DHAKA: Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested at illegal sit-ins in Hong Kong early Wednesday, following a huge rally calling for democracy in the Chinese territory. Large crowds had turned out for a march through the city's central business district Tuesday, in a massive show of

DHAKA: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has placed under formal investigation over alleged influence peddling. He appeared before a judge late on Tuesday, after presenting himself early that morning for police questioning, which lasted 15 hours. This is thought to be the first

DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin has condemned Ukraine for ending a truce with separatist rebels in the east. He said his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko must now bear direct responsibility for the conflict. Putin said he and European leaders had tried but failed to keep

DHAKA: Saudi King Abdullah appointed a new spy chief, giving the job to the former deputy defence minister days after sacking him from that post. SPA state news agency reported Tuesday, says gulfnews.com. Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz had been unexpectedly removed from his

DHAKA: A senior minister in Goa’s BJP-led government, Sudin Dhavalikar, has said women should not wear bikinis in beaches ‘for their own safety’, and ‘girls in short skirts visiting pubs’ is against the culture of the popular beach destination. In response, the Congress Tuesday

DHAKA: The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a ban by France on wearing the Muslim full-face veil, the niqab. A case was brought by a 24-year-old French woman, who argued that the ban on wearing the veil in public violated her freedom of religion and expression. French law says

DHAKA: An Indian lawmaker apologised Tuesday after he was captured on video threatening the rape of his political rivals’ relatives, in what he said was ‘a gross error of judgement’. Tapas Pal of the All India Trinamool Congress Party admitted his remarks had caused ‘dismay and

DHAKA: A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people on Tuesday in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the latest attack in the area repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists. The bomb rocked Maiduguri’s busiest roundabout near the popular Monday Market during

DHAKA: Afghanistan’s presidential election result has been delayed for several days, officials said Tuesday, as a dispute over alleged fraud threatens to derail the country’s first democratic transfer of power. The preliminary result of the June 14 run-off vote had been due on

DHAKA: Ukrainian government forces launched air strikes and artillery assaults on pro-Russian separatists in eastern regions on Tuesday, a military spokesman said, after president Petro Poroshenko announced he would not renew a ceasefire. Poroshenko said in an early morning announcement

DHAKA: Carrying banners and chanting slogans, thousands of protesters gathered on Tuesday for a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong that organizers say could be the largest since the city was handed back to China. The rally reflects surging discontent over Beijing's insistence that it vet

DHAKA: An Indian lawmaker faced calls to quit on Tuesday after he was captured on video threatening the rape of his political rivals’ relatives. Amid widespread outrage in India over a series of recent high-profile rape cases, the Trinamool Congress MP, Tapas Pal, could be clearly

DHAKA: Justice Nasirul Mulk was approved on Tuesday as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). DawnNews reported. The appointment of Justice Mulk was approved by president Mamnoon Hussain. An official notification is still pending in this regard and is expected to be issued in a few

KOLKATA: A shameful, disgraceful, insensitive comment delivered a month back by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Tapas Pal, had been telecast yesterday nation wide! An insult to all the country women! Though he commented insensibly a month back, it has spread heated criticism all over

DHAKA: Crowds of people are expected to turn out in Hong Kong for what organisers say could be the largest pro-democracy protest in more than a decade. Organisers said the annual rally, which marks the day Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, will focus on pressuring Beijing for full

DHAKA: Japan’s cabinet is poised to approve a landmark change in security policy, paving the way for its military to fight overseas. Under its constitution, Japan is barred from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence. But a reinterpretation of the law would

DHAKA: French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling.The decision to detain him at Nanterre, near Paris, is an unprecedented step against a former president, reports the BBC.Sarkozy’s lawyer was questioned on Monday on suspicion of

DHAKA: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ended a unilateral ceasefire with separatists in the east, He said “We will attack, we will free our land.” Poroshenko said the chance for peace was lost because of the “criminal activities” of pro-Russian militants. The shaky

DHAKA: Nigeria’s military says it has raided a Boko Haram intelligence unit thought to be linked to the recent abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls. The cell leader Babuji Ya’ari was arrested, a military statement said. Ya’ari had been actively involved in the seizure of the

DHAKA: US President Barack Obama says he is sending about 200 more US troops to Iraq to protect Americans and the US Embassy in Baghdad. The announcement will bring to nearly 800 the total number of US forces in and around Iraq to train local forces, secure the embassy and protect