DHAKA, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh men's futsal team will take on Nepal in their last match of the SAFF Men's Futsal Championship at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Nonthaburi, Thailand today (Saturday). Already eliminated from the title race, Bangladesh are currently placed third in the points table with seven points from five matches, while Nepal stand fifth with five points from four matches. Bangladesh began their campaign with a hard-fought 4-4 draw against India before suffering a 6-1 defeat to Maldives. Nepal, on the other hand, defeated Sri Lanka 2-1, drew 3-3 with India and 4-4 with Pakistan, and lost 2-1 to Maldives. The team finishing on top of the standings after all seven rounds will be crowned the first-ever SAFF Men's Futsal champions.

PARIS, France, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A tanker suspected of being part of Russia's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" will be escorted to the French port of Marseille-Fos, sources close to the case said Friday, a day after the navy intercepted it. French forces, with the help of allies, boarded the oil tanker called "Grinch" on Thursday between Spain and Morocco, after it started its journey from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that the French Navy, with the support of allies, had intercepted a vessel "subject to international sanctions" and suspected of flying a false flag. A ship called "Grinch" is under UK sanctions, while another called "Carl" with the same registration number is sanctioned by the United States and European Union. The vessel is suspected of being part of a shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.

Countries frequently rejecting Bangladeshi visa applications include Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Egypt. While most Western European visas are issued in Dhaka, Eastern European visas are largely processed in Delhi. Calls to relocate European visa centers go unansweredIn December 2024, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met ambassadors from 19 European Union countries to discuss visa complications. UAE visa restrictions persistThe United Arab Emirates suspended all visas for citizens of several countries, including Bangladesh, in 2012, citing rising criminal activity. On January 15, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs classified several South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, as high-risk, citing concerns over declining document integrity.

The prospect of immediate American action seemed to recede in recent days, with both sides insisting on giving diplomacy a chance. The US president's willingness to threaten tariffs over any issue had rattled confidence on trading floors, boosting safe-haven metals, analysts said. The meeting also comes as Trump considers candidates to replace Powell when the Fed chair's term comes to an end in May. The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged ahead of a snap election next week, which could impact government spending plans. Next week's US earnings calendar is packed with results from Apple, Microsoft, Boeing, Tesla, Meta and other corporate giants.

Brazil's Lula accuses Trump of seeking to forge 'new UN'BRASÍLIA, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused Donald Trump on Friday of trying to create "a new UN" with his proposed "Board of Peace." The veteran leftist joins other world leaders who have avoided signing up for Trump's new global conflict resolution organization, where a permanent seat costs $1 billion and the chairman is Trump himself. "Instead of fixing" the United Nations, "what's happening? President Trump is proposing to create a new UN where only he is the owner," Lula said. In his remarks on Friday, Lula said "the UN charter is being torn."

WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US military said it killed two alleged drug traffickers in a strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Friday, while the Coast Guard was searching for a third person who survived. Three people were visible in the footage prior to the strike, and SOUTHCOM said it "immediately" notified the US Coast Guard to look for the one who survived. President Donald Trump's administration began targeting alleged smuggling boats in early September, insisting it is effectively at war with alleged "narco-terrorists" operating out of Venezuela. International law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings as they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States. "Participating defense leaders will explore the importance of strong partnerships, continued cooperation, and united efforts to counter criminal and terrorist organizations, as well as external actors undermining regional security and stability," Caine's office said in a statement.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Efforts to rescue at least six people buried alive by a landslide at a New Zealand holiday park ended Saturday, with police shifting their focus to recovering human remains. Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies, after a mountain of dirt and debris tumbled onto a campsite in Mount Maunganui on Thursday. "This is heartbreaking news for us and obviously the families involved," he told reporters on Saturday, describing the rescue operation as complex. "Police have confirmed fatalities at the campground and the reality that no one would have been able to survive, therefore the rescue operation taking place there is now moving to a recovery," he said in a statement. Two people died in a separate landslide on Thursday in the neighbouring harbourside city of Tauranga.

KYIV, Ukraine, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Russian strikes killed one person and injured at least 15 others in Ukraine's capital and the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, authorities said early Saturday. The country was under an air raid alert with military authorities in Kyiv warning of drones and ballistic missiles. Fires broke out in several buildings hit by drone debris while heat and water services in parts of the capital were interrupted, he said. Farther east in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, Mayor Igor Terekhov reported an attack by Iranian-made Shahed drones had damaged several residential buildings near the Russian border. "There are now more than 11 wounded people," Terekhov wrote on Telegram.

No alternative to voting for scales to end dark era of misrule, graft: Golam ParwarPhoto : BSSKHULNA, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and Khulna-5 constituency candidate Mia Golam Parwar today said there is no alternative to casting votes for his party’s election symbol the ‘scales’ to bring an end to the dark chapter of misrule, corruption and political repression. Golam Parwar made the remarks while addressing several mass contacts and roadside rallies as chief guest in Dumuria and Phultala upazilas of the district. During the campaign, the Jamaat secretary general further said extortionists, owners of black money and terrorists, regardless of party affiliation, have held the state and society hostage in Khulna-5 constituency. He called upon people to build resistance against these vested quarters by voting for the scales symbol. He also stressed that courageous decisions are essential to establish a humane society.

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Photo : BSSDHAKA, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS) - Zia Parishad today held a condolence meeting and prayer gathering seeking forgiveness for the soul of late former three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. The program was held in Motijheel, jointly arranged by the Motijheel and Shahjahanpur thana units of Zia Parishad Dhaka Mohanagar. Abu Raihan, president of the Zia Parishad Motijheel Thana unit, presided over the event. Acting Chairman of Zia Parishad Prof. Dr. Md. Prof. Latif also appealed to those present to work for the victory of Dhaka-8 constituency candidate Mirza Abbas.

An elderly woman was killed after a rice-laden truck lost control and overturned onto an auto-rickshaw in Manikchhari area in Rangamati on Friday morning, police said. According to police and witnesses, the truck was travelling from Chattogram to Rangamati when it lost control while negotiating an uphill stretch of road in Manikchhari. The vehicle overturned on the roadway, crushing the auto-rickshaw beneath it and killing Monira Begum on the spot. Dr Shawkat Akbar, resident medical officer at Rangamati General Hospital, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue. Rangamati Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Jasim Uddin confirmed the incident, saying that the truck and auto-rickshaw have been seized and legal proceedings are underway.

A court in Jamalpur on Thursday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for raping a schoolgirl in 2018. Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of Jamalpur Child Court-1 (District and Sessions Judge) also fined each of the convicts Tk 300,000. The convicts are Md Rifat Hossain, 18, son of Alal Uddin of Defali Bari village in Jamalpur Sadar upazila, and Md Sabbir Hossain Akand alias Setu, 24, son of Abdul Mannan Akand of Dameshwar village in Gopalpur. Following the incident, the victim’s mother, Nazma Begum, filed a case with Jamalpur Sadar police station. After examining evidence and recording testimonies of nine witnesses, the court found the two guilty and handed down the sentences.

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