Ukraine, Russia, US to start second day of war talksABU DHABI, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine, Russia and the United States will start a second day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, seeking to end Moscow's nearly four-year invasion. A first day of trilateral talks in the Emirati capital on Wednesday concluded with Kyiv describing the negotiations as "substantive and productive", though there was no apparent breakthrough. Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov said "concrete steps and practical solutions" had been discussed during the first day of the talks. In Ukraine, foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said of the second round of talks that Kyiv was "interested in finding out what the Russians and Americans really want". Trump could use economic sanctions against Russia or transfer weapons to Ukraine to "maintain this pressure on Putin", Zelensky said, but added that Kyiv would not compromise on sovereignty.

China says it will not join nuclear talks 'at this stage'BEIJING, Feb 5, 2026 (AFP) - China said on Thursday it would not join nuclear talks "at this stage" after the expiry of the US-Russian New START treaty triggered fears of a global arms race. The United States has said any new nuclear agreement would have to include China, but international efforts to encourage Beijing to join fresh talks have so far failed. "China's nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia (and) will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage," he said. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 percent of the world's nuclear warheads but arms agreements have been withering away. China's nuclear arsenal is growing quickly, with an estimated 550 strategic nuclear launchers, which is still well below the 800 each at which Russia and the United States were capped under New START.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today chaired the meeting of the Council of Advisers at the Chief Adviser's Office. The Council of Advisers today approved the proposal at its weekly meeting at the Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) in the city with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair. Later, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam disclosed the matter at a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon. Besides, the advisory council also gave approval to the draft of the Bangladesh Gas (Amendment) Ordinance-2026, aimed at preventing illegal gas connections and theft. Shafiqul Alam said that illegal gas connections and misuse cause losses amounting to thousands of crores of taka every year.

DHAKA, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh U-19 women's football team captainArpita Biswas expressed her high hope to lift the title of SAFF U-19 Women'schampionship beating India in the final. Bangladesh will take on India in the final match of the SAFF U-19 Women'sChampionship scheduled to be held at Pokhara Rangasala Stadium in Pokhara,Nepal on Saturday (Feb 7). "Since we beat India once, and there will be another match against them.... Arpita informed that there is no injury concern in the team at the moment andall are mentally prepared to fight against India in the final. Earlier, Bangladesh crushed Bhutan 12-0, beat India 2-0 and defeated Nepal 4-0 in the championship.

Slain son of former Libya ruler Gaddafi to be buried south of capitalSeif al-Islam. Photo: CollectedTRIPOLI, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The slain son of former Libyan ruler MuammarGaddafi will be buried in a town south of the capital that remains loyal tothe family, relatives said Thursday. Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, once seen by some as Libya's heir apparent, was shotdead on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Zintan. The burial will be held on Friday in the town of Bani Walid some 175kilometres south of Tripoli, two of his brothers said. "The date and location of his burial have been decided by mutual agreementamong the family," half-brother Mohamed Gaddafi said in a Facebook post.

Collected photoKYIV, Ukraine, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine and Russia have conductedtheir first prisoner exchange in months, each releasing at least 157 people,both countries said Thursday, amid US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi aimed atending the war. On Thursday, amid three-way talks in Abu Dhabi, the countries swapped 157captured soldiers and civilians each in an exchange mediated by Washington --the first since October. "Today's exchange came after a long pause, and it is critical that we wereable to make it happen. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said among the 157 Ukrainians released"are seven civilians and those whom the Russians unlawfully convicted." Russia, who said the United States and United Arab Emirates acted asmediators for the exchange, announced earlier it had handed over 157Ukrainian soldiers and that 157 Russian servicemen were returned.

Lahore picks Mustafizur on direct signing for PSLMustafizur Rahman. This photo is collected from Dawn, PakistanDHAKA, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS) - Lahore Qalandars roped in Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman as the direct signing for the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) today. This time Lahore acquired his service with PKR 6.44 crore (Tk. "Our Bangladeshi brother, Mustafizur Rahman, picked in 2016 and 2018, is now our direct signing and finally back with the family. Amount spent on DS (Direct Singing): PKR 6.44 Crore," Lahore Qalandar posted in their official Facebook page, announcing Mustafizur Rahman's signing.

