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.

Former US Defense Department official and political analyst Drew Thompson told Al Jazeera that providing weapons to Taiwan is essential for maintaining stability and deterring Chinese aggression. He argued that such support would leave Beijing with no option but to pursue peaceful means to resolve differences with Taipei. Thompson made these remarks amid discussions surrounding a record $11.1 billion US arms package for Taiwan, which he said is unlikely to be withdrawn despite Donald Trump’s warm ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping during Trump’s visit to Beijing.

Thompson explained that Trump views arms sales through an economic lens, considering them a way to strengthen the US defense industry and a key source of exports and revenue. He added that while China may be displeased, arms sales have been a consistent feature of US-China relations since China’s reform and opening in 1979.

Thompson also noted that both the United States and China share a quiet mutual interest in avoiding conflict over Taiwan, as Beijing prefers a peaceful resolution and does not want to risk a failed military action.

Israeli far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich has declared that it is time to permanently erase the dividing boundaries between Areas A, B, and C in the occupied West Bank. His statement effectively signals a move toward Israeli territorial annexation. The remarks were reported on May 15, 2026.

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank was divided into three administrative zones: Area A, comprising 21 percent of the land under full Palestinian control; Area B, covering 18 percent under partial Palestinian control; and Area C, making up 62 percent under Israeli security control. In February, the Israeli government approved major changes to land registration and civilian administration in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian officials have described these Israeli measures as violations of the Oslo Accords and as steps toward deepening the occupation, according to the report.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Feni has solved the murder of Rina Akter, 44, wife of expatriate Mohammad Manik, whose body was found buried under sand at a construction site in Chochona village, Shorshodi Union, Feni Sadar. The main accused, mason Saiful Islam, 29, was arrested from Chattogram within two days of the incident. PBI Superintendent Ukya Singh disclosed the details at a press briefing on Thursday night.

According to PBI, Saiful, who worked as a laborer at the victim’s under-construction house, confessed to killing Rina Akter while attempting to steal her gold earrings to repay a loan installment. After strangling her, he buried the body under a sand pile and fled. He later sold the earrings for Tk 15,500 at a local market. Based on his information, PBI recovered the jewelry from a gold shop.

PBI stated that Saiful admitted his involvement during preliminary interrogation and will give a confessional statement in court. He has been handed over to the court on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has concluded his visit to China, where expectations were high that he would press Beijing to help halt the ongoing conflict involving Iran. China, a close diplomatic partner and major oil buyer of Iran, appeared to maintain its existing position despite discussions between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to a White House statement, both sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and that Iran should never acquire nuclear weapons. The statement also noted Xi’s opposition to militarization or the imposition of tariffs in the strait, and hinted that China may purchase oil from the United States. However, China’s foreign ministry later reiterated that its stance on Iran remained unchanged, emphasizing continuity in its policy.

It remains unclear whether the Trump–Xi talks will have any tangible impact on the Iran conflict. For now, Beijing appears to have reaffirmed its established position rather than signaling any new diplomatic direction.

Israeli forces and settlers carried out widespread raids and attacks across several areas of the occupied West Bank on the morning of May 15, 2026. According to reports, a mosque was set on fire, and multiple vehicles and homes were vandalized during the assaults.

Citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the report said Israeli forces entered the city of Nablus and searched several houses, arresting one Palestinian. In a separate incident, settlers attacked homes in the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of Nablus. Another attack occurred near the city of Ramallah, where settlers set fire to vehicles owned by Palestinians and torched a mosque, along with damaging other properties.

The incidents reflect continuing tensions in the occupied West Bank, with multiple areas experiencing simultaneous raids and property destruction, according to the report sourced from Al Jazeera.

Police in Mirsarai, Chattogram, arrested a truck driver with 82 kilograms of cannabis during a late-night operation on May 15, 2026. The seized drugs are valued at approximately Tk 1.64 million, according to a police press release issued the same day. The arrest took place around 9:50 p.m. at a checkpoint on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway near the Mirsarai police gate.

Officers searched a yellow and blue truck bearing registration number Feni-T-11-0972 and found the cannabis hidden in the truck bed. The driver, identified as 19-year-old Ashraf Uddin Rahat from Feni Sadar’s Balighar Union, was detained. Police said Rahat claimed another driver, Rakibul Islam Sujon, left the vehicle earlier in Baraiahat and instructed him to continue toward Chattogram city.

Mirsarai Police Officer-in-Charge Farida Yasmin stated that anti-drug operations are ongoing. A case has been filed under the Narcotics Control Act, and efforts are underway to arrest the absconding suspect.