Monday, 17 Mar, 2025

International

Poland calls for larger US military presence in eastern Europe

DHAKA: The US should increase its military presence in Poland and in other Nato members in central and eastern Europe in light of the Ukraine crisis.Polish defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak said on Saturday, reports The Straits Times.Siemoniak said Washington was open towards the idea but

Libyan army in heavy fighting with oil port rebels

DHAKA: Libyan troops fought with rebels occupying oil ports on Saturday after fighters attacked an army base where military reinforcements were preparing for an offensive to break the blockade.Local residents said, reports The Jerusalem Post.Anti-aircraft gunfire and explosions were heard

5 militants killed in Pakistan

DHAKA: At least five militants were killed and eight arrested during a search operation by security forces at Balochistan’s Kech district in Pakistan on Saturday morning.A security official claimed, reports dawn.com.The official, who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to

‘EU sanctions divorced from reality’

DHAKA: The Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday sanctions imposed by the European Union on 12 Russians and Ukrainians over Crimea were ‘divorced from reality’.‘It’s a pity that the European Council made a decision that is divorced from reality,’ the ministry’s spokesman

Michelle champions freedom of expression at Peking varsity

DHAKA: US First Lady Michelle Obama stepped out for her second full-day in Beijing stressing the importance of education, in particularly studying abroad, as well as encouraging young adults to embrace freedom of speech, which she said is a ‘birthright’.She also noted the stake the US

China checks new plane ‘debris’ images

DHAKA: China is investigating new satellite images of debris in the southern Indian Ocean, potentially from missing flight MH370.Malaysian officials say, reports the BBC.Malaysia’s acting transport minister read out the news as he was handed it during at his daily briefing, saying one

Thousands join rare Algeria rally

DHAKA: Thousands of Algerian opposition supporters have called for a boycott of next month’s presidential election, during an unprecedented mass rally.Islamist and secular opposition parties at the rally denounced 77-year-old president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s attempt to win a fourth

‘Putin has lost Ukraine for good’

DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin has ‘lost Ukraine for good’ with his move to annex Crimea, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in her first live television appearance since returning to the country.Tymoshenko, who spent three years in jail on what she said were

Pope denounces ‘evil, blood-stained’ mafia

DHAKA: Pope Francis has launched a stinging attack on the mafia, warning gangsters that they will go to hell unless they repent and stop doing evil.‘Blood-stained money, blood-stained power, you can’t bring it with you to your next life. Repent,’ he said, reports the BBC.He was

Putin signs Crimea annexation

DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a law formalising Russia’s takeover of Crimea from Ukraine, despite fresh sanctions from the EU and the US.The European Union’s latest measures target 12 people involved in Russia’s annexation of the peninsula.Earlier, Ukraine and

Hunt for new leads proves fruitless

DHAKA: Two weeks. Two gut-wrenching, frustrating, mysterious weeks.That`s how long it`s been since 227 passengers and 12 crew members boarded Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, destined for Beijing. A routine trip, it seemed, to catch up relatives in time for the weekend, start on a work

Crimea celebrations as region joins Russia

DHAKA: Thousands of people celebrated in the Crimean capital of Simferopol after the region broke away from Ukraine and was formally accepted into the Russian Federation.Celebrations continued into early Saturday, hours after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed a treaty making

Thai court rules February election invalid

DHAKA: Thailand`s Constitutional Court has declared as invalid the parliamentary elections held last February, throwing the country into a deeper political impasse.The court said on Friday that the vote did not take place on the same day across the country and that violated a clause in

Russia`s deputy PM, speaker on draft list

DHAKA: After hours of chewing over how to deal with Russia`s annexation of Crimea, EU heads have added a further 12 individuals to their blacklist.The list of those to be targeted by sanctions is to be released on day two of their Brussels summit. Its first incarnation included figures

8 killed in Kabul hotel suicide attack

DHAKA: Eight people were killed when gunmen broke into a hotel in the Afghan capital Kabul and attacked diners, says a government minister.Two children and two foreign nationals were among the dead, with four other people wounded, said Deputy Interior Minister General Mohammad Ayub

Turkey blocks access to Twitter website

DHAKA: Turkey has restricted access to Twitter hours after the prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, threatened to shut down the social media platform after users published claims of corruption against him.Users reported on Friday that they were forwarded from twitter.com to a statement from

Planes resume search for possible debris

DHAKA: Search planes are on their way to the site of possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airline flight thousands of kilometres south-west of Perth.Authorities yesterday identified two objects on satellite images almost 2,500 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia, but bad

Baghdad cafe attack pushes toll to 46 dead

DHAKA: Late night bombings at a Baghdad cafe left 13 people dead, officials said Thursday, pushing the toll from a day of nationwide blasts, shootings and shellings to at least 46.The violence has been primarily driven by discontent in the Sunni community, which alleges mistreatment at

US imposes more sanctions on Russia

DHAKA: US president Barack Obama has announced further sanctions on Russian officials and a bank over the crisis in Crimea.Obama said the US was watching with concern the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine, and he had signed an executive order enabling the US to impose economic

Michelle Obama begins China visit

DHAKA: US First Lady Michelle Obama is in China for a week-long visit that includes stops in Beijing and Chengdu.Michelle is accompanied by her mother and two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan will accompany her on part of her trip.In a blog, she said she would