Photo: CollectedDHAKA, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh has extended humanitarian assistance to flood-affected people of Mozambique, expressing solidarity with the country following devastating floods triggered by prolonged torrential rainfall. Mozambique sought international humanitarian assistance after month-long torrential rains caused severe flooding, destroying crops, livelihoods and communication infrastructure, and triggering a humanitarian crisis in several parts of the country. During the meeting, High Commissioner Shafi conveyed the sympathy and solidarity of the people and government of Bangladesh to the people and government of Mozambique and wished a speedy recovery from the sufferings caused by the disaster. He said the assistance symbolised Bangladesh's support and friendship with Mozambique during this difficult time. Bangladesh's Honorary Consul General in Mozambique, Yusuf Mirali, was present at the cheque handover ceremony.

The promise of a fair election in Bangladesh — projected to be the first in fifteen years — is beginning to wear thin. After more than a year of dillydallying, Yunus finally got the Election Commission to announce polls for February 12. She said that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the other big party that has ruled Bangladesh for two full terms, should have stayed away from the February 12 polls. Senior BNP leaders like Mirza Abbas have already raised objections to these voter migrations, but to no avail. But Awami leaders at the grassroots see this as too little, too late.

The EC Secretary provided this information to the media during a briefing at the Election Commission Secretariat at Agargaon here on Thursday. “We shared whatever preparations we have taken and information about sending ballot papers to the constituencies,” he said. “The EU team was mainly curious about the preparations and the progress of the February 12 election,” the EC Secretary said. Regarding postal voting, the EC Secretary said that 107,168 postal ballots have already reached to the returning officers across the country. Postal ballots will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on February 12.

Sixteen more dengue patients were hospitalized in the last 24 hours till this morning, said a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Thursday. Besides, a total of 21 patients were discharged from hospitals during the period, taking the total number of recovered patients to 1,062 this year. However, since January 1, 2026, a total of 1,158 dengue cases have been reported. Last year, 413 people died from dengue while 1,02,861 cases were recorded across the country. In 2024, the disease claimed 575 lives with 1,01,214 reported cases.

The Chittagong Port Protection Movement Council has suspended its ongoing strike at Chittagong Port for two days, the council announced Thursday following a meeting with the Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain at the port headquarters. Earlier in the day, port workers blocked the adviser’s vehicle in protest. Initially, workers staged three days of eight-hour stoppages, followed by a 24-hour strike, and then called an indefinite work stoppage. After the meeting, the shipping adviser told reporters that closing the port before Ramadan was inappropriate and that no one has the authority to shut the port. He noted that negotiations with DP World have not yet been concluded.

Being French myself, seeing how complicated Guerschon Yabusele’s situation has become in New York honestly saddens me. And honestly (without any national bias), I don’t think that idea is crazy at all. As we all know, Phoenix is loaded at the center position: Williams, Ighodaro, Maluach, and finally Richards (we’ll get back to him). On top of that, the salaries match perfectly: around $5M for Richards versus $5.5M for Yabusele. In their rotation, Yabusele is more of a movable piece, which makes the trade even more logical.

Every year, the Ekushey Padak arrives not merely as a list of names, but as a quiet reminder of the lives, labors and legacies that have shaped Bangladesh’s cultural imagination. The government on Thursday announced the names of nine individuals and one institution who will receive the Ekushey Padak this year, recognizing contributions to film, music, journalism, education, fine arts and more. Among the most emotionally resonant names on the list is legendary musician Ayub Bachchu, founder of iconic rock band LRB, who will be honored posthumously. Bachchu’s guitar riffs and soul-baring lyrics helped define modern Bangladeshi rock, giving a generation its language of rebellion and romance. Adding a collective note to the honors is Warfaze, the pioneering heavy metal band that receives the Ekushey Padak in the group music category.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday said the attacks on the media houses - The Daily Star and Prothom Alo - are in no way acceptable and condemnable. The foreign affairs adviser, however, said the Home Ministry would be in a better position to talk about it further. Hossain made the comments at a farewell interaction with the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But, the adviser said, he condemns the attacks on the media houses, and those are in no way acceptable. Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the media briefing.