With the election campaigns for the upcoming election officially beginning yesterday, there is a need, even before votes are cast, to ensure that the weeks of campaigning are done right. The onus is also on political parties to ensure that their campaigning activities do not interfere with people’s day to day lives. The next elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in our nation’s history. If we are indeed serious about becoming a better Bangladesh, one that embraces the principles of democracy, then we must start with our political parties and leaders rejecting the campaign tactics of old. The world’s eyes are on Bangladesh over the next few weeks leading up to February 12, and avoiding the pitfalls and unrest that have normally defined the election season will send the message that we can have a peaceful election season.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said the February 12 general elections would set a benchmark for all future polls in Bangladesh. He made the remarks when the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, paid his maiden courtesy call on the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna on Thursday, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing on Friday morning. Professor Yunus said the government was fully prepared to hold free, fair, and transparent elections on February 12. It will set the standard for good elections in the future. Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” the chief adviser said.

The worship of Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and music, has begun with offerings at a total of 76 pavilions at Dhaka University's Jagannath Hall. Every year, this grand puja celebration is held on the Jagannath Hall grounds. From Friday morning, students have been worshipping Saraswati at the Jagannath Hall grounds through chanting, aarti ceremonies, and floral offerings from devotees. Jagannath Hall has traditionally been known as the main hub for this puja at the university. As always, the Faculty of Fine Arts has created the idols to be placed in the middle of Jagannath Hall's pond.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said that a major political party has become fearful after witnessing the surge of popular support for the 10-party alliance ahead of the upcoming national election. He alleged that this party is spreading misleading information among the public and creating an atmosphere of fear. Nahid Islam emphasized that extortionists and land grabbers must be resisted in the forthcoming election. We did not retreat even after facing gunfire, and we will not retreat from the polling centers either,” he said. He also noted that the Dhaka-11 constituency is plagued by numerous problems, including severe traffic congestion, extortion, and land grabbing.

Two individuals were detained with locally made weapons during an election rally of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the Dhaka-7 constituency, Haji Md Enayetullah. They were detained around 9:30pm on Thursday from a rally held on the ground floor of Moulvibazar Tower in Chawkbazar. Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, Chawkbazar Thana Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Md Anisur Rahman, said the individuals were standing at the rally with weapons in their hands. Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Jalal Uddin, duty officer of Chawkbazar Police Station, told Dhaka Tribune that two individuals had been detained. He added that a meeting was ongoing inside and further details would be shared later.

Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government Shafiqul Alam, has said that a strong wave of public opinion in favor of the "Yes" vote is evident across the country in the upcoming referendum. He said: "People understand that a ‘Yes’ vote will ensure that autocracy, misrule, and oppression do not return to the country. Shafiqul Alam further said: “We believe that a nationwide momentum has developed in favor of the ‘Yes’ vote. Regarding the Buchai Pagla shrine, the press secretary noted: "This is not merely a religious site; it is also a symbol of communal harmony. On the issue of journalists’ safety, the press secretary said: “Any form of attack on journalists must be condemned.

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Hundreds of other residents of the area just west of Johannesburg fled two weeks ago, terrorised by violence, extortion and threats they blame on increasingly brazen illegal gold miners. Taking refuge in a community hall 11 kilometres (seven miles) from their homes, the displaced people of Sporong are among several communities living in fear of the several thousand illegal miners estimated to be operating in South Africa. Sporong is an informal settlement about 50 kilometres from Johannesburg, South Africa's economic capital that was built on a gold rush 140 years ago. The illegal miners -- known as "zama zamas" -- are after the riches that lie in the ground beneath their humble homes, said Julian Mameng, one of the residents who opted to leave. Police said on Thursday they would step up operations to flush out illegal miners at Sporong, including deploying two armoured trucks.

Weather AlertPeriods of light snow, freezing drizzle and and freezing fog are possible into the early afternoon hours. ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST MONDAY... Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Advisory until 10 AM PST Monday. For the Air Quality Advisory, stagnant air conditions will trap smoke and other air pollutants near the ground where people breathe. People can take the following precautions to protect their health: * Follow local burn restrictions to prevent deteriorating air quality. * Avoid using wood-burning stoves and other sources of indoor smoke if possible.

Every year from late October, the extraction of date palm sap and production of jaggery begin in the upazilas of Bagha, Charghat and Puthia. Local gachhis (sap extractors) tap date palm trees, collecting sap overnight in earthen pots hung beneath carefully made cuts on the trunks. Rajshahi's Barind tract, along with roadside and field-grown date palm trees, supports extensive production. Nasir Uddin, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said Rajshahi district has 1,108,018 date palm trees. Since ancient times, date palm juice and molasses have remained popular winter delicacies, prompting many farmers to cultivate date palm trees commercially alongside other cash crops.

As the Jamaat-e-Islami readies for its strongest showing at the polls next month, US diplomats are quietly signalling a willingness to engage with the once-banned party, reports The Washington Post, citing audio recordings it says it obtained. “We want them to be our friends,” the official added, asking whether journalists could bring members of the party’s “influential student wing” -- Islami Chhatra Shibir -- onto their programmes. The diplomat, whom The Post said it is not naming for security reasons, downplayed worries that Jamaat-e-Islami would try to force its interpretation of Islamic law on Bangladesh, saying Washington had leverage it was prepared to use. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which once faced political bans, is now “mainstream”, according to Mubashar Hasan, a Bangladesh politics expert at Western Sydney University. Since Hasina’s removal, Jamaat has met with US officials in both Washington and Dhaka, including a virtual meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - TikTok announced Thursday it has established a majority American-owned joint venture to operate its US business, allowing the company to avoid a ban over its Chinese ownership. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will serve more than 200 million users and 7.5 million businesses while implementing strict safeguards for data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, the company said. ByteDance retains a 19.9 percent stake in the joint venture -- keeping its ownership below the 20 percent threshold stipulated by the law. The joint venture will be governed by a seven-member, majority-American board including TikTok CEO Shou Chew and executives from major investment firms. TikTok executive Adam Presser was appointed CEO of the new entity, with Will Farrell serving as chief security officer.

NCP Convenor Nahid Islam has raised doubts over the promised "family cards" if the BNP forms the government, questioning whether benefits would actually reach ordinary citizens. "We are hearing about different cards -- family cards, farmer cards. We want these benefits to reach the people," he said at a Jamaat election rally in Mirpur, Dhaka. To get a Tk 2,000 card, will a Tk 1,000 bribe be needed? Those who promised flats so far have planned evictions and even set fires in slums.

Intel reported a loss of $600 million on revenue of $13.7 billion in the final three months of last year. That compares with a loss of $100 million on revenue of $14.3 billion in the same period a year earlier. While the depth of losses beat market expectations, Intel's revenue forecast for the current quarter fell far short of what Wall Street analysts were predicting amid recently raised expectations for the company. Shares in Intel soared late last year after AI giant Nvidia announced it would invest $5 billion in its lagging rival. Intel largely missed the smartphone boom and failed to develop competitive hardware for the AI era, allowing Asian manufacturers TSMC and Samsung to dominate the custom semiconductor market.

TOKYO, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Japan's central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 0.75 percent in a policy decision, it said in a statement Friday. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) began hiking rates from below zero in 2024, as figures signalled an end to the country's "lost decades" of stagnation. The monetary status quo was widely anticipated by analysts after a rate hike in mid-December. The bank's decision comes as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi prepares to dissolve parliament ahead of a snap election on February 8. Public discontent over rising prices largely contributed to the downfall of prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, whom Takaichi succeeded in October, vowing to address the issue and shore up the world's fourth-largest economy.