A military operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul from so-called Islamic State (IS) has begun, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says. The long-awaited assault from Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi government and allied forces is backed by the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq, reports

DHAKA: A giant panda believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38, officials say. The death of Jia Jia, whose age in human terms was more than 100 years, was announced by the Hong Kong theme park where she lived. Her condition had worsened

DHAKA: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on Thursday and the crown prince wants more time to mourn his father. Former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda is standing in as regent. Current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sought to reassure Thais about the succession in a TV

DHAKA: Turkish-backed rebels have captured the symbolically important Syrian town of Dabiq from the Islamic State (IS) group. The rebels took Dabiq after “IS members withdrew”, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reports the BBC. The small northern town holds

DHAKA: Four people were killed and 14 injured when a balcony collapsed in western France when some young people were attending a housewarming party. FRANCE 24 reported that accident occurred early Sunday when a balcony on the third floor of the recently-constructed building collapsed

DHAKA: Angry Haitians looted aid trucks as the UN secretary general visited parts of the country hit by Hurricane Matthew, which killed 900 people. Ban Ki-moon said he witnessed a looting incident in Les Cayes, where he promised more aid to Haiti. He also urged countries to donate

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has accused rival Hillary Clinton of being “pumped up” during their last debate, saying they should both be tested for drugs before the next one. He also suggested the presidential race was looking like a “rigged election”, reports

DHAKA: Donald Trump on Friday called himself a ‘victim’ as more women continued to come forward on Friday accusing him of sexual assault and harassment. “As you have seen, I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country,” he said at a

DHAKA: The Arab coalition, battling Houthi fighters in Yemen, has admitted one of its warplanes had ‘wrongly targeted’ a funeral in Sanaa that killed more than 140 people, and announced disciplinary proceedings. The October 8 strike in the Yemeni capital prompted an international

DHAKA: At least 32 people have died in a suicide attack targeting Shia in Iraq's capital Baghdad. More than 60 were injured in the blast, carried out on a tent in a crowded market in a northern district of the city. So-called Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the

DHAKA: New talks are under way in Switzerland in which the US and Russia will try to broker another ceasefire in Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov are meeting delegates from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the city of Lausanne. Since a

DHAKA: At least 24 people were killed in a stampede at Rajghat bridge on the border of Varanasi and Chandauli in India where a large number of people had gathered for a religious event on Saturday afternoon (October 15). The incident took place when thousands of followers of religious

Around 150 countries have agreed to limit the use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) greenhouse gases in a bid to protect the Earth’s climate. Used in refrigeration and air conditioning, HFCs play a growing role in driving up global temperatures, reports the BBC. Under the deal, developed

DHAKA: At least 12 members of Egypt’s security forces have been killed and eight injured in an attack on a checkpoint in North Sinai province. Medical and security sources confirmed the matter to media. The attack on Friday (October 14) took place at 40km from the town of Bir

DHAKA: Thousands of Thai mourners are lining the streets of Bangkok, hoping to see the body of King Bhumibol Adulyadej as it moved from a hospital to a temple in the Grand Palace. The world’s longest-reigning monarch died on October 13 aged 88, sparking a national outpouring of

DHAKA: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has extended a ceasefire with Farc rebels until the end of the year to give more time to save a peace deal. The accord, signed with the left-wing rebel group last month, was narrowly rejected in a national referendum, reports the BBC.

DHAKA: Donald Trump has rejected a slew of accusations of sexual misconduct, telling supporters in Florida they are “totally and absolutely false”. The Republican presidential nominee said the women making the allegations were “horrible liars” and the media was colluding with

At least 10 people were killed and nine others injured in South Korea after their bus caught fire on a highway, officials said Friday. The Washington Post reported that twenty people, including the driver, were on the bus when it smashed into the guardrail and caught fire on an

DHAKA: Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died at age 88, says a palace statement. King Bhumibol, the ninth king of the 234-year-old Chakri dynasty, died at the Siriraj Hospital in the capital Bangkok, reports scmp.com. Prior to his death Bhumibol had held the title of

DHAKA: Thousands of Colombians have taken part in marches to demand that a peace deal signed by the government and Farc rebels be upheld. In the capital, Bogota, families of victims were given white flowers by well-wishers to symbolize peace, reports the BBC. The agreement, reached