Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are spending quality time together in Singapore. The pair were spotted on a casual date night at a mall in the country in fan footage posted on Instagram Thursday. In the clip, the fans caught sight of Swift and Kelce, both 34, sitting together in a golf cart parked outside of the shopping center. “Hi, Taylor! Can we just say ‘Hi?,’ ” one of the fans said, as Swift, who had her arm around Kelce, looked towards them. Someone else in the group then said to Travis, “Congrats Travis. Congrats,” referring to his Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs last month.  “Taylor, we love you!” the first fan then shouted to Swift as the singer waved back. “See you tomorrow!” they added as Swift and Travis smiled back at them before driving off.  “I was enchanted to meet you @taylorswift ✨✨✨,” the fans wrote in their joint caption. Swift and Kelce were also captured embracing during their mall date and walking hand-in-hand in photos shared by a Swift fan account on X, formerly Twitter. The pair’s sighting at the mall in Singapore took place after Kelce jetted into the country earlier this week to catch Swift on the fifth night of her six-night residency in the country. During the show, Swift showed her appreciation for Kelce as she changed the lyrics of "Karma" to shout him out once again, singing on stage, per fan videos, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."   Source: People

Taiwan’s air force apologized to the public as it announced that it would conduct late-night flight training to counter the increasing threat level posed by the Chinese military in Taiwan’s air and sea space. In a press release issued yesterday evening, March 5, Air Force Command said that it would comply with instructions from the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to increase nighttime combat skills and tactical execution experience for pilots of various types of aircraft to enhance preparedness and safeguard airspace security. The late-night missions will span over midnight, and the air force apologized for any impact it may have on the general public. Air Force Command asked for public understanding, saying the missions are necessary for rigorous training to prepare for potential threats and challenges. The announcement comes after an increase in harassments by the Chinese Communist Party via gray zone warfare tactics employed by the Chinese military, and more recently by the Chinese Coast Guard. For decades, military aircraft abided by a tacit understanding that there was a median line in the Taiwan Strait which neither side’s military crossed over. In March 2019, two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets crossed the mid-strait and flew 43 nautical miles into the Taiwan side, forcing intercepts by Taiwan’s Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF). This was the beginning of an increasing number of incursions, and a declaration by CCP officials that there is no center-line in the Taiwan Strait. Incursions and encirclements by China’s military aircraft have become a daily occurrence, constituting a “new normal” since 2020. Yesterday, March 5, Taiwan’s MND announced that in the 24 hours to 6:00 am, a total of 12 PLAAF aircraft and 6 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships were tracked in Taiwan’s air and sea identification zones, including two aircraft and one balloon that crossed the median line. Also yesterday, March 5, China’s finance ministry announced a 7.2% increase in its military budget while calling for “reunification” with Taiwan. Previous announcements had always used the term “peaceful reunification,” but the word “peaceful” appears to have dropped out of the CCPs political parlance. Among military officials who spoke to the Taiwan Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee this morning, Minister of the Veterans Affairs Council, Feng Shih-kuan, a retired air force general, spoke to public concerns raised by the media about the impact of late night flights taking off and landing at airbases around the island. Feng said that when he was a commander at Tainan Air Base, members of the public had complained about aircraft taking off and landing after 9:00 pm, but the situation has changed now. Shih said that when people hear planes taking off late at night now, they understand that the planes are on an intercept mission, and their thoughts are with the pilots, hoping for a safe return.

