Separatists launch 'coordinated' attacks across Pakistan's southwest: officials
QUETTA, Pakistan, Jan 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ethnic Baloch separatists launched "coordinated" attacks across Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday, killing at least four policemen, officials said, the latest violence in insurgency-hit southwest region. "The coordinated gun and suicide attacks are being carried out across Balochistan, mainly in Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki and Gwadar districts," a senior security official based in the provincial capital of Quetta told AFP.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 31, 2026 07:43 UTC
Hundreds Gather for ‘ICE Out of Ithaca Rally’ in the Commons, Joining National Shutdown
Organized by several on and off-campus organizations, including Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Tompkins County Workers’ Center, the “ICE Out of Ithaca Rally” was part of a national shutdown to protest ICE’s actions. The “ICE Out of Ithaca Rally” took place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and brought together around 300 people with signs, drums and megaphones. During the rally, community leaders gave speeches about the need for unity and action in the face of ICE’s recent actions. Alongside the rally, several Downtown Ithaca businesses like Petrune and South Hill Cider were closed on Friday, embracing the national economic shutdown. The rally gathered Cornell and Ithaca College students and professors, members from the local community and people traveling from an hour away.
Source:Daily Sun
January 31, 2026 07:42 UTC
Student Assembly Voices Frustration With Administration’s Response Time, Discusses Transferring Funds to ALANA, Assembly’s Special Projects Fund
Others also expressed their frustration with the speed at which administration answers the Assembly’s resolutions. The reserve fund currently totals over $552,000. With several student organizations having already applied for funding from the Special Projects Fund during the spring semester, the resolution requests that $15,000 be transferred into this subaccount of the Assembly’s reserve fund. The second resolution, Resolution 23, moves to transfer funds from the Student Assembly reserve fund to the ALANA Intercultural Board, a supplementary funding board and student organization that aims to provide programming and services that promote diversity and interculturalism across Cornell. Now, the Student Assembly president, the vice president of finance, and the deputy to the vice president of finance have introduced Resolution 23, which proposes transferring $50,000 from the Assembly’s reserve fund directly to ALANA.
Source:Daily Sun
January 31, 2026 07:42 UTC
BGB will not use lethal weapons during national election
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will not use lethal weapons to maintain law and order during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, Dhaka Sector Commander Colonel SM Abul Ehsan has said. Colonel Abul Ehsan said BGB has taken extensive nationwide preparations ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and referendum to ensure overall security. BGB will perform election duties in 489 of the country’s 495 upazilas, while it will independently carry out election responsibilities in 61 border upazilas. Considering security risks, BGB will be deployed as both mobile and static forces in all 300 parliamentary constituencies. He added that under directives from the BGB director general, the force will not use any lethal weapons to maintain law and order during the election.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 07:04 UTC
Gold prices drop by Tk30,385 per bhori in two days in Bangladesh
Within two days, the price of gold in the domestic market has fallen by as much as Tk30,385 per bhori. Due to a decline in the price of pure gold in the international market, the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (Bajus) has revised the prices of gold and silver in the local market. Most recently, on Friday, prices were reduced by up to Tk14,600 per bhori, and on Saturday, prices were cut further. Previously, on Thursday, the price of 22-carat gold was Tk286,001 per bhori, which was the highest in the country’s history. As a result, the price of gold has dropped by Tk30,385 per bhori within two days.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Like winter signing, Musiala returns to boost weary Bayern
Midfielder Jamal Musiala has made a timely return for a Bayern Munich side who have grown weary in recent weeks as they continue to fight on three fronts. In December, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen ruled out any big winter purchases, saying the return of Musiala and fellow long-term injury absentees Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito were like "internal winter signings". After two appearances off the bench, and a star turn in the Champions League midweek, Musiala is likely to start away at Hamburg on Saturday. The 22-year-old made his first start since returning in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven, scoring Bayern's opening goal. Hamburg last beat Bayern in 2009, with Bayern winning 17 and drawing three of their past 20 games.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Weather to remain dry with partly cloudy sky
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Saturday forecast that the weather may remain dry with a temporary partly cloudy sky over the country during the next 24 hours commencing from 9am on Saturday. Light to moderate fog may occur at places over the country during late night to morning, the forecast said. It added that night and day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country. The highest maximum temperature of on Friday was recorded at 32.3°C at Teknaf, while the lowest minimum temperature of on Saturday was 9.6°C at Srimangal. Saturday's sunset at Dhaka will be at 5:44pm, while Sunday's sunrise will be at 6:40am.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
BCB files GD against ‘fabricated’ fixing rumors involving president
