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 15th October 2026.

100 Saudi-bound flights cancelled, stranding 15,393 passengers

A total of 100 flights from Dhaka to Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia were cancelled between Saturday and Wednesday amid security disruptions linked to the attacks by Houthi, leaving 15,393 passengers stranded. The suspensions affected services to the two destinations through both direct and transit routes.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the cancellations included 41 direct flights and 59 transit flights. Of the direct services, Biman Bangladesh Airlines cancelled 17 flights, US-Bangla Airlines 10, Saudia seven and Riyadh Air seven.

The transit disruptions involved 22 IndiGo flights, 14 Emirates flights, seven each by Qatar Airways and SalamAir, six by flydubai and one by EgyptAir. Passengers travelling via intermediary hubs were unable to depart from Dhaka after their onward connections were suspended.

Houthi militants targeted both regional destinations, forcing Riyadh airport to close on Sunday. In response to the escalating security threat, Biman Bangladesh Airlines suspended all flights to Riyadh and Dammam until 17 October, while US-Bangla Airlines cancelled its Riyadh flights until 21 October.

Source: Daily Sun

Police arrest two after twenty trafficked Bangladeshis die in Russia

Twenty of 30 Bangladeshi men trafficked to Russia under false employment promises have been killed after being forced into the Russia-Ukraine war, the Special Response Battalion said on Wednesday. The elite police unit also arrested two suspected human traffickers on Tuesday.

According to the battalion's findings, victims paid around Tk 10 lakh each to three recruitment agencies before travelling to Russia in May. Upon arrival, handlers seized their passports and phones, forcing them into military training before deploying them as frontline combatants, where seventeen died in an initial drone attack.

Special Response Battalion Commander Mohammad Asaduzzaman said the Russian military deployed Bangladeshi nationals as 'bait to locate enemy positions'. He said Russian forces determined their next course of action after the Bangladeshis fell victim to drone attacks.

The trafficking case began after an injured survivor escaped to Dhaka with diplomatic assistance in August. The SRB said two wounded citizens remain in a Moscow hospital while six others stay in the combat zone, as investigators continue operations to arrest additional syndicate members.

Source: bdnews24.com

Parliament to begin fourth session after 60-day recess

The fourth session of the 13th Parliament will begin on 9 November, according to a notification issued by the Parliament Secretariat on Wednesday. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has convened the session, which is scheduled to commence at 3:30 pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The President convened the session in exercise of powers conferred upon him under Article 72(1) of the Constitution. The sitting will end a 60-day recess following the prorogation of the third session on 10 September after only nine sittings.

Earlier, the second session was prorogued on 15 July after 27 working days. During that session, the parliament passed the Tk 938,000 crore national budget for fiscal 2026-27 to finance government expenditure.

The first session commenced on 12 March following the 12 February general election. During that session, parliament passed 94 bills, including 91 bills against ordinances promulgated during the interim government's tenure, and formed several parliamentary committees.

Source: The Business Standard

Houthi strike damages Aramco headquarters as missiles target Riyadh

Yemen's Houthi forces targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and launched missiles towards Riyadh on Wednesday, escalating attacks against the kingdom's energy infrastructure. Powerful explosions rattled the capital as the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a missile fired at the city.

A Saudi energy ministry official said an Aramco building in Dhahran suffered a limited fire with no casualties. Company personnel, speaking anonymously, said a projectile destroyed the top three floors of a headquarters tower. Additionally, a Houthi military spokesman claimed their forces targeted a capital oil refinery.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman led a cabinet session that vowed it will not allow its security or freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait to be threatened. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said strikes against Saudi airports and energy facilities will continue.

The escalating conflict saw remote learning take effect for all schools alongside work-from-home orders for some companies across Riyadh. Sports officials also postponed three professional football fixtures. However, diplomatic sources said the kingdom still plans to host its flagship international investment conference later this month.

Source: AFP

Rooppur plant to supply grid electricity in November

The first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is expected to begin supplying electricity to the national grid in November, the Ministry of Science and Technology said at a parliamentary committee meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday.

Preliminary physical and criticality tests at the unit have been completed successfully, according to a ministry press release. The government is working with Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom to bring the unit into operation, following a series of discussions.

Meeting attendees, including Committee Chairman Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu and Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam, expressed optimism that all project operations will conclude successfully within the designated schedule. International energy experts confirmed the third-generation facility remains on track.

Alongside power generation, the ministry is expanding nuclear medicine services to district hospitals and constructing the country's first research vessel. The ongoing project is marking another operational step as the second unit targets fuel loading completion by June 2027.

Source: New Age

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