DHAKA: North Korea confirmed on Monday that Jang Song Thaek, an uncle of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, had been dismissed for committing ‘criminal acts’ prompted by political ambition.Jang had been previously considered the second-most-powerful man in the country, viewed as his

DHAKA: US defence secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Pakistan on Monday for what is likely to be a day of tough talks with senior officials about security and the use of US drones, the first Pentagon chief to visit Islamabad in almost four years.The United States has long had a complicated

DHAKA: A car bomb exploded in north-eastern Iraq on Monday, killing 11 people and wounding 23.Iraq police said, reports The Straits Times.The explosion in Buhriz, 60km north-east of Baghdad, took place close to a cafe in a Sunni Muslim area.BDST: 1653 HRS, DEC 09, 2013

DHAKA: Thousands of protesters have spent the night in freezing cold in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, after Sunday’s huge anti-government rally.A group of protesters smashed the city’s statue of the Russian revolutionary leader Lenin, and brought its dismembered parts as

DHAKA: At least seven people died on Monday when a commuter train collided with a truck hauling fuel in Indonesia’s capital, sending a fireball of orange flames and black smoke shooting skyward.The accident in southern Jakarta killed the train engineer and at least six others, said

DHAKA: French troops are set to start disarming militias in the Central African Republic following a wave of sectarian violence in the capital of Bangui that has left around 400 people dead.French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said French soldiers would begin disarming rebels on

DHAKA: South Africa’s parliament is to meet to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, as world leaders prepare for Tuesday’s memorial service.The special sitting comes at the start of a week of commemorative events before a state funeral on 15 December.Some 60 world leaders are expected to

DHAKA: Elections will be held on February 2, a spokesman for Thailand’s government said.The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on Monday, spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi told media, reports The Straits Times.The announcement came after Thailand’s prime minister said she will

DHAKA: At least four people were killed when a commuter train collided with a fuel truck near the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Monday, derailing a women-only carriage which burst into flames, officials said.A media correspondent saw six people being taken to hospital in ambulances.Both

DHAKA: Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has pledged to prosecute individuals involved with an overnight riot in the city-state, which left at least 18 people injured.Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday that authorities would ‘spare no effort to identify the culprits and deal with

DHAKA: Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she would dissolve the parliament and call an election, after sustained protests in the capital, Bangkok.The move followed the resignation of all opposition MPs from parliament on Sunday, and a planned march on Government House on

NEW YORK: A certificate awarding ceremony of QuickBooks and Career Development training was held at Elmhurst Hospital in New York on Saturday. The training program was organized by Center for Human Development (CHD-BD) and coordinated as well as conducted by CHD-BD President Monzur

DHAKA: Fifty-three heads of state and government have so far confirmed attendance at upcoming memorial events for peace icon Nelson Mandela.South African foreign minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said Sunday, reports The Straits Times.The dignitaries will include US president Barack Obama,

DHAKA: Experts from Iran and the six major powers overseeing a landmark interim nuclear agreement will meet Monday in Vienna to discuss its implementation with UN inspectors.An Iranian negotiator said, reports The Straits Times.‘On Monday, we will have another expert-level meeting with

DHAKA: Syrian regime forces made gains Sunday in the key town of Nabuk, one of the last rebel-held areas in the Qalamoun region bordering Lebanon, a watchdog said.‘There is fierce fighting in Nabuk between government forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, and Al Nusra Front and

DHAKA: Strong demand from Gulf countries for Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 fighter jet has prompted Washington to grapple with the thorny question about releasing the jet to the region sooner than expected.A senior US defence official said, reports daily Hurriyet.Washington has already

DHAKA: The funeral service of Nelson Mandela could be a ‘trap’ for Iranian president Hassan Rouhani because he could run into US president Barack Obama.A hardline Iranian daily warned Sunday, reports Turkish daily Hurriyet.The Islamic republic has yet to announce who will travel to

DHAKA: Several hundred thousand Ukrainians occupied a central square in the capital on Sunday, denouncing president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to turn away from Europe and align this former Soviet republic with Russia.As widespread protests continued for a third week, Yanukovych’s

DHAKA: Atomic experts from the UN nuclear watchdog were at Iran’s Arak heavy water plant on Sunday to inspect it for the first time in more than two years, media reported.‘The IAEA experts started their visit to the Arak facility on Sunday morning,’ Fars news agency quoted Iran’s

DHAKA: Afghan president Hamid Karzai arrived in Iran for talks Sunday amid disagreement with the United States over a security accord that would allow some NATO forces to stay in Afghanistan.Karzai will meet president Hassan Rouhani, for the second time in four months in Tehran, and