Friday, 23 May, 2025

International

Erdogan to be sworn in as Turkey president

DHAKA: Turkish President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to be officially sworn in after winning the country's first ever popular vote for head of state. Erdogan, who served three terms as prime minister, has vowed to give more power to the previously ceremonial post, reports BBC. His

Netanyahu declares 'victory' in Gaza

DHAKA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the seven-week conflict in Gaza ended in "victory". The Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement was "hit hard and got none of its demands," Netanyahu said. Hamas has also claimed the truce represents a victory for Gaza and held a

US police shoot dead robber, TV crewman

DHAKA: A robbery suspect carrying a plastic-pellet gun and a crew member with the TV show "Cops'' were shot dead by police during a response to a restaurant hold-up in Omaha, Nebraska.The TV worker died despite wearing body armour at the incident on Wednesday, while police said the

Islamists seize Syria crossing near Israel

DHAKA: Al-Qaida’s Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist fighters have taken control of a border crossing on the line dividing Syria from the Israel occupied Golan Heights. A group monitoring the Syrian conflict said on Wednesday, reports The Jerusalem Post. The fighters, who have

‘Germany won’t join any military action in Syria’

DHAKA: Germany is in discussions with the United States and other international partners about possible military action against Islamic State in Syria but Berlin will not take part in any military engagement there. A foreign office spokesman said on Wednesday, reports The Jerusalem Post.

‘We are not dictators’

DHAKA: Thai prime minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha told European investors on Wednesday that he was not a dictator and that his government was seeking to create a Thailand that would be more attractive for their long-term investments. Gen Prayuth was appointed prime minister on Monday

Forces mass in bid to break IS siege of Iraqi town

DHAKA: Iraq was massing forces Wednesday for an operation to break a two-month jihadist siege of the town of Amerli amid growing fears for residents short of food and water. Thousands of Shia militiamen from groups including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Badr Organisation are gathering in the

India PM slams whispering campaign against top minister

DHAKA: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday denied reports that the son of a top minister was involved in influence peddling, seeking to staunch the type of corruption allegations that sent the country's last government to election defeat. Modi’s office issued the rebuttal

American ‘jihadist’ dies in Syria battle

DHAKA: An American man, believed to be fighting alongside Islamist militants in Syria, has been killed. The White House has confirmed. A cousin of Douglas McAuthur McCain told the BBC the US government had called his mother to confirm his death. McCain was found dead by Free Syrian

Pakistan PM defiant amid protest crisis

DHAKA: Pakistan’s embattled prime minister said Wednesday he would not cave in to protests demanding his resignation, striking a defiant note in his first major speech since the crisis erupted two weeks ago. Nawaz Sharif told parliament his government would not be thrown off course by

IS executes soldiers, takes hostages at Syria base

DHAKA: Islamic State militants have executed Syrian army soldiers and are holding a group of them hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend. Pictures posted on the Internet and on Twitter by supporters showed on Wednesday, reports The Straits Times. Islamic

IMF chief ‘under investigation’

DHAKA: IMF head Christine Lagarde says she has been placed under formal investigation for negligence in French fraud case but has not been charged. She has been questioned several times about her role in a 400m euro compensation payout to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008. Lagarde was

Israel to allow limited opening of borders with Gaza

DHAKA: Israel has agreed to open its borders with Gaza to allow humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into the Palestinian enclave.Egypt’s foreign ministry said in a statement, reports The Jerusalem Post.Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians on other issues will

UN cargo helicopter crashes in S Sudan

DHAKA: A UN cargo helicopter crashed on Tuesday in South Sudan’s warzone region of Unity state. The UN peacekeeping mission said, adding it was ‘deeply concerned’ about the fate of the crew, reports The Straits Times. The UN mission said it had ‘dispatched a search and rescue

Long-term Gaza truce agreed

DHAKA: The Palestinians have reached agreement with Israel on a ‘permanent’ ceasefire for the Gaza Strip. A senior Palestine official said on Tuesday, reports The Straits Times. ‘The contacts that have been going on have agreed a permanent ceasefire, a (deal to) end the blockade

Ebola ‘easier to avoid than malaria’

DHAKA: The head of the US Agency for International Development said on Tuesday poor understanding of Ebola was undermining the fight against the epidemic, pointing out that the fever is harder to get than malaria. USAID director Jeremy Konyndyk, in Liberia to support the fight against an

US sanctions Syria air surveillance

DHAKA: US president Barack Obama has authorised surveillance flights over Syria in order to gain intelligence on the activities of Islamic State (IS).Correspondents say the move could mark the first step towards US air strikes inside Syria, where the jihadist group controls vast

Scotland’s pro-independence leader wins final TV debate

DHAKA: Scotland’s pro-independence leader Alex Salmond easily won a final TV debate Monday night just over three weeks before a breakaway referendum, but it wasn’t clear if this would help him catch up in the polls. In a bruising debate before the September 18 referendum, Salmond

Iran’s deputy FM in Saudi Arabia

DHAKA: A senior Iranian official is in Saudi Arabia to try to repair strained relations between the regional rivals in the Gulf. Iranian media reported Tuesday, says TDS. Deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian flew to the desert kingdom Monday to meet foreign minister Prince

19 killed in Egypt bus crash

DHAKA: At least 19 people were killed when two minibuses fell into a canal near Egypt’s tourist city of Luxor early on Tuesday. Egypt state-run newspaper Al Ahram reported, says The Straits Times. The accident came less than a week after at least 38 people were killed and dozens