Tehran has made exceptions for some countries, including Russia, on tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow said Friday, reports Anadolu Ajansi. Kazem Jalali told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Iran is seeking to apply exemptions for “friendly countries, such as Russia.” “I don’t know what will happen in the future,” he said. “However, ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Bangladesh as being at high risk for measles outbreaks following a sharp rise in infections and related fatalities across the country. In a comprehensive risk assessment report released on Thursday, the UN health agency expressed deep concern over the escalating health crisis and urged the government to implement immediate countermeasures to curb the ...

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have risen to $35.12 billion, according to the latest data released by Bangladesh Bank on Thursday. The central bank also reported that, under the International Monetary Fund’s BPM-6 accounting standard, the country’s reserves stand at $30.48 billion. The BPM-6 method provides a more transparent calculation by excluding certain short-term liabilities, offering a clearer picture of usable ...

Several political figures and activists, including former Jubo Dal central organising secretary Ishaq Sarker, content creator Nuruzzaman Kafi, social activist Mohiuddin Rony and Fersamin Haque Iqbal, granddaughter of Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, joined the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) on Friday. They formally joined the party at a ceremony held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in the capital, where NCP ...

Bangladesh has called for urgent global efforts to address the growing financing gap for sustainable development and ensure a fairer international financial system, while also seeking a smooth transition from its Least Developed Country (LDC) status. The appeal was made by Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury during the general debate of the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum 2026 held at the United ...

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB-55) seized Indian liquor and cannabis worth around Tk 1.7 lakh in separate anti-narcotics drives in Habiganj district. Acting on a tip-off, a patrol team of BGB officials from Sindurkhan BOP conducted a drive in Sindurkhan tea garden area and recovered 36 bottles of Indian liquor. On the same day, another patrol team from Satchhari BOP recovered ...

A mild to moderate heatwave is currently affecting several regions across the country and is expected to persist, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department. In its latest bulletin, the Met office said the heatwave is sweeping over Khulna division and districts including Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj, Feni, Lakshmipur, Rangamati, Bandarban and Patuakhali. The forecast also indicates the possibility of ...

A growing coalition of Hollywood figures has intensified its opposition to the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, as an open petition opposing the $111 billion deal surpassed 4,000 signatures this week. The shareholder vote by Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday (April 23) moved the transaction a step closer to approval, but the deal still requires regulatory clearance in the ...

Thirteen years after the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar, near Dhaka, justice in the cases filed over one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history remains elusive. The building, which housed several garment factories, collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing 1,136 people and injuring around 1,500 others. Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, trials in five key cases are still ...

These days, it seems like each morning brings news of a new conflict somewhere around the world. As the world becomes more and more uncertain, people must make an important trade-off: turn off the news channels and risk losing the opportunities for contingency planning or stay updated by the minute, and often ruin their mental health in the process. Fortunately, ...