BNP forms 56-member media committee for Tarique Rahman’s Dhaka-17 campaign
A 56-member media committee has been announced to strengthen the election activities and campaign of BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman in the Dhaka-17 constituency ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The committee was approved on Saturday night through a joint signature of the chief coordinator of Dhaka-17 election activities and BNP chairperson’s adviser, Bir Muktijoddha Abdus Salam and joint coordinator Professor Dr Farhad Halim Doner. According to party sources, the media committee will oversee Tarique Rahman’s election campaign at the grassroots level, maintain direct coordination with the media, manage social media platforms and ensure the swift and effective dissemination of the BNP’s election messages to the public. The committee is also expected to play an active role in countering misinformation on digital platforms and supporting voters with accurate information. Coordinators expressed optimism that the formation of the new media committee would inject fresh momentum into Tarique Rahman’s election campaign in the Dhaka-17 constituency.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 18, 2026 05:02 UTC
EC to complete appeal disposal on Sunday
The Election Commission (EC) began hearing the appeals on January 10. On Sunday, the EC will hold the final day of appeal hearings at the auditorium of the Election Commission building in Agargaon in the capital. During the scrutiny of nomination papers from December 30 to January 4, returning officers rejected the nomination papers of 723 candidates. Under the new schedule, the deadline for submitting nomination papers in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 is Sunday. A total of 645 appeals were filed with the Election Commission against the decisions of returning officers during nomination scrutiny.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 18, 2026 05:02 UTC
British qualifier upsets 20th seed Cobolli in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - British qualifier Arthur Fery scored a major upset Sunday at the Australian Open by taking down 20th seed Flavio Cobolli on his maiden main draw debut in Melbourne. "It was an incredible experience here, first time playing main draw on such a great court with great fans as well," he said. Fery's only other Grand Slam second round appearance came at Wimbledon last year, where he also beat a 20th seed in the first round -- Australian Alexei Popyrin. Defeat was a big setback for Cobolli, who appeared to be battling a physical issue throughout the match. He made the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, before falling to Novak Djokovic, and won two ATP titles at Bucharest and Hamburg.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 04:58 UTC
On Sonadia Island, education ends at grade five
Before dawn breaks over the Bay of Bengal, ten-year-old Masum wakes to the sound of waves crashing against Sonadia Island. He picks up his schoolbooks and prepares for another day at Sonadia Government Primary School, fully aware that his education has a fixed end point. Education ends at grade fiveSuch stories are common on Sonadia Island, a remote landmass of about nine square kilometres off Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, surrounded entirely by the sea. Yet formal schooling on the island ends at grade five. Each year, an average of 25 to 30 students pass grade five, after which most are forced to drop out.
Source:Dhaka Tribune
January 18, 2026 04:10 UTC
Top-ranked Alcaraz, Sabalenka headline Australian Open day one
MELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for tennis history while women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka is also in action on the first day of the Australian Open on Sunday. In early matches, seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini outclassed Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 on a hot and sunny Rod Laver Arena. Spain's Alcaraz has won the US Open, Wimbledon and French Open but the Melbourne Park crown is the one Grand Slam missing from his impressive resume. Alcaraz launches his title charge against 79th-ranked home player Adam Walton in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena. Opening the night session on Rod Laver Arena is Sabalenka, who is aiming to win a third Melbourne crown in four years.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:13 UTC
Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open
Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian OpenMELBOURNE, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Jasmine Paolini powered into the Australian Open second round with a straight-sets demolition to kickstart the action in a hot and sunny Melbourne on Sunday. "It was pretty good today, I did not expect that," she said of her emphatic win in 69 minutes. I played pretty good. She polished off the first set in 26 minutes and although Sasnovich put up more resistance in the second, Paolini ran out a comfortable winner. Paolini reached the finals of Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024, but her best result at Melbourne Park is the fourth round in the same year.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:13 UTC
Portugal presidential vote wide open as far-right surge expected
Pollsters predict any of the four of Ventura's potential rivals would trounce him in a second-round vote. Polling stations open at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday and exit polls will be announced at 8:00 pm. The president of Portugal has no executive powers but can, in times of crisis, dissolve parliament, call elections or dismiss a prime minister. - Popularity test -Ventura sees Sunday's vote mainly as a test of his popularity, according to experts, who believe that he has his sights set on eventually running the country as prime minister. Portugal, a country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, is a member of the European Union and the eurozone.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:10 UTC
Trump tariff threats over Greenland a 'surprise': Danish FM
