Wednesday, 23 Jul, 2025

International

Mladic refuses to testify for Karadzic at ICTY trial

DHAKA: Ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic has refused to testify after former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic called him as a defence witness at his war crimes trial at The Hague.Denouncing the UN tribunal as ‘satanic’, Mladic said testifying could prejudice his own case,

India to buy Japan-made military aircraft

DHAKA: India is set to become the first country since World War II to buy a military aircraft from Japan, helping prime minister Shinzo Abe end a ban on weapons exports that has kept his country’s defence contractors out of foreign markets. The two countries are in broad agreement on a

Yingluck maintains Feb 2 election date

DHAKA: Thailand’s government vowed on Tuesday to push ahead with controversial elections this weekend, despite threats by opposition protesters to disrupt the polls in an attempt to stop the ruling party returning to power.The announcement came after talks between prime minister

Ukrainian PM resigns over months of unrest

DHAKA: Ukraine prime minister Mykola Azarov resigned on Tuesday in a bid to defuse the country’s deadly crisis and preserve its unity, finally giving into months of pressure from street protesters.Azarov said he had taken a ‘personal decision’ to resign to preserve Ukraine’s unity

Mursi jail escape trial ‘begins’

DHAKA: The trial of Egypt’s former Islamist president Mohammed Mursi over his escape from prison in 2011 has begun, state media say.He was taken to the court in Cairo by helicopter from a prison in Alexandria, Mena news agency reports, says the BBC.Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected

Rahul forecasts victory in first TV interview

DHAKA: Rahul Gandhi, whose family have dominated post-independence politics in India, forecast an unlikely victory for his beleaguered Congress party in upcoming elections as he gave his first ever television interview on Monday.The 43-year-old, the ruling Congress party’s de facto

Bird flu resurges in China ahead of New Year

DHAKA: When a 39-year-old furniture factory owner named He came down with flu symptoms late last year, he wasn’t worried.According to his family, the man, who worked in Guangdong province in southern China, had always been healthy, reports CNN.Weeks later, He was on a ventilator.

Bilawal for military action on Pakistan Taliban

DHAKA: The son of the assassinated former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, has called on the country’s authorities to take military action against militant groups.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said politicians must ‘wake up’ to the threat posed by armed groups such as the

UN urges end to ransom payments

DHAKA: The UN Security Council has approved a resolution urging countries to stop paying ransoms to terrorist groups.The UK-drafted resolution is designed to put pressure on governments, reports BBC.The British UN ambassador said al-Qaida-linked groups had made at least $105m (£63m; 77m

Australia names new governor-general

DHAKA: Retired defence chief Peter Cosgrove has been nominated as Australia`s next governor-general by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.The ceremonial role, as representative of Queen Elizabeth II, involves opening parliament, giving assent to laws and receiving official visitors.Cosgrove will

Pope John Paul II relic stolen

DHAKA: Italian police are hunting for a stolen holy relic that contains the blood of Pope John Paul ll.It appears to have been taken during the burglary of a small chapel that was a place of special significance to the late Pope.The church of San Pietro della Ienca lies in an isolated

Japan uses drones to evaluate radiation levels

DHAKA: Radiation levels in and around the Fukushima nuclear power plant are starting to be measured by drones.Special unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been created by Japanese Atomic Energy Agency and the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.The machines are controlled with the use of a

‘Rahul veiled PM candidate of Congress’

DHAKA: BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Monday called Rahul Gandhi Congress’ prime ministerial candidate in ‘purdah’ (veil), questioning why the party’s campaign centres around him even when he is not the official candidate for the top post.‘...the campaign is centred around one

Ukraine opposition ready for talks with govt

DHAKA: Ukraine’s main opposition parties said on Monday they were ready to continue talks with president Viktor Yanukovych’s government.The also warned that the patience of protesters in the streets could ‘snap’ at any moment, reports The Straits Times.Opposition leaders said in a

Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil dies

DHAKA: Raymond Weil, founder of the watch brand of the same name and one of the great innovators of the Swiss watch industry, has died at 87.The company said on Monday, reports The Straits Times.He made his name by putting the luxury watch within reach of the pockets of people with style

Egypt army chief promoted to field marshal

DHAKA: Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, has been promoted to the rank of field marshal, the highest in the military.The presidency said on Monday, reports The Straits Times.‘Interim president Adly Mansour issued a

Israel defence computers hacked

DHAKA: Israeli defence computers were compromised via a malicious email attachment, a computer security firm has revealed.The email was spoofed to look like it had been sent by Israel’s Shin Bet secret service tricking several people into opening it, said Seculert, reports the BBC.The

250 arrested, 19 police injured in Paris protest

DHAKA: Paris police say 19 officers were injured and some 250 people detained after a protest against president Francois Hollande’s leadership degenerated into violence.Police said Monday that none of the injuries is critical, reports TDS.The numbers of injured and detentions is high

NSA ‘engaged in industrial espionage’

DHAKA: US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has alleged the National Security Agency engaged in industrial espionage.In an interview with Germany’s ARD TV channel, the former NSA contractor said the agency would spy on big German companies that competed with US firms, reports the

Tunisia assembly approves new constitution

Dhaka: Tunisia`s national assembly has approved the country`s new constitution, three years after the overthrow of the North African country`s long-time ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.Sunday`s vote by an overwhelming majority of assembly members marks another crucial step to getting the