Asian countries yesterday ramped up measures to block the spread of a new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300, raising concerns in the middle of a major holiday travel rush.

Democrats yesterday accused the top Senate Republican of rigging US President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with proposed rules that would prevent witnesses from testifying and bar evidence gathered by investigators.

Awami League lawmaker Ismat Ara Sadique passed away at a city hospital yesterday at the age of 78.

Discussions on the much-talked about sub-regional connectivity initiative -- BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) -- are going to resume after around two years.

Police yesterday said they did not find any evidence of a sub-inspector’s involvement in the gang rape of a woman in Jashore’s Sharsha upazila in September last year.

Giving in to the pressure from transport associations, the government has waived the late fines for vehicle owners and drivers who failed to update their documents on time.

Police yesterday submitted charge sheets before a court in Cox’s Bazar against top 101 yaba godfathers and traders, including four brothers of former Awami League lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi, who surrendered to the law enforcers in February last year.

Amid fear of the breakout of a new SARS-like virus in China, authorities of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka will screen all passengers who have travelled to China in the last 14 days and have flu-like symptoms.

Saudi Arabia, which is leading a military coalition against the Huthi rebels in war-torn Yemen, yesterday condemned a missile attack that killed more than 100 Yemeni soldiers.

A government-appointed panel established in Myanmar to probe allegations of abuses in Rakhine state in 2017 that drew global outrage said yesterday they had found no evidence of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Bangladesh performs very poorly in terms of providing social protection to its people, says a global report that sheds light on issues relating to the absence of minimum income benefits and the low quality of social safety schemes in the country.

A SARS-like virus has killed a third person, spread around China and reached another Asian country, authorities said yesterday, fuelling fears of a major outbreak as millions begin travelling for the Lunar New Year in humanity’s biggest migration.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh yesterday arrested three people in Jashore’s Benapole upazila for trying to smuggle gold worth around Tk 6.60 crore into India.

India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party yesterday elevated a veteran lawmaker and long-time associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become its president ahead of a string of state elections.

The High Court yesterday asked the authorities concerned to identify the reasons behind the mismanagement in monitoring and maintaining the capital’s traffic lights and submit a report to it in 30 days.

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced 10 members of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji) to death in a case filed over the bomb attack on a CPB rally in the capital’s Paltan 19 years ago.

The High Court yesterday granted four-week anticipatory bail to Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman in a case filed for “negligence” over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat, a student of Dhaka Residential Model College.

A Chattogram court yesterday sentenced five former policemen to death over opening fire on a procession led by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina that killed 24 people in 1988.

The government is going to launch e-passports (electronic passports) on January 22.

A member of PCJSS (MN Larma) was shot dead by a group of unknown criminals in Langadu upazila of Bandarban around 1:00pm yesterday.