Police arrested 150 people following a night of "intolerable violence against symbols of the republic," said French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The riots started after a 17-year-old was shot in a Paris suburb. France witnessed another night of unrest Wednesday as authorities deployed thousands of security forces to quell violent protests sparked by the fatal shooting of a teenager by police. French President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with senior ministers Thursday, calling the violence "unjustifiable." "A night of intolerable violence against symbols of the republic, with town halls, schools and police stations set on fire or attacked. Shame on those who did not call for calm," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter. He added that 150 people had been arrested. The interior ministry had said 2,000 police had been mobilised in the Paris region, and dozens of them had been injured after the clashes.  The 17-year-old was shot in the chest at point-blank range in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning.  The teenager's death led to clashes and arson attacks in several Paris suburbs on Tuesday night, with 31 people arrested and 24 police officers injured. Anger and unrest for second night running On Wednesday, similar incidents occurred in Nanterre and other areas west of Paris, as well as in the eastern city of Dijon. Police clashed with protesters in the northern city of Lille and in Toulouse in the southwest, and there was also unrest in Amiens, Dijon and the Essonne administrative department south of the French capital, a police spokesman said In the Essonne region, a bus was set on fire after passengers were evacuated by a group of individuals. Some protesters set cars ablaze and lit fireworks. In Toulouse, cars were set alight, and responding police and firefighters were targeted with projectiles. About 16 people were arrested across the country, according to the police. 'Inexplicable and unforgivable,' says Macron Police initially reported that an officer had shot at the teenager because he was driving his car at him. But a video circulating on social media, verified by Reuters and AFP news agencies, showed two policemen standing beside the stationary car with one of them pointing a weapon at the driver. A voice can be heard threatening the driver before the police officer appears to fire as the car abruptly drives away. President Emmanuel Macron, during an official visit to the southern city of Marseille, referred to the teenager's killing as "inexplicable and unforgivable," emphasizing that nothing can justify the death of a young person. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne acknowledged that the police operation "clearly did not comply with the rules of engagement for police."  France debates police tactics, treatment of ethnic minorities The incident has reignited debate in France about police tactics and the treatment of individuals in low-income suburbs, particularly those belonging to ethnic minorities. It also drew attention to the increasing violent crime in the country. The victim, named as Nahel M., was a delivery driver. His mother took to TikTok to call for a tribute march. Prominent figures, including footballer Kylian Mbappe and actor Omar Sy, expressed their sadness and outrage over the incident, calling for justice to be served. The 38-year-old police officer who fired the fatal shot was taken into custody and is currently under investigation for voluntary manslaughter. The lawyer for the killed teen, Yassine Bouzrou, plans to file an additional complaint regarding false testimony about Nahel attempting to run over the officers.

Ukrainian air defenses repelled a heavy Russian missile attack on Kyiv overnight. Meanwhile, US Abrams tanks landed in Germany for Ukrainian training.  Russia launched a fresh wave of air attacks, the eighth in May, on the Ukrainian capital early on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials said defense systems had shot down objects over several districts of Kyiv. The night attack was complex, with drones, cruise and likely ballistic missiles launched from different directions, Kyiv officials said. "It was exceptional in its density: the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time," Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's city military administration, said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app. "According to preliminary information, the vast majority of enemy targets in the airspace of Kyiv were detected and destroyed!" he added. It was not immediately known how many objects were shot down over the city and if any of them managed to hit their target. It was also not clear whether it was a missile or a drone attack. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said falling debris set several cars on fire and damaged a building in the Solomyanskyi district in the capital's west. Three people were injured. Two cars caught fire in the city's southeastern Darnytskyi district, he added. Debris also fell on the city's zoo in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Kyiv's military administration said falling debris was reported in the capital's Obolonskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Solomyanskyi and Darnytskyi districts. After a weekslong hiatus, Russia in late April resumed its tactic of long-range missile strikes and has launched a flurry of attacks in recent days, often targeting Kyiv. Nearly all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts in early hours of Tuesday. The latest attacks came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned from a Europe trip aimed at securing new weapons for a counteroffensive against Russia. US Abrams tanks land in Germany for Ukrainian training The 31 tanks the United States promised earlier this year to deliver to Ukraine have arrived at a military training center in Germany, the US Defense Department said. "I can confirm that the 31 M1 Abrams training tanks have arrived at Grafenwöhr, Germany in preparation for subsequent training of Ukrainian tank crews," Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in Washington. Grafenwöhr, in northern Bavaria, is home to a US military training base. Ryder said Ukrainian crews were expected to arrive and begin training within the next couple of weeks. "As we've discussed previously, this extensive training program for Ukrainian crews and maintainers is intended to prepare them for their critical roles ahead in effectively operating the M1 tank and defending Ukrainian people," he said. The long-awaited decision to send 31 US tanks to Ukraine was made back in January, in conjunction with Germany's drawn-out decision on whether or not to send Kyiv Leopard main battle tanks.

The Meteorological Office has predicted storms with a speed of 45 to 60 km per hour from the west or north-west in 5 divisions of the country. On Friday, April 28, this information was given in the weather forecast for the country's inland river ports till 1 pm. It has been said, "Rain or thundershowers with a speed of 45 to 60 km over Pabna, Tangail, Dhaka, Jessore, Kushtia, Faridpur, Madaripur, Khulna, Barisal, Patuakhali, Noakhali and Cumilla districts may occur. Therefore, the river ports of these areas have been asked to show warning signal number 1." Meanwhile, according to the weather forecast of the whole country, on Saturday, April 29, there may be temporary rain or thundershower with gusts and wind in one or two places of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions till 9 am. Along with that, there may be scattered hailstorms at some places.

Authorities banned protests near the National Assembly building in Paris over plans to raise the retirement age. A location change failed to stop angry demonstrators from facing off with riot police. Violence broke out between protesters and security forces for a third night in central Paris on Saturday over the government's decision to abandon a parliamentary vote on unpopular pension reforms. President Emmanuel Macron's overhaul will raise the standard retirement age by two years to 64, which he says is essential to ensure the system does not go bust. After ministers approved the plan by decree on Thursday, bypassing the lower house of parliament, rival opposition parties filed two separate no-confidence motions, which are due to be debated on Monday afternoon. They are expected to fail. What happened on Saturday? Police said around 4,000 people gathered in Place d'Italie after being banned from demonstrating close to the National Assembly building due to angry clashes on previous nights. The ban was ordered because of "serious risks of disturbances to public order." Le Monde newspaper said a group of protesters started trash fires, broke class on billboards and bus shelters and thew barriers, used to block streets, at police.  The paper said 73 people were arrested and just as on previous nights, riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. Earlier Saturday, dozens of students and activists marched through Paris' Forum des Halles shopping mall, chanting loudly and letting off red smoke. Violence was also reported in the southeastern city of Lyon for a second night when small groups confronted police several times, prompting a response that included tear gas. On Friday, more than 30 people were detained after a group of demonstrators tried to break into a town hall and set fire to the building. Mostly peaceful marches took place in several other French cities, including Marseille, Montpellier and Nantes — where one placard read "Death to the king," seemingly in reference to Macron. What next for the protest movement? A broad alliance of France's main unions has said it would continue to mobilize members to try to force a U-turn on the pension changes. Some unions ordered workers to continue their rolling strikes, severely affecting high-speed and regional rail services this weekend, among other services. Paris' municipal rubbish collectors have kept up their action, and by Friday an estimated 10,000 tons of trash were left festering in the streets. Some French airports will see almost a third of flights canceled on Monday as a result of walkouts, union leaders predicted. The CGT union said its members had shut down the TotalEnergies oil refinery in Normandy on Friday evening. A similar blockade of a refinery in southern France began earlier in the day. A day of nationwide industrial action is also scheduled for Thursday — the ninth since mid-January. Public hostility not enough to quash plans Opposition to the pension reform was already high, with two-thirds of the French population against the plan, according to polls. But the sudden move to avoid a parliamentary vote, invoking the controversial article 49.3 of the constitution, caused not only public outrage but also criticism among the political class. In parliament next week, opposition lawmakers hope to garner enough support to topple the cabinet in the no-confidence votes and repeal the law. But Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's cabinet is largely expected to survive. The motion would need backing from around half the group of opposition right-wing Republicans, a scenario seen as highly improbable. They would also need the shared support of the powerful extreme left and extreme right factions in the National Assembly.  Macron put the pension reforms at the center of his re-election campaign last year. While his government argued France needed to fall in line with its European neighbors where the retirement age is typically higher, critics say the changes are unfair to people who work from a young age in physically tough jobs and women who interrupt their careers to raise children.   The unrest is reminiscent of the Yellow Vest protests which erupted in late 2018 over high fuel prices, which forced Macron into a partial U-turn on a carbon tax. Macron had also planned pension reforms for his first term as president but had to row back on the idea, campaigning last year on a pledge to finish the job.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) today imposed a ban on carrying any sorts of explosives and crackers and explosion of firecrackers in the capital on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat. The holy Shab-e-Barat will be observed on Tuesday (March 7 night) night, according to a circular issued by the DMP. DMP Commissioner Khandokar Golam Faruq signed the circular, saying the restriction will come into effect from 6pm on Tuesday (March 7) and will last till 6am next day (Wednesday). The circular was issued under Section 28 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance (Ordinance no-III/76) to maintain law and order in the capital city and protect sanctity of the holy Shab-e-Barat and ensure fair and peaceful celebration of it.

