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.

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.

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.  

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.  

Tannery Workers Union (TWU) has demanded a 50-bed specialized hospital for the treatment of workers at Savar tannery hub, as they are suffering severe health hazards from the impact of chemicals used in the industry. The TWU leaders said this in a press briefing on labor compliance and a safe working environment in Savar tannery hub, held at press council auditorium in the capital on Tuesday. They also demand the implementation of the ILO labor conventional Act along with the permission of trade union to protect the industry and its labor. Speaking in the press conference, general secretary of TWU Abdul Maleque said the government is giving importance to leather industries, but the tannery workers are being deprived their minimum rights. “After working 30 years in the tannery industries, labors were sacked from job without paying any financial compensation, although the tannery owners make huge profit due to the labor of these workers,” he said. Read more: 7 tanneries shut down in Savar for polluting river He demanded a 50-bed hospital in the Savar tannery hub for the treatment of tannery workers as the industry workers suffered different physical difficulties including skin disease and cancer. Maleque also demanded the mandatory use of health safety guards during duty in and operation of machinery in the tannery industries. There are 20000 workers who are directly involved in the Savar tannery industries, while around 2 lakh workers are engaged in this industry indirectly. The tannery industries’ local value addition is around 84 percent, while this ratio in the garments sector is around 20 percent. Read more: Tannery owners to begin rawhide procurement soon Professor Dr. Belal Ahmed and Mohammad Nazrul Islam of solidarity center- Bangladesh, an international organization working on leather industry workers also spoke at the press conference.  

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry recommended the government to reopen the immigration services at Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj, which has remained suspended for nearly three years. The parliamentary watchdog made the recommendation at its 51st meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with its chairman Maj. (Retd.) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam in the chair, said a press release. Read more: Parliament reconstitutes six standing committees The people of the country’s northwestern region are facing problems in travelling to India through Sonamasjid-Mehandipur route as the immigration services in Sonamasjid land port was shut on March 15, 2020 amid the global outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, but hasn’t opened yet. Now the travellers need to cross a long way to enter India through the Benapole immigration check post, which cost them extra money and time. Besides, the committee suggested the ministry to connect the Payra port with Dhaka and other river ports for conducting commercial activities, and collect the necessary number of dredgers to protect the navigability of the river channels to this end. The parliamentary body put emphasis on saving energy and use of solar systems in the land ports. It also recommended resolving the border related problems through discussions with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Read more: Parliamentary committee gets 2 more months to review media employees bill Committee members Mazaharul Hoque Prodhan (Panchagarh-1), Ranajit Kumar Roy (Jashore-4), Mahfuzur Rahaman (Chattogram-3), Dr. Shamil Uddin Ahmed Shimul (Chapainawabganj-1) and SM Shahjada (Patuakhali-3) attended the meeting.  

A trainer aircraft (PT-6) of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) made an emergency landing  in an area adjacent to Arulia Airport in Bogura  around 10:35 am on Tuesday. The aircraft took off from Flying Instructors School at  Arulia Airport at around 10:34 am. Read more: Certificate award ceremony of BAF aircraft accident investigation course held Pilots of the trainer aircraft- Group Captain Mahbub and Squadron Leader Halimur are safe and sound, said an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) directorate press release.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said stopping boarding of passengers in moving buses and practicing quality journalism maintaining objectivity will be useful in paying respect to the late journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury. "Two things can be exemplary for us in paying tribute to the late journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury on his death anniversary. One is to stop boarding passengers in moving buses and another thing is to pay attention to practicing quality journalism by the journalists," he said. Read more: Momen courts Canadian investors at 50th anniversary event Momen said Zaglul always presented correct information and the budding journalists must study Zaglul. The Foreign Minister was speaking as the chief guest at the reminiscence meeting held at  the Jatiya Press Club. Recalling his relationship with journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury through family sources and for professional reasons, the foreign minister said, "His death  was very painful. He has left a legacy of journalism for Bangladesh that can be followed by this generation of journalists." Momen also said since professional journalists need to know a lot, Zaglul was also very interested in knowing. "He always sought to know the facts and acquired a lot of knowledge for reporting. He was particularly interested in learning about the subcontinent. From that interest, he knew and could analyze a lot about Bangladesh's relations with neighboring countries," said the Foreign Minister. Momen said Zagalul was very kind as a person and he never disrespect anyone. "This is one of his great qualities. He was also generous in mind." Read more: Momen ‘not worried’ about Japanese Ambassador’s remarks, calls him a ‘simple, good person’ Journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury Memorial Trust President and former Food Minister Adv Qamrul Islam, Secretary General and Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta, Secretary (West), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury, UNB Editor Farid Hossain, journalist Zaglul’s former collogues and family members also spoke at the event marking the 8th death anniversary. The speakers fondly remembered the late Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, a committed journalist, columnist and analyst on South Asian affairs. They remembered his contributions to journalism and recalled how quickly he could write both in English and Bangla and analyze important national, regional and global issues. They said there are many people who love journalist Zaglul from the deep core of their hearts with much respect. On November 29, 2014 Zaglul met an accident in Dhaka. He had a personal car, but preferred travelling by public transport. While getting down from a bus on his way to a TV talk show, he slipped and fell, and was fatally hit by a bus.   Journalist Zaglul worked as a diplomatic correspondent, special correspondent, head of the parliamentary team, foreign editor, and in-charge of the human rights desk of BSS. He also served as Managing Director of BSS. At the time of his demise he was working with The Financial Express as Consulting Editor. The prominent journalist was connected with several prominent foreign media.

With three more deaths from dengue recorded in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, the official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease rose to 250 this year. During this period, 436 more patients, including 253 in Dhaka city, were hospitalised, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Among the latest deaths, one each was reported from Dhaka Chattogram and Barishal division. Read more: 366 more dengue cases reported With this, the death toll in Dhaka division rose to 153, in Chattogram to 60 and in Barishal to 12. A total of 1,827 dengue patients, including 1,067 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. The DGHS has recorded 56,932 dengue cases and 54,855 recoveries so far this year. Read more: Dengue: 513 cases, 3 deaths reported in 24 hrs