NEW ORLEANS — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus' Rescues, at her office in New Orleans on Dec. 9 with a whiteboard index of sheltered cats and dogs and a Scrim look-alike recuperating in the background. 'I'm a travelin' dog and I've made a lot of stops/All over this town...' Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...And at every stop I own the heart, of at least one lovely...' People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, left, walks with Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...If you're ever in the 9th Ward stop and see/My cute little mini poodle...' Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.” Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim rests in a kennel Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...and my Shar-Pei doll down in old Treme/Waits for my return...' Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Scrim sits in the arms of Zoey Ponder on Oct. 24 at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim at the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. A Scrim sticker for sale Dec. 9 at Zeus' Rescues office to raise money for the shelter in New Orleans. A homemade portrait of Scrim hangs Dec. 9 in the Zeus' Rescues shelter in New Orleans. Scrim spends some time outside Oct. 24 with Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, in a fenced-in area at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Downtown project gets one step closer

Former Man City cult hero Shaun Goater lands manager job after boss is sacked following bizarre social media postExisting global system becoming increasingly irrelevant: Ahsan Islamabad : Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has said that the existing post-World War-II global system became increasingly irrelevant particularly its financial and multilateral structures, which fail to address the economic challenges of developing nations. Mr Ahsan was addressing as chief guest the closing session of Islamabad Conclave on the theme “Pakistan and the evolving global order” organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS). Mr Ahsan highlighted that Pakistan’s geostrategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East offers unparalleled opportunities for regional trade, energy and connectivity. He cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a key enabler in this transformation, having already delivered critical infrastructure projects including 8,000 MW of energy and over 500 kilometres of highways. These developments position Pakistan as a pivotal hub for regional integration, trade and economic collaboration. The minister outlined five strategic priorities for Pakistan to secure its place in the evolving global order. First, economic strength is fundamental to national resilience. Structural reforms, investment in human capital, and regional trade must be prioritised to reduce reliance on external aid and foster innovation-led growth. Second, the nation must embrace technological advancements to remain competitive globally. Initiatives like the National AI Policy and investments in emerging technologies including cybersecurity and green energy will be critical. Third, Pakistan must reclaim its leadership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), championing issues such as Palestine and Kashmir while fostering collective economic growth among Muslim nations. Fourth, regional cooperation with neighbours such as India Iran, and Afghanistan are vital for stability and prosperity. Expanding initiatives like CPEC to include Afghanistan and Central Asia can promote peace and economic integration. Finally, domestic unity remains the cornerstone of an effective foreign policy. He said building bridges across ethnic, religious, and regional divides will ensure internal cohesion and a stronger international presence. He concluded by emphasising that Pakistan’s future lies in economic diplomacy, innovation and proactive policies that leverage its geostrategic strengths, ensuring its rightful place in a dynamic global landscape. emphasising the need for revitalised UN-centered multilateralism to address global crises. Hina Rabbani Khar, Chairperson, NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, in her keynote address said that the world is transforming and people are fighting for primacy to rule the world. The conflict in the Middle East has exposed the major powers. She further said that South Asia suffered due to a lack of good bilateral relationships. The People’s Party leader said that Pakistan is centrally located in South Asia and collectively the region did not perform well in addressing the challenges. Countries that do not learn from their mistakes are continuously suffering and history and geography are two constants that cannot be changed, she concluded. Dr Moonis Ahmar from University of Karachi stated that while the world moved from a unipolar to a multipolar world, growing Sino-Russian engagement was increasingly important. Major regional fault lines lie in the Indo-Pak unresolved conflicts. Unless there was betterment of Indo-Pak relations, peace and stability will remain elusive, he said. Earlier, Amina Khan, Director, ISS, in her welcome remarks stated that the regional strategic landscape fundamentally reshaped by great power competition, events in neighbouring Afghanistan as well as regional connectivity in South and Central Asia. She further said that these developments prompted Pakistan to reevaluate its diplomatic strategies and find ways to navigate its national interests while maintaining its regional influence.

Major motorway used by thousands of drivers everyday to close NEXT WEEK – check your journeyYukon government launches rebates for energy-saving upgrades

I&M and Stakeholders File Large Load Settlement to Advance Grid Reliability and Support Economic GrowthDonald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling

Global stock markets mostly retreated Tuesday as traders eyed looming US inflation data and a key European interest rate call amid global political upheaval. After winning numerous records in the weeks since the November 5 US presidential election, US stocks fell for the second straight day as analysts pointed to profit-taking. But Alphabet jumped more than five percent after Google showed off a new quantum computing chip that it described as a significant breakthrough in the field, arguing it could lead to advances in drug discovery, fusion energy and other areas. The Paris stock market retreated as French party leaders gathered at President Emmanuel Macron's Elysee Palace office to chart a route towards a new government. The euro also fell ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting on Thursday. The ECB is expected to lower interest rates by 25 basis points amid weak eurozone growth. Independent analyst Andreas Lipkow said traders were taking a cautious approach ahead of the ECB meeting. The main US indexes struggled as traders eyed US consumer price inflation (CPI) data due Wednesday, which could play a role in whether the US Federal Reserve decides to cut interest rates next week. On Wall Street, "tomorrow's CPI report is in full focus with a looming rate-decision from the Fed coming," analyst Bret Kenwell of trading platform eToro said in a note. Following recent spending and jobs data "traders have felt even more emboldened to bet on a December rate cut, while the Fed has done little... to quiet that expectation," he added. Earlier, stock markets weighed "concerns that China's economic stimulus measures might not have a long-lasting effect", noted Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell. The growth plan comes as Beijing contemplates Donald Trump's second term in the White House. The US president-elect has indicated he will reignite his hardball trade policies, fueling fears of another standoff between the economic superpowers. The Shanghai stock market ended higher but Hong Kong fell. Seoul's Kospi index rallied more than two percent after tumbling since President Yoon Suk Yeol declared short-lived martial law on December 3. On the corporate front, shares in Stellantis rose around one percent on the Paris stock exchange after the car giant and Chinese manufacturer CATL announced plans for a $4.3-billion factory making electric-vehicle batteries in Spain. Walgreens Boots Alliance soared 17.7 percent following reports that it could be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Boeing jumped 4.5 percent as it announced it was resuming production at two Seattle-area plants that had been shuttered for nearly three months due to a labor strike. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 44,247.83 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,034.91 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 19,687.24 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.1 percent at 7,394.78 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,329.16 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 8,280.36 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5 percent at 20,311.28 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,422.66 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 39,367.58 (close) Seoul - Kospi: UP 2.4 percent at 2,417.84 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0529 from $1.0554 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2773 from $1.2757 Dollar/yen: UP at 151.92 yen from 151.21 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.42 from 82.73 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $68.59 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $72.19 per barrel burs-jmb/nroStar sighting: Singer Kacey Musgraves at Magic KingdomOnly about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, poll finds

How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbersMatt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general

Rising Cybersecurity Insurance Demands Create New Opportunities for Technology Service Providers, Says Info-Tech Research GroupThe Chase enthusiasts have slammed ITV chiefs following a tense round that took an unexpected twist. In the episode aired on Wednesday (December 11), host Bradley Walsh introduced a new set of contestants eager to snatch the substantial cash prize. Viewers settling in for the evening's entertainment saw Adrian step up to the plate, joining three other contestants in a bid to outsmart chaser Paul Sinha and pocket a hefty sum. Adrian, hailing from Oldham, brought a commendable £7k from his cash builder round and bravely decided to chase the high offer of £40k, leaving viewers perched on the edge of their seats. However, when Adrian stumbled on a question, Bradley couldn't resist a jibe: "Do you think he gets it wrong?" referring to chaser Paul 'The Sinnerman' Sinha, before soliciting predictions from the team, reports the Express . Fortune favoured Adrian as The Sinnerman also fluffed the answer, sparing him from being knocked out. But moments later, Adrian faltered on another seemingly straightforward question, which should have sent him packing empty-handed. To the audience's amazement, The Sinnerman repeated his mistake, prompting suspicions among viewers about the sequence of events being "scripted". "What a fu**ing fix this is," raged one viewer. "That was 100% scripted, them asking if they think the Chaser will get it wrong when, in fact, he gets it wrong. Classic ITV ," wrote another. (sic) A third chimed in: "Why did the chaser getting that wrong feel scripted?" The team was sitting pretty with £46k in the pot after the first contestant, Elena, secured a cool £6k, leaving them with a hefty sum halfway through the show. "He's still in! Oh, I can't handle this drama! " exclaimed an excited viewer. Another commented: "It was an unexpected goal by Paul there. It was easy at home, of course, but Mercury is the smallest and the closest." The tension ramped up when contestant Ben managed to earn only £2k in his cash builder round but controversially decided to go for a lower offer of minus £7k. This move sparked outrage among viewers, as it would reduce the team's total to £39k. One irate fan remarked: "He shouldn't be allowed any money I would be foaming if he was on my team. -7 seriously?" Another agreed, saying: "That guy took -£7,000!! I would have pushed him off his stool". However, the strategy paid off for Ben, who successfully returned to the team for the final round. Even the chaser, Paul, weighed in to reassure the contestant, saying: "You had their (the team) blessing you took the lower offer. it's a tactical game - you're fine." In the end, despite their efforts, the team was defeated in the final chase and left with nothing. The Chase airs Mondays-Fridays at 5pm on ITV1.

