Many residents in the worst-hit city of Hualien spent the night in tents on sports grounds as a series of more than 300 aftershocks followed the worst quake to hit Taiwan in 25 years. Rescue workers on Thursday were searching for people in Taiwan after the strongest earthquake in a quarter century shook the island Wednesday. The Taiwan Fire Agency said in its latest update on Thursday that 52 people remained missing and 93 remained trapped.  A series of strong tremors and about 300 aftershocks also followed the quake throughout the day.  The 7.4-magnitude quake struck the island's east coast Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 1,000. The extent of damage at the quake's epicenter in the mountainous Hualien County was still being assessed. Some choose to spend the night outdoors In Hualien City, workers used an excavator to stabilize the base of the damaged 10-story Uranus building with construction materials. Some 48 residential buildings were damaged by the quake, authorities said. All those trapped in buildings have been rescued, but many residents unnerved by the aftershocks spent the night outdoors. Many slept in tents on sports grounds that were being used for temporary shelter. Engineers were also at work to make sure that unstable buildings would not pose a risk. How are rescue operations progressing after the Taiwan earthquake? The National Fire Agency said some 40 people were still stranded inside a hotel at the Taroko National Park. It said employees and guests at the hotel were safe. Most of the people were killed by falling rocks on Wednesday, and four of the fatalities were inside the national park, according to the state Central News Agency. Authorities also raced to rescue people trapped in quarries and highway tunnels. Authorities said some 60 workers, who were unable to leave a quarry due to blocked roads, were freed on Thursday. Central News Agency said all of the workers got off the mountain safely around noon, and six workers from another quarry were airlifted out.  Taiwan celebrates a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday to celebrate the Qingming festival, with Taiwanese visiting the tombs of their ancestors. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged citizens to not venture out to mountainous regions of the island during the holiday, due to landslide concerns.     

Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and the districts of Gopalgonj, Kishoreganj, Moulavibazar, Jashore, Kushtia and Chuadanga and it may continue, said a Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) bulletin. "Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country. Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog at places elsewhere over the country during midnight to morning," said the bulletin issued for 24 hours commencing 9 am on Saturday (Jan 27). Night temperature may fall slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Country's maximum temperature on Friday was recorded 27.8 degrees Celsius at Sitakunda while today's minimum temperature 7.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Tetulia. The sun sets at 5:41 pm today and rises at 6:42 am tomorrow in the capital.   Source: BSS

Leaders of several political parties and all groups of Balochistan continued their protest in the Sariab Mill against the extrajudicial killings of Baloch people and non-recovery of missing people, Pakistan vernacular media Qudrat Daily reported. Leaders of several political parties and all groups of Balochistan continued their protest in the Sariab Mill against the extrajudicial killings of Baloch people and non-recovery of missing people, Pakistan vernacular media Qudrat Daily reported.  The dharna continued in Sariab Mill on the second day despite the severe cold. Hundreds of women, children, and elderly people remained in the camp to express solidarity with them. The leaders of various political parties, including all groups of Balochistan National Party, PTM, National Party, and BSO, expressed solidarity with the participants of the long march.  The protestors demanded a judicial inquiry regarding the missing people who have been killed in the encounters since 2021. They demanded 'severe' punishment for those behind the killings and disappearances, the vernacular media Qudrat Daily reported. According to the report, thousands of missing persons are still far away from their loved ones, neither they are being produced in the courts nor do their families have access to them at this time. "Our institution is neither accountable to the court nor the government. They are running their government," the report stated. The families of the missing persons further demanded that all the missing persons should be brought to court and should be given a chance to give their statements. They also demanded judicial inquiry for those killed in encounters so that the facts could come out.  Source: ANI

