Friday, March 20

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At least 73 killed as clashes rock Bangladesh, curfew imposed
World News

At least 73 killed as clashes rock Bangladesh, curfew imposed

By Ruma Paul for Reuters Protesters block the Shahbagh intersection during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: AFP / Ahmed Salahuddin At least 73 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday, as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign. The government declared an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6pm local time on Sunday, the first time it has taken such a step during the current protests that began last month. It also announced a three-day general holiday starting from Monday. The unrest, which has prompted the government to shut down internet services, is Hasina's biggest test in her 20-year regime after she won a fourth straight term in elections t...
Competition lands in Northland as Barrier Air flights to Kerikeri begin
Business

Competition lands in Northland as Barrier Air flights to Kerikeri begin

Barrier Air's Cessna Grand Caravan on the tarmac at Bay of Islands Airport in Kerikeri. Photo: Peter de Graaf/RNZ Competition has arrived on Northland's busiest air route with the inaugural Barrier Air flight from Auckland to Kerikeri landing at Bay of Islands Airport just before 7pm on Sunday. The first passenger off the plane was Kerikeri man Chris Hoffman, who was delighted to be able to choose which airline to fly with for the first time in many years. "The flight was excellent. I chose Barrier Air to support a new airline, and more competition coming in to Kerikeri. I fly with them out of Kaitāia quite regularly so it's great to see them having a new location here in the North," Hoffmann said. The first passenger off Barrier Air's inaugural flight to Kerikeri, Chris Hoffmann, r...
Losing just 1 hour of sleep at night may be harmful to health
Health

Losing just 1 hour of sleep at night may be harmful to health

Losing just an hour of sleep at night may be harmful to health and lead to problems with memory and focus, according to an expert. The human body requires an optimum sleep duration of 7-8 hours per night. But when people do not get adequate sleep, “it results in various problems, such as poor attention, focus, concentration and memory,” said Dr Sudhir Kumar from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, in a post on X. “Losing just one hour of sleep could take up to four days of time to recover,” he added. He noted that poor sleep also increases the risk of headaches, anxiety and stress. People deprived of sleep are more likely to make “poor decisions, and have driving errors, leading to more vehicle crashes”. In addition, “sleep deprivation is associated with higher risk of diabetes...
Olympics 2024: Snoop Dogg the unlikely star of the Paris Games
World News

Olympics 2024: Snoop Dogg the unlikely star of the Paris Games

By Ana Faguy, BBC News Snoop Dogg dressed up in full equestrian gear to watch the dressage with longtime friend Martha Stewart. Photo: TT/HENRIK MONTGOMERY There are few people who have become more synonymous with the 2024 Olympics than Snoop Dogg. When there is an American athlete vying for a medal in Paris, there is a camera ready to pan to the American rapper cheering in the stands. He has been seen dancing alongside the US women's gymnastics team, dressing up in equestrian gear to support American horseback riders and even trying out judo skills. Snoop Dogg's enthusiasm for the games has injected a new energy into the Olympics that is captivating viewers in Paris and the internet alike, and making for a highly watched summer games, according to NBC viewership numbers. After multi...
UK far-right demonstrations turn violent, more than 90 arrested
World News

UK far-right demonstrations turn violent, more than 90 arrested

By Alex Binley, Dan Johnson, in Liverpool, and BBC reporters across the UK UK police face off with protesters during an 'Enough is Enough' demonstration called by far-right activists in Bristol on 3 August, 2024. Photo: AFP/Justin Tallis More than 90 people were arrested after far-right demonstrations descended into riots in towns and cities across the UK on Saturday. Bottles were thrown, shops looted, and police officers attacked in areas including Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool and Belfast - but not all demonstrations turned violent. UK prime minister Keir Starmer has pledged to give police forces the government's "full support" to take action against "extremists" attempting to "sow hate". Tensions have been high after the killing of three young girls at a Taylor ...
Fraction of incorrectly paid cost-of-living support returned
Business

Fraction of incorrectly paid cost-of-living support returned

The payments were made through 2022 to low- and middle-income earners to help with the impact of inflation. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Less than 14 percent of the people who were incorrectly paid a cost-of-living payment ever paid the money back, Inland Revenue says. The payments were made through 2022 to low- and middle-income earners to help with the impact of inflation. Payments were made in three instalments to a total of $350. But Inland Revenue had to contact 80,000 people it believed had wrongly received at least one of the payments, including people who had left the country, and people who were not in work. They were asked to return the money. A spokesperson said the total number of cost-of-living repayments made was 10,985. "We did see a direct increase in repayments rec...
Govt tells NZers to leave Iran and Lebanon now, ‘while options remain available’
World News

Govt tells NZers to leave Iran and Lebanon now, ‘while options remain available’

Demonstrators wave flags and hold pictures of Ismail Haniyeh during a protest over his death in Beirut's Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees. Photo: Fadel ITANI / AFP The government is telling New Zealanders in Iran and Lebanon to leave immediately as tensions rise in the region. "The New Zealand government urges New Zealanders in Lebanon and Iran to leave now while options remain available," Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a social media post on Sunday. "We also recommend New Zealanders in Israel consider whether they need to remain in the country." The New Zealand Government urges New Zealanders in Lebanon and Iran to leave now while options remain available. We also recommend New Zealanders in Israel consider whether they need to remain in the country.-WP—...
Two people dead in Melbourne mystery Legionnaires’ outbreak
World News

Two people dead in Melbourne mystery Legionnaires’ outbreak

An illustration of Legionella pneumophila bacteria, the cause of Legionnaires' disease. (File photo) Photo: AFP/ Science Photo Library - Kateryna Kon Two people have died from legionnaires' disease in Melbourne, with health authorities still yet to identify a source of an outbreak that has left dozens of people in hospital. Victoria's chief health officer confirmed a man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s died from the disease. And the number of cases in Melbourne has grown to 77, of whom 75 people have required hospitalisation. But Chief Health Officer Clare Looker said on Sunday morning the outbreak could be slowing. "We've definitely seen a decrease in the speed with which notifications are coming in and definitely a clustering of those symptoms and onsets from those earlier dates," s...
Is eating in front of the TV really that bad for you?
World News

Is eating in front of the TV really that bad for you?

By Jessica Brown of the BBC Scientists have long known our wider environment has a crucial part to play in our diet, and TV watching can be a powerful distraction. Photo: Pavel Vladychenko vk.com/altern With so many great shows and films to watch on television these days, it is tempting to catch up while eating. But is a TV dinner really a good idea? The "TV dinner" doesn't have a great reputation, health-wise. The concept, which originated in the US in the early 20th century, conjures images of a processed meal packed with salt and additives, eaten balanced on your lap while sat on the sofa. But what if you choose a different type of meal while in front of your favourite television series? You may think that having a colourful plate piled high with vegetables and wholegrains is a h...
Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC
World News

Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC

Kim Jong Un. Photo: Supplied/Korean Central News Agency By Jean Mackenzie, BBC News Donald Trump returning to the White House would be "a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity" for North Korea, according to a man in a unique position to know. Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking defector to escape North Korea since 2016 and has been face to face with Kim Jong Un on seven separate occasions. The former diplomat, who was working in Cuba when he fled with his family to South Korea last November, admits to "shivering with nerves" the first time he met Kim. But during each meeting, he found the leader to be "smiling and in a good mood". "He praised people often and laughed. He seems like an ordinary person," he told the BBC. But he is in no doubt Kim would do anything to guarantee his survival, ev...