Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed a joint statement aimed at deepening strategic coordination and strengthening their good-neighborly and friendly cooperation. The agreement, announced on May 20, 2026, includes plans to sign around 20 additional documents covering trade, technological cooperation, and other areas. Officials from both countries have already signed multiple agreements in fields such as trade, technology, intellectual property, and scientific research.

Following the signing, Xi Jinping stated that China-Russia relations have reached their highest level of comprehensive strategic partnership. He emphasized that the two nations treat each other with mutual respect and equality, describing the relationship as entering a new starting point. Xi also highlighted plans to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence and technological innovation.

Xi further said that China and Russia must act as responsible major powers to uphold international justice and oppose all forms of unilateral dominance and attempts to distort history.

Twelve fishermen were abducted along with their trawler by the forest bandit group known as Jahangir Bahini in the Sundarbans. The incident occurred late Tuesday night in the Dublarchar area under the Sharankhola Range of Bagerhat district. The abducted fishermen were identified as residents of Patharghata’s Ruhita area, aged between 20 and 58 years.

A local fish trader from Rajapur in Sharankhola, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said that the armed bandits, numbering around 15 to 16 and wearing distinctive uniforms, attacked the fishermen’s boats and took one trawler with 12 men. He also mentioned that several other fishermen might still be held by the gang.

Forester Md. Mizanur Rahman, in charge of the Kochikhali patrol post under the Sharankhola Range, confirmed that forest guards launched an overnight operation to rescue the abducted fishermen, but no trace of them had been found as of reporting time. Sharankhola Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Md. Shamimul Haque stated that no formal complaint had yet been filed, but legal action would follow upon receiving one.

Russia and China have reached a general agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project, according to a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The project, once implemented, would enable Russia to supply up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas to China annually. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that while some issues remain unresolved, a basic understanding has already been achieved. The information was reported by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Peskov added that the agreement between China and Russia includes the pipeline’s route and construction methods. However, no further details or timeline for the project have been disclosed. The report did not mention any official signing or specific schedule for the next steps.

The development marks another step in energy cooperation between the two countries, though the absence of a detailed plan leaves the project’s immediate timeline uncertain.

A member of the Detective Security Branch (DSB), Faridul Islam, was assaulted while gathering information about a fatal road accident in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, near Sonapota Government Primary School on the Asian Highway. Faridul was rescued in an injured state and admitted to Debiganj Upazila Health Complex.

Earlier that evening, a six-year-old girl named Papri Rani Roy was killed after being hit by a truck at the same location. Enraged locals detained the truck, vandalized and set it on fire, and blocked the road for about one and a half hours. During the protest, several vehicles were also damaged. When Faridul Islam tried to document the situation and report it to his duty officer, a group of 10 to 12 men allegedly attacked him, seizing his phone and wallet.

According to the on-duty doctor, Faridul sustained multiple injuries, including to his head, and was hospitalized. The Debiganj police officer-in-charge confirmed the assault and said necessary action would be taken following instructions from higher authorities.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has issued new guidelines for trading and Qualified Investor Offer (QIO) participation on the stock exchange’s SME platform. According to the directive signed by BSEC Chairman Khondkar Rashed Maksud on Tuesday, any institution or individual investor must have a minimum investment of Tk 3 million, based on either market or purchase value, to qualify for SME platform trading. Foreign investors with accounts under a registered securities custodian in Bangladesh will also be eligible to trade on the platform.

The directive further states that non-individual investors must meet the same Tk 3 million minimum investment requirement to apply for QIOs. For individual Bangladeshi investors, both resident and non-resident, the minimum investment threshold for QIO applications is set at Tk 1 million. Foreign investors can apply through accounts maintained with registered securities custodians in Bangladesh.

Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL) and depository participants will provide quarterly updates on eligible investors to the stock exchanges, which will maintain separate registers for QIO subscriptions and SME trading. Investors below the Tk 3 million threshold may sell but cannot purchase new SME shares.

