NewsBytes

Lukas Martens sets new swimming world record in men’s 400-m freestyle

Olympic champion Lukas Martens of Germany has broken the men’s 400-m freestyle record at the Swim Open Stockholm. Martens became the first swimmer to break the 3 minute, 40 seconds barrier, finishing Saturday's race with a time of 3:39.96. That was 0.11 seconds better than the previous record set by fellow German Paul Biedermann in 2009, according to Olympics.com. Biedermann’s mark had been set wearing the drag-reducing “super suits” that were eventually banned in 2010. The 23-year-old Martens won the 400-meter freestyle gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a time of 3:41.78.

Bangladesh reintroduces ‘except Israel’ inscription on passports

Bangladesh has reintroduced “except Israel” inscription on passports debarring its citizens from travelling to the Jewish state as public anger mounted against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, officials said. The Home Ministry issued a directive asking the passport and immigration department to reinstate the sentence “THIS PASSPORT IS VALID FOR ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD EXCEPT ISRAEL” in the official travel permits for citizens visiting abroad, the state-run BSS news agency reported. The phrase “all countries except Israel” was dropped in 2021 during the Awami League government led by now-deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The authorities at that time said it was dropped from the passport to maintain international standards of the document.

UK cuts import tariffs on ‘everyday essentials' in effort to boost growth

The UK on April 13 announced a cut in import tariffs to slash prices on several foreign products, including everyday essentials ranging from pasta, fruit juices and spices, in an effort to boost economic growth. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said the UK Global Tariff will be temporarily suspended on 89 products, saving UK businesses an estimated GBP 17 million a year. Against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs, DBT said it was decided to suspend import tariffs on a whole range of products to lower costs for businesses who can benefit from zero tariffs until July 2027. “Free and open trade grows economies, lowers prices and helps businesses to sell to the world, which is why we’re cutting tariffs on a range of products,” said UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

Polls open in Ecuador’s presidential runoff

Ecuadorians are voting on April 13 in the country’s presidential election runoff, facing the choice between incumbent President Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González. It’s the second presidential runoff election in less than two years in the South American country, where voting is mandatory. Polling stations opened at 7 am local time, with more than 13 million people eligible to vote. Noboa, a conservative young millionaire, and González have both promised voters solutions to the extortions, killings, kidnappings and other crimes that became part of everyday life as the country emerged from the pandemic. Analysts expect the result in Sunday’s vote to have a very tight margin. More than 13 million people are eligible to vote, which is mandatory for adults up to the age of 65. It is optional for people aged 16 and 17 and over 65. Failure to vote results in a $46 fine.