The ninth edition of the Dhaka Lit Fest (DLF), an internationally-recognised literary festival, was inaugurated yesterday at the Bangla Academy in the capital.

Ward councillor Tarequzzaman Rajib, accused in land grabbing and extortion cases, had such a passion for badminton that he grabbed 6-katha land in the capital’s Mohammadpur to set up a badminton court on it.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday declared that the Paris climate pact was “irreversible”, showing a united front after Washington formally withdrew from the accord this week.

Mahbuba Akter Suma from Dhaka’s Bashundhara area became a friend of one Andrea Fabian, who claimed to be a Turkish national living in the UK, on Instagram last month.

Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur yesterday agreed to reopen the Malaysian labour market soon, which was suspended by the Mahathir-led government over a year ago on allegations of monopoly by a manpower syndicate.

As the new Road Transport Act imposes tougher penalties on traffic rule violators, a huge number of people are thronging the Mirpur office of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) every day to have the documents of their vehicles renewed and keep those up to date.

The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam and Bangla daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman have once again made it to the list of the highest taxpayers in the journalist category.

An Al-Qaeda sympathizer pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting a bomb attack on an Independence Day parade in Cleveland, Ohio, the Justice Department said.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Tuesday he will not resign in the face of deadly protests over inequality and poor social conditions that have entered their third week.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has stepped aside temporarily as an internal probe into alleged mismanagement at the organisation proceeds, it said yesterday.

Vietnam could explore legal action among various options in its territorial dispute with powerful neighbour China in the South China Sea, a senior government official said yesterday.

Chattogram district administration has identified 18 market players allegedly responsible for manipulating the prices of onions imported from Myanmar, as well as for selling those in black market.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s election campaign launch was marred by the resignation of one of his ministers, a gaffe about the victims of a deadly tower blaze and a doctored video of an opponent released by his party.

A probe launched by Nasa four days after Elvis died has delivered a treasure trove of data from beyond the “solar bubble” that envelops Earth and our neighbouring planets, scientists reported.

Use insurance industry for humanitarian welfare: PM

President Hassan Rouhani yesterday said that Iran would resume uranium enrichment at an underground plant south of Tehran in its latest step back from a troubled 2015 agreement with major powers.

The United States has formally notified the United Nations that it is withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, triggering expressions of concern and regret from other major powers yesterday.

The body of freedom fighter and former mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation Sadeque Hossain Khoka is expected to arrive home from the USA tomorrow morning.

The High Court yesterday stayed the lower court orders that granted bail to three accused in a case filed for forgery over the design of 23-storey FR Tower in the capital’s Banani.

Bangladesh and Malaysia are scheduled to hold a meeting in Putrajaya today with a hope of having a fresh human resources recruitment deal between the two countries amid concerns of syndicates.