Police in Barura upazila of Cumilla arrested eight members of a robbery gang during an operation conducted on Tuesday night at a location known as Haripur cemetery. The arrests were made by Barura Police Station officers, who also seized various locally made weapons, handcuffs, and fake Detective Branch (DB) police uniforms from the suspects.

Following the arrests, police filed a case against the detainees at Barura Police Station on Wednesday. The accused were subsequently sent to court for legal proceedings. The operation was led by local law enforcement as part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities in the area.

Authorities stated that the case has been officially registered, and further legal steps are underway to investigate the group’s activities and recover any additional evidence related to the robbery network.

A woman named Nasrin Nahar died at Khulna Medical College Hospital on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out in the emergency operating theater. According to hospital sources, she panicked during the incident and removed her oxygen mask while trying to evacuate, leading to her death from lack of oxygen. Nasrin, daughter of Nesar Ali from Koyra upazila in Khulna, had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday due to congenital diabetes.

Dr. Dilip Kumar Kundu, head of the hospital’s ICU department, said Nasrin was on ventilation along with 14 other patients. All other patients were safely evacuated, but Nasrin’s relatives attempted to move her themselves, and she died while being taken out. The incident caused alarm among patients and staff but was brought under control.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on the cause of the fire or any official investigation into the incident.

Two children drowned in a pond in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. in Kutipara village of Khayerbari Bazar area when a sister jumped into the water to save her younger brother. The victims were identified as Sabia Jannat, aged six, and Md. Siam, aged four, both children of local shopkeeper Shahin Alam.

According to police and family members, Siam went to retrieve a floating bottle from the pond near their house and began to drown. Seeing her brother struggling, Sabia jumped in to rescue him but also drowned. The officer-in-charge of Phulbari Police Station, Abdul Latif Shah, confirmed the incident and said police had been sent to the scene to investigate.

Authorities are looking into the circumstances of the drowning, while the family and local community are mourning the loss of the two siblings.

Reports indicate that during the early days of the Iran war, following Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and senior officials, US President Donald Trump publicly suggested that someone from within Iran should take charge. It has now emerged that both the United States and Israel had considered former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for that role. According to American officials, Israeli planners even consulted Ahmadinejad about the idea, but the plan quickly collapsed.

Ahmadinejad was injured in an Israeli airstrike on his Tehran home on the war’s first day, an attack reportedly aimed at freeing him from house arrest. After surviving, he became disillusioned with the regime-change plan and has not been seen publicly since. The plan was part of a broader Israeli effort to topple Iran’s religious government through targeted strikes and internal unrest, though most of it failed to materialize.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to comment directly on the plan but said Trump’s “Operation Epic Fury” achieved its military goals, including destroying Iran’s missile and naval capabilities.

A Dhaka court has scheduled July 27 for submission of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigation report against former Awami League lawmaker and cricketer Shakib Al Hasan along with 14 others. The case involves allegations of share market manipulation, fraud, and money laundering. The new date was set by Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez after the report was not submitted on May 20, confirmed court bench assistant Riaz Hossain.

The accused include Deputy Registrar of the Department of Cooperatives Md Abul Khayer alias Hiru, his wife Kazi Sadia Hasan, and several others. The ACC filed the case on June 17 of the previous year, accusing the group of embezzling Tk 256.97 crore. According to the case statement, the accused conspired to manipulate share prices through coordinated trading, misleading general investors, and unlawfully profiting from the market.

The complaint also alleges that Shakib Al Hasan invested in manipulated shares of Paramount Insurance, Crystal Insurance, and Sonali Papers, earning Tk 2.95 crore in illicit gains through these transactions.

Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has congratulated the national cricket team for their 2-0 Test series victory against Pakistan. In a message to the media on Wednesday, he praised the players, coaches, and Bangladesh Cricket Board officials for their outstanding performance, calling the win a historic achievement for the nation.

