The Bangladesh women’s national football team have reached Australia to take part in the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup, marking a historic moment for the nation as they prepare for their first appearance in the continental tournament. Carrying high hopes, the Bangladesh squad landed at Sydney Airport at around 10pm local time on Friday. The team had departed in the ...

A surge in capital gains tax, employers’ National Insurance contributions and a boost in income tax receipts helped buoy the government’s finances last month. An uptick in tax receipts, which far outstripped spending, created a £30.4bn surplus in January. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it was the highest surplus in any month since records began in 1993, without ...

The restaurants I fall hardest for are the kind specialising in respite, that coddle and cocoon, that shield their diners from life’s gloom. Gloom could have been the weather forecast for the past couple of months, the days of grey half-light and shivering winds, the ceaseless rain and endless damp. All the wax has been pelted off my old jacket; ...

Albert Bridge in west London may be closed to motorists for up to a year for repairs, the local authority has said. Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC), which manages the 150-year old bridge, said engineers discovered cracks in a cast iron component earlier this month. The authority said sensors were continuously measuring the cracks to check that their condition did ...

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Friday said people will no longer have to run after doctors as the government aims to ensure that doctors reach out to patients at their doorsteps. “We will build the health ministry as a completely corruption- and syndicate-free ministry,” he said while addressing a civic reception accorded to him at ...

England still have “fire” burning in them ahead of the T20 World Cup Super Eights, Jacob Bethell said Friday, admitting that Harry Brook’s side had been below par during a lacklustre group campaign. One of the pre-tournament fancies behind hot favourites India, England stumbled through their group matches. The 2022 champions lost comfortably to the only Test-playing side they faced, ...

The government has formally requested a three-year deferment of Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, sending a letter to the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP). According to officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the letter, signed by ERD Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiqui on Wednesday (18 February), was sent to the CDP under the ...

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has said the government is committed to building a country free from drugs, terrorism and juvenile gangs, drawing inspiration from the successful anti-cheating campaign in his constituency. Speaking to journalists on Friday afternoon (20 February) in Kachua upazila of Chandpur, the minister said initiatives would begin locally before being expanded nationwide. “Kachua will be ...

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the upcoming national budget will prioritise public welfare, shifting away from policies that benefit specific individuals or vested interest groups. Speaking to journalists at his residence in Chattogram on Friday, his first visit to the port city since assuming office, the minister said the government is committed to preparing a ...

The government has issued a gazette notification forming a 15-member ‘Cabinet Committee for Family Card Distribution’, aimed at providing protection to marginalised and low-income families. The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Friday (20 February), naming the Finance Minister as chairman of the committee. Other members include the Women and Children Affairs Minister, Social Welfare Minister, Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud ...