Despite multiple meetings between Bangladesh and India pledging to end border killings and the use of lethal weapons, incidents of shootings by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) continue. In Lalmonirhat district, two Bangladeshi nationals were shot dead within five weeks, the latest on May 14 in Hatibandha upazila. Earlier, on April 8, another man was killed in Patgram. These incidents have sparked fear and anger among residents of border areas.

Local communities and observers say the ongoing violence threatens trust and stability in Bangladesh-India relations. They argue that repeated Indian assurances to stop border killings have not been implemented, and that the absence of accountability for BSF actions has allowed such incidents to persist. Reports indicate that BSF sometimes crosses into Bangladeshi territory, detains civilians, and uses force under its controversial “shoot on sight” policy.

Officials from Bangladesh’s Border Guard (BGB) maintain that they are acting responsibly to preserve peace and mutual confidence along the frontier.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been accused of entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and provoking Jewish settlers. The incident drew strong condemnation from Qatar, which also protested against Israeli settlers’ provocative actions and restrictions on access to the mosque.

According to the Qatar News Agency, the Qatari Foreign Ministry described Ben-Gvir’s move as an unacceptable provocation to millions of Muslims worldwide. The ministry said the act constituted a grave violation of international law and humanitarian law. Qatar warned that the move represented a dangerous attempt to alter the historical and legal status of occupied Jerusalem, emphasizing that such unilateral measures are null and void under international law.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry called on the international community to compel Israel to halt ongoing violations against Palestinians and to comply with international resolutions.

Saudi Arabia has initiated discussions with Iran on a proposed non-aggression agreement aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East, according to a Financial Times report citing foreign diplomats. The talks are part of Riyadh’s broader effort to manage regional instability and prevent escalation. The report noted that Saudi Arabia has not publicly commented on the proposal.

The model under consideration is reportedly inspired by the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which sought to reduce tensions and promote cooperation among rival powers during the Cold War. European countries are said to support the initiative and are encouraging Gulf states to back it as well.

The discussions come at a time when Gulf nations fear that a weakened but more assertive Iran could continue to pose a threat to regional stability. The report also mentioned that Arab states remain concerned about Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and the instability surrounding Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are deepening defense and economic cooperation, with Pakistan proposing to include Qatar and Turkey in its defense pact with Riyadh.

As Eid-ul-Azha approaches, cattle farmers across Bangladesh are working intensively to prepare their livestock for the sacrificial market. In districts such as Netrakona, Jamalpur, and Bogura, farmers have invested heavily—some through bank loans and others from personal savings—to raise cattle using natural and local methods. Many farms are now in their final stages of preparation, with families and workers providing extra care, feeding, and health monitoring to ensure the animals are ready for sale.

Farmers report that the cost of cattle feed, medicine, and maintenance has risen sharply, increasing production expenses. In border areas like Bakshiganj, concerns persist about the illegal entry of Indian cattle, which could depress local prices. Livestock officials have instructed farmers to avoid harmful substances and use natural fattening methods, assuring that animals are being prepared safely. Despite higher costs, farmers remain hopeful for fair prices and potential profits if market conditions remain stable.

Officials in Bogura’s Dhunot upazila confirmed that local supply exceeds demand, indicating no shortage of sacrificial animals this year.

OpenAI has introduced Codex capabilities to the ChatGPT mobile app, allowing users to manage coding tasks and ongoing projects directly from their phones. The integration enables users to connect to laptops, devboxes, or remote environments where Codex is running, providing real-time access to live project states, approvals, and outputs. The update supports fluid collaboration across devices, letting users review results, approve commands, or start new threads while keeping files and credentials securely stored on their machines.

The new mobile experience is designed to help users stay engaged with Codex-driven work from anywhere, using a secure relay layer that syncs session states across devices without exposing machines to the public internet. OpenAI also announced Remote SSH support, allowing Codex to connect directly to managed remote environments, and introduced Hooks for prompt scanning, validation, and customization. Programmatic access tokens and HIPAA-compliant local use are also being rolled out for enterprise users.

Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app is now available in preview on iOS and Android across all plans, with Windows connectivity coming soon. Remote SSH and Hooks are available to all users, while enterprise features are limited to eligible plans.

A young man named Md Saiful Islam died after being buried under soil at a brick kiln in Lama upazila of Bandarban district on Friday morning, May 15, 2026. The incident occurred at the SBM Brick Kiln in the remote Ramyakhola area of Faitong Union. Saiful Islam, son of Mahabub Alam from Ramyakhola village, was reportedly loading soil for the kiln when he fell under a vehicle and sustained severe injuries.

Co-workers immediately rescued him and took him to Chakaria Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. Lama Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Shahjahan Kamal confirmed the incident and said that a legal investigation will be conducted.

Authorities have not yet provided further details about the cause of the accident or safety measures at the site.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Mymensingh arrested three individuals, including a northern district Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader, for alleged involvement in a motorcycle theft and resale ring. The arrests took place early Friday during a technology-assisted special operation in various areas of Gouripur upazila. Those detained are Ashik Mia, 27, assistant organizational secretary of the district Chhatra Dal, Sohel Mia, 23, of Shahbazpur village, and Manik Chowdhury, 39, known as 'Freedom Manik'.

According to PBI Superintendent Mizanur Rahman, the arrests followed the theft of a Suzuki motorcycle from Hera Market on April 29. During the investigation, 'Freedom Manik', a fugitive in 29 cases, was detained Thursday afternoon, leading to further raids early Friday. Ashik Mia was caught with a blue stolen motorcycle, while Sohel Mia was accused of repainting and trading stolen bikes. The recovered motorcycle bore registration number Netrakona-L 11-1347.

