China’s birth rate has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1949, according to official data released Monday. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, resulting in a birth rate of 5.63 per 1,000 people. This marks the fourth consecutive year of population decline, with the total population dropping by about 3.39 million to 1.4 billion, as deaths outnumbered births.

Experts cited declining marriage and childbirth trends, rising living costs, and difficulties balancing work and family life as key reasons for the sustained drop in births. Despite government measures such as child allowances, tax breaks for housing, and free preschool education, younger generations remain reluctant to have children due to economic uncertainty and the high cost of raising families.

The continuing demographic decline is reducing China’s labor force and increasing the proportion of elderly citizens, posing a significant long-term challenge for the world’s second-largest economy.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has upheld the candidacy of BNP Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo for the Feni-3 constituency. The decision came on Sunday, January 18, following an appeal hearing at the commission’s auditorium in Agargaon. Mintoo’s nomination had been challenged by his rival candidate, Mohammad Fakhruddin Manik of Jamaat-e-Islami, who alleged that Mintoo held dual citizenship.

After the commission rejected the appeal, Mintoo expressed gratitude in a Facebook post, describing the challenge as baseless and harassing. He stated that since returning to Bangladesh in 1981, he had conducted his business with transparency and integrity and remained devoted to public service. He reaffirmed his identity as a Bangladeshi citizen and thanked supporters for their trust and affection.

Mintoo concluded his message by emphasizing his faith in the people and in God, asserting that the decision validated his legitimacy in the electoral race and that “truth has prevailed.”

The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) is in the final stages of preparing the results for the 46th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination. According to PSC Chairman Professor Mobasher Monem, the commission aims to publish the final recommendations by the last week of January 2026, provided all processes proceed smoothly. The final list will include candidates who passed the oral examination, marking the conclusion of a three-phase selection process.

The 46th BCS began with 337,986 applicants, of whom 254,561 appeared in the preliminary test held across divisional cities. Following re-evaluation, 21,397 candidates qualified for the written examination. The written results, published on November 27, 2025, led to 4,050 candidates being selected for the oral test after technical corrections. The PSC chairman emphasized efforts to reduce delays in the recruitment process and noted that the written results were delivered in record time.

If the schedule holds, several thousand qualified candidates are expected to begin their government service careers soon after the final results are announced.

The prosecution has submitted formal charges against Shamim Osman, his son Wan Osman, and ten others for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution in Narayanganj. The charges were filed on Sunday morning with the registrar of International Crimes Tribunal-1. Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim confirmed the submission, stating that the charges were based on the investigation agency’s report.

According to the prosecution, widespread killings occurred across the country during the July-August Revolution, including in Narayanganj. The investigation report linked the accused to acts of mass killing in the area, leading to the formal filing of charges. A total of twelve individuals have been named in the case.

The tribunal will now review the submitted charges to determine the next steps in the judicial process.

A 25-year-old man named Komol was found dead by hanging in his room at his residence on Anandabazar Secretariat Road in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area on Sunday night. Family members discovered the incident after breaking open his room door and found him hanging from a ceiling fan with a rope. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at around 10:45 p.m.

Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, confirmed the death and said the body had been kept in the hospital morgue. The relevant police station has been informed about the incident. Komol’s father, Md. Kamal, could not immediately explain the reason behind his son’s decision to hang himself.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the death, and further investigation is expected following the police notification.

The trial of 39 accused, including expelled ISKCON leader and Sanatani Jagaran Jote spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das alias Chandan Dhar, has begun in the murder case of advocate Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram court premises. On Monday morning, Judge Md Zahidul Haque of the Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal framed charges after reviewing the case documents, charge sheet, CCTV footage, witness statements, seized evidence, autopsy, and forensic reports. Tight security was maintained around the court as 23 arrested accused, including Chinmoy, were produced before the tribunal, while 16 others remain absconding.

During the hearing, Chinmoy claimed innocence, stating he was arrested a day before the murder and has been in custody since. The prosecution, represented by Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, alleged that on the day of the incident, Chinmoy’s followers seized control of the prison van carrying him and incited violence through speeches, leading to the fatal attack on Alif.

