, and development partners. The World Bank Group is beginning the preparation of its new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Bangladesh, which will guide its support to the country from 2023-2027. This entails a robust consultation process with a broad range of stakeholders in government, the private sector, and civil society, and with development partners, the statement said. In his meetings with government and other stakeholders, Schafer discussed their perspectives on Bangladesh’s development priorities and how the World Bank can support these in a sustainable way. “Bangladesh is an inspiring development success story,” said Schafer. “As the country works to become an upper-middle-income country by 2031, the World Bank will be there every step of the way on a path to economic growth that is greener, more resilient, and more inclusive for the people of Bangladesh.” Schafer also visited two World Bank-financed project sites. In Bhairab, he met with micro-entrepreneurs who are using clean technologies in their shoe-making businesses. They are among the 40,000 micro-enterprises who are gaining access to microfinance to grow their small businesses and boost their incomes, while adopting greener and cleaner production practices. In Ashuganj, he visited a modern steel silo complex construction site. The World Bank is supporting with the construction of eight modern steel silo complexes in Bangladesh. These silos can store 535,500 metric tonnes of rice and wheat for up to three years while retaining their nutritional quality. Schafer also joined an event, jointly organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, BRAC and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), to promote road safety awareness and UN-standard helmets that are affordable and certified for motorised two-wheeler riders.