A microbus driver named Mahbub Alam was stabbed to death early Sunday in the Kolabagan area of Hathazari municipality, Chattogram. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. when three to four assailants engaged in an altercation with him and then attacked him with a knife. Locals rushed to rescue Mahbub, but he died on the way to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Police from Hathazari Model Station visited the scene, prepared an inquest report, and sent the body to the hospital morgue. Following the news of the killing, members of the microbus drivers’ association and local residents blocked the Chattogram-Rangamati highway at Kolatal for about 20 minutes. They demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible. Police later arrived at the spot and restored normal traffic movement. Hathazari Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zahidur Rahman confirmed the incident and said police were working to bring the perpetrators to justice.

A devastating fire broke out early Sunday morning, January 11, 2026, at Kaich Maldha village in Tongibari upazila of Munshiganj, destroying six residential houses and causing an estimated loss of about 3 million taka. The fire started around 5:15 a.m. and was first noticed by Maulana Abul Kalam, the imam of Kaich Maldha Jame Mosque, who alerted residents through the mosque’s loudspeaker. Locals rushed to the scene and tried to extinguish the flames before notifying the Tongibari Fire Service. A unit from Tongibari Fire Service responded but later sought assistance from Sirajdikhan Fire Service due to the intensity of the blaze. After about two and a half hours of joint efforts, the fire was brought under control around 7:45 a.m. The houses of six families—Ali Hossain, Jamal Hawlader, Shah Alam Hawlader, Shahan Shah Hawlader, Kaiyum Hawlader, and Aman Hossain—were completely burned down. No casualties were reported. Police visited the site, but the cause of the fire remains unknown. Fire officials said the exact cause and final damage assessment will be determined after investigation.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi announced on Saturday that all military and security forces in southern Yemen will now operate under the direct command of the Saudi-led coalition. The decision follows a failed offensive by UAE-backed separatist forces. Al-Alimi said in a televised address that a Supreme Military Committee will be formed under the coalition’s command to oversee the training, arming, and management of all southern forces and armed groups. The announcement comes after Saudi-backed Yemeni troops regained control of large southern areas from the UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had seized two key provinces in December. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long been allies in the coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who still control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. However, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi now back different factions within the internationally recognized Presidential Council, complicating Yemen’s southern political and military landscape. The STC’s future remains uncertain after reports of its leader’s departure and conflicting claims over its dissolution. Thousands rallied in Aden in support of the STC despite a ban on gatherings, demanding independence for southern Yemen.

Syrian Kurdish fighters have agreed to withdraw from Aleppo city under a ceasefire following several days of fighting with government forces, according to an AFP report on Sunday. The Syrian military said it had completed operations in the Sheikh Maqsoud district, while state television reported that surrendering Kurdish fighters were being transported by bus to northeastern Syria. The government also announced control over the Ashrafiyah neighborhood, previously held by Kurdish forces. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed that an agreement had been reached to implement a ceasefire and evacuate wounded fighters, civilians, and others from the affected districts. However, the SDF initially claimed that its fighters had not been relocated and accused the government of forcibly displacing civilians. The ceasefire was reportedly mediated by international parties to halt attacks on Aleppo’s population. The clashes, which erupted after talks on Kurdish integration into the new government stalled, have been the most intense since the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. At least 21 civilians were killed, and about 155,000 people fled their homes, according to Aleppo’s governor.

A child named Huzaifa Sultana Afnan was killed early Sunday, January 10, 2026, after being struck by gunfire that crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar during heavy fighting between two rebel groups. The incident occurred in the Hwaikyang Techchibridge area of Teknaf upazila, Cox’s Bazar. The child died on the way to the hospital. Following the incident, angry locals blocked the Teknaf–Cox’s Bazar highway and vandalized vehicles in protest. According to local sources, intense gunfire had been ongoing for three days in Myanmar’s Totardwip area near the border. Earlier, a Bangladeshi fisherman was also injured by stray bullets. Hwaikyang police outpost in-charge Khokon Kanti Nath confirmed that the child was killed by bullets fired amid the ongoing conflict across the border. Security forces including the army, RAB, navy, and police were deployed to restore order. Leaders from various political parties, including the district BNP president and Jamaat-e-Islami’s district amir, visited the scene. Authorities reported that 37 members of Myanmar’s rebel groups had been taken into custody by the Border Guard Bangladesh and police.

Police in Sherpur upazila of Bogura recovered the body of a rice trader named Hamidul Mondal, aged 38, early Sunday morning. Locals discovered the body around 6:30 a.m. in a paddy field at Jamalpur village under Bhabanipur Union and informed the police. The deceased was identified as the son of Montaz Mondal from the same village. Witnesses reported blood marks on his nose and parts of his body, but the cause of death remains uncertain. According to local sources, Hamidul had left home on Saturday afternoon for a financial transaction and did not return that night. His blood-stained body was found the next morning in the field, creating tension in the area. Sherpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ibrahim Ali stated that the body was sent to the hospital for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. The incident is currently under investigation. Authorities expect the post-mortem report to clarify the circumstances surrounding Hamidul Mondal’s death.

A lake built at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in memory of Rudra Sen, the first student killed in the July Movement, is facing controversy after reports that part of it will be filled to construct a garage. The lake, built at a cost of Tk 7.5 crore, was inaugurated six months ago but still lacks any memorial plaque honoring Rudra Sen. Experts warn that filling parts of the lake could harm its natural beauty and ecological balance. Visitors and students have expressed disappointment that the site does not visibly commemorate Rudra Sen. Activists from the university’s anti-discrimination student movement said they had repeatedly demanded a memorial monument and plaque, but the administration failed to act despite assurances. Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sajedul Karim stated that plans and architectural designs to honor Rudra Sen have been submitted and will be implemented soon. Environmental specialists caution that the proposed garage could pollute the lake through wastewater and vehicle residues, potentially damaging the ecosystem.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to safeguard funds from Venezuelan oil sales held in U.S. Treasury accounts following the ouster of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The White House said the order, signed on Friday, declares a national emergency to prevent the oil revenues from being seized by courts or creditors, describing the move as necessary to advance U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. The decision followed a meeting in Washington where Trump urged top oil executives to invest in Venezuela. However, executives responded cautiously, with ExxonMobil’s chief calling the country “uninvestable without major reforms.” ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips had previously withdrawn from Venezuela in 2007 after refusing nationalization demands by then-president Hugo Chávez and are still pursuing legal claims against the country. Chevron remains the only U.S. company licensed to operate there. According to the White House, the protection of Venezuelan oil revenues aims to prevent disruptions to U.S. efforts supporting Venezuela’s economic and political stability. The order came a week after U.S. forces reportedly captured Maduro in a nighttime raid in Caracas that left several Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel dead.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is reportedly in good condition while being held in a New York prison, according to his son Nicolás Maduro Guerra. Guerra said in a video message released on Saturday that his father had personally conveyed that he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were doing well and described themselves as fighters. The message was shared by Venezuela’s ruling PSUV party. Flores is currently awaiting trial. According to the report, the United States conducted a special military operation in Venezuela on January 3, detaining Maduro and his wife. They were taken to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) headquarters for legal processing before being transferred to a detention facility in Brooklyn, New York. Both face charges related to drug and arms trafficking, allegations that Maduro has consistently denied. The report did not specify when court proceedings might begin or provide further details about the conditions of their detention.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Davao Occidental in the southern Philippines late Saturday night, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). The quake occurred at 10:58 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located about 315 kilometers southeast of Balut Island in Sarangani municipality, at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the surface. Authorities confirmed that despite the strength of the tremor, there was no tsunami threat to the Philippine archipelago. Tremors were felt across several southern provinces, including Malungon and Kiamba in Sarangani, Tupi and Koronadal in South Cotabato, and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat. Disaster officials are monitoring the affected areas for potential aftershocks and minor damage. The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to the movement of tectonic plates.