The next hearing date has been set for February 2, with legal aid lawyers to be appointed for the detained accused. The case marks the formal start of proceedings in one of Chattogram’s most sensational murder incidents.

A delegation from the National Citizens Party (NCP) is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus today, Monday, at 5 p.m. The delegation will be led by NCP convener Nahid Islam and will include the party’s spokesperson and chairman of the election management committee, Asif Mahmud. The meeting is expected to discuss the prevailing political situation ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

According to the report, the meeting follows a similar discussion held on Sunday evening between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami. The series of meetings indicates ongoing consultations between the Chief Adviser and various political parties as the election approaches.

The discussions are likely to focus on election-related issues and the current political environment, though specific agenda details were not disclosed in the report.

Seven people were killed when a passenger bus and a battery-run autorickshaw collided head-on on Sunday evening, January 18, 2026, at the Milgate area of Mustafapur Union in Madaripur Sadar upazila along the Dhaka-Barishal Highway. The bus lost control after the collision and fell into a roadside ditch. Highway police and fire service teams conducted a joint rescue operation, recovering the bus around 9:30 p.m. and restoring traffic flow.

The deceased were identified as Pannu Munshi, 50, a bus supervisor from Madaripur; autorickshaw driver Sagar Bepari, 22; and five day laborers from Gopalganj’s Kotalipara upazila—Shefali Barai, 42; Kamona Biswas, 41; Dulal Barai, 45; Abha Barai, 50; and Anita Barai, 40. At least five others were injured and admitted to Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital.

According to officials, the accident likely occurred due to the bus’s excessive speed and an attempt to overtake an illegal autorickshaw on the highway. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the full cause of the crash.

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group were killed in a violent clash with a rival armed faction in Colombia’s southwestern jungle region, according to the country’s military authorities. The confrontation occurred in a rural area of El Retorno municipality in Guaviare department, about 300 kilometers southwest of Bogotá. The area is strategically important for cocaine production and drug trafficking.

The fighting involved two splinter groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). One faction was led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as ‘Iván Mordisco,’ and the other by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as ‘Calarca Córdoba.’ Military officials said both groups were previously part of the same alliance called the Central General Staff but split in April 2024 due to internal disputes. All 27 killed were members of Vera’s faction, and a leader from Mendoza’s group confirmed the incident.

Mendoza’s faction is currently engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government, while Vera’s group continues violent activities despite a suspended ceasefire. Analysts note that ongoing violence and the groups’ reliance on drug trafficking and illegal mining have stalled Petro’s peace efforts.

Leaders and activists of the Rajshahi University (RU) unit of Chhatra Dal announced that they will submit a memorandum to the university vice-chancellor at noon on Monday, January 19, 2026, demanding mental treatment for Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Raksu) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar. The group also called for a human chain protest at 1 p.m. on the university’s Paris Road, led by unit president Sultan Ahmed Rahi and general secretary Sardar Zahurul.

According to the report, the demand follows several incidents involving Ammar’s alleged indecent behavior and actions that created tension on campus. Rahi stated that Ammar’s recent conduct has raised concern among students and that, as a student leader, he should focus on solving student issues rather than causing unrest. The Chhatra Dal leaders said they would formally urge the vice-chancellor to arrange mental health treatment for Ammar.

The move comes after Ammar removed a banner congratulating Tarique Rahman, which had been hung by the Rajshahi District Zia Parishad president. He had earlier posted an ultimatum on Facebook demanding the banner’s removal, prompting further controversy on campus.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Bangladesh began the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 12 former and current army officers on Monday, January 19, 2026. The case involves allegations of enforced disappearances and torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the Awami League government. The three-member judicial panel, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, opened proceedings with introductory statements, after which witnesses Hummam Quader Chowdhury and former army officer Hasinur Rahman were scheduled to testify against the accused.

The tribunal had formally framed charges on December 18, 2025, marking the first time in Bangladesh’s history that enforced disappearances are being tried as crimes against humanity. Prosecutor Shaikh Mahdi stated that five charges were approved, based on evidence that around 26 people were secretly detained and tortured at the JIC in Ayna Ghar between 2015 and 2024. Thirteen individuals, including Hasina, face charges; three are in custody while ten remain fugitives, several of whom previously served as Directors General of the DGFI.

The prosecution has submitted a list of more than 40 witnesses. The tribunal’s proceedings are expected to examine the alleged abuses and command responsibility within the JIC operations.

The International Crimes Tribunal will announce its verdict on Tuesday, January 20, in the Chankharpul murder case involving the killing of six people, including Shahid Anas. Bangladesh Television (BTV) will broadcast the verdict live. The case stems from the police shooting during a student protest in the Chankharpul area on August 5, 2024, which left several people dead and many injured.

Four accused are currently in custody: former Shahbagh Police Station officer (operations) Md Arshad Hossain, constable Md Sujon Mia, Md Imaje Hossain Imon, and Md Nasirul Islam. Four others remain fugitives, including former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former Additional Deputy Commissioner Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam, and former Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Imrul.

The tribunal had earlier, on July 14, 2025, framed charges against all eight accused and ordered the trial to begin. The upcoming verdict marks a key moment in the judicial process surrounding the 2024 Chankharpul protest killings.

Uncontrolled sand extraction from the Teesta River’s char areas in Dakshin Kolkond of Gangachara upazila, Rangpur, has put the river protection groyne embankment at risk of collapse. According to local reports, a syndicate has been illegally removing and selling sand by cutting into the embankment. The groyne, originally built to protect homes, farmland, schools, roads, and infrastructure, is now being damaged by these activities. Police attempted to stop the illegal extraction on December 20, 2025, but were attacked by the accused while trying to seize sand-laden vehicles.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jesmin Akter stated that legal action will be taken against those cutting the embankment for sand extraction. Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mehedi Hasan warned that if the groyne is damaged, the Teesta River’s flow could shift, affecting not only Dakshin Kolkond but also wider areas including Rangpur city. Locals have demanded strict action against all members of the syndicate, including landowners, occupiers, and vehicle operators.

Residents fear that without immediate repair of the damaged groyne, the upcoming monsoon could bring severe river erosion and humanitarian disaster across greater Rangpur.

In Keshabpur upazila of Jashore, waterlogging across 20 wetlands has raised concerns that boro rice cultivation on about 500 hectares of land may not be possible this season. The local agriculture office reported that due to the refusal of several fish farm owners to release water for irrigation, around 195 hectares will remain uncultivated. The upazila set a target of cultivating 13,000 hectares with an expected yield of 84,500 tons of rice worth Tk 34.2 crore, but production could fall short by about 12,067 tons, affecting nearly 1,000 farmers.

According to the agriculture office, boro planting has been completed on 8,000 hectares so far, with preparations continuing on the remaining land. Farmers in areas such as Bil Baldhali, Burli Banar Bil, and others have expressed frustration as they cannot prepare seedbeds due to stagnant water. The government has launched a project to dredge 81.5 kilometers of five rivers, including the Harihar, to address long-term waterlogging in the Bhobdah region.

Local farmers have sought assistance from the upazila administration and agriculture office to resolve the irrigation crisis and save their crops.

At least two people were killed and several others injured in overnight Russian drone attacks across multiple regions of Ukraine, according to local authorities. The strikes, which targeted power plants, have severely damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. In response, President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered emergency electricity imports to stabilize the situation as Moscow launched another large-scale assault.

Zelensky stated on social media that more than 200 drones were used to attack the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa. He accused Russia of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s power generation and supply systems to pressure the country during harsh winter conditions. On Saturday, additional strikes in Kharkiv and Sumy damaged critical infrastructure, raising concerns about disruptions to electricity and heating services.

Ukrainian officials warned that the ongoing attacks are worsening living conditions for civilians during the winter. Citing CNN, the report noted that Russia’s continued focus on energy infrastructure is adding a new dimension to the conflict.