Kremlin says Ukraine running out of time to agree to Moscow's peace termsMOSCOW, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Kremlin said Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12C temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country's energy grid. "The situation is deteriorating day by day for the Kyiv regime," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP, adding that Ukraine's "corridor for decision-making" was "narrowing".

Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. File photoDHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman will attend the citizens condolence meeting for former BNP Chairperson and three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia here tomorrow. The condolence meeting will be held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Friday after Zuma prayers. The press conference was chaired by educationist and economist Professor Dr. Mahbub Ullah. During the press conference, the speakers said that all members of her family have been invited to the citizens' condolence meeting for Begum Khaleda Zia and they have agreed to remain present at the meeting.

Photo: BSSCHANDPUR, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - A hotel owner in the district town was fined Taka 15,000 on Thursday for preparing food in an unhygienic environment and storing stale food, officials said. The fine was imposed during a mobile court drive conducted yesterday by Abdullah Al Imran, Assistant Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department (NCRPD), Chandpur District Office. According to the official, the owner of a Dhaka Hotel in the district town was found guilty of preparing food in dirty and unhygienic conditions and storing cooked stale food together with raw food in a refrigerator, which is a violation of the Consumer Rights Protection Act. Leaflets and pamphlets were distributed among traders and consumers to raise public awareness about consumer rights and discourage unlawful practices. The official said such drives would continue in the public interest to ensure safe and hygienic food for consumers.

Photo: BSSMAGURA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - A motivational meeting with teachers was held in Magura today to ensure the successful organization of the upcoming referendum in the district, marking the occasion of the 13th National Parliament elections. The meeting took place at 10:00 am at the conference room of the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Representatives from the district police, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer and head teachers of various primary schools under Sadar upazila were present at the meeting. The speakers emphasized that teachers play a crucial and responsible role in encouraging spontaneous public participation in the referendum process. At the end of the meeting, special importance was given to enhancing grassroots-level public awareness about the referendum through the active involvement of teachers.

India has shut down a medical college in Indian-administered Kashmir following protests by right-wing Hindu groups over the admission of a large number of Muslim students into its first batch. Students who meet the minimum qualifying threshold but fall short of public college cut-offs typically enrol in private institutions. However, several students told Al Jazeera they did not observe any major shortcomings. Salim Manzoor,* another student, noted that in Muslim-majority Kashmir there are medical colleges where Hindu students are enrolled under minority quotas. “I appeared for a competitive exam, which is one of the hardest in India, and was able to get a seat at a medical college,” she said.

DHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - The government is in the final stages of completing the long-awaited recommendation process for appointing principals and assistant principals in private schools, colleges and madrasas across the country. A high-level meeting is going on at the Ministry of Education to finalise the draft circular prepared by the Non-Government Teachers Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) on the appointment procedure. The meeting is expected to approve the final circular outlining the procedure for recommending appointments to key leadership posts in private educational institutions, including principal, vice-principal, head teacher, assistant head teacher, superintendent and assistant superintendent. An official from the Ministry of Education said that the issuance of the circular would bring a “radical change” to the long-standing recruitment system. NTRCA officials said the initiative aims to ensure greater transparency, accountability and fairness in the appointment of leadership positions in private educational institutions.

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AI Can Unlock $4.5 Trillion in U.S. Labor Productivity Today, Reveals Cognizant's Latest "New Work, New World 2026" Report

DHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two individuals, including a computer operator-cum-office assistant of the Election Commission (EC), on charges of forging National Identity (NID) cards and illegally selling personal information of the citizens. The accused were involved in a sophisticated forgery and data-selling network that allegedly earned them several crores of taka every month. Using unauthorized access and forged documents, the syndicate created fake NID cards and sold sensitive personal data to various interested parties. CID officials stated that the operation was carried out following intelligence-based investigations and that more individuals may be involved in the racket. Authorities reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against those involved in identity fraud and misuse of government data systems.

Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The matter was listed as item number 58 on the cause list of the Appellate Division Chamber Judge Court. The ICT prosecution filed the appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on December 15, 2025. The prosecution filed “Criminal Appeal No 96/2025: Chief Prosecutor vs Sheikh Hasina and another” on eight grounds with the Appellate Division on that day. Under charge number one, the tribunal found both Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal guilty on three counts and sentenced them to imprisonment till natural death.

DHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) - An inspiring example of honesty was set on Wednesday when a sharecropper in Chandpur reported the discovery of a large sum of money and gold ornaments found while harvesting paddy. The recovered cash amounted to Taka 2,39,200 and gold ornaments weighing 6.4 bhori of 22-carat, 21-carat, and traditional gold, with an estimated market value of Taka 10,90,000, according to a police press release here today. Moslem Mia, a sharecropper working on paddy fields near Abul Kashem Market under Matlab Police Station, found cash and gold hidden inside a pile of straw while spreading the harvested straw in the sun. The recovered money and gold ornaments have been officially seized and placed under court custody. Officer-in-Charge of Matlab Police Station confirmed the incident to the 999 authorities, praising the honesty and integrity of the sharecropper, which has drawn widespread appreciation in the local community.

UK economy rebounds with 0.3% growth in November: officialLONDON, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's economy grew more than expected in November, official data showed Thursday, handing a boost to the Labour government after recent weak figures. Gross domestic product increased 0.3 percent from the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement, beating an analyst consensus forecast for growth of 0.1 percent. GDP had fallen 0.1 percent in October, the ONS confirmed.

DHAKA, Jan 15, 2025 (BSS) - Two senior professors from the University of Tokyo, Japan, yesterday visited the Department of Television, Film and Photography (TFP) at the University of Dhaka. As part of the visit, Dr Hayashi delivered a lecture titled "The Rise of Fake News in the Digital Age: A Japanese Perspective." In his remarks, Saiyeed Shahjada Al Kareem, chairman of the Department of Television, Film and Photography, said the world is currently witnessing a rapid circulation of misinformation that is reshaping social and political realities in deeply harmful ways. He added that the lecture enabled students to critically engage with fake news as a global media crisis through a Japanese lens, while also encouraging comparative reflection in relation to Bangladesh. Discussions held between the visiting professors and faculty members prior to the lecture focused on future joint research initiatives, academic exchange programmes and institutional collaboration.

The centre -- which the hospital says is the only one capable of producing such large amounts of skin tissue while complying with Swiss and European regulations -- works with healthy pieces of skin taken from the burn victims themselves, to avoid the risk of skin being rejected. "We are about to begin the second phase, which is the most critical: the multiplication of keratinocyte tissue -- skin." - Success rate -The success of these skin grafts is not always guaranteed. While waiting for these grafts, doctors can apply airtight dressings, skin from deceased donors or fish skin to the burned areas. Once the skin grafts have been carried out, doctors must also monitor the positioning of joints during the healing process, including using splints, before the long rehabilitation process begins, said Pantet.

Illegal occupation, filling, unauthorized excavation or conversion of haors, wetlands or sandbanks will lead to up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of Taka 10 lakh. For polluting water, soil or the environment, the ordinance stipulates two years’ imprisonment or a fine of Taka two lakh, or both. According to the ordinance, an official list of haors and wetlands across the country will be prepared. The ordinance mandates that the concerned department will formulate a master plan for the protection, conservation, development and integrated management of haors and wetlands and update it regularly. Before undertaking any development project related to haors or wetlands, the opinion of the Haor and Wetland Development Department must be obtained.