Rahman highlighted that after triumphs in Mirpur and Sylhet, the team’s 78-run victory in the second and final Test brought immense pride to the country. He noted that Bangladesh’s four consecutive Test wins over Pakistan reflected the players’ determination and capability. He commended the team’s courage, skill, and unity in overcoming strong opposition and said the victory had filled the nation with joy and pride.

The opposition leader expressed hope that such sporting success would inspire the country’s youth and strengthen Bangladesh’s reputation internationally. He wished the players, coaching staff, and officials continued health and success in the future.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has emphasized the need for complete transparency and accountability in Bangladesh’s financial sector to ensure economic stability and sustainable growth. Speaking on Wednesday at the FAR Summit held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, organized by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) with ICAB and ICMAB, he said that trustworthy financial reporting is essential to regain investor confidence in the capital market.

He noted that the country’s economy had faced instability in recent years due to ineffective regulatory and supervisory bodies, which allowed weak companies to enter the stock market through false reporting. The minister called for institutional reforms and urged professional accountants to uphold integrity and adopt self-regulation. He also highlighted new global investment interest in Bangladesh, mentioning plans to launch dedicated funds in Hong Kong and London and introduce domestic bonds.

Chowdhury appealed to all stakeholders in the capital market, NBR, and financial sector reforms to work together in building a globally compliant financial ecosystem based on transparency and accountability.

A Palestinian-origin artificial intelligence engineer has filed a legal complaint against Google in a UK employment tribunal, alleging unfair dismissal for protesting the company’s work with the Israeli government. The engineer, who worked at Google DeepMind’s London office, distributed flyers criticizing Google for supplying military AI to forces accused of genocide and urged colleagues to form a union. He also opposed Google’s 2025 policy reversal that allowed involvement in projects potentially violating international norms.

Google denied the allegations, stating that the employee’s account was inaccurate and that no one is dismissed for expressing opinions or union activity. The case has drawn attention amid growing internal dissent over Google’s defense contracts, including the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus with Israel and Amazon. Several insiders said Google’s AI policy changes have raised ethical concerns, prompting some staff to resign.

Advocacy group Foxglove is supporting the engineer’s case, arguing he sought to restore ethical principles Google had abandoned. The dispute emerges as public skepticism toward AI intensifies across universities and workplaces.

Two armed members of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS-Main) surrendered to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Panchhari, Khagrachhari, late on Tuesday night. According to BGB sources, the surrender took place around 1:30 a.m. at the Trighat Border Outpost under the 3 BGB Battalion. The two men, identified as Hridoy Chakma, 19, from Sajek in Rangamati, and Riel Chakma, 21, from Alikchan Para in Panchhari, handed over their weapons and equipment to the BGB.

The surrendered items included an M4A1 rifle, a shotgun, 252 rounds of ammunition, two magazines, two uniforms, two pouches, two slings, and three mobile phones—one Android and two button phones. Later in the morning, a BGB team transported the two men and the seized items to the Panchhari Battalion headquarters under security arrangements.

Officials described the surrender as a significant development in the ongoing BGB operations aimed at curbing armed activities and maintaining peace and order in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Legal procedures regarding the surrendered individuals and recovered materials are currently underway.

Fire Service and Civil Defense Week was observed in Kishoreganj on May 20, 2026, with a series of events including discussions, awareness activities, and fire extinguishing demonstrations. The program was attended by Deputy Commissioner Sohana Nasrin as the chief guest, Additional Superintendent of Police Tofazzal Hossain as the special guest, and was presided over by Fire Service Deputy Director Mofazzal Hossain.

Speakers at the event emphasized the importance of public awareness and caution in preventing fires and managing disasters. They also praised the bravery and humanitarian role of fire service members. Journalists and people from various professions participated in the program.

The observance aimed to strengthen community engagement and preparedness for emergencies through education and demonstration activities.