Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met Friday in Abu Dhabi for the first direct negotiations on a plan being pushed by US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war. The Abu Dhabi meeting is the first time they have faced each other to talk about the Trump administration’s plan. Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to get full control of eastern Ukraine by force if talks fail. After the Russia-US talks in the Kremlin, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov insisted Moscow was “genuinely interested in resolving” the war diplomatically. Trump repeated on Wednesday his belief that Putin and Zelensky were close to a deal.

CISARUA, Indonesia, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A landslide killed at least seven people and more than 80 are missing on Indonesia's main island of Java Saturday, a disaster official said. The landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a village in the region of West Bandung at around 2:30 am, damaging houses. "A landslide occurred in West Bandung Regency, West Java Province, in the early hours of Saturday, killing seven people," Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the national disaster agency, or BNPB, said. "As of Saturday 10:30 am, dozens of residents were reported safe, and 83 people were still being searched for," he added. This latest landslide also comes after torrential rains battered Indonesia's Siau island this month, causing a flash flood that killed at least 16 people.

Photo: BSSRANGPUR, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS) - A training workshop on 'Preventing misreportingin the media and presenting objective news' was held on the occasion of theupcoming 13th National Parliamentary Elections in Rangpur on Saturday. Bangladesh Press Council (BPC) organised this workshop in collaboration withthe Rangpur district administration for local journalists at the RangpurCircuit House conference room in the city. BPC Chairman Justice AKM Abdul Hakim attended the workshop as the chief guestwith Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Ahsan in the chair. Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Majid Ali and Director of theDivisional Information Office Dr Md Mofakkharul Iqbal delivered speeches asspecial guests at the workshop. Fifty-two media workers working in various media outlets in Rangpurparticipated in this day-long training workshop.

Photo : BSSDHAKA, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS) - A three-day international conference on Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology began today at Dhaka University (DU). DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed inaugurated the event at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building this morning. The Department of Botany and the Bangladesh Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology (BAPTC&B) are jointly organizing the conference. Director General of the National Institute of Biotechnology Dr. Md. Sagir Ahmed and DU Biological Sciences faculty's dean Professor Dr. Md.

National Citizen Party (NCP) has unveiled an election theme song based on its campaign concept, introducing its electoral symbol, the Shapla Koli (water lily bud). “Through this theme song, we’re introducing our party, our election concepts, and at the same time familiarizing people with the Shapla Koli symbol — today’s theme song brings all of this together,” Asif said. Alongside the election theme song, NCP also released a separate campaign song promoting a “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum. Asif Mahmud added: “We wanted to launch our National Citizen Party’s referendum and election theme song from the streets where we were born. “We believe people from various classes and professions, including those from our Harijan and Tafsili communities, are here, and we wanted to launch our theme song representing them and with them.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today paid tribute at the grave of his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko at the Banani graveyard. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS) - BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today paid tribute at the grave of his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko on the occasion of his 11th death anniversary. Tarique Rahman was accompanied by his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, Koko's wife Sharmila Rahman and other family members. Later, a prayer programme was held at the BNP Chairman's political office in Gulshan after Asr prayers, with Tarique Rahman and senior party leaders in attendance. Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister late Begum Khaleda Zia, died of a heart attack in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 24, 2015.

FRANKFURT, Germany, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A US takeover of a major German operator of fuel storage sites has been approved, Berlin said Friday, despite warnings about the new owner's close links to US President Donald Trump. "The TanQuid Group is being taken over by a leading, experienced, internationally active company in the field of energy infrastructure and fuel distribution," a ministry spokeswoman said. But Sunoco's parent company is Energy Transfer (ET), a Texas-based pipeline operator whose billionaire CEO Kelcy Warren is a major Trump donor. When the sale of the German group by its former Australian owners Macquarie was first announced last year, lawmakers from the Greens party raised concerns. TanQuid stores a huge number of products including petrol, diesel and kerosene as well as various chemicals and biofuels and also operates pipelines.

