Head of Iran's atomic energy agency Mohammad Eslami. Photo: CollectedTEHRAN, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran is prepared to dilute its highly enriched uranium if the United States lifts all sanctions on the country, the head of its atomic energy agency said Monday after talks resumed with Washington. "In conclusion, in response to a question about the possibility of diluting 60 percent enriched uranium... the head of the Atomic Energy Organization said that this depends on whether all sanctions would be lifted in return," the official IRNA news agency reported, referring to agency chief Mohammad Eslami, without specifying whether this included all sanctions on Iran or only those imposed by the United States. Diluting uranium means mixing it with blend material to reduce the enrichment level, so that the final product does not exceed a given enrichment threshold.

City were heading for defeat at Anfield with six minutes to go before Bernardo Silva cancelled out Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick to spark an incredible finale. Haaland hooked another effort straight at Alisson among 10 first half City attempts without a breakthrough. - Guehi booed -Second half slumps have been a consistent feature of City's season and the visitors again faded in the second period until a late flurry saved their title challenge. Szoboszlai played Silva onside as he slid in to volley home Haaland's header for City's first second half goal in the Premier League this year. With Alisson remaining forward from the resulting corner, the Liverpool goal was open when Rayan Cherki took aim from the halfway line to roll the ball into an empty net.

We made history," said PSG coach Luis Enrique, hailing Dembele for his "incredible" performance. - Vitinha gets lucky -Marseille may feel aggrieved after PSG midfielder Vitinha escaped with only a yellow card for a high, studs?up challenge on captain Leonardo Balerdi in the opening minutes. PSG surged in front moments later as Desire Doue released Nuno Mendes with a superb ball down the left and the Portuguese wing-back squared for Dembele to slot past Marseille goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange. After two closely-fought encounters this season, with PSG winning the Champions Trophy on penalties last month after a 2-2 draw in Kuwait, Marseille offered virtually nothing in the French capital. Lee also scored after coming off the bench as he drilled low past De Lange at his near post to complete a brilliant night for PSG.

Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, falling further away from the top two. Alvaro Carreras put the visitors ahead midway through the second half and Mbappe struck late on to seal their win. England international Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return after injury as a substitute in the second half of Madrid's victory. Midway through the second half, Carreras conjured a goal out of nothing to give Madrid the lead. - Revenge mission -Antony's first-half strike helped Betis win at Atletico, earning his side revenge for their cup mauling, and leaving Atletico 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.

Photo: CollectedDHAKA, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS) - A court here today ordered the freezing of 18 bank accounts belonging to journalists Shyamal Dutta and his wife Sanchita Dutta, and 11 accounts held by Mozammel Haque Babu, his wife Aparajita Haque, and their interest-linked institutions. In one petition against Shyamal Dutta and his wife, the ACC said information had been obtained regarding the acquisition of several movable assets in the names of Shyamal and Sanchita, their daughter, and interest-linked individuals or institutions. During the investigation, no clear or legitimate source of income was found to justify the acquisition of these assets. Therefore, freezing the movable assets is necessary in the interest of a proper investigation. As such, freezing the movable assets is deemed essential for a fair investigation.

A special meeting of the Council of Advisers was held today at the Chief Advisers' Office (CAO) in Tejgaon, with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair. Photo: PIDPhoto: PIDDHAKA, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS) – Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today described the recently signed Bangladesh–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as a historic and epoch-making deal for Bangladesh. He made the remarks while presiding over a special meeting of the Council of Advisers at his Tejgaon office here this morning. Later, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the media at the Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon to share the outcomes of the meeting. The press secretary hoped that the Japan–Bangladesh EPA, signed on February 6, would help ensure Bangladesh’s prosperity and long-term economic growth.

At least 19 people were burned in a gas balloon explosion in Tongi, Gazipur on Monday. The incident happened in the afternoon at Tongi Bazar. According to locals, gas balloons had been stored in a room at Tongi Bazar for a BNP rally. The explosion occurred while removing them from the room. As a result, 19 people were burned.

DHAKA, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) has imposed restrictions on the movement of motorcycles and certain other vehicles ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections and referendum scheduled for February 12. According to the EC directive, motorcycle movement will remain prohibited from midnight on February 10 until midnight on February 13. In addition, taxi cabs, pick-ups, microbuses, and trucks will be barred from operating between midnight on February 11 and midnight on February 12. The restrictions will not apply to vehicles engaged in law enforcement, armed forces, administration, emergency services, or those carrying medicines, medical supplies, and newspapers. Journalists, observers, and telecommunication service providers may also operate vehicles with prior approval from the EC or Returning Officer.

