Photo: CollectedSYDNEY, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Seamer Matthew Potts and spinner Shoaib Bashir were included in a 12-man England squad Friday for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia, with a final decision on who gets the nod likely after a better look at the wicket. Potts is the only unused seamer from the tourists' original 16-man squad and gets his chance after Gus Atkinson limped off with a hamstring issue in the fourth Test at Melbourne. Wood (knee) only played the first Test in Perth while Archer was ruled out after the third Test in Adelaide with a side strain. Bashir was considered England's top tweaker when they arrived, but has yet to play with spinning all-rounder Will Jacks preferred. England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue

Jan. 1, 2026, 4:57 p.m. PTFlooding has closed Little Morongo Road between Two Bunch Palms Trail and Dillon Road in Desert Hot Springs on New Year's Day. The city of Desert Hot Springs issued a traffic alert on Thursday, Jan. 1 warning motorists that flooding at the wash has made the roadway impassable. Drivers are urged to use alternative routes, drive slowly and follow all traffic laws. Philip Gonsalves, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, said the storm system brought deep moisture into the Coachella Valley, increasing the risk of flooding in desert washes and low-lying areas that can quickly become hazardous for motorists. Portions of North Gene Autry Trail, Indian Canyon Drive and East Vista Chino continue to be closed in Palm Springs.

According to the bulletin, moderate to thick fog may cover different regions from midnight to morning and may linger till noon at some places. The dense fog could cause temporary disruption to air navigation, inland river transport and road communication. Night temperature may rise slightly, while day temperature is expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country. On Thursday, Teknaf recorded the highest temperature at 26.5 degrees Celsius, while Jashore registered the lowest at 8.0 degrees Celsius today. In Dhaka, sunset will be at 5:23 pm today and sunrise at 6:42 am tomorrow.

Gaibandha, Dec 2, 2026 (BSS) - Two people were killed and two others injured in a collision between a truck and a motorcycle on the Bogura-Rangpur Highway at Fashitala point under Kamardaha union of Gobindaganj upazila in the district on Thursday night. Police said a motorcyclist, along with two co-riders, was travelling on the highway near the Kamardaha flyover when a speeding truck hit the motorcycle from behind. The motorcyclist and one co-rider were killed on the spot, while the truck helper and the other co-rider sustained serious injuries in the accident. On receiving information, firefighters from the Gobindaganj Fire Service station rushed to the scene, rescued the injured and admitted them to the Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex. Officer-in-Charge of Gobindaganj Highway Thana Mojaffar Hossain confirmed the incident and said he visited the spot around 11:30 pm.

The figures from 2025 mark the second consecutive year Saudi Arabia has set a new record for executions, after authorities executed 338 people in 2024. The Berlin-based organisation confirmed that Saudi Arabia executed 356 people in 2025, highlighting it was the first time more foreigners were executed than Saudis in a calendar year. Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022, after suspending the use of the death penalty in narcotics cases for around three years. Saudi Arabia is spending big on tourist infrastructure and top sports events such as the 2034 football World Cup as it tries to diversify its oil-reliant economy. Rights group Amnesty International began documenting executions in Saudi Arabia in 1990.

KYIV, Ukraine, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine staged the death of an anti-Kremlin Russian fighter to prevent his killing ordered by Moscow's special forces, Ukrainian military intelligence announced Thursday. Denis Kapustin, leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps that had carried out cross-border raids into Russia during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, was killed on the front line, his group declared Saturday. His assassination, GUR said in a statement, "was ordered by the special services of the aggressor state Russia, which allocated half a million dollars to carry out the crime." "As a result of a comprehensive special operation" his life "was preserved, and the circle of individuals was identified: the masterminds within the Russian special services and the perpetrators." Kyiv sent shockwaves through Ukraine by announcing that Babchenko had been shot dead at his home in a contract-style killing.

BELGRADE, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed hope Thursday that Russia and Hungary could quickly wrap up the sale of a Serbian oil company caught up in Washington's sanctions against the Kremlin over the invasion of Ukraine. According to Belgrade, Gazprom is in negotiation with the Hungarian fossil fuel company MOL to sell the 56-percent stake controlled by Gazprom Neft and Intelligence, two subsidiaries of the Russian giant. "I hope that the Russians and Hungarians will finish their work" by the January 23 deadline, Vucic told the press Thursday. The Serbian president had previously said that Russia, a key ally of Belgrade which supplies the majority of the Balkan country's natural gas needs, was not interested in reselling its shares in NIS to Serbia. Given the firm's importance to the Serbian economy, Vucic had repeatedly promised that the government would step in should no agreement on the sale of Russian shares be reached by January 15.

