The highly transmissible Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - the most common form of which is known as BA.1 - now accounts for nearly all of the coronavirus infections globally, although dramatic surges in Covid cases have already peaked in some countries.

An injured fifth-grader died last night after fighting for life for 17 days at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

A Panchagarh court yesterday sent a local madrasa teacher to jail for violating two minor students on Saturday night.

Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and the districts of Tangail, Gopalganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Rangamati, Feni, Moulvibazar, Jashore, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Barishal and Bhola and the upazila of Sitakunda and it may continue.

A prisoner “died by suicide” hanging from a toilet window in Jhenidah District Jail yesterday.

English daily The Independent ceased all its operations yesterday.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority yesterday started the process to take negative dope test reports before issuance or renewal of professional driving licenses.

Russia said yesterday it wants “mutually respectful” relations with the United States and denied posing a threat to Ukraine, as the UK said it was preparing fresh sanctions against Moscow.

Strongly criticising the election commission law, Jatiya Party yesterday said it was nothing but old stuff in new package.

The number of deaths from Covid-19 soared by a fifth worldwide in the last week, as the number of daily cases surged in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

The BGB detained an Indian national for illegally entering Bangladesh through Roumari border in Kurigram yesterday.

Four local journalists were injured after ruling party men attacked them in Thakurgaon’s Sadar upazila yesterday afternoon.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday urged Bangladeshis abroad to put in strong efforts to counter conspiracies, noting that there might be more “assaults” on the country and its interests based on propaganda and misinformation.

The mild to moderate cold wave condition in the country may continue for 48 hours beginning midnight last night, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said.

US President Joe Biden is maintaining pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin over Ukraine after announcing a small troop deployment to eastern Europe even as top Pentagon officials backed a renewed push for diplomacy.

At least 101 students of tertiary educational institutions died by suicide last year and two in three of them were males, found a study.

At least one person was killed in Jamalpur and 25 others were injured in Chattogram in pre-polls violence yesterday.

One more zebra has died at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur, the 10th over the last month.

A teenage girl fell victim to an acid attack at her home in Manikganj’s Saturia upazila early yesterday.

A powerful winter storm packing heavy snow and high winds pummeled the US East Coast yesterday, forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights as severe weather alerts were sounded across a region of around 70 million people.