Sunday, 22 Dec, 2024

International

EU looking into Russia G20 spying report

DHAKA: The European Union is investigating newspaper reports that Russia tried to put spyware onto computers of visiting delegations in St Petersburg at last month’s summit of leaders from the world’s 20 top economies, but has yet to find any evidence.European Commission spokesman

Suicide blast in Tunisian resort

DHAKA: There has been a suicide bomb attack in the Tunisian Mediterranean resort town of Sousse on a beach in front of a hotel, officials say.A hotel employee told the BBC that the blast occurred at 09:45 local time and that no-one was hurt except for the bomber.Meanwhile, security

China ‘captures Tiananmen car crash suspects’

DHAKA: Police in China have detained five suspects in connection with Monday’s deadly car crash at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.China state media report, says the BBC.Police have described the incident as a ‘violent terror attack’, the Xinhua news agency says, for first time.All

GCC looking to set up Gulf police

DHAKA: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could set up a unified police force to protect the member countries from organised crime and terrorism, the GCC secretary-general has said.‘The GCC countries are looking into a project to set up a Gulf police similar to Europol, the European

Two killed, 7 injured in Manipur bomb blast

DHAKA: Two persons were killed and seven others got seriously injured when a powerful bomb, allegedly planted by militants, exploded at Yaiskul area in Imphal West district of Manipur, police said.The bomb (improvised explosive device), planted near the roadside at Yaiskul bus stand here

Brahimi to meet Assad

DHAKA: UN envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi is expected to meet Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Wednesday, according to a Syrian government official.‘There is an initial appointment, but I`m not sure when exactly the two will meet,’ said Elia Samman, an adviser to the

Japan govt panel ‘suggests Tepco break-up’

DHAKA: The operator of Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant should be broken up, a committee is set to propose according to unnamed sources.The ruling party panel wants part of the Tokyo Electric Power Company in charge of cleaning to be separated.Fukushima has been beset by

7.3 million teen births in developing world

DHAKA: Teen pregnancies in the developing world are declining, but more than 7 million girls under the age of 18 are still giving birth each year, according to a United Nations report.The UN Population Fund expressed particular alarm about the dangers facing girls 14 or younger, who

‘Border accord with China bid to avoid tensions’

DHAKA: India defence minister AK Antony on Wednesday said the inking of a new border accord with China was a ‘sincere attempt’ by both countries to avoid tensions on the border and would help to quickly solve any face to face situations that may arise.The border defence cooperation

US lawmakers criticise Egypt aid cuts, consider changing law

DHAKA: Some US lawmakers said they were unhappy about cuts in Washington’s aid to Egypt announced earlier this month after authorities in Cairo used violence to put down protests.They also said they were considering changes to a US law that bars sending assistance to governments that

Egypt detains Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian

DHAKA: A fugitive senior Muslim Brotherhood leader, Essam el-Erian, has been detained by the Egyptian authorities.Prosecutors ordered his arrest in July, after the ousting of president Mohammed Mursi.The arrest is the latest move in a government crackdown against the Islamist movement

Afghan peace team to visit Taliban commander

DHAKA: Afghan negotiators seeking peace with the Taliban will soon travel to Pakistan for their first meeting with key militant commander Mullah Baradar.Officials said Wednesday, reports The Straits Times.Afghan president Hamid Karzai said in a statement that a deal had been reached after

Israel to build 1,500 illegal settler homes

DHAKA: Israel has announced the construction of 1,500 new settler homes in the occupied East Jerusalem illegal settlement of Ramat Shlomo, Israeli army radio said.The early-morning report, credited to prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his interior minister, Gideon Saar, came hours

23 killed in India train fire

DHAKA: At least 23 people have died after a fire broke out in an air conditioned bogie of the Nanded Express in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh in India early Saturday.Nine others have been injured; they`ve been shifted to the Dharmavaram Hospital in the district, reports NDTV.The

China formally eases one-child policy

DHAKA: China`s top legislature has formally adopted a resolution easing the country`s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports.The Standing Committee of the National People`s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only

South Sudan rebels wary of truce offer

DHAKA: South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar has said there must be proper negotiations before the rebels can agree to a truce with the government.He was speaking after the government said it had agreed to an immediate end to fighting, in a declaration welcomed by East African leaders in

Judge rules NSA program legal

DHAKA: The National Security Agency notched a much-needed win in court Friday after a series of setbacks over the legality and even the usefulness of its massive data collection program.A federal judge in New York ruled the NSA`s bulk collection of data on nearly every phone call made in

6 charged in India gang rape

DHAKA: Police arrested 12 people and charged six of them for allegedly gang-raping a 21-year-old woman on Christmas Eve in southern India, in another case of sexual assault of women in the country.Law enforcing agencies said that the arrests were made Thursday after the woman complained

‘We’re still friends’

DHAKA: India wants to ensure the furore over the arrest and strip-search of a female diplomat in New York does not do lasting harm to its ‘valuable relationship’ with the US.India foreign minister Salman Khurshid said on Thursday.‘I can’t believe that either side wants to put at

Pope drawing crowds 4 times larger than predecessor

DHAKA: More than two million people have flocked to Pope Francis’ general audiences in St Peter’s Square since his election in March, four times the number that Pope Benedict drew in all of 2012.The Vatican said on Wednesday it had issued 1,548,500 tickets for the 30 general audiences