5 top stories to follow today

Dear readers, happy New year! If you have missed out on the latest updates, don't worry, we got you all covered. Find out the gist of the top 5 stories of The Daily Star today (January 1, 2023).

Sky lanterns halt metro rail services, operations resume after 2hrs

The authorities suspended the operations of metro rail for two hours today "on safety ground" as huge number of doused sky lanterns fell on the overhead electricity lines during last night's New Year celebrations.

However, the services resumed around 10:10am, said an official of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), the operating agency of metro rail.

Flower sales bloom amid celebrations

With increasing orders coming in centring New Year's celebrations and other events, the flower shops are becoming increasingly busy catering to customers amid their peak season for sales.

The retailers are hoping that they would be able to bounce back to profitability after two years of gloomy sales following the emergence of the pandemic.

In Bangladesh, demand for flowers starts to peak from November when the wedding season begins, they said. The demand continues to stay high for more than four months for some national and global events.

New curriculum rolls out, preparations not enough

The new curriculum that takes effect today might be off to a haphazard start as the teachers have not been brought up to speed with the vastly different programme.

Students of classes 1, 6 and 7 will get books based on the new curriculum from today. For students of classes 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9, the new curriculum will take effect in 2024. Class 5 and 10 students will get new books in January 2025.

But the new curriculum, which aims to wean off students from rote memorisation, has not been piloted at the primary level due to delayed release of funds.

Neither were the teachers given any training on how to implement the curriculum nor were they given a guide, both very important steps for the implementation of a curriculum, according to Mohammad Tariq Ahsan, a member of the Curriculum Development and Revision Core Committee.

Suarez signs two-year Gremio deal

Uruguayan international striker Luis Suarez has signed a two-year contract with Brazilian club Gremio, the Porto Alegre side announced on Saturday.

The 35-year-old had returned to his boyhood club Nacional last summer, scoring eight goals in 14 matches to help them win the Uruguayan league title.

"HE'S AT GREMIO! One of the greatest in the history of Uruguay, Luis Suarez arrives to continue his victorious journey, this time wearing our jersey!" Gremio posted on Twitter.

Kim orders an 'exponential increase' in North Korea's nuclear arsenal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles and a larger nuclear arsenal to counter US-led threats, state media said on Sunday, amid flaring tension between the rival Koreas.

At a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Kim highlighted the need to secure "overwhelming military power" to defend its sovereignty and security.

The meeting came amid cross-border tensions over last week's intrusion by North Korean drones into the South, and the North's series of missile launches, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).