Eight people have died in Bangladesh in one of the country's worst heatwaves on record as temperatures have hit a scorching 40 to 42 degrees Celsius.
Those who work outdoors have borne the brunt of the sweltering conditions.
"We have a lot of problems in summer. Our bodies sweat a lot. We're thirsty and have to work overtime, so we get very tired in summer. The body becomes unbearably tired, so sometimes I eat Sarabat on the side of the road. We have no choice but to come out in this intense heat. I went out in a rickshaw because we need to earn," said Mohammad Farooq, a rickshaw rider.
Van driver Abdur Rahim also struggles with dizziness, pains and a lack of energy.
"I've had dizziness due to intense heat, constant pains in the hands and feet, chills, profuse sweating, and a lack of energy. In this heat, you need to eat good things. If you don't eat, you don't have energy, and you can't drive a van. We need to eat fruit and saltines, but we can't earn a good income by driving a van so we can't eat good food. People don't come out of the house in summer," he said.
Temperatures are four to five degrees Celsius above the long-term average. All schools and colleges have been told to remain closed over the past week.
Authorities have ordered hospitals to prepare for the extreme weather.
""We have been instructed by the Ministry of Health to prepare the hospitals of the capital Dhaka. Doctors know how to care for patients in heat waves suffering from heat stroke, and doctors are trained. Hospitals are ready to serve patients," said Ayesha Shilpi, deputy director of the country's Directorate of Health.
Severe heatwave in Bangladesh has 8 killed
Politicians and diplomats from France, Serbia and Hungary have shared their views on Chinese President Xi Jinping's just-concluded state visit to their countries, saying Xi's tour has resulted in fruitful achievements in enhancing trade cooperation and diplomatic relations.
Xi visited the three European nations from Sunday to Friday, during which he held talks with leaders of these countries and witnessed the signing of multiple agreements.
While in France, Xi was warmly welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron who invited him to visit Hautes-Pyrenees, a place holding special significance to the French president.
Speaking with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Jean-Claude Trichet, former governor of the Bank of France, said that Xi's visit highlighted the importance of personal relationships between world leaders, and that the French hospitality in the Pyrenees echoes the informal talks between Xi and Macron in April 2023 in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province.
"I think that it is something which is of utmost importance for the head of state and government to entertain this kind of personal relationship. After all, the relationship between states and powerful nations everywhere in the world are based upon, as a last resort, the personal understanding and trust of those who are engaging in the discussion and the dialogue. So, President Macron's invitation in the Pyrenees is very much echoing, if I may, the nice invitation of President Xi in Guangdong, where Macron was in the last visit he paid to China," said Trichet.
The second leg of Xi's Europe tour is Serbia, where Xi held a meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic.
At the meeting, Vucic said Serbia firmly supports and will actively participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward Xi respectively in 2021, 2022 and 2023, adding that his country will stay in close strategic coordination with China in multilateral fora.
Commenting on Xi's visit, Vuk Jeremic, former Serbian Finance Minster, said that in a complicated world, the China-Serbia relationship is only going to become stronger.
"Our relationship with China is very predictable, very clear. It's only going to become stronger and go from strength to strength. Now, it is a complicated world. We live in a time of geopolitical recession, and we're all acutely aware of that. So, China's approach globally, that is enshrined in the three global initiatives of China, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, is something that Serbia truly respects and supports. And as a matter of fact, during President Xi's visit to Belgrade this week, Serbia formally supported and joined those global initiatives, which I think does volumes about our relationship for the future in the multipolar world," said Jeremic.
As the last leg of Xi's three-nation Europe tour, Hungary exchanged 18 cooperation agreements with China, covering areas such as trade, agriculture and green development.
The two countries also decided to elevate bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era.
Sandor Meszaros, former Hungarian Ambassador to China, said that following Xi's visit, the China-Hungary relationship will enter into a new phase.
""I would like to mention that this year, especially here in Hungary and Chinese relations [in terms of our relations with China], we celebrate the anniversary of the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. What we have been developing in our relations and proceeding in our relations will be still on principles which are important for both sides. This is mutual respect and benefits, respect for each other, choice for road and development [choice of the path of development]. So, as a conclusion, I can see that relations will enter into a new phase into the continuous development and enlargement of the relations," said Meszaros.
Xi's three-nation Europe tour arouses positive responses in host countries
