Wednesday, 27 Aug, 2025

International

Burkina Faso general takes over as Compaore resigns

DHAKA: Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore has announced his resignation, following violent protests at his attempt to extend his 27-year rule. Mr Compaore issued a statement saying the presidency was now vacant and urging elections within 90 days. Military chief Gen Honore Traore

UN envoy proposes Syria 'fighting freeze'

DHAKA: Staffan de Mistura says local ceasefires in different parts of the war-torn country could help get aid deliveries in. UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has presented an "action plan" for Syria, proposing to "freeze" fighting in local areas to allow for aid deliveries and to lay

Israel reopens Al-Aqsa mosque

DHAKA: Israel reopened Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound Friday ahead of the weekly Muslim prayers, after a rare closure following clashes sparked by the killing of a Palestinian by police. The streets of east Jerusalem were calm ahead of the prayers at midday, following an

Russia-Ukraine deals secures EU gas

DHAKA: Russia has agreed to resume gas supplies to Ukraine over the winter in a deal brokered by the European Union. The deal will also ensure gas supplies to EU countries via Ukraine are secure. "There is now no reason for people in Europe to stay cold this winter,'' said European

US urges Myanmar to support Rohingya rights

DHAKA: US President Barack Obama has urged Myanmar's president to address ethnic tensions in his country, while also discussing political reforms with the opposition leader. The White House said Obama had separate telephone conversations on Thursday with President Thein Sein and

Burkina Faso president declares emergency

DHAKA: Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore on Thursday imposed a state of emergency to end violent protests against his 27-year rule.The government has also been dissolved, a statement signed by Compaore said, reports BBC.Mass protests against his rule are continuing in the

‘Jerusalem holy site closure declaration of war’

DHAKA: A spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has described the closure of a disputed Jerusalem holy site as a ‘declaration of war’. The move came amid tension after the shooting of a Jewish activist. Israel’s PM called for calm, saying Abbas was responsible for

Iraqi Kurd fighters enter Syria’s Kobane

DHAKA: Ten Iraqi Kurd Peshmerga fighters have entered the besieged Syrian town of Kobane on the Turkish border. Syrian opposition activists say, reports the BBC. Dozens more are expected to join them in helping Syrian Kurds defend the strategic town against besieged by Islamic State

Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze

DHAKA: Protesters angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year-rule have set fire to parliament. The BBC’s Laeila Adjovi in the capital, Ouagadougou, say the city hall and ruling party headquarters are also in flames. The security forces

Malala donates $50,000 to re-build UN schools in Gaza

DHAKA: Pakistani teenage rights activist and also Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has donated $50,000 to help rebuild UN schools in Gaza that have been damaged during the recent fighting in the enclave. ‘We must all work to ensure Palestinian boys and girls, and all children

Sweden officially recognises state of Palestine

DHAKA: Sweden has officially recognised the state of Palestine, the Swedish foreign minister said, less than a month after Stockholm announced its intention to make the controversial move. ‘Today the government takes the decision to recognise the state of Palestine,’ Margot

Delhi’s air very unhealthy

HAKA: Delhi’s air has again made headlines for the wrong reasons. The US embassy’s pollution monitor at Chanakyapuri on Wednesday measured air quality at ‘very unhealthy’ levels, prompting a post in an international news portal warning against letting children outdoors for

Few couples in China applying to have a 2nd child

DHAKA: Far fewer Chinese couples applied to have a second child than expected after a relaxation of the country’s ‘one child’ policy, state-run media reported on Thursday, highlighting the ageing nation’s demographic challenges. The world’s most populous country has restricted

Sri Lanka rescue effort intensified

DHAKA: Rescue workers in Sri Lanka have intensified their search for survivors of a tea plantation landslide in the centre of the country which is feared to have buried more than 100 people. Five excavators normally used to dig trenches joined the search effort at first light on

UN condemns Israeli settlement expansion

DHAKA: A UN official has warned that Israel's plans for further settlements in East Jerusalem could ignite more violence and threaten the viability of the future Palestinian state. UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman called on Israel on Wednesday "to rescind" its plan to build 1,000 new

Zambia VP appointed interim leader

DHAKA: Zambian vice-president Guy Scott has been named acting leader following the death of president Michael Sata.Presidential elections to choose a permanent successor will be held within 90 days, defence minister Edgar Lungu said.Scott becomes Africa’s first white head of state since

Over 100 feared dead in Sri Lanka landslide

DHAKA: More than 100 people are believed to have been killed on Wednesday in a landslide in hilly south-central Sri Lanka.The country’s disaster management minister Mahinda Amaraweera said, reports the BBC.‘More than 100 people are believed to have died,’ the minister told the

Kim Jong-un had surgery, says South Korea

DHAKA: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has had surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle, according to South Korean intelligence.A spy agency briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday said that a foreign doctor operated on Kim in September or October, the BBC publishes this report on

Ukraine, Russia tackle gas crisis as tensions spike

DHAKA: Ukraine and Russia were set on Wednesday to resume crunch EU-mediated gas talks aimed at ending a months-long supply cut that threatens to hit swathes of Europe this winter.The latest negotiations in Brussels come a day after Russia stirred tensions with its war-torn neighbour

Hopes fade for trapped Turkey miners

DHAKA: Rescuers are losing hope that 18 workers, trapped underground at a coal mine in southern Turkey, can be saved.Part of the pit flooded while the miners were working. They are said to be stuck 300m underground, reports the BBC.The accident comes less than six months after 301 workers