Professor Ali Riaz today spoke as the chief guest at a divisional views-exchange meeting in Sylhet. Photo : BSSSYLHET, Jan 24, 2026) (BSS)- Professor Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser and Chief Coordinator of the referendum campaign, today said there is no legal bar for government officials from taking part in the campaign in favor of “Yes” vote in the referendum. Ali Riaz made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a divisional views-exchange meeting in Sylhet aimed at promoting the referendum and motivating voters. “No one, he said, can show any legal reference claiming there is any bar on such campaign,” he added. “Many parents lost their children in the mass uprising of 2024, and if fascism returns again, it could be our children who lose their lives,” he said.

Two people were killed and eight others injured after a pickup van lost control and fell off the road in Austagram upazila of Kishoreganj. Austagram Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Soaib Khan said the accident occurred at around 10:30 am on Saturday in the Zero Point area of the upazila. According to police and local sources, 15 to 20 people were travelling in the pickup van on Saturday morning from the Ghagra area of Mithamain to a Darbar Sharif in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria. When the vehicle reached the Zero Point area of Austagram, the driver lost control, causing the pickup van to veer off the road and fall below. They were rescued and taken to Austagram Upazila Health Complex, where the attending doctor declared Nure Alam dead.

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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has said Bangladesh cannot blame India’s security arrangements if it chooses not to play its T20 World Cup matches in the country. Azharuddin, who played 99 Tests and 334 One-Day Internationals for India and led the side in 47 Tests and 174 ODIs, said on Saturday that avoiding matches in India would cause losses to Bangladesh and its players. “A lot of international matches are going on, and no team has complained. If they don't come, it will be their loss and a loss for their players,” Azharuddin told news agency ANI. "You can't keep shifting the World Cup matches here and there.

Sharmin Akter Supta was the key performer behind the victory, hitting a 45ball-52, an inning laced with five fours and one six. In reply, Ireland were held back to 144-4 despite a 58 ball-73 from theircaptain and opener Gaby Lewis. His retirement eventually broke the 53-run partnership and began Irish rotwhich eventually led to their defeat despite valiant effort from the captainLewis. Earlier, Supta steadied the innings after Bangladesh lost opener JuairiaFerdous Mou cheaply. Bangladesh beat USA by 21 runs in the first match before sealing a 30 and 80runs victory against Papua New Guinea and Namibia respectively in the secondand third match.

The Election Commission (EC) has called on expatriate voters casting their ballots by post to return them as quickly as possible to ensure they are counted. In a statement issued on Saturday, the commission said postal ballots must reach the relevant returning officer by 4:30 pm on February 12 to be included in the vote count, bdnews24.com reports. According to the EC, 1.53 million people have registered to vote by post through the "Postal Vote BD" mobile app, with more than half of them residing overseas.

Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Dhaka has asked all licensed arms holders for submission of their firearms and ammunition to the nearest police station by January 31. According to the order, all licensed weapons must be deposited with the nearest police station or legal dealer by 2pm on January 31, 2026 and the deposited weapons must be deposited with the concerned police station till 5pm on February 15, 2026. The order also prohibited carrying and displaying any firearms by the license holders until February 15, 2026. It warned of taking action against those for violating the order as per the provisions of the relevant section of the Crimes Act, 1878. The order will also not be applicable for the candidates of the parliamentary elections and their permitted arms retainers.

Bangladesh Women continued their dominant run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers, securing their fourth consecutive victory with a nine-run win over Ireland in their final Group A match at the Mulapani Cricket Ground in Nepal on Saturday. Sharmin Akter Supta starred with the bat, scoring a composed 52 off 45 balls, including five fours and a six. Her half-century anchored the Bangladesh innings as they posted a competitive total of 153 for 7 after opting to bat first. In reply, Ireland fell short despite a valiant effort from captain and opener Gaby Lewis, who top-scored with 73 off 58 balls. Bangladesh’s bowlers maintained disciplined lines and lengths to restrict the Irish batters, limiting them to 144 for 4 and sealing a hard-fought victory.