Photo : BSSPANCHAGARH, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS) - The district police distributed winter clothes among cold-affected helpless, distressed and uprooted people to help them cope with the biting cold. The distribution programme was held on Sunday night on the platform of Panchagarh Railway Station, initiated by the district police as part of their humanitarian activities. Superintendent of Police (SP) Rabiul Islam handed over blankets to more than 300 cold-stricken people during the event. Speaking at the programme, SP Rabiul Islam said standing beside the helpless and underprivileged people of society is part of the regular duties of the police. "As part of this responsibility, we have come forward to ease the suffering of cold-affected people in the cold-prone district of Panchagarh.

GOPALGANJ, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS) - A police constable was killed when a bus hit his motorbike in Bhangapole area under Muksudpur upazila of the district on Monday morning. The deceased was Rabiul Islam, 35, son of Hiru Mia of Nohata village in Muksudpur upazila. He was serving as a constable at Narail Sadar Police Station. Local people rushed him to Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. Rabiul was returning to his village home on a motorcycle in the morning after completing his night duty at Narail Sadar Police Station.

The nomination papers of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman were submitted to the returning officer concerned on Monday to contest the national election from the Dhaka-15 constituency. Besides, BNP nominated Bobby Hajjaj and Shafiqul Islam Khan submitted their respective nomination papers to contest the polls from Dhaka-13 and 15 constituencies, respectively. Jamaat assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair and Abdul Halim and central executive committee member Mobarak Hossain were the delegation members. In the two constituencies, a total of 29 nomination papers were collected, but only three papers were submitted till Sunday. According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is December 29, while the scrutiny of nomination papers is on December 30-January 4, and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20.

Albanese said last week that a New South Wales-led royal commission -- where the shooting occurred -- would suffice and promised full support. But the families of those killed at Bondi Beach said the federal government's response is "not nearly enough". Our loved ones were celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach, a festival of light and joy, in an iconic public space that should have been safe," the letter said. The families said the rise of antisemitism was a "national crisis", adding the "threat was not going away". But with a well-led Commonwealth Royal Commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more."

Photo : BSSKISHOREGANJ, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS) - Nikli upazila of the district recorded the lowest temperature in the country for the second consecutive day today. The temperature dropped to 10 degrees Celsius in the haor-dominated upazila on Monday morning, according to the Meteorological Department. Earlier, on Sunday morning, the temperature in Nikli was recorded at 9.8 degrees Celsius. Data published on the Meteorological Department's website at 11:30 am confirmed that Nikli experienced the lowest temperature nationwide on Monday. Farmers are also facing difficulties, particularly as the Boro rice cultivation season continues in the haor regions of the district.

South Korea's ex-first lady accused of taking over $200,000 in bribesSEOUL, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - South Korea's former first lady was alleged by prosecutors Monday to have accepted lavish bribes totalling over $200,000, including fine art, jewellery and a handbag, as well as meddling in state affairs. In an announcement concluding their investigation, prosecutor Min Joong-ki said South Korea's institutions were "severely undermined by abuses of power" by Kim. Kim allegedly "illegally intervened in state affairs behind the scenes, beyond the public's view," said prosecutor Kim Hyung-geun. They alleged that bribes from businesses and politicians received by Kim totalled up to 377.25 million won ($263,000). Investigators alleged Kim had received two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace from the leader of the Unification Church.

MOSCOW, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A theatre that became one of the bombed out symbols of a Russian siege of the city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine in 2022 has reopened after a huge redevelopment, Russian authorities have announced. Russia has since sought to turn Mariupol into a new symbol of prosperity in the parts of Ukraine it controls. Amnesty International said at least 12 people were killed in the bombing of the theatre in 2022. "Mariupol Drama Theatre has reopened its doors to spectators" after a three year redevelopment, said Denis Puchilin, the pro-Russian leader in the Donetsk region that includes the city. The former Russian imperial capital of Saint Petersburg was a major contributor to the restoration, sending workers and architects to Mariupol, according to Saint Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar on Monday submitted his nomination paper for Khulna-5 constituencyHe, accompanied by the party leaders and activists, submitted the paper to the Deputy Commissioner and returning officer Jashed Khandakar at his office. Meanwhile, Jamaat-nominated candidate Krishna Nandy also submitted his nomination paper for Khulna-1 seat. For the first time, Jamaat has nominated a candidate from the minority community. The deadline for the submission of nomination papers in the upcoming national election is set to expire at 5pm on Monday.

