The event occurred around 4:30 am on Friday at the Karim Filling Station in Goalanda Mor, Rajbari district. When the driver refused to pay and tried to drive away, Saha positioned himself in front of the vehicle to block its exit. CCTV footage reviewed by police shows Saha and the vehicle’s owner, Abul Hashem (also known as Sujan), near the car. This fatality arrives against a backdrop of multiple reported attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu community in recent months. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council documented 51 communal violence cases in December 2025 alone, attributing the pattern partly to attempts to suppress minority participation in forthcoming general elections.

KYIV, Ukraine, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A Russian strike on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed a 20?year?old woman and wounded several others overnight, regional officials said early Sunday. "There is information about one person killed as a result of an enemy drone strike on a private house," Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram. Synegubov also said a 41?year?old woman suffered an "acute stress reaction" after the strike. In the northeastern Sumy region, emergency services said an air strike on a residential neighbourhood wounded three women and a seven?year?old child. Initial information indicated no casualties, though officials said the strike continued a pattern of repeated assaults on the Danube port region.

The demonstrations were sparked by anger over economic hardship that exploded into the biggest protests against the Islamic republic in more than three years. Authorities have said demonstrations they condemn as "riots" had been controlled and calm returned, with state-aligned media reporting thousands of arrests. Alarm has mounted over the reported death toll during the crackdown, as verifying cases remains difficult under severe internet restrictions. Eyewitnesses who left Iran after the protests told AFP of coming under fire and hearing numerous gunshots during protests. The opposition Iran International channel based outside the country has said at least 12,000 people were killed during the protests, citing senior government and security sources.

GOPALGANJ, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - Three people, including a grandmother and her grandson, died from electrocution in Kashiani upazila here in the district last night. The incident occurred around 8:30 pm at Tetulia village under Rajpat union of the upazila. The deceased were identified as Rahela Begum, 50, wife of Mosarraf Shikder of Tetulia village, her grandson Saifan Shikder, 8, son of Sajib Shikder, and neighbour Iran Shikder, 55, son of Hafiz Shikder. Officer-in-Charge of Kashiani Police Station Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman said an electric wire had been set up beside the house of Sajib Shikder to protect Boro rice seedlings from rats. Police of Kashiani Police Station visited the spot and prepared an inquest report.

Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana's daughter Tulip Rizwana Siddique and son Radwan Mujib Siddique. Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 set the date after the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case today. The anti-graft body filed the case on January 13, 2025, against 16 individuals for allegedly abusing their power and committing irregularities in obtaining the allocation of a 10-katha plot. Following the investigation, the ACC submitted a charge sheet against 18 accused on March 10, 2025. On July 31, 2025, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 framed charges in the case and ordered the formal commencement of the trial.

DHAKA, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) is conducting the concluding day of hearings on appeals against the decisions of returning officers regarding the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. On Saturday, the eighth day of hearings, the commission reviewed 112 appeals, of which 45 were accepted. On the eighth day, the EC rejected 37 appeals, including 13 filed against rejection of nominations and 24 filed against acceptance of nominations. A total of 645 appeals were filed with the EC against the decisions on acceptance and rejection of nomination papers in the ongoing election. On January 4, the last day of scrutiny of nomination papers, returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected 723 out of a total of 2,568 nomination papers submitted for 300 parliamentary constituencies.

MELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has criticised the scheduling at the Australian Open starting Sunday, saying "it does not make sense". The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows begins her Melbourne campaign in the last match of the first day on Margaret Court Arena, following a men's clash. The 23-year-old Briton, who faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, said: "I think it's very difficult to be scheduling women's matches after a potential five-set match. The 28th-seeded Raducanu faces a tight turnaround after travelling to Melbourne following her quarter-final defeat on Thursday in a warm-up event in Hobart. "But I guess I was pretty much handed the schedule to try and turn it around and make the most out of what is in front of me."

DUBAI, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Rory McIlroy posted a three-under-par round at the Dubai Invitational on Saturday to keep within touching distance of the top of the leaderboard. The Northern Irishman had slipped off the top of the pile on Friday following a disastrous second round in which he landed in the water four times. But the world number two course-corrected in the third round as he brought his score to five-under. "A little better than yesterday, kept the ball dry instead of the four water balls I had," McIlroy said. "I've been here long enough to not be too nervous tomorrow, let's put it that way," 38-year-old Elvira said.

Syrian army says has taken airport in key Kurdish-held cityDAMASCUS, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Syria's army has said it captured the Tabqa military airport in Raqa province, previously held by Kurdish forces. Earlier Saturday, they said in a statement to the SANA news agency that their troops had begun entering Tabqa and encircling PKK fighters. Their latest statement confirmed they had seized the airport pushing out the Kurdish fighters.

A 56-member media committee has been announced to strengthen the election activities and campaign of BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman in the Dhaka-17 constituency ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The committee was approved on Saturday night through a joint signature of the chief coordinator of Dhaka-17 election activities and BNP chairperson’s adviser, Bir Muktijoddha Abdus Salam and joint coordinator Professor Dr Farhad Halim Doner. According to party sources, the media committee will oversee Tarique Rahman’s election campaign at the grassroots level, maintain direct coordination with the media, manage social media platforms and ensure the swift and effective dissemination of the BNP’s election messages to the public. The committee is also expected to play an active role in countering misinformation on digital platforms and supporting voters with accurate information. Coordinators expressed optimism that the formation of the new media committee would inject fresh momentum into Tarique Rahman’s election campaign in the Dhaka-17 constituency.

The Election Commission (EC) began hearing the appeals on January 10. On Sunday, the EC will hold the final day of appeal hearings at the auditorium of the Election Commission building in Agargaon in the capital. During the scrutiny of nomination papers from December 30 to January 4, returning officers rejected the nomination papers of 723 candidates. Under the new schedule, the deadline for submitting nomination papers in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 is Sunday. A total of 645 appeals were filed with the Election Commission against the decisions of returning officers during nomination scrutiny.

MELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - British qualifier Arthur Fery scored a major upset Sunday at the Australian Open by taking down 20th seed Flavio Cobolli on his maiden main draw debut in Melbourne. "It was an incredible experience here, first time playing main draw on such a great court with great fans as well," he said. Fery's only other Grand Slam second round appearance came at Wimbledon last year, where he also beat a 20th seed in the first round -- Australian Alexei Popyrin. Defeat was a big setback for Cobolli, who appeared to be battling a physical issue throughout the match. He made the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, before falling to Novak Djokovic, and won two ATP titles at Bucharest and Hamburg.

Before dawn breaks over the Bay of Bengal, ten-year-old Masum wakes to the sound of waves crashing against Sonadia Island. He picks up his schoolbooks and prepares for another day at Sonadia Government Primary School, fully aware that his education has a fixed end point. Education ends at grade fiveSuch stories are common on Sonadia Island, a remote landmass of about nine square kilometres off Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, surrounded entirely by the sea. Yet formal schooling on the island ends at grade five. Each year, an average of 25 to 30 students pass grade five, after which most are forced to drop out.

MELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for tennis history while women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka is also in action on the first day of the Australian Open on Sunday. In early matches, seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini outclassed Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 on a hot and sunny Rod Laver Arena. Spain's Alcaraz has won the US Open, Wimbledon and French Open but the Melbourne Park crown is the one Grand Slam missing from his impressive resume. Alcaraz launches his title charge against 79th-ranked home player Adam Walton in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena. Opening the night session on Rod Laver Arena is Sabalenka, who is aiming to win a third Melbourne crown in four years.

Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian OpenMELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Jasmine Paolini powered into the Australian Open second round with a straight-sets demolition to kickstart the action in a hot and sunny Melbourne on Sunday. "It was pretty good today, I did not expect that," she said of her emphatic win in 69 minutes. I played pretty good. She polished off the first set in 26 minutes and although Sasnovich put up more resistance in the second, Paolini ran out a comfortable winner. Paolini reached the finals of Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024, but her best result at Melbourne Park is the fourth round in the same year.