DHAKA, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Bank (BB) has decided to maintain its policy rate at 10 percent for the second half of fiscal year 2025-26 (H2 FY26), reinforcing a firm contractionary stance to anchor inflation. "BB will maintain the policy rate at 10.0 percent and continue its tight stance in H2 FY26. The SDF rate has been lowered to 7.5 percent to discourage commercial banks from idling excess funds at the central bank, he added. The BB chief noted that achieving a positive real policy rate-where the interest rate exceeds the rate of inflation-is essential for stabilizing the Taka. The central bank reported a turnaround in the external sector after adopting a market-based exchange-rate regime in May 2025.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday said public security would be the highest priority if his party forms the government, pledging to take strict measures to ensure safety and law and order across the country. Speaking at an election rally at Pirjangi Mazar Road in Motijheel, Dhaka in support of Mirza Abbas, the sheaf of paddy candidate for Dhaka-8, Tarique said the party would bring the law-and-order situation under strict control. He claimed that changing the fate of the people and eliminating corruption could only be achieved through BNP leadership. Dhaka-8 candidate and BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas, and other local leaders also addressed the rally. The BNP chairman campaigned earlier in the day at a total of eight election rallies across the capital, including Dhaka-17, Dhaka-10, Dhaka-9, and Dhaka-5 constituencies, in support of the sheaf of paddy candidates.

Leaders of various professional organisations have urged the government to pass the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 into law in the first session of the upcoming 13th National Parliament. The demand was raised at an exchange meeting titled “A Landmark Achievement in Protecting Public Health—The Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 and the Way Forward,” organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission at Dhanmondi in the capital on Monday. “To prevent this massive loss and save lives, the interim government approved the Tobacco Control Ordinance. He stressed that enacting the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 into law would help prevent such deaths. Shariful Islam, coordinator of the organisation’s Tobacco Control Project, presented the keynote paper.

At least 30 people have been killed and an unspecified number injured in a road accident in northwest Nigeria, authorities said. The accident occurred on Sunday in Kwanar Barde in the Gezawa area of Kano State and was caused by “reckless driving” by the driver of a truck-trailer, Gov. Africa’s most populous country recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 road accidents in 2024, according to data by the country’s Federal Road Safety Corps. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, Joshua’s driver, was charged with dangerous and reckless driving and his trial is scheduled to begin later this month. Africa has the highest road fatality rate in the world despite having only about 3% of the world’s vehicles, mainly due to weak enforcement of road laws, poor infrastructure and widespread use of unsafe transport.

The UN migration agency on Monday said 53 people were dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. The International Organization for Migration said the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday, in the latest disaster involving migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing in the hope of reaching Europe. “According to survivor accounts, the boat -- carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 pm on February 5. Between the start of 2014 and the end of 2025, more than 33,000 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean, according to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project. Last year, it recorded 1,873 missing or dead in the Mediterranean, including 1,342 on the central route.

You know this by now: I love discovering and learning new things related to basketball or related to the Suns. This season, the Suns don’t win because they shoot better, but because they shoot more. Phoenix is not elite in shooting (15th in shooting efficiency this season), but Phoenix — and some of its players — is a team that manipulates the volume of play. Here, the Suns are less good: 19th in offensive TOV% and 15.4 turnovers per game, which is huge for a team that creates so many “easy” situations. Speaking of Jordan Goodwin, the wing ranks among the best in the league in this possession‑maximization profile.

Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has described the imposition of strict restrictions on journalists carrying mobile phones at polling centres while collecting information during the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum as a naked, unjustified and unacceptable interference in independent journalism. According to the restrictions issued by the Election Commission, carrying mobile phones within a radius of 400 yards of polling stations has been prohibited for everyone except a few designated officials. The DRU clearly states that modern journalism is unimaginable without mobile phones. Preventing journalists from carrying mobile phones means controlling the flow of election-related information and rendering the electoral process opaque to the public. The DRU strongly and firmly demands that the Election Commission immediately ensure the right of journalists on duty to carry mobile phones at polling centres.