Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser, has urged Malaysia to keep its labor market open to Bangladeshi workers in the long term. Speaking at a joint press conference, Yunus expressed gratitude to Malaysia for welcoming Bangladeshi workers as friends and family, highlighting the mutual benefits of labor cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the vital contributions of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia’s development, affirming Bangladesh as one of Malaysia’s key partners. To maintain workers’ family ties and ensure workplace safety, Malaysia has introduced multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi laborers, further strengthening bilateral relations.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia, along with several regional partner countries, will jointly dispatch a delegation to Myanmar. The mission’s objectives include fostering peace and ensuring humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh. Anwar stressed that establishing peace in Myanmar is a top priority, alongside delivering immediate humanitarian aid to victims, including refugees and earthquake survivors. The Malaysian Foreign Minister is expected to coordinate the Myanmar mission in the coming weeks, with participation from foreign ministers of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Anwar expressed concern over the heavy burden Bangladesh bears in hosting a large number of Rohingya refugees. According to UN data, nearly 150,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in the past 18 months due to escalating violence primarily targeting the Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine State.

Putrajaya – Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus attended a lunch hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at his official residence on Tuesday, the second day of his visit to Malaysia. Ministers from Anwar’s cabinet and members of Yunus’s delegation joined the event, which included a cultural performance by local artists. Yunus was greeted by schoolchildren upon arrival.

Austin, Texas – Three people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside a Target store in Austin on Monday. Police have detained a suspected shooter, described as a white male wearing shorts and a Hawaiian-print shirt. Emergency services said they assisted four individuals but did not provide further details. Authorities are still securing the area, and the investigation remains ongoing.

U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that both Ukraine and Russia should cede some territory to reach a peace deal. Speaking Monday, Trump said this would be the main topic in his upcoming Friday meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
“I’ll tell Putin—this war must end. You have to do it,” Trump said, claiming he could gauge in “two minutes” whether Putin is interested in a deal.
Trump hinted at a possible future three-way meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and plans to consult European leaders after speaking with Putin.
Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, while Ukraine holds virtually no Russian land. Both countries have previously rejected Trump’s land-swap proposal.

Following bilateral talks with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that Bangladesh is prepared to hold national elections in mid-February.
At a joint briefing, Yunus expressed gratitude to Malaysia for supporting education and employment opportunities for Bangladeshi youth and invited Malaysian businesses to invest in Bangladesh.
Calling the Rohingya situation a “major crisis,” he sought ASEAN’s assistance in resolving the issue. Anwar Ibrahim praised Yunus for his role in promoting peace in Bangladesh.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya during his official visit to Malaysia.
The meeting featured a red-carpet reception and a guard of honor before the leaders held private talks. The two countries signed five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in defense, energy, halal food, and other sectors.
Discussions also covered resolving issues related to Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, strengthening cooperation in trade, higher education, agriculture, the blue economy, ASEAN initiatives, and the Rohingya crisis.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus received a red-carpet welcome upon arrival in Malaysia, greeted by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Yunus inspected a guard of honour by the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
On Tuesday, he will be formally welcomed at the Perdana Putra Complex before holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. His visit includes a state dinner, a public address, and receiving an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Business from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
The trip is expected to see the signing of several MoUs in defence, energy, strategic and international research, semiconductor capacity building, and trade promotion.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday night at 7:50 PM local time for a three-day official visit to Malaysia. He departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2 PM Bangladesh time aboard a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

On Tuesday, Professor Yunus is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya. Key topics expected to dominate discussions include Rohingya repatriation, labor market expansion, sustainable deep-sea resource use, agriculture, and strengthening bilateral trade. Bangladesh will urge Malaysia and ASEAN countries to take a more active role in Rohingya repatriation efforts.

UK Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq has described the accusations against her—related to land allotment in Dhaka’s Purbachal area and alleged embezzlement linked to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project—as “completely ridiculous.” She said she feels trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare, facing overseas prosecution without knowing the exact charges.

Siddiq, a relative of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, stressed she is not defending her family but demanding justice for the Bangladeshi people. She called herself “a scapegoat in the Yunus-Hasina conflict” and acknowledged that some people in Bangladesh have committed wrongdoing and deserve punishment.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus left Dhaka on Monday afternoon for a three-day state visit to Malaysia. He departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2 PM on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Yunus is scheduled to meet Malaysia’s Prime Minister in Putrajaya on Tuesday for bilateral talks focusing on Rohingya repatriation, labor market expansion, sustainable deep-sea resource management, agriculture, and trade enhancement. Accompanying him are senior officials including the Foreign, Energy, and Legal Advisers.

On Thursday, France’s Constitutional Council annulled the law permitting extended detention of immigrants, a move that brings relief to irregular migrants, including many Bangladeshis residing in France. Previously, the law allowed detention of serious offenders for up to 210 days instead of the earlier 90 days. The constitutional court ruled this extension unconstitutional, emphasizing the protection of personal freedom and dignity. With nearly 100,000 Bangladeshis living in France—many in irregular status—this ruling eases widespread community concerns. In 2024, around 40,000 immigrants were held in administrative detention centers. Human rights group La Cimade welcomed the ruling, though some political figures from the Interior Ministry argue it undermines public safety.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Turkey’s Balıkesir province early Sunday morning, leaving at least one person dead and 29 others injured.

The quake, centered in the Sindirgi district, caused 16 buildings to collapse and damaged two mosque minarets. Tremors were felt as far away as Istanbul, nearly 200 kilometers from the epicenter, home to over 16 million people.

According to Turkey’s interior minister, an elderly woman who was rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Sindirgi later succumbed to her injuries. Several aftershocks followed, including one measuring 4.6 magnitude.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his condolences and well wishes for the injured, posting: “May Allah protect our country from all calamities.”

Following the lead of the UK, France, and Canada, Australia has announced plans to officially recognize the Palestinian state. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that this decision will be taken after receiving commitments at the United Nations General Assembly and from the Palestinian Authority. He emphasized, “A two-state solution remains humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and end the suffering, conflict, and famine in Gaza.” Albanese further revealed that the recognition comes after assurances from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Hamas will have no role in any future state. This decision follows discussions over the past two weeks with leaders from the UK, France, New Zealand, and Japan.

An Israeli strike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza has killed five Al Jazeera journalists—reporters Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Quraikah, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
The group was in a press tent when it was hit. Al Jazeera called the attack a “deliberate and blatant assault on press freedom.” The IDF later admitted targeting Al-Sharif.
Since the start of the war in October, Israel has killed 186 journalists, according to Al Jazeera.