Netanyahu says will discuss 'first and foremost' Iran with Trump on US visitIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: CollectedJERUSALEM, Feb 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuon Tuesday said he would prioritise discussions on negotiations with Iranwhen he meets with US President Donald Trump in Washington this week. "On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but ofcourse first and foremost the negotiations with Iran. I will present to thePresident our views regarding the principles for the negotiations," Netanyahusaid before heading to the United States, where he will meet Trump onWednesday. Their meeting comes days after arch-foes Iran and the United States heldtalks in Oman last week, after which Trump said another round of negotiationswould follow.

UN force to withdraw most troops from Lebanon by mid 2027BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations Interim Force inLebanon plans to withdraw most of its troops by mid 2027, its spokespersontold AFP on Tuesday, after the peacekeepers' mandate expires this year. After UNIFIL operations cease on December 31 this year, she said, "we beginthe process of sending UNIFIL personnel and equipment home and transferringour UN positions to the Lebanese authorities". During the withdrawal, the force will only be authorised to perform limitedtasks such as protecting UN personnel and bases and overseeing a safedeparture. Ardiel said UNIFIL had reduced the number of peacekeepers in south Lebanon byalmost 2,000 in recent months, "with a couple hundred more set to leave byMay". French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in Beirut this month thatLebanon's army should replace the force when the peacekeepers withdraw.

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EC data showed that of the total voters, 6,48,25,154 are male and 6,28,85,525 female, while 1,220 belong to the third gender. Among the constituencies, the lowest number of voters is in Jhalakathi-1 with 228,431 voters, while Gazipur-2 has the highest with 804,333 voters. The total number of candidates is 2,034, including 275 independent contestants. EC sources said the BNP has fielded the highest number of candidates with 291 contestants contesting under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol. Besides, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has fielded 229 candidates under the Daripalla (Scale) symbol, Jatiya Party 198 under the Plough symbol and Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) 32 under the Water Lily Bud symbol.

A state law that took effect just after the presidential election in November 2024 requires new registrants in the state to provide hard-copy proof of their citizenship with no exceptions. On Monday, Zink took the stand as the plaintiffs’ first witness as they seek to prove the law unlawfully burdens the right to vote for people without easy access to citizenship documents. If it stays law, HB 1569 will face its biggest tests during New Hampshire’s primary elections in September and general midterm elections in November. Denney also argued that most New Hampshire residents already have easy access to the required citizenship documents. The plaintiffs argue the attempted workarounds will not stop a basic reality: Some voters do not possess citizenship documents and will not be able to obtain those documents in time to vote.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said there is no scope for "engineering" in the national election as government officials and employees are expected to discharge their duties properly to ensure free, fair and credible voting. But, we are hopeful that there will be no opportunity for ‘election engineering’ this time,” he said while speaking at a press briefing at his Thakurgaon residence. So far, we believe the overall election environment is favourable,” Fakhrul added. Regarding the acceptability of the election results, the BNP secretary general said his party has always accepted election outcomes. Referring to BNP’s rivals, including Jamaat, Fakhrul said Jamaat is a very strategic party and often engages in propaganda using religion.

File photoDHAKA, Feb 10, 2026 (BSS) - The government has decided to temporarily close immigration check posts at all land ports across Bangladesh on the occasion of the 13th national parliament election and referendum slated for February 12. According to a Home Ministry notification, all land ports will remain closed from 6:00 am on February 12 to 6:00 am on February 13 to ensure smooth, peaceful, and orderly conduct of the national election and referendum. The directive instructed the concerned authorities to take necessary measures to implement the closure during the specified period. Immigration and border management agencies have been asked to remain alert and ensure compliance with the order. Authorities have advised travelers and stakeholders to plan accordingly and avoid cross-border travel through land ports during the closure period.

Over 4,500 IS detainees brought to Iraq from Syria: officialPhoto: CollectedBAGHDAD, Feb 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - More than 4,500 suspected jihadists havebeen transferred from Syria to Iraq as part of a US operation to relocateIslamic State group detainees, an Iraqi official told AFP on Tuesday. Saad Maan, a spokesperson for the Iraqi government's security informationunit, told AFP that 4,583 detainees had been brought to Iraq so far. In 2014, IS swept across swathes of Syria and Iraq, committing massacres andforcing women and girls into sexual slavery. Backed by US-led forces, Iraq proclaimed the defeat of IS in 2017, while inneighbouring Syria the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ultimately beatback the group two years later. The SDF went on to jail thousands of suspected jihadists and detain tens ofthousands of their relatives in camps.