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has strongly refuted social media claims alleging that its President, Aminul Islam Bulbul, is under investigation for corruption, labeling the rumors as “entirely unfounded, false, and fabricated”. To combat the spread of this misinformation, the board filed a General Diary with the Mirpur Police Station on Friday evening against the individuals and platforms responsible for circulating the claims. Earlier on Friday, rumors surfaced on various social media pages suggesting that Alex Marshall, Chair of the BCB’s Integrity Unit, was investigating Bulbul for alleged involvement in match-fixing within the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). In a press release issued this evening, the BCB categorically denied these accusations. “These actions appear to be a deliberate attempt to malign the reputation of the BCB President and undermine the integrity of the board and Bangladesh cricket.”The board confirmed that it has initiated legal measures to identify and penalize those behind the “false narrative”.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Expatriates send nearly 1,40,000 postal ballots home
Expatriates registered through the "Postal Vote BD" app to cast their votes in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election, and the Referendum have begun sending back their ballots. So far, 139,763 expatriate ballots have arrived in the country, revealed Team Leader of OCV-SDI Project on expatriate voter registration, Salim Ahmad Khan, on Friday night. He said a total of 766,862 ballot papers were dispatched to expatriate voters' addresses by 3:30pm Friday. Alongside expatriates, postal ballots were also distributed among voters residing inside Bangladesh. The Election Commission (EC) said that postal ballots have been sent to 2,69,000 voters registered within the country (ICPV) through the "Postal Vote BD" app.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Voters turn to mobile screens as candidates campaign online in poster-free polls
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair told Dhaka Tribune that while the EC has set clear rules for banners, festoons and leaflets, social media remains largely unrestricted. Young voters are especially active online, making social media the most effective medium for outreach,” he said. That ‘heart-touch’ connection is missing online, even though social media outreach is extensive,” he added. Asked about monitoring campaign expenditure on social media, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said such costs would be reviewed after the election. “It is not possible to monitor social media expenditure during the election period,” he said.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Dhaka’s train link with northern region resumes after 3 hours
Train services between Dhaka and the northern parts of the country remained suspended for three hours on Saturday following the derailment of a bogie in Dangapara of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur district. Zulfiker Ali, officer-in-charge of Bangladesh Railway Police, Parbatipur, said a bogie of Rajshahi-bound Barendra Express coming from Chilahati derailed around 7:42am after a hook connecting the bogies broke, disrupting train services between Dhaka and the northern region. At least five people were injured while trying to jump off the train after the accident, with two of them sustaining critical injuries. Train services on the route resumed around 11:45am after a salvage train removed the bogie, said OC Zulfiker.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:40 UTC
Questions surround referendum as confusion persists
Voters will cast their referendum vote on a separate pink ballot containing detailed descriptions of the four issues. Proponents of the referendum claim that a "yes" vote would prevent the return of fascism. Why ‘fascists will not return’Campaigners repeatedly claim that a ‘yes’ vote would prevent the return of fascism. While the government is legally allowed to campaign for the referendum, the EC has barred government officials and employees from taking sides. “The campaign says the future is in the people’s hands, yet urges them to vote ‘yes’.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 31, 2026 06:39 UTC
37,000 BGB personnel deployed to ensure security ahead of national polls
BGB Dhaka Sector Commander Colonel SM Abul Ehsan made the disclosure at a media briefing at the Mirpur National Swimming Complex after inspecting several election base camps in the capital this morning. To maintain maximum vigilance, BGB members will perform both mobile and static duties in all 300 parliamentary constituencies, he said. Under the Dhaka Sector alone, a total of 134 platoons will be deployed across 42 temporary base camps covering 51 constituencies in nine districts and four city corporations, he said. These deployments will be carried out by Dhaka Battalion (5 and 26 BGB), Narayanganj Battalion (62 BGB) and Gazipur Battalion (63 BGB), according to the official. Colonel SM Abul Ehsan said a specialized K-9 Dog Squad Unit will also be deployed to conduct special search operations and further strengthen security.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 31, 2026 06:38 UTC
US government shuts down but quick resolution expected
If the House approves the package as expected early next week, funding would be restored within days, limiting the practical impact of the shutdown on government services, contractors and federal workers. Democrats, meanwhile, have remained united in opposing new DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. Their deaths intensified scrutiny of federal agents' conduct and hardened opposition to approving money for immigration agencies without new guardrails. Several have signaled they will push their own priorities during the upcoming DHS negotiations, including measures targeting states and cities that limit cooperation with federal authorities. The remaining bills fund large swaths of the federal government, making the lapse significant if it ends up being prolonged.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 31, 2026 06:23 UTC
The rare and interesting wood turtle
One such event of 2016 really stood out, as it was my first ever – and, to this date, only – encounter with a wood turtle. So, I was startled – and incredibly happy — when I discovered it was a wood turtle. I found many interesting creatures but never expected to ever see a wood turtle. That’s sad, because the wood turtle is one of the more interesting reptiles out there. For a good portion of the year, the wood turtle will venture a considerable distance from water (up to a half mile).
Source:Daily Sun
January 31, 2026 06:20 UTC