Wawrinka 'at peace' with retirement but no plans to go quietlyPERTH, Australia, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka said Monday he was "at peace" with his decision to make 2026 his last year on tour but insisted there were still goals to meet. The 40-year-old announced this month that he plans to call it quits, with the United Cup in Perth starting Friday the beginning of the end for the popular Swiss star. I'm happy with the decision, I'm at peace with that." Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016, at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men's tennis. Wawrinka leads a Swiss team also boasting world number 11 Belinda Bencic at the mixed-teams United Cup where they are grouped with France and Italy.

JERUSALEM, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Israel's defence ministry said on Sunday it had deployed a new "Iron Beam" laser system for the air force to intercept aerial threats. "For the first time globally, a high-power laser interception system has achieved full operational maturity, successfully executing multiple interceptions," Defence Minister Israel Katz said at the ceremony, according to a statement. "Israel has become the first country in the world to field an operational laser system for the interception of aerial threats, including rockets and missiles," said Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael. The laser system seeks to enhance and slash the cost of Israel's interception of projectiles, and will supplement other aerial defence capacities such as the more well-known Iron Dome. The defence ministry announced in early December that the laser system was complete, and would be deployed by the end of the month.

Sources say further changes are likely as the party recalibrates its strategy amid alliance considerations, health concerns, legal complications and growing pressure to field younger candidates. Among them, Begum Khaleda Zia was nominated in three constituencies—Bogra, Dinajpur and Feni—while BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman was nominated for Bogra-6. Most of Jamaat’s nominated candidates are relatively young, and the party is running separate campaigns targeting young voters. In Jashore, the BNP has replaced four of the initially nominated candidates across the district’s six constituencies. Party leaders and activists say they are unhappy about nominating an elderly expatriate who has long been disconnected from local politics.

Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today spoke to journalists after attending a programme marking BGB Day 2025 at the Pilkhana Headquarters, Dhaka. The Home Adviser made the remarks while briefing journalists after attending a programme marking BGB Day 2025 at the Pilkhana Headquarters here. In this connection, he added that arms and ammunition are being seized regularly and BGB personnel have been placed on high alert to this end. Emphasizing national interest, the Home Adviser asked BGB personnel to discharge their duties with utmost honesty, integrity, and vigilance. The Home Adviser called for absolute loyalty to the chain of command and urged BGB members to carry out both border security and internal law-and-order duties with professionalism and dedication.

BEIJING, Dec 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - China will on January 1 launch an "action plan" for boosting management and operations of its digital currency, a deputy governor of the country's central bank said Monday. "The future digital yuan will be a modern digital payment and circulation means issued and circulated within the financial system," People's Bank of China (PBoC) Deputy Governor Lu Lei wrote in Financial News, a media outlet under the central bank. The "action plan" will see banks pay interest on balances held by clients in digital yuan -- a move to incentivise broader adoption of the currency. The plan also includes a proposal to establish an international digital yuan operations centre in the eastern financial hub of Shanghai, the report said. The PBoC has been working on a digital currency since 2014 and has been testing the use of a "digital yuan" or "e-CNY" in various pilot programmes.

The deadline for candidates to collect and submit nomination papers for the upcoming parliamentary elections will expire at 5pm on Monday. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud stated on Sunday that no decision has been made to extend the nomination submission period. According to the election roadmap announced by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, December 29 is the final day for filing nomination papers. Nomination submission processNomination papers must be submitted to the returning officer or assistant returning officer along with all required documents and the candidate’s signature. Party-backed candidates are required to submit a nomination certificate signed by the party president, general secretary or an equivalent office bearer.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 22nd on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 119 at 9:50am on Monday. Dhaka’s air was classified as "unhealthy for sensitive groups" referring to a health threat, according to the AQI index. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.