COPENHAGEN, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on European nations that do not let him acquire Greenland "come as a surprise", Denmark's foreign minister said Saturday in a statement sent to AFP. "The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the president refers, is precisely to enhance security in the Arctic," said Lars Lokke Rasmussen. "We are in close contact with the European Commission and our other partners on the matter," he added, speaking just days after attending talks in the White House with US and Greenlandic officials on the Greenland question.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:03 UTC
Iran schools to reopen Sunday after one-week closure: media
PARIS, France, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iranian schools are set to reopen Sunday, media reported, following a one-week closure as the country was gripped by protests. "Schools in Tehran and other cities which were announced closed since January 10 will be resumed from tomorrow (Sunday)," the ISNA news agency said, adding that university exams that had been postponed would be held on January 24.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:03 UTC
Macron denounces Trump's 'tariff threats' over Greenland
PARIS, France, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday denounced US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his efforts to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland. "Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context," Macron posted on X, in French and English. "Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed," he added. "It is in this spirit that I will engage with our European partners," said Macron. Trump said that from February, several European nations would be subject to 10-percent tariffs, with the number set to rise to 25 percent on June 1, until he can complete his acquisition of Greenland.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:00 UTC
Who has been invited to be on Trump's Gaza boards?
Who has been invited to be on Trump's Gaza boards? WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump is starting to flesh out his so-called "Board of Peace" and related entities for postwar Gaza, with multiple world leaders saying Saturday they have been asked to join. The White House said that under Trump's plan, there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role. An initial list of appointees was issued by the White House, which said more names would be added. Here is the list of people involved so far in the various entities:- Confirmed by the White House -BOARD OF PEACE - The White House says the Board of Peace will take on issues such as "governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding and capital mobilization."
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:00 UTC
UK's Starmer says Trump's tariff threats over Greenland 'completely wrong'
LONDON, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday condemned US President Donald Trump's threat to impose swingeing tariffs on European allies opposing his efforts to acquire Greenland as "completely wrong". "Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration," Starmer said in a statement. "We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic," he added.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:00 UTC
Iran authorities say arrested members of Bahai minority
PARIS, France, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iranian authorities on Saturday said they had arrested members of the Bahai minority they accused of having been active in what they call "riots", the Tasnim news agency reported, after the wave of protests that gripped the country. The Bahais, Iran's biggest non-Muslim religious minority, regularly experience persecution and the Islamic republic has accused its members of being spies linked to Israel. It said the network was active across Iran, including in the capital Tehran, adding that "their main hideout was located in Mashhad" in the east. Iran was rocked by weeks of demonstrations sparked by anger over economic hardship that exploded into the biggest protests against the Islamic republic in more than three years. It is unclear how many members of the minority remain in Iran, but their supporters believe there could still be several hundred thousand.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 03:00 UTC
Liverpool draw 'feels like defeat', says Wirtz
LONDON, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Florian Wirtz said Liverpool's 1-1 draw with lowly Burnley on Saturday "feels like a defeat" after the Premier League champions dropped points for the fourth straight game. Liverpool had a total of 32 shots, including 11 on target, but could not make their dominance count. Wirtz, who has hit form after a slow start to his Anfield career, said the result was frustrating. Liverpool boss Slot bemoaned his side's bluntness in attack and tendency to concede goals despite giving away few chances. The draw leaves Liverpool fourth in the Premier League table, seven points behind third-placed Aston Villa and one ahead of Manchester United, in fifth spot.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 02:53 UTC
NASA moves moon rocket to launch pad ahead of Artemis 2 mission
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, United States, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - NASA on Saturday rolled out its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as it began preparations for its first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. The immense orange and white Space Launch System rocket and the Orion vessel were slowly wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and painstakingly moved four miles (6.5 kilometers) to Launch Pad 39B. "We're making history," Artemis 2 mission management team chair John Honeycutt told a press conference on Friday. The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission took place in November 2022 after multiple postponements and two failed launch attempts. NASA hopes to put humans back on the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.
Source:Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
January 18, 2026 02:52 UTC