Visiting Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday Britain has a “huge amount to offer” China, after his bid to forge closer ties prompted warnings from US President Donald Trump. Starmer’s trip is the first to China by a British prime minister in eight years, and follows in the footsteps of other Western leaders looking to counter an increasingly volatile United States. Trump warned on Thursday it was “very dangerous” for Britain to be dealing with China. Starmer brushed off those comments on Friday, noting that Trump was also expected to visit China in the months ahead. Starmer will continue his Asia trip with a brief stop in Japan on Saturday to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

At least 10 security officials and 37 militants were killed as ethnic Baloch separatists launched “coordinated” attacks across Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday, an official said, the latest violence in the insurgency-hit southwest region. “The terrorists ... launched coordinated attacks this morning at more than 12 locations,” a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. A senior security official based in the provincial capital of Quetta told AFP at least four policemen were killed in Quetta, although it was not clear whether they were included in the 10 officials killed. Separatists had also abducted the deputy commissioner of Nushki district, a senior official in Quetta told AFP. “Throughout the operation, the terrorists were reportedly in continuous contact with their handlers in Afghanistan,” the security official said.

Israel has for the first time acknowledged the Gaza death toll compiled by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which estimates over 70,000 killed since the war began on October 7, 2023. Thousands more remain missing under rubble, and at least 440 people have died of starvation after Israel restricted aid access, reports Al Jazeera. During the conflict, Israel repeatedly denied or downplayed Palestinian figures, issuing its own fluctuating statistics while accusing the Gaza authorities of exaggeration. Sultan Barakat, a public policy professor, told Al Jazeera that international scrutiny, increased UN access, and ongoing rubble clearance made continued denial untenable. Analysts also note that delaying acknowledgment serves both diplomatic and legal purposes, allowing Israel to control messaging and limit accountability in international forums.

They will join observer missions from the European Union, 16 countries, and 32 individuals affiliated with various global bodies, bringing the total number of confirmed international observers for the dual polls to 330 so far. The number of international observers confirmed for the upcoming election is more than double that of the controversial general election held on January 7, 2024. The number of international observers for the 12th, 11th, and 10th general elections stood at 158, 125, and four respectively. Shakir Mahmood Bandar, Head of the OIC Election Observation Unit, will lead the two-member OIC observer mission. The general election will be held simultaneously with a referendum on the July National Charter.

A leader of Swechchhasebak Dal has been killed in a clash allegedly between two BNP faction at Trishkania in Kanchan municipality area in Rupganj upazila. The deceased was identified as Azhar Uddin, 48, senior vice-president of the Swechchhasebak Dal’s Ward No. Local sources said an internal discussion meeting of BNP and its associate bodies was held at the Ward No. During the meeting, an argument broke out between Ward Swechchhasebak Dal president Sabuj and Jubo Dal activist Rajib Hossain over the placement of names in a programme list. Rupganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shabzel Hossain said Azhar was killed during a scuffle stemming from a dispute over name placement in a party programme.

DHAKA, Jan 31, 2026 (BSS) - Policies should focus on safeguarding fiscal sustainability and strengthening macro-financial stability, while implementing comprehensive structural reforms over the medium-term to strengthen governance, create jobs, and promote economic diversification in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s economic growth has slowed recently, while inflation has remained elevated. Directors stressed the need for ambitious fiscal reforms. They encouraged the authorities to undertake bold tax policy reforms, simplify the tax system, and strengthen tax administration and compliance to mobilize revenue. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country's economic developments and policies.

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Former Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury.File PhotoDHAKA, Jan 31, 2026 (BSS)- Former Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, former chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, today described enforced disappearance as a severe human rights violation, calling it "more than death." "An enforced disappearance is indeed more than death. But when a person is subjected to enforced disappearance, the family remains in the dark about their whereabouts," he said. He described investigating cases of enforced disappearance as an 'arduous and taxing' process, exposing chilling levels of cruelty. Looking ahead, Justice Moyeenul expressed hope that reforms through the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025, which aligns with the Paris Principles, will strengthen human rights protections.