North Korean leader's daughter in first visit to symbolic mausoleumSEOUL, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The North Korean leader's daughter Kim Ju Ae has made her first visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, state media images showed Friday, further solidifying her place as her father's successor. Current leader Kim Jong Un is the third in line to rule in the world's only communist monarchy, following father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two men -- dubbed "eternal leaders" in state propaganda -- are housed in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a vast mausoleum in downtown Pyongyang. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un had visited the palace, accompanied by top officials. North Korean state media have since referred to her as "the beloved child", and a "great person of guidance" -- "hyangdo" in Korean -- a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.

CountryUnited States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Ara

Crab catching banned in the Sundarbans for two monthsPhoto: BSSKHULNA, Jan 1, 2025 (BSS) - The Forest Department has imposed a two-month banon crab catching in the Sundarbans from January 1(today) to February 28 toensure the natural breeding of the species during its peak spawning season. However, residents of areas adjacent to the Sundarbans alleged that somesyndicates continue crab catching during the breeding season by using varioustactics. As January and February are the breeding months for crabs, entry of fishermeninto the Sundarbans for crab catching remains suspended for 59 days. Several forest-dependent fishermen said crab trading is highly profitable,which is why crab catching continues even during the breeding season. Although crab catching remains banned during the breeding season, fishingactivities are allowed to continue.

LAGOS, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nigeria on Thursday launched a new tax regime that officials said will expand the tax base, ease the tax burden on low-income earners and small businesses, and streamline collection and administration. The four laws -- the Nigeria Tax Law, Nigeria Tax Administration Law, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Law, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law -- are a "one-stop shop," simultaneously increasing revenue generation and reducing the tax burden on low-income earners, tax expert Chukwuema Eze told AFP. President Bola Tinubu, who has energetically backed the tax reforms, dismissed the claims, calling them "premature" and "reactive", and said the new tax regime was in Nigeria's best interest. The tax-to-GDP ratio is a measure of a government's capacity to raise money for public services and infrastructure. "This is a significant step toward building a simpler, fairer, and more growth-oriented tax system," Taiwo Oyedele, who heads Tinubu's tax reforms committee, said on X on Thursday.

At least 7 dead, many missing as migrant boat sinks off GambiaBANJUL, Gambia, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least seven people drowned and many are missing after a boat carrying some 200 people capsized during the night of Wednesday to Thursday off the coast of Gambia, the government said. At least 96 were rescued, many of whom were seriously wounded. Alerted by a distress call, the Gambian Navy launched a search and rescue operation after midnight, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, according to the statement. Several of the victims have been identified as not being of Gambian nationality and the authorities are currently verifying their identity, the statement added. Numerous Africans seek to reach Spain's Canary Islands as a gateway to continental Europe, taking perilous voyages into the Atlantic.

SUNDERLAND, United Kingdom, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Manchester City's Premier League title challenge suffered a major setback as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland on Thursday. Pep Guardiola's side would have closed within two points of leaders Arsenal with a win at the Stadium of Light. City's New Year's Day stalemate ruined their eight-match winning run in all competitions. After Arsenal's 4-1 rout of third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday, second-placed City have surrendered the initiative at the halfway point of the title race. Sunderland are unbeaten in their first 10 home league games this season and have held City and Arsenal to draws on Wearside.

City had won eight consecutive games to end 2025 and cut the gap on the Gunners to just two points. Bernardo Silva had a City goal ruled out for offside just six minutes in. Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs was in inspired form to deny Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol, while Savinho blasted a glorious chance over. A draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to six games and takes them seven points clear of the relegation zone. Jean-Philippe Mateta's first goal in eight games opened the scoring for Palace, but Fulham captain Tom Cairney's fine strike rescued a point for the visitors.

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Dozens were killed and over 100 injured when a fire ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana early Thursday as young revellers rang in the New Year. Frederic Gisler, police commander in the Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland, told reporters that authorities had counted "around 40 people who have died and around 115 injured, most of them seriously". This was "one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced", Guy Parmelin, who took over the Swiss presidency on Thursday, told reporters. A tourist from New York, who filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, told AFP he saw people running and screaming. People were using chairs to try to break the windows," he told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.