New RapidDeploy app's video allows 911 responders to see, hear what's happening at emergency scenesNEW ORLEANS — A is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus' Rescues, at her office in New Orleans on Dec. 9 with a whiteboard index of sheltered cats and dogs and a Scrim look-alike recuperating in the background. Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, left, walks with Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.” Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim rests in a kennel Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Scrim sits in the arms of Zoey Ponder on Oct. 24 at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim at the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. A Scrim sticker for sale Dec. 9 at Zeus' Rescues office to raise money for the shelter in New Orleans. A homemade portrait of Scrim hangs Dec. 9 in the Zeus' Rescues shelter in New Orleans. Scrim spends some time outside Oct. 24 with Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, in a fenced-in area at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

Once the lifelines of Dhaka, the city's canals are now mere shadows of their former selves—clogged with pollution, suffocated by encroachment, and neglected due to flawed urban planning. In this seven-part series, The Daily Star explores the current condition of the capital's canals, botched restoration attempts, and how the sorry state of these waterways is exacerbating the city's waterlogging woes. Together, these stories reveal what it will take to bring Dhaka's dying canals back to life. Here is the fourth part of the series: Flood-flow zones, crucial for maintaining Dhaka's ecological balance, are rapidly vanishing, leaving the city increasingly vulnerable to waterlogging, loss of groundwater recharge, and potential flooding. Experts and urban planners blame rampant encroachment, questionable policies by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), and a culture of impunity that has legitimised illegal land use. FLOOD-FLOW ZONES: A CRITICAL RESOURCE Flood-flow zones are designated low-lying areas meant to retain water during monsoons, preventing urban flooding and aiding groundwater recharge. Historically, these zones ensured that excess water from rivers like the Buriganga had natural outlets, reducing the risk of flash floods and waterlogging. However, Dhaka has lost vast swathes of these zones due to unplanned urbanisation. According to a 2019 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), the city lost 1,072 acres (57 percent) of its 1,879-acre flood-flow zones in metropolitan areas within a decade. Till 2019, since the publishing of the gazette on the previous master plan (DAP-2010), the city lost 3,440 acres out of 9,556 acres of flood-flow zones, water retention areas, and water bodies. POLICIES FUELING ENCROACHMENT The Detailed Area Plan, approved in 2023, has drawn severe criticism for legalising residential developments in previously conservable flood-flow zones. While the DAP imposes penalties for unauthorized construction under the Building Construction Rules, these penalties remain negligible, with no substantive action against encroachment. "This is a glaring weakness of Rajuk and the DAP," said Fazle Reza Sumon, former president of BIP. "This legalisation benefits certain quarters, encouraging others to encroach upon flood-flow zones with the hope of eventual regularization," he said. Rajuk has further divided flood-flow zones into "open flood-flow zones" and "general flood-flow zones". While development is restricted in open zones, conditional development is now permitted in general zones, reducing the total flood-flow area by 23 percent. "Rajuk has effectively legitimised encroachments and now has the power to alter land use based on individual or other considerations," said Iqbal Habib, vice president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon. "This will reduce Dhaka's flood-flow zones to a mere 26 percent of their original size." CONSEQUENCES FOR DHAKA'S ENVIRONMENT The gradual loss of flood-flow zones has dire implications for the city. Without sufficient floodplains, rivers like the Buriganga face reduced inflows, endangering their ecological health. "When houses are built on elevated flood-flow zones, roads are also raised, creating low pockets that trap water," explained Iqbal Habib. "This leads to severe waterlogging in areas like Kalabagan, Kathalbagan, Rayerbazar, Matikata, and the DND region." Mohammad Azaz, chairman of the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), highlighted how Dhaka has transformed from a wetland city into a concrete maze. "Dhaka should have been a sponge city, retaining water during rains. But unplanned urbanisation and inadequate town planning have buried natural water channels and wetlands, leaving the city defenseless against flooding." Adil Mohammad Khan, president of BIP, added, "Flood-flow zones were once restricted for farming and water retention, ensuring natural flood mitigation. Now, the absence of penalties for encroachments has made the current DAP toothless." Iqbal Habib warned, "Without sufficient flood-flow zones, Dhaka will face increased flash floods and river flooding. Vulnerable areas along the Buriganga's banks and other low-lying pockets will suffer the most." HOUSING PROJECTS: GOVT, PVT CULPRITS Government agencies have played a leading role in this crisis by developing large housing projects on wetlands, such as Uttara phases 1, 2, and 3, Purbachal, Jheelmil, and Baridhara J Block, according to experts. Private developers followed suit, with Jahirul Islam's Banasree and Eastern Housing becoming models for indiscriminate wetland encroachment, said Azaz. "Even local housing societies are now filling wetlands and flood-flow zones for new projects," added Iqbal Habib. The Drainage Masterplan 2016 by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) revealed that many back swamps, depressions, and natural channels have already been filled in Dhaka, exacerbating the city's drainage issues. THE WAY FORWARD Experts emphasise that protecting flood-flow zones require strict enforcement of existing regulations and meaningful penalties for encroachment. Developing Dhaka's town planning with a focus on ecology and sustainability is also crucial. "The government must prioritise ecological and social considerations over mere land use," said Azaz. "Dhaka's survival depends on its ability to balance urbanisation with environmental preservation." Stressing the need for proper protection of flood-flow zones, Adil said any type of development should be completely restricted in the flood-flow zones around Dhaka. He said main flood-flow and sub-flood flow zones should be merged in the DAP to prohibit any types of development in these areas as they are imperative for water retention and protecting biodiversity, he added. "Vested interest groups that were involved in the destruction of flood-flow zones for housing, industry, or other activities, should be identified and penalised accordingly. Culpable officials of Rajuk, DoE, water development board, DC office, and other government offices should be punished as well for their misconduct," Adil said. Adil said environmental laws should be modified and amended to increase the punishment for encroachers of flood-flow areas. "Connectivity between different canals, waterbodies, and water channels should be restored. Appropriate demarcation of flood-flow zones is necessary as well and community engagement is also required to conserve these areas," he said. Unless urgent action is taken, the city risks losing its remaining flood-flow zones, leaving its population exposed to unmanageable water crises in the years to come, experts warned.What is Electropolished (EP) Stainless Steel Seamless Tube