They will join observer missions from the European Union, 16 countries, and 32 individuals affiliated with various global bodies, bringing the total number of confirmed international observers for the dual polls to 330 so far, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing this afternoon. The number of international observers confirmed for the upcoming election is more than double that of the controversial general election held on January 7, 2024. The number of international observers for the 12th, 11th, and 10th general elections stood at 158, 125, and four respectively. Shakir Mahmood Bandar, Head of the OIC Election Observation Unit, will lead the two-member OIC observer mission. The general election will be held simultaneously with a referendum on the July National Charter.

(The Center Square) — New Hampshire drivers will still need to undergo vehicle emissions tests and get inspection stickers after a federal court judge temporarily blocked a law scrapping the program. In a ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty issued an injunction Tuesday ordering the state to continue the annual vehicle emissions and safety inspections, which were set to go into effect Saturday. McCafferty's order requires vehicle inspections to continue until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gives the state final approval of the state plan to end the program. Kelly Ayotte signed a two-year budget in June that repealed the mandatory safety and emissions inspection requirements for cars and trucks. State environmental officials said that, despite the changes, New Hampshire will remain in compliance with Clean Air Act provisions to reduce tailpipe pollution even after the vehicle inspection mandate ends.

The Religious Affairs Ministry has announced that applications for Hajj visas for the current year will open on February 8 and continue until March 20. All registered Hajj pilgrims, both through government and private channels, are currently undergoing health check-ups at government hospitals, it said. According to the directives of Saudi Arabia, pilgrims must complete their medical examinations and receive the required vaccinations to obtain a fitness certificate. With the certificate, they can apply for Hajj visas through the Saudi Nusk Masar system between February 8 and March 20. This year, no pilgrim will be allowed to perform Hajj without a valid fitness certificate.

The government has removed the names of 12 people who were earlier enlisted in the July Fighters Gazette. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs recently issued a notification cancelling the previous gazette. Officials at the Liberation War Ministry said they were removed from the July fighters list for being included in the gazette with false information. Earlier, on October 29 last year, the ministry had cancelled the gazette of 128 July fighters who had been listed with false information or whose names appeared twice. Those from Chandpur district are Md Kamrul Hasan Rabbi, Md Raihan, Md Yousuf Ali, Nahidul Islam Ratul, Shahjalal, and Md Abdullah Al Mamun.

Traditionally, political parties announced their election manifestos well before the final phase of campaigning. This year, however, several major parties have not yet made their manifestos public. Some parties have indicated that their manifestos are in the final stages and will be officially released soon, with certain parties already setting announcement dates. Leftist alliance Democratic United Front announced its 18-point election manifesto on January 23 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium. Among religious-based parties, Islamic Movement Bangladesh’s manifesto is finalized, said party publicity secretary Sheikh Fazle Karim Maruf.

Jamaat-e-Islami Central Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said voters must reject the BNP, Awami League and Jatiya Party in this election, claiming their governance over the past 54 years has failed and people now want change. He made the remarks at a Jamaat-e-Islami rally at Faridganj Bus Stand in Chandpur on Saturday morning. Mia Golam Parwar said: “They have repeatedly become champions in corruption. So, who carried out extortion and killings? The people have seen that.”He urged people to vote for Dr Shafiqur Rahman under the Daripalla symbol to fight corruption and build a Bangladesh of good governance and justice.

In Bangladesh, corruption remains a daily reality. Against this backdrop, debates over civil service pay take on heightened importance. Economic theory offers cautious support: Better pay increases the costs of losing a job and may discourage misconduct. A particularly striking example comes from China, where repeated civil service pay increases over a decade raised official salaries to more than twice the GDP per capita. Revising civil service pay may be justified on grounds of fairness, dignity, recruitment, and administrative efficiency.