PBI stated that all three suspects were sent to court Friday afternoon. The district Chhatra Dal president said the organization would review the allegations and take disciplinary action if proven true.

Police in Moulvibazar’s Barlekha upazila arrested former Bangladesh Army member Md. Rahed Hossain Mahed, 23, on Thursday, May 14, during a special operation targeting members of the banned extremist group Maktabah Al Himmah Ad-Da’watul Islamiyah. The arrest took place in the remote Bobarthol Saitghari area, where police detained him from a hill after a 12-hour operation. Later that night, Mahed was handed over to the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.

According to police, Mahed, son of Nur Mia from Dashghar village in Sylhet’s Bishwanath upazila, had been dismissed from the army and is accused in an anti-terrorism case filed at Shahbagh Police Station, which is under CTTC investigation. Intelligence sources reported that he maintained contact with another arrested member of the same banned group, Ishtiaq Ahmed Sami Abu Bakkar Abu Mohammad.

Police said Mahed had been in hiding since a national red alert was issued and was attempting to cross into India illegally. Following his arrest, he provided important information during preliminary interrogation.

At least 20 Israeli soldiers and personnel have been killed in Lebanon since March 2, according to a report from Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Beirut. Reporter Zeina Khodr stated that among the dead are 19 soldiers and one civilian contractor. She added that six of the deaths occurred after a ceasefire began in mid-April between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli military confirmed early Friday that a 20-year-old soldier died during fighting in southern Lebanon, marking the latest casualty in the ongoing clashes. The report highlights continuing hostilities despite the declared ceasefire.

The situation underscores persistent instability along the Israel-Lebanon border, with recent fatalities suggesting that the ceasefire has not fully halted violence in the region.

A woman named Sayma Begum, aged 32, died on Friday morning while undergoing treatment at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka, following a gas explosion in Fatullah, Narayanganj. Her death brought the total fatalities in the incident to five, as her husband and three children had already died earlier from burn injuries. The explosion occurred on Sunday, May 10, in a ground-floor flat of a six-storey building in the Giridhara area of Fatullah.

According to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, five members of the same family were admitted after the explosion, all of whom later died. The victims were rescued by locals and taken to the hospital, where Health Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul and Narayanganj-4 MP Abdullah Al Amin visited them. The husband, Md Kalam, aged 35, died the following morning with 95 percent burns, followed by the couple’s three children—Munna, aged 7, Kotha, aged 7, and Munni, aged 10.

The incident has cast a shadow of grief over the entire Fatullah area.

An Israeli soldier was killed during clashes in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military. The soldier, identified as 20-year-old Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan of the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, died while fighting in the area. The military did not release further details about the incident.

The death brings the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the conflict with Hezbollah began in early March to 20. Despite a declared ceasefire, hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have persisted in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have continued targeting Hezbollah positions and issued evacuation warnings for residents in several border towns in Lebanon.

The ongoing clashes underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the continuing volatility along the Israel-Lebanon border, as both sides maintain active military operations in the region.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping described Trump’s Beijing visit as historic and highly successful. On the second day of the trip, Xi guided Trump through the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, where China’s top leaders live and work. During their walk, Xi mentioned the site’s imperial history and a 490-year-old tree, while Trump admired the Chinese roses. Xi said he would send Trump rose seeds as a gift for the White House Rose Garden.

Both leaders emphasized a constructive and strategic new phase in U.S.-China relations. Xi called the visit a milestone and said the two sides had set a new position for stable cooperation. Trump said they discussed trade, Iran, and other global issues, claiming they solved problems others could not. He expressed gratitude to Xi and said he looked forward to hosting him in Washington on September 24.

Before leaving Beijing, Trump joined Xi for a formal lunch. The White House described the visit as memorable, while Chinese state media highlighted the leaders’ mutual respect and commitment to implementing key agreements.

China has called for renewed dialogue to end the ongoing war in Iran and restore stability in the Middle East. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that ensuring peace and stability in the Gulf and the wider region is now the most important priority. The ministry emphasized that the conflict in Iran has caused severe disruption and serious consequences across the region.

According to the ministry, it is essential to find a way out of the Iran war as soon as possible. China stressed that the opportunity for talks to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz should not be missed. The ministry further stated that dialogue and negotiation are the correct paths forward and that preventing any obstruction or tension in the Strait of Hormuz is crucial.

The statement reflects China’s focus on diplomatic solutions to regional instability and its concern over the economic and security implications of continued conflict in the Gulf area.

U.S. President Donald Trump departed China on Friday after completing a three-day state visit. He left Beijing aboard Air Force One following a farewell ceremony held in his honor at Beijing International Airport. Trump had arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday night, receiving a red-carpet welcome at the start of his visit.

During the trip, Trump held two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, covering a range of topics including trade, Iran, and Taiwan. The United States sought China’s cooperation in reaching an agreement with Iran. In addition to official meetings, Trump visited several historic sites in China as part of his itinerary.

On the final day of the visit, Trump and Xi met again and toured the historic Zhongnanhai leadership complex in Beijing, marking the conclusion of the U.S. president’s second-term state visit to China.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Israel is undermining the shared values of humanity. Speaking on May 15, 2026, he said that ongoing regional conflicts and crises have become major obstacles to global security, economic prosperity, and stability.

Erdogan highlighted that geopolitical rivalries, disruptions in energy security, and resulting financial instability have created new asymmetric risks that are testing the global system. He pointed out that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has exposed the weaknesses of the existing international order.

He emphasized that establishing a fair, inclusive, and stable international system requires strong bilateral, regional, and global cooperation. His remarks were reported by TRT World, reflecting Turkey’s continued focus on global justice and multilateral engagement.