North Korea has postponed the new school term to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, reports said yesterday, the latest measure as the ill-equipped country ramps up efforts to prevent a devastating outbreak.

A Noakhali court yesterday sent a truck driver to jail in a case filed for raping an eighth grader in Noakhali’s Companiganj upazila.

India yesterday expressed its support for the bilateral agreements signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Cox’s Bazar and hoped that both countries would continue to work for their voluntary and speedy return.

El Salvador’s Congress on Wednesday night approved a law to investigate and punish crimes committed during the country’s 1980-1992 civil war, but President Nayib Bukele said he would veto it.

More than 1,000 people yesterday rallied on the Greek island of Lesbos to protest against new migrant camps, a day after violent clashes left more than 60 injured, mostly police officers.

The coronavirus’ rapid spread in Iran, Italy, South Korea and elsewhere left alarmed governments and people across the globe rushing to implement emergency measures yesterday.

A Cox’s Bazar court yesterday framed charges against 97 alleged yaba peddlers in a case filed under the narcotics control act.

A Bangladeshi aspirant pilgrim will have to spend a minimum of Tk 3,61,800 to perform hajj this year under private management, around Tk 17,000 more than the previous year.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has significantly reduced its mobile court drives against unfit and illegal vehicles as well as errant drivers since November last year, leaving the road transport sector in chaos.

The Dhaka zoo has called time on elephant rides following a long-running campaign by animal rights activists.

A “doomsday vault” nestled deep in the Arctic received 60,000 new seed samples on Tuesday, including Prince Charles’ cowslips and Cherokee sacred corn, increasing stocks of the world’s agricultural bounty in case of global catastrophe.

A criminal was killed in a gunfight between his gang and security force members in Rangamati early yesterday, according to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.

A Brahmanbaria court yesterday sent four teachers of a madrasa, including its principal, to jail on charge of killing a female student of the institution after rape.

Bangladeshi nationals living in Singapore are rushing to come back home amidst fears of the coronavirus infection in this island city-state off southern Malaysia.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares that commissions will be set up to appoint suitable persons in government services according to merit.

Governments worldwide were scrambling to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus yesterday after fresh infections emerged linked to European hotspot Italy amid dire warnings that countries are not ready to contain the outbreak.

Thai students held rare flashmob protests yesterday as anger at the dissolution of a stridently anti-military opposition party bubbles in a kingdom with a long history of raucous street politics.

Loudspeakers blaring hygiene messages, foreign ambassadors locked in their compounds and state media demanding “absolute obedience” to health authorities -- North Korea is taking what diplomats call “unprecedented” measures as it seeks to prevent a crippling coronavirus outbreak.

Four girls, all of whom are cousins, from Mymensingh’s Phulpur upazila have been missing for the last four days as police are continuing drives to rescue them.

The luxury tourist destination of the Maldives has hired prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to represent it at the UN’s highest court in seeking justice for Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslims.