DHAKA: The Pentagon plans the transfer of 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees in the coming weeks - a move that would cut the US prison's population to 90, reports say.US media quote officials as saying Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has already told Congress about the move, reports the BBC. It

DHAKA: US President Barack Obama will sign the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 shortly after it passes through Congress on Wednesday.A White House official said, reports The Jerusalem Post.The law directs the president to prohibit foreign banks from conducting

DHAKA: The European Commission (EU) on Wednesday adopted its humanitarian aid budget of nearly €1.1 billion (around $120-crore) for 2016 as global humanitarian needs are set to reach a historic high in this year.As an initial allocation, it is the highest EU humanitarian budget for

DHAKA: Germany and several other nations are to discuss with Turkey ways of settling thousands of Syrian refugees ahead of the final EU summit of the year.Those attending the meeting will discuss a proposal to resettle Syrians straight from camps in Turkey. But German Chancellor Angela

DHAKA: The Indian Supreme Court Wednesday banned the registration of diesel cars and SUVs above 2000cc in the Delhi till March 31, in an attempt to clean up the city tackling one of its worst-ever bouts of toxic smog. The decision will not affect the common man, the top court said,

DHAKA: Malala Yousafzai has condemned a call by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the US.The Nobel Prize winner said his comments were "full of hatred" and blaming Muslims for terrorism would only "radicalise more terrorists", reports the BBC.She was

DHAKA: Republican presidential candidates are sparring over national security issues and how best to counter the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the first debate since attacks in California and Paris.A major fault line has formed between those favouring more surveillance and those

DHAKA: The global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has closed a 12-year-long investigation into Iran’s nuclear activities, a key step towards lifting UN sanctions.The IAEA concluded Iran conducted nuclear weapons-related research until 2003 and to a lesser extent until 2009, but found no

DHAKA: New Zealand has confirmed that the black, white and blue silver fern design won a referendum to become a possible new flag, after the final votes were counted.A second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to adopt the new flag or keep the current one, reports the

DHAKA: China, Egypt and Iran topped a list of countries jailing journalists in 2015, a year that saw a slight decline in the number of journalists behind bars worldwide.A press freedom watchdog has said, reports Al Jazeera.The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists released a

DHAKA: Controversial plans for an EU Border and Coast Guard force are to be set out as part of an EU drive to curb the record influx of migrants.The European Commission is proposing a force with a stronger mandate than the EU’s current Frontex border teams.But some governments see the

DHAKA: The chief minister of India’s capital, Delhi, has alleged that his office has been raided by the country’s federal investigation agency.Arvind Kejriwal blamed India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ‘raid’, calling him a ‘coward and a psychopath’, reports the

DHAKA: US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow for talks to try to bridge gaps with Russia over the political process to end Syria’s civil war.He is now in talks with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and will later meet President Vladimir Putin, reports the BBC.The US and Russia

DHAKA: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has formed a coalition of 34 mainly Muslim countries - including powers such as Egypt and Turkey - to coordinate a fight against ‘terrorist organizations’.The alliance was announced by KSA defense minister and deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin

DHAKA: Chief Minister of Delhi in India Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that his office was sealed in a CBI raid on Tuesday morning, reports NDTV.The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) of India searched the Delhi Secretariat and the headquarters of the state government in the morning.The AAP

DHAKA: At least 41 Argentine police members were killed Monday after a bus they were traveling in flipped and fell off a bridge in the northern part of the South American nation.Authorities say the crash happened early Monday while a convoy of three buses with gendarmes officers was

DHAKA: Russia says one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat in the Aegean Sea to avoid a collision.A Russian defense ministry statement said the Turkish vessel approached to 600m (1,800ft) before turning away in response to Russian small arms fire.The captain of

DHAKA: South African President Jacob Zuma has replaced newly appointed Finance Minister David van Rooyen with the more experienced Pravin Gordhan in a surprise Sunday night announcement.On Wednesday, the president sacked Nhlanhla Nene in a move that sent the rand to record lows and

DHAKA: Twenty women have won seats in municipal councils in Saudi Arabia as the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom allowed females to vote and run as candidates for the first time in history in an election on Saturday.The 20 elected females represent just under one percent of the roughly

DHAKA: At least 45 civilians were killed on Sunday in heavy bombardment of a besieged Syrian rebel stronghold east of Damascus that also struck a school.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rockets fired by regime forces rained down on the towns of Douma, Harasta, Saqba and Arbin