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wants Shakib Al Hasan to continue as national team captain for all three formats of cricket after recovering from the finger injury, he sustained during the World Cup. Shakib's pre-World Cup announcement of relinquishing the captaincy after the cricket's biggest extravaganza and Najmul Hossian Shanto being given the reins in his absence made it seem that the young man can replace the veteran as captain. "Shakib is still our captain. We have made Shanto as captain for the just two series against New Zealand," BCB Cricket Operations Chairman Jalal Younus told the media here today. "Shakib was given the captaincy for long term. We still consider him as our captain in all formats of our cricket. Whenever Shakib returns we expect him to lead the side in all three formats. There is no scope to think otherwise if he takes over," Younus added. Shakib has been out of the action after injuring his index finger during the World Cup. He had missed the two-match Test series against New Zealand at home and also would miss the subsequent ODI and T20 International series in New Zealand. Shanto led the side in Test series at home and later was appointed captain for the away ODI and T20 series in Shakib's absence. "No question was raised whether he will be the captain or not. Shakib knows he is the captain of the side in all three formats and we also consider him the captain," Younus remarked. Recently in a programme of Awami League in USA, Shakib, who got the ruling party Awami League nomination from Magura-1 constituency, made a comment that he didn't put his name in upcoming IPL and PSL due to the commitment for Bangladesh cricket. He also said that he would skip franchisees leagues all around the world to play for the country as longer as he can. BCB was extremely elated by the remark of Shakib, saying that the team will be highly benefitted if he plays all matches for Bangladesh. "This is an extremely good news for us. We want him to play all matches in all formats of the cricket for our country. When he plays, you know, his presence always motivates the team." Bangladesh however won just two matches in nine games in World Cup which was their worst result in the cricket's showpiece event since 2007 World Cup. The BCB had already formed a special committee to look into the Bangladesh's World Cup failure. The committee has already called up head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and some players but they are yet to summon Shakib for his statement. Source: BSS

Suspicious videos that began circulating in Taiwan this month seemed to show the island's leader advertising cryptocurrency investments. President Tsai Ing-wen, who has repeatedly risked Beijing’s ire by asserting her Taiwan's autonomy, appeared to claim in the clips that the government helped develop investment software for digital currencies, using a term that is common in China but rarely used in Taiwan. Her mouth appeared blurry and her voice unfamiliar, leading Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to deem the video to be almost certainly a deepfake - an artificially generated spoof - and potentially one created by Chinese agents. For years, China has pummeled the Taiwanese information ecosystem with inaccurate narratives and conspiracy theories, seeking to undermine its democracy and divide its people in an effort to assert control over its neighbor. Now, as fears over Beijing’s growing aggression mount, a new wave of disinformation is heading across the strait separating Taiwan from the mainland before the pivotal election in January. Perhaps as much as any other place, however, the tiny island is ready for the disinformation onslaught. Taiwan has built a resilience to foreign meddling that could serve as a model to the dozens of other democracies holding votes in 2024. Its defenses include one of the world’s most mature communities of fact-checkers, government investments, international media literacy partnerships and, after years of warnings about Chinese intrusion, a public sense of skepticism. The challenge now is sustaining the effort. “That is the main battlefield: The fear, uncertainty, doubt is designed to keep us up at night so we don’t respond to novel threats with novel defenses,” said Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s inaugural digital minister, who works on strengthening cybersecurity defenses against threats like disinformation. “The main idea here is just to stay agile.” Taiwan, a highly online society, has repeatedly been found to be the top target in the world for disinformation from foreign governments, according to the Digital Society Project, a research initiative exploring the internet and politics. China was accused of spreading rumors during the pandemic about the Taiwanese government’s handling of COVID-19, researchers said. Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island as US speaker of the House last year set off a series of high-profile cyberattacks, as well as a surge of debunked online messages and images that fact-checkers linked to China. For all of Beijing’s efforts, however, it has struggled to sway public opinion. In recent years, Taiwan’s voters have chosen a president, Tsai, from the Democratic Progressive Party, which the Communist Party views as an obstacle to its goal of unification. Experts and local fact-checkers said Chinese disinformation campaigns were a major concern in local elections in 2018; the efforts seemed less effective in 2020, when Tsai recaptured the presidency in a landslide. Her vice president, Lai Ching-te, has maintained a polling lead in the race to succeed her. China has denied interloping, instead saying it is the “top victim of disinformation”.   Source: CNA

