DHAKA: German chancellor Angela Merkel accused Russia on Sunday of interfering in the domestic affairs of numerous countries that are seeking closer ties to the European Union.‘Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine are three countries in our eastern neighbourhood that have taken sovereign

DHAKA: Sri Lanka slashed cooking gas prices on Sunday just one day after the cost of diesel and petrol was also cut ahead of next month’s presidential election.The ministry of internal trade said it was reducing the price of a standard cylinder of gas used for cooking by 11.6

DHAKA: Typhoon Hagupit is sweeping across the eastern Philippines, toppling trees and power lines and threatening coastal areas with a powerful sea-surge.More than half a million people have fled coastal villages in the area, which was still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan last

DHAKA: US Republicans have increased their majority in the Senate after a runoff from the mid-term elections ended in defeat for the Democrats in Louisiana. Republican Bill Cassidy’s win against Senator Mary Landrieu swells their ranks in the 100-seat chamber to 54. Republicans have

DHAKA: French president Francois Hollande told Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Saturday that Moscow and the West must prevent new walls from separating them, as the two met to discuss the Ukraine crisis. ‘I think we must prevent other walls from separating us,’ Hollande said in Moscow,

DHAKA: An Egyptian court has sentenced to death seven men, including prominent Islamist militant Adel Habara, charged with killing 25 policemen last year in an attack near the border with Israel.Judicial sources said on Saturday, reports The Jerusalem Post.The attack took place in

DHAKA: A senior Iranian official has confirmed his country carried out air strikes in neighbouring Iraq against the Islamic State (IS) group at the request of Iraqi authorities. Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported, says The Straits Times. It quoted Iran deputy foreign minister

DHAKA: The Pakistan military on Saturday killed a senior Al-Qaeda leader in the north-western tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.It said in a statement, reports The Straits Times.‘In an intelligence borne operation, top Al-Qaeda leader Adnan El Shukrijumah was killed by Pakistan

DHAKA: An operation by Yemen’s armed forces early on Saturday freed an American hostage being held by Al-Qaeda and led to the killing of 10 members of the militant group holding him. The country’s defence ministry said on its website, reports The Straits Times. It said the operation

DHAKA: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is The Straits Times Asian of the Year 2014. The editors of the paper picked the development focused Indian leader, who fashioned an impressive election victory for his party in the national election that ended in May, from a rich field of

DHAKA: Two doctors have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone on the same day, a government and a hospital source said, bringing to 10 the number of doctors killed in by the virus in one of the worst-affected countries. The worst Ebola outbreak on record has torn through some of West Africa's

DHAKA: Affluent nations have taken in a "pitiful" number of the million of Syrian refugees uprooted by the country's civil war, placing the burden on Syria's ill-equipped neighbours, according to Amnesty International. The London-based rights group, in advance of a December 9 donors'

DHAKA: About half a million people have fled coastal villages and evacuated their homes in the Philippines as a powerful storm approaches the archipelago, reports BBC. Typhoon Hagupit, which weakened slightly on Friday night, is due to make landfall on Saturday evening. It is on course

DHAKA: At least 60 Indians have lost their eyesight after an operation at an eye camp organised by an NGO in Gurdaspur district of Punjab of India, civil and medical authorities said on Thursday.While 16 persons belonged to villages of Amritsar the rest were from Gurdaspur district.

DHAKA: South Africans have started marking the first anniversary of the death of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, who died last year at the age of 95.Official ceremonies to mark the passing of the former South African leader will include an interfaith prayer service early on

DHAKA: At least five Indian army men and 2 police officials were killed in a gunbattle that broke out after militants attacked an army base camp in Uri sector of Jammu & Kashmir in India on Friday, according to Times Now.Two terrorists are also reported to have been killed in the

DHAKA: The US has revealed it tried to rescue UK-born American hostage Luke Somers, who is being held by al-Qaeda in Yemen.President Barack Obama authorized the mission last month, it said.“Regrettably, Luke was not present, though hostages of other nationalities were present and were

DHAKA: The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Thursday declared highest alert as Typhoon Ruby or Hagupit is expected to make a landfall in eastern Philippines on Saturday.The red alert status came into effect enabling AFP’s Central Command to work with other agencies, including

DHAKA: At least 18 people were killed in two separate car bomb attacks at a group of restaurants and a market in Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Thursday.The Iraqi officials informed this that reports Times of India.Police officials said the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants

DHAKA: Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan named Pakistan’s new chief election commissioner, a day before the expiry of a Supreme Court deadline to fill the key constitutional office lying vacant for over 16 months.The announcement was made by Senator Rafiq Rajwana, chief of the