Bitcoin dove below $19,000 level on Saturday, its lowest level in 18 months, while the crypto market saw a $67 billion loss in just eight hours.

The price of Bitcoin plummeted to $18,742 at 0815GMT, its lowest level since December 2020, according to official figures. The world's largest crypto by market size saw its price falling 9.7% from $20,752 at 0015GMT.

Bitcoin's price later climbed back to $19,360 at 1047GMT, but the $20,000 mark is now considered a strong resistance level.

Ethereum, the world's biggest altcoin by market value, saw its price hitting as low as $975, from $1,096, during that period, before climbing back above $1,000 at that time.

The total value of the cryptocurrency market plummeted to $832 billion at 0825GMT, which is down $67 billion, or 7.4%, from $899 billion at 0035GMT.

The crypto market's total value stood around $850 billion at 1047GMT for a daily decline of 5.6%

The market, however, is significantly down from $3 trillion market cap that was recorded in November.

Recent sell-off comes as a result of the aggressive rate hiking cycle from central banks around the world, which fuels fears among investors that monetary tightening could cause a recession in global economy./agencies

At least four people were killed and several others injured in separate landslides at a hilly site in Bangladesh's southern port city of Chattigram late Friday, according to official sources.

"We have been confirmed about four deaths caused by heavy rain since last (Friday) night," Ilias Chowdhury, civil surgeon of the Chattogram district, told Anadolu Agency over telephone on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as members of two families in the city's Akborshah area.

According to official data by the Chattogram district administration, over 1,600 families have been living at different slopes and sites of 18 hills in the city, famous for readymade garment industry, the main exporting sector of the South Asian nation of 170 million people, with life risks during rough weather, especially in the monsoon season.

Over 200 people have been killed in several landslides in the hilly regions of the city over the past 15 years. The most-deadly incident killed 127 people in 2007.

Chowdhury said they are prepared to address any untoward situation as heavy rain is gradually inundating the city and adjacent areas, risking the outbreak of diarrhea and other water-born diseases.

"Medical staff at all government and private hospitals are ready to serve the flood-affected patients," the government's chief medical officer assured.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in the country's northeastern border district of Sylhet is deteriorating as heavy rain is still continuing.

Tens of thousands of residents have taken shelter at different government houses and other concrete settlements, crossing long way on foot as vehicular movement in most of the areas has been completely disrupted.

According to local sources, a huge number of people are still looking for shelters, leaving their houses due to floods.

"Boats are now the only vehicles to move from one place to another as almost whole Sylhet district and adjacent areas are now under flood water," Mohammad Shafaet, a city resident, told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh army, navy and coast guard, who have joined the local administration in relief works, are working to move the stranded people to safe places as thousands of residents at many low-lying areas are still stranded with kids and aged family members.

Besides, thousands of people have been inundated in northern districts of Rangpur and Kurigram due to onrush from upstream India to Teesta River and heavy seasonal rains./aa

At least nine people were killed in floods in India's northeastern Assam state in the last 24 hours, officials said on Saturday morning.

According to a statement by the office of Assam chief minister, over 1.8 million people have been affected by floods and landslides in the state for the last five days.

More than 108,000 people are taking shelter in relief camps.

"In last 24 hours, 28 districts have reported flooding ... 54 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides in this season (from April 6)," said the statement issued on Saturday morning.

Officials also said that the National Disaster Response Force has also been helping the state administration for the safe evacuation of people from affected areas.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and took stock of the situation due to floods.

"Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Assam affected by flooding," Modi tweeted./aa

Turkish security forces "neutralized" nine PKK terrorists near the Turkish border in northern Iraq, authorities said on Saturday.

The terrorists were targeted in the Operation Claw-Lock zone, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions, near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants./aa

There is a need for big changes in habits on a global scale from production to water use against the effects of global warming as the risks of desertification increase due to climate change-related drought, according to Turkish experts.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, experts highlighted increasing threats of climate change-related events on a sustainable environment.

Observed June 17 each year, the UN observance day focuses on changing public attitudes to the leading driver of desertification and land degradation.

Mehmet Ali Kaya, head of the Natural Disaster Management Application and Research Center at Trakya University in Türkiye's northwestern Edirne province, said the risk of desertification has recently become more visible.

"Climate change may cause huge movement of people like it was during the Migration Period. Human beings are polluting nature and the air, increasing carbon dioxide emissions in the air," he said.

The world is now at a tipping point, however, said Kaya, who underlined that it does not seem possible for the world to find an immediate solution to prevent desertification.

"We have to use our water resources very carefully, this is the issue we need to focus on," he said, adding drought is accompanied by desertification, among dozens of events that are triggered by global climate change.

- Drought, pollution threaten freshwater resources

Belgin Elipek, head of the hydrobiology department at the school, noted that freshwater resources such as lakes, dams, rivers and streams are dramatically affected by drought.

"A significant percentage of freshwater resources are already affected by pollution," she said, with the effects of drought, our use of the crucial resources remains much more minimal.

Pointing out that a significant part of freshwater resources is used in agriculture, Elipek said production systems should be reviewed to economically use water.

"One of the most important factors here is deforestation,” she said. “In deforested areas, the ecosystem balances are disturbed and this can increase desertification to high levels as well.”

She said the increase in atmospheric temperature accelerates evaporation and the power of storms allow even more water to evaporate from the soil.

"These are all interrelated processes. We cannot prevent the extremes caused by global climate change, but we should try to get through the dry periods with simple savings," Elipek said, referring to protecting water resources./agencies