Airlines passengers’ wait for additional flights to and from Cox’s Bazar is going to be ended. From next February passengers will be able to land and depart even in the night from Cox’s Bazar airport. Now, one will be able to fly Cox’s Bazar in the morning and leave the tourist spot in the night after enjoying the beauty of world’s largest sea beach whole day. The new facility will turn the commute of service holders, businessmen and tourists easier. The good news is that Cox’s Bazar airport is being upgraded to international airport. It will be the fourth international airport after Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet in the country. Concerned said that after completion of renovation work at Cox’s Bazar airport it will be upgraded to an international airport. In this way it will increase the number of foreign tourists. Engineer Mosharraf Hossain of Civil Aviation Authority said, technical inspectors from abroad are unable to visit the airport due to Corona pandemic. So, flight operation in the night deferred. It is expected that flight operation in the night will start in February. AH  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) today (Tuesday) said no public gathering at open spaces including rooftops will be allowed on the night of December 31 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The DMP asked not to arrange cultural programme on rooftops, roads and public places, said a press release. Dhaka University campus will remain restricted for outsiders after 6:00pm on December 31, said the release, adding teachers and other employees of Dhaka University residing on campus can enter the university premises through Nilkhet and Shahbagh entrances after showing their ID cards. On 31st night, no outsiders will be allowed to enter Gulshan and Banani areas after 8pm on December 31, but residents can enter through Kakoli and Amtoli points. Moreover, after 8:00pm no one would be allowed to stay in Hatirjheel area. The DMP also requested the residents of Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas to return home before 8:00pm on December 31. City dwellers are requested not to carry any licensed arms in public places from 6:00pm on December 31 to 6:00am on January 1, added the release. Source: BSS AH

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was spending a second night in intensive care battling the coronavirus which has infected more than 55,000 across the country and killed nearly 6,200. “He stayed at work for you… now pray at home for him,” The Sun tabloid splashed across its front page Wednesday while the Daily Express said: “Boris ‘will pull through’.” Deputizing for Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “confident he’ll pull through, because if there’s one thing I know about this prime minister, he’s a fighter and he’ll be back, leading us through this crisis in short order”. In an update Tuesday evening, the prime minister’s spokesman said his “condition is stable and he remains in intensive care for close monitoring.” He earlier said the 55-year-old Conservative leader was receiving “standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any other assistance” and had not required a ventilator. Johnson is the most high-profile government leader to become infected with COVID-19 and messages of support flooded in from across Britain and the world. He was admitted to intensive care on Monday evening after spending Sunday night in hospital following concerns he still had a cough and high temperature 10 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. His transfer to intensive care is unprecedented for a prime minister during a national emergency. For many people, it brought home the seriousness of the disease that has so far seen 6,159 deaths in Britain, with a record 786 more reported in a daily update on Tuesday. – ‘Work goes on’ – Despite the record daily death toll, there was more encouraging news with the number of new daily cases remaining at a roughly stable 3,643. In a round of broadcast interviews, senior minister Michael Gove insisted the “work of government goes on”. He later said he was now staying at home after a family member displayed mild coronavirus symptoms. Raab chaired the daily coronavirus meeting in the prime minister’s place on Tuesday. “There is a clear plan… the government and the cabinet are working together to implement that plan,” Johnson’s spokesman said when asked if there was a power vacuum in Britain. The country does not have a formal constitutional role of deputy prime minister, and experts said Raab would need the support of the rest of the cabinet to make any big decisions. The most pressing issue is a review expected next week on whether to continue the nationwide lockdown introduced on March 23 to try to stem the spread of COVID-19. – ‘Enormous shock’ – Johnson announced on March 27 that he had coronavirus and went into self-isolation in a flat above his Downing Street office. But on Monday evening he was moved to intensive care in London’s St Thomas’ hospital after his condition worsened. The prime minister has received messages of support from around the world, with US President Donald Trump sending best wishes to his “very good friend” while Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Johnson’s “energy, optimism and sense of humor” would see him through. For some, Johnson’s larger-than-life personality has made his hospitalization all the more shocking. His biographer Andrew Gimson said Johnson always made him feel upbeat, and “now here he is the stricken one”. “This is an enormous shock, completely unfamiliar territory for all those who know him,” he told BBC radio. Experts said it was not uncommon for coronavirus patients to move to intensive care, but said it showed Johnson’s condition was serious. “There is no doubt this turn of events means Boris Johnson is extremely sick,” said Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging at University College London. – Still shaking hands – The British government was criticized for initially refusing to follow other European countries in requiring people to stay home as the virus spread rapidly across the globe. Johnson himself said in early March that he was still shaking hands with people. Two weeks ago, he ordered a nationwide lockdown, but parliament continued to sit for several days after and Westminster became a hotspot for the virus. Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, have both been infected, although they have since recovered. Johnson, who has been prime minister only since July last year, is not known to have any underlying health issues, although he has struggled with his weight. Johnson’s pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, moved out of Downing Street after some staff fell ill. But she said on Saturday she had just spent a week in bed with symptoms, although she has not been tested. Source: AFP/BSS AH