Monday, 06 May, 2024

International

Iraqi Shis militia fired mortar bombs into Saudi Arabia

DHAKA: An Iraqi Shia militia said on Thursday it had fired six mortar bombs into Saudi Arabia’s desert as a ‘warning message’ to the kingdom to stop ‘interfering’ in Iraqi affairs.‘The goal was to send a warning message to Saudis to tell them that their border stations and

‘No Middle East without Christians’

DHAKA: Pope Francis on Thursday said the Catholic Church will not accept a Middle East without Christians, who often find themselves forced to flee areas of conflict and unrest in the region.‘We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians,’ he said after

Car bomb north of Baghdad kills 30

DHAKA: A car bombing near a cafe in a packed market killed at least 30 people and wounded 40 others in a town northeast of Baghdad on Thursday.The blast struck in Saadiyah, a town in restive ethnically-mixed Diyala province, according to a police colonel and a doctor, both speaking on

Australia police, central bank websites hacked

DHAKA: Australian police and central bank websites fell victim to cyber attacks on Thursday with an Indonesian hacker claiming responsibility, reportedly demanding that Canberra apologise in an intensifying row over spying.The row, triggered by reports that Australian spies tried to tap

US drone strike kills senior Haqqani leader in Pakistan

DHAKA: A US drone strike in northwest Pakistan killed six people including a senior leader of the ruthless Haqqani network, officials said, in only the second such strike outside the country’s lawless tribal districts.The missile attack hit a religious seminary that militants and

Nepal Maoists reject elections as its leader suffers defeat

DHAKA: The leader of Nepal’s Maoist party, who appears to have lost in this week’s national election, demanded on Thursday that the vote counting be stopped because of what he called massive irregularities.The irregularities occurred during transporting of ballot boxes and also during

Iran will not suspend uranium enrichment

DHAKA: Iran would not suspend its uranium enrichment activities says Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi.Speaking a day after talks with world powers resumed in Geneva, Araqchi told reporters on Thursday Iran would not suspend its uranium enrichment activities, saying it was a

Egyptian army chief doesn’t rule out presidential bid

DHAKA: Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah Sisi, who deposed elected president Mohamed Mursi in July following mass protests, said he did not rule out running for the presidency.Asked if he was a candidate for the job, Sisi replied ‘let’s see what the days bring us’ in an interview

‘West must show firmness in Iran nuclear talks’

DHAKA: France’s foreign minister said on Thursday the West needed to be firm in its dealings with Iran over the country’s nuclear programme, but he was hopeful an accord could be struck this week.‘I hope so,’ Laurent Fabius told France 2 television when asked if there could be a

US urges N Korea to resolve issue of detained Americans

DHAKA: A US envoy urged North Korea on Thursday to resolve the issue of American citizens detained by the reclusive country, among them an 85-year-old Korean War veteran from California and Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American Christian missionary.US Special Representative for North Korea

6 shells fall near Saudi border post close to Iraq, Kuwait

DHAKA: Six mortar shells landed near a remote Saudi border post close to Iraq and Kuwait on Wednesday, but caused no damage.The kingdom’s border guards agency said on Thursday, reports The Jerusalem Post.‘Six mortar shells fell in an uninhabited area near the new al-Auja border guard

P5+1 FMs poised to return to Geneva for Iran talks

DHAKA: Foreign ministers from the six world powers were poised to fly to Geneva by the end of the week in case their presence is required to sign an interim deal with Iran on its nuclear programme.The Guardian quoted western officials as saying on Wednesday night, The Jerusalem Post

Abbott promises Indonesia full response to spying reports

DHAKA: Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has promised Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono a full and courteous response to his demand for an examination of reported Australian eavesdropping on senior Indonesian leaders’ phones.Indonesia has downgraded its relations with

‘Brotherhood stole Egypt’s revolution’

DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry accused the Muslim Brotherhood of stealing Egypt’s revolution.‘Those kids in Tahrir Square, they were not motivated by any religion or ideology,’ Kerry said in a speech to a forum on enhancing links between private sector businesses and

‘US okayed Yasser Arafat’s killing’

DHAKA: A senior Palestinian official accused then-US president George W Bush of okaying alleged Israeli killing of PLO leader Yasser Arafat.In an interview given to official Palestine television earlier this month, Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub said that the ‘fool known as (George) Bush

‘Up to 15,000 foreign troops could stay in Afghanistan’

DHAKA: Up to 15,000 foreign troops could stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014 if a security pact with the US is signed.Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai said on Thursday, reports The Straits Times.About 2,500 tribal chiefs, chieftains and dignitaries are gathered in Kabul for a four-day

Drone attack kills 5 in Pakistan

DHAKA: A suspected US drone attack has killed at least five people in an Islamic seminary in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, reports say.Officials said at least two of those killed were militants, reports the BBC.The attack appears to have taken place outside the

Cyclone Helen to hit Andhra Thursday night

DHAKA: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal would intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross the coast between Chennai and Ongole on Thursday night, the Indian Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.Cyclone `Helen` would cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Kavali on the

US concerned over political unrest

FROM NEWYORK: US congress foreign affairs house committee Chief Ed Royce expressed deep concern over ongoing political crisis of Bangladesh including attacking on minority, emerge of militancy and various others issues.He came up with the assertion at 2:55am Wednesday in the sub-committee

UK `let NSA store email addresses`

DHAKA: The UK allowed the US National Security Agency to keep the mobile phone numbers and email addresses of ordinary Britons from 2007, reports say.Channel 4 News and the Guardian said existing rules were modified in 2007 to allow the US to keep information swept up incidentally about