Saturday, 21 Dec, 2024

International

Somali president appoints new prime minister

DHAKA: Somalia`s president has appointed a new prime minister as the second prime minister of the horn of Africa has had in 14 months.Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was named prime minister in a press conference held on Thursday at Villa Somalia the heavily guarded presidential palace in the

Thai ex-PM Abhisit Vejjajiva charged with murder

DHAKA: Former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010.More than 90 people died in clashes during the 2010 protests.Abhisit, who leads the opposition Democrat Party, denied the charges and was

‘Russia is a force for moral good but no superpower’

DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin, in a thinly veiled criticism of the United States, portrayed Russia on Thursday as a force for peace and morality that had no desire to be a global superpower.‘We do not aspire to be called some kind of superpower, understanding that as a claim

‘Mistake made hiring Mandela interpreter’

DHAKA: A South African deputy Cabinet minister says ‘a mistake happened’ in the hiring of a sign-language interpreter for the Nelson Mandela memorial service who experts say was signing gibberish on stage next to world leaders.Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said on Thursday that government

Former Thai PM charged with murder

DHAKA: Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been formally charged with murder in connection with a crackdown on demonstrators in 2010.More than 90 people died in clashes during the 2010 protests.Abhisit, who leads the opposition Democrat Party, denied the charges and was

Anger over Mandela death ‘picture’ on internet

DHAKA: The South African government said on Thursday it would not release photographs of Nelson Mandela lying in state, and urged people to shun a purported image of the dead president posted on the internet.While tens of thousands queued to file past the democracy icon’s open coffin in

Thailand protesters cut off power to PM’s offices

DHAKA: Anti-government protesters cut off electricity to the prime minister’s office compound on Thursday and demanded that police abandon the premises, piling pressure on the government amid a political crisis that has dragged on for weeks.The protesters, seeking to force the

Saudi top cleric calls suicide bombers ‘criminals’

DHAKA: Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh branded suicide bombers as ‘criminals’ who will go to ‘hell’.Al-Hayat daily reported Thursday, says TDS.Suicide bombings are ‘great crimes’ and bombers are ‘criminals who rush themselves to hell by

Mandela memorial sign interpreter ‘has schizophrenia’

DHAKA: The sign language interpreter accused of using fake hand signals at Nelson Mandela’s memorial has said he suffered a schizophrenic episode.Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, told South African media he ‘started hearing voices’ and began hallucinating, reports the BBC.Deaf viewers at

Huge fire breaks out at Sharjah factory

DHAKA: A huge fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at a plastic manufacturing factory in Sharjah.Civil Defence rushed to battle the flames after receiving a report at 2.40pm.Officials were still at the scene late into the afternoon, reports gulfnews.com.The factory, in the industrial area

11 Qataris held in raid on Al Jazeera office in Egypt

DHAKA: Egyptian police have raided the office of the Qatari news TV in Cairo and arrested 11 Qataris allegedly for illegal operation and residence amid tensions between the two Arab countries.The late Wednesday crackdown, the latest on the station’s bureau in Egypt, came upon a tip-off

Storm delays UN aid airlift from Iraq to Syria

DHAKA: Severe winter weather delayed the start of the first United Nations airlift of aid items from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region to neighbouring Syria.A spokesman said on Thursday, reports TDS.‘It appears... the weather in Qamishli has delayed the start of the airlift, as well

Sumatra coastal cave records stunning tsunami history

DHAKA: A cave on the northwestern coast of Sumatra holds a remarkable record of big tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.The limestone opening, close to Banda Aceh, retains the sandy deposits washed ashore by huge, earthquake-induced waves over thousands of years.Scientists are using the site to

Iran road accident kills 15, including 11 Afghans

DHAKA: A crash involving several cars in central Iran has killed 15 people, including 11 Afghans, on a road often used by illegal migrants crossing from neighbouring Afghanistan.Iranian state TV says at least four cars hit one another in the pile-up near the town of Naeen, about 350

2 Saudi women arrested for driving

DHAKA: Two Saudi women were detained at a police station for driving a car in the capital Riyadh and refusing afterwards to call their male custodians to take them home.Azza Al Shamsi and Baria Al Zubaidi were caught by the police as they were driving the car near a shopping complex.Azza

‘Ukraine president wants to sign EU deal’

DHAKA: Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovych intends to sign a deal on closer EU ties after all.EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has told reporters, according to the BBC.She was speaking in Brussels after meeting pro-EU protesters who have paralysed the centre of Kiev.The

Thousands more to view Mandela’s body in Pretoria

DHAKA: Mourners in South Africa are waiting to view the body of former president Nelson Mandela for a second day.Thousands of people queued on Wednesday to file past Mandela’s body, which was lying in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.His widow Graca Machel and president Jacob

‘Kabul blast was accident in arms depot’

DHAKA: A huge explosion that shook central Kabul on Thursday was an accident in an arms depot, officials said, allaying fears of an attack on the Afghan capital that has often been targeted by militants.‘It was an accident, not an enemy act,’ Lutfullah Mashal, a National Directorate

Desmond Tutu’s home burgled during visit to Mandela memorial

DHAKA: Burglars broke into the Cape Town home of South African peace icon Desmond Tutu when he was away speaking at Nelson Mandela’s memorial.An aide said Wednesday, reports TDS.‘I can confirm that there was a burglary last night,’ said Tutu aide Roger Friedman.‘We are not able to

Pakistani court stops airing of Indian, foreign films on TV

DHAKA: A Pakistani court has stopped the screening of foreign films, serials and television shows, especially Indian content, on the country’s TV channels, triggering panic and outrage among exhibitors and viewers.While staying the beaming of foreign content, Lahore high court Justice