Monday, 23 Dec, 2024

International

Obama condemns Republican ransom

DHAKA: US President Barack Obama has vowed not to allow Republicans to undermine his signature healthcare legislation as a condition to restart the US government.The government has partially shut down after the two houses of Congress failed to agree to a new budget, with Republicans

Italy PM Letta faces confidence vote

DHAKA: Italy`s parliament is due to hold a vote of confidence in the governing coalition, with an attempt to topple PM Enrico Letta appearing to falter.The vote was called after Silvio Berlusconi ordered ministers in his centre-right People of Freedom party (PDL) to leave the

One in 8 people around the world go hungry

DHAKA: One in eight people around the world is chronically undernourished, the United Nations’ food agencies said on Tuesday, warning world leaders that some regions would fail in halving the number of hungry by 2015.In their latest report on food insecurity, the UN agencies estimated

Mumbai police arrest 3 officials over building collapse

DHAKA: Indian police on Tuesday arrested three officials working for the Mumbai city government over the collapse of an apartment block last week that killed 60 people.The accident happened early on Friday while more than 90 people were inside the building owned by the Municipal

Distant planet’s clouds are mapped

DHAKA: Astronomers have created the first map of the clouds on a planet outside our Solar System.The planet in question is Kepler-7b, a large gaseous world like Jupiter, roughly 1,000 light-years away.The researchers used data from Nasa’s Spitzer and Kepler space telescopes to study the

Man dies after crash during car chase with Saudi religious police

DHAKA: A Saudi man, whose brother was killed when a religious police patrol crashed into their car during a hot pursuit last week, died on Tuesday of his injuries, his family said.Saud al-Qaws died from wounds sustained in the chase, just hours after the funeral of his brother Nasser, who

‘Putin to be awarded Nobel Peace Prize’

DHAKA: A patriotic Russian group on Tuesday called for president Vladimir Putin to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his Syria diplomacy, claiming he was more deserving of the award than 2009’s laureate, United States president Barack Obama.A group that lists senior Russian officials

‘Assad will remain in office’

DHAKA: Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad will remain in office, and has the right to decide to run for reelection next year, information minister Omran al-Zohbi said on Tuesday.‘Syria is staying put: the state, the nation, the people and the president. This is the Syrians’

4 tonnes of radioactive water spilled in Fukushima

DHAKA: The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said on Tuesday workers had spilled four tonnes of radioactive water, likely contaminating the soil and possibly groundwater.Workers were pumping rain water that was trapped in a concrete gutter into an empty 12-tonne tank that

Pentagon chief says shutdown hurts US credibility with allies

DHAKA: The US government shutdown will undermine American credibility abroad and lead allies to question its commitment to treaty obligations, the US defence chief warned on Tuesday as he prepared to put 400,000 civilian workers on unpaid leave.US defence secretary Chuck Hagel, who was

Afghan opposition leader declares candidacy for president

DHAKA: A prominent Afghan opposition leader declared his candidacy on Tuesday for next year’s presidential election, a key vote that will help determine the success or failure of 12 years of United States-led military and political intervention in the country.Abdullah Abdullah was the

Nearly 1,000 Iraqis killed in September

DHAKA: The UN mission in Iraq says nearly 1,000 Iraqis have been killed in violence throughout September,- down from July’s monthly death toll but still among the highest recently.UNAMI said on Tuesday that it recorded 979 Iraqis killed in September, reports Today’s Zaman.The

Snowden shortlisted for EU prize

DHAKA: Edward Snowden, the fugitive American former intelligence worker, has made the shortlist of three for the Sakharov prize, Europe’s top human rights award.Snowden was nominated by Green politicians in the European Parliament for leaking details of US surveillance.Nominees also

French traffic chief caught in speeding fine scandal

DHAKA: French police are investigating reports that the head of an agency that processes traffic violations used his department’s budget to pay almost 700 euros worth of his own fines.Investigative website Mediapart on Monday claimed Jean-Jacques Debacq, the chief of the ANTAI agency

‘Rohani orders study of resumption of direct flights to US’

DHAKA: Iranian president Hasan Rohani has asked authorities to study the possibility of resuming direct flights between Iran and the United States for the first time over the past 35 years.A senior Iranian official announced on Monday, Tehran Times prints this report on Tuesday.Akbar

Growth still not helping poor Africans

DHAKA: Poor Africans say they are still not benefiting from the continent’s economic rise, according to a landmark survey of citizens across 34 countries released on Tuesday.Despite some of the world`s highest economic growth rates, many Africans still report shortages of water, food,

Mobs kill 94-year-old woman, torch 70 homes in Myanmar

DHAKA: Police say hundreds of Buddhist rioters have gone on a rampage in western Myanmar, killing a 94-year-old Muslim woman and setting more than 70 homes ablaze.Police officer Kyaw Naing says the clashes broke out in Thabyachaing village, about 20km north of the coastal town of Thandwe,

Myanmar president visits riot-hit areas

DHAKA: Myanmar president Thein Sein travelled to Myanmar’s conflict-torn west as a new spate of mob-led arson attacks against Muslim homes erupted on Tuesday, his first visit to the divided region since sectarian violence broke out there more than a year ago.A senior official in the

Oil slips below US$108 as US amid shutdown

DHAKA: Brent crude fell below US$108 a barrel on Tuesday to trade near a 7-week low on worries a shutdown of the US government may crimp oil demand, while investors also eyed easing tensions in US-Iran nuclear talks.The US government began a partial shutdown on Tuesday for the first time

Chemical arms inspectors head to Damascus

DHAKA: A team of international disarmament experts is due to arrive in Damascus to begin work on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.Syria says it will co-operate with the mission set up after a US-Russia deal endorsed by the UN Security Council.It is the first time the