Western powers sounded the alarm yesterday over leaked plans to dramatically expand China’s security and economic reach in the South Pacific, in what one regional leader called a thinly veiled effort to lock island states into “Beijing’s orbit”.

Two police constables who went to the Netherlands for an official training exercise remain missing since May 22, the day before they were supposed to fly back to Bangladesh.

The Election Commission yesterday started the process of registering newly formed political parties.

A Rangpur court yesterday sentenced an Imam to life term imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl in Taraganj upazila in 2020.

A mild heatwave is sweeping through the districts of Pabna, Chuadanga, Khulna, Patuakahli, and Bagerhat.

After capping the export of sugar from June 1, India is likely to consider a similar measure for rice export in order to ensure adequate availability in the domestic market and prevent a price hike, sources said.

One in four healthcare professionals engaged in treating Covid patients in Bangladesh had suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a government study has found.

The Anti-Corruption Commission arrested a government official while taking a bribe in Dinajpur yesterday.

Law Minister Anisul Huq has said the government has taken necessary steps to ensure the best practices of the Digital Security Act, as this law has been misused and abused “to some extent”.

Police arrested a youth in Savar’s Kalma area on Tuesday night over the gang rape of a 25-year-old woman in the upazila three days ago.

A Chhatra League activist was sued along with four to five unnamed people on Tuesday night over assaulting journalist Moin Uddin Monju in Sylhet city’s Chowhatta Point on Monday afternoon.

A police constable was sued in Feni on Tuesday over raping a 22-year-old woman after promising to marry her.

A tight-knit Latino community in Texas was wracked with grief yesterday after a teen in body armour marched into an elementary school and killed 19 small children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in America.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has appealed to the neighbouring countries, including India, to take care of the Rohingyas they are hosting and not to put an additional burden on Bangladesh.

The Parliament Secretariat is returning Tk 80 crore to the government, thanks to fewer parliament sessions, foreign tours, and training programmes amid the coronavirus pandemic, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed authorities concerned to pay attention to environment and ecology while taking up any development project.

A senior secretary embarked on a study tour in Europe just before retiring from his job.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has said the Election Commission is yet to gain the confidence of all regarding the use of electronic voting machines.

The third day of the second and series-deciding Test in Mirpur will be crucial for Bangladesh and their hopes of seizing control by taking a first-innings lead against Sri Lanka. The visitors will resume on 143 for two, trailing by another 222 runs.

A South African paraglider has made the first legal flight off Mount Everest, an expedition organiser said yesterday, opening doors for “climb and fly” adventurers on the world’s highest mountain.