Sunday, 13 Jul, 2025

International

‘Solar-powered donkeys’ carry internet for sheepherders

DHAKA: A solar panel producer in western Turkey has said recent international media coverage of their ‘plug-and-play donkey’ project proved that they are on the right track. BBC News reported on June 24 that sheepherders in western Turkey have now equipped their donkeys to cart

Terror attack on churches in Nigeria

DHAKA: Suspected Boko Haram Islamists armed with explosives attacked a series of churches on Sunday near Chibok, the north-eastern town where more than 200 teenage girls were kidnapped in April. Witnesses said, reports The Straits Times. Residents said dozens of people may have been

Egypt restricts Ramadan sermons

DHAKA: Egypt will restrict Ramadan sermons to the topics of faith and morality, in the latest move aimed at limiting political speech in the deeply polarized country. Religious Endowments Minister Mohammad Mokhtar Jomaa said Sunday the decision should ensure that sermons during the month

ISIS crucifies 8 rebels in Syria’s Aleppo

DHAKA: A jihadist group in Syria has publicly executed and crucified eight rebels fighting both president Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the jihadists. A monitor said on Sunday, reports The Straits Times. The report comes amid fierce clashes on the outskirts of Damascus between the

Arrest warrant for spokesman of anti-coup group issued

DHAKA: Thailand’s military court has issued an arrest warrant for the spokesman of an anti-coup group over alleged arms offences, an accusation firmly rejected by the former minister. The warrant against Jakrapob Penkair, a prominent member of the ‘red-shirt’ movement affiliated to

Western powers court India’s Modi

DHAKA: Western governments are rushing to visit India’s PM Narendra Modi, drawn by the prospect of multi-billion-dollar deals as the Indian government prepares to open the nascent defence industry to foreign investment. Senior politicians from France, the United States and Britain

Tikrit rebels ‘push back Iraq army’

DHAKA: Iraqi government forces trying to retake the city of Tikrit from Sunni insurgents have pulled back to a nearby town amid fierce clashes. Reports say, according to the BBC. Government troops launched an assault on the city on Saturday with tanks, armored vehicles and air support.

Japanese sets himself on fire in protest against PM

DHAKA: A Japanese man set himself on fire in central Tokyo on Sunday after giving a speech opposing prime minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to reform the country’s pacifist constitution. Police and reports said, according to The Straits Times. The middle-aged man doused himself in what

Magnitude 6.9 quake off south Atlantic islands; no tsunami threat

DHAKA: A powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the far south Atlantic ocean in the inhospitable South Sandwich Islands region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said on Sunday, reports The Straits Times. The USGS, which monitors quakes worldwide initially said the quake

Brazil fan dies of heart-attack

DHAKA: A 69-year-old Brazilian fan died of heart failure while watching his country's World Cup penalty shootout win over Chile, media reported on Saturday.The man was watching the tense encounter, which Brazil won on spot-kicks after the sides were locked 1-1 after extra-time, in a

‘Iran ready to help Iraq against militants’

DHAKA: Iran is ready to help Iraq fight an armed revolt using the same methods it deployed against opposition forces in Syria, an Iranian general said, suggesting Tehran is offering to take a larger role in battling Sunni militias threatening Baghdad. Iranian leaders to date have said

Death toll rises to 19 in India gas pipeline blast

DHAKA: The death toll in a massive explosion on a state-owned gas pipeline running through southern India has risen to 19, officials said on Sunday, while police confirmed a case of negligence was filed against the company. A senior official from the East Godavari district of Andhra

Saudi king slams religious extremists

DHAKA: Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday sharply criticised religious extremists, vowing not to let ‘a handful of terrorists...terrify Muslims’ in a speech marking the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Islam is ‘religion of unity, fraternity and mutual support’ but

Nasa’s saucer-like vehicle tests new Mars-landing tech

DHAKA: US space agency Nasa sent a saucer-like vehicle high into the sky on Saturday to test technology for a future Mars landing, but its parachute tangled when deployed and the spacecraft splashed into the Pacific Ocean. The test began when the space agency attached its ‘Low-Density

Magnitude 6.2 quake hits Japan island

DHAKA: A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit 167 km east-southeast of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands of Japan on Sunday. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said, reports The Straits Times. Japanese radio NHK said there was no threat of a tsunami. USGS earlier reported the quake was of 6.4

Iraq receives Russian jets to fight rebels

DHAKA: Iraq says it has received the first batch of fighter jets it ordered from Russia to help it as it fights an offensive by Sunni rebels.  The defense ministry said five Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft would enter service in ‘three to four days’, reports the BBC.  The insurgents

British PM’s Ramadan greetings to Muslims

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron extended Ramadan greetings to Muslims in Britain and throughout the world observing the holy month of Ramadan.  He said “This is an special time of year for Muslims at home and abroad: a time for charity, for contemplation and community.”

11 killed in Nigeria explosion

DHAKA: At least 11 people were killed and 28 others wounded in an explosion in a brothel in the northeastern Nigerian city of Bauchi, aljazeera reports.  Suspicion for the blast immediately fell on the Boko Haram group, which has in the past few months targeted several cities across

9 dead,25 trapped in India building collapse

DHAKA: Nine people died after one of the two towers of an 11-storey under-construction building collapsed near Chennai in India on Saturday. The incident occurred at Moulivakkam near Porur, about 20 km from Chennai. 23 people have been rescued so far and the injured are being admitted

India reacts to reported Chinese claim on Arunachal

DHAKA: Reacting strongly to reports that China has in its recent map shown Arunachal Pradesh as its territory, India on Saturday said ‘cartographic depiction’ does not change reality on the ground and asserted that Arunachal was an integral part of the country. Asked about recent