Police on Tuesday recovered the body of senior journalist Ali Mamud from a men’s washroom at the National Press Club in the capital. According to Press Club officials, the body was discovered around 9:30am. Md Selim Uddin, an administrative official of the National Press Club, said a cleaner went to clean a men’s washroom on the second floor in the morning and found the door locked from the inside. Selim Uddin added that Mamud’s wife arrived at the Press Club searching for him, as he had not returned home the previous night. Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Moniruzzaman confirmed the incident, saying police broke open the locked washroom door in the presence of family members and recovered the body.

With just two days left until the national parliamentary election and referendum, Dhaka is rapidly emptying as residents leave the capital to return to their hometowns to vote. The impact of the election travel rush was clearly visible across the city on Tuesday, as Dhaka’s streets appeared unusually quiet, with little traffic and none of the familiar congestion. Meanwhile, the number of public transport vehicles operating inside the city remained very low. The exodus from the capital has been further fuelled by the government-declared holidays for the election. School holidays also began on Tuesday and will continue until February 15, accelerating the flow of voters out of Dhaka and leaving the city unusually empty ahead of polling day.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday handed over the deed and keys of a flat to the family members of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi at the State Guest House Jamuna. The chief adviser handed over the ownership deed and the keys of a ready flat located in the city's Lalmatia area, in the presence of Sharif Osman Hadi's wife and several family members, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing in the afternoon. The flat was allocated by the National Housing Authority. Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Housing and Public Works Ministry Secretary Md Nazrul Islam and National Housing Authority Chairman Most Ferdousi Begum were present on the occasion. Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Mancha and one of the key organizers of the July Uprising, was shot on December 12 last year when he was on a battery-run auto-rickshaw in the city's Paltan area.

The footage, circulating online since Sunday, shows Shahriar Kabir placing a Tk1,000 note into the vendor’s hand while holding campaign leaflets. Shahriar Kabir is campaigning for Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer, who is contesting the Dhaka-15 constituency in the upcoming election. In the video, Shahriar Kabir is seen conversing with the elderly vendor about business and the country’s political situation. The video ends with Shahriar Kabir handing the cash to the vendor and walking away. Following public backlash, Shahriar Kabir addressed the issue in a Facebook post from his verified page on Monday at 8:22 pm.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Tuesday said any weapon poses a threat during national elections. He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists at a press conference held at the Police Headquarters Media Centre on the overall law and order situation ahead of the national parliamentary elections. Asked about firearms looted from police stations, the IGP said: “Any weapon is a threat.” He added that illegal arms enter the country through various routes and that law enforcement agencies have taken comprehensive measures to address the issue. He said strict restrictions have been imposed on licensed firearms to ensure the 13th national parliamentary election is free, fair and peaceful. Outlining the security arrangements, the IGP said a three-tier security system will be in place.

As a result of the order, legal experts said there is now no obstacle to Kaikobad’s participation in the upcoming election. Previously, on January 19, the Election Commission rejected the appeal and upheld Kaikobad’s candidacy after hearing arguments from both sides. The High Court later affirmed the EC’s decision, which was subsequently challenged before the Appellate Division. With Tuesday’s dismissal of the leave to appeal, the legal proceedings surrounding Kaikobad’s nomination have come to an end. “Later, the High Court dismissed the writ petition seeking the cancellation of Kaykobad’s candidacy.

Law enforcement agencies have intensified patrols across the capital ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, setting up checkpoints at key intersections and searching suspicious individuals and vehicles. During visits to several areas of Dhaka on Tuesday, police were seen stopping private cars and motorcycles at checkpoints and questioning passengers. We are firmly committed to ensuring a fair and peaceful election,” he said. Similar checkpoints have reportedly been set up in Hatirjheel, Kawran Bazar, Rampura, Farmgate, Mirpur, Banani, Gulshan, Badda and Uttara. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tejgaon Division Ibne Mizan said all police stations under the division have been instructed to set up checkpoints and conduct regular patrols.