Today’s top 5 news stories

Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest news stories of the day in one concise news digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the news digest for 12th October 2026.

Dhaka confirms 2 Bangladeshi deaths as Riyadh strikes disrupt travel

The identities of two Bangladeshi nationals killed in Saturday's Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare in Dhaka.

They are Shahed Ahmed, a migrant worker from Bogura, and Hafiz Mufti Mohammad Nasrullah, a pilgrim from Cumilla. The attack also injured 24 Bangladeshis, including 11 migrant workers holding residency permits and 13 pilgrims. Three of the injured were admitted to intensive care units.

The strike left around 500 Bangladeshi travellers stranded amid extensive flight cancellations. Embassy officials arranged accommodation for about 100 passengers at hotels and a university residence, facilitated the transfer of 67 pilgrims to Jeddah, and coordinated alternative travel via Dammam for approximately 400 Bangladeshi citizens.

Meanwhile, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister, said on Telegram that he had told his Saudi counterpart Tehran was ready to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

On Sunday, a fresh unidentified projectile strike hit Terminal 4 at the Riyadh airport, killing one person and injuring 11 others while also causing a fire. The latest attack raised the airport’s weekly death toll to 18, as Houthi forces claimed further strikes against Dammam airport.

Source: Prothom Alo

Bangladesh foreign debt hits record $115 billion

Bangladesh's total foreign debt reached a record $114.98 billion at the end of June, according to Bangladesh Bank data released on Sunday. The volume grew 3.65 per cent across three months, amounting to Tk 14.16 lakh crore at current exchange rates.

Public sector external debt rose by nearly $4.20 billion over the quarter to reach $95.10 billion in June. Conversely, private sector debt fell by $140 million to $19.88 billion, driven by contractions in short-term borrowing, buyer credit and trade financing.

Long-term loans comprised 87.52 per cent of total debt at $100.64 billion, while short-term debt stood at $14.35 billion. Multilateral institutions, including the World Bank held $48.96 billion, bilateral lenders accounted for $32.54 billion, commercial creditors held $10.60 billion, and the IMF provided $5.97 billion.

Central bank records showed external liabilities expanded from $20.65 billion under the 2007 caretaker administration to $104.76 billion before the Awami League government fell in 2024. Sustained borrowing under the interim administration pushed external obligations to $113.58 billion by late 2025.

Source: bdnews24.com

PM directs BNP MPs to stay united against emerging political alliances

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged 194 party lawmakers to stay united against potential alliance between "autocratic" and "covert" forces, warning that the government was facing a coordinated campaign of hostility across social media.

During a session lasting more than three hours at the Jatiya Sangsad, at least 25 ministers and MPs voiced concerns over shortcomings in local policing and the spread of narcotics.

Lawmakers also raised allegations of irregularities in the allocation of fertiliser dealerships with one MP urging colleagues to refrain from interfering in one another's constituencies.

The PM said BNP rejected coercive politics, instructing lawmakers to maintain a strict stance against extortion and land grabbing. He said ensuring security for minority communities during upcoming Durga Puja celebrations was an essential duty for party leaders.

Describing upcoming local elections as a major test, he said candidate nominations must strictly reflect grassroots popularity. He instructed lawmakers to reduce distances with grassroots party workers and formulate distinct constituency programmes ahead of the 7 November national observance.

Source: Prothom Alo

Tribunal indicts 26 for killing Mugdho and 10 others

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Sunday ordered the commencement of trial proceedings against 26 individuals, including former lawmaker Mohammad Habib Hasan, for crimes against humanity involving the killing of Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho and 10 others during the July uprising.

The prosecution brought two charges detailing indiscriminate gunfire across Uttara on 18 and 19 July to suppress anti-discrimination demonstrations. The crackdown caused 11 deaths, including several students and an Uber driver crushed beneath a police armoured vehicle before being dumped into the Turag River to conceal the body.

Eight arrested accused, including former police officers and Awami League officials, said they were innocent and sought justice after the charges were read. Eighteen other accused, including Mohammad Habib Hasan and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, remain absconding.

A three-member bench led by Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury scheduled opening statements and witness depositions for 4 November. State-appointed defence counsels alongside private lawyers represented the accused during Sunday's hearing as the tribunal framed the formal charges.

Source: bdnews24.com

Pakistan suspends Imran Khan party government for six months

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency rule and suspended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government on Sunday, escalating a confrontation with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party. The federal administration said provincial authorities had failed to suppress escalating Islamist militancy along the Afghan frontier.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said an appointed governor would control the province for at least six months, while the interior ministry said it would deploy troops. Authorities also restricted the movements of provincial leader Sohail Afridi after detaining hundreds of activists and three of Khan's sisters.

PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said the takeover was a 'coup disguised as emergency' to halt protests. Political mediator Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the decree was an 'ambush on democracy', while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said authorities had to act.

Federal authorities deployed tens of thousands of security personnel in Islamabad and placed shipping containers along roads leading to parliament. The heavy deployment aimed to prevent Imran Khan's supporters from launching a planned protest march towards the national capital to demand the former prime minister's release.

Source: Reuters

That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.