Sunday, 19 May, 2024

International

3 killed in Norway bus hijacking

DHAKA: Three people were killed on Monday when a man armed with a knife hijacked a bus in western Norway, police said.The suspected hijacker, a man in his 50s of foreign origin, has been arrested, police officer Joern Lasse Foerde Refsnes told the TV2 Nyhetskanalen news channel.‘For

India a few hours away from Mars Mission

DHAKA: India is preparing to launch a robotic spacecraft towards the Red Planet, a first for the South Asian country.The head of India’s space agency told the BBC the mission would demonstrate the technological capability to reach Mars orbit and carry out experiments.The Mars Orbiter

US man skydives on 100th birthday

DHAKA: When Vernon Maynard’s friends asked him what he wished he had done in his 100 years of life, the Southern California man said he had always wanted to jump from a plane with a parachute.The retired car dealer got the chance to mark his centenarian birthday on Monday by doing just

Argentina finds secret junta files

DHAKA: Some 1,500 secret files, dating back to the years of military rule in Argentina, have been discovered in Buenos Aires.They were found in an abandoned wing of the Air Force headquarters.The files contain the transcripts of all meetings held by the military junta, which ruled the

US shopping mall evacuated after shooting

DHAKA: A shopping centre in the US state of New Jersey has been evacuated after multiple shots were heard, with some people locked down inside stores.Some witnesses said the shooting happened in front of the Garden State Plaza in the northern New Jersey town of Paramus around closing time

Art looted by Nazis found in Germany

DHAKA: A cache of 1,500 works of art -- including masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall -- confiscated by the Nazis and missing for more than 70 years has been found in Germany.The huge haul of paintings, estimated to be worth more than $1 billion, was discovered in an apartment in

40pc of Syrians need assistance

DHAKA: Some 9.3 million people in Syria - or about 40% of the population - now need outside assistance, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has said.This figure has risen by 2.5m from the 6.8m total the UN gave in September.The Syria crisis "continues to deteriorate rapidly and

6 gangsters killed in South Africa vigilante attack

DHAKA: Six people were killed on Sunday when residents of a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg attacked a group of suspected gang members, South African police said.Some of the victims were burned alive and two were stoned to death by groups of vigilantes who struck after 400 men

Sri Lanka media activists fear crackdown after arrests

DHAKA: A media rights group on Monday expressed fears for the safety of journalists in Sri Lanka after Colombo grilled two Australian activists and seized computer data before kicking them out.The Free Media Movement (FMM) said it expected a crackdown by the authorities following last

Hamas appoints first female spokesperson

DHAKA: Hamas have appointed their first ever female spokesperson.Israel’s Army Radio reported on Monday morning, says The Jerusalem Post.23-year-old Isra Allemdalel, a journalist and documentary film maker, will handle Hamas’ dealings with foreign media.When called by Army Radio for a

Pressure mounts on Indian PM to boycott Commonwealth meet

DHAKA: A senior Indian minister on Monday urged prime minister Manmohan Singh to boycott a Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka over human rights abuses, joining opposition in government ranks to the trip.India’s environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan said she wanted Singh to consider the

Death toll in Yemen rises to 100

DHAKA: Overnight shelling has taken the death toll from fighting between rival Shia and Sunni Muslim groups in a northern town in Yemen to at least 100 people.A spokesman for one of the groups said on Monday, reports The Jerusalem Post.Sectarian fighting in the town of Damaj has cast a

Google boss says US data spying is ‘outrageous’

DHAKA: Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said reports that the US government spied on the internet giant’s data centres were ‘outrageous’ and potentially illegal if proved true, in an interview on Monday.Speaking to the Wall Street Journal during a visit to Hong Kong, the

Imelda in stable condition

DHAKA: Flamboyant former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos is in ‘stable condition’ and set to be discharged soon after being hospitalised for severe fatigue.An Imelda aide said on Monday, reports gulfnews.com.The 84-year-old, who gained worldwide fame for her massive shoe

Iranian hardliners mark US embassy siege anniv

DHAKA: Iranian hardliners demonstrated to mark the anniversary on Monday of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran, a sign of the considerable obstacles to president Hassan Rouhani’s diplomatic initiative to ease tension with Washington.Large crowds gathered early on Monday

Saudi Arabia begins clampdown on illegal foreign workers

DHAKA: The Saudi authorities began on Monday a clampdown on illegal immigrants after the end of an amnesty that gave overstayers and workers a grace period to leave or legalise their status.Police patrols will be searching for illegally staying foreigners and those who help them, interior

Mursi trial adjourned until Jan 8

DHAKA: An Egyptian court has adjourned to January 8 the trial of ousted president Mohammad Mursi over his alleged involvement in the death of protesters during his year in power.Mursi, in his first public appearance since the army deposed him in July, rejected the proceedings and told the

‘US-Saudi relationship must stay on track’

DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry said on Monday the US relationship with Saudi Arabia should stay ‘on track’, as he visited the oil-rich kingdom to ease tensions over Syria and Iran.‘Right now we have some very important things to talk about to make certain the Saudi-US

Thousands in Thailand march against amnesty

DHAKA: Thousands of protesters marched through Bangkok on Monday, seeking to raise pressure on the Thai government over its controversial political amnesty bill.The opposition, which organised the demonstration, fears that the legislation could allow fugitive former prime minister Thaksin

Musharraf granted bail in last legal case

DHAKA: A Pakistan court on Monday granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over a deadly raid on a radical mosque, bringing closer his possible release after more than six months of house arrest.The ruling by an Islamabad district court means Musharraf is on bail in all the