Thursday, 28 Mar, 2024

International

Myanmar set to release dozens of political prisoners

DHAKA: Myanmar may release scores of political prisoners this month to fulfil a promise by its reformist president to free prisoners of conscience by the end of this year.A member of a state-appointed panel said on Wednesday, reports The Straits Times.A 19-member committee set up by

Iran minister seeks end to Facebook ban

DHAKA: Iran’s government should legalise access to social-networking websites including Twitter and Facebook.Iran’s culture and Islamic guidance minister Ali Jannati says, reports gulfnews.com.‘Not only Facebook, but other social networks should be accessible and the illegal

Swiss, Russian teams submit results of Arafat’s autopsy

DHAKA: Two of the European teams investigating the reasons for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s death have already submitted their results to a special Palestinian committee in Geneva.Official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post publishes this report

Kerry seeks to rescue Israeli-Palestinian peace process

DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry will hold talks on Wednesday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to try to keep the peace process from collapsing, urging them to reach a long-elusive deal.Only a few hours after Kerry arrived on Tuesday in Israel on a new mission to bring the two

UN welcomes progress in Myanmar peace talks

DHAKA: The United Nations has hailed peace talks between Myanmar’s government and armed ethnic minority groups as a ‘significant move’ towards ending decades of civil war in the former junta-ruled nation.The meeting in the conflict-torn northern state of Kachin on November 4 to 5

Democrats win key NYC, and Virginia polls

DHAKA: Democrats have won key elections in New York City and the state of Virginia, in the first major round of polls since president Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012.Preliminary results show Bill de Blasio will replace three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become the first Democrat

Apple reveals government data requests

DHAKA: Apple has revealed details of requests it has received from governments across the globe to share customer data.The US government, which made between 1,000 and 2,000 requests in the six months to 30 June, topped the list.The firm said the US requests affected 2,000 to 3,000

China blasts at local Communist HQ kill 1

DHAKA: A series of small blasts have killed at least one person outside a provincial office of the ruling Communist Party in northern China, state media report.The blasts in Taiyuan in Shanxi province appeared to have been caused by home-made bombs, Xinhua reported.It said eight people

Saudis round up thousands of illegal immigrants

DHAKA: Saudi authorities rounded up thousands of illegal foreign workers at the start of a nationwide crackdown ultimately aimed at creating more jobs for locals.Hundreds of thousands of workers have already left the kingdom following a grace period of seven months during which

Milky Way teeming with billions of Earth-size planets

DHAKA: Space is vast, but it may not be so lonely after all: A study finds the Milky Way is teeming with billions of planets that are about the size of Earth, orbit stars just like our sun, and exist in the Goldilocks zone, not too hot and not too cold for life.Astronomers using NASA data

Syria talks under way, Damascus insists Assad to stay

DHAKA: UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met US and Russian officials on Tuesday to discuss convening long-delayed Syrian peace talks this year despite disputes over president Bashar al-Assad’s future and whether his ally Iran can attend.Hours earlier, Damascus reiterated that Assad will stay in

IAEA chief to visit Iran in possible sign of progress

DHAKA: UN nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano is expected to visit Tehran on November 11, Iranian state television said on Tuesday, a possible sign of progress in a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear arms research by Tehran.After years of worsening confrontation with the

DR Congo rebels agree to disarm

DHAKA: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s M23 rebel group has declared an end to its 20-month rebellion, saying it is ready to disarm and demobilise troops and pursue a political solution to end the crisis in the east of the country.The M23 declaration was issued hours after government

‘Pensions’ for police dogs

DHAKA: They work hard, sniffing out crime with only the occasional pat on the nose in gratitude.But police dogs deserve better, according to the police and crime commissioner in the English county of Nottinghamshire, who wants to reward them with ‘pensions’ on retirement.Paddy Tipping

West considering cash offer if Iran halts nuclear activities

DHAKA: The West has been exploring a plan to offer Iran a portion of the country’s frozen oil revenues to advance nuclear talks set for later this week.The Times of London reported overnight Monday, The Jerusalem Post publishes this report on Tuesday.According to the report, the

Philippines, US disagree in troop deployment talks

DHAKA: The Philippine defence chief says disagreements in negotiations between US and Filipino officials may prevent an early conclusion of an accord allowing an increase in American military presence in the country.US and Filipino officials began negotiations in August on a defence

China, India begin joint anti-terrorism drill

DHAKA: China and India began a joint anti-terrorism drill on Tuesday, the first such exercise by the Asian powers, which have a sometimes-fraught relationship, for five years.The world’s two most populous countries each sent one company of soldiers to Chengdu, in the southwestern

Mortar round hits Vatican embassy in Damascus

DHAKA: A mortar round hit the Vatican embassy in Damascus on Tuesday morning, damaging the building but causing no casualties.A diplomatic source said, reports The Voice of Russia.‘A mortar round fell this morning at 6:30am (0430 GMT) on the embassy rooftop, causing only material

‘Iran must join Syria peace talks’

DHAKA: Russia insisted on Tuesday that Iran must be invited to peace negotiations on Syria that world powers hope to hold in Geneva later this month.‘All those who affect the situation must be invited to the conference,’ Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, says

Heavy gunfire heard in Libyan capital Tripoli

DHAKA: Heavy shooting from guns and anti-aircraft weapons erupted early on Tuesday in the Libyan capital Tripoli.The fighting occurred between militias in the eastern Suq al-Juma area, said a militia source with government ties, adding that he had no further information.Media reporters in