Your Evening Brief - 'Russia a tested friend; no adverse impacts on existing relations'

Bangladesh does not think there will be any adverse impact on the existing friendly relations with Russia over a single issue, and said the two countries are working jointly on many fronts, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read more

Among a number of incidents taking place on Thursday (23 February), take a quick look at some of the most important news items The Business Standard has compiled for you…

GP restores network after over 2-hr debacle due to 'fibre cable cut'

After an outage of over two hours since 11.45am Thursday, country's leading mobile operator Grameenphone has said their services have been restored. Read more

Govt signs deal with ISA to increase solar energy use in Bangladesh

Bangladesh government has signed an agreement with International Solar Alliance (ISA) in order to increase the use of solar energy in the country. Read more

No external pressure influenced govt's stance on Khaleda's activities in politics: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Haque has said that there has been no international pressure on the government regarding BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's participation in politics. Read more

Only 6 stocks avert the morning sell-off

Stocks opened lower on Thursday to stretch their bearish swings in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Read more

ADN Telecom sponsor to sell 2 lakh shares

One of the sponsors of ADN Telecom Ltd, Mamonoor Rashid, has expressed his intention to sell 2 lakh shares of the company out of his holding of over 17 lakh shares. Read more

Fire safety: Crackdown may begin in Dhaka next week

Following the massive fire accident in a multistorey building in the city's Gulshan-2 last Sunday (19 February), Dhaka city authority and fire department have decided to launch a joint campaign against infrastructures that do not comply with the fire safety regulations. Read more

Israeli strikes hit Gaza after rockets fired overnight

Israeli forces bombed the Gaza Strip after Palestinian fighters launched several rockets from the besieged coastal enclave amid tensions over an Israeli raid that killed at least 11 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. Read more

No business class, five-star hotels for Pakistan ministers amid economic crisis

Pakistani ministers can no longer fly business class or stay in five-star hotels abroad. And the government thanks them for taking salary cuts. Read more

Pak govt puts a cap on Toshakhana gifts

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the cabinet members, politicians and bureaucrats will not be allowed to retain gifts worth more than $300 (around 80,000 Pak Rupee), as he promised to make the entire record of Toshakhana available to the public, reports Dawn. Read more

US extremely concerned by levels of violence in Israel and West Bank

The United States is extremely concerned by the levels of violence in Israel and the West Bank and fears that a raid by Israeli forces there could set back efforts at restoring calm, the State Department said on Wednesday. Read more

US concerned by China-Russia ties as Putin signals Xi visit

The United States is concerned by greater alignment between China and Russia, the US State Department said on Wednesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed "new frontiers" in ties with Beijing and signalled China's Xi Jinping would visit his country. Read more

Putin: Russia to pay increased attention to boosting nuclear forces.

Russia will continue to pay increased attention to boosting its nuclear forces and will begin mass deliveries of Zircon sea-launched hypersonic missiles, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Read More

Biden says Putin's decision doesn't show he's thinking of using nuclear weapons

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he did not read into Vladimir Putin's decision to temporarily suspend participation in a nuclear arms treaty as a signal the Russian president was considering using nuclear weapons, even though the US leader called it a "big mistake." Read more

Oil prices edge higher, pause from six-day losing streak

Oil prices rose slightly in thin Asian trade on Thursday, pausing from a six-day losing streak fed by mounting concerns that more aggressive interest rate increases by central banks could pressure economic growth and fuel demand. Read more

World Bank hopes to select new chief by May

The World Bank said Wednesday it hopes to find a successor by early May to chief David Malpass, who has announced he will step down nearly a year early. Read more

TV journalist shot dead in Florida while reporting on a murder

A Florida television journalist and a little girl were fatally shot near the scene of a fatal shooting, authorities said. Police informed that they have detained Keith Melvin Moses, 19, who they believe is responsible for both shootings in the Orlando-area neighborhood. Read more

Microsoft brings ChatGPT-powered search engine to Apple and Android mobile devices

Microsoft Corporation announced that it is rolling out the mobile versions of its ChatGPT-powered Bing and Edge browser apps on Apple and Android mobile devices. Read more

A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth: UN agencies

Maternal mortality rates climbed or stagnated in nearly all regions across the world in 2020, according to a report released by UN agencies on Wednesday, marking a major setback in global efforts to combat complications during childbirth or pregnancy. Read more

Brazil to halt beef exports to China after mad cow disease case

Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday. Read more

Earthquake death toll in Turkey rises to 43,556, minister says

The number of people killed in Turkey in this month's devastating earthquakes has risen to 43,556, the country's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said overnight. Read more 

Malaysia pressed to probe deaths of 150 foreigners in detention last year

Human rights groups have urged Malaysia to investigate conditions at migrant detention centres after the government said 150 foreigners, including seven children, died at the facilities last year. Read more