Day: May 23, 2022

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday congratulated Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Norman Albanese on his party’s victory in the federal elections.

She said the victory manifested the Australian people’s confidence in the party under Anthony Norman Albanese’s stewardship to lead the country towards inclusiveness, peace, and prosperity.

She recalled with gratitude Australia’s bipartisan support towards Bangladesh’s independence and generous assistance since establishing diplomatic relations.

“Our relations have deepened, and the ties have become more robust with time through increasing cooperation in diverse areas of trade, economy, culture, and education. We have immense potential for cooperation in clean energy, maritime security, ocean governance, and blue economy,” she said.

She stated that two countries have observed 50 years of their friendship.

“We shall explore newer areas of mutual interests, complementarities, and interdependence so that our relations may elevate to that of the key partnership. Together, we can promote peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region and protect rules-based international order.”

She hoped that the new Australian Prime Minister will visit Bangladesh at earliest convenience to appreciate the strengths of a resurgent Bangladesh as the second Australian Prime Minister after Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who visited Bangladesh way back in 1975.

“Such a high-level interaction will further cement the existing bonds of our friendship and help forge a common understanding of matters of bilateral interests and contemporary regional and global issues.”

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH

English is a global language and one of the most commonly studied languages in the world. It can also be a challenging language to learn, as it has many rules that must be followed in order to sound natural. However, with practice, anyone can become a proficient English speaker. And with the right approach, anyone can improve their English writing skills too. There are a variety of resources available to help beginners get started, and there are many ways to keep improving throughout the years. With the right method by following some tips, anyone can learn to write effectively in English.

Beginner’s Tips to start writing in English

English is a difficult language to learn for many people, but with the right tips, you can start writing in English quickly and easily. Here are five beginner’s tips to help you get started.

Write Everyday

If you are just starting to write in English, it can be hard to keep up with the flow and make your sentences sound natural. But practice writing every day can make your learning job easier. So, what does “write every day” mean? The literal meaning is to carry on writing continuously to develop the skill. Thus, it will develop as a habit, and you can overcome the fear of English writing.

Find the Best Time and Place to Write

Everyone possesses a certain time of day when they feel at their greatest. Maybe your brain is the heaviest at daybreak. Perhaps you sleep until very late, and you concentrate most during the evening. Try putting together at different times of the day to find out what time works best for you to practice writing.

Once you know when to write, you will also need to know where. Maybe you have difficulty writing in a loud environment, and you may want to write in a quiet place like a library. Maybe you want a little background noise, and that means writing is best done in a busier location like a café. Test and find what works best for you.

Start With Simple Sentences

Beginning English writers often struggle with the mechanics of writing: creating clear and concise sentences. As a beginner in the English language, you may feel overwhelmed by all the different rules and grammar structures. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, start with simple sentences to improve your writing. This will help you build up your skills gradually and make fewer mistakes.

However, when you are starting out, focus on building a strong foundation in basic grammar and vocabulary. This will help you communicate more effectively and avoid making common mistakes.

Keep a Journal in English

By keeping a private journal (diary) in English, you ensure you write every day. It’s a great method to develop English writing in the past tense and future tense. For example, in your journal, you will describe everything you did during the day in the past tense, and you will write about what you intend to do tomorrow in the future tense.

When you are accustomed to writing in your journal regularly, you will start writing in English more often during the day. That’s because you will find that the things you do throughout the day frequently lead you to think about what you need to write about in English.

Write More Than One Draft

There are many benefits to writing more than one draft of your writing. It can help you to improve your English writing skills. It can help you to stay organized and avoid making any mistakes.

Experts’ Tips to Improve Writing Skills in English

Once you get acquainted with basic English writing, you can practice advanced writing to take your English writing to the next level.

Read as Much as You Can

You have to be a good reader to become a good writer. Reading as much as you can helps you learn how to properly use standard English punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary. By reading, you will also improve your comprehension skills and learn new terms. Reading can also give you ideas for your own writing projects.

There are many resources available to read, including books, articles, and online resources. Begin by reading what others have written, and then try out some of the techniques that you find helpful.

Brush up your grammar

Anyone who has ever written in English knows that there is room for improvement. Whether you are a novice or have been writing for years, there are some simple things to improve your writing more and more. And polishing your grammar will enhance your writing level. To improve, you can use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words and their definitions. Also, check your usage against a standard grammar guide and practice writing in a formal style.

Learn How to Organize a Paragraph

Learning how to organize a paragraph can help improve English writing. A well-organized paragraph is easy to read and follows a specific structure. It begins with a topic sentence that provides information about the paragraph, followed by supporting sentences. Paragraphs also use transitions to move from one idea to another. By following these tips, you can develop your writing skills and create paragraphs that are easy to follow and understand.

Don’t Over-Explain Everything

If you are practiced enough, you should be able to keep your thoughts well organized, according to your goal. The goal is just to provide readers with sufficient info to understand exactly what you are communicating without overwhelming them with superfluous details.

Try To Eliminate the Filler Words and Phrases

We have to use certain phrases or words throughout our writing, which may be unnecessary and don’t contribute much of anything. However, more often than not, they contribute nothing except extra wordage. So, eliminating those filler words will improve your writing and make it meaningful.

Final Words

In conclusion, English writing skill can be improved by taking the time to learn the basics and then practicing often. However, without practice, even the best techniques will not produce effective results. Therefore, it is important to keep up the practice and continually strive for better-written content.

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH

There were several transfer speculations around the world’s most sought-after player, Kylian Mbappe (May 21), before he signed a new deal with PSG on Saturday. The French international has signed a three-year contract extension with his current club, Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappe was presented to the fans before the team’s last league match against Metz, bearing the number 2025 shirt. He was heavily linked with Real Madrid, but he ultimately turned down Europe’s most successful team to stay in Paris for a few more years.

Background of Kylian Mbappe’s transfer saga

Mbappe has enthralled the world since bursting onto the scene with Monaco in 2015. The 19-year-old Mbappe opted to stay in France and accepted a loan agreement with PSG in 2017, despite the fact that every major team in Europe wanted him. Later, the deal was extended until 2022.

Kylian is a lifelong Real Madrid fan. There are pictures of him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Madrid. The World Cup winner has a dream to play for Madrid at some point in his career. Thankfully, his footballing skills have made the dream even more realistic. Madrid president Florentino Perez was desperate to sign him, as the club always does to recruit talented footballers. Football fans even say Mbappe to Real Madrid is a marriage made in heaven.

The rumors of Mbappe leaving PSG emerged last summer when Lionel Messi surprisingly left FC Barcelona and signed a three-year contract with the French club. With one year left of the current contract, Mbappe was willing to leave PSG for Real Madrid in Summer 2021. However, Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser al-Khelaifi was reluctant to let the most priceless footballer in the world go, despite the fact that Real Madrid were willing to pay 200 million euros for the player.

Kylian could leave the club for free in the summer of 2022, as his ultimate goal is to play for Real Madrid. However, the Qatar-based PSG is probably the richest club in world football right now. Somehow, they believe that they can convince the player and his parents to sign a new contract before it expires on June 30, 2022.

Meanwhile, the transfer saga continued throughout the whole season. On one morning, a report arrives that Kylian has reached an agreement with Real Madrid, and on the other morning, a new report arrives that all is not done yet. In the meantime, PSG lost to Madrid in the Round of 16 clash in March. During the match, the Madrid fans cheered for Kylian as they believed he would eventually land in the city next summer.

Finally, Mbappe’s entourage confirmed that the player will make his decision before PSG’s last league game against Metz this season. Mbappe’s mother told the press that both clubs have given him almost the same deal, and it is now up to her son to select where he will play next.

After months of speculation, Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Saturday that he will stay at PSG for three more years as he believes there is more to give to the club. In addition, he doesn’t want to lose the opportunity to play alongside Messi for at least one more year.

Why was Paris Saint-Germain so anxious to keep Kylian Mbappe?

One of the main reasons PSG didn’t want to lose Mbappe is because the 2022 World Cup is to begin in the November-December window, which will bring them huge commercial value. Besides, the club will lose a huge chunk of money in terms of brand value and TV rights if Mbappe leaves. They wanted him to stay at the club for a few more years and help the club achieve its expected goals.

Why did Mbappe choose to remain with PSG?

Many football pundits believe Kylian’s decision to remain at PSG was heavily affected by Real Madrid’s recent success in the UEFA Champions League. If Madrid wins the UCL this year, there will be nothing significant to offer Madrid in the recent past. The thing he can bring is commercial value. As Mbappe wants to contribute more than just commercial aspects, he prefers to stay at PSG rather than move to Madrid for a new challenge.

Paris Saint-Germain have yet to win a Champions League trophy, and if Kylian helps them to win Europe’s most prestigious tournament, then he will always be remembered as a cult hero by the Parisians. Besides, the sources also confirmed that PSG have given Kylian Mbappe a few more things which Real Madrid couldn’t offer. They reportedly have given the power of PSG’s acquisition in terms of who is coming and who is going. At PSG, Mbappe will always have a say in any major decision PSG makes for their first team, at least as long as he stays at the club.

Multiple sources have also confirmed that Mbappe has already started to use his power and reportedly told the hierarchy to terminate the contracts of the club’s sporting director Leonardo and head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Mbappe prefers Luis Campos as the new sporting director, who worked with him during his time at Monaco. Campos is known to have the ability to find raw talents.

Mbappe also wants to play for Zinedine Zidane, who aspires to manage the French national team in the near future. PSG have to convince Zidane big time to manage the club. Reports have also claimed that Mbappe wants Neymar to move somewhere else and bring his compatriots Dembele and Pogba to Paris next summer.

Real Madrid’s response after failing to sign the French Wunderkind

After failing to secure Mbappe’s signature for the third time, Madrid fans are furious over the player, and if Zidane manages PSG next summer, that will also be seen as a direct betrayal by Los Blancos supporters. The tension between the supporters of both sides has switched to a new height and it will be evident in any future matches between the two sides.

Meanwhile, La Liga President Javier Tebas has shown his frustration after Real missed out on bringing Mbappe to Madrid. Delaying the confirmation also led them to miss out on signing Erling Haaland, who is all set to join Manchester City next summer. In an official statement, La Liga has confirmed that they will take legal action against PSG as they feel it was a scandalous incident and also showed their concern over the economic aspect of the deal.

How much will Kylian make with his new deal?

In a three-year contract that will last till June 2025, Mbappe reportedly earns $5 million per week, which is double his present salary. The contract also includes a signing bonus of $125 million. Besides, Mbappe will have full control of his image rights.

Way forward

Apart from financial benefits, one of the reasons Paris Saint-Germain was so keen to get Mbappe was to win the Champions League. They came close to winning Europe’s top club football competition in 2020, but fell 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final. PSG will be one of the favorites to win the Champions League in 2022–2023 after retaining one of the top players in the world.

PSG require some new signings to strengthen their squad. They also need a manager who is capable of properly managing the players. However, PSG supporters can rejoice for the time being since wonder youngster Kylian Mbappe has decided to stay with the club for another three years, which is a major success for them and a major concern for Real Madrid, who have never faced a scenario like this before.

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH

A fire that broke out in a poultry feed godown in City Gate area of the port city on Sunday morning has been brought under control.

The fire started around 9 am at the storehouse beside Jabed Steel Mill under Abar Shah police station area.

Six units of firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after an hour of hectic effort, said Newton Dash, DeputyAssistant Director of Agrabad Fire Station.

Fortunately no one sustained injuries in the fire but a huge amount of poultry feed was damaged, he said.

The origin of the fire and the extent of loss will be known after an investigation, he said.

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH

The government has instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance and screening of people coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed Monekypox cases through the land ports and airports.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard on Sunday.

According to the notice, Monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling in the African countries.

People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of Monkeypox, it said.

The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

Monkeypox is a virus that originates in wild animals like rodents and primates, and occasionally jumps to people. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic, reports AP.

The illness was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys — thus the name monkeypox. The first known human infection was in 1970, in a 9-year-old boy in a remote part of Congo.

Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox but causes milder symptoms.

