Amnesty International has accused the leaders of Israel, Russia, and the United States of driving a global collapse of human rights. In its annual human rights report released on Tuesday, the organization described Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump as 'greedy predators' seeking economic and political dominance. Secretary General Agnès Callamard wrote that the world has entered an era where primitive violence is thriving and the international order built after World War II is weakening.

Speaking at a press conference in London, Callamard said most governments are appeasing these 'predators' rather than confronting them, and some even imitate their behavior. The report claims that authoritarianism has intensified worldwide, with growing attacks on basic civil liberties across most countries. It documents abuses from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and highlights the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the Iran-Israel conflict, as examples of international law violations.

Amnesty also criticized the United Kingdom for its crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism and warned that normalization of civilian killings amid ongoing wars poses a grave threat to the global human rights system.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced the suspension of ongoing peace talks with a key rebel faction, marking a major setback in his campaign against drug-linked armed groups. The decision comes as Petro nears the end of his term, with only four months remaining, and after limited progress toward his goal of securing peace agreements with various factions involved in the cocaine trade.

Since 2023, Petro had been negotiating with a dissident faction of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by a commander known as Calarca. The group, called EMDF, had rejected the 2016 peace accord. On the same day, Colombia’s largest drug-trafficking organization, Clan del Golfo, also ruled out the possibility of a peace deal with Petro, further complicating the situation.

Both negotiation tracks were central to Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative, aimed at reducing violence in the world’s largest cocaine-producing nation. However, the Calarca-led faction has reportedly continued attacks on security forces and civilians in border and Amazon regions, undermining the peace process.

The Trump administration is reportedly discussing sending 1,100 Afghans who assisted US forces during the Afghanistan war to the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to nonprofit group AfghanEvac cited by The Guardian. The New York Times first reported the plan, which comes after Donald Trump decided to halt opportunities for these Afghans to apply for resettlement in the United States. The group, stranded in Qatar for a year, includes interpreters, relatives of US military members, and more than 400 children.

The Afghans were evacuated to Qatar for their safety after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the US military withdrawal. Congo, however, is facing a severe displacement crisis, with the UN Refugee Agency reporting 8.2 million displaced people as of September 2025 and projecting the number could reach 9 million by year’s end. AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said about 900 of the Afghans are eligible for US resettlement, while 200 are not.

A US State Department spokesperson told The Guardian that officials continue to work on voluntary resettlement options for Afghans living at Camp As-Sayliyah in Qatar, though there is currently no viable pathway for them to enter the United States.

Dr. Zahedur Rahman, Policy and Strategy Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, shared details on Facebook about the lunch budget at the Prime Minister’s Office. He stated that during a meeting between the Prime Minister and representatives of the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), the lunch menu included rice, bottle gourd with small shrimp, fried okra, boiled egg curry, lentils, and yogurt. According to his post, the combined budget for lunch and afternoon snacks at the Prime Minister’s Office is Tk150.

Dr. Rahman mentioned that this amount is more than five times lower than the previous allocation. His post highlighted the simplicity and cost-conscious approach of the current arrangement at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The disclosure offers a glimpse into the government’s spending practices and may reflect an emphasis on modesty and efficiency in official hospitality.

Two members of the Uzirpur Model Police Station in Barishal have tested positive in a dope test and are currently being held at the district police superintendent’s office. Their identities have not been officially disclosed for investigative reasons. To confirm the initial results, the two officers will be sent to the Rajarbagh Police Lines in Dhaka for further testing.

According to police sources, all officers across the district’s ten police stations are being gradually brought under the dope testing program. Samples from Uzirpur Model Police Station were collected on April 17 and 18, and the test results detected the presence of drugs in two constables. Barishal District Police Superintendent A.Z.M. Mostafizur Rahman stated that the matter is being investigated seriously.

Officials said that if the allegations are proven, strict departmental action will be taken. They described the ongoing anti-drug campaign as a long-term process aimed at strengthening professional standards and public trust within the police force.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe’s largest airline group, has announced the cancellation of 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule due to a sharp rise in fuel costs. The company said jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran war, making many routes unprofitable. The cancellations will reduce total flight capacity by about one percent and save approximately 40,000 tons of jet fuel.

According to Sky News, Lufthansa had already decided to shut down its regional unit CityLine and ground 27 older, fuel-intensive aircraft. The airline also plans to shift more flights to its lower-cost subsidiaries, City Airlines and Discover Airlines, to improve efficiency. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium Limited shows that global airline capacity in May has fallen by about three percent as most major carriers cut flights.

Lufthansa further stated that it intends to reduce around 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030 to lower costs and enhance profitability.

Biometric attendance machines installed in government primary schools of Matlab North upazila in Chandpur have become non-functional, despite being introduced to ensure regular attendance. The devices, installed in 180 schools during the 2018–19 fiscal year at a cost of Tk 26,000–35,000 each, were found to be mostly missing, disconnected, or broken. Teachers and residents allege that the machines, purchased at inflated prices, failed to improve education quality and now lie unused.

Local teachers and residents claim that a syndicate, allegedly backed by influential Awami League leaders, supplied substandard machines at high prices for personal gain. Several head teachers said the devices stopped working soon after installation due to poor quality and lack of maintenance. They also reported that no effective monitoring or repair initiatives were taken even after repeated complaints. The acting head teachers of Gazra and Otarchar Government Primary Schools described the project as wasteful and poorly planned.

Upazila Primary Education Officer Harunur Rashid Molla confirmed that none of the schools currently have operational biometric attendance systems, noting that the project was implemented before his tenure.

