DHAKA, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS) - A mild cold wave continues to sweep across several northern and western districts of the country, as the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) today forecast generally dry weather with partly cloudy skies, persistent fog in some areas, and temperatures remaining nearly unchanged over the next 24 hours. It warned that thick fog could temporarily disrupt air navigation, inland river transport, and road communication. The districts affected by the mild cold wave include Rajshahi, Pabna, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia, and the condition is expected to continue in the coming days, the BMD added. On Friday, Teknaf recorded the highest temperature at 27.0 degrees Celsius, while Rajshahi, Ishurdi, and Badalgachhi registered the lowest at 9.0 degrees Celsius today. In Dhaka, the sun will set at 5:24 pm today and rise at 6:42 am tomorrow.

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DHAKA, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS) - The 30th edition of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) was inaugurated today at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal, Rupganj, Narayanganj. "The trade fair is a platform showcasing Bangladesh's new initiatives, innovations and commercial development," he said. The Commerce Adviser said Bangladesh has now become an important partner in global trade. "In this continuation, paper and packaging products have been declared as the 'Product of the Year 2026'," he announced. Earlier, the trade fair was scheduled to be inaugurated on January 1.

Sabalenka says revenge not on her mind for Australian OpenBRISBANE, Australia, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - World number one Aryna Sabalenka said Saturday she isn't out for revenge after losing her Australian Open crown in a shock loss to American Madison Keys last year. Sabalenka went into the final at Melbourne Park aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive Australian Opens. Sabalenka had an unusual lead-in to the Australian Open starting this month, playing Nick Kyrgios in a much-criticised "Battle of the Sexes" in Dubai. Sabalenka said she always chose to open her season in Brisbane because she was guaranteed testing matches. "It's a lot of matches before hitting the Australian Open."

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) is set to establish a dedicated Training and Research Academy aimed at reducing its long-standing dependence on costly local and foreign consultancy services. The proposed project, titled "Dhaka Wasa Training and Research Academy Establishment", will be implemented at Mirpur Senpara Parbata Mouza in the capital at an estimated cost of Tk721.42 crore. Dhaka Wasa will execute the project under the Local Government Division between October 2025 and June 2031. Officials said Dhaka Wasa’s officers and staff do not yet have adequate expertise to operate and manage these modern systems effectively. Dhaka Wasa currently has a training centre, but its infrastructure and human resources are inadequate for advanced training and research.

The curtain rose on the 30th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) on Saturday as Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin formally inaugurated the month-long event at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Exhibition Centre (CBFEC) in Purbachal, Rupganj. Describing the fair as a landmark in the country’s commercial journey, the commerce adviser said the Dhaka International Trade Fair is not merely a product exhibition but a comprehensive showcase of Bangladesh’s entrepreneurship, innovation and overall trade development. “The 30th edition of the Dhaka International Trade Fair is a milestone in the history of Bangladesh’s trade and commerce. Bashir Uddin noted that Bangladesh has emerged as an important partner in global trade. The commerce adviser underscored the pivotal role of entrepreneurs in making the trade fair successful.

Captain Ben Stokes on Saturday called the fifth and final Test against Australia a "huge game" for England and vowed there would be no coasting at the end of a long and draining Ashes tour. The tourists go into the clash on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground buoyed by a four-wicket win inside two days at the previous Test in Melbourne. "This is a big game, purely because we're walking out there representing England," he said. "The Ashes, unfortunately for us, hasn't gone the way we wanted it to, but we've got one more game in a big series. Australia captain Steve Smith on Saturday said a final look at the wicket was needed before the hosts decided on their starting XI.

Rafael Leao fired AC Milan top of Serie A with a tight 1-0 win at Cagliari on Friday. Adrien Rabiot set up Leao who fired past Elia Caprile after 50 minutes in Sardinia. Milan move two points ahead of Inter Milan who host Bologna on Sunday with third-placed Napoli at Lazio. The visitors came out fighting after the break, Ruben Loftus-Cheek heading over before Leao, who had arrived in Cagliari nursing a right adductor problem, breaking the deadlock having hit the crossbar minutes earlier. Cagliari remain 14th in the standings on 18 points.

Azizul Hakim will captain Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, with Zawad Abrar as his deputy. The duo have been prolific at the under-19 level, having scored over 1000 runs in Youth ODIs since the last U19 World Cup. The duo are the most successful bowlers since the last U19 World Cup with 45 and 43 wickets to their names respectively. Not too far behind is left-arm tweaker Samiun Basir, who had 29 wickets in this period, at an economy of under four. Standby: Abdur Rahim, Debashis Sarkar Deba, Rafi Uzzaman Rafi, Farhan Shahriar, Farzan Ahmed Alif, Sanjid Majumder, Md Sobuj

Amid shivering cold and dense fog, Dhaka recorded the season’s lowest 12.5°C on Saturday morning, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Dhaka and its surrounding areas may remain covered by moderate to dense fog until noon, it said. The prevailing cold and foggy conditions have reduced visibility in some areas, affecting early morning movement. A mild cold wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Pabna, Naogaon, Sirajgonj, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Jessore, Chuadanga and Kushtia districts, and it may continue. The country’s minimum temperature was recorded at 9.0°C in Rajshahi, Ishwardi in Pabna and Badalgacchi of Naogaon district.

CARACAS, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2:00 am (0600 GMT) Saturday, an AFP journalist reported. The explosions come as US President Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela. Sounds of explosions were still being heard around 2:15 am, although their exact location was unclear. Trump on Monday said the United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuelan drug boats. For weeks Trump has threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in the region, saying they would start "soon," with Monday being the first apparent example.

BGB face Army while Ansar and Police battle for Festival of Youth 2025 National Kabaddi Championship. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS) - The finals of the Festival of Youth 2025 National Kabaddi Championship in both men's and women's sections will be held today at the Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium. In the men's section final, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will face Bangladesh Army at 4:00 pm, while Bangladesh Ansar and VDP will take on Bangladesh Police in the women's section final at 5:00 pm. Youth and Sports Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam is expected to be present at the finals as the chief guest and distribute the prizes.

KYIV, Ukraine, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine is hosting security advisers for crunch talks on Saturday as Kyiv insists negotiations are zeroing in on a deal, while Russia claims a deadly New Year strike torpedoed the efforts. Russia captured the most Ukrainian land last year since launching its all-out invasion in 2022, an AFP analysis showed. Russia made its biggest advance in 2025 in November -- 701 square kilometres -- whereas the 244 square kilometres it gained in December was the smallest since March, the data showed. Zelensky also recently named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to head his presidential office. "At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations," Zelensky said.