Monday, 20 Jan, 2025

International

Iran-backed militias gather near Iraq’s IS-held Ramadi

DHAKA: A day after Islamic State (IS) militants completed their capture of Ramadi, Shia militias are assembling east of the Iraqi city ready for a possible counter-attack.Iraqi state TV described columns of tanks and other military vehicles entering al-Habbaniyah military camp.The Iraqi

Myanmar concerned over migrant exodus

DHAKA: Myanmar acknowledged on Monday that the international community had ‘concerns’ about waves of boat people fleeing its shores but insisted it should not be solely blamed for the regional migrant crisis.Myanmar information minister Ye Htut said his country understood ‘the

Indian nurse dies 42 years after rape

DHAKA: An Indian nurse who was in a vegetative state for 42 years after being raped by a hospital ward attendant while on duty has died.Aruna Shanbaug was left with severe brain damage and paralysed after her rape in a Mumbai hospital in 1973.She was kept alive by being fed through her

EU to back ‘boat-destroyer’ mission in sea

DHAKA: EU foreign and defense ministers are expected to approve a mission to destroy the boats used by people-smugglers operating in Libya.At a meeting in Brussels, the ministers will also discuss the mission’s command-and-control structure and HQ, reports the BBC.It is part of the

Saudi-led coalition resumes air strikes in Yemen

DHAKA: A Saudi-led coalition has resumed its air strikes against Yemen's rebels after the end of a ceasefire.Yemeni military officials and witnesses say, reports the BBC.They say the strikes targeted Houthi rebel positions in the southern port of Aden after the five-day humanitarian truce

UN chief voices growing concern over migrant crisis

DHAKA: UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said that he was increasingly concerned by the humanitarian crisis sparked by refugees stranded in boats in Southeast Asia, and offered help from the United Nations.Ban said he had spoken by phone with the prime ministers of Malaysia and Thailand

IS 'seizes Iraqi city of Ramadi'

DHAKA: The Iraqi city of Ramadi has fallen to Islamic State (IS) after government forces abandoned their positions, officials say.The police and military made a chaotic retreat after days of intense fighting, reports bbc.com.But the US refused to confirm the capture, saying the situation

9 bikers killed in Texas shootout

DHAKA: Police in the US state of Texas say nine people have been killed in a shootout between rival biker gangs in the city of Waco.The incident happened at the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill in a shopping area called the Central Texas Market Place, reports bbc.com.Police said eight had

Macedonia protests demand PM quits

DHAKA: Tens of thousands of protesters in the Macedonian capital Skopje are demanding the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.The rally follows the release by the opposition of covert recordings which appear to show ministers plotting vote-rigging and the cover-up

Hundreds killed in Syria fighting over Palmyra

DHAKA: Nearly 300 people have been killed after several days of fighting between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and the Syrian government in the historic town of Palmyra.The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday the dead included 123 Syrian

SE Asia migrants ‘died in fight for food’ on boat

DHAKA: Migrants rescued from a sinking boat off Indonesia have told the BBC that about 100 people died after a fight broke out over the last remaining food.Survivors told of horrific conditions. Three men separately said people were stabbed, hanged or thrown overboard.The 700 rescued

IS dead in US Syria raid climbs to 32

DHAKA: At least 32 Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria members, including four of its leaders, were killed in air strikes and a US special forces raid that targeted the group in eastern Syria.A group monitoring the Syrian war said on Sunday, reports The Straits Times.US officials said

German spy agency helped US find Osama

DHAKA: Germany’s foreign intelligence agency helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan where US special forces killed the Al-Qaeda leader.A German news report published Sunday said, according to The Straits Times.The BND spy service provided a tip-off that Osama was hiding

Thousands protest against US military base in Japan

DHAKA: Thousands of people rallied in Okinawa in southern Japan on Sunday in protest against a controversial United States airbase on the island, as a two-decade-old bitter row over the relocation of the site drags on.Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 US service personnel

Modi seeks stronger ties with Mongolia

DHAKA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks on Sunday with his counterpart during a visit to Mongolia, with the two nations upgrading relations as Delhi tries to strengthen its influence in China’s backyard.Meeting Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg, Modi praised the

US ‘deeply concerned’ over Mursi death sentence

DHAKA: The United States is ‘deeply concerned’ about an Egyptian court decision to seek the death penalty for former president Mohamed Mursi.A State Department official said on Sunday, reports The Straits Times.The US criticism follows condemnations from Amnesty International and

5.7m aftershock hits Nepal

DHAKA: A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Nepal on Saturday, about 76 km east south east of the capital Kathmandu, at a shallow depth of 10 km.The US Geological Survey said, reports The Straits Times.A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on April 25, killing more than 8,000 people and there have

Syrian army kills IS ‘oil minister’

DHAKA: The Syrian army has killed an Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria leader responsible for oil-related affairs along with 40 other militants in an attack in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor.Syrian state media reported, says The Straits Times.A news flash on state TV identified IS

Thailand finds over 100 migrants on island

DHAKA: Thailand has found more than 100 migrants on a southern island but thousands remain adrift as boats are pushed back out into southeast Asia’s seas by governments who have ignored a UN call for a coordinated rescue.The crisis has arisen because smugglers have abandoned boats

Mynamar may skip Bangkok summit on migrant crisis

DHAKA: Myanmar president office said it may snub a regional meeting hosted by Thailand on May 29 aimed at easing the current Bay of Bengal migrant crisis, reports NDTV. Hundreds of boat people have arrived on Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian soil since May 1, when the discovery of mass