An auto-rickshaw driver named Sakib from Borhanuddin upazila in Bhola set an example of honesty by returning a lost bag containing three lakh taka and important documents to its rightful owner. The incident occurred on April 21, 2026, when Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Ward 6 of the municipality, accidentally left his bag in an auto-rickshaw after dropping his son at an exam center. Despite extensive searching, he could not find it and later posted on Facebook offering a reward for its return.

Sakib, who is also a student retaking his SSC exams, found the bag in his vehicle and, after failing to locate the owner, handed it to his parents for safekeeping. Upon seeing the Facebook post, he contacted Rafiqul Islam and returned the money and documents at Borhan Ganj Bazar. Rafiqul Islam offered him a 10,000 taka reward, which Sakib declined. Local teachers, journalists, and residents praised Sakib’s integrity, calling his act a shining example of honesty in society.

The incident has sparked widespread admiration in the community, reinforcing the value of ethical conduct among youth in Borhanuddin.

Two people, including a woman and a child, were killed in a road accident in Mymensingh on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. in the Raghurampur area of Sadar upazila on the Mymensingh-Netrokona highway, in front of a BRAC office. Police reported that a Mymensingh-bound Mahindra collided head-on with a tractor coming from the opposite direction.

The collision left the Mahindra severely damaged, killing passenger Rabeya Khatun, 65, from Bowla village, and 17-month-old Taufiq from Hironpur village on the spot. The child’s mother, Khadija, 32, and the Mahindra driver, Mahbub, were seriously injured. Locals helped police rescue the injured and send them to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for treatment.

According to Kotwali Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge Md Shibirul Islam, the tractor driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.

A Cumilla court has granted a three-day remand for Hafizur Rahman, a senior warrant officer of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and the first accused in the murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a student of Cumilla Victoria Government College. The order was issued on Wednesday afternoon by Senior Judicial Magistrate Mominul Haque after Rahman was presented before Cumilla Sadar Court-1. He had been arrested earlier from his residence by PBI’s investigating officer Tarikul Islam.

According to court officials, the case has seen 80 hearing dates and has been handled by seven investigating officers from four different agencies over the past decade. On April 6, the seventh investigating officer sought permission to cross-match DNA samples of three suspects, including Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman, and soldier Shahinul Alam.

Tonu’s parents and younger brother Rubel Hossain were present at the Cumilla court during the proceedings on Wednesday afternoon.

The Dhaka Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has released the schedule for the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations along with 11 special instructions for candidates. The routine was published on the board’s website on April 22, 2026. The guidelines specify that students must enter the exam hall 30 minutes before the start, with multiple-choice questions (MCQ) held first followed by creative or theoretical sections. The timing for each section varies depending on the subject type, and there will be no breaks between sections.

The instructions also require students to collect their admit cards at least seven days before the exam, correctly fill in their roll and registration numbers on the answer sheets, and pass each part of the exam separately. Only non-programmable watches and calculators are allowed, and mobile phones are strictly prohibited for all except the center’s officer-in-charge.

The board emphasized that students may only sit for subjects listed on their registration and admit cards, and exams must be conducted strictly according to the schedule printed on the question papers.

A severe heatwave has gripped Lalpur in Natore, where the temperature reached 38.0 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, according to the Ishwardi Meteorological Office. The intense heat, combined with 51 percent humidity, has severely disrupted daily life, forcing residents to stay indoors and reducing activity in markets and public areas. Day laborers, farmers, and outdoor workers are among the worst affected.

Local residents reported increasing discomfort as temperatures have continued to rise over recent days, creating health risks especially for children, the elderly, and the sick. The weather office forecast warns that the heatwave may persist for several more days, with temperatures likely to rise further.

Dr. Suruzzaman Shamim, the residential medical officer at Lalpur Upazila Health Complex, advised people to stay in shaded areas, avoid going out unnecessarily, drink plenty of water, and maintain a cool environment for children and the elderly to prevent heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the country will take necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard its national interests and security. His comments were reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, which cited a post on Telegram quoting Baghaei’s remarks.

The statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an extension to a ceasefire at Pakistan’s request, during which he commented that Iran’s government was “badly divided.” Addressing the possibility of future talks with Washington, Baghaei said that diplomacy is one way to ensure national interests and security, and that Iran would act when it deems the diplomatic environment suitable.

The exchange highlights continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington, with Iran emphasizing its readiness to respond as needed to protect its sovereignty and interests.

Habibur Rahman Mallik, uncle of slain BDR member Nazrul Islam Mallik, testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 as the fourth witness against dismissed army officer Major General Ziaul Ahsan. In his statement on Wednesday, he said Nazrul was taken by plainclothes men on March 3, 2010, and never returned. Later, Nazrul’s brother identified his body from a newspaper photo showing his hands tied behind his back and his abdomen cut open.

According to the testimony, Nazrul had worked as a medical assistant at the BDR Hospital during the 2009 BDR mutiny and later took a job at Madhumati Clinic in Kotalipara under a different name. After his disappearance, his body was found in the Baleshwar River in May 2010 and buried by authorities in Bagerhat when no heir was found. DNA testing later confirmed his identity, and the family reburied him in their ancestral graveyard.

Habibur Rahman added that intelligence officers frequently visited their home afterward and that they learned through various sources that members of RAB’s intelligence wing were involved in Nazrul’s killing.

Algerian Ambassador Dr. Abdelouahab Saidani paid a courtesy call on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir at the Police Headquarters on Wednesday morning. The meeting took place in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, where the ambassador congratulated the newly appointed IGP and discussed areas of mutual interest.

During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on strengthening Bangladesh Police’s capacity in addressing irregular migration, human trafficking, and security-related matters. The IGP welcomed Algeria’s interest in supporting the enhancement of police capabilities and emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation between the police forces of the two countries.

Senior officials of Bangladesh Police were present at the meeting. Both parties expressed optimism about building stronger and more productive collaboration in the future.