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A 243kg bluefin tuna was caught off Japan’s northern coast yesterday and sold for a record 510.3m yen ($3.2m). The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp, operator of sushi chain Sushi Zanmai’s boss Kiyoshi Kimura—aka the “Tuna King”— for his history of high bids at the annual new year's auction. Mr Kimura expressed surprise at the price, saying he thought they could buy cheaper, but noted "the year's first tuna brings good luck." Here is a video of the fish.

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Enforced Disappearance Report | US intervention in Venezuela

🚨 Enforced Disappearance Report Reveals Political Targeting

A Commission of Inquiry report submitted to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus reveals that 75% of political victims who survived enforced disappearances were Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir members, while 68% of those still missing belonged to BNP and allied organizations. The commission verified 1,569 cases of enforced disappearance from 1,913 complaints, with 287 classified as "missing and dead" and 1,282 victims resurfacing after illegal detention. However, the commission estimates the actual number could be between 4,000 and 6,000 cases from 2009 to 2024.

The report found that opposition parties accounted for 96.7% of victims with known political affiliation, indicating disappearances were "not politically neutral" but systematically targeted opposition figures. Evidence shows ousted PM Sheikh Hasina, her defence adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan were directly involved in high-profile cases, including disappearances of BNP leaders Ilias Ali and Salahuddin Ahmed, and Jamaat figures like Abdullahil Aman Azmi.

The Rapid Action Battalion(RAB) was cited in 25% of complaints, followed by police (23%) and Detective Branch (14.5%), with patterns showing Jamaat-Shibir members were typically detained and later released, while BNP activists faced permanent disappearance and elimination. The report states that given centralized decision-making and inter-agency coordination required, "it is difficult to conceive that such a system could have functioned for over a decade without the awareness of Sheikh Hasina and those immediately around her."

🤓ROCK FACTS

The first full moon of the year, Wolf Supermoon (Jan 3)- Moon appeared 14% larger and 30% brighter than a standard full moon.

🚩 About 28% of candidates disqualified after scrutiny for 13th national election nominations.  Returning officers cancelled 723 nomination papers out of 2,568 submitted nationwide for 300 constituencies, leaving 1,842 candidates valid. The highest number of cancellations involved independent candidates (338), followed by Jatiya Party (59), Islami Andolon Bangladesh (39), BNP (25), Jamaat-e-Islami (10), CPB (25), and others, mainly due to issues such as missing party endorsements, false affidavits, dual citizenship, loan default, holding profitable posts, or problems with the mandatory 1 percent voter signature requirement for independents. Appeals against acceptance or rejection can be filed from January 5 to 9, with Election Commission (EC) set to dispose of appeals by January 18, finalise candidates by January 20 and allot symbols on January 21.

⛔ Three protests paralyze parts of Dhaka, causing traffic disruption and clashes with police. Yesterday, student groups and mobile phone traders held separate demonstrations at Farmgate, Kawran Bazar, and Shahbagh. Mobile business owners, protesting the newly launched NEIR system and demanding the release of arrested individuals, clashed repeatedly with police at Kawran Bazar, at times throwing bricks, while authorities used water cannons, tear gas, and sound grenades to disperse crowds. Students from Tejgaon College blocked Farmgate demanding justice for their classmate Sakibul Hasan Rana, who died on December 10 after being critically injured in a hostel clash on December 6. Inqilab Mancha held a "March for Insaf" at Shahbagh demanding justice for Hadi's killing, with general citizens joining the pre-announced program that created traffic congestion before noon.

🌡️ Bangladesh’s export growth turned negative in the first half of FY2025–26, falling 2.19 percent year-on-year, with a sharp 14.25 percent decline recorded in December. According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), exports during July–December stood at $23.99 billion, down from $24.53 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year, while December exports dropped to $3.89 billion from $4.63 billion a year earlier. Officials attributed the downturn to weak global demand, reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States, spillover effects in European markets, and intensified price competition from China and India, particularly affecting the readymade garments sector, which accounts for about 80 percent of total exports and saw a 2.63 percent decline in the first half.

📊Data Point

Inflation rises to 8.49% in December.

