Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has cautiously welcomed the government’s decision not to include any provision for legalising undisclosed wealth, commonly known as black money, in the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27. However, the anti-corruption watchdog has urged the government to make asset declarations mandatory for public servants as a condition for receiving benefits under the proposed new pay ...

The government has set a target to significantly raise Bangladesh’s revenue collection over the next five years, aiming to strengthen fiscal stability and reduce debt vulnerability. According to the budget speech, the revenue-to-GDP ratio and tax-to-GDP ratio currently stand at around 8% and 6.8% respectively. The government plans to increase these figures to 11% and 9.6% by FY2030–31 through comprehensive ...

Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy had the spectators out of their seats in the opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup in the Estadio Azteca on Thursday ahead of the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. The 48-team tournament is also being hosted by the United States and Canada and will feature 104 games, culminating in the ...

A light earthquake was felt in Sylhet, the north-eastern district of Bangladesh, on Thursday night. The ⁠epicentre of the magnitude 4.5 quake, which struck at 9:40pm, was along the India-Bangladesh border, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said. It was located 290km north-east of the BMD Seismic Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka. No casualties were reported.

The US technology company Palantir plans to take legal action against the mayor of London’s decision to block a contract between them and the Metropolitan Police. The Met had proposed a £25.3m deal with Palantir UK for 2026-27, to use the firm’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology to speed up criminal investigations and root out corrupt officers. The Mayor’s Office for ...

A south-west London hospital awaiting a delayed rebuilding scheme is to be given up to £57m to improve and expand its emergency department. St Helier Hospital in Sutton has reported severe maintenance issues with its 1940s infrastructure and was due for a major upgrade under the government’s New Hospitals Programme. However, this work is now unlikely to take place until ...

Before the first ball is kicked and the whole stadium reverberates with chants across North America, millions of football fans around the world will have fixed their eyes on one thing – the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony. Thursday, 11 June 2026, the tournament officially begins in Mexico City. For fans who love both football and pop culture, the ...

Every day, hundreds of ill men, women and children make their way to the Prithimpassa Family Welfare Centre in Robirbazar of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila, seeking relief and recovery. What greets them instead is a towering mound of rotting garbage, festering just steps from the entrance. Rahela Begum had travelled from Muroichara, in Kulaura, with hopes of getting better, but her ...

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Thursday authenticated the national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27) and the revised budget for fiscal year 2025-26 prior to their presentation before the Jatiya Sangsad by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. The head of state authenticated the budget documents at his office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban around 2:45pm which was earlier approved ...

The government has proposed doubling financial assistance for patients suffering from cancer, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, stroke-induced paralysis, congenital heart disease and thalassaemia, under a revised social welfare initiative. Under the new proposal, eligible patients will receive a one-time grant of Tk100,000 per year, up from Tk50,000, to help cover treatment costs for these life-threatening conditions. Finance Minister Amir Khosru ...