Although no comprehensive national census of street children has yet been conducted, estimates vary widely. This winter, Dhaka Tribune went looking for answers to a simple but devastating question: How are these children surviving the cold? At the Kamalapur Balur Math street children shelter, only 10–12 children were found staying inside tents. He admitted that with an estimated 500,000 street children in Dhaka alone, hub capacity is extremely limited. “Most importantly, street children must be treated as rights-bearing citizens,” he added.

A total of 645 appeals have been filed with the Election Commission (EC) seeking restoration of candidacy against decisions made by returning officers during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 13th national parliamentary election. According to the EC, appeal hearings will begin at 10:00am on Saturday (January 10) and will continue until January 18. Hearings for appeal numbers 01 to 70 will be held on Saturday, while appeals numbered 71 to 140 will be heard on Sunday (January 11). On Monday (January 12), appeals numbered 141 to 210 will be taken up, followed by hearings of appeals numbered 211 to 280 on Tuesday (January 13). Under the revised election schedule, appeals are to be disposed of by January 18, after which January 20 has been fixed as the final day for withdrawal of candidacy.

Yet amid our personal goals for 2026, we rarely pause to ask a harder question: If we want to help the world’s poor, how can we do this in the best possible way? A decade ago, it committed everything to everyone through the Sustainable Development Goals -- it would fix poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, climate change, and war by 2030. We have to stop pretending that we can afford to do everything all at once, as the Sustainable Development Goals still do. The learning crisisPutting children in front of cheap tablets with educational software one hour a day can help each pupil learn at their own level and speed. Altogether, the 12 policies would cost about $35bn a year -- a pittance compared to the over $10tn needed to deliver the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

File PhotoCOX’S BAZAR, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS)- Coast Guard today apprehended five human traffickers and rescued 20 women and children who were allegedly waiting for trafficking to Malaysia. A press release of the Coast Guard said acting on a tip-off a team of the force was conducting raid at Baharchhara of Teknaf Sadar in Cox’s Bazar and Maheshkhali in the early hours of today. After searching in the boat they nabbed five human traffickers and 20 women and children. Coast Guard said the traffickers kept the victims confined for a long time in Teknaf and were preparing for trafficking them by sea route to Malaysia. Legal action against the arrested traffickers is underway and the rescued women and children are being provided necessary assistance, the release added.

Corsicana, TX (75110)TodaySome clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. NNW winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph..TonightSome clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. NNW winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph.

The directive was issued through a circular released today by Mohammad Monir Hossen, deputy secretary (Polls Operation-2) of the EC secretariat. Senior district or district election officers will distribute the banners, centre-wise, to presiding officers at the local level. The presiding officer concerned will be responsible for ensuring that the banner is displayed in a clearly visible location at each polling centre. The required financial allocations for printing the banners will be provided to senior district or district election officers. In addition, two special envelopes will be supplied to each polling centre.

On the first day of school during Cait Haynes’ junior year, her teacher asked students to go around the room and rattle off their names. “What we know about bullying is it’s not just that one-on-one interaction,” said Adam Collins, the Colorado education department’s statewide bullying prevention manager. If children haven’t processed all their trauma, Collins said, it follows them to school and can encourage more bullying. During the last school year, bullying ranked as the second-biggest concern, with 2,673 bullying reports passed along to Safe2Tell. Students learn the difference between conflicts and bullying — bullying is anchored in an “imbalance of power,” Haynes said, with harassment or assault that is often, but not always, repeated.

MEXICO CITY, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaumsaid Friday her government wanted closer security coordination with theUnited States after Donald Trump threatened ground attacks against drugcartels. Sheinbaum told reporters she asked her foreign minister to contact USSecretary of State Marco Rubio and, if needed, speak directly with Trump tostrengthen cooperation under the bilateral security framework. Trump earlier said in a Fox News interview that land attacks against cartelswould follow recent US maritime operations in the Pacific and Caribbean,without specifying where or when. Mexico extradited dozens of cartel leaders to the US in 2025 and reinforcedborder cooperation, but Sheinbaum has repeatedly voiced opposition to anymilitary intervention from outside. She said Mexico maintains a "security understanding" with Washington and thatRubio had praised the "good coordination" on security between the twocountries.

DHAKA, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) today dismissed media reports claiming that it has decided to suspend elections in the Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies, saying the information is incorrect. In a clarification message, the EC said the reports circulated in the media quoting the commission on the alleged suspension are inaccurate. The commission urged the media to withdraw such reports and refrain from publishing misleading information in this regard.

The directive, signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain, emphasized the absolute secrecy of ballot papers and the protection of security-coded seals. According to the circular, officials are required to meticulously verify all election materials- including forms, packets, and envelopes-against the distribution list provided in the previously issued Circular-13. The EC has laid out rigorous steps for the management of ballot papers once they are received from the government security presses. Returning Officers are tasked with cross-checking the ballot papers against Form-5 to ensure that candidate names and symbols are accurate. A major component of the new directives involves the management of official and brass seals, which contain unique security code marks.

A total of 640 appeals have been filed with the Election Commission (EC) against returning officers’ decisions on nomination papers for the parliamentary polls. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and officials from the law wing will also attend. Md Arifur Rahman, an officer of the EC’s law wing, said hearings will be held in the commission auditorium, with at least 70 appeals scheduled on the first day. The law applies equally to everyone and must be respected.”According to the schedule, appeals will be resolved between Jan 10 and Jan 18. Voting for the parliamentary election, along with a referendum on the July Charter implementation, will take place on Feb 12.

As Bangladesh prepares for the 13th national election on February 12, the interim government has intensified security measures to ensure a peaceful, orderly, and credible vote. The election will involve approximately 127.5 million voters across 300 constituencies, with around 2,60,000 booths in nearly 43,000 polling stations. In metropolitan areas, general stations will have three armed police and three Ansar, and important stations four armed police and three Ansar. Each presiding officer in CHT and remote areas will also receive one armed Ansar member for personal security. Additionally, all polling stations will have 10 Ansar personnel (four women and six men) equipped with sticks to assist in maintaining order.

File PhotoDHAKA, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS) – In the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary election, a maximum of three persons, including the appellant, will be allowed in the Election Commission’s (EC) appeal hearing room during hearings against nomination acceptance or rejection orders issued by returning officers. The information was disclosed today in a letter signed by EC Senior Assistant Secretary (Law-2) Md. The letter stated that appeal hearings on matters filed with the Election Commission will be held from January 10 to January 18, covering a total of nine days. To ensure smooth proceedings, all concerned appellants have been requested not to allow more than three persons, including themselves, in the hearing room for each appeal. The appeal hearings will take place at the Election Commission auditorium (Basement-2) from January 10 to 18 and the full commission will guide it.

A total of 131 appeals were filed at the Election Commission (EC) on Friday as candidates sought to restore their candidacy for the upcoming national parliamentary election, with long queues continuing even after the official deadline. Friday was the final day for candidates to submit appeals against returning officers’ decisions. The appeals were submitted at booths set up at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka. Ahead of the election, prospective candidates submitted nomination papers, of which 1,842 were declared valid while 723 were rejected. Returning officers will publish the final list of candidates and allocate election symbols on January 21.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will be in Washington next week, indicating he planned to meet with the Nobel Peace Prize winner. “I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview. Trump said last week that Machado does not have the respect or support within Venezuela to lead the country and has since suggested the US could effectively control Venezuela for years. “They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now.”Machado has offered to share her Nobel Prize with Trump, who has said he deserved the award. He indicated Machado might give him her Nobel Prize when they meet.