Most patients only experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

The incubation period is from about five days to three weeks. Most people recover within about two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized.

Monkeypox can be fatal for up to one in 10 people and is thought to be more severe in children.

People exposed to the virus are often given one of several smallpox vaccines, which have been shown to be effective against monkeypox. Anti-viral drugs are also being developed.

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH

Monkeypox is usually self-limiting but may be severe in some individuals, such as children, pregnant women or persons with immune suppression due to other health conditions, says the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.

Eating inadequately cooked meat and other animal products of infected animals is a possible risk factor, according to the WHO which is dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science.

Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding. The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.

As of now, 92 laboratory confirmed cases, and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox with investigations ongoing, have been reported to the WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox endemic countries are Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana (identified in animals only), Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.

Since 13 May 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, across three WHO regions.

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, however, reported cases thus far have no established travel links to endemic areas.

The situation is evolving and WHO expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries.

Reported cases thus far have no established travel links to an endemic area, said the WHO on Sunday.

Based on currently available information, cases have mainly but not exclusively been identified amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) seeking care in primary care and sexual health clinics.

To date, all cases whose samples were confirmed by PCR have been identified as being infected with the West African clade.

Genome sequence from a swab sample from a confirmed case in Portugal, indicated a close match of the monkeypox virus causing the current outbreak, to exported cases from Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore in 2018 and 2019.

The identification of confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox with no direct travel links to an endemic area represents a highly unusual event.

Surveillance to date in non-endemic areas has been limited, but is now expanding.

WHO expects that more cases in non-endemic areas are likely to be reported. Available information suggests that human-to-human transmission is occurring among people in close physical contact with cases who are symptomatic.

In addition to this new outbreak, WHO continues to receive updates on the status of ongoing reports of monkeypox cases through established surveillance mechanisms (Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response) for cases in endemic countries [1], as summarized in table 2.

Epidemiology of the Disease

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family.

There are two clades of monkeypox virus: the West African clade and the Congo Basin (Central African) clade.

The name monkeypox originates from the initial discovery of the virus in monkeys in a Danish laboratory in 1958. The first human case was identified in a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.

Various animal species have been identified as susceptible to the monkeypox virus. Uncertainty remains on the natural history of the monkeypox virus and further studies are needed to identify the exact reservoir(s) and how virus circulation is maintained in nature.

Human infections with the West African clade appear to cause less severe disease compared to the Congo Basin clade, with a case fatality rate of 3.6% compared to 10.6% for the Congo Basin clade.

Suspected Case Symptoms

A person of any age presenting in a monkeypox non-endemic country with an unexplained acute rash; and one or more of the following signs or symptoms, since 15 March 2022 – headache, acute onset of fever (>38.5oC), lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), myalgia (muscle and body aches), back pain and asthenia (profound weakness).

WHO Risk Assessment

Endemic monkeypox disease is normally geographically limited to West and Central Africa.

The identification of confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox without any travel history to an endemic area in multiple countries is atypical, hence, there is an urgent need to raise awareness about monkeypox and undertake comprehensive case finding and isolation (provided with supportive care), contact tracing and supportive care to limit further onward transmission.

Cross-protective immunity from smallpox vaccination will be limited to older persons, since populations worldwide under the age of 40 or 50 years no longer benefit from the protection afforded by prior smallpox vaccination programmes.

There is little immunity to monkeypox among younger people living in non-endemic countries since the virus has not been present there.

WHO Advice

Identification of additional cases and further onward spread in the countries currently reporting cases and other Member States is likely.

Any patient with suspected monkeypox should be investigated and if confirmed, isolated until their lesions have crusted, the scab has fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath.

Countries should be on the alert for signals related to patients presenting with an atypical rash that progresses in sequential stages – macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, scabs, at the same stage of development over all affected areas of the body – that may be associated with fever, enlarged lymph nodes, back pain, and muscle aches.

In non-endemic countries, one case is considered an outbreak. Because of the public health risks associated with a single case of monkeypox, clinicians should report suspected cases immediately to national or local public health authorities regardless of whether they are also exploring other potential diagnoses.

SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH