TOKYO, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Japan said Friday that international trade should be "smooth" after media reports said China was delaying Japanese imports as well as rare-earth exports, as their two-month-old spat escalates. "Generally speaking, I believe that international trade in rare earths should proceed smoothly, and I consider this to be extremely important," Kihara told a regular briefing. Kyodo News reported that China-bound exports of Japanese sake and food items have been delayed, citing trade industry sources. Separately the Wall Street Journal reported that China has begun choking off exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets to Japan. China has since begun restricting exports to Japanese companies of scarce and expensive "heavy" rare earths, as well as the powerful magnets containing them, the Journal said, citing two exporters in China.

The attack on Kyiv ignited fires and damaged apartment buildings, with "three dead and 13 wounded," according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The country's air force warned "all of Ukraine is under a missile threat" after confirming Russian bombers were airborne. The latest barrage comes after the US Embassy in Kyiv warned on Thursday that a "potentially significant air attack" could occur any time within the next several days. The plan includes a US-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force to be deployed once the fighting stops. But calling the proposed security guarantees "militaristic", Moscow warned that any Western peacekeeping troops sent to Ukraine would come under Russian fire.

Federal immigration officers armed with pepperball guns and tear gas wrestled several protesters to the ground. In a separate incident Thursday afternoon, US immigration enforcement agents shot and wounded two individuals in the western city of Portland, local police said. - 'Smoke and mirrors' -Trump and senior officials have claimed that in the Minneapolis incident, Good was trying to kill the ICE agents. Good, a US citizen, was not the target of immigration enforcement action and was only suspected of blocking traffic, police said. The victim's mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune her daughter "was probably terrified" and "not part" of anti-ICE activity.

Trump says 'my own morality' is only restraint on global powerWASHINGTON, United States, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump said in an interview published Thursday that his "own morality" was the only constraint on his power to order military actions around the world. It's the only thing that can stop me," Trump told the newspaper when asked if there were any limits on his global powers. The Republican president then added that "I do" need to abide by international law, but said "it depends what your definition of international law is." Asked whether his priority was preserving the NATO military alliance or acquiring Greenland, Trump told the Times: "it may be a choice." "I prohibited them from doing business in my first term, and I got absolutely no credit for it," Trump told the daily.

WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US Vice President JD Vance warned Europe on Thursday to take Donald Trump "seriously" on Greenland as the president ramps up threats against the Danish-ruled Arctic territory. Vance accused fellow NATO member Denmark and the rest of Europe of failing to do enough to protect the strategically-located island from the designs of Russia and China. "I guess my advice to European leaders and anybody else would be to take the president of the United States seriously," Vance told a briefing at the White House when asked about Greenland. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet officials from Denmark and Greenland next week. Vance was meeting British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy in Washington for talks that would focus on the Ukraine war, but where Greenland could come up.

BOGOTÁ, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro agreed with his US counterpart Donald Trump to take "joint action" against cocaine-smuggling guerrillas on the border with Venezuela, Bogota's interior minister said Thursday. Trump and Petro "committed to taking joint actions" against the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's last remaining major armed rebel group, Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said in an interview with Blu Radio. Colombia accuses the ELN of launching attacks and kidnappings of Colombian soldiers and retreating to rear-base locations in Venezuela. Petro asked Trump "to help strike hard at the ELN on the border" with Venezuela, Benedetti said. After Petro criticised the United States for seizing Maduro in Caracas on January 3, Trump told Petro to "watch his ass."

NEW YORK, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Global stocks were mixed Thursday while oil prices bounced higher as markets looked ahead to key US employment data expected to influence monetary policy. The geopolitical outlook remained a major uncertainty for traders after the United States toppled Venezuela's president, and as China targeted Japanese imports following Tokyo voicing support for Taiwan. US defense stocks saw some sharp gains after President Donald Trump called for a 50-percent hike of the US defense budget next year. But US indices overall were indecisive, with the Dow advancing, the Nasdaq retreating and the S&P 500 ending flat. Tokyo stocks were weighed down after China announced an anti-dumping probe into imports from Japan of a key chemical used to make semiconductors.

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General Daily Insight for January 09, 2026 Bravery is a virtue we all have today! Taurus April 20 – May 20 Finding another point of view has a lot of advantages at present. With the willful Sun embracing passionate Mars in your 8th House of Deep Bonds, cooperation will be key. This is underlined by the opposition between thoughtful Venus in your partnered 7th house and generous Jupiter in your empowered sign. Share your needs kindly, and keep committing to small, daily steps that reduce pressure at home and in a crowd.

Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Jan 08, 2026 (BSS) - Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Traders Association Limited called off strike for increasing its commission after an emergency meeting with Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) this afternoon. BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed confirmed following the meeting at BERC's conference room, saying the commission agreed on its demand of increase charges. He said the commission will discuss with the government about their demands. Earlier, the traders association announced suspension of LPG supply and sale across the country last night. According to the LPG traders, they demanded stopping of the countrywide ongoing administrative operations against retailers, increasing the charges of distributors and retailers and ensuring uninterrupted supply.

Zia Inter-University Cricket Competition begins tomorrow with 32 universities aiming to promote sports and professionalism. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) - The Zia Inter-University Cricket Competition, featuring the participation of 32 universities, will begin tomorrow (Friday) at the City Club Ground in the capital. Organised by Jatiyotabadi Kriradol, the tournament will be held in the T10 format, according to a press release. Tamim Iqbal, the tournament's brand ambassador and former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team, was present at the press conference. The speakers expressed hope that the first-ever Zia Inter-University Cricket Competition would set a positive example in the country's sports arena and become a regular event in the future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Communications could be favorably exchanged, information should be understandable, and audiences should be receptive. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Seeing the deeper ways relationships and systems link together could shed some interesting light. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Some people have an inner dialog, some do not. If you do, it could be talking up a storm today, pay attention to inner insights. IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: You’ve got the glow for sure during your birthday month, you might stop traffic.

Speaking to reporters at a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the adviser confirmed that visa services have been suspended at Bangladeshi missions where security incidents occurred. On December 20, extremist groups vandalized the Bangladesh Visa Centre in New Delhi, followed by another attack in Siliguri on December 22. Consular and visa services remain fully halted at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, while only limited visa services are being provided at missions in Mumbai and Chennai. As a result, Bangladeshi visa services in India are now restricted to a narrow range of categories. On Wednesday, leaders and activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) staged a demonstration outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Mumbai.

A total of 469 aspirants have filed appeal petitions with the Election Commission till Thursday, a day before the expiry of deadline, challenging returning officers’ decisions on the rejection and acceptance of nomination papers for the February 12 national election. The 174 petitions filed on Thursday include 164 appeals against the cancellation of the nomination papers and the 10 others against the acceptance of the nomination papers, said EC Director (Public Relations) Ruhul Amin Mollik on Thursday. The Election Commission will receive the appeal petitions till Friday and then the Commission will hear and dispose of the petitions from January 10 to 18. A total of 2,568 aspirants submitted nomination papers for the country’s 300 constituencies by the December-29 deadline to contest the 13th parliamentary election. The Election Commission on December 11 announced the election schedule to arrange the national election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

DHAKA, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have stood at US$ 32.44 billion. But, as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) methodology under the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6), Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves stood at $27.85 billion, according to the latest data of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) released today.