North Korea has demanded a detailed explanation from South Korea over an alleged drone intrusion into its territory. According to North Korean state media cited by AFP, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said a drone launched from South Korea’s Ganghwa County entered the North’s Kaesong city earlier in January. Pyongyang claimed it shot down the drone and released photos of the wreckage. Seoul has rejected the allegation, with its Defense Ministry stating that the drone described by North Korea does not match any model used by its military. The South Korean military said its investigation found no record of operating any unmanned aircraft at the time in question. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a joint military and police probe to ensure a swift and impartial investigation, warning that if a civilian was responsible, it would be a serious crime threatening peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. The dispute comes as former president Yoon Suk Yeol faces trial over allegations of ordering illegal drone operations to provoke Pyongyang and justify emergency military measures.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government has announced the recovery of the country’s southern and eastern regions from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). On Saturday, Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), said government forces had regained control of two key provinces and now hold full authority over southern Yemen. He specifically assured citizens that Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces had been restored under government control. Al-Alimi added that former STC members have been invited to Riyadh for discussions on Yemen’s future and that all military forces will now operate under the Saudi-led coalition’s command. His statement followed a Saudi-supported campaign in late December that expelled STC forces from Hadramaut and Al-Mahra, two provinces bordering Saudi Arabia and comprising nearly half of Yemen’s territory. Meanwhile, thousands of STC supporters rallied in the group’s stronghold of Aden, particularly in Khor Maksar district, chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.

Bangladesh’s banking sector has come under renewed pressure as government borrowing surged sharply midway through the 2025–26 fiscal year. According to the latest Bangladesh Bank report, between July and January 4 the government borrowed a net Tk 59,756 crore from banks, representing 57.45 percent of its annual target of Tk 104,000 crore. This borrowing is about 619 percent higher than the same period last fiscal year, when the government had borrowed Tk 8,312 crore. Sector insiders noted that at the start of the fiscal year, the government had reduced development spending and benefited from strong revenue growth and foreign loans, keeping borrowing low. However, rising development expenditures, investments in Islami Bank, election-related costs, and increased subsidy and interest payments have driven borrowing upward again. To meet financing needs, the government also held two additional auctions in December, raising about Tk 10,000 crore through treasury bills and bonds. The report shows total government debt from banks reached Tk 610,661 crore by January 4, up from Tk 550,904 crore at the end of the previous fiscal year, raising concerns about liquidity and private sector credit flow.

The Indian Navy has initiated plans to set up a new naval base in Haldia, West Bengal, to reinforce its military presence in the northern Bay of Bengal. According to Indian media reports citing defense sources, the facility will operate as a naval detachment rather than a full command, focusing on deploying small, high-speed warships. The Navy intends to use existing port infrastructure to expedite operations, with initial construction including a separate jetty and essential coastal facilities to minimize costs. The proposed base will host Fast Interceptor Crafts and New Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts weighing around 300 tons, capable of speeds between 40 and 45 knots. These vessels will be equipped with CRN-91 guns, and surveillance or strike drones such as Nagastra may be used to enhance monitoring and response capabilities. Experts link the move to growing Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean, concerns over illegal maritime intrusions, and the strategic value of shallow coastal waters near India and Bangladesh. Officials view the Haldia project as part of India’s broader naval expansion plan aimed at strengthening maritime security and safeguarding sea routes.

A commentary by political analyst Saiful Khan argues that India bears responsibility for the deterioration of its relationship with Bangladesh. The article, published on January 11, 2026, asserts that many Bangladeshis believe India has long sheltered convicted criminals, fugitives, and politically controversial figures from Bangladesh, eroding bilateral trust. It further claims that India’s approach to Bangladesh relies on power dynamics rather than equality, citing issues such as border killings, water-sharing disputes, and cultural dominance. The author traces the mistrust to historical experiences since Bangladesh’s independence, noting that cooperation initially gave way to suspicion over security and political matters. The piece highlights allegations of India’s reluctance to extradite fugitives, unilateral control of transboundary rivers, and the influence of Indian media on Bangladeshi culture. These factors, the article contends, have deepened public resentment and created a perception of inequality. Khan concludes that India must choose between maintaining dominance or rebuilding ties based on justice, transparency, and mutual respect. Failure to do so, he warns, could push Bangladesh toward alternative strategic alliances and further regional instability.