🚨 US Considers Direct Administration of Venezuela Following Maduro’s Capture

In the aftermath of the military strike that seized President Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would "run" Venezuela until a "safe, proper, and judicious transition" can be established. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transported to the United States on January 3, 2026, and are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. On Monday, January 5, Maduro is scheduled to make his first appearance in a Manhattan federal court to face unsealed 2020 indictments involving narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy. At least 80 people killed, according to senior Venezuelan officials and other victims include members of President Maduro’s elite security detail, regular Venezuelan soldiers, and at least 32 Cuban military and intelligence personnel.

The situation on the ground in Caracas remains tense but largely quiet, with several neighborhoods still lacking electricity following the precision strikes on military infrastructure. While the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency, she has labeled Maduro’s removal a "kidnapping" and demanded immediate "proof of life."  She also calls for a “balanced and respectful” relationship with Washington during power transition. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since clarified that Washington does not seek a permanent government role but will maintain an "oil quarantine" to ensure a policy shift, even as Trump suggests using Venezuelan oil revenue to reimburse the costs of the operation.

Check out latest update here: Al Jazeera or BBC

❌ Greenland's PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen urged Trump to abandon his "fantasies about annexation," calling American threats to take over the autonomous Danish territory "completely and utterly unacceptable" and declaring "enough is enough." Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, renewed his interest in Greenland for national security reasons, claiming Denmark cannot handle Arctic defense and suggesting he would address the matter "in 20 days," which reignited invasion fears following his recent military operation in Venezuela. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Trump's remarks "absolutely absurd" and urged the US to stop threatening its historical NATO ally, while the EU affirmed it would defend the territorial integrity of member states.

🚩 Donald Trump warned that US could raise tariffs on India "very quickly" if New Delhi continues purchasing Russian oil, stating that Narendra Modi "knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy." Indian exports to the US already face 50% tariffs, with 25% linked to Russian crude purchases imposed last August, and Senator Lindsey Graham is backing legislation for tariffs up to 500% on countries buying Russian oil. India's Russian oil imports have fallen roughly 10% year-on-year, but Russia remains India's top crude supplier with $31.6 billion in purchases through October 2025, creating what trade experts call a "strategic grey zone" as New Delhi seeks a trade deal with Washington for tariff relief.

✊🏼 Protests in Iran entered their ninth day on Monday, spreading to 222 locations across 78 cities in 26 provinces, with at least 19 protesters and one security force member killed since demonstrations began on December 28 over the rial's sharp depreciation and 40% inflation. US President Trump warned Sunday that Iran would be "hit very hard" if authorities began killing protesters, while Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei declared "there will be no leniency" toward demonstrators, calling for firm prosecutions with help from security forces. Protesters chanted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran and other cities, shops closed in strikes, and universities delayed exams amid the unrest, which marks the most widespread demonstrations since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests.

📺:He who controls the spice, controls the universe

“Since the interim government has failed to reform the road transport sector, people's daily travel woes and fare anarchy remain hostage to the whims of transport owners."

- Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury (Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity) A critique of the government following a report that 9,111 people were killed on roads in 2025.

> Bangladesh’s Information Ministry ordered TV channels to halt IPL broadcasts from 5 January after BCCI dropped Mustafizur Rahman from KKR following protests by Hindu extremists groups. (more)

> BCB has formally requested the ICC to relocate all of Bangladesh's T20 World Cup matches outside India, deciding not to send the national team citing safety concerns following recent developments. (more)

> Most stakeholders have opposed the draft Microcredit Bank Ordinance 2025 proposal to appoint Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) as regulator instead of Bangladesh Bank. A technical committee is reviewing the draft before final government approval. (more)

> India's Border Security Force killed 34 Bangladeshis in 2025, the highest in five years, while also pushing over 2,400 people into Bangladesh despite promises to reduce border violence to zero. (more)

>A survey by EASD of 20,495 voters across 300 constituencies shows 70% plan to vote for BNP, 19% for Jamaat-e-Islami, 2.6% for NCP, and 1.4% for Jatiya Party in the 2026 polls. Respondents expect BNP to form the next government, with 77% believing the party will win nationally. (more)

> North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw hypersonic missile tests on Sunday, hitting targets 1,000 km away, emphasizing the need for strong nuclear deterrence amid recent geopolitical tensions, state media KCNA reported Monday. (more)

> China officially lowered import tariffs on 935 products including cotton, wool, and leather from January 4, 2026, cutting cotton duties from 6% to 1% to support its textile industry and manufacturing competitiveness, a move which could shift global apparel supply chain dynamics for 2026. (more)

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