As the world celebrated the 12th Rabbi-ul-Awwal, or Eid-ul-Milad-un-Nabi as the birthday of Prophet Muhammed, the radical Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab province chose to attack and demolish Ahmadiyya Baits (Ahmadiyya places of worship), an episode marking yet another way minorities are harassed in the country. They also carried out rallies against the Ahmadiyyas, threatening them with chants of violence and death. "Groups of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) members attacked (29.09.23) Baits located in Mahmoodabad (Jhelum district) and at Okara city (Okara district) and demolished their arches and mehrabs," sources told IBNS. Attacks/destruction/desecration of Ahmadiyya graveyard also continued unrestricted with incidents (02.10.2023) of two grave digging in Bhulair locality of Punjab’s Qasur district," the source said. An anti-Ahmadiyya rally was also taken out by the TLP in Perochakarea of Sialkot district while celebrating September 29, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. 

A journalist for one of Mexico's top newspapers has been found dead in the western state of Nayarit, La Jornada said on Saturday. "A body found in the village of Huachines... in the municipality of Tepic was identified as Luis Martin Sanchez Iniguez, 59 years old, correspondent for La Jornada," the newspaper said on its website. 'Signs of violence' on body Sanchez Iniguez had been missing since Wednesday and his wife filed a missing persons report with Mexican authorities on Friday. He was last seen in Xalisco, a Nayarit town that has long been linked to the smuggling of heroin and opium. The prosecutor's office said on Saturday that relatives identified the body, which had been dead for at least one or two days. "The body was found with signs of violence, and two handwritten signs were found on it," prosecutors said in a statement. Authorities did not reveal what the messages said, but such notes are frequently left by drug cartels with the bodies of victims. The prosecutor's office said the motive in the killing was still under investigation. Journalists under attack in Mexico La Jornada correspondents have been targeted in the past, including Miroslava Breach, who was murdered in Chihuahua in March 2017, and Javier Valdez, who was murdered in Sinaloa in May of the same year.  The murders are part of a wider spate of violence against journalists in Mexico which has spiked under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Press-related killings have increased 85% in the first half of his term compared to that of his predecessor. Meanwhile, 2022 was among the deadliest ever for Mexican media workers, with 15 killed. If police confirm Sanchez Iniguez was murdered, he would be at least the second journalist to be killed in Mexico this year. In February, news photographer Jose Ramiro Araujo was stabbed and beaten to death in the northern Mexico border state of Baja California.

Heatwave will continue, and rainfall may occur in three regions of the country. Bangladesh meteorological department said, "The current heatwave may continue for another 4 to 5 days. Light rainfall may occur in three regions of the country within the next 24 hours." Currently, there is no possibility of heavy rainfall, so the summer season discomfort continue, according to the meteorological department. On Sunday, june 05, the highest temperature in the country was recorded at 41.1 degree Celsius in Dinajpur, while Dhaka experienced a maximum temperature of 37.6 degrees Celsius.  Due to the high humidity in the air, the body feels uncomfortable due to the heat, resulting in extreme sweating. Therefore, people are experiencing extreme discomfort during the hot weather. In some areas of the country, there is light rainfall may occur. In the past 24 hours, Feni received 12 mm rainfall, and Chattogram received 7 mm rainfall.  The weather department has also reported light rainfall in Rangamati, Cumilla, and Sylhet.

