LISBON, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Portugal began voting in the second round of a presidential election on Sunday, with the far right in the run-off and the country battered by deadly storms. Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0800 GMT), with 11 million voters at home and abroad eligible to cast their ballots. The storms have killed at least five people, triggered flooding and left an estimated four billion euros ($4.7 billion) in damage. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the storms had caused a "devastating crisis" but that the threats to voting could be overcome. The last presidential election went ahead five years ago despite the coronavirus pandemic, outgoing president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he had told Ventura on Friday.

DAMASCUS, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Syria's authorities have arrested an internal security officer as a suspect in the killing of four civilians in the majority-Druze Sweida province, the local internal security chief said. The initial investigation, carried out with the help of one of the survivors of the attack, indicated that one suspect was a member of the local Internal Security Directorate, he said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had earlier reported that four people were killed and a fifth wounded by gunfire from unknown assailants as they were harvesting olives. Sweida province is the stronghold of the Druze minority in the south of the country. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 185,000 people remain uprooted.

His itinerary included a dream stop in Spain to watch Real Madrid play on February 15. Siraj, who hadn't played a T20 International since July 2024, received a call that he initially thought was a prank. The gravity of the situation only sank in when national selector Pragyan Ojha called immediately after to confirm the summons. However, Siraj rose to the occasion, defending India's total of 161 by claiming 3 wickets for 29 runs in his 4 overs. Reflecting on the cancellation of his plans to watch Real Madrid on the 15th and the start of Ramadan, Siraj attributed the events to destiny.

A monthly law and order meeting was held today at the Deputy Commissioner's conference room ahead of the upcoming National Election and Referendum. Photo: BSSJAMALPUR, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - A monthly law and order meeting was held today at the Deputy Commissioner's conference room ahead of the upcoming National Election and Referendum. Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Mohammad Yusuf Ali presided over the meeting. The UNOs informed that CCTV cameras have been installed in nearly all polling centers, including high-risk locations, to ensure a peaceful election. The DC said preparations have been completed to make the election free, fair and participatory, and sought the cooperation of all to conduct it successfully.

Durbar XI secured their spot in the final of the Odommo Bangladesh T20 tournament after defeating Duronto XI by 7 wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday. Led by Najmul Hossain Shanto and comprised of Bangladesh 'A' team players, Durbar will now face the Litton Das-led Dhumketu XI in the title decider on Monday. Pacer Khaled Ahmed was the wrecker-in-chief for Durbar, claiming 4 wickets for 23 runs to earn the Player of the Match award. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held this tournament after the board decided not to play in the ongoing T20 World Cup due to security concerns in India. Bangladesh had requested the ICC to relocate their matches to the co-host Sri Lankan venues, but the ICC denied.

The verdict in the sensational murder case of a business tycoon’s mother-in-law and domestic worker, who were slain by throat slashing in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area six years ago, has been postponed. The court has rescheduled the announcement of the verdict for February 17, 2026. The verdict was initially scheduled to be delivered on Sunday, but the court decided to delay it. The accused are: Bachuchu Miah, worker of Afroza Begum’s house and Surobhi Akter Nahid, domestic help. On October 11 of the same year, the court framed charges against the two accused, and the trial officially began.

TEHRAN, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran will never surrender the right to enrich uranium, even if war "is imposed on us", its foreign minister said Sunday, defying pressure from Washington. "Iran has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear programme and for uranium enrichment," Abbas Araghchi told a forum in Tehran. "Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behaviour," he said, two days after he met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman.

BEIJING, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An explosion on Saturday at a biotech factory in northern China has left at least seven people dead, Chinese state media reported. One person was missing after the explosion at the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanxi province, Xinhua news agency said early Sunday, citing local authorities. The explosion occurred early Saturday morning and its cause was under investigation. Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards. In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighbouring province of Inner Mongolia left at least nine people dead.

DHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh and Japan have signed a memorandum of cooperation on environmental issues in Tokyo, aiming to deepen bilateral collaboration in environmental protection and advance sustainable development initiatives. The memorandum was signed on behalf of the two governments by Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Md. Daud Ali and Japan's Vice Minister for the Environment Kentaro Doi on Friday, according to a press release received here today. The agreement sought to strengthen cooperation across key environmental sectors, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, pollution prevention, waste management, and biodiversity conservation. The agreement also provided for the exchange of knowledge and experience, along with enhanced technical cooperation between the two sides, based on mutual consent, to support shared environmental and sustainability goals.

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Photo: BSSBy Md Aynal HaqueRAJSHAHI, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) – Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, vigorous campaigning is underway in Rajshahi and its surrounding constituencies. Candidates, along with their activists and supporters, are rushing to meet voters in their respective areas, listening to their concerns and making various promises. Meanwhile, Jamaat candidate and the party’s Central Nayeb-e-Ameer Professor Mujibur Rahman continued his campaign in different areas of the constituency. On Saturday, from morning to evening, BNP candidate Chand sought votes door to door in various areas of Yusufpur Union in Charghat Upazila. Going door to door, he is seeking votes for the Sheaf of Paddy symbol, listening to voters’ grievances, and making promises.

York Suburban, Central York boys advance to YAIAA tourney semifinalsFeb. 8, 2026, 2:21 a.m. ETDelone Catholic's Liam O'Brien cuts across center court during a YAIAA Boys Tournament quarterfinal against York Suburban on Feb. 7, 2026, at Red Lion Area Senior High School. Jack Gleckler, York Daily RecordDelone Catholic's Zeke Vandergrift attempts a shot during a YAIAA Boys Tournament quarterfinal against York Suburban on Feb. 7, 2026, at Red Lion Area Senior High School. Jack Gleckler, York Daily RecordDelone Catholic's Luke Rebert attempts a jump shot during a YAIAA Boys Tournament quarterfinal against York Suburban on Feb. 7, 2026, at Red Lion Area Senior High School. Jack Gleckler, York Daily RecordDelone Catholic's Luke Rebert shoots a fadeaway during a YAIAA Boys Tournament quarterfinal against York Suburban on Feb. 7, 2026, at Red Lion Area Senior High School.

LONDON, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's monarch King Charles III will play host to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu when the African leader makes a state visit to Britain on March 18-19, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Saturday. President Tinubu and his wife, Olumeri Tinubu, will be received at Windsor Castle, west of London, by Charles and Queen Camilla, the palace said. The West African nation has been grappling with a jihadist insurgency for several years in the northeast and heavily armed criminal gangs in the northwest and centre of the country. The trip will be the first formal state visit by a Nigerian president to Britain in 37 years although President Tinubu was received by Charles in September 2024. Charles visited Nigeria four times when he was Prince of Wales before the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

BEVERLY HILLS, United States, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - "One Battle After Another" director Paul Thomas Anderson won top honors at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, solidifying his film's position as a strong favorite for the Oscars. "It's a tremendous honor to be given this," Anderson said upon accepting the award at the gala held in Beverly Hills. Coogler was also nominated for the feature-film prize at the Directors Guild Awards. Twenty of the 22 winners of the Directors Guild Awards have subsequently won the Oscar for best director, including the winners of the last three years: "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "Oppenheimer" and "Anora." Also on Saturday, Oscar-winning Ukrainian filmmaker and journalist Mstyslav Chernov won the award for best documentary film.

Without a credible commitment to good governance, any manifesto -- no matter how polished -- risks becoming another catalogue of unfulfilled promises. What Bangladesh needs today is not rhetoric, but a bold, sincere, and realistic commitment to reform, beginning from within the political parties themselves. Balance in society and politics invites stability; stability boosts investment; and investment reinforces the foundations of a welfare-oriented state. The second foundation of any meaningful manifesto must be employment for the youth and upliftment of marginalized communities. What it needs is moral courage and a genuine commitment to structural reform -- policies rooted in fairness, justice, and inclusion.