Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed an interim trade agreement with the United States, saying it would bolster global growth and deepen economic ties between the two countries. The pact cuts US “reciprocal” duties on Indian products to 18% from 25%, and commits India to large purchases of US energy and industrial goods. US President Donald Trump, while announcing the deal Tuesday, had said Modi promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine. The shift marks a significant reduction in US tariffs on Indian products, down from a rate of 50 percent late last year. Washington and New Delhi are expected to sign a formal trade deal in March.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has said his party was confident to win the election to form the next government, rejecting a proposal to form a coalition or unity government with Jamaat-e-Islami. The wire service said Tarique’s aides said BNP was confident of winning more than two thirds of the 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs while the party was contesting 292 of them, with allies vying for the rest. They said Tarique, however, declined to give a number but said "we are confident that we'll have enough to form a government”. All opinion polls have forecast a BNP victory but also a stiff challenge from the Jamaat alliance, which includes a Gen Z party that emerged from the youth-led anti-Hasina protests. As long as it is not safe, they are very welcome to stay here,” he said.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday called the February 12 election a historic turning point for Bangladesh, pledging to end corruption, recover looted public funds, and ensure justice nationwide if his party comes to power. Addressing an election rally at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa ground, Shafiqur said: “The sun that rises on February 13 must illuminate a new Bangladesh. I am not seeking victory for Jamaat alone; I seek victory for the country’s 180 million people.”The rally was organized by the district and metropolitan units of Jamaat and presided over by Metropolitan Jamaat Ameer Md. The Jamaat ameer accused successive governments of looting public funds over the past 54 years, singling out the "facist" administration for allegedly siphoning Tk28.5 lakh crore abroad in the last 15 and a half years. “Wherever they are in the world, we will bring back every penny they stole.

The chairman of Yemen’s ruling leadership council has announced the formation of a new cabinet, weeks after deadly violence erupted in the country’s south and a separatist group was dissolved. Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, announced the formation of a new cabinet in a presidential decree released late Friday by the state-run Saba news agency, reports UNB. Only two women were included in the cabinet: Afrah al-Zouba, appointed minister of planning and international cooperation, and Ahd Jaasous, named state minister for women’s affairs. Both are tasked with overseeing Saudi backed operations aimed at dismantling militias linked to the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which is supported by the United Arab Emirates. Although the Southern Transitional Council opposes the Houthis, it seeks an independent southern state.

Faheem Ashraf smashed an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan scrambled past the Netherlands by three wickets to avoid a massive shock in the curtain-raiser of the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday. With the chase wobbling, Faheem stitched a priceless unbroken 34-run stand for the eighth wicket with Shaheen Afridi to steady the ship and keep Pakistan afloat. The 2009 champions can ill afford a defeat in the group stage, having already conceded points against India following a government enforced forfeiture. Captain Scott Edwards anchored the innings with a polished 37 off 29 balls, but perished when he tried to take the aerial route against leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed. Pakistan conceded just 20 runs in the final four overs backed up by a razor-sharp performance in the field with several outstanding catches in the deep.

The racist clip appeared at the end. Trump said the video was posted by a staff member and claimed he did not know about the depiction of the Obamas. Republican Senator Tim Scott described the clip as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and called for its removal. The clip appears to have originated from a meme video shared on X last year, which portrayed several Democratic leaders as animals. The controversy adds to Trump’s long history of attacks on Barack Obama, including past false claims questioning Obama’s birthplace, which Trump later acknowledged were untrue.

Using these methods, voters can quickly and accurately find their voter number and details of their polling station, said an official handout. Method 1: Smart Election Management BD App: Voters can obtain their voter number and polling station information through the Smart Election Management BD app. By entering their NID number and date of birth and then searching, the app will display the voter number, serial number in the voter list, polling station name, and polling station address. Method 2: Hotline Number 105Any voter in Bangladesh can call the hotline number 105 to obtain their voter number and polling station information. Method 4: Through the Election Commission WebsiteVoters can also obtain their voter number and polling station information through the Election Commission’s website.

Photo: BSSRAJSHAHI, Feb 7, 2026 (BSS)- A total of 204 inmates detained at Rajshahi Central Jail have cast their votes through postal ballots. As a result, they could not register to vote by postal ballot. Out of the 273 registered inmates, ballot papers were issued in the names of 204 inmates after all details—such as name, address, and parliamentary constituency—were found to be correct. Voting by postal ballot began earlier and continued until this afternoon. Meanwhile, 32 registered inmates were released on bail after registration, making it impossible to collect their votes.

SEOUL, Feb 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange apologised on Saturday after mistakenly transferring more than $40 billion worth of bitcoin to users, which briefly prompted a selloff on the platform. Bithumb said it accidentally sent 620,000 bitcoins, currently worth more than $40 billion, and blocked trading and withdrawals for the 695 affected users within 35 minutes after the error occurred on Friday. The platform said it had recovered 99.7 percent of the mistakenly sent bitcoins, and that it would use its own assets to fully cover the amount that was lost in the incident. Its charts showed the token's prices briefly went down 17 percent to 81.1 million won on the platform late Friday. Bitcoin, the world's biggest cryptocurrency, sank this week, wiping out gains sparked by US President Donald Trump's presidential election victory in November 2024.

"Fuel will be used to protect essential services for the population and indispensable economic activities," he said. The island of 9.6 million inhabitants, under US economic embargo since 1962, has been mired in a severe economic crisis for six years. Trump said that Mexico, which has been supplying Cuba with oil since 2023, would stop doing so -- under threat of US tariffs. The oil shortages have threatened to plunge Cuba into complete darkness, with power plants struggling to keep the lights on. This week, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said his country was willing to hold talks with the United States, but not under pressure.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Today, as a barely above-zero day, is a bit better than tomorrow through Wednesday. Next week’s best days are Thursday and Friday for any significant actions or firsts if your individual cycles align on those days. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Test your beliefs just like you would test an opportunity: Would it/does it make you a better person? Good Universal Day with good individual cycles? These choices are on them, don’t let their issues create any shame for you, or drag down your rise.

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More than 420,000 postal ballots cast by expatriate Bangladeshis have arrived in the country ahead of next week’s parliamentary election. The commission sent postal ballots to more than 760,000 overseas voters ahead of the Feb 12 general election and referendum, officials said. The EC has urged voters to return their ballots as quickly as possible, noting that only ballots received by returning officers by 4:30 pm on polling day will be counted. Postal voting has also been extended to election officials, government employees posted outside their constituencies, and voters in custody inside Bangladesh. Officials said more than 690,000 domestic voters had been issued postal ballots.

Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, visited a book distribution programme for children and a free medical camp in the Korail slum of the capital today. DHAKA, Feb 7, 2026 (BSS)- Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation and wife of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, visited a book distribution programme for children and a free medical camp in the Korail slum of the capital. On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day in February, Zubaida Rahman distributed 2,000 books to children and adolescents of the Korail slum. Impoverished children and adolescents from the Korail slum area spontaneously participated in the book distribution programme. Earlier, Zubaida Rahman inaugurated a ‘free medical camp’ for eye treatment of the slum dwellers.