The European Union and Turkey are at odds on many issues — and problems will likely persist following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's reelection. Turkey's EU accession is unlikely anytime soon. How does the EU view its relationship with Turkey? The European Commission is critical of the increasingly authoritarian rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The EU's serious concerns on the continued deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary have not been addressed," European External Action Service officials wrote in their 2022 report on Turkey. Instead, backsliding continues, they wrote. Their "concerns increased over economic governance and the good functioning of the market economy."  Still, the report said, Turkey remains a strategically important partner on migration, climate protection and energy security. With its well-equipped military, the NATO member also plays an important role as a broker of the grain trade agreement between Russia and Ukraine. But EU leaders strongly criticized Turkey's threatening gestures toward member states Greece and Cyprus through repeated territorial violations by the air force and navy. The EU has also repeatedly called on Turkish authorities to respect rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and release activist Osman Kavala, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for taking part in anti-government protests in 2013 at Istanbul's Gezi Park. The protests have been cast as an attempted coup by Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government — allowing the government to accuse Kavala of participating in a coup attempt by extension. What is Turkey's stance? According to an analysis by Turkey's Foreign Ministry, relations have been characterized by ups and downs for decades. After the alleged coup attempt against Erdogan in July 2016, to which Turkey responded with emergency laws and restrictions on democratic rights, things have further deteriorated, the ministry acknowledged. But the "EU's cold and critical attitude in the aftermath of the underhanded coup of July 15 has caused a crisis of confidence," according to the ministry. Officials said "a period of weakening of dialogue" arose after their EU counterparts "criticized necessary measures" imposed by Turkey's government in the aftermath. Erdogan accuses the Turkish preacher  Fethullah Gülen, who lives in exile in the United States, of plotting the coup. The European Union, however, remains an important strategic partner for Turkey, which often touts the importance of a 2015 agreement that kept displaced Syrians within the country, rather than allowing them to pass into the EU. About 3.5 million Syrians now live in Turkey, which has received payment and pledges of financial assistance that amount to nearly €9 billion ($9.65 billion).  It's a fragile agreement. In 2020, Erdogan briefly opened Turkey's border with Greece near Edirne in order to use displaced Syrians as political leverage.  Is Turkey still a candidate for EU accession? The Turkish government's goal remains joining the European Union at some point — if, according to the Foreign Ministry, the EU can manage to solve its internal problems. Accession talks could be revived after this presidential election, but first Turkey would have to at least indirectly recognize Cyprus as an EU member. Turkish troops have occupied the northern part of the country for nearly 50 years. In 2018, the European Union effectively suspended accession negotiations with Turkey, which had been ongoing since 2005, but did not break them off completely. "I would not say they are dead," said Amanda Paul, a senior analyst at the European Policy Centre think tank in Brussels. "I would say they are in a coma." With Erdogan in power, there is little prospect of this changing, Paul said — though much depends on the European Union, and not just on Turkey.  "It is a strange relationship that has deteriorated over time," Paul said. "To be honest, I do not expect any positive change." Among member states and in Brussels, Paul said, there is rather little interest at the moment in dealing with an increasingly nationalistic Turkey. And yet, she added: "EU membership is still very popular among Turks. About 70% of the population still wants to join the EU." What is the postelection outlook? German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was clearly critical of Turkey when she met with her counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Istanbul in July 2022. But she also made clear that no further confrontation was needed, saying NATO had to stick together to fend off Russia. "Friendship also includes listening to each other until your ears hurt," Baerbock said at a press conference during her visit. The reference to friendship is not insignificant.  It follows that the European Union and NATO expect Turkey to finally give its assent to Sweden's accession to the military alliance after the election, which Erdogan had presumably blocked for political reasons ahead of the vote. Both Sweden's and Finland's entry into NATO had already been decided almost a year ago. Erdogan withdrew his veto of Finland in April. His thumbs-up for Sweden is expected to follow in July.

According to the information received from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, a mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over 49 districts of the country and may continue for the next eight days (April 10 to April 18). These districts are: Bogra, Chapainawabganj, Jaipurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Dhaka, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Bagerhat, Chuadanga, Jashore, Jhenaidah, Khulna, Kushtia, Magura, Meherpur, Narail, Satkhira, Barisal, Barguna, Bhola, Jhalkathi, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Feni, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarban, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and Moulvibazar. On Monday, April 10, the heat wave has increased across country.  On Sunday, mild to moderate heat wave was flowing over five divisions and one district of the country.  On Monday, April 10, the highest temperature in the country was recorded at 39.2 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga. Yesterday which was 39 degrees Celsius.  The highest temperature in the capital Dhaka was 37.5 degrees Celsius.