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is calling on backcountry enthusiasts to use added caution when heading out into avalanche terrain following the Christmas holiday. Colorado is heading into a more dangerous period for avalanche risk than the state has seen since the end of November, state avalanche officials wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday evening, Dec. 25. “A change in the weather calls for a change in the avalanche danger,” the Colorado Avalanche Information Center wrote in the social media post. “With the widespread nature of our weak layer, your ability to trigger avalanches will increase as soon as a new, cohesive slab builds on the snowpack’s surface.” The avalanche danger is expected to rise almost everywhere in the state heading into the weekend, according to state avalanche officials. Exactly how quickly and how much the avalanche danger rises will depend on how much snow accumulates and how hard the wind blows. A prolonged period of stormy and windy weather is expected to last into the New Year. The Colorado avalanche officials say it will be “tricky” to predict how the weak layers in the snowpack will respond to the cumulative load. “This is a good time to reset the mindset and treat the next few days like you are heading into the mountains for the first time this season,” Colorado avalanche officials said. “Keep your eyes peeled and ears open. Pay attention to signs of instability like cracking and collapsing. These have been absent recently, and when we notice them again, that’s a clear sign to stick to low-angled slopes for safer travel in the mountains. “ For the most up-to-date avalanche forecast is available at Colorado.gov/avalanche .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The right frame can freeze a moment in time, creating meaning for the masses from a fist pump over a bloodied ear , a bridge crumbled by a ship , towns shredded by nature , and a victory sealed with an on-field kiss . In 2024, photographers across the U.S. captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election , to hurricanes and fires that ravaged communities, to campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The gallery from The Associated Press illustrates a new chapter of political history — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump , the moment President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run again , the campaign sprint by Vice President Kamala Harris in Biden’s place, and the raw emotion from voters during a grueling contest ultimately won by Trump . Hurricanes whipped through the country with devastating imagery, leaving a path of wreckage and death from Florida to Appalachia . After Hurricane Helene , Lake Lure in North Carolina was shown in a jarring photo covered in shards of debris thick enough to hide the surface of the water. Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. The scale of destruction experienced in some corners of the country in 2024 was hard to capture and might have been harder to fathom. That was the case when a container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and crumple around the vessel, killing construction workers on the bridge. As flames torched the landscape in California , another image captured firefighters and sheriff’s deputies pushing a vintage car away from a burning home. Elsewhere in California , one photo is aglow with bright orange flames, broken up only by the subtle features of an animal running through them. But hope also persevered in the face of devastation. In Helene’s aftermath , an image from Crystal River, Florida, shows Dustin Holmes holding hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, as they sloshed through floodwaters with her 4- and 7-year-old children to return to their flooded home. And in Manasota Key, Florida, a family was lit up by the glow of flashlights as they walked to check on their home damaged by Milton. Other photos from 2024 also grabbed the darkness and shadows to emphasize light: among them, a rocket liftoff and a total solar eclipse . And, yes, eclipse glasses were back in style for a shared moment of skygazing. But many other photos delivered a blast of color, from the spectrum of the northern lights across a Maine sky to a crew of workers wading into the deep-red of a Massachusetts cranberry bog . And, once again, Taylor Swift captured the country’s attention, even as a part of the crowd. She rushed down from the stands